Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to arrive in September against a rival already outrunning its own forecasts.

ETNews reports Samsung is building an extra one million Galaxy Z Fold 8 units, after the 4:3 device took 70 percent of a record 1.44 million Galaxy Z8 series pre-orders. Apple's foldable display – made by Samsung – is rumored to use the same aspect ratio in the same book-style form factor.
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Apple has been testing memory chips from China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) across product lines including iPhones and MacBooks, according to a report today from The Wall Street Journal ($).


Laptop makers HP and Acer have already started using memory chips from CXMT in devices sold outside the U.S. Meanwhile, Apple has held early talks with CXMT about supplying components for devices sold in China, and the company is hoping for a sign-off from the White House before going further. The Financial Times reported last month that Apple had begun qualifying CXMT's DRAM, but today's report is the first to place that testing inside specific product categories.

What could scupper any potential deal are U.S. rules that bar American companies from transferring technology to CXMT, including conversations about technical details and product specifications. Export lawyer Kevin Wolf of Akin Gump told WSJ that Apple can buy off-the-shelf CXMT components and haggle over price, but it can't commission chips designed to its own requirements.

Apple usually has memory specially configured to work optimally with its own silicon, so using standard parts could mean reworking sections of its hardware, or potentially settling for less-than-ideal performance.

What's making Apple's life harder is the fact that a bipartisan group of senators led by Chuck Schumer has asked the company to rule out using Chinese memory entirely. A response to the request is due August 21.

There are supply issues to contend with as well. CXMT has reportedly maxed out production for the year and has little room for new international customers, having already prioritized domestic buyers such as ByteDance, Tencent, and Xiaomi. Its prices reportedly sit level with (and sometimes above) those of Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung. That's bad news for Apple. A fourth supplier only helps if it has chips to sell and sells them cheaper. Right now though, CXMT does neither.

Apple raised prices across its product lineup (excepting iPhone models) in June, blaming memory costs driven by the AI infrastructure demand.
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LG Display is developing a five-layer OLED panel structure that could end up in a future iMac, with an extra layer added to prevent screen burn-in and increase brightness, reports The Elec.


LG Display already builds four-stack OLED panels for high-resolution monitors, and arranges the light-emitting layers in a blue-green-blue-red pattern. The five-stack version reportedly under development adds a third blue layer, creating a blue-green-blue-red-blue arrangement.

Stacking on another emitting layer spreads the electrical load, which is important at high pixel densities, where each pixel gets smaller, as does the portion of it that actually emits light. Pushing more current through a smaller emitter to keep brightness up is also said to shorten panel life while making image retention more likely.

Apple last year sent requests for information to Samsung Display and LG Display about iMac OLED panel development. The specifications discussed were a 24-inch panel with 600 nits of brightness and 218 pixels per inch. The current 24-inch iMac's LCD manages 500 nits at the same density.

LG Display has already demonstrated a 27-inch 5K panel at 220 PPI with an RGB stripe subpixel layout. Given it uses the four-stack structure, it is likely not destined for an iMac, but The Elec suggests it is a gauge for high-density RGB stripe OLED and whether the company can manufacture it in volume.

The only problem with using five stacks, however, is cost. More emitting layers mean more organic material and a reportedly fiddlier deposition process. At the same time, LG Display has to reach Apple's brightness and lifespan requirements without ruining its yields in the process.

Samsung Display is developing QD-OLED for the same reason. Both suppliers are targeting 2028 to have the first iMac OLED panels developed, but a launch likely won't happen until 2029 at the earliest. Meanwhile, Apple is expected to refresh its current 24-inch LCD-based iMac with a new processor later this year.
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Apple's iPhone 18 Pro will cost nearly 40 percent more to build than its predecessor because of soaring memory prices, according to new data analyzed TrendForce.


The research firm's latest smartphone analysis puts the bill of materials for the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro roughly 38 percent above the equivalent iPhone 17 Pro, and says higher retail prices will be unavoidable as a result.

Memory is said to have accounted for about 10 percent of the 256GB iPhone Pro's total component cost a year ago. TrendForce estimates that figure at roughly 34 percent in the third quarter of 2026, rising past 40 percent in the first half of 2027. Panel and application processor costs, once the two biggest line items, drop to single-digit percentages by that point, given memory has taken up so much of the overall cost.

TrendForce expects Apple to take the same approach it used with recent MacBook launches by giving up part of its gross margin to keep the increase palatable with customers and protect shipment volumes. It also suggests Apple could raise prices on older iPhone models at the same time as the new lineup arrives, thereby spreading the cost recovery across the range.


TrendForce notes that memory prices have climbed five- to sevenfold since the start of 2025, and expects Android vendors in the entry-level and mid-range segments to raise prices more steeply than Apple. That, or they could drop product lines outright.

Apple raised prices across the Mac, iPad, Apple TV, HomePod, and Vision Pro lines in June over concerns about the same memory crunch. The iPhone lineup escaped that round, but it looks increasingly unlikely that it will escape the next one.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone "Ultra" next month.
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Apple considered a so-called "white-glove" element for its Apple Upgrade leasing program that would have delivered each new replacement device already loaded with the customer's data, but the idea never made it out of planning, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Apple Upgrade launched in the U.S. on July 28, replacing the iPhone Upgrade Program and iPhone Payments. The plan lets customers lease an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch rather than buy one outright or pay in installments. iPhone and Apple Watch leases run 12 or 24 months, while Mac and iPad terms are 24 or 36 months. At the end of a term, customers return the device, pay off the balance and keep it, or trade up to a new lease.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that when the concept was first discussed years ago, Apple also weighed the idea of having each year's device arrive at the customer's door ready to use, restored from their iCloud backup before it shipped. The version of Apple Upgrade that was actually launched last month includes nothing of the sort.

Setting up a new iPhone can be a notoriously drawn-out process, and the feature would have removed that step from launch day entirely. Gurman believes however that the privacy optics may have put Apple off the idea.

Gurman says the technical side was never the obstacle. Rather, Apple may have decided the idea of receiving a new iPhone with personal account data pre-installed on it could be unnerving for some customers, provoking questions about how the data was transferred and whether anyone could have accessed it.
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Apple is likely to unveil a new M6 MacBook Pro and refreshed iMacs in October, based on its typical release schedule, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman reiterated his belief that Apple is readying the launch of a refreshed base-model MacBook Pro with a 14-inch display powered by an M6 chip.

The base model is expected ahead of new high-end MacBook Pro models with OLED displays and M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which could arrive between the end of this year and early 2027. Gurman reported last month that Apple was testing the laptops with macOS 27.1, which is scheduled for release to consumers at the end of October.

As for iMacs, the new version is likely to be an updated 24-inch model with an M5 chip or M6 chip, replacing the existing M4 model. No major design changes are expected, with Apple also reportedly developing a 24-inch iMac with an OLED display, though that won't arrive for several years.
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Apple this week expanded support for its Apple Account Card in the Wallet app to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Malta. The Apple Account Card option for Wallet started rolling out in 2022, and Apple has been gradually expanding the feature to more countries since then.

What is the Apple Account Card?

So what is it, exactly? The card displays the balance associated with a user's Apple Account (formerly Apple ID), and it can be used to make purchases in any brick-and-mortar Apple Store and online at Apple.com. It can also be used to buy apps in the App Store, as well as subscriptions and other Apple services.

It's also where the credit goes if you use it to redeem an Apple Gift Card. An Apple Account Card can also be topped up using a linked debit or credit card (via the "Add Money" option in Wallet).

It's NOT an Apple Credit Card

Note that an Apple Account Card is different from Apple Card, the latter of which is a straightforward digital and physical credit card for making financial transactions at contactless payment terminals (via Apple Pay), as well as in stores, restaurants, and other locations where Apple Pay isn't yet accepted.

Comparatively, an Apple Account Card is a digital-only card for money available in your Apple Account balance. There's no credit line, no interest, and no rewards attached. Neither is there a physical version of the Apple Account Card. You can't send money to a friend with it, and the balance isn't something you can cash out.

Apple Account Card – Supported Regions

As well as the regions mentioned at the start of this article, Apple Account Cards are supported in the following countries:

One thing to note: Paying in person at an Apple Store with an Apple Account Card (by double-clicking the side button and holding your iPhone to the reader) isn't available in every country or region, and neither are all of the card's other features. Apple hasn't yet said whether the four new regions that it most recently expanded to will get the full range of usage options.

Add an Apple Account Card to Wallet

To add an Apple Account Card to your iPhone's Wallet app, open Wallet, tap the plus (+) button, then tap Add Apple Account. Tap Continue, then give it a few moments while it's linked to your Apple Account. Once it's in your Wallet, your balance and any recent transactions will appear below the card.
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In iOS 26, Apple let you stretch the Lock Screen clock down your iPhone's display until it dwarfed everything else. In iOS 27, Apple has a new clock option that does the opposite, with the introduction of a compact mode that shrinks the time to roughly the size of the date and tucks it into the row at the top of the screen.


The result is a Lock Screen that genuinely shows off your wallpaper, while still displaying the time and date. If you picked a photo that looks better in its complete framing, this is the first time iOS gives you the opportunity to see more of it unobstructed.

How to Switch to the Compact Clock

The following steps show you how it's done.

1. Touch and hold the Lock Screen, then tap Customize.


2. Tap inside the currently set clock frame to open the Font & Color panel.


3. Tap the new icon made of two horizontal bars in the top-right corner of the panel to set the clock to compact mode.


4. If you're happy with the new look, tap anywhere else on the wallpaper, then tap Done in the top-right corner of the screen.

You'll see that the clock shrinks immediately and moves up beside the date, so you can judge the effect against your wallpaper before saving. To go back, simply tap the same icon in the Font & Color panel again. The clock will return to its previous position and size.

Customizations

The new compact clock keeps your existing clock customizations like font, weight, and color, and these can still be adjusted, but you do lose access to the Liquid Glass slider in compact mode.

Bear in mind that the option applies to individual Lock Screens rather than being a global setting, so you can have a compact clock on one wallpaper and a full-size one on another – for a Focus mode, for example. iOS 27 is currently in public beta with general availability expected in September.
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Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser owners have been able to adjust the audio frequency spectrum of their headphones for years, whereas AirPods owners have had to make do with Apple's default tuning. That's no longer the case in iOS 27, which adds a three-band equalizer to the AirPods settings screen.


It's worth noting that iOS has had an EQ setting for years – it's buried in Settings ➝ Apps ➝ Music, but it applies only to Apple Music playback, and works on any pair of headphones. In iOS 27, the new EQ is specifically tied to your AirPods, so it applies to everything you listen to. Your custom EQ profile also carries over to iPad and Mac when you pair your AirPods with them.

What You Need

Custom EQ requires Apple's H2 chip, so it supports AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2. Earlier models, including the original AirPods Max, aren't compatible with the feature.

You'll also need current AirPods beta firmware. If the Equalizer option described below doesn't appear, pair your AirPods with your iPhone, tap your AirPods in Settings, then tap AirPods Beta Updates and toggle on the beta updates option. Afterwards, put your AirPods in the case, connect the case to power, and leave it near your unlocked iPhone to let the latest beta firmware install quietly in the background. It shouldn't take more than half an hour.

How to Adjust Your AirPods EQ

1. With your AirPods connected, open Settings on your iPhone.


2. Tap your AirPods at the top of the screen.


3. Tap Audio & Routing.


4. Tap Equalizer.


5. Tap Custom, then drag the low, mid, and high points up or down.

You should see a media playback control above the EQ showing the last thing you listened to, allowing you to hear how your adjustments sound in real time. Lows cover bass weight, mids carry vocals and most instruments, and highs handle treble detail and sibilance.

To undo your changes, simply tap Reset, or choose Recommended at the top to restore Apple's default profile. You'll find all the same options in iPadOS 27, as well as in macOS 27 Golden Gate (in System Settings).

iOS 27 and Apple's other upcoming software updates remain in public beta for now, with a general release expected sometime this September.
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This year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could be $250-$300 more expensive than existing iPhone 17 Pro models due to higher silicon and memory costs, an analyst claimed today.


According to an earnings note by Jeff Pu of GF Securities, higher 2nm silicon and DRAM/NAND costs could drive the price hikes, as Apple grapples with global component shortages owing to the AI infrastructure buildout.

Currently, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max start at $1,099 and $1,199, respectively. In June, Apple increased the prices of iPads, Macs, HomePods, the Apple TV, and the Vision Pro. iPhone models were spared similar hikes. Pu believes price hikes on the next-generation Pro models could create "demand uncertainty." The analyst has subsequently downgraded AAPL from buy to hold.

It's a shift of tone from Pu, who in May said Apple could price the iPhone 18 Pro models "aggressively," despite rising memory costs.

During the company's Q3 earnings call on Thursday, outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook did not comment on whether Apple plans to raise iPhone prices when the iPhone 18 Pro models and first foldable launch this September, but many analysts believe prices will go up.

This September, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models alongside its first foldable iPhone, which is expected to cost north of $2,000. The regular iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are expected to launch in spring 2027.
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Spotify today announced a new Running Mode that turns playlists into structured running sessions built around workout type, tempo, and listening habits. It's launching on iOS first.


Located in the app's Fitness Hub, the feature lets runners choose from 25 presets that can be tweaked to fit workout type (interval, steady, or pyramid, for example), with options for duration, beats per minute, and the preferred kind of music. Spotify then matches track selection to the chosen tempo and moves through songs as the session progresses.

Optional audio cues can be enabled to guide users through their run, although these are English-only for now.

Spotify suggests the feature grew out of its fitness-based "Prompted Playlists," a natural-language playlist feature that has seen a lot of fitness prompts directed its way.

Running Mode sits alongside the fitness content Spotify added in April, when it began featuring Peloton classes and creator workout videos in the app.

Strava discontinued its in-app Spotify integration late last month, and removed the music controls that had lived in Strava's workout display since 2023, so Spotify's new mode could be a timely salve for runners who want to keep listening.

Spotify says the new Running Mode is available to premium subscribers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden, starting today.
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For the better part of two decades, an iPhone's alarm volume has matched its ringer. In other words, if you slide the ringtone volume down to silence your iPhone overnight, you're also turning your alarm's volume down with it. That's no longer the case in iOS 27.


Settings now includes an "Alarms and Timers" section with its own Match Ringtone Volume toggle. If you toggle it off, a dedicated slider appears that allows you to drop the ringer volume to nothing, and you'll still be woken at whatever alarm volume you choose.

