Three reasons to suspect the Apple price increases could be imminent
Last week saw a highly unusual warning from Apple that the company will need to increase the prices of its products due to the ongoing memory shortage. Tim Cook declined to say anything about either the scale of the increases or their timing, leading to speculation on both …

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macOS 27 Golden Gate makes naming files easier than ever
Macworld While using the macOS 27 Golden Gate beta, I stumbled upon a helpful little new feature in Apple’s Numbers, Pages, and TextEdit apps: these apps can recommend names for nearly-created files. When you create a new Numbers, Pages, or TextEdit document and fill it with content, the AI model on your Mac accesses it, analyzes the content, and suggests a suitable name for the file. For example, after a few minutes, my ordinary Numbers file became “User Engagement Metrics iOS 27.” On a Pages document, the app appropriately recommended the file name “iOS 27 Review” after a few minutes of writing. These names are marked as “Suggested” in the corresponding name field at the top of the document. When you click the drop-down arrow, a pop-up window appears and other name suggestions are offered. Also, if you trigger a Save command for the first time for a file, the Save As entry shows suggested file names. Of course, you have the option to create your own file name. It’s also possible that this feature works in other Apple apps, but we looked at these three. File-naming seems like a trivial task, but this is a nifty little feature that demonstrates what Apple is doing to infuse AI into its operating systems. There’s the grand gesture of Siri AI, helpful but more modest features such as Writing Tools, and little bits like naming suggestions. It’ll be interesting to see where else AI is thoughtfully used. Learn more about macOS 27 Golden Gate. [Macworld U.S.’s Roman Loyola contributed to this report.]

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The good times for Apple fans are about to end
Macworld Consumer technology, for some reason, lends itself to passionate, heavily partisan disagreement. And one of the most common arguments among tech fans centers on Apple’s prices, and whether or not they’re fair. Here at Macworld Towers (a home for open-minded skeptics rather than fanboys), we’ve generally held the belief that the Apple Tax is a myth. Apple products tend to be at the upper end of the price range for their category, but they deliver a quality experience that justifies this. In recent months, the company has even learned the meaning of the word bargain. That’s not to say Apple never pushes its luck, price-wise. High-priced wheel kits, dongles, and polishing cloths are all good examples of its fondness for the high-margin add-on, a strategy which can sometimes look rather cheap. But on the big-ticket items, at least in recent years, Apple consistently delivers solid value for money. Apple’s ability to do this while simultaneously making historic amounts of cash quarter after quarter is dependent on a great deal of logistical know-how. It’s no surprise that the CEO who has guided the company to unprecedented financial success came from the operations side, not product development. Apple’s success is built on the power of its supply chain and on its ability to secure the very best deals with suppliers, both strengths of Tim Cook. Those deals, and that operational efficiency, are how Apple has managed to resist the effects of the ongoing RAM crisis for so long. While other companies have pushed up prices or simply run out of stock, Cupertino has largely held steady. In some cases, it’s had to withdraw certain product configurations, but through it all, Apple has managed to avoid the price rises which customers feared. Until now. Last week, Tim Cook, that very same operational wizard, gave an interview in which he discussed the RAM crisis. He compared it to a “hundred-year flood” and said he hasn’t seen anything like it in 40 years. And if that sounds like the sort of thing someone says to prepare you for bad news… well, it was. Apple price rises, Cook admitted, are unavoidable. Now that we know price hikes are inevitable, the big question is when. According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the answer is soon, and maybe very soon. His rationale is twofold: firstly, Cook has no reason to talk about this gloomy subject unless it’s both imminent and unavoidable, and secondly, Apple can use its summer back-to-school sale to tie in with the changes and somewhat ease the blow for customers. Last year, the school sale started in the U.S. on June 17, so we could be looking at price hikes as early as this week. (In fact, one of my colleagues suspects that the sale may have been delayed so that Apple can update prices