Apple will release iOS 27 in September, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features on the way, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era.


This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though, as the following feature list testifies. iOS 27 remains in developer beta, while a public beta is expected to arrive this month.

Extend Your Photos and Lock Screen Wallpaper

A new wallpaper extension feature in iOS 27 uses Apple Intelligence to automatically expand a photo beyond its original boundaries so it fills the entire Lock Screen more naturally. If a photo is cropped too tightly, doesn't match your iPhone's aspect ratio, or it leaves empty space when positioned on the Lock Screen, iOS 27 can generate additional image content around the edges with the "Extend" option. It will analyze the existing image and create matching background details that blend with the original photo, so there's no need for aggressive cropping. The Extend option can also be found in the Photos app.

Organize Your Safari Tabs

Safari uses Apple Intelligence to automatically organize your open tabs into related topics, making them easier to browse and manage. For example, if you're shopping for a new refrigerator while planning a vacation, Safari groups tabs for each activity into separate topic-based collections. You can enable this feature by opening Tab View, tapping the three-line icon in the top-right corner, and turning on Automatically Create Topics.

Use Natural Language for Reminder and Calendar Entries

In the Reminders app, you can now create reminders using natural language, and Apple Intelligence will automatically fill in details such as the date, time, and location. For example, if you type "Pick up Dad at 6 p.m. tonight" or "Send the photos to Eric tomorrow at 3 p.m.," Reminders extracts the relevant information and adds it to the reminder automatically.

The Calendar app also supports natural language input, identifying people, dates, and locations as you type. You can then tap the suggested information to quickly add it to your event.

Inline Reply to Messages From Android Users

In the Messages app, you can now long press on a specific message from an Android user (a green chat bubble) and get an option to reply to it. That contrasts with iOS 26, where inline replies are limited to blue bubbles sent over Apple's iMessage platform.

Upgrade Your Wallet Passes

Apple has expanded the redesigned pass experience in the Wallet app with iOS 27, bringing the enhanced design introduced for airline boarding passes in iOS 26 to additional pass types. Membership, gift, loyalty, and rewards cards can now use a new Poster Generic layout with a background image, a logo, customizable header and footer fields, main information, and an optional barcode. Passes can also include up to two quick actions at the bottom, such as getting directions to a venue or checking a rewards points balance.

Describe Your Next Shortcut

Apple Intelligence makes creating shortcuts much more accessible by letting you build them with natural language. Tapping New Shortcut in the Shortcuts app opens a Describe a Shortcut interface, where you simply explain what you want the shortcut to do. You can describe a single action or a more complex automation, and Apple Intelligence selects the appropriate actions and assembles the shortcut automatically.

For example, you could create a shortcut that sets tomorrow's alarm based on your first Calendar event, enables Sleep Focus, and dims the bedroom lights each evening, or one that displays your first meeting, the weather, and today's reminders every morning. Like existing shortcuts, these automations can be triggered by factors such as the time of day, your location, app activity, system events like taking a screenshot, incoming notifications, and more.

Get a Better Flyover of Your City

Apple is enhancing the Flyover feature in Maps with iOS 27, using Apple Intelligence models to improve aerial imagery with greater texture and sharper detail. Trees, buildings, and other landmarks appear more realistic, with more accurate geometry and improved lighting effects.

According to Apple, the update makes select cities around the world look more lifelike, from the shape of individual trees to the way light reflects off glass skyscrapers. Flyover already offers detailed 3D views of landmarks, roads, parks, and buildings in more than 350 cities, so iOS 27 is essentially using AI to further improve the quality of those visualizations.

Ask Siri What Your Camera Sees

The iOS 27 Camera app has a new "Siri" mode that is available in addition to the video, photo, and other camera modes. The new mode uses Visual Intelligence to identify objects in the frame and provide information about them. It can be used to identify plants, animals, food, and more. If it's food you want info on, for example, it can tell you what it is, and how many calories are in it.

Other examples ‌Siri‌ mode can be used for include capturing a photo of an event flyer and adding a date to the Calendar app, text translation, splitting a bill, and more.

Make Your Lock Screen Clock More Compact

A new compact clock mode is available as a new Lock Screen layout option in iOS 27. Found in the top-right corner of the Font & Color panel, the option moves the time from its traditional large, centered position to a much smaller format alongside the date and widgets at the top of the screen. It's a nice option to have if you like a cleaner Lock Screen look that shows off your wallpaper more fully, and it's the complete opposite effect introduced in iOS 26 that stretches the clock down the screen.

Generate Photo-realistic Images with Image Playground

Apple's Image Playground has been a bit of an embarrassment up until now, being limited to cutesy re-renderings of actual photos and sketched illustrations. But the app gets a major update in iOS 27. Powered by a new generative model that runs on Private Cloud Compute, it can produce high-quality images in virtually any style, including photo-realistic output for the first time. All generated images automatically carry a hidden SynthID watermark to identify them as AI-generated. The app now also supports photo-based editing in addition to creation.

Tweak Liquid Glass Opacity

If Apple's Liquid Glass UI embrace in iOS 26 wasn't your thing, there's a way to tone it down. In iOS 27, Apple added a full Liquid Glass slider under Settings ➝ Appearance ➝ Liquid Glass. It changes the translucency of Liquid Glass elements, and you can choose a clear version of Liquid Glass that allows some of the background to show through, select a more opaque, tinted version that improves the legibility of text, or choose something in between.

Create a Slideshow from Any Album

In iOS 27, you can create a slideshow from any album, collection, or selection of photos in the Photos app, rather than being limited to Memories. Open an album or select multiple photos, tap the menu button in the top-right corner, and choose Start Slideshow. Slideshows can be customized with different transition styles, slide durations, and background music, and then saved as a video or shared directly to social media.
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Development of Apple's rumored camera-equipped AirPods Pro has been halted, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami."


In a blunt post on X referencing a June post about the product "case" being "concluded," the leaker appeared to be correcting it to say that the project has been "suspended." No other details were provided.

The claim comes as quite a surprise, given that Bloomberg reported in May that the camera-equipped AirPods Pro were nearing completion and had reached an "advanced" testing stage, suggesting early mass production could be imminent.

That said, the same report also noted that Apple could also opt to wait to launch the AirPods if it was not satisfied with the quality of the ‌Visual Intelligence‌ features in development for ‌Siri‌.

The AirPods Pro's built-in cameras are said to feed visual information about the wearer's surroundings to Siri. The cameras would not be for taking photos or videos, but used solely for AI purposes. "Kosutami" claimed in February that the infrared cameras will allow for the AirPods Pro to be "connected with Apple Intelligence," and other reliable sources have since corroborated that claim. The new AirPods have been in development for around four years.

Apple reportedly wanted to start selling the camera-equipped AirPods Pro in the first half of 2026, but the product's launch was held back because the smarter, AI version of ‌Siri‌ was still being developed – it exists in the current iOS 27 beta, but it won't be widely available until the release of iOS 27 in September.

Bloomberg said Apple was expecting strong demand for the new AirPods Pro and had operations teams working to secure components for a launch in challenging circumstances, owing to the industry-wide shortage of memory chips and other silicon. It's not clear whether this is the reason behind Kosutami's claim that the project has been suspended.

Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, around 10 months before the iPhone 16 Pro launched, they correctly revealed that it would feature a metal-enclosed battery.

They also provided an early look at an Apple Watch band made from Apple's controversial FineWoven material. However, Kosutami incorrectly claimed that AirPods Pro 3 were imminent in August 2024.
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Opera browser has announced a new security feature called Paste Protect that aims to stop clipboard-based cyberattacks before their malicious commands can be accidentally executed.


Opera says it's the first major browser to offer native protection against ClickFix attacks – a growing form of social engineering that tricks users into copying and pasting malicious commands into a computer's terminal. The new feature is built into Opera's desktop browsers and enabled by default.

ClickFix attacks typically masquerade as routine troubleshooting prompts, such as fake CAPTCHA verification or video playback fixes. Once pasted and executed, the commands can install malware, steal passwords, or give attackers remote access to a device. Opera describes the browsing risk as follows:

A ClickFix-style attack usually starts with something small and ordinary: a video that won't play, or a CAPTCHA that won't quite verify you're human. A pop-up offers a fix, telling you to copy a short command and paste it into your computer's terminal. It looks like routine troubleshooting. In reality, that command can install malware, steal saved passwords, or hand an attacker remote access to your machine, all carried out by the user's own hands, on their own device.

Opera features an existing clipboard hijack protection feature that prevents external applications from silently replacing copied content such as cryptocurrency wallet addresses. Paste Protect combines this with a new injection protection system that monitors clipboard activity for suspicious commands copied from websites and blocks potentially malicious content before it reaches the clipboard.

Users can see the first 120 characters of the blocked content, and developers working with trusted sources can override the block or mark specific sites as safe.

Opera cited research from cybersecurity firm Huntress that said ClickFix accounted for more than 53 percent of malware-loading cyberattacks last year, indicating the rapid growth of the technique.

Apple itself introduced a related safeguard for the Mac with the release of macOS Tahoe 26.4 earlier this year. Following the update, the operating system explicitly warns the user before they paste potentially dangerous commands into the Terminal app.

Opera browser is available now as a free update and can be downloaded from the company's website.
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For the last 19 years, the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA) has selected the best photographs captured with an iPhone, and the 2026 award winners were announced today.


The IPPA 2026 Grand Prize image features a volcano dramatically erupting in the Cayman Islands, with the photo shot by Robyn Jensen on an iPhone 15 Pro.


The Gold Prize image by Gellért Gombai features two children napping on grass in the shadow of a badminton racket, with the photo shot in black and white using an iPhone X. There are also Silver and Bronze prize winners taken on iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models, respectively.


There are other winners across a number of categories, including abstract, animals, architecture, children, cityscape, landscape, lifestyle, nature, people, portrait, series, still life, travel, and other. All of the winning images can be viewed on the IPPA website.

The contests are open to iPhone and iPad users worldwide, and images can be edited with iOS apps. It is worth noting that it costs money to send in a photo, but Apple devices are provided as prizes. The 20th annual entry deadline for submissions is March 31, 2027.
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TV Time, the popular show and movie tracking app, is shutting down on July 15, with all personal user data set to be deleted after that date.


In a support page update announcing the news, the company admitted that it was "no longer sustainable to continue operating the service as a free app," and said that there was "not enough demand for a paid app."

Come the shutdown date, the TV Time app will be removed from both the App Store and Google Play, and the tvtime.com website will go offline permanently.

Users who want to preserve their viewing history and tracked data can request an export through the app's GDPR self-service tool before the July 15 cutoff. The company says all personal user data will be deleted after that date, but it may retain aggregated, non-personal data for business or legal purposes.

TV Time has operated for more than a decade, and over that period it built a dedicated community around episode tracking, watchlists, and user ratings. In the wake of the closure announcement, users on the Resetera forums have suggested alternatives like Trakt, Serializd, and Simkl – although the latter's servers have reportedly struggled under a sudden wave of new sign-ups.
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Apple has told suppliers to prepare to make approximately 10 million foldable iPhones this year, up from a previous forecast of about 7-8 million units a few months ago, reports Nikkei Asia ($).


Apple has already booked parts for roughly 80 million smartphones for the second half of 2026, which includes the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the first-ever foldable iPhone. The company's full 2026 production is expected to top 220 million units, according to the publication.

Apple's purchasing power is said to have left it better positioned than rivals like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, which have each cut annual production targets below 100 million units amid an industry-wide memory shortage.

Some suppliers have reportedly been told to expect orders for as many as 85 million new iPhones in the second half of 2026, with Apple asking them to reserve iPhone 17 components for the coming iPhone 18 lineup.

Engineering problems tied to the foldable iPhone's hinge appear to have been resolved, but that has raised the odds of a small initial shipment following the device's launch. A larger production run likely won't begin until closer to the end of the year.

Apple raised prices on MacBooks and iPads last month in response to rising component costs, but the iPhone 17 lineup has so far been spared from a price hike. If that remains the case, Apple will likely use the new devices launches to introduce increased pricing across the lineup. IDC has predicted that the foldable will carry an average selling price of $2,500, with storage options potentially priced as high as $3,000.

Apple's foldable iPhone is rumored to feature a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover display, along with Touch ID instead of Face ID, an A20 chip, and Apple's C2 modem. The device is expected to be released alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September. Apple's book-style foldable could launch as the "iPhone Ultra," as suggested by reports.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook held "constructive" talks with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen on Tuesday about releasing Siri AI in the bloc while complying with the bloc's digital rules, reports the Financial Times ($).


An EU spokesperson told the publication the virtual meeting had involved a "constructive exchange on topics of common interest, on which the work continues."

Siri AI will be available for free with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 when they are released in September. However, the enhanced chatbot-style Siri will not be available in the EU on iOS and iPadOS until it can find a path forward under the bloc's regulatory framework. That includes the new Siri app for revisiting conversations, expanded Visual Intelligence capabilities, integrated writing tools, Siri mode in the Camera app on iPhone, and more.

When the new enhanced Siri AI features were announced at WWDC 2026 last month, Apple said EU regulators did not accept any of the company's proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants.

According to the Commission, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires Apple to give rival AI assistants access to the same underlying iPhone capabilities as Siri, allowing them to perform many of the same tasks on a user's behalf with appropriate user consent.

To address the issue, Apple came up with the idea of a Trusted System Agent – intermediary software that would be designed to let third-party virtual assistants securely access the same system capabilities as Siri AI on EU devices. Apple said the EU rejected the proposal.

The EU quickly shot back against that characterization, however, saying the decision not to launch Siri AI in the bloc was entirely Apple's and that the company sought an exemption from its legal obligations rather than a compliant solution. Regulators also said Apple simply requested a blanket exemption from its interoperability obligations under the DMA, something the Commission said is not an available option.

The dispute prompted a wave of criticism of the Commission. According to the Financial Times, EU officials received hundreds of emails from consumers accusing Brussels of denying Europeans access to the new technology.

As for Apple's proposed Trusted System Agent, a Commission official told the publication its contact with Apple on the idea was limited, and that it lacked a concrete proposal or details on how such an agent would work beyond the general concept. The official claimed Apple "focused on obtaining a green light to delay compliance."

"Apple's proposal to delay interoperability for third-party AI agents while having its product available to users would have risked leading to the entrenchment of its service before others would get a chance to compete for at least two years if not more," the official said.

By contrast, the official said changes Google made to Android prompted the Commission to open a formal consultation on how the company could comply with the DMA and avoid hefty fines.

Apple has not publicly commented on the latest round of discussions.
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Last summer, Swiss-based Proton launched Lumo, an AI assistant with a privacy-first approach. Today, the company has announced Lumo 2.0, a major update to the chatbot that brings three new features commensurate with its core principles of no logs, no data sharing, and zero-access encryption.


Proton says Lumo 2 has been rebuilt on a new architecture that brings its biggest leap in capability to date, with Fast and Thinking modes now available. Fast of course prioritizes speed, while Thinking is optimized for more complex, multi-step reasoning. Proton says Lumo 2 responds to everyday queries up to 76 percent faster than Lumo 1.4.

Beyond the new architecture, Lumo 2 also boasts multimodal capabilities such as image generation and image recognition. Users can now upload an image to analyze, create visuals from a prompt or a rough sketch, or edit existing images, all in the same conversation.

On top of the new features, Lumo 2.0 has far stronger web search compared to Lumo 1.4, according to the company. There's also a Memory feature that lets Lumo learn your preferences, working style, and ongoing context, with the context window now twice as large.

Lumo 2.0 also introduces Custom Lumos, described as enabling purpose-built assistants that can be tailored to specific tasks, such as a research assistant that structures answers the way you need them.


Lumo is free to use at Lumo.proton.me and does not require a Proton account when accessed. However, if you have a Proton account, your chat history can be saved using the company's "zero-access" encryption across all your devices. There are also mobile apps for iPhone and Android.

For power users, Lumo Plus brings unlimited chats, Projects, advanced image generation, and priority access to the fastest models. Plus costs $12.99 per month, and there's also a Lumo Professional plan for teams offering secure collaboration for $14.99 per user per month, with discounts currently available for both plans.
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Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to introduce new color options, including a dark cherry color, and today we may have been given another peek at the rumored finish, courtesy of the Chinese leaker known as Ice Universe.


In an image posted on Weibo, a SIM tray allegedly from the unreleased iPhone is shown in a dark cherry color, which could also be described in this grainy example as burgundy, brownish, or purple.

Multiple rumors have suggested Apple is testing a deep reddish finish for the iPhone 18 Pro models, and the color is expected to be the special one that Apple markets prominently in 2026, similar to how it did for the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro.

Two other colors Apple is said to be planning are Light Blue and Dark Gray. Apple may also offer the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in Silver. Macworld has previously claimed to have identified the Pantone colors for all four finishes.

The four colors were also spotted in the first iPhone 18 Pro dummy models to leak, providing another look at the shades Apple is likely to use.

Notably, in the same Weibo thread where the SIM tray image was posted, Ice Universe responded to another user asking if the iPhone 18 Pro would be available in black. The leaker replied simply, "No." It's not the first time we've heard there will be no black iPhone 18 Pro model this year.

Apple's next-generation premium devices are expected to be unveiled in September alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone, which could have its own set of more muted color finishes, with silver, white, and indigo rumored so far, with other rumors suggesting it will be available in two colors or perhaps even just one.
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Apple could be taking action to limit the spread of leaked iPhone 18 Pro video footage that surfaced online following a recent cyberattack targeting Tata Electronics, one of Apple's manufacturing partners in India.


Over the last day, video clips that apparently showed an iPhone 18 Pro undergoing drop testing began appearing on X (Twitter). The clips appeared to show a silver-gray iPhone 18 Pro model with a more uniform rear aesthetic than the current iPhone 17 Pro's two-tone design. The device had the expected three-camera rear array, but the lenses appeared to protrude more from the plateau than on the iPhone 17 Pro. The Apple logo on the back of the device also appeared to have a reflective finish.

The clips were initially shared by an account using the @EvLeaks handle and were reposted by Ice Universe, but the posts have been taken down by X, citing a violation of the platform's rules. The @EvLeaks account has since been suspended.

Evan Blass, who was previously associated with the EvLeaks name, says he has "nothing to do with the new @EvLeaks account nor the purported iPhone leak posted there." Blass added: "Looks like Apple may have done what Samsung never could," likely referring back to the hundreds of Samsung leaks that Blass himself has been able to freely make public unimpeded over the years.

It is not clear whether the posts were removed at Apple's request or Tata's request, or because the videos were later believed to be fake.

Elsewhere, over in China, Ice Universe claimed on Weibo that Apple had "already banned the leaked data on Twitter."

Apple has not publicly commented on the removals, but the videos appeared to be genuine based on similar descriptions provided by Reuters.

The alleged leaked footage follows the outlet's report that Apple is "concerned" about confidential files stolen from Tata Electronics and circulated on the dark web. Reuters said the leaked files included Apple-watermarked documents, component details, supplier information, codenames, and images of iPhone 18 Pro models during drop testing. Apple is said to be investigating the incident and working with Tata on long-term measures to improve security.

We are not sharing the videos or images of them here out of caution, though some are still circulating online. They may not last the day, however. The speed of the takedowns, if instigated by Apple, may indicate that the company is moving more aggressively than usual in the face of a major data breach in order to prevent further spread.

Alternatively, it could be that the videos simply originated from an X account that was suspended for impersonating someone else, and they where later deemed to be fakes for that reason. We should know for sure when the iPhone 18 Pro is released in September.
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The U.K.'s competition regulator has proposed letting app developers direct users to payment options outside Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store, in a move aimed at increasing competition and reducing the fees charged by the two companies.


As reported by Reuters, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the proposals would remove restrictions that currently prevent U.K. developers from directing users to off-platform payment options.

The regulator said any fees Apple and Google charge developers for enabling such "steering" must be fair and reasonable, remain below existing App Store and Play Store commissions, and allow developers to either pass savings on to consumers or reinvest them in innovation.

The CMA said it was also considering making Apple open up access to its near-field communication (NFC) technology, which is used for Apple Pay contactless payments. This would allow developers to potentially offer alternative payment options within their own apps.

Last year, Apple was designated with strategic market status (SMS) in the U.K. for iOS and iPadOS, which enables the CMA to initiate targeted interventions designed to open the platforms to greater competition.

Apple has previously said it does not support allowing developers to direct users to off-platform payments. The company argues this ​could undermine user security and fraud ​protections, and limit its ability ⁠to verify transactions.

An Apple spokesperson told Reuters it could open the door to "scams, bait-and-switch tactics, and the circumvention of parental controls."

"When users are directed away from Apple's trusted payment infrastructure, they lose the protections ​they rely on Apple to provide," the spokesperson said, adding the U.S. tech giant would continue to "make ​our concerns clear" ⁠to the CMA.

In February, Apple and Google agreed to a series of changes aimed at making their app stores fairer for developers. Under terms published by the CMA, both companies said they will ensure apps are reviewed and ranked on their app stores in a "fair, objective and transparent way," without discrimination against apps that compete with their own services.

Apple must allow developers to more easily request access to iOS features and functionality, which could clear the way for third-party apps to better compete with Apple's own services.
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The next major Mac Studio update is still a couple of years away, but a refresh for 2026 is still in the cards, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman said Apple has two Mac Studio refreshes in the pipeline: an M5 Ultra version due this year, and a more significant M7 Ultra model expected in 2028.

Apple appears set to skip the higher-end M6 chips entirely, hence the two-year gap between the two models. Gurman reported earlier this month that Apple is canceling its higher-end M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, instead releasing a base M6 this year and moving its next Pro and Max silicon to the M7 lineup, which is expected to lean heavily into on-device AI and GPU-intensive workloads.

Apple has always had at least three variants of its in-house silicon, 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 lineup.

For the Mac Studio, that means jumping straight from M5 Ultra to M7 Ultra – there will be no M6 Ultra in between. While a major redesign is not expected for this year's M5 Ultra model, Gurman says Apple has been developing new inner architecture for the 2028 Mac Studio, including a better heat sink to improve thermal performance.

The ‌Mac Studio‌ refresh was supposed to come earlier in 2026, but Apple reportedly postponed the launch because of memory chip supply issues and price increases. Apple has reportedly tested support for up to 768GB of unified memory, but supply constraints could prevent it from launching with an option for that much memory.

It remains unclear whether Apple will make an October launch for the M5 version, especially given that the current M3 Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ still has delivery estimates stretching into October.
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An alleged image of the iPhone 18 Pro motherboard has leaked online, showing the A20 Pro chip will use a new packaging technology that should offer notable performance gains over the previous model.


The leaked image, which has been shared by the accounts "WHYLAB" and "Ice Universe" on Weibo, appears to show the A20 Pro chip integrated into TSMC's new packaging architecture, known as Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology.

Traditionally, Apple has used package-on-package (PoP) designs, where the DRAM sits directly on top of the application processor. The advantages of this method are lower power consumption and reduced latency, but it also makes heat concentrated in the packaging area.

In the leaked WMCM implementation, by contrast, the DRAM has been moved to the side of the package, which should reduce thermal coupling between the processor and DRAM while improving heat dissipation during sustained workloads. Apple's design is also said to be equipped with LPDDR6 memory with a 96-bit memory bus, which should provide more energy-efficient bandwidth.

The chip size is said to be roughly the same as the A19 Pro, but the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) appears to be significantly larger, suggesting that Apple is also aiming to improve AI performance.

The leaked image has not been confirmed as authentic, but the WMCM technology has been repeatedly rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Powered by the A20 Pro chip, the foldable iPhone and iPhone 18 Pro models are also expected to use TSMC's new 2nm process, also known as N2, boasting performance improvements that could be up to 15 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient than A19 chips.


In addition, N2 introduces new super-high-performance metal-insulator-metal (SHPMIM) capacitors into the chip's power delivery system. These capacitors more than double the capacitance density of the previous generation. Together with the adoption of WMCM, the changes should boost performance globally and improve power stability and energy efficiency.

The Pro and Fold models are expected to share 12GB of RAM, 48-megapixel rear cameras, and Apple's C2 modem. All three models are expected to be released in September this year.
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Apple's upcoming iPhone 18e will have the same display refresh rate as the existing iPhone 17e, according to a prominent Chinese leaker.


Discussing Apple's product plans for 2027 in a Weibo post, Digital Chat Station claimed that the next generation of Apple's low-cost iPhone will feature the same 60Hz low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT panel as the current model.

It means the device will lack the ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate and Always-On display technology that is expected to feature across the rest of the iPhone 18 lineup, similar to the iPhone 17 series.

That's despite the fact that you can find 120Hz screens on competing Android phones at similar price points as the iPhone 17e.

The claim is substantiated by a report out of Korea earlier this year that said Apple would not use a low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panel until the fourth-generation model, which is expected to arrive in early 2028. Adoption of LPTO would make the display technically capable of dynamically adjusting its refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz.

The shift in 2028 is said to depend in part on Apple's development of a next-generation "LTPO+" display technology, which incorporates oxide semiconductors in both switching and drive transistors, and is said to use a lot less battery power.

Apple reportedly plans to reserve LTPO+ for its higher-end models in 2028, including new versions of the iPhone Air and its upcoming foldable iPhone, which would free up standard LTPO panels for the rest of the lineup. But if the new technology isn't ready in time, it could delay the trickle-down of LPTO panels to the 19e, so nothing's for certain yet.
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Apple is developing a smart ring that could potentially rival products like the Oura Ring and Samsung Galaxy Ring, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami."


Apple has toyed with the idea of a smart ring for several years, as indicated by several patents, and there have been previous rumors that Apple has investigated a wearable for the finger to track a user's biometrics.

Reports dating back to 2024 said Apple was weighing up the idea as a viable expansion of its wearables lineup – something that may appeal to people who would prefer a biometric accessory that's more inconspicuous than an Apple Watch.

Rumors have petered out over the last couple of years, but now it seems that the popularity of the latest Oura Ring has caught Apple's attention, if the latest rumor is anything to go by. However, no other details were provided by the leaker.

The original Oura Ring was released by Finnish health technology company Oura back in 2015. The device collects activity, heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep data, and transmits it via Bluetooth to the Oura app.


Now in it's fifth iteration, the latest Oura Ring is a lot smaller than previous versions and boasts new health-monitoring capabilities including blood pressure trend detection, nighttime breathing analysis, and tools for GLP-1 medication tracking.

Would you be interested in an "iRing" as an alternative to Apple Watch? Let us know in the comments.
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Apple has raised the prices of Macs and iPads across its Certified Refurbished online store, following the sweeping new product price hikes introduced earlier today.


Across the affected products in Apple's refurb inventory, prices went up by around $160 to $180 on average, but it was the Mac increases that were generally more eye-watering than the iPad increases.

The Mac increases averaged about $204 at the low end and $330 at the high end. Some of the smaller Mac changes included the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip rising from $1,699 to $1,779 – the Nano-texture version of the same model rose from $1,829 to $1,909. Elsewhere, a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip and Nano-texture display increased from $2,249 to $2,339.

But it was the higher end of the Mac lineup that saw the biggest price increases. A refurbished 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip rose from $1,359 to $1,439, while the highest-priced configuration in that group increased from $2,629 to $3,309. A 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Max chip also jumped from $4,249 to $4,839.

As for the iPad, the increases were more consistent. Many refurbished iPad models went up by around $120 to $150. In terms of lower-end models, examples include the 10th-generation iPad Wi-Fi 256GB models rising from $339 to $409, while iPad mini 6 models increased from $379 to $459 or from $449 to $529. Some higher-end iPad Pro configurations also saw larger increases of around $230 to $250.

The refurbished price changes are in line with Apple's broader pricing reset for new products, which are said to be due to the company having to grapple with the impact of rising memory and storage chip costs owing to the ongoing AI data center buildout. In other words, if new Macs and iPads become more expensive, refurbished versions also need to rise so that they remain discounted by roughly the same amount.

That said, many of Apple's refurbished units likely contain original memory, storage, and logic boards, or service parts purchased before the latest component cost spike. So this appears to be more a case of increased prices based on Apple's updated pricing structure, rather than the actual cost of each device.
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Apple today increased the starting price of the Mac mini with M4 Pro chip by $200, taking the higher-tier model up to $1,599 on its online store.


When the M4 Pro model launched in October 2024, the starting price was $1,399, but Apple has been hit by the rapid expansion of AI data centres, which has driven up the demand for memory and storage chips across the tech industry.

Apple had already raised the Mac mini's effective starting price in May by discontinuing the $599 configuration with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, leaving the $799 model with a 512GB SSD as the new entry-level option. Interestingly, the 16GB RAM / 256GB storage option has now been reinstated, but the $799 starting price remains.

"We have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices," Apple said in a statement given to The Wall Street Journal. "We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," it added.

Apple briefly took down its online store earlier today as it typically does when announcing new products. But when it came back online, the price tags for Mac computers rose approximately 15 percent to 20 percent and iPad prices rose 15 percent to 25 percent. Apart from the price hikes, there were no other changes to the site.
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OLED panel mass production has reportedly begun for several upcoming Apple products, including the long-rumored OLED iPad mini and OLED MacBook Pro.


According to a Korean-language ETNews report, Samsung Display started mass production of OLED panels for Apple's first OLED iPad mini this month. The report adds that production of OLED panels for the MacBook Pro is scheduled to begin in July, coinciding with the startup of Samsung's new 8.6-generation OLED production line.

The OLED iPad mini has been rumored for several years now as Apple gradually expands OLED technology beyond the iPhone and Apple Watch. Apple brought OLED to the iPad Pro in 2024, and display industry analysts have long expected the iPad mini to follow before the technology eventually reaches the iPad Air.

OLED will replace the current LCD technology used in the iPad mini 7, offering higher contrast, deeper blacks, and improved power efficiency. There are no rumors suggesting exactly when the next ‌iPad mini‌ will be released, but a late 2026 launch is widely expected.

• OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

The rumored upcoming MacBook Pro redesign – possibly marketed with a higher-tier "MacBook Ultra" moniker – is believed to be next in line in Apple's product lineup to adopt OLED, replacing the current mini-LED technology. Multiple supply chain reports have indicated Samsung Display's dedicated Gen 8.6 OLED production line is key to Apple's Mac transition.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the OLED MacBook Pro will also be the first Mac to adopt touchscreen technology. The machine is expected to be released towards the end of the year or early 2027, depending on how well Apple contends with industry-wide memory chip shortages.

ETNews says Samsung Display and LG Display are supplying all of Apple's OLED panels for products launching in the second half of the year. Samsung and LG are reportedly sharing production of OLED panels for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, while LG Display is said to be the sole supplier for the Apple Watch Series 12. Meanwhile, Samsung will reportedly be the exclusive supplier for the foldable iPhone, OLED iPad mini, and OLED MacBook Pro displays.

• MacBook Ultra: 5 Features That Could Justify the Name

The report also claims Chinese display maker BOE is not participating in the iPhone 18 supply chain after quality issues reportedly delayed shipments for iPhone 17 Pro displays.
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Apple's second-generation foldable iPhone has officially been given the go-ahead for development, a prominent Chinese leaker claimed today.


In a post on Weibo, the account known as Digital Chat Station said that the "iPhone Ultra 2 project" has been formally approved, and that the second book-style device will likely use the same display as the first-generation model expected later this year.

The first foldable iPhone will use a foldable 7.8-inch OLED panel supplied by Samsung, based on reports. The display uses a newer design that eliminates one of the traditional screen layers and instead builds the color-filtering layer directly into the display stack, making the screen thinner, lighter, and more power-efficient.

Last weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is planning to launch a second-generation foldable iPhone in fall 2027 alongside two 20th-anniversary iPhone models, which could take the names iPhone 20 Pro and iPhone 20 Pro Max.

Digital Chat Station's post on Weibo also said that the iPhone Air 3 has not entered the prototype stage yet, and that its emergence may depend on how sales hold up for the iPhone Air 2, which is expected to be released in the spring of 2027. That model is set to introduce a second camera and will likely offer battery life improvements, per Gurman's report.

Digital Chat Station was the originator of the claim that Apple will call its first foldable the "iPhone Ultra." The leaker has more than three million followers on Weibo, and has a track record of accurately leaking Apple-related information. Still, as with all such reports, the details remain unconfirmed.
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Apple's rumored foldable iPhone "Ultra" is expected to begin mass production at the end of July, according to a new report by The Elec.


Although some recent reports suggested the book-style device could be delayed due to hinge-related issues, the Korean outlet's sources indicate that Apple is still targeting a September launch as planned.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in March that the new foldable iPhone won't ship to customers in the same September timeframe as the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max. A month later, Gurman said that the foldable iPhone remained on track for a September debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, and that Apple is aiming to put it on sale at roughly the same time or slightly later.

Gurman noted at the time, however, that "the release is six months away and production has yet to ramp up" and "the timing isn't final."

The foldable iPhone will use a foldable 7.8-inch OLED panel supplied by Samsung. The display uses a newer design that eliminates one of the traditional screen layers and instead builds the color-filtering layer directly into the display stack, making the screen thinner, lighter, and more power-efficient.

The hinge will reportedly be supplied by Taiwan's Shin Zu Shing and U.S.-based Amphenol. Both companies are said to be providing hinges manufactured using 3D-printing techniques.

The Elec's latest sources said Apple did encounter some challenges with the hinge during testing. After undergoing durability tests involving millions of folds, the mechanism reportedly began producing slight "noise," while wider-than-expected manufacturing tolerances in parts of the assembly process contributed to higher defect rates. However, most of these issues have since been addressed, according to one Taiwan-based industry source cited by the outlet.

In addition to the inner display, the foldable iPhone is expected to feature a 5.5-inch cover display, as well as Apple's A20 chip and C2 modem, a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, and two rear cameras, with pricing rumored at around $2,000. Apple's book-style foldable could launch as the "iPhone Ultra," as suggested by reports.
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Apple appears to have closed the loophole that let Mac users skip the Siri AI waitlist in the latest macOS 27 Golden Gate beta.


As we covered earlier this month, beta 1 testers can switch on the enhanced version of Siri straight away using a single Terminal command, effectively sidestepping Apple's waitlist.

However, many users who are running the second developer beta of macOS 27, which was released on Monday, are finding that the command does not work for them. Users who enabled Siri AI this way in the original beta are also reporting that they have been kicked back to the waitlist after updating.

Apple has not said anything about the reported change, but one possibility is that the entitlement check that the Terminal command taps into has been switched from a local feature flag to a server-validated state.

Apple could still be building out its server capacity for the redesigned Siri, which is why it is granting access to testers in batches as more comes online. It's likely the reason why the workaround is no longer working for some people.

In any case, if you applied the bypass trick in macOS 27 beta 1 and want to retain access, you probably won't want to update to beta 2.

Some users are suggesting alternative methods involving submitting Apple Intelligence feedback to accelerate approval, but the claims remain anecdotal, and at this point it may just be worth waiting in the queue. Apple appears to be granting access to new beta testers in a matter of days.

Siri AI is now a fully fledged chatbot, and can draw on personal context understanding to search across messages, emails, photos, and more. It can now get things done across apps thanks to even more system-wide app actions.

On Mac, ‌Siri‌ AI is also integrated into Spotlight and available via right-click context menus on any file or window.

Note that Siri AI remains unavailable in the EU on iPhone and iPad, but the limitation does not apply to the Mac.
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The latest beta of Apple's Reality Composer Pro 3, the content creation tool used to build spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro, appears to contain traces of "The Machinery," an ambitious game development project that abruptly shut down in 2022 without explanation.


Based on code discovered by Nicolás Alvarez and independently confirmed by MacRumors, binaries included with Reality Composer Pro 3 beta contain at least 40 mentions of "the machinery" or "our machinery," and match aspects of The Machinery's project structure, asset management system, and database architecture.

The findings are notable because The Machinery was developed by Our Machinery – a company made up of veterans of the Bitsquid game engine. The project earned a devoted following among engine programmers for its unconventional approach to content creation workflows. And yet it disappeared without trace.

Central to the project was a system known as "The Truth," a database-driven architecture designed to unify assets, objects, dependencies, and editor state. Many of the same concepts appear in Apple's latest Reality Composer Pro release, announced during WWDC 2026. Things like reusable prototypes, live editing, asset dependency tracking, and rapid iteration workflows all pop up – ideas that have notable technological similarities to how The Machinery worked. The direct references in the code appear to confirm the connection.

The links don't just extend to code strings, either. Tricia Gray, co-founder and CEO of Our Machinery, now works on Apple's spatial computing developer tools team, as evidenced in her LinkedIn profile.

It's not clear whether Apple licensed The Machinery or acquired the company, or in some way inherited the referenced technology, but the presence of the identifiers throughout Apple's code suggests at least some of the project's ideas have somehow found their way into Apple's spatial computing development toolset.

The discovery is particularly notable because The Machinery's development ended so suddenly, surprising many developers at the time who had followed the project's progress. We've reached out to Apple to comment on the findings and will update this story if we hear back.
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One of Apple's key manufacturing partners in India has confirmed it was recently the target of a cyberattack that has resulted in confidential Apple documents being leaked on the dark web.


Tata Electronics said on Monday it had detected a "cybersecurity incident," after security researchers told Reuters that ransom group World Leaks had shared more than 200,000 files belonging to Apple and Tesla, both of which are customers of the Indian group.

"A few weeks ago, Tata Electronics identified a cybersecurity incident on some of our systems. Our response protocols were deployed immediately, and the incident has had no impact on our operations across businesses, which remain unaffected," Tata Electronics told Reuters in a statement.

Apple has not commented on the leak, but a source familiar with the matter told the outlet that Apple was investigating the breach and ​a "full analysis was going on." Tata is believed to have received a ransom demand related to the incident, but the group declined to comment.

Many of the leaked files allegedly contain component design and specification papers. For example, one 52-page document has Apple's proprietary markings and purportedly details quality inspection standards ⁠for iPhone circuit ​board components. The files are ⁠also said to contain emails, event logs spanning several years, and passport copies of employees including foreign nationals.

Reuters wasn't able to independently verify the documents, which have been available on the dark web – which is beyond the reach of search engines – since at least June 10, according to researchers.

Tata is emerging as one of Apple's most important manufacturing ​partners outside China, and the breach is another setback for the group. It is also currently facing a health probe over alleged contamination of farmlands near one of its iPhone parts plants.
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A class action lawsuit accusing Apple of overcharging U.K. iCloud users has been certified to go ahead, putting the £3 billion ($3.9 billion) claim on track for a trial in October 2028.


According to BBC News, the Competition Appeal Tribunal cleared consumer group Which? to bring the case on behalf of an estimated 40 million U.K. iPhone and iPad owners, each of whom could receive up to £77 if the claim succeeds.

Which? alleges that Apple has locked customers into iCloud since 2015 by limiting how rival cloud services work on its devices, and then charged inflated subscription prices as a result. Apple gives users 5GB of free storage and pushes them toward paid tiers once that fills up, with U.K. pricing running from 99p a month for 50GB to £54.99 a month for 12TB.

The consumer group filed its claim against Apple at the tribunal on behalf of affected consumers in November 2024.

Anabel Hoult, Which?'s chief executive, said the group wanted to make clear that no company "no matter how powerful, can get away with abusing its position." She said the green light from the tribunal meant Which? was "one step closer to getting consumers the redress we believe they are owed from Apple."

"This should send a strong message to any other companies using anti-competitive tactics," she added.

Apple has called the claims unfounded, and argues that no customer is required to use iCloud and that alternatives exist. The company said it strongly disagrees with the tribunal's decision and plans to appeal.

Eligibility covers anyone who used iCloud on a U.K. device between November 8, 2018 and June 8, 2026. Those living in the U.K. on June 8 are included automatically unless they opt out by October 8, while non-U.K. residents from that date must opt in by the same deadline. Customers who first used iCloud after June 8, 2026 are excluded.

(Thanks, Alan!)
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Apple's first foldable iPhone remains on track for a September debut, despite rumors to the contrary, based on a new report by China Securities Journal (via DigiTimes).


According to the report, which cites a source at an Apple supplier, the company recently started delivering components in small batches for Apple's first foldable iPhone.

The supplier also reportedly received guidance indicating that the device is scheduled to be unveiled in September 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. A second supply-chain source cited in the report said it had received no indication of a delay and continues to work toward a fall 2026 release timetable.

The report backs a claim made last week by a Chinese leaker that suggestions of a delay are wide of the mark.

There have been occasional reports that Apple's first foldable device is encountering engineering hurdles as development enters its final stages. In May, leaker Instant Digital claimed the foldable iPhone was still facing durability concerns related to its hinge mechanism. While Apple is said to have largely resolved issues surrounding display creasing, the leaker suggested the hinge has yet to meet the company's long-term reliability standards.

Apple is known for imposing rigorous durability requirements on entirely new product categories, but reports of unresolved hinge concerns this late in development would be unusual given the device's expected launch timeline.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in March that Apple's foldable iPhone may not launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September. Earlier, Barclays analyst Tim Long predicted the device would not begin shipping until December, potentially creating a gap of up to three months between the foldable iPhone and Apple's flagship iPhone 18 Pro models.

Apple has taken a staggered launch approach before. In 2017, the iPhone X was unveiled alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, but it didn't reach customers until November, while the other models launched in September as usual.

If Apple ultimately decides to delay shipments of its foldable iPhone beyond September, it would likely still unveil the device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its annual iPhone event. In that scenario, Apple would announce the entire lineup together before releasing each model according to its production schedule.

The foldable iPhone is expected to feature a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover display, the A20 chip and C2 modem, a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, and two rear cameras, with pricing rumored at around $2,000. Apple's book-style foldable could launch as the "iPhone Ultra," as suggested by reports.

In an unusual step compared to previous fall announcements, as part of a new split-launch strategy, Apple is expected to hold over the release of the regular iPhone 18 until spring next year.
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Apple will unveil the Apple Watch Ultra 4 alongside an Apple Watch Series 12 later this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman plotted out Apple's product roadmap for the rest of the year, including the Phone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the company's first foldable iPhone. "That flurry of devices should also include an Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4," said Gurman.

Apple hasn't released a new Apple Watch Ultra model every year. The Ultra launched in 2022, followed by an Ultra 2 in 2023. In 2024, the only update was a black color option, but the underlying hardware remained unchanged. The Ultra 3 arrived in 2025, so it sounds like Apple isn't skipping a year this time around.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 could include a "full redesign," according to a May 2026 DigiTimes report, but it's not clear what that would include. The device is also rumored to be getting a "significant upgrade to sensing functions." But again, we don't know what that might refer to.

In terms of new watch features, Apple is developing noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology, but it is still believed to be a few years away while Apple works on further miniaturization.

Leaked Apple code has suggested the company is experimenting with biometric authentication in the form of Touch ID for 2026's Apple Watch lineup, but it's not clear how this could be implemented. Touch ID could go under the display, or it could be integrated into the side button. The feature would reduce reliance on numerical passcodes for unlocking, but the Apple Watch already has a wrist authentication feature for making purchases.

Looking further ahead, Apple is considering using LG Display's high-mobility oxide (HMO) thin-film transistor technology for the next Apple Watch OLED display in 2027. Compared to the current LTPO display technology, HMO increases electron mobility for lower power consumption.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Apple Watch Series 12 are expected to arrive in September alongside the new iPhone models. watchOS 27 will add new watch faces to the new devices, including a variant of the Modular Ultra face.
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There is growing speculation that Apple may hike the prices of its iPhone 17 lineup as soon as this month, following CEO Tim Cook's recent comments about "unavoidable" price increases.


Last week, Cook told The Wall Street Journal that Apple is no longer able to absorb the increased cost of memory and storage chips, both of which are in high demand from AI and neocloud companies as they continue to build more data centers.

The scale of the AI infrastructure buildout has prompted debate over whether demand will ultimately justify the hundreds of billions of dollars being invested, but for now it is helping to drive supply constraints across the semiconductor industry. 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.

Multiple companies have already raised their prices, including Samsung, Microsoft, Sony, and Dell. Apple is now expected to follow suit. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that the timing of Cook's comments likely indicates price hikes are "imminent." Gurman has also linked potential price increases to Apple's Back to School sale, which is expected to be announced imminently. His thinking is that Apple may tie the two things together as a "buffer."

Apple holds a Back to School sale each June, providing teachers and students with free accessories or gift cards when purchasing a Mac or an iPad. The added bonus is in addition to Apple's educational discount. The Back to School sale typically takes place around WWDC, and in three of the last five years, it has started 8 to 10 days after the WWDC keynote. That could mean we see the sale announced as soon as this week. Could higher device prices arrive in tandem?

Either way, Gurman believes the price hikes are "not a fall thing." In other words, they won't be held back until the launch of new iPhone 18 Pro models around mid-September. Chinese supply chain leaker Ice Universe said as much over the weekend, suggesting the price of Apple's current flagship lineup could rise before then.

Apple's existing iPhone retail prices are as follows:

• iPhone 17e: from $599


• iPhone 17: from $799


• iPhone Air: from $999


• iPhone 17 Pro: from $1,099


• iPhone 17 Pro Max: from $1,199

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal has published its own analysis estimating the iPhone 18 Pro could start as high as $1,399.

Prices on iPads and Macs could also go up in the near future.
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According to the latest rumors, Apple is close to launching its next-generation iPad mini. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over 20 months ago. Read on to find out.

Processor and Performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

Display

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

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

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

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

Chassis Design

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

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

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

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

Release Date

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

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

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

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

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

Pricing

The price of the current iPad mini 7 starts at $499 for the 128GB Wi-Fi-only model, going up to $799 for the 512GB model. However, there's a very good chance that the iPad mini 8 will cost more.

The main reason is rising memory and storage costs, brought about by the continuing AI data center buildout. Growing demand for memory and storage chips from AI companies has led to chip shortages and higher costs for everyone else, and Apple will need to increase device costs "substantially" to maintain its current profit margins, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Just this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook told WSJ that "price increases are unavoidable." Cook said the company was doing its best to "mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us," and that it was trying to shield customers from them, but the situation has become "unsustainable."

Cook didn't say which products will go up in price, but it's hard to imagine its iPad lineup won't be affected.

Even before Cook's price warning, there was an expectation that the ‌next iPad mini‌ would be more expensive, with Bloomberg's Gurman suggesting Apple could charge up to $100 more for the device. We could now be looking like a couple of hundred dollars or more.

Gurman has previously argued that Apple should consider a lower-end version of the mini, or at least a change to its current $499 starting price, given that it's up against rival products that cost a lot less.

However, Apple users who are looking for a more affordable option should probably consider the 10th-generation iPad instead. Starting at $329, the iPad offers many iPad mini features, such as Touch ID and Center Stage, but at a lower price that balances functionality and affordability.
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In macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple has brought some meaningful updates to iPhone Mirroring besides a new app icon. Here's what's new.


macOS 27 is currently in developer beta, with a public beta coming next month and a general release expected in the fall.

Window Resizing

In macOS Tahoe, iPhone Mirroring is constrained to the iPhone's native aspect ratio, so window resizing is limited to the device's fixed proportions. Smaller, Actual Size, and Larger are the only options. By contrast, macOS 27 introduces support for multiple aspect ratios. Depending on the chosen aspect ratio, iPhone Mirroring displays either a modified iPhone interface or an app's available iPad layout. Adjustments are limited to iOS 27-compatible apps for now, but expect this to change when developers update their own apps. The change has also stoked speculation about a rumored foldable iPhone coming in September.

Control Center Access

In macOS 27, you can now access your iPhone's Control Center directly from your Mac using the Command-4 keyboard shortcut or via the View menu in the menu bar. Previously, iPhone Mirroring didn't support Control Center access at all.

DRM Support

macOS 27 also adds support for DRM-protected video playback in iPhone Mirroring. In macOS Tahoe, attempting to watch protected content, such as videos from streaming services or rented movies, results in a black screen on your Mac. With the next major update, however, you can view DRM-enabled content directly through the mirrored iPhone window.
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Apple has agreed to work with Intel to manufacture some of its chips in the United States, U.S. president Trump said on Thursday.


Intel's stock rose 9 percent in premarket trading following Trump's comments, which appeared in a social media post. Apple was up 0.6 percent in premarket trading.

Neither Apple nor Intel have officially commented on the deal, but The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Apple and Intel had established a preliminary agreement that would see Intel manufacturing processors for Apple devices.

Intel would make chips based on Apple chip designs in the same way that TSMC currently does. Prior rumors on Intel's Apple talks have suggested Intel could make some of the lower-end processors used in Apple devices, including the lowest-end M-series chip used in select iPad and Mac models.

Before Apple adopted Apple silicon, it used Intel-designed chips for its Macs, but there were continual chip delays. Today, Apple designs its own Arm-based chips and has TSMC manufacture them, giving it the freedom to roll out updates on a more predictable schedule.

Apple hasn't looked to Intel as a supplier before, both because the chipmaker has trailed rivals like TSMC and Samsung and because of the rocky history between the two companies.

That picture may be shifting under Lip-Bu Tan, who took over as Intel CEO last year after the company ousted Pat Gelsinger, and has since pushed to turn around its struggling chip manufacturing arm. Tan's efforts appear to be having the desired impact – the company's stock has surged 464 percent in the past 12 months, with the company hitting a market cap of $608.7 billion. The U.S. government also took a 10 percent stake in Intel last year, converting $8.9 billion in unpaid Chips Act grants into equity.

Apple has been trying to broaden its supply chain, since TSMC – based in Taiwan – is its only Apple silicon manufacturer at the moment. On Apple's most recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said iPhone 17 supply had been constrained during the quarter because the company couldn't secure enough A19 and A19 Pro chips from TSMC.

With the AI boom driving massive demand for AI servers, TSMC has less capacity to spare for consumer-device chips. That's left Apple with a weaker hand when it comes to securing production slots.
This article, "Apple to Make Chips in US With Intel, Trump Says" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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