Paul Meade, who oversees development on the Vision Pro and Apple's upcoming smart glasses, is leaving Apple for OpenAI, reports Bloomberg.


Meade took over leadership of Apple's Vision Products Group when Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell took over Siri's AI upgrade. He was previously leading the Vision Pro hardware engineering team, and before that, he was on the iPad and iPhone teams. Meade has been at Apple since 2010, and working in the Vision Products Group since 2017.

More recently, Meade was overseeing the development of the AI smart glasses that Apple has in the works to compete with the Meta Ray-Bans, and also leading the team working on future augmented reality glasses.

Meade is leaving Apple by next week and will join OpenAI's hardware unit to work on AI devices. Fletcher Rothkopf, who heads up product design function for the Vision Pro and smart glasses, will take over for Meade. Meade's decision to leave is a result of executive changes at Apple as John Ternus prepares to take over as CEO. Apple chip lead Johny Srouji is taking Ternus's role as chief hardware officer, and the reorganization has upset some hardware executives.

Former Apple employees Jony Ive, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey are also at OpenAI, among others.
This article, "Apple Loses Another Top Executive to OpenAI" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be up to $200 more expensive, according to a prediction from analytics firm IDC.


IDC expected Apple to raise iPhone 18 prices, but prior to yesterday's Mac and iPad price hike, the prediction was a $100 increase for the 18 Pro and Pro Max, and a $50 increase for the base models.

IDC Senior Director of Data & Analytics Nabila Popal says the magnitude of the Mac and iPad price increase points to even higher ‌iPhone 18‌ prices.

In our forecast, we had assumed a price hike of $100 to Pro and Pro Max models, and $50 hike to base models–-however, seeing the price hikes today to iPad and Macs going as high as $300 for some models, my personal instinct says the hike to iPhones may be even higher than what we assumed–-perhaps even $200 to the Pro/Pro Max models. I think the days of $50 price increases are over.

Apple also plans to release a foldable iPhone this year, and IDC thinks it could have an average selling price of $2,500, with higher storage tiers to cost as much as $3,000. The price of the premium model could offset some of the increased memory costs and avoid a larger price hike to other models.

Apple increased prices because component costs have gone up as a result of a global memory crisis limiting supply. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to have 12GB RAM, so looking to other devices with 12GB RAM could hint at Apple's iPhone pricing plans. The M4 iPad Air and lower-tier M5 iPad Pro have 12GB RAM, with prices going up $150 and $200, respectively.

It's possible the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models will see similar increases in price, raising the starting price of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ to between $1,249 and $1,299 and the starting price of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max to between $1,349 and $1,399.

IDC thinks an ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ price increase won't impact the number of people upgrading, because consumers with an iPhone 15 (non-Pro) or older are likely to want to buy a new iPhone to get Siri AI. The firm estimates that 54 percent of iPhones shipped since 2022 need to be upgraded to get the new ‌Siri‌. Customers who choose a Pro Max are also "premium-focused and less price sensitive" and so won't be dissuaded by a price increase, plus many customers opt for monthly payment plans. A $200 increase to the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ price over 36 months is just about $5 per month.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max May See $200 Price Increase" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

OpenAI today launched a limited preview of its GPT–5.6 series, which includes flagship model Sol, a balanced everyday work model named Terra, and Luna, a fast and affordable model.


Terra is similar in performance to GPT–5.5 but it is 2x cheaper, and Luna offers "strong capability" at OpenAI's lowest price. GPT–5.6 Sol is OpenAI's strongest model to date, with agentic improvements in coding, biology, and cybersecurity. There is a new "max" reasoning effort and an "ultra" mode that uses sub-agents for complex work.

OpenAI says GPT–5.6 Sol has its most "robust safety stack to date" with protections for high-risk activity, sensitive cyber requests, and misuse. It has been tested for weaknesses and hardened against real-world attacks. OpenAI says safeguards allow the model to deliver "substantial benefit for legitimate defensive work" while limiting prohibited offensive use. It is better at helping users find and fix vulnerabilities than carrying out end-to-end attacks, according to OpenAI.

The Trump administration is limiting the launch of GPT–5.6, and OpenAI agreed to hold back on releasing it to all users. The model is instead available for a small group of trusted partners at the current time, but OpenAI is planning for a wider launch after further testing. In its GPT–5.6 announcement, OpenAI pushed back against the administration's request to hold the model back and said the government AI access process should not become the long-term default.

We don't believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default. It keeps the best tools from users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders, and global partners who need them. We are taking this short-term step because we believe it is the strongest path to broader availability in the coming weeks, while we work with the Administration to develop the cyber Executive Order framework and a repeatable process for future model releases.

The Trump administration is putting together a process for benchmarking and assessing new AI models prior to launch, per a June 2 executive order. The administration previously forced Anthropic to remove access to Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5, even though Anthropic adhered to a voluntary government review process and added guardrails based on government feedback.

The GPT–5.6 models are available through the API and Codex to a trusted set of OpenAI partners and organizations. OpenAI says they will be available more broadly in ChatGPT, Codex, and the API "soon."
This article, "OpenAI Launches GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna in Limited Preview" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Astropad to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPad Air, an Apple Pencil Pro, and one of Astropad's Rock Paper Pencil kits to use with it.


Rock Paper Pencil makes writing on your iPad with an ‌Apple Pencil‌ feel like writing on paper instead of a slippery display, offering a more comfortable and natural writing experience.

The Rock Paper Pencil kit includes a super thin NanoCling screen protector for the ‌iPad‌'s display and an ‌Apple Pencil‌ tip that replaces the stock ‌Apple Pencil‌ tip. You can put the NanoCling screen protector on while you're using your ‌Apple Pencil‌, then take it off and put it away when you want to use your ‌iPad‌ without it. Putting the screen protector on and removing it again takes just seconds, and there's no sticky residue left behind on your ‌iPad‌'s screen.


Astropad's Rock Paper Pencil is normally $45, but there is a Prime Day sale going on right now with a 15 percent discount available. If you do a lot of writing or sketching on your ‌iPad‌, it's a deal you won't want to miss out on.

Astropad has iterated on the Rock Paper Pencil over time, perfecting the paper-like feel to get the smoothest writing experience. There's a microscopic texture on the screen protector that mimics the feel of paper, but it doesn't interfere with the vivid colors of the ‌iPad‌'s display.


The ‌Apple Pencil‌ tip from Astropad is made from solid stainless steel that doesn't wear down or degrade over time. The tip is 1mm for the perfect pencil feel, with an ideal balance of friction and durability.

If you hate the slippery, unnatural feeling of writing on a hard screen, the Rock Paper Pencil is worth checking out. It can make you forget that you're writing on a tablet because it feels and sounds like using a pen on paper.


Rock Paper Pencil is compatible with all of Apple's M2, M3, M4, and M5 iPads, and many older models as well. It works with the 6th and 7th-generation iPad mini and the 7th-generation ‌iPad‌ and later.


We have a Rock Paper Pencil kit, an ‌iPad Air‌, and an ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro for one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (June 26) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 3. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after July 3 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
This article, "MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPad Air and Rock Paper Pencil From Astropad" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The lower-end iPhone 18 models set to launch in spring 2027 will feature 9GB DRAM, up from 8GB, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


Kuo says the A20 chip Apple plans to use for the devices will have 1.5GB x 6 dies for a total of 9GB RAM, instead of 2GB x 4 dies as the current lower-end iPhone 17 models use.

By lower-end iPhones, Kuo is likely referencing the ‌iPhone 18‌ and the iPhone 18e, both of which are rumored to be coming around March or April of 2027. Apple plans to introduce the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable iPhone this fall, and those devices are expected to feature 12GB RAM (1.5GB x 8 dies) like the current iPhone 17 Pro models.

Apple will add more RAM to the ‌iPhone 18‌ models to make sure the devices work well with AI workloads and are able to support all of the Apple Intelligence features coming in iOS 27.

Apple yesterday raised prices across its Mac and iPad lines, but ‌iPhone 17‌ pricing hasn't gone up. Apple will likely implement price hikes when the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models come out, and since Apple raised the cost of even the low-end iPad and the MacBook Neo, the ‌iPhone 18‌ and iPhone 18e probably won't be exempt from an increase.
This article, "2027 iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e to Get 9GB RAM and A20 Chip" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple could launch an updated base model 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip as soon as this year, reports Bloomberg. There could also be M6 chip updates for the Mac mini, iMac, and MacBook Air, but Apple is testing an M6 ‌MacBook Pro‌.


Apple plans to introduce the M6 in late 2026, and for the first time, it will be a standalone chip. Apple is not working on M6 Pro or M6 Max chips, and will hold off on higher-end chip options until the M7 series launches in 2027.

The M6 chip will be the first built on a 2-nanometer process instead of the 3-nanometer process that Apple has used for the last several chip generations. Rumors suggest Apple will use TSMC's N2 process. Compared to the 3nm process, the 2nm process cuts down on transistor size so more can be packaged on a chip. Decreases in node size typically bring improved processor speeds and better power efficiency.

TSMC's new chips also transition from InFo (Integrated Fan-Out) packaging to WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module). WMCM integrates individual chip components like the CPU, GPU, DRAM, and Neural Engine more closely together, improving communication between the components.

According to Bloomberg, the M6 will be the most powerful in the industry for its class. The chip will have higher memory bandwidth at approximately 200GB/s (up from 153GB/s in the M5). Increased memory bandwidth will improve graphics performance and speed up on-device AI tasks.

The M6 will have an updated memory architecture, an upgraded Neural Engine for AI processing, and improvements to video encoding and decoding. Performance will improve for all of the processing cores, and the GPU will also get an update to optimize it for AI. Apple is testing versions of the chip with a 12-core GPU. The M5 chip is limited to a 10-core GPU.

Apple last updated the base 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an M5 chip in October 2025, so an M6 update around the one-year mark would make sense. The base ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌iMac‌ have not been updated since October 2024, but Bloomberg recently said those machines would get M5 chips, not M6 chips, so Apple's plans are unclear. Bloomberg's newest report on the M6 mentions plural entry-level Macs getting the M6, but it only specifically references the ‌MacBook Pro‌.

Apple added the M5 chip to the iPad Pro in October 2025, but it is not known if the device will get an M6 chip this year because prior rumors have said no 2026 refresh is planned. The ‌MacBook Air‌ was refreshed in March 2026, so it may not get a new chip until 2027.
This article, "M6 MacBook Pro Expected This Year With Apple's First 2nm Chip" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Despite price increases across the Mac line, Apple is still planning to release a new Mac Studio as soon as this year, reports Bloomberg.


Apple plans to introduce a new M5 Ultra chip as the final option in the M5 family before it transitions to the M6, M7, M7 Pro, and M7 Max. The M5 Ultra will come in a new version of the ‌Mac Studio‌, which hasn't been updated since March 2025.

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. In April, Bloomberg said the ‌Mac Studio‌ would launch sometime around October 2026.

It's not clear if Apple will make an October launch. The current M3 Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ already has delivery estimates ranging into October.

The M5 Ultra chip is expected to have around 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores, which is not too far off from the M3 Ultra. The M3 Ultra has up to a 32-core CPU and up to an 80-core GPU. Apple has tested support for up to 768GB of unified memory, but supply constraints could prevent it from launching with an option for that much memory.

Apple was selling the M3 Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ with up to 512GB RAM, but the 512GB model was removed back in March. Apple has been temporarily cutting higher-tier Macs, and the current M3 Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ can only be purchased with 96GB RAM.

Even if Apple does plan to release a ‌Mac Studio‌ with an M5 Ultra chip and 768GB RAM, it would be astronomically expensive. When Apple raised Mac prices today, the 96GB ‌Mac Studio‌ went from $3,999 to $5,299, an increase of $1,300. 8x more RAM during the memory crisis could see the ‌Mac Studio‌ priced at over $10,000.
This article, "M5 Ultra Mac Studio Could Launch in 2026 With Up to 768GB of RAM" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums