Many MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Neo owners have noticed something curious; their MacBook battery stops charging at 80% when plugged in. To add to the confusion, even if they leave their MacBook plugged in overnight, the battery seems to be stuck at 80% and will not charge any further. Because this is not ... Read More
MacBook Air Flexgate is an unofficial name increasingly used for screen problems that appear when the laptop lid reaches a particular angle. The display may flicker, lose its backlight, show colored lines or turn completely black even though the computer continues running.
The term can be misleading. The original Flexgate controversy involved certain 13-inch MacBook Pro models from 2016, not MacBook Air. Apple later created a display backlight service program for eligible MacBook Pro units after determining that a small percentage could develop uneven lighting or lose the backlight entirely.
No equivalent MacBook Air repair program currently appears among Apple active service programs. Individual Air models can still experience failures involving display cables, connectors, backlight components or the LCD panel, but that does not establish one confirmed defect affecting every generation.
Owners therefore need to identify the symptom before assuming the screen has the same problem associated with the earlier MacBook Pro.
MacBook Air Flexgate Is Not the Original Flexgate
MacBook Air Flexgate usually refers to damage or wear affecting the thin cables carrying display information and power between the computer body and the screen.
These cables must flex every time the lid opens or closes. When a cable, connector or bonded section begins failing, the problem may initially appear only at certain screen angles. Moving the lid can restore the image temporarily, followed by another blackout when the display opens farther.
The original MacBook Pro issue became associated with a short backlight cable integrated into the display assembly. Repeated movement could place stress on the cable, producing a stage-light effect along the bottom of the screen before the backlight eventually stopped working.
MacBook Air designs also use compact display connections routed through the hinge area, but the internal construction differs across generations. A cable-related Air failure should not automatically be treated as evidence that Apple reused the exact defective MacBook Pro component.
The distinction matters during repair. A technician may use “Flexgate” as convenient shorthand, while the written diagnosis may identify a damaged display cable, backlight circuit, panel connection or complete display assembly.
Customers should ask which component has failed and how the conclusion was reached rather than accepting the nickname as the diagnosis.
Image Source: Google
Which MacBook Air Models Are Mentioned Most
Reports of angle-dependent MacBook Air display failures most commonly involve Retina models introduced from 2018 onward.
The 2018 and 2019 Intel MacBook Air share a thin Retina design with display connections running through the hinge area. The early 2020 Intel version and late 2020 M1 MacBook Air use closely related chassis designs, making symptoms across these machines look similar even when the failed component is not identical.
Owners describe displays that work when opened slightly but flicker, develop lines or turn black when moved toward a normal viewing position. Some units recover after the lid is partly closed, strongly suggesting a physical connection affected by movement.
The M1 MacBook Air receives particular attention because it sold in large numbers and remained available for several years. A greater number of public complaints does not necessarily mean it has a higher failure rate, but many of these computers are now old enough for wear, accidental pressure and repeated hinge movement to become relevant.
The redesigned M2 MacBook Air introduced in 2022 uses a different enclosure and display assembly. M3 and later versions continue that flatter design. Individual screen and cable failures can occur, but there is no established evidence of a single Flexgate defect covering those generations.
Older wedge-shaped MacBook Air models released before the 2018 Retina redesign can also develop display cable problems. They are not normally included in the Flexgate discussion because their screen architecture predates the MacBook Pro controversy and their failures follow different repair patterns.
The exact model can be checked through:
Apple menu > About This Mac
The model year and screen size are more useful than the date the Mac was purchased. Retailers may sell an earlier generation long after its original release.
How to Recognize a Display Cable Failure
A strong Flexgate-style symptom is a display that changes immediately when the lid moves.
The screen may operate normally below a particular angle, then flicker or disappear as it opens farther. Returning the lid to the previous position restores the picture without restarting the Mac.
Uneven illumination along the bottom edge can point toward a backlight connection. Several bright or dark patches resembling stage lights are especially associated with cable or backlight distribution problems.
A completely dark screen may still contain a faint image. Shining a flashlight toward the display in a dark room can sometimes reveal the desktop beneath the failed backlight. This test should be performed gently without pressing against the panel.
