ON1 Photo Raw 2025 is coming for Lightroom’s crown.

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Earth and space mingle in stunning ways for the 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest. From the “geological masterpiece” of Coyote Buttes, Utah to the sandstone terrain of desolate Ennedi, Chad to a lava-spewing volcano in Guatemala, this year’s entries dazzle from all corners of the globe. We even get a view of the Milky Way from off-planet with a photograph from NASA astronaut Don Pettit taken aboard the International Space Station. “The Wave”Coyote Buttes, UT, USAOne of my greatest passions is visiting stunning natural wonders and paying my personal tribute to them through night photography. This image was taken at Coyote Buttes, a geological masterpiece located in Arizona, where special access permits are required to protect it for future generations.Despite the intense cold during those days, it was incredibly exciting to visit the great sandstone wave for the first time and enjoy its spectacular shapes and colors.To capture this 360° panorama, I planned for the Milky Way and focused on creating a balanced photographic composition. It’s hard to put into words the beauty of this place, but I hope my photograph manages to convey it.Credit: Luis Cajete / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill The Milky Way contains an estimated 200-400 billion stars, but we can only see a fraction of the celestial bodies with our naked eyes. Photography opens up the skies to the staggering light show floating around us. (Click to enlarge images.) “Echiwile Arch” Ennedi, ChadWhen one first Googles information about visiting Chad, the results aren’t very encouraging from a safety perspective. Nevertheless, the intrepid astrophotographer in me decided to take the chance and visit this landlocked country, specifically the Ennedi Massif in the north.Sparsely populated and completely devoid of light pollution, the three-day drive from the capital, N’Djamena, was well worth the troubles and risks involved. The region is filled with numerous rock formations, shapes, and arches, offering an abundance of options for foreground elements to frame the dramatic night skies. Seen here is a small arch in the shape of a hoof in the Ennedi region.Credit: Vikas Chander / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Fortress of Light”Jujuy, ArgentinaSince I started shooting the night sky, I’ve always sought out landscapes that feel like they belong to another planet — remote, untouched, and far from light pollution. That’s exactly what I found in “The Cathedral,” a surreal rock formation in Jujuy, Argentina.Photographing at over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) presented its challenges, but when I arrived and saw the rock formations, I was completely blown away. The landscape felt like something from a fantasy world, and the towering cliffs instantly reminded me of a giant stone fortress sculpted by nature.As twilight gave way to full darkness, the core of the Milky Way appeared high overhead, shining with incredible clarity. I patiently waited as the galactic center slowly descended toward the horizon, perfectly aligning above the cliffs.While capturing the panorama, the camera picked up bands of orange and green airglow, adding a unique glow to the horizon.This image captures everything I love about photographing the Milky Way — the silence of remote places, the peace of standing under a pristine sky, and the deep connection I feel to the moment, fully present and grateful to witness it.Credit: Mauricio Salazar / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “The Night Guardians” Easter Island, ChileEaster Island had been on my bucket list for a long time, and it once seemed almost impossible to reach. On our first night there, the weather forecast looked promising, so we decided to go ahead with the tour our group had booked 4–5 months earlier. However, Rapa Nui sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where the weather is notoriously unpredictable. When we woke up at 3 a.m. in our hotel, the sky was completely covered in clouds. Still, we decided to take the risk, knowing the forecast for the next few nights was even worse.An hour later, we were frantically photographing the statues at Rano Raraku—the quarry where nearly all of the island’s 900 statues were carved—when the sky suddenly began to clear. By 5 a.m., it was completely clear, and we had less than two hours to capture all the shots we wanted. We felt incredibly lucky to be in the right place at the right time.Credit: Rositsa Dimitrova / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Blossom”Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park, TaiwanAfter three years of waiting, the Yushan alpine rhododendrons are finally in bloom once again on Taiwan’s 3,000-meter-high Hehuan Mountain. On this special night, distant clouds helped block city light pollution, revealing an exceptionally clear view of the Milky Way. A solar flare from active region AR3664 reached Earth that evening, intensifying the airglow and adding an otherworldly touch to the sky.Together, these rare natural events created a breathtaking scene—vivid blooms glowing softly beneath a star-filled sky.Credit: Ethan Su / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Spines and Starlight”Kanaan, NamibiaOn our second Namibia Photography Tour, we began our journey once again at one of our favorite spots in Kanaan. Last year was an incredible experience, but this time, we decided to explore more of this vast land.During a scouting trip, I stumbled upon the perfect composition—two quiver trees standing tall with a large cactus in the foreground, all beautifully aligned with the Milky Way. I had always wanted to capture the Milky Way alongside a big cactus, so in that moment, it felt like a special gift.Getting everything in focus was a bit challenging, as I had to get extremely close to the cactus without getting poked. To achieve perfect sharpness, I used focus stacking. Additionally, I shot with an astro-modified camera and a GNB Nebula filter to enhance the details of the night sky.Credit: Burak Esenbey / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Galaxy of the Stone Array” Moeraki Boulders, New ZealandThe Milky Way hangs over the sea. The night sky of the Southern Hemisphere condenses the poetry of Li Bai, a poet from China’s Tang Dynasty, into eternity. On a clear night, the Milky Way pours down over the sea like a waterfall from the sky, intertwining with the atmospheric glow on the water’s surface.Credit: Alvin Wu / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “One in a Billion ”ISS (International Space Station)I float in the Cupola, looking out the seven windows composing this faceted transparent jewel. While my mind is submerged in contemplation, my eyes gorge on the dim reflections from a nighttime Earth. There are over eight billion people that call this planet home. There are seven of us that can say the same for Space Station. What a privilege it is to be here. I used an orbital star tracker to take out the star streak motion from orbit.Credit: Don Pettit / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Winter Fairy Tale”Dobratsch Nature Park, AustriaUndoubtedly my wildest location this winter: Austria’s Dobratsch mountain! If I had to describe it in two words, it would be a “Winter Fairytale”!Despite a 5 a.m. work shift, I drove to Austria by 1 p.m., worried about my fitness and lack of sleep. After a 2-hour hike through the snow with a 22kg backpack and sled, the stunning views kept me energized.Arriving at the cabin (where I had planned my winter panorama two years ago), I was greeted by untouched snow, completely free of footprints. I spent the evening exploring compositions, and this is my favorite: a panorama of the winter Milky Way with reddish nebulae, stretching above Dobratsch Mountain.I captured the Zodiacal light and even the Gegenschein glow! The sky was magnificent, with Jupiter and Mars shining brightly. In the foreground is the cabin, where I spent 3 freezing hours (-12°C), waiting for the perfect shot of the Milky Way’s core. It turned out exactly as I envisioned—a true winter fairytale.Credit: Uroš Fink / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Valle de los Cactus” San Pedro de Atacama, ChileA panoramic shot of the Milky Way in a remote area of the Atacama Cactus Valley, known for its large concentration of cactus plants. I love this place with its countless possibilities. The panorama was taken just as the galactic center began to rise, with the spectacular Gum Nebula visible on the right.It was an especially bright night with a breathtaking sky. The valley isn’t easy to navigate, but it’s always worth trying to find new compositions in such stunning locations beneath the night sky.Credit: Pablo Ruiz / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Cosmic Fire”Volcán Acatenango, GuatemalaOn the early morning of June 2, 2024, I summited Acatenango Volcano for the first time, hoping to witness the fiery beauty of the neighboring Volcan de Fuego against the Milky Way’s backdrop. That night, the volcano was incredibly active—each thunderous explosion reverberated in my chest, while glowing lava illuminated the dark slopes. Above, the Milky Way stretched diagonally across the sky, a mesmerizing band of stars contrasting with the chaos below. As the volcano erupted, the ash plume rose vertically, forming an acute angle of about 45 degrees with the galaxy’s diagonal path, creating a stunning visual contrast between Earth’s fury and the cosmos’ serenity.Capturing this required a fast, wide-angle lens (f/2.8), an ISO of 3200, and a 10-second exposure to balance the volcanic glow with the starlight. The challenge was timing the shot during a new moon and aligning the right moment for the Milky Way to cross the frame next to the volcano. I used Lightroom as the editor. This image is special for its storytelling—the raw power of Volcan de Fuego meeting the tranquil expanse of the galaxy.Credit: Sergio Montúfar / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Lake RT5” Zanskar, HimalayasLake RT5 is a pristine alpine lake nestled at 5,700 meters above sea level. My passion has always been to capture the unseen Himalayas in their rawest form. This journey led us through rugged mountains and glaciers, where we discovered several unknown alpine lakes and named them along the way.We endured multiple nights in extremely cold, unpredictable conditions. Due to the ever-changing weather and limited time, I used a blue hour blend to achieve a cleaner foreground. Since my campsite was right beside the lake, I was able to capture the tracked sky shot from the exact same position later that night.I was in awe of the incredible airglow illuminating the Himalayan skies. The raw image had even more intense colors, but I toned them down to stay true to reality. This was undoubtedly one of the most unforgettable nights I’ve ever spent in the heart of the Himalayas.Credit: Tanay Das / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “A Stellar View From The Cave” Saint Raphael, FranceFramed by the rugged mouth of a coastal cave, this image captures the heart of the Milky Way rising over the Mediterranean Sea. Taken during the peak of the Galactic Core season last May, it blends the natural beauty of the foreground with the awe-inspiring vastness of the cosmos. A winding road, illuminated by passing cars, creates a dynamic trail of light that guides the eye toward the stars above.This photo is a reminder that magic often hides in the most unexpected places. All it takes is a little patience, planning, and passion.Credit: Anthony Lopez / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Boot Arch Perseids” Alabama Hills, CA, USAThe Perseid Meteor Shower occurs every August, raining down hundreds of meteors over a few nights. In 2024, I had planned to photograph it from the Canadian Rockies, but wildfires forced me to change my plans at the last minute. After checking wildfire maps, I found a safe haven in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.After three full nights of capturing meteors, I created this image. Sitting on the rock is my friend Arne, who often joins me on these adventures, gazing up at the magnificent core of our galaxy. Each meteor is painstakingly aligned to its true location in the night sky. The final depiction shows all the meteors I captured, combined into one frame—as if the Earth hadn’t been rotating and all the meteors had fallen at once.Credit: Mike Abramyan / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Starlit Ocean: A Comet, the setting Venus, the Milky Way, and McWay Falls” – California, USACapturing this image was a race against time, light, and distance. With Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS (C/2023 A3) making its approach, I knew I had a rare opportunity to see it with the naked eye before it faded into the cosmos. I embarked on a five-hour round trip to McWay Falls in Big Sur, one of the few Bortle 2 locations accessible along California’s coast. My window was narrow—just six precious minutes of true darkness before the Moon rose and washed out the night