Apple today released the first public beta of macOS Golden Gate, expanding the macOS 27 beta test to non-developers. You can sign up to test the update on Apple's beta website, and then download it by going to System Settings > General > Software Update and toggling on the macOS 27 beta.


‌macOS Golden Gate‌ includes the same Siri AI features as iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, but you get to ‌Siri‌ through Spotlight with a Command + Space keyboard shortcut. ‌Siri‌ can search the web to answer questions, look through your personal data like photos, emails, and messages to help you find what you're searching for, and complete actions in and between apps. There is a dedicated ‌Siri‌ app, and you can hold ongoing conversations with ‌Siri‌.

Apple brought Visual Intelligence to the Mac, so ‌Siri‌ can look at what's on your screen and answer questions about it.

The Liquid Glass design introduced last year has been updated, and Apple added a slider for controlling overall system transparency. Liquid Glass opacity has been changed so it better diffuses complex content, and other design changes bring more depth and separation to the UI so it's easier to tell which window is active.

Apps now feature uniform toolbars with headings and controls that are easier to read, and windows no longer have such dramatically rounded corners. Sidebars are no longer floating and extend edge-to-edge, plus window positioning is more consistent across external displays.

Write with ‌Siri‌ is able to generate text from scratch, correct your grammar, or give you feedback on your writing, and there are new AI editing tools in the Photos app. In Shortcuts, you can create automations with natural language requests, and search has been improved in Mail and Messages. Apple made multiple performance improvements across ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ for a faster, smoother experience even on older Macs.

More on the new features in macOS 27 can be found in our macOS Golden Gate roundup.
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Apple today released the first public betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, allowing anyone with a compatible device to download and test the new software.


You can get started by signing up on Apple's beta website and then opting in to the public beta by going to Settings > General > Software Update and choosing the ‌iOS 27‌ or ‌iPadOS 27‌ Public Beta option. Today's public beta is identical to the third developer beta, and there's also a newly revised ‌iPadOS 27‌ third beta available for developers.

‌iOS 27‌ introduces Siri AI, a more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that can search the web, access your personal information, see what's on your screen, and take actions in and across apps. ‌Siri‌ in ‌iOS 27‌ is more similar to Claude or ChatGPT than the prior version of ‌Siri‌, with a dedicated ‌Siri‌ app for back-and-forth conversations. You can use ‌Siri‌ AI if you have a device that supports Apple Intelligence.

Apple updated the Liquid Glass design that debuted last year, adding a slider to adjust the transparency level and refining its look. There are new AI features in many of Apple's apps. Visual Intelligence moved to the Camera app and supports new features like getting the nutritional information for a meal or splitting a bill, and ‌Siri‌ is able to generate text for you or help you refine your writing with Write with ‌Siri‌.

There are new AI photo editing tools in the Photos app, Safari can organize your tabs automatically, and you can create Shortcuts and Safari extensions using natural language commands. AirPods have custom EQ, the Home app supports 4K video cameras, and there are new child safety controls for parents.

Apple made dozens of improvements to device performance, and everything feels faster, even on older iPhones. Apps launch quicker, AirDrop transfers are faster, the keyboard loads quicker, and more.

Additional information on the new features in ‌iOS 27‌ can be found in our dedicated iOS 27 roundup, with info on ‌iPadOS 27‌ available in our separate iPadOS 27 roundup.
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Apple today released the first public betas of tvOS 27 and watchOS 27, giving Apple TV and Apple Watch users a chance to try the new software ahead of its fall launch. There's also a new HomePod Software 27 beta for the ‌HomePod‌ and HomePod mini.


You can sign up for Apple's public beta testing program on the beta website, and then download the updates through the Settings app on each device. Today's public betas are the same as the third developer betas released last week.

‌watchOS 27‌ adopts Siri AI, and you can use ‌Siri‌ from your wrist as long as you have an iPhone that supports it. ‌Siri‌ AI can access your personal information, answer all kinds of questions, and complete tasks for you. There is a dedicated ‌Siri‌ app that's front and center on the watch in the new dynamic app grid that comes up when pressing the Digital Crown.

There's a new gesture for selecting a widget in the Smart Stack, plus Apple added Smart Stack suggestions for finding a parked car, accessing a transit card, and getting a birthday reminder.

Workout Buddy works without your iPhone nearby, treadmill run and walk distances are tracked more accurately, and Apple added a unified Find My app that also supports Precision Finding.

tvOS 27 has a redesigned Podcasts app, Hi-Res Lossless audio and AutoMix song transitions in Apple Music, and easier profile switching. With performance improvements, apps launch faster, animations are speedier, and devices connect more quickly when AirPlaying content.

More on what's new in the updates can be found in our watchOS 27 roundup and Apple TV roundup.
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Apple today seeded the fifth betas of upcoming iOS 26.6 and iPadOS 26.6 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple seeded the fourth 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.

With iOS 27 set to launch in September, Apple is wrapping up work on iOS 26. We are not expecting any major new features in the iOS 26.6 update, and it will primarily focus on bug fixes and performance improvements.

The update adds new wording around blocked contact limits, letting users know when they have exceeded the maximum number of blocked contacts. The update might also include a new anti-snatching feature that locks your iPhone if it's grabbed from your hand.
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Apple today provided the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.6 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after Apple seeded the fourth beta.


Developers can download the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6 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.

With macOS Golden Gate launching in just a couple months, Apple is likely focusing most of its attention on the new software. We are not expecting any major new features in ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6.
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Apple today provided developers with the fifth betas of upcoming watchOS 26.6, tvOS 26.6, and visionOS 26.6 betas for testing purposes. The software comes a week after Apple seeded the fourth betas.


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.
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OpenAI's ambitions to build a hardware rival to the iPhone are already running into trouble because of Apple's trade secret lawsuit, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who argues the damage is showing up well before any court ruling.


Apple sued OpenAI last week, accusing the company of pushing former employees, and even people it was trying to recruit, to hand over details on unreleased products. The suit also claims OpenAI coached new hires on how to dodge Apple's exit-interview security checks using a document tied to former iPhone design chief Tang Tan. Apple is asking the court to order OpenAI to stop the alleged conduct, destroy any proprietary material it obtained, and pay damages.

A courtroom resolution could take years, Gurman says, but he argues the suit is doing damage now, squeezing OpenAI's ability to recruit and creating drag on its device work long before a judge weighs in. OpenAI has declined to discuss its hardware roadmap directly, though in response to the suit the company said it has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets" and remains focused on its own technology.

The scale of the talent drain is a major part of why this matters to Apple. More than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, including former Apple design chief Jony Ive, and Gurman says the company poached so heavily from Apple's iPhone product design group specifically that Apple had to rebuild parts of the team. Apple has responded with bigger retention bonuses and executives personally working to keep engineers from leaving.

The trade secret situation has apparently become one of Apple's biggest internal concerns of the past several months, ranking alongside tariff exposure and the ongoing memory chip shortage. In its own court filing, Apple frames the case as narrowly about trade secrets and describes OpenAI's hardware business as still nascent, arguing that discovery is needed to expose "the pervasive theft of Apple's trade secrets."

The lawsuit is said to already be reshaping OpenAI's hiring, independent of anything a court eventually decides. Apple employees weighing a move to OpenAI may now think twice given the added scrutiny, and even interviewing there could draw attention from Apple's security team, which could keep more engineers at Apple and slow the flow of institutional knowledge to OpenAI.

Former Apple employees are likely to grow more guarded about discussing prior work, with managers avoiding technical questions that risk touching Apple's confidential information. New legal reviews, tighter internal controls, and compliance training could pull engineers away from actual development, while senior OpenAI leadership spends time on discovery and depositions.

Given Apple's leverage over Asia's consumer electronics manufacturers, suppliers may be reluctant to deepen ties with OpenAI for fear of jeopardizing bigger, longer-standing relationships with Apple or getting pulled into the litigation themselves.

Bloomberg Intelligence wrote that "Apple is likely to secure targeted preliminary relief tied to OpenAI's device effort." Any such order would likely require disputed materials to be isolated, evidence preserved, and compliance certified, which could slow OpenAI's hardware plans further. In the longer term, if Apple can prove its trade secrets made it into OpenAI's products, OpenAI could be forced to redesign them.

Regardless, a person familiar with OpenAI's plans told Gurman the company still expects to announce its first hardware product this year and release it in 2027, though that could shift as OpenAI reviews Apple's claims. That device is reportedly far along, but building out a wider family of products, the kind Bloomberg previously described as central to OpenAI's device ambitions, will likely get harder. OpenAI has reportedly explored categories including smart speakers and wearables with an iPhone-style device as the eventual goal, but a simpler, non-phone product is expected to ship first.
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Apple captured a record 20% share of the global smartphone market in the second quarter of 2026, even as worldwide shipments fell 4% year-over-year amid an ongoing memory chip shortage, according to a new report from Omdia.


It is Apple's best second-quarter showing on record, landing in what is normally its slowest stretch of the year. Omdia credits this to a strong iPhone 17 upgrade cycle, as well as Apple keeping prices flat across the lineup while rivals were forced to raise theirs. The firm still flagged that Apple raised prices on other products late in the quarter, which raises the question of whether iPhone pricing will follow suit later this year.

The wider industry slump traces back to a memory chip shortage that has pushed component costs sharply higher, with some vendors reportedly paying several times more for memory than a year ago. Samsung was the only other major vendor to grow, holding the top overall spot at 22% share as Chinese competitors pulled back their lineups and raised prices to cope.

Omdia expects the squeeze to worsen over the next two quarters as peak shopping season collides with tight supply, pushing vendors further upmarket to protect margins. That is expected to leave fewer affordable options for budget buyers, and adds another data point to observe as Apple heads into an iPhone 18 cycle already facing rising component costs of its own.
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In March, Apple informed the EU that it had agreed to acquire certain assets and hire employees from SigScalr, according to a notice published today on the European Commission's website.

SigScalr created the open-source observability platform SigLens, which companies can use to aggregate and analyze logs, metrics, and traces at massive scales for monitoring and debugging purposes. SigLens was known for being a cost-effective and fast solution compared to many competing platforms.
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Amazon this week has low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes a handful of 42mm and 46mm GPS aluminum models, but cellular devices are a bit more rare this time around.

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You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you'll find four of the 42mm GPS models and three of the 46mm GPS models on sale at these all-time low prices.




Compared to past sales, these are both solid second-best prices on the Apple Watch Series 11 and come within $20-$30 of those previous all-time low prices. 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.

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Apple is developing a new API that will let third-party accessories, including Meta's Ray-Ban ‌Meta‌ glasses and Quest headsets, automatically pair across a user's Apple devices the same way AirPods and the Apple Watch do today, according to Apple's EU Interoperability Request page.


The plan responds to a request ‌Meta‌ filed in October 2025 under the EU's Digital Markets Act, asking Apple to let a ‌Meta‌ device, once paired with one iPhone or iPad, automatically become available on a user's other Apple devices without extra prompts. Third-party accessories have never been able to tap into that ability, meaning owning non-Apple hardware alongside an iPhone has always involved more friction. If Apple builds this out, that gap will close, at least for whichever manufacturers get access to the new API.

Apple told ‌Meta‌ on February 4 that it plans to let third-party apps access cryptographic materials that make a pairing completed on one Apple device usable on another, secured by a session key and a one-time, per-accessory user consent. Apple expects to finish development by spring 2027 and ship it "shortly thereafter," which points toward an iOS 27.x update, possibly iOS 27.4, though Apple has not yet confirmed a version.

The feature runs on AccessorySetupKit and Proximity Pairing, infrastructure Apple built to comply with a March 2025 European Commission ruling and which only works in the EU today, the same infrastructure behind the proximity pairing feature already live for EU users. ‌Meta‌ has objected that adopting it would force the company to abandon Core Bluetooth, which it relies on for pairing everywhere outside Europe, and has asked Apple to decouple the two. Apple has declined so far, though it told ‌Meta‌ that support outside the EU "is something we are still considering."

The request remains in phase three as of Apple's most recent update. ‌Meta‌ hasn't yet invoked the DMA's formal dispute resolution process, which would trigger a review by Apple's Interoperability Request Review Board within 30 working days. Until then, Apple's plan proceeds with a spring 2027 rollout tied to AccessorySetupKit, in the EU only.
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Apple shares have rallied 15 percent since their worst day on the stock market in more than a year, adding almost $600 billion in value since June 25 and returning the stock to record territory (via Bloomberg).


The rebound comes as investors grow uneasy about the mind-boggling sums of cash continually being poured into the AI data center buildout, despite there being no obvious indicator for when investors will get a return on their investment.

Apple's decision to sit out the data center spending spree and instead pay Google for access to its frontier AI models is being increasingly seen by traders as an asset rather than a liability. Apple is using Google's Gemini to underpin the revamped version of Siri and new Apple Intelligence features across its platforms.

Apple's WWDC presentation last month of upcoming AI features in iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate initially sent the stock lower, but it has since rebounded in impressive fashion.

The rally has occurred in spite of the fact that Apple is facing pressure from soaring memory chip costs, which was what prompted the company to raise prices on Macs, iPads, and its Home devices on June 25. That was the move that triggered the company's worst single-day stock drop since April 2025, with shares closing at $275.15. Apple's iPhone models were spared similar price hikes, but the company has hinted that further increases could follow.

Investors are also viewing Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, expected in September, as a potential catalyst, according to Bloomberg. Nikkei reported earlier this month that Apple told suppliers to prepare for around 10 million units this year, up from a prior forecast of seven to eight million.

