This digest compiles the latest from Apple Insider.
Today’s Apple Insider Roundup
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e: Apple's low-end, compared
The iPhone 17e is here, and it brings a performance boost and MagSafe to Apple’s value-focused smartphone. Here’s how it compares to its predecessor, the iPhone 16e.
The iPhone 16e was introduced in February 2025 as a replacement for the iPhone SE line, becoming the budget option of the iPhone roster. There was a suspicion that Apple could turn the once-periodic iPhone SE updates into a yearly affair under the e-line, and Apple has done just that.
One year later, the iPhone 17e now becomes the choice for consumers with a more limited budget. The model that provides iPhone 17-like performance but with enough money to buy accessories and other essentials of life.
Grading Apple's release week – MacBook Pro, Air, Neo, and more!
Apple’s week of launches has seen it update its iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, and displays, but only some updates are stand-outs while the rest are trivial.
It’s true that Apple has announced a week of launches. There currently still two days left to go.
Based on past experience, and the fact that on Wednesday, Apple hosted creators including our own Andrew O’Hara, Apple has probably now wrapped that up.
Budget speed: How fast will the low-cost MacBook Neo really be?
Apple’s budget-focused MacBook Neo borrows the A18 Pro chip from an iPhone 16 Pro. Here’s how the chip compares against other Apple Silicon Macs, and why it’s actually a pretty smart thing for Apple to do.
Apple’s launch of the new MacBook Neo is a fresh salvo into the value computer market, normally dominated by Windows notebooks and Chromebooks. The value end of the market meant Apple had to cut production costs.
One of those cuts was the CPU.
MacBook Neo vs M5 MacBook Air: Budget notebooks compared
The MacBook Neo is Apple’s new lowest-cost MacBook, taking the role from the MacBook Air. Here’s where the differences are looking at the spec sheets of the the two least-expensive MacBook lines.
Early March has seen Apple launch two new value-focused MacBook options for consumers on a budget. Built to reduce the entry cost as much as possible, it’s an unusual model that uses Apple Silicon still, but a chip designed for the iPhone and iPad.
This is a big shake-up in Apple’s pricing strategy. It that replaces the MacBook Air as the entry-level MacBook option, which it has served as for quite a few years.
Feds call Anthropic supply-chain risk, tech companies aren't happy about it
A group that includes Apple, Google, and others has sent a letter to the US Department of Defense concerning Anthropic’s supply-chain risk designation, clearly concerned about how that might affect future tech contracts.
Anthropic took a moral stand against the United States government’s request for unrestricted access to AI tools. The Trump administration retaliated by ordering all government entities to stop using Claude and designated the company as a supply-chain risk.
The designation is usually reserved for foreign national entities that pose a threat to United States infrastructure.
BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 review: ideal desk lighting for nearly any situation
BenQ is back with the ScreenBar Halo 2 to light up your workspace with not just one but two highly customizable light sources.
I got my first BenQ ScreenBar all the way back in February of 2020. While I thought it was somewhat novel, I told myself, “Surely this isn’t going to be something I use regularly.”
I didn’t like the utilitarian aesthetic, and I’d spent years illuminated only by my monitor. Was there ever going to be a real reason that I’d need to have a light attached directly to my monitor?
MacBook Neo name chosen to reflect its 'fun, friendly, and fresh' look
An interview reveals Apple’s approach with MacBook Neo was a complete rethink of a budget-friendly laptop, not simply rehashing old tech at a lower price.
The MacBook Neo is a brand new category in the lineup that has a new-to-Apple moniker to go with it. It’s not just a new laptop, but a new market for the premium product seller.
According to an interview with Director of Mac Product Marketing, Colleen Novielli conducted by Techradar, the MacBook Neo is meant to be competitive in the $599 price range. It brings Apple’s attention to detail and premium materials to a product nearly half the price of the MacBook Air.
End of today’s Apple Insider roundup.