sky. But those six minutes were unforgettable.In that brief span, the Milky Way arched high above the Pacific, Venus shimmered as it set over the ocean, and the comet streaked quietly across the sky—a celestial visitor gracing this iconic coastal cove. The soft cascade of McWay Falls and the stillness of the starlit ocean created a surreal harmony between Earth and sky. It was one of the most vivid and humbling naked-eye comet sightings I’ve ever experienced—an alignment of cosmic elements that felt both fleeting and eternal.Credit: Xingyang Cai / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill “Diamond Beach Emerald Sky”Great Ocean Road, AustraliaWith a clear night forecast and the Milky Way core returning for 2025, I set out to explore the Great Ocean Road. After a few setbacks—such as a failed composition and getting the car stuck on a sandy track—I almost gave up. However, I pushed on and found a great spot above the beach to capture the scene.The night was full of color, with Comet C/2024 G3 Atlas and a pink aurora in the early hours, followed by the Milky Way rising amid intense green airglow near dawn. Despite the challenges, the reward of this stunning image and the memory of the view made it all worthwhile.Credit: Brent Martin / 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Daniel Zafra Portill

Macworld If you want to add some quick edits to a photo or video, Apple’s free Mac apps – Photos and Preview – can do a good job, but for anything more advanced you’ll need a dedicated image editing app like Adobe’s Photoshop. For years now it has been the industry standard, due to its wide range of features and capabilities, but it does come with a substantial subscription fee that might be a bit too much for the casual user. Here’s how to get a copy of Photoshop on your Mac, or, failing that, the next best thing. Plus, because you can’t beat free, we’ll also explain your options for getting Photoshop on Mac at no cost, as well as rounding up the Best Mac free image and photo editors. If you’d like to get the same software on your tablet, read How to get Photoshop on iPad. How to get Photoshop free on a Mac: Adobe Express As Photoshop is professional-grade software, you won’t be able to get the full version for free aside from the 7-day trial that we’ll cover below. However, Adobe does offer a stripped down version that covers a lot of the same ground if your demands aren’t too high. Adobe Express is a free, online web app that offers a range of editing tools, such as the ability to crop, reshape, flip, and recolor images. You can also add text (there are plenty of templates and fonts to choose from), make the background of an image transparent, quickly put together collages, and generally improve the style and form of your photos and videos. Adobe Express comes with access to 1 million+ royalty-free stock images you can use for posters or social media content, plus you get 5GB of storage. Adobe If you want more advanced features, including Generative AI for instantly creating images, removing backgrounds in video, one-click resizing, a much larger selection of stock images, not to mention 100GB of storage, then you can sign up to Adobe Express Premium for $9.99/£9.98 p/m, with the option to cancel at any time. There’s also a free 30-day trial so you can see if Premium gives you all the Photoshop capabilities you need, without spending any money. If you’re happy to work online rather than with a dedicated app, and you’re not after the high-end editing features, either Adobe Express or Adobe Express Premium are probably the ones to go for, plus you have those trials to ensure whether the tools you need for your particular workflows are included. How to get full Photoshop for free If you want to use the full version of Photoshop, then there is the aforementioned free trial, or you could sign up to a short-term subscription to at least keep the costs down. Trial: The first option is a Photoshop trial. There is a 7-day free trial that gives you access to the full program, with no restrictions. While Adobe advertises the free 7-day trial, you can actually get 14 days free, because you can cancel within 14 days of your initial order and get fully refunded. In fact, you could, theoretically, get 21 days free if you had the trial and then canceled your subscription after 13 days. Don’t forget though, as you’re then liable to pay 50% of the entire 1yr contract if you miss the deadline. Monthly subscription: The second option is signing up for a subscription on a monthly rather than an annual basis. This won’t give you Photoshop for free, but the option will allow you to access all the features of the software on a shorter-term basis, then cancel when you no longer need it. We’ll run through the various subscription options in the sections below. Adobe To explain how it works we need to explain the difference between Adobe’s two monthly subscription packages: one is cheaper ($22.99/£21.98 a month) because it is part of an annual plan; the other is a more expensive option ($34.49/£32.98 a month), but you can cancel without having to pay Adobe anything. Adobe doesn’t list these options on the site, instead you have to click the Buy Now button then you can select from the three options: Annual – Billed monthly, Monthly, and Annual – Billed upfront. Photoshop with 100GB of cloud storageU.S.U.K.Annual plan paid monthly$22.99£21.98Annual plan paid upfront$263.88£262.51Monthly plan (cancel at any time)$34.49£32.98Buy it hereBuy it here Adobe explains the legal terms of the various contracts here. Basically, if you sign up for the cheaper ‘annual contract, paid monthly’ and then choose to end your subscription you will be able to do so, but if you end the contract after the first 14 days “you’ll be charged a lump sum amount of 50% of your remaining contract obligation and your service will continue until the end of that month’s billing period.” This is a slightly better scenario than if you were paying annually – in that case, your contract will continue to the end of the term. You wouldn’t get any money back. This is why the best option, in this case, is to sign up for a month-to-month contract. In this case, the contract will automatically renew every month, but should you choose to cancel (we explain how to cancel below) you will be able to use Photoshop until the end of that month, at which point your contract will cease. If you need Photoshop, but you don’t want to tie yourself into a contract with Adobe, this could be the best option for you. However, you should note that you will lose access to anything you have saved in Adobe’s cloud after 90 days. If these options aren’t quite what you’re after, you can always look for alternatives to Photoshop, as there are some excellent apps currently available. We also have a round-up of the Best Mac free image and photo editors, which includes options such as Seashore and Gimp. How to get Photoshop on a Mac without an annual subscription If you were hoping to buy a copy of Photoshop to own, as in not paying on a subscription basis, we have some bad news for you: Adobe no longer sells what is known as a ‘perpetual license’ for Photoshop and its other apps. There is one option though: you can buy Photoshop Elements. Photoshop Elements is designed for amateur rather than pro photographers, but it does offer a number of photo editing features that might be sufficient for your needs. One very important thing to note though is that Adobe has changed how Elements works, so that when you make your purchase you’re only getting a 3-year licence. That means, once the three years are up, the app will stop working, although you’ll still be able to access all of the work you created. You can buy a copy of Photoshop Elements directly from Adobe’s website for $99.99/£86.99. (Buy Photoshop Elements from Adobe). See our review of Photoshop Elements for more information. You can also buy Photoshop Elements on the Mac App Store for $99.99/£99.99. The benefit of Photoshop Elements is that you can buy it outright and install it on your Mac. You will have access to features like masks, layers, colorisation, image manipulation and other useful, more consumer-level effects with Elements. If you’re a creative professional though, or are used to the full-blown version of Photoshop, then you may find too many tools missing from the box. If you want to take a look there’s also a 7-day free trial of Photoshop Elements so you can take the software for a test run. If you don’t care about how up-to-date your software is you might be interested in buying a secondhand copy of Photoshop, or an old Mac with Photoshop installed. Just be aware that Adobe doesn’t support all older versions in terms of updates, so the ones you find might not be compatible with later iterations of macOS, plus newer Macs won’t run old versions of Photoshop. You’ll also need to confirm that the software license hasn’t already been used, as usually these are non-transferable. And generally, we would advise against buying a used Mac (unless it’s certified refurbished). For more information read: What version of macOS can my Mac run? If a subscription to Photoshop isn’t for you, and Photoshop Elements isn’t enough, we recommend you look at alternatives to Photoshop, many of which have comparable features with the benefit of being available to buy outright. The best options include PixelMator Pro, Affinity Photo and others. See: Best Photoshop alternatives for Mac. Is there an education discount for Photoshop? There is one other way you can save money while getting a copy of Photoshop for your Mac. If you are in education then you may qualify for a discount. However, you can’t sign up for a reduced price on the Photoshop-only tier, you have to get the entire Creative Cloud collection, which includes Photoshop and a large collection of other Adobe apps. The student and teacher deal for Creative Cloud does represent quite a hefty reduction. At the time of writing, Students and Teachers pay $19.99/£16.24 a month, which is around 70% less than the normal subscription rate. Photoshop for Mac price If you have accepted that you need to pay for a subscription to Photoshop you will want to know how much it costs. There’s not actually a straightforward answer: it depends on how you want to buy it. Whether you love or hate the subscription model, there are a few options to choose from if you want to get a copy of Photoshop: Photoshop: If you just want the single Photoshop app you can have that for $20.99/£19.97 a month if you sign up for a year, or $31.49/£30.34 a month if you just pay on a monthly basis. Sign up on Adobe’s website. Photography Plan: However, the Photography Plan is actually the best deal. It includes Photoshop, Lightroom (for web and mobile), and Lightroom Classic (for desktop), plus 1TB of storage. The bundle costs $19.99/£19.98 a month, but you will be on a contract for a year as there’s no monthly option. Sign up on Adobe’s website. Plan: Photography Plan with 1TB cloudU.S.U.K.Annual plan paid monthly$19.99£19.97Annual plan paid upfront$239.88£238.42Monthly plan (cancel at any time)n/an/aBuy it hereBuy it here Business: If you are a business user you ought to sign up for the Business option where you can get a single Photoshop license for $37.99/£27.99 ex VAT a month per license. It’s worth noting that all the Adobe CC apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat, cost $89.99/£65.49 (ex VAT) per license a month. Sign up on Adobe’s website.  How to cancel a Photoshop subscription The ease with which you can end your Photoshop contract is one of the benefits of Adobe’s decision to switch from selling copies of Photoshop outright to a subscription model. It also means that you only need to pay for Photoshop for as long as you need it. So if it’s just for a short-term project you can unsubscribe as soon as the work is done. Here’s how to cancel your subscription: Sign in to the Adobe web page where plans are managed. Sign in to your Adobe account. Under the My Plans tab find Manage Plan (or View plan) and click on that. Now click on Cancel plan. Give your reason for cancellation. Click on Continue. Best alternatives to Photoshop on Mac? There is plenty of great photo and image editing software available on macOS, many of which come with lower price tags than Adobe products. One of our favorites is Affinity Photo 2 from Serif, which boasts a wide range of powerful tools, a friendly interface and costs $69.99/£67.99 as a one-off payment, and also offers a 30-day free trial. Seriff Another popular choice is GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), which is completely free and comes with an incredible range of tools and features. The interface can take a little getting used to, which is not uncommon with open-source software, but once you get to know your way around, you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve. There’s also a large collection of tutorials for the software on YouTube, so if you’re willing to put in the time then it’s a powerful suite that will cost you nothing at all. We also recommend you read Best Mac for photo editing. You may also be interested in: How to get Adobe Illustrator on a Mac and How to get InDesign on a Mac.

