Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia.


Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production.

Apple supplier Foxconn has reportedly dismantled all of its production lines for the ‌iPhone Air‌, while Luxshare, another supplier, stopped production at the end of October.

As a result of the device's poor reception among consumers, rival smartphone manufacturers including Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and others have either canned or adjusted their development plans for Air-style models, and reallocated eSIM solutions intended for the devices to other production lines.

Xiaomi reportedly planned a "true Air model" to rival Apple's offering, while Vivo targeted thinness within its mid-range S series. Both companies are now said to have halted related projects but have yet to officially comment.

Apple relied on the iPhone Air's new look to generate excitement – it's the first major redesign of the iPhone since the iPhone X introduced Face ID and an all-display front in 2017. However, achieving a super-thin 5.6 mm profile required trade-offs. The iPhone Air uses a smaller battery and a single rear camera, yet still carries a premium price.

Starting at $999, it seems too expensive for what many buyers view as style over substance. It sits only $100 below the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro, which offers a triple-lens camera system and far better battery life.

The tepid consumer response is also said to have forced Apple back to the drawing board: a report from The Information claims Apple has delayed the second-generation iPhone Air while it redesigns the device to potentially fit in a second camera and improve battery life.

Apparently it's been a similar story for Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge, the Korean company's equivalent ultra-thin offering. Samsung has reportedly cancelled the Galaxy S26 Edge and halted the production of the Galaxy S25 Edge, owing to poor sales.

(Via DigiTimes.)
This article, "iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In case you missed it: Spotify has been rolling out a new built-in playlist-transfer feature for its mobile app, so now you can import playlists from other streaming services directly, without the need for third-party tools.


Announced by the company a week ago, the feature is powered by TuneMyMusic, and it supports all the major services including Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, TIDAL, Pandora, and Deezer. Spotify said the tool would roll out to all users "over the coming days."

You should be able to find the new tool in the "Your Library" section of the Spotify app – swipe to the bottom of the list, then tap on the new option to "Import your music" and follow the prompts to connect with the service.

You can then choose the platform you'd like to transfer playlists from. Missing tracks can still happen when services' catalogs don't align, but for most users the process now takes only a few taps.

The rollout removes one of the biggest barriers to switching platforms. Until now, users had to rebuild playlists manually or rely on third-party apps to do so. It's a nice bonus too, since the online version of TuneMyMusic only lets you transfer 500 tracks for free – unlimited transfers require a paid plan.

Apple Music rolled out its own transfer tool globally in September, allowing users to import their playlists and libraries from competing services.
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It's only been two months since iOS 26 launched, but rumors don't take breaks. We're already hearing details about the next-generation iOS 27 update, which Apple will introduce in June 2026 before launching it in September 2026.


We've rounded up all of the rumors that we've heard so far.

Foldable Features

In 2026, Apple plans to launch the first foldable iPhone, a device that could be called the ‌iPhone‌ Fold. Rumors suggest that it will feature a 5.5-inch display when folded, and a 7.8-inch display when it's opened up like a book.

An ‌iPhone‌ with a larger display that also folds will require some major updates to iOS, and iOS 27 will focus on building new interfaces and experiences made for a larger display.

We haven't heard specifics on how Apple will tweak iOS to accommodate the ‌iPhone‌ Fold, but we could see some iPad-like options such as side bars and perhaps even multitasking views with support for multiple windows.

Bug Fixes

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has described iOS 27 as a "Snow Leopard" update, suggesting that Apple will focus on improving underlying performance and quality rather than introducing major new functionality. Apple engineers are reportedly going through ‌iOS 26‌ to look for bloat, bugs, and any other issues impacting performance.

Liquid Glass

iOS 27 might include refinements for the Liquid Glass design that Apple introduced with ‌iOS 26‌. There have already been some changes in the iOS 26.1 and iOS 26.2 updates, but iOS 27 will provide Apple with the opportunity to make larger adjustments.

Apple Intelligence

We're supposed to get the much smarter version of Siri in an iOS 26.4 update planned for spring 2026, but it's likely even more Apple Intelligence capabilities will follow in iOS 27.

We don't know specifics yet, but ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features could expand to additional apps.

Apple is working on a "World Knowledge" Siri search feature that would provide information on general search queries, which will likely be included in ‌Siri‌'s iOS 26.4 update. If it's not in iOS 26.4, the add-on ‌Siri‌ feature could instead come in iOS 27.

Siri

With iOS 27, Apple could update Siri's design. ‌Siri‌ will get its major overhaul in iOS 26.4, but a new visual look is supposedly planned for iOS 27. There are no specifics about what the redesign might entail, but rumors linked to Apple's upcoming tabletop robot suggest that the company might introduce a version of ‌Siri‌ that's more animated, similar to the Mac Finder logo. That more animated version of ‌Siri‌ could also come to the ‌iPhone‌ and iPad.

Health+

Apple is rumored to be developing a paid Health+ service with nutrition planning and medical suggestions, and we could see that introduced as part of iOS 27.

The medical tool would explain different health metrics and trends from the Health app, offering up personalized guidance for health improvement.

