❌

Normale weergave

Apple's AI Smart Glasses Likely to Support Hand Gesture Controls

29 April 2026 om 22:45
Apple is developing a set of AI smart glasses to rival products like the Meta Ray-Bans, and MacRumors has learned a few more details about Apple's work on the device from an inside source.


The AI glasses will include two cameras. A high-resolution camera will be included for capturing photos and videos that can be shared on social media and used like iPhone photos. A second lower-resolution wide-angle lens will read hand gestures and provide visual input for Siri.

Apple uses hand gesture-based input for the Vision Pro, and rumors suggest the AirPods Pro will be updated with low-resolution cameras and support for gestures as well. Apple appears to be leaning into gesture support, and it's an ideal input method when no screen is available to interact with.

While future versions of the smart glasses could include an integrated display for augmented reality features, the first version will have no display at all. Apple will not include a screen, LiDAR, 3D cameras, or other similar technology because such features are too energy-intensive.

Battery life is a major constraint because Apple needs to keep the glasses slim and lightweight. Battery size is the bottleneck behind the hardware decisions that Apple is making, and it's why Apple is opting for a stripped-down feature set.

According to recent rumors, Apple is testing multiple styles for the smart glasses, with plans to use acetate. Acetate is a lightweight plant-based material that's more flexible than plastic.

Apple's smart glasses will incorporate the smarter version of β€ŒSiriβ€Œ that Apple plans to introduce in iOS 27. The device will be able to take photos, record video, and make phone calls, plus users will be able to interact with β€ŒSiriβ€Œ to ask questions about what's around them. The feature set will be similar to the features available in the Meta Ray-Bans that Apple is aiming to compete with.

Rumors suggest Apple could preview the glasses later this year, with a launch to follow in 2027, though it's also possible we won't see them announced until 2027.
This article, "Apple's AI Smart Glasses Likely to Support Hand Gesture Controls" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop

29 April 2026 om 22:08
Apple has all but given up on the Vision Pro after the M5 model failed to revitalize interest in the device, MacRumors has learned. Apple updated the Vision Pro with a faster M5 chip and a more comfortable band in October 2025, but there were no other hardware changes, and consumers still weren't interested.


The Vision Pro has been criticized for its high price tag and its uncomfortable weight. The device is over 1.3 pounds, and even with the more comfortable Dual Knit Band that Apple added to redistribute weight, it continues to be hard to wear for long periods of time. The M5 chip added a 120Hz refresh rate, 10 percent more rendered pixels, and around 30 additional minutes of battery life, but the price tag stayed at $3,499, and it ended up not selling well.

The Vision Pro has been unpopular since it first launched, and Apple only sold around 600,000 units in total. Insider sources told MacRumors that Apple has received an unusually high percentage of returns, far exceeding any other modern Apple product.

Apple has apparently stopped work on the Vision Pro and the Vision Pro team has been redistributed to other teams within Apple. Some former Vision Pro team members are working on Siri, which is not a surprise as Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell has been leading the Siri team since March 2025.

There have been mixed rumors about a new Vision Pro over the last couple of years, with Apple rumored to be working on a lighter-weight Vision Air that's much cheaper, but the project was stopped last year. If Apple finds a way to create a much cheaper, more comfortable VR headset in the future, the Vision Pro line could be revived, but right now, the company has no plans to launch a new model. Apple has not discontinued the Vision Pro and is continuing to sell the M5 model.

Instead of continuing to experiment with virtual reality, Apple is working on smart glasses that will eventually incorporate augmented reality capabilities, but the first version will be similar to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with AI and no integrated display.

Apple has not been able to use the technology developed for the Vision Pro in its smart glasses because that tech draws too much power for a smaller, lighter device.
Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

This article, "Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Has Likely Abandoned 'iPad Ultra' Plans

29 April 2026 om 19:30
Apple has reportedly abandoned plans for a foldable "iPad Ultra" following years of disappointing sales performance for the iPad Pro.


The claim predominantly comes from the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," who posted the remark in response to a question about whether the β€ŒiPadβ€Œ would join a rumored "Ultra" series of Apple devices. Instant Digital listed the Apple Watch Ultra, M-series Ultra chips, "iPhone Ultra," and "MacBook Ultra" with an OLED display as products in the pipeline, but explicitly excluded the β€ŒiPadβ€Œ from that group, citing weak market performance for the β€ŒiPad Proβ€Œ. They added that Apple now has "no plans" to release an β€ŒiPadβ€Œ Ultra.

The β€ŒiPad Proβ€Œ's sales struggles are well documented. In October 2024, it was reported that shipment projections for the M4 β€ŒiPad Proβ€Œ had been significantly cut after weaker-than-expected demand following its launch earlier that year. DSCC analyst Ross Young lowered his full-year 2024 forecast from up to 10 million units to just 6.7 million, with shipments of the 13-inch model projected to fall by more than 50% and 90% in the third and fourth quarters respectively.

Young attributed the sluggish reception in part to the high price point, with the 11-inch model starting at $999 and the 13-inch at $1,299, levels that deter buyers who view tablets as secondary devices alongside a smartphone or laptop. β€ŒiPadβ€Œ revenue has declined for three consecutive years, and the category accounted for just 6.73% of Apple's total revenue in 2025.

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple has been developing a 20-inch foldable β€ŒiPadβ€Œ, describing the project as a priority for Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering and future Apple CEO John Ternus. Gurman noted, however, that the device "may end up being a wacky experiment that doesn't see the light of day, according to several people who have worked on it."

The rumored foldable β€ŒiPadβ€Œ has a long and troubled development history. Last October, it emerged that engineering challenges tied to weight, features, and display technology had pushed Apple's target launch from 2028 to 2029 or later. The device was reportedly being developed with a large Samsung OLED display, with Apple focused on minimizing the visible crease, just like the upcoming foldable iPhone.

Prototype units reportedly weighed around 3.5 pounds, making them heavier than a 14-inch MacBook Pro and nearly three times the weight of a 13-inch β€ŒiPad Proβ€Œ. The device could have been priced as high as $3,900, roughly triple the $1,299 starting price of the 13-inch β€ŒiPad Proβ€Œ.

There has also been uncertainty about how the product would be categorized. In March, Gurman noted that a "gigantic" foldable β€ŒiPadβ€Œ would challenge Apple's tradition of keeping the Mac and β€ŒiPadβ€Œ as separate product lines, with some internally describing it as a foldable β€ŒiPadβ€Œ and others as an all-display MacBook. When closed, the device reportedly resembles a Mac, with an aluminum shell and no exterior display. The design is said to be similar to Huawei's MateBook Fold, an 18-inch foldable tablet currently priced at $3,400.

