Apple today released a firmware update (version 1.4.90) for its 140W USB-C Power Adapter.

It is unclear what is included in the latest firmware, as Apple does not publish release notes for this. The update will be installed automatically over time when the power adapter is plugged in and connected to a Mac or other device. There is no way to manually apply the update.
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Apple today released a firmware update (4A203) for its upcoming Beats 360 headphones, suggesting that a launch is approaching. With the firmware now available, it seems likely that Apple will announce the Beats 360 at some point in September.


Beats 360 have already leaked across multiple regulatory databases and retail listings over the past several months, and soccer stars like Lamine Yamal and Antonee Robinson were spotted wearing them around the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

MacRumors was first to report on the Beats 360 name last month after the headphones appeared in various retail listings on Amazon and other reseller websites, some of which have since been removed. The listings revealed that the headphones will be available in Black, Cloud, Sky, and Pink, at a minimum. There will also be interchangeable Performance Knit and UltraPlush ear cushions and headbands that come in those same four colors, plus extra options like Volt and Navy, allowing you to create your own personalized look.

Beats 360 have a unique design with some similarities to the AirPods Max, including telescoping headband arms that smoothly extend and stay in place to maintain the desired fit. One of the product listings said the over-ear headphones offer up to 1.75× more noise cancellation than the Beats Studio Pro that came out in 2023.


The listing also said that the Beats 360 are Apple's first-ever sweat-resistant and water-resistant over-ear headphones, with an IPX4 rating.

Other features and specs mentioned in the listing included all-day battery life, a fold-flat design, and a high-fidelity acoustic platform. According to code uncovered by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, the Beats 360 will support hands-free Siri, meaning that you can say "Hey Siri" or simply "Siri" to activate the assistant.

Beats 360 will come with a set of interchangeable Performance Knit cushions and a woven ripstop fabric carrying case, but customers will need to supply their own USB-C charging cable and power adapter. One listing said the headphones will be priced at $299.99 in the U.S., but we cannot confirm if that information is accurate.

Beats Studio Pro are regularly priced at $349.99.

It is unclear exactly when Apple plans to officially unveil the Beats 360, but with all of these leaks across regulatory databases, athlete teasers, retail listings, and firmware updates, an announcement this month seems likely.
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Apple is hosting an online streaming event for the public and press on Wednesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The company is expected to announce new iPhone 18 Pro models and a new foldable iPhone alongside new Apple Watch models, and potentially AirPods 5 and other products during the event, dubbed "Sunshine and Shine." Here's how you can watch it and when, wherever you are in the world.


There are multiple ways to watch the September 9 event, with details listed below. We've also included a useful guide on when the event will take place in your particular time zone.

Apple Events Website

With the Apple Events website, you can watch the event live on a Mac, iPhone, ‌iPad‌, PC, or any other device with a web browser. The Apple Events website works in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and other main browsers.


Just navigate to www.apple.com/apple-events/ using a web browser at the appropriate time to watch. You can visit the site now to add an event reminder to your calendar.

YouTube

Apple also plans to stream the event live on YouTube, which is perhaps the easiest and most efficient way to watch because the YouTube live stream can be viewed on every platform where YouTube is available, which is pretty much all platforms, from smartphones and tablets to consoles and smart TVs.


Apple has posted a placeholder for the September 9 event on YouTube, and you can visit it now to set an event reminder.

Apple TV App

Apple used to have a dedicated Apple Events app on the Apple TV, but ahead of WWDC 2020, it was folded into the Apple TV app. On event day, there will be a prominent ‌Apple TV‌ app section dedicated to the live stream, which can be watched on any device where the ‌Apple TV‌ app is available.


This includes the ‌Apple TV‌, iPhones, iPads, and Macs, as well as select smart TVs, streaming devices, and gaming consoles. If you have an ‌Apple TV‌, the ‌Apple TV‌ app is one of the best ways to watch the event live. Apple hasn't updated the ‌Apple TV‌ app with the new event as of yet, but it should be added soon.

• 12 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro


• What NOT to Expect at Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' September 9 Event

When to Watch the Apple Event

Apple's event will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, like most Apple events. Event times in other time zones are listed below.

• Honolulu, Hawaii — 7:00 a.m. HST


• Anchorage, Alaska — 9:00 a.m. AKDT


• Cupertino, California — 10:00 a.m. PDT


• Phoenix, Arizona — 10:00 a.m. MST


• Vancouver, Canada — 10:00 a.m. PDT


• Denver, Colorado — 11:00 a.m. MDT


• Dallas, Texas — 12:00 noon CDT


• New York, New York — 1:00 p.m. EDT


• Toronto, Canada — 1:00 p.m. EDT


• Halifax, Canada — 2:00 p.m. ADT


• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 2:00 p.m. BRT


• London, United Kingdom — 6:00 p.m. BST


• Berlin, Germany — 7:00 p.m. CEST


• Paris, France — 7:00 p.m. CEST


• Cape Town, South Africa — 7:00 p.m. SAST


• Helsinki, Finland — 8:00 p.m. EEST


• Istanbul, Turkey — 8:00 p.m. TRT


• Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 9:00 p.m. GST


• Delhi, India — 10:30 p.m. IST


• Jakarta, Indonesia — 12:00 a.m. WIB next day


• Shanghai, China — 1:00 a.m. CST next day


• Singapore — 1:00 a.m. SGT next day


• Perth, Australia — 1:00 a.m. AWST next day


• Hong Kong — 1:00 a.m. HKT next day


• Seoul, South Korea — 2:00 a.m. KST next day


• Tokyo, Japan — 2:00 a.m. JST next day


• Adelaide, Australia — 2:30 a.m. ACST next day


• Sydney, Australia — 3:00 a.m. AEST next day


• Auckland, New Zealand — 5:00 a.m. NZST next day

MacRumors Coverage

If you're not able to watch or just want to follow along with us as we watch the event unfold, visit MacRumors.com for our liveblog or follow us on Twitter at MacRumorsLive for our live tweet coverage.

Both the MacRumors site and our X (Twitter) account are excellent ways to discuss the new announcements with other Apple enthusiasts as Apple unveils its new products. Later in the day and throughout the week, we'll also have much more in-depth coverage of all of Apple's announcements, so make sure to stay tuned.
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Apple today released iOS 26.6.2 with a fix for "an issue that prevents downloading a software update over a cellular connection."


The minor software update is rolling out now for the iPhone 11 series and newer. To update your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. It might take a few minutes for the update to be visible to everyone.

iOS 26.6.2 arrives approximately three weeks after iOS 26.6.1, which delivered security fixes.

Apple is expected to release iOS 27 later this month, with the company likely to announce a release date during its event this Wednesday.

iPadOS 26.6.2 is also out with the same fix.
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Apple's biggest event of the year is almost here, and all eyes are on Cupertino. With the first foldable iPhone expected to headline Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, September 9, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, the rumor mill has been running full throttle, fuelled by the biggest single design change in the life of the iPhone.


To get you up to speed, here's a quick reference guide to the rumoured upgrades, expected prices, and possible pre-order/release dates of everything we're expecting to see tomorrow.

Rumors by Model

iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max

• Similar overall design to the iPhone 17 Pro models, with a more uniform finish across the aluminum and glass back.


• Smaller Dynamic Island, said to be achieved by Apple moving some Face ID components beneath the screen.


• More efficient LTPO+ displays.


• A20 Pro chip manufactured using TSMC's 2nm process.


• 12GB of RAM and 256GB starting storage.


• Variable-aperture main camera for greater control over light and background blur – although reports disagree on whether this will be exclusive to the Pro Max.


• Possible Samsung image sensor for improved image quality and camera responsiveness.


• Simplified Camera Control button that retains pressure sensing but removes the capacitive layer.


• Larger battery in the Pro Max, which could well result in a slightly thicker and heavier body.


• Possible Apple C2 modem, although U.S. models could retain Qualcomm modems for mmWave support.


• The strongest color rumors include Dark Cherry, Light Blue, and Silver. Other rumors have suggested no Silver, and a black finish has also been suggested.

iPhone Ultra (Foldable)

• Apple's first folding iPhone, with "iPhone Ultra" among the rumored names, with "iPhone Fold" and "iPhone Duo" remaining outlying possibilities.


• Book-style design with an approximately 5.5-inch outer display and 7.8-inch inner display.


• Chassis measuring just 4.5mm thick when unfolded.


• Liquid-metal hinge and an extremely inconspicuous – but not completely invisible – display crease.


• Touch ID integrated into the Side button in lieu of Face ID.


• Wide and Ultra Wide rear cameras, plus selfie cameras on both the outer and inner displays.


• A20 Pro chip and an expected 12GB of RAM.


• MagSafe charging support.


• iPad-like multitasking, including side-by-side apps.


• Silver/white and a very dark indigo finish among the rumored colors.

Apple Watch Series 12

• Familiar design, with no major change to the case expected.


• Faster S12 chip and improvements to health and fitness tracking.


• Possible return of a ceramic case, with white and dark gray versions reportedly tested.


• Continuous heart-rate monitoring throughout the day among the features Apple is testing, along with a new "Readiness" app.


• More wellness metrics through revamped Health and Fitness experiences.

Apple Watch Ultra 4

• Similar design to the Apple Watch Ultra 3.


• Faster S12 chip and related health and fitness improvements.


• Likely continuous heart-rate collection if the Series 12 gets it.


• Possible expansion of satellite capabilities, including Apple Maps and photo sharing in Messages.

AirPods 5 (Possible)

• Two versions expected, with and without active noise cancellation.


• Possible H3 chip for better sound quality and lower latency.

iPhone 18 (Regular)

The regular iPhone 18 is not expected to feature tomorrow. Apple is reportedly moving that model's launch to spring 2027, when the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2 are also expected to debut as part of a new split-year release schedule.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra Pricing Expectations

Higher memory costs could push up prices for both Pro models this year. Based on TrendForce's forecasts for the Pro models and Bloomberg's latest reporting on the foldable, the possible U.S. starting prices are:

Model	Estimated Starting Price
iPhone 18 Pro	$1,249–$1,299
iPhone 18 Pro Max	$1,349–$1,399
iPhone Ultra	$2,199 (rumored)

Remember that these are estimates, with the Pro figures representing possible prices sourced from TrendForce's projected increases. That said, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today also reported that Apple has discussed a $2,199 starting price for the foldable, with some upgraded storage configurations potentially approaching $3,000. Reliable figures for every storage tier are not available.

When Can I Pre-order iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra?

iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders could begin on Saturday, September 12, at midnight Pacific Time / 3 a.m. Eastern Time. The potential Saturday opening would avoid September 11, similar to Apple's approach in 2015.

The foldable's schedule is less certain, with some reports of manufacturing challenges potentially delaying a release until the fourth quarter of 2026. However, Gurman has said he would be "very surprised" if the foldable iPhone does not come out at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro models or "very close" to them.

When Do iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra Launch?

Friday, September 18 is the most likely release date for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. It's our best educated guess, but we believe that is when deliveries and retail availability will begin.

As already mentioned, reports remain divided on the foldable's launch schedule. There's still a possibility that its unveiling tomorrow may precede its arrival in stores by several weeks or more.

MacRumors Coverage

Follow MacRumors.com and our MacRumorsLive account on Twitter (X) for coverage as the announcements happen. We'll have individual stories on the new products, followed by more detailed looks at their features, pricing, and availability throughout the week. Stay tuned!
This article, "Apple Event Tomorrow: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra Cheat Sheet" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The next Apple TV 4K will be equipped with an A19 or A19 Pro chip, according to evidence in Apple's code uncovered by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. In particular, the device's model identifier points towards the A19 generation of chips.

Accordingly, the next Apple TV would have 8GB or 12GB of RAM, up from 4GB in the current 2022 model with the A15 Bionic chip. Other rumored upgrades for the next model include Siri AI support, an Apple-designed N1 wireless networking chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, and a revised Siri Remote.
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Nearly all configurations of the Apple Watch SE 3 are suddenly "unavailable" on Apple's online store in the U.S. and other countries we checked, for reasons unknown.


Apple is holding an event this Wednesday to announce new iPhones and Apple Watches, but an Apple Watch SE 4 was not expected tomorrow, as new generations of the Apple Watch SE have never been released in back-to-back years. The original Apple Watch SE debuted in September 2020, the Apple Watch SE 2 arrived in September 2022, and the Apple Watch SE 3 was announced in September 2025.

Is this a sign that an Apple Watch SE 4 will be announced tomorrow after all, or is this simply a temporary issue that will be resolved soon? We shall see.

Thanks, Logan!
This article, "Apple Watch SE 3 is Suddenly Unavailable" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple unveiled the first AirPods on September 7, 2016, meaning the iconic wireless headphones are now 10 years old. However, the AirPods did not launch until December that year.

On the same day, Apple ignited controversy when it introduced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus without a headphone jack. Apple still sells EarPods for customers who want wired headphones, with 3.5mm headphone jack, Lightning, and USB-C versions available for use with a wide variety of devices.
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Apple plans to announce an all-new "Readiness" app during its "Surprise and Shine" event this Wednesday, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In a social media post today, Gurman said the "Readiness" app will be a "variant" of the existing Vitals app on the Apple Watch. "The idea is to better compete with software from Whoop and Oura," he said. For example, Oura's smart rings offer a daily "Readiness Score" from 0 to 100 that shows how prepared your body is for the day.

Introduced on watchOS 11, the Vitals app consolidates your key health metrics, including your average heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen, wrist temperature, and sleep duration from the previous night. Based on many of the same metrics, the Readiness app would likely show you how recovered your body is for activity.


Evidence of the "Readiness" app in watchOS 27 beta code was already discovered a few days ago by a MacRumors forum member known as "pdfu."

The app will be unveiled alongside the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Gurman previously reported that both of these new models will feature continuous heart rate sensing, regardless of whether you are actively exercising.
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Breakout hit comedy show "Small Prophets" has been renewed for a second season, according to Deadline, a little over a week after Apple TV acquired the worldwide rights to the show's first season. This was the first time the company has acquired the streaming rights to an existing show.

"Small Prophets" is set to stream on ‌Apple TV‌ worldwide starting on October 7, with creator Mackenzie Crook returning to write and direct season two.
This article, "'Small Prophets' Renewed for Season 2 Following Apple TV Deal" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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TrinamiX, a subsidiary of the German chemical giant BASF, is suing Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, accusing the company of infringing seven patents related to face authentication technology used in Face ID.


In its complaint, first reported by Reuters, trinamiX said it spent years developing technology to stop people from fooling face unlock systems with a photo, a fake mask, or a silicone copy of someone's face.

The complaint says Apple's original version of ‌Face ID‌, introduced with the iPhone X in 2017, did not use trinamiX's technology, but that newer iPhones and iPads do. TrinamiX's system is designed to tell real skin apart from things like photos or masks, essentially adding a check that catches fakes conventional optical face scanning methods would miss.

The complaint alleges that "Apple knew or should have known of the high probability that updating its iPhones and iPads to incorporate ‌Face ID‌ using material and skin detection" infringed seven trinamiX patents, causing "substantial damages and irreparable injury." The seven patents cover two areas: detecting skin during face unlock and identifying what material something is made of.

TrinamiX names a broad swath of Apple devices as accused products, including the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus, ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro, ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17 Pro, ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, iPhone Air, 11-inch iPad Pro (4th generation), 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ (6th generation), and the 11- and 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models with the M4 and M5 chips.

TrinamiX is asking the court to find that Apple infringed its patents, to block Apple from making, using, selling, offering for sale, or importing the accused products, and to award damages and attorneys' fees. The company has requested a jury trial. The full complaint is available via IP Fray.
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Apple today announced a new series of games coming to Apple Arcade in October, headlined by "Pusheen's Place."



The new games heading to ‌Apple Arcade‌ next month are as follows:

• Pusheen's Place: The first officially licensed game starring Pusheen the Cat, letting players build a cozy paradise and collect more than 100 kitties while playing, crafting, and decorating rooms for characters like Pusheenicorn and Pancake Pusheen, alongside mini games such as Snack Stack, Parfait Pop, and Batch Match.


• River City Survivors: An explosive survivors-like action game from the long running River City series, throwing players into waves of zombies with more than 20 playable characters, including franchise mainstays Kunio and Riki, and support for up to two companions.


• Terraria+: A sandbox action adventure game where players fight, explore, and build through an ever expanding world, including the "Bigger & Boulder" 1.4.5 update, which adds a "Dead Cells" crossover and Pals from "Palworld," with support for up to seven players via Game Center or local Wi-Fi.


• Touchgrind BMX 2+: A physics-based BMX stunt game with two finger controls designed to make every trick feel real.


• 4 Pics 1 Word+: The Arcade edition of the puzzle game that has stumped and delighted more than 400 million players worldwide.

All of the new games will be available on October 1, 2026. Pusheen's Place joins Arcade's existing lineup of "cozy" titles, including "Hello Kitty Island Adventure," "Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom," and "Cozy Caravan."

‌Apple Arcade‌ is a subscription service that provides access to more than 200 games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, all free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., ‌Apple Arcade‌ costs $6.99 per month with a one-month free trial, and customers who purchase a new iPhone, ‌iPad‌, Mac, or ‌Apple TV‌ get three months of the service for free. ‌Apple Arcade‌ is also included in Apple One's Individual ($21.95), Family ($27.95), and Premier ($39.95) plans in the U.S., each with a one-month free trial. ‌Apple Arcade‌ can be accessed through the App Store and the Apple Games app.
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Earlier this year, Apple acquired California-based startup Sonera, according to a notice published today on the European Commission's website.


Sonera previously announced that it had developed "breakthrough sensing technology" that "non-invasively measures magnetic fields" generated by the brain and body. The company said its technology can analyze neural data without direct skin contact, giving it an advantage over traditional electrical sensing techniques.

"This proprietary technology holds the key to making brain activity as easy to measure as heart rate, temperature, and other physiological signals," said Sonera, in a 2023 press release. The company said its technology was "poised to enable an entirely new class of consumer wearables and experiences based on muscle activity."

Sonera said it had developed a biomagnetic chip that would enable use cases such as "advanced prosthetics control, continuous monitoring of neuromuscular conditions, discovery of disease biomarkers, and sport performance tracking," so this acquisition could pave the way for future Apple Watch health and accessibility features.
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Amazon is taking up to $150 off multiple models of the M5 MacBook Air, including both 13-inch and 15-inch models. These are the best prices we've seen on the M5 MacBook Air in the wake of Apple's summertime price hikes.

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

New highlights include a pair of 15-inch M5 MacBook Air models at $150 off, starting with the 16GB/512GB model for $1,349.00 in Midnight, down from $1,499.00. You can also get the 16GB/1TB model for $1,649.00, down from $1,799.00, which is $50 cheaper when compared to the deals we tracked towards the end of August.




In terms of 13-inch models, Amazon has the 16GB/1TB 13-inch MacBook Air for $1,449.00, down from $1,599.00. This one is available in two colors on Amazon, and it's accompanied by the 24GB/1TB model for $100 off.




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

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Amazon last week introduced the first cash discounts on Apple's brand new Mac mini, and today the M5 Max Mac Studio has joined in on the discounts. You can get this model, which includes 36GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, on sale for $2,449.99, a $49 pre-order discount.

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

All of these deals are pre-order discounts on the 2026 Mac mini and Mac Studio, which officially launch on September 22. Regarding the Mac mini, you can get the 16GB RAM/256GB SSD Mac mini for $879.99, down from $899.00, and the 16GB RAM/512GB SSD model for $1,069.99, down from $1,099.00.






In terms of upgrades, Apple said the Mac mini with the M6 chip delivers up to 40% faster CPU performance, up to 4× faster performance for AI tasks in particular, up to 2× faster graphics performance, and up to 2× faster storage speeds compared to the previous-generation model with the 10-core M4 chip, 32GB of unified memory, and 2TB of storage.

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

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Former Apple CEO Tim Cook played a major role in the development of the foldable iPhone, which could reach around $3,000 with storage upgrades, according to new details shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Early in the development of the foldable iPhone, the company reportedly targeted a starting retail price of $1,999, hoping to come under the "potentially controversial $2,000 barrier." The idea was to replicate the debut of the iPhone X in 2017, which started at $999.

Amid the impact of the global memory shortage, Apple is said to have recently discussed pricing the foldable at $2,199. Some storage configurations could approach $3,000. While the company anticipates some "sticker shock" for consumers, the willingness of customers to spend around $2,000 on iPhone models with upgraded storage convinced the company that an "upscale foldable device was worth bringing to market."

Gurman also revealed details about the history of the foldable iPhone inside Apple. Around 2020, Cook apparently returned from a visit to Asia "unusually energized" about foldable phones. During the trip, he saw growing numbers of consumers using foldable devices from the likes of Samsung and Huawei. He came to believe that Apple needed an equivalent offering in the market and pushed the company to accelerate its development efforts.

Apple's hardware engineering team had been studying foldable phones, displays, and related components for years, dating back to well before the launch of the first Galaxy Fold device in 2019. Before Cook's guidance, the project was mired by debates over the form that an Apple foldable should take, with one early concept being an iPad mini that could unfold into a larger tablet. Cook wanted the final device to be more mainstream in the form of a foldable iPhone, and his level of involvement in the project was unusual.

The project was conceived under Dan Riccio, who preceded John Ternus as head of hardware engineering. The company apparently prioritized resolving four main challenges: reducing the visibility of the display crease, improving hinge reliability, creating a new flexible cover glass for the inner display, and developing under-display camera technology.

The company eventually settled on a hinge system made using titanium and aluminum and custom cover glass developed with Corning. Despite being less durable than other existing iPhone models, Apple is said to believe that the construction quality of the foldable iPhone is industry-leading for the foldable market, and thinks it has an advantage over Android devices in terms of software.

Gurman restated several of the device's rumored specifications, including a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, and a wide form-factor design. During development, Apple designers apparently compared the folded proportions of the device to a passport and the unfolded proportions to a Magic Trackpad. The short-and-wide design was chosen to provide a point of differentiation with rival foldable and generate consumer interest.

He reiterated that the foldable iPhone may be less durable than a conventional iPhone, with an inferior camera system and less battery life. Despite these drawbacks, Apple employees are said to believe "the company will sell every foldable phone it can produce."

Gurman also noted that the foldable iPhone's engineering complexity "makes it an ideal showcase" for new CEO John Ternus, following his career as Apple's hardware chief. Ternus was apparently a major champion of the device and played a major role to "push it over the finish line," alongside Cook.

Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to be announced tomorrow at its "Surprise and shine" event. See the full Bloomberg report for more information.
This article, "Foldable iPhone Development History and Price Revealed in New Report" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's iPhone Ultra is widely expected to feature Touch ID instead of Face ID, but references found in the iOS 27 beta probably shouldn't be treated as proof. Code sleuth pdfu has found Car Key strings that mention an iPhone in the same string as both Ultra Wideband and Touch ID, which they say "confirms" Touch ID for the foldable since "all existing iPhone models with an UWB chip, starting with iPhone 11, use Face ID."

However, Apple's codebase often has Touch ID references that aren't tied to specific hardware. Legacy terminology can also linger for years, with references to discontinued products like iPod still appearing in recent iOS code. So while Touch ID is expected, this detail doesn't confirm it.
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Last month, Apple announced a new Mac mini built around the all-new M6 chip and the M5 Pro, replacing the M4 and M4 Pro models that had been on sale since October 2024. Pre-orders are open now, with the machines arriving to customers and in stores on September 22.


The M6 model starts at $899 and the M5 Pro model at $1,699, each $100 above what its predecessor was selling for by the end of its run and $300 above what their predecessors launched at. The ‌Mac mini‌ rose from $599 to $799 in May, and the M4 Pro configuration went from $1,399 to $1,599 in June, both as a consequence of the memory shortage driven by AI demand. Education pricing brings the new models down to $799 and $1,599 respectively.

What Changed Across Both Models

A number of upgrades apply equally to the standard and Pro configurations, regardless of which chip you choose:

‌Mac mini‌ (2024)	‌Mac mini‌ (2026)
	Neural Accelerators in each GPU core
	Variable refresh rate and HDR support
Wi-Fi 6E connectivity	Wi-Fi 7 connectivity
	Apple N1 wireless networking chip
Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 6
	Thread networking technology
Gigabit Ethernet or 10Gb Ethernet	2.5Gb Ethernet or 10Gb Ethernet
	Genlock support over USB-C

Mac Mini With M4 vs. M6

Here is everything else that differs between the M4 and M6 versions of the ‌Mac mini‌:

‌Mac mini‌ (M4)	‌Mac mini‌ (M6)
M4 chip	M6 chip
10-core CPU with four performance cores and six efficiency cores	12-core CPU with two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores
10-core GPU	12-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine	Dual 16-core Neural Engine
120GB/s memory bandwidth	153GB/s memory bandwidth, rising to 170GB/s with 32GB of unified memory
Two displays up to 6K at 60Hz, plus a third up to 5K at 60Hz	Two displays up to 6K at 60Hz or 4K at 165Hz, plus a third up to 5K at 60Hz
	Up to two external displays over a single Thunderbolt port
Now discontinued	From $899

Mac Mini With M4 Pro vs. M5 Pro

The comparison below outlines the remaining differences between the two Pro configurations:

‌Mac mini‌ (M4 Pro)	‌Mac mini‌ (M5 Pro)
M4 Pro chip	M5 Pro chip
Base: 12-core CPU with eight performance cores and four efficiency cores Configurable to: 14-core CPU	Base: 15-core CPU with five super cores and 10 performance cores Configurable to: 18-core CPU
	Enhanced shader core and third-generation ray tracing
273GB/s memory bandwidth	307GB/s memory bandwidth
Three displays up to 6K at 60Hz	Three displays up to 6K at 60Hz or 4K at 165Hz
Two displays: one up to 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 240Hz, plus a second up to 6K at 60Hz	Two displays: one up to 8K at 60Hz, 5K at 120Hz, or 4K at 240Hz, plus a second up to 5K at 120Hz or 4K at 200Hz
	Up to three external displays over a single Thunderbolt port
Now discontinued	From $1,699

How Much Faster Is It, Really?

The latest refresh is minor for ordinary work and significant for AI workflows. Against the M4, Apple claims 40% faster CPU performance and 2x faster graphics, which is a normal generational step, alongside unusually large gains of up to 4x faster AI performance and up to 4.8x faster prompt processing in LM Studio. Almost all of the engineering appears to have gone into AI optimization, in the form of Neural Accelerators built into every GPU core for the first time on the ‌Mac mini‌ and a Neural Engine doubled to two 16-core units. The M5 Pro follows the same pattern, at up to 4x faster than the M4 Pro for prompt processing but only 1.4x faster for ray-traced rendering in Blender.

Display support is the one significant change beyond the chips. Both models add 4K at 165Hz and variable refresh rate, which the 2024 machines never supported, and the M5 Pro can drive a second display at 5K at 120Hz where the M4 Pro capped it at 6K at 60Hz. If you own a high refresh rate monitor, this is perhaps the most noticeable difference in the entire update.

It is worth noting that Apple's figure of up to 170GB/s for the M6 only applies to the 32GB configuration. The 16GB and 24GB models run at 153GB/s, so the gain over the M4's 120GB/s is around 28% for most buyers rather than the 42% implied. Bandwidth governs how fast a model's weights move out of memory, which makes the 32GB configuration a faster machine.

The memory ceilings are also not the increases they appear to be. The M4 shipped with a 32GB option and the M4 Pro with 64GB when they launched in October 2024, and Apple removed both in May as memory prices climbed. The new models restore those ceilings rather than raising them, so a 32GB M4 or 64GB M4 Pro already has the same ceiling as its 2026 equivalent.

Which to Choose?

If you own a 2024 ‌Mac mini‌ and do not run AI models on it, skip this generation. A 40% CPU improvement is not something you will notice in daily use, and nothing else meaningful about the machine has changed. The exception is display support: if you have a high refresh rate monitor stuck at 60Hz, that is a real problem the new models solve and the old ones never will.

If you do run models locally, the upgrade is easy to justify from an M4, but more difficult from an M4 Pro. Roughly 4x faster prompt processing changes what you can attempt. From an M4 Pro you get unchanged GPU core counts, a 12% bandwidth increase, and a $300 rise over what you paid, so wait for the next year's revision unless you specifically need to upgrade to a 64GB model.

For new buyers, the gap between the two 2026 models is wider than the $800 price difference suggests: the M5 Pro has 80% more memory bandwidth, double the memory ceiling, and 50% more CPU cores at the top. Since tools like LM Studio and Ollama run on the GPU rather than the Neural Engine, capacity and bandwidth are what matter. Memory capacity decides which models you can load at all, while bandwidth determines how fast they run. If your models fit in 32GB, buy the M6 at $899. If they do not, the M5 Pro is your only option here.

The 2024 models remain worth considering even though Apple has stopped selling them new, with availability via third parties, Apple's refurbished store, or second-hand.

Do not expect prices to collapse in the usual way, whichever route you take. The memory shortage pushed Apple's prices up, twice during the M4's final year, so a modest discount off $799 is unremarkable. The M4 model is worth buying nearer the $599 it launched at, and much above that, the stretch to buy a new M6 is difficult to argue against.

The 32GB M4 and 64GB M4 Pro were only sold between October 2024 and May 2026, so they exist on the used market but were unavailable new for the machine's final months. A 64GB M4 Pro matches the memory ceiling of a $1,699 M5 Pro at 273GB/s against 307GB/s, for considerably less. For running larger models on a budget, that may be the most cost-effective configuration.

The new ‌Mac mini‌ is available to pre-order now, with deliveries and in-store availability beginning on Tuesday, September 22.
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Apple's foldable "iPhone Ultra" may launch in mainland China later than in some other markets, according to an oft-reliable Chinese leaker.


Posting on the Weibo social media platform, Instant Digital said that Apple has a limited initial inventory for its first foldable device, and the rollout could be shaped by regional allocation.

The claim follows a recent report out of Japan suggesting that Apple was struggling to produce more than a few hundred units a day in late August because of the company's stringent quality control standards. Apple has reportedly ordered around 10 million units of the foldable for this year, but hinge and display durability tests are said to be taking longer than expected.

The leaker's warning today also echoes an earlier report out of Australia, which suggested that the foldable iPhone could face a staggered country-by-country launch over several months, with initial availability limited to the U.S. market.

On the other hand, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he would be "very surprised" if the foldable iPhone does not come out at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro models or "very close" to them. "Either on the same launch date, a dual launch, or coming out within weeks later," he said in an interview with Tom's Guide.

"This idea of a late October, November launch, massive delays, supply chain issues, I don't believe to be the case," he added.

To the best of our knowledge, Gurman has not commented on the claim that the device could see a staggered market-by-market launch, similar to the Vision Pro in 2024.

We should know more about Apple's launch plans for the foldable iPhone on Wednesday, September 9, when the company is expected to unveil the device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models. Stay tuned to MacRumors for all the latest news and updates.
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Apple may be considering scrapping the standard iPhone 18 entirely and rebranding the iPhone Air 2 as its new $999 entry point when the more affordable iPhone models launch in spring 2027, a sketchy rumor claims.


The claim comes from the X account "Early Apple," who said Apple is "exploring the idea" of having the Air 2 simply take over the ‌iPhone 18‌ name and price point rather than launching as a separate device.

This would be a major break from how the two devices have been described up to now. Over a year's worth of rumors have consistently portrayed the standard ‌iPhone 18‌, the iPhone 18e, and the Air 2 as three separate devices set to launch together next spring, following the iPhone 18 Pro models and Apple's first foldable iPhone arriving later this month. Given how firmly that three way split has held up in the rumor cycle so far, a rebrand this drastic looks unlikely for 2027.

We have covered leaks from the account before, including an alleged ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ prototype photo back in April, but as we noted at the time, Early Apple is a relatively new account of unknown origin with no established track record, so the claim is best treated as an informed guess. The rumor has gained some traction online, so we have covered it for the sake of completeness.

The broader idea isn't entirely new, though. Other observers such as leaker Jon Prosser raised a similar possibility months ago, suggesting Apple's ultra-thin design could eventually become the template for the standard iPhone rather than remaining a separate niche model, framing it as a longer term shift rather than something arriving as soon as next spring.

There is a reasonable case for some convergence over time, even if next year is too soon. Apple has a history of debuting design features on pricier models before trickling down to the standard iPhone in later years, and with the ‌iPhone Air‌ 2 expected to close the gap by adding a second rear camera, one of the biggest practical differences between the Air and the standard iPhone would disappear. That makes it plausible that a future standard iPhone could eventually resemble the Air, even if an outright merger during the upcoming product cycle remains a stretch.

Apple is expected to announce the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and its first foldable iPhone tomorrow, with the standard ‌iPhone 18‌, iPhone 18e, and Air 2 following in spring 2027.
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Apple is working on a broader set of Camera app improvements in iOS 27 it has announced, according to a new deep dive from MacRumors forum member "pdfu."


‌iOS 27‌ beta code apparently points to five features that could arrive alongside new iPhone models this week or in a future software update:

• Exposure scopes: The Camera app can display a waveform or histogram to help judge exposure while shooting. A histogram shows how much of the image is too dark, too bright, or in between, while a waveform shows similar information but keeps it lined up with where those areas are in the frame.


• Focus peaking and highlight warnings: New code overlays helpful information right on top of the camera preview. Focus peaking highlights the edges of whatever's in sharp focus using a colored outline, while a separate overlay warns when part of the image is getting overexposed, using a solid color, a pulsing color, diagonal stripes, or a checkerboard pattern.


• Repeated self-timer shots: Apple is adding the ability to take several timed photos in a row rather than just one. After each shot, the countdown starts again right away instead of waiting for the photo to finish saving, so the shots can be taken back to back.


• Manual focus: A control for manually setting and locking focus, rather than relying on autofocus, has also turned up in testing, similar to what's already available in Apple's Final Cut Camera app. A version of this existed in iOS 26 with a focus slider, but that slider was removed in ‌iOS 27‌ beta 1. The underlying focus-locking code is still there, but Apple has restricted it to devices that ship with ‌iOS 27‌ or later, so it won't work on any current iPhone.


• Aperture-based image correction: A change to how photos are processed could be tied to a future iPhone with a variable aperture, a lens opening that can widen or narrow rather than staying fixed. ‌iOS 27‌ can adjust lens corrections depending on the aperture setting, blending between up to four reference points to smooth out the results.

Although the hidden features could be made available to other iPhone models, the presence of aperture-based image correction when the iPhone 18 Pro is widely expected to offer a variable aperture main camera suggests that at least some of the capabilities could arrive with the new models.

None of the five features are accessible to users in the current betas, and Apple could still hold some or all of them back from the September release. The findings follow pdfu's recent code discoveries covering unreleased game controllers, a four-speaker HomePod surround system, and new Apple Watch details.
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Ahead of the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 later this week, code in the watchOS 27 and iOS 27 betas points to a series of new features for the product line.


The information comes from a new post from MacRumors forums member "pdfu." The findings include:

• New "Readiness" app: An all-new separate Watch app referred to in code as "Readiness," distinct from the existing Vitals app. The ‌watchOS 27‌ launcher apparently includes it in the default Home Screen layout immediately after the Workout app, and the Watch companion app on ‌iOS 27‌ references the same app in its logic for arranging apps on the ‌Home Screen‌. Its name and placement next to the Workout app suggest Apple is preparing a more substantial readiness or recovery experience for the Apple Watch.


• Richer strength workouts: Expanded health infrastructure to store individual sets, repetition counts, weight, equipment, body side, and duration.


• New optical-sensing system: A new sensor family called "Sunstone4p0" with lower noise coefficients, and wrist- and orientation-based channel selection. This could point to revised heart-sensing hardware on an upcoming Apple Watch, featuring improved readings when the reflected pulse signal is weak and specialized sensing according to the watch's placement.


• 128GB storage: A NAND storage profile tied to the T8320 chip for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 suggesting that they could offer 128GB of storage, up from 64GB on previous models.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will tout new health and fitness features.

pdfu has emerged as an intriguing source of code discoveries in recent weeks. The forum member previously spotted references to two unreleased game controllers in the first macOS 26.7 release candidate, identified by the internal names T6502 and T1057, and separately found evidence in audioOS 27 beta 8 pointing to a four-speaker HomePod surround sound system and a new "Party Mode" feature.



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Xiaomi today officially announced the 18 Fold, its first wide-format foldable, at a product event in China, two days before Apple is expected to unveil its own first foldable iPhone.


The Xiaomi 18 Fold uses a similar wide-folding design to the Samsung Z Fold8 and Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone. It features a 5.38-inch outer display and a 7.58-inch inner display, both with 120Hz LTPO technology and 4000 nits of peak brightness. The display is protected by a new double-layer ultra-thin glass structure.

The phone folds around a redesigned hinge Xiaomi calls the "Dragon Bone" hinge, which the company says underwent 492 structural optimizations, facilitating a noticeably more rounded design than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8. It launches in four finishes, including a Nishino Red colorway and a limited Ceramic Special Edition capped at 1,500 units.

The 18 Fold is the first flagship to contain Xiaomi's in-house Xring O3 chip, built using a 3nm process with a 10-core CPU clocked to 4.35GHz and a 16-core GPU. Xiaomi says the chip delivers a 60% multi-core CPU gain and an 85% GPU performance gain over its predecessor, with power draw down 25% and 64% respectively, alongside a dedicated NPU rated at 200 TOPS.

The rear camera system was developed with Leica and is led by a 200-megapixel main sensor, alongside a 50-megapixel ultrawide and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom. Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to feature two rear cameras only, with no dedicated telephoto camera.

The device ships with Xiaomi's HyperOS 4 software and a 6,000mAh battery supporting 67W wired and 50W wireless charging. Pricing starts at 10,999 yuan (approximately $1,638), for the base 12GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration, rising to 14,999 yuan (approximately $2,235) for the top 16GB/1TB model, with a limited Ceramic Special Edition at 15,999 yuan (approximately $2,384). Apple's foldable is widely expected to be priced above $2,000.

Xiaomi also introduced the Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max tablet at the event, which shares the Xring O3 chip, along with three electric vehicles under its Pengcheng brand. The company has not announced global availability for the 18 Fold; its earlier Mix Fold foldables have stayed exclusive to China.

Apple is set to hold its own event on September 9 at Apple Park, where the company is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max.
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Apple's September 9 iPhone announcement event could become a negative catalyst for the stock, KeyBanc Capital Markets warns.


In a research note seen by Investing.com, KeyBanc said the event could motivate investors to weigh pricing decisions against the impact of higher costs on demand and margins. KeyBanc added that Apple faces a choice to either raise prices broadly to offset gross margin pressure, which could hurt unit volumes and trigger "sticker shock," or raise prices more selectively.

This could invite greater scrutiny of margins and raise the prospect of further price increases later down the line. The firm maintained an "Underweight" rating on Apple and a $250 price target, against a share price of $324.96 at the time of publication.

KeyBanc models total iPhone 18 lineup builds at around 80 million units across the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 and first quarter of fiscal 2027, down from roughly 91 million units a year earlier. The firm attributed most of the decline to the absence of a base ‌iPhone 18‌ model in this part of the product cycle, with higher pricing and a richer product mix expected to partially offset the lower volumes.

KeyBanc is also expecting a $150 price increase for the iPhone 18 Pro, raising it to $1,249, and a $200 increase for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, raising it to $1,399. The firm expects the foldable "iPhone Ultra" to start at $2,199.

KeyBanc also pointed to a historical pattern of Apple shares weakening around iPhone announcements, with the stock averaging a 0.72% decline on announcement day over the past five years and a 1.22% decline five trading days later. Apple's "Surprise and shine" event commences at 10 a.m. Pacific time on Wednesday, September 9.
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Apple is set to unveil new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models on Wednesday, September 9, and the devices are expected to feature a design that's largely similar to the iPhone 17 Pro models, with a peppering of enhancements inside. Major changes are not expected until next year, when Apple is expected to introduce a radically redesigned 20th-anniversary iPhone.


If you're thinking of trading in your current iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to next September's iPhone 20 models (Apple is expected to skip the iPhone 19 for its commemorative edition). Taken together, they may just give you pause for thought.

• A quad-curved, all-glass design: The display glass reportedly curves away on all four sides of the iPhone 20, concealing the metal frame during normal use for a borderless effect. Apple is said to be working with Samsung on an "equal-depth quad-curved" display to achieve the feat.


• Advanced OLED technology: Apple is planning to use a brighter, thinner OLED panel for the 20th anniversary iPhone. Rumors suggest that Apple will adopt Samsung ‌OLED‌ displays with Color Filter on Encapsulation (COE) technology, which reduces the thickness of the overall display stack, and lets more light through to improve brightness while reducing power draw.


• Under-display Face ID and camera: Apple is reportedly continuing to test hardware that would eliminate the Dynamic Island – the visible cutout – from the front of the device, with Face ID components moving under the screen and an under-camera display said to be in development. Whether the technology will be ready in time for a fall 2027 launch remains uncertain.


• Custom Apple image sensor: Apple is said to be developing its own stacked image sensor to replace the Sony sensors it has traditionally used for the iPhone. Apple has reportedly already developed a working prototype. The sensor is said to use LOFIC technology, which would let each pixel store varying amounts of light and potentially reach up to 20 stops of dynamic range.


• Solid-state buttons: Apple is said to be testing haptic replacements for the Side, Volume, Action, and Camera Control buttons. The buttons could be integrated directly into the device's frame, with no actual physical movement when pressed, yet retaining a tactile responsiveness.


• A 2-nanometer A21 chip: The 20th anniversary models are expected to feature a second-generation 2-nanometer chip. With the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models widely expected to debut the A20 Pro chip, the anniversary models would likely be powered by the A21 Pro.


• Silicon anode battery: Apple is reportedly exploring a new battery technology that uses a silicon anode capable of storing more lithium ions per gram, potentially delivering longer battery life without increasing the physical size of the battery.


• Mobile high bandwidth memory: Apple is rumored to be evaluating vertically stacked DRAM technology to improve memory bandwidth and boost on-device AI performance.


• Two sizes: The two anniversary models could have a larger display size compared to this September's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which are expected to use 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays similar to iPhone 17 Pro models. In contrast, Apple is rumored to be prototyping a 6.4-inch display for the iPhone 20 Pro, and a 7-inch display for the larger 20 Pro Max.
  

With all that said, we're still 12 months out, and Apple's plans shift constantly behind closed doors, plus features this ambitious have a habit of slipping a year or two. Under-display Face ID in particular has been "two years away" for about five years now.

Still, the combined leaks describe the most dramatic iPhone rethink since 2017 when the 10th-anniversary iPhone X debuted. If even half of the features make it to the shipped device, the iPhone 20 should be worth holding out for. For everything we know so far, check out our dedicated guide.
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Apple is looking at further ways to monetize the App Store and increase the company's recurring revenue from the platform, according to a new report.


Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that newly appointed Apple CEO John Ternus and services chief Eddy Cue are behind the effort to raise margins from the App Store, which already generates Apple an estimated $30 billion a year.

Interestingly, Gurman ties the effort to Apple Fellow Phil Schiller's decision to step away from running the App Store and work on other unspecified projects. Schiller, now 66 and edging toward retirement, "seems to believe that such moves will only irk developers and governments," he said. Based on what Gurman has heard from internal sources at the company, he added that "there was no internal blowup or anything like that, [but] it's something he wanted no part of."

Back in February 2025, as part of Apple's ongoing legal battle with Epic Games, Schiller testified that he initially opposed the 27 percent commission Apple originally wanted to charge on purchases made outside the App Store, citing compliance risks and potential developer backlash.

Schiller said in court that he had concerns that the fee would create an "antagonistic relationship" between Apple and developers, and worried about Apple becoming "some kind of collection agency" that might need to audit developers who didn't pay.

Apple has not collected fees from App Store link-outs in the U.S. since April 2025, after being found to be in contempt of court for charging 27 percent commission and ordered by a judge to stop the practice. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Apple's challenge to the contempt ruling, but hasn't yet decided it.

Meanwhile, Apple is now said to be moving responsibility for the ‌App Store‌ to Cue, who oversaw it until 2015, when Schiller took over. Carson Oliver, who has long been on the ‌App Store‌ team, will oversee its day-to-day operations.

App Store Earnings Down

Apple admitted during its July earnings call that regulatory changes have started to weigh on its Services growth. Apple reported services revenue of $30.7 billion for the June quarter, a record for the period but short of the $31.4 billion that analysts expected.

Separately, analytics firm Appfigures said in August that Apple's U.S. commission revenue from the App Store has fallen 18 percent since the start of 2026. It also found App Store revenue declining in Brazil and Japan since both countries introduced new regulations.
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Tim Cook will attend the screening for Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event this Wednesday, but he will not feature in the event video itself, according to sources cited by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Cook stepped down as Apple CEO on September 1 to become executive chairman of the company, paving the way for John Ternus to take over the top job.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple has "carefully orchestrated this transition to make Ternus the face of the foldable iPhone and all the new products to come. Putting Cook in the presentation would just undermine that."
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Apple's AirTag 2 is on sale for $79.99 this weekend on Amazon, down from $99.00. This deal is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's a match of the record low price for the accessory, beating the previous low by about $5.

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

We're also tracking a smaller deal on the AirTag 2 1-Pack, available for $24.00, down from $29.00. This is another record low price on the AirTag 2.




The new AirTag is equipped with a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, enabling the Precision Finding feature to work up to 50% farther away from an item compared to the previous-generation model.

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

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Apple announced the M6 chip last week, just ahead of its September iPhone event, providing the clearest indication yet of what the A20 will bring to the iPhone 18 lineup.


Apple silicon generations share much of their architecture across the A-series and the M-series, so a new A-series chip normally functions as a partial preview of the M-series chip that follows it. This year the order reversed; the M6 was revealed on August 25, ahead of the A20 Pro expected in the iPhone 18 Pro this month.

Recent reports place the A20 Pro at up to 18% faster and up to 30% more power efficient than the A19 Pro, which is broadly similar to the M6 over the M5.

Apple's First 2nm iPhone Chip

The M6 is Apple's first chip built on TSMC's 2nm (N2) process, with the second almost certain to be the A20. Being a smaller manufacturing process, N2 has higher transistor density, allowing Apple to pack more performance into a smaller area.

Apple has historically debuted new nodes on the A-series, since iPhone volume validates yields, so introducing N2 in an $899 Mac mini represents a change. As such, reports that the A20 and A20 Pro will move to N2 are now supported by a shipping product rather than analyst predictions. The consequence for the iPhone event is that the "Apple's first 2nm chip" claim is no longer available.

Dual Neural Engine?

The iPhone's Neural Engine has remained at 16 cores and approximately 35 trillion operations per second since the A17 Pro, spanning three generations. The M6 introduces a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, which Apple says system frameworks can address simultaneously for up to 2x the peak compute of previous generations.

The change corresponds with the reported move to WMCM packaging, which integrates memory onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine to shorten the path between them. It is possible that die area and thermal constraints may limit a dual engine to the A20 Pro.

GPU AI Gains Are Now Incremental

Apple said the M5 delivered over 4x the peak GPU compute for AI compared to the M4, reflecting the introduction of Neural Accelerators within each GPU core. The M6 is rated at nearly 30% over the M5.

The A19 Pro recorded a comparable 4x improvement on the iPhone 17 Pro last September for the same architectural reason. Second-generation Neural Accelerators consequently appear to represent a refinement rather than another step change, suggesting the A20 Pro will not repeat the A19 Pro's headline figure.

Graphics Improvements Should Carry Across

The M6 adds 50% increased geometry rates, an updated shader core architecture, revised Dynamic Caching, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. These are architectural changes and comparable graphics work has historically appeared across both the A-series and M-series within the same generation.

Memory Bandwidth Suggests a Modest A20 Gain

Memory bandwidth determines how quickly data moves between the memory and the processor, and it is the main constraint on running large language models on device. The M6 provides up to 170GB/s, which Apple describes as a 10% increase over the M5's 153.6GB/s.

That increase is small enough to indicate Apple is using a faster grade of the same LPDDR5X memory rather than moving to the newer LPDDR6 standard, which would have delivered a far larger jump. Reports indicate Apple is sourcing high-speed LPDDR5X from Samsung for the ‌iPhone 18‌ lineup, and the M6 is consistent with that.

The implication for the A20 is that memory bandwidth is unlikely to improve dramatically. The A19 Pro is rated at 76.8GB/s, and a similar 10% uplift would take the A20 Pro to roughly 85GB/s. Any meaningful gain in how quickly the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ loads and runs on-device models is therefore more likely to come from WMCM packaging shortening the distance data travels than from the memory itself.

AV1 Encode Remains Absent

The M6 Media Engine supports hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, with AV1 decode but no AV1 encode, matching the M5. The omission on a new process node in a desktop chip makes its inclusion in the A20 Pro highly unlikely.
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After years of rumors, the highly anticipated foldable iPhone is almost here, but that's not all we're expecting to see at next week's big event, and we've got full coverage of expectations for the "Surprise and Shine" event.


Beyond the event, this week also saw John Ternus take over from Tim Cook as Apple CEO, while we learned a bit more about what's coming in iOS 27 and how Apple has been trying to respond to massive demand for its desktop Macs amid the surge in AI computing, so read on below for all of the details!

Top Stories

iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18 Pro, and More: Apple's September 9 Event Preview

Apple's September event will take place on Wednesday, September 9, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. At the event, Apple will announce its 2026 iPhone lineup, and this year is a big one. Along with the slab-style iPhones we've been using for years, Apple is going to debut its first foldable device. We'll also get new Apple Watches, a new set of AirPods, and possibly some other surprises.


Everything we expect to see at the "Surprise and Shine" event is recapped in our event guide and overview video, so make sure to check it out.

Read John Ternus' First Memo to Apple Employees as CEO

This week marked the end of an era, with Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO after 15 years and hardware engineering chief John Ternus taking over the reins. Cook will remain active with Apple as Executive Chair.


In his first memo to employees as CEO, Ternus thanked employees for a warm welcome, expressed thanks to Cook for his contributions to Apple and assisting with the transition, and shared excitement about the future including "a huge launch" next week.

iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders May Start at an Unusual Time

Following next Wednesday's event, pre-orders for the new iPhone hardware may start at an unusual time. Pre-orders for the new iPhone models typically start at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on the Friday immediately following the event, but this year that falls on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.


As it did back in 2015 when pre-orders would also have fallen on the 11th, Apple will reportedly push things back this year and begin accepting pre-orders at midnight Pacific Time on Saturday, September 12.

iOS 27 Introduces New 'iPhone Handoff' Feature

Back at WWDC in June, Apple made the briefest of mentions about iOS 27 offering the ability to share a phone number between devices, and now we know how that feature will work.


MacRumors forum member pdfu this week shared a video showing how users will set up the feature, dubbed iPhone Handoff, from the Cellular section of the Settings app. iPhone Handoff will require carrier support, with the user's main eSIM remaining on their primary phone and a companion eSIM being sent to another iPhone. Once activated, a single phone number will be used across both devices, with the phone number automatically switching back and forth to whichever device is unlocked at the moment.

Foldable iPhone Ultra Likely Has MagSafe Charging

In addition to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, next week's event will also see the long-awaited introduction of Apple's first foldable iPhone. The device will sacrifice a few features in order to enable its ultra-thin profile, and until recently it was thought that MagSafe charging might be one of those things.


In a recent interview with Tom's Guide, however, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says "all indications" point toward MagSafe support being included on the phone.

Apple Caught Off Guard by AI Demand for Mac Mini and Mac Studio

Apple's unusually timed announcement of new Mac mini and Mac Studio models last week was driven by unexpectedly strong enterprise appetite for AI hardware, according to The Information. Apple normally releases new Mac models in the fall, closer to October or November, but Apple pulled Mac announcements ahead of the anticipated arrival of new iPhone models as it has sought to meet strong demand for its desktop Macs.


Apple highlighted the ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌'s shift toward business buyers back in June, with a "Business at the Park" event involving executives from major companies Ford, Disney, and Anthropic. The ‌Mac mini‌ was said to be the "darling" of the event.

A surge in demand for Mac hardware to run AI models has coincided with the global memory shortage, leaving many ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌ configurations out of stock for months and making the new models a priority to allow Apple to offer improved performance and higher production volumes.

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This article, "Top Stories: 'Surprise and Shine' Apple Event Preview, John Ternus Takes Over, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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