Apple today released a fifth version of the beta firmware it is testing for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware is available for developers and public beta testers. It has a build number of 9A5347a.


In iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple is adding a new AirPods interface, a slider for Adaptive mode, and support for custom EQ, so the firmware adds support for those features. AirPods are also compatible with the new Siri AI.

When the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 or later, there is a beta firmware option that can be accessed in the AirPods settings interface. Toggling on beta updates allows users to install the beta firmware.

Firmware updates can be downloaded by connecting the AirPods to an Apple device and connecting them to power. It can take a few hours for new firmware to be installed because there is no software update option like there is for other Apple devices.
This article, "Apple Releases New AirPods Beta Firmware With iOS 27 Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple yesterday updated its App Store fees in the EU to comply with the Digital Markets Act and to put an end to its ongoing conflict with the European Commission. Apple cut the Core Technology Fee and simplified its pricing structure, so apps distributed through alternative marketplaces or through the web will pay less than before.


When announcing the changes, Apple said it worked in "close collaboration" with the EC, and that the updates would "resolve Apple's disagreements with the Commission over business terms and alternative distribution."

The European Commission has since confirmed that it approves of Apple's changes to its App Store policies, giving a statement to the Irish Independent:

The Commission welcomes Apple's changes to their business terms, which follow a close dialogue between the Commission and Apple after the Commission issued a non-compliance decision related to Apple's steering terms as well as preliminary findings related to alternative app distribution, both in April 2025.

Following today's announcement, the Commission will monitor Apple's effective implementation of the new terms. Under the DMA, users in the EU have a right to full and effective choice of alternative app distribution channels.

The EC says it will continue to monitor how Apple implements the new terms, which will go into effect on October 1.

While the EC approved Apple's planned changes, Apple legal opponent Epic Games was not happy with the new fee structure, denouncing the "new junk fees." ‌Epic Games‌ said Apple's new terms do not comply with the Digital Markets Act and claimed if the EC accepts the terms, the DMA "will become meaningless."

Apple announced new junk fees in the EU that do nothing to open up the mobile app ecosystem to competition, as required by Digital Market Act.

Apple will now charge:
• 20% fee on alternative in-app payment options
• 15% fee on links to make purchases outside apps
• 5% Core Technology Commission on payments made in apps downloaded from alternative stores or the web

The law makes it clear that Apple must allow developers to offer link outs to the web for purchases "free of charge" and has to allow "effective use" of competing stores. Apple's terms deliberately violate the Digital Markets Act. If the Commission accepts the terms and drops their ongoing enforcement actions, the law will become meaningless and consumers and developers will not experience the benefits it was designed to provide.

Under the new terms, ‌Epic Games‌ will need to pay a five percent Core Technology Commission on digital purchases made through its ‌Epic Games‌ Store on the iPhone and iPad in the EU. For an app distributed through the ‌App Store‌ with a link to purchase options, Epic would need to pay 15 percent.

Apple is implementing lower rates for Small Business Program, Video Partner Program, and Mini Apps Partner Program participants, plus it waives the Core Technology Commission for small marketplaces. ‌Epic Games‌ does not qualify for reduced fees.
This article, "EU Welcomes Apple's App Store Changes, Epic Slams 'Junk Fees'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's camera-equipped AirPods will not launch until 2027 despite the demo video MacRumors found earlier this week, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


On Monday, MacRumors shared a demo video featuring the camera-equipped AirPods in action. The video was hidden in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, suggesting Apple was preparing for a launch. That's apparently not the case, and people familiar with the product told Gurman the AirPods with cameras aren't going to launch anytime soon.

The AirPods are not on Apple's 2026 release schedule because the company is still working to resolve supply chain and software challenges.

Gurman's own reporting on the camera AirPods timing has been confusing. In May, he said the AirPods were in an "advanced" testing stage with mass production to begin soon, and then in June, he said the AirPods had been delayed until late 2027.

In early August, he reversed course and said the camera-equipped AirPods could launch as soon as September. In that report, he clarified that there were two variants of the camera-equipped AirPods in the works, one with a B790 codename and one with a B798 codename. "Apple famously creates competing versions of the same product internally," he wrote.

In today's report, Gurman says the B790 product is a version of the AirPods Pro 3 with cameras, while the B798 model is a new generation of AirPods Pro with cameras. The B790 AirPods were shown off in the video, which featured a man holding a book up to the AirPods so Siri could read the title and save it for later.

The B790 model was apparently "on the 2026 road map until recently," but Apple no longer plans to release it.

The AirPods planned for 2027 will include low-resolution cameras that feed information to ‌Siri‌ AI for Visual Intelligence features as demonstrated in the video. The AirPods cameras will not be able to capture photos and videos.

Apple could launch the new AirPods in fall 2027 alongside the 20th-anniversary iPhone.
This article, "Apple's Camera AirPods Not Launching Until 2027 Despite Leaked Video" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Meta today launched a new ‌Meta‌ AI app for the Mac, which is available in a beta capacity.


The app is primarily meant for businesses and content creators, and it integrates with Facebook and Instagram. It incorporates analytics tools so it can answer questions about performance, and connects with Google Workspace for document access. Google Workspace access requires a professional Facebook or Instagram account.

‌Meta‌ says there's an option to share a window during a session using screen capture to get advice based on what's being worked on. It also includes built-in dictation that works across all apps on the Mac.

‌Meta‌ is adding new ‌Meta‌ AI features for business users across its platforms, so the assistant can complete recurring tasks and reminders and generate decks, docs, and spreadsheets.

Creators and businesses may want to use caution when opting in to ‌Meta‌ AI, because ‌Meta‌'s privacy policy makes it clear that "interactions with features that are part of AI at ‌Meta‌" are used to train its models.

‌Meta‌ AI is free to use, but there are ‌Meta‌ One plans that increase rate limits.
This article, "Meta AI Launches Mac App With Screen Sharing and Dictation" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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