Apple today seeded a new beta of watchOS 27 for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, with the update coming over two weeks after the launch of the first beta. This beta is only available for the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 3‌, which did not get the second beta update that came out earlier this week.


The beta can be downloaded through the Watch app on the iPhone with a free developer account. The Apple Watch will need to be on the charger, connected to Wi-Fi, and have a battery level of 50 percent or above for new software to be installed.

‌watchOS 27‌ will include Siri AI, the smarter, more capable version of ‌Siri‌. ‌Siri‌ can hold back-and-forth conversations, plus it has access to general world knowledge and your personal data to answer questions and find information. ‌Siri‌ AI on Apple Watch requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, including the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

There's a new Dynamic app grid that highlights ‌Siri‌ suggested apps, and more intuitive Smart Stack Suggestions. You can find your parked car, see pinned messages, get noise alerts, and view identity and transit cards.

Liquid Glass has been updated to improve legibility, and Workout Buddy works on the Apple Watch even when an iPhone isn't nearby. Workout Buddy also gains new metrics like progressive increases to distance, pace, or duration. Apple added a new all-in-one Find My app with support for Precision Finding, and there are performance optimizations that improve battery life.

More on what's new in ‌watchOS 27‌ is available in our watchOS 27 roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds New watchOS 27 Beta for Apple Watch Ultra 3" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is changing its Apple silicon launch timeline to speed up the debut of chips designed for artificial intelligence workloads, reports Bloomberg.


Apple plans to release an M6 chip for entry-level Macs as soon as this year, but it has canceled plans for higher-end M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. Instead, Apple's next Pro and Max chips will be part of its M7 chip lineup, with the first M7 chips launching in 2027. An M5 Ultra chip could also come as soon as this year.

• M5 Ultra - Late 2026


• M6 - Late 2026


• M7 - First half of 2027


• M7 Pro - End of 2027


• M7 Max - End of 2027


• M7 Ultra - 2028

Apple is speeding up development on M7 chips because they have technologies supporting on-device AI and GPU-intensive software. Since the launch of the first Apple silicon chips, Apple has always had at least three variants, including the base M-series chip, a Pro version, and a Max version. The M6 will mark the first time that Apple is not coming out with a Pro or Max chip for the line.

Apple could update the entry-level MacBook Pro with an M6 chip as soon as this year. It is expected to have around 200GB/s memory bandwidth for better graphics and faster AI processing and video editing. The base M5 chip has 153GB/s memory bandwidth, and the base M7 chip could have 240GB/s bandwidth.

Bloomberg says the M6 will also include an updated memory architecture and an upgraded Neural Engine, along with performance improvements across all of the processor cores and a redesigned GPU with up to 12 cores. Prior rumors have suggested the M6 will be the first built on Apple's new 2-nanometer process.

The base M6 could also be used in the entry-level Mac mini and iMac, along with upcoming iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The higher-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ models and higher-end ‌Mac mini‌ will use the M7 Pro and M7 Max. The Mac Studio will use the M7 Max and M7 Ultra.

Bloomberg says Apple still plans to release an M5 Ultra for a refreshed version of the ‌Mac Studio‌ as soon as this year. The M5 Ultra will have approximately 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. An M5 Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ could have as much as 768GB of unified memory.

Apple is working on a high-end "MacBook Ultra" with an OLED display and a touchscreen, and rumors suggested it could come as soon as late 2026. That seems unlikely now with the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips slated for late 2027, unless Apple equips the high-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an M6, the M5 Max, or the M5 Ultra chip.

News of Apple's updated chip launch timeline comes just after the company raised prices across all of its Macs and iPads.
This article, "2027 Macs to Get AI-Focused M7 Chips as Apple Skips High-End M6" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

As a result of the lawsuit Epic Games filed against Google, Google is making major changes to its Play Store worldwide. Google today said it would soon lower fees and start accepting alternative payment options.


App developers will be able to offer payment options other than Google's in-app billing system in the UK, European Economic Area, and United States. Developers can use the billing system of their choice and link users to websites for purchases.

As for fees, Google will charge between 10% and 25% (not including billing fee), based on annual earnings. There's a base 10% service fee on the first $1 million in annual earnings. For earnings over $1 million, fees are 20% for new installs and 25% for existing installs (apps installed prior to the new rules) with the exception of auto-renewing subscriptions. Link-out fees are 20% for apps earning over $1 million annually.

There is an additional 5% fee for transactions that use the Google Play billing system, which is on top of the base service fees. Google's full fee structure is outlined on its website.

Google also has lower pricing options for apps that qualify for its Games Level Up and Apps Experience programs, with fees ranging from 10 percent to 20 percent. Those programs will be open to developers starting in September.

Fees and billing options go into effect on June 30 in the UK, United States, and European Economic Area. The updated fee structure will expand to Australia, Japan, and South Korea by the end of 2026, and the rest of the world by September 2027.

Google's antitrust lawsuit with ‌Epic Games‌ went differently than Apple's antitrust lawsuit, and Google was found to have an app store monopoly resulting in higher fees for developers. Google and ‌Epic Games‌ came to a settlement agreement, and Google said it would lower fees, support alternative app stores, and offer alternative payment options.

‌Epic Games‌ and Apple are continuing to fight in court, with Apple appealing to the Supreme Court. Apple is currently barred from charging commissions on U.S. apps with links to purchase options on the web and it has to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the European Union, but Apple does not have one worldwide policy like Google does now.

Until fee calculations happen in the ‌Epic Games‌ v. Apple case, Apple is charging $0 for links in the App Store, while Google is charging between 10 and 20 percent.

It is possible that Google's Play Store changes could impact the eventual outcome of Apple's legal dispute with ‌Epic Games‌. Apple and Google have historically charged developers similar fees, and though Apple is fighting ‌App Store‌ regulation in multiple countries, it is having to implement a disjointed set of fees and restrictions on a per-country basis to keep up with local laws.
This article, "Google Lowering Play Store Fees and Allowing Alternative Payments Worldwide" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple updated the Home app with some useful new features that rely on Apple Intelligence. The updates improve the way HomeKit Secure Video cameras work on Apple's HomeKit platform.

Apple Intelligence Summaries

The Home app generates written summaries for motion alerts and what's detected, using AI to determine what's been recorded. It can recognize people, animals, vehicles, packages, and general motion, giving a summary of what's happening even if you're not looking at the video footage.

