Apple's iPhone Duo Case uses adhesive to attach to the device, according to people who have picked one up.


The case comes in two pieces and uses adhesive strips along the inside edges to attach securely to an ‌iPhone Duo‌. An included insert instructs users to peel off the adhesive's protective film, put each half on the Duo, and then press down to make sure it's well-adhered.

The ‌iPhone Duo‌ Case is made from polycarbonate and comes in Sand and Navy Blue. It is designed to protect the back of the iPhone where the camera bump is located and the front around the outer display. It has a cutout for the front display, and no protection for the inside of the device when it's unfolded.


Apple also sells the ‌iPhone Duo‌ Folio with Kickstand, and that case does not use adhesive. It attaches to the ‌iPhone Duo‌ magnetically, but it does not offer protection for the sides of the device and it covers the front display when in use. It uses magnets to make it easy to fold back if the outer display is needed.

‌iPhone Duo‌ pre-orders began today, and the first devices won't arrive to customers until next Friday, but cases are in stores today. Initial ‌iPhone Duo‌ stock sold out, and shipping estimates are now at January 25 for all colors and capacities.

The ‌iPhone Duo‌ Folio is priced at $129, and the ‌iPhone Duo‌ Case is priced at $79.
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Apple is now accepting pre-orders for the iPhone Duo through its online storefront and Apple Store app. If you don't see the option to order, refresh both the website and the app until the store loads.


Pre-orders for the ‌iPhone Duo‌ are launching in more than 70 countries and regions. Customers who used the "Get Ready" option to set up a purchase should be able to check out with a couple of taps.

The ‌iPhone Duo‌ is Apple's first foldable smartphone. It features a 5.4-inch display when closed and a 7.6-inch display when open. It has an iPad-like aspect ratio and at 5.2mm when unfolded, it is Apple's thinnest iPhone to date.

Apple designed the ‌iPhone Duo‌ with an aluminum and titanium frame, complete with ceramic fiber antenna inserts and support ribs. It has a hinge with more than 100 components, and can be used in multiple orientations and positions. It lacks Face ID and adopts Touch ID instead, and it has a two-lens camera system without a telephoto lens.

The ‌iPhone Duo‌ is priced starting at $1,999 for 256GB of storage, and it comes in star white and night sky colors. Apple says its specialists are available to help users find ways to save and pay, including with Apple Upgrade, a Klarna-run lease program. With a 24-month lease, ‌iPhone Duo‌ pricing starts at $57.99 per month. Apple says customers can save from $175 to $885 by trading in an eligible iPhone 13 or newer.

If you're ordering an ‌iPhone Duo‌, it's a good idea to opt for AppleCare+. Some ‌iPhone Duo‌ repair fees are as high as $1,499 without a protection plan.

Along with Apple, carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are accepting ‌iPhone Duo‌ pre-orders. Carriers have trade-in deals and discounts available, but make sure to read all of the fine print ahead of time.

Rumors suggest ‌iPhone Duo‌ supplies are limited due to production issues. The new iPhone could sell out quickly, so order right away if you want one on launch day.

Customers who successfully pre-order an ‌iPhone Duo‌ for launch day delivery will get their devices on Friday, October 23.
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Apple has an unreleased iPad mini Smart Folio listed on its French regulatory website, hinting that a new ‌iPad mini‌ is coming. The case's A3632 model number doesn't match current or past ‌iPad mini‌ cases.


Apple appears to have added the case to its website recently, and it's listed alongside iPhone 18 Pro accessories added in September.

The listing doesn't include any ‌iPad mini‌ specs, but it does suggest design changes to the device it's meant for as a new Smart Folio may mean current cases won't fit the next ‌iPad mini‌.

Rumors suggest the ‌iPad mini‌ 8 with an OLED display and a more water-resistant design will be introduced on October 27 or 28 alongside an ‌OLED‌ MacBook Pro. The A3632 Smart Folio could be for the ‌OLED‌ ‌iPad mini‌.
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Apple is "pretty much done" with M6 chips, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated today on his podcast. Apple debuted the M6 chip in the Mac mini and has plans for an M6 iMac and entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, but the company is not planning to make M6 Pro, M6 Max, or M6 Ultra chips.


Apple will instead go from the M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra to the M7 lineup. The upcoming OLED ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will use the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips Apple uses in the current ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, with no chip upgrade planned until 2027. The M5 Pro and M5 Max came out in March.

Gurman says the high-end touchscreen ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will get M7 Pro and M7 Max chips "at the end of next year." A refreshed low-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an M7 chip will launch next year, and an M7 Ultra chip is slated for the first half of 2028. It's unlikely we'll get a new Mac Studio in 2027 with the next Ultra chip planned for 2028.

Apple is reportedly skipping the rest of the M6 line to focus its resources on the M7 chips, which have technologies for artificial intelligence workloads.
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Apple pledged $25 million for Trump's White House ballroom, according to a list of donors obtained by The Washington Post.


Chipmaker Nvidia also committed $25 million, making Apple and Nvidia two of the top donors. Other donors include Microsoft, Comcast, Amazon, Cisco, Meta, T-Mobile, HP, Google (from a lawsuit settlement), Palantir, Salesforce, and Micron. Private donations on the list totaled $333 million, with some donors paying in full and some paying in installments.

