The base ‌Mac mini‌ is the model with an M4 chip, 256GB of storage, and 16GB RAM. M4 Mac mini models with upgraded storage are still in stock, as are ‌Mac mini‌ models that are equipped with the M4 Pro chip. Configurations with 24GB RAM are also still available, but some models that use 32GB RAM or higher are out of stock.

When an Apple device goes out of stock, it can be an indication of an imminent refresh, but it’s not clear if that’s the case with the ‌Mac mini‌. The ‌Mac mini‌ has been in high demand because people are purchasing it to use as a machine to run AI models locally, so it’s possible the shortage is related to demand rather than a sign that an update is coming soon.

Apple is also dealing with RAM shortages caused by a surge in global memory demand that has led to increased RAM pricing. The memory shortages previously caused some higher tier ‌Mac mini‌ and Mac Studio models to go out of stock. Apple removed the 512GB ‌Mac Studio‌ from its online store entirely earlier this year.

Apple is working on M5 and M5 Pro versions of the ‌Mac mini‌ for 2026, but the update may not come until later in the year due to the RAM supply issues.
Related Roundup: Mac miniBuyer’s Guide: Mac Mini (Caution)Related Forum: Mac miniThis article, "Base Mac Mini Sold Out From Apple Online Store" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Cameras
Multiple sources have said Apple is developing AirPods Pro that have tiny infrared cameras. The cameras won’t be used to take photos or videos like an iPhone camera, but will instead provide the AirPods with information about what’s around the wearer.

Cameras could potentially provide data to a connected iPhone, improving Visual Intelligence and Siri features that are set to come out in iOS 27.
Gestures
The infrared cameras could recognize hand gestures, allowing music and other features to be controlled with hand movements.

The AirPods Pro already support head gestures for doing things like declining or accepting phone calls, and the addition of hand gestures could expand this functionality.

Apple could even remove pressure sensitivity from the stem of the AirPods Pro, making gestures the main control method.
Vision Pro Integration
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the cameras integrated into the AirPods Pro will upgrade the spatial audio experience when used with the Apple Vision Pro headset.
Naming
There is some disagreement about where the AirPods Pro with cameras will fit in the AirPods lineup, and what they will be called.

The AirPods Pro 3 came out in September 2025, and the new model with cameras isn’t expected to be labeled AirPods Pro 4. Apple could just upgrade the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ with cameras and keep the name, or call them something like ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ with Cameras.

Apple released two versions of the AirPods 4, one that has ANC and one that doesn’t. The ANC model is named ‌AirPods 4‌ with Active Noise Cancellation, so there is precedent for a straightforward AirPods Pro name.

Apple could also call the AirPods Pro with cameras the “AirPods Ultra,” and that’s what some rumors suggest will happen.
H3 Chip
It’s possible that Apple will include a new H3 chip with camera-equipped AirPods Pro. Apple is working on a new chip, but the current ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ launched with the same H2 chip that was in the AirPods Pro 2.

The H3 chip is expected to bring lower latency and improved audio quality.
Pricing
Some rumors suggest the AirPods Pro with cameras will be more expensive than the existing model, while others say they will be the same price. If Apple is planning to sell them for $249, the AirPods Pro with cameras would replace the current model. If they’re more expensive at ~$299, they could be sold alongside the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌.
Launch Date
A new version of the AirPods Pro with cameras could come out as soon as 2026, and if that launch timing is accurate, we’ll likely see them introduced alongside new iPhone models in September.Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3Buyer’s Guide: AirPods Pro (Buy Now)Related Forum: AirPodsThis article, "What to Expect From the Next AirPods Pro, Launching as Soon as This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

A flaw with notification services allowed notifications that were supposed to be deleted to be retained on an iPhone or iPad. Apple says it fixed the logging issue with improved data redaction.

Apple became aware of the vulnerability after recent court testimony revealed that the FBI was able to access the internal notification database on an iPhone involved in a case, providing law enforcement with access to message previews. The iPhone in question was set to display the content of Signal messages on the Lock Screen, and with that feature enabled, the iPhone stores message content.

The defendant in the case had deleted the Signal app and had Signal messages set to disappear, but the iPhone kept the messages in its database long enough for the FBI to access them.

Apple users running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, iOS 18, or iPadOS 18 should update to the latest versions to avoid being impacted by the security flaw.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Tags: FBI, SignalRelated Forum: iOS 26This article, "iOS 26.4.2 Patches Flaw That Let FBI Extract Deleted Signal Messages" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian mentioned the Apple partnership during Google Cloud Next 2026, a conference that’s taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada today.
Earlier this year, we announced a monumental partnership with one of the most iconic brands that will bring the power of our technology to users everywhere around the world. We’re collaborating with Apple as their preferred cloud provider to develop the next generation of Apple Foundation Models based on Gemini technology.

These models will now power future Apple Intelligence features including a more personalized Siri coming later this year.
Kurian’s comment doesn’t provide us with any new information because Apple has already committed to a 2026 launch for the new ‌Siri‌ features. When Apple first delayed the smarter ‌Siri‌ in March 2025, the company said it would launch “in the coming year.”

Later in 2025, Apple said that ‌Siri‌ would get an update at some point in 2026, though it did not provide a specific launch timeline. In February 2026, Apple confirmed to CNBC that the new version of ‌Siri‌ is still set to come out this year.

According to rumors, Apple was planning to release the Apple Intelligence version of ‌Siri‌ in spring 2026, but ran into issues with accuracy. Since Apple never gave a launch date beyond 2026, the ‌Siri‌ update isn’t exactly delayed, but Apple has needed to adjust its internal schedule. Apple has until December 31, 2026 to update ‌Siri‌, but we could get a first look at the new personal assistant in iOS 27.

Kurian did say that Google Cloud is Apple’s “preferred cloud provider,” which is the same language that Google used earlier this year. It continues to be unclear if the new ‌Siri‌ and Gemini-powered ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features will use Private Cloud Compute or will run on Google’s servers.

Apple has asked Google to investigate setting up servers in Google data centers to run ‌Siri‌ because Apple is anticipating much more cloud usage when the smarter ‌Siri‌ launches.

Apple plans to introduce ‌iOS 27‌ at the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to begin on June 8, 2026. We’ll hear more about ‌Siri‌ at WWDC.Tags: Gemini, Google, Siri, Siri ChatbotThis article, "Google Confirms Gemini-Powered Siri Coming Later This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings → General → Software Update.

According to Apple’s release notes, the software updates contain unspecified bug fixes and security updates.

Apple also released iOS 18.7.8 for older iPhones that are not updated to iOS 26.

Apple is already beta testing iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, the next versions of ‌iOS 26‌ that will likely launch later in May.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26This article, "Apple Releases iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2 With Bug Fixes" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

It is able to follow detailed instructions, placing and relating objects accurately, preserving fine detail, and rendering dense layouts. Images 2.0 is OpenAI’s first image model with thinking capabilities, and it has an improved sense of composition and visual taste, which OpenAI says will result in images that feel less AI-generated.

Images 2.0 is able to search the web to get real-time information, create up to eight images from a single prompt, and double-check its output. Graphics can be created across several aspect ratios and at up to 2K resolution. The new model also has improved multilingual understanding and can better render non-Latin text like Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Hindi, and Bengali.

Images 2.0 is available now for all ChatGPT, Codex, and API users.Tags: ChatGPT, OpenAIThis article, "OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Images 2.0 With Thinking Capabilities and Better Text Rendering" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Earlier this week, the leaker known as “Fixed Focus Digital” said that the ‌iPhone 18‌ features “certain manufacturing downgrades” that bring it more into line with the low-cost iPhone 18e model. The decision is said to be “a cost-cutting measure.”

Now, the leaker has provided further detail. For example, the ‌iPhone 18‌’s display specifications will be downgraded, resulting in inferior screen quality. The manufacturing process itself is said to be “taking a step backward.”

The iPhone 17 features a 6.3-inch display with ProMotion and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. Since ProMotion was among the biggest upgrades for the device last year, it seems likely that brightness could be among the display specifications to be reduced.

In a follow-up post, the leaker provided some insight into Apple’s decision. Rather than increase the price of the ‌iPhone 18‌, the company plans to downgrade certain components, including the chip, to maintain the same price point.

Although both the ‌iPhone 17‌ and iPhone 17e feature the A19 chip, the ‌iPhone 17‌’s variant has a five-core GPU, instead of the ‌iPhone 17e‌’s four-core version. The iPhone 17 Pro’s A19 Pro chip is essentially the same but has a six-core GPU.

As a result, a reduction from five to four GPU cores in the ‌iPhone 18‌ could be among the planned downgrades. Fixed Focus Digital added that it is “highly probable” that Apple will tweak the name of the device’s A-series chip in an effort to disguise the extent of downgrade.

The Weibo leaker ultimately doubled-down on the move, saying that “the downgrade in the standard ‌iPhone 18‌ model’s specifications has now been confirmed.” Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) of the ‌iPhone 18‌ and iPhone 18e are apparently set to take place simultaneously in June.

The leaker’s previous report outlined Apple’s decision to implement new cost-control strategies for the device, including specific downgrades to manufacturing processes, chips, memory, and more. The move will “effectively bring it in line with the ’18e’ model.”

With the ‌iPhone 17e‌ and ‌iPhone 17‌, the biggest differences are the Dynamic Island, display size, ProMotion, brightness, the front facing camera, the Ultra Wide camera, and battery life. It is not clear which key differentiators will remain between the two devices in their next iterations.

iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 17 Buyer’s Guide: 35+ Differences Compared

The leaker apparently verified the information using multiple sources. They noted that the information originates from the same source who correctly confirmed that the ‌iPhone 17e‌ would continue to feature a “notch,” contrary to false reports that the device would have a ‌Dynamic Island‌.

The standard ‌iPhone 18‌ is expected to launch months after the iPhone 18 Pro models as part of an all-new split launch strategy. Apple’s usual fall iPhone announcement is expected to include the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and the so-called foldable “iPhone Ultra.” The iPhone 18e, ‌iPhone 18‌, and iPhone Air 2 will likely follow in the spring of 2027. Related Roundup: iPhone 18Tag: Fixed Focus DigitalRelated Forum: iPhoneThis article, "Leaker: Apple to Downgrade iPhone 18 in Two Ways" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Opera users now get direct access to YouTube and Twitch from the browser sidebar, allowing them to pin the panel for side-by-side viewing or snap the video out with the Video Popout feature, which creates a floating overlay that they can move while navigating the web.

Meanwhile, in what the company is describing as a first for any browser, Opera now has an integrated Volume Booster that lets users increase a tab’s volume by up to 500 percent. The feature includes per-tab control, so users can, for example, keep background music at a quiet 5%, while simultaneously boosting a quiet video in another tab to 500%.

The company says this native feature means users no longer need to rely on third-party volume extensions that can cause full-screen glitches and security warnings.

Opera is also touting major quality-of-life upgrades to remote working in the latest update. The app now fully supports any video conferencing website that supports PiP, which includes full compatibility with Zoom. Users also get per-site control over Auto-PiP permissions for every individual conferencing website. And in an aesthetic change for consistency, the Video Popout window matches the chosen Opera One theme for the first time.

Opera browser is available now as a free update and can be downloaded from the company’s website.Tag: Opera BrowserThis article, "Opera Browser Gains Per-Tab Volume Booster, Video Popout" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The four alleged color options include Light Blue, Dark Cherry, Dark Gray, and Silver.

Dark Cherry would be the signature new color option for the iPhone 18 Pro models this year, following Cosmic Orange for the iPhone 17 Pro models. This might end up being the “deep red” that was previously rumored for the devices.

Weibo leaker “Instant Digital” today corroborated the Dark Cherry color option, describing it as a mix of burgundy, coffee, and deep purple. Those were all previously-rumored iPhone 18 Pro color options, but it appears that they are actually one in the same.

“Instant Digital” has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the yellow color for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

Light Blue looks similar to the iPhone 13 Pro’s Sierra Blue color option.

Depending on the shade, Dark Gray could be similar to either the iPhone 13 Pro’s Graphite color option or the iPhone 14 Pro’s Space Black finish.

Silver would remain an option too — it is Apple’s classic color.

iPhone 17 Pro models are available in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, and Silver. Macworld said Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue will likely be discontinued, so do not expect either of those color options to remain available for the iPhone 18 Pro models.

Last year, Macworld accurately leaked the iPhone 17 Pro’s Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue colors, but the report also mentioned black, white, and gray color options that did not materialize. So, at least some of the rumored iPhone 18 Pro colors will likely prove to be true, but it remains to be seen if Apple moves forward with all four.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models in September.Related Roundup: iPhone 18 ProTag: Instant DigitalThis article, "iPhone 18 Pro's Special Color Rumored Yet Again" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

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

You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you’ll find two of both the 42mm and 46mm GPS models on sale at these all-time low prices.

$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (42mm GPS) for $299.00
$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (46mm GPS) for $329.00

In terms of cellular models, Amazon doesn’t have any all-time low prices as of writing, but you can shop a few solid second-best deals this week. The 42mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 has hit $429.00, down from $499.00, and the 46mm cellular model has hit $459.00, down from $529.00.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we’ve been tracking over the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "Apple Watch Series 11 Hits $100 Off on Amazon, Starting at $299" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Rockwell is said to have reservations about reporting to his new boss, software chief Craig Federighi, and wants a bigger remit than the one he currently has, according to people with knowledge of the matter who spoke to Gurman. Rockwell was apparently once lined up for a role defining Apple’s product and AI roadmap – something close to a chief technology officer position – on the assumption that head-worn wearables would form the foundation of Apple’s post-iPhone era.

However, that trajectory has gone south because the Vision Pro has struggled to find a mainstream audience, with many put off by its $3,499 price tag and physical heft. Apple is still developing smart glasses and other wearables, but the picture for Rockwell is decidedly murkier than it once was.

Rockwell took on the Siri project in March 2025 as part of a wider reshuffle, after Tim Cook lost confidence in the AI work being done under former AI chief John Giannandrea and reassigned the voice assistant away from his team.

Gurman reports that Rockwell is unlikely to walk away before finishing the Siri overhaul, which is now expected to arrive as part of iOS 27. He is one of several senior Apple figures who are said to be weighing their next move as John Ternus prepares to take over from CEO Tim Cook in September.

Among them is retail and HR chief Deirdre O’Brien, who has told colleagues she is considering retirement, while government affairs head Kate Adams is set to retire later this year. Marketing boss Greg Joswiak, App Store head Phil Schiller, and services chief Eddy Cue are all approaching four decades at the company, raising the prospect of further departures during Ternus’s watch. Related Roundup: Apple Vision ProTag: BloombergBuyer’s Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)Related Forum: Apple Vision ProThis article, "Vision Pro Creator Mike Rockwell Has Considered Leaving Apple" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple has implementation plans for the following upgrades:

Variable aperture
1/1.12-inch “ultra-large” main camera sensor
Enhanced optical image stabilization for ultra-wide lens
200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens
The variable aperture is widely rumored to be introduced with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, expected to launch this September. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in December 2024 that the main rear camera on both ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models will offer variable aperture. More recently in October, a report claimed that Apple is moving ahead with those plans and was discussing components with suppliers.

Apple has never implemented a variable aperture on an iPhone. From the iPhone 14 Pro through the iPhone 17 Pro, the main camera uses a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, meaning the lens remains fully open at all times when capturing images. In contrast, a variable aperture lets the camera control how much light reaches the sensor. In low-light conditions, it opens to admit more light, while in bright scenes, it closes to avoid overexposure. This should also give users more control over depth of field.

The other camera upgrades the leaker mentioned appear to be ones that Apple is testing for future models beyond the iPhone 18 Pro, with an unclear timeline for implementation.

Regarding the “ultra-large” main sensor, the 1/1.12-inch label is based on a legacy optical format, not a literal measurement. It dates back to video camera tubes, so the number doesn’t correspond directly to the sensor’s physical width. In practice, a 1/1.12-inch sensor has a diagonal of around 14.5mm – far smaller than the label might suggest, but very large by smartphone standards. It’s the same size as Sony’s LYTIA LYT-901, which is shipping in the Vivo X300 Ultra. It’s significantly larger than the 1/1.28-inch main sensor the iPhone 17 Pro models use, and would offer improved low-light performance, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio.

As for the 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, Digital Chat Station has mentioned multiple times that Apple is studying the technology, but they recently said it is unlikely to feature in an iPhone before 2028.

Digital Chat Station has more than three million followers on Weibo, and has a track record of accurately leaking Apple-related information. For example, they accurately revealed the overall design of the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro, as well as the triple 48-megapixel rear camera system of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro.‌ Recently, the leaker claimed Apple’s first foldable, expected to arrive alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, will be called “iPhone Ultra.”Related Roundup: iPhone 18 ProTag: Digital Chat StationThis article, "iPhone 18 Pro to Kick Off Apple's Four-Part Camera Upgrade Plan" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The company says custom timelines are powered by Grok AI, which understands the social media platform’s algorithm personalization so that timelines are tuned for individual users.

Paying users will see an Add+ button appear next to the Following tab, with support for over 75 topics, ranging from design to robotics to real estate. X says Grok’s filters work even better for topics a user already engages with.

Early access to custom timelines is currently limited to Premium subscribers on iOS, with Android set to follow “soon.”

Ladies and gentlemen, today we're launching one of our biggest changes to Introducing Custom TimelinesThis feature allows you to pin a specific topic to your home tab. With support for over 75 topics, you can dive deep into your favorite niche on X.It's powered by Grok's… pic.twitter.com/9jkIEXvubj

— Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) April 21, 2026
Today, X is also rolling out a tool to snooze topics on the For You tab, allowing users to tune out politics- or sports-related posts, for example.This article, "X Rolls Out AI-Powered Custom Timelines for Premium Users" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Tap to Pay allows iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets‌‌‌. All transactions are encrypted, and Apple has no information about what is purchased or the person who made the purchase.

No additional hardware or credit card machine is required‌ to use Tap to Pay on iPhone. The feature uses NFC technology to securely authenticate the contactless payments, plus the feature also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.

Starting today, ADAPTIS, Fiuu, HitPay, Stripe, and Zoho are the first payment platforms in Malaysia to bring Tap to Pay on iPhone to its merchants. Tap to Pay on iPhone will also be coming soon for checkout at Apple The Exchange TRX. Supported contactless debit and credit cards include American Express, JCB, Mastercard, MyDebit, UnionPay, and Visa.

Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ launched in February 2022 in the United States, and since then, Apple has expanded it to more than 50 countries and regions around the world.Tags: Malaysia, Tap to Pay on iPhoneThis article, "Apple Launches Tap to Pay on iPhone in Malaysia" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Reactions on the MacRumors forums run the gamut from positive to negative, with some people praising Cook for everything he’s done for Apple, and others celebrating his departure from the role.

From Cook fans:

nfl46 – Thank you, Tim! He left John in a reallyyyyyyy good financial position!
RMMediccc – Thanks for being the right guy at the right time Tim. You will be missed, but it was time and you are making the correct call just as Steve did.
DocMultimedia – Congrats to Mr. Cook for amazing growth for Apple over so many years. Hopefully Apple will continue to grow under Mr. Ternus. So much respect for both (unlike many on this forum).
Adelphos33 – A lot of… let’s say disappointing responses. Cook became COO on October 14, 2005. One of the best and most important executives of all time. He made a lot of people very wealthy, and not just Apple employees. A personally pioneering one as well.
KPOM – Tim Cook will go down as one of the best CEOs to lead a Fortune 500. I expect he’ll stay on as executive chairman at least until January 2029 as he is Apple’s ambassador to the world of politics.
transpo1 – Cook was the right guy for the job at the right time. He could never do what Jobs did, and Jobs could never do what Cook did. Jobs told him “Don’t do what I would do, do what you would do,” and like it or not, he made wildly profitable decisions that enabled the company to keep moving forward from a position of enormous success.

From Cook critics:

Kylo83 – good, hopefully we actually see real change now
firstcitazen – Ding Dong the ….
iPedro – But Tim Cook was anything but a visionary and he completely missed what Steve Jobs intended for Siri, which debuted in the iPhone the day before his death. New blood is needed and an engineer who’s a stickler for detail is a great place to start.
turbineseaplane – Party time!!! 🥳 Fantastic news. It’s time for some fresh ideology, I hope.
Anonymous123 – Good riddance. Glad to see the penny pincher finally gone. Hope this marks a new, better direction for Apple. Less focus on services and ads, more focus on higher quality software and hardware, please.
gleepskip – Tim Cook is so dull, his memoirs would be an autobiography titled “Supply Chain Optimization: A Love Story.”
delsoul – Does this mean we’ll finally get some ballsy, new daring products instead of trying to appease the shareholders nonstop with boring stale products
superarijit – He got fired, pure and simple, PR free. Why? Imagine the utter billions he lost on failed Apple Intelligence, Apple Car, Apple Vision Pro and more. Crap software, same hardware every year. He’s lucky that iphone saved him each and every time.
tgurske – Thank god. I don’t know why Jobs picked a Toyota Camry to be CEO but I can’t wait for someone interesting to get in there.
iMac The Knife – Hip hip hooray! Cook ended up being the worst possible choice to succeed Steve Jobs as Apple’s CEO – at least in terms of product design, user experience, and genuine innovation.
HiVolt – It’s finally happening. I really hope Ternus can make things better, and at least he will have a more interesting personality than a potted plant.

From Ternus fans:

Nismo73 – John’s the guy for the job. Congrats!
venom600 – Awesome… glad to have a hardware guy in charge.
aj8690 – MAKE CEOs HOT AGAIN
spritle – THE TERNUSATOR!
jonnyb098 – Best Apple News in a while. Apple needs a product visionary after 5 years of stagnation (Vision Pro is not a consumer hit at all nor do most know it exists). Tim made the company a behemoth but that comes with risks. John is a product guy and that’s what Apple needs now.
fant0mas – I like that John doesn’t wear white shoes though… his taste in this regard seems better than Tim’s. Hope this means that the OS designs will improve again as well.

General comments:

terminator-jq – Tim Cook had very big shoes to fill, but ultimately he did great work in making Apple one of the most valuable companies worldwide. That being said the change and CEO could not have come at a better time. Smart phones have stagnated and we are quickly approaching the new augmented reality era. If Apple is going to maintain this leadership position through this transition, having a hardware guy at the helm might be their best bet.
Brother Cavil – People expecting meaningful change from Ternus are in for a world of disappointment. If you pop your head outside the delusional MacRumors bubble, people LOVE their Apple products. He has no incentive to fix what isn’t broken. Quite the opposite.
erikkfi – You can’t look at Apple’s revenue and sales graph since 2011 and argue that Tim was an unsuccessful CEO on a metric that, like it or not, is really important. Since 2011 Apple has lost its flair, imagination, and verve, though, while still making very good, buttoned-down products that sell like crazy. I don’t think they make many viscerally desirable products anymore. I hope a change at the top can help with that, but I don’t know much about Ternus’ taste and where he falls on a hypothetical Steve-Tim spectrum.
jon9091 – Can he take Liquid Glass with him?
turbineseaplane – Feel free to take the Vision Pro with you on the way out the door. That was quite the dud Tim.
GermanSuplex – Negativity aside, Cook had a good run but it’s time for a change. I expect the foldable iPhone will deliver a hardware “wow” factor that’s been missing, and it’s got a big hole to dig itself out of, but if they can overdeliver on their revamped Siri, that would be a good way to kickstart this guy’s stint.
macduke – Finally, and someone “younger.” Between this and the liquid ass guy leaving and Apple hiring the excellent designer Sebastiaan de With, I’m hopeful for the future of Apple. They just need to get their AI ducks in a row. But nothing wrong with paying for a model they can keep in-house and customize.
AnInanimateCarbonRod – I’m grateful for his time as CEO. Apple’s ecosystem is still by far and away the only one I want to be in. iPhones, iPads and the Mac are still the best products in their class. MacBook Neo has totally upended the low-end market and put everyone else to shame. Apple Silicon is incredible engineering and an industry wide game changer. They haven’t wavered from their commitment to privacy – and remain the only tech company I actually trust with my data. I could go on and on – AirPods, Apple TV, etc. – all fantastic successes in their own right.
mk313 – Man, what are the macrumors commenters going to complain about now!
mjschabow – Future Hot Take: “Tim Cook never would have allowed this.”

Tim Cook is set to step down as CEO on September 1, 2026, which is when Ternus will take over. Cook will remain at Apple as executive chairman, a role he intends to hold “for a long time.”Tags: John Ternus, Tim CookThis article, "MacRumors Readers React to Tim Cook Stepping Down as CEO" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for two changes, including end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app.

End-to-end encryption for ‌RCS‌ is a security feature that ensures that messages sent between supported iOS 26.5 and Android devices are encrypted and cannot be intercepted and read by a third party while they are being delivered.

Apple already tested end-to-end encryption for RCS in the iOS 26.4 beta, but the feature did not make it into the final release of iOS 26.4 last month.

Last month, Apple announced that ads are coming to the Apple Maps app on the iPhone and iPad in the U.S. and Canada starting “this summer,” and there is evidence of Apple preparing for that within iOS 26.5’s code.

Apple says businesses in the U.S. and Canada will be able to place local ads in search results and at the top of a new “Suggested Places” section.

“Ads on Maps will appear when users search in Maps, and can appear at the top of a user’s search results based on relevance, as well as at the top of a new Suggested Places experience in Maps, which will display recommendations based on what’s trending nearby, the user’s recent searches, and more,” says Apple.

Similar to the ads that are already shown in App Store search results on the iPhone and iPad, ads in Apple Maps will have an “Ad” label, and Apple promises strong privacy protections. For example, Apple says a user’s location and the ads they see and interact with in Apple Maps are not associated with a user’s Apple Account.

In the iOS 26.5 beta, Apple is also working to extend iPhone features like notifications, Live Activities, and AirPods-like pairing to third-party smartwatches and headphones in the EU, as required under the Digital Markets Act.

Beyond that, iOS 26.5 has only a few other minor changes.

Following beta testing, iOS 26.5 will likely be released in May.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26This article, "Here's What's New in iOS 26.5 So Far" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

“Silo” follows the lives of 10,000 people living in an underground bunker to escape the seemingly toxic wasteland outside. The people are unaware of why the silo was built, and those who seek the truth face deadly consequences. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette Nichols, an engineer who attempts to unravel the mysteries surrounding the silo following a loved one’s murder. The show is based on Hugh Howey’s best-selling book series, and it is one of the most popular original series on the Apple TV streaming service.

The third season will have 10 episodes, with one released every Friday through September 4.

Apple already renewed “Silo” for a fourth and final season as well.

“With the final two chapters of ‘Silo,’ we can’t wait to give fans of the show an incredibly satisfying conclusion to the many mysteries and unanswered questions contained within the walls of these silos,” said showrunner and executive producer Graham Yost, regarding the third and fourth seasons of the show.

About Season Three (Spoilers Ahead)
Apple says the third season “continues the saga of a dystopian society.”

“In the present, Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) survives her forced ‘cleaning’ but returns with memory loss as the silo recovers from rebellion and faces a dangerous new threat,” says Apple. “Meanwhile, in the ‘Before Times,’ journalist Helen Drew (Jessica Henwick) and Congressman Daniel Keene (Ashley Zukerman) uncover a conspiracy that pulls them into a chain of events with catastrophic, irreversible consequences.”

Trailer

Apple TV
In the U.S., Apple TV is priced at $12.99 per month or $129 per year, with a free one-week trial available for new subscribers. Apple TV is also included in Apple One and Peacock bundles, with all of the options outlined on Apple’s website.

You can stream Apple TV in the Apple TV app, which is available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Android, PlayStation, Xbox, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, select smart TVs, on the web at tv.apple.com, and more.Related Roundup: Apple TVTags: Apple TV Service, Apple TV ShowsBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Don’t Buy)Related Forum: Apple TV and Home TheaterThis article, "Apple TV's Hit Show 'Silo' is Returning Soon: Release Date and Trailer" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

When the app was pulled last week, there was speculation that it was removed for implementing web-based payments, something that is now allowed in the U.S. Apple said that’s not the whole story, though, and the app was violating other guidelines.

Apple’s ongoing legal battle with Epic Games led a judge to force Apple to allow U.S. developers to include links to external payment systems in their apps, but apps that are not classified as reader apps also have to include an in-app purchase option. Apps like Netflix and Spotify that offer streaming content are considered reader apps, but Cal AI is not.

As a non-reader app, Cal AI was allowed to direct users to a non-Apple purchase option for a subscription, which it did with a purchase flow using Stripe, but the purchase option should have been displayed alongside an in-app purchase option. Apple said Cal AI bypassed its required in-app purchase flow, misled customers by displaying the weekly calculated pricing more prominently than the amount the user would be billed, and had a free trial toggle that did not make the subscription’s automatic renewal clear.

The app also prompted users who declined the initial subscription to agree to a second, different subscription purchase flow, leading to multiple negative reviews for its confusing third-party payment options.

Cal AI fixed the issues that Apple brought up, and the app returned to the App Store. TechCrunch suggests that Cal AI was experimenting to see whether Apple was still enforcing its rules following the court ruling requiring it to allow external payments in apps. With the Cal AI crackdown, Apple made it clear that it is indeed policing external payments.

MyFitnessPal and Cal AI have not commented on the situation. After returning to the ‌App Store‌, Cal AI is once again the number four app on the ‌App Store‌’s Health and Fitness charts.Tag: App StoreThis article, "Apple Pulled Cal AI for Deceptive Billing Design, Not External Payments" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

“I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the most exciting time to be building products and services at Apple in my entire career,” said Ternus. While the meeting was private, Ternus’ comments were reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Appearing alongside Apple’s current CEO Tim Cook at the Steve Jobs Theater, Ternus expressed optimism about artificial intelligence in particular.

“AI is going to create almost unlimited potential,” said Ternus. “We’re going to be able to keep unlocking possibilities that are going to create entirely new opportunities for our products and services, and I’m so excited about what that’s going to mean for our users.” Unsurprisingly, he did not provide any specific details at this time.

“We are about to change the world once again,” he said.

Ternus ensured that design remains “core” to Apple, and he promised that the company is still committed to user privacy and environmental responsibility.

As for Cook, he told employees he is “healthy” and plans to serve as Apple’s executive chairman for “a long time.” Apple said Cook will “assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world.”

Ternus will become Apple’s CEO on September 1.Tags: Bloomberg, John Ternus, Mark Gurman, Tim CookThis article, "Apple Teases 'Incredible Road Map Ahead'" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

“I am healthy. My energy is high, and I plan to be in this role for a long time,” said Cook. He said he will support current hardware engineering chief John Ternus in any way necessary when Ternus takes over as CEO, and he plans to continue to offer knowledge and experience whenever it’s needed. “Apple will be my top priority,” he said. “It’s who I am at my core, and I can’t imagine it any other way.”

Cook is stepping down from his role as Apple CEO, handing the company over to Ternus. Apple announced the upcoming change yesterday, and said that Cook will remain on as executive chairman, where he will “assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world.”

During the meeting, Cook told employees that he thinks he can help with strengthening Apple’s global relationships. When asked why he is stepping down now, Cook said that it was a good time because Apple is “doing great,” the product lineup is “incredible,” and Ternus is ready for the role. “These three things all intersected, and they intersect now. And so now was the time,” said Cook.

Cook is set to remain CEO through September 1, 2026, at which point he will move into his new role and Ternus will take over as CEO. Cook will see Apple through WWDC, but Ternus will be leading the company by the time the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold launch.Tag: Tim CookThis article, "Tim Cook Says He's 'Healthy,' Plans to Remain at Apple 'for a Long Time'" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

After signing up for beta testing on Apple’s beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section of the Settings app on each device.

iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, and ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5 include a new Suggested Places feature for recommending nearby locations to visit, and Apple is also gearing up to start showing ads in Maps.

Apple is testing end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users again, and there are proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third-party wearables in the EU.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS TahoeRelated Forums: iOS 26, macOS TahoeThis article, "Apple Releases New iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5 and macOS Tahoe 26.5 Public Betas" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Sony’s XM6 earbuds are smaller than the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ because there’s no stem, but the in-ear fit is different. The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ have foam-infused silicone tips that are comfortable to wear for multiple hours at a time. Sony is using a polyurethane and silicone foam hybrid that feels secure in the ears, but you’ll feel them more when using them for longer periods. The XM6 aren’t as likely to fall out of your ears when moving around, so they’re better for workouts. Earbud fit is going to vary from person to person, so some people might find the XM6 more comfortable. Both the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ and the XM6 come with tips in multiple sizes to fit ears in different shapes.

Though Sony’s earbuds have a tighter fit that’s ideal for fitness-related use, the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ have heart rate tracking and better waterproofing for sweat resistance. The XM6 have an IPX4 water resistance rating, compared to the IP57 dust and water resistance rating of the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌.

The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ and the XM6 are both high-end flagship earbud options, and they produce excellent sound. Like fit, your opinion on sound quality will come down to individual preference.

Sony offers LDAC high-resolution codec support for improved sound quality on an Android device, along with an app that supports EQ adjustments with custom presets, adjustable bass, treble sliders, and more. Apple does not offer built-in EQ, but AirPods come with well-balanced tuning that sounds great to many people. If you want to tinker with sound adjustments, Sony’s earbuds are the way to go, but if you want good sound with no tuning requirements, the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ are the better pick.

As with sound, both models have some of the best Active Noise Cancellation you can get from earbuds. The XM6 seem to do just a bit better at canceling out low-frequency sound like engines on an airplane and higher-frequency sound like office chatter, but it’s close. How the ANC works for each person will come down to the ear seal with the tip and personal preference.

Apple’s ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ have the edge when it comes to Transparency because the sound passing through the microphones is more natural. Sony’s version of transparency is fine, but it sounds more robotic. The difference is especially noticeable with voices. The XM6 seem to have better noise isolation on calls when outdoors, but indoors, the AirPods sound clearer.

The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ can be used as an over-the-counter hearing aid alternative, but the XM6 can’t, plus there’s spatial audio support, real-time Live Translation, and heart rate tracking for workouts. Sony’s earbuds have better gesture control, 360 Reality Audio, and more software customization.

The XM6 offer eight hours of playback with ANC on, which is the same battery life as the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌. For the AirPods, spatial audio with head tracking and heart rate sensing drop that total down slightly, but battery life is almost identical overall. The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ case has enough battery for 24 hours of listening time, as does the XM6 case.

If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, you’re going to have a better experience with the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ with iCloud-based features like one-tap pairing, automatic device switching anywhere you’re signed in with your Apple ID, and support for Apple features like Live Translation. Sony can’t implement the same close integration with Apple devices, which makes it harder to recommend Sony earbuds for Apple users.

The XM6 earbuds pair through the iPhone’s Bluetooth menu or the Sony Sound Connect app. It’s not a one-tap process, and while Sony can now support connecting to two devices at once, it’s still not as good as Apple’s process.

If you have Apple devices, the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ are probably the better choice, and they’re $81 cheaper too. The XM6 are the best pick for Android users or those who really want to tinker with sound.Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3Tags: AirPods Pro 3, SonyBuyer’s Guide: AirPods Pro (Buy Now)Related Forum: AirPodsThis article, "AirPods Pro 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM6: Which Flagship Earbuds Should You Buy?" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The ChargeView is meant to be used on top of a desk, so it has space black aluminum build to match Apple’s Macs and a clean, modern design. It is meant to be used upright to minimize the amount of space that it takes up on a desk. The ChargeView includes four USB-C ports, with 140W total output. 140W is enough to charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro at full speed, but power is split when using more than one port. The included display shows how power is distributed.