It is intelligent enough to give detail, so you'll see alerts like "a person walked through the room," "two people were in the room," "a dog sat on the floor," or "a cat played in the room."

‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cameras have facial recognition, so they can also recognize people who are in your Photo Library, sending alerts and summaries with names.

Grouped Footage

Along with analyzing footage, the Home app can now group footage from separate cameras capturing the same event. If a person walks by one camera and continues on to another, the Home app knows those two events are related. During video playback, you can see relevant footage from multiple cameras with a summary of something that happened across the entire home.

Highlights

If there are noteworthy recordings available, they are shown in a separate section above the general recordings in the camera view.

Search

The Home app supports natural language search for camera footage, so if you're looking for something like when a package was delivered, you can search for it. It can recognize objects, colors, and more. Search works in the Home app and directly in Spotlight.

Notification Summaries

Notifications update in real-time and related alerts are combined instead of being shown as separate notifications. The net result is fewer Home app notifications. Summaries can be turned on in the Home app settings on a per-camera basis, plus there are options for multiple languages.

Video Previews

Long pressing on an incoming video notification plays a preview clip of the footage and includes access to nearby accessories like lights that you might want to turn on quickly.

Reduce Notifications

There is an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ section in the Home app where you can turn on video summaries and cut down on notifications. The Reduce Notifications toggle combines related activities like someone arriving and unlocking the door.

4K Recording

‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cameras are no longer limited to 1080p recording. If supported, cameras can stream and record at up to 4K.

Energy Monitoring

Accessories able to track energy usage like smart plugs now display that information in the Home app in the Energy tab. There is no way to create automations based on the data as of now.

Remote Apple TV Updates

It's now possible to update the Apple TV remotely using the Home app, similar to how HomePod updates are installed.

Reliability

Apple says capturing and storing ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ footage is more reliable than it was before and it is less likely to miss activity.

Connectivity for Thread home accessories has also been improved with Apple adopting Thread 1.4, and ‌HomeKit‌ accessories now pair faster. Apple also says smart home accessory updates are faster than before.

When adding a new device to the Home app, there's a simplified interface that's useful for configuring Matter accessories in particular.

Compatibility and Requirements

The ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in the Home app require a device that supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌, which includes the iPhone 15 Pro and later. The Home features also need an Apple TV running tvOS 27 or a ‌HomePod‌ running the ‌HomePod‌ Software 27.

‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ requires an iCloud+ plan. The 50GB plan supports a single camera, the 200GB plan supports up to five cameras, and the 2TB and above plans support unlimited cameras.

4K video recording does not require ‌Apple Intelligence‌.
This article, "iOS 27 Home App: 10+ New HomeKit Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

With every iOS update, Apple adds new features to the AirPods. In iOS 27, the AirPods work with Siri AI, and there's a long-requested custom EQ option.

Custom EQ

Apple resisted custom EQ for the AirPods for years, preferring to require users to stick with Apple's sound profiles. That's changing in ‌iOS 27‌, and there are finally adjustable equalizer settings.

When the AirPods are connected to an iPhone running ‌iOS 27‌ and have the latest firmware, custom EQ can be accessed by going to Settings > [AirPods Name] > Audio & Routing > Equalizer > Custom.

There are options for adjusting lows, mids, and highs.

Custom EQ is available for AirPods with an H2 chip, which includes the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2.

Redesigned Settings Menu

There's a more compact settings interface available when the AirPods are connected to an iPhone. It's still located under Settings > AirPods, but all of the AirPods features are better organized and easier to get to.

The Transparency, Noise Cancellation, and Adaptive modes are still accessible at the top of the screen for quick switching, but Apple also added a volume slider for adjusting sound in the same interface.

Instead of expanded menus for Hearing Health, Call Controls, and gestures, the options are organized into separate menus. Apple has logically aggregated controls into categories that include Audio & Routing, Hearing Health, Controls & Gestures, Live Translation, Accessibility, Battery, Find My, and Privacy.

Siri AI

The smarter version of ‌Siri‌, ‌Siri‌ AI, works on the AirPods through a connected iPhone. When you're wearing AirPods, you can ask ‌Siri‌ AI questions and make requests.

‌Siri‌ AI isn't a standalone feature on the AirPods, and it requires an iPhone that supports it. ‌Siri‌ AI has a long list of new capabilities, which are outlined in our Siri guide. Apple is rumored to be developing AirPods with cameras that will feed visual data to ‌Siri‌ AI, and the current integration is a precursor to that deeper feature set.

Precision Finding

The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ charging case features Ultra Wideband (UWB), and it works with Precision Finding on the iPhone. With the update to ‌iOS 27‌ and watchOS 27, you can also use an Apple Watch for ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ Precision Finding.

GymKit Syncing

GymKit works with the iPhone in ‌iOS 27‌, and it can sync heart rate data collected from the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ to gym equipment like treadmills and indoor bikes.

Accessibility

Apple added Name Recognition in ‌iOS 27‌, so users who are deaf or hard of hearing can be alerted if someone says their name. It's a feature that works with the AirPods Hearing Health options, and it supports more than 50 languages globally.

Compatibility

Some of the new AirPods features require an H2 chip, and for ‌Siri‌ AI, you'll need an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone. The Precision Finding and GymKit features are limited to ‌AirPods Pro 3‌.

Launch Date

The new AirPods features require ‌iOS 27‌ and updated AirPods firmware. Developers have access now, and Apple plans to release a public beta in July. ‌iOS 27‌ will launch in September alongside new iPhone models.
This article, "Every New AirPods Feature in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

There are no new AI features in the iOS 27 Weather app, but Apple did make improvements to the layout. It's now easier to see at-a-glance information for weather conditions.

Highlights

The top of the Weather app now has a Highlights section that shows you need-to-know weather information for the day.

Conditions

There are new views for the Conditions section of the main Weather app interface. In addition to viewing temperature and current condition on an hourly basis, you can toggle over to a precipitation or wind view.


Precipitation shows you an hour-by-hour chance of rain forecast, while wind displays a breakdown of wind speed.

10-Day View

The 10-day view also changes when you swap between the different condition options so you can see precipitation and wind overviews for the next 10 days without having to tap into a more detailed view.

Widgets

There's a new extra large size available for Home Screen widgets, which is applicable to the Weather app. You can set the Weather app to take up an entire app page.