The reports come against a backdrop of Apple's rumored plans to expand its "Ultra" branding across multiple product lines. At least three Ultra devices are believed to be in the pipeline for this year alone: a foldable β€ŒiPhone Ultraβ€Œ priced at around $2,000, AirPods Ultra with cameras for Visual Intelligence, and a MacBook Ultra featuring a touch-enabled OLED display priced up to 20% above the current β€ŒMacBook Proβ€Œ lineup. A source speaking to Macworld subsequently corroborated the β€ŒiPhone Ultraβ€Œ and MacBook Ultra names.

Apple already applies the "Ultra" moniker to Apple Watch Ultra, M-series Ultra chips, and CarPlay Ultra. An β€ŒiPadβ€Œ Ultra might seem like a natural fit for a family of higher-end, more experimental hardware at the top of each lineup, but with the β€ŒiPad Proβ€Œ already struggling to find buyers at its current price point, the question of whether sufficient demand exists for an even more expensive β€ŒiPadβ€Œ may be answering itself.
Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Neutral)

This article, "Apple Has Likely Abandoned 'iPad Ultra' Plans" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

iOS 27 Camera App to Get 'Siri' Mode With Nutrition Label Scanning

29 April 2026 om 18:54
Apple is planning to integrate Apple Intelligence and Siri into more of its apps in iOS 27, including the Camera app, reports Bloomberg. The β€ŒiOS 27β€Œ Camera app will have a dedicated β€ŒSiriβ€Œ mode that will be available alongside the existing Photo, Video, Portrait, and Panorama modes. When in β€ŒSiriβ€Œ mode, the existing Camera app shutter button will feature the β€ŒApple Intelligenceβ€Œ logo, letting users know the β€ŒSiriβ€Œ features are available.


β€ŒSiriβ€Œ mode will incorporate Visual Intelligence, making the feature more accessible. Right now, β€ŒVisual Intelligenceβ€Œ is activated by long pressing the Camera Control button, and it is a gesture that many people may not even be aware of.

In addition to being relocated to the Camera app with β€ŒSiriβ€Œ branding, β€ŒVisual Intelligenceβ€Œ is also being updated with new features. It will be able to scan a nutrition label on food items to log the dietary information, plus users will be able to use it to add contact details for someone directly to the Contacts app.

MacRumors first discovered signs of the β€ŒVisual Intelligenceβ€Œ features in Apple code in mid-April. Here's a bit more on what we found:

  • Nutrition - Users will be able to scan nutrition labels on food packaging for calorie and macronutrient tracking using the Health app.

  • Contacts - β€ŒVisual Intelligenceβ€Œ will let users scan phone numbers and addresses on business cards and other print media, adding the information to the Contacts app.

  • Wallet - In the Wallet app, β€ŒVisual Intelligenceβ€Œ will capture information from physical event tickets and membership cards, generating digital versions.


Existing β€ŒVisual Intelligenceβ€Œ features will continue to be available, and it will be able to identify objects like plants and animals, add events to the Calendar app, and send visual information to ChatGPT and Google image search. Users will also be able to access the revamped β€ŒVisual Intelligenceβ€Œ through the Camera Control button, but it will open up to the β€ŒSiriβ€Œ interface in the Camera app instead of the standalone β€ŒVisual Intelligenceβ€Œ experience that we have now.

Apple will introduce β€ŒiOS 27β€Œ at the Worldwide Developers Conference that's set to begin on June 8, 2026.
Related Roundup: iOS 27
Tag: Siri

This article, "iOS 27 Camera App to Get 'Siri' Mode With Nutrition Label Scanning" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Reportedly Questioning Whether iPhone Should Drop MagSafe

29 April 2026 om 17:26
A leaker claims Apple is currently embroiled in an internal debate over whether MagSafe should remain a standard iPhone feature.


The Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" says that when β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ was first introduced, the mood inside Apple was reportedly aggressive about its expansion. β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ for the iPhone was introduced with the iPhone 12 lineup in 2020, bringing a ring of magnets to the back of the device for snap-on charging and accessory attachment. The ecosystem has since expanded significantly, with dozens of third-party wallets, cases, stands, and chargers built around the standard.

There were purportedly even plans to bring built-in β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ magnets to the iPad lineup, something the leaker previously hinted at, though those plans never materialized. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman first reported in 2021 that Apple was testing a glass-backed iPad Pro that would support wireless charging, specifically noting that MagSalfe was under consideration. A follow-up report in early 2022 suggested Apple had prototyped an iPad Pro with a large glass Apple logo that would serve as the wireless charging area, an approach aimed at avoiding the fragility of an all-glass back. Neither design made it to a shipping product. The rumors resurfaced in late 2023, with reports suggesting that the then-upcoming iPad Pro could include MagSafe support, based on information from sources familiar with Apple's magnet suppliers. The redesigned M4 β€ŒiPad Proβ€Œ that launched in 2024 still shipped without the feature.

Now, Instant Digital claims that confidence around β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ has given way to uncertainty. The leaker says Apple is weighing the costs of including β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ magnets in the iPhone against the strength of the accessory ecosystem that has grown up around the feature, though the nature of the debate and what any change might look like remains unclear.

The iPhone 16e launched without β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ, making it the first new iPhone in years to omit it. Many iPhone 16e owners, as well as users of older iPhones without built-in magnets, turned to third-party cases with embedded magnet rings as a workaround, though the experience is generally considered to be inferior to native β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ support. The decision nonetheless drew criticism, and Apple reversed course with the iPhone 17e, restoring β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ support when the device launched earlier this year.

There is no indication that β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ is at imminent risk of disappearing from the iPhone lineup. However, the upcoming foldable "iPhone Ultra" may be a different story. Dummy models of the device show no visible indentations for the internal magnet array that β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ requires, suggesting the feature could be absent at launch. The iPhone Ultra is rumored to be just 4.5mm thin when unfolded, and it is thought that the device may simply be too slim to accommodate the magnets. If that proves accurate, the β€ŒiPhone Ultraβ€Œ would be both the most expensive iPhone ever, with a starting price rumored at around $2,000, and the first new high-end model to ship without β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ since the iPhone 11 Pro.

While the wording of Instant Digital's post is somewhat ambiguous, it raises the possibility that Apple could be at least considering pulling β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ from its standard iPhone models, potentially making it exclusive to higher-end devices. Recent reports suggest that the standard iPhone 18 is being downgraded to cut costs.

An alternative scenario could see Apple scale back its in-device β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ implementation, relying more heavily on cases with embedded magnets to provide compatibility, as many iPhone 16e users already do. Given that Qi2, the open wireless charging standard now widely adopted across the industry, is built directly on β€ŒMagSafeβ€Œ's magnet ring specification, a full removal of the feature from the entire iPhone lineup seems unlikely.
This article, "Apple Reportedly Questioning Whether iPhone Should Drop MagSafe" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Get Up to $100 Off the M4 iPad Air on Amazon

29 April 2026 om 15:42
Amazon this week has multiple discounts on the M4 iPad Air, providing up to $100 off these brand new models.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Specifically, Amazon has up to $90 off the 11-inch M4 iPad Air and up to $100 off the 13-inch M4 iPad Air. All of these discounts have been automatically applied and do not require a coupon code or a Prime membership.




The new iPad Air features the M4 chip, C1X modem, and N1 networking chip, which brings support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. In terms of design, the 2026 models are identical to the 2025 iPad Air tablets, with an edge-to-edge display, slim bezels, and aluminum chassis.

11-inch M4 iPad Air




13-inch M4 iPad Air




If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.




Deals Newsletter


Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




Related Roundup: Apple Deals

This article, "Get Up to $100 Off the M4 iPad Air on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Epic Games Wins Reversal of Stay in App Store Fee Legal Battle

29 April 2026 om 14:05
Apple will not be able to delay a district court battle over fee calculations while it waits to hear whether the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on the latest developments in its long-running dispute with Epic Games.


On Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an earlier decision letting Apple keep its current zero-fee link-out commission structure in place while it appeals to the Supreme Court. The reversal means Apple now has to return to a lower court to work out what fees it can charge developers who steer customers to outside payment options.

Apple won the pause earlier this month by arguing that it shouldn't have to overhaul its fee structure twice if the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in its favor. Apple stopped collecting commissions from links to external purchase options in U.S. apps when ordered to do so last year, and the company wanted to keep the no-commission setup while waiting on the Supreme Court.

In response, Epic Games immediately filed two motions: one said it hadn't been given time enough to prepare a response to Apple's stay request, and another asking the court to reject the original request.

The three-judge panel granted Epic's motion for reconsideration. The judges said Apple hadn't shown that the Supreme Court was likely to take the case, and pointed out that the high court already chose not to hear Apple's challenges once back in 2024. They also rejected Apple's claim that being forced into lower-court hearings would cause real harm.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney shared the news in a post on X, adding that "Apple's delaying tactics have come to an end!"

Apple's delaying tactics have come to an end! Now Epic v Apple returns to Judge Gonzales Rogers for hearings on exactly what fees Apple can charge to recoup costs of reviewing apps using competing payment methods. https://t.co/eukYzpu0dY

β€” Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 29, 2026

The case now heads back to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in California, who will determine what commission Apple can collect on purchases made through external links, if any. Apple can still petition the Supreme Court while those proceedings move ahead.

The dispute traces all the way back to the original Epic Games trial, which Apple largely won. However, one exception was a 2021 ruling from Judge Gonzalez Rogers ordering Apple to relax its "anti-steering" rules and let developers point users to outside payment options.

Apple complied with the ruling, but only slightly lowered its fees, which led few developers to even bother adding links. Epic subsequently returned to court, and the judge found Apple in willful violation of the original injunction. Consequently, it barred Apple from collecting any commission on external links.

Apple appealed and dropped the link fees while the case moved forward, arguing that the ruling was unconstitutional and that it should receive compensation for its technology. In December 2025, the appeals court delivered a mixed ruling: Apple had violated the injunction, but the company should still be able to charge something reasonable for its technology. That sent the question of what that fee should look like back to the district court.

Apple is now hoping the Supreme Court will go further and throw out the district court's ruling altogether, but in the meantime, Apple will head back to court to determine the reasonable fee that it will be able to charge for purchases made using external links in apps.
This article, "Epic Games Wins Reversal of Stay in App Store Fee Legal Battle" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Report: iPhone Memory Costs Set to Quadruple by 2027

29 April 2026 om 11:57
Memory could account for as much as 45 percent of an iPhone's component costs by 2027, up from around 10 percent today, according to a JPMorgan analysis cited by the Financial Times ($).


Apple buys memory for roughly 250 million iPhones a year and has historically been one of the largest customers in the category. But Apple has reportedly now gone from a position where it could set terms to one where it now has to compete with rivals for supply.

The principal reason is the heavily subsidized AI build-out that's underway.

In a race to make data centers that can handle more compute for frontier AI models, AI infrastructure buyers like Nvidia are now reportedly outbidding consumer electronics makers for limited supply from the likes of Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. Meanwhile, cloud companies are reportedly making upfront payments worth billions of dollars to secure capacity.

It's a marked break from the industry norm of committing to volumes with suppliers first and negotiating prices later.

The pressure is already reshaping Apple's product plans, and the rumored split-launch cycle for the iPhone 18 series is said to be part of that new reality. Apple is expected to stagger the iPhone 18 launch, holding the lower-priced model until spring 2027 rather than shipping the full lineup in the usual fall window. Instead, only the iPhone 18 Pro models will be launched in September, with a foldable iPhone expected to be unveiled around the same time.

Apple hardware engineering chief John Ternus takes over from Tim Cook as CEO on September 1, and Cook will transition to his new role as Apple's first executive chair, where he is expected to take a direct role in day-to-day operations. Meanwhile, Ternus's first big decision will be whether Apple absorbs the increasing cost of memory or passes it onto consumers.

Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan reckons the decision could come down to whether Apple holds prices to please consumers or accepts a margin hit, especially in markets like India and China where it competes with local smartphone makers. "By the time September rolls around, Apple has two choices: one, they reprice [products] higher, or two, they say 'let's go ahead and gun for market share,'" Mohan told the FT. He thinks there is a decent chance that Apple will opt for market share.
This article, "Report: iPhone Memory Costs Set to Quadruple by 2027" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Notepad++ Code Editor Comes to Mac After 20-Year Wait

29 April 2026 om 10:24
The popular Notepad++ coding editor is now available as a native macOS app, following an unofficial open-source community port of the original Windows codebase. The Notepad replacement runs as a universal binary, so it works on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs.

Notepad++
Notepad++ has been one of the most popular text editors on Windows for more than 20 years. Until now, Mac users who switched from Windows, or who worked across both platforms, had to choose between giving up the editor and running it through a Wine or CrossOver compatibility layer. Now those users have no such dilemma.

The editing experience is identical to the Windows version, right down to the Scintilla engine, tabbed editing, syntax highlighting for 80+ languages, search and replace, macro recording, and plugin support. The only difference is that the menus, dialogs, file pickers, keyboard shortcuts, and windowing all use native macOS Cocoa APIs.

Notepad++ for macOS is maintained by Andrey Letov, who wrote the Objective-C++ Cocoa UI that replaces Notepad++'s Win32 front-end. The unofficial app is available to download from the Notepad++ for Mac website. It's completely free and released under the GNU General Public License, so there are no ads, subs, or hidden costs.

(Thanks, Mike!)
This article, "Notepad++ Code Editor Comes to Mac After 20-Year Wait" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Pay for Transit Now Works in These 12 U.S. Cities

29 April 2026 om 00:50
Several major U.S. cities support the Apple Pay for transit feature that Apple has rolled out, providing a simple way for those who use public transportation to pay for rides.


β€ŒApple Payβ€Œ for transit works in Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

Some of these cities have supported β€ŒApple Payβ€Œ for transit purposes for several years, and in others like Atlanta, support is new as of 2026. Atlanta launched its tap-to-pay MARTA contactless system in March 2026, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch users to tap to pay their fares at rail station fare gates using the Apple Wallet app.

Cities that support β€ŒApple Payβ€Œ for transit allow iPhone owners to turn on Express Mode to pay for transit fares without needing to unlock their device and authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID. A card for Express Transit can be selected by opening up the Wallet and β€ŒApple Payβ€Œ section of the Settings app and tapping on the Express Transit Card option to make a selection.

When a credit or debit card is associated with Express Mode, it can be used to pay for transit automatically with no authentication. On iPhone models that support power reserve, transit payments can also be made when the iPhone is out of battery. Power reserve works for up to five hours after an iPhone dies, and it is available on the iPhone XS and later.

Some cities support adding a credit or debit card to the Wallet app for transit, while others require a specific transit card to be added to the Wallet app. The Bay Area works with the Clipper app or a credit card. Chicago's system only works with the Ventra card, LA's transit works with the TAP card, and Portland's transit system works with the Hop card.

In some locations, there's also support for fare capping. With New York's OMNY system, for example, subway and local bus fares are capped at $35 per week. As long as you use the same device each time you tap pay for a ride, rides after the $35 cap will be free for the rest of the seven-day period. LA's TAP system and OC's Wave system also support fare capping for β€ŒApple Payβ€Œ.

The iPhone 6s and 2016 iPhone SE and later all support Express Mode with β€ŒApple Payβ€Œ for transit purposes. Express Mode also works on the Apple Watch Series 1 or later as long as watchOS 5.2.1 or later is installed.

β€ŒApple Payβ€Œ for transit also works in several cities around the world, including London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Toronto, Beijing, and Shanghai.

When traveling, you will need to look into how transit works in the city you're in, but it is a simple way to use public transportation because there's no need to pre-purchase travel tickets at a kiosk. Apple has a website where the different transit systems are explained.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay

This article, "Apple Pay for Transit Now Works in These 12 U.S. Cities" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Claude Gains Integrations With Adobe, Blender, SketchUp and Other Creative Apps

28 April 2026 om 23:41
Anthropic today updated Claude with new connectors aimed at creative professionals, adding integrations for Ableton, Adobe, Affinity, Autodesk Fusion, Blender, Resolume Arena and Wire, SketchUp, and Splice.


Connectors are tools that Claude can use to access other platforms and help with completing tasks. Anthropic says that Claude can open up new ways for creatives to work and take on larger-scale projects.

  • Ableton - Allows users to ask questions about the official product documentation for Live and Push.

  • Adobe - More than 50 tools across Creative Cloud apps like Photoshop, Premiere, and Express are available.

  • Affinity - The Affinity connector lets users automate repetitive production tasks and generate custom features.

  • Autodesk Fusion - Fusion subscribers can create and modify 3D models through conversations with Claude.

  • Blender - The Blender connector adds a natural-language interface for the Python API. Users can analyze and debug Blender scenes, build custom scripts to batch-apply changes to objects, and add new tools to the Blender interface. Blender's documentation is also available.

  • Resolume Arena and Wire - Visual artists can control Arena, Avenue, and Wire in real time with natural language.

  • SketchUp - Users can describe an idea to Claude as a starting point for a 3D model and then open it in SketchUp for further revision.

  • Splice - Music producers can search Splice's catalog of royalty-free samples.


Anthropic suggests that Claude can be helpful for multiple creative tasks, offering tutoring for complex tools, writing scripts and plugins for software, translating formats and restructuring data, and completing repetitive production work.
This article, "Claude Gains Integrations With Adobe, Blender, SketchUp and Other Creative Apps" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

YouTube Tests AI-Powered 'Ask YouTube' Conversational Search Feature

28 April 2026 om 22:12
YouTube is testing a new search feature that it says is meant to feel more like a conversation than a search interface. Users are able to ask complex questions in natural language, receive results that include video and text, and then ask follow-up questions.


The new search option is part of YouTube Labs, an opt-in program that lets YouTube Premium subscribers gain early access to experimental features and prototypes. YouTube Labs is available to U.S. users, and subscribers sign up on the YouTube Labs website.


According to YouTube, subscribers who opt in to try the new search can enter a prompt in the search bar, like "plan a 3-day road trip between San Francisco and Santa Barbara," and then select the Ask YouTube option to get the results. Search results include AI summary text, short videos, and long videos, with relevant segments in videos highlighted.

The Ask YouTube search interface suggests some search prompts, such as "unique ideas for a backyard water feature," "plan a living room redesign using thrifted items," and "how to make a traditional French omelet."


Other YouTube Labs features in testing right now include Beyond the Beat AI details when listening to radio and mixes in the YouTube Music app, and VibeCheck, an AI coaching feature that provides tips on Shorts videos before they're published.

The updated search feature will be in testing until June 8.
This article, "YouTube Tests AI-Powered 'Ask YouTube' Conversational Search Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

iOS 27 to Add New Apple Intelligence Photo Editing Tools

28 April 2026 om 20:37
Apple will add new Apple Intelligence photo editing tools to the Photos app in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, reports Bloomberg.


On-device β€ŒApple Intelligenceβ€Œ will be able to make subtle changes to image quality, positioning, and focus, with the new capabilities joining Clean Up, the sole AI editing feature that Apple has released to date.

The β€ŒPhotosβ€Œ app in β€ŒiOS 27β€Œ, iPadOS 27, and β€ŒmacOS 27β€Œ will have an β€ŒApple Intelligenceβ€Œ Tools section when editing an image. Options will include Extend, Enhance, and Reframe.

  • Extend - Extend generates additional image content beyond the original frame of the photo, filling in scenery when changing the crop of an image. This tool will support expanding the edges of an image with zoom gestures.

  • Enhance - Uses AI to automatically tweak color, lighting, and other image parameters, similar to how the auto editing feature works now.

  • Reframe - When used with spatial photos, Reframe will let users change the perspective of an image after it's captured.


Apple apparently hasn't gotten the tools working perfectly, so Extend and Reframe could be delayed or scaled back. Clean Up, Apple's existing AI tool, still has issues even a year and a half after launching. It is able to remove unwanted objects from an image, but it is not as good at filling in missing information as other AI tools from smartphone makers like Samsung and Google.

More on the features coming in β€ŒiOS 27β€Œ, including Siri updates, can be found in our iOS 27 roundup. β€ŒiOS 27β€Œ will be previewed at the WWDC 2026 keynote that's set to take place on June 8, 2026.
Related Roundup: iOS 27

This article, "iOS 27 to Add New Apple Intelligence Photo Editing Tools" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Weather App Experiencing Outage [Update: Fixed]

28 April 2026 om 20:00
If you've noticed the Apple Weather app isn't loading weather data right now, you're not alone. The app appears to be experiencing an outage.


According to Apple's System Status page, the Weather app may be slow or unavailable for some users. The problem started at 11:36 a.m. Eastern Time and is ongoing.

Reports on social media suggest that the Weather app is slow to load for some, and is not loading data for others. We'll update this article when the issue has been resolved.

Update: Apple says the issue is fixed as of 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time,
This article, "Apple Weather App Experiencing Outage [Update: Fixed]" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Tim Cook Meets With Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Ahead of CEO Transition

28 April 2026 om 19:42
Apple CEO Tim Cook met with United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Monday. The U.S. Department of Commerce shared details on the meeting on social media, and said that Lutnick wished Cook well, commending his "remarkable leadership and lasting contributions to American technology."


Last week, Apple announced that Cook would be stepping down from his role as CEO on September 1, 2026, with current hardware engineering chief John Ternus set to take over. Cook's visit with Lutnick was his first high-level Trump administration meeting since last week's transition news.

Cook does not plan to leave Apple, and will instead transition to executive chairman, where he will "assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world."

In a letter to employees, Cook said that he is healthy and that he plans to be at Apple "for a long time" in his new role. "Apple will be my top priority," he said. "It's who I am at my core, and I can't imagine it any other way."

Cook told employees that he believes he can help strengthen Apple's global relationships. Cook has navigated two Trump presidencies so far, maintaining a positive relationship with the Trump administration and earning tariff exemptions for Apple.

Cook personally donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund in 2025, and he presented Trump with a custom gift featuring a glass plaque with a 24-karat gold base after promising Apple would invest a total of $600 billion in the U.S. over a four-year period.

Trump last week said that he has "always been a big fan" of Cook, and that the two had a "long and very nice relationship." Trump said he was pleased with Cook's outreach efforts. "I was very impressed with myself to have the head of Apple calling to 'kiss my ass,'" said Trump. According to Trump, he solved a "fairly large problem" for Cook during his first term, and he said he would help Cook where possible when Cook is not "too aggressive" in what he asks for.

Ahead of announcing his transition to a new role, Cook said in an early April interview that the Trump administration was "very accessible," and willing to "engage." Cook explained that he felt engagement and communication were important values, giving some insight into how he is approaching his new position.
But engagement for me, not just in the U.S. but around the world, is so important because it is very complex, working through local laws, local customs, local culture, local regulations. Every country is its own story. Everybody looks at things differently.

The only way you get a feel for that is to sit before someone and communicate and engage. If you went in my conference room, you would see the Teddy Roosevelt quote 'It is not the critic who counts.' I've never believed that just yelling from the sideline about plus or minus was a good strategy. Your voice just goes into the wind.

So you'll see me everywhere, and you'll wonder 'oh, he's meeting with somebody that has a different view than him.' I think that's good. I think it's good. I think a problem in the world right now is that it's so polarized and different views aren't shared or discussed. They just become hardened. And I don't think that's good.

With Cook taking on communication with policymakers around the world, incoming CEO John Ternus will be able to spend more time focusing on Apple's growth, and he won't be exposed to the same criticism that Cook has faced for his relationship with Trump and other world leaders.

Cook is still in Washington and he attended today's State Arrival Ceremony for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who began their four-day state visit on Monday. Cook may also attend the State Dinner this evening.
This article, "Tim Cook Meets With Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Ahead of CEO Transition" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

M4 vs. M5 MacBook Air Buyer's Guide

28 April 2026 om 19:07
Apple last month announced a new MacBook Air, introducing the M5 chip, faster wireless connectivity, double the base storage, and a more capable charger, while simultaneously discontinuing the M4 model. So how does the new machine compare?


The M5 MacBook Air starts at $1,099 for the 13-inch model and $1,299 for the 15-inch, a $100 increase over the equivalent M4 models. In exchange, base storage doubles from 256GB to 512GB, and Apple says the new SSD delivers twice the read and write speeds of the previous generation. Education pricing is also available directly from Apple and typically shaves at least $100 off the price.

The main upgrade between the two models is the chip. Compared to the M4, the M5 delivers:


  • Up to 15% faster multithreaded CPU performance

  • Up to 30% faster overall graphics performance

  • Up to 45% faster ray tracing performance

  • 27.5% higher unified memory bandwidth



In addition to these general performance claims, Apple published a set of specific real-world workload results showing measurable gains in AI-driven applications:


  • 4Γ—+ peak GPU compute performance for AI

  • 3.6Γ— faster time to first token (LLM)

  • 1.8Γ— faster Topaz Video Enhance AI processing

  • 1.7Γ— faster Blender ray-traced rendering

  • 2.9Γ— faster AI speech enhancement in Premiere Pro



Beyond raw performance, the M5 introduces several meaningful architectural changes. The GPU includes a dedicated Neural Accelerator in every core, a hardware addition absent from the M4, and Apple is exposing this via new Metal 4 developer APIs with Tensor capabilities.

The ray tracing engine advances to its third generation, and dynamic caching moves to its second generation. Memory bandwidth rises from 120 GB/s to 153 GB/s, enabled by the move from TSMC's second-generation 3nm process (N3E) to its third-generation β€Œ3nmβ€Œ process (N3P).

The M5 β€ŒMacBook Airβ€Œ also gains Apple's N1 wireless chip, bringing Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 in place of the M4 model's Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.


















































































β€ŒMacBook Airβ€Œ (2025) β€ŒMacBook Airβ€Œ (2026)
Apple M4 chip Apple M5 chip
Based on A18 chip from 2024's iPhone 16 Based on A19 Pro chip from 2025's iPhone 17 Pro
4 performance + 6 efficiency cores 4 super cores + 6 efficiency cores
Made with TSMC's second-generation β€Œ3nmβ€Œ node (N3E) Made with TSMC's third-generation β€Œ3nmβ€Œ node (N3P)
No integrated Neural Accelerators Integrated Neural Accelerator in every GPU core
Metal 3 developer APIs Metal 4 developer APIs with Tensor APIs to program GPU Neural Accelerators
Second-generation ray tracing engine Third-generation ray tracing engine
First-generation dynamic caching Second-generation dynamic caching
Shader cores Enhanced shader cores
PCIe NVMe Gen 3 SSD PCIe NVMe Gen 4 SSD (2Γ— faster read/write speeds)
120 GB/s memory bandwidth 153 GB/s memory bandwidth
Apple N1 chip
Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 6
Support for up to two external displays when the lid is open Support for up to two external displays simultaneously over a single Thunderbolt port; one display up to 8K at 60Hz or 5K at 120Hz
30W USB-C Power Adapter 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max
256GB base storage, up to 2TB 512GB base storage, up to 4TB
Introduced in March 2025 Introduced in March 2026
Started at $999 (13-inch), $1,199 (15-inch) Starts at $1,099 (13-inch), $1,299 (15-inch)



For users whose workloads include on-device AI inference, complex 3D rendering, or other GPU-bound and memory-intensive tasks, the jump from M4 to M5 is significant. The combination of per-core Neural Accelerators, higher memory bandwidth, and the new GPU architecture produces multi-fold speed-ups in specific AI operations. In environments where time-to-result directly affects workflow such as local LLMs, diffusion models, video enhancement, or ray-traced production, the M5 represents a meaningful step-change. The Gen 4 SSD, which delivers approximately twice the read and write speeds of the M4 Air's Gen 3 drive, further compounds these gains for storage-intensive workflows.

For typical day-to-day usage including browsing, office work, media playback, and basic editing, the difference is highly unlikely to be perceptible in any way. The M4 was already a high-performance chip that routinely exceeded the demands of normal Mac workloads, and for the overwhelming majority of M4 β€ŒMacBook Airβ€Œ owners, there is clearly no general-purpose reason to upgrade.

For new buyers choosing between the two models, the M5 is the more straightforward long-term choice. The doubled base storage alone changes the value calculus, and when you consider that Apple previously charged $200 to upgrade the M4 Air from 256GB to 512GB, the M5 effectively costs $100 less than a comparably configured M4 model would have at launch. If future-proofing is a priority and you intend to keep the machine for many years, the M5 model will be better equipped to handle increasingly prevalent on-device AI workloads as they mature.
Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Air (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Air

This article, "M4 vs. M5 MacBook Air Buyer's Guide" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Vision Pro Used in World-First Cataract Surgery

28 April 2026 om 16:51
Apple's Vision Pro has hit another medical-use milestone, with a New York ophthalmologist becoming the first surgeon to perform cataract surgery using the spatial computing headset.


Dr. Eric Rosenberg of SightMD completed the initial procedure in October 2025 and has since performed hundreds of additional cases using ScopeXR, a surgical platform he co-developed for Apple's mixed reality device.

ScopeXR streams live feeds from 3D digital surgical microscopes directly into the Vision Pro, which lets the surgeon view the operative field in stereoscopic 3D while overlaying preoperative diagnostic data. The platform also supports real-time remote collaboration, allowing surgeons to virtually join procedures and see exactly what the operating surgeon sees.
"We are now able to bring the world's best surgeon into any operating room, at any hour, from anywhere on the planet," said Dr. Rosenberg in a company press release. "From residents performing their first cases to surgeons facing unexpected complications, this technology democratizes access to expertise and that will save vision."
It's another example of Apple's move toward enterprise and professional use cases for Vision Pro, with widespread consumer adoption beleaguered by the headset's $3,499 starting price and bulky form factor. Apple has increasingly leaned into specialized applications in fields like medicine, aviation training, and industrial design - markets where the device's capabilities can justify its cost, in other words.

The headset was never expected to be mass-market from day one, according to Apple. Even so, enthusiasm is said to have cooled far faster than anticipated. Based on the latest reports, there are now no Apple Vision headsets in active development, with the company's focus pivoting to lightweight smart glasses, where Meta has already seen success. Last October, Apple introduced an updated Vision Pro model featuring the M5 chip, the first hardware revision of the device.
Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

This article, "Apple Vision Pro Used in World-First Cataract Surgery" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Shares 'Ted Lasso' Season Four Streaming Date and Teaser Trailer

28 April 2026 om 16:10
Apple today announced that its hit comedy-drama series "Ted Lasso" is returning for a fourth season with a first episode on Wednesday, August 5. One new episode will follow every Wednesday thereafter through October 7.


"Ted Lasso" is one of the most popular shows ever released on the Apple TV streaming service. The eponymous character Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, starts off as a small-time football coach from Kansas who is hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer.

In the fourth season, Apple says Lasso returns to England to take on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women's soccer team.

"Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would," said Apple.

Apple has shared a teaser trailer for the new season.


Fan favorites such as Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift are all set to return in the fourth season.

The third season of "Ted Lasso" was released in 2023, so there has been a long wait for a fourth season. The series has won several major awards since it debuted in 2020, with its overall positive tone making it a popular comfort show.
This article, "Apple Shares 'Ted Lasso' Season Four Streaming Date and Teaser Trailer" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

AirPods Pro 3 Return to $199.99 Low Price on Amazon

28 April 2026 om 15:55
Amazon today has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.99, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, and it's accompanied by a solid deal on the AirPods 4.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that's meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts.



You can also get the AirPods 4 for $99.00, down from $129.00. This is a second-best price on the AirPods 4, which is the base model without Active Noise Cancellation. Amazon provides a May 4 estimated delivery date for free shipping, with faster delivery options for Prime members.



Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.




Deals Newsletter


Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




Related Roundup: Apple Deals

This article, "AirPods Pro 3 Return to $199.99 Low Price on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

20th Anniversary iPhone's 'Liquid Glass' Display to Make Bezels Vanish

28 April 2026 om 12:29
Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone will use a new type of curved screen technology that more effectively hides the display bezels from the user's line of sight for a purer viewing experience, claims a Chinese leaker.


Apple is reportedly planning a radical redesign for the 20th-anniversary iPhone that could feature a display that curves around all four edges of the device. To achieve this, Apple will reportedly use an equal-depth quad-curved panel supplied by Samsung, and it sounds like it's going to be quite different from typical curved screens.

According to leaker Ice Universe, "It is not a traditional quad curved display, nor is it anything like the curved screen solutions we have seen on Android phones over the years." This is said to be down to its extremely subtle curvature, but there are apparently other factors that could come into play.
"What truly creates the visual impact may be a sophisticated combination of optical refraction, light guiding structures, and carefully engineered visual illusion," said Ice Universe, writing in a post on X. "The end result could be a display where the bezel nearly disappears from sight, while edge viewing remains natural and undisturbed."
Apple will also reportedly adopt a Samsung-made OLED technology called COE (Color Filter on Encapsulation) to make the 20th-anniversary iPhone's display brighter and thinner than previous panels. Apple may refer to it as a "Liquid Glass Display," in a nod to its latest software interface redesign, claims the leaker.

Apple may define its next generation display as "Liquid Glass Display."
It is not a traditional quad curved display, nor is it anything like the curved screen solutions we have seen on Android phones over the years. The curvature itself could be extremely subtle. What truly... pic.twitter.com/onj81yNWQf

β€” Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) April 27, 2026

To mark the 20th-anniversary of the iPhone in 2027, Apple ideally wants an uninterrupted display with no cutouts for the most visual impact, but concealing the Face ID system and selfie camera under the panel is going to be a challenge.

Display analyst Ross Young has said that Apple won't have under-display β€ŒFace IDβ€Œ ready to go for a 2027 iPhone, but other leakers think it's possible. If Apple can't get everything under the display, we may see under-display β€ŒFace IDβ€Œ and then a small hole-punch cutout on the front for the front-facing camera.
This article, "20th Anniversary iPhone's 'Liquid Glass' Display to Make Bezels Vanish" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Introduces App Store Monthly Subscriptions With 12-Month Commitment

27 April 2026 om 21:52
Apple today announced the launch of a new subscription option for App Store developers: monthly subscriptions with a 12-month commitment. The new option allows developers to offer subscribers discounted pricing typically associated with an annual subscription but paid on a monthly basis to keep payments more affordable.

This new payment option allows you to offer subscribers more affordable options. People can cancel their subscription at any time, which will prevent the subscription from renewing after they've completed their agreed-to payments to fulfill their commitment.
Apple says that the new feature provides transparency to users by allowing them to easily view the number of completed and remaining payments they've made toward their annual commitment. Apple will also send email and optional push notifications ahead of renewals.

Developers can begin creating these new subscription types in β€ŒApp Storeβ€Œ Connect and testing them in Xcode starting today, and they will go live to users on iOS 26.4 and equivalent versions for other platforms next month alongside the launch of iOS 26.5 and related updates.

Notably, it appears the United States and Singapore will be excluded from these subscriptions for the time being, and there's no word on when they might roll out in these markets.
This article, "Apple Introduces App Store Monthly Subscriptions With 12-Month Commitment" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Spotify Launches Fitness Hub With 1,400+ Peloton Workouts

27 April 2026 om 20:05
Spotify today launched a new Fitness hub, bringing over 1,400 on-demand Peloton workout classes to Premium subscribers alongside a range of free content from independent wellness creators.


The Peloton classes span strength, cardio, yoga, pilates, barre, meditation, stretching, and outdoor run and walk, and require no specialist equipment. Peloton's bike workouts are not included. The catalog is available in the U.S., UK, Australia, Germany, Austria, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, and Spain, with Spotify saying it will expand to more countries over time.

Both free and Premium subscribers can access curated playlists and content from a range of established wellness creators, including Yoga With Kassandra, Caitlin K'eli Yoga, Sweaty Studio, Chloe Ting, Pilates Body by Raven, Abi Mills Wellness, and Sophiereidfit. The Peloton partnership content, featuring instructors such as Rebecca Kennedy, Ally Love, and Rad Lopez, is available to Premium subscribers only, ad-free.

The Fitness hub includes an onboarding questionnaire that asks users what type of movement they want, how hard they want to push, and their experience level, then generates a personalized starter pack. Classes are primarily in English, with select options in Spanish and German. Offline downloads are supported, and users can switch between watching a class on TV and listening on a phone or smart speaker in audio-only mode.

Nearly 70% of Premium subscribers apparently work out monthly, and there are more than 150 million fitness playlists active on the platform. Fitness and workout content also ranks among the top use cases for the company's recently launched AI-powered Prompted Playlist feature.

The Fitness hub is accessible by searching "fitness" in the Spotify app's Search tab, or via the "Browse all" menu.
This article, "Spotify Launches Fitness Hub With 1,400+ Peloton Workouts" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Fourth macOS Tahoe 26.5 Beta Now Available for Developers

27 April 2026 om 19:07
Apple today provided the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after the third beta.


Developers can download the β€ŒmacOS Tahoeβ€Œ 26.5 update by opening up the System Settings app, selecting the General category, and then choosing Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required.

No new features were found in the first three β€ŒmacOS Tahoeβ€Œ 26.5 betas, and it's likely the update primarily focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements.

Update 1:05 pm: The update is now also available to public beta testers.
Related Roundup: macOS Tahoe
Related Forum: macOS Tahoe

This article, "Fourth macOS Tahoe 26.5 Beta Now Available for Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Seeds Fourth iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 Betas to Developers

27 April 2026 om 19:03
Apple today seeded the fourth betas of upcoming iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the third betas.


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

iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 do not include new Siri capabilities, suggesting any β€ŒSiriβ€Œ updates are being held until iOS 27. The Maps app has a Suggested Places feature for recommending locations to visit nearby based on trends and recent searches, plus Apple is laying the groundwork for ads in the Apple Maps app.

Apple is continuing to test end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users. Apple included the feature in the iOS 26.4 beta, but removed it before the update launched to the public.

In the European Union, Apple is testing proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third-party wearables like earbuds and smartwatches. The functionality will allow third-party wearables to have many of the same features as the Apple Watch and AirPods.

More detail on what's new in iOS 26.5 can be found in our iOS 26.5 beta features guide.

Update 1:05 pm: The update is now also available to public beta testers.
Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

This article, "Apple Seeds Fourth iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 Betas to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Releases Fourth watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5 and visionOS 26.5 Betas

27 April 2026 om 19:01
Apple today provided developers with the fourth betas of upcoming watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5, and visionOS 26.5 betas for testing purposes. The software comes a week after Apple released the third betas for each platform.


The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required.

There's no word on what's in the software as of yet. watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS often get few features in each new beta, with updates primarily focusing on bug fixes and performance improvements. Nothing new was found in the first three betas.
This article, "Apple Releases Fourth watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5 and visionOS 26.5 Betas" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Hit With Unfair Labor Practice Charge for Refusing to Transfer Unionized Towson Workers

27 April 2026 om 18:56
The IAM Union representing Apple employees in Towson, Maryland today said that it is filing an Unfair Labor Practice charge [PDF] against Apple with the National Labor Relations Board. The union is accusing Apple of unlawful discrimination against unionized workers.


Earlier this month, Apple announced plans to close the Towson Apple Store alongside two other Apple locations in Connecticut and California. The Towson store was the first Apple retail location to unionize in the U.S. back in 2022.

With most store closures, employees are relocated automatically to nearby stores, but Apple said the union rules at the Towson location prevented it from moving the workers to other stores. Apple instead said that Towson employees are "eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement."

The IAM Union said at the time that it was "outraged" by Apple's decision, and that there was nothing in the agreement that prevented employees from being relocated. IAM said Apple's claim was false, and that it raised "serious concerns" that the closure was a "cynical attempt to bust the union."

In today's filing, the IAM Union complained that Apple allowed employees at two non-union stores to transfer to other locations, but forced Towson employees to reapply for positions through the same process as external candidates.
"This is about whether workers are treated fairly under the law or punished for exercising their rights," said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. "Apple is denying union-represented workers the same opportunities it is giving to others -- and doing so because these workers chose to organize. That is discrimination, and it is exactly what federal labor law is designed to prevent."

The union has asked Apple to reverse its decision and give Towson workers the same opportunity to transfer to other retail locations.

The three stores that Apple is closing are located in struggling shopping malls that are slowly shutting down and losing foot traffic.

Update: Apple has issued the following statement to MacRumors regarding the complaint:
We strongly disagree with the claims made, and we will continue to abide by the agreement that was negotiated and agreed with the union. We look forward to presenting all of the facts to the NLRB.

This article, "Apple Hit With Unfair Labor Practice Charge for Refusing to Transfer Unionized Towson Workers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

MacBook Neo Still Seeing Extended Delivery Estimates at Apple, But Amazon and Walmart Have Stock

27 April 2026 om 16:56
Apple's MacBook Neo has recently been struck by delayed delivery estimates on Apple.com, due to the notebook's booming popularity. However, both Walmart and Amazon offer deliveries as soon as tomorrow, and even feature small discounts on the Neo.



Following its launch in March, the β€ŒMacBook Neoβ€Œ has become a big hit for Apple, with the company struggling to keep the computer in stock online and in Apple stores. As of writing, Apple.com quotes a 2-3 week delivery estimate on every model of the Neo in the U.S. and many other countries.

If you want to prioritize saving a bit of money, Amazon has every model of the MacBook Neo for $9 off this week. Free delivery options place the Neo arriving as soon as May 2, while Prime members can get same-day shipping on the 256GB models in many locations.

Over at Walmart, you won't find any discounts, but you will find similarly quick delivery estimates. Select locations should see delivery estimates as soon as April 28 through April 29 on every model of the β€ŒMacBook Neoβ€Œ. If you have Walmart+ instead of Amazon Prime, this could be a better option despite the lack of a straight cash discount.

The β€ŒMacBook Neoβ€Œ is Apple's low-cost Mac, priced at $599 for the 256GB model and $699 for the 512GB model with Touch ID. Students can get the computer for even cheaper at $499 through Apple's education store on its website.

If you're shopping for the new M5 MacBook Air, Amazon is currently hosting big $150 discounts on nearly every model. Prices now start at $949.99 for the 512GB 13-inch model.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Related Roundup: MacBook Neo
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Neo

This article, "MacBook Neo Still Seeing Extended Delivery Estimates at Apple, But Amazon and Walmart Have Stock" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple Planning to Launch Two New 'Ultra' Products in the Next Year

27 April 2026 om 16:34
Apple has decided to market two of its new products over the next year as "Ultra" devices, Macworld reports.


Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report claims that Apple's first foldable iPhone will be called the "iPhone Ultra." The device will become the highest end option in the lineup.

The β€ŒiPhone Ultraβ€Œ will not be considered part of the iPhone 18 iPhone lineup, despite arriving alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and β€ŒiPhone 18 Proβ€Œ Max. This would be just like how the iPhone Air is not considered to be part of the iPhone 17 series. Although Apple is hoping to ship the β€ŒiPhone Ultraβ€Œ alongside the β€ŒiPhone 18 Proβ€Œ, it may launch a few weeks later and with scarcer availability.

Moreover, Apple is apparently planning to release a "MacBook Ultra" later this year or in early 2027. It will feature an OLED panel and a touchscreen, sitting above the MacBook Pro in the lineup at a "significantly" higher price point. While the device was originally intended to launch later this year, it is now likely pushed back by several months due to memory supply chain shortages.

Apple already offers M-series Ultra chips, the Apple Watch Ultra, and CarPlay Ultra. "Ultra" branding for the foldable iPhone and OLED MacBook was previously rumored by Bloomberg, which added that "AirPods Ultra" could also be on the way.
Related Roundups: iPhone Fold, MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

This article, "Apple Planning to Launch Two New 'Ultra' Products in the Next Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

OpenAI Reportedly Working on an AI Smartphone to Rival iPhone

27 April 2026 om 15:53
OpenAI is working on a smartphone in what appears to be a significant reversal from previous reports that the company had no plans to enter the phone market, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


Kuo shared the findings from his latest supply chain checks in a post on X, saying MediaTek and Qualcomm are the chosen chip partners and Luxshare Precision Industry is the exclusive manufacturing partner, with mass production scheduled for 2028. Exact chip specifications and additional suppliers are expected to be finalized by late 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.

Kuo argues that the smartphone remains uniquely positioned for AI agent use because it is the only device that captures a user's full real-time state, including location, activity, communication, and context, which he describes as the most important input for real-time AI agent inference. He claims that AI agents will fundamentally change how people interact with a phone, shifting the focus from launching individual apps to completing tasks through a more continuous, context-aware interface.

He argues that fully controlling both the operating system and the hardware is the only way for the company to deliver a comprehensive AI agent service, and that a subscription-bundled business model could enable OpenAI to build a developer ecosystem around those agents.

Kuo suggests that Luxshare, which has long sought to reduce its dependence on Apple supply chain work, could benefit substantially from an early position in what he frames as the next generation of smartphone hardware.

The development represents a notable reversal in OpenAI's publicly stated hardware strategy. Previous reports have consistently described the company's hardware ambitions as centered on non-phone form factors developed in collaboration with Jony Ive, the former Apple design chief whose startup io Products was acquired by OpenAI for $6.5 billion. Those plans include a smart speaker, which is likely the first product to launch, along with smart glasses, a smart lamp, and potentially earbuds. OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane has said the first hardware announcement is expected in the second half of 2026, with launch around early 2027.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on X the same day Kuo published his analysis, writing that it "feels like a good time to seriously rethink how operating systems and user interfaces are designed." Such a device would obviously put OpenAI in direct competition with Apple's iPhone.
This article, "OpenAI Reportedly Working on an AI Smartphone to Rival iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  

Apple's M5 MacBook Air Returns to $949.99 Low Price on Amazon

27 April 2026 om 15:32
Earlier this month, Amazon introduced a few new record low prices on the M5 MacBook Air and the best deal is back today. You can get the 512GB 13-inch M5 MacBook Air for $949.99, down from $1,099.00, available in all colors.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You'll find up to $150 off every model of the M5 MacBook Air on Amazon, with free delivery around May 2 for most models. In terms of other 13-inch models, Amazon also has the 24GB/1TB model for $1,349.00, down from $1,499.00. Both of these represent a match for the record low prices for each configuration.





In terms of the 15-inch models, you'll find up to $150 off the M5 MacBook Air, with multiple color options on sale for each configuration. Prices start at $1,149.99 for the 512GB model, down from $1,299.00, and also include both 1TB models on sale.





If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.




Deals Newsletter


Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




Related Roundup: Apple Deals

This article, "Apple's M5 MacBook Air Returns to $949.99 Low Price on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

  •  
❌