Fast charging for the iPhone, iPad, and Macs is supported, and Satechi says the ChargeView supports USB PD 3.2 with AVS for advanced power optimization. Satechi’s power optimization makes sure devices get optimal output with protection against overheating, overcurrent, and overvoltage.

The ChargeView 140W Desktop Charger is priced at $100 and it can be purchased from the Satechi website or from Amazon.com.Tag: SatechiThis article, "Satechi Launches ChargeView 140W Desktop Charger" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

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

Additionally, Amazon has the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad for $399.99 ($49 off) and the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad for $597.00 ($52 off). Free delivery estimates are placed around the end of April for most of these iPad models, but Prime members should be able to get same-day delivery in many locations.

$50 OFF128GB Wi-Fi iPad for $299.00
$49 OFF256GB Wi-Fi iPad for $399.99
$52 OFF512GB Wi-Fi iPad for $597.00

If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "Get Up to $52 Off the 11th Gen iPad, Available From $299" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Answers rely on hundreds of millions of Yelp reviews sourced from real people, which Yelp says allows the assistant to address “complex and highly specific requests.” Yelp Assistant was previously available for hiring service professionals and getting answers to questions about businesses, but now it is available across all Yelp categories.

Users are able to ask specific questions when looking for a location, such as “birthday dinner spots with vegan options and heated outdoor seating,” or “top-rated gyms with group classes and childcare.”

With the AI Assistant, users can start out by asking questions to find a suitable location, and then make reservations, book appointments, place delivery orders, or get quotes in the same conversation. Yelp is adding new integrated services including Vagaro, Zocdoc, and Calendly.

There is a new AI-powered personalization model for the Yelp home feed on the iPhone and iPad, and it is able to surface more relevant content and improved recommendations.

Yelp is also updating its AI Menu Vision feature with support for photo overlays so users can see what popular dishes, drinks, and desserts look like.

The Yelp Assistant is rolling out today and it is accessible through a new Assistant tab in the Yelp app.Tag: YelpThis article, "Yelp's AI Assistant Can Now Book Restaurants, Doctors, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

As with the Ruby Red version from September, the JENNIE Special Edition Beats Solo 4 headphones in Onyx Black feature attachable bows in a matching black color, as well as a color-matched carrying case. One ear cushion also features symbols inspired by JENNIE’s music.”We always knew my first drop with Beats was just the beginning of the story,” said JENNIE. “This second chapter truly represents my personal evolution and self-discovery. I wanted to create something that felt both powerful and personal, and I’m so excited for everyone to experience this new chapter with me through these sleek headphones.”As part of the promotion for the collaboration, Apple Music has debuted a customized playlist curated by JENNIE and inspired by the launch. South Korean fans will also have the chance to immerse themselves in a one-day pop-up experience in Seongsu where guests can experience the special edition headphones and receive a custom bag charm while supplies last.

The JENNIE Special Edition Beats Solo 4 in Onyx Black will be available to purchase for $199.99 at apple.com in the United States beginning at 9:00 am PST on Friday, April 24. On-sale times in other countries include 4:00 pm BST in the United Kingdom and 9:00 am SGT in China, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan.

The headphones will also be available online at JD in China, Coupang in South Korea, Shopee in the Philippines and Singapore, and Shopee and Studio7 in Thailand, while customers in Thailand can also purchase the headphones in person at a special pop-up located at Studio7 in Bangkok’s Emquartier mall.

Tag: BeatsThis article, "Beats and JENNIE Debut Special Edition Onyx Black Solo 4 Headphones" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Built for enhanced durability, the Beats charging cables are designed with a tangle-free woven design and reinforced internally to help prevent fraying. Optimized for ultra-fast charging up to 240 watts this 3m cable enhances speed and efficiency, elevating your charging experience.

To ensure quality and performance, the charging cables undergo thousands of hours of testing throughout the design and manufacturing process. Compatible with all USB-C Apple and Android devices, Beats Cables support charging, syncing, audio, CarPlay, and transferring data.The new cables are available starting today at apple.com and are priced at $29.99.

Alongside the new longer options, Beats continues to offer USB-C to USB-C, USB-A to USB-C, and USB-C to Lightning cables in 5-foot (1.5-meter) and 20-centimeter lengths, with both priced at $18.99.Tag: BeatsThis article, "Beats Introduces 10-Foot USB-C to USB-C Cables" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

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.

The Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station features Qi2.2 support, which lets a compatible MagSafe ‌iPhone‌ charge at up to 25W. It’s the same speed as Apple’s ‌MagSafe‌ charger, and it is 10W faster than the standard Qi2 ‌MagSafe‌ chargers. You can also simultaneously charge an Apple Watch and AirPods with the device.

$29 OFFAnker Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station for $119.99

There are plenty of other Anker discounts happening on Amazon this week, including Anker’s popular 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Cube for $89.98, down from $129.99. Below you’ll find a list of the best Anker discounts on Amazon this week, also including wall chargers, portable chargers, and more.

Anker’s website has most of the same deals, with discounts that increase with the more you buy. You’ll get 5 percent off when you spend $89 or more, 10 percent off when you spend $139 or more, and 20 percent off when you spend $199 or more.

UP TO 40% OFFAnker Earth Day Sale

Although it’s not on sale, Anker recently launched a new desktop charging accessory with the Anker Nano Desk Clamp Power Strip for $69.99. The new device attaches to your desk and has 10 total ports including six AC outlets, two USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports. It supports 70W USB-C fast charging and comes in white and black color options.

Wall Chargers
Nano USB-C Wall Charger – $27.99, down from $39.99
140W 4-Port GaN USB-C Charger – $64.99, down from $99.99
Wireless Chargers
3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible UFO Charger – $75.99, down from $89.99
3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Foldable Charging Station – $79.99, down from $109.99
3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Cube – $89.98, down from $129.99
3-in-1 Prime Wireless Charging Station – $119.99, down from $149.99
Prime MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Charging Station – $149.99, down from $229.99
Portable Chargers
SOLIX C300 Power Station with Lantern – $169.99, down from $249.00
Prime Power Bank 26,250 mAh – $199.99, down from $229.99
SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station – $428.99, down from $799.00
SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station – $799.99, down from $1,499.00
If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "Anker Earth Day Sale Features Up to 40% Off Popular Chargers and More" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Effective September 1, Apple’s hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company’s next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with “certain aspects” of the company, including “engaging with policymakers around the world.”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman:Tim Cook is a legend.

I am very thankful for everything he has done and I am very thankful for Apple.U.S. President Donald Trump:I have always been a big fan of Tim Cook, and likewise, Steve Jobs, but if Steve was not taken from the Planet Earth so young, and ran the company instead of Tim, the company would have done well, but nowhere near as well as it has under Tim.More from Trump:I was very impressed with myself to have the head of Apple calling to “kiss my ass.”Alabama Governor Kay Ivey:Here in Alabama, we will always be proud of Tim Cook! He is an Alabamian through and through — born in Mobile and a graduate of Auburn University. I wish Tim Cook continued success and am grateful for all he has done and will continue to do for our state.Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett:Apple would not be the Apple of today without Tim Cook.More from Buffett:Covering the world and getting along with countries with all kinds of histories and doing right by the customer, people who worked for him, certainly the shareholders, which we were lucky enough to be one of… he’s one of a kind.Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey:RIP Tim AppleWe will update this story with any additional quotes throughout the day.Tag: Tim CookThis article, "Top Leaders React to Apple Announcing Tim Cook Will Step Down as CEO" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The paid plan Meta is testing appears to be geared towards hardcore users who spend a lot of time in the app: subscribers get access to premium sticker packs with fullscreen overlay animations (visible to recipients without the plan), optional accent colors that replace the app’s default green across the UI, and alternate app icons ranging from minimal designs to textured effects like glitter, nebula, and fuzzy purple.

The plan also raises the pinned-chat limit from 3 to 20, adds 10 exclusive ringtones, and allows bulk application of custom themes and notification settings across chat lists.

While we don’t know how much the plan will cost when it goes live, the test interface currently shows €2.49 per month in Europe and $29 in Mexico. Based on the beta, users may eventually see a free one-month trial.

Otherwise, WhatsApp’s main functionality remains unchanged. Messaging, voice and video calls, status updates, and end-to-end encryption are still free, suggesting the paid tier sits alongside existing features rather than restricting anything that was previously unpaid.

Overall, it’s a test that was anticipated – Meta has been laying the groundwork for subscription revenue across its apps for some time. The company is already testing “Instagram Plus,” a new paid subscription service in select markets for roughly $1–$2/month. That plan offers premium features focused on Stories, such as anonymous viewing, 48-hour story duration, and analytics on re-watches.

The optional WhatsApp plan is currently available to a limited number of Android beta users, with a wider rollout planned over the coming weeks. iOS support is expected at a later stage, and the subscription is not expected to apply to WhatsApp Business.Tag: WhatsAppThis article, "WhatsApp Testing Paid 'Plus' Subscription Tier – Here's What's Included" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

From the report:
“Ternus will make decisions” when it comes to product development, said one person who has worked closely with both executives. “If you go to Tim with ‘A’ or ‘B,’ he won’t pick. He’ll ask a series of questions instead if he has concerns.”

Ternus, on the other hand, will choose, said the person, who asked not to be identified in order to speak candidly. “It could be right or wrong, but at least it’s a decision.”

That shift could mark the end of an era in which major product decisions were made collectively by a small group of top executives. Ternus is expected to take a more centralized approach where he will be a singular decision-maker.Earlier this month, Ternus reportedly reorganized the hardware engineering division around a new AI platform designed to speed up product development and improve device quality. Ternus is said to be keen to deploy AI quickly throughout Apple to improve its operations, suggesting he is willing to make clear calls and shake things up where necessary. Ternus has also told employees he will remain closely involved in hardware engineering development, indicating a sharper focus on products.

He is also reportedly ready to push back when it matters – Ternus apparently opposed development of the Vision Pro, which has flopped, as well as the company’s autonomous car project that cost around $10 billion, but was ultimately scrapped.

Cook will hand over the reins to Ternus on September 1, in time for him to oversee the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro models as well as the company’s first foldable iPhone later the same month.Tag: BloombergThis article, "Report: Ternus to Bring Jobs-Era Decisiveness Back to Apple" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

In a post today shared on China’s Weibo social platform, the leaker said Apple has evaluated a 200-megapixel sensor for a periscope-type camera, but adoption remains at least a couple of years away.

The leaker did not give a reason for the time frame, but they have previously referred to Apple’s continuing focus on improving optical flexibility and low-light performance, rather than a jump in raw resolution. This year’s iPhone 18 Pro is expected to feature a 48-megapixel main camera with a variable aperture, alongside a 48-megapixel telephoto camera featuring a longer focal length and a larger aperture.

Digital Chat Station’s latest post reflects a shift in position. In March, they said a 200-megapixel sensor could potentially ship in an iPhone as soon as next year, but the supply chain evidence no longer appears to support this claim.

Back in January, Morgan Stanley reported that Apple is working to bring a 200-megapixel camera to the iPhone as soon as 2028, so the two independent sources are now more closely aligned on the matter.

Samsung introduced a 200-megapixel rear camera on its Galaxy S23 Ultra in 2023, and the follow-up models also have one. With a 200-megapixel camera, an iPhone would be able to shoot photos with greater detail. The increased megapixel count would also result in higher-resolution photos, which can be cropped further and printed at larger sizes without a loss of image quality.

Digital Chat Station has a large following on Chinese social media platform Weibo, and the account has previously shared accurate information about Apple’s future products.Tag: Digital Chat StationThis article, "200MP Telephoto iPhone Lens Unlikely to Arrive Before 2028" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Cook said that he starts his day reading notes from Apple users all over the world, which fills him with an indescribable gratitude. According to Cook, Ternus is the perfect person to take over as Apple’s CEO.
To the Apple community:

For the past 15 years I’ve started just about every morning the same way. I open my email and I read notes I received the day before from Apple’s users all over the world.

You share little pieces of your lives with me and tell me things you want me to know about how Apple has touched you. About the moment your mom was saved by her Apple Watch. About the perfect selfie you captured at the summit of a mountain that seemed impossible to climb. You thank me for the ways Mac has changed what you can do at work and sometimes give me a hard time because something you care about isn’t working like it should.

In every one of those emails I feel the beating heart of our shared humanity. I feel a sense of deepening obligation to work harder and push further. But most of all, I feel a gratitude that I cannot put into words, that I somehow got to be the person on the other end of those emails, the leader of a company that ignites imaginations and enriches lives in such profound ways it defies description. What an honor and a privilege it has been.

Today we announced that I’m taking the next step in my journey at Apple. Over the coming months I will be transitioning into a new role, leaving the CEO job behind in September and becoming Apple’s executive chairman. A new person will be stepping into what I know in my heart is the best job in the world. That leader is John Ternus, a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the past 25 years building the Apple products our users love so much, obsessed with every detail, focused on every possible way we can make something better, bolder, more beautiful, and more meaningful. He is the perfect person for the job.

John cares so much about who we are at Apple, what we do at Apple, who we reach at Apple, and he has the heart and character to lead with extraordinary integrity. I am so proud to call him Apple’s next CEO. This company will reach such incredible heights under his leadership, and you will feel his impact in every bit of delight and discovery that grows out of the products and services to come. I can’t wait for you to get to know him like I do.

This is not goodbye. But at this moment of transition, I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you. Not on behalf of the company, this time, though there is a wellspring of gratitude for you that overflows inside our walls. But simply on behalf of me. Tim. A person who grew up in a rural place in a different time and, for these magical moments, got to be the CEO of the greatest company in the world. Thank you for the confidence and kindness you’ve shown me. Thank you for saying hi to me on the street and in our stores. Thank you for cheering alongside me when we unveiled a new product or service. Thank you, most of all, for believing in me to lead the company that has always put you at the center of our work. Every day we get up and think about what we can do to make your life a little bit better. And every day, you’ve made mine the best I could have asked for.
Cook will remain on as Apple CEO until September 1, 2026, which is when John Ternus will take over. After Ternus assumes the role of CEO, Cook will continue to advise Apple in his role as board chairman.Tags: John Ternus, Tim CookThis article, "Apple's Tim Cook Shares Community Letter After Announcing Plans to Step Down as CEO" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Srouji is going to lead Hardware Engineering, reporting to Ternus. Current Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Srouji has been pivotal in Apple’s transition to Apple silicon.
Johny is one of the most talented people I have ever had the privilege to work with. He has played a singular role in driving Apple’s silicon strategy, and his influence has been felt deeply not just inside the company, but across the industry. He has always led his organization with remarkable deftness and judgment, and time and again, his team has delivered breakthrough innovations that have transformed our products. We are incredibly fortunate to have him as Apple’s chief hardware officer.
Srouji is well-known as Apple’s chip lead, and he has overseen the development of Apple silicon chips for the Mac. Apple’s hardware engineering team is responsible for all of Apple’s hardware products, and Srouji will lead everything from product design to system engineering to reliability and durability testing.This article, "Johny Srouji Taking Over as Apple's Chief Hardware Officer as John Ternus Transitions to CEO" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Cook will continue on as Apple CEO through the summer, with Ternus set to join Apple’s Board of Directors and take over as CEO on September 1, 2026. Cook is going to transition to chairman of the board at Apple, and he will “assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world.”

In a statement, Cook said that his time as Apple’s CEO has been the “greatest privilege” of his life.
It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company. I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world. John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman.
Ternus said that he is optimistic about what Apple can achieve in the years to come.
I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward. Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor. It has been a privilege to help shape the products and experiences that have changed so much of how we interact with the world and with one another. I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come, and I am so happy to know that the most talented people on earth are here at Apple, determined to be part of something bigger than any one of us. I am humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century.
Apple says that the transition was approved by the Board of Directors and is the result of a “thoughtful, long-term succession planning process.” The current board chair, Arthur Levinson, will become the lead independent director on the board.Tag: Tim CookThis article, "Apple CEO Tim Cook Stepping Down, John Ternus Taking Over" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman recently followed up with a shot on iPhone video of an “Earthset,” or the moment that the Earth disappears behind the Moon. The video was captured from the docking hatch window on the Orion capsule, and it is the first Earthset shot on a mobile device.

Only one chance in this lifetime…Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset. You can hear the shutter on the Nikon as @Astro_Christina is hammering away on 3-shot brackets and capturing those… pic.twitter.com/8aWnaFJ69c

— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) April 19, 2026
It takes a second for the iPhone to focus as Wiseman switches to 8x zoom mode on his ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, but the rest of the 53-second video features a clear look at the craters on the Moon as the Earth slips out of sight.

Wiseman said that at 8x zoom, the view was “quite comparable to the view of the human eye.”Related Roundup: iPhone 17 ProTag: Shot on iPhoneBuyer’s Guide: iPhone 17 Pro (Neutral)Related Forum: iPhoneThis article, "NASA Astronaut Shares Incredible 'Earthset' Video Captured With iPhone 17 Pro Max" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The Savant is set to air in July 2026, according to Variety. The ‌Apple TV‌ show was supposed to come out on Friday, September 26, 2025, but Apple decided not to release it due to the topic and the political climate.

When the series was pulled, star Jessica Chastain said that she was “not aligned” with Apple’s decision.
I want to say how much I value my partnership with Apple. They’ve been incredible collaborators and I deeply respect their team. That said, I wanted to reach out and let you know that we’re not aligned on the decision to pause the release of The Savant.

In the last five years since we’ve been making the show, we’ve seen an unfortunate amount of violence in the United States: the kidnapping attempt on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer; the January 6th attack on the Capitol; the assassination attempts on President Trump; the political assassinations of Democratic representatives in Minnesota; the attack on Speaker Pelosi’s husband; the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk; the recent shooting at an ABC affiliate station in California; and over 300 school shootings across this country.

These incidents, though far from encompassing the full range of violence witnessed in the United States, illustrate a broader mindset that crosses the political spectrum and must be confronted. I’ve never shied away from difficult subjects, and while I wish this show wasn’t so relevant, unfortunately it is.

The Savant is about the heroes who work every day to stop violence before it happens, and honoring their courage feels more urgent than ever. While I respect Apple’s decision to pause the release for now, I remain hopeful the show will reach audiences soon. Until then, I’m wishing safety and strength for everyone, and I’ll let you know if and when The Savant is released.
Chastain told Variety this weekend that she originally wasn’t sure if the show would come out at all, but now she has received confirmation that it will be released. “We’re going to see it,” she said.

The Savant is a political thriller featuring Chastain as a woman who works undercover on the dark web to infiltrate online hate groups to prevent large-scale public attacks.

The July timing for The Savant has not yet been confirmed by Apple.Related Roundup: Apple TVTag: Apple TV ServiceBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Don’t Buy)Related Forum: Apple TV and Home TheaterThis article, "Apple TV Series 'The Savant' Set for July Premiere After Delay" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Apple says that users may be experiencing intermittent issues with the service. The outage started at 2:38 p.m. Eastern Time, and it is ongoing. We’ll update this article when the outage has been resolved.Tag: Apple MusicThis article, "Apple Music Is Down for Some Users" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

McCartney recently shared a behind-the-scenes tour video of his visit to ‌Apple Park‌, providing an inside look at the campus and a special meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Cook said that Apple could not think of anyone better to celebrate its 50th anniversary with.
It’s an incredibly special day for us, our 50th anniversary, and we could not be happier to have Paul here to share it with. We love the Beatles. We love the band itself. We love Paul. I can’t think of anyone better to celebrate the moment with.
The video is just about three minutes long, and it includes snippets of McCartney’s private performance.This article, "Paul McCartney Gives Inside Look at Apple Park 50th Anniversary Performance" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Developers can download the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5 update by opening up the System Settings app, selecting the General category, and then choosing Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required.

No new features were found in the first two ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5 betas, and it’s likely the update primarily focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements.Related Roundup: macOS TahoeRelated Forum: macOS TahoeThis article, "Third macOS Tahoe 26.5 Beta Now Available for Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update.

iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 do not include new Siri capabilities, suggesting any ‌Siri‌ updates are being held until iOS 27. The Maps app has a Suggested Places feature for recommending locations to visit nearby based on trends and recent searches, plus Apple is laying the groundwork for ads in the Apple Maps app.

Apple is continuing to test end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users. Apple included the feature in the iOS 26.4 beta, but removed it before the update launched to the public.

In the European Union, Apple is testing proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third-party wearables like earbuds and smartwatches. The functionality will allow third-party wearables to have many of the same features as the Apple Watch and AirPods.

More detail on what’s new in iOS 26.5 can be found in our iOS 26.5 beta features guide.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26This article, "Apple Seeds Third iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 Betas to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required.

There’s no word on what’s in the software as of yet. watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS often get few features in each new beta, with updates primarily focusing on bug fixes and performance improvements. Nothing new was found in the first two betas. Related Roundups: Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, watchOS 26Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Don’t Buy), Vision Pro (Buy Now)Related Forums: Apple TV and Home Theater, Apple Vision Pro, Apple WatchThis article, "Apple Releases Third watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5 and visionOS 26.5 Betas" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The widget lets you view scores for your favorite leagues and teams at a glance.

CarPlay gained support for widgets on iOS 26. To view them, swipe right on CarPlay’s interface until you reach the Dashboard screen, shown below.

In addition, Apple encourages people to get ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by following their favorite teams and exploring the groups of countries in the Apple Sports app before the tournament kicks off on Thursday, June 11.

Here are Apple’s release notes for version 3.10 of the app:• Get ready for World Cup 2026 — follow your favorite teams and explore the groups on Apple Sports before the tournament kicks off in June.

• Now F1 fans can see weather conditions for each Grand Prix. Check track temperature, wind speed, and more.

• Smaller widgets are now available for Apple Sports, so you can keep up with your favorite teams and leagues in more places, including CarPlay.Launched in 2024, the Apple Sports app is available on the iPhone in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and many countries in Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The app shows scores, stats, standings, and more for a variety of leagues and events, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, F1, Premier League, PGA TOUR, and more.Related Roundup: CarPlayTag: Apple SportsRelated Forum: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto TechnologyThis article, "Apple Sports App Receives Two New Features Across iPhone and CarPlay" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

In a new post on Weibo, the user known as “Fixed Focus Digital” said that the ‌iPhone 18‌ features “certain manufacturing downgrades” that bring it more into line with the low-cost iPhone 18e model. The decision is said to be “a cost-cutting measure.”

Apple has apparently chosen to implement new cost-control strategies for the device, including specific downgrades to manufacturing processes, chips, memory, and more. The move will “effectively bring it in line with the ’18e’ model.”

With the iPhone 17e and iPhone 17, the biggest differences are the Dynamic Island, display size, ProMotion, brightness, the front facing camera, the Ultra Wide camera, and battery life. It is not clear which key differentiators will remain between the two devices in their next iterations.

iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 17 Buyer’s Guide: 35+ Differences Compared

The leaker apparently “confirmed” and verified the information using multiple sources. They noted that the information originates from the same source who correctly confirmed that the ‌iPhone 17e‌ would continue to feature a “notch,” contrary to false reports that the device would have a ‌Dynamic Island‌.

The standard ‌iPhone 18‌ is expected to launch months after the iPhone 18 Pro models as part of an all-new split launch strategy. Apple’s usual fall iPhone announcement is expected to include the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and the so-called foldable “iPhone Ultra.” The iPhone 18e, ‌iPhone 18‌, and iPhone Air 2 will likely follow in the spring of 2027.

Related Roundup: iPhone 18Tag: Fixed Focus DigitalRelated Forum: iPhoneThis article, "Leaker: Apple Downgrading iPhone 18 to Cut Costs" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

iOS 26.4.2 should be a minor update that fixes bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, and it will likely be released either this week or next week.

iOS 26.4.2 will come after iOS 26.4.1 and before iOS 26.5.

iOS 26.4.1 was released earlier this month. The update fixes a few bugs, including one that affected iCloud data syncing in select apps.

iOS 26.5 is in beta. The update lays the groundwork for Apple Maps ads and end-to-end encryption for RCS messages in the Messages app, but it is a minor update overall as Apple starts to shift its attention towards iOS 27.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26This article, "iOS 26.4.2 Update for iPhones is Coming Soon" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

If this rumor is accurate, iOS 27 will drop support for the following iPhone models:iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (2nd generation)However, these devices will continue to receive iOS 26 security updates for at least a few years.

iOS 27 will be compatible with the following iPhone models, according to the leaker:iPhone 17e
iPhone 17
iPhone 17 Pro
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone Air
iPhone 16e
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone SE (3rd generation)Any new Apple Intelligence features introduced in iOS 27 will require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.

Apple will unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on Monday, June 8, and the first developer beta should be released later that day. A public beta typically follows in July, ahead of a final release to all users in September.

iOS 27 been likened to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is reportedly focused on bug fixes and stability improvements. A handful of new features are still expected, including a dedicated Siri app, a system-wide slider for finely adjusting the opacity of Liquid Glass, improved keyboard autocorrection, and more.

Instant Digital has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the yellow color for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s Titanium Milanese Loop. However, the account does not have a perfect track record.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tags: Instant Digital, WeiboThis article, "iOS 27 Rumored to Drop Support for These iPhone Models" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

In a series of new posts, the leaker known as “Instant Digital” said that Apple has made deliberate engineering compromises to ensure that the first foldable iPhone features a Camera Control button, despite it being at least 1.1mm thinner than the iPhone Air when unfolded.

According to the leaker, Apple’s rationale is largely ergonomic: With competing foldable phones, Apple believes that making adjustments and taking photos can be “cumbersome” owing to their large size. The Camera Control is said to be the company’s preferred solution, enabling users to maintain a steady grip on the device while making any required adjustments, or do so one-handed if they wish.

This ensures that even when the screen is fully unfolded, users can still perform these operations effortlessly using just one hand.

Although the reception for this button on standard flat-screen iPhones has been somewhat polarized, Apple believes that within the unique context of a foldable device’s ergonomics, its practical value will be significantly enhanced. Consequently, the Apple team made a firm decision to prioritize this feature—even at the cost of sacrificing precious internal component stacking space—to ensure the “Camera Control” button is included on their very first generation of foldable iPhones.

In addition, Apple’s U.S. imaging team apparently recently took a trip to Shenzhen, China, to test the cameras of foldable smartphones from rival brands such as Huawei, with particular attention to telephoto zoom capabilities. The first foldable iPhone is not expected to offer a telephoto camera, with only wide and ultra wide cameras on the rear like the iPhone 17. Most high-end rival foldable smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, feature three rear cameras, including a telephoto.

Instant Digital added that they have seen no signs in the supply chain of tooling or stocking for SIM card tray modules for the foldable iPhone, concluding the device will be eSIM-only across all regions, just like the ‌iPhone Air‌. The leaker also puts first-year production at a conservative 10 million units, with pricing expected to fall between 15,000 and 20,000 RMB (roughly $2,060–$2,750).

The leaker added that the mainland China variants of the iPhone 18 Pro models are set to adopt a “Single SIM + eSIM” configuration, dropping the dual-physical-SIM setup currently used in the region. The Hong Kong version is said to follow the same approach while retaining a physical SIM card slot.

The foldable iPhone is widely expected to launch alongside the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max in fall 2026. It is expected to feature a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, Touch ID, the A20 chip, the C2 modem, and more.Related Roundups: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone FoldTags: Camera Control, China, eSIM, Foldable iPhone, Instant DigitalThis article, "Apple Apparently Sees Camera Control as Key Foldable iPhone Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

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

Starting with the 14-inch models, you can get the 24GB/1TB M5 Pro MacBook Pro for $2,048.00, down from $2,199.00. This deal, along with all of the others we’re tracking in this article, represent best-ever prices on the brand new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro.

$151 OFF14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB) for $2,048.00
$150 OFF14-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/2TB) for $3,449.00

This time around, some of the best deals are on the larger 16-inch MacBook Pro. You can get $200 off every model right now on Amazon, with the 24GB RAM/1TB M5 Pro model hitting a new all-time low price of $2,499.00, down from $2,699.00.

$200 OFF16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB) for $2,499.00
$200 OFF16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (48GB/1TB) for $2,899.00
$200 OFF16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/2TB) for $3,699.00

If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "Apple's 2026 MacBook Pro Hits New Record Low Prices on Amazon at $200 Off" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the screen on the devices, which will result in merely a smaller Dynamic Island.

Below, we have recapped 10 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of April 20:Dark Cherry: The special color for the iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly be Dark Cherry, alongside Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver. The existing Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue colors are expected to be discontinued.
Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that Face ID’s flood illuminator will be moved under the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro models, paving the way for a smaller Dynamic Island on the devices.
LTPO+ Displays: The next Pro models are expected to have the same overall design as the iPhone 17 Pro models, including 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes and a “plateau” housing three rear cameras. However, the displays will reportedly use so-called LTPO+ display technology, which should contribute to longer battery life.
Variable Aperture: The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models is rumored to have a variable aperture, which would allow users to control the amount of light that passes through the camera’s lens and reaches the sensor. This would provide greater control over depth of field. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to smartphone size constraints, it is unclear exactly how meaningful this improvement would be.
A20 Pro Chip: Apple’s next-generation A20 Pro chip is expected to use TSMC’s first-generation 2nm process, whereas the A19 Pro chip is 3nm. With a 2nm architecture and a new packaging design, the A20 Pro chip should deliver solid year-over-year performance and power efficiency gains.
C2 Modem: Apple’s custom C1 cellular modem for 5G and LTE debuted in the iPhone 16e last year, and that was followed by a C1X chip in the iPhone Air. Apple says the C1X modem is up to twice as fast as the C1 modem, and the most power-efficient modem in an iPhone ever. The improvements should continue with Apple’s third-generation C2 modem in the iPhone 18 Pro models.
5G via Satellite: With the C2 modem, the iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly support 5G via satellite for web browsing without Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.
N2 Chip: Most of the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air are equipped with an Apple-designed N1 chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Apple says the N1 chip also improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to have Apple’s next-generation N2 chip, but it is not yet known what improvements would come with this upgrade.
Simplified Camera Control: Apple is expected to simplify the Camera Control button on the iPhone 18 Pro models, by removing touch sensitivity and haptic feedback. The redesigned button will only have pressure sensitivity.
Redesigned Rear Ceramic Shield: The rear Ceramic Shield area for MagSafe is rumored to feature a more frosted and seamless appearance on the iPhone 18 Pro models compared to the current two-tone design.Apple is expected to release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a foldable iPhone in September, followed by a standard iPhone 18 model, a lower-end iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air early next year.Related Roundup: iPhone 18 ProThis article, "iPhone 18 Pro Launching in September With These 10 New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

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

Woot provides an estimated delivery date between April 29 and May 1 for the AirTag 4-Pack, and the sale is set to last for four more days. Deals on the first generation AirTag models have been rare since the launch of the AirTag 2, so this is a great time to snag an older model if you’ve been waiting for a sale.

$42 OFFAirTag 4-Pack (1st Gen) for $56.99

If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "Get the First Gen AirTag 4-Pack for Lowest-Ever Price of $56.99" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Tata is an Indian multinational commercial vehicle manufacturer, headquartered in Mumbai. The company produces trucks, vans, and buses, and is now on an internal Apple list of vehicles that offer car key integration, but it is not known which EV models the support pertains to.

Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or ‌iPhone‌ near a compatible vehicle’s NFC reader.

A tap on the door handle is enough to initiate an unlock, and while Face ID authentication is a security option, Apple offers an Express Mode that eliminates the need to authenticate for a faster unlocking process.

At WWDC 2025, Apple confirmed that 13 vehicle brands would “soon” add support for digital car keys, and Tata was on the list. Vehicles from BMW, Genesis, Kia, Hyundai, Lotus, Mercedes, Volvo, and more offer car keys support, with a list available on MacRumors.com.Tags: iPhone Car Keys, IndiaThis article, "Apple Set to Add Car Key Support for India's Tata Vehicles" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) ⁠published a report in 2024 that Apple exploited its dominant position in the apps market by forcing developers to use its proprietary in-app purchase system. The report was the result of a case that began in 2021​ after a non-profit group opposed Apple’s practices.

Apple in 2024 denied any wrongdoing by arguing that it is a minor presence in India. However, nowadays iPhones have an 9% market share in the country compared to just 4% two years ago, according to data from Counterpoint Research, potentially weakening its case.

According to Reuters, the CCI this month said that Apple has not submitted details of its financials ​and its views on the investigation since October 2024. Instead, Apple has cited a separate case pending in the ​Delhi High Court where the company has challenged India’s entire antitrust penalty law.

The CCI typically requires financial ⁠information from companies to calculate penalties when they are found to have contravened the law, but Apple has said it fears it could be fined up to $38 billion. Apple last year said that using global turnover would result in a fine that’s “manifestly arbitrary, unconstitutional, grossly disproportionate, and unjust.”

Apple in March requested that the CCI put its proceedings “in abeyance” while the High Court case plays out, but the CCI has rejected that demand and suggested Apple is trying to stall the antitrust case, which is just one of many that the company is facing around the globe.

The CCI has given Apple two more weeks to file its responses and has for the first time fixed a final hearing date of May 21.Tags: Apple Antitrust, IndiaThis article, "Apple Withholds Data as India Antitrust Case Advances to Final Hearing" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Last week, a Macworld report claimed Apple is working on four color options for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max: Light blue, dark cherry, dark gray, and silver.

The four anodized aluminum camera lens protector plates shown here are labeled as black, silver, wine red, and blue. Note that the accessories in the picture are not actual phone bodies but third-party camera covers designed to complement the rumored finishes, and we believe the “black” description refers to dark gray. According to Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital, Apple won’t be offering its next-generation premium models in a black color option this year.

All four colors are said to be still in development, and Apple still has time to make changes.

The iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to be unveiled this September alongside Apple’s first foldable iPhone, which will have its own set of color finishes that are likely to be more muted, with silver, white, and indigo rumored so far.Related Roundup: iPhone 18 ProTag: Ice UniverseThis article, "iPhone 18 Pro May Come in These Four Colors" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has repeatedly stated that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a touch screen are slated to launch in late 2026 to early 2027. In his Power On newsletter today, though, he said to be prepared for the laptops to potentially arrive towards the end of that timeframe due to the chip shortage.

In other words, early 2027 is now more likely than late 2026.

Gurman previously expected a new Mac Studio to launch around the middle of 2026, which pointed towards an announcement around WWDC 2026 in June. However, in his newsletter today, he wrote that sources within Apple believe that the next Mac Studio models will not ship until around October this year as a result of the shortage.

Touch-screen support will be part of a major refresh planned for the high-end MacBook Pro models, with other rumored features including M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, an OLED display, a Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. The laptops might have MacBook Ultra branding, and macOS 27 will offer a touch-friendly interface.

For the Mac Studio, the key change will be M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. The current model has mismatched M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, as Apple never introduced an M4 Ultra chip. No major design changes are expected for the desktop computer.

All in all, expect a Mac Studio refresh around October this year, followed by MacBook Pro models with a touch screen by the end of January 2027.Related Roundups: Mac Studio, MacBook ProTags: Bloomberg, Mark GurmanBuyer’s Guide: Mac Studio (Caution), MacBook Pro (Buy Now)Related Forums: Mac Studio, MacBook ProThis article, "MacBook Pro With Touch Screen and New Mac Studio Likely 'Postponed'" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

These two options will make it easier to reverse or redo your Home Screen changes.

“Right now, when you long-press on the home screen, you get a bubble in the top left corner with four options: Add Widget, Customize, Edit Wallpaper and Edit Pages,” he explained, in his latest Power On newsletter. “Apple is looking at adding ‘undo’ and ‘redo’ buttons in that same menu to make reversing or redoing changes easier.”

Other rumored iOS 27 features include a dedicated Siri app and Apple Intelligence advancements. The update has been likened to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is apparently very focused on bug fixes and stability improvements.

iOS 27 beta testing will begin in June, and the update will be released in September.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tags: Bloomberg, Mark GurmanThis article, "Apple Testing Two Small Yet Useful iOS 27 Options" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said iOS 27 will include a new Siri interface in the Dynamic Island. When you trigger Siri, he said the Dynamic Island will show a “Search or Ask” prompt, and this will apparently be accompanied by a “glowing cursor” that looks similar to how the “26” is highlighted in the WWDC 2026 graphic.

There will also be a “thin glow” around the edges of the Dynamic Island when Siri is invoked, and in the search bar of a dedicated Siri app that will be preinstalled on iOS 27, according to Gurman. He previously reported that the Siri app will allow you to have back-and-forth conversations with Siri and view your conversation history.

While the Dynamic Island is available on the iPhone 14 Pro and newer, at least some aspects of the upcoming Siri design will likely be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer due to Apple Intelligence compatibility reasons.

Apple announced that WWDC 2026 will run from Monday, June 8 through Friday, June 12. At the annual developers conference, Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, visionOS 27, and more.Related Roundups: iOS 27, WWDC 2026Tags: Bloomberg, Mark Gurman, SiriRelated Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech IndustryThis article, "WWDC 2026 Graphic Teases Major iOS 27 Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

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.

This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that’s meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts.

$49 OFFAirPods Pro 3 for $199.99

You can also get the AirPods 4 for $99.00, down from $129.00. This is a second-best price on the AirPods 4, which is the base model without Active Noise Cancellation. Amazon provides an April 23 estimated delivery date for free shipping, with faster delivery options for Prime members.

$30 OFFAirPods 4 for $99.00

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we’ve been tracking over the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "AirPods Weekend Deals Include AirPods Pro 3 for $199.99 and AirPods 4 for $99" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The upcoming macOS 27 release will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs only, meaning that you will need a Mac with an M-series chip or a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip in order to install the software update. macOS 27 should be available in beta starting in June, and the update will likely be widely released in September.

macOS Tahoe is compatible with the following Macs:MacBook Neo (2026)
MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
iMac (2020 and later)
Mac mini (2020 and later)
Mac Studio (2022 and later)
Mac Pro (2019 and later)Intel-based Macs that can run macOS Tahoe but will not be compatible with macOS 27 include the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019), the 27-inch iMac (2020), the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports), and the Mac Pro (2019).

macOS 27’s exact compatibility with Apple silicon Macs remains to be seen, but presumably the update will support all Macs with an M1 chip or newer.Related Roundup: macOS 27This article, "macOS 27 Will Mark the End of an Era" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Here is everything that Apple has released in 2026 so far:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More
Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch Band
Apple Announces iPhone 17e With A19 Chip, MagSafe, and More
Apple Unveils iPad Air With M4 Chip, Increased RAM, Wi-Fi 7, and More
Apple Announces MacBook Air With M5 Chip and 512GB Base Storage
Apple Unveils MacBook Pro Featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips
Apple Updates Studio Display With Thunderbolt 5 and More
Apple Introduces All-New Studio Display XDR: 120Hz, Mini-LED, and More
Apple Announces $599 ‘MacBook Neo’ With A18 Pro Chip
Apple Announces AirPods Max 2 With H2 Chip and More
Apple’s Special-Edition Nike Powerbeats Pro 2 Now Available
Apple Releases iPhone Cases, Apple Watch Bands, and Crossbody Strap in New ColorsThe new AirTag is equipped with a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, enabling the Precision Finding feature to work up to 50% farther away from an item compared to the previous-generation model, according to Apple. The new AirTag also has an upgraded Bluetooth chip for improved overall range outside of Precision Finding mode.

With an updated internal design, the new AirTag features a 50% louder speaker compared to the previous-generation model, according to Apple.

Apple said the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch features the colors of the Pan-African flag in honor of Black History Month.

iPhone 17e features the same overall design as the iPhone 16e, but it gains Apple’s A19 chip, MagSafe for magnetic wireless charging and magnetic accessories, Apple’s second-generation C1X modem for faster 5G, and a doubled 256GB of base storage. In the U.S., the iPhone 17e starts at $599, just like the iPhone 16e did.

The new iPad Air’s key upgrades include Apple’s M4 chip, an increased 12GB of RAM, Apple’s N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, and the C1X modem in cellular models.

The MacBook Air received a faster M5 chip, and a doubled 512GB of base storage, but the starting price increased from $999 to $1,099 as a result of a 256GB configuration being dropped. With the N1 chip, the MacBook Air now has Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and it now comes with Apple’s 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max.

The higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models finally received M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, plus up to twice as fast SSD speeds and a doubled 1TB of base storage. Battery life has increased slightly across all of the models, and the N1 chip extends to the MacBook Pro line now for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support.

The regular Studio Display gained Thunderbolt 5 support and improved speakers, and the camera now supports Desk View. There is also an all-new, higher-end Studio Display XDR that gained all of those benefits, plus bigger improvements such as a 120Hz refresh rate, mini-LED backlighting, increased brightness, and more.

The colorful MacBook Neo starts at just $599 in the United States, and at an even lower $499 for college students. Available in Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver, the MacBook Neo is powered by the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone, and it is equipped with a 13-inch display, up to 512GB of storage, and a non-configurable 8GB of RAM.

AirPods Max 2 have a handful of upgrades over the previous AirPods Max, including Apple’s H2 chip, increased active noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and features such as Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Live Translation. Plus, the Digital Crown has a new Camera Remote function.

The special-edition Nike Powerbeats Pro 2 are the same as the regular Powerbeats Pro 2, except they have a two-tone design consisting of black and Nike’s signature Volt neon green-yellow color. The earbuds have both Nike and Beats logos.

What’s Next?
Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple’s all-new smart home hub is finally expected to launch later this year, once the more personalized version of Siri arrives. We are also expecting a foldable iPhone, a MacBook Pro with an OLED display, and long-awaited updates to the Apple TV, HomePod, and HomePod mini this year.

Related Reading: Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This YearThis article, "Apple Has Released These 12 New Products This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

This week also saw continued tightening of supplies of the Mac mini and Mac Studio, while Amazon announced it will be acquiring Apple’s satellite partner that supports a variety of Apple services for users off the terrestrial grid, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Top Stories
‘iPhone Ultra’ Will Solve Two Key Problems
Apple reportedly plans to unveil a foldable iPhone in September, with one leaker on Chinese social media claiming the device will be called the “iPhone Ultra.”

Now, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the device will have improved screen quality and overall durability compared to competing foldables. “Apple engineers believe they’ve solved problems with screen quality and overall durability, two long-running flaws with phones in this category,” he said.

Rumors on launch timing have been all over the place, with some claiming the foldable iPhone will be available in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models while others suggest there could be a delay in availability that might extend even into early 2027. The latest rumor suggests, however, that while production is behind schedule, Apple is still aiming for a fall 2026 launch.

For more on the iPhone Ultra, check out last week’s episode of The MacRumors Show.

Apple Stops Accepting Orders for Some Mac Mini and Mac Studio Models
Amid severe global RAM chip shortages and rumors of updated models, some Mac mini and Mac Studio configurations are now completely out of stock on Apple’s online store in the U.S.

Mac mini configurations with an upgraded 32GB or 64GB of RAM and Mac Studio configurations with an upgraded 128GB or 256GB of RAM are listed as “currently unavailable” on the storefront, meaning they can no longer be ordered at all.

Other configurations that remain available continue to face lengthy shipping delays, with estimated delivery time frames ranging from one to three months. Last month, Apple entirely removed the Mac Studio’s 512GB of RAM option, but supplies are clearly now tightening even further.

Apple Testing Four Smart Glasses Styles Made of High-End Materials
Apple is developing at least four different styles of smart glasses, and the company is betting that their superior design will set them apart from rival products, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple’s latest designs are made from a high-end acetate material, which is “more durable and luxurious” than the standard plastic used by most existing brands. In Gurman’s words, the designs in testing include:
A large rectangular frame, reminiscent of Ray-Ban Wayfarers
A slimmer rectangular design, similar to the glasses worn by Apple CEO Tim Cook
Larger oval or circular frames
A smaller, more refined oval or circular option

Apple and Amazon Ink Satellite Deal Amid Amazon’s Takeover of Globalstar
Amazon has announced that it will acquire Globalstar, which currently serves as Apple’s exclusive satellite connectivity partner, but it appears Apple satellite services will be preserved and will perhaps expand under the deal.

Alongside the acquisition, Amazon and Apple have signed a separate agreement for Amazon’s Leo satellite network to power existing iPhone and Apple Watch satellite features, including Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite.

Amazon said it will continue supporting iPhone and Apple Watch models that use Globalstar’s existing and upcoming low Earth orbit constellation. Amazon also said it will work with Apple on future satellite services running on the expanded Leo network.

Check Who’s Using Your iPhone Hotspot Data
If you regularly share your iPhone’s data connection with your laptop or iPad, or let family members piggyback on your device’s data, you’ll be glad to learn that Apple recently made it a lot easier to keep tabs on who’s burning through your monthly allowance.

In a welcome change with the release of iOS 26.4, Apple has moved Personal Hotspot data usage info out of its previous hiding spot and put it in a much more convenient location right in the Personal Hotspot menu.

Apple Highlights Photos Shot on iPhone During NASA’s Mission to Moon
Astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft used the iPhone 17 Pro Max to take selfies of themselves with the Earth in the background during the Artemis II mission around the far side of the Moon earlier this month.

Now that the crew members have safely returned to Earth, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and marketing chief Greg Joswiak have both turned to social media to congratulate them on their successful mission and highlight the iPhone’s involvement.

“You captured the wonders of space and our planet beautifully, taking iPhone photography to new heights, and we’re grateful you shared it with the world,” wrote Cook. “Your work continues to inspire us all to think different. Welcome home!”

MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we’ve covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!Tag: Top StoriesThis article, "Top Stories: 'iPhone Ultra' Rumors, Mac Mini and Mac Studio Shortages, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.

CarPlay Ultra features deeper integration with a vehicle’s instrument cluster and systems, built-in apps for radio and climate controls, rear-view camera feed support, and more. The connected iPhone provides app-related data, while the vehicle provides information like the current speed, fuel level, tire pressure, engine temperature, and more.

The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker’s identity, and drivers can choose from various preset design options.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said he was told that CarPlay Ultra would come to at least one major new Hyundai or Kia vehicle model “in the second half of this year,” so hopefully an expansion is just a few months away.Related Roundup: CarPlayTag: CarPlay UltraRelated Forum: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto TechnologyThis article, "Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Design
We’re not expecting Apple to redesign the ‌Mac Studio‌, and there haven’t been rumors of a design update. The ‌Mac Studio‌ will continue to have an Apple TV or Mac mini-like squircle design with rounded corners.

The ‌Mac Studio‌ is a much more compact desktop than the now-discontinued Mac Pro, measuring in at 3.7 inches tall and 7.7 inches wide. The current ‌Mac Studio‌ supports Thunderbolt 5, and the next version will too. There haven’t been rumors of any changes to the port configuration.

M5 Max and M5 Ultra Chips
We’re expecting the ‌Mac Studio‌ to adopt M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. Apple already debuted the M5 Max with the MacBook Pro models that came out in March, but the M5 Ultra is still a mystery.

The M5 Max has up to an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, with up to 614GB/s memory bandwidth. Apple says the M5 Max offers up to 30 percent faster CPU performance for pro workloads than the M4 Max. The M5 Ultra will bring even better performance, and historically, Apple’s Ultra chips have been two Max chips linked together.

The M5 Ultra could have up to a 36-core CPU and up to an 80-core GPU.

The current ‌Mac Studio‌ has a mix of M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips because Apple didn’t design an M4 Ultra chip, but the M5 cycle is expected to unify the ‌Mac Studio‌ chip options to a single generation.

Faster SSD
The M5 ‌MacBook Pro‌ models were updated with a faster SSD, so the ‌Mac Studio‌ could get the same SSD improvements. Apple says the updated SSD in the M5 ‌MacBook Pro‌ models is up to 2x faster than the SSD in the M4 MacBook Pro models.

RAM
Because of global RAM shortages, Apple discontinued the 512GB Mac Studio earlier this year. The current machine maxes out at 256GB RAM, and that’s a limitation we could see with the next ‌Mac Studio‌ too.

The M5 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ supports up to 128GB RAM, so that will be the ceiling for the M5 Max ‌Mac Studio‌. The M5 Ultra model could support up to 256GB.

RAM shortages are expected to continue throughout the year, because companies that manufacture memory are prioritizing orders from companies building AI servers that require huge amounts of RAM. There is little supply left for consumer products, which has caused prices to increase. Many PC and smartphone makers have raised their prices on existing machines, but Apple hasn’t changed ‌Mac Studio‌ pricing.

Mac Studio Shortages
Apple stopped accepting orders for some ‌Mac Studio‌ configurations in early April, and they are out of stock. ‌Mac Studio‌ configurations with 128GB or 256GB of RAM can no longer be ordered, but that’s not necessarily a sign that a new machine is launching imminently.

Apple has been dealing with soaring DRAM and NAND flash prices, and the fact that only models with higher RAM are unavailable suggests it’s a supply issue and not an indication of a refresh.

Pricing
There haven’t been rumors of pricing increases for the ‌Mac Studio‌, so it could continue to start at $1,999, but Apple has raised the prices of other Macs this year.

Starting prices for the M5 MacBook Air and the M5 Pro and M5 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models increased, though Apple did soften the blow with higher starting storage. It’s possible the ‌Mac Studio‌ price will go up, and the entry-level machine will start with a 1TB SSD instead of a 512GB SSD.

No More Mac Pro
Apple discontinued the Mac Pro in late March, so the ‌Mac Studio‌ is now Apple’s only pro desktop option. There was a lot of overlap between the Mac Pro and the ‌Mac Studio‌, with the Mac Pro only offering PCIe expansion slots as a differentiating feature.

The ‌Mac Studio‌, Mac mini, and iMac are Apple’s desktop Mac options.

Release Timing
It’s not clear when we might see a refreshed ‌Mac Studio‌ because of the shortages that Apple is facing. It’s possible Apple is holding RAM supply for new models and that’s why some current versions are out of stock, but it’s also possible things are so dire that Apple will need to hold the ‌Mac Studio‌ launch.

The next logical time for a new ‌Mac Studio‌ to be introduced is WWDC. Apple has introduced new Macs at WWDC in the past, but there isn’t always new hardware. The WWDC keynote is being held on June 8, and if a new ‌Mac Studio‌ is coming around the first half of 2026, that’s likely when it will be announced.

If an updated ‌Mac Studio‌ doesn’t come at WWDC, we’re looking at a refresh later in the year. Macs aren’t often updated in September, so October or November are stronger possibilities.Related Roundup: Mac StudioBuyer’s Guide: Mac Studio (Caution)Related Forum: Mac StudioThis article, "5+ Things to Know About the Next Mac Studio" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The Unique Identification Authority of India asked the IT ministry to start talks with Apple and other tech companies about the possibility of mandatory preinstallation of the Aadhaar identity app, but the IT ministry told Reuters today that it reviewed the proposal and is “not in favor” of mandating the app’s preinstallation.

Aadhaar is a 12-digit identity number that residents of India can apply for, and it has been issued to more than 1.34 billion residents. The number is linked to an individual’s image, fingerprints, and iris scans, and it serves as proof of residence. It is used for government benefits, banking, taxes, mobile connections, and more.

The Identification Authority said that the IT ministry consulted with “stakeholders from the electronics industry” before deciding not to proceed with the proposal to preload Aadhaar. India’s government has asked smartphone makers to preinstall state-owned apps on devices six times over the last two years, according to Reuters. Smartphone makers like Apple have thwarted all requests.

Late last year, India’s Department of Communications gave smartphone companies 90 days to start preinstalling the Sanchar Saathi government app on all new devices sold in the country. Sanchar Saathi is a government app that lets users block stolen devices, report fraudulent calls, and verify second-hand phones. Apple told government officials that it would not comply with the requirement because of privacy and security concerns, and the government dropped the issue.

Apple told India the same thing about the Aadhaar app, informing the IT ministry that it had safety and security concerns about preloading apps.Tag: IndiaThis article, "India Won't Require Apple to Preinstall Government ID App on iPhones" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Opus 4.7 is Anthropic’s most capable vision model, and it can see images in greater resolution. Anthropic says that it is “more tasteful and creative” when doing professional tasks. It is able to create higher-quality interfaces, slides, and docs, making it ideal for Claude Design. Claude Design was developed to allow founders, product managers, and marketers without a design background to create visuals for sharing an idea.

Claude Design is able to mock up an initial design after being provided with a prompt, and from there, designers can make revisions through conversation, comments, direct edits, and custom sliders made by Claude. Anthropic says that teams have been using Claude Design for realistic prototypes, wireframes and mockups, design explorations, pitch decks, presentations, social media assets, and more.

Working with Claude Design starts with brand assets, which Claude can get from the user’s design files and codebase. Projects will use brand colors, typography, and other components, plus users can use a web capture tool to pull elements directly from their brand’s website. Claude Design is not an image generator like Gemini’s Nano Banana or ChatGPT, but it is similar to AI assistants that Adobe and Canva have rolled out.

There are included collaboration tools so multiple members of an organization can access and edit a design, and content created by Claude can be exported anywhere with support for Canva, PDF, PPTX, and standalone HTML files. Designs that are ready to build can be handed off to Claude Code, and Anthropic plans to make it easier to build integrations with Claude Design in the coming weeks.

Claude Design is available as a research preview for Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise subscribers. It is rolling out to users gradually throughout the day.Tag: AnthropicThis article, "Anthropic Debuts Claude Design for Creating Prototypes, Pitch Decks, and Mockups" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The transaction, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close in 2027. At that point, Apple’s features will be powered by Amazon Leo satellites.

Apple’s current satellite features:Emergency SOS via satellite
Find My via satellite
Roadside Assistance via satellite
Messages via satellite All of the features are currently free to use in supported areas without Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity. Availability varies by country.

There were already five more iPhone satellite features or enhancements rumored to be in the works, even before Amazon announced this deal with Apple. At least some of the improvements may be part of iOS 27, which is expected to be available in beta starting in June and widely released in September this year.

Those enhancements are as follows:5G via satellite (may be exclusive to iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max)
Apple Maps via satellite
Photos support for Messages via satellite
Third-party apps in the App Store will be able to integrate Apple’s satellite features
The ability to connect an iPhone to a satellite without pointing the device toward the skyAmazon’s announcement mentioned future features, too, so Apple’s suite of satellite functions should expand even more over the coming years.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tag: iPhone Satellite FeaturesThis article, "iPhones to Get These New Satellite Features" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
The headline upgrade for the ‌iPad mini‌ 8 is a switch from LCD to OLED display technology. The device is expected to use a single-stack LTPS panel, which is dimmer than the tandem OLED in the iPad Pro, but a substantial step up from the current display. The screen will also likely grow from 8.3 to 8.7 inches, and ProMotion is a possibility.

On the chip, sources disagree. Code Apple accidentally published in August pointed to the A19 Pro, but other evidence suggests the device will use the unreleased A20 Pro chip instead. The N1 and C1X chips are also highly likely to be present.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is also working on a more water-resistant design, which would make new the ‌iPad mini‌ the first to carry an official IP rating. Apple is said to have developed a vibration-based speaker system that eliminates traditional speaker holes, removing a primary path for water ingress.

The scale of the upgrades strongly suggests a redesigned, thinner chassis to accommodate them. Gurman says the upgrades could push the price up by as much as $100 to around $599. The leaker known as “Instant Digital” has said the device will launch in the second half of 2026 at the earliest.

Apple is also expected to update the ‌iPad Air‌ in early 2027, with the headline change similarly being a switch to OLED. Like the ‌iPad mini‌ 8, the next-generation ‌iPad Air‌ is expected to use a single-stack LTPS panel supplied by Samsung, keeiping costs down relative to the tandem OLED in the ‌iPad Pro‌. Arriving over six years after the device’s last redesign, it is also likely to feature a new design similar to the ‌iPad mini‌, along with the M5 chip.

The next ‌iPad Pro‌ is expected in spring 2027, with an M6 chip and a vapor chamber cooling system similar to the one Apple introduced in the iPhone 17 Pro, but no design changes are rumored. With the ‌iPad Air‌ set to close the gap significantly by adopting OLED and a thinner design, the Pro’s key differentiators will narrow considerably. A more transformative reason to choose the Pro may not arrive until Apple launches its long-rumored foldable iPad, which Gurman says will feature an 18-inch display. The device has faced development hurdles around weight and display technology and is now expected no earlier than 2029, with a price potentially reaching $3,900, up to three times the cost of the current 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌.

The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you’re subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel!

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or other podcast apps. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your player.

If you haven’t already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about all of the rumors surrounding Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone, now said to be called the “iPhone Ultra,” which is shaping up to be a comprehensive redesign unlike anything the company has shipped before.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also email us at podcast@macrumors.com or head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.Tag: The MacRumors ShowThis article, "The MacRumors Show: What's Next for the iPad" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Below, we outline some of the new features that are rumored to be coming with iOS 27, beyond the long-awaited more personalized version of Siri.

iOS 27 will reportedly support 5G satellite internet connectivity, although this functionality might be limited to the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models with Apple’s next-generation C2 modem. Additional satellite features have been rumored, including Apple Maps via satellite and the ability to send and receive photos when using Messages via satellite.

iOS 27 may be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is apparently focused on improving “quality and underlying performance.” Apple is expected to focus on bug fixes, improved stability, and Liquid Glass design enhancements.

Apple has reportedly tested an updated iPhone keyboard with enhanced autocorrect. The features should debut on iOS 27 if Apple moves forward with it. Similar to Grammarly, the keyboard “expands autocorrect by offering alternative words.”

iOS 27 is not expected to include any major Liquid Glass design changes, but the update may add a system-wide Liquid Glass slider for precisely adjusting the opacity of the interface. A similar slider already exists for the Lock Screen’s clock.

The update may include four new Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone 15 Pro and newer, based on code on Apple’s servers discovered by Nicolás Alvarez:Visual Intelligence will let you scan nutrition labels on food packaging, for tracking calories and macronutrients in the Health app.
Visual Intelligence will let you scan phone numbers and addresses printed on paper or a business card and add them to the Contacts app.
In the Wallet app, you will likely be able to scan physical event tickets, gym membership cards, and so forth and generate digital versions.
In the Safari app, you will be able to automatically name Tab Groups for users based on the contents of the tabs within the group.Of course, these are only the features that are known or rumored so far. More details about iOS 27 will likely leak over the coming months.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tags: Apple Intelligence, SiriThis article, "Apple to Unveil iOS 27 in June With These New Features Beyond Siri" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The truck’s ad features the slogan “It’s our HONOR” alongside the phrase “orange to orange,” which appears to be a play on the English idiom “apples to apples” – referring to a like-for-like comparison. The slogan is paired with an image of the Honor phone, in a finish that bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 17 Pro’s Cosmic Orange.

It’s a brazen stunt for a brand that spun off from Huawei in 2020 before being sold off to another entity to bypass U.S. sanctions. Using Apple’s retail store as a backdrop to pitch your rival device with a similar color is one thing, but when the design is arguably a shameless copy, you’re definitely out of ideas.

Apple is unlikely to make a big stink about such guerrilla marketing, as it would only amplify it. And as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.Tag: Apple StoreThis article, "Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor's Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Counterpoint’s Market Monitor Tracker attributed the decline primarily to a high base effect from last year’s government subsidy program and rising component costs. Counterpoint noted that February’s Lunar New Year promotions provided a slight boost, but said the “magnitude of these discounts was hampered by a sharp increase in memory costs.” Rising costs are already driving up retail prices on both new and used devices, and the pressure is expected to continue through the second quarter.

Apple rose to second place in the market with shipments up 20% year over year, driven by strong iPhone 17 series demand, promotional price cuts, and government subsidies. Counterpoint says Apple is best positioned among manufacturers to navigate the ongoing global memory crunch, supported by its premium product portfolio and supply chain management. The firm expects Apple to absorb rising costs internally in the near-to-medium term and expand its market share as a result. The first quarter result extends a strong run for Apple in China; the company reclaimed the top spot in the country in the fourth quarter of 2025 with shipments up 28% year over year, and recorded a 23% sales increase in the first nine weeks of 2026.

Huawei led with a 20% market share, its highest since the fourth quarter of 2020, with shipments up 2% year over year, aided by domestic supplier relationships that cushion the impact of rising memory costs. OPPO ranked third following the reintegration of realme, with OnePlus rising 53% year over year on the Ace 6 and Turbo 6 series, though OPPO’s decision to raise prices on older models in March has weighed on demand. vivo grew 2% year over year on mid-to-low-end strength, while Xiaomi was the sharpest decliner, falling 35% year over year as its core models underperformed the previous generation.

Counterpoint warned that manufacturers broadly face a “double hit” of shrinking shipments and thinning margins, and forecast that China smartphone shipments will decline 9% for the full year. Apple, by contrast, is expected to use the cost pressure to its advantage, absorbing memory price increases internally while rivals are forced to raise prices and cede ground.Tags: China, CounterpointThis article, "Apple Leads Top Brands for China Smartphone Growth as Market Declines" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The current iPad mini and MacBook Pro models have LCD displays with either LED or mini-LED backlighting. The move to OLED technology would result in improved image quality, thanks to richer colors and higher contrast ratio with true blacks.

Samsung will supply the OLED displays for both devices, the report said.

All of the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad Pro models that Apple sells today are already equipped with OLED displays, excluding refurbished models.

Other new features rumored for the next iPad mini include an A19 Pro or an A20 Pro chip, a vibration-based speaker system, and a water-resistant design. Apple will likely announce the device in September or October this year.

For the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, other new features rumored include M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. Apple reportedly plans to release the laptops towards the end of 2026, although there is a chance that the launch will not happen until early 2027.

The report said the iPad Air will also receive an OLED display next year.Related Roundups: iPad mini, MacBook ProTags: ETNews, OLEDBuyer’s Guide: iPad Mini (Caution), MacBook Pro (Buy Now)Related Forums: iPad, MacBook ProThis article, "Apple to Upgrade These Two Devices With OLED Displays Later This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

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.

M5 MacBook Air

What’s the deal? Take $150 off M5 MacBook Air
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$150 OFF13-inch M5 MacBook Air (16GB/1TB) for $1,149.00
$150 OFF15-inch M5 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,149.00

Amazon has a few record low prices on the new M5 MacBook Air this week, with $150 off select models of the brand new notebook. Stock has begun dwindling on these notebooks and we’re no longer tracking an all-time low price on the 512GB 13-inch M5 MacBook Air, but most other configurations have availability.

AirPods Pro 3

What’s the deal? Take $49 off AirPods Pro 3
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$49 OFFAirPods Pro 3 for $199.99

Amazon this week brought back an all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, available for $199.99, down from $249.00.

AirPods Max 2

What’s the deal? Take $19 off AirPods Max 2
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$19 OFFAirPods Max 2 for $529.99

Apple’s new AirPods Max 2 launched earlier this month, and Amazon is one of the only retailers offering a discount on the headphones. You can get the Midnight and Starlight color options for $529.99 on Amazon, down from $549.00.

Apple Watch Series 11

What’s the deal? Take $100 off Apple Watch Series 11
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (42mm GPS) for $299.00
$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (46mm GPS) for $329.00

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes nearly every aluminum model of the Series 11 on sale at a record low price.

If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: M5 MacBook Air $150 Off Deals, Plus Sales on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Ng publicly announced his departure on LinkedIn on Thursday, sharing an image of the sunrise at Apple Park. “After 31 years at Apple, today was my last day,” he wrote. “It was a joy to work at Apple and I truly loved what I did.” Apple’s latest stock vesting date took place on Wednesday, and many employees who retire or leave tend to do so around that time.

Ng joined Apple in 1995 as a senior systems engineer, before Steve Jobs had returned to the company. He later moved into product roles for the Mac before becoming one of the key marketing executives behind the original iPod. He also appeared in product launch videos, including the iPod touch reveal in 2007, and went on to oversee marketing for the iPhone and Apple Watch before Home initiatives were added to his remit in 2021.

Within Apple’s marketing organization, Ng reported to Bob Borchers, who oversees product marketing under senior vice president Greg Joswiak. Marketing leaders at Apple go beyond traditional marketing, with Apple’s product marketing leaders playing an active role in shaping the products themselves. Erik Treski, Apple’s worldwide product marketing executive for AirPods and Home, who was referenced in last month’s AirPods Max update announcement, will assume part of Ng’s responsibilities. It is not yet known how the rest of his responsibilities will be divided up.

Ng’s exit is the latest in a wave of senior departures that has accelerated in recent months. John Giannandrea, Apple’s longtime artificial intelligence chief, was also reported to be leaving this week. Former COO Jeff Williams retired last year, design chief Alan Dye departed for Meta Platforms at the end of 2025, environment and government affairs head Lisa Jackson retired earlier this year, and general counsel Katherine Adams is set to leave later in 2026.

Ng is also the third executive closely tied to Apple’s health and fitness push to exit in quick succession. Williams had overseen those groups until his retirement, while Jay Blahnik, head of Fitness+, is departing following an investigation and lawsuit related to allegations about his behavior. Apple’s health initiatives were recently brought under Eddy Cue as part of a broader organizational reshuffle following Williams’ retirement.This article, "iPod Marketing Veteran Stan Ng Retires After 31 Years at Apple" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Image via Macworld.
The information comes from Macworld, which says the signature new color for this year’s Pro models will be Dark Cherry, a deep wine-like red. While other sources had previously reported on a “Dark Red” option, the hue is said to be considerably closer to wine than a brighter red. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and other leakers had previously suggested Apple was experimenting with a shade of red for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, but the color will apparently be much more muted than last year’s Cosmic Orange on the iPhone 17 Pro.

According to Macworld’s source, Apple has been working on four color options for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max, with the following Pantone codes said to be in use internally:

Light Blue (Pantone 2121), resembling the current iPhone 17’s Mist Blue
Dark Cherry (Pantone 6076), the headline new color
Dark Gray (Pantone 426C)
Silver (Pantone 427C), similar to the current generation

The source cautions that all four colors are still in development, and since the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ has not yet gone into mass production, Apple still has time to make changes. Apple also does not always offer four color options for the Pro lineup, so one of these shades could be dropped before launch. Last year, both Macworld and leaker Sonny Dickson reported that Apple had considered launching the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ in black or steel gray, but neither color was released.

For the first foldable iPhone, which has been rumored to be called the “iPhone Ultra,” the device will reportedly come in fewer options than the Pro models, with no bold or vibrant colors. Macworld’s source says Apple has been working on a classic silver and white model, as well as an Indigo option similar to the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌’s Deep Blue.

The same source corroborates earlier leaks on the foldable’s design, saying the device will feature two rear cameras, a selfie camera on the outer display, a second selfie camera in the upper-left corner of the inner display, and an iPad mini-style shape when unfolded. The foldable is reportedly just 4.7 millimeters thick when unfolded, which would make it considerably thinner than the 5.6mm iPhone Air.

On the design of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, the CAD drawings seen by Macworld’s source support existing rumors of a smaller Dynamic Island, which would free up a small amount of additional screen space when Live Activities are not in use. The schematics also show a slightly reduced gap between the glass cutout on the back and the camera bump in at least one render, though the source was unable to confirm whether this reflects a finalized design change. A Weibo leaker known as “Instant Digital” previously reported that Apple would adopt a new manufacturing process to minimize the color difference between the glass and the aluminum frame, which may be connected.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models and foldable iPhone are expected to be announced in September 2026, though some analysts suggest the foldable will launch at a later date. The iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and ‌iPhone Air‌ 2 are rumored to follow in the first half of 2027.Related Roundup: iPhone 18 ProTag: MacworldThis article, "iPhone 18 Pro's Four Rumored Colors Revealed, Including 'Dark Cherry'" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

In the App Store app, you can see the change by tapping your profile picture in the top-right corner. The “Apps & Purchase History” tab used to be at the top the list, but it has switched places with “Updates,” which is now called “App Updates.”

The change was made by Apple without issuing a software update and is evident on both iOS 26.4.1 and the iOS 26.5 beta.

There’s actually a faster way to access the App Updates page in iOS 26.4 that was recently highlighted by Daring Fireball’s John Gruber: Simply long-press on the App Store app on your Home Screen and you can jump straight to it from the contextual menu.Tag: App StoreThis article, "Apple Quietly Tweaked the iOS App Store App – Here's What's Changed" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Android users were less loyal to their brand, and are almost 4x more likely to switch than iPhone users. 86.4% of people surveyed said they would stick with an Android device, while 13.6% said they planned to switch.

Of the 3.6% of iPhone users who said they would move to another platform, 69.7% said they would choose a Samsung smartphone, and 20.2% said they would choose a Google smartphone. While most Android users said they would switch to a Samsung or Google device, 26.8% said they would choose an iPhone over an Android smartphone.

Most iPhone users said they would stick with an iPhone because they prefer Apple (60.8%), while 17.4% said they were invested in the Apple ecosystem. About half of iPhone users contemplating switching said they would do so because the iPhone is too expensive or other brands offer better value, but 22.5% said other brands have better technology.

iPhone users were more likely to be loyal over time, and 83.8% said they had used an iPhone for more than five years. By comparison, just 33.8% of Android users said they had stuck with a brand for over five years.

SellCell’s survey was limited to 5,000 U.S. respondents. The site says there was a roughly equal representation between iPhone and Android users, with two separate surveys that included the same question structure. More information from the survey is available from SellCell’s website.Tags: Android, SellCellThis article, "iPhone Loyalty Hits 96.4% as Android Users Four Times More Likely to Switch" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Ternus and Joswiak made it clear that the ‌MacBook Neo‌ isn’t your average low-cost device. Apple doesn’t typically put a lot of focus on its more affordable devices, but marketing for the Neo has been expansive, and that’s because Apple sees it as a “reinvention” of the entry-level laptop. From Ternus:
I think maybe another one from our past is this idea that Steve talked about is the Mac being the bicycle for the mind, right? And you know, from the very beginning, the vision was let’s make personal computing as accessible to as many people as possible. And that was the mission of the MacBook Neo.
Ternus said the ‌MacBook Neo‌ required “building something completely new from the ground up” to provide customers with quality at a low price. “We never want to ship junk,” he said. “We want to ship great products that have that Apple experience.”

Joswiak said the ‌MacBook Neo‌’s quality was important to Apple, and the Neo’s build sets it apart from competitors.
You know the products in this space that it’s competing against. They’re plastic, they’re little, you can flex them. They’re so cheap, because what have they done? They just tried to cut a nickel, cut a quarter, cut a dollar out of everything to try to make it cheaper, and as a result, they made it cheap, which is very different than making it a lower price and high value, which was the approach we were taking.
Along with discussing the Neo, Ternus and Joswiak talked about the differences between the iPad and the Mac. Ternus said that Apple isn’t going to merge the products, and similarities are because Apple focuses on what would make a device better and not on how one product might impact another.
We’re going to make the best iPad we can possibly make. We’re going to make the best Mac we can possibly make. Some customer is going to choose one, some customer is going to choose the other. A lot of customers actually like to have both, and that’s great too. So yeah, we never think about… there’s never been this idea of mashing these two things together.
On AI, which is an area where Apple has been struggling, Joswiak said it’s not a sprint.
We’ve been doing things with intelligence for many years, right? And gen AI allows us an opportunity to do that even more. So I’m excited about that, but boy, this is not a sprint. This is a marathon, right? We’re going to be doing stuff with intelligence for decades, not months or years.
Joswiak dodged a question about a potential touchscreen MacBook Pro, which Apple is rumored to be working on for launch as soon as this year. He also declined to comment on smart glasses, but said we’re in the “early innings of spatial computing,” while Ternus said that combining the digital and physical world is an “inevitability.” The two were tight-lipped about any upcoming Apple products, but Joswiak said Apple is “working on some pretty cool stuff.”

The full interview, which goes into more detail on the ‌MacBook Neo‌, AI, and includes a Steve Jobs anecdote, is well worth watching.Tags: Greg Joswiak, John TernusThis article, "Apple Execs Say Spatial Computing Is 'Inevitable' and AI Is a 'Marathon, Not a Sprint'" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Casely first issued the recall in April 2025 through the Consumer Product Safety Commission. At that time, the company said that the power banks could overheat and ignite, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. A total of 51 people had reported incidents where the battery overheated, expanded, or caught fire, and there were six minor burn injuries.

Since then, there have been an additional 28 reports, including two serious incidents. In August 2024, a woman in New Jersey was charging her phone with a Casely power bank on her lap, and it caught fire and exploded. She had second- and third-degree burns, and later died from complications from her injuries.

In February 2026, a 47-year-old woman was charging her cell phone with the power bank on an airplane when it caught fire and exploded, resulting in first-degree burns. Airlines have introduced more restrictive limits on power banks due to incidents like this.

Casely sold 429,200 power banks, which were branded as the Casely “Power Pod” with MagSafe compatibility. The 5,000mAh wireless power banks were available in multiple colors and patterns, and were priced at between $30 and $70. Affected units have an E33A model number and were sold from Amazon.com, the Casely website, and other websites between March 2022 and September 2024.

Anyone with a Casely Power Pod should stop using it immediately and contact Casely for a free replacement or a $60 store credit. Affected units should not be discarded, and customers should contact their local household hazardous waste collection center for disposal assistance. Casely is contacting all known purchasers directly.Tag: MagSafeThis article, "Casely MagSafe-Compatible Power Banks Recalled Again After Fire-Related Death and In-Flight Explosion" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

‌MacBook Neo‌ orders placed today on the online Apple Store won’t reach customers until May, which means that it’s sold out for the month of April, as 9to5Mac points out. All colors and both the 256GB and 512GB SSD configurations will be delivered between May 1 and May 8 at the earliest.

Some Apple retail locations have in-store availability today in select colors, but other stores won’t have stock until May 11. Third-party retailers don’t appear to have immediate stock, with Best Buy and Target listing delivery dates at least a week out.

Demand has exceeded expectations, and Apple is ramping up production. Apple is now planning to ship 10 million units in 2026, up from the original five to six million estimate. After the ‌MacBook Neo‌ launched, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple saw its “best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers.”

Apple may need to refresh the ‌MacBook Neo‌ sooner than expected because Apple does not have an unlimited supply of the binned A18 Pro chips that the machine uses. Apple could run out of the A18 Pro chip before it is able to satisfy ‌MacBook Neo‌ demand. Apple may need to restart A18 Pro chip production, which has ended, or start using an A19 Pro chip instead.

We’ll likely hear more about the ‌MacBook Neo‌’s success during Apple’s April 30 earnings call for the second fiscal quarter of 2026.Related Roundup: MacBook NeoBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now)Related Forum: MacBook NeoThis article, "Apple's $599 MacBook Neo Sold Out Through April Amid Surging Demand" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Perplexity Computer came out earlier this year, and it’s an all-in-one “digital worker” able to create and execute entire workflows. With today’s upgrade, it can run directly on a Mac with access to the file system and native apps. Pressing both Command keys on a Mac will activate Personal Computer, and it responds to text or voice commands. Personal Computer can work across any Mac app, and it can see active apps and display quick actions automatically.

Perplexity says Personal Computer can run on any Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, but the company recommends a Mac mini. With a ‌Mac mini‌, Personal Computer can run 24/7 for work that requires a persistent machine or secure local access to files and native apps. Tasks can be initiated and managed from an iPhone on the go.

Personal Computer can do things like complete each task on a to-do list, sort a messy downloads folder, compare local files against information on the web, and more. It can create teams of agents across over 20 frontier models to complete tasks. Personal Computer’s actions are visible, so users can step in when needed. Files are created in a secure sandbox, the actions that Personal Computer takes are auditable and reversible, and there is a kill switch.

Personal Computer for Mac is rolling out to Perplexity Max subscribers starting today, with Perplexity prioritizing waitlist members. Perplexity Max is priced at $200 per month, and the new feature is not available to $20/month Pro plan subscribers.Related Roundup: Mac miniTag: PerplexityBuyer’s Guide: Mac Mini (Caution)Related Forum: Mac miniThis article, "Perplexity Launches Personal Computer for Mac, Turning a Mac mini Into an Always-On AI Agent" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Codex can run multiple agents on the Mac in parallel, without interfering with the user’s own work. OpenAI says developers will find it useful for testing apps, iterating on frontend changes, and more. Codex can now remember preferences, recurring workflows, tech stacks, and other information about each user’s personal workflow. With automation improvements, Codex is able to resume work after a pause using existing conversation threads, and it can schedule future work for itself and work on a task across days or weeks. Codex also proposes work using context from projects, memory, and connected plugins.

There is an in-app browser for Codex that allows users to comment directly on pages to provide more precise instructions to the agent. In the future, Codex will get full use of the browser for opening websites, working through user flows, taking screenshots, and inspecting outputs.

Codex has been updated to use gpt-image-1.5 for generating images in the app, which OpenAI says is helpful for creating visuals for product concepts and mockups. Codex now includes support for multiple terminal tabs, addressing GitHub review comments, and opening files directly in the sidebar with rich previews for documents like PDFs and spreadsheets.

Along with these changes, Codex has over 90 new plugins that can combine skills, app integrations, and MCP servers to improve Codex’s context gathering and actions.

The updates to Codex are rolling out today to Codex desktop users signed in with ChatGPT. The personalization features are not yet available to Enterprise, Education, EU, and UK users, but will be rolling out soon. Computer use is also not yet available in the EU or the UK.Tag: OpenAIThis article, "OpenAI Codex Update Adds Computer Use, Image Generation, and Memory on Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The stickers are placed on the iPhone 17 Pro’s so-called “plateau,” the protruding aluminum area housing the rear cameras, an LED flash, a microphone, and the LiDAR Scanner. The video has the hashtags #PhoneDecor and #iPhoneCustomization.

“Stick it here,” says Apple.

The ad is accompanied by a pair of YouTube Shorts.Related Roundup: iPhone 17 ProTags: Apple Ads, South KoreaBuyer’s Guide: iPhone 17 Pro (Neutral)Related Forum: iPhoneThis article, "Apple Covers iPhone 17 Pro in Stickers in New Ad" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

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

Amazon has the 512GB 13-inch M5 MacBook Air for $949.00, down from $1,099.00, and the 24GB/1TB model for $1,349.00, down from $1,499.00. Both of these represent record low prices for each configuration.

$150 OFF13-inch M5 MacBook Air (512GB) for $949.00
$150 OFF13-inch M5 MacBook Air (16GB/1TB) for $1,149.00
$150 OFF13-inch M5 MacBook Air (24GB/1TB) for $1,349.00

In terms of the 15-inch models, you’ll find up to $150 off the M5 MacBook Air, with multiple color options on sale for each configuration. Prices start at $1,149.00 for the 512GB model, down from $1,299.00, and also include both 1TB models on sale.

$150 OFF15-inch M5 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,149.00
$150 OFF15-inch M5 MacBook Air (16GB/1TB) for $1,349.00
$150 OFF15-inch M5 MacBook Air (24GB/1TB) for $1,549.00

If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "Get Apple's M5 MacBook Air at $150 Off Before Amazon Runs Out" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The discount applies when the recycling and purchase are completed in the same transaction. The promotion runs from today, April 16, through to May 16. Products brought in for recycling undergo screenings, with eligible devices sent to Apple’s advanced recycling systems, including Daisy and Cora, for further processing. See Apple’s terms and conditions for more information.

The promotion was announced alongside Apple’s annual Environmental Progress Report, which revealed a record 30% of material across all products shipped in 2025 came from recycled content.Related Roundup: AirPods 4Buyer’s Guide: AirPods (Neutral)Related Forum: AirPodsThis article, "Apple Offers 10% Off AirPods and More for Earth Day Device Recycling" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The achievement marks new highs across several specific components. All batteries designed by Apple now use 100% recycled cobalt, all magnets use 100% recycled rare earth elements, and all Apple-designed printed circuit boards use 100% recycled gold plating and tin soldering. Apple also completed the transition to fully fiber-based packaging, fulfilling a pledge to remove all plastic from packaging by 2025, a goal the company says it reached across every package manufactured today.

Apple’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 remain down over 60% compared to 2015 levels, holding constant from 2024 despite significant business growth. The company is working toward its Apple 2030 goal of carbon neutrality across its entire footprint by the end of the decade.

MacBook Neo leads the lineup on recycled material. It contains 60% recycled content overall, which is the most of any Apple device to date, and features a new aluminum forming process that uses half the raw material compared to traditional machining. Apple and its suppliers also developed an anodization process that achieves a 70% water-reuse rate, turning a traditionally water-intensive step into a near-closed-loop system. Apple said it plans to expand this process to additional production lines in coming years.

Apple launched Cora, a new electronics-recycling line at its Advanced Recovery Center in California, designed to achieve material recovery rates significantly higher than industry baselines using precision shredding and advanced sensor technology. The company also developed A.R.I.S., a machine learning-powered detection system that helps recyclers classify and sort electronic scrap, running on the Mac mini, which Apple is piloting with partner recyclers.

Apple’s direct suppliers procured more than 20 gigawatts of renewable energy in 2025 through the Supplier Clean Energy Program, generating more than 38 million megawatt-hours of electricity, which is enough to power more than 3.4 million U.S. households for a year. Apple itself procured an additional 1.8 gigawatts to power its offices, retail stores, and data centers entirely on renewable electricity.

Apple and its suppliers saved 17 billion gallons of fresh water in 2025, and the company replenished more than half of the water it withdrew to support its global facilities. All eight Apple-owned data centers have now been certified to the Alliance for Water Stewardship standard. Apple has set a goal to replenish all water withdrawn by its facilities worldwide by 2030.

Apple Fifth Avenue in New York City became the company’s first retail store to achieve TRUE Zero Waste Certification, which requires facilities to divert more than 90 percent of their waste from landfills. Across its supply chain, Apple and its suppliers redirected more than 600,000 metric tons of waste from landfills in 2025, with 400 supplier facilities participating in the company’s Zero Waste Program.Tag: Apple EnvironmentThis article, "Apple Hits Record 30% Recycled Content Across All Products in 2025" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Claire Lomas became internationally recognized in 2012 when she became the first person to complete the London Marathon using a robotic exoskeleton suit, five years after being paralyzed from the waist down in a horse-riding accident. Apple was apparently working with London-based Atlantic Studios to film Lomas for its Apple Immersive Video series called Adventure. A camera system was mounted on the plane itself, and Lomas was actively being recorded when the crash occurred. Lomas died from her injuries within weeks of the crash at the age of 44.

The planned episode was set to showcase multiple Jordanian landmarks, including the Wadi Rum valley and the ancient city of Petra. The original release date for was sometime in 2025. Apple spent millions of dollars per episode on the series, with Atlantic producing and Apple distributing.

People involved with the production say there were broader safety concerns during the making of the Adventure series, including crews working longer hours than staff felt was safe, filming in harsh climates, and operating equipment in conditions the crew had limited training for. Staffers reportedly raised these concerns with their superiors at Apple, which in response sent a health and safety representative to work periodically alongside production staff. There is no record of other major injuries tied to the series.

Apple and Atlantic continued working together after the crash; a Colorado episode was filmed in August 2024. Apple has released five Adventure episodes to date, featuring athletes highlining 3,000 feet in the air, swimming under Arctic ice, parkouring across Paris, cliff diving in Spain, and racing cars in Colorado. No new episodes have been published since last year.

The Adventure series sits within Apple’s broader Apple Immersive Video offering for the Vision Pro, which Apple describes as a “180-degree, 3D 8K recording format captured with Spatial Audio.” The format is one of the headset’s primary selling points and is used in in-store demonstrations of the $3,499 device.Related Roundup: Apple Vision ProBuyer’s Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)Related Forum: Apple Vision ProThis article, "Apple Was Filming Fatal Aircraft Crash for Vision Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

First up, Apple is expected to lean more heavily into Visual Intelligence in iOS 27, since the company is reportedly developing AI wearable devices that will leverage the feature. Apple is reportedly working on smart glasses, AirPods with cameras, and a wearable AI pin or pendant.

To that end, Visual Intelligence appears to be getting at least two new capabilities. One of them will likely let you scan a food nutrition label to get more information, which could well integrate into the Health app. Another will offer to add printed phone numbers/addresses to your Contacts. Visual Intelligence already offers to add calendar dates to your Calendar, so an equivalent feature for contacts makes sense.

Elsewhere, Apple’s Wallet app is likely to gain the ability to generate digital passes from scans of things like event tickets, gym membership cards and the like. Google Wallet for Android already does something similar, using AI to determine the content of a pass.

Meanwhile, in Safari, we’re expecting a new AI feature that will automatically name Tab Groups for users based on the contents of the tabs within the group.

We can’t say with certainty that the above features will work as described, since we’re interpreting them from the names of individual code strings. Likewise, we do not know for sure that they will appear in iOS 27 or a future point update of the upcoming software, but given that Apple is working on a smarter version of ‌Siri‌ for iOS 27 with deeper integration across apps, the timing fits.

Apple will unveil iOS 27 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, before launching in September just ahead of when new iPhone models come out.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tags: Apple Intelligence, Visual IntelligenceThis article, "4 New Apple Intelligence Features Found in Apple Code, Likely in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Apple has never implemented a variable aperture on an iPhone. From the iPhone 14 Pro through the iPhone 17 Pro, the main camera uses a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, meaning the lens remains fully open at all times when capturing images.

In contrast, a variable aperture lets the camera control how much light reaches the sensor. In low-light conditions, it opens to admit more light, while in bright scenes, it closes to avoid overexposure. This should also give users more control over depth of field.

In December 2024, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to say that that the main rear camera on both ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models will offer variable aperture. A report from October 2025 said Apple was moving ahead with plans to bring the technology to next-generation iPhones and was discussing components with suppliers.

According to industry sources cited by today’s report, Chinese supplier Sunny Optical has already started producing the actuators that enable the aperture mechanism, while camera module assembly will follow in early summer. Apple’s primary camera partner LG Innotek is said to be preparing to begin production around June or July, with dedicated equipment being installed at its Gumi facility in South Korea. Module makers such as Cowell are also expected to take part in the process.

LG Innotek is reportedly likely to take on a larger share of production for the main camera module due to the system’s added complexity. A similar thing happened when Apple adopted a folded zoom lens in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, where LG Innotek initially served as the sole supplier.
10 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro
The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to be announced alongside Apple’s first foldable iPhone sometime around September.Related Roundup: iPhone 18 ProThis article, "iPhone 18 Pro Variable Aperture Camera Enters Production" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Right now, Apple Watches that can’t be restored using an iPhone need to be mailed to an Apple Repair Center for service. There is no in-store repair option, so customers have to wait for the Apple Watch to be shipped to the repair depot, get repaired, and be shipped back.

Starting later this month, Apple Stores and AASPs will be able to use an Apple Watch repair dock that connects to a Mac to restore the software on an Apple Watch. An in-store option for fixing software will make software-based repairs much quicker.

With watchOS 8.5 and iOS 15.4, Apple introduced an iPhone-based wireless restore option, but it is limited. It can only be used when a restore prompt is shown on the Apple Watch. For software issues where the iPhone restore doesn’t work, the Apple Watch needs a specialized repair currently unavailable in retail stores. Failed updates, bricked devices, and boot loops can’t be fixed with an iPhone.

Early Apple Watch models had a diagnostic port that Apple Stores could use for software fixes, but it was removed with the Apple Watch Series 7, and Apple switched to a wireless restoration process. After the port was dropped, Apple Watch software repairs had to be done at Apple Service Centers, making software-based failures a hassle for customers.Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)This article, "Apple Stores Will Soon Be Able to Restore Apple Watch Software In-House" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

When software is “signed,” it means it can pass the server-side verification check that Apple does when a user downloads a new version of iOS on an iPhone. An update that’s not signed can’t be installed because it won’t pass the verification check.

Apple does not show users earlier versions of iOS after an upgrade has been released, but when software is still signed, it is possible to downgrade with the macOS Finder app on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on a Windows PC.

Unsigning software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS, and Apple typically stops signing an update a week or so after new software comes out.

iOS 26.4.1 fixed iCloud syncing issues and Stolen Device Protection on enterprise devices. While iOS 26.4.1 is the current publicly available version of iOS, Apple is also beta testing an iOS 26.5 update.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26This article, "iOS 26.4 No Longer Signed by Apple, Blocking Downgrades From iOS 26.4.1" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

When software is “signed,” it means it can pass the server-side verification check that Apple does when a user downloads a new version of iOS on an iPhone. An update that’s not signed can’t be installed because it won’t pass the verification check.

Apple does not show users earlier versions of iOS after an upgrade has been released, but when software is still signed, it is possible to downgrade with the macOS Finder app on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on a Windows PC.

Unsigning software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS, and Apple typically stops signing an update a week or so after new software comes out.

iOS 26.4.1 fixed iCloud syncing issues and Stolen Device Protection on enterprise devices. While iOS 26.4.1 is the current publicly available version of iOS, Apple is also beta testing an iOS 26.5 update.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26This article, "iOS 26.4 No Longer Signed by Apple, Blocking Downgrades From iOS 26.4.1" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Cybersecurity researchers from the University of Surrey and the University of Birmingham developed the attack to bypass an iPhone’s locked status and steal funds from a mobile wallet. The exploit was first publicized in 2021, and it bypasses traditional limits on transaction size. Veritasium demonstrated the attack by collecting $10,000 from YouTuber Marques Brownlee’s locked iPhone.