Colored vertical lines, black bands or duplicated images can involve the display data connection, but they may also indicate panel damage. Lines that remain unchanged at every lid angle are less characteristic of a flex-related failure.
Cracks do not always appear on the outer glass. Pressure from a webcam cover, keyboard protector, plug, pen or other object left between the keyboard and display can damage the internal LCD while leaving the surface relatively smooth.
Liquid exposure may create lines, discoloration or intermittent operation around the hinge and display connectors. In those cases, repeatedly opening the lid can spread contamination or worsen damaged connections.
An external monitor provides one of the most useful tests. When the external image remains normal while the built-in screen fails, the graphics processor is probably still generating the picture correctly. Attention then moves toward the internal display assembly, cable or connector.
A screenshot can provide another distinction. Capture the screen while the fault is visible, then inspect the file on another device or external monitor. When the screenshot looks normal, the problem is likely occurring after macOS generates the image.
What Owners Should Do Before Paying for Repair
Back up the Mac as soon as an intermittent display problem begins. A screen that works at one angle today may become completely unusable after another cable movement.
Avoid repeatedly opening and closing the lid to demonstrate the fault. Each movement can place further stress on an already damaged connection.
Record a short video showing the display at different angles. Intermittent failures can disappear when a Mac reaches a repair counter, and clear documentation helps the technician reproduce the condition.
Apple Diagnostics may identify some hardware problems, although a clean result does not rule out a damaged display cable. Testing in macOS Recovery or during startup can help exclude an ordinary application problem.
Apple and authorized providers commonly replace the complete display assembly when the cable is integrated with the screen. That approach can make an out-of-warranty repair expensive even when the visible fault involves a small cable.
Independent repair specialists may offer component-level cable work for certain models. The quality and durability of those repairs vary considerably, and newer Air displays can require specialized equipment, adhesives and calibration.
Before authorizing work, request a written estimate identifying the model, suspected component, warranty on the repair and whether the replacement display is new, used, refurbished or genuine.
AppleCare+ may reduce the cost when coverage remains active, particularly if the screen shows accidental damage. Standard warranty coverage depends on the diagnosis and whether Apple determines that impact, liquid or external pressure caused the failure.
The current Apple service-program list should also be checked before paying. A MacBook Air display program could be introduced or changed later, while consumer-protection laws may provide additional rights in some countries even after the limited warranty ends.
Owners using the Mac with an external monitor can often continue working while evaluating repair options. FileVault credentials, backups and any essential recovery codes should be confirmed before service because a technician may need to erase, reset or retain the computer during inspection.
A Receita Federal disponibilizou mais um edital (0900100/000009/2026) para leilão com produtos apreendidos, nesta ocasião em Curitiba (PR). De um total de 178 lotes disponíveis, pelo menos 13 deles contam com produtos da Apple, como iPhones, MacBooks, iPads e acessórios.
As propostas poderão ser enviadas a partir do dia 17 de agosto, às 8h, com o encerramento previsto para o dia 24/8, às 21h. Aquelas que forem selecionadas serão convidadas a participar do pregão online previsto para o dia 25/8, às 10h.
Relembramos que esses produtos podem vir acompanhados de itens de outras empresas, além de possivelmente não contarem com garantia ou acessórios e de apresentarem estados de conservação dos mais variados.
Vamos aos lotes?
Lote
Produto(s) da Apple
Lance mínimo
2
12x iPad (9ª geração) 8x iPad mini (6ª geração) 3x iPad (11ª geração) 3x iPad (10ª geração) 1x iPad Air (M3) 1x iPad Air (M2) 5x iPad Air (5ª geração) 2x Magic Trackpad (USB-C) 2x Apple Pencil Pro 4x Apple Watch SE (2ª geração) de 40mm 1x Apple Watch Ultra (1ª geração) de 49mm 2x Apple Watch Series 9 de 41mm 1x MacBook Air (modelo não informado) 1x MacBook Air (M2) 1x MacBook (modelo não informado)
R$150.000
3
1x iPad (modelo não especificado) 2x Mac mini (M4) 1x iPad mini (11ª geração) 2x Magic Mouse
R$152.000
5
13x Apple Pencil Pro
R$126.000
6
1x MacBook Air (M3)
R$112.000
16
48x iPhone 17 Pro Max 2x iPhone 17 1x iPhone 16 Pro Max 16x iPhone 16 5x iPhone 15
R$745.000
17
84x iPhone 17 Pro Max 25x iPhone 17 Pro 66x iPhone 17 87x iPhone 16 40x iPhone 15
R$485.000
20
16x iPhone 17 Pro Max 8x iPhone 17 Pro 17x iPhone 17 16x iPhone 16
R$230.000
21
46x iPad (A16) 10x iPad Air (M3) 5x iPad mini (A17 Pro) 30x Apple Watch Series 11 de 42mm 7x Apple Watch Series 11 de 46mm 2x Apple Watch Series 10 de 46mm 2x Apple Watch SE (3ª geração) de 40mm 2x Apple Watch SE (2ª geração) de 44mm 3x Apple Watch SE de 44mm 2x Apple Watch SE de 40mm 4x iPad (modelo não especificado) 1x iPad Air (M3)
R$75.000
24
3x Mac mini (M4) 3x Mac mini (modelo não especificado) 1x Mac mini (M2)
R$27.000
139
2x iPad (A16) 17x iPad (10ª geração) 1x iPad Air (5ª geração) 6x MacBook Air (M1) 4x MacBook Air (M2) 2x MacBook Air (M3) 1x MacBook Air (M4) 6x MacBook Air (modelo não especificado) 1x Apple Watch (modelo não especificado) 1x AirPods Max 1x MacBook de 13” (modelo não especificado) 1x MacBook Pro 14” (modelo não especificado) 1x MacBook Pro 16” (modelo não especificado) 1x MacBook Pro (M4 Pro) 1x AirPods Pro (2ª geração) 17x Apple Watch Series 9 de 45mm 8x iPad (9ª geração) 1x Apple Watch Series 10 de 46mm 1x Apple Watch SE (2ª geração) de 44mm 2x Apple Watch SE (2ª geração, GPS) de 40mm 2x Apple Watch SE (2ª geração, GPS) de 44mm 4x Apple Watch Series 8 de 41mm 5x Apple Watch Series 8 de 45mm 2x Apple Watch SE de 44mm 1x Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular) de 49mm 1x Apple Watch Ultra 2 de 49mm 1x Apple Watch Ultra de 49mm 2x Magic Mouse 2x MacBook Pro (M3) de 14” 1x MacBook Pro (modelo não especificado) 1x iPad Pro (6ª geração) 1x iPad Air (modelo não especificado) 2x iPad Pro de 11” (modelo não especificado) 1x iPad (modelo não especificado) 2x Apple Pencil (modelo não especificado) 1x Apple Watch Ultra (GPS + Cellular) de 49 mm 2x Mac mini (modelo não especificado) 1x Magic Keyboard para o iPad Pro de 13”
R$80.000
145
2x tela LCD para o MacBook Air (M1)
R$55.000
148
4x AirTags (pacote de 4 unidades) 3x Apple Pencil (USB-C)
R$48.000
175
1x cabo USB
R$135.000
Como participar do leilão?
Se algum desses lotes lhe interessou, para participar é necessário possuir um CPF válido e um certificado digital válido obtido pelo acesso ao Centro Virtual de Atendimento ao Contribuinte (e-CAC).
Os lotes estão disponíveis para lances tanto de pessoas físicas quanto de pessoas jurídicas.
Apple plans to raise the prices of its products as the cost of the memory chips it uses has surged, the technology giant’s boss has said.
Tim Cook, Apple’s outgoing chief executive, told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that price increases were “unavoidable” as the situation around memory chips had become “unsustainable”.
During its holiday quarter, Apple’s profit margin on hardware was 40.7%; in its most recent quarter, that dropped to 38.7% — a remarkable figure for physical products. It is these high margins that led to analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo to claim Apple would keep prices more-or-less stable and offset the additional costs through its even higher-margin — 76.7% — services business.
Winkler suggests in his summary that Apple has absorbed the cost increases so far because it has always treated memory and storage upgrades as profit centers. That’s no surprise to the Apple community, which has long chafed at Apple’s premium prices for memory and storage. But now, for instance, the price of standalone internal flash storage is closer to and sometimes even higher than Apple’s upgrade prices.
[…]
Obviously, Apple could absorb such costs and more if it were to accept dramatically lower gross margins. But as high-minded and customer-focused as Apple is, the company is still in business to maximize profit.
I was recently looking to add another SSD and a few hard drives to my setup. Normally, prices go down over time, but currently it SSDs are about double the price I paid last year, and large hard drives are almost triple.
Apple, to my recollection, has never before issued a warning about price increases. Keep in mind that Apple deals with prices in a very different way from its competitors. For Apple, prices are part of a product’s brand, so they don’t fluctuate with component costs.
Apple has raised prices across the board for many of its products today. MacBook Neo now starts at $699 (up from $599), while MacBook Air now starts at $1299 (up from $1099). Other impacted products include MacBook Pro, iPad, iPad Air, and many more.
iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods pricing is unchanged.
Earlier this week, I outlined three reasons for agreeing with Mark Gurman that the Apple price increases could be imminent, and that indeed proved to be the case.
iPhones have escaped the increases, but they are otherwise both broad-reaching and pretty dramatic. But perhaps the most surprising thing is that the MacBook Neo has been included …
Apple today increased the starting price of the Mac mini with M4 Pro chip by $200, taking the higher-tier model up to $1,599 on its online store.
[…]
Apple had already raised the Mac mini’s effective starting price in May by discontinuing the $599 configuration with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, leaving the $799 model with a 512GB SSD as the new entry-level option. Interestingly, the 16GB RAM / 256GB storage option has now been reinstated, but the $799 starting price remains.
Pre-announce it with a small delay, thus giving you a temporary sales boost as people scramble to get their orders in at current prices, and to soften the blow when the increases hit.
I also can’t help but see that “we need to begin raising prices on a number of products, including today’s increases for iPad and Mac,” statement as implying more increases are coming. The iPhone price increase seems inevitable, and my money is on it starting with the new models in September.
Micron CEO, president and chairman Sanjay Mehrotra explained the SCAs in prepared remarks delivered during the company’s Q3 earnings call. He explained that Micron has signed 16 SCAs, most of them covering 2026 to 2030, and that they involve a commitment to buy a certain quantity of product and pay for it in a pricing band that has a floor and a ceiling price. The floor price covers the historically high gross margins mentioned above, and the ceiling price means those who commit to an SCA are insulated if memory prices go even higher.
Micron’s chief business officer has hinted, without calling it out by name, that Apple’s tough supplier negotiations contributed to the conditions behind the global memory shortage.
For years, Apple has been able to dominate and dictate to their suppliers thanks to their scale. But the Asian operations which Tim Cook so famously set up, have been upended, like most everything else, by AI. From TSMC on down, Apple is no longer the customer dictating terms for the entire industry, it’s now the company which has taken over the mantle as the most valuable one in the world: NVIDIA.
Here’s a table with most of the base models whose prices increased[…]
[…]
iPad prices mostly went up 20–25%, but the hardest hit was the no-adjective base model, which rose almost 30%, from $350 to $450. That’s a big increase for a product meant to appeal to buyers for whom price is obviously their biggest concern.
Anyone who purchased a MacBook Neo for $600 (or $500 with education discount) between March and this morning purchased the lowest-price MacBook Apple has ever sold — and perhaps the lowest-price MacBook they ever will sell.
The consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge. The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage. We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly. We have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products, including today’s increases for iPad and Mac. We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions.
[…]
Apple indicating that it needs to “begin” raising prices suggests that additional price increases might occur later.
“and we are working tirelessly to find solutions.”
I find this to be the most confusing part. Do we believe this to be a genuine effort? Even if so, how would a “solution” actually work? Would they actually lower prices if a solution were to be found?
They also just said they “will continue working” on bringing Siri AI to the EU right before saying in a different venue that they’d stopped working on it.
But even setting aside the prices of competing devices, it just feels wrong to hike prices this much for four-year-old hardware running five-year-old pre-AI silicon. The higher-end model’s price went up 67 percent!
The only way this makes sense is if these prices are really meant for the upcoming new hardware, and those new models are more ambitious home hubs that warrant $200–250 prices.
The Financial Times reports that Apple is seeking clearance from the Trump administration to purchase memory chips from a blacklisted Chinese company. The move would help it meet demand for product manufacturing during the ongoing global memory supply shortage.
Perhaps this is the “working tirelessly” that Apple was referring to.
Apple previously sought permission from the Biden administration to do the same thing back in 2022, and that did not go well – despite promising to use the chips only for iPhones sold in China …
Something happens — outside the company’s control — that causes those essential components to rise in price significantly.
[…]
What you cannot do is hold a philosophically consistent logically coherent view where your answer to how a company should respond in such a scenario is contingent on what the “something happens” is that caused component prices to rise.
Maybe—but that’s only relevant if you accept the premise that it was out of Apple’s control. I don’t know the details of the deals, but there’s an argument that the rising costs to Apple are to some extent Apple’s “fault.” If Tim Cook gets credit for helping suppliers expand capacity and locking in contracts for memory at low prices over the past two decades, doesn’t the same logic apply in reverse? The AI-driven shortages were foreseeable—and publicly discussed years ago. If you believe Micron that Apple chose to prioritize its own past numbers rather than securing its future supply, doesn’t that make today’s situation different from, say, a tsunami that unexpectedly wiped out a bunch of factories? I don’t know exactly how the increased costs should be apportioned, but I think the reasons for the costs are relevant, and I don’t think they’re fully exogenous.
But while tech giants like Apple
and Microsoft, which both announced price hikes this week, have a hefty cash cushion, supply chain leverage and customers numbering in the millions or billions, a much wider swath of businesses face potentially dire straits. Most consumer electronics companies have little margin to spare and can’t confidently raise prices in an economy already grappling with inflationary pressures.
GoPro, the struggling maker of action cameras, warned this month that it might go out of business after memory costs shot up between 80% and 115% at the end of the first quarter. And shares of speaker maker Sonos
are down 23% this year as memory prices pressure margins.
Durante operação realizada ontem, a Polícia Rodoviária Federal (PRF) apreendeu uma carga de eletrônicos na BR-116, em Salgueiro (no sertão pernambucano).
Segundo o próprio órgão, entre os itens apreendidos havia 50 aparelhos celulares — incluindo 24 unidades de iPhones 17 Pro/17 Pro Max — além de iPads (A16), MacBooks Air e Neo, AirPods Pro, caixas de cigarros eletrônicos e outros dispositivos variados.
Divulgação/PRF
As mercadorias foram encontradas no reboque de uma van, desacompanhadas da devida documentação fiscal. Questionado pela PRF sobre a origem e o destino dos aparelhos, o condutor do veículo e seu acompanhante informaram que coletaram os itens em São Paulo e apenas os transportavam, sem ter conhecimento das notas fiscais.
Ambos foram encaminhados à Delegacia de Polícia Federal de Salgueiro para a adoção dos procedimentos legais. Já os produtos apreendidos certamente serão cotados para leilão, em breve.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Cores: prateado, laranja-cósmico ou azul-intenso Armazenamento: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB ou 2TB
Cores: azul-céu, prateado, estelar ou meia-noite Chip: M5 Memória: 16GB, 24GB ou 32GB Armazenamento: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB ou 4TB Adaptador de energia: USB‑C de 30W, 35W com duas portas ou 70W
Cores: azul-céu, prateado, estelar ou meia-noite Chip: M5 Memória: 16GB, 24GB ou 32GB Armazenamento: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB ou 4TB Adaptador de energia: USB‑C de 30W, 35W com duas portas ou 70W
NOTA DE TRANSPARÊNCIA: O MacMagazine recebe uma pequena comissão sobre vendas concluídas por meio de links deste post, mas você, como consumidor, não paga nada mais pelos produtos/serviços usando os nossos links de afiliado.
Os próximos meses têm tudo para ser extremamente movimentados quando o assunto são novos Macs, com a Apple preparando uma série de atualizações para os MacBooks Pro e Air, duas novas versões do iMac e até mesmo Macs mini e Studio atualizados, segundo informações da Bloomberg.
De acordo com o veículo, a Apple já encerrou o desenvolvimento de um novo MacBook Pro de 14 polegadas, o qual deverá ser um dos primeiros dispositivos a contar com o chip “M6”. De codinome J804, ele deverá contar com o mesmo design do modelo de entrada atual, que vem equipado com o chip M5.
Outro Mac que já estaria prestes a passar por atualizações é o iMac, que deverá ganhar não só uma, mas duas novas versões, sendo que uma delas ainda receberá uma tela OLED 1Organic light-emitting diode, ou diodo emissor de luz orgânico.. Com os codinomes J833 e J834, eles também serão equipados, é claro, com chips mais recentes — embora o modelo com o display mais avançado demore mais tempo para chegar ao mercado do que o primeiro.
E por falar em telas OLED, também teremos novos MacBooks Pro de 14″ e 16″ que, além de contar com essa tecnologia, também deverão ter painéis sensíveis ao toque, inaugurando esse método de interação entre os Macs. Com os codinomes K114 e K116, respectivamente, eles deverão ser lançados entre o fim deste ano e o início de 2027. No momento, eles estão sendo testados pela Apple com uma versão preliminar do macOS Golden Gate 27.1, cujo lançamento é aguardado para outubro próximo.
Ao contrário do modelo de entrada, no entanto, esses seguirão “presos” na família de chips M5, contando com o M5 Pro e o M5 Max dos MacBooks Pro atuais. Novas versões com os chips “M7 Pro” e “M7 Max”, porém, já estão planejadas para algum momento entre o fim de 2027 e o início de 2028.
Por falar no MacBook Pro de entrada, uma versão do modelo com um design completamente novo — baseado nos modelos com OLED — já estaria sendo desenvolvida pela Apple. Ele deverá vir ainda com o chip “M7” e conta com o codinome K104.
Já os MacBooks Air deverão ganhar novos modelos no início do ano que vem. Com os codinomes J913 (modelo de 13″) e J915 (15″), eles seguirão com o design atual. Vale lembrar, no entanto, que modelos com telas OLED já estão no forno há alguns anos e com lançamento previsto para o início de 2028.
Caçula da família, o MacBook Neo, também já conta com uma nova versão no horizonte, a qual deverá contar com o chip A19 Pro e mais memória integrada — provavelmente 12GB, ante aos 8GB do modelo atual.
Por fim, temos os dois desktops mais tradicionais da Apple: o Mac mini e o Mac Studio. Segundo Mark Gurman, o modelo em testes do primeiro usa os chips M5 Pro e “M6”, enquanto o segundo é empurrado pelos processadores M5 Max e “M5 Ultra”. Não há, no entanto, uma previsão de quando esses computadores chegarão ao mercado — cortesia da atual crise no mercado de memórias.
Haja computador novo, hein?! 😮💨
Mac Studio
Chip: M4 Max ou M3 Ultra Memória: 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, 96GB, 128GB, 256GB ou 512GB Armazenamento: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB ou 16TB
Cores: preto-espacial ou prateado Tela: padrão ou nano-texture Chips: M5 Pro ou M5 Max Memória: 24GB, 36GB, 48GB, 64GB ou 128GB Armazenamento: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB ou 8TB
Cores: preto-espacial ou prateado Tela: padrão ou nano-texture Chips: M5, M5 Pro ou M5 Max Memória: 24GB, 36GB, 48GB, 64GB ou 128GB Armazenamento: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB ou 8TB Adaptador de energia: USB-C de 70W ou 96W
Cores: azul-céu, prateado, estelar ou meia-noite Chip: M5 Memória: 16GB, 24GB ou 32GB Armazenamento: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB ou 4TB Adaptador de energia: USB‑C de 30W, 35W com duas portas ou 70W
Cores: azul-céu, prateado, estelar ou meia-noite Chip: M5 Memória: 16GB, 24GB ou 32GB Armazenamento: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB ou 4TB Adaptador de energia: USB‑C de 30W, 35W com duas portas ou 70W
NOTA DE TRANSPARÊNCIA: O MacMagazine recebe uma pequena comissão sobre vendas concluídas por meio de links deste post, mas você, como consumidor, não paga nada mais pelos produtos/serviços usando os nossos links de afiliado.
Notas de rodapé
1
Organic light-emitting diode, ou diodo emissor de luz orgânico.
The M5 MacBook Air was updated with a new chip when it was introduced on March 3rd, 2026. Other than that, the new MacBook Air doesn’t seem much different from it’s predecessor. The real changes are under the hood with the M5 chip, changing the paradigm of MacBook Air workflows. Five generations into […]
AppleCare+ pricing has gone up for new Mac and iPad customers, adding another small cost increase to the Apple ownership equation. According to Bloomberg, Apple has raised monthly and annual AppleCare+ rates for new Mac and iPad plans, with the change applying to new coverage rather than existing plans already active on customer devices.
The increase is modest on paper. Reports indicate Apple has raised monthly AppleCare+ rates by 50 cents and annual plans by $5 for affected Mac and iPad products. For example, AppleCare+ for the 13-inch MacBook Air is now listed at $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year, up from $7.49 per month and $74.99 per year. The Mac mini now starts at $4.49 per month or $44.99 per year, while the 16-inch MacBook Pro costs $15.99 per month or $159.99 per year.
The numbers are not dramatic alone. The context is harder for buyers. Mac and iPad prices have already been under pressure from component costs, financing changes and longer upgrade cycles. AppleCare+ is optional, but for many customers buying expensive laptops and tablets, it is part of the real purchase price.
AppleCare+ Pricing Adds to the Ownership Cost
AppleCare+ pricing is one of those costs many buyers do not fully consider until checkout. The device price gets attention first. Then come storage upgrades, cellular connectivity, keyboard accessories, Apple Pencil, taxes, financing, software subscriptions and protection coverage.
For a MacBook Air, an extra 50 cents per month may not change the decision. For a MacBook Pro, iPad Pro or a family buying multiple devices, the increases add up over time. Annual plans rising by $5 also signal that Apple is comfortable nudging protection costs higher even when the change is small enough to avoid a major backlash.
AppleCare+ remains valuable for users who carry devices daily or depend on them for work. Macs and iPads are portable, expensive and often used in places where accidents happen: classrooms, coffee shops, airports, offices, studios, kitchens and family rooms. A cracked iPad screen or damaged MacBook display can be expensive without coverage.
Apple’s pitch is convenience as much as insurance. AppleCare+ includes priority support, battery service when capacity drops below Apple’s threshold, and reduced service fees for accidental damage. For iPad, AppleCare+ can also cover Apple-branded keyboard accessories and Apple Pencil damage under service-fee terms.
That makes the plan attractive. It also makes the higher price easier for Apple to defend.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
New Customers Feel the Change First
The latest increase applies to new Mac and iPad AppleCare+ customers. Existing customers with active plans are not the immediate target of the reported change. That distinction helps Apple avoid angering subscribers who already signed up at previous rates, while still lifting revenue from new device buyers.
This approach fits Apple’s broader shift toward recurring coverage. Apple has been moving AppleCare+ further into monthly and annual subscription-style plans, with AppleCare One offering a bundled option for multiple products. The protection plan is no longer only a one-time add-on at purchase. It is increasingly part of Apple’s services layer.
That matters because Apple’s services business depends on recurring payments. AppleCare+ may not get the same attention as iCloud, Apple Music or Apple TV, but it is another way Apple extends the customer relationship beyond the hardware sale. A Mac or iPad purchase becomes not only a device transaction, but also a support and repair subscription.
The price increase strengthens that pattern. A small rise across a large base of new buyers can support services revenue without changing the product lineup.
Mac Buyers Should Compare Plans
Mac buyers now have more reason to compare AppleCare+ options before adding coverage. Apple’s Mac plans vary by model because repair risk and device cost vary. A Mac mini plan starts lower because the device is stationary and less likely to face drops or screen damage. A 16-inch MacBook Pro costs more because it is a high-value portable machine with expensive components.
For a buyer choosing a MacBook Air, AppleCare+ may be easier to justify if the laptop travels daily. Students, journalists, consultants, photographers, editors and business travelers are more exposed to accidental damage than someone who leaves a Mac mini on a desk.
For MacBook Pro buyers, the decision often depends on work dependency. If the Mac is the primary income tool, AppleCare+ can be less about repair math and more about reducing downtime. Access to Apple support and lower repair costs can be worth the subscription if the device is central to daily work.
Still, users should compare the plan cost with their own risk. A careful desktop Mac user may not need the same coverage as a frequent traveler. AppleCare+ is useful, but it should not be automatic for every buyer.
iPad Buyers Face a Different Calculation
iPad AppleCare+ has its own logic because iPads are more physically exposed than Macs in many homes. They are passed between family members, used by children, carried around the house, taken to school, placed in bags and paired with accessories that raise the total cost of ownership.
For iPad Pro and iPad Air buyers, AppleCare+ can make sense because screen repairs and accessory damage can be costly. Apple’s current AppleCare+ terms for iPad include service fees for screen damage, other accidental damage and covered accessories. That can make the plan appealing for users who buy Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil Pro or a high-end iPad Pro.
The decision becomes more complicated for entry-level iPad buyers. A lower-cost iPad may not justify years of coverage for every user, especially if it stays mostly at home. Families, however, may see the protection differently. An iPad used by children faces more risk than a laptop used carefully by one adult.
The new pricing does not change the core question. It makes the answer slightly more expensive.
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AppleCare One Becomes More Relevant
AppleCare One gives Apple another way to soften individual plan increases. The bundle starts at $19.99 per month for up to three eligible products, with additional devices available for $5.99 per month each. It includes AppleCare+ benefits and adds theft and loss coverage for eligible iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch products.
For users with only one Mac or one iPad, AppleCare One may not be the best fit. For users with multiple devices, it can become more attractive as individual plans rise. A person with an iPhone, iPad and Mac may compare three separate AppleCare+ plans against the bundle and find the monthly difference easier to justify.
That is likely part of the strategy. Apple can raise individual plan prices modestly while giving heavier ecosystem users a bundled option. The company has used similar logic across services with Apple One, where the value increases as users subscribe to more Apple products.
The same principle now applies to protection. The deeper a customer is inside Apple’s hardware ecosystem, the easier it becomes to turn support coverage into a monthly bundle.
Small Increase, Larger Signal
AppleCare+ pricing increases may be small, but they arrive during a period when Apple is asking customers to absorb more costs across the ecosystem. Device prices, component pressure, cellular financing, AI hardware demands and service subscriptions all affect the total ownership picture.
The AppleCare+ change fits that pattern. Apple is not dramatically changing the service. It is raising the price slightly while keeping the value proposition intact: lower repair costs, battery service, accidental damage coverage and Apple support.
For buyers, the best response is not panic. It is math. Compare the plan price with the device cost, repair risk, usage pattern and whether multiple Apple products would make AppleCare One more efficient. Someone buying a MacBook Pro for travel may want the protection. Someone buying a Mac mini for a desk may not. A family iPad may be a stronger candidate than a carefully handled personal tablet.
AppleCare+ remains a useful safety net. It is just a slightly more expensive one for new Mac and iPad buyers, and that makes the real cost of the device a little higher than the number on the product page.
The release of macOS 27 later this fall won't quite close the book on the Intel Mac. The last handful of models that could run macOS 26 Tahoe will be eligible for security and Safari updates for two more years, and elements of the Rosetta compatibility layer for running Intel code on Apple Silicon Macs will be with us in some form for some indeterminate amount of time after that.
But macOS 26 is definitely the last chapter of the Intel Mac story. Anything that happens after this is a coda or an epilogue.
Most of our WWDC coverage has been forward-looking, so indulge us if you will in a look backward at the full history of the Intel Mac, a partnership between two companies that made Macs dramatically better, until it started making them worse.
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