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There’s just over a week left to enter to win Apple’s latest MacBook Pro thanks to our friends at Chargesap and its new Omega 200W & 100W GaN USB-C Charger available now with a 55% off limited time preorder deal.

Get a look at the new Omega chargers below and enter the giveaway now:

Omega: The World’s First & Smallest 200W & 100W GaN USB-C Charger

After 8 successful crowdfunding campaigns, Chargeasap is launching its new Omega charger, the world’s first and smallest GaN USB-C chargers available in 200W & 100W models. Weighing in at just 220g and smaller than a credit card, the Omega is capable of charging up to 4 devices simultaneously, including up to two MacBook Pros at full speed with its 100W USB-C ports and 22.5W USB-A ports with QuickCharge 3.0.

The Omega chargers include 2nd Generation GaN technology that improves heat and inaccurate power distribution of some 1st generation GaN chargers. The Omega sports patent-pending 180° foldable prongs to make plugging in the unit as easy as possible. It also includes connectors for US, AU, EU, and UK making for worldwide compatibility in over 200 countries.

You can order the new Omega charger for up to 55% off retail now on Kickstarter.

How to enter:

For your chance to win MacBook Pro (13″, 2020, base), enter your name and email below (one submission per email address) to sign up for Chargeasap’s and 9to5Mac’s newsletters. Be sure to share our giveaway on Facebook or Twitter & follow the company on Facebook & Twitter for the latest updates. Entries are open until Oct 9, 2020. Open to readers in US and Canada only. If you are viewing this on mobile and don’t see the option to enter, click here.

Apple 2020 MacBook Pro Giveaway

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Amazon-owned Woot’s latest flash deal offers substantial savings on Apple’s 2019 15-inch MacBook Pro that’s equipped with a Core i9 processor, 512GB SSD and upgraded graphics.

Flash MacBook Pro deal

Find even more Apple deals

The upcoming “iPhone 12 Pro Max” is anticipated to have a number of unique high-end features not found on any other iPhone, such as its screen size, LiDAR scanner, faster 5G, and potentially a higher display refresh rate.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is also expected to be the largest ever ‌iPhone‌, with a 6.7-inch display. Previously, the largest iPhones have been 6.5-inches in the iPhone XS Max and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Leaks have suggested that the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro Max’s 6.7-inch display could support a 120Hz refresh rate, but doubt has been cast on the feature arriving in the final product. Supposed PVT (production validation test) models indicated that the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro Max will be able to “alter the refresh rate from 120Hz to 60Hz in accordance to the content displayed on-screen,” and have a resolution of 2788 x 1284 resolution with 458 pixels per inch. This model is also speculated to have Y-OCTA support, 10-bit color, and be XDR capable.

Other rumors have said that the device will not have a 120Hz display after a series of production setbacks. Instead, the feature could arrive in 2021 alongside the adoption of low-power LTPO displays and a variable refresh rate that preserves battery life. Adding a ProMotion display to the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ without the LTPO technology may result in an undesirable battery drain, although it is worth noting that the iPad Pro uses ProMotion without LTPO.

Supply-chain analyst Ming Chi-Kuo has said that ‌iPhone 12‌ models will not support a 120Hz refresh rate due to battery life considerations, and could alternately arrive next year with LTPO.

Moreover, the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro Max is widely believed to have a LiDAR scanner, which has otherwise only appeared on the 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌, for enhanced augmented reality and photography experiences. The same alleged PVT models used the LiDAR scanner for “assisted autofocus and subject detection for Video and Night Mode.” Some rumors have proposed that LiDAR will be exclusive to the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro Max since it is a high-end feature.

Rumors intimate that the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro Max will also be the only model to have faster mmWave 5G. Sub-6GHz 5G, which is the slower but more widespread form of 5G, is expected to be present on other new ‌iPhone‌ models. Only the largest ‌‌iPhone‌‌ in the lineup supposedly has the internal space to accommodate the antenna design needed to implement mmWave at this time, along with the larger battery needed for its higher power usage.

For more on what to expect from the 2020 ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌ models, be sure to see our dedicated roundup.

Apple is widely expected to launch two new MacBooks during October. They will be the first hardware available to the public using the new ARM-based processors instead of the current Intel chips. This is part of a planned two-year transition towards Apple using its own silicon over all of the Mac platform.

The laptops are very much on the bleeding edge of technology, but not much is expected to change on the outside – those who are looking for new design ideas and up to date technology outside of the move to ARM are going to have to wait until the back half of 2021.

Apple CEO Tim Cook presents new products, including new Macbook laptops, during a special event at … [+] the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Howard Gilman Opera House October 30, 2018, in New York. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

One area where Apple is behind the competition has been the screen. Windows 10 laptops, especially in the high-end markets where the MacBook Pro lives, have featured innovations such as edge to edge screens and increased brightness. They have already started to move to the next level of screen technology… the use of mini LED to create a more responsive screen with a wider and more accurate range of colours.

Apple’s move to mini LED on its laptop range has been discussed by many, but the latest details from analysts looking at the supply chain suggest that consumers looking for the best screen possible on their Mac will have to wait until the second half of next year. Tim Hardwick reports:

“[Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo] has said a mini-LED version of a 16-inch MacBook Pro is in the works for a possible late 2020 release, and that Apple is also working on a mini-LED 14.1-inch MacBook Pro, although he hasn’t provided launch information for the latter beyond suggesting there are several mini-LED devices in the works for 2021. According to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, Apple suppliers won’t begin competing to win manufacturing orders for new 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with mini-LED displays until the first quarter of 2021.”

Apple’s two suppliers for miniLED screens are presumed to be Epistar and Sana Optoelectronics. With two companies in the supply chain Apple can expect to see both resilience in production, and the two companies ensuring their screens are competitively priced. But it’s the impact on this year’s two MacBook machines that will be most noticeable.

Both the MacBook Pro and thew newly mono-monikered MacBook will be running the latest hardware inside the chassis, but with older technology on the outside. For machines that are going to be highly prized by the geekerati, these machines may have game-changing internals, but they’re going to look tired and boring on the outside if they come with older screens and lumbering bezels,

Perhaps that’s the plan. The Intel-powered MacBooks will not suddenly disappear overnight, and while Apple still has to confirm just how much support the computers will have over the next few years they will remain the more dependable and stable choice for business critical environments.

Assuming the geekerati discover all the flaws, bugs, and gotchas in macOS for ARM over the next twelve months, when the ARM machines are ready ‘for wider public consumption’, the new technology such as mini LED will give the MacBook platform a much needed refresh.

It’s just that waiting another 12 months for Apple to catch up to the innovations in Windows 10 powered laptops feels out of character, especially as the innovations continue to appear on the various iPhones and iPads.

Now read more about Apple’s futuristic MacBook hinge… that looks rather like Microsoft’s Surface Book…

Currently hosted on Kickstarter is a Raspberry Pi project called CrowPi2; a device its creator describes as a “STEAM Education platform and Raspberry Pi laptop” (sic). With 50 days to go at the time of writing, it has achieved more than $150,000 in pledged donation from 580 backers.

The project, created by Elecrow, aims to deliver a working product by August 2020 with the basic kit costing about $170 (circa £140/AU$250), and with various optional extras capable of almost doubling the price. Surprisingly, the most expensive bundle (the Advanced Kit) is also by far the most popular.

Available in three color schemes, the CrowPi2 laptop is a surprisingly well designed product – at least on paper. It also has a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, which is superior to models than feature in more expensive laptops like the Dell XPS 13 or the Apple MacBook Pro 16, both of which sport a 720p HD webcam.

Raspberry Pi powered

The CrowPi2 has an 11.6-inch full HD IPS display and its removable keyboard hides a myriad of nifty features, like a customized design bin (we call it a secret compartment) for components or a power bank/laptop battery charger.

The most basic kit comes with a RFID card + tag, 9G servo, stepper motor, IR receiver and remote controller, moisture sensor, DC motor with mini fan, micro HDMI and a full sized HDMI connector.

There’s also a card reader, 32GB SD card preloaded with an OS, pack of components and – because the $100,000 goal was reached – an earphone with microphone.

Note, it doesn’t come with a Raspberry Pi module (you have to provide your own) but it is compatible with a wide range of operating systems; Windows 10 IOT, CenOS, KALI, FreeBSD, Ubuntu, Raspbian etc.

Amazon is currently offering the Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro Core i9 2.3GHz/16GB/1TB for $2,499 shipped in both Space Gray and Silver. Also available for the same pice at B&H. Saving you $300 compared to the going rate, today’s offer matches our previous mention for the Amazon low. Centered around Apple’s refreshed Magic keyboard and a larger Retina display, the 16-inch MacBook Pro comes outfitted with 1TB of SSD storage and 16GB of RAM, as well as an enhanced AMD Radeon Pro GPU. As accustomed for the Pro line these days, you’ll find four Thunderbolt 3 ports plus the Touch Bar, which has been upgraded this time around to add physical escape and power buttons. Check out our hands-on review for additional details. Head below for more.

Use some of your savings to outfit your new MacBook Pro in Apple’s official 16-inch Leather Sleeve. It’s comprised of high-quality European Leather and filled with an interior soft microfiber lining for keeping your machine protected on-the-go. Dive into our hands-on review for a closer look.

Be sure to swing by our Apple guide for even more discounts including deals on HomePod, the 2018 Mac mini, and more.

Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro features:

The Apple 16″ MacBook Pro features a 16″ Retina Display, a Magic Keyboard with a redesigned scissor mechanism, a six-speaker high-fidelity sound system, and an advanced thermal design. This MacBook Pro also features an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M graphics card, a 7nm mobile discrete GPU designed for pro users. With 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM, pro users will be able to tackle GPU-intensive tasks with this MacBook Pro.

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13-inch 2020 MacBook Pro. At the very least, you might want to put your MacBook purchase on hold.

Credit: Apple

This week Apple killed the MacBook until further notice.

Apple couched it as a “transition” away from Intel but the net effect is the same: any Intel-based MacBook Pro or MacBook Air you buy from here on out is ultimately dead in the water.

Here’s some simple advice: don’t buy a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

People who know a lot about Mac hardware are offering that advice too.

PC World Executive Editor Gordon Mah Ung offered similar guidance this week: “Why Apple’s move from Intel to ARM means we should stop buying Macs”

As did others, including: You shouldn’t buy a new Mac right now (MacWorld).

Here’s what Ung said.

“There’s a practical, real reason why you shouldn’t drop $1,500 or $4,500 on a new Mac: You’ll be abandoned.” —PC World, June 22, 2020

I would offer this as a rough analogy: would you buy a Windows phone? Yeah, it’ll work and run some apps but it’s a dead platform — and good luck getting any support. That kind of scenario may be in the not-too-distant-future for Intel-based Macs.

I asked PC World’s Ung about Apple’s transition to its A Series processors.

“I would be concerned that longer term—even if Apple doesn’t dump Intel-based Macs overboard as quickly as it did PowerPC Macs—optimizations won’t flow as fast since it will be a legacy platform,” he told me in an email.

That bothers me too. There is little incentive for Apple to optimize going forward, i.e., less need to ensure Intel processors run smoothly, efficiently on macOS.

If I bought*, for instance, a 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, there would always be that nagging feeling that a glitch or overheating or slow performance or buggy software would be due to a lack of support and/or focus from Apple.

I could wrong. But, then again, I could be right. That doubt alone kills the deal.

Barring unexpected snafus in the transition of the Mac to Apple’s processors, buying an Intel-based MacBook doesn’t make any sense.

“Intel Macs will soon be those curiosities sitting at the corner Mac Repair shop yellowing in the sun with the PowerPC macs,” Ung told me.

——

*Until Apple’s announcement, I was planning to buy the high-end 2020 Core i7 MacBook Pro 13. I’ll wait for the ARM Macs.