The White House has not publicly disclosed donation amounts, even though political giving typically requires public disclosure and adherence to campaign finance rules. The Trump administration is collecting ballroom donations through a nonprofit and moving the funds into a White House account controlled by Trump.

A White House spokesperson said the administration will "relentlessly pursue those responsible" for the leaked list.

The ballroom's final cost hasn't been released, but a June contractor estimate suggested it would cost around $600 million and that more than half of the money would come from taxpayer funds.

Trump says the ballroom will be around 90,000 square feet and will seat 1,000 guests. The White House's East Wing was demolished to construct the ballroom.
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Apple is planning to introduce new OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro models on October 27 or October 28, and the machines could launch on Friday, November 6, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said during his latest podcast.


Apple retail stores apparently have a "big floor reset" scheduled for the evening of Thursday, November 5, and into Friday, November 6, which Gurman says could be in preparation for the new Macs. The store reset will follow a debut in late October, with Apple planning a creator-focused gathering in Los Angeles to introduce the new products.

Along with the ‌OLED‌ touchscreen ‌MacBook Pro‌, Apple is rumored to be launching the ‌OLED‌ iPad mini, M6 iMac, and M6 entry-level 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌. Gurman did not say whether there would be a classic Apple event, but suggested Apple will "do something" and will "have those videos" at the "very least."

Gurman previously said Apple might name the new ‌OLED‌ Macs the "MacBook Ultra," but he more recently walked that back and suggested they would be part of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ line. He also said the foldable iPhone could be the iPhone Ultra and that Apple would debut AirPods Ultra, but so far Apple has not embraced the Ultra naming.

The ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ models could be sold as a higher-end option alongside the current mini-LED models, but new chips are not expected. Apple is said to be using the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips that are in the existing ‌MacBook Pro‌ models.

If the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models do launch on November 6, Apple will have several weeks of product launches. The iPhone Duo is coming out on October 23, while the HomePod mini 2 launches October 30. The HomeView and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K will be released on November 13.
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Meta today announced the release of Muse Spark Open, which it says is the "most capable U.S. open-weight model to date."


‌Meta‌ worked with Apple to bring Muse Spark Open to the Mac, and the model can run on a desktop setup with two 512GB Apple M5 Ultra Mac Studios running the latest MLX framework. ‌Meta‌ CEO Mark Zuckerberg thanked Apple CEO John Ternus for working with Meta.


Muse Spark Open has 816 billion total parameters with 42 billion active parameters and a 1 million-token context window. It is meant for coding and agentic work, and ‌Meta‌ says it excels at extended tasks, multi-step reasoning, and software engineering.

The new Muse model was tuned to run on Mac Studio, and ‌Meta‌ says the ‌Mac Studio‌ paired with Muse Spark Open is the "best way to run a powerful model on your own desktop." From ‌Meta‌:

Apple's unified memory architecture lets the M5 Ultra's integrated GPU use up to 512 GB per Mac Studio, so two machines can hold an entire model. And the chip's 1.2 TB/s of memory bandwidth is fast enough to read the small slice each token needs. The result is two Mac Studios behave like one supercomputer with a terabyte of unified memory.

Apple hasn't released the 512GB ‌Mac Studio‌ as of yet, but it's supposed to be coming later this month. It won't be cheap, because the 256GB ‌Mac Studio‌ is already priced over $10,000.

The model is available through API platforms at Baseten, Fireworks AI, Groq, Modal, Nebius, OpenRouter, and Together AI, with model weights downloadable from Amazon SageMaker AI, Google Cloud Model Garden, Hugging Face, and Microsoft Foundry Models. Muse Spark Open is free to download and has a license allowing limited commercial use.

Apple and ‌Meta‌ often argue more than they work together, so it is something of a surprise to see the two companies partnering for Muse Spark Open. "We're excited for mommy and daddy to be playing nice again," ‌Meta‌'s AI chief Alexandr Wang told Axios.
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The iPhone Duo unsurprisingly offers performance similar to the iPhone 18 Pro, according to an early iPhone Duo benchmark shared on Geekbench 7. Both devices are equipped with Apple's 2nm A20 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and a 7-core GPU.


The benchmarked ‌iPhone Duo‌ (iPhone19,4) is running iOS 27.1, as expected, and it had a single-core score of 3986 and a multi-core score of 11067. That's in line with multiple benchmarks collected from ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max models.

Scores vary from test to test, so while the result does fall short of the top ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ benchmark scores, we're only viewing a single score. The ‌iPhone Duo‌ has the same 6-core CPU with a 4.93GHz base frequency that's identified in ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ benchmarks, and it lists 11.30GB memory, which means 12GB of RAM.

While the ‌iPhone Duo‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models use the same A20 Pro chip, there could be differences in real-world performance based on thermal management, the ‌iPhone Duo‌'s two screens vs. a single screen, and other factors.

Apple says the A20 Pro offers up to 20 percent faster CPU performance than the A19 Pro and up to 40 percent faster GPU performance. GPU speeds were not tested.

Pre-orders for the ‌iPhone Duo‌ will start on October 16, and a launch will follow on October 23.
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Apple plans to launch the HomeView on November 13, so we have a month to go until we can learn more about it. Right now, we're limited to the information Apple has shared and what members of the media learned during limited hands-on time.


We've rounded up some interesting HomeView tidbits you might have missed.

