Apple appears to have joined Meta-owned social media site Threads, two years after Threads first launched. Apple has a verified Threads profile and the @apple handle, but has yet to make any posts. Apple's account has 4.8 million followers, because of its existing followers on Instagram.


It's not clear why Apple has opted to make a Threads account, and there's no word on whether it will actually see use. Apple also has the @apple handle on X, but it uses the account for advertising and does not share content there (though it does on other specific feature accounts). Apple has a similar unused Facebook account.

Apple does have an active @apple Instagram account where it regularly posts Shot on iPhone videos, and an @apple TikTok account for sharing Apple product tips.

(Thanks, Matthew!)
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When you're not using your iPhone, the Lock Screen is what you see most often. Liquid Glass is everywhere in iOS 26, and it starts right when you pick up your device. The Lock Screen got a Liquid Glass overhaul, plus a few other new features.


Here's what you'll see first when you upgrade to ‌iOS 26‌.

Liquid Glass

The two customizable control buttons on the Lock Screen are larger and have a floating, glass-like appearance like the other Liquid Glass interface options in ‌iOS 26‌. The clock has a frosted glass appearance with the new "Glass" option, using lighting effects to make it look like glass in the real world.


Glass can be selected for any of the clock fonts, and you can choose a color to tint the glass. Apple has multiple preset options, or you can select your own.

When you tilt your ‌iPhone‌, light reflects and glints with the movement, for a realistic glass effect.


Notifications that are on your Lock Screen have a Liquid Glass aesthetic with a frosted glass look that leaves your wallpaper visible behind them.

Clock

In addition to having a Liquid Glass aesthetic, the clock can be resized to better match your ‌iPhone‌'s wallpaper using a new adaptive feature. When you're customizing your Lock Screen, you can grab the corner of the time and drag it down to expand it.


Adjusting the size of the time only works with the first font option, and only with the standard Arabic, Western numbering.


With photo wallpapers, the time can automatically expand to fill in missing space, and it can change based on the image if you have Photo Shuffle set. The subject in photo wallpapers is meant to always be visible, and can overlap the time in unique ways in ‌iOS 26‌.


There is a Photos watch face for the Apple Watch that also supports time that changes size and position based on the wallpaper.

Wallpaper

There is a new default wallpaper that was designed for ‌iOS 26‌. It's multiple shades of blue, with the same floating glass aesthetic that the rest of ‌iOS 26‌ features. The wallpaper can subtly shift with ‌iPhone‌ movement.


It's a small detail, but the icons for selecting different wallpaper categories have been updated to better match the Liquid Glass design.

Spatial Scenes

Aside from the Liquid Glass time, Spatial Scenes are the biggest change to the Lock Screen. 2D photos that you set as wallpaper can be turned into 3D spatial images that separate the subject of the photo from the background using depth information.


When you move your ‌iPhone‌, Spatial Scenes shift and move along with it, making the images feel alive. Spatial Scenes is a feature in the ‌Photos‌ app too, and it can be added to any image that you've taken with your ‌iPhone‌, including older ones.

Tap on the small icon with a mountain and a sun to activate the Spatial Scenes setting when choosing a photo wallpaper.

Widgets

Lock Screen widgets can be placed on the top of the display under the time, or at the bottom of the display. In earlier versions of iOS, you could only put widgets at the top of the screen. With the adaptive clock and new wallpaper options, widgets can also shift down automatically to ensure the subject of an image is always visible.

Apple Music

Apple added a new Lock Screen widget for Apple Music search, but there are no other new Lock Screen widget options. What is new, though, is a new full screen Now Playing interface that shows album art. Artwork expands and animates right on the Lock Screen.

Read More

We have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup that goes into detail on all of the new features that are available in the update.
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When you're away from home and want to play your Nintendo Switch 2 on a larger display, you can do so if you have a USB-C iPad. All you need is an app and a couple of accessories to get everything connected, as MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera demonstrates.


To use this setup, you need a USB-C ‌iPad‌ that's able to run the latest version of iOS, and a Nintendo Switch. We're demonstrating with Nintendo's new Switch 2, but it also works with the original Switch, plus other Playstation and Xbox consoles.

Along with the ‌iPad‌ and the Switch 2, you need to pick up an HDMI cable and a video capture card dongle, which is easy to get on Amazon for around $20. Along with the hardware, you need to get an app that captures the video feed from your Switch and sends it to your ‌iPad‌.

We tested Orion, which is free to use, but has a one-time $5 upgrade for extra features like 4K upscaling.

When you have all the components and the software, plug in the Switch 2 dock, then plug the HDMI cable into the dock. The other end of the HDMI cable connects to the video capture card, and the capture card's USB-C cable plugs into the ‌iPad‌. From there, put the Switch 2 in the dock and power everything on.

You should see your Switch 2's display come up on the ‌iPad‌, and you're ready to play. There is a little bit of input lag, but it's minimal. You may not want to play online shooters, but offline games should be fine.
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The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support.


In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you send text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable. This feature will work without an iPhone, he said.

Gurman also expects the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to support a special version of 5G for smartwatches. The existing Ultra models support LTE.

Last year, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 received a black titanium case option, but otherwise the Ultra model has not received any hardware upgrades since 2023.

Other likely upgrades for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 include an S10 chip or newer, faster charging, and a wide-angle OLED display that is brighter when viewed from an angle and offers a higher refresh rate for the always-on display mode. All of these improvements were already introduced on the Apple Watch Series 10 last year.

In March, Gurman said Apple was still experiencing issues with a planned blood pressure monitoring feature for the Apple Watch, so it is unclear if that will be ready in time for the Ultra 3, which should launch in a little over two months from now.


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Apple is well into development on the foldable iPhone, but it has decided to pause work on a larger-screened foldable iPad, reports Digitimes.


There have been multiple rumors about Apple's work on some kind of notebook-sized foldable device. Some have referred to it as a foldable iPad, while others have called it an all-display MacBook. Either way, it appears that development has stopped for the time being while Apple focuses on a foldable ‌iPhone‌.

Digitimes says that Apple is holding off on the foldable ‌iPad‌ because of manufacturing difficulties, increased production expenses for foldable display technology, and modest consumer demand for larger foldable devices.

If Digitimes is correct and Apple has decided not to work on a larger foldable for the time being, it doesn't mean it's a permanent decision. Apple could revisit a foldable ‌iPad‌ or MacBook when display technology improves enough to become more affordable.

The foldable device was rumored to be between 18.8 inches and 20.2 inches, with OLED display technology and a crease-free design. Information about a potential launch timeline has varied from 2026 to 2028, but it sounds like we could be waiting even longer.

As for the foldable ‌iPhone‌, it's expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models next year.
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Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects an all-new, more-affordable MacBook model powered by an iPhone chip to launch next year.


Below, we recap rumors and other possibilities for this new MacBook.

Chip

The new MacBook will be equipped with the A18 Pro chip, according to Kuo. If so, it would be the first Mac to ever use an A-series chip from an iPhone. (In 2020, Apple did briefly offer developers a Mac mini with the iPad Pro's A12Z chip, to help them prepare for the Mac's transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon).

Introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max last year, the A18 Pro chip has a 6-core CPU, a 6-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine.

Unsurprisingly, the A18 Pro chip is around 40% slower than Apple's latest M4 chip. As noted by Jason Snell on Six Colors, however, the chip's multi-core CPU performance is nearly identical to the M1 chip in the 2020 MacBook Air, and the A18 Pro chip even outperforms the M1 chip for graphics. That matters for pricing — see below.

Pricing

Kuo said the new MacBook will be a "more-affordable" model, but he did not provide an exact price point. The current 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $999 in the U.S., so the new MacBook would likely have a starting price of between $699 and $899.

As mentioned above, the A18 Pro chip's performance is similar to the M1 chip in the 2020 MacBook Air, which Apple still sells for $649 through Walmart. Given this MacBook Air model is nearly five years old, it will be discontinued at some point, and the MacBook with an A18 Pro chip could effectively be its replacement sold directly by Apple.

Specs

As noted by Stephen Hackett on 512 Pixels, the A18 Pro chip lacks Thunderbolt support, so the new MacBook would likely be equipped with regular USB-C ports. They would look the same as Thunderbolt ports, but data transfer speeds would be limited to up to 10 Gb/s, and the new MacBook might natively support only a single external display.

iPhones with the A18 Pro chip have only 8GB of RAM, whereas all current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models start with at least 16GB of RAM.

No other specs have been reported yet, but obviously a lower-priced MacBook will have other limitations compared to MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models.

Design

While this rumor may fuel hopes that Apple is planning to relaunch the discontinued 12-inch MacBook, Kuo said the new MacBook will be equipped with an approximately 13-inch display, matching the smaller MacBook Air.

Still, the new MacBook could have a lot in common with the old 12-inch MacBook in spirit, including an ultra-thin and lightweight design.

Kuo said potential color options for the new MacBook include silver, blue, pink, and yellow, so the laptop could come in bright and fun colors, like the iMac.

Release Date

While he did not provide an exact release date, Kuo expects the more-affordable MacBook to enter mass production towards the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, or early in the first quarter of 2026. He said that shipments of the new MacBook will begin at some point in 2026, so the laptop should be available at some point next year.

Ever since the Mac lineup transitioned from Intel processors to Apple silicon, it has felt somewhat inevitable that Apple would relaunch its plain "MacBook" model. Arm architecture paves the way for an iPhone chip to be used in a Mac, and Apple no longer has to worry about the power efficiency constraints of Intel processors, allowing for the return of a super compact, ultra-thin, and lightweight MacBook for everyday customers.
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DJI, best known for its line of drones, today announced the launch of the Power 2000, a portable power station. DJI already offers the Power 1000, and the Power 2000 is a larger, more capable version of the Power 1000.


I was able to test the Power 2000 before launch, to provide insight into the product for those who might be looking for a large power station option.

DJI's Power 2000 has a 2048Wh capacity with an LFP battery, double the capacity of the Power 1000. It's designed to power multiple devices or large appliances and equipment in emergencies, when off-grid, or when no traditional power source is available such as in a van living situation. It's $1,299, so it's not cheap, but it does seem to be priced competitively.

DJI describes the Power 2000 as compact, and it is compared to some competing products with similar capacities, but it stretches the definition of portable. The Power 2000 weighs approximately 50 pounds, so while it is a device that works well at home as a backup, in a vehicle, or in an off-grid situation where you have the ability to transport it, it's not something that's ideal for carrying around.


Most people aren't going to want to lug a 50-pound device out for a day at the park or the beach, and it's not going to work for camping when a vehicle isn't available, such as in a hike-in situation. There are other, smaller power banks that are better for that purpose, but the Power 2000 is ideal as a home backup unit or for vehicle living situations. If you need even more power, the Power 2000 does support up to 10 Power Expansion Battery units (each 2048Wh) for a total capacity of 22,528Wh.

DJI included two carrying handles on either side of the Power 2000, but it could have done better. Anker's power banks of this size come with a set of wheels and an extendable handle so you can more easily transport them, and including something similar would have made the Power 2000 much easier to move from place to place. Even bringing it to different rooms and moving it outside to test charging was a chore during the review due to the weight, though size is a different story. It's heavy, but it is smaller than I would have expected. It measures in at 17.5 inches by 13 inches by 9 inches.

All of the ports are at the front of the Power 2000 for easy access. There are four AC ports that accommodate standard plugs, four USB-C ports, four USB-A ports, two bidirectional "smart" DC ports, and two 1/4" threaded ports for DJI accessories, solar panels, and other devices. All of the ports can be used at once, for charging multiple devices at the same time. Two of the USB-C ports support 140W and were able to charge my MacBook Pro at full speed with the USB-C to MagSafe cable, while the other two ports support 65W.


There's a power button that activates the Power 2000 when you hold it down for two seconds, and a separate AC button that turns on the AC ports. A display at the front tells you what's drawing power and how long the battery will last, or how much power the device is drawing from an outlet and the time to recharge.

The Power 2000 can handle a total of 3,000 watts, so it is powerful enough to run most appliances and devices in the home. It can handle refrigerators (even full-sized), heaters, microwaves, portable AC units, medical devices, and power tools. While it's useful to have a device like the Power 2000 on hand for power outages, I find the large batteries useful in situations where I need to use a tool in a spot where there's no outlet.

I can put the Power 2000 in my Gorilla Cart and plug in whatever I need. I've done this when sanding, using a pressure washer, using a heat gun, powering a shop vac, and more. My brother keeps a similar large power bank in his car for emergencies, and I've also used one for backup power. If you've ever had a multi-hour or multi-day power outage because of a weather event, you're aware of the utility of a large power bank or backup generator.


The Power 2000 has enough capacity to power my router and my cable modem for longer than an 8-hour workday, so if the electricity is out, I can still get online with AT&T fiber. I plugged in my PlayStation 5, 65-inch TV, Apple TV, and some lights. Power draw was 400W, give or take, and it was able to run everything for over four hours.

Charging my MacBook Air dropped the Power 2000's battery from 100 percent to 95 percent, and it dropped a percent charging my iPhone 16 Pro Max from zero to 80 percent. I can't test how many times I can charge my MacBook or iPhone because it would take forever, but based on the test charges, it should handle charging a ‌MacBook Air‌ around 20 times and an iPhone 16 over 100 times. It can also charge my camera battery over 100 times, and of course it can charge DJI drones.


I don't have medical equipment, but these kinds of batteries can be useful for CPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, and other devices that need power even when there's an outage. The Power 2000 has an option for an uninterruptible power supply mode. It can be plugged into a wall outlet, a device can be plugged into the Power 2000, and then if the power goes out, the device will remain on with no interruption. It also offers passthrough charging, so you can use it as a charging station that expands the number of devices that can run from a single outlet.

DJI suggests that the Power 2000 can run a router for 152 hours, a projector for 80 hours, a car refrigerator for 38 hours, an electric fan for 18 hours, and a lamp for 180 hours. A DJI drone should be able to charge 24 times.

I drained and charged the Power 2000 several times over the testing period. I haven't had it long enough to determine how long it holds a charge, but in my experience, these kinds of batteries will stay charged for months. You usually have to use them every three to six months for optimal health, and you won't want to store it with a full charge. The Power 2000 uses a lithium iron phosphate battery that DJI says will retain 80 percent capacity after 4,000 cycles, and that it is able to maintain power for months due to its power management features.


DJI's app works with the Power 2000, so you can check the remaining battery and get a readout of how long the accessory will last based on what's plugged in (this is the same readout that's on the display). DJI's remaining battery estimates were accurate, and were within about 20 minutes of the actual battery life in my testing. When I did drain the battery to zero twice, it had a zero readout before it was entirely out of power, so I had a grace period before it shut off.


The best part about the Power 2000 is how quickly it can charge. With a super charging mode, it can accept up to 1,800 watts to charge from 0 to 80 percent in 55 minutes. I did blow a fuse doing that, so it does need to charge from an outlet with nothing else on the circuit if you have 15-amp circuits. I have a 20-amp circuit for a kiln, which supported more power draw for the faster charging.

The standard charging is about 1200W, and that takes under two hours to charge, which is plenty fast enough for me. The Power 2000 is able to charge with a solar panel, and DJI sent a 100W model for testing. At 100W, it's going to take over a day to charge the Power 2000 to 100 percent even in full sun, so you're going to want a serious solar panel array if you plan to recharge the Power 2000 with solar. It's summer where I am, and we've had sunny, 90-degree weather, but I'm not typically getting the full 100W because of tree cover, and the fact that the sun moves throughout the day. Even partial sun or a cloudy day will give a little bit of power, so you won't be entirely without charge.


To connect a solar panel to the Power 2000, DJI has a $60 Solar Panel adapter. It only connects to DJI-certified Zignes solar panels, and it supports plugging in three panels for a maximum of 400W per adapter. The Power 2000 can be used with other solar panels, but a converter is required to connect the solar panel to the adapter module. Other batteries like this have built-in ports for solar panels, so I'm not sure why DJI went the adapter route.

You can also charge from a car at up to 1000W, though that requires the DJI Power Super Fast Car Charger. Charging via a car charges the battery to full in 145 minutes, plus there's a car and solar combo for faster charging, and an option to pair AC and DC charging. You can plug the Power 2000 in and also draw power from a solar panel or car charger, at up to 2200W total.

Charging was quiet, and I could barely hear the Power 2000 when it was plugged in. DJI says that with standard charging, the sound is no higher than 30dB, and I couldn't hear it unless I was right next to it. I didn't feel it get warm when charging devices or charging up itself.

DJI says there are 26 built-in temperature sensors and 21 fuses to detect anomalies, preventing overcharging, overvoltage, overcurrent, and other safety issues. The device is made of flame-retardant material and it has a load-bearing capacity of up to a ton, plus it has internal protections against accidental water exposure and outdoor condensation. It can operate normally in temperatures up to 113°F.

There is a three year warranty, and DJI offers extended warranties to customers who register on the DJI website.

Bottom Line

DJI's Power 2000 has a competitive price point and an attractive array of ports and features, so it is worth considering if you're looking for a battery with a 2000Wh capacity. The app is useful for keeping an eye on power transfer, and I appreciated the high-power USB-C ports.


I do wish DJI added wheels and a handle for easier transportation, and there are also quite a few add-ons and accessories that are needed if you want to charge the battery with a car or with solar. You'll need to take those add-ons into account when comparing the DJI Power 2000 to competing products.

How to Buy

The DJI Power 2000 can be purchased from the DJI website for $1,099 thanks to a current sale. Retail price is expected to be $1,299.

Note: DJI provided MacRumors with a Power 2000 for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

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Apple has filed a patent for a new type of image sensor that could give future iPhones and other Apple devices the ability to capture photos and videos with dynamic range levels approaching that of the human eye.


The patent, titled "Image Sensor With Stacked Pixels Having High Dynamic Range And Low Noise," was first spotted by Y.M.Cinema Magazine and describes an advanced sensor architecture that combines stacked silicon, multiple levels of light capture, and on-chip noise suppression mechanisms to reach up to 20 stops of dynamic range.

For comparison, the dynamic range of the human eye is estimated to be around 20 to 30 stops, depending on how the pupil adjusts and how light is processed over time. Most smartphone cameras today capture between 10 and 13 stops. If Apple's proposed sensor reaches its potential, it would not only surpass current iPhones but also outperform many professional cinema cameras, such as the ARRI ALEXA 35.

The patent outlines a stacked sensor design made up of two layers. The top layer, called the sensor die, contains the parts that capture light. The layer underneath, the logic die, handles processing, including noise reduction and exposure control.

Currently, Apple uses sensors made by Sony across the iPhone lineup. Those sensors also use a two-layer design, but Apple's version includes several original features and takes up less space.

One of the most important parts of the sensor design is a system called a Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor (LOFIC). This allows each pixel in the sensor to store different amounts of light depending on how bright the scene is, all in the same image. With this, the sensor can handle extremely wide lighting differences, such as a person standing in front of a bright window, without losing detail in the shadows or highlights.

Another part of the design focuses on reducing image noise and grain. Each pixel has its own built-in memory circuit that measures and cancels out heat-related electronic noise in real time. This is done on the chip itself, before the image is saved or edited by software.

Patent filings cannot be taken as evidence of Apple's immediate plans, but they do indicate areas of active research and interest for the company, as well as what it is considering developing for future devices.
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The first MacBook Pro models with OLED displays are still expected to launch next year.


Omdia analyst Linda Lin reiterated the 2026 timeframe for the first MacBook models with OLED displays in a recent research note. While she did not mention the MacBook Pro specifically, it is widely expected that OLED displays will debut in the higher-end MacBook Pro models before the lower-end MacBook Air models.

When the MacBook Pro switches from mini-LED to OLED display technology, benefits will include increased brightness, higher contrast ratio with deeper blacks, improved power efficiency for longer battery life, and more.

Overall, the MacBook Pro is expected to receive its first major redesign since 2021 next year, with rumored changes including an OLED display and a thinner design. Apple will also be on to the M6, M6 Pro, and M6 Max chips by then.

In December 2024, Omdia intriguingly claimed that next year's MacBook Pro models will have a hole-punch camera at the top of the screen, instead of a notch. It is unclear if this rumor was accurate, or if that change remains on Apple's roadmap.

If you are considering purchasing a new MacBook Pro, it might be best to hold off until next year if you are able to wait. Apple will likely update the MacBook Pro line with the M5 series of chips later this year, but not much is expected beyond that spec bump. The more significant changes mentioned above should arrive by October 2026.
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The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design.


The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a complete circle, but the new layout has an opening in it.


Majin Bu and Sonny Dickson said the Apple logo on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models will be positioned lower than it is on current iPhone models, as a result of a much larger camera bump, and the new MagSafe design would ensure that the logo remains fully visible when these devices are covered by an updated MagSafe case.

iPhone case manufacturing sources told Majin Bu that existing MagSafe accessories will remain compatible with the iPhone 17 Pro models, so it appears that this change would be purely aesthetic, with no functional improvement. However, it has been separately rumored that the iPhone 17 Pro models could offer at least slightly faster MagSafe charging speeds than previous models with a future version of Apple's MagSafe Charger.
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Amazon today has low prices across nearly the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, with up to $175 off both 13-inch and 15-inch models. Many of the notebooks in this sale are seeing delivery estimates around July 7.

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.

Starting with the 13-inch models, Amazon has $150 off all three configurations of this notebook. Prices start at $849.00 for the 256GB model, then raise to $1,049.00 for the 16GB/512GB model and $1,249.00 for the 24GB/512GB model. All of these are solid second-best prices on the M4 MacBook Air.





Moving to the larger display models, Amazon has both 512GB versions of the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week, as well as the 256GB model. The 16GB/512GB model is available for $1,249.00 and the 24GB/512GB model is on sale for $1,424.50. Across the board, these are all second-best prices on the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air.





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.

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iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads.


As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already connected to the hotel's network.

A captive Wi-Fi network is the type that requires you to fill out a web form before gaining access. They are commonly found at hotels, gyms, coffee shops, airports, and some other public places. With this new feature, which likely extends to macOS 26 too, it will be quicker and easier to connect multiple Apple devices to these networks.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman was first to report that Apple was planning this feature, which was not mentioned during the WWDC 2025 keynote last month. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris later discovered references to it within the code for the first iOS 26 developer beta. It was believed that the feature was not functional yet, but evidently it is. According to an earlier post, it seems that Weinbach had installed the second iOS 26 developer beta.

iOS 26 will likely be released in September, bringing this handy option to the masses.


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Apple moved its long-rumored foldable iPhone into its prototyping phase with suppliers last month ahead of a launch scheduled for next year, DigiTimes reports.


According to supply chain sources speaking to DigiTimes, Apple began its initial Prototype 1 (P1) phase in June. The device should complete prototype testing by the end of 2025 and then proceed to the Engineering Verification Test (EVT) stage, ahead of launch in the second half of 2026.

The P1 phase is followed by P2 and P3 phases before EVT. Each prototyping stage takes around two months. During this time, Apple's supply chain partners conduct limited trial runs before handing over assembly responsibilities to primary ‌iPhone‌ assemblers Foxconn and Pegatron, who will validate production yields and manufacturability.

The development status of the first foldable ‌iPhone‌ is now in line with the timeline of its other products, with P1 to P3 stages taking place around a year before Apple needs to start EVT, Design Verification Test (DVT), and eventually Mass Production (MP). The iPhone 17 lineup apparently concluded its EVT phase in the second quarter of this year.

‌DigiTimes‌ added that Apple has paused work on a foldable iPad, which was originally expected to launch around the time of the foldable ‌iPhone‌. The company's reasoning for this apparently includes manufacturing difficulties, increased production costs related to flexible display technology, and low consumer demand for big-screen foldables.

Apple's first foldable ‌iPhone‌ is currently likely to launch alongside the iPhone 18 lineup in the fall of 2026.
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Apple's effort to expand iPhone production in India has encountered a setback as Foxconn has recalled hundreds of Chinese engineers and technicians from its Indian factories, Bloomberg reports.


According to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg, Foxconn has been sending home a large number of Chinese workers previously stationed at its ‌iPhone‌ manufacturing facilities in southern India. The process began approximately two months ago, and more than 300 Chinese staff have now departed.

These individuals were primarily engineers and technicians responsible for supporting operations on-site, many of whom played a central role in training local Indian workers and optimizing production processes. Taiwanese support personnel remain in India, one source said.

Foxconn is Apple's largest ‌iPhone‌ assembler and has led much of the company's manufacturing expansion into India. The decision to withdraw Chinese staff comes at a critical time, as Apple and its partners prepare to ramp up production of the iPhone 17. Foxconn is also currently constructing a new production facility in southern India.

The specific reason for the recall of the personnel is not known, but Bloomberg suggests that it aligns with the wish of Chinese authorities to impose tighter controls on the transfer of technology, labor, and equipment to India and Southeast Asia, as Chinese companies face growing pressure from global clients to diversify production outside China.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously highlighted the expertise of China's assembly workforce as a core reason why the country remains central to Apple's supply chain. While the return of Chinese engineers from India is not expected to significantly impact the quality of iPhones produced there, one source told Bloomberg that the absence of experienced Chinese staff is likely to reduce operational efficiency on the assembly lines.

Foxconn continues to manufacture the majority of Apple's iPhones in China. Whether Indian facilities can maintain Apple's stringent quality and efficiency standards without the direct involvement of Chinese engineers remains to be seen.
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Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.


‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 222 includes fixes and updates for Accessibility, CSS, Media, Rendering, Scrolling, and Web API.

The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Sequoia and macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS that's set to launch this later this year.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple’s website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.
This article, "Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 222 With Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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AT&T today said that customers can activate Wireless Account Lock, a new feature that will prevent unauthorized changes to a wireless account. With Account Lock turned on, account changes like billing updates and wireless number transfers are disabled.


Account Lock will protect AT&T users from SIM swapping, a technique that scammers employ to gain control of a smartphone user's phone number, and by extension, two-factor verification codes sent to that number. With SIM swapping, an attacker calls the carrier's support staff, pretends to be the smartphone user, and asks for a number transfer.

Postpaid AT&T customers can activate Wireless Account Lock from the myAT&T app. Locked features will not be accessible until the Wireless Account Lock is disabled in the app, requiring physical control for access. Here's what Account Lock prevents:

• Upgrading a device


• Changing a SIM card or eSIM


• Initiating a phone number transfer


• Adding a new line


• Changing billing information


• Changing authorized users


• Changing phone numbers

There are also account locking features for enterprise customers and prepaid AT&T users.

AT&T says that it will never call or text subscribers to ask them to turn off the Wireless Account Lock feature.
This article, "AT&T Launches Account Lock to Combat SIM Swapping Scams" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's satellite texting features saved an injured climber over the weekend, according to Colorado news reports. The man was stuck above 10,000 feet on Snowmass Mountain, which is one of many snowy mountains in Colorado. It can be a dangerous hike due to the potential for rockfall and because of ice.