How to Set a Separate Alarm Volume

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.


2. Tap Sounds & Haptics.


3. Under "Alarms and Timers," toggle off Match Ringtone Volume.


4. Drag the slider that appears to set your alarm and timer volume.

That's all there is to it. Alarms and timers now have their own level, regardless of how quiet or loud your iPhone's ringer is set at.

Bear in mind that alarms carrying their own volume control – like any wake-up alarm you have selected in your Sleep schedule – will keep the level you set for them individually. To go back to the old behavior, simply toggle Match Ringtone Volume back on, and the slider will disappear.

A Second Toggle for Alerts and System Sounds

You may notice that directly below the "Alarms and Timers" controls sits a second Match Ringtone Volume switch in a separate section. This covers alerts and system sounds, like incoming texts, keyboard clicks, and suchlike. Toggle off this setting and you'll get a similar independent slider. It's a neat fix if, say, you've ever wanted a loud ringer without a loud keyboard.

iOS 27 is currently available in public beta and is expected to be generally available this coming September.
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If you've never been a fan of Liquid Glass – Apple's glass-like interface effect introduced in iOS 26 – then there's some good news in iOS 27. Apple has added a setting that lets you finely adjust the level of translucency, giving you more control over the look and feel of your iPhone.


Perhaps you find notifications too see-through, or you want to see more of your wallpaper through Control Center. Fortunately, iOS 27 includes a dial that can help with that. Apple has swapped the two-option Clear and Tinted setting for a continuous slider that puts translucency anywhere between barely-there glass and a heavy frost.

The earlier presets arrived in iOS 26.1 and gave you two positions on a spectrum, whereas iOS 27 gives you the whole spectrum. It also locates the control in "Appearance" – a new section in Settings that gathers up interface options previously scattered through Display & Brightness, including Light and Dark mode and text size.

Not only that, Apple has also tweaked the default look, and says that Liquid Glass now diffuses complex content behind it more effectively while drawing a clearer separation between layers.

How to Change the Liquid Glass Effect

When you first install iOS 27, you'll be presented with the slider to change the Liquid Glass effect, but it's good to know how to get to it later if you want to switch up the look.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.


2. Tap Appearance.


3. Tap Liquid Glass.


4. Drag the slider left for a clearer, more transparent effect, or right to add tint and opacity.

The midpoint on the slider is Apple's default. The UI preview redraws in real time as you drag it, so you can watch it instead of having to back out of Settings to check. Note that the setting applies across the system, and affects everything from Control Center and Home screen folders to app overlays and Lock Screen notifications.

If the Slider Doesn't Go Far Enough

Even at the tinted end, Apple's interface retains a degree of glassiness. If you're not satisfied with the result, two Accessibility options push it further:

• Reduce Transparency strips out nearly all translucency, leaving only flat, solid backgrounds.


• Increase Contrast sharpens the boundaries between buttons, text, and whatever sits behind them.

You can find both in Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Display & Text Size.

You'll find that iPadOS 27 also offers these controls in the same place, and the same goes for macOS 27 Golden Gate (albeit in System Settings). All three software updates are in public beta now, with a general release expected in September.
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We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.


One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a two-phase rollout starting with the iPhone 18 series. That means the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the long-rumored foldable iPhone ("iPhone Ultra") will be released in September 2026, followed by the iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2, and iPhone 18e in spring 2027.


Overall Design

iPhone 17 Pro Style

Rumors suggest the iPhone 18 Pro lineup will largely retain the same design as the iPhone 17 Pro models. Most rumors suggest the rear camera system will look identical to the current generation, featuring a raised "plateau" with three lenses arranged in a triangle – although recent dummies indicate a possible thickening of the plateau and the protrusion of individual lenses. Display sizes are also expected to remain unchanged, with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max continuing to use 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch panels, respectively (the same dimensions introduced with the iPhone 16 Pro series). iPhone 18 Pro models could drop the current two-tone look of the rear casing found on the iPhone 17 Pro in favor of a more seamless aesthetic, while Apple has apparently updated the back-glass "replacement process" to minimize the color difference between the Ceramic Shield 2 glass and the aluminum frame, resulting in a more unified appearance. More recently, rumors have suggested that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could be thicker and heavier than its predecessor, suggesting a trade-off behind the device's rumored larger battery.

Next-Level Battery Life

Thicker Chassis

The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, based on Chinese regulatory findings. 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.According to another rumor, the body of the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, raising the device's weight to around 243 grams. That would make the iPhone 18 Pro Max approximately 3 grams more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is currently the heaviest model Apple has produced. A larger battery is the most likely cause.

Smaller Dynamic Island

Under-Screen Face ID?

Rumors continue to circulate about whether the iPhone 18 Pro models will introduce under-display Face ID, but reports remain divided on when the technology will actually arrive. The feature would move the TrueDepth camera system beneath the display, eliminating the need for the current Dynamic Island cutout.

According to Wayne Ma of The Information, Apple is targeting a design without a Dynamic Island, replacing it with a single pinhole camera in the upper-left corner of the screen. However, other sources dispute that claim. Display analyst Ross Young believes under-display Face ID is possible for the iPhone 18 Pro, but says a smaller Dynamic Island will still be present. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has echoed this view, reporting that the new models will feature a slimmed-down Dynamic Island rather than removing it entirely. Apple is also said to be testing new camera miniaturization technology to reduce the size of the front-facing camera currently located within the Dynamic Island.

The Weibo leaker "Ice Universe" has claimed the Dynamic Island cutout on the iPhone 18 Pro models will be approximately 35% narrower than it is on the iPhone 17 Pro models. Specifically, they said it will have a width of around 13.5mm, down from around 20.7mm.

Meanwhile, Chinese leaker Instant Digital has offered yet another version of events, saying the Dynamic Island will shrink in size, but that under-display Face ID and camera technology won't debut this year. The latest word on the subject is that Apple is weighing two options for the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island, and a final decision has yet to be made. One option apparently retains the existing screen mold from the iPhone 17 Pro, while the other introduces a significantly smaller "Mini ‌Dynamic Island‌" enabled by moving the Face ID receiver and transmitter components beneath the display.

Upgraded Display

LTPO+

The iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly use LTPO+ display technology, which should be more power efficient than the current LTPO technology in the iPhone 17 series. Such an upgrade could also contribute to longer battery life (see above), since LPTO+ enables finer control of OLED light emission, potentially allowing the display to optimize its operation based on environmental conditions. In other words, it will know better when to up screen brightness or reduce it, depending on surrounding light sources. The panels are reportedly being supplied by Samsung Display and LG Display.

A20 Pro Chip

2nm Process

The iPhone 18 Pro models will use Apple's A20 chip, based on TSMC's 2nm process for power and efficiency improvements. A move to 2nm fabrication increases transistor density, which will enable higher performance. The A20 series is expected to deliver roughly a 15 percent speed gain and about 30 percent better efficiency compared with the A19 series used in Apple's iPhone 17 models.

Apple's A20 chip will be packaged with TSMC's Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology, suggesting at least some A20 chips will have RAM integrated directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine, rather than sitting adjacent to the chip and connected via a silicon interposer. This could contribute to faster performance for both overall tasks and Apple Intelligence, and longer battery life from improved power efficiency. In June, an image of the iPhone 18 Pro motherboard leaked online, showing the A20 Pro chip will indeed use the new packaging technology.

C2 Modem

Replacing Qualcomm

It was previously expected that Apple would include its next-generation C2 modem in the iPhone 18 Pro models. The chip would succeed the C1 modem, which debuted in the lower-cost iPhone 16e as Apple's first in-house cellular modem, and the C1X modem chip in the iPhone Air, which Apple says is up to 2× faster than the C1. While the C2 would likely bring faster speeds, improved power efficiency, and support for mmWave 5G in the United States, a recent rumor has questioned its adoption there. It's possible that the iPhone 18 Pro will use different modem chips depending on the market it is sold in, with U.S. models retaining Qualcomm hardware and international models using Apple's in-house C2 modem.

Apple's modem roadmap is part of a long-term strategy to reduce reliance on Qualcomm, which currently supplies 5G modems for the rest of the iPhone lineup. The company has been working on developing its own cellular chips for years, aiming for deeper integration and greater control over power management and performance.

New Camera Sensor

Samsung-Made

Samsung is working on a new three-layer stacked image sensor, reportedly intended for the iPhone 18. The sensor, referred to as PD-TR-Logic, integrates three layers of circuitry, which would improve camera responsiveness, reduce noise, and increase dynamic range. The leak comes from a source known as "Jukanlosreve," who claims the sensor is being developed specifically for Apple's 2026 iPhone lineup. Sony has long been Apple's sole image sensor supplier, so Samsung's entry would be a big shift in the iPhone's camera supply chain.

Variable Aperture

DSLR-Style

Apple intends to equip this year's iPhone 18 Pro models with a variable aperture lens, according to reports. Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station claims the main rear camera – what Apple calls the 48-megapixel Fusion camera – on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, which would be a first for the iPhone. A variable-aperture system physically adjusts the lens opening, letting more light in for low-light shots or narrowing the opening for brighter scenes and deeper depth of field.

The main cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro, 16 Pro, and 17 Pro all use a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, where the lens is permanently set to its widest setting. With a variable lens, the iPhone 18 Pro would allow users to manually shift the aperture, similar to on a DSLR camera. This would mean more control over depth of field, enabling sharper focus on subjects or smoother background blur. Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in November 2024 that Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models will get the feature.

5G Satellite Internet

Non-Terrestrial Data

According to a report by The Information, Apple plans to add support for 5G networks that operate via satellites rather than Earth-based towers as early as next year. This advancement would allow future iPhones to gain full internet connectivity through satellite, not just limited emergency features.

If Apple meets the 2026 target, the first devices to feature 5G satellite internet would likely be the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the long-rumored foldable iPhone. Apple partners with Globalstar for its iPhone satellite features, but there is currently no service that delivers full 5G satellite internet directly to a smartphone. That said, Amazon and Globalstar announced in April a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire the satellite operator. Amazon's Leo satellite network will power existing iPhone features – with scope for additional feature support as part of a forthcoming infrastructure upgrade.

Simplified Camera Control

New Design

Apple is reportedly working to simplify the Camera Control button's design on iPhone 18 models in order to reduce costs. The current Camera Control button on iPhone 17 models uses both capacitive and pressure sensors beneath a sapphire crystal surface. The capacitive layer detects touch gestures, while the force sensor recognizes different pressure levels for taps, presses, and swipes.

However, according to the Weibo-based account Instant Digital, Apple will remove the capacitive sensing layer and retain only pressure sensing recognition in the second iteration to achieve all Camera Control functions on the iPhone 18. The simplified version is not about reducing functionality in the button, but about saving money. The current solution is said to be very expensive for Apple and is generating costly after-sales repairs.

We don't expect Camera Control to go away anytime soon – Apple apparently sees it as a key feature, so much so that it has reportedly made deliberate engineering compromises to ensure that the first foldable iPhone features the button.

New Colors

Three in Testing

In February 2026, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is testing a deep red finish for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Rumors of purple and brown finishes have also circulated, but Gurman believes those are just variants of the same red idea. Since then, we've seen aligned rumors that the devices will come in light blue, dark cherry, dark gray, and silver.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max were previously available in Deep Purple, and Apple has never released an iPhone in a genuinely brown color. According to a Chinese leaker, Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models won't come in black this year. If the rumor is true, it will be the second consecutive year Apple has ditched what was arguably its most classic color option for the Pro lineup.

iOS 27

Smarter Siri

The iPhone 18 Pro will ship with iOS 27, which brings the biggest Siri shake-up in the assistant's history. Apple introduced Siri AI at WWDC in June – a rebuilt, more conversational version of Siri with onscreen awareness, personal context understanding, and broad world knowledge that lets it pull up-to-date answers from the web. It also gains its own standalone app for revisiting past conversations, an expanded Visual Intelligence mode, and writing tools that work across email, messages, and documents. Like the iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to carry 12GB of RAM, so it should run the full range of Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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If you accidentally press the dictation or voice icon after sending a text in Messages, your music may pause while your iPhone starts listening. It's a small annoyance, but a frequent one, since the dictation/audio icon sits so close to the send arrow that stray taps are almost inevitable. In iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, Apple has finally given you a way to get rid of it.


The issue is one that popstar Justin Bieber publicly complained about, claiming that the send button shouldn't have multiple functions so close together. The post went viral, and in iOS 27, Apple has done something about it.

Quite simply, the message text field now has a new setting. You can choose whether it displays the audio waveform icon for recording a voice message, the microphone icon for dictation, or nothing at all. Here's how to find it:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.


2. Tap Apps at the bottom of the list.


3. Tap Messages.


4. Tap Show in Text Field.


5. Choose one of the three options: Record Audio, Start Dictation, or None.
   
   

If you keep tapping the text field icon by mistake, you'll want to choose None.

If you occasionally record voice messages, don't worry – you can still use the plus button to the left of the input field to enable Audio. If it's dictation you sometimes use, you'll find the microphone key at the bottom right of the iOS keyboard (if it's not there, go to Settings ➝ General ➝ Keyboard and turn on Enable Dictation.)

iOS 27 is remains in beta, with a public release expected sometime this September.
This article, "iOS 27 Lets You Hide the Messages Button Everyone Hits by Mistake" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Driver's licenses and IDs may soon be available in Apple Wallet for iPhone and Apple Watch users living in Oklahoma. MacRumors discovered signs of an Oklahoma ID in Apple's backend.


With input from Apple, a House bill was passed in March 2026 that allows Service Oklahoma to issue mobile or digital versions of state identification cards, driver's licenses or permits – suggesting this is Apple taking preparatory steps for future Wallet integration.

The digital equivalents are not intended to replace physical licenses or state IDs, meaning Oklahomans will be required to keep the latter, while using the mobile version as a "companion option."

Other states planning to add support for driver's licenses in Apple Wallet include Connecticut, Kentucky, Mississippi, Utah, and Virginia. MacRumors already spotted signs of Utah and Virginia in Apple's backend.

Multiple states have already implemented support, as has Puerto Rico:
Digital IDs and licenses are accepted at select TSA checkpoints across the United States. They can also be used at some business venues and in select apps that require ID verification for services or purchases.

In states that do not support licenses in the Wallet app, iPhone users can add their U.S. passport to the Apple Wallet app with the iOS 26 Digital ID feature.
This article, "iPhone Driver's Licenses May Soon Expand to Another US State" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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WhatsApp has announced a handful of enhancements for group calling over the encrypted platform, including seamless call transfers across devices and a new web calling feature.


It's now possible to make and receive audio and video calls, including both one-on-one and group calls, directly from WhatsApp Web. The new browser-based service provides access to common features available on other devices, like screen sharing, reactions, and a dedicated Calls tab with a user's full call history.

WhatsApp says the end-to-end encrypted web service will make it easier to jump on a call without leaving your browser, and it should be especially welcomed by anyone who uses a work laptop that doesn't allow app downloads.

The latest rollout also brings Call Transfer, allowing users to move an active group call from one device to another without hanging up.

Then there's the new Waiting Room, which appears when creating a WhatsApp call link with "Require approval to join" enabled. Participants now enter the waiting room first until the host is ready to let them in.

Two last additions round out this update: QuickHD allows users to enjoy high-definition video immediately in the very first few seconds of the call, while Noise Suppression removes background noise so that voices come through more clearly, even in loud or busy environments.

WhatsApp says the slate of new features are rolling out gradually and will be "available to everyone soon."
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Apple's next MacBook Air is several months away, but if you've been holding off on an upgrade, here's why now could actually be a good time to buy.

The Current Air is the Best Value Mid-Tier Mac

The M5 MacBook Air starts at $1,299 following Apple's recent $200 price hike, but Amazon is already knocking $100 off, bringing it down to $1,199. The base model's 16GB of RAM means it's no longer hobbled out of the box, and in terms of capability for what you pay, nothing else in the Mac lineup comes close – not even the $699 MacBook Neo, whose A18 Pro chip, capped 8GB of RAM, and lack of Thunderbolt 4 make it a different class of machine entirely. Don't forget: Apple is also offering M5 MacBook Air models in its refurbished store, with up to 15 percent off regular prices.

Prices Are More Likely to Rise Than Fall

The $200 price hike Apple applied in late June to the MacBook Air was a direct result of the ongoing global memory chip shortage, and there's no sign that the pressure is easing. If component costs stay elevated into next year's M6 refresh, there's a real chance that the next MacBook Air launches at an even higher price than today's model. Grabbing an M5 Air now could therefore be tantamount to getting ahead of the next hike.

No Air Refresh is Imminent

The next 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models aren't expected until early next year at the soonest, and they're likely to be an M6 chip bump rather than a redesign – so that's at least six months of waiting for a fairly modest spec-sheet upgrade. The bigger change is an OLED display, but that's even further out: Apple is reportedly bringing the Mac lineup's long-rumored OLED transition to the MacBook Pro first (complete with a touchscreen), and the latest rumors suggest an OLED MacBook Air won't arrive until 2028 or 2029. If a touchscreen OLED panel is what you're holding out for, you're really angling for a MacBook Pro, not an Air.

The Timing Could Work in Your Favor

Apple's back-to-school discounts, now live in the U.S., mean that education discounts and gift card promotions can cut the device's retail pricing. With those discounts in hand, it could work out to be the lowest price MacBook Air you can get before the next refresh (and who knows what price hikes that could bring).

It's Already More Mac Than Most People Need

Apple Silicon long ago passed the point where the MacBook Air struggles with everyday work. The M5 chip handles photo editing, light-to-medium video work, and heavy browser sessions without breaking a sweat. The chip's architecture is designed with AI computing in mind, and it also runs silent with no fan. Not only that, it will get macOS updates for years. For most buyers, the current Air won't feel slow before they're ready to replace it anyway.

Bottom Line

Wait if you want OLED or an M6-equipped machine. But otherwise, the M5 MacBook Air you can buy today is better than waiting for a marginally faster one arriving sometime in the first half of 2027.

This article, "5 Reasons to Buy a MacBook Air Now Instead of Waiting" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple will exclusively rely on Samsung Display for the production of OLED touch panels for its redesigned upcoming MacBook Pro models, according to a new report from Korea-based The Elec.


Citing industry sources, the publication says that the 14-inch and 16-inch panels will be produced at Samsung's 8.6-generation OLED line at Asan, in Korea's South Chungcheong Province. The estimated initial supply is said to be 2.5 million panels, and mass production is expected to begin around August.

Apple reportedly didn't consider LG Display or China's BOE Technology Group for panel development due to yield and efficiency issues, as well as already-busy OLED production lines, making Samsung the default sole supplier. Samsung is said to have secured the position by working closely with Apple from the outset, and adapting its panel specifications and manufacturing capabilities during development.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has repeatedly claimed that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with an OLED touch screen are pegged to launch in late 2026 to early 2027. However, his most recent update on the matter said that early 2027 is now more likely because of the global chip shortage.

An OLED panel with touch-screen support is just one aspect of a major refresh planned for the high-end MacBook Pro models, with other rumored features including M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a Dynamic Island (i.e., no notch) and a thinner design. The laptops could have "MacBook Ultra" branding, and macOS 27 will include a touch-friendly interface ready for the laptops.
This article, "MacBook Ultra OLED Touch Panel to Be Exclusively Supplied by Samsung" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Memory prices have doubled, Macs and iPads have gone up, and iPhones are expected to follow. Ed Zitron – who writes the Where's Your Ed At newsletter, hosts the Better Offline podcast, and has been described by Politico as the AI boom's most "acerbic gadfly" – has spent years arguing the buildout driving those costs will never pay for itself.

We asked him what happens to Apple if he's right.


You've been calling AI a bubble since before it was fashionable. For MacRumors readers who mostly know it as ChatGPT or Apple Intelligence on their iPhone, what, in plain terms, is actually broken about the economics of the LLM industry?

At their very core, Large Language Models' costs run contrary to basically every model of selling software.

Consumers and enterprises alike have been trained to pay a monthly fee for a service, and while these services might have limits or strictures, basically nobody buying software expects to have a metered service, let alone one that's both metered and with hard to measure costs.

LLMs burn tokens at a per-million rate regardless of whether or not you get the response you want, or whether it does what you ask it to do. If you ask a coding agent to do some sort of software task and it goes off and spins its wheels in a loop, you're paying for the tokens regardless.

AI companies knew that consumers would never pay the actual cost of their AI services, so they have, for the most part, sold them monthly subscriptions with vague rate limits that allow them to burn way more in tokens than the cost of their subscription. SemiAnalysis found that you can burn hundreds of dollars on a $20-a-month subscription and thousands of dollars on a $200-a-month subscription, and while AI boosters will claim that these companies have "70% gross margins on tokens," there is little proof that this is the case, and my own reporting shows that OpenAI lost $20.9 billion on $13.07 billion in revenue in 2025.



This means the very basic economics are broken. If Anthropic and OpenAI believed customers would actually pay the real cost of AI tokens, they wouldn't have to give away 20 to 40 times the amount of tokens to subscribers.

Meanwhile, back in March of this year, both moved their enterprise customers over to token-based billing. Within a few weeks, it came out that Uber had spent its entire annual token budget in the space of a quarter, and its COO said that it was getting "harder to justify" the cost of AI because it was hard to track the cost of AI to any actual useful features shipping. Sam Altman would eventually say it was a "huge issue" but declined to say how it might be fixed.

This is a problem across basically every single AI-powered startup, which has to pay the per-million token rate. Perplexity, Cursor, GitHub Copilot (which moved to token-based billing in June) – every single AI startup is unprofitable because their users don't want to pay the actual cost of AI.

Another issue is that AI services are just not that useful or differentiated. While people get some sort of benefit out of AI-generated code, these tools actually end up making them slower, and are filling codebases full of slop. Otherwise, an LLM is an LLM is an LLM – it can generate, it can summarize, it can search, and that's about it, which means that every AI service is effectively the same. That's why 89% of all AI revenues are Anthropic and OpenAI, and why every AI startup talks in terms of "annualized revenue" (monthx12) – because actual revenues are very depressing. Even then, most are barely at $100 million annualized.

Then there are the data centers. An AI data center is very, very expensive to build, takes 18 to 36 months, and costs billions of dollars, which means effectively anyone building one will be raising debt and only get paid once a customer moves in... except there aren't really any customers for AI data centers outside of Anthropic and OpenAI, both of whom are so unprofitable that they've had to raise hundreds of billions of dollars even when Microsoft, Google and Amazon built all their infrastructure.

The only reason everybody isn't freaking out about this is because AI-related stocks have done well, even though none of the hyperscalers actually share their AI revenues.

You've argued that AI's demand story is essentially a mirage – that most of the data center capacity is being absorbed by OpenAI and Anthropic themselves, which is masking the absence of real enterprise demand. If that's right, who do you think will actually bear the cost when the whole thing unravels?

Honestly, it's going to be a lot of private credit funds, because they're the ones funding the data centers, and they're funded by pension funds like the SF teachers fund or CalPERS, which makes me really, really worried about the systemic contagion.

People will argue that this means there's going to be a bailout, but this isn't really a bailoutable thing. These data centers are funded by project financing, which means that the money is basically gone and the only way to "make them whole" would be to either buy out the debt or feed them revenues. While you could theoretically bail out these special purpose vehicles (SPVs), doing so would be to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars and be political cancer.

I also fundamentally believe that Oracle gets killed by OpenAI. Its revenues have been stagnating for 20 years, and the only way it's kept its head above water is $85bn+ in acquisitions, and even then, that's just kept things flat. Its bets on AI data centers – $340bn+ with hundreds of billions in debt – require OpenAI to become the largest, most-profitable company in the world by 2030, or Oracle runs out of money. Good luck on that one Larry.

The actual contagion from the collapse will be widespread. The TWSE is heavily reliant on Taiwanese ODMs like Quanta and Hon Hai (Foxconn) who have seen their revenues boosted by selling AI servers. While I don't think it kills these companies (especially as Hon Hai makes so much from Apple), it will cut their stock price, which will in turn cut the livelihoods of those investing. The same goes for Korean investors on the KOSPI, and eventually American investors in the various hyperscalers and semiconductor companies that are running entirely because of the AI bubble.

It all really sucks.


Hyperscalers building out data centers have hoovered up so much of the world's memory supply that DRAM prices have roughly doubled this year. Tim Cook has called Apple's recent price increases "unavoidable" – Macs and iPads are already up, and iPhone models are expected to follow soon. It seems the clearest sign yet that the bubble's costs are being passed onto ordinary consumers. If the buildout is as speculative as you say, are people basically paying more for hardware to subsidise data centers that may never turn a profit?

I don't think any of them turn a profit, no.

Hyperscalers have spent over $1 trillion in capex since 2022. If we assume that even half of that is AI data centers, they need to make over $1.5 trillion in brand spanking new profit, not revenue, but actual profit, to justify any of these expenditures.

And yes, we are all paying more for stuff for effectively no reason other than that everybody in big tech has gone insane and wants to build as many data centers as possible. I wrote about this in the Hater's Guide To The Memory Crisis.

The hyperscalers are collectively spending north of $650 billion on AI infrastructure this year, whereas Apple is spending about $14 billion. It's as if Cupertino is treating AI as a commodity by paying Google around a billion a year for Gemini to run Siri and doing what it can on-device. The company was previously said to be dangerously behind on AI. That no longer seems to be the case, but at the same time, is it really more savvy to be renting a dependency on the very companies you say can't survive?

So, I think Apple Intelligence was both the worst and best thing to happen to Apple as far as the AI bubble goes.

It was a mass-radicalization of its users against AI – an attempt to cram a barely-functional series of add-ons that nobody asked for in the most-obtrusive way possible, with summaries that were almost immediately turned into memes and a new Siri that was, somehow, even worse than the old Siri.

And I think that told Apple to pump the brakes. It's barely spent anything on capex. It's barely done anything with AI. Despite headline after headline claiming it's "falling behind," nobody can really explain what it is it's falling behind on or why it matters. People hate Apple Intelligence, and I think Apple knows that, and so they're going to jingle the keys for the markets by putting "AI" on stuff without ever really putting their back into it.

If the bubble deflates the way you expect (write-downs, too much compute supply, possibly OpenAI cratering), can you walk us through what that would actually look like for Apple? Does anything break for iPhone users, or does Apple mostly watch it happen from the sidelines? Could it even benefit Apple?

I think things would look much the same for Apple. I think they will sit on the sidelines and watch everything burn. I could see them doing some choice acquisitions as things begin to collapse, but I could also see them do nothing.

I think Apple is in a very weird place at the moment. The Vision Pro was a dud, but it was also the most interesting and future-forward thing I've seen anyone put out in a while. If they were smart, they'd tread water and sink as much money into making that as small as humanely possible – no matter how long it takes – because the entire AI bubble is a result of everybody running out of hypergrowth ideas, mostly because we're flat out of new interfaces.

I want to be clear that what they want to do with the Vision Pro requires it to basically be weightless and invisible and never need adjustments. When it works, it's genuinely awesome. But that's a load-bearing when. One slight movement means the whole thing goes out of focus. I can't even use mine anymore because it needs an update that requires you to wear the thing the whole time. So much promise, released too early, shoved out the door by a CEO on his way out.

This article, "Apple Will 'Watch Everything Burn' When AI Bubble Bursts - Ed Zitron" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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For macOS 27 Golden Gate, coming this fall, Apple appears to be testing a new formatting bar for the Mail app's compose window that promotes Apple Intelligence's Writing Tools and Siri AI, based on findings in the latest beta.


Feature flags discovered by MacRumors forum member "mactracker" – who this week also revealed the hidden Siri "voice pad" interface in beta 4 – show the reworked bar in Mail's message composer, which now features "Write with Siri" in the most prominent position.

In the current implementation, the classic formatting controls are automatically collapsed to the right edge of the composer and vanish completely once the user selects Write with Siri and starts typing a prompt.


The redesigned bar adds the ability to display contextual Smart Reply suggestions from Siri AI without necessarily using them in your draft email. (macOS users will know that Smart Reply itself isn't new, having arrived with the first wave of Apple Intelligence features.) The new design lets you preview a suggested reply by hovering over it before inserting it, which is something the previous in-line design couldn't do.

When a suggested composition is selected, the formatting bar shows "Edit with Siri," "Proofread," and "Rewrite" options, as well as "How does this sound?" with the traditional formatting controls minimized.

The new bar isn't switched on by default and remains hidden behind an internal feature flag, so most testers won't see it. It's also still buggy, suggesting this is a work in progress – in Beta 4, for example, the redesign only shows up when replying to a message, but composing a fresh email still brings up the old formatting bar.


Whether the redesign makes the general release of macOS 27 is anyone's guess at this point, but it fits the broader pattern of integrating the new contextually aware Siri AI across the system.

macOS 27 Golden Gate is expected to officially launch in September when Apple releases new iPhone 18 Pro models, alongside its first foldable iPhone.
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Anthropic has updated Claude's voice mode to support its more powerful Opus and Sonnet models, expanding a feature that was previously limited to the company's fastest-but-simplest model, Haiku.


Voice mode lets users hold full spoken conversations with the chatbot rather than having to type prompts and read responses. Users can switch between Claude's models mid-conversation, and can also move between text and voice in the same chat without losing context. With the addition of Opus and Sonnet support, users will be able to hold longer and more complex conversations, including providing feedback on the communication style.

In addition, Claude's Voice mode can now also tap into connected tools like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Slack, so Claude can check a calendar or summarize an email thread out loud, for example. Users with free accounts can connect one tool, whereas paid plans support more.

According to Anthropic's support documentation, the models available in voice mode now follow the user's subscription plan, and voice conversations start on whichever model the user last selected in text chat.

Claude's voice mode language support was extended beyond English earlier this year, with French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish available in beta. Users have to manually select a language in the app.


Voice mode works on iOS, Android, desktop, and the web, but Anthropic says it is designed to work best on phones. Voice conversations count toward standard usage limits and Anthropic's newest Fable model is not yet supported.

Meanwhile, OpenAI yesterday launched ChatGPT Voice in its desktop app, powered by a model it calls GPT-Live, which the company says can direct multiple agents running in ChatGPT Work or Codex by voice alone. The feature is rolling out on macOS and Windows to paid plans.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect ChatGPT Voice's recent rollout.
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WhatsApp is rolling out a new design for message bubbles on iOS, reports WaBetaInfo. The platform's message bubbles are rounder than before with a softer shape – similar to iMessage – while shared media files appear without the original borders, giving them a cleaner look.

The message bubble update follows several Liquid Glass-based design changes that came to WhatsApp's chat interface on iPhone and iPad last month.
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Apple is pushing OLED panel suppliers to lower their prices for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, as the cost of memory chips and other components rises, reports The Elec.


According to the Korea-based report, Apple has proposed paying around $70 for OLED panels, but it might end up paying even less. Industry estimates suggest that Samsung Display and LG Display will supply the panels for around $66.50 each. That would be a roughly 20 percent drop from the prices paid for iPhone 17 Pro Max OLED panels.

The report says that the price Apple has paid for iPhone OLED panels has fallen with each new generation. However, this year's reduction is unusually steep, especially considering that the iPhone 18 OLED panel is expected to require greater manufacturing complexity – Apple will be using Samsung Display's latest M16 OLED material set, which improves luminous efficiency, lifespan, and color performance.

Smartphone makers across the board are said to be trying to offset rising memory costs by reducing procurement expenses for other components, including display panels and camera modules.

According to market research firm UBI Research, Samsung Display is expected to supply 46 million OLED panels for Apple's iPhone 18 lineup this year, comprising 2 million for the standard iPhone 18 model, 18 million for the iPhone 18 Pro, and 26 million for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Meanwhile, LG Display is forecast to supply 41 million panels, including 1 million for the standard model, 19 million for the 18 Pro, and 21 million for the 18 Pro Max.

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro models in September alongside its first foldable iPhone, followed by the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e in spring 2027. Analysts suggest the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could start at $1,299 and $1,399, respectively. In other words, a $200 jump over their predecessors, with rising memory and storage costs largely to blame.

This article, "Apple Seeking 20% OLED Panel Price Cut for iPhone 18 Pro Max" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Opera One browser just pushed an update adding a Vertical Tabs option that moves the tab bar from the top of the window to a resizable panel down the left-hand side.


The feature aims to solve the perennial horizontal tab problem where too many open tabs makes each one shrink to an unreadable sliver of the webpage's favicon.

By contrast, in the vertical layout, page titles always stay legible. Opera's existing Tab Islands feature – where tabs that came from the same page or browsing session are grouped into a collapsible section in the tab strip – carries over from the standard view, and the panel collapses when screen space is tight.

Opera has also built Google Lens directly into the start page search bar with this update, so now an image search can be started by uploading a file, dragging and dropping, pasting from the clipboard, or entering a URL. Both features are live now in Opera One.

Opera is a late arrival to the vertical phenomenon that has slowly been making inroads across the wider browser landscape. Microsoft made vertical tabs generally available in Edge back in May 2021, and the feature has been popular with users on both Windows and macOS.

Mozilla followed in March 2025 with Firefox 136, which introduced vertical tabs as part of a redesigned sidebar. Firefox also allows the strip to be moved to the right edge of the window, if that's your preferred style.

Google was the last of the big names to make the same move. Chrome began rolling out vertical tabs in April, making full page titles readable and tab groups easier to manage, even at double-digit tab counts.

Apple's Safari browser features Tab Groups, which can be navigated from the sidebar and do give a vertical list of sorts, but there's never been a dedicated vertical tabs mode. Do Safari users want one, or are Tab Groups enough? Let us know in the comments.
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Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models and its first foldable are less than two months from being unveiled. That may sound like a reason to sit tight if you're looking to upgrade from an iPhone 16 or older series, but between looming price hikes and Apple's new split-launch calendar, there's a decent case for grabbing an iPhone 17 series model right now. Here are five reasons in favor of putting your order in today.

1. iPhone Price Hikes Almost Certain

Analysts suggest the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could start at $1,299 and $1,399, respectively. That would represent a $200 jump over their predecessors, with rising memory and storage costs (i.e. the AI buildout) largely to blame. Meanwhile, the foldable iPhone price could start at north of $2,000. Apple has already increased the price of all of its iPhone models in Japan. The iPhone 17, by contrast, is still selling in the U.S. and other regions at the price Apple set last September (from $799). At this point, upcoming price hikes for the next-generation models seem inevitable, and there's no guarantee that the iPhone 17 series will be spared.

2. Some iPhone 18 Models Still a While Away

Under Apple's expected new split-launch strategy, only the iPhone 18 Pro models and the foldable arrive this September. The regular iPhone 18, lower-cost iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 aren't expected until spring 2027, so anyone holding out for the regular iPhone 17's direct successor will be sat waiting for several months longer than usual.

3. The Base iPhone 18 Could Be a "Downgrade"

One leaker has repeatedly claimed that Apple will reduce the standard iPhone 18's display and chip specifications to control costs, which could see it potentially sharing more components with the cheaper iPhone 18e. And even with a rumored bump to 9GB of RAM, the lower-end models reportedly still won't support two new iOS 27 features. Nothing is certain yet, but if Apple is cutting corners for its next more affordable and base models, then the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17e could be the better-specced option, especially given the expected price difference.

4. Some iPhone 18 Upgrades Remain Uncertain

Several of the more eye-catching iPhone 18 Pro rumors may not play out at launch. An early report claiming that the iPhone 18 Pro would ditch the Dynamic Island for a hole-punch camera has completely lost steam, while the foldable iPhone's rumored 24-megapixel under-display camera may not be ready this year, and a truly crease-free folding screen looks more like "nearly crease-free" in practice. In other words, waiting doesn't guarantee that you'll get everything the rumor mill is predicting.

5. Your Trade-In Is Worth More Today

Trade-in and resale values on older iPhones typically slide once a new generation is announced, which means the iPhone in your pocket is likely at its peak value right now. Waiting until September to upgrade would mean paying more for the new, pricier model and getting less for the old one, which would be a double hit on your wallet.

None of this means Apple's iPhone 18 lineup won't be worth the money. But if you're upgrading from a pre-2025 iPhone and the foldable isn't something you're considering, then an iPhone 17 series model might still be the smarter option.
This article, "5 Reasons to Buy the iPhone 17 Now Instead of Waiting for iPhone 18" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Google was today fined €890 million ($1 billion) by the European Union for breaching antitrust rules with regard to its search and Google Play store services.


The European Commission found that Google had broken the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by using its dominant position in the search market to favour its own services, like shopping and hotel deals, over those of rivals.

The Commission also said that the company had abused its position by preventing developers from directing users to cheaper ways to buy apps and app subscriptions on websites and alternative app stores.

Google has been fined €460 million over its search practices and €430 million for its app store rules. Going forward, the Commission ordered the company to treat third-party services in search results "fairly and without discrimination" and to allow developers to offer users alternatives outside Google's app store. From the EU press release:



As part of today's two decisions, the Commission has ordered Google to bring the non-compliance to an end.

In particular, Google must implement measures to:

• Treat third-party services that feature on Google's search results in a fair and non-discriminatory manner by reference to its own services, and


• Allow app developers distributing their apps via Google Play Store, both technically and contractually, to freely communicate, promote offers and conclude contracts with users not only within but also outside the Google Play app store.

The Commission said that changes already made by Google to rectify the situation represented "substantial progress towards compliance." Google has also reportedly proposed and started testing changes to how it presents shopping ads and content related services, such as sports.

Google is required to comply with the Commission's decisions within 60 days, otherwise it risks periodic penalty payments of up to 5 percent of its total worldwide turnover. Google made revenues of just over $400 billion last year. It could still decide to appeal the decisions.

Apple is fighting a similar battle with the bloc's regulators. The company was fined €500 million ($573 million) last year for restricting App Store developers from directing users to alternative offers, and earlier this month the EU's General Court separately rejected its challenges to its designation as a gatekeeper for the App Store and iOS.
This article, "Google Fined $1 Billion by EU for Search Bias and App Store Restrictions" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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For macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple appears to be working on an immersive new interface for choosing Siri AI's voice, based on findings in the latest beta.


MacRumors forum member "mactracker" has shared what they call a hidden "voice pad" in the macOS 27 beta 4, which was released on Monday. When enabled, the interface replaces the System Settings menu for Siri's voice options with a nearly black canvas, with the currently selected voice marked by a colored dot.

Pressing, holding, and moving around the pad with your pointer brings the interface to life, causing various colors to transition across the view as more dots appear and the voice modulates through different characteristics. Each dot emerges from the ether like a revealed star in a hidden constellation.

The visuals are even responsive to cursor movement via spatial audio, so that when the pointer approaches a new voice on the pad, it sounds clearer and more present, while voices further away become distant and ambient. Meanwhile, a spatial mixer tracks the pointer's distance, angle, and velocity, which adjusts volume, reverb, occlusion, and filtering across the voice and background audio layers as you move.

The pad lays out 13 voice slots in a loose grid, suggesting Apple may be preparing to support up to 13 custom voices for Siri AI. You can see the UI in action in the video embedded below.

Currently, the latest macOS 27 beta doesn't include the required voice models, so it falls back to the two custom voices available. However, a related file found in the beta describes the 13 expected American English voices by gender, age, and character, spanning everything from a soft-spoken young female voice to a deep adult male voice and two older-sounding voices.

If the interface makes the final macOS 27 cut, it would be a big jump from where things stand today. As of the current betas, American is the only voice option for Siri AI, whose expressiveness and pace can only be adjusted via sliders.

In this context, the interface likely serves as an onboarding experience for picking Siri's underlying voice, with the existing picker and its Pace and Expressivity controls used to further adjust the voice after selection. While the interface remains unfinished, it is already said to be localized for 44 languages. It also shares the same Siri setup framework with iOS 27, so we could see it on iPhone and iPad, too.


Unlike the hidden Siri popover we covered earlier this week, there's no easy way for beta testers to switch on this feature flag, as it requires disabling System Integrity Protection (SIP) and overriding internal code with a debugger.

The new, more advanced Siri AI, which is backed by large language models, will arrive in supported regions with the release of iOS 27, macOS 27, and Apple's other software updates this September.
This article, "macOS 27 Beta Hides Trippy Siri 'Voice Pad' Interface With 13 Voices" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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WhatsApp just announced a raft of new features spanning CarPlay, iPad, and iPhone that are "designed to work wherever you do, across your devices and the other apps you use."


First up, WhatsApp for CarPlay and Android Auto has been completely refreshed. Now you can hear and respond to messages, make calls, see your call history, and reach your favorites, all hands-free directly from your car's screen.

Over on WhatsApp for web and desktop, a new feature powered by Adobe Acrobat means you can now open PDFs right inside WhatsApp without having to download them, then make lightweight edits like highlighting and annotating right in the chat.

Thirdly, you can now share a song straight from Apple Music or Spotify to your WhatsApp Status, so your friends can see what you're listening to.

Last but not least, it's now possible to sign up to WhatsApp on your iPad. Since WhatsApp announced its iPad app last year, one of the most requested features from users is the ability to create a WhatsApp directly on an iPad, without needing to link a phone. Now you can.

WhatsApp says these features are already rolling out to users now.
This article, "WhatsApp Announces New CarPlay Experience, iPad Sign-Up, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to feature a variable-aperture camera. The upgrade has been rumored repeatedly and would be a first for Apple's smartphone lineup, but what would it actually change for everyday users?


An aperture is the opening inside a camera lens that lets in light. A natural comparison would be the pupils of your eyes, which open wider in the dark and become smaller in bright conditions.

Current iPhone cameras have an opening that's fixed to the one size. To compensate for this, the iPhone adjusts other settings and uses software processing to brighten or darken the image. By contrast, a variable aperture would give the device mechanical control over the amount of light entering the camera.

The biggest improvement – and the one you're most likely to notice first – would be smoother-looking video when shooting outdoors. In bright sunlight, the existing camera on an iPhone has to capture each frame very quickly to avoid an overexposed image, which can sometimes make movement look unnaturally sharp or jerky.

In contrast, the iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture camera would typically make the lens opening smaller to limit the amount of light that gets in. Doing so should prevent washed-out highlights and allow the camera to record movement with more natural-looking blur. Photos taken in good lighting could also appear sharper, especially around the edges. Not only that, Portrait Mode photos that use the "bokeh" effect should also look more realistic, as opposed to looking rendered computationally.

It's still unclear whether users will control the aperture themselves or whether the iPhone will adjust it automatically. That's a big question mark, since it should determine whether it becomes a hands-on photography tool or a built-in feature that simply makes photos and videos look better behind the scenes.

We should learn the answer to this question in the coming months. Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September, alongside its first foldable iPhone.
This article, "The iPhone 18 Pro's Rumored Camera Upgrade, Explained" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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