• Recipe walkthroughs - HomeView makes Safari recipes easier to follow by pulling out the ingredients and steps. You can tap on a "Start Cooking" button to get step-by-step instructions you can use as you cook. The device also supports multiple voice-activated timers.


• Siri access - You can say Siri (English only) or Hey ‌Siri‌ for hands-free access, but there are also options for activating ‌Siri‌ with a swipe down from the top of the display or using Type to ‌Siri‌.


• Apple Intelligence - HomeView has some Apple Intelligence features built in. You or members of your household can use ‌Siri‌ AI for general knowledge questions if you don't have an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ iPhone or iPad, but you do need one for any requests involving personal context.


• Guests - Personal data is private, but guests can control smart home accessories, check the weather, set timers, and play music. Visitors can also AirPlay audio to the HomeView using peer-to-peer discovery.


• Adaptable interface - HomeView can tell when someone is approaching and parts of the interface will change based on proximity. If someone is across the room, it shows less information in a larger view. As the person approaches, the view can change to show more information.


• Faces - HomeView has multiple customizable faces similar to watch faces. Apple says some faces can "wake with you in the morning, wind down with you at night." The Snoopy face, for example, has different animations based on time of day, weather, and holidays.


• Third-party apps - There's no App Store, but the HomeView has CarPlay-like software capabilities. It can show CarPlay audio and video apps from a linked iPhone. There are no ‌CarPlay‌ video apps except for Apple TV, so app developers will need to add support.


• Handoff - You can transfer songs, podcasts, calls, videos, and recipes from the iPhone to the HomeView.


• Live Activities - HomeView supports Live Activities, so if you have a timer running or get an incoming Intercom message, content will be visible while you use other apps.


• Sensors and HomeKit - The HomeView has temperature and humidity sensors that can be used in Home app scenes and automations. It also serves as a home hub for controlling HomeKit and Matter devices when you're away from home.

HomeView is available for pre-order now, and it will launch on November 13. It is priced at $299 and comes in either a tabletop version with a speaker base or a wall-mounted version.
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Apple today closed with a market capitalization above $5 trillion, making it the second company to do so after Nvidia.


As noted by The Wall Street Journal, Apple's market cap has exceeded $5 trillion six times before today during intraday trading, but this is the first time the company stayed above the mark at closing.

Apple closed at $342.96, for a market cap of $5.005 trillion. The new valuation comes just over a month after John Ternus took over for Tim Cook as Apple CEO, and two days ahead of iPhone Duo pre-orders.

While Apple surpassed Nvidia to briefly become the most valuable company in the world in July, Nvidia has since retaken the title and continues to hold the top spot with a market cap of $5.33 trillion.
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There's been some confusion about which of Apple's new and existing home devices will support Siri AI and when, because ‌Siri‌ AI isn't going to be available at launch on some products.

Devices With Siri AI

• HomeView - Available at launch (November 13)


• Apple TV 4K (4th generation) - Available at launch (November 13)


• Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) - Available in tvOS 27.2


• Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) - Available in tvOS 27.2


• HomePod mini 2 - Ships October 30, ‌Siri‌ AI coming in a future software update

Despite a report from CNET suggesting the first HomePod mini would support Siri AI, Apple has since confirmed that's not the case.

No Siri AI Support

• Original HomePod mini


• Original HomePod


• Original Apple TV 4K (no tvOS 27)


• Apple TV HD (no tvOS 27)

Unconfirmed

• HomePod 2 - Possibly coming, with mentions in website metadata

Siri AI Requirements

On the ‌HomePod‌ and Apple TV 4K models that support ‌Siri‌ AI, the home owner in the Home app must have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad on the latest version of the software. ‌Siri‌ AI has to be turned on, and it has to be set to a supported language. Other members of the household don't need an Apple Intelligence-enabled device once ‌Siri‌ AI is turned on, except for personal requests.

HomeView does not require an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or ‌iPad‌ for ‌Siri‌ AI, except for requests that use personal context.

‌Siri‌ AI for HomeView, ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, and HomePod mini 2 is English only and is limited to the United States, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the UK at launch.

EU Restrictions

‌Siri‌ AI is not available in the EU on the iPhone and ‌iPad‌, so ‌Siri‌ AI won't be available for home devices that support it. HomeView isn't even launching in the EU.

Siri AI Beta

Apple is still calling ‌Siri‌ AI a beta, and it will be in beta when it's available on HomeView, ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, and ‌HomePod mini 2‌.
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Apple plans to bring Apple Intelligence to China in iOS 27.3 after two years of regulatory delays, reports Bloomberg. The launch will include basic ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features for things like photo editing, but Siri AI won't be available. Image Playground and the newer version of Genmoji will be missing, plus text generation tools will be limited.


The South China Morning Post today reported that China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently gave Apple network access permits to add Alibaba's Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang models to the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and earlier iPhones, paving the way for an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ debut.

Apple introduced the first ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in iOS 18.1, but they have been missing from China since launch. Apple received initial clearance to launch ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in China in July, but needed additional clearance for a consumer launch.

China restricts foreign AI technology, which meant Apple had to partner with Alibaba and Baidu to launch ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in the country. Apple also has to allow the Chinese government to approve ongoing updates to the AI models.