The attack works using an NFC card reader that intercepts the communication between an iPhone and a tap-to-pay terminal when a payment is made. The card reader is connected to a laptop that collects payment data and sends it to a separate burner phone, which is then tapped on a legitimate card reader. The NFC device has to be tuned to the same transit terminal identifier as a legitimate transit reader.

The process requires the victim to have Express Transit Mode enabled for payments, and a Visa card linked for those payments, among other steps. As it turns out, it’s a Visa-related security loophole rather than an iPhone issue, and it doesn’t work with a Mastercard or an American Express card because other cards use different security methods. It also doesn’t work with Samsung Pay on Samsung devices, and it requires the specific combination of a Visa card and an iPhone. Apple told Veritasium that it’s an issue with the Visa system, but something unlikely to occur in the real world.This is a concern with the Visa system, but Visa does not believe this kind of fraud is likely to take place in the real world. Visa has made it clear that their cardholders are protected by Visa’s zero liability policy.
Visa also told Veritasium that the exploit was very unlikely from a scaled real world setting, and any such transactions can be disputed. The researchers who shared the exploit said users can protect themselves by not using a Visa card on the iPhone for transit purposes. This article, "Here's How Researchers Stole $10,000 From MKBHD's Locked iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

While employees attend the coding bootcamp, around 60 members of the ‌Siri‌ development team will stick around to work on ‌Siri‌, and an additional 60 will evaluate how ‌Siri‌ is performing. Apple is testing to make sure ‌Siri‌ is meeting its safety standards and is able to interpret and execute commands from users.

Coding with AI is becoming the standard, but Apple’s ‌Siri‌ team apparently isn’t taking full advantage of AI coding tools. The Information says that some teams within Apple have allocated large parts of their budgets to Claude Code, but the ‌Siri‌ team has a “reputation as a laggard inside Apple.”

The ‌Siri‌ team was unable to produce the Apple Intelligence version of ‌Siri‌ that Apple promised would come in iOS 18, leading to a major organizational shakeup. Apple replaced AI chief John Giannandrea, who stepped down from his position in late 2025 and is set to retire this week following the final vesting of his stock on April 15.

Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi took over and oversees AI development, and Mike Rockwell, who developed the Vision Pro, is the Siri team lead. Under Federighi, Apple inked a deal with Google that will see ‌Siri‌ and other AI features powered by Google’s Gemini models.Tag: SiriThis article, "Siri Engineers Sent to AI Coding Bootcamp as Apple Prepares to Deliver Siri Overhaul" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Gemini is the last of the three major AI services to have a dedicated Mac app, because OpenAI and Anthropic have had Mac apps for quite some time.

Gemini can be brought up anywhere on the Mac with an Option + Space keyboard command, so there’s no need to swap over to a dedicated window. Option + Shift + Space is available for opening the full Gemini chat window. Gemini can also be accessed from the Dock or through the Menu Bar.

Any window on the Mac can be shared with Gemini, allowing Gemini to provide contextual assistance on anything that you’re looking at. After activating Gemini, selecting the Share Window option will let Gemini see what it is you want to ask questions about. Gemini will need Accessibility access to read full pages in a browser window.

Nano Banana is available for creating images, and Veo can be used for generating videos.

Gemini for Mac is available for Macs running macOS 15 and later, and it is free to download and use. Free access to Gemini is limited, and Google has subscription plans with increased usage limits. Google AI Plus is $7.99 per month, Google AI Pro is $19.99 per month, and Google AI Ultra is $249.99 per month.

Google says that the Mac app is the first step toward a personal, proactive, and powerful desktop assistant, with more news to follow in the coming months.Tags: Gemini, GoogleThis article, "Google Launches Native Gemini AI App for Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Processor and Performance
Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code that Apple mistakenly shared in August.

Apple’s A19 Pro chip since debuted in the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. The iPhone 17 Pro models include the higher-end version of Apple’s A19 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, while the iPhone Air uses a mid-tier A19 Pro chip with one fewer GPU core than the A19 Pro chip used in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

If the code leak is accurate for the iPad mini 8, Apple is likely to use the mid-tier A19 Pro chip found in the iPhone Air. This is based on the fact that the A17 Pro chip used in the iPad mini 7 has a 6-core CPU with two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, along with a 5-core GPU, compared to the 6-core GPU found on the A17 Pro used in the iPhone 15 Pro.

Apple built the A19 Pro chip on an upgraded third-generation 3-nanometer N3P process for modest speed and efficiency improvements. The chip includes a 16-core Neural Engine, next-generation dynamic caching, and unified image compression.

The GPU in the A19 Pro has an upgraded architecture with a larger cache, more memory, and Neural Accelerators that are built into each core. Apple says that this change provides 3× the peak GPU compute over the prior-generation chip. There’s also an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine for AI tasks.

There is an outside chance that Apple opts for the A20 Pro chip for the new iPad mini. The claim has been made by a MacRumors tipster who analyzed a macOS kernel debug kit containing internal Apple codenames. However, the iPad mini has not always received Apple’s newest A-series chip at the time it was updated, so the A19 Pro cannot be ruled out at this time. iPhone 18 Pro models are also expected to use the A20 Pro chip, which will reportedly be fabricated with TSMC’s advanced 2nm process.

Display

Apple’s plan to transition the ‌‌iPad mini‌‌ from an LCD to an OLED display is widely rumored. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the small form-factor tablet is likely to be the next Apple device to adopt OLED. According to a Chinese leaker with sources in Apple’s supply chain, Apple has evaluated a Samsung-made OLED display for its next iPad mini model.

It remains unclear whether the iPad mini 8 will feature a higher refresh rate than the 60Hz LCD display used in the existing iPad mini 7, but since the new base iPhone 17 now uses a 120Hz ProMotion panel, it would be reasonable to expect the same on the first OLED iPad mini. A separate report has suggested the ‌‌‌iPad mini 8‌‌‌’s screen could increase in size from 8.3 inches to 8.7 inches with the adoption of OLED.

OLED panels can individually control each pixel, resulting in more precise color reproduction and deeper blacks compared to other common display technologies. They also provide superior contrast, faster response times, better viewing angles, and greater design flexibility. All of Apple’s flagship iPhones use OLED panels, and in May 2024 the company brought the display technology to the iPad Pro for the first time.

Unlike Apple’s ‌iPad Pro‌ models, which feature two-stack low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels‌, the ‌iPad mini‌ may have a single-stack low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panel, which would make it dimmer.

Chassis Design

Apple is reportedly working to give the iPad mini 8 a more water-resistant design, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The updated casing would bring protection levels closer to those of the iPhone, making the tablet safer for use in damp environments.

To achieve this, Apple is said to have designed a new vibration-based speaker system that eliminates the need for traditional speaker holes. By using sound-emitting surfaces instead of open grilles, the company can reduce potential entry points for water and dust, resulting in a more sealed, durable enclosure.

On the iPhone, Apple relies on adhesives and gaskets to shield speakers and other openings from moisture. The iPad mini’s approach appears to go further, doing away with the holes altogether. Current iPad mini models lack any official IP rating, but the upcoming version could mark the first in the lineup to feature a certified level of water protection.

Apple patents could offer further clues to the new design direction. For example, a 2014 patent outlines a “mechanically actuated panel acoustic system” that vibrates flat surfaces to generate sound, effectively turning parts of a device’s chassis into a speaker diaphragm. This could potentially allow Apple to produce audio without visible speaker holes. The patent suggest Apple has been building towards a sealed, vibration-based acoustic system for several years.

Release Date

According to research firm Omdia, the ‌‌iPad mini‌‌ is expected to adopt an OLED display in 2027. However, Korea’s ET News and ZDNET Korea have both suggested that the iPad mini will be updated with an OLED display in 2026. Bloomberg has also said the update could come as soon as this year.

The most recent word on the subject comes from Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital, who claims the OLED iPad mini will be launched in the second half of 2026 at the earliest.

In May 2024, it was reported that Samsung Display had started developing sample OLED panels for a future ‌iPad mini‌, with plans to initiate mass production at its facility in Cheonan in the second half of 2025. The same report claimed that Apple will bring an OLED panel to the iPad Air alongside the ‌iPad mini‌ in 2026, though Apple only refreshed the iPad Air in March, and more recent reporting suggests an OLED iPad Air will arrive in early 2027.

The latter outlook aligns with a December report by analyst firm Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) that said an 8.5-inch OLED iPad mini is planned for a 2026 launch, while 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPad Air models are expected to follow in 2027.

Ultimately, there are no rumors suggesting exactly when the next ‌iPad mini‌ will be released, but a launch later in 2026 has a high probability.

Pricing

Apple’s ‌iPad mini‌ with OLED display technology and improved water resistance is expected to be more expensive, and Apple could charge up to $100 more for the device, according to Bloomberg’s Gurman. The ‌iPad mini‌ is currently priced starting at $499. Gurman has previously argued that Apple should consider a lower-end version of the mini, or at least a change to its current $499 starting price, given that it’s up against rival products that cost a lot less.

However, Apple users who are looking for a more affordable option should probably consider the 10th-generation iPad instead. Starting at $329, the iPad offers many iPad mini features, such as Touch ID and Center Stage, but at a lower price that balances functionality and affordability. Related Roundup: iPad miniTag: OLEDBuyer’s Guide: iPad Mini (Caution)Related Forum: iPadThis article, "OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The TCS London Marathon is one of the world’s most popular marathons and takes place on Sunday, April 26, drawing athletes of all abilities from around the world. A record-breaking one million people applied to enter the ballot for the 2026 event.

Apple will host two free events at its Brompton Road store in the days before the race. On Thursday, April 23, a panel including fitness trainer Joe Wicks, ultramarathon runner Hellah Sidibe, and athletes Dora Atim, Becky Briggs, and Sherica Holmon will offer training tips before a 5K shakeout run in Hyde Park, hosted by Apple Fitness+ trainer Cory Wharton-Malcolm. Spots are limited and registration is now open.

On Saturday, April 25, former marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe and two-time Olympian Chris Thompson will record a live episode of their podcast, Paula’s Run Club, also at Brompton Road, joined by Wharton-Malcolm. The episode closes out their “Road to London Marathon” series. Registration is available for that event as well.

On race day, Apple Music will station artists and DJs at a key point on the course. An official Ultimate Marathon Playlist spanning seven hours is available now on ‌Apple Music‌, with additional mixes from race-day DJs to follow after the event.

Ahead of marathon week, Apple will host a PE with Apple: Hour of Play event for students from six schools in the London borough of Wandsworth, with Wicks and Fitness+ trainers leading physical activities for children ages 10 to 14, in partnership with nonprofit Enable. Apple also pointed out that it supports several other Greater London organizations, including Battersea Arts Centre, Southbank Centre, Youth Battersea, and Wandsworth BEST.Tag: United KingdomThis article, "Apple to Host Free Events in London Ahead of Sunday's Marathon" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

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.

You can get the Apple Watch Ultra 3 for $699.99 in the Natural color option, down from $799.00. There are also a few Milanese Loop models on sale for $799.99, down from $899.00.

$99 OFFApple Watch Ultra 3 for $699.99

We’ve collected all of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 models currently on sale on Amazon in the list below. All of these deals are within $19 of the all-time low price, and they’re the best prices we’ve seen so far in 2026.

Natural with Anchor Blue Ocean Band – $699.99 ($99 off)
Natural with Blue/Bright Blue Trail Loop (M/L) – $699.99 ($99 off)
Black with Black Milanese Loop (Large) – $799.99 ($99 off)
Natural Milanese Loop (Large) – $799.99 ($99 off)

If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we’ll keep you updated so you don’t miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "Apple Watch Ultra 3 Gets Lowest Prices of 2026 So Far With $99 Off Select Models" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Earlier this year, Grok’s AI capabilities came under scrutiny after X users shared nonconsensual sexualized images of women and children created by the app, many of which were based on photos of real people.

What followed was a confusing rollout of moderation changes to Grok, some of which could be easily bypassed. Publicly, Apple did not comment on the controversy at the time, but it did respond, and was in fact the instigator of the changes. Internally, the company had found both X and Grok in violation of its App Store guidelines and demanded its developers submit a content moderation plan, the letter reveals.

According to the letter, Apple rejected an initial fix from xAI as insufficient, saying the “changes didn’t go far enough,” and Apple warned it that additional alterations were required or Grok would be removed. After further back-and-forth, however, Apple eventually concluded that a later submission of the app had improved enough for it to be approved.

The disclosure was apparently prompted by a January letter from Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Luján, and Edward Markey, who urged Apple and Google to pull both apps, arguing the imagery violated App Store rules barring offensive, sexual, and exploitative content.

The senators also said that Apple’s response would test its own arguments, since the company has long defended its curated App Store by claiming its review process keeps users safer. Letting Grok continue to generate this kind of imagery, they argued, would undermine that case in the eyes of the public and in a court of law.

After NBC News published its report, X posted the following statement on its platform:
“We strictly prohibit users from generating non-consensual explicit deepfakes and from using our tools to undress real people. xAI has extensive safeguards in place to prevent such misuse, such as continuous monitoring of public usage, analysis of evasion attempts in real time, frequent model updates, prompt filters, and additional safeguards.”While the amount of sexualized deepfakes created by Grok and posted to X appears to have decreased significantly, NBC News found that Grok is still able to generate similar imagery, with some users apparently having simply updated their prompt tactics to get around the safeguards. You can read that report in its entirety by following this link.Tags: App Store, GrokThis article, "Apple Threatened to Pull Grok From App Store Over Sexualized Images" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Citing industry sources, the outlet says Samsung Display will begin mass production of OLED panels around the end of 2026 or January next year, with a view to supplying panels for Apple’s next iPad Air, expected to be released in early 2027. Apple last updated the iPad Air in March 2026 with an M4 chip.

Apple’s iPad Pro models already have OLED displays, but the iPad Air models still use more affordable LCD displays that Apple calls Liquid Retina. The Liquid Retina displays do not support 120Hz ProMotion display technology, and are limited to 60Hz refresh rates.

OLED panels individually control each pixel, resulting in more precise color reproduction and deeper blacks compared to LCD. They also provide superior contrast, faster response times, better viewing angles, and greater design flexibility.

That said, unlike Apple’s ‌iPad Pro‌ models, which feature two-stack low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels‌, the iPad Air‌ is expected to use single-stack low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels, meaning that they may be dimmer and continue to lack ProMotion.

Apple’s plan to transition the ‌‌iPad mini‌‌ from an LCD to an OLED display is already widely rumored, with reports suggesting the iPad mini 8 will adopt OLED later this year, albeit using the same cheaper single-stack LTPS panel.

Once the iPad mini and iPad Air receive the display upgrade, the entry-level iPad will be the only model in Apple’s tablet lineup without an OLED panel.Related Roundup: iPad Air Tags: ETNews, OLEDBuyer’s Guide: iPad Air (Buy Now)Related Forum: iPadThis article, "Report: iPad Air to Gain OLED Display Next Year" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The new sidebar displays every active and recent session in one place, and users can filter by status, project, or environment, with the option to group sessions by project. A new side chat shortcut (Command + 😉 also lets users branch a question off a running task without feeding extra context back into the main thread.

Anthropic has also dropped more of the developer workflow into the app itself. There’s now an integrated terminal for running tests and builds, an in-app file editor for spot edits, a rebuilt diff viewer aimed at large changesets, and an expanded preview pane that handles HTML files and PDFs alongside local app servers. Each pane is also drag-and-drop friendly, so the layout can be arranged to suit.

In addition, the desktop app now matches Claude Code’s CLI for plugin support, while SSH sessions are supported on Mac as well as Linux. Lastly, there are three view modes (Verbose, Normal, and Summary) that let users decide how much of Claude’s tool-call activity they want to see.

The Claude desktop app update is rolling out now to Claude Code users on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

In related news, Anthropic also announced Routines – a new way to set up Claude Code automations that run without an active session. A routine bundles a prompt, a repo, and any relevant connectors into a single configuration that can run on a schedule, fire from an API call, or trigger off a GitHub event such as a new pull request.

Routines run on Claude Code’s web infrastructure rather than a local machine, but Anthropic has put in place daily run caps that scale by plan. Routines are available in research preview to Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise users with Claude Code on the web enabled. For further details, check out Anthropic’s blog post.Tag: AnthropicThis article, "Anthropic Rebuilds Claude Code Desktop App Around Parallel Sessions" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Available to customers in the U.S. for a limited time, the streaming bundle offers access to both services at a 30% discount, similar to the bundle that launched in October 2025.

‌Apple TV‌ is normally $12.99 per month, while Peacock starts at $16.99 for the Premium plan that’s included in the bundle, so that’s a $10 monthly saving. Peacock Premium Plus includes the option to download content and watch it offline. It also removes most ads.

The Apple TV and Peacock Premium Plus bundle offers customers access to live sports like Premier League soccer and Major League Baseball, Apple Originals like Pluribus and Severance, as well as Peacock shows and moves. Customers can watch content from both services directly through the Prime Video app on compatible devices.
“This bundle makes it easier for customers to seamlessly access even more entertainment options all in one place,” Ryan Pirozzi, Head of Prime Video Channels, US, said in a statement. “By expanding the streaming services and bundles available on Prime Video, we’re continuing to deliver on our commitment to provide customers with greater choice and seamless access to the shows, movies, and sports they love.”Prime members can subscribe to the bundle via the Prime Video app or visiting the Prime Video website and using their existing Amazon account and payment method.Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Don’t Buy)Related Forum: Apple TV and Home TheaterThis article, "Apple TV and Peacock $20 Monthly Bundle Available on Amazon Prime Video, Offering a 30% Discount" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums