Apple previously announced that the first iOS 27 public beta would be released in July, meaning that it should be available at some point this month.


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

Release Date History

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

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


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


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


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

Get Ready

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

• Sign up at beta.apple.com for free.


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


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

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

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

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

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

Beyond the new Siri, iOS 27 features Liquid Glass design enhancements, performance improvements, expanded child safety features, and more.
This article, "iOS 27 Public Beta Available This Month, Here's How to Get Your iPhone Ready Now" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Volkswagen is planning to offer Apple Wallet car keys in future vehicles, according to new server-side Apple code.

The code does not provide any more details, so we do not know which VW vehicle models will offer the feature or when.

With an Apple Wallet car key, you can use your iPhone or Apple Watch to lock, unlock, and start your vehicle. The feature is already offered by Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and select other automakers in various countries.
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Stolen data from Apple manufacturing partner Tata Electronics appears to reveal that the iPhone 18 Pro will use different modem chips depending on the market it is sold in, with U.S. models retaining Qualcomm hardware while international models will feature Apple's in-house C2 modem.



The finding emerged from a wide-ranging cyberattack on Tata, which alongside Foxconn assembles the iPhone. More than 630GB of confidential data was stolen by a ransomware group calling itself "World Leaks" and has been circulating online. The material was obtained illegally and MacRumors has not seen the stolen files directly. AppleInsider conducted an analysis of the stolen files and said it could confirm the authenticity of several key documents.

Among the information that has attracted particular is a bill of materials apparently related to the U.S. variant of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, which lists multiple Qualcomm components rather than Apple's C2 modem, codenamed Ganymede. The Qualcomm parts referenced include the SDX80M, SDR875, QDM8771, QDM8720, PMK75, PMX75, and QET7100A, components associated with mmWave 5G support. International ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models, by contrast, are said to use the "C2," which would succeed the C1 and C1X modems currently found in the iPhone Air, iPhone 17e, and M5 iPad Pro.

The implication, as AppleInsider notes, is that the C2 still lacks mmWave capability, and that Apple is once again relying on Qualcomm to fill that gap for American carriers.

mmWave is the ultra-high-frequency band of 5G offered primarily by Verizon, delivering very fast download speeds over short distances. Apple's C1 and C1X modems are widely regarded as more power efficient than their Qualcomm counterparts, meaning U.S. ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ buyers may see somewhat worse battery life than those purchasing the same device elsewhere.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber offered analysis of the practical tradeoffs involved. While 5G outpaced LTE in his tests, Gruber argued the difference has no meaningful impact on how the phone actually feels to use:

Having a phone that can pull 320 Mbps down over cellular is like having a car that can go 320 MPH — an interesting technical feat, but of no practical value to me whatsoever. I never feel like I'm waiting for anything to load because I'm on LTE. LTE is fast enough, and regular 5G is more than fast enough. 5G mmWave is simply a waste of battery life as far as I'm concerned.

On why Apple would not simply deploy the C2 everywhere rather than retaining Qualcomm for the U.S. market, Gruber pointed the finger squarely at carrier economics:

Faster-than-you-practically-need download speeds are a carrier bragging point. Longer battery life and plenty-fast-enough download speeds are an Apple bragging point. Verizon — and to a lesser extent, AT&T — spent a fortune building out mmWave networks. They don't want to sell flagship phones that don't support them. Apple's flagship iPhones have supported those networks since 2020. If Zivkovic's analysis of this stolen data from Tata is correct, and Apple is going to use Qualcomm's modems only in iPhone 18 Pro models sold in the U.S., I think the reason why is Verizon and AT&T bragging points, not any practical user benefit. And the result may be that U.S. iPhone 18 Pro models get somewhat worse battery life than those in the rest of the world.

The C2 modem has been a rumored feature of the iPhone 18 Pro for years as part of Apple's broader effort to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm. A split deployment, with the C2 handling most of the world while Qualcomm covers the U.S., would represent a significant step in that direction even if it falls short of a complete transition.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to launch in the fall alongside the first foldable iPhone.
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Apple's annual WWDC developers conference is in the rearview mirror, but there is still a lot to look forward to in the second half of the year.


Now that the more intelligent and personal version of Siri has finally arrived in beta, a full two years after Apple first previewed it at WWDC 2024, we should begin to see some new devices that were reportedly postponed until the new Siri was ready.

Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches in September, Apple's all-new smart home hub is expected to debut later this year. We are also expecting a foldable iPhone Ultra and long-awaited updates to the Apple TV, HomePod, and HomePod mini. And a redesigned MacBook Ultra with an OLED display is expected by early 2027.

July Update: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reported that Apple has planned to update the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with an M6 chip later this year, and that means the company is now rumored to have at least 16 new products in the pipeline for the rest of 2026. Our list of rumored new products has been updated accordingly.

Here is what to expect from Apple later this year, according to rumors.

iPhones

• iPhone 18 Pro: A20 Pro chip, a smaller Dynamic Island, a simplified Camera Control button, a Dark Cherry color option, variable aperture for at least one rear camera, Apple's C2 modem with support for 5G web browsing via satellite, and more.


• iPhone 18 Pro Max: The same features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro, but the Pro Max model may or may not be slightly thicker.


• iPhone Ultra: A foldable iPhone Ultra with a 7.7-inch inner display and 5.3-inch outer display, two rear cameras, one front camera, a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, and more. iOS 27 is expected to be tailored for the foldable iPhone, allowing for side-by-side apps and other iPad-like multitasking functionality.

Apple Watches

• Apple Watch Series 12: A faster S11 chip or newer, plus design changes such as Touch ID and/or more health sensors (disputed).


• Apple Watch Ultra 4: A faster S11 chip or newer, plus design changes such as Touch ID and/or more health sensors (disputed). There may also be additional satellite features for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and newer, such as Apple Maps via satellite and the ability to send and receive photos with Messages via satellite.

iPads

• iPad 12: A16 chip → A18 chip or A19 chip with Apple Intelligence support.


• iPad mini: A17 Pro chip → A19 Pro or A20 Pro chip, an OLED display, a vibration-based speaker system, and a water-resistant design.

Macs

• Mac Studio: M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips → M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips.


• Mac mini: M4 and M4 Pro chips → M5 and M5 Pro chips.


• iMac: M4 chip → M5 chip, plus new color options.


• MacBook Pro: A new 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with an M6 chip.


• MacBook Ultra: A major MacBook Pro redesign in late 2026 or early 2027, with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, an OLED display, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. On this laptop, which will reportedly be named MacBook Ultra, macOS 27 is expected to offer a touch-friendly interface.

Home

• Apple TV: A17 Pro chip with support for the more personalized Siri, and Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support. A built-in FaceTime camera has been rumored for a future Apple TV, but it is unclear if that will arrive with the next model.


• HomePod mini: S9 chip or newer with support for the more personalized Siri, Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and potentially new color options like red.


• HomePod: A new full-sized HomePod that supports the revamped Siri.


• Home Hub: An all-new smart home hub featuring the more personalized version of Siri, a 6-inch to 7-inch square display, an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence, FaceTime, and more. Place it on a table or mount it on a wall.

This article, "Apple to Release These 16 New Products Later This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's AirTag 2 is still available for the all-time low price of $89.00 this week, down from $99.00. This sale is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's one of the very few Prime Day deals that's stuck around since the event ended last week.

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.

The new AirTag is equipped with a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, enabling the Precision Finding feature to work up to 50% farther away from an item compared to the previous-generation model. You'll also find a small discount on the 1-Pack right now on Amazon.




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.

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Opera browser has announced a new security feature called Paste Protect that aims to stop clipboard-based cyberattacks before their malicious commands can be accidentally executed.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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


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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

Apple's foldable iPhone is rumored to feature a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover display, along with Touch ID instead of Face ID, an A20 chip, and Apple's C2 modem. The device is expected to be released alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September. Apple's book-style foldable could launch as the "iPhone Ultra," as suggested by reports.
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Anthropic's Fable 5 model is once again available for use, the company said today. Claude users are now seeing the option to use Fable 5, with Anthropic rolling out an in-app message.


Through July 7, eligible Claude subscribers can use up to 50 percent of their plan's weekly usage limit on Fable 5. After hitting that limit, Fable 5 use will require credits. After July 7, Fable will be available through usage credits.

Fable 5 is Anthropic's first Mythos-class model that's available for the public, and it first came out on June 9. Fable 5's capabilities exceed those of any model it has made generally available, and it has demonstrated "exceptional performance" for software engineering, knowledge work, vision, scientific research, and more. It outperforms Opus models on longer, more complex tasks. Fable 5 can work autonomously for longer than any prior Claude model.

Though Anthropic released Fable 5 with conservative safeguards to prevent misuse, the Trump administration applied export controls to the model, forcing Anthropic to restrict access to foreign nationals. Anthropic had no way of verifying the nationality of people using its models, so it had to suspend access to Fable 5. At the same time, Anthropic also had to restrict access to Mythos 5, the next model in its Project Glasswing initiative for major companies and federal agencies seeking help defending critical infrastructure.

The order came after Amazon researchers found a prompt able to bypass Fable's safeguards, and the model found software vulnerabilities. Anthropic investigated and discovered that older models and models from competing companies could also locate the same vulnerabilities. Anthropic ended up shipping a new classifier that blocks the technique in more than 99 percent of cases.

Fable 5 is available for Pro, Max, Team, and select Enterprise plans. Anthropic has also restored Mythos 5 access for U.S. organizations that are part of Project Glasswing.

Anthropic says that it is deepening its cooperation with the U.S. government on new pre-release testing, information sharing, and research collaboration.
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The Maps app didn't get as many iOS 27 updates as some of Apple's other apps, but there are still several useful features worth knowing about.

Flyover Improvements

Apple is upgrading Flyover in ‌iOS 27‌, making it more detailed than before. It combines aerial imagery with Vision Intelligence models to add more texture and sharper visuals for trees, architecture, and more.


Apple says select cities around the world are rendered in sharper, more lifelike detail with improvements to everything from the "shapes of individual trees to the way light reflects off the glass of skyscrapers."

Flyover is an Apple Maps feature that offers detailed 3D landmarks, roads, parks, buildings, and more in more than 350 cities. The current version of Flyover uses aerial imagery captured by planes, but the new ‌iOS 27‌ version improves the quality using AI.

New Maps Icon

Apple updated several of its Liquid Glass app icons in ‌iOS 27‌ to add more glass-like layers. Icons have more depth, and the Maps app icon makes the difference especially clear.

Local Lists

Local Lists uses intelligent insights from what's trending around you for suggestions on places you should visit. Maps surfaces locally relevant collections of places to make it easier to find popular and interesting locations to visit.


Local Lists is privacy-focused and does not use information tied to individual users. It is a U.S.-only feature.

Trending Restaurants

In the Search interface, there's a Trending Restaurants section that shows you the top restaurants in the area you're in.

Natural Language Search Expansion

Natural language search in Maps now lets you ask for directions that avoid toll roads or highways.

Widgets

On the Apple Watch, there's a new Parked Car widget in the Smart Stack so you can easily see your car's last known location, with info synced from the iPhone.

Offline Maps

Apple says Offline Maps have improved in ‌iOS 27‌. More locations are shown on the map, labels are darker and clearer, and there are icons that are easier to view at a glance. When you tap on a location, like a town, it will zoom into the area automatically so you can see what's there.

Visited Places

The Visited Places feature is more accurate in ‌iOS 27‌ and less likely to miss locations. Visited Places keeps track of locations you've been to, organizing stops by category and location. It's accessible by tapping on your profile picture, choosing Places, and selecting Visited Places.


Visited Places is also expanding to more locations in ‌iOS 27‌.

More iOS 27 Features

For more on what's new in ‌iOS 27‌, we have a dedicated roundup.
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Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.


‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 247 adds the Safari Model Context Protocol (MCP) server meant to speed up web development and debugging. With the MCP server, an AI agent can emulate what users experience on a website, providing better information for debugging.

In Safari Technology Preview 247, we're introducing the Safari MCP server — a Model Context Protocol server for web developers that makes your web development and debugging workflow faster and more powerful. We know agents are increasingly integral to the coding process and the Safari MCP server gives your agent the ability to know how your code actually renders in the browser by connecting it to a Safari browser window.

Any MCP-compatible client can connect to the Safari MCP server. More information is available on Apple's WebKit site.

‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 247 also includes fixes and updates for Accessibility, CSS, Fonts, Forms, HTML, JavaScript, MathML, Media, Model Element, Networking, Rendering, SVG, Scrolling, Security, Spatial Web, Text, Web API, WebDriver, and WebGL.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple's website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple's aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.
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Apple is planning to release new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models in spring 2027, reports Bloomberg. No major design changes are expected, with Apple focusing on internal upgrades.


The ‌iPad Pro‌ models could use either M6 chips or M7 chips. Apple will introduce the M6 chip as soon as this year in an updated 14-inch MacBook Pro model, but it is aiming to release the M7 chip in the first half of 2027.

Bloomberg does not specify which chip Apple will put in the ‌iPad Pro‌, but if the M7 chip is ready by spring 2027, the new iPads could have the upgraded chip. If it's not ready, they'll use the M6. Both chips will be built on Apple's new 2-nanometer process, but the M7 has AI optimizations that the M6 doesn't have.

Apple has also tested a vapor chamber cooling system that could improve performance.

Little else is known about the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models, but if they come out in spring 2027, Apple could introduce them alongside the iPhone 18e, iPhone 18, and iPhone Air 2, devices that are also slated for spring 2027.
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Apple plans to release an updated 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip in late 2026, and then follow it with a revamped M7 model in the first half of 2027, reports Bloomberg.


Apple apparently finished work on a 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an M6 chip "months ago," and the device is expected to launch before the end of the year. Apple's M6 chip cycle will be shorter than prior chip cycles because it is not planning for M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. Apple is aiming to have a quick transition between M6 and M7 because its M7 chips have optimizations for AI workloads.

The M7 ‌MacBook Pro‌ coming in 2027 will have a new design that's "in line" with the design that Apple plans to use for its rumored high-end OLED touchscreen ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. Prior rumors have suggested the high-end ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ models could get a slimmed down design.

It's still unclear when the ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will come out, but Bloomberg believes a launch is slated for the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Apple's release timelines are uncertain because of the ongoing memory chip shortages and increased costs that it's dealing with.

Apple has a long list of products that could come in the first half of 2027, including new iPad Pro models, the iPhone Air 2 with a second camera, the iPhone 18, and the iPhone 18e.
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Apple is in talks to buy memory from Chinese semiconductor companies ChangXin Memory Technologies Co. (CXMT) and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC), reports Bloomberg, citing sources with knowledge of the talks. Discussions between Apple and the chipmakers are ongoing, and no deal has been finalized yet.


Financial Times previously reported Apple was looking into working with CXMT and YMTC to get RAM at a lower cost, and there were also several reports from South Korean sites on the possibility. Apple recently raised the prices of Macs, iPads, and other devices, and consumers are now forced to pay more for many Apple products.

Apple increased its prices because of an ongoing global memory shortage that has driven costs up. Chipmakers are focusing on chips for AI servers, leaving less supply for consumer devices. With demand outpacing supply, memory manufacturers can charge higher prices.

Both CXMT and YMTC are on the Defense Department's 1260H list of Chinese companies that the U.S. suspects have ties to the People's Liberation Army. YMTC is also on a U.S. Commerce Department blacklist that prevents U.S. companies from selling to companies on the list without an export license.

Apple is not required to get U.S. approval before buying chips from the Chinese companies, but working with the Trump administration would prevent political upset. Apple is hoping to get a green light on the deal, and it wants to keep CXMT off the Commerce Department's Entity List, which would prevent it from using CXMT as a supplier.

Bloomberg says Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken with Trump administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Apple has proposed using the chips sourced from the companies in devices meant for the Chinese market, freeing up chips from other suppliers for the U.S.

Some Trump administration officials are reportedly against letting Apple source chips from CXMT and YMTC, so it's not clear if the talks will lead to an agreement. Apple previously tried to source memory from YMTC in 2022, but the talks ended after congressional backlash.
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Elon Musk's SpaceX may be aiming to compete with Apple in the future. The company showed investors a prototype for a "handset-like device designed to reshape how humans interact with artificial intelligence," according to The Wall Street Journal.


The device is described as being slimmer than an iPhone, with a "sleek design." It runs a proprietary operating system, has a Qualcomm chipset, and integrates AI tech from SpaceX subsidiary xAI. In the past, Musk has talked about an "everything app" like China's WeChat, and the device investors were shown apparently drew on that concept.

SpaceX was showing the prototype to investors and stakeholders ahead of its IPO, and said the project was in the early stages of development. The final design could change, and it is not known if it will actually come to market.

Musk has talked about designing a smartphone in the past. He said he would develop one if X (formerly Twitter) was removed from the App Store by Apple. In November 2025, he said he didn't want to make a phone, but he would if Apple and Google did "really bad things" like censorship. In a town hall meeting, Musk said the idea of making a phone "makes me want to die," but one of his companies would make a phone if needed.

Earlier this year, Musk said explicitly that SpaceX is not developing a phone, but The Wall Street Journal says some SpaceX and Tesla investors were told Musk "has long envisioned" a device that would be a platform for Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI technologies. Musk has denied the report, calling it "utterly false."
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Google today launched Gemini Spark for its macOS desktop app, allowing the AI agent to automate tasks involving local files and desktop workflows.


Google announced the update today, adding a dedicated Spark tab to the sidebar of the Gemini app for macOS. The feature allows the AI agent to take action on files stored locally on a user's computer rather than just responding to questions in a chat window.

Users can perform actions such as sorting PDFs from a Downloads folder into labelled subfolders, or pulling figures from locally saved invoices to build a Google Workspace budget spreadsheet on a set schedule. Users control which folders Spark can see by linking them in the sidebar and can revoke that access at any time. Google says a future update will allow users to start tasks on their Mac from a phone.

Google also announced a series of third-party integrations for Spark on web and mobile. New connected apps include Google Tasks, Google Keep, Canva, Dropbox, Instacart, OpenTable, and Zillow Rentals, enabling actions like converting Keep notes into task lists, reserving restaurant tables, ordering groceries, and booking apartment tours. Those integrations are rolling out over the next week, with macOS support to follow in the weeks after.

Support for custom Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers is also arriving, giving users a way to connect additional services directly into Spark. Google also adds real-time topic tracking, allowing Spark to monitor blogs, news sites, social media, finance, sports, shopping, weather, and email and alert users when specified conditions are met.

Gemini Spark for macOS is available in beta to Google AI Ultra subscribers aged 18 and over in the United States, starting with version 1.80.15.516 of the Gemini desktop app. Google AI Ultra starts at $99 per month.
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iOS 27 adds a new copy-and-paste feature to the iPhone's keyboard, enabling convenient one-tap pasting for text, photos, links, and more.


For example, if you copy a link in Safari and move to the Notes app, a "paste from Safari" option with the link will automatically appear above the keyboard. Tapping on the shortcut adds the link to the note. Or if you copy a photo in the Reddit app and open the Messages app, a "paste from Reddit" option will appear above the keyboard.

Given this feature is built into the keyboard, it works across many combinations of apps, making pasting more convenient across iOS 27.

The keyboard has already surfaced one-time verification codes since iOS 12.

iOS 27 is currently available in developer beta, with a public beta to follow in July. The update is expected to be released to all users with an iPhone 11 or newer in September, and this small yet useful feature will likely be popular.
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Soaring demand for the iPhone 17 lineup seems to have finally come to an end, amid rumors that Apple has finally lowered expectations and reduced production plans by 15%.


In a pair of posts on Weibo, the leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said the claim comes from reliable sources within the supply chain. The leaker said that the ‌iPhone 17‌'s current outlook "won't hold for long," adding that "major global smartphone manufacturers — Apple included — have all lowered their shipment forecasts."

The second post provides broader industry context for that claim. Xiaomi has reportedly reduced its shipment targets by approximately 20–30%, while OPPO, vivo, and Honor are also lowering their targets by roughly 15–30%.

A simpler explanation for softening ‌iPhone 17‌ demand may be the natural product cycle. The iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to launch in September alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone, and many customers who were going to buy an ‌iPhone 17‌ model have likely already done so following a near-record sales run stretching back to launch last September.

As recently as June, TrendForce reported that Apple's iPhone production surged 19.7% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, even as the broader global smartphone market contracted 1.7% over the same period. That report attributed Apple's strong output to the launch of the iPhone 17e alongside ongoing production ramp-up for the broader ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup, and described Apple as better positioned than most competitors to absorb rising memory component costs without sacrificing profitability.

In May, Counterpoint Research's Global Handset Model Sales Tracker found the iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone globally in the first quarter of 2026, capturing 6% of worldwide unit sales, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ in second and third place. A separate Counterpoint report that same month found Apple had topped the global smartphone market in a first quarter for the first time ever, capturing 21% of global shipments and growing 9% year-over-year even as the overall market contracted 3%.

The ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup's strong run began at launch. Shortly after release in September 2025, Apple told two suppliers to increase daily ‌iPhone 17‌ output by at least 30% following a strong pre-order weekend, and Counterpoint found the lineup outsold the iPhone 16 models by 14% during the first 10 days in the United States and China. In January, Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC that demand for the iPhone during the holiday quarter was "simply staggering" and had surpassed the company's own expectations, with iPhone revenue reaching $85.2 billion, a new all-time high.

After nine months and with another generation on the horizon, it was inevitable that the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup's remarkably strong run would come to an end eventually.
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Last week, Apple introduced major price hikes across a number of products, including Macs, iPads, and more. This week, Apple's newly increased prices have begun to hit third-party retailers like Amazon, but there are a few select products that are retaining original prices, which now represent solid discounts on each device.

MacBook Pro

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There are now just three models left at notable low prices in the wake of Apple's price hikes. Prices start at $2,549.99 for the 24GB/2TB 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro, now a $449 discount on the new price of this model. You'll also find two 16-inch devices on sale this week on Amazon, but we don't expect these discounts to last much longer.

iPad Air

Amazon has up to $350 off the M4 iPad Air, although stock is quickly dwindling compared to sales from last week. Prices now start at $559.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Air, a $190 discount on the newly increased price of this model.







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.

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This article, "Last Chance: Get the 2026 MacBook Pro and iPad Air for Pre-Hike Prices Before They're Gone for Good" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A flaw in Apple's Hide My Email service can reportedly allow almost anyone to uncover the real email address behind a generated alias, and Apple has failed to address it for more than a year since it was first reported.


404 Media is withholding the technical specifics of the vulnerability because it remains exploitable, but the publication verified the issue this week using one of its own Hide My Email addresses. In tests with volunteers by the researcher who discovered the flaw, 100% of Hide My Email addresses were found to be exploitable.

Tyler Murphy, co-founder of EasyOptOuts, discovered the issue and responsibly reported it to Apple in June 2025, along with instructions to replicate it. Apple acknowledged the report a month later and said it was investigating. Murphy said:

Apple Hide My Email is leaking email addresses that are supposed to be hidden. We reported the issue and replication instructions to Apple over a year ago. We don't know why it hasn't been fixed, but we don't feel comfortable waiting any longer. Hide My Email users deserve to know that it may be possible for attackers to discover their hidden email addresses.

Free, publicly accessible people-search sites make it easy to link an email address to other personal details, so people relying on Hide My Email for safety may be at risk.

In March 2026, Apple told Murphy it had "addressed the reported issue in a recent system change," but Murphy found the flaw had not in fact been closed. He provided further information, and Apple replied again to say it was still investigating.

In May, Apple once more said the issue remained under investigation and asked Murphy not to disclose it publicly until the inquiry was complete. Murphy proposed that Apple suspend the creation of new Hide My Email addresses as an interim measure to limit customer risk, but there is no indication that suggestion was acted on. By the end of May, Apple said it expected to address the issue in a security update "expected in the coming weeks."

Hide My Email is an iCloud+ feature that lets users generate random alias email addresses, primarily for use when signing up to services or corresponding with third parties. It is designed to protect a user's real email address from spam, data breaches, and unwanted identification.

Murphy noted that numerous people-search databases are freely available online and can tie an email address to a person's other personal details, meaning anyone depending on Hide My Email for their safety may be more exposed than they realize. Last month, it emerged that Apple's decision to move Hide My Email to a dedicated "private.icloud.com" domain appears to have the consequence of making it easier for platforms that want to block ‌iCloud‌ aliases to do so.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook held "constructive" talks with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen on Tuesday about releasing Siri AI in the bloc while complying with the bloc's digital rules, reports the Financial Times ($).


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple has not publicly commented on the latest round of discussions.
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Apple is working on a high-end MacBook Pro that could be called the "MacBook Ultra." The device will have several firsts in a Mac, including an OLED display and a touchscreen.


The "Ultra" name isn't a sure thing, and Apple could also continue to call the device the ‌MacBook Pro‌. It will be a "Pro" device in the ‌MacBook Pro‌ line.

Design

Apple hasn't redesigned the ‌MacBook Pro‌ since it added Apple silicon chips in 2021, so the device is due for a new look. The MacBook Ultra could feature some design changes, including a thinner chassis.

Apple could get rid of the notch on the MacBook Ultra, replacing it with an iPhone-style Dynamic Island. A ‌Dynamic Island‌ would unify the way Siri AI behaves across the iPhone and the Mac with iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate.

Size Options

The MacBook Ultra will be available in both 14-inch and 16-inch size options.

Display

Apple's upcoming MacBook will be the first with an OLED display. OLED display technology is already used for the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad Pro, but it has taken time for larger-sized OLED screens to come down in price.

OLED will be an upgrade over the current mini-LED display technology in most cases, bringing deeper colors and a higher contrast ratio with true blacks. In an OLED display, individual pixels turn off instead of dim when not activated, so there's less light leakage. OLED displays tend to have better HDR than mini-LED, but sometimes don't match the overall mini-LED brightness levels.

Along with OLED technology, the MacBook Ultra is expected to have the first touchscreen display on a Mac. Users will be able to use their fingers for tapping and interacting with items on the Mac's display, similar to an iPad.

Touchscreen capabilities will be used alongside the trackpad and keyboard, and so Apple may be viewing them as more supplementary than a main control method. Apple is rumored to be adapting ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ for touch input.

Apple plans to add a reinforced hinge to the MacBook Ultra's display so that it doesn't wobble when it's tapped.

M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips

The current ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are equipped with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and Apple plans to use the same chips for the rumored MacBook Ultra.

Apple is planning to introduce the M6 chip as soon as late 2026, but Bloomberg says Apple isn't going to release any other chips in the M6 series. Apple's chip plans have changed in recent months, and there won't be an M6 Pro or an M6 Max. With no M6 Pro or M6 Max, Apple will need to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max so it doesn't have to wait for the M7 series.

A second-generation MacBook Ultra will use the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips.

With the MacBook Ultra set to use the same chips that are in the existing ‌MacBook Pro‌, it's unclear if it will replace the existing 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models or be sold alongside them as a higher-end option.

MacBook Ultra Hints

There are features in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ that hint at a future touchscreen Mac. Apple added direct touch input to Sidecar so users can tap and interact with macOS elements when using the ‌iPad‌ as a Mac display.

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ supports an iPhone-style pull-to-refresh option, and it can be used across apps like Safari, Mail, News, Podcasts, and Calendar. A pull-to-refresh option makes the most sense on a touch display.

Pricing

Apple's OLED MacBook is expected to be a premium product, with a price tag higher than current ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. Apple raised the prices of all Macs in June, and so the MacBook Ultra will likely be even more expensive than expected.

The higher-end 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M5 Pro chip starts at $2,499, while the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $2,999. The OLED MacBook will be priced even higher.

Launch Date

Rumors suggest the MacBook Ultra will launch in late 2026 or early 2027, with mass production to start in late 2026. If the MacBook Ultra comes in 2026, it could be released sometime between October and December, but it won't be unveiled at Apple's September iPhone event.

If it launches in 2027, it could come early in the year at Apple's first 2027 event.
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Nanoleaf today launched the Smart Multicolor Ceiling Light, an affordable Matter-compatible lighting product. With a dual-sided design, there's a main downlight and an upward backlight for a layered lighting glow. Each side can be controlled individually for bright light or an ambient lighting option.


The light has 196 LEDs inside, with up to 2600 lumens. White light ranges from 2200K to 6500K, supporting tones that change throughout the day to match natural light. Nanoleaf says it was built with RG0 Low Blue Light technology to reduce blue light hazard and eye strain.

There are 28 color zones, and millions of colors are supported for gradients. According to Nanoleaf, the Multicolor Ceiling Light has a Color Rendering Index of 95, offering "vivid-natural looking colors."

The light measures 13.8 inches, and it is 1.18 inches thick. It is a hard-wired light that's meant to be installed with a standard light switch, though it also works with the Nanoleaf Sense+ Wireless Smart Switch.

Nanoleaf's new light supports Matter over Wi-Fi, so it can connect to a HomeKit setup for use with Siri and the Home app. It also works with the Nanoleaf app, which offers hundreds of color scenes and support for music pairing. For multi-color lighting scenes with gradients, the Nanoleaf app is required because ‌HomeKit‌ doesn't support that.

The Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Ceiling Light can be purchased from Amazon.com or the Nanoleaf website for $80.
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Anthropic today introduced Claude Sonnet 5, a more affordable model that narrows the gap between Sonnet and Opus. Anthropic says Claude Sonnet 5 is its most agentic Sonnet model to date, able to make plans, use tools like browsers and terminals, and run autonomously.


Opus models have better agentic capabilities, but they're more expensive than Sonnet models. Sonnet 5's performance is similar to Opus 4.8, and it has improved over Sonnet 4.6 in areas including reasoning, tool use, coding, and knowledge work.

As for agentic capabilities, Sonnet 5 is able to finish complex tasks that Sonnet 4.6 could not complete, and it checks its own output without being asked. It is better at refusing malicious requests, and Anthropic says it shows lower rates of hallucination and sycophancy.

Sonnet 5 is available across all plans and is the default model for Free and Pro plans. It is priced at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens through August 31, then prices will go up to $3 and $15, respectively.
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Apple's Beats brand has launched a new retailer-exclusive orange color for its Solo Buds, with the earphones available now at Best Buy in the United States and coming July 4 to 7–Eleven in Japan.


The Solo Buds are an entry-level earphone product from Beats, normally priced at $79.99 in the United States, although they are occasionally offered on sale such as the current $10 discount at Best Buy bringing all colors down to $69.99. The Solo Buds offer up to 18 hours of battery life in the buds themselves, with their tiny case offering only wired charging capabilities and no battery of its own.

Beats debuted the Solo Buds back in June 2024 in Matte Black, Storm Gray, and Transparent Red color options, as well as an Arctic Purple that has been exclusive to Apple and Target. Late last year, a new retailer-exclusive Ivory color launched at Walmart in the United States and at other retail partners in select countries.

While the new orange color is exclusive to Best Buy and 7-Eleven, it is very similar to orange Solo Buds that were offered in India for free with the purchase of an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus back in October 2024 as part of a promotion in celebration of Diwali. The limited-edition earbuds offered in India included purple Beats "b" logos on the earbuds and case, while the new ones at Best Buy and 7-Eleven feature red "b" logos.
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The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear Apple's appeal against the contempt ruling that forced it to change its App Store linking rules, reports Reuters.


In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said the court's decision was welcome news.

This is an important question of law and we are pleased the Supreme Court will hear our case.

Apple asked the Supreme Court to review the decision back in May, and it was unclear if the request would be granted because the court previously declined to weigh in on the dispute. The 2024 denial involved the original Epic Games vs. Apple commission battle, but the case has since gotten spicier and piqued the Supreme Court's interest.

Apple largely won the Epic Games case in 2021 and wasn't found to have violated antitrust law, but Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the judge overseeing the case, ordered Apple to relax its anti-steering rules and let developers link to alternate payment options in apps. Apple agreed, but ended up charging a 12 to 27 percent fee on link-outs instead of 15 to 30 percent. When adding in fees to payment processors, developers got more hassle with little to no discount, which resulted in few developers using the new link system.

‌Epic Games‌ accused Apple of violating the judge's order, and took Apple back to court. Gonzalez Rogers agreed with Epic, and in April 2025, found Apple in contempt of court for willfully violating the 2021 injunction. She barred Apple from collecting any fees on links in the U.S. App Store, and Apple changed its ‌App Store‌ rules to comply.

Apple appealed, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the contempt finding, leading Apple to further appeal to the Supreme Court.

Apple argued the contempt ruling was inappropriate because of the wording around the original order and Apple's implementation. The initial order did not bar Apple from charging fees when developers linked to third-party payment options, but both the district court and the appeals court said Apple violated the "spirit" of the injunction by charging fees that were too high. Apple said that a contempt ruling based on "spirit" instead of the word of the ruling is a "recipe for abuse." Apple is aiming to have the Supreme Court toss out the contempt decision because there was no clear and unambiguous violation.

Apple also asked the court to evaluate the scope of the injunction, which Apple said should apply only to ‌Epic Games‌ and not to all developers. Apple heavily leaned on Trump v. CASA, a recent ruling that said lower courts do not have the authority to issue universal injunctions to block nationwide policies.

In its request to the Supreme Court, Apple said the contempt ruling based on spirit and the order forcing it to change its policies for all developers "have combined to create an injunction that may reshape the global app marketplace." Apple's argument that the outcome of the case could lead to regulatory changes worldwide may also have swayed the court to weigh in on the case.

The Supreme Court will hear the case in its next term that begins in October after a summer break. While Apple waits for the Supreme Court decision, it will be going back to district court for fee calculations that will go into effect if the higher court does not toss out the contempt ruling and resulting anti-steering order. Apple was ordered back to district court because the appeals court found the district court's total ban on commissions went too far, and sent it back to set a reasonable fee.
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Apple today updated its online refurbished store in the United States, adding the iPhone 16e. Refurbished iPhone 16e models are available at discounted prices for the first time since the device launched in February 2025.


Entry-level 128GB iPhone 16e models are priced at $419, which is a $180 discount from the original price. The iPhone 16e was retired when the iPhone 17e came out, so it is no longer available new from Apple.

Upgraded 256GB and 512GB iPhone 16e models are available for $509 and $679, respectively. The iPhone 16e comes in black or white, and Apple has both colors available.

At $419, a refurbished iPhone 16e is $180 less than Apple's most affordable iPhone, the 17e, but it lacks a few useful features. It does not include MagSafe charging, it has a slower C1 modem instead of the C1X, 128GB starting storage instead of 256GB, an older A18 chip, and original Ceramic Shield glass instead of Ceramic Shield 2.

Refurbished iPhones are unlocked and eligible to be used with any carrier. Apple revamps iPhones that have been returned or repaired, adding new batteries, outer shells, and cables. Refurbished iPhones are essentially identical to new iPhones after going through Apple's cleaning and testing process, and they come with the same one-year warranty with an option to purchase AppleCare+ coverage.
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Starting today, a mobile version of the popular game show Family Feud is available on Apple Arcade, and four more games are coming this week.


Apple says the game provides an "authentic, true-to-show trivia experience."

"Hosted by the iconic Steve Harvey, the game features the classic mechanics fans know and love, along with daily challenges and exclusive questions," says Apple. "Players can guess the answer and outsmart the competition solo or with loved ones — at home or on the go — through local and online multiplayer."

On Thursday, July 2, four popular App Store games are coming to Apple Arcade:

• Dungeon Clawler+


• Creatures of the Deep+


• Pocket City 2+


• Draw It+

More details about these games were outlined in Apple's press release earlier this month.

Apple Arcade is a subscription service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. All of the games are free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month, and it is also bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.

Apple Arcade can be accessed through the App Store and the Apple Games app.
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Apple today provided public beta testers with the third betas of iOS 26.6, iPadOS 26.6, macOS Tahoe 26.6, watchOS 26.6, and tvOS 26.6, with the software coming a day after Apple seeded the betas to developers.


After signing up to beta test the software updates on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the new software using the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.

iOS 26.6 has a feature that will let you know when you have blocked too many contacts, but the limit is in the thousands so most users may not ever see the messaging. There are also signs of a new iPhone anti-snatching feature that locks a stolen iPhone when it's grabbed from your hand.

No other major new features have been found in any of the software updates, with Apple likely focusing on bug fixes and security improvements. We're nearing the end of the "26" software cycle, with Apple planning to release iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and more in September.
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