New Satellite Features

Apple is working on several new satellite features for the ‌iPhone‌, and it's possible some features could be introduced as soon as 2027. Timing on Apple's satellite improvements is unclear, though, and behind-the-scenes updates from Apple's satellite partner Globalstar are required.
Rumored features:

• Apple Maps via satellite


• Photos in Messages via satellite


• Satellite API framework for third-party apps


• Satellite over 5G


• Satellite connectivity without the need for a view of the sky

Some of these features might require new hardware, but options like ‌Apple Maps‌ via satellite would not require components beyond what's available now.

Launch Date

New versions of iOS, macOS, and Apple's other software platforms will be previewed in June at WWDC before launching in September just ahead of when new ‌iPhone‌ models come out.
This article, "iOS 27: All the Rumors About Apple's Next Big iPhone Software Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Belkin’s always been a top accessory maker when it comes to MagSafe and Qi2 products for iPhone users, and these accessories are no different. For Black Friday, Belkin is offering some pretty compelling discounts on some of its leading charging accessories. I’ll be sharing my impressions here.

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Sponsored by Roborock: Save up to 50% on Roborock’s flagship vacuums during their Black Friday event — but hurry, these deals won’t last long! 

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Apple is fighting an antitrust penalty law in India that could require it to pay massive fines in its ongoing antitrust dispute with Tinder owner Match, reports Reuters.


Last year, India passed a law that allows the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to use global turnover when calculating penalties imposed on companies for abusing market dominance. Apple can be fined up to 10 percent, which would result in a penalty of around $38 billion. Apple said that using global turnover would result in a fine that's "manifestly arbitrary, unconstitutional, grossly disproportionate, and unjust."

Apple is asking India's Delhi High Court to declare the law illegal, suggesting that penalties should be based on the Indian revenue of the specific unit that violates antitrust law.

Apple has been fighting an antitrust lawsuit in India since 2022 against dating app Match and several Indian startups. The CCI released a pair of reports last year suggesting that Apple had engaged in "abusive conduct and practices" because it required developers to use its in-app purchase system. The CCI was forced to recall its investigative reports because they contained confidential information about Apple's business practices, resulting in a delay of several months. No final decision has been made, and a penalty has yet to be levied against Apple. Apple maintains that it has not done anything wrong, and argues that it has a very small share of the smartphone market in India because Android devices are much more popular.

Apple said in today's filing that the CCI used the new penalty law on November 10 in an unrelated case, fining a company for a violation that happened 10 years ago. Apple said it had "no choice but to bring this constitutional challenge now" to avoid having retrospective penalties applied against it, too.

Match has argued that a high fine based on global turnover would discourage companies from repeating antitrust violations. Apple's plea will be heard on December 3.
This article, "Apple Asks Indian Court to Block Antitrust Law Allowing $38 Billion Fine" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Opera updated its AI-powered Neon browser today with a handful of welcome integrations and usability improvements. Here’s what’s new.

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AI service Perplexity was this week updated with a new personalized shopping experience that's designed to help users rediscover the joy of shopping.


Perplexity offers conversational search that incorporates the user's history and wants when looking for item suggestions. The Perplexity team suggests that the AI is able to understand each shopper's unique needs better than a search algorithm that's optimized for advertiser dollars.

The search engine is able to remember past searches, learning each user's design preferences. Results are displayed in product cards rather than scrollable grids, with the cards featuring spec lists and reviews. Perplexity supports checking out with PayPal directly from the Perplexity interface, though this is currently limited to supported merchants like Fabletics, Adorama, and NewEgg.

OpenAI this week added an AI shopping research feature to ChatGPT, so both ChatGPT and Perplexity now offer similar functionality.

Perplexity's new shopping experience is available for free to all U.S. Perplexity users on the desktop and web, and it will be expanding to iOS in the coming weeks.

PayPal is currently offering a cash back reward. Customers who complete their first purchase using PayPal within Perplexity can receive 50 percent back, up to $50.
This article, "Perplexity Adds AI-Powered Shopping Feature With PayPal Checkout" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is seeking to invalidate a new Indian antitrust penalty formula that allows fines to be based on a company’s global turnover rather than its local revenue. Here are the details.

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YouTuber Becca Farsace has posted a new video documenting her experience using the M5 Apple Vision Pro to replace all her other non-smartphone screens for a month. Here’s how it went.

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Apple offers two entry level MacBook models: the MacBook Air, and the base model MacBook Pro. There’s a couple hundred dollars in difference between the two, which begs the question – is the MacBook Pro worth the premium, or should you save money and stick to the MacBook Air?

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For the second time in recent years, a group called International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) is suing Apple over alleged use of conflict minerals in Congo and Rwanda. Here are the details.

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Companies and brands are becoming increasingly more creative in the MagSafe accessories space. They are doing everything they can to find some sort of differentiator to really separate themselves from the pack. So when I got my hands on Kuxiu’s K1 Ultra, it was nice to see a product that was unique in both form and function. Here is what you should know!

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New browsers keep launching, usually with an AI focus. But a new option from the team behind the Kagi search engine takes a different approach. Orion is built on WebKit and emphasizes speed and user privacy—in other words, it’s a browser built primarily to attract Apple users. After a lengthy beta, the Orion Mac app just launched. Here are the details.

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Starting with iOS 26.1, Apple has updated the Clock app icon to work a lot more like an Apple Watch.

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Apple’s M5 iPad Pro launched last month, and I upgraded from an M4 iPad Pro. My first impressions of the new model were positive, but here’s how my 13-inch M5 iPad Pro has held up after a full month of use.

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Idris Elba is the star of Hijack, a hit Apple TV thriller that’s returning for a new season soon. Ahead of the Hijack season 2 premiere, Apple has shared a fun new video of Elba “reviewing” season 1 reviews.

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The Black Friday Week deals just keep coming folks. While in year’s past the early deals were just the early deals and they remained largely stagnant until Thanksgiving rolled around…not this year. Alongside the ongoing all-time low pricing on AirPods Pro 3 at $220, AirPods 4 at $69, and AirPods 4 with ANC $100, Apple’s AirPods Max dropped again late yesterday and you’ll now find all five colorways marked down to $399.99 shipped, or $149 off the list price – one of the best deals we have ever tracked. Those offers also join straight up $200 price drops on the new M5 MacBook Pro lineup as well as this particularly notable $230 discount on the 24GB/512GB model. All of that sits alongside even lower prices across most Apple Watch Series 11 models, and a load big-time official Apple accessory deals starting from just $5. Scope it all out below. 

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iOS 26.2 is launching soon, and it’s packed with a bunch of new features. Many of those features are additions to Apple’s built-in iPhone apps. Here’s everything new across six Apple apps in iOS 26.2.

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OWC kicked off its Black Friday sale this week, offering big discounts on a variety of USB-C docks, external drives and enclosures, and Mac accessories. Some of these deals won't be applied until you add the items to your cart, at which time an automatic coupon will be applied to your order.

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

There are a few notable deals in this sale, including $130 off the popular 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock for Mac, available for $149.99, which is the steepest discount we've seen since the summer on the accessory. If you purchase a qualifying new or used Mac at the same time as this dock, you can get an additional $20 off the accessory at checkout.

Docks and Hubs

• OWC USB-C Travel Dock - $24.99, down from $49.99


• OWC USB-C Travel Dock E - $49.99, down from $59.99


• Thunderbolt Mini Dock - $69.99, down from $129.99


• 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock - $149.99, down from $279.99


• OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock - $179.99, down from $299.99

Memory Cards

• Atlas Pro 240GB - $89.99, down from $134.99


• Atlas Pro 512GB - $129.99, down from $179.99


• Atlas Pro 480GB - $149.99, down from $199.99


• Atlas Ultra 1TB - $229.99, down from $299.99


• Atlas Pro 960GB - $299.99, down from $399.99

External Drives and Enclosures

• 1TB 1M2 SSD - $179.99, down from $249.99


• 2TB 1M2 SSD - $279.99, down from $399.99


• 4TB 1M2 SSD - $479.99, down from $629.99


• 4TB Envoy Pro FX - $549.99, down from $649.99


• 8TB 1M2 SSD - $949.99, down from $1,399.99

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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This article, "OWC's Black Friday Sale Has Steep Discounts on Docks, Drives, and Mac Accessories" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iOS 26 arrived in September with a variety of new features for AirPods, including a new setting that you may want to turn on if you ever fall asleep wearing your AirPods.

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Amazon this week is discounting Apple Watch Series 11 GPS and cellular models, with up to $60 off select devices. These deals join the abundance of Black Friday deals on Apple Watches, also including great discounts on Apple Watch SE 3.

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 $339.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $369.99, down from $429.00. You'll find three of the 42mm GPS models on sale at this all-time low price, and four of the 46mm GPS models discounted by $59 in this sale.




If you're shopping for cellular models, you can also find new record low prices on multiple models this week on Amazon. The 42mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 has hit $439.99, down from $499.00, and the 46mm cellular model has hit $469.99, down from $529.00.




In addition to Series 11 deals, Amazon has big deals on multiple Apple Watch models this week. This includes $49 off Apple Watch SE 3.

Apple Watch SE 3

• Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm GPS) - $199.00 ($50 off)


• Apple Watch SE 3 (44mm GPS) - $229.00 ($50 off)

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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This article, "Apple Watch Series 11 Drops to New Low Price of $339 in Black Friday Sale" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Previous reports have indicated Apple is planning an OLED iPad mini for launch as early as next year, but a reputable leaker just offered updated launch timing for the new product.

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Amazon this week is taking $75 off Wi-Fi models of Apple's 11th generation iPad. Prices start at $274.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00, which is a new all-time low price on this model.

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 $374.00 ($75 off) and the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad for $579.00 ($70 off). Free delivery estimates are placed around November 30 for most of these iPad models, but Prime members should be able to get same-day delivery in many locations.





You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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This article, "Amazon Black Friday Sale Discounts 11th Gen iPad to New Low Price of $274" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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