Adobe will be giving its priciest subscription tier an AI-first rebrand—and adding an even higher price tag. Adobe’s Creative Cloud All Apps subscription, which includes access to more than 20 Adobe apps, will soon be known as “Creative Cloud Pro,” the company announced last week. The renamed subscription plan will give users expanded access to Adobe’s AI-powered tools and apps, but for a price: For subscribers on an annual plan, the cost will increase from $59.99 to $69.99 monthly, or from $659.88 to $779.99 annually. Beginning on June 17, any members of Creative Cloud All Apps will be automatically opted into Creative Cloud Pro. According to Adobe’s announcement of the plan, Creative Cloud Pro pricing will be effective at your next renewal on or after June 17. Currently, these changes are only rolling out in North America. This follows better-than-expected first quarter 2025 financial results for the software company, which reported a record revenue of $5.71 billion, equal to 10% year-over-year growth. Still, Adobe’s shares dropped after the report, as several experts and investors noted concerns that the company might be falling behind competitors with its AI efforts. Creative Cloud Pro appears to be the next step for Adobe to monetize its newly robust suite of AI tools by making them a mandatory investment for the company’s most dedicated users, even as it rolls out “made without generative AI” image labels. Here’s what to know about the new plan. What’s new on Creative Cloud Pro? To start, Creative Cloud Pro comes with all of the features that were included under the Creative Cloud All Apps umbrella. The plan includes a portfolio of more than 30,000 fonts, unlimited Creative Cloud libraries, millions of stock photos and videos, and 100 gigabytes of cloud storage. In addition to these perks, the upgraded plan will include several new AI features. First, users will gain unlimited access to “standard generative tools” like Photoshop’s Generative Fill, which can essentially “deepfake” anything within a composition, and Lightroom’s Generative Remove, which eliminates unwanted details in a photo. Creative Cloud Pro users will also have 4,000 monthly credits to use for Adobe’s class of “premium generative features,” like Premiere Pro’s Generative Extend, which uses AI to add frames to the beginning or end of any video. The rebranded subscription also includes the most recent Firefly app, which Adobe bills as its “one-stop shop for exploration and ideation with creative AI.” The app comes with Adobe’s new text-to-image generator Image Model 4, as well as its Firefly Video Model, which first entered public beta testing last month. Another feature called Firefly Boards allows teams to do some Pinterest-style mood board brainstorming.  For any Creative Cloud Pro users who have a different AI model of choice, they can also choose to import Google Imagen 3 and Veo 2, OpenAI image generation, or Flux 1.1 Pro into Firefly. More details on Creative Cloud Pro features are available here. How much will it cost for different kinds of users? Prices are set to rise across the board for all kinds of Creative Cloud All Apps users.  For rolling subscribers (those not on an annual plan), prices will rise from $89.99 to $104.99. For teams, prices will jump from $89.99 to $99.99 per month. And for student and teacher plans, renewal prices are set to increase from $34.99 to $39.99 monthly. What if I don’t want to join this new plan? If you’re a current Creative Cloud All Apps user but don’t want to be automatically shuffled into Creative Cloud Pro, Adobe has created another subscription tier called Creative Cloud Standard. This tier is the same price as the former Creative Cloud All Apps ($54.99 per month for annual users), but it comes with a bit less value.  Whereas All Apps included 1,000 monthly credits for the aforementioned standard generative features, Creative Cloud Standard only includes 25 credits. It also limits access to premium features on mobile and web apps, and, of course, does not include premium generative features or Firefly.  While Adobe’s web page states that Creative Cloud Standard is “only available to existing customers,” an Adobe spokesperson clarified that new users can actually join this tier by contacting customer support. It’s a trade-off that essentially means you’ll be paying the same amount for a subscription with fewer bonuses, but it might be the option that makes the most sense for users who have no interest in Adobe’s AI features. On Reddit, plenty of users have already expressed displeasure with the new plan. It’s easy to see why. Adobe is automatically upgrading subscriptions to the more expensive Creative Cloud Pro tier, a UX pattern that makes it less likely for users to opt out than if they had to make an active choice and tick a subscribe box, for instance. Both this and the Creative Cloud Standard journey for new users could be seen as dark patterns, which are UX pathways that manipulate users into taking actions that they may not have intended but are in the business interests of the company. The U.S. sued Adobe over its hard-to-cancel subscriptions last year. The goal of the automatic upgrade, in combination with the decreased appeal of the Creative Cloud Standard tier due to its reduced features, seems to be to draw more daily active users into the company’s existing AI products. That would be in close keeping with its recent focus on monetizing generative AI tools following its last earnings report, which was plagued with fears that Adobe isn’t staying ahead in the AI race. An Adobe spokesperson declined to comment on the reasoning behind the subscription tier rebrand and whether users will be personally notified before the change takes place.

PROS: Highly Portable: Lightweight and compact with balanced ergonomics for easy one-handed use Quiet, Efficient Performance: Fanless design runs silently while handling daily tasks smoothly Improved Input Design: Redesigned keyboard and pen integration enhance usability Eco-Friendly Materials: Uses recycled cobalt, aluminum, and packaging to reduce impact CONS: Accessories Sold Separately: Keyboard and charger increase total cost significantly Limited Ports: No USB-A or headphone jack requires adapters Not Built for Heavy Creative Work: Struggles with intensive editing or gaming tasks RATINGS: AESTHETICSERGONOMICSPERFORMANCESUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITYVALUE FOR MONEYEDITOR'S QUOTE:Smart, silent, and travel-ready. The Surface Pro 12 cuts the bulk while keeping the features that matter for real work and play. Microsoft’s Surface Pro 12 arrives with the subtlety of a whisper and the impact of a shout. The newest addition to Microsoft’s 2-in-1 lineup doesn’t announce itself with flashy gimmicks or revolutionary redesigns. Instead, it quietly refines what we’ve come to expect from the Surface family while carving out its own distinct identity in an increasingly crowded market. Smaller, lighter, and more nimble than its predecessors, this 12-inch tablet-laptop hybrid represents Microsoft’s most focused attempt yet at balancing power and portability. Designer: Microsoft I’ve spent considerable