Technologies

Apple Wants Orange to Be the New Black. It Isn’t

Commentary: Apple finally picked a bold color for the iPhone 17 Pro and it’s U-G-L-Y.

Apple’s new idea for the iPhone 17 Pro is simple: paint it the same color as Cheeto dust, construction cones and that one Nissan you only ever see tragically idling in rental car lots. Apple may be calling it «cosmic orange,» but there’s absolutely nothing heavenly about it.

Yes, the iPhone Pro has officially gone gaudy orange… and I think we’re supposed to pretend this is exciting.

Read also: Pumpkin, Fanta or Cheetos: What Flavor of Orange Is the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro?

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Bold colors can work. Ferrari red? Iconic. Deep midnight blue? Elegant. I even really like the iPhone 15 that’s Barbie pink. But fluorescent traffic-sign orange? That’s a statement that’ll look like a seasonal prop left over from Halloween exactly three months from now. Or, as my editor so astutely pointed out, it looks like Tim Cook is shoving his alma mater‘s hideous color palette on the innocent smartphone-wielding population of the world.

A new paint job doesn’t fix an old story. Underneath the tangerine shell, it’s the same iPhone Pro formula — slightly better cameras, slightly better battery, slightly more expensive. Apple knows the innovation list isn’t jaw-dropping or, well, «awe dropping,» this year, so it’s leaning on shock value. You don’t buy an orange iPhone for subtlety. You buy it because you want people to notice you (and then maybe question your taste).

Here’s my real issue. The iPhone has always been about balance. Style and substance, hardware and design, beauty and brains. With orange, Apple delivers neither. It’s loud without being stylish and gimmicky without adding substance. This isn’t bold minimalism. It’s pumpkin cosplay.

And the part that grinds my gears the most is that Apple has nailed colors before. Rose gold was iconic and the iPhone 12’s purple was fresh without being tacky. Even Product Red has aged gracefully.

But who remembers the yellow iPhone 14? No one. Or at least they don’t remember it with any semblance of fondness. That color felt like an Apple clearance-rack experiment from Day 1.

Instead of doubling down on road-cone chic, why not give us the colors people actually want?

I’ve been begging for an ethereal sage green iPhone for years now, and Apple finally gave us this with the regular iPhone 17 lineup, but not for the Pro. A cobalt would be a welcome change, or, heck, give us any blue that’s actually blue. Even a matte bronze would feel premium. Apple is the company that obsesses over design, yet somehow its most requested finishes never see the light of day.

Apple will spin this as a vibrant new personality for your iPhone. In reality, it’s a marketing trick dressed up as bravery. The real bravery is pulling out an orange iPhone in a meeting five years from now and convincing anyone it still looks good. (Deeply sorry to my fellow CNET staffers who love the orange shade. I hope you still like me after reading this.)

I’ll give you one thing, though. At least when you drop it face-down in the street, you’ll find it fast. It’ll be the thing glowing like a hazard sign.

Technologies

Apple Reportedly Planning Cheaper Macs to Compete With Budget Chromebooks, PCs

Apple doesn’t market its machines as affordable, but that could be changing.

Apple may release more affordable Mac laptops to compete with Chromebooks and budget-friendly Windows laptops as early as 2026.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the company has plans to roll out a machine for «well under $1,000.» According to Gurman, the new laptop is already in early production under the codename J700. This matches earlier rumors that a low-cost MacBook Air was in the pipeline at around $599, which would allow Apple to directly compete with other cheap laptops, including Chromebooks and Windows PCs.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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According to the report, costs will be kept down by using a lower-end LCD that’s smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially making the new affordable MacBook as small as 12 inches.

Another way Apple could reduce the cost is by using an A-series iPhone chip, which falls short of the top-tier performance offered by the MacBook Pro or the current M4 Air. The upcoming chip may be a variant of the A19 Pro chip that debuted with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, which Apple says is capable of MacBook-level performance.

As CNET senior editor Matt Elliott noted, the promise is a bold one. He speculates that the rumored $599 MacBook Air may get the same smartphone processor, or an M-series chip based on that architecture.

Bloomberg also reports that a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chip is in development, and Apple has completed work on a MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip, which is planned for release early next year.

The affordable laptop would be designed for casual users, students and businesses, specifically individuals who need a device for tasks such as web browsing, light media editing and document creation. The tech giant is also targeting the education market, as well as iPad buyers who may also want a traditional laptop.

«If this is strictly a move to entice consumers with a high-quality, lower-cost MacBook running MacOS in place of an iPad with a keyboard, then yes, Apple can likely take a chunk of that market,» said Josh Goldman, managing editor at CNET.

«Making inroads into the education market at this point, where Chromebooks have taken over since the pandemic, will prove challenging, though I’m sure it’s nothing that throwing billions of dollars at can’t fix,» CNET’s Goldman said.

This price range is ‘a big departure’

Price is likely to be key here. A $599 price tag would place the new Mac in the same range as more affordable Chromebooks and entry-level laptops, representing a significant change from Apple’s previous strategy.

«Apple potentially dipping into the Chromebook range of $300 to $500 with a new MacBook is a big departure,» said Goldman.

He notes that one of Apple’s most affordable MacBooks is the M4 MacBook Air, available new starting at $999 for the 13-inch model. Walmart still sells a new M1 MacBook Air, a 5-year-old laptop, for around $600.

By contrast, an iPad 11th Gen with a Magic Keyboard will run you around $600, making it clear that Apple’s target market for the rumored device is students and lighter users.

Apple typically hasn’t targeted the lower-priced segment of the market with its MacBooks. However, with consumer wallets under pressure from inflation, high tariffs and layoffs, an affordable MacBook could be imperative and timely.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 5, #408

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 5, No. 408.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty diverse. The blue answers stuck out to me right away, because some of them are super famous and the others felt like they belonged with those names. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: How to see a game.

Green group hint: Soccer.

Blue group hint: Giddy up!

Purple group hint: Not a run play.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Ways to consume a sporting event.

Green group: NWSL teams.

Blue group: Triple Crown horse racing winners.

Purple group: Pass ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is ways to consume a sporting event. The four answers are in person, radio, streaming and television.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NWSL teams. The four answers are Current, Dash, Pride and Spirit.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Triple Crown horse racing winners. The four answers are Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha and Secretariat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is pass ____. The four answers are breakup, interference, protection and rush.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 5, #878

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 5, #878.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a diverse mix of topics, including a neat blue category that music fans will ace. And it isn’t too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Mess up.

Green group hint: Lead pipe is another one.

Blue group hint: They command the stage.

Purple group hint: Not snow, but …