On the trip, the unnamed 53-year-old man summited the mountain and was using a technique called glissading to slide down the mountain. Sliding down a snow-covered mountain can result in injury, and the man suffered damage to his wrist that prevented him from continuing.

There was no cellular signal where he was located, but he was able to use the iPhone's satellite texting functionality to contact a family member. The family member got in touch with the sheriff's office and Mountain Rescue Aspen.

He was located at Snowmass Lake, which is approximately eight miles from the mountain's parking area. Responders said the man was not able to walk out on his own, and it took 17 rescuers to get him to safety. Rescuers arrived to the mountain at approximately 8:25 a.m., and the climber was safely out of the area by 5:30 p.m.

Texting via satellite is just one of several satellite-based features that are offered on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and newer. There is also an Emergency SOS via satellite feature that allows ‌iPhone‌ users to get in touch with emergency services when no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity is available.

In a press release, the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office suggested that climbers learn how to use satellite texting. "Mountain Rescue Aspen and the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office remind adventurers that carrying an emergency communication device and knowing how to use Apple Satellite texting can significantly speed up the rescue process. If you are asking for help, don't hesitate to press the SOS button--it allows MRA to establish direct communication and coordinate a timely response," reads the release.
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Popular social network TikTok is still operating in the United States under a ban that has been paused by U.S. President Donald Trump, but it's possible that a deal for the sale of company is closer to being completed.


Trump this week said that he identified a buyer to purchase TikTok from ByteDance, and according to Bloomberg, Trump's pick is an investor consortium that includes Oracle, Blackstone, and Andreessen Horowitz. The consortium was previously the top choice to buy TikTok back in April, but negotiations stalled due to trade tensions.

Any deal for TikTok has to be approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has previously declined to allow negotiations to move forward. "We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way," said Trump. "I think I'll need China approval, and I think President Xi will probably do it." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that China has "reiterated its principled position," and there was nothing to add, suggesting that China plans to continue to resist a deal for TikTok.

TikTok has been banned in the U.S. since January 19, and the law requires the social network to be sold to a non-Chinese company. Under the terms of the law, app stores are supposed to stop distributing the TikTok app or face consequences, but Trump has paused the enforcement of the mandate three times now.

The original deal with the investor consortium would have seen 50 percent of TikTok's U.S. business transferred to a new unit that would be owned by outside investors. Existing U.S. investors would continue to own 30 percent of TikTok's U.S. operations, and ByteDance would still have just under 20 percent ownership.

TikTok continues to be available for download.
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Meta-owned social network Threads was today updated with support for direct messages, a feature that Meta has been testing during June. This is the first time the two-year-old social network has offered a direct messaging option.


Direct messages on Threads are limited to a person's Threads followers or mutual followers from Instagram users who are 18 and older. Meta says that as it expands messaging features, it plans to prioritize safety and positive interactions.

Additional messaging features will be coming in the future, including support for message controls, group messaging, and inbox filters.

Along with direct messaging, Threads is also getting a a highlighter feature that's meant to elevate and emphasize "unique perspectives that lead to thoughtful conversations." Highlighter will show up in content discovery, and will eventually mark trending topics.
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Apple has to pay $110.7 million for infringing on wireless patents owned by Spanish company TOT Power Control, reports Reuters. A jury found that transceivers used in Apple devices rely on 3G wireless technology owned by TOT.


TOT was formed by engineer Alvaro Lopez-Medrano, who patented a technology that manages "how power is used to respond to decreases and increases in the ratio of radio signal to interference." TOT does not manufacture any products, and it has also sued LG, Samsung, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

In the original filing in 2021, TOT said that it had approached Apple "and its suppliers of wireless baseband processors" to license TOT technology, but Apple and other companies "refused."

Apple claimed that the TOT patents it was accused of infringing were invalid, but it was unable to prove that in court. TOT was seeking damages and ongoing royalties.

Apple told Reuters that it is disappointed with the ruling and that it will appeal.
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If you listen to audio using Beats or AirPods when going to bed, iOS 26 has a useful new feature for you. The update adds a "Pause Media When Falling Asleep" option that is designed to shut off your earbuds when you're no longer awake to listen.


Apple mentioned the feature during its Worldwide Developers Conference, but it was highlighted as an AirPods feature. Code discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser suggests that the option is also available for Beats headphones.

The option to pause audio when asleep will save your spot in an audiobook or a podcast, but it should also preserve battery life by preventing your earbuds from staying on all night.

Pausing audio should be on by default when you install ‌iOS 26‌, but it can be enabled by connecting your headphones to your iPhone and then tapping on them in the Settings app. Apple has not explained how the Beats or AirPods detect that you've fallen asleep.

You'll need ‌iOS 26‌ to use the option, plus updated firmware that Apple is beta testing. ‌iOS 26‌ is limited to developers, but a public beta is coming soon. The update will launch this September.
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Smartphone maker Nothing today introduced the Headphone (1), the company's first set of over-ear headphones. The new audio accessory was created in partnership with high-end speaker company KEF.


Like most of the Nothing products, the Headphone (1) features a transparent design that lets you see the internal components inside. The see-through look does not work quite as well as it does for a smartphone, and the Headphone (1) will definitely draw attention.

The earpieces are rectangular, with PU-covered memory foam ear cups and an adjustable headband, with the shell made from a mix of plastic and aluminum. There are no distracting glyph lights like there are on the Nothing smartphones.

The Headphone (1) ear cups aren't as large as the ear cups on some other over-ear headphones, and there is a good amount of pressure on the ears that can get uncomfortable over time. The ear cups are where weight is concentrated and they are tight on the head, so you may feel them after a couple hours. The AirPods Max also have a lot of weight in the ear cups, so the fit of the Headphone (1) is similar to the fit of the ‌AirPods Max‌.

Sound quality is good for a set of headphones priced at $299, and it's not too far off what you'll get with over-ear headphones from companies like Sony, Bose, and Apple. Out of the box, the headphones are heavy on the bass, but the Nothing X app allows for EQ adjustments. Bumping up the mids and highs makes for a much more balanced listening experience.

The Headphone (1) supports Apple-esque features like spatial audio and dynamic head tracking, though you're going to be missing the iCloud-based functionality like automatic pairing and device switching. Active Noise Cancellation is included, and the Headphone (1) fits tightly on the head to minimize sound leakage, so the overall result is a solid sound dampening experience. The headphones are able to scan every 600ms to adapt to external noise.

There are physical control buttons on the Headphone (1), and they can be customized to the functions that you find most useful. There's a paddle button that can be used for audio playback, and a roller for adjusting volume. There's a 3.5mm audio jack along with support for LDAC and USB-C audio. As for battery life, the Headphone (1) lasts for 35 hours with ANC and 80 hours without it.

What do you think of the Headphone (1)? Let us know in the comments below.
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Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6.


Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.

No notable features have been found in the developer betas so far, but the iOS 18.6 update will bring additional changes to the App Store in the European Union. Aside from that, the updates likely focus on smaller changes and bug fixes. No new features were found in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.6 either.

Apple is also beta testing iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. While betas are limited to developers right now, a public beta will be coming soon.
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Apple and Major League Baseball this week announced the August schedule for Friday Night Baseball, a weekly doubleheader of MLB games streamed on Apple TV+ throughout the 2025 regular game season.


Friday Night Baseball is included with an ‌Apple TV‌+ subscription, at no additional cost. In the U.S., ‌Apple TV‌+ costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year, and it is also included in all Apple One subscription bundles with other Apple services.

The full July schedule is as follows:

Friday, 8/1
Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals
6:45 p.m. ET

Houston Astros at Boston Red Sox
7:10 p.m. ET

Friday, 8/8
Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates
6:40 p.m. ET

Houston Astros at New York Yankees
7:05 p.m. ET

Friday, 8/15
Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds
6:40 p.m. ET

Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays
7:07 p.m. ET

Friday, 8/22
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers
7:10 p.m. ET

New York Mets at Atlanta Braves
7:15 p.m. ET

Friday, 8/29
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies
6:45 p.m. ET

Baltimore Orioles at San Francisco Giants
10:15 p.m. ET

Available in 60 countries, Apple says Friday Night Baseball provides enhanced production quality, expert commentary, no local broadcast restrictions, and more.
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Apple is facing renewed antitrust scrutiny in Brazil, where the country's competition regulator has formally recommended sanctions against the company over its App Store rules.


The recommendation was issued by the General Superintendence of Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (SG/CADE), the technical body of the federal antitrust authority. In a public statement translated from Portuguese, SG/CADE determined that Apple's conduct with iOS constitutes a violation of Brazilian competition law and urged CADE's internal tribunal to impose penalties, including financial fines and mandatory changes to Apple's policies.

The investigation started in 2022 after formal complaints were submitted by Latin American e-commerce platform MercadoLibre and other digital service providers. The companies alleged that Apple engaged in anti-competitive practices by requiring in-app purchases to be made exclusively through its own payment system and by restricting developers from informing users about alternative purchasing options — a practice known as anti-steering. In a statement to the Brazilian technology publication Tecnoblog, Apple said:

For more than 16 years, the App Store has provided our users in Brazil with a safe and trusted marketplace to discover new apps and has helped Brazilian developers build successful businesses. We are concerned that CADE's proposed measures would harm the experience our users love and trust, while also introducing new risks to their privacy and security. We will continue to engage with CADE to defend the rights of users and developers on our platform.

According to Reuters, CADE's technical body has now concluded that Apple's enforcement of these restrictions creates artificial barriers to entry for competitors and harms both developers and consumers. In its ruling, CADE wrote that Apple's practices "artificially preserve its dominant position" in iOS-related markets and reduce the availability of competing digital payment solutions. CADE's internal tribunal must now decide whether to accept the recommendation and proceed with formal sanctions.
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Amazon is discounting numerous models of Apple's M4 iPad Pro this week, including both 11-inch and 13-inch models this time around. Simultaneously, Amazon has the Apple Pencil Pro for $99.00 right now, and it's compatible with these iPad Pro models.

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.

In this sale, the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro has hit $899.00, down from $999.00. There are multiple record low prices on 11-inch iPad Pros right now on Amazon, including a steep $380 discount on the high-end 2TB Wi-Fi model with Nano-Texture Glass, now available for $1,719.00.




These iPad Pro models feature Apple's M4 chip, OLED displays, and support for the Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard. Don't forget that you can get the Apple Pencil Pro for a match of its all-time low price of $99.00 today on Amazon, down from $129.00.

11-Inch iPad Pro - Wi-Fi

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $899.00 ($100 off)


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,095.30 ($103 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,439.00 ($160 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,554.00 ($145 off)


• 2TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,719.00 ($380 off)

13-Inch iPad Pro - Wi-Fi

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00 ($200 off)


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,299.00 ($200 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,699.00 ($200 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,799.00 ($200 off)


• 2TB Wi-Fi - $2,099.00 ($200 off)


• 2TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $2,199.00 ($200 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.

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Apple today shared a new ad titled "Snap-a-Mole" in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to highlight the iPhone 16 Pro's Camera Control feature.


The ad shows a photographer quickly grabbing photos with the Camera Control on the iPhone 16 Pro, using gestures to zoom in and change Photographic Styles rapidly. As a key feature of the iPhone 16 lineup, the Camera Control has been the subject of Apple ads in the past. From the latest video's description:

Never miss a shot with Camera Control. An easier way to access your camera, adjust functions like zoom, exposure, or depth of field, and toggle between Photographic Styles.

The ad ends with the words "Snap in a snap."
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Apple recorded the highest year-over-year growth among major computer vendors in the United States during the first quarter of 2025, with Mac shipments increasing 28.7% and market share rising from 14.2% to 16.0%, according to newly published data from Canalys.


Shipments of desktops and notebooks to the United States reached 16.9 million units in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 15% increase compared to the same period last year. Apple shipped 2.705 million units, up from 2.102 million in the first quarter of 2024. This gain was the highest among the top five vendors, outpacing Lenovo's 19.9% growth and significantly exceeding Dell's 8.3% and HP's 13.1%. Apple was the only top-five vendor to grow its U.S. market share by more than 1.5 percentage points during the quarter.

The first quarter surge in computer shipments is primarily attributed to vendor efforts to front-load inventory ahead of anticipated U.S. tariff changes. Canalys analysts noted that this proactive sell-in activity resulted in elevated inventory levels across the board. This inventory overhang, combined with increasing economic pressures on consumers, will likely continue to suppress further shipment growth for the remainder of the year.

Canalys projects total U.S. PC shipments to grow by only 2% for full-year 2025, with a more pronounced 4% growth forecast in 2026. According to Canalys, the total number of desktop and notebook shipments in the U.S. in 2024 was approximately 69.2 million units. That figure is expected to rise to 70.4 million units in 2025 and to 73.0 million units in 2026.
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Apple is accusing one of its former engineers of stealing confidential design and development information related to the Apple Vision Pro headset and taking it to Snap, according to a lawsuit filed in California.


Apple filed the complaint against Di Liu on June 24, 2025, in Santa Clara County Superior Court, alleging that Liu misappropriated trade secrets during his final days of employment at the company (via SiliconValley.com). Liu had worked at Apple for seven years and was most recently a senior product design engineer. He is accused of downloading thousands of internal files to his personal cloud storage account shortly before his resignation.

According to the lawsuit, Liu informed Apple that he was leaving his position to focus on his health and spend more time with his family. However, Apple alleges that Liu had already accepted a job offer from Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat and maker of the "Spectacles" smart glasses. The complaint states that Liu failed to disclose his future employment at Snap, which is ostensibly competing with Apple in the wearable augmented reality space, and thereby avoided triggering Apple's standard protocol of revoking access to internal systems immediately upon notice of employment with a competitor.

During that time, Apple alleges that Liu accessed and copied a "massive volume" of internal documents from his company-issued MacBook, including files related to product design, testing, supply chain strategy, and unreleased features of the Vision Pro. Apple discovered Liu's alleged actions through forensic analysis of his company-issued laptop. Log data from Liu's device apparently shows he manually selected specific folders, renamed them, and uploaded them to his personal cloud account. Apple further claims that Liu deleted files from the same machine in an apparent attempt to conceal the scope of the transfer.

While Snap is not named as a defendant in the suit and is not accused of any misconduct, Apple argues that there is significant overlap between the materials Liu allegedly retained and the nature of his new role. Snap issued a statement in response to press inquiries, denying any connection between the lawsuit and Liu's current responsibilities.

Apple is seeking a court order requiring Liu to return the allegedly stolen materials and allow inspection of his devices and accounts to verify that no Apple confidential information remains. The company is also pursuing unspecified financial damages for breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets.
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Just as Google Calendar makes it debut on the Apple Watch, the Google Keep app for Apple Watch has been discontinued.


Google Keep is a free note-taking service offered by Google. Version 2.2025.26200 of Google Keep removes the watchOS app, with no other noticeable changes to the app on the iPhone or iPad. Google Keep for Wear OS continues to be available.

Google Keep for Apple Watch had not been updated meaningfully for many years, with no support for many basic platform features such as complications. Meanwhile, with watchOS 26, Apple is bringing its own native Notes app to the Apple Watch for the first time.



Yesterday, Google released a Calendar app for the Apple Watch, bringing its native calendar and task functionality to watchOS for the first time. Now, only Google Maps, YouTube Music, and Google Calendar have dedicated watchOS apps.

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Apple today sent out surveys to some Vision Pro users, asking them a series of questions about the utility of various features, owned accessories, and most interestingly, competing devices.


Much of the survey asked for feedback on screen resolution, fit, and other factors, but there are some highlights. Apple asked about Guest Mode, whether the Vision Pro iPhone app is useful, and what accessories, if any, are used with the headset.

There were specific questions about competing mixed reality and virtual reality headsets, along with a question about smart glasses. Users were asked if they owned the following: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, Other Meta Quest headset, PlayStation VR, Valve Index, or ByteDance Pro. As for smart glasses, Apple asked about the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, the Amazon Echo Frames, and the Snapchat Spectacles.

The PlayStation VR and Meta Quest devices are Vision Pro competitors, but Apple does not have a product that is the equivalent of the Meta Ray-Bans or Amazon Echo Frames as of now. Apple wants to compete with those products, though, and rumors suggest that it is developing smart glasses that will be similar in function and form to the Meta Ray-Bans.

Over the weekend, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will release its first smart glasses in 2027, though other sources like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believe they will launch in 2026.

Kuo says the smart glasses will have multiple frame and temple material options for a custom look, along with support for voice control, gesture recognition, and audio playback. Integrated cameras will allow users to capture photos and videos, with the cameras also feeding information to a built-in AI assistant that will have environmental awareness. The 2027 smart glasses will be followed by "XR Glasses" with an integrated display for augmented reality features.

As for the Vision Pro, a revised model could come as soon as this year, with Apple adding an M5 chip but no other features. In 2027, Kuo claims Apple will release the "Apple Vision Air," a new Vision Pro model that's "substantially lighter" and less expensive, incorporating an ‌iPhone‌ chip instead of a Mac chip. In 2028, Apple is planning for the second-generation Vision Pro with an overhauled design, Mac-grade processor, and lower price.
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Swiss company Proton today filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing Apple of violating U.S. antitrust law. Proton is technically joining an existing May 23 class-action lawsuit against Apple that includes several Korean developers, but it has filed its own legal complaint. Proton is known for Proton Mail, an email service that uses client-side encryption for security.


In a blog post explaining the decision to file against Apple, Proton said it wants to make sure that a future settlement or ruling in the class-action suit affects "real changes" to Apple's App Store policies rather than just "cosmetic changes." The lawsuit Proton is joining is seeking monetary damages for developers, but Proton said that any funds it receives will be donated.

Proton claims Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees encourage the "surveillance capitalism business model" used by companies like Meta and Google, while harming smaller privacy-focused companies that don't monetize data. Free apps that exploit data don't pay Apple's fees, but apps that offer services in exchange for money do have to give a cut to Apple.

Proton believes that Apple's control over the ‌App Store‌ gives it too much power over app distribution, which Proton says is an issue when Apple has to comply with government app removal requests in different countries.

Finally, Proton suggests Apple's policies disadvantage end users by controlling the information that developers can provide to customers and by increasing prices that consumers pay. Proton says that it has been unable to link to FAQs and customer support pages from its apps because of Apple's restrictions on links, which is a worse experience for consumers. Proton also argues that it is unable to offer lower prices to customers because it has to pay Apple's fees.

The remedies we are seeking would address many of the social ills mentioned above, ensuring that the internet of the future can continue to protect privacy and democracy. Mobile apps are now the dominant platform of the internet and the way the bulk of the world interacts with one another and with the web. Even if app stores started out as niche markets, today they are a critical component of the internet and fundamental to democracy. It is more essential than ever that we fight to create mobile ecosystems that are truly free, competitive, and not beholden to whichever dictator corporate leaders are currently bowing down to.

Proton's filing includes a long list of requested ‌App Store‌ changes that it asks the court to put in place, including support for distributing apps through alternative app marketplaces and websites, and using alternative payment methods.
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Apple failed in its attempt to get the antitrust lawsuit that the U.S. Department of Justice filed against it dismissed, reports Reuters. U.S. District Judge Julien Neals, who is overseeing the case, today denied Apple's motion for dismissal.


Apple asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit in August of last year, arguing that the DOJ's complaint failed to demonstrate anticompetitive conduct, harm to consumers, or that Apple has a monopoly over the U.S. smartphone market.

The government's antitrust case against Apple will take years to play out, but it will now move forward. It is not unusual for a case to fail to be dismissed, because when filing for a dismissal, there are limits on the information that can be provided and cases often go in favor of the plaintiff.

The DOJ accused Apple of a smartphone monopoly in the United States, citing Apple's restriction of third-party access to Apple services and features and claiming that consumers are "locked" into Apple's ecosystem. Apple argues that the DOJ is attempting to force it to spend money on enriching its competitors, and that it is not a monopolist because it faces competition from companies like Samsung and Google.

Apple will now file an answer to the DOJ's initial complaint, and a discovery period will begin where Apple and the DOJ provide documents, expert testimony, and depositions. After that, there will be a summary judgment with additional arguments, and finally, a trial. The case is unlikely to make it to trial until 2028 or even later.

For a reminder about the DOJ's antitrust claims against Apple, we have a dedicated guide that explains the details in the U.S. vs. Apple legal fight.
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Apple may fix its Siri failings by partnering with ChatGPT creator OpenAI or Claude creator Anthropic, reports Bloomberg. Apple has been meeting with OpenAI and Anthropic to discuss a potential deal that would see a third-party large language model used as the backbone for ‌Siri‌.


Both companies are training versions of their models that would work with Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, and Apple is running tests, but hasn't made a final decision on whether to abandon ‌Siri‌. So far, Apple has found that Anthropic's AI models are the best fit for ‌Siri‌, and Apple and Anthropic have already discussed some preliminary financial terms. Bloomberg says that Anthropic is asking for a multibillion-dollar annual fee that increases over time, which is why Apple is also considering partnering with other companies like OpenAI.

Apple has been training a large language model for a future version of ‌Siri‌, but it is no secret that Apple has been struggling with AI. Apple previewed several new ‌Siri‌ capabilities at the June 2024 WWDC keynote and advertised the iPhone 16 models with the functionality, but ultimately wasn't able to develop the technology in time.

In March, Apple said that the Apple Intelligence ‌Siri‌ features would be delayed until 2026, sparking customer outrage and spurring several lawsuits. Apple now plans to introduce those features in an update to iOS 26.

Apple's work on an LLM version of ‌Siri‌ is separate from the personalized ‌Siri‌ features that are coming in iOS 26. LLM ‌Siri‌ is planned as a follow up to the new features coming in ‌iOS 26‌, and it will presumably debut in iOS 27 in the fall of 2026.

Partnering with Anthropic or OpenAI would give Apple time to work on its own AI models while still delivering modern AI features that customers have come to expect. Apple already partners with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into ‌Siri‌, and iOS 18 users are able to have ‌Siri‌ pass requests on to ChatGPT for more detailed answers.
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Apple is officially ending support for the prior version of Apple Home this year, and the company has been encouraging users to update to the new HomeKit architecture by that time to avoid interruptions with accessories and automations.


So far, Apple has warned that support for the current version of Apple Home is ending soon and asked users to upgrade, but it appears some homes that have yet to transition to the updated architecture will be moved over automatically.

In the latest beta of iOS 18.6, there is code that says automatic upgrades are coming.

Support for your current version of Apple Home will end this fall. Some homes will be automatically updated at that time, but others need to be updated manually. You can update now to avoid interruptions with your accessories, automations, and critical alerts.

Prior versions of this message did not mention the possibility of an automatic upgrade, but it makes sense for Apple to ensure that ‌HomeKit‌ users who aren't checking the Home app settings won't experience an interruption in service when iOS 26 rolls out this fall. Apple does not clarify the criteria for the automatic upgrade, so it's not clear who will need to do the manual update.

Apple first introduced the updated ‌HomeKit‌ architecture in December 2022, but users ran into issues with missing devices, home sharing invitations that didn't work, and problems with HomeKit Secure Video, so Apple pulled the update. It then rolled out again in March 2023 alongside iOS 16.4, and it has been stable since then.

The new ‌HomeKit‌ architecture does not work on devices that are running older versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, so this fall, some users will be unable to control their ‌HomeKit‌ setups on Apple products that aren't able to run at least iOS 16 or macOS Sonoma.

Apple's ‌HomeKit‌ upgrade adds support for guest access, robot vacuum cleaners, and Activity History. It also offers faster, more reliable performance for smart homes with a lot of ‌HomeKit‌ and Matter accessories installed.

If you haven't upgraded to the new architecture, it can be installed in the Home app by tapping on the More button, choosing Home Settings, and selecting Software Upgrade.
This article, "Still Running Old HomeKit Architecture? Apple is Planning Automatic Upgrades" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.6 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after Apple released the first ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.6 beta.


Developers can opt-in to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

There's no word yet on what's included in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.6, and no new features were discovered in the first beta. Apple's work on ‌macOS Sequoia‌ is winding down as it focuses on macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS that's coming in the fall.
This article, "Apple Seeds Second Beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming two weeks after Apple seeded the first betas.


iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.

No notable new features were found in the first iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 betas, so it's not clear what might be added in the update, though there are some changes to the App Store in the EU due to the DMA. Rumors suggest that Apple wanted to expand Apple Intelligence to China with iOS 18.6, but regulatory hurdles have delayed the launch.

iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 likely focus on smaller changes and bug fixes, and we'll update this article should anything new be found in the second beta.

Apple is winding down work on iOS 18 and is focusing on iOS 26. ‌iOS 26‌ is in beta testing right now and is set to launch in September alongside new iPhone 17 models.
This article, "Apple Seeds Second Beta of iOS 18.6 to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today provided developers with the second betas of upcoming visionOS 2.6, tvOS 18.6, and watchOS 11.6 updates for testing purposes. The software comes two weeks after Apple released the first betas.


The betas are available to registered developers at the current time, and can be downloaded from the Settings app on each device.

There's no word on what's included in the beta updates at this time and no features were discovered int he first betas, but we'll update this article if anything new is found.
This article, "Apple Seeds Second Betas of visionOS 2.6, tvOS 18.6, and watchOS 11.6" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today updated Pixelmator Pro, the drawing and photo editing app that it acquired last year. The new version of Pixelmator Pro incorporates Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and Image Playground.


‌Image Playground‌ integration allows Pixelmator Pro to generate original images based on a photo, description, or people from the Photos library. There's an Add to Playground feature to recreate image layers or drawings in animation, illustration, or sketch styles, plus created images can be inserted as separate layers. Apple says that when using Pixelmator Pro's templates or mockups, placeholder images can be replaced with ‌Image Playground‌ creations.

Writing Tools integration lets users proofread, summarize, rewrite, and modify the tone of any text that is incorporated into a Pixelmator Pro creation. Compose with ChatGPT is an available option, and using the tools can be done by control clicking highlighted text and clicking Writing Tools.

Other improvements include support for RAW images from OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II cameras, improved VoiceOver support, and an option to hover over items in the Tools sidebar to display names in a larger size with Hover Text.

Pixelmator Pro is priced at $50 and it can be downloaded from the Mac App Store.
This article, "Apple Updates Pixelmator Pro With Apple Intelligence Support" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Today we're tracking an all-time low price for the Apple Pencil Pro at Amazon and a solid deal on the AirTag at Best Buy. Amazon also has matching deals on the AirTag, but prices have been unreliable today, with frequent fluctuations between all-time lows and higher prices.

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.

Starting with the Apple Pencil Pro, you can get this accessory for $99.00, down from $129.00. This is a match for the record low price on the Apple Pencil Pro, and it's a deal that doesn't typically stick around long on Amazon, so if you've been waiting for it to return, be sure to check it out soon.



Secondly, Best Buy has the AirTag 1-Pack on sale for $22.99, down from $29.00, which is a match of the all-time low price on the accessory. You can also get the AirTag 4-Pack for $74.99, down from $99.00.





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.

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This article, "Get Low Prices on Apple Pencil Pro ($99) and AirTag ($22.99)" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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