More iOS 27 Features

There are a long list of new features in ‌iOS 27‌, with details available in our iOS 27 roundup.
This article, "iOS 27 Weather App: All the New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today released updated beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware is limited to developers at the current time, and it has a build number of 9A5304b.


In iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple is adding a new AirPods interface and support for custom EQ. AirPods are also compatible with the new Siri AI.

With iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Apple added a beta firmware update installation option that's available from the AirPods settings interface when the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which facilitates beta testing.

Developers can use the beta option to turn on beta downloads.
This article, "Apple Releases Updated AirPods Beta Firmware With iOS 27 Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple updated its Invites app to add a co-hosting feature that lets two or more people plan and manage a party or event.


There are also new event background options available, and hosts have the option to make invited guests visible to all attendees. Apple's notes for the update are below:

• Cohosting is now available, letting you easily plan and manage your party with others.


• New event backgrounds help set the mood for your next coffee catch-up, boba run, ice cream social, and more.


• Hosts can now choose to make invited guests visible to all attendees.


• This update contains bug fixes and performance improvements.

Apple introduced the Invites app in early 2024, and has continued to introduce updates since then. Invites is available on the iPhone and via iCloud, so invitations can be sent to anyone. Guests are able to RSVP from the iPhone app or from the web.
This article, "Apple Invites App Gets Co-Hosting" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is making more of an effort to turn the iPhone into a physical wallet replacement in iOS 27, and there are several upgrades to the Wallet app.

Pass Upgrades

Apple upgraded airline boarding passes in the Wallet app with iOS 26, and in ‌iOS 27‌, upgrades are coming to additional types of passes. Memberships, gift cards, loyalty cards, and rewards cards can use a bolder "Poster Generic" card style with full background images, primary logo, header fields, footer field, primary fields, and an optional barcode.


Each pass is able to include up to two actions that can be tapped from the bottom of the pass, such as getting directions to a venue or checking a rewards point balance.

Apple is also allowing users to check the pass issuer certificate to ensure that a digital pass is legitimate (not applicable to Create a Pass), and there are four new barcode types supported, including EAN–13, Code 39, Codabar, and ITF.

There is a new Pass Designer Mac app for developers that makes it easier to create a pass using a WYSIWYG editor.

Create a Pass

There's a "Create a Pass" feature in the Wallet app for adding tickets, memberships, and more using Visual Intelligence. If you have a ticket for an event and there's not a digital version available for the Wallet app already, you can create one using the physical pass.



You can scan a pass and add it with Visual Intelligence if there's a barcode or QR code, or a pass can be added manually. Pass templates include Standard, Membership, and Event.

Each type includes relevant information like name, location, or admission type, along with a scannable code drawn from an included barcode or QR code that you take a photo of. There are 12 background colors to choose from with different texture options, or seven custom backgrounds for categories like theater, music, sports, and movies.

Fields can be added or removed as needed when creating a custom pass, with options like label, date, membership, contact, coupon code, VIN, insurance, and more, so most physical cards are able to be stored digitally.

Hotel Keys

When you add a digital hotel key from a participating hotel to the Wallet app, you can now view more details about the trip. Hotels can provide updates on booked activities and allow access to different services.

AI Bill Splitting

Using the new Siri Mode in the Camera app, or a feature in the Messages and Wallet apps, you can take a photo of a bill and use Apple Intelligence to figure out what each person owes. ‌Visual Intelligence‌ scans the receipt and makes a digital copy of everything on the list, and each person can select what they consumed. Tax and tip portions are also calculated automatically.

Payments can be made using Apple Cash, which is a U.S.-only feature.

Insights

‌iOS 27‌ includes an "Insights" feature where you can add financial accounts to the Wallet app to monitor spending.



Insights is an expansion of the Connected Accounts feature in earlier versions of iOS, and it includes spending, recurring transactions, account balances, and more. It works for financial institutions that have implemented Connected Cards support, including several UK banks.

Order Tracking

Order tracking in the Wallet app is expanding to Australia and Canada in ‌iOS 27‌. In ‌iOS 26‌, it was limited to the United States and UK.

Tap to Share

Tap to Share is an ‌iOS 27‌ feature that lets customers connect to a participating merchant's iPhone for quicker digital checkout.

Device Requirements

‌Visual Intelligence‌ is an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature requiring an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. Many of the other features should work on all iPhones.
This article, "iOS 27 Wallet App Gets 7 New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the second beta of watchOS 27 to developers, with the update coming two weeks after the launch of the first beta.


The beta can be downloaded through the Watch app on the iPhone with a free developer account. The Apple Watch will need to be on the charger, connected to Wi-Fi, and have a battery level of 50 percent or above for new software to be installed. The beta is available for all Apple Watch models compatible with ‌watchOS 27‌ except for the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

‌watchOS 27‌ will include Siri AI, the smarter, more capable version of ‌Siri‌. ‌Siri‌ can hold back-and-forth conversations, plus it has access to general world knowledge and your personal data to answer questions and find information. ‌Siri‌ AI on Apple Watch requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, including the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

There's a new Dynamic app grid that highlights ‌Siri‌ suggested apps, and more intuitive Smart Stack Suggestions. You can find your parked car, see pinned messages, get noise alerts, and view identity and transit cards.

Liquid Glass has been updated to improve legibility, and Workout Buddy works on the Apple Watch even when an iPhone isn't nearby. Workout Buddy also gains new metrics like progressive increases to distance, pace, or duration. Apple added a new all-in-one Find My app with support for Precision Finding, and there are performance optimizations that improve battery life.

More on what's new in ‌watchOS 27‌ is available in our watchOS 27 roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds watchOS 27 Beta 2 to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today shared a video showing off the Apple Watch in use at the World Surf League Championship Tour, with surfers describing how they use the watch when competing.


Surfers can be hundreds of meters away from the beach during competitions and can't hear announcements over the sound of the water and the wind. The World Surf League has adopted the Apple Watch to solve the problem, linking the device to the scoring system. Surfers can get up-to-date information right on the watch.

"I know what it was like competing without this piece of technology," said professional surfer Lakey Peterson. "There's nothing more frustrating than being in a competitive heat without this piece of technology."

The Apple Watch makes sure surfers know how much time is left in a heat, who has priority, and what the score is. The watch is updated in real time, with surfer Isabella Nichols calling the information "crucial" to the outcome in a competition. Mateus Herdy said the watch vibrates when priority changes, so competitors don't even have to look at the screen.

"The Apple Watch has become part of our equipment," said Nichols. "It's like a surfboard or rashie."

The World Surf League hasn't lost an Apple Watch despite the intense conditions surfers put the device through. Surfers have worn the watch at dangerous surfing spots like Pipeline in Hawaii and Teahupo'o in Tahiti, and it has come out unscathed.

The video appears to be part of a new "Apple at Play" series. Apple previously had a partnership with the World Surf League, and the 2021 and 2022 championship tours were shown on Apple TV in the "Make or Break" docuseries.
This article, "Apple Shares Video on How Pro Surfers Use Apple Watch During Competition" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple released the second beta of iOS 27 today, and as is common with a second beta, there are multiple changes. There are new features and updates to existing features as Apple prepares for a July public beta and a September software launch.

Write with Siri

There is a new Write with Siri button above the keyboard in Notes, Mail, Messages, and more. It makes it easier to locate the option to use ‌Siri‌ for writing. In the first beta, the Write with ‌Siri‌ tool was only available when selecting text.

Siri Voice Customization

The ‌Siri‌ voice customization feature available on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air now has Pace and Expressivity labeled as "Coming Soon." The options did not work in the first ‌iOS 27‌ beta.

Wallet App Insights

The Wallet app has a new "Insights" feature that's accessible by tapping on the three-dot icon in the upper right corner.


Insights is not fully implemented, but a splash screen for the feature says users will be able to connect accounts to Wallet to see spending insights, recurring transactions, account balances, and more. Apple says up-to-date account information will be available through the feature.

Apple TV

In ‌iOS 27‌ beta 2, Apple updated the Home app to add support for remotely updating an Apple TV.


The ‌Apple TV‌ is now listed in the Updates section of the Home app's Settings interface, and tapping on the ‌Apple TV‌ update button installs the latest software without needing to turn on the ‌Apple TV‌.

RCS

Apple added support for replying to a specific message in an RCS conversation with an Android user.


You can now long press on a message to get to the option to reply to a message, and it works the same way that it does with iMessages.

‌iOS 27‌ also displays tapback/reaction emoji on images and videos properly. In iOS 26, it would use a text descriptor, such as [x loved an image] instead of showing the emoji. In ‌iOS 27‌, the emoji shows up on the image or video as it does in an iMessage conversation.

iCloud Backup Notifications

Code in ‌iOS 27‌ suggests Apple will now send notifications if an iCloud backup doesn't work properly.

"There's a problem with our server, so you may not be able to backup or restore your device right now. Try again later," reads the notification.

AirPort Utility

Apple says the AirPort Utility app will no longer be available for download in ‌iOS 27‌. Users who already have the app can re-download it, but AirPort Utility functionality is not guaranteed in ‌iOS 27‌.

Visual Intelligence

In the ‌Siri‌ section of the Settings app, there's a new Visual Intelligence option. Highlight to Image Search is turned off by default, and Apple says turning it on will automatically send images to third parties when highlighting subjects to find similar images.

Camera App

There are now yellow highlights around the camera tools button when a hidden camera feature like exposure adjustment is enabled.

Create a Pass

In the Create a Pass feature in Wallet, there are texture options available when choosing a color.

HomeKit Cameras

You can long press on incoming notifications from HomeKit Secure Video cameras to watch the video from the motion alert and to turn on lights that are located near the camera.

HomeKit Accessories

If you had HomeKit accessories like Philips Hue lights that were unresponsive after installing ‌iOS 27‌ and tvOS 27, the beta 2 updates fix the problem.

Weather

Some of the light blue text in the Weather app has been updated to be lighter and brighter, making it easier to read. Precipitation levels, condition descriptor, and wind mph reading are now the brighter color.

Siri App

There's a new option to select multiple conversations to delete in the ‌Siri‌ app.

Photos

The AI tools in the Photos app are now available for RAW images.

iOS 27 Info

‌iOS 27‌ is available to developers right now, but Apple plans to release a public beta in July. ‌iOS 27‌ is set to launch in September alongside new iPhones.
This article, "Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 2" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is working on AirPods that have cameras for feeding data to Siri. The new earbuds will be Apple's first AI wearable, and current rumors suggest they're going to come out in late 2027.

Design

The AirPods will look similar to the current AirPods Pro 3, but with cameras embedded in the stem. Apple also plans to include a light that will come on when visual data from the AirPods is being sent to the cloud. The LED will let people around the wearer know the cameras are in use.



Size, design, and fit are expected to remain the largely same for the earbuds and the charging case, with the exception of the changes to the stem.

Rumors suggest Apple will use tiny infrared cameras, similar to the infrared camera used for Face ID.

Features

The cameras in the AirPods will be used for sending data about the wearer's surroundings to ‌Siri‌, giving ‌Siri‌ more information about where the user is and what's nearby.

‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about objects or whatever the wearer happens to be looking at. The camera-equipped AirPods could be useful for more exact turn-by-turn directions when walking, contextual reminders, 3D mapping, and more.

The iPhone already has Visual Intelligence, which uses AI to identify plants, animals, landmarks, art, books, and more. Camera-equipped AirPods will be able to supply data for ‌Visual Intelligence‌ without the need to use the Camera app.

Users aren't likely to be able to use the cameras to capture photos and videos.

H3 Chip

Apple is working on an upgraded H3 chip and it could make its first appearance in the next AirPods Pro. The H3 chip is expected to bring latency improvements and better audio quality.

Naming

Initial rumors about the AirPods with cameras said they wouldn't be a full new model and wouldn't be called the AirPods Pro 4, but launch timing has since changed. It's now likely the AirPods will be part of the AirPods Pro line, but naming is still unsettled.

Apple could call them the AirPods Pro 4, but AirPods Ultra is also a possibility.

Pricing

With the addition of cameras, the AirPods could be more expensive than the current $249 ‌AirPods Pro 3‌.

Compatibility

Since the AirPods will feed data to ‌Siri‌, an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence will be required to use the features. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

Release Date

There were rumors suggesting the camera-equipped AirPods could come out as soon as this year, but the latest information indicates the new earbuds will launch in late 2027 alongside the 20th anniversary iPhone and a second-generation foldable iPhone.

Apple reportedly needed more time for the AirPods to design visual AI models capable of identifying objects.

Apple is testing the new AirPods with iOS 28, an update that Apple is already developing.
This article, "Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Ultra: What to Expect" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is working on a macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 update that's expected to come out in the near future. The second macOS Golden Gate beta includes an upgrade path from ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5.2, which suggests 26.5.2 is an upcoming build that Apple expects devices to be running soon.


The update will be released alongside iOS 26.5.2, which we've already confirmed is in testing based on MacRumors visitor logs.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5.2 and iOS 26.5.2 are expected to be minor updates with bug fixes and security updates.

Apple is also testing ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6 and iOS 26.6 updates, and two betas have been released so far. With the 26.6 software not too far off, it's likely we'll get iOS 26.5.2 and ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5.2 this week.
This article, "macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 and iOS 26.5.2 Updates Coming Soon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is planning to remove the AirPort Utility app from the App Store in the near future, according to the release notes for iOS 27 beta 2. The app is no longer fully supported in ‌iOS 27‌, and Apple warns that it is not guaranteed to work.

AirPort Utility will no longer be available for new downloads from the App Store. If you previously downloaded the app, you can still re-download it. When using AirPort Utility on iOS 27 and later, functionality is not guaranteed.

Users who have downloaded AirPort Utility in the past will be able to re-download it if needed.

Apple also plans to remove AirPort Utility from new installations of macOS, but users who already have it installed will continue to be able to use it after updating to new versions of macOS. As with ‌iOS 27‌, Apple says it isn't guaranteed to work in macOS Golden Gate.

AirPort Utility lets users manage AirPort base stations like the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and AirPort Time Capsule. Apple discontinued its AirPort routers back in 2018, but has continued to support them through the AirPort Utility app.

With ‌macOS Golden Gate‌, Apple is eliminating AFP support, which means the Time Machine feature on Macs will no longer work with the AirPort Time Capsule.

With Time Capsule support ending and Apple sunsetting the AirPort Utility app, it's clear Apple does not plan to continue offering updates to users who are still holding on to their AirPort devices.
This article, "Apple Dropping AirPort Utility From the App Store With iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

With the second beta of iOS 27, Apple added support for replying to a specific message in an RCS conversation with an Android user.


You can now long press on a message to get to the option to reply, and it works the same way that it does with iMessage.


‌iOS 27‌ also displays tapback/reaction emoji to images and videos properly. In iOS 26, it would use a text descriptor, such as [x loved an image] instead of showing the emoji. In ‌iOS 27‌, the emoji shows up on the image or video as it does in an iMessage conversation.

Apple added support for ‌RCS‌ in iOS 18, and has been improving it since then. iOS 26.5 added encryption for ‌RCS‌ messages sent between iPhone and Android users, and now more of the ‌RCS‌ features are being implemented.

For ‌RCS‌ reply threading to work properly, both the sender and the recipient need to have a smartphone and carrier that supports ‌RCS‌.

‌iOS 27‌ is limited to developers currently, but it will be available to the public when Apple releases a public beta in July. The software will see an official launch in September.
This article, "iOS 27 Beta 2 Adds Inline Replies to iPhone-to-Android RCS Chats" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

In iOS 27 beta 2, Apple updated the Home app to add support for remotely updating an Apple TV.


The ‌Apple TV‌ is now listed in the Updates section of the Home app's Settings interface, and tapping on the ‌Apple TV‌ update button installs the latest software without needing to turn on the ‌Apple TV‌.

The HomePod and HomePod mini have long been able to be updated through the Home app, so the ‌iOS 27‌ change for the ‌Apple TV‌ puts it on par with the ‌HomePod‌. The ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌ run a variant of tvOS, so it makes sense for the ‌Apple TV‌ to be updated in the same way.

Apple's decision to add the ‌Apple TV‌ to the Home app update interface suggests that the upcoming home hub device that's in the works will also be controlled and updated through the Home app.

Apple is expected to release a dedicated home hub later this year, and it will run a version of tvOS like the ‌HomePod‌. It will be a centralized spot for controlling smart home products, making video calls, getting information like the current weather, and interfacing with Siri. The device is expected to have a 7-inch square display with built-in speakers, and it could be something of a HomePod-iPad hybrid.
This article, "A Small iOS 27 Change Hints at Apple's Long-Rumored Home Hub" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple has added a new "Insights" feature to the Wallet app in the second iOS 27 beta. Accessible by tapping the three dots in the upper right corner, Insights appears to let users add different financial accounts to monitor their spending.


A splash screen for the feature says users will be able to connect accounts to Wallet to see spending insights, recurring transactions, account balances, and more. The fine print says the following: "Your device is connected to your financial institution by an Apple wholly owned subsidiary, which fetches, categorizes, and standardizes your account information for display on your device. Your account information is not stored."

Tapping on the Continue button on the splash screen goes to the Add to Wallet interface with no new options available, so it does not appear to be functional at this time.

Apple has detailed transaction information for the Apple Card, but support for other cards and accounts has been limited. Apple did introduce a Connected Cards (later renamed Connected Accounts) feature in iOS 17.1, but it saw limited adoption. Discover implemented support and users could see their total card balance, Pay with Rewards, and transaction history, but Discover removed the functionality in early June and almost no other U.S. issuers ever used it. Several UK banks still have deeper integration with the Wallet app's Connected Accounts option.

It looks like Insights could be a successor to Connected Accounts that will work without card issuers specifically adding in support.

Update: We've heard from several users whose banks have offered Connected Accounts integration, and the new Insights feature in ‌iOS 27‌ beta 2 is working for them, displaying spending highlights and details, so it's clear that Insights is indeed an evolution of the existing Connected Accounts feature.
This article, "Wallet App Gets New 'Insights' Feature in iOS 27 Beta 2" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today provided developers with the second beta of macOS Golden Gate, with the update coming two weeks after Apple seeded the first beta.


Developers can download ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ by going to System Settings > General > Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required.

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ includes multiple design improvements. Liquid Glass opacity has been improved to increase readability, there's a slider for controlling the level of transparency, and changes to shadowing make it easier to tell when a window is active. Apps now have uniform toolbars, edge-to-edge sidebars, and less rounded corners, plus there are fewer icons in menu bars.

Siri has been transformed into ‌Siri‌ AI, a chatbot-style assistant that combines general world knowledge, your personal data, and onscreen awareness to answer questions about anything and find information for you. ‌Siri‌ lives in Spotlight, and you can ask questions with the new Search or Ask interface.

There's also a ‌Siri‌ app where you can chat with ‌Siri‌ and view past conversations, and on newer Macs, you can set a custom voice for ‌Siri‌ with personalized pace and expressivity. Visual Intelligence is now on the Mac so ‌Siri‌ can answer questions about what's on your screen, and a Write with ‌Siri‌ feature lets ‌Siri‌ generate text or give feedback on your writing.

There are AI photo editing tools in the Photos app, AI tab organization in Safari, an option to use AI to automatically update weak passwords in the Passwords app, and a revamped Image Playground app that can generate photorealistic images.

More on all of the new features in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ can be found in our macOS Golden Gate roundup. ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ is limited to developers right now, but Apple plans to release a public beta in July.
This article, "macOS Golden Gate Beta 2 Now available for Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the second betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the first betas following the WWDC 2026 keynote.


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

‌iOS 27‌ introduces Apple's smarter version of Siri, ‌Siri‌ AI. ‌Siri‌ AI is a chatbot similar to ChatGPT, incorporating general world knowledge, personal data from apps like Messages and Mail, and onscreen awareness to answer questions and find information for you.

There are new Apple Intelligence features in apps like Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords, plus Apple added a standalone ‌Siri‌ app that houses ‌Siri‌ conversations. Write with ‌Siri‌ is available systemwide for generating text or offering feedback on your writing, and Visual Intelligence has been relocated to the Camera app with a new ‌Siri‌ mode.

Apple improved the look of Liquid Glass and added a slider for customizing transparency. There are multiple performance improvements to speed up iOS, so everything feels faster, even on older iPhones. Apps launch quicker, AirDrop transfers are faster, the keyboard pops up more quickly, and devices are better at transitioning between Wi-Fi and Cellular to keep you connected.

For more on what's new in ‌iOS 27‌, we have a dedicated iOS 27 roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Second Betas to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the second beta of tvOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the first beta following the WWDC keynote.


The beta can be downloaded and installed through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A free developer account is required.

tvOS 27 has few new features compared to the other 27 software updates, but it does add a redesigned Podcasts app, options for larger text, and a more responsive Control Center.

AirPlaying to an ‌Apple TV‌ from another Apple device is faster, and apps and animations are smoother. You can also now see AppleCare coverage details in the Settings app.

More on the features in tvOS 27 can be found in our Apple TV roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds tvOS 27 Beta 2 to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today provided developers with the second beta of an upcoming visionOS 27 update for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after Apple released the first beta.


visionOS 27 can be installed by opening the Settings app, going to Software Updates, and opting into Beta Updates.

visionOS 27 introduces Siri AI, the smarter and more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that's similar in capability to chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude. On the Vision Pro, ‌Siri‌ can answer questions about anything the wearer is looking at, and there's a new ‌Siri‌ orb that can be placed anywhere in wearer's virtual space.

Panorama photos can be turned into spatial environments, and there's a new Icelandic Thórsmörk environment that features dramatic mountains, valleys, and glaciers, along with the northern lights. Web Environment support allows developers to create 360-degree environments in Safari for a more native Vision Pro browsing experience.

App windows are now curved to provide a more immersive workspace, and Control Center has been reorganized to make system controls easier to find. Apple added a smaller widget size, and notifications automatically expand when the wearer looks at them.

More on what's new in visionOS 27 is listed in our Vision Pro roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds Second visionOS 27 Beta to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The Calendar and Reminders apps look about the same as they did in iOS 26, but there are a couple of useful new Apple Intelligence features that make both apps more intuitive.

Natural Language for Calendar

‌Apple Intelligence‌ in Calendar lets you add events by describing them in natural language. It identifies people, dates, and places while you are typing, and you can tap to add that info.


It's not as fluid as Fantastical, but it's better than before. You can't just open the Calendar app and type "meeting at 2pm with Eric on July 14" and have it filed correctly as you do in Fantastical because it doesn't have the same automatic date swapping.

Calendar adds an event on the date that's selected, and by default, that's the current date. To use natural language to select another date, you can type in "meeting at 2pm with Eric on July 14," but you need to tap on the July 14 suggestion at the top of the keyboard.

The Calendar app will automatically set the event to the time that you type in with natural language, so you don't need to tap for that.

Natural Language for Reminders

In Reminders, you can now describe a reminder in natural language and it will autofill the metadata that you mention. It can add date, time, and location automatically.


You can write in a reminder like "get the groceries at 6pm tonight" or "send the photos to John tomorrow at 4pm" and it will add the correct times to your reminder. The feature is in beta and it's not entirely consistent, so sometimes you need to tap on the suggestion below to add the correct date and time, and sometimes it does it automatically.

With natural language support, Apple removed the menu bar at the bottom of the interface for adding a new reminder. Adding extra features like an image or metadata such as a flag can now be done through the "Details" interface.

Calendar Event Editing

The event editing interface is a little simpler to use, and it's quicker to get to time adjustments. If you adjust the frequency of an event, Calendar can intelligently apply changes to all events. Siri can also be used for editing calendar events.

Holiday-Aware Alarms

The Calendar app tracks holidays, and can alert you the day before a holiday to ask if you want to change the time of the wake-up alarm that you have set.

Large Widgets

The Calendar and Reminders apps both have a new extra-large widget size that takes up an entire app page.

Siri AI

‌Siri‌ has full access to your calendar and can add events to it with natural language requests. What you can't do with the natural language entry, you can do with ‌Siri‌.

‌Siri‌ is much more capable than before, and it does a better job correctly adding events to the calendar on the day and time you intend, and with parameters, like repeating events.

Just describe the event you want to create and ‌Siri‌ can get it done. ‌Siri‌ can add events to your calendar from other apps, like Mail and Messages.

‌Siri‌ is able to search across the Calendar app and Reminders, so it knows your schedule and what's on your to-do list.

Visual Intelligence

Visual Intelligence in iOS 27 supports adding multiple events to your calendar at one time from a schedule. If you have a document with a list of dates, like a child's sports practice schedule, you can take a picture and add them to the Calendar app all at once.
<
h2>Reminders Grocery Lists
In ‌iOS 27‌, the Reminders app has improved grocery list sorting. It also supports more languages than before.

Shortcuts for Reminders

There are new Reminders actions in the Shortcuts app, including Create Group, Create List, Create Section, Delete Groups, Delete Lists, and Delete Sections. There's also a new "Get What's On Screen" option that can be used with Reminders.

Apple Intelligence Requirements

To use the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in ‌iOS 27‌, you need an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
This article, "Everything New in Calendar and Reminders in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today teamed up with Chart Data to share the top 20 most-streamed artists of all time. Chart Data says this is the first time that Apple has shared the all-time streaming list.


Drake is the number one most-streamed artist, with Taylor Swift coming in second. Future was third, followed by YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Bad Bunny. The full list is below.


Apple Music launched in June 2015, so the top 20 list includes streaming data for the past 11 years.

The streaming service is priced at $10.99 per month for an individual plan in the U.S., with other pricing options available for students, families, and in the Apple One bundle.

This article, "Apple Music Reveals Top 20 Most-Streamed Artists of All Time" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

watchOS 27 is the new version of watchOS that's coming to the Apple Watch this fall. It's a little light on features, but there are some useful new additions, including access to Siri AI.


‌watchOS 27‌ will have ‌Siri‌ AI, so you'll be able to use many of the same ‌Siri‌ features that you have on the iPhone on your wrist. Right now, the ‌Siri‌ features aren't in the ‌watchOS 27‌ beta, but the integration will be coming later this year. Apple is planning for a ‌Siri‌ app on the watch so you can access all of your ‌Siri‌ conversations.

‌Siri‌ AI for the watch will rely on a connected iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, so you'll need an iPhone 15 Pro or later to use it on your watch. ‌Siri‌ will be able to access your personal data, search the web for info to answer questions, and take actions in apps.

There's a new dynamic app grid that's available when you press the Digital Crown. It will put the ‌Siri‌ app front and center, while also showing ‌Siri‌ Suggested apps that include your most used and recently used apps. The view shows multiple apps in addition to ‌Siri‌ and a shortcut to get to the full app list. Apple also improved Liquid Glass with better contrast and more uniform refraction, which boosts readability.

Workout Buddy is now available even without your iPhone nearby, and there are new metrics to keep you motivated, with the watch tracking progressive increases in the distance, pace, and duration of runs. Cycle Tracking now supports menopause/perimenopause recognition and notifications, and treadmill readings will be more accurate.

Apple added a new tap gesture, so you can single-tap your index finger and thumb together to select a widget in the Smart Stack. There are new Smart Stack suggested widgets for finding a parked car, accessing ‌Siri‌, getting to pinned messages, accessing transit cards, seeing noise notifications, getting reminders for birthdays, and more.

When you're getting a phone call, your watch can show information relevant to the call, like a flight confirmation number if you're on the phone with an airline. Custom passes made with the Wallet app on iPhone work on the Apple Watch, and there's a new unified Find My app for locating devices, items, and people. The ‌Find My‌ app supports Precision Finding for locating an iPhone, AirPods Pro 3, or an AirTag 2.

Under-the-hood improvements bring longer battery life, with Apple disabling little-used features like gestures, Start Workout reminders, and Raise to Speak to preserve battery.

‌watchOS 27‌ works on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and the Apple Watch SE 3.
This article, "Hands-On With watchOS 27: Every New Apple Watch Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Signify today announced two new Philips Hue devices to expand its Hue Entertainment lineup, debuting the Philips Hue Play Table Lamp and the Philips Hue Play Floor Lamp Large. There are also new candle bulbs.


The two lamps are similar to the existing Signe Hue table and floor lamps, featuring a tall, linear design that casts light on a wall or surface behind the light. The lamps offer color-changing lighting effects that synchronize with games, TV shows, movies, and music when used with the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box or the Hue Sync TV and desktop apps.

Signify says that the lamps are designed for flexible placement, and a video featuring the table lamp shows it placed next to a TV set to project on the wall behind it. The table lamp is 23.6 inches, while the floor lamp is 53 inches tall. Both support Chromasync for precise color matching.

The new lamps have a more affordable price than the previous gradient floor and table lamps. The Hue Play Table Lamp is priced at $80, and the Hue Play Floor Lamp is priced at $150.


The new Hue Candle bulbs have Matter over Thread integration and full-spectrum daylight technology. The temperature range up to 20,000K supports colors that mimic natural daylight throughout the day, and they support millions of Hue colors for use in lighting scenes. The bulbs are also 40 percent more energy efficient than the prior version, and they dim to 0.2 percent. Bulbs are priced at $110 for two.

All of the new products are available now from the Philips Hue website.
This article, "Philips Hue Adds Play Table Lamp, Floor Lamp, and New Candle Bulbs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is raising its prices to offset the high cost of memory and storage, CEO Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal. Apple is no longer able to absorb the increased prices and will need to pass some of the cost on to consumers.


"Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable," said Cook. "We're doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we've been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable."

Cook did not say which products will get price increases or how much pricing will go up. The iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max coming in September could be more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max. Prices on iPads and Macs could go up in the near future.

Apple already raised the price of the Mac mini from $599 to $799 by eliminating its lowest-tier model. Apple has also eliminated several higher-tier ‌Mac mini‌ and Mac Studio options.

Growing demand for memory and storage chips from AI companies has led to chip shortages and higher costs. The Wall Street Journal suggests Apple will need to increase device costs "substantially" to maintain its current profit margins given the cost of memory chips and SSDs. Research firm TechInsights claims Apple will need to make the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ around $270 more expensive to keep its existing profit margin.

Apple is struggling more with memory chips, but storage chips are also an issue. "There's less supply at a time when consumers want devices and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases," Cook told The ‌Wall Street Journal‌. Cook said Apple will use its cash to increase memory supply, but he did not give details on what that means.

Apple does not plan to create its own memory and storage factories. "We can't do everything," Cook said. "We know what we're good at."

While memory chip makers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are increasing production capacity, much of that added capacity will prioritize server chips. Demand for consumer-device chips is expected to continue to outpace supply. At the same time, Apple needs to increase the DRAM in its devices to support new AI features. Cook likened the memory shortages to a hundred-year flood. "I've never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years," he said.

Apple is one of the largest purchasers of memory and storage worldwide, but it is likely reluctant to make the same deals AI companies do. Those deals involve signing multi-year agreements with a large cash prepayment.

Multiple companies have already raised their prices, including Samsung, Microsoft, Sony, and Dell.

This article, "Tim Cook Says Apple Price Increases Are 'Unavoidable' Due to Memory Costs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Like iOS 27, iPadOS 27 gains a smarter, more capable version of Siri, the ‌Siri‌ app, and new Apple Intelligence features in apps, but there are a few iPad-only standouts.


‌Siri‌ AI on iPad has all of the same features as ‌Siri‌ AI on the iPhone, so it can access your personal data, search the web for answers, complete tasks in apps, and answer questions about what's on your screen. For people who write with Apple Pencil on ‌iPad‌, it can index your handwritten notes so you can search through them. You can use ‌Siri‌ to take action on your notes, whether typed or handwritten.

‌Siri‌ can summarize, rewrite, give you writing advice, check grammar, generate new text for you, and more. There's a systemwide Write with ‌Siri‌ feature for getting help no matter which app you're using.

There's a new Image Playground app that can generate images in any style, including photorealistic, and that powers the Image Wand in the Notes app. You can draw a quick sketch of something in Notes and then use ‌Image Wand‌ to turn it into a photorealistic visual aid.

Visual Intelligence used to be an iPhone-only feature, but in ‌iPadOS 27‌, it's expanding to the ‌iPad‌. You can take a screenshot and then circle what you want to know more about with a finger or the ‌Apple Pencil‌. The ‌iPad‌ supports the same ‌Visual Intelligence‌ features, like telling you the nutritional value of food and identifying plants and animals.

The Shortcuts app can use AI to automatically generate shortcuts for you, which can be especially useful on the ‌iPad‌. If you want a quick way to change how the ‌iPad‌'s windowing works when you attach a keyboard vs. when you use it without a keyboard, you can describe that in a sentence or two and get a functional shortcut just a minute later.

Safari supports automatically grouping tabs, plus there's an AI feature for generating your own extensions. Like ‌iOS 27‌, ‌iPadOS 27‌ is also more responsive thanks to performance improvements. Browsing and transferring files are quicker, AirDrop is faster, apps launch more quickly, and multitasking on ‌iPad‌ is faster.

There's a Liquid Glass slider for adjusting opacity to your taste, and Apple also made other Liquid Glass improvements to boost readability. You can also resize iPhone apps that are running on the ‌iPad‌.

‌Siri‌ AI and ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in ‌iPadOS 27‌ require an ‌iPad‌ with an M-series chip or the A17 Pro iPad mini. EU users won't get ‌Siri‌ AI on ‌iPad‌ when ‌iPadOS 27‌ launches, and it's also not available in China.

Older iPads won't get ‌Siri‌ AI or ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features, but they will get the performance improvements Apple added. Older iPads will feel faster on ‌iPadOS 27‌ than they do in iPadOS 26.
This article, "iPadOS 27 Hands-On: Everything New for iPad" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is working on a new iPhone Air that's expected to launch in spring 2027, reports Bloomberg. The updated ‌iPhone Air‌ could get an Ultra Wide lens in addition to the Wide lens to make it a better value for the money.


An ‌iPhone Air‌ with two camera lenses has reached the advanced testing phase. The device has the same design as the current model with the exception of the extra lens.

Apple also wants to improve battery life, either through an increased battery size or improvements to efficiency. Given that the design of the new model is similar to the current design, there may not be room for a larger battery. The device will use an A20 chip built on Apple's new 2nm process, so it could feature better efficiency.

Multiple prior rumors have suggested Apple is adding a second camera to the ‌iPhone Air‌ to address the main customer complaint about the device. The current model has a single rear lens with a Wide lens, which makes it inferior to the more affordable iPhone 17 in terms of camera quality. The ‌iPhone 17‌ has a two-camera setup, while the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have three cameras.

The next ‌iPhone Air‌ will come out alongside the iPhone 18 in 2027, with the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable iPhone set to debut in September.
This article, "iPhone Air With Dual Lens Camera Coming in Spring 2027" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The Connectivity Standards Alliance that includes Apple today announced the latest version of Matter, Matter 1.6. The update focuses on improved device setup, better coordinated device management, and response to control inputs.


Matter 1.6 includes NFC-Based Commissioning for setting up light bulbs in ceiling fixtures, in-wall switches, and other products that need to be configured prior to installation. It allows for setup before the device is fully powered, and it serves as an alternative to Bluetooth LE setup. Users will just need to hold a smartphone near a device to commission it.

For multi-ecosystem device sharing, Matter 1.6 supports "Joint Fabric" as a new approach that expands the Enhanced Multi-Admin toolkit. Joint Fabric lets multiple user-authorized controllers co-administer a single shared Matter network. Any device added to the Joint Fabric is accessible to all participating controllers, which makes it simpler for Android and iOS users in a household to access and control Matter-enabled devices. Matter smart home products can be controlled from any interface or ecosystem without requiring a separate setup of every device for each platform.

Thermostat Suggestions improve how thermostats account for user inputs and preferences. Controllers won't send direct commands to change temperature or mode, but will instead submit a time-bound suggestion tied to the thermostat's supported presets so the thermostat can react based on preferences and environmental conditions. The CSA says the new feature will be helpful in the following situations:

• A user enrolled in a utility demand-response program can configure the thermostat to protect those commitments, preventing an automation from a different ecosystem from accidentally overriding a savings event.


• A user who has chosen to optimize for energy savings, or for humidity control, air quality, or another preference, can have the setting recognized and respected across connected services without needing to configure it in each one.


• A thermostat that was just manually adjusted, on the device or through one ecosystem, can recognize a suggestion arriving moments later from another source and will identify it is likely not what the user intended, and defer.

The update standardizes how devices communicate their capabilities and operational limits, and CO and smoke alarms are now able to indicate when they have been removed from their installed position. Security sensors are also able to interoperably indicate a sensor event history, so ecosystems have access to real-time status and past activity.

Matter 1.6 is available for device makers and platforms to integrate into their products. Apple so far has not been quick to implement new Matter specifications. Matter 1.4 was announced back in November 2024, but Apple Home doesn't support all of the Matter 1.4 features.

In tvOS 27, Apple implemented support for Thread 1.4, improving Matter-over-Thread connectivity. Thread credential sharing allows smart home devices to join existing Thread networks for a true mesh network instead of separate, parallel networks across Thread Border Routers from different manufacturers.
This article, "Matter 1.6 Announced With NFC Setup, Cross-Ecosystem Device Sharing, and Smarter Thermostats" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums