While the monthly and annual prices of AppleCare+ plans for Macs and iPads received a slight increase this week, AppleCare One continues to start at $19.99 per month in the U.S., making the multi-device plan even more valuable.


Launched in July 2025, AppleCare One allows you to cover up to three devices as part of a single subscription for $19.99 per month, and additional devices can be added for $5.99 each. AppleCare One offers repairs for accidental damage, 24/7 priority tech support, and theft and loss protection for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

If you have an iPhone 17 Pro, a MacBook Air with an M5 chip, and an iPad mini with an A17 Pro chip, for example, AppleCare+ plans with theft and loss coverage where applicable can cost up to $26.97 per month for those devices in total. As mentioned, AppleCare One still costs $19.99 per month, so you can save $6.98 per month in this scenario.

Notably, you can add Apple devices that you already own to an AppleCare One plan, so long as they are in good condition and less than four years old. A diagnostic check and/or inspection may be required to verify a device's condition.

AppleCare One remains available in the U.S. only.

This article, "'AppleCare One' is Now Even More Valuable" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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After raising prices on all Macs and iPads worldwide last month, Apple has now increased the price of iPhone models in Japan.


As spotted by the Spanish blog iPhoneros, the iPhone 16, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max all received price increases on Apple's online store in Japan today. Prices increased by up to 11%.

Model	Previous Price	New Price	Increase
iPhone 17 Pro Max	¥194,800	¥214,800	10.3%
iPhone 17 Pro	¥179,800	¥194,800	8.3%
iPhone Air	¥159,800	¥177,800	11.3%
iPhone 17	¥129,800	¥142,800	10%
iPhone 17e	¥99,800	¥107,800	8%
iPhone 16	¥114,800	¥124,800	8.7%

Apple attributed the Mac and iPad price increases last month to the ongoing memory chip shortage, which has driven up chip prices. In this case, however, the increases are likely due to the Japanese yen's depreciation against the U.S. dollar over the past year.

Apple did not raise iPhone prices today in the U.S. or any other countries that we checked.

Apple also raised the prices of iCloud+ and Apple Music plans in many countries today, including Japan, so price increases are a theme this Friday.
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Apple momentarily became the world's most valuable publicly traded company again today after its market valuation surpassed that of Nvidia, according to CNBC. However, the two companies have since traded places during today's session.

Apple's stock has increased by around 20% since it closed at $275.15 on June 25, pushing the company's valuation to nearly $5 trillion.
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It is now mid-July, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now just two months away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more.


Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a foldable "iPhone Ultra" in the first half of September, and the devices should be released in the second half of the month. The regular iPhone 18, a lower-end iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air will reportedly be announced around March 2027.

Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of July:

• Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that Face ID's flood illuminator will be moved under the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro models, paving the way for a smaller Dynamic Island on the devices.


• LTPO+ Displays: The next Pro models are expected to have the same overall design as the iPhone 17 Pro models, including 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras. However, the displays will reportedly use so-called LTPO+ display technology, which should contribute to longer battery life.


• Variable Aperture: The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models is rumored to have a variable aperture, which would allow users to control the amount of light that passes through the camera's lens and reaches the sensor. This would provide greater control over depth of field. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to smartphone size constraints, it is unclear exactly how meaningful this improvement would be.


• A20 Pro Chip: Apple's next-generation A20 Pro chip is expected to use TSMC's first-generation 2nm process, whereas the A19 Pro chip is 3nm. With a 2nm architecture and a new packaging design, the A20 Pro chip should deliver solid year-over-year performance and power efficiency gains.


• C2 Modem: Apple's custom C1 cellular modem for 5G and LTE debuted in the iPhone 16e last year, and that was followed by a C1X chip in the iPhone Air. Apple says the C1X modem is up to twice as fast as the C1 modem, and the most power-efficient modem in an iPhone ever. The improvements should continue with Apple's third-generation C2 modem in the iPhone 18 Pro models.


• 5G via Satellite: With the C2 modem, the iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly support 5G via satellite for web browsing without Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.


• N2 Chip: Most of the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air are equipped with an Apple-designed N1 chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Apple says the N1 chip also improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to have Apple's next-generation N2 chip, but it is not yet known what improvements would come with this upgrade.


• Dark Cherry: The special color for the iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly be Dark Cherry, alongside Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver. The existing Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue colors are expected to be discontinued.


• Simplified Camera Control: Apple is expected to simplify the Camera Control button on the iPhone 18 Pro models, by removing touch sensitivity and haptic feedback. The redesigned button will only have pressure sensitivity.


• Redesigned Rear Ceramic Shield: The rear Ceramic Shield area for MagSafe is rumored to feature a more frosted and seamless appearance on the iPhone 18 Pro models compared to the current two-tone design.


• Larger Battery (iPhone 18 Pro Max): According to alleged Chinese regulatory database filings, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have nearly a 10% larger battery compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.


• Thicker Design (iPhone 18 Pro Max): It has been rumored that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be thicker than both the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the iPhone 18 Pro.

Bookmark our iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro roundups to stay up to date with more rumors.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 12 New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple this week was sued over a reported "Hide My Email" flaw that could expose a user's real email address. The proposed class action lawsuit alleges that Apple violated California's false advertising law and other consumer protection statutes by knowingly offering a feature that does not work as advertised.

A security researcher disclosed the apparent "Hide My Email" vulnerability to Apple in June 2025, but there are no known instances of it being exploited, as the steps involved have not been shared with the public as a precaution.
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Apple today added the iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip to its refurbished store in the U.S. and Canada for the first time since the device was released in October 2024. Other key features include an 8.3-inch display, a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, and a Touch ID power button. There is no availability in any other countries yet.


In the U.S., refurbished pricing starts at $509 for a Wi-Fi model with 128GB of storage, down from $599 for the equivalent brand-new model. However, keep in mind that a new iPad mini started at $499 until Apple raised prices last month, so unfortunately the refurbished model costs $10 more than a new model did just a few weeks ago.

Apple says the refurbished iPad mini models include a new battery and outer shell, a plain new box, and all accessories, including a 20W USB-C power adapter and a USB-C charging cable. Apple says it puts refurbished devices through a "thorough cleaning process and inspection," which typically results in a like-new condition.

All refurbished iPads are covered by Apple's one-year warranty. AppleCare+ is available.

Apple reportedly plans to release a new iPad mini with an OLED display and several other upgrades by October, but rumored timeframes can shift.
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In March, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said a new entry-level iPad was "still coming this year," but apparently this is no longer the case. Today, he reported that the device is slated for release in the first quarter of 2027 at the earliest.


The main new feature will be a faster processor rather than major design changes, he said, so it sounds like nothing more than a spec bump. While the next iPad mini is expected to have an OLED display, the base iPad will stick with an LCD screen.

Gurman previously said the device would be powered by the A18 chip, but Macworld's Filipe Espósito said it would have an A19 chip. In any case, the device would gain support for Apple Intelligence, as both chips have the minimum 8GB of RAM required for those features. The current entry-level iPad has an A16 chip with 6GB of RAM.

Last month, Apple increased the entry-level iPad's starting price worldwide. In the U.S., for example, the device now starts at $449, up from $349.

Apple also plans to release new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models early next year, according to Gurman. He said the iPad Air will eventually move to an OLED display, but he did not say if that is happening with the next models specifically.

He recently reported that new iPad Pro models will launch early next year too.

All in all, he expects a new iPad mini by October this year, followed by updated entry-level iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models in the first half of next year.
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Apple is planning to release a new iPad mini model with an OLED display by October this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Apple already updated the iPad Pro with an OLED display in May 2024, but the iPad mini, iPad Air, and entry-level iPad are all still equipped with LCD screens. The move to OLED technology would result in the next iPad mini offering improved image quality, thanks to richer colors and higher contrast ratio with true blacks.

Given that OLED displays are generally more expensive than LCDs, the next iPad mini could have a higher starting price compared to the current model.

Gurman did not provide any other details about the next iPad mini today, but he previously reported that the device would receive a vibration-based speaker system and increased water resistance. The next iPad mini is also rumored to be powered by either an A19 Pro or A20 chip, up from the A17 Pro chip in the current model.

The current ‌model launched in October 2024, with the A17 Pro chip enabling Apple Intelligence.
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Apple recently updated its website with a list of products eligible for upcoming 2026 sales tax holidays in select U.S. states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.


The tax-free holidays run between July 17 and August 20 depending on the state, with the exact dates in each state outlined on Apple's website.

Sales tax holidays provide a limited-time opportunity to purchase select Apple products online or in stores without paying sales tax. Apple says tax savings may not appear during checkout, but will be reflected on the final receipt.

Apple products that are eligible for the tax-free holidays vary by state, and there are also price limits in some states. The most common eligible products include select Macs, iPads, and related accessories, but the iPhone and Apple Vision Pro are also eligible in a few states. All of this information is outlined on the page.

Sales tax holidays are especially beneficial to students, as the tax savings can be combined with Apple's Back to School promotion, which offers students a free or discounted accessory or gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad. The promotion just started rolling out in select Asian countries today and will likely begin in the U.S. soon.
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Apple's annual Back to School promotion is now live in select countries in Asia, including China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.


The offer provides college students and educational staff with a free item with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad model. The exact offer varies by country, with options including a pack of four AirTags, AirPods 4, an Apple Pencil Pro, or an Apple gift card. You can also opt to receive a discount on some higher-value accessories.

In China, Singapore, and Vietnam, eligible students and educators can receive a pack of four AirTags with the purchase of any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, or iPad Pro through Apple's education store.

In India, you can receive a pack of four AirTags or AirPods 4 with a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, or an Apple Pencil Pro with an iPad Air or iPad Pro.

Apple is offering a gift card in Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Notably, the MacBook Neo is not an eligible product in any of the countries, and the iPad mini, entry-level iPad, and desktop Macs are excluded too.

In these countries, the offer is available through August 27.

Apple has yet to begin its Back to School offer in the U.S., Canada, or Europe, but it will presumably be rolling out in more regions very soon.
This article, "Apple's 2026 Back to School Offer Just Went Live in Select Countries" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today announced that Major League Soccer is returning to the Apple TV streaming service tomorrow, July 16, with the regular season resuming as the 2026 FIFA World Cup wraps up.

Apple TV subscribers in more than 100 countries can watch every MLS match. A separate subscription is no longer required.
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In March, Apple informed the EU that it had agreed to acquire certain assets and hire employees from SigScalr, according to a notice published today on the European Commission's website.

SigScalr created the open-source observability platform SigLens, which companies can use to aggregate and analyze logs, metrics, and traces at massive scales for monitoring and debugging purposes. SigLens was known for being a cost-effective and fast solution compared to many competing platforms.
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In 2022, Apple began rolling out Tap to Pay on iPhone, a system that allows small business owners and other merchants to accept contactless payments on an iPhone, with no point-of-sale hardware required. The feature allows customers to pay by simply tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch, credit card or debit card, or other contactless payment option on the merchant's iPhone. Payment is securely completed using NFC, like Apple Pay.


Some of Apple's retail employees have been provided with iPhone 14 units, allowing customers to check out with Tap to Pay on iPhone at the company's stores. Apple has been gradually phasing out its previous Bluetooth credit card readers as part of this transition, and now the company apparently plans to go a step further.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said Apple will be giving more retail employees newer iPhone 16 units to expand its in-store usage of Tap to Pay on iPhone.

"The tap-to-pay system in the iPhone 14 can sometimes be finicky and not support metal cards like American Express Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve," he explained. "But Apple has found that the iPhone 16 does a better job and eliminates the need for store employees to carry around the specialized terminals."

iOS 27 builds upon Tap to Pay on iPhone with a new "Tap to Share" feature.
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Apple's M7 Ultra chip coming in 2028 is designed to support up to 1.5TB of unified memory, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. However, whether such a configuration is offered may depend on the state of the ongoing memory chip shortage.

In 2019, Apple released an Intel-based Mac Pro with up to 1.5TB RAM.
This article, "Apple's M7 Ultra Chip Designed to Match a 2019 Mac Pro Feat" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Two new Apple Pencil models are in development for release alongside next-generation iPad Pro models next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Specifically, he said new versions of the lower-end Apple Pencil with a USB-C port and the higher-end Apple Pencil Pro are in the works.

Apple is working to satisfy upcoming EU requirements related to making batteries more replaceable, leading Gurman to believe that the new Apple Pencil models could be equipped with "new battery systems." While that wording is vague, it seems to suggest that the next Apple Pencil models could have replaceable batteries.

No other details were provided, so we do not know of any potential design changes or other new features that are planned at this time.

The current Apple Pencil with a USB-C port was released in November 2023, while the Apple Pencil Pro followed in May 2024.
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The first public betas of iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and more will be released this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. This aligns with Apple's promised July timeframe.

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, the key new feature is Siri AI, but there is a waitlist if you want to try it.
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According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will be releasing a regular M6 chip, but it has no plans to offer higher-end M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. In his Power On newsletter today, he said the reason for this break in tradition is AI.


"Apple had been planning major neural-processing upgrades for the M7 family and ultimately decided those improvements were important enough to justify accelerating the next generation rather than completing the M6 lineup," he explained.

There won't be an M6 Ultra chip either, he said.

A new 14-inch MacBook Pro with a base M6 chip will be released later this year, and then Apple plans to move on to releasing the base M7 chip in the first half of 2027, M7 Pro and M7 Max chips in late 2027, and an M7 Ultra chip in 2028.

He said the M7 Ultra chip in particular "dramatically upgrades AI performance," and that it may power Apple Intelligence servers starting in 2029.

"AI is no longer just another feature Apple's chips need to support," said Gurman. "It is now shaping how those products are designed and when they are shipped."

The current M5 Pro and M5 Max chips launched in March, and Gurman still expects an M5 Ultra chip to debut in the Mac Studio as early as this year.

A summary:

• M5 chip: October 2025


• M5 Pro and M5 Max chips: March 2026


• M5 Ultra chip: Late 2026


• M6 chip: Late 2026


• M7 chip: First half of 2027


• M7 Pro and M7 Max chips: Second half of 2027


• M7 Ultra chip: 2028

This article, "Here's Why Apple is Reportedly Skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max Chips" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's stores will be rolling out Back to School marketing materials this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. This suggests that the offer will begin in the U.S. in the next few days.

Last year, college students and educational staff could receive a free accessory like AirPods 4 or an Apple Pencil Pro with the purchase of a qualifying Mac or iPad model. The Back to School offer is in addition to the discounted prices already available through Apple's education store year-round, but it will be a bittersweet situation this year given that Apple recently raised prices on all Macs and iPads.
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OpenAI has responded after being sued by Apple over alleged theft of the iPhone maker's trade secrets.

"We have no interest in other companies' trade secrets," said OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri. "We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere."
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Two of Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will be relocating later this month, although they will only be a short distance from their existing locations.


Apple Queens Center in Elmhurst, New York is moving to a temporary location in the shopping mall on Friday, July 17 at 10 a.m. local time, presumably to allow for renovations to be completed at the existing store over the coming months.

Apple Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland, Mississippi is moving to a new spot within the same shopping center on Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m. local time. Apple's new storefront will be located right in front of the Show Fountain.
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Apple has held meetings with PrismML about ways it could use the startup's technology to run much larger AI models directly on iPhones, according to The Information.


The report said PrismML has managed to shrink down Alibaba's open-source large language model Qwen 3.6 to run entirely on an iPhone 17 Pro. The model has 27 billion parameters, which is larger than Apple's on-device AFM 3 Core Advanced model with 20 billion parameters. Apple's model powers iOS 27 enhancements such as Siri AI's more expressive voices and improved systemwide dictation on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models.

Unlike with AFM 3 Core Advanced, all of Qwen 3.6's parameters can be active at the same time.

"One new on-device Apple model has 20 billion parameters but uses a so-called sparse architecture, in which only 1 billion to 4 billion parameters are active at a time," the report said, in reference to AFM 3 Core Advanced. "In the case of PrismML's on-device model, all 27 billion parameters are active at the same time."

Larger models running directly on iPhones would allow for more Apple Intelligence features to run on device instead of on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, which could reduce Apple's costs and further enhance user privacy.
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Apple and MLB today released the August schedule for Apple TV's weekly Friday Night Baseball doubleheader.

Friday Night Baseball games are included with an Apple TV streaming subscription at no additional cost.
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In May, Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit over Siri AI's delayed launch, and eligible iPhone users could receive up to a $95 payout.


This week, the California court overseeing the case held a hearing regarding preliminary approval of the settlement, but the judge has not yet issued a ruling. It will likely be at least a few more months before eligible customers can begin submitting claims, with payouts unlikely to begin until late this year or early next year if the settlement is ultimately approved. In other words, no action is required from eligible customers at this time.

Below, we have answered some key questions regarding the lawsuit.

Why Was Apple Sued?

In June 2024, Apple previewed new Siri capabilities powered by Apple Intelligence, including understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. For example, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.

Apple advertised those Siri features in product presentations, on its website, in a TV commercial starring actor Bella Ramsey, and elsewhere.


In March 2025, Apple delayed the launch of the personalized version of Siri, leading to the company being hit with a class action lawsuit alleging false advertising.

In a statement, Apple touted a range of other Apple Intelligence features it had already released. Nevertheless, Apple agreed to settle the lawsuit "to stay focused" on "delivering the most innovative products and services to our users."

Apple finally announced "Siri AI" at WWDC 2026 last month, and the revamped assistant is available to test on the iOS 27 developer beta, with a public beta to follow this month. iOS 27 should be released in September, at which point "Siri AI" will finally be available to all users with an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.

Am I Eligible?

To be eligible to submit a claim, you must reside in the U.S. and have purchased any iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 model between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025.

The full list of eligible iPhone models:

• iPhone 15 Pro


• iPhone 15 Pro Max


• iPhone 16


• iPhone 16e


• iPhone 16 Plus


• iPhone 16 Pro


• iPhone 16 Pro Max

It is unlikely that individuals who submit a claim will still need to have physical possession of an eligible iPhone model. However, there is a possibility that proof of purchase or other information will be required, such as the device's serial number. Exact requirements will be outlined on the settlement website, which is still not live.

How Much Will Apple Pay Me?

According to the terms of the settlement, each person who files an eligible claim will receive a per-device payment of $25, but this amount could increase up to $95 if the total number of claims submitted is lower than anticipated.

Where and When Can I Submit a Claim?

Over the coming months, a settlement website is expected to go live with an online claims form.

Eligible class members will be notified by email within approximately 45 days after the settlement receives preliminary approval, according to the court documents. Even if you are not notified but are a U.S. resident who purchased one of the above iPhone models within the above dates, you are still eligible if you meet the criteria.
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It is now July and we are still waiting for Apple to begin its annual Back to School offer in countries like the U.S. and Canada — if it is still coming.


In the U.S., Apple launched its Back to School offer in June from 2020 through 2025, but it has waited until July in the more distant past:

• 2025: June 17


• 2024: June 20


• 2023: June 5


• 2022: June 24


• 2021: June 17


• 2020: June 15


• 2019: July 9


• 2018: July 12


• 2017: July 12

Last year, college students and educational staff could receive a free accessory like AirPods 4 or an Apple Pencil Pro with the purchase of a qualifying Mac or iPad model. It is unclear what Apple plans to offer this year, but given the company recently raised prices on all Macs and iPads, this year's promotion would be rather bittersweet.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple planned to launch its 2026 Back to School offer by last week, but that did not end up happening. Apple may have decided to hold off until July this year in order to give customers more time to digest the price increases that it implemented last month, but we are merely speculating.

Given the offer launched between July 9 and July 12 in 2017 through 2019, hopefully the 2026 offer arrives over the next few days.

UNiDAYS verification is now required on Apple's education store in the U.S. and Canada.
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Apple previously announced that the first iOS 27 public beta would be released in July, meaning that it should be available at some point this month.


Below, we have outlined how to get ready for the iOS 27 public beta, which will likely follow the third or fourth iOS 27 developer beta.

Release Date History

The first public betas of iOS 16 through iOS 26 came out between July 11 and July 24.

• iOS 26 Public Beta: Thursday, July 24, 2025


• iOS 18 Public Beta: Monday, July 15, 2024


• iOS 17 Public Beta: Wednesday, July 12, 2023


• iOS 16 Public Beta: Monday, July 11, 2022

Get Ready

Once it is available, anyone will be able to install the iOS 27 public beta on a compatible iPhone for free by following the steps outlined below.

• Sign up at beta.apple.com for free.


• Open your iPhone's Settings app and tap General → Software Update → Beta Updates.


• Select the iOS 27 Public Beta option (restart your iPhone if you don't see it) and follow the on-screen steps.

If you are impatient, anyone can install the iOS 27 developer beta for free right now.

Warning: While the first public beta is usually more stable than the first developer beta, iOS betas often have bugs and performance issues. You may not be able to use some apps that you rely on, and issues can extend to CarPlay. Backing up your iPhone before installing beta software is highly recommended, and relying on a secondary iPhone altogether is always a good idea if possible.

iOS 27 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer, but Apple Intelligence features like Siri AI are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer.

Keep in mind that the revamped version of Siri has a waitlist. To join the waitlist, open the Settings app on iOS 27 and tap on Siri and you will find it there. In some cases, it can take a few weeks to receive access to Siri AI and the Siri app.

Beyond the new Siri, iOS 27 features Liquid Glass design enhancements, performance improvements, expanded child safety features, and more.
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Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September. The devices will have a lot in common, but the latest leak suggests that the Pro Max model will take an even bigger step forward in regards to battery life.


According to new filings in a Chinese regulatory database, it appears that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a 5,567mAh battery in the U.S., while the iPhone 18 Pro will seemingly have a 4,288mAh battery. It is no surprise the Pro Max has a larger battery, but its year-over-year gains in battery life look to be particularly significant this year.

If the leaked capacities are accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro Max would have nearly a 10% larger battery compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, while the size of the iPhone 18 Pro's battery would only increase by less than 1% over the iPhone 17 Pro.

It was previously rumored that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be thicker than the iPhone 18 Pro. If so, that might be to accommodate the larger battery.

In some years, the Pro Max gets some camera features before the Pro, but that is not expected to be the case this year. The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera is rumored to get variable aperture on both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Of course, the Pro Max will remain larger and heavier than the Pro, but the devices should be identical beyond that and the bigger gap in battery life.
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Apple will likely "repeat the iPhone X story" by unveiling its foldable iPhone at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but starting foldable iPhone pre-orders at a later date, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


Kuo today said manufacturing challenges have limited early production of the foldable iPhone, which will reportedly be named iPhone Ultra. As a result, he believes the device may launch at some point after the iPhone 18 Pro models.

In 2017, Apple unveiled the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X on September 12. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders began just three days later, while iPhone X pre-orders began six weeks later on Friday, October 27. Likewise, Kuo believes the foldable iPhone may not be available to pre-order until the fourth quarter of 2026.

Kuo estimated that the foldable iPhone could have a starting price of around $2,299 to $2,499 in the U.S., and he believes that the device "could sell out immediately after pre-orders open, with delivery lead times quickly stretching to 4-6 weeks or longer."

Apple's suppliers will ship roughly 7–8 million foldable iPhones in 2026, compared to 20–22 million for the iPhone 18 Pro models combined, he said.

If this information proves to be accurate, expect the foldable iPhone to be unveiled in September, but you may not be able to order it until at least October.
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The lower-end iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will be equipped with 9GB of RAM, up from 8GB in the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


In a social media post, Kuo said the 1GB increase in RAM will ensure that Apple Intelligence features continue to run smoothly on the pair of devices.

The higher-end iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra" will each have the same 12GB of RAM as the iPhone 17 Pro models, added Kuo.

Apple is expected to release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Ultra in September this year, while the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air will reportedly be released around March 2027.

Even with an increased 9GB of RAM, two new Apple Intelligence features coming with iOS 27 will not be available on the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, including the ability to customize the expressiveness and pace of Siri's voice and a "major boost in accuracy" for speech-to-text dictation. This is because the latest advanced on-device Apple Intelligence model powering those two features requires a minimum of 12GB of RAM.


Here are the confirmed RAM amounts for the iPhone 17 series:

• iPhone 17e: 8GB


• iPhone 17: 8GB


• iPhone 17 Pro: 12GB


• iPhone 17 Pro Max: 12GB

The rumored RAM amounts for the iPhone 18 series and iPhone Ultra:

• iPhone 18e: 9GB


• iPhone 18: 9GB


• iPhone 18 Pro: 12GB


• iPhone 18 Pro Max: 12GB


• iPhone Ultra: 12GB

The second-generation iPhone Air will presumably have 12GB of RAM, too.

RAM and NAND storage chips are currently expensive due to a supply shortage, resulting in Apple raising prices on more than a dozen products last month. For now, iPhones avoided price increases, but analysts have estimated that the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e could cost $100 to $200 more than the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e.
This article, "iPhone 18 With 9GB RAM Still Won't Support Two New iOS 27 Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The second iOS 27 developer beta seemingly hints at a new Apple product, according to code uncovered by app designer and developer Sam Henri Gold.


The code mentions a product codenamed B790 that can relay "two images from cameras on either side of [a] user's head." Gold speculated that the code could be referring to Apple's rumored smart glasses, but a more likely possibility is AirPods with cameras, which are reportedly further along in development compared to the glasses. AirPods Pro 3 were codenamed B788, while the smart glasses are reportedly codenamed N50.

Apple is rumored to be working on both "AirPods Ultra" and smart glasses with cameras, and Visual Intelligence is expected to be a core feature of these products. While wearing the camera-equipped AirPods or glasses, you would be able to look at something such as a house plant and have Siri provide you with information about it.

Visual Intelligence is already available on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer. On iOS 27, the feature is accessible through the Camera app via a new "Siri" mode.

The code appears to instruct Visual Intelligence on how to function on the mystery device. It says the feature works with landmarks, text, and known objects, with the Eiffel Tower in Paris and a coffee mug cited as two examples.


The code does not reveal much else, but it serves as yet another indication that Apple is actively developing more camera-equipped wearables.

According to the latest reporting from Bloomberg, both the "AirPods Ultra" and the smart glasses are currently slated to launch in late 2027.
This article, "iOS 27 Beta Hints at New Apple Product Such as 'AirPods Ultra'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's software engineers recently began testing iOS 27.4, according to the MacRumors visitor logs.

Fun fact: Apple tests the "fall" (iOS 27.0) and "spring" (iOS 27.4) software releases concurrently.
This article, "Apple Already Testing iOS 27.4" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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