Apple updated its Invites app to add a co-hosting feature that lets two or more people plan and manage a party or event.


There are also new event background options available, and hosts have the option to make invited guests visible to all attendees. Apple's notes for the update are below:

• Cohosting is now available, letting you easily plan and manage your party with others.


• New event backgrounds help set the mood for your next coffee catch-up, boba run, ice cream social, and more.


• Hosts can now choose to make invited guests visible to all attendees.


• This update contains bug fixes and performance improvements.

Apple introduced the Invites app in early 2024, and has continued to introduce updates since then. Invites is available on the iPhone and via iCloud, so invitations can be sent to anyone. Guests are able to RSVP from the iPhone app or from the web.
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Apple is making more of an effort to turn the iPhone into a physical wallet replacement in iOS 27, and there are several upgrades to the Wallet app.

Pass Upgrades

Apple upgraded airline boarding passes in the Wallet app with iOS 26, and in ‌iOS 27‌, upgrades are coming to additional types of passes. Memberships, gift cards, loyalty cards, and rewards cards can use a bolder "Poster Generic" card style with full background images, primary logo, header fields, footer field, primary fields, and an optional barcode.


Each pass is able to include up to two actions that can be tapped from the bottom of the pass, such as getting directions to a venue or checking a rewards point balance.

Apple is also allowing users to check the pass issuer certificate to ensure that a digital pass is legitimate (not applicable to Create a Pass), and there are four new barcode types supported, including EAN–13, Code 39, Codabar, and ITF.

There is a new Pass Designer Mac app for developers that makes it easier to create a pass using a WYSIWYG editor.

Create a Pass

There's a "Create a Pass" feature in the Wallet app for adding tickets, memberships, and more using Visual Intelligence. If you have a ticket for an event and there's not a digital version available for the Wallet app already, you can create one using the physical pass.



You can scan a pass and add it with Visual Intelligence if there's a barcode or QR code, or a pass can be added manually. Pass templates include Standard, Membership, and Event.

Each type includes relevant information like name, location, or admission type, along with a scannable code drawn from an included barcode or QR code that you take a photo of. There are 12 background colors to choose from with different texture options, or seven custom backgrounds for categories like theater, music, sports, and movies.

Fields can be added or removed as needed when creating a custom pass, with options like label, date, membership, contact, coupon code, VIN, insurance, and more, so most physical cards are able to be stored digitally.

Hotel Keys

When you add a digital hotel key from a participating hotel to the Wallet app, you can now view more details about the trip. Hotels can provide updates on booked activities and allow access to different services.

AI Bill Splitting

Using the new Siri Mode in the Camera app, or a feature in the Messages and Wallet apps, you can take a photo of a bill and use Apple Intelligence to figure out what each person owes. ‌Visual Intelligence‌ scans the receipt and makes a digital copy of everything on the list, and each person can select what they consumed. Tax and tip portions are also calculated automatically.

Payments can be made using Apple Cash, which is a U.S.-only feature.

Insights

‌iOS 27‌ includes an "Insights" feature where you can add financial accounts to the Wallet app to monitor spending.



Insights is an expansion of the Connected Accounts feature in earlier versions of iOS, and it includes spending, recurring transactions, account balances, and more. It works for financial institutions that have implemented Connected Cards support, including several UK banks.

Order Tracking

Order tracking in the Wallet app is expanding to Australia and Canada in ‌iOS 27‌. In ‌iOS 26‌, it was limited to the United States and UK.

Tap to Share

Tap to Share is an ‌iOS 27‌ feature that lets customers connect to a participating merchant's iPhone for quicker digital checkout.

Device Requirements

‌Visual Intelligence‌ is an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature requiring an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. Many of the other features should work on all iPhones.
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Apple today seeded the second beta of watchOS 27 to developers, with the update coming two weeks after the launch of the first beta.


The beta can be downloaded through the Watch app on the iPhone with a free developer account. The Apple Watch will need to be on the charger, connected to Wi-Fi, and have a battery level of 50 percent or above for new software to be installed. The beta is available for all Apple Watch models compatible with ‌watchOS 27‌ except for the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

‌watchOS 27‌ will include Siri AI, the smarter, more capable version of ‌Siri‌. ‌Siri‌ can hold back-and-forth conversations, plus it has access to general world knowledge and your personal data to answer questions and find information. ‌Siri‌ AI on Apple Watch requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, including the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

There's a new Dynamic app grid that highlights ‌Siri‌ suggested apps, and more intuitive Smart Stack Suggestions. You can find your parked car, see pinned messages, get noise alerts, and view identity and transit cards.

Liquid Glass has been updated to improve legibility, and Workout Buddy works on the Apple Watch even when an iPhone isn't nearby. Workout Buddy also gains new metrics like progressive increases to distance, pace, or duration. Apple added a new all-in-one Find My app with support for Precision Finding, and there are performance optimizations that improve battery life.

More on what's new in ‌watchOS 27‌ is available in our watchOS 27 roundup.
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As Prime Day continues, we're highlighting all of the best Apple deals you can get for under $100 on Amazon. This includes AirPods, Apple Pencil Pro, AirTag, iPhone cases, USB-C chargers, and more.

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.

You can find every Apple deal available during Prime Day in our dedicated post. Remember that you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to get Prime Day deals, and you can sign up for Prime on Amazon if you don't have the service yet.

$30 Or Under

In the cheapest category, you can get Apple's 20W USB-C Power Adapter for $14.99, down from $19.00, and the AirTag 1-Pack for $24.00, down from $29.00. This sale is on the new second generation AirTag model, and it's the first notable discount we've ever seen on this device.

$50 Or Under

For accessories priced between $30 and $50, there are a few sales on Amazon for Prime Day. You can get the Apple Crossbody Strap in Black for $35.99, down from $59.00, plus numerous discounts on iPhone 17 model Silicone and TechWoven Cases.

$100 Or Under

Lastly, we're tracking a few deals on Apple products that are just under $100 for Prime Day. You can get an AirTag 2 4-Pack for $89.00 ($10 off), an Apple Pencil Pro for $99.00 ($30 off), and AirPods 4 for $99.00 ($30 off).





If you're on the hunt for more Prime Day discounts, be sure to visit our big Prime Day post where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the event.

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Apple today shared a video showing off the Apple Watch in use at the World Surf League Championship Tour, with surfers describing how they use the watch when competing.


Surfers can be hundreds of meters away from the beach during competitions and can't hear announcements over the sound of the water and the wind. The World Surf League has adopted the Apple Watch to solve the problem, linking the device to the scoring system. Surfers can get up-to-date information right on the watch.

"I know what it was like competing without this piece of technology," said professional surfer Lakey Peterson. "There's nothing more frustrating than being in a competitive heat without this piece of technology."

The Apple Watch makes sure surfers know how much time is left in a heat, who has priority, and what the score is. The watch is updated in real time, with surfer Isabella Nichols calling the information "crucial" to the outcome in a competition. Mateus Herdy said the watch vibrates when priority changes, so competitors don't even have to look at the screen.

"The Apple Watch has become part of our equipment," said Nichols. "It's like a surfboard or rashie."

The World Surf League hasn't lost an Apple Watch despite the intense conditions surfers put the device through. Surfers have worn the watch at dangerous surfing spots like Pipeline in Hawaii and Teahupo'o in Tahiti, and it has come out unscathed.

The video appears to be part of a new "Apple at Play" series. Apple previously had a partnership with the World Surf League, and the 2021 and 2022 championship tours were shown on Apple TV in the "Make or Break" docuseries.
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A group of 48 China-based iOS developers have filed an antitrust complaint against Apple with the country's market regulator over the App Store's commission rates, the South China Morning Post reports.


The developers sent an open letter to China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), alleging that Apple failed to deliver on a promise to offer the lowest commission rate to the Chinese market. The group asked the SAMR to investigate and penalize Apple for allegedly abusing its market dominance to impose "unfair and excessively high" costs on local developers.

Apple currently charges a 25% commission on paid apps and in-app purchases in China, down from 30% after a cut made in March. The commission on subscription renewals, along with the rate for qualified developers in Apple's Small Business and Mini Apps Partner programs, was lowered to 12% from 15% at the same time.

The complaint follows a series of similar challenges to Apple's China ‌App Store‌ policies dating back nearly a decade. A Beijing law firm filed a complaint in 2017 over app removals and high fees, a Chinese consumer sued over ‌App Store‌ fees in 2021 (a claim ultimately rejected by a Shanghai court in 2024), and another Chinese law firm sued again in 2025.

The 48 developers point to Apple's recent moves elsewhere as evidence the company can do better. Apple lowered its Brazil commission last week to between 10% and 21% of a transaction, plus a 5% processing fee, while also letting Brazilian developers distribute iOS apps through other app marketplaces for a 5% fee. Apple made comparable adjustments in Japan late last year.

The developers want more than Brazil-style pricing. They argue that allowing third-party app stores in China, as Apple already does in the European Union under the Digital Markets Act, would push its effective commission down to as low as 5%.

Apple has faced mounting regulatory pressure over ‌App Store‌ fees worldwide in recent years. The company was fined €500 million ($572.2 million) last year for violating the EU's Digital Markets Act and has appealed the decision, while in the U.S. it has been ordered to allow external payment links following its legal fight with Epic Games. Apple said earlier this month that its ‌App Store‌ ecosystem generated more than $1.4 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2025, with China contributing the largest share at $562 billion.
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Anker's popular Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station has dropped to $99.74 on Amazon for Prime Day, down from $149.99. This is one of Anker's newest accessories, and Amazon's sale today is a new all-time low price.

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

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



There are plenty of other Anker discounts happening on Amazon for Prime Day, including Anker's Prime 14-in-1 Docking Station for $319.99, down from $399.99. Below you'll find a list of the best Anker discounts on Amazon this week, also including wall chargers, portable chargers, and more.

Wall Chargers

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


• Anker 140W 4-Port GaN USB-C Charger - $59.99, down from $99.99


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

Wireless Chargers

• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible UFO Charger - $59.99, down from $89.99


• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Foldable Charging Station - $59.00, down from $109.99


• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Cube - $77.54, down from $129.99


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


• Anker Prime MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Charging Station - $137.99, down from $229.99

Portable Chargers

• Nano Power Bank with Built-In USB-C - $19.99, down from $26.99


• Anker Nano 10,000 mAh Portable Charger - $41.99, down from $59.99


• Anker MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $60.79, down from $79.99


• Anker Prime Power Bank 20,100 mAh - $119.69, down from $179.99


• Anker Prime Power Bank 26,250 mAh - $159.99, down from $229.99

Portable Power Stations

• Anker SOLIX C300 Power Station with Lantern - $149.99, down from $249.00


• Anker SOLIX C300 - $209.30, down from $299.99


• Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 - $399.00, down from $799.00


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


• Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 - $699.99, down from $1,499.00


• Anker SOLIX F3800 - $1,599.99, down from $2,299.00

Docks

• Anker Nano 13-in-1 Laptop Docking Station - $104.49, down from $149.99


• Anker Prime 14-Port Docking Station - $161.49, down from $269.99

Shoppers should note that many sales during Amazon Prime Day require you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Special for 2026, Amazon is also offering 50% off Prime memberships for Young Adults. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.

For even more Prime Day deals, be sure to visit our main article recapping all of the best Apple deals for Prime Day. 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 is taking $150 off multiple models of the M5 MacBook Air for Prime Day, including a match of the all-time low price on the 16GB/1TB 15-inch MacBook Air. This model is on sale for $1,349.00 in Starlight and Midnight, down from $1,499.00.

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.

In terms of 13-inch models, Amazon has the 512GB 13-inch MacBook Air for $949.00, down from $1,099.00, and the 16GB/1TB model for $1,149.00, down from $1,299.00. Both of these represent solid second-best prices for the M5 MacBook Air.




Regarding the 15-inch models, you'll also find $150 off the M5 MacBook Air, with multiple color options on sale for each configuration. Prices start at $1,149.00 for the 512GB model, down from $1,299.00, and also include both 1TB models on sale.





Shoppers should note that many sales during Amazon Prime Day require you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Special for 2026, Amazon is also offering 50% off Prime memberships for Young Adults. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.

For even more Prime Day deals, be sure to visit our main article recapping all of the best Apple deals for Prime Day. 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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LG is hosting an early Fourth of July sale on its website this week, with deals on monitors, TVs, home appliances, and more. LG's discounts have been automatically applied and do not require any discount codes or special memberships.

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

Highlights of the event include up to $700 off select LG monitors and up to $1,700 off LG's best TV sets. Regarding the TVs, discounts include big savings on the new 2026 LG OLED evo AI sets, like the 65-inch LG OLED evo AI C6 4K Smart TV for $1,999.99 ($700 off) and the 65-inch LG OLED evo AI G6 4K Smart TV for $2,999.99 ($400 off).

TVs

• 55-inch LG UHD 4K Smart TV - $299.99 ($80 off)


• 75-inch LG Mini LED 4K Smart TV - $699.99 ($100 off)


• 86-inch LG QNED 4K Smart TV - $999.99 ($299 off)


• 65-inch LG OLED 4K Smart TV - $1,199.99 ($800 off)


• 77-inch LG evo AI 4K Smart TV - $1,999.99 ($1,700 off)


• 65-inch LG OLED evo AI C6 4K Smart TV - $1,999.99 ($700 off)


• 65-inch LG OLED evo AI G6 4K Smart TV - $2,999.99 ($400 off)

Monitors

• 34-inch UltraGear Curved Monitor - $229.99 ($170 off)


• 34-inch UltraWide Curved Monitor - $299.99 ($200 off)


• 34-inch UltraGear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor - $799.99 ($500 off)


• 27-inch UltraGear OLED Gaming Monitor - $699.99 ($300 off)


• 32-inch UltraFine 6K Monitor - $1,299.99 ($700 off)

Appliances

• 24-inch QuadWash Front Control Dishwasher - $549.00 ($250 off)


• 24-inch FlushFit Top Control Dishwasher - $749.00 ($400 off)


• 26 cu. ft. Wide Bottom Freezer Refrigerator - $1,699.00 ($500 off)


• 27 cu. ft. Side-by-Side InstaView Refrigerator - $1,699.00 ($900 off)


• Single Unit Front Load WashTower - $1,699.00 ($900 off)


• 27 cu. ft. Smart InstaView French Door Refrigerator - $1,899.00 ($1,000 off)


• Washer/Dryer LG WashCombo All-in-One - $1,999.00 ($1,300 off)


• 30 cu. ft. Smart French Door Refrigerator - $2,499.00 ($1,500 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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The latest beta of Apple's Reality Composer Pro 3, the content creation tool used to build spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro, appears to contain traces of "The Machinery," an ambitious game development project that abruptly shut down in 2022 without explanation.


Based on code discovered by Nicolás Alvarez and independently confirmed by MacRumors, binaries included with Reality Composer Pro 3 beta contain at least 40 mentions of "the machinery" or "our machinery," and match aspects of The Machinery's project structure, asset management system, and database architecture.

The findings are notable because The Machinery was developed by Our Machinery – a company made up of veterans of the Bitsquid game engine. The project earned a devoted following among engine programmers for its unconventional approach to content creation workflows. And yet it disappeared without trace.

Central to the project was a system known as "The Truth," a database-driven architecture designed to unify assets, objects, dependencies, and editor state. Many of the same concepts appear in Apple's latest Reality Composer Pro release, announced during WWDC 2026. Things like reusable prototypes, live editing, asset dependency tracking, and rapid iteration workflows all pop up – ideas that have notable technological similarities to how The Machinery worked. The direct references in the code appear to confirm the connection.

The links don't just extend to code strings, either. Tricia Gray, co-founder and CEO of Our Machinery, now works on Apple's spatial computing developer tools team, as evidenced in her LinkedIn profile.

It's not clear whether Apple licensed The Machinery or acquired the company, or in some way inherited the referenced technology, but the presence of the identifiers throughout Apple's code suggests at least some of the project's ideas have somehow found their way into Apple's spatial computing development toolset.

The discovery is particularly notable because The Machinery's development ended so suddenly, surprising many developers at the time who had followed the project's progress. We've reached out to Apple to comment on the findings and will update this story if we hear back.
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Meta today unveiled its first smart glasses sold under its own brand rather than Ray-Ban or Oakley, undercutting its existing lineup on price as it works to expand its lead in the category before Apple enters the market.


The new Adventurer and Fury models are priced at $299, $80 less than the second-generation Ray-Ban ‌Meta‌ Wayfarer that launched last year. A third model, the Starfire, was designed in collaboration with Kylie Jenner and costs $399.

EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban and Oakley, is manufacturing the glasses despite ‌Meta‌ designing them in-house and putting its own name on them, with EssilorLuxottica's logo appearing on the temple arms and packaging alongside ‌Meta‌'s.

The Adventurer has a rectangular Wayfarer-like shape available in standard and large sizes, while the Fury shares that silhouette but is thicker. The Starfire takes a slimmer oval shape and includes a small gemstone on the right lens near the camera, a metal nose pad designed to resist makeup residue, and the option to set an AI-generated version of Jenner's voice for the assistant and onboarding prompts. The Starfire's case includes a handwritten note from Jenner and a built-in mirror.

Across all three styles, ‌Meta‌ added a three-way adjustable nose pad, adjustable temple tips, and overextension hinges so the arms flare out slightly for wider head shapes. The companies are offering 26 color and lens combinations between the Adventurer and Fury alone, including tortoise, black, and green finishes, plus transition, polarized, and clear lens options, and the glasses support prescription lenses with a power range of -12 to +2.25.

The new glasses carry over the same 12-megapixel camera, 3K video capture, five-microphone array, and eight-hour battery life as the existing Ray-Ban ‌Meta‌ Gen 2 glasses, with the included case adding about 40 hours of additional charge. ‌Meta‌ is also offering a separate ‌Meta‌ Glasses Charging Stand compatible with the new models as well as the Ray-Ban ‌Meta‌ and Oakley ‌Meta‌ HSTN lines.

The glasses ship with ‌Meta‌'s Muse Spark AI model, which the company says improves response quality and adds 14 new languages to live translation support, including Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Arabic, and Hindi, bringing the total to 20. A new "Dynamic Photo" feature captures a burst of images and selects the best shot, and pedestrian turn-by-turn navigation is coming to the camera-equipped lineup after debuting on ‌Meta‌'s display glasses.

According to Bloomberg, ‌Meta‌ also hinted that it's considering a version of its glasses without a camera, focusing on an audio-only experience for phone calls, media playback and interacting with its AI tools. A camera-free option could both lower the price point and enable new styles, it said, given the need to include fewer components.

The company also addressed Apple directly, calling the iPhone maker "formidable" in the space ahead of its own glasses debut. "I think you need to take anything they do seriously," ‌Meta‌'s Alex Himel said, adding, "they're good at hardware, they're good at design. There's a number of places where we won't necessarily be able to build the same quality consumer experience when paired with the phone, and so I think they're taking advantage of that."

Apple is widely expected to release its first smart glasses in 2027, designed in-house rather than through a partner brand. Apple's glasses will likely rely on a camera, microphones, and Siri for AI-driven features without an integrated display, putting them in direct competition with ‌Meta‌'s camera-equipped lineup rather than higher-end display models like ‌Meta‌'s Ray-Ban Display glasses.

‌Meta‌ said it explored facial recognition tools for identifying people the wearer knows but has not put the feature into active development while it works through privacy and societal concerns.

The Adventurer, Fury, and Starfire glasses are available starting today through ‌Meta‌ and EssilorLuxottica retail partners including LensCrafters.
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Amazon has brought back a major sale on the M4 iPad Air for Prime Day, with all-time low prices on nearly every model of the tablet. This includes both 11-inch and 13-inch models of the brand new 2026 M4 iPad Air.

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.

Specifically, the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M4 iPad Air has dropped to $519.99, down from $599.00, which is a match of the record low price. You'll also find low prices on the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch model and two 13-inch models, all of which we're only tracking on Amazon.






The new iPad Air features the M4 chip, C1X modem, and N1 networking chip, which brings support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. In terms of design, the 2026 models are identical to the 2025 iPad Air tablets, with an edge-to-edge display, slim bezels, and aluminum chassis.

Shoppers should note that many sales during Amazon Prime Day require you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Special for 2026, Amazon is also offering 50% off Prime memberships for Young Adults. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.

For even more Prime Day deals, be sure to visit our main article recapping all of the best Apple deals for Prime Day. 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 Prime Day has arrived, and today you can find record low prices on nearly every AirPods model on Amazon. This includes the AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2.

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

The highlight of AirPods deals this Prime Day is the AirPods Max 2 on sale for $399.00 in all colors, down from $549.00, which is a new all-time low price on the headphones. This is accompanied by a great discount on the AirPods 4 for Prime Day, available for $99.00, down from $129.00.





In terms of the AirPods Pro 3, we're tracking these at $179.99 as of writing, down from $249.00. These were about $10 cheaper in early Prime Day sales, but we aren't sure if or when that sale will return. For now, the current price is still a solid second-best offer on the AirPods Pro 3.

Shoppers should note that many sales during Amazon Prime Day require you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Special for 2026, Amazon is also offering 50% off Prime memberships for Young Adults. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.

For even more Prime Day deals, be sure to visit our main article recapping all of the best Apple deals for Prime Day. 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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A new resale value study suggests that a $2,000 foldable iPhone could lose as much as $1,292 of its value within its first 12 months on the market, based on current foldable depreciation trends.


The estimate comes from SellCell, which analyzed the 12-month resale performance of flagship smartphones from Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and OnePlus. The site found that foldable smartphones lose an average of 64.6% of their value within a year, the worst depreciation rate of any smartphone category, compared with 55.3% for traditional smartphones.

SellCell calculates that foldable phone owners lose $997.69 on average after 12 months, compared with $605.32 for owners of traditional smartphones, a gap of $392.37. Foldables retain just 35.4% of their launch value after a year, versus 44.7% for non-folding phones.

Apple is widely rumored to be preparing its first foldable iPhone, expected to be called the "iPhone Ultra," for launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max in fall 2026, with a price of around $2,000.

Using that rumored price point, SellCell modeled what a foldable iPhone's resale value might look like after a year if it depreciated at the average rate seen across today's foldables, landing at around $708 after 12 months. This would represent a loss of roughly $1,292.

SellCell notes Apple has historically outperformed competitors on resale value. The iPhone 16 lineup retained 51.5% of its value after 12 months, the strongest of any major manufacturer in the study, ahead of OnePlus (46.8%), Google (40.8%), Samsung (39.5%), and Motorola (24.5%). If a foldable iPhone matched the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup's depreciation rate instead, SellCell estimates it could be worth around $1,030 after a year, over $300 less depreciation than a typical foldable.

Real-world depreciation would likely land closer to Apple's existing figures. The base ‌iPhone 16‌ retained 51.4% of value after a year and the 256GB ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max retained 56.4%, though even at those rates, the total loss on a $2,000 device would still come out to roughly $1,000 over 12 months.
This article, "Apple's Foldable iPhone Could Lose Almost $1,300 in Value in First Year, Study Suggests" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon Prime Day 2026 is here, and it will last for four days, ending this Friday, June 26. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and we're tracking numerous all-time low prices on Apple gear right now.

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.

For our coverage, we're focusing on discounts for Apple and Apple-related products that can be purchased right now on Amazon. As of today, this includes deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, monitors, charging accessories, and more. We're also sharing deals being matched at retailers like Best Buy in some cases.



As is typical for Prime Day deals, these markdowns are very time sensitive, so sales listed below may disappear fast, and new ones may appear even faster. With this in mind, we'll keep this article updated over the next few days, and keep an eye on the MacRumors front page as we'll be posting particularly great deals in separate articles next week.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Amazon Prime Day requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Special for 2026, Amazon is also offering 50% off Prime memberships for Young Adults. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.

AirPods

Amazon has the AirPods Max 2 on sale for $399.00 in all colors, down from $549.00. This is an all-time low price on the headphones. This is accompanied by a great discount on the AirPods 4 for Prime Day, available for $99.00, down from $129.00.

AirTag 2

Apple's AirTag 2 has hit the new low price of $24.00 for the 1-Pack and $89.00 for the 4-Pack.




This is the first major discount we've ever seen on the AirTag 2 at Amazon since the device launched earlier in 2026. 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.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Amazon is discounting a wide array of Apple Watch Ultra 3 models down to $649.00 for Prime Day, from $799.00. This is a new all-time low price on the 2025 smartwatch, beating the previous record low price by about $50, and it's available in both Natural and Black Titanium color options.

Apple Watch Series 11

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $120 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes a handful of GPS aluminum models on sale at record low prices.




You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $279.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $309.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you'll find three of the 42mm GPS models and three of the 46mm GPS models on sale at these all-time low prices.

Apple Watch SE 3

Amazon is also taking $50 off the Apple Watch SE 3, starting at $199.00 for the 40mm GPS model. These are matches of all-time low prices on the SE 3, and it's been over four months since we last tracked these prices on the wearable.




You can also get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE 3 on sale for $229.00, down from $279.00. Both the 40mm and 44mm GPS models are available in Midnight and Starlight Aluminum at these prices.

MacBook Air

You'll find $149 off a few models of the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air on Amazon this week, starting at $949.99 for the 512GB model, down from $1,099.00.

iPad Air

Amazon has brought back all-time low prices on a handful of M4 iPad Air tablets for Prime Day. This includes both 11-inch and 13-inch models of the brand new 2026 M4 iPad Air.






Specifically, the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M4 iPad Air has dropped to $519.99, down from $599.00, beating the previous low price by about $40.

iPad

Amazon is taking up to $52 off Wi-Fi and cellular models of Apple's 11th generation iPad for Prime Day. Prices start at $299.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00, a second-best price on this 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.

---

This article, "The Best Prime Day Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, AirTag, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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One of Apple's key manufacturing partners in India has confirmed it was recently the target of a cyberattack that has resulted in confidential Apple documents being leaked on the dark web.


Tata Electronics said on Monday it had detected a "cybersecurity incident," after security researchers told Reuters that ransom group World Leaks had shared more than 200,000 files belonging to Apple and Tesla, both of which are customers of the Indian group.

"A few weeks ago, Tata Electronics identified a cybersecurity incident on some of our systems. Our response protocols were deployed immediately, and the incident has had no impact on our operations across businesses, which remain unaffected," Tata Electronics told Reuters in a statement.

Apple has not commented on the leak, but a source familiar with the matter told the outlet that Apple was investigating the breach and ​a "full analysis was going on." Tata is believed to have received a ransom demand related to the incident, but the group declined to comment.

Many of the leaked files allegedly contain component design and specification papers. For example, one 52-page document has Apple's proprietary markings and purportedly details quality inspection standards ⁠for iPhone circuit ​board components. The files are ⁠also said to contain emails, event logs spanning several years, and passport copies of employees including foreign nationals.

Reuters wasn't able to independently verify the documents, which have been available on the dark web – which is beyond the reach of search engines – since at least June 10, according to researchers.

Tata is emerging as one of Apple's most important manufacturing ​partners outside China, and the breach is another setback for the group. It is also currently facing a health probe over alleged contamination of farmlands near one of its iPhone parts plants.
This article, "Confidential Apple Files Leaked on Dark Web After Supplier Cyberattack" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A class action lawsuit accusing Apple of overcharging U.K. iCloud users has been certified to go ahead, putting the £3 billion ($3.9 billion) claim on track for a trial in October 2028.


According to BBC News, the Competition Appeal Tribunal cleared consumer group Which? to bring the case on behalf of an estimated 40 million U.K. iPhone and iPad owners, each of whom could receive up to £77 if the claim succeeds.

Which? alleges that Apple has locked customers into iCloud since 2015 by limiting how rival cloud services work on its devices, and then charged inflated subscription prices as a result. Apple gives users 5GB of free storage and pushes them toward paid tiers once that fills up, with U.K. pricing running from 99p a month for 50GB to £54.99 a month for 12TB.

The consumer group filed its claim against Apple at the tribunal on behalf of affected consumers in November 2024.

Anabel Hoult, Which?'s chief executive, said the group wanted to make clear that no company "no matter how powerful, can get away with abusing its position." She said the green light from the tribunal meant Which? was "one step closer to getting consumers the redress we believe they are owed from Apple."

"This should send a strong message to any other companies using anti-competitive tactics," she added.

Apple has called the claims unfounded, and argues that no customer is required to use iCloud and that alternatives exist. The company said it strongly disagrees with the tribunal's decision and plans to appeal.

Eligibility covers anyone who used iCloud on a U.K. device between November 8, 2018 and June 8, 2026. Those living in the U.K. on June 8 are included automatically unless they opt out by October 8, while non-U.K. residents from that date must opt in by the same deadline. Customers who first used iCloud after June 8, 2026 are excluded.

(Thanks, Alan!)
This article, "UK iCloud Users Could Claim £77 Each as Apple Case Heads to Trial" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple released the second beta of iOS 27 today, and as is common with a second beta, there are multiple changes. There are new features and updates to existing features as Apple prepares for a July public beta and a September software launch.

Write with Siri

There is a new Write with Siri button above the keyboard in Notes, Mail, Messages, and more. It makes it easier to locate the option to use ‌Siri‌ for writing. In the first beta, the Write with ‌Siri‌ tool was only available when selecting text.

Siri Voice Customization

The ‌Siri‌ voice customization feature available on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air now has Pace and Expressivity labeled as "Coming Soon." The options did not work in the first ‌iOS 27‌ beta.

Wallet App Insights

The Wallet app has a new "Insights" feature that's accessible by tapping on the three-dot icon in the upper right corner.


Insights is not fully implemented, but a splash screen for the feature says users will be able to connect accounts to Wallet to see spending insights, recurring transactions, account balances, and more. Apple says up-to-date account information will be available through the feature.

Apple TV

In ‌iOS 27‌ beta 2, Apple updated the Home app to add support for remotely updating an Apple TV.


The ‌Apple TV‌ is now listed in the Updates section of the Home app's Settings interface, and tapping on the ‌Apple TV‌ update button installs the latest software without needing to turn on the ‌Apple TV‌.

RCS

Apple added support for replying to a specific message in an RCS conversation with an Android user.


You can now long press on a message to get to the option to reply to a message, and it works the same way that it does with iMessages.

‌iOS 27‌ also displays tapback/reaction emoji on images and videos properly. In iOS 26, it would use a text descriptor, such as [x loved an image] instead of showing the emoji. In ‌iOS 27‌, the emoji shows up on the image or video as it does in an iMessage conversation.

iCloud Backup Notifications

Code in ‌iOS 27‌ suggests Apple will now send notifications if an iCloud backup doesn't work properly.

"There's a problem with our server, so you may not be able to backup or restore your device right now. Try again later," reads the notification.

AirPort Utility

Apple says the AirPort Utility app will no longer be available for download in ‌iOS 27‌. Users who already have the app can re-download it, but AirPort Utility functionality is not guaranteed in ‌iOS 27‌.

Visual Intelligence

In the ‌Siri‌ section of the Settings app, there's a new Visual Intelligence option. Highlight to Image Search is turned off by default, and Apple says turning it on will automatically send images to third parties when highlighting subjects to find similar images.

Camera App

There are now yellow highlights around the camera tools button when a hidden camera feature like exposure adjustment is enabled.

Create a Pass

In the Create a Pass feature in Wallet, there are texture options available when choosing a color.

HomeKit Cameras

You can long press on incoming notifications from HomeKit Secure Video cameras to watch the video from the motion alert and to turn on lights that are located near the camera.

HomeKit Accessories

If you had HomeKit accessories like Philips Hue lights that were unresponsive after installing ‌iOS 27‌ and tvOS 27, the beta 2 updates fix the problem.

Weather

Some of the light blue text in the Weather app has been updated to be lighter and brighter, making it easier to read. Precipitation levels, condition descriptor, and wind mph reading are now the brighter color.

Siri App

There's a new option to select multiple conversations to delete in the ‌Siri‌ app.

Photos

The AI tools in the Photos app are now available for RAW images.

iOS 27 Info

‌iOS 27‌ is available to developers right now, but Apple plans to release a public beta in July. ‌iOS 27‌ is set to launch in September alongside new iPhones.
This article, "Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 2" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is working on AirPods that have cameras for feeding data to Siri. The new earbuds will be Apple's first AI wearable, and current rumors suggest they're going to come out in late 2027.

Design

The AirPods will look similar to the current AirPods Pro 3, but with cameras embedded in the stem. Apple also plans to include a light that will come on when visual data from the AirPods is being sent to the cloud. The LED will let people around the wearer know the cameras are in use.



Size, design, and fit are expected to remain the largely same for the earbuds and the charging case, with the exception of the changes to the stem.

Rumors suggest Apple will use tiny infrared cameras, similar to the infrared camera used for Face ID.

Features

The cameras in the AirPods will be used for sending data about the wearer's surroundings to ‌Siri‌, giving ‌Siri‌ more information about where the user is and what's nearby.

‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about objects or whatever the wearer happens to be looking at. The camera-equipped AirPods could be useful for more exact turn-by-turn directions when walking, contextual reminders, 3D mapping, and more.

The iPhone already has Visual Intelligence, which uses AI to identify plants, animals, landmarks, art, books, and more. Camera-equipped AirPods will be able to supply data for ‌Visual Intelligence‌ without the need to use the Camera app.

Users aren't likely to be able to use the cameras to capture photos and videos.

H3 Chip

Apple is working on an upgraded H3 chip and it could make its first appearance in the next AirPods Pro. The H3 chip is expected to bring latency improvements and better audio quality.

Naming

Initial rumors about the AirPods with cameras said they wouldn't be a full new model and wouldn't be called the AirPods Pro 4, but launch timing has since changed. It's now likely the AirPods will be part of the AirPods Pro line, but naming is still unsettled.

Apple could call them the AirPods Pro 4, but AirPods Ultra is also a possibility.

Pricing

With the addition of cameras, the AirPods could be more expensive than the current $249 ‌AirPods Pro 3‌.

Compatibility

Since the AirPods will feed data to ‌Siri‌, an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence will be required to use the features. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

Release Date

There were rumors suggesting the camera-equipped AirPods could come out as soon as this year, but the latest information indicates the new earbuds will launch in late 2027 alongside the 20th anniversary iPhone and a second-generation foldable iPhone.

Apple reportedly needed more time for the AirPods to design visual AI models capable of identifying objects.

Apple is testing the new AirPods with iOS 28, an update that Apple is already developing.
This article, "Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Ultra: What to Expect" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is working on a macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 update that's expected to come out in the near future. The second macOS Golden Gate beta includes an upgrade path from ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5.2, which suggests 26.5.2 is an upcoming build that Apple expects devices to be running soon.


The update will be released alongside iOS 26.5.2, which we've already confirmed is in testing based on MacRumors visitor logs.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5.2 and iOS 26.5.2 are expected to be minor updates with bug fixes and security updates.

Apple is also testing ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6 and iOS 26.6 updates, and two betas have been released so far. With the 26.6 software not too far off, it's likely we'll get iOS 26.5.2 and ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5.2 this week.
This article, "macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 and iOS 26.5.2 Updates Coming Soon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is planning to remove the AirPort Utility app from the App Store in the near future, according to the release notes for iOS 27 beta 2. The app is no longer fully supported in ‌iOS 27‌, and Apple warns that it is not guaranteed to work.

AirPort Utility will no longer be available for new downloads from the App Store. If you previously downloaded the app, you can still re-download it. When using AirPort Utility on iOS 27 and later, functionality is not guaranteed.

Users who have downloaded AirPort Utility in the past will be able to re-download it if needed.

Apple also plans to remove AirPort Utility from new installations of macOS, but users who already have it installed will continue to be able to use it after updating to new versions of macOS. As with ‌iOS 27‌, Apple says it isn't guaranteed to work in macOS Golden Gate.

AirPort Utility lets users manage AirPort base stations like the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and AirPort Time Capsule. Apple discontinued its AirPort routers back in 2018, but has continued to support them through the AirPort Utility app.

With ‌macOS Golden Gate‌, Apple is eliminating AFP support, which means the Time Machine feature on Macs will no longer work with the AirPort Time