across the board.) It’s worth mentioning that while Gurman has an excellent track record as a leaker, he doesn’t seem to be basing this prediction on inside sources. He just seems to be thinking out loud based on the rationale above. But the thinking makes sense. When the CEO admits that a company is about to do something that customers won’t like, it can be very disruptive. Shareholders will be unhappy, share prices will probably fall, and there will be pushback, gloating, and unhelpful chin-stroking commentary online. You can decide where to categorize the article you’re currently reading. In the short term, a warning of upcoming problems may actually boost sales, as customers rush to make their purchases before the Bad Thing happens. (This may indeed turn out to be a blessing in disguise for a certain third-party retailer planning a slew of discounts on Apple products for Prime Day this week.) But this won’t last for long, and it makes very little sense for Cook to reveal the bad news, then have it hang over the company for months on end. If it’s got to the point where Cook feels he has to spill the beans, realistically, Gurman is probably right that price hikes are coming very soon. The consolation for Apple customers is that, just as we were spoiled in the early phase of the RAM crisis, we’re likely to do better than most when it comes to an end. Those preferential supplier contracts haven’t evaporated overnight. Suppliers simply can’t deliver components at the same prices, even to their most favored clients. But when stock levels recover, it’ll be Apple at the front of the line for business-as-usual pricing. So yes, the good times are about to end for Apple fans. But hopefully it won’t be too bad, or last too long. And for those who are angry about the global component shortage, at least we have the consolation that the RAM is going where it’s really needed: vast, environmentally damaging AI datacenters. Three cheers for that. Foundry Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Trending: Top stories Apple’s silence about HomePod and Apple TV at WWDC spoke volumes. Is this fall’s folding iPhone already a flop? Apple needs to learn some lessons from the Mac Pro and MacBook Neo. Apple took Gemini out of Google, writes the Macalope. But can it take Google out of Gemini? Felipe Esposito explains how macOS 27 is going to help Apple sell a ton more MacBook Neos. The secret’s out! Jason Cross explains how the OS 27 betas give the game away about Apple’s folding phone. Podcast of the week Apple unveiled watchOS 27 at WWDC earlier this month, and there wasn’t much to see—at least that’s the impression you’re left with after the presentation. So, on the latest Macworld Podcast, we’re talking about what you’ll find in watchOS 27. You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site. The rumor mill iPhone Air 2 will reportedly fix its two biggest problems. Enjoy free Siri AI for now, because you might need to pay for it soon. A crucial AI upgrade may be coming to the iPhone 18. Honestly, we’re getting tired of these unreleased Apple headphone teasers. Just launch the thing, already! Video of the week @macworld.com Folding iPhone hints in the OS 27 updates #apple #iphone ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld Apple’s folding iPhone is definitely coming soon. For more short videos, follow us on TikTok and Instagram. Software updates, bugs, and problems Mahmoud Itani’s 17 favorite iOS 27 features have nothing to do with Siri or AI. Where are the missing iOS 27 features? Don’t worry, they’re still coming. This upcoming change could end up breaking iCloud+ Hide My Email. Here’s why your Mac blocked that Terminal command you pasted. And with that, we’re done for this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters, including our new email from The Macalope–an irreverent, humorous take on the latest news and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, or X for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

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Get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more for life for $105 during Deal Days
Macworld TL;DR: Cancel Microsoft 365 and get Microsoft Office for life for $104.97 during Deal Days. Sale ends June 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Many Mac users have had to pay $99.99 per year, every year, just to access Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but that’s not the only way anymore. If you want the most recent apps without the constant cost, you can now get Microsoft Office 2024 on sale for $104.97 (reg. $249.99) during Deal Days. Office 2024 includes the core apps: Word Excel PowerPoint Outlook OneNote This version also includes performance improvements and newer tools compared to older Office versions. Excel handles larger datasets more smoothly, PowerPoint now supports recording presentations with voice and video, and Word includes AI-assisted writing suggestions and focus mode for distraction-free writing. The interface has also been updated with Microsoft’s Fluent design system, making the apps feel more modern and consistent across Mac and PC. Real-time collaboration, commenting, and version history also make it easier to work on shared documents or projects. For Mac users who want Microsoft Office but don’t want another subscription, a lifetime license is often the cheaper option after just a year or two. Why pay $99.99 per year when you can get the same apps for life for $105? Until June 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for $104.97. And be sure to check out all the other sales happening during Deal Days. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime LicenseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Apple Watch Ultra 3 falls to $649, lowest price ever before Prime Day
Amazon is offering the Apple Watch Ultra 3 at a record-low $649 as part of an early Prime Day push.Grab the lowest Apple Watch Ultra 3 price on record - Image credit: AppleAmazon's $649 early Prime Day price is available on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 with an Ocean Band. The 49mm GPS + Cellular model with your choice of a Black Titanium Case or Natural Titanium Case comes in one size, so you don't have to worry about finding the right size band if the watch will be a gift.Buy Apple Watch Ultra 3 for $649 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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AirPods Max 2 plunge to record-low $399 ahead of Amazon Prime Day
Amazon has issued a steeper price drop on AirPods Max 2 leading up to Prime Day, with the over-ear headphones plunging to a record-low price of $399.Save $150 on Apple's new AirPods Max 2 headphones - Image credit: AppleYou can pick up AirPods Max 2 at a $150 discount at Amazon when you opt for the Starlight finish, which is the lowest price on record for the 2026 release. If you prefer another color option, Walmart is matching the $399 price across the line.Buy AirPods Max 2 for $399 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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These are the best new MacBook deals currently: June 2026 Buyer’s Guide
In the era of Apple Silicon, MacBooks are more affordable than ever. Nowadays, you can buy a MacBook Air with 512GB of storage and 16GB of memory for $1099 directly from Apple, when such a configuration would’ve cost $1599 just a few years ago. And on top of that, we have MacBook Neo bringing the entry-point down substantially. That said, Apple has warned that there will be price hikes in the future because of the AI-induced memory crisis, so now might be a good time to buy if you’re in the market for a new Mac.

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Amazon slashes Apple Watch Series 11 to $279 in early Prime Day sale
Save $120 to $200 on the Apple Watch Series 11 with new early Prime Day deals, as Amazon drops prices on numerous styles.Save up to $200 with early Prime Day Apple Watch Series 11 deals - Image credit: AppleAmazon's early Prime Day Apple Watch sale includes discounts across the entire wearable line, but we're pleased to see the Apple Watch Series 11 has received a steeper price drop today, bringing the wearable down to $279. Save $120 to $200 on numerous styles, including 46mm case options and GPS + Cellular models. Buy Apple Watch S11 from $279 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Amazon's $169 AirPods Pro 3 deal is back for Prime Week
After selling out last week, Amazon has replenished AirPods Pro 3 inventory, while retaining the record low price of $169.Amazon's best AirPods Pro 3 deal has returned.Amazon's best AirPods Pro 3 deal has returned as Prime Day approaches. Grab an $80 discount, which matches the lowest price on record for the earbuds. Considering inventory sold out when the deal was last available, it's worth snapping up the savings now to avoid a possible stockout when Prime Day starts on June 23.Buy AirPods Pro 3 for $169 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Wallet’s Digital ID feature could potentially have a major new use case soon
Last year, Apple debuted Digital ID on iPhone, allowing users to use their US passport as identification in Apple Wallet. Apple’s been rolling out drivers licenses in Wallet slowly over the past few years, but that’s on a state-by-state basis. Digital ID is universal, allowing anyone with a passport to use it. Of course, you can use it at TSA checkpoints in airports – but Apple had a bigger scope in mind: digital age and identity verification. While not yet confirmed, it’s possible that we could see a first major implementation of this quite soon, in Claude.

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Sunday Reboot: The right marketing, the wrong changes
In this week's "Sunday Reboot," Beats subverts the World Cup, and GymKit and Malcolm's gym are updated in opposite ways.Jamal Musiala with some taped Beats - Image Credit: Instagram/Beats/Jamal MusialaSunday Reboot is a weekly column covering some of the lighter stories within the Apple reality distortion field from the past seven days. All to get the next week underway with a good first step.This week, current Apple CEO Tim Cook warned of price increases, Brazil adopted EU-style App Store rules, and supply chain assembler Tata is accused of contaminating the water supply in India. Also, leakers are worried we could have another colorgate issue this fall. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Vision Pro vs Snap Specs: Two visions of face-worn computing, compared
Apple wants you to step into a virtual world, while Snap wants you to stay in the real one. Here's how their very different approaches to spatial computing compare.Apple Vision Pro [left] vs Snap Specs [right]The launch of Snap Specs at Augmented World Expo on June 16 is a big shift forward for the social company. After the previous effort of Snap Spectacles, Snap Specs are a step closer to the augmented reality future by being smart glasses with a built-in display.This is something that brings Snap's efforts in line with the Ray-Ban eyewear that Meta has produced, including its yet-to-ship Meta Ray-Ban Display. It's also a massively different product from Apple's own head-mounted computing device, the Apple Vision Pro. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Why this year’s biggest iPhone might be DOA
Macworld Apple discontinued the Mac Pro earlier this year, and it’s not hard to imagine why: the flagship computer was simply too high-end and too expensive for its own good. As if to demonstrate this, Apple launched the budget MacBook Neo at almost the same time, and it proved a huge hit. Public judgment doesn’t get much clearer than that. Given this scenario, it’s tempting to wonder why Apple is charging full steam ahead with the iPhone Ultra. Like the Mac Pro, this foldable phone is set to raise Apple’s price ceiling considerably at a time when many customers are having to reassess their outgoings. Foldable phones remain a niche market, and the iPhone Ultra risks following in the footsteps of the Mac Pro and other top-shelf Apple products that failed to move the needle, including the Apple Watch Edition, iMac Pro, and Vision Pro. I’m worried, in short, that the iPhone Ultra could end up being dead on arrival. It feels like a risky move at the best of times, but with the Mac Pro’s demise fresh in everyone’s minds, is Apple dooming its device before it even arrives? The hard sell There’s a common misconception that Apple overprices products to gouge gullible fans out of their hard-earned cash. And sure, Apple products can tend to be on the pricey side. But with reports showing that its devices last far longer than rivals year after year, it’s hard to believe that Apple is ripping off its customers. Nevertheless, it remains true that Apple is not afraid to charge an arm and a leg to welcome you into its walled garden. The company’s philosophy is not to be the first but to be the best, and that sometimes means going all out with a premium offering that boasts all the bells and whistles. The iPhone Ultra will be a unique device with a sky-high price tag.Foundry The iPhone Ultra will undoubtedly fall into this category. For a start, you can’t make a foldable smartphone without incurring major costs. This is a sector that is both niche and cutting edge, and no one has really worked out how to perfect the form factor yet, never mind make products that are remotely affordable. Throw in Apple’s tendency to include superior features in an effort to improve the experience and the iPhone Ultra is well on its way to expensive territory. Indeed, that’s exactly what Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says we should expect, with the journalist predicting the device will “cross the $2,000 threshold” when it’s launched later this year. Interestingly, it’s not clear if Gurman meant the iPhone Ultra could be configured to cost over $2,000 or start at that point. If we assume its initial, baseline cost is $2,000, you could be looking at a price of around $2,800 if you outfit it with 2TB of storage. That’s based on the costs involved with an iPhone 17 Pro Max, the current top-end iPhone. Regardless, $2,000 is almost twice the price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That likely won’t be an easy pill to swallow, even for seasoned Apple fans. The solid-gold Apple Watch was a gimmick that put Apple’s wearable in the wrong light.Foundry Apple’s previous experiences at the ultra-high end of the market have not been encouraging. The past is littered with failures: not only is there the recently deceased Mac Pro, but the Vision Pro is another clear example. Going a little further back, the $10,000 Apple Watch Edition was so unappealing to users that it almost derailed Apple’s wearable entirely. It was only by reorienting the device towards health and fitness that Apple was able to turn it into a success. Yet despite all these ill omens, Apple keeps trying to convince its users that sacrificing their future financial stability on a luxury product is exactly what they should be doing. Not only is that past form concerning, but it runs counter to the evidence that’s right in front of Apple’s eyes. The MacBook Neo alternative There’s an alternative to all this premium posturing: make affordable products that most people want to buy. This was Apple’s founding vision and the one that motivated Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in all their work. Indeed, Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson: “I love it when you can bring really great design and simple capability to something that doesn’t cost much… It was the original vision for Apple. That’s what we tried to do with the first Mac. That’s what we did with the iPod.” To counter claims that Apple was overpricing its products, Jobs also pointed to their quality and said that getting rivals’ devices up to Apple’s standards often meant paying more than if you’d just stuck with Apple in the first place. And this isn’t all theoretical; just look at the MacBook Neo. It’s brought a level of power and quality to the entry-level side of the market that has been entirely absent for years. Pay $599 to a PC manufacturer, meanwhile, and you’ll get a plastic laptop with a nerfed version of Windows and a chip that runs hot, loud and slow. The MacBook Neo shows what can be done on an affordable budget.Foundry Despite some concerned pundits wondering aloud about what kind of Mac you’d get for $599, the MacBook Neo has garnered near-universal acclaim and has been flying off the shelves. Indeed, there are reports that Apple is selling so many that it might run out of A18 Pro chips before the A19 version of the laptop is ready. In other words, Apple has proof positive that making an insanely great, affordable product can lead to both critical and commercial success. The contrast with the Mac Pro, which was discontinued a mere 15 days after the MacBook Neo went on sale, is stark and unmistakable. By looking at both the Mac Pro and the MacBook Neo, we can see two diverging paths for Apple. The former–paved with other stuttering efforts, most recently the Vision Pro–presents a risky, high-cost road for customers. The latter lowers the barrier to entry and has proven to be remarkably successful. I’m not saying that it’s cut and dried or that things always play out this way, but the contrasting fortunes of the Mac Pro and the MacBook Neo provide a helpfully cautionary tale. None of this is proof that the iPhone Ultra’s failure is pre-ordained. While I’m not expecting it to sell in record numbers, perhaps Apple is confident that it will move enough units to justify the cost, effort and research. For Apple’s own sake, you’d hope that it knows what it’s doing, given that plans for the iPhone Ultra appear to be going ahead. But the trail of very public misfires, and the obvious success of the MacBook Neo, hasn’t settled my nerves.

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Get this 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro with an upgraded charger for $200 off
Macworld Apple MacBook Pro M5 View Deal (function () { document.querySelector("#sticky-promo-block a").addEventListener("click", function(e) { const debug = document.location.host.search(/lndo.site|go-vip.net/) !== -1; const text = this.closest("#sticky-promo-block").querySelector("p.promo-title").textContent; const data = { event: "stickyConversionUnitClick", eventCategory: "Sticky Conversion", eventAction: "Click", eventLabel: text }; if(debug)console.log("Sticky Conversion CLick - pushing to dataLayer: ", data); dataLayer.push(data); return true; }); })(); Apple’s MacBook Pro M5 14-inch is down to $1,519 right now at B&H, a $200 savings off its regular price. This isn’t just a great price for a laptop with a solid configuration, but also for one that comes with an upgraded 96W power adapter, a nice bonus that we usually don’t see on these offers. This 14-inch MacBook Pro is powered by Apple’s powerful M5 chip, pairing a 10-core CPU with a 10-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. This means that your new laptop will handle everything from heavy photo edits to video exports to everyday multitasking without feeling like it’s dragging its feet. You get 16GB of unified memory and a spacious 1TB SSD, so you’ll have plenty of power and space for all your big project files and all the apps you want to install. That 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR screen delivers at a sharp 3024×1964 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate, which means you’ll get smooth visuals no matter what you’re doing. The 1000 nits of sustained brightness and 1600 nits peak in HDR mean you’ll be able to use this laptop out in the garden all summer. When it comes to connectivity, the MacBook Pro is ready for everything. With three Thunderbolt 4 ports and HDMI, you can create a multi-screen setup. The laptop also features an SDXC card Slot and MagSafe 3 charging. It gets fantastic battery life, and when it runs out, you’ll be able The laptop is an excellent companion for everyday work, creative projects, big spreadsheets, coding, and so much more. The only downside is that you can’t upgrade it on your own. The memory and storage are soldered, so what you buy today is what you’re stuck with. The only way to get more storage is to invest in a portable SSD. But at $1,519, the MacBook Pro M5 is a great pick for those who want a laptop that will perform wonderfully for many years to come. From processing power to the fantastic screen and upgraded charger, there are loads of things to love about this machine.

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John Ternus set to re-establish importance of Apple’s design team when he takes over as CEO: report
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman today posted the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, recapping the last ten years of Apple’s corporate structure in which the influence of the design team waned at the executive levels in the Cook era, fuelled by Jony Ive’s exit and talent departures as finance and operations had an increasingly larger say over product direction. However, Gurman believes that incoming CEO John Ternus may be about to reset that relationship, and reaffirm the importance of the design group for the company’s future.

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Incoming CEO John Ternus may be looking to fix something that isn't broken
John Ternus has been talking about focusing on Apple's core strength of design once he takes over as CEO, and a now a questionable report extrapolates that this means he'll shake up the design team.John Ternus plans to concentrate on Apple's core strength of designJohn Ternus is now best known for taking over as Apple CEO from Tim Cook, but as recently as January 2026, he took control of the firm's design team. Now according to Bloomberg, far from leaving that because of other CEO duties, he is planning to continue working on Apple's whole design philosophy.Reportedly, Ternus told staff that under him, Apple will "keep focusing on design, because design is core to what we do in Apple." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Did the iPhone help cause America’s baby bust?
The iPhone had a surprising effect on the U.S. birth rate. A new study indicates technology has had a negative effect on fertility rates. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple's home automation updates & new product releases will stretch into 2028
Apple's home automation updates and new product roadmap powered by Siri AI will kick off in 2026 with HomePod and Apple TV updates, but if you're excited for the robotic arm for a Home Hub, you're going to be waiting a while.A HomePod mini update should finally arrive in 2026It's no secret that Apple's new AI push will include several new products like the long-rumored Home Hub. However, the timing of some of those products' releases remains in question.According to the "Power On" newsletter from Bloomberg, the new Apple TV and HomePod mini could arrive at any time in 2026, while the robotic arm attachment for HomeHub won't be ready for some time yet. Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Tiny Ann Arbor Apple Store will move to a bigger space in July
The Apple Store at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is getting an upgrade. It's set to shift over to a larger space in the same mall at the end of July.Apple Briarwood - Image Credit: AppleThe Apple Briarwood store is one of the smallest outlets in Apple's retail empire. However, that will soon change for the better.In Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman writes that the Briarwood Mall store is getting a major upgrade. It will be changing its spot to a larger space within the same shopping center. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Today in Apple history: iOS 4 brings FaceTime and multitasking
On June 21, 2010, Apple released the first version of iOS 4. With FaceTime and other features, it brought big changes to iPhone and iPad. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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