Original Apple Pencil vs. Apple Pencil 2

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Alongside the new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, Apple introduced a second-generation Apple Pencil, which is designed to work exclusively with its latest tablets.

In our latest YouTube video, we took a look at the new Apple Pencil 2 and compared it to the original Apple Pencil to highlight all of the improvements that Apple made with the second iteration of its iPad stylus.

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Design wise, the Apple Pencil 2 is sleeker and smaller than the original Apple Pencil because of the elimination of the Lightning connector at the top of the device.

The original Apple Pencil's Lightning connector was always a questionable design choice. It was meant to plug into the bottom of the iPad Pro, but it stuck straight out and was inconvenient at best and dangerous at worst, as an ill-timed drop could cause damage when charging.

Apple's new Apple Pencil does away with the Lightning connector all together because the device is now able to charge via a magnetic connection to the new iPad Pro models. The Apple Pencil 2 snaps right onto the new iPad Pro, which allows for pairing, charging, and storage when it's not in use.

With no Lightning connector, the new Apple Pencil is lighter and easier to hold for longer periods of time, and it has a cleaner look with no metal cap at the top.

While the first Apple Pencil was round and prone to rolling off of flat surfaces, the new Apple Pencil has a flat side for connecting to the iPad, and that flat bit also prevents it from rolling as much.

In addition to these design and function changes, the Apple Pencil 2 introduces support for gestures. With a double tap, the Apple Pencil 2 can switch between tools in apps that support the feature, which is super useful because it allows for quick changes between a pencil and an eraser.

Apple is, unfortunately, charging $30 more for its newest Apple Pencil. The second-generation device costs $130, whereas the original was priced at $100. For users who have a new iPad Pro model, the Apple Pencil 2 is the only available choice as the original Apple Pencil does not work with the new tablets.

Likewise, the second-generation Apple Pencil is compatible only with the new iPad Pro models, so you can't get one and take advantage of the new features without also having a 2018 iPad Pro.

What do you think of Apple's new second-generation Apple Pencil? Is it worth the premium over the original? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro

Tag: Apple Pencil

Buyer's Guide: 11" iPad Pro (Buy Now), 12.9" iPad Pro (Buy Now)

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New iPad Pro Models May Be Prone to Bending

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Apple's new 11 and 12.9-inch models are its thinnest yet, measuring in at just 5.9mm, and both forum complaints and a new bend test video suggest the two devices have the potential to bend without a huge amount of force.

On the MacRumors forum, there have been a few complaints of bending from MacRumors readers. Forum member Bwrin1, for example, posted a photo of a bent 12.9-inch iPad Pro suggesting it had bent from just a weekend trip in a backpack.


The iPad Pro in question does indeed appear to have a curve to it, refusing to lay flat on a table. At the same time, YouTuber JerryRigEverything has posted a bend test video of the new iPad Pro, which indicates it has the potential to bend with a limited amount of force.


In the video, the iPad Pro snaps in half after what appears to be a moderate amount of pressure is applied to the device.

Despite the video and the forum complaint, this does not appear to be a widespread issue. There are a couple of other complaints from MacRumors readers who were seeing slight curves in their devices and received replacements or sent the tablet back, but there aren't complaints that match the complaints we saw back in 2014 with the original iPhone 6 Plus bendgate.

It's not clear if the new iPad Pro models are more or less bendable than previous devices, and bend tests are not reflective of real world usage conditions. All devices of this size will bend when enough force is applied, so it is no surprise to see the bend in the YouTube video.

If the new iPad Pro models are bending from regular use, that could be a more significant issue, and we'll need to keep an eye out for additional reports of bending to determine whether there's a serious problem with Apple's newest tablet.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro

Buyer's Guide: 11" iPad Pro (Buy Now), 12.9" iPad Pro (Buy Now)

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Verizon Launches New 'My Numbers' Feature for Adding Up to 5 Numbers to a Single Smartphone

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Verizon today announced the launch of a new "My Numbers" feature designed to let you add up to four additional numbers to a smartphone with unlimited calling and texting, for a total of five phone numbers connected to one device.

To add additional numbers to a Verizon account, customers will need to download the My Numbers app from the iOS App Store.


From there, Verizon users can choose the number to add from the available list, and it's ready to use alongside a device's primary phone number. This will allow customers to have one phone number for business and a separate phone number for personal use on one device.

With each number, there are separate voicemail and text messaging boxes in the My Numbers app to keep content from different numbers from getting mixed up.

According to Verizon, each number added to your smartphone will cost $15 per line per month.

Verizon's "My Phone" feature is similar to what Apple is doing with dual-SIM functionality in its latest iPhones, but it's not cross-carrier.

In the U.S., carriers (including Verizon) are not yet supporting the eSIM, which means the dual-SIM feature that allows for two phone numbers to be used at once is not yet available.

Tag: Verizon

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MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Pro Photography Lens Set For Your iPhone From SANDMARC

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For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with SANDMARC, a company that makes camera lenses for the iPhone, to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a kit that includes a set of Pro Photography lenses, a set of Cinema lenses, and a $100 SANDMARC gift card.


SANDMARC makes high-quality camera lenses that are designed to fit the iPhone 7 and later, with individual kits available for each iPhone. The Pro Edition lens set, priced at $289.99, includes a 60mm telephoto lens with 2x magnification, a 16mm wide-angle lens, a 10mm fisheye lens, and a 25mm macro lens with 10x magnification.


The telephoto lens is ideal for portraits, animal shots, and other scenes where you want to get just a bit closer, while the wide-angle is perfect for landscapes. The fisheye is a lens that's used for super wide-angle images, and the macro lens lets you get up close to whatever you're photographing.


SANDMARC's Pro Edition lens set also comes with an iPhone case that's designed to hold the lenses in place, but there are also four clips included if you want to use the lenses without the case. If you don't need all of the lenses, SANDMARC also sells them individually.


Along with its Pro lenses, SANDMARC also has a $100 Cinema Edition lens, which will be included in the giveaway. The Cinema is a polarizer that is compatible with both lenses on the iPhone, offering up Scape ND4, ND8, ND16 filters.


These neutral density filters offer up better aerial shots, introduce a motion blur for more natural looking videos, and compensate for variations in lighting. The polarizer filter is designed to be used when photographing water and can also bring out better colors in your pictures.


There are lens sets that are much cheaper, but SANDMARC is producing higher-quality components designed to compete with companies like Moment. SANDMARC lenses produce crisp, sharp photos that are free of the distortion and artifacts often seen with lower-quality options.

We have one SANDMARC bundle available, with Pro lens set, Cinema lens set, and $100 gift card. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The contest will run from today (November 16) at 11:45 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:45 a.m. Pacific Time on November 23. The winner will be chosen randomly on November 23 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

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Black Friday Preview: Get Ready for the Best Deals on HomePod, iPad, Hue Lights, Audio Accessories, and More

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We're now one week away from Black Friday holiday shopping, which will take place on Friday, November 23. Of course Black Friday isn't just one day any more, and sales have already kicked off today at numerous online and physical retailers. To help plan and organize your shopping, we've created this overview of the best deals you can expect to find while you're out and about next Friday, as well as the ones you can get online with a bit less hassle.

As you read, remember that most of these deals are not yet live, and you can find the specific opening times for each store in our full Black Friday Roundup.

Apple

Although Apple itself doesn't offer great Black Friday discounts, Apple devices and accessories will see many discounts this Black Friday.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

iPhone
If you're on the hunt for an iPhone, Walmart will offer a $400 Walmart gift card when you buy the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or X; and a $300 Walmart gift card when you buy the iPhone XS, XS Max, or XR. All iPhones must be purchased on qualifying AT&T Next, Sprint, or Verizon device payment plans, and this offer is valid in Walmart's retail stores only.

At T-Mobile, you'll be able to get the iPhone XR at no cost if you add the smartphone onto an existing line and trade in an eligible device towards the XR.

Those shopping for older model iPhones should keep an eye on Best Buy's iPhone 6s deal, which will discount the 2015 smartphone to $199.99 on both Simple Mobile and Total Wireless. At Walmart, you'll be able to buy the iPhone SE for just $79.00 on Walmart Family Mobile plans. Meijer will match this offer for the 32GB iPhone SE on Simple Mobile.

iPad
Target and Best Buy will discount the 128GB iPad mini 4 to $249.99 this Black Friday, savings of $150 from its regular price of $399.99.


Another popular iPad discount is for the sixth-generation 9.7-inch iPad (32GB) from earlier this year (with Apple Pencil support), which will be available for $249.99, down from $329.99 at Target, Walmart, Costco, and Jet. If you want the same iPad with a little bit more storage, check out Best Buy's Black Friday discount on the 128GB 9.7-inch iPad, available for $329.99, down from $429.99.

For the brand new iPads, MacMall has already kicked off a sale today, offering the 11-inch iPad Pro (64GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular) for $899.00, down from $949.00; and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (64GB, Wi-Fi) for $949.00, down from $999.00. Otherwise, we haven't seen any indication of other discounts on the latest iPad Pros on Black Friday.

Apple Watch
Target and Macy's have the best deal for Apple Watch Series 3 this year, with the GPS models starting at $199.99 for the 38mm Aluminum version, down from $279.99. 42mm models will run for $229.99.

If you prefer GPS + Cellular, both retailers will also offer savings on the upgraded Series 3 models, starting at $299.99 for the 38mm models and $329.99 for the 42mm models.


Best Buy has an inferior deal of only $50 off Apple Watch Series 3 instead of $80, but it will have 25 percent off select Apple Watch bands, which should provide a great combo deal if you buy a new Apple Watch elsewhere.

Also of note for Meijer shoppers, if you buy one Apple Watch Series 3 for $279.00 (full price for the 38mm Aluminum) or more, you'll get one Meijer coupon worth $100 to put towards your next purchase (expiring December 24, 2018). While not a straight discount, frequent Meijer shoppers may find a preference for the in-store credit.

Mac
Best Buy has a few notable MacBook sales, starting with the 2017 MacBook Pro (8GB RAM, 128GB HD) at $1,149.99, down from $1,299.99. One of the best deals in this sale is for the MacBook Pro (16GB RAM, 256GB HD) at $2,149.99, down from $2,399.99.


The MacBook Air (2017, 8GB RAM, 128GB HD) will be on sale for $799.99, down from $999.99. Lastly, the 21.5-inch iMac (2017, 8GB RAM, 1TB HD) will be marked down to $899.99 from $1,099.99.

MacMall has the new 13-inch MacBook Air (1.6 GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $1,149.00, down from $1,199.00, and the Mac mini (3.6GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $764.00, down from $799.00. These sales are already live.

HomePod


The best deal on Apple's smart speaker this Black Friday -- not to mention of all time -- will be at Best Buy. You'll be able to pick up Apple's HomePod for $249.99, down from $349.99.

AirPods
In one of the only Black Friday discounts known so far on Apple's AirPods, Newegg will have the wireless headphones for $139.99, down from $159.99, with the promo code BFAD155.

App Store and iTunes Gift Cards

• Buy one get one 30 percent off at Target
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• Get the $50 iTunes gift card for $40 at Best Buy
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• Save 10 percent on select iTunes gift cards at Staples
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• Get the $25 iTunes gift card for $21.25 at Meijer

Smart Home

Philips Hue lights are being discounted at a few places this Black Friday, with Amazon marking down various Hue accessories by as much as 40 percent. If you're willing to shop early, Best Buy has the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit on sale right now for $119.99, down from $189.99. This is a great low entry price to start installing smart lights in your home, but the sale is part of Best Buy's "Beat the Rush" event, which ends tomorrow, November 17 at 11:59 p.m. CT.


One of the most consistent deals throughout Black Friday this year is for the new Google Home Hub, which is being marked down to $99.99 from $149.99 at Best Buy, Walmart, Belk, Meijer, Jet, and numerous others. At Belk, you will be able to grab a Google Home Mini for $25.00, down from $49.00, and Costco will have a three pack of the miniature smart speakers for $69.99, down from $99.99.


Another popular sale this year is for two Nest devices: the Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) for $179.99, down from $249.99; and the Nest Indoor Cam for $129.99, down from $199.99. You'll be able to find both of these sales at Belk, Meijer, Lowe's, Newegg, and the Nest Learning Thermostat discount will be at Kohl's. At Dell, Kohl's, and Lowe's you'll find the Nest Hello Doorbell for $179.99, down from $229.99; and Lowe's will have the Nest Outdoor Cam for $149.99, down from $199.00.

Other sales:

• Ring Video Doorbell 2 for $139.99, down from $199.99 - Best Buy, Kohl's, Lowe's, Amazon
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• Ecobee - Save up to $50 on Ecobee thermostats at Best Buy
• 
  
• Linksys Velop Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi System (3 Pack) for $199.99, down from $349.99 - Walmart and Jet
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• Select smart entry door locks and deadbolts - Save up to 25 percent at Lowe's
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• TP-Link products - Save up to 46 percent off on Amazon

Audio

Shoppers looking for new headphones and smart speakers should find plenty of bargains this Black Friday, starting with the BeatsX down to just $75.00 at Walmart, from $109.00.


One of the better shopping options for the Beats Studio 3 Wireless Headphones is at Kohl's where it will be priced at $279.99, down from $349.99. While not an all-time-low discount, $75 in Kohl's cash with the purchase is a great bonus for Kohl's shoppers. Similarly, Kohl's has the Powerbeats 3 Wireless Headphones for $149.99, down from $199.99, and $45 in Kohl's cash as a bonus with the purchase.

If you'd prefer straight discounts, Best Buy will have the Powerbeats 3 for $99.99, and Target plans to discount the Beats Solo 3 Wireless Neighborhood Collection to $179.99, down from $299.99.


For speakers, you'll find the Sonos One for $174.99, down from $199.99 at Best Buy and at $174.00 on Sonos.com.

The UE Megaboom will be $99.99, down from $249.99 at Best Buy; and the UE Boom 2 (Phantom) will be $79.99, down from $179.99 at Kohl's (with $15 Kohl's cash). MacMall will match this discount on the UE Boom 2, and have a UE Wonderboom sale of its own, marking the tiny Bluetooth speaker down to $49.99 from $99.99.
The Bose On-Ear Wireless Headphones will be $99.99, down from $159.99 at Sam's Club and Costco; and Jet and Dell will have the Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones II for $299.00, down from $349.00.

Other sales:

• iLive ISBW8 Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker - $9.99, down from $14.99 at JCPenney
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• Tzumi Earbuds - $14.99, down from $29.99 at JCPenney
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• Braven STRYDE 360, Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker - $39.88, down from $79.88 at Sam's Club
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• Jaybird XS Sport Wireless In-Ear Headphones - $59.99, down from $129.99 at Best Buy
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• JBL E55BT Headphones with mic - $59.95, down from $149.95 at Dell
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• Bose SoundSport wireless headphones - $99.00, down from $149.00 at Jet, Dell, and Target

Online Only

Websites that operate exclusively online will also have a handful of nice discounts for shoppers on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, with more to come for Cyber Monday on November 26. On Black Friday, Amazon has planned to slash prices on its entire lineup of Alexa and Echo devices, including the new Echo Plus for $109.99, down from $149.99; and new Echo Show for $179.99, down from $229.99.


At Incipio and Griffin you'll find 40 percent off sitewide sales, and Incase will offer a 50 percent off sitewide sale. These sales will run from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday at 11:59 p.m. PT, offering shoppers a decent period of time to save on iPhone cases, screen protectors, cables, battery packs, and more.

CalDigit has kicked off its Autumn Sale, which runs from November 13 through December 3 and includes a few Black Friday discounts. The sale has numerous discounts on Thunderbolt Stations and external drives, and the standout offer nets you a free 2TB AVPro 2 when purchasing any T4 Thunderbolt 3 RAID.

Keep an eye on Mujjo next week as the tech accessory company has partnered with MacRumors to offer our readers an exclusive sale where you can get 25 percent off sitewide using the code #macrumors at checkout. This sale lasts from Thanksgiving Day, November 22 through Cyber Monday, November 26.

Black Friday Roundup

Of course, there are many more Black Friday deals that will be available next week, including discounts on 4K TV sets, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles, and home appliances. To view more details on the shopping event, be sure to keep an eye on our full Black Friday Roundup as we continue to update it ahead of next Friday.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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Nike Launches New Apple Watch Sport Bands and Sport Loops in Olive, Teal, and Mauve

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Nike today launched a new series of Sport Bands and Sport Loops for the Apple Watch on its website, introducing three unique colors: Celestial Teal, Olive Flak, and Smokey Mauve.

The bands are priced at $49 and are available in 40 and 44mm to fit all Apple Watch Series 4 and earlier models. Though sold by Nike and designed for the Nike-branded Apple Watch models, these bands will work with all Apple Watches.


Nike is requiring customers who wish to purchase one of the new bands to sign up to be NikePlus members, but signing up for the site is free.


Nike's new Apple Watch bands are limited to the Nike website and are not available for purchase from the Apple online store.

These three new band color options join the new Sport Loop that Apple introduced earlier this week in a (PRODUCT)RED colorway.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 5

Tags: Nike+, Apple Watch Nike+ Edition

Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

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