Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models and its first foldable iPhone are less than two months away from being unveiled, with the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 expected to follow in spring 2027 as part of the company's new split-launch strategy. We've looked back at everything we know so far, and ranked the most consistent rumors, followed by the more speculative ones.

Solid Rumors

• iPhone Air 2 With Two Cameras – The second-generation iPhone Air is reportedly in advanced testing with an Ultra Wide camera joining the existing Main camera. The overall design is expected to remain largely unchanged apart from the additional lens.


• New iPhone 18 Pro Colors – Dark Cherry is expected to be this year's signature finish, accompanied by Light Blue, Silver, and a Dark Gray option. The four colors have appeared in dummy-model images that corroborate earlier reports.


• iPhone 18 Pro Variable Aperture Lens – Both Pro models are expected to gain a variable aperture for the 48-megapixel Main camera. This would let the camera adjust how much light reaches the sensor and provide users with greater control over exposure and depth of field.


• More RAM for iPhone 18 – Reports disagree over whether the standard iPhone 18 will have 9GB or 12GB of RAM, but both amounts would be an increase over the iPhone 17's 8GB. The additional memory would support some of the more advanced on-device Apple Intelligence features coming in iOS 27.


• iPhone 18 Pro Battery Life – Leaked capacities suggest larger batteries for Apple's premium models, with the iPhone 18 Pro Max potentially reaching around 5,567mAh outside of China. A more efficient 2nm A20 Pro chip and LTPO+ display could deliver a more noticeable improvement in actual battery life.


• Book-Style Foldable Design – Apple's first foldable is consistently described as a short, wide, book-style device with an approximately 5.5-inch outer screen and 7.8-inch inner display. It is expected to use a 4:3 aspect ratio and resemble a small iPad when unfolded. It has been compared to "two titanium iPhone Airs side by side."


• New Apple-Designed Modems – The foldable iPhone and at least international versions of iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to use Apple's faster second-generation C2 modem, which could come with support for 5G satellite connectivity. However, if the C2 lacks mmWave capability (which is not a feature of the C1 or C1X), Apple is expected to opt for a Qualcomm modem instead for the U.S. market.


• Higher Prices – Rising memory and storage costs make price increases likely across the iPhone 18 lineup. Analysts estimate that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could start at $1,299 and $1,399, respectively – $200 more than their predecessors – while the foldable iPhone is expected to cost north of $2,000.

Possibly, Maybe

• iPhone Air 2 Battery Life – One leaker claims the iPhone Air 2 will have a 3,500 mAh battery, an increase of around 11 percent over the current model. The 2nm A20 chip and a potentially thinner display could provide further efficiency or make room for the larger cell.


• Only Two Foldable Colors – Some reports point to only two understated finishes for the foldable iPhone. White or silver appears most likely, while the darker option has variously been described as indigo, space gray, or black.


• Smaller Dynamic Island – Alleged prototypes, screen protectors, and CAD images of the iPhone 18 Pro depict a Dynamic Island around 35 percent narrower than on current iPhone 17 models. Other reports say Apple considered both designs or may have postponed the change until next year's models due to challenges with Face ID components, so this rumor remains ambiguous.


• Thicker Camera Plateau – Dummy models suggest the iPhone 18 Pro Max's camera plateau could increase from 11.23mm to 11.54mm. A separate report says the smaller iPhone 18 Pro's camera housing will also become thicker, but no precise measurement has been shared.


• Simplified Camera Control – Apple is reportedly removing the capacitive sensing layer from Camera Control in future iPhones and instead relying solely on pressure sensitivity. The change could eliminate swipe gestures and accidental adjustments while reducing manufacturing and repair costs.


• Crease-Free Foldable Display – Apple is said to have reduced the inner display's crease to less than 0.15mm deep, making it almost invisible during normal use. More recent rumors appear to acknowledge that some physical crease may be unavoidable, so "nearly crease-free" is probably more realistic than completely crease-free.


• iPhone Ultra Naming – Recent rumors have increasingly referred to the foldable as the "iPhone Ultra," which would suit its expected position above the Pro Max. There is still no firm evidence of the final name, and "iPhone Fold" remains another, albeit outside possibility.

Seems Unlikely

• iPhone 18 Pro Teleconverter – A single report claims Apple has evaluated a teleconverter that would increase the camera's effective focal length. The claim comes from a relatively new Apple leaker, and it remains unclear how such a system would work inside an iPhone.


• Hole-Punch Selfie Camera – An early report from The Information said the iPhone 18 Pro would abandon the Dynamic Island for a top-left hole-punch camera. Subsequent reports instead point to either a smaller centered Dynamic Island or no change, making the hole-punch design look increasingly doubtful.


• iPhone 18 Downgrades – One leaker claims Apple will reduce the standard iPhone 18's display and chip specifications to control costs, potentially sharing more components with the iPhone 18e. The report has little corroboration and conflicts with expectations for a 2nm A20 chip and additional RAM.


• Foldable UDC Front Lens – The foldable's inner display has been rumored to contain a 24-megapixel under-display camera (UDC), but other information suggests the technology will not be ready this year. Apple may instead use visible hole-punch cameras on both the inner and outer displays.


• Goodbye, SIM Tray – The foldable iPhone itself is widely expected to be eSIM-only, but the SIM tray does not appear ready to disappear from the entire lineup. Battery capacity rumors still list physical-SIM variants of the iPhone 18 Pro for China, Hong Kong, and other markets.

What are you most looking forward to in the iPhone 18 lineup? Let us know in the comments below. For more rumors, check out our iPhone 18, iPhone Fold, iPhone Air, and iPhone 18 Pro roundups, which we update regularly.
This article, "iPhone 18 Rumor Reality Check: 20 Claims Ranked by Likelihood" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's principal chipmaker TSMC plans to raise prices by as much as 10 percent starting in 2027, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia.


The Taiwan-based foundry has reportedly held talks with clients about base price increases of 5 to 10 percent, covering both mature nodes and the more advanced processes at 7-nanometers and below that Apple relies on for its A-series and M-series chips. Negotiations began in June and were finalized this month, according to the publication's sources, with the new pricing set to take effect at the start of 2027.

Customers placing additional high-performance computing orders beyond their original forecasts will face a further 10 to 15 percent premium, which could lead to some advanced chip orders costing more than 10 percent extra overall.

The increased prices are said to reflect rising costs for materials, manufacturing equipment, and construction of new overseas chip plants.

TSMC reportedly decided to delay the hikes until 2027 to give customers time to adjust after negotiations concluded. The company declined to comment on the reported prices, but told Nikkei Asia that its general market approach was "strategic, not opportunistic."

Apple is TSMC's largest customer, and the timing means higher chip costs would come in the same year that Apple is rumored to launch additional iPhone 18 models as well as its 20th anniversary iPhone models. Whether Apple absorbs the increases or passes them along to customers remains to be seen. Apple last month dramatically increased device prices across multiple product lines, which CEO Tim Cook called "unavoidable," citing the soaring cost of memory and storage chips.
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Apple is reportedly prototyping a larger iPhone display measuring roughly 6.96 inches, which would likely be marketed as a 7-inch panel if it reaches production.


According to Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple is testing the display internally in preparation for the 20th anniversary iPhone, which is expected to launch next year. The leaker said that the screen ratio is the same as the current iPhone 17 Pro Max, but whether the display is ultimately used in the iPhone 20 Pro Max remains unconfirmed at this stage.

Last month, Bloomberg reported that Apple had started ramping up work on two sizes of the 20th anniversary iPhone. Multiple rumors have suggested the device will have an edge-to-edge display with curved glass at all sides for a nearly borderless visual effect.

This year's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max models are expected to be the same dimensions as the current iPhone 17 Pro models, which are available in 6.3- and 6.9-inch sizes.

Apple last increased the size of its premium iPhone displays with the iPhone 16 Pro lineup in 2024. The iPhone 16 Pro grew from 6.1 to 6.3 inches, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max increased from 6.7 to 6.9 inches, thanks to slimmer bezels and slightly larger chassis dimensions.

Today's rumor is the first time that we have heard of any plans to increase the display size for Apple's 2027 commemorative iPhone.
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Security firm Group-IB has identified a new piece of macOS malware in the wild that pressures users into surrendering their passwords via a barrage of fake system prompts.


Dubbed "ClickLock Stealer," the malware needs no exploits and no elevated privileges to work. Instead, the attack depends on the victim pasting a command into Terminal and running it. The command then executes a script, and everything else follows.

Group-IB did not directly observe how victims are lured into pasting the command, but based on the script's behavior, the firm believes it's served through a fake "ClickFix" page posing as a Cloudflare check or browser verification step. Such pages instruct visitors to copy a command and run it in Terminal as a supposed "verification requirement."

Once it's up and running, the script discreetly downloads several modules and shows a terminal-based loading animation mimicking a Cloudflare progress bar with browser verification. If a user declines the initial password dialog that appears, the malware starts locking system usage.

Specifically, the malware kills every visible app every 210 milliseconds while the password prompt remains on screen, and the rest of the desktop stays unusable until the victim gives in. Meanwhile, another loop suppresses macOS security notifications for roughly six hours.

If the user gives up and enters their password, a second, genuine macOS prompt is subsequently forced to the front, asking them to allow access to a Keychain item. Granting it hands over Chrome's "Safe Storage" AES key, which is what the browser uses to encrypt saved passwords and cookies.

With the login password and Chrome's encryption obtained, ClickLock then harvests browser credentials, Keychain data, password manager vaults, and any cryptocurrency wallets, and then sends it all to a Telegram bot. It also installs a hidden backdoor disguised as an iCloud process to give it continual access.

Group-IB says the campaign has been active since May 2026 and has targeted at least 100 victims across 33 countries. More than half of the victims were in Europe.

Apple has already updated macOS to try to defend against this class of attack before it can get underway. In macOS Tahoe 26.4, it added a warning that appears when the user attempts to paste a command into Terminal from a website, chat, or message, and blocks the paste until the user reviews it. (Opera browser also recently added a similar feature.)

In cases where macOS detects known malware, the paste is blocked outright with no override. Still, it should go without saying that no legitimate website will ever ask a user to paste a command into Terminal.
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Apple appears to be testing a hidden popover interface for Siri AI in the macOS 27 Golden Gate beta that surfaces Writing Tools and contextual actions whenever the user selects some text.


Spotted by a member of Reddit's r/MacOSBeta community, the floating icon appears at the top-left of the selected text, expanding when the pointer hovers over it to a compact popover of the tools and actions.

Currently, the popover offers the tools Rewrite, Proofread, "How does this sound?" and "Edit with Siri," plus options for creating key points and summarizing text. The contextual actions are based on the content selected, including things like adding contact details, composing a message or email, creating a calendar event, showing a location in Maps, and tracking flights or packages.

The Siri popover is disabled by default in macOS 27 developer beta 3 and public beta 1. Beta testers found it can be switched on through a private feature flag, but the feature is clearly unfinished. Some of the actions don't respond, suggesting Apple is still building out the underlying functionality.

Adventurous beta users can try it with the following Terminal command, followed by a restart:
sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain && sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/WritingTools LightweightUI_macOS -dict Enabled -bool true

And to disable the interface, use this command followed by a restart:
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/WritingTools LightweightUI_macOS -dict Enabled -bool false

Note that the UI's behavior is inconsistent, and there's no guarantee the interface will make it to the final release of macOS 27 Golden Gate this fall.
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Since iOS 26, a malfunctioning iPhone has been able to boot itself into Recovery Assistant, with no Mac or PC required. However, you could only get there if your device failed to start up and dropped into recovery on its own.


In iOS 27, currently in beta, Apple has removed that limitation, and you can now manually boot into a Mac-style recovery screen whenever you like.

The new recovery mode lets you troubleshoot, update, or erase your device without necessarily plugging it into anything. It can connect automatically to a known Wi-Fi network, and it shows your battery percentage in the corner of the screen. Here's how to access it.

How to Boot Into Recovery Mode

Accessing the recovery mode is similar to the equivalent mode on Apple silicon Macs, and it works the same way on iPads running iPadOS 27.

1. Turn off your iPhone, then wait about a minute to ensure it has fully shut down.


2. Press and hold the Side button. The Apple logo will appear as it normally does during startup – continue holding the button and you'll see "Continue holding for recovery...".


3. Release the button when "Loading recovery options..." appears.

Your iPhone will then boot into the new recovery screen instead of loading iOS.

What the Recovery Options Do

The recovery screen offers five options:

• Recovery Assistant: Automatically scans for software issues and attempts to fix them without requiring further input.


• Software Update: Installs the latest version of iOS available for your device, which can help if a failed update has left your iPhone stuck in a boot loop.


• Diagnostics Mode: Runs diagnostics to check for hardware and software issues, and can recommend repairs if needed.


• Erase All Content and Settings: Completely wipes your iPhone, just like the equivalent option in the Settings app.


• Recovery Mode: Puts your iPhone into the traditional recovery mode for restoring it with a Mac or PC, without requiring the usual button-press sequence.

On newer iPhone models, there's also a sixth hidden option. While on the recovery screen, if you press and hold the Side button again, a popup menu will appear showing the option Nearby Device Recovery. This lets you restore your iPhone using another Apple device close by, similar to an existing recovery feature that debuted on iPhone 16 models.

Exiting the Recovery Screen

To leave recovery mode, tap the power button in the top-right corner of the screen and confirm that you want to restart. Alternatively, press and hold the physical Side button and choose Restart or Shut Down.

You shouldn't need the new recovery screen often, but it's worth knowing the button sequence now in case a beta goes wrong or a failed update bricks your iPhone. iOS 27 is currently in public beta, so you can download and try it out now before it's released in the fall.
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Apple's Car Keys feature appears to be coming to TANK vehicles made by Chinese maker Great Wall Motor (GWM), based on code changes discovered by MacRumors in Apple's Wallet app backend.


GWM Tank is a dedicated off-road luxury SUV brand produced by the Chinese automaker.

Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch with NFC capabilities to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done simply by holding an Apple Watch or ‌iPhone‌ near a compatible vehicle's NFC reader.

What can be done with Car Keys may vary by car manufacturer, but at a minimum, Car Keys can be used to unlock your car, lock your car, and start your car, which are the features available with a physical key.

Apple introduced Car Keys in 2022, and car manufacturers like BMW, Rivian, Kia, and Hyundai have all implemented support for Car Keys. Apple maintains a full list of vehicles that support Car Keys on its CarPlay model availability webpage.
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WhatsApp has started rolling out its new username feature, reports WABetaInfo. Some users who reserved their username have started receiving a notification that their username is active, and that they can now use it to send and receive messages to other users without revealing their phone number.

When someone creates a username, WhatsApp will notify people who already have an active chat with that person. WhatsApp has no directory of usernames to browse, and no username discovery suggestions, so people will need to know a WhatsApp user's exact username to send a message.
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Apple has reportedly sent legal letters to dozens of former Apple employees now working at OpenAI, telling them to preserve potentially relevant documents and communications as it continues to pursue its trade secret lawsuit against the AI company.


The Financial Times ($) reports that Apple has targeted around 40 former employees with legal preservation letters, acting on its belief that the alleged misappropriation of confidential information may extend beyond the individuals named in its original complaint.

The development follows Apple's lawsuit filed last week against OpenAI, in which the company alleges a coordinated effort to obtain confidential information relating to its hardware engineering and product development.

Apple claims OpenAI recruited key engineers, including former Apple executives Tang Tan and Chang Liu, and benefited from proprietary designs, manufacturing processes, and other trade secrets. Tan is OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer and a 24-year Apple veteran who led product design, while Liu is on the hardware team at OpenAI after working as a senior system electrical engineer at Apple.

The complaint says that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI and suggests that the alleged misconduct is broader than a few isolated actions by individual employees. OpenAI has denied the allegations, saying in a statement to Bloomberg this week that it is "not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit."

Apple has requested an injunction requiring OpenAI to cease using any Apple information during the development of OpenAI's AI hardware device. Apple is also seeking damages and suing Tan and Liu for breach of contract for violating their employment agreements. The company believes the evidence uncovered so far may represent only the "tip of the iceberg," according to its lawsuit.
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Apple has ramped up orders for vapor chamber cooling components said to be destined for its upcoming foldable iPhone and 20th-anniversary iPhone models, according to a Chinese leaker.


The Weibo account known as "Fixed Focus Digital" claims the increased order volume will first support the manufacture of Apple's book-style foldable, or "iPhone Ultra," which is expected to debut in September. Apple has reportedly asked suppliers to produce approximately 10 million foldable iPhones in 2026, up from an earlier forecast of seven to eight million units.

Fixed Focus Digital previously said Apple's first foldable iPhone would feature "impressive" vapor chamber cooling, claiming that the company is "going all out" with the device's thermal engineering. While there's no corroborating evidence, it's quite possible that the foldable design Apple is adopting could present unique cooling challenges because of its thinner internal structure and limited space for heat dissipation.

Apple introduced vapor chamber cooling to the iPhone lineup with last year's iPhone 17 Pro. The system uses a small amount of deionized water to move heat away from the A19 Pro chip and distribute it through the device's aluminum unibody frame.

Meanwhile, next year's 20th-anniversary iPhone will reportedly feature an edge-to-edge display with glass that curves around all four sides, with the aim of creating a nearly borderless appearance. If indeed we see such a device with a substantially redesigned enclosure, there's a good chance that it too will require a more advanced cooling system.

Apple is expected to offer two anniversary models in 2027 in sizes similar to the forthcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The latter devices are rumored to retain the 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch dimensions of the current iPhone 17 Pro models, suggesting next year's commemorative lineup could use the same display sizes.

Earlier this week, Fixed Focus Digital claimed that Apple's "preferred approach" for the iPhone 20 is a return to glass, and that the relevant manufacturing facilities have already been renovated in advance of the project.
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Apple has made the first macOS 27 Golden Gate public beta available for testing before the new Mac operating system's official release in the fall. Keep reading to learn whether you should install it on your Mac, and if so, how to go about it.


Getting access to the macOS Golden Gate public beta is simple, and can be done by enrolling your Mac in Apple's free Apple Beta Software Program. The steps you need to complete to install the software on your Mac are provided towards the end of this article, but before you jump ahead, here are a few things worth considering.

Should I Install macOS Golden Gate Public Beta?

With macOS Golden Gate, Apple includes the same Siri AI features as iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, accessed through Spotlight with the Command + Space keyboard shortcut. Siri can search the web, find information in your photos, emails, and messages, answer questions about what's on your screen with Visual Intelligence, and complete actions within and across apps. A dedicated Siri app also supports ongoing conversations.

Apple has also refined the Liquid Glass design introduced last year. A new transparency slider lets you adjust the overall system effect, while updated opacity improves readability by better diffusing complex content. Additional interface refinements also add depth and separation, making it easier to identify the active window. There are a lot more improvements beyond the above, so the availability of the public beta will no doubt generate a lot of interest among Mac users.

But before you commit, bear in mind that Apple does not recommend installing macOS beta updates on your main Mac. However stable you may have heard it is anecdotally, this is beta software, which means there are almost certainly bugs and issues that can prevent certain software from working properly or cause other problems with the system. Indeed, one of the reasons that Apple releases the beta early is so that users can feed back problems and help Apple debug them. If you have a spare Mac hanging around, by all means use that, otherwise consider holding off until the general release in the fall.

Is My Mac Supported?

The update confirms the end of Intel Mac support. Apple said last year that macOS Tahoe would be the final release to run on pre-Apple silicon machines, and macOS 27 makes that official – you'll need an Apple silicon Mac to install it.

Here are the Macs compatible with macOS Golden Gate:

• MacBook Neo (2026)


• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)


• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)


• iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)


• Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)


• Mac Studio with Apple silicon (2022 and later)


• Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023 and later)

Four models that ran macOS Tahoe didn't make the cut this year. They include the MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019), the MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports), the iMac (2020), and the Mac Pro (2019).

Don't Forget to Back Up Your Mac

Be sure to back up your Mac using Time Machine before installing the software using the method, otherwise you won't be able to revert back to the previous version of macOS if things go wrong.

How to Install macOS Golden Gate Public Beta

1. Head over to Apple's Beta Software Program website and sign up using your Apple Account credentials, then agree to the terms and conditions if required.
   
   
2. Next, open System Settings on your Mac and select General ➝ Software Update.


3. Look for "Beta Updates" and click the info (i) symbol next to it.
   
   
4. Choose macOS 27 Golden Gate Public Beta from the dropdown list.
   
   
5. Click Upgrade Now to begin the update process to macOS 27.
   
   

That's all you need to do. The installation process will complete just like a standard macOS update, so sit back and let the installation finish, after which your Mac will boot directly into the macOS Golden Gate beta.
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Apple's annual Back to School promotion is now live in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, following earlier rollouts in Asia. This year's promotion offers a free Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad.


Apple is offering a $150 gift card with any new MacBook Pro, and a $100 gift card with any new MacBook Air, iPad Pro, and iPad Air. The gift card can be used towards purchases of Apple products and accessories, App Store apps, subscriptions to services like Apple Music, iCloud+ storage, and more.

The MacBook Neo is not an eligible product. Neither are the iPad mini, entry-level iPad, or any desktop Macs.

The promotion runs through August 27, 2026, in the U.S., according to Apple's terms and conditions. The gift card is offered in addition to Apple's standard education pricing, which provides discounts of roughly 5% to 10% on most Macs and iPads.

The offer is available through Apple's online Education Store and Apple Store locations. Eligible customers include current and newly accepted higher-education students, faculty and staff at higher-education institutions, parents purchasing on behalf of an eligible student, employees of K-12 institutions, and select other qualifying customers.

UNiDAYS verification is now required on Apple's education store in the U.S. and Canada.
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Apple is allegedly using a 60Hz 8.4-inch display panel in the upcoming OLED iPad mini, which is expected to be released later this year.


The information comes courtesy of a hit-and-miss tipster running the account "yeux1122" on the Korean Naver blog. The leaker claims to have been told by a source in Apple's supply chain that the unreleased iPad mini is equipped with a low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) backplane hybrid OLED panel clocked at 60Hz.

Apple's ‌iPad Pro‌ models feature two-stack low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels‌, which makes the display capable of dynamically adjusting its refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz (aka ProMotion). In contrast, LTPS OLED panels are usually paired with fixed refresh rates – such as 60Hz, 90Hz, or 120Hz – and are typically dimmer than LTPO panels.

If the leak is true, it's likely to disappoint iPad mini fans. Previous reports have not been clear on whether the iPad mini 8 will feature a higher refresh rate than the 60Hz LCD display used in the existing iPad mini 7. Given that the base iPhone 17 uses a 120Hz ProMotion panel, some would have believed it was reasonable to expect the same on the first OLED iPad mini. That said, the iPhone 17e goes to show that Apple is still in the 60Hz OLED business, so it might not consider the iPad mini to be a big enough market to justify the more advanced panel technology.

There's still hope of course that the rumor is off the mark. The leaker also said that the smaller form factor iPad is currently in mass production at Samsung Display's A2 Generation 5.5 OLED production line, which is located at its Asan campus in South Korea. Samsung has used the A2 line to manufacture LTPO panels as well as comparatively inferior LTPS panels, so if that piece of information is true, it doesn't mean the new iPad mini will definitely use the latter panel.

• OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Late last month, a report from Korean outlet ETNews claimed that mass production of the iPad mini 8 was underway at a Samsung factory. There are no rumors suggesting exactly when the next ‌iPad mini‌ will be released, but a late 2026 launch is widely expected. Aside from refresh rates, OLED offers several advantages over the LCD technology used in the iPad mini 7, such as higher contrast, deeper blacks, and improved power efficiency.
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Apple grew iPhone shipments in China by 24.4 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2026, making it the fastest-growing smartphone brand in a market that shrank overall, according to preliminary figures released today by research firm IDC.


Total shipments in China fell 4.3 percent to roughly 66 million units, amounting to a fifth consecutive quarter of decline. Apple and Huawei were the only major vendors to grow, with Huawei up 19.4 percent.

Apple's share of the Chinese market rose from 13.9 percent to 18.1 percent year over year, which was second only to Huawei's 22.6 percent. Meanwhile, Xiaomi suffered the steepest fall among the big brands, with shipments down 21.7 percent.

IDC attributes the market divergence largely to the way vendors reacted to rising memory and component costs amid the AI infrastructure buildout. Most Android vendors raised prices from late March, but Apple and Huawei held theirs steady, instead introducing targeted promotions.

On top of this, Huawei kept widening its lineup to cover more of the market, while Apple's early warnings of upcoming price increases in the second half of the year encouraged some buyers to purchase iPhone 17 series models sooner than they might have otherwise. "That gave hesitant buyers a reason to go ahead and purchase," said IDC analyst Arthur Guo.

The growth came despite a weak June market, as smartphone sales during China's "618" shopping festival fell nearly 15 percent compared to the same period in 2025.


IDC says it expects conditions to deteriorate over the next couple of years. As vendors run down cheaper component inventory, the firm forecasts China's year-over-year decline could widen to around 20 percent in the second half of 2026, right around when Apple is expected to launch its new iPhone 18 Pro models and first foldable iPhone. Storage prices are unlikely to ease meaningfully before 2027, and a broader recovery is not expected until 2028 or 2029, reckons IDC.

On the bright side, the research firm believes customers are postponing upgrades rather than walking away from smartphones, so the delayed demand should return in time. On that basis, a recovery could arrive around 2028–2029 as a fresh replacement cycle comes due.
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WhatsApp is developing a first-party cloud storage option for chat backups on iPhone, providing users with an alternative to iCloud for the first time, according to app tinkerer WABetaInfo.


Code found in the WhatsApp beta for iOS (version 26.28.10.16), available through TestFlight, suggests that users will eventually be able to pick their preferred backup destination directly from the app's chat backup settings. iCloud however will remain the default.

The feature harks back to one that WABetaInfo spotted in development for Android back in April, which is set to give users on Google's platform a way to store backups off Google Drive.

Under the plan, WhatsApp will reportedly include 2GB of free storage on its own servers, and there will be a 50GB tier priced at around $0.99 per month, similar to Apple's entry-level iCloud+ plan. There is also said to be a 1TB option in the works, although the tiers and pricing could always change before the backup feature goes live.


Notably, backups kept on WhatsApp's servers will be protected by end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default, with no way to switch encryption off. That's firmer protection than what is offered by iCloud backups, whose users must turn on encryption manually by enabling Advanced Data Protection (ADP). WhatsApp will reportedly recommend securing backups with a passkey, but a password or 64-digit key will also work.

WABetaInfo says the feature is still in development and not yet working for beta testers, and WhatsApp hasn't yet stated when it plans to officially launch the backup alternative.
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Google has announced the rollout of Chrome's latest AI features to Mac and PC users in the U.K., indicated by a new "Ask Gemini" button with a sparkle icon in the upper right side of the browser.


Gemini in Chrome can work across multiple tabs, which is supposed to make it useful for comparing and summarizing information from several websites at once.

It also integrates with Google services such as Calendar, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps, allowing users to perform tasks like jumping to a specific moment in a YouTube video, scheduling a meeting, or drafting an email without leaving the current webpage.

The rollout includes Nano Banana, a new AI tool that can be used to generate images from text prompts right from the browser's sidebar.

Google says the new AI features will also be coming to iOS in the U.K. next month.

If you're not interested in any of this stuff, you can simply right-click on the Ask Gemini button at the upper right corner of Chrome and select Unpin to remove it from the browser.

Gemini's Chrome integration was initially limited to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, but Google expanded access to all desktop users in the US in September 2025, followed by rollouts to over 50 countries.
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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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Meta has been warned by the European Commission that its endlessly scrolling Facebook and Instagram feeds may violate the EU's new Digital Services Act rules.


In preliminary findings published on Friday, the Commission said that its investigation into features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommender systems, found that Meta "did not adequately assess the risks of their addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults."

From the press release:

These features fuel the user's urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain into 'autopilot mode,' contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use.

Moreover, Meta disregarded available information about the time minors spend on Instagram or Facebook at night and how the optimization of its different formats – such as reels and stories – could lead to excessive or compulsive use of the services.

The Commission additionally criticized Meta's risk mitigation measures, saying that the platforms' time management tools could be easily dismissed and don't meaningfully limit the time users spend on the services. It also found fault with Meta's parental controls, which the Commission said were "only effective if parents and guardians possess adequate technical expertise, as well as devote effort and time to understand them."

The Commission said that at this stage of its investigation, it believes Meta needs to make design changes to both Instagram and Facebook. These could include disabling addictive features such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing effective screen time breaks, and modifying its recommender system to make it less focused on driving engagement.

Meta on Friday said it disagreed with the Commission's findings, claiming they "don't accurately take into account the significant steps we've taken to protect teens."

The Commission said Meta now has the opportunity to exercise its right of defence by reviewing the documents in the investigation file and responding in writing to its preliminary findings. If those provisional conclusions are upheld, the company could face a fine of up to 6 percent of its global annual turnover.
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OpenAI says it is shuttering its ChatGPT Atlas browser. When it was released last October, the company said the agentic browser was designed around the question "What if you could chat with your web browser?" The query was at least novel, but the answer was apparently not all that compelling.

As part of a slew of ChatGPT Work-related announcements on Thursday, OpenAI confirmed plans to "sunset" Atlas, with deprecation scheduled for August 9.

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Apple has significantly lowered its demand expectations for the standard iPhone 17 because of rising hardware costs, a Chinese leaker claimed today.


According to the account "Fixed Focus Digital" on Weibo, some production lines for the standard iPhone 17 this week shifted from an earlier 15 percent reduction to plans to suspend roughly one-third of their capacity. The leaker also claimed Apple has made a "very serious" internal assessment of the impact that higher hardware costs could have on demand.

The claims can't be independently verified, plus the post doesn't say whether the production adjustments apply to overall iPhone 17 output or only to certain manufacturing lines, so caution is advised.

Higher component costs are impacting the electronics industry worldwide due to intense demand from AI companies intent on maximizing data center buildout, and Apple is far from immune.

The doubling cost of memory and storage chips over the last year recently led Apple to increase prices across multiple product lines, which CEO Tim Cook called "unavoidable." So far, iPhones have been spared the hikes, but Apple is widely expected to use the debut of iPhone 18 Pro models in September as a chance to increase the prices of its entire smartphone lineup.

Apple is expected to unveil a next-generation iPhone 18 model next spring alongside a new iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2, as part of a new split-launch strategy.
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Apple's battery supplier has registered two new battery cells believed to be destined for the company's rumored foldable iPhone, according to a prolific Chinese leaker.


In a post on Weibo, the leaker known as Digital Chat Station said that the two cells have rated capacities of 1,921mAh and 2,962mAh, for a combined minimum rated capacity of 4,883mAh. "The supply chain is also predicting a total battery capacity of 4,800–5,000mAh, though this still needs further confirmation," the leaker added.

If accurate, the dual-cell design would be in line with existing book-style foldable smartphones, which typically split the battery across the device's two halves. In terms of where it sits next to rival foldables already on the market, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a total battery capacity of 5,015 mAh, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a 4,400 mAh capacity. For comparison's sake, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are believed to come with 4,288mAh and 5,567mAh batteries, respectively.

The leaker's claim appears to conflict with an early rumor suggesting Apple was testing a significantly larger 5,400mAh to 5,800mAh battery for its first foldable iPhone. That report described an engineering test configuration, however, so it's possible Apple has since revised the design. Either that or the rumor was incorrect.

A March 2025 rumor claimed that Apple has placed a heavy focus on improving power efficiency while slimming down key components of its foldable iPhone, with battery life said to be a key priority for the company. Separately, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the device will use high-density battery cells.

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 in some countries. The device is expected to be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September. Apple's book-style foldable could launch as the "iPhone Ultra," as suggested by reports. 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.
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DuckDuckGo's free web browser now blocks most video ads on YouTube, and the feature is on by default for iPhone and Mac users running the latest version of the app.


Announced on Wednesday, YouTube Ad Blocking stops ads that play before and during videos on YouTube's website, and DuckDuckGo says the result is the regular YouTube experience minus the interruptions, so features like viewing history and saving your spot in playlists keep working.

One thing to watch on iPhone is if you tap a YouTube link, it often opens the dedicated YouTube app if you have it installed. The blocking feature obviously won't work there, and you'll need to open the YouTube website inside the DuckDuckGo browser instead.

DuckDuckGo says it is using a community-maintained filter lists from uBlock Origin, along with its own rules to help minimize breakage. The company warns that videos may buffer a little longer than usual, but playback should run uninterrupted once a clip loads.

Note that YouTube Ad Blocking is separate from Duck Player, the browser's distraction-free video viewing mode, but the two can be enabled together.


The move follows Google's ongoing efforts to break ad blockers every which way it can, including recent changes to Chrome that targeted uBlock Origin. It's worth mentioning that DuckDuckGo isn't the first browser to block YouTube ads, with similar features already available in Brave and Opera.

DuckDuckGo's browser offers more than a dozen privacy protections, including ad tracker blocking and cookie pop-up removal. It's available for iOS devices on the App Store and for Mac on the Mac App Store and DuckDuckGo website.
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Meta has prototyped "super sensing" smart glasses that use cameras and audio recordings to capture the wearer's every moment, reports the Financial Times ($).


The smart glasses continuously collect audio while taking photos every few seconds, allowing the user to leverage AI to help query what they saw or heard, or recall their day, according to the report's sources.

Meta's current AI smart glasses have an LED in the corner of the frame that lights up to signal to others when a wearer is taking photographs or filming. But Meta executives don't want to activate the LED when the super-sensing features are turned on.

In one proposed system, raw footage and audio would not be stored by Meta or made available to the user, several people said. Instead, the metadata from that audio and images would be extracted and uploaded to the server for Meta's AI to query, which proponents argue would have fewer privacy implications.

The company is also discussing whether data collected through the glasses and their features could be used to train its own AI models, as it pours billions into rivalling competition such as OpenAI, Google and Anthropic in the AI race.

The report suggests the features could be activated on Meta's existing glasses via a software update.

Meta's plan, which could still change, highlights the obvious civil liberty and privacy risks of smart glasses. Privacy experts argue that always-on devices could violate data privacy or biometric data laws. It is also unclear whether the company or the wearer would be liable for potential violations of wiretapping laws, given that several U.S. states prohibit recording third-party conversations without consent.

Meta's existing Ray-Ban smart glasses already lack a visual indicator when AI is being used to analyze the wearer's surroundings. The company says it safeguards privacy by stripping out key identifying information.

In February, it was reported that the social media giant had an inactive facial recognition feature embedded in its Ray-Ban smart glasses platform. The company later removed the system.

Apple is widely expected to release its first smart glasses in 2027, designed in-house rather than through a partner brand.

Apple's smart glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and AI capabilities, and will have the ability to take photos, record video, provide translations, give turn-by-turn directions, and more. However, they won't have augmented reality capabilities, and it's not clear how Apple will manage privacy concerns.
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Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max could be noticeably thicker and heavier than its predecessor, suggesting a trade-off behind the device's rumored larger battery.


Chinese leaker Ice Universe today claimed the iPhone 18 Pro Max will measure around 9mm thick and weigh approximately 240 grams. That would make the device around 0.25mm thicker and roughly 7 grams heavier than the current iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The latest claim comes off the back of recent regulatory filings indicating the iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a 5,391mAh battery in China and a 5,567mAh battery in the U.S. – an increase of nearly 500mAh over the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Ice Universe suggested the added thickness and weight are a direct result of the larger battery, but Apple is also said to be adopting a new type of vapor chamber that uses stainless steel, which could also be a contributing factor.

The rumor builds on an earlier claim that Apple's next flagship could become the heaviest iPhone ever. If so, it would have to be heavier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which also weighed 240 grams, so it may turn out that there are only milligram-level differences between the two.

Apple's use of titanium instead of stainless steel made the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro models. Apple then switched away from titanium to less-dense aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro models, but internal changes and slightly thicker designs bumped up their weight again.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to launch alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone this September.
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Apple has suspended development of the display for a cheaper, lighter version of the Vision Pro that it originally planned to launch in the next few years, according to The Elec.


The Korean outlet says Apple supplier Samsung Display is set to internally wind down the panel project – known in the industry as "G-VR" – with development set to be formally terminated by September.

G-VR is a glass-substrate micro-OLED, a lower-cost alternative to the silicon-based OLEDoS used in the current Vision Pro. It was being developed at around 1,600 to 1,700 pixels per inch, which is roughly half the 3,386 PPI of Apple's Vision Pro. The report says mass production had once been planned for sometime after 2028.

Apple has since turned much of its attention away from headsets in favour of smart glasses development, which has apparently drained momentum from the G-VR glass-substrate. However, Samsung continues to develop OLEDoS panels for the company's own mixed-reality devices, according to the report.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in October 2025 that Apple had paused work on a lighter, cheaper "Vision Air" to fast-track glasses that would rival Meta's Ray-Bans. In May 2026, Gurman reported that the cheaper device had been canceled outright.

Apple hasn't walked away from the headset market entirely, though. If a new Vision Pro-style device does materialize, Gurman said in May that he wouldn't expect it for "around two more years at least," given that the bulk of Apple's mixed-reality hardware talent has been pulled onto other projects like smart glasses, which are expected to launch in 2027.

Apple refreshed the Vision Pro in October 2025 with an updated model featuring an M5 chip. Last month, Apple upped the starting price of its Vision Pro from $3,499 to $3,699 as part of the company's sweeping product price hikes.
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Samsung has announced it will introduce its latest Galaxy smartphones at a July 22 event, including what is believed to be a Galaxy Z Fold 8 with new passport-style dimensions similar to Apple's upcoming book-style foldable iPhone.


It's no secret that Samsung has been working on a new foldable form factor to go head-to-head with Apple's rumored iPhone Ultra, and the company has been hinting at what's to come. Today's event announcement includes a video of a show ticket having its stub torn off to make it shorter than before – clearly alluding to the new device. "A new shape unfolds," reads the tagline.

The shorter, wider version of Samsung's book-style foldable is said to resemble Apple's own folding device, which is expected to have a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID. Apple is anticipated to debut the foldable in September alongside its new iPhone 18 Pro models.

Apart from unveiling the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Samsung is expected to announce new versions of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which also unfolds like a book, and the clamshell-style Galaxy Z Flip 7. New Galaxy Watches are also expected. Galaxy Unpacked will be held in London, U.K., starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on July 22.


On Tuesday, Google revealed that it will introduce its latest Pixel smartphones at an August 12 event, debuting the updated devices about a month ahead of when Apple is expected to announce new iPhone models.
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Apple today announced its multiyear partnership with Broadcom to design and produce custom silicon components and wireless technologies, confirming a Reuters report we covered on Monday.


Apple says the new agreement is expected to exceed $30 billion, and will lead to the creation of more than 15 billion U.S. chips and support "hundreds" of American jobs.

Broadcom is part of Apple's American Manufacturing Program (AMP), an initiative launched last year to boost U.S. manufacturing. Under Apple's largest AMP commitment to date, Broadcom will invest $1.5 billion to expand and modernize its manufacturing facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, where it will produce advanced radio frequency components, including FBAR filters, as well as wireless connectivity technologies.

"Apple and Broadcom have a long history together, and this new phase of our partnership further accelerates our commitment to American manufacturing and innovation," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "The cutting-edge components built in Fort Collins are essential to delivering the incredible performance and connectivity our customers expect, and we're proud to deepen our investments in U.S.-based suppliers that share our commitment to excellence and innovation. We're grateful to the president and his administration for supporting important projects like this one."

Broadcom's chips cover custom radio frequency components, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and other networking semiconductors found throughout Apple's lineup. Apple says the investment is part of its commitment to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over four years.
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