Competing smartphone makers in China like Huawei have long offered artificial intelligence features, and Apple has been at a disadvantage without comparable tools.

iOS 27.3 is expected in December.
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OpenAI today suggested Apple could be using its trade secrets, the very thing Apple is already suing OpenAI for. In a court filing, OpenAI accused an ex-employee of giving sensitive data about an unreleased product to Apple.


The unnamed employee joined OpenAI from Apple and then returned after six months. OpenAI claims the person sent "over a hundred highly confidential files" to personal accounts, including manufacturing data and detailed images of at least one unreleased product. The former employee allegedly "made a presentation" on OpenAI product plans for Apple's senior leadership "months ago," and OpenAI is worried Apple could use that information to further its work on AI devices.

OpenAI is very concerned that its trade secret and confidential information is now circulating inside Apple, where Apple engineers can shape Apple's upcoming products based on OpenAI's confidential and innovative work. OpenAI has raised these issues directly with Apple, but to date, Apple has not provided OpenAI with the requested assurances that Apple is not in possession of, and has not used, OpenAI's trade secret and confidential information.

OpenAI asked the court for permission to investigate and pursue counterclaims if necessary. Apple told Reuters it has found no evidence to support OpenAI's claims and it has policies in place to ensure new employees do not use confidential information from previous employers.

Apple and OpenAI have been involved in a tense legal battle since Apple sued OpenAI in July. Apple says OpenAI employees Chang Liu and Tang Tan stole trade secrets from Apple to develop new AI hardware. OpenAI called the lawsuit "careless, aggressive and oddly personal," stating that it does not "have, nor want, any of their trade secrets" because it is "much more interested in building innovative products and technologies that push the frontier."

Yesterday, the court partially granted Apple's request for expedited discovery. OpenAI has up to two weeks to hand over forensic evidence as well as materials used when interviewing former Apple employees. Liu, Tan, and Alyssa Peng, Liu's former Apple colleague, will need to sit for depositions after Apple gets the requested information.

Judge Edward Davila, who is overseeing the case, said during a hearing today that he is "highly likely" to grant a preliminary injunction prohibiting OpenAI from using Apple's allegedly stolen trade secrets. Bloomberg says an injunction would "mark a potential setback" for OpenAI's hardware development efforts.
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Popular Meta chat app WhatsApp today gained guest calling, a feature that lets users invite anyone to join a voice or video call, even if the invitee doesn't have a WhatsApp account.


WhatsApp says everyone has access to free, end-to-end encrypted calls with no time limits and support for up to 32 people at once.

A guest joining a call needs permission from the call host, and guests will show up in a waiting room until the host lets them in. Guests cannot see other participants' phone numbers, send messages, or add others to the call, and hosts can remove them from the call at any time. Guests have access to screen sharing for reviewing materials, thumbs up and heart emoji reactions, and a raised hand to ask a question.

WhatsApp users can start a guest call through the Calls tab. Tap "+" to create a call link and then send the link to anyone. WhatsApp calls can be joined in a computer browser with a WhatsApp call link.

WhatsApp says that it plans to roll out calendar integrations later this year for creating a WhatsApp call from a Google or Outlook calendar.

With the option to join a call from a browser, WhatsApp is matching a feature that Apple started offering for FaceTime with iOS 15. Anyone can join a ‌FaceTime‌ call with a ‌FaceTime‌ link.
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Apple debuted three new home products today, but the October announcements aren't over yet. Rumors suggest there will be another "event" on October 27, plus we're still waiting on the iPhone Duo.


Here's everything we're expecting to see launch or be announced in October.

• October 16 - ‌iPhone Duo‌ pre-orders start.


• October 23 - ‌iPhone Duo‌ launches.


• October 27 - OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro, M6 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, M6 iMac, ‌OLED‌ iPad mini


• October 30 or before - iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS 27.2, and other 27.2 updates launch.


• October 30 - HomePod mini 2 launch, ‌iPhone Duo‌ launches in more countries.


• Late October - Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM comes out.

Apple is rumored to be holding content creator sessions in Los Angeles on October 27 and October 28 to show off the new Macs and ‌OLED‌ ‌iPad mini‌. As with the "Welcome Home" announcement, we may hear about the new devices via press release, with an in-person event for content creators and members of the media to get some hands-on time with the new products.

The new Macs will debut in October, but won't ship to customers until November. With an October 27 announcement, pre-orders could happen that same day and a launch could follow as soon as November 6.

Apple's ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ is the product to watch because it will be Apple's first touchscreen Mac and the first redesign of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ since 2021. The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ will be lighter than the current version, and it will use M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
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Apple didn't hold an event today, but it did refresh its lineup of smart home products with the Apple HomeView, HomePod mini 2, and fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. The $299 HomeView is an all-new device that serves as a central home hub, offering apps, widgets, and personalized content for up to six people.


The $299 ‌Apple TV‌ 4K now has microphones for Siri, more internal storage, a faster A19 chip, and Wi-Fi 7, while the $149 HomePod mini has a faster chip and new colors. All three home devices will support for ‌Siri‌ AI. More detail on all of the announcements is available in our coverage linked below.

HomeView

• Apple Announces 'HomeView' Smart Home Hub


• Apple HomeView Won't Be Available in the European Union


• HomeView Needs an iPhone or iPad for Some AI Features


• Apple's HomeView Touts These 5 Privacy Features


• HomeView's Wall Model: Pay More, Get Less Speaker


• HomeView Brings Guided Recipes and Hands-Free Timers to the Kitchen


• HomeView Comes in Four Colors, but Wall-Mounted Model Gets Just Two


• Apple Details HomeView's Audio Hardware


• HomeView Can Dim to Apple's Lowest-Ever Display Brightness


• HomeView Runs Third-Party Apps From Your iPhone or iPad

Apple TV 4K

• New Apple TV 4K Announced With A19 Chip, Updated Siri Remote, More


• Apple TV 4K is Now Even More Expensive, 128GB Model Priced at $299


• Apple TV Finally Gaining Apple Intelligence and Siri AI


• New Siri Remote is $59 and Compatible With These Apple TV Models


• Older Apple TV 4K Models to Gain Apple Intelligence and Siri AI Support


• New Apple TV 4K Adds Far-Field Microphones for Hands-Free Siri


• New Apple TV 4K Supports Surround Sound via Four HomePods


• New Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote Have These 14 New Features

HomePod mini

• Apple Announces $149 HomePod Mini 2 With Siri AI, 'Sound Glow', and Four-Speaker Surround Sound


• Apple Says HomePod Mini 2 Won't Support Siri AI Right Away


• Apple Shares Videos for HomeView, Apple TV 4K, and HomePod Mini 2

Other News

• Apple Launches 'Apple Home Collection' With Cameras, Lock, Thermostats and More


• ADT to Offer In-Home Installation of Apple's New HomeView and More


• RIP, homeOS


• Beats and Pokémon Team Up for Special-Edition Beats Pill Speaker

You can pre-order the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, ‌HomePod‌ mini, and HomeView right now. The ‌HomePod‌ mini launches on October 30, while the HomeView and ‌Apple TV‌ 4K are coming out on November 13.
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Apple today seeded the third betas of iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. The software comes a few hours after Apple provided the betas to developers.


To get the new betas, you can sign up on Apple's beta testing website. After you're signed up, the betas can be installed through the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.

iOS 27.2 includes the redesigned Health app that Apple introduced at its September iPhone event. It features new Insights and Longevity tabs with more insight into health and fitness data. There's also a Health Age feature that uses your metrics to determine your fitness age vs. your actual age.

In the Apple TV app, there are new profile options, and Siri AI is now available in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

There are a few other features in the updates, which are listed in our iOS 27.2 guide.
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In the fourth beta of iOS 27.2, Apple updated the Apple Music icon. The new icon is black and white, replacing the prior red and white icon.


In light mode, the logo is black on a white background, and in dark mode, it's white on a black background.

The refreshed Music app icon comes after Apple debuted a new Apple Music logo in an earlier version of iOS 27.2 and in marketing materials for its recent ‌Apple Music‌ Hall announcement.


Along with a new icon, the ‌Apple Music‌ app in iOS 27.2 beta 4 has blue highlights for the selected navigation bar icon rather than red, and text in the Music app's settings also swaps red for blue. ‌Apple Music‌ widgets also have a black background instead of a red background, suggesting Apple is phasing out much of the red branding for the music service.
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Earlier this year, Elevation Lab announced the launch of a "Silencer" for AirTag meant to pierce the speaker on the device to disable the sound.


Elevation Lab explained that it created the Silencer to keep thieves from detecting an ‌AirTag‌ on valuable products like bikes, but the company didn't think easy speaker removal would be problematic.

The ‌AirTag‌ plays a sound when it is away from its owner to alert users that a tracker might be following them. AirTags have been criticized for making stalking simple, and Apple has improved safety features multiple times since the trackers launched in 2021. The latest ‌AirTag‌ 2 even has a louder speaker and more adhesive to make the speaker harder to remove.

We did not cover the launch of the Elevation Lab Silencer because we didn't want to publicize an accessory that does away with the ‌AirTag‌'s anti-stalking feature, and Elevation Lab must have heard several complaints. Six Colors' Glenn Fleishman, for example, said the device was "appalling." When he asked Elevation Lab about it, Casey Hopkins, the company's CEO, explained that users can already silence AirTags themselves, and people will still get smartphone notifications if an unknown ‌AirTag‌ is traveling with them.

Elevation Lab reversed course and sent out emails today letting customers know that the Silencer is no longer available for purchase.

We launched an AirTag silencing tool recently. We've always made products we want for ourselves, and this was no different - we wanted it for AirTags on our bikes. (Some of us have bikes more valuable than our cars.)

In retrospect though, this also has the side effect of aiding someone with bad intentions to track someone that wouldn't get phone notifications.

We have removed the product and will use our patent on it to prevent anyone else from making one in the future.

The Silencer had a pin located where the ‌AirTag‌ speaker is. The device description instructed users to remove the ‌AirTag‌ battery, apply the Silencer, and hit it with a hammer to cause the pin to pierce the ‌AirTag‌'s plastic cover and the speaker below.

‌AirTag‌ alerts do make the trackers less useful for locating items stolen deliberately, but audible sound is an essential safeguard that exists to protect people from stalkers. Elevation Lab plans to use its patent to make sure other companies do not design and release a similar accessory.
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The iOS 27.2 beta Apple released today removes the updated Health app that Apple was testing in earlier betas.


The removal of the Health app is not a surprise because Apple previously said the redesign wouldn't be introduced until late 2026.

After upgrading to the fourth beta, the Health app has a popup that says the new app features will come in a future update. Data collected during the beta remains available in the Settings app.


Apple is planning to release iOS 27.2 later in October, and the removal of the Health app suggests a launch is getting closer. The HomePod mini 2 that launches on October 30 uses HomePod software 27.2, so the updates will need to come out before that date.
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The iPhone Duo ships with iOS 27.1, a version of iOS 27 exclusive to the foldable device. Apple yesterday released a new build of iOS 27.1 (24A94425), which means buyers will have a day-one software update to install.


The ‌iPhone Duo‌ is shipping with iOS 27.1 build 24A94232, and if it's not already in the hands of reviewers, it will be soon. Apple likely released the new build to address bugs while the Duo is being evaluated by members of the media.

Since the ‌iPhone Duo‌ isn't coming out until October 23, there's plenty of time for Apple to release another iOS 27.1 update or even iOS 27.2. Buyers might not have the 24A94425 update to install if it's replaced by something newer, but either way, there will be an update required during the ‌iPhone Duo‌ setup process.

Pre-orders for the ‌iPhone Duo‌ begin on Friday, October 16, at 5 a.m. Pacific Time or 8 a.m. Eastern Time. It will launch on Friday, October 23.

If you're planning to pre-order the ‌iPhone Duo‌, you can use Apple's Get Ready process to select a color and capacity, as well as confirm carrier status, choose accessories, and supply billing information and payment. Get Ready speeds up pre-ordering, and it is recommended given the expectation of supply constraints.
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Apple today released new beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, AirPods 5, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware has a build number of 9B5043a and is rolling out for developers and public beta testers.


There's no word on what's included in the firmware update because Apple doesn't offer notes for AirPods beta releases.

When the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 or later, there is a beta firmware option that can be accessed in the AirPods settings interface. Toggling on beta updates allows users to install the beta firmware.

Firmware updates can then be downloaded by connecting the AirPods to an Apple device and connecting them to power. It can take a few hours for new firmware to be installed because there is no software update option like there is for other Apple devices.
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Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming iOS 27.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after Apple released the third iOS 27.2 beta. Apple also seeded a new iPadOS 27.2 beta.


Registered developers can download the beta updates by opting in under Settings > General > Software Update and selecting the iOS 27 developer beta.

iOS 27.2 includes Apple's redesigned Health app with new Insight and Longevity tabs. It also brings Siri AI in new languages. There are several other new features, with details available 4re5 our features guide.

Apple releasing an iOS 27.2 beta ahead of a iOS 27.1 beta was surprise because the company plans to ship the iPhone Duo with iOS 27.1, but it likely wants to keep some of the iPhone Duo features hidden for longer.

The ‌iPhone Duo‌ will launch on October 23. Apple previously said the new ‌Siri‌ AI languages in iOS 27.2 would be available in October, so it's likely iOS 27.2 will come shortly after the ‌iPhone Duo‌'s release date. iOS 27.2 is also required for the new HomeView.
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Apple is testing the next macOS Golden Gate update, and developers can download the fourth ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ 27.2 beta. The fourth beta comes a week after Apple released the third beta.


Registered developers can download ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ 27.2 by opening up the System Settings app, clicking on General, selecting Software Update, and opting into ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ betas.

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ 27.2 introduces Siri AI in new languages and includes new brightness and volume sliders.

We're expecting ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ 27.2 to launch toward the end of October.

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Alongside new betas of iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, and macOS Golden Gate 27.2, Apple has released the fourth betas of watchOS 27.2 and visionOS 27.2. The betas come a week after Apple released the third betas, but there is no tvOS 27.2 beta 4 yet.


Registered developers can download the betas through the Settings app on each device.

With iOS 27.2 and watchOS 27.2, Apple is testing the new Health app that it showed off during its September iPhone event. The updated Health app has new Insights and Longevity tabs with a readiness score that uses information from the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models.

There's no word on what's being added in visionOS 27.2 and tvOS 27.2, but Apple the fourth-generation Apple TV that Apple released today includes support for Siri AI features.
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The new Apple HomeView comes preinstalled with a selection of Apple apps, such as Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple News, Calendar, FaceTime, and Messages, but it will also support third-party audio and video apps.


Apple did not create an App Store for the HomeView, so there is no on-device way to download apps. It instead uses a CarPlay-like system where third-party apps will be displayed when the HomeView is connected to a compatible iPhone or iPad.

Audio apps made for CarPlay like Spotify and Audible will also work on the HomeView, and developers will be able to extend HomeView support to existing iOS video apps.

Up to six people in a household can use HomeView, and it tells users apart by voice and through the camera built into the front of the device. Each user's apps and personal information will be shown only when the person is enrolled and authenticated. Apple says users need to be recognized by the camera and have a paired and recently unlocked iPhone or ‌iPad‌ near the HomeView for it to display compatible third-party iOS apps and information from apps like Messages and Calendar.

Shared photo albums and music can be accessed by anyone in the home, including guests. Guests will not be able to see personal information due to the authentication requirement.

HomeView is priced at $299 and is available for pre-order now. It will launch on November 13.
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Apple offers two versions of the HomeView, one that can be mounted on the wall and one that's a standalone model with a speaker base. The wall-mounted version and the speaker version are both priced at $299, with no discount for the base-free model.


Wall mounting is the more expensive option because most buyers will need hardware that's sold separately and is currently priced starting at $60. There are three options for mounting the HomeView on the wall.

• Power Mount USB-C Wall Connector ($59.95) - The USB-C mount is from Schneider Home, and Apple says it is a self-install mount. It uses a standard USB-C cable that goes to a power adapter, which the user also needs to supply. It requires a 20W or higher power adapter.


• Power Mount AC Wired ($79.95) - The AC Wired mount uses in-wall power so there's no visible cable. Apple recommends having it installed by a licensed electrician and is partnering with ADT to offer installation services.


• Power Mount PoE Wired ($129.95) - The Power over Ethernet hardwired mount is not available right now. Apple says to check back later for availability. It will require a home with PoE wiring.


• No mount - There is an option to buy the wall-mounted version with no additional hardware. Presumably, accessory companies will eventually offer mounting solutions, but Apple has the only mount option right now.

In addition to being more expensive, the wall-mounted HomeView comes in more limited color options. It can only be purchased in silver or space gray, while the speaker version also comes in starlight and rose pink.

Both HomeView models have speakers with "two custom full-range drivers" in the display, and the wall-mounted version uses computational audio tuned for on-wall placement. The model with a speaker base also has a down-firing woofer and two force-canceling passive radiators that are not available in the wall-mounted version.

We'll need to wait for reviews to see sound comparisons on the speaker version and the wall-mounted version, but customers who opt for the wall-mounted version are going to be paying more for less hardware.

The HomeView is available for pre-order now and will launch on November 13.
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Apple today debuted the "Apple Home Collection," an accessory lineup it developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The collection includes cameras, thermostats, temperature sensors, and a door lock.


All of the home devices are designed to work with the HomeView, Apple's new home hub. Apple says each one is made from premium materials with a minimal aesthetic. The accessories are able to be set up with a single tap from the iPhone, and can be controlled with the Home app and through Siri.

• LG Video Doorbell ($249.95) - The Video Doorbell has dual cameras that capture views of visitors and packages. The front camera has a 2.5K resolution and the bottom camera is HD resolution. It has a built-in spotlight and a chime that plays through HomeView, HomePod, or ‌HomePod‌ mini.


• LG Outdoor Cam ($299.95) - The Outdoor Cam has low-color night vision and can be angled in multiple positions.


• LG Indoor Cam ($199.95) - The Indoor Cam has a privacy-preserving feature that allows it to tilt up when people are in the home so it's not recording, and down when people leave for keeping an eye on the home. The tilt function works based on geofencing, but can also be controlled in the Home app or manually.


• LG Floodlight Cam ($399.95) - The Floodlight Cam has dual floodlights that activate when motion is detected and low-color night vision.


• LG Smart Deadbolt Lock ($349.95) - The lock has UWB and can unlock automatically when the homeowner approaches, with no tap required. It also supports unlocking via PIN or a hidden backup key slot, and there is detection for whether the door is opened, closed, or has been tampered with. The doorbell and lock can work together as one, letting users see who is at the door and unlocking it if needed.


• LG Thermostat ($199.95) - The thermostat supports Adaptive Temperature and in the U.S., heating and cooling can be activated during lower-cost periods for users with a compatible utility plan. The thermostat can read temperature and humidity across multiple rooms using separate temperature and humidity sensors. Sensors are priced at $39.95.


• Schneider Electric Thermostat ($199.95) - Also supports Adaptive Temperature and can be used with temperature and humidity sensors. Sensors are priced at $39.95.

Cameras work with iCloud+ plans and users can view live footage and camera activity from the Home app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K, and HomeView.

The Apple Home Collection will be available starting in December, though select accessories will not launch until early 2027.
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Apple today announced a new HomePod mini equipped with Siri AI, new colors, and improved audio experiences. The new ‌HomePod mini‌ has an S10 chip that supports advanced computational audio, and Apple says it optimizes dynamic range, loudness, and acoustic performance in real-time.


A Sound Glow feature turns the ‌HomePod mini‌'s top into a "visual canvas" that glows and animates in sync with music, reacting to bass and treble. It uses colors generated from the song's album artwork for a unique experience for each song.

Four HomePod minis can be paired together to create a four-speaker surround sound with the latest Apple TV 4K, which Apple also announced today. The speakers and the ‌Apple TV‌ are able to recognize their position in the room and levels are calibrated to the space. The ‌HomePod mini‌ also works as a speaker for the Mac.



‌Siri‌ AI will be available in a future software update, and will work when the ‌HomePod mini‌ is paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad. It will be able to recognize up to six users by voice and connect to their device for personalized information like Messages.

As with the prior version of the ‌HomePod mini‌, the new model is able to serve as a home hub and control smart home devices. It supports Sound Recognition and can listen for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms, sending an alert if one is detected.

The ‌HomePod mini‌ 2 comes in pink, green, blue, white, and midnight and will launch on October 30. It's priced at $149 and pre-orders open now.
This article, "Apple Announces $149 HomePod Mini 2 With Siri AI, 'Sound Glow', and Four-Speaker Surround Sound" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's "Welcome Home" product launch is happening tomorrow. As the name suggests, Apple is going to debut new home accessories, including the long-rumored home hub.


Below, we've listed all the rumors we know about the three devices Apple is set to introduce.

HomeView

Apple's home hub, which will be called HomeView, is a multi-function device designed for all of a home's occupants. It's built around Siri AI, and will have an A18 chip and 8GB of RAM.


Here's what rumors suggest it'll be able to do:

• Answer questions with ‌Siri‌ AI


• Control smart home devices


• Display the time and weather


• Display widgets, including widgets from a connected iPhone


• Show each user their calendar events and reminders


• Play music, podcasts, and audiobooks


• Play videos, TV shows, and movies


• Show photos, slideshows, and home movies


• Support video calls


• Show the news


• Show messages and emails


• Display recipes and instructions when completing tasks

The hub will be able to do anything you might want a home assistant device to do, from giving the next steps of a recipe to suggesting dinner ideas and creating a shopping list. It will rely heavily on ‌Siri‌ AI for voice-based input, but it will also have a 6-inch touch display.

The display is square with bezels around the edges, and there are two models. One version can be mounted on the wall, and the other is attached to a half-dome speaker base with a flexible arm for adjusting tilt. The hub isn't expected to have its own App Store, but it will support Apple apps such as Safari, News, Music, Reminders, Calendar, Weather, Messages, FaceTime, Photos, and Mail.

There will be a presence sensor and a camera in the hub, and it will use a variation of Face ID to determine who is nearby to show customized content. It will display information from a linked iPhone, like email messages, but only after authenticating. The sensors in the hub will be usable in HomeKit scenes and automations, so you can use it to trigger lights and other devices when a person walks into the room.

The interface will be heavily widget-based so you can see information at a glance, and it's likely going to look similar to StandBy mode on the iPhone. You will be able to choose your preferred clock face or idle state, along with a home screen of widget options that you can tap to open a full app. If you have multiple hubs, they'll link together for features like multi-room music and intercom functionality. Rumors suggest that it will have better sound quality than the HomePod mini.

There isn't going to be a built-in battery, and the hub will need to be connected to power via an included USB-C port. The speaker-equipped version is expected in multiple colors, including gray, silver, starlight, and rose. The wall-mounted version will be available in silver and gray.

Rumors suggest the hub could be priced somewhere around $350.

Apple TV 4K

Apple isn't updating the design of the Apple TV, so expect the new model to be the same boring black box. What's changing is entirely inside.


The ‌Apple TV‌ 4K is going to get a lot more powerful so it can support ‌Siri‌ AI, offering many of the same ‌Siri‌ features that are available on iPhone and iPad in iOS and iPadOS 27.

We're expecting an A19 with 8GB of RAM, along with Apple's N1 networking chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. The A19 will bring a major upgrade in performance, both for ‌Siri‌ and for gaming. It has ray tracing, mesh shading, and other features that will improve gameplay graphics.

There will be a new ‌Siri‌ Remote with an included speaker to make it easier to find, and we've seen some signs that Apple is working on its own gaming controller under the Beats brand, but there's no word on whether it's ready to launch.

Apple will likely emphasize ‌Siri‌ AI and gaming capabilities when introducing the ‌Apple TV‌. Apple raised the price of the current ‌Apple TV‌ to $199 in June, and the new model will be at least that expensive with the processor and RAM upgrades.

HomePod mini

Like the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, the ‌HomePod mini‌ isn't going to get a new design, but it will have internal upgrades that make it more capable. It's going to get an upgraded S10 chip, second-generation UWB for features like Handoff, and the N1 networking chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.


You'll need a nearby AI-capable device for ‌Siri‌ AI processing because the HomePod probably won't be able to handle much on-device, but smarter ‌Siri‌ should make for a better experience. ‌Siri‌ AI on ‌HomePod mini‌ will have the context of ‌Siri‌ interactions on other devices, and it's likely conversations will be saved to a connected iPhone's ‌Siri‌ app.

‌Siri‌ AI can answer follow-up questions, handle multi-request queries, and access information from your apps. It'll be similar to having ChatGPT or Claude on a speaker. Though design updates aren't expected, the ‌HomePod mini‌ will get new colors. We're expecting white, blue, black, sage, and pink.

‌HomePod mini‌ pricing went up from $99 to $129 in June 2026, and the new model will likely be priced at $129 too.

LG Accessories

Apple worked with LG to make an LG-branded wired video doorbell, thermostat, smart deadbolt lock, temperature sensor, indoor security camera, outdoor security camera, and floodlight camera that will work with the home hub and the ‌HomeKit‌ platform.

The accessories are part of an "Apple Home Collection" that will be marketed alongside the HomeView. They won't be ready until later this year at the earliest, but Apple could show them off during the announcement.

Announcement Timing

There's no keynote event for the "Welcome Home" product debut, so Apple is probably going to release a video and an accompanying set of press releases. There's an NYC media event that's going to take place at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 13, and that could be when all of the announcements happen.

The NYC event will let members of the media get some hands-on time with the new devices to share first impressions.

Pre-Orders and Launch Date

Apple could begin accepting pre-orders just after the new devices launch. The ‌HomePod mini‌ and the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K are going to launch on Friday, October 30.

The HomeView won't be available right away and is expected to ship to customers in mid-November.
This article, "Apple 'Welcome Home' Launch: Everything to Expect Tomorrow" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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