time with this device, exploring its capabilities and limitations across various use cases. What emerges is a fascinating study in compromise and calculation. The Surface Pro 12 exists in an interesting middle ground. It’s not the most powerful Surface device you can buy. It’s not the largest or the most premium. But that’s precisely the point. Microsoft has crafted something deliberately positioned to appeal to users who found previous Surface models either too unwieldy or too expensive. Does it succeed? That depends entirely on what you’re looking for. For some, the 12-inch form factor will feel like the Goldilocks zone. Not too big, not too small, but just right. For others, the compromises made to achieve this more compact design might prove frustrating. And hovering over everything is the question of value: at $799 for the base model (without keyboard or pen), is this the Surface that finally makes sense for mainstream consumers? The timing couldn’t be more interesting. As Microsoft pushes forward with its Copilot+ PC initiative, the Surface Pro 12 arrives as one of the standard-bearers for this new AI-focused computing paradigm. With its Snapdragon X Plus processor and dedicated NPU delivering 45 TOPS of AI performance, this diminutive device packs surprising computational muscle specifically tuned for the next generation of AI-powered applications. But specs only tell part of the story. The real question is how all this technology comes together in daily use. Can the Surface Pro 12 deliver on Microsoft’s promises of all-day battery life and responsive performance in a more portable package? And perhaps more importantly, does it justify its existence in a lineup that already includes the more powerful Surface Pro 13-inch? Let’s find out. Design and Ergonomics Pick up the Surface Pro 12, and something immediately feels different. The weight distribution. The rounded edges. The way it nestles into your palm with unexpected comfort. At just 1.5 pounds (686g), this isn’t Microsoft’s lightest device ever, but it might be their most thoughtfully balanced. I found myself reaching for it instinctively throughout the day. Its 0.30-inch thickness, combined with its compact footprint, makes it substantially more comfortable to hold in one hand than previous Surface models. This matters tremendously for a device meant to transition seamlessly between laptop and tablet modes. Microsoft has embraced a more organic design language here. Gone are the sharper edges of previous generations, replaced by gently rounded corners that echo the aesthetic of modern tablets. The bezels have shrunk considerably, though they’re still present enough to provide a comfortable grip without triggering accidental touches. The overall effect is subtle but significant. This feels less like a business tool and more like a personal device. The color options deserve special mention. Beyond the standard Platinum, Microsoft offers Ocean (a sophisticated blue-gray) and Violet. These aren’t the bold, saturated hues you might expect from consumer electronics, but rather subdued, mature tones that manage to feel both professional and personal. The Violet, in particular, strikes an interesting balance. It is distinctive without being flashy. Flip the device around and you’ll notice the integrated kickstand, a Surface hallmark that continues to distinguish these devices from iPad competitors. The hinge feels remarkably solid, with 165 degrees of smooth, consistent resistance. You can position it at virtually any angle, from nearly flat to upright, and it stays exactly where you place it. This flexibility proves invaluable when using the device on uneven surfaces like your lap or a bed. The port selection remains minimal. Two USB-C 3.2 ports with DisplayPort 1.4a support handle all your connectivity needs. They’re well-positioned and work with a wide range of accessories, but the absence of a headphone jack or USB-A port means dongles will remain a fact of life for many users. This minimalist approach keeps the device slim but demands some adaptability from users with legacy peripherals. What about the keyboard? The optional Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard ($149 without pen, $249 with Slim Pen) represents a significant redesign. Microsoft has removed the Alcantara fabric from the palm rest, opting instead for a clean, monochromatic matte finish that feels premium to the touch. The fabric hasn’t disappeared entirely. It’s now relegated to the back of the keyboard cover, providing a pleasant tactile contrast when carrying the closed device. The typing experience surpasses expectations for such a compact keyboard. Key travel feels generous, with a satisfying tactile response that avoids the mushiness common to many tablet keyboards. The layout is thoughtfully designed, with full-sized keys in the central typing area and slightly compressed function and specialty keys at the edges. After a brief adjustment period, I was typing at nearly my full speed. The trackpad deserves equal praise. It’s responsive, accurate, and reasonably sized given the constraints of the 12-inch form factor. Microsoft has clearly prioritized quality over size here, and the result is a tracking surface that rarely frustrates. Perhaps the most significant ergonomic improvement involves the Surface Slim Pen. Rather than attaching to the keyboard as in previous models, it now magnetically snaps to the back of the tablet itself. The connection is surprisingly strong. You can shake the tablet vigorously without dislodging the pen. This redesign serves multiple purposes: it keeps the pen accessible whether you’re using the keyboard or not, it allows for wireless charging of the pen, and it slightly reduces the keyboard’s footprint. The front-facing camera placement requires some adjustment. Located at the top of the display when in landscape orientation, it creates a slightly downward-facing angle during video calls when using the kickstand. This isn’t ideal for presenting your best angle, though it’s a common compromise in tablet design. Switching to portrait orientation provides a more flattering angle but isn’t always practical for extended calls. Audio performance exceeds expectations for a device this size. The dual 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support deliver clear, room-filling sound with surprising bass response. They’re positioned perfectly to create a convincing stereo image when the device is in landscape orientation, making the Surface Pro 12 a legitimate option for casual movie watching without headphones. The most impressive aspect of the Surface Pro 12’s design is not any one feature, but how all the elements work together cohesively. The proportions feel natural, the weight distribution is balanced, and the materials and finishes complement each other nicely. This device has been refined over several generations, and that accumulated knowledge is evident in numerous small details. Performance The Surface Pro 12 introduces an intriguing performance proposition. Microsoft has equipped this compact device with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus processor, an 8-core variant of the chip powering many of this year’s AI-focused laptops. This marks a significant departure from Intel-based Surface devices of the past. The question isn’t whether this processor is powerful. It is. The question is whether it’s the right kind of powerful for your specific needs. For everyday computing, the answer is a resounding yes. The system boots instantly, apps launch without hesitation, and multitasking feels remarkably fluid. I routinely ran multiple Office applications alongside dozens of browser tabs without encountering any slowdown. This responsiveness extends to more demanding productivity tasks like photo editing in Adobe Lightroom, where the device handled 20+ megapixel RAW files with surprising agility. What makes this performance particularly impressive is the complete absence of fan noise. The Surface Pro 12 features a fanless design with no vents whatsoever. Even under sustained workloads, the device remains silent, with only minimal warming of the chassis. This thermal efficiency represents a significant quality-of-life improvement over previous Surface models, especially in quiet environments like libraries or meeting rooms. Benchmark results confirm these subjective impressions. In Geekbench 6, the Surface Pro 12 scored around 2,250 for single-core and 9,500 for multi-core performance. These numbers put it in the same neighborhood as many Intel Core Ultra 5-powered laptops, particularly for single-core tasks where the Snapdragon X Plus shows impressive efficiency. Cinebench results tell a similar story, with scores that would have been considered high-end just a couple of generations ago. Battery life represents perhaps the most significant performance advantage. Microsoft claims up to 16 hours of video playback and 12 hours of active web usage. In my testing, these numbers proved surprisingly accurate. A full day of mixed productivity work (writing, web browsing, video calls, and occasional photo editing) left me with 25 to 30 percent battery remaining. More impressively, the device sips power when idle, losing just a few percentage points overnight. This efficiency means you can confidently leave your charger at home for most workdays. When you do need to charge, the process is refreshingly quick. Using the optional 45-watt USB-C charger ($70), the Surface Pro 12 reaches 50 percent battery in approximately 30 minutes and 80 percent in about an hour. This rapid charging capability further enhances the device’s practicality for mobile professionals. The neural processing unit (NPU) deserves special attention. With 45 TOPS of AI performance, the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU positions the Surface Pro 12 as a capable platform for Microsoft’s growing ecosystem of AI-enhanced applications. Features like Windows Studio Effects, which provides background blur and eye contact correction during video calls, run smoothly without taxing the main CPU. The upcoming Recall feature, which promises to help you find anything you’ve seen on your PC, also leverages this dedicated AI hardware. Memory and storage configurations are straightforward. All models include 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, which proves ample for most productivity workflows. Storage options include either 256GB or 512GB of UFS storage. While not as fast as the PCIe SSDs found in premium laptops, these storage solutions deliver respectable performance for everyday tasks. The absence of user-upgradeable components means choosing the right configuration at purchase time is crucial. Connectivity options enhance the overall performance picture. Wi-Fi 7 support ensures the fastest possible wireless connections on compatible networks, while Bluetooth 5.4 provides reliable connections to peripherals. The two USB-C ports support DisplayPort 1.4a, allowing you to drive up to two 4K monitors at 60Hz, a significant upgrade for productivity. Where does the Surface Pro 12 fall short? Demanding creative applications like video editing or 3D rendering will push this system to its limits. While it can handle these tasks, you’ll experience longer render times compared to more powerful systems. Similarly, gaming capabilities are limited to older titles, cloud gaming services, or less demanding indie games. This isn’t a gaming machine by any stretch. It’s also worth noting that while Windows on ARM compatibility has improved dramatically, you may occasionally encounter software that doesn’t run optimally or requires emulation. Microsoft’s Rosetta-like translation layer handles most x86 applications admirably, but with some performance penalty. Fortunately, major productivity applications like the Microsoft Office suite and Adobe Creative Cloud now offer native ARM versions that run beautifully. The performance story of the Surface Pro 12 is ultimately about balance. Microsoft has created a device that delivers impressive responsiveness for everyday tasks while maximizing battery life and eliminating fan noise. For the target audience (mobile professionals, students, and productivity-focused users), this balance hits a sweet spot that many will find compelling. Sustainability Surface devices have rarely been evaluated through an environmental lens. That shifts with the Surface Pro 12. Microsoft’s latest tablet-laptop hybrid takes a material-first approach to reducing its ecological footprint, applying tangible revisions in sourcing, assembly, and lifecycle design. The battery introduces a foundational change. This is the first Surface Pro to use 100 percent recycled cobalt inside the cell. The shift matters. Cobalt extraction is linked to heavy environmental degradation and labor violations, particularly in regions where the material is most abundant. Using recycled cobalt minimizes dependency on these supply chains while maintaining performance. Microsoft applies similar logic to the enclosure. The casing incorporates at least 82.9 percent recycled content, including fully recycled aluminum alloy and rare earth elements. These metals are essential to core functions like audio and haptic feedback, but traditional sourcing is energy-intensive and harmful to ecosystems. Recycling them cuts the carbon load while preserving durability. The recycled aluminum, in particular, reduces energy consumption by over 90 percent compared to newly smelted metal. Packaging aligns with this direction. Microsoft states that 71 percent of wood-fiber packaging uses recycled material, and all virgin paper is sourced from responsibly managed forests. The result feels considered and premium, but without the typical waste profile seen in high-end electronics. Power efficiency is handled by both certification and architecture. The Surface Pro 12 meets ENERGY STAR criteria. Its Snapdragon processor operates on a performance-per-watt model, reducing heat and load during basic workflows without sacrificing responsiveness. Repairability has also improved. Microsoft includes labeled components and internal diagrams that support technician-guided part replacements. These efforts fall short of true user-repairability, but they increase the odds that broken devices will be fixed rather than discarded. A trade-in program supports hardware recovery for U.S. commercial customers. The initiative encourages responsible disposal and keeps materials in circulation longer. This model moves the Surface series closer to a lower-impact future. Microsoft still relies on proprietary accessories that may not carry forward. The keyboard and pen are not backward compatible with earlier models. That limits cross-generation reuse and could introduce avoidable waste. True modularity is still missing. Even with those constraints, the Surface Pro 12 represents the most focused sustainability effort in the product line to date. Material sourcing, energy use, and packaging all reflect an intention to lower the cost to the planet without compromising design or performance. Value and Wrap-up The Surface Pro 12 redefines how compact Windows hardware can serve practical, real-world needs. Its value isn’t rooted in technical dominance or low pricing. It comes from how effectively the device supports a mobile, focused workflow. This model favors portability and responsiveness over excess. It’s built for those who move constantly between meetings, transit, and flexible workspaces, without wanting to sacrifice the continuity of a full Windows environment. The smaller form factor isn’t a downgrade. It’s deliberate, eliminating clutter and favoring daily-use speed, comfort, and silence. Microsoft’s design choices reflect this purpose. From the near-instant wake time to the magnetic keyboard closure, the experience is tuned to reduce friction. That fluidity helps the device become second nature. It’s not about raw performance. It’s about always being ready. The inclusion of dedicated AI hardware gives the Surface Pro 12 another dimension. As more Windows features become NPU-dependent, this machine stays relevant. You’re not just buying current functionality. You’re investing in a platform with a longer upgrade arc. The accessory pricing remains clunky. But over time, the value balances out through longevity and reduced dependency on external gear. Build quality, battery endurance, and AI readiness all support longer ownership without the usual performance decay. What makes the Surface Pro 12 stand out is discipline. Microsoft didn’t stretch this device to cover every use case. Instead, it doubled down on a clear objective: make a serious, portable Windows tool that respects your time and space. The result is confident and complete.The post Microsoft Surface Pro 12 Review: Compact Copilot+ Windows device built for silence, stamina, and adaptability first appeared on Yanko Design.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Adobe is to end its Creative Cloud All Apps subscriptions for users in North America.By default, All Apps subscribers will be switched to a more expensive new subscription plan, Creative Cloud Pro, which provides more generative AI features. Existing users can also choose to switch to a less expensive plan, Creative Cloud Standard, at the cost of reduced access to premium features in Adobe’s web and mobile apps. The changes come into effect for users in the US, Canada and Mexico on 17 June 2025. What services do you currently get with an All Apps subscription? Creative Cloud All Apps subscriptions currently provide access to over 20 of Adobe’s software applications, including After Effects, Photoshop and Premiere Pro. Users also get access to Adobe Fonts, online portfolio service Behance, and 100GB of cloud storage. In addition, All Apps subscriptions come with 1,000 ‘generative credits‘ per month, for use with generative AI services powered by Adobe Firefly: either via the web app, or Firefly-powered tools built into Adobe software. All Apps subscriptions cost $89.99/month or $659.88/year. How are Creative Cloud All Apps subscriptions changing? In North America – the US, Canada and Mexico – Adobe is ending sales of new All Apps subscriptions on 17 June 2025.They will be replaced by a new, more expensive subscription plan, Creative Cloud Pro, which provides more generative credits and extra generative AI features. By default, existing All Apps subscribers will be transferred to this plan. However, existing subscribers can also choose to switch manually to Creative Cloud Standard, a less expensive – but less fully featured – new subscription plan. New users will only be able to take out Creative Cloud Pro subscriptions. How do Creative Cloud Pro subscriptions compare to All Apps subscriptions? Creative Cloud Pro subscriptions provide access to the same software as All Apps subscriptions, and to the same cloud services.Where they differ is in the generative AI features: subscribers get unlimited credits for ‘standard’ generative features, like Generative Fill in Photoshop. They also get 4,000 credits per month for ‘premium‘ generative AI features such as the text-to-image and text-to-video features from the new Firefly Video Model. That translates to 40 five-second AI-generated videos per month, or up to 14 minutes per month of AI-translated audio or video. Creative Cloud Pro subscribers can also generate multiple mood boards with Firefly Boards, Adobe’s new AI-based moodboarding service, which is currently in beta, and choose to use non-Adobe generative AI models in Firefly. Creative Cloud Pro subscriptions cost $104.99/month or $779.99/year: an increase of $15/month or just over $120/year compared to All Apps. How do Creative Cloud Standard subscriptions compare to All Apps subscriptions? Creative Cloud Standard subscriptions provide access to the same desktop software as All Apps subscriptions, and to the same cloud services.However, they provide fewer generative credits – 25 per month rather than 1,000 per month – and only for the standard generative features. They also limit access to the mobile and web editions of applications. Creative Cloud Standard subscribers get access to the full mobile and web edition of Acrobat, but only to the free mobile and web versions of Adobe Express, Fresco, Illustrator, Lightroom and Photoshop, which have a much more limited feature set. Creative Cloud Standard subscriptions cost $82.49/month or $599.88/year: a decrease of $7.50/month or $60/year compared to All Apps. What about students and teachers? Students and teachers can’t opt to switch to Creative Cloud Standard subscriptions, but there is educational pricing for Creative Cloud Pro subscriptions.Are Adobe users outside North America affected? There are no changes to All Apps subscriptions outside North America “at this time“, although it’s hard to imagine that Adobe won’t eventually roll out the new Creative Cloud Pro and Standard subscription plans to the rest of the world.Are any other Creative Cloud subscription plans changing? Although the changes mainly affect All Apps subscriptions, Adobe is also cutting the number of generative credits included free with some other Creative Cloud subscriptions.From 17 June 2025, new subscribers of Photography and Single App subscription plans will get 25 credits per month, down from 500 for Photography and Photoshop subscriptions. Read Adobe’s FAQs about the changes to Creative Cloud All Apps subscriptions Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.