Apple shares are now up 16 percent in 2026, making it the best performer among the "Magnificent Seven" tech giants, which includes Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia, and Tesla. AAPL closed at $315.32 on Friday, just shy of its all-time high of $317.40 set in early June.

In the coming days, MacRumors will be speaking with a prominent technology commentator about whether Apple's decision to avoid the AI data-center arms race is actually becoming a strategic advantage. Stay tuned.
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Remember that new feature Meta announced last week that let people use public Instagram posts and reels to generate AI content? It didn't last long. Meta pulled the feature from Instagram late on Friday, following widespread criticism over privacy concerns.

"Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public ​content could be referenced in this way," Meta said in a statement. "We've ​heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so ⁠it's no longer available," the company added.
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Google today announced that Waze is getting a handful of new features, including some Gemini-powered personalization enhancements for Conversational Reporting.


Conversational Reporting already uses Gemini when users report traffic incidents like slowdowns, but now you can use it to suggest map updates like road closures or outdated addresses. Saying something like "The road is closed here" will prompt Waze to send the information to local map editors, who then verify the suggestion and update the map for everyone.

Google says reporting road updates conversationally is rolling out now globally on iOS and Android.

Elsewhere, Gemini is being recruited in Waze to help users who know what they need to get, but don't know where to get it. Before navigating somewhere, you can tap the search voice icon to ask questions like "Find me a coffee shop that's open right now," "Find me parking close to Grand Mall" or something more specific like "Find me a gas station nearby with the lowest prices." Google says Waze will respond with a list of options that you can navigate using your voice.
The feature is also rolling out worldwide now on all platforms.

In addition, Waze is getting an option to adjust to a "less chatty" mode for voice prompts, so that interacting with the app's driving directions doesn't intrude as much on a driver's music or podcast listening.

Waze is also getting a new Motorcycle Mode that includes two-wheeled shortcuts and more accurate ETAs for more optimal routing.


Lastly, Waze will now suggest routes based on your previous trips, augmenting its hyperlocal understanding of a city's traffic patterns. So if you prefer driving on highways over local streets with multiple stops, you'll see those suggested first. It's an optional setting so it can be toggled off, and it's rolling out now in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines on Android and iOS, with more countries coming soon.
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Apple faced pressure from the White House to use Intel's chipmaking plants while it was negotiating relief from semiconductor tariffs last summer, reports The Wall Street Journal ($).


In August 2025, Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Washington to lobby the Trump administration to drop its proposed 100 percent tariff on semiconductor imports – a levy that would have raised costs across Apple's product line. Apple reportedly secured an exemption after pledging to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S., although many of those investments were already planned.

During the meetings, president Trump and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick are said to have urged Cook to use Intel's fabrication plants to make some of Apple's chips. The link between the tariff talks and the Apple-Intel deal had not been previously reported.

Almost a year later, Trump announced via his Truth Social platform that Apple would begin using Intel-made chips in some products. "We need to design and build our Chips right here in America," the president posted. The news sent Intel shares to record highs.

According to a person familiar with the negotiations cited by the WSJ, Apple plans to have Intel make chips for both Mac laptops and iPhones. The report doesn't say which chips or in what volume, and Apple is expected to remain reliant on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, for the majority of its custom silicon.

Apple hasn't looked to Intel as a supplier before, both because the chipmaker has trailed rivals like TSMC and Samsung and due to the rocky history between the two companies.

The report suggests the arrangement is part of a wider administration effort to prop up Intel, especially since the U.S. government converted $9 billion in federal grants into a 10 percent equity stake last year, making it the chipmaker's largest shareholder.

Nvidia and SpaceX have also signed deals with Intel since then, reportedly with similar pressure applied by the Trump administration.

Intel's foundry business posted $10.4 billion in operating losses over its last four fiscal quarters, and outside customers have in recent years doubted its ability to reliably produce usable silicon at a high volume. The WSJ report gives no timeline for when Intel-made chips might appear in shipping Apple products, and Apple has not commented on the arrangement.
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In 2022, Apple began rolling out Tap to Pay on iPhone, a system that allows small business owners and other merchants to accept contactless payments on an iPhone, with no point-of-sale hardware required. The feature allows customers to pay by simply tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch, credit card or debit card, or other contactless payment option on the merchant's iPhone. Payment is securely completed using NFC, like Apple Pay.


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

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

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

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

In 2019, Apple released an Intel-based Mac Pro with up to 1.5TB RAM.
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Two new Apple Pencil models are in development for release alongside next-generation iPad Pro models next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

A summary:

• M5 chip: October 2025


• M5 Pro and M5 Max chips: March 2026


• M5 Ultra chip: Late 2026


• M6 chip: Late 2026


• M7 chip: First half of 2027


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


• M7 Ultra chip: 2028

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Amazon today has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.99, down from $249.00. This is the best price we've seen on the AirPods Pro 3 since Prime Day ended last month, coming in around $20 higher when compared to that all-time low price.

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.



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.

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

Last year, college students and educational staff could receive a free accessory like AirPods 4 or an Apple Pencil Pro with the purchase of a qualifying Mac or iPad model. The Back to School offer is in addition to the discounted prices already available through Apple's education store year-round, but it will be a bittersweet situation this year given that Apple recently raised prices on all Macs and iPads.
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Anker's Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station has dropped to $99.74 on Amazon, down from $149.99. This is one of Anker's newest accessories, and Amazon's sale today is a match of the all-time low price that we last tracked during Prime Day.

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The Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station features Qi2.2 support, which lets a compatible MagSafe ‌iPhone‌ charge at up to 25W. It's the same speed as Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ charger, and it is 10W faster than the standard Qi2 ‌MagSafe‌ chargers. You can also simultaneously charge an Apple Watch and AirPods with the device.




Below you'll find a list of the best Anker discounts on Amazon this week, also including wall chargers, portable batteries, and more. There are a few more accessories that are matching their Prime Day prices, including Anker's SOLIX Power Station with Lantern. You can get this accessory for $189.99, down from $249.99.

Wall Chargers

• Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger with Smart Display - $25.99, down from $39.99


• Anker 140W 4-Port GaN USB-C Charger - $79.99, down from $99.99


• Anker 3-Port Prime Charger - $99.99, down from $149.99

Wireless Chargers

• Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Charging Station - $71.99, down from $89.99


• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible UFO Charger - $71.99, down from $89.99


• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Foldable Charging Station - $85.99, down from $109.99


• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Cube - $89.99, down from $129.99


• Anker 3-in-1 Prime Wireless Charging Station - $99.74, down from $149.99


• Anker Prime MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Charging Station - $139.99, down from $229.99

Portable Chargers

• Anker MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $65.99, down from $79.99


• Anker Prime Power Bank 20,100 mAh - $129.99, down from $179.99


• Anker Prime Power Bank 26,250 mAh - $179.99, down from $229.99

Portable Power Stations

• Anker SOLIX C300 Power Station with Lantern - $189.99, down from $249.00


• Anker SOLIX C300 - $249.99, down from $299.99


• Anker SOLIX S2000 - $599.00, down from $1,199.00


• Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 - $899.99, down from $1,499.00

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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Apple's annual iPhone event is just two months away, but we're still not quite clear on when and in what quantities the new foldable "iPhone Ultra" will be available. It sounds like we could end up in a situation similar to that of the iPhone X where it was introduced at the September event but didn't become available for pre-orders until around six weeks later.


Other news this week included a third round of developer betas for iOS 27 and related updates, some fresh iPhone 18 Pro rumors, a recap on where things stand with the next-generation Apple TV, and more, so read on below for all of the details!

Top Stories

'iPhone Ultra' Likely to 'Repeat the iPhone X Story' With Delayed Launch

Apple will likely "repeat the iPhone X story" by unveiling its foldable iPhone at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but starting foldable iPhone pre-orders at a later date, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


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

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

Everything Coming in the 2026 Apple TV 4K

The Apple TV 4K hasn't been updated since 2022, and it's due for a refresh. An update is planned for 2026, but Apple is likely going to wait to launch it until Siri AI launches in iOS 27.


Check out our recap of everything we're expecting for the next iteration of Apple's set-top box, from specs and feature support to pricing and a launch date.

Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 3

Apple is continuing to refine iOS 27 ahead of its planned September launch, and the third developer beta released this week includes several new features. Siri is more customizable, there's a fun new wallpaper action, and there are some useful improvements to Photos and Shortcuts.


On the Mac side, the new macOS beta includes gorgeous new Golden Gate-themed wallpapers that can also serve as screen savers.

Public betas of the upcoming releases will be available sometime this month.

Apple Intelligence Home Features Require 2TB iCloud+ Plan in iOS 27

Using Apple Intelligence camera features in the Home app will require an iCloud+ plan starting at 2TB, according to Apple.


In iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate, the Home app is able to generate written summaries for motion alerts from HomeKit Secure Video cameras. It's also able to group footage from separate cameras for an overview of activity and pull out noteworthy recordings, plus it supports natural language search.

Apple said at WWDC that some ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features would require an ‌iCloud‌+ plan, but it hadn't specified which tier users would need to subscribe to. For the Home features, users will need the $9.99/month 2TB ‌iCloud‌+ plan or better.

iPhone 18 Pro Battery Capacities Revealed by Regulatory Filings

New Chinese regulatory certification filings appear to confirm the battery capacities of Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max models.


According to filings in China's C3 database, spotted earlier this week by the leaker known as "Digital Chat Station" on Weibo, the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ is seemingly rated for 4,056mAh in China and 4,288mAh in the U.S., up modestly from the iPhone 17 Pro's 3,988mAh and 4,252mAh. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max shows a bigger jump, rated for 5,391mAh in China and 5,567mAh in the U.S., compared with 4,823mAh and 5,088mAh on the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, an increase of nearly 500mAh.

The foldable "iPhone Ultra" will reportedly include two battery cells registering at 1,921mAh and 2,962mAh, for a combined minimum rated capacity of 4,883mAh.

When is Apple's 2026 Back to School Offer?

It is now July and we are still waiting for Apple to begin its annual Back to School offer in countries like the U.S. and Canada — if it is still coming. In the U.S., Apple launched its Back to School offer in June from 2020 through 2025, but it has waited until July in the more distant past.


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

MacRumors Newsletter

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OpenAI has responded after being sued by Apple over alleged theft of the iPhone maker's trade secrets.

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


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

Apple Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland, Mississippi is moving to a new spot within the same shopping center on Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m. local time. Apple's new storefront will be located right in front of the Show Fountain.
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Apple's Mail app is getting some useful updates in iOS 27, with Apple making big improvements to search and introducing new AI features.

Search

‌iOS 27‌ has an overhauled search system that extends to the Mail app. Instead of surfacing results based on keywords and recency, Mail app search ranks results by relevance and intent. Search results that come up in Mail are more relevant than before, so you find exactly what you're looking for.

If you search for "Sprouts" because you want to find a recent order, it'll show your order before it shows marketing emails you might have from the same retailer.

Siri AI

The Mail app has a built-in "Ask Siri" feature. Long press on any email and you can ask ‌Siri‌ to summarize, find an item in the email, track a package, get a flight number, save a photo, and more.

Once you get a response, you can swipe down to enter the ‌Siri‌ interface for asking follow-up questions. Conversations are logged in the ‌Siri‌ app.

‌Siri‌ can complete tasks in the Mail app too, like deleting all emails from a specified sender or adding information from an email to your Reminders list.

Writing Tools

The Mail app has a Write with ‌Siri‌ interface above the keyboard, which you can tap to get writing help. ‌Siri‌ can draft an email for you, check over an email you've written, help you reword an email, change the style of the email, or give you writing tips.

Write with ‌Siri‌ is able to match your standard writing style, punctuation, and tone, so emails sound more like you and less like AI.

Your iPhone also now flags both typos and grammar errors while you write.

Smart Reply

Smart Replies that your iPhone suggests to you are now tuned to your writing style, which means the one-tap suggestions sound like things you might actually type.

Contextual Suggestions

The contextual suggestions that you see at the top of the Mail app are now available to third-party apps, plus Apple has revamped the design.

An email that includes a flight time or a restaurant reservation has a one-tap button for adding it to the Calendar app. An email with directions may let you see the route in Maps, and emails with tracking information can be tracked with the Wallet app.

Call Context

Call Context is a feature that works between the Mail app and the Phone app. When you call a business like an airline or a retailer where you have a relevant email, the Phone app will show information pulled from that email.

You might see it bring up a reservation number for a flight, or an order number for a call with a retailer. Call Context works on-device, looking at who you're calling and not call audio.

Performance Improvements

Messages in Mail load faster, search indexing is more reliable, and unread badges between platforms like iOS and macOS sync more reliably. Apple also updated list formatting.

Requirements

The Mail app search improvements are available on all iPhones that run ‌iOS 27‌, but AI features like ‌Siri‌ AI integration, Write with ‌Siri‌, Call Context, and Contextual Suggestions require an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence.

‌Siri‌ AI is not available in the European Union or China, and Contextual Suggestions are English-only at launch.
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Apple today accused OpenAI of stealing Apple trade secrets and intellectual property in its effort to develop an AI hardware device.


In a lawsuit filed with the Northern District of California, Apple said it uncovered evidence of a months-long scheme to steal confidential information. Apple says OpenAI hardware lead and former Apple designer Tang Tan and former electrical engineer Chang Liu directed Apple employees interviewing with OpenAI to provide details on unreleased devices, components, manufacturing processes, and vendor relationships.

In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said it is suing to protect the hard work of its employees.

At Apple, our teams are constantly developing breakthrough technologies to create the best products and services in the world, and protecting their work and intellectual property is something we take very seriously. Recently, significant evidence has emerged suggesting individuals employed by OpenAI wrongfully took Apple's secret and confidential information regarding our unreleased technologies, processes, and products. We will always defend our teams' hard work and innovations, and we are taking all appropriate steps to do so.

Tan is accused of using his internal knowledge of Apple's exit procedures to help employees covertly deliver information, and giving OpenAI key information about Apple suppliers that has benefited OpenAI's work on an AI device. From the lawsuit:

OpenAI also instructs new hires on how to avoid scrutiny when they leave Apple. For example, Mr. Tan warns them not to tell Apple that they have taken jobs at OpenAI, so they can stay at Apple as long as they can. After his own departure, Mr. Tan improperly retained or obtained an internal Apple managers' document marked "Need to Know" that describes security procedures for employee departures. Messages left on Apple-issued work devices show that Mr. Tan and his OpenAI colleagues have been sharing this document with new hires before they give notice to Apple of their departures, previewing Apple's security protocols. Unsurprisingly, Apple's investigation has found a pattern by employees who depart for OpenAI of taking steps to evade the security processes intended to protect Apple's confidential information.

Apple says it discovered a pattern of OpenAI recruits emailing themselves confidential information when leaving Apple, including Tan. Others were "improperly using their knowledge of Apple's confidential and trade secret information to assist OpenAI in developing hardware." OpenAI apparently used confidential Apple hardware information when approaching Apple suppliers, and tricked one company into using a "specific trade secret metal-finishing technique" for an OpenAI device by claiming it had Apple's permission to do so.

Apple says evidence on an employee's work-issued device indicates Tan instructed her to "bring some parts" she worked on to an interview, suggesting she show OpenAI batteries, SIPs, logic boards, and other hardware. It was not an isolated incident, and Apple claims several OpenAI interviewees were asked to do the same.

Liu allegedly kept an Apple-issued laptop after departing the company and exploited a vulnerability to download dozens of confidential Apple documents while he was working at OpenAI. He also maintained a relationship with Yu-Ting "Alyssa" Peng, an Apple employee who continued to give him updates on Apple's projects, vendor decisions, and engineering details. When Liu learned he still had access to Apple's systems, he texted Peng "LOL, I found out I can access the [network storage], so funny."

Apple accuses OpenAI leadership of creating a culture of hardware theft, and says OpenAI's hardware business is "rotten to its core" because of its reliance on information stolen from Apple.

This is the tip of the iceberg. Apple lacks visibility into what's been happening behind closed doors at OpenAI, where such misconduct is normalized and exemplified by leadership. This much is clear, however: at every level, from members of its Technical Staff to its Chief Hardware Officer, and in coordination with business partners, OpenAI has been stealing Apple's trade secrets and confidential information. As a natural result, OpenAI's nascent hardware business now rests on the shakiest of foundations, rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets.

Apple attempted to contact OpenAI in February when it first learned of the potential theft, but OpenAI did not respond, leading Apple to investigate further. Apple claims OpenAI is under pressure to debut a hardware device, which has led to the company taking shortcuts instead of investing in legitimate development. "OpenAI has turned to trade secret misappropriation to free-ride off Apple's decades of innovation," reads the lawsuit.

Former Apple design chief and OpenAI designer Jony Ive is not named in the suit, but it does target io Products, which OpenAI acquired. While OpenAI CEO Altman is referenced, he isn't named as a defendant, and Apple doesn't suggest Ive or Altman were involved. Apple also does not appear to be targeting the ongoing OpenAI recruitment of Apple staff, though the lawsuit mentions that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.

Apple mentions its ongoing partnership with OpenAI for Siri ChatGPT integration, but only to say that the agreement is not an issue in the lawsuit.

Prior rumors suggest the relationship between Apple and OpenAI has been souring, with OpenAI allegedly considering a lawsuit against Apple because the integration failed to live up to OpenAI's expectations and Apple's promises.

In its trade secret theft lawsuit, Apple is seeking an injunction to stop OpenAI from possessing, using, or disclosing its technologies as well as damages "in an amount to be determined at trial." It is also suing Tan and Liu for breach of contract for violating their agreements with Apple.
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Apple accounted for roughly 90% of all Edge AI-capable smartwatch shipments in the first quarter of 2026, according to new data from Counterpoint Research.


That dominance came as Edge AI penetration across the broader smartwatch market grew 70% year-over-year, reaching 25% in the first quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint's Global Smartwatch Shipments Tracker.

"Edge AI" refers to artificial intelligence that runs directly on a device's own chip rather than being processed on remote servers. On the Apple Watch, that means the onboard Neural Engine handles tasks like recognizing an irregular heartbeat or detecting a fall in the moment, without sending data to a paired iPhone or the cloud first. Anshika Jain, Principal Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said:

Brands have been continuously upgrading their smartwatch hardware to make devices more AI-capable. Edge AI integration enables real-time health insights and faster responses while helping ensure data privacy. Currently, Edge AI penetration remains limited to leading brands, with Apple solely accounting for ~90% of Edge AI smartwatch shipments in Q1 2026.

Health and fitness monitoring remains the main use case for Edge AI on smartwatches. Counterpoint's data shows blood pressure monitoring shipments doubling and sleep apnea detection tripling year over year, with brands now apparently setting their sights on diabetes detection next.

Apple's head start traces back to 2023, when it introduced the S9 chip with a 4-core Neural Engine built specifically for on-device machine learning in the Apple Watch. Huawei only followed with comparable silicon in 2025, launching its own Kirin W80 chip to power its "Celia" voice assistant locally, and Qualcomm isn't entering the race until this year with its Snapdragon Wear Elite platform. Google is also said to be readying its own Tensor-based wearable chip, though it has yet to ship.

Counterpoint notes that a software-driven alternative to dedicated NPUs is also emerging, with Ambiq's Apollo platform running AI inference on vector-core silicon via Arm's Helium extensions rather than purpose-built neural hardware. This approach remains a niche compared to Apple's dedicated-chip strategy, but it could eventually help cheaper smartwatches offer some Edge AI features without the silicon Apple has spent years building into its devices.

Counterpoint only classifies a smartwatch as Edge AI-capable if it has a neural engine or NPU on board and at least one of its health, safety, or interaction features actually runs its inference on that chip, rather than merely including the hardware.
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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the future of Apple's increasingly tangled high-end MacBook lineup, including the entry-level MacBook Pro and the rumored "MacBook Ultra."


Apple's chip roadmap for the Mac is reportedly set to take an unusual turn over the next year. The company is said to be skipping the M6 Pro and M6 Max entirely, jumping from the M5 generation straight to the M7 for its high-end laptops. A standard M6 chip will still arrive this year in an entry-level ‌MacBook Pro‌, but there will apparently be no Pro or Max variant in that family.

As a result, Apple's first high-end OLED laptop will use the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips rather than newer silicon. First-generation buyers would therefore be paying a premium for a redesigned machine featuring the same processors already found in the current ‌MacBook Pro‌, with M7 Pro and M7 Max models expected to follow in the second half of 2027.

The launch window remains fluid. The device was long expected to arrive in late 2026, but memory chip constraints and Apple's recent price increases have pushed it toward early 2027. A second-generation model with M7 chips is already planned for late 2027, meaning the first Ultra could remain on sale for a relatively short window.

The overlapping releases make for a crowded and confusing roadmap. Across roughly a year, Apple is expected to ship a base M6 ‌MacBook Pro‌, a redesigned base M7 model in the first half of 2027, two M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Ultra models, their eventual M7 Pro and M7 Max successors, and perhaps new high-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with the M7 Pro and M7 Max. Notably, the entry-level M7 model is set to get the new design first, ahead of the pricier high-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ models.

The headline changes are reserved for the top-tier "Ultra" model. It is expected to be the first Mac with an OLED display, using the same hybrid tandem ‌OLED‌ technology as the iPad Pro, along with the first touchscreen on a Mac, a Dynamic Island in place of the notch, and a thinner chassis. Both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes are expected. Built-in cellular connectivity for the first time on a Mac is also rumored.

Apple is reportedly positioning touch as "touch-friendly, not touch-first," letting users move between touch, trackpad, and keyboard rather than treating the Mac like an iPad. That marks a reversal for a company that long resisted the idea. Steve Jobs argued in 2010 that vertical touchscreens cause arm fatigue, and as recently as 2021 hardware chief John Ternus said the Mac was "totally optimized for indirect input."

Signs of the shift are already visible in macOS 27 Golden Gate, which adds direct touch control to Sidecar, so users can tap and interact with macOS elements using a finger on an ‌iPad‌. A reinforced hinge is also expected, so the display does not wobble when tapped.

Pricing is likely to be steep. Apple raised prices across the Mac lineup in June, and the current 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ now starts at $1,999, rising to $2,499 with the M5 Pro chip and $4,099 for an M5 Max. The 16-inch M5 Max reaches $4,399, and a fully specced configuration already exceeds $10,000. The high-end ‌OLED‌ model is expected to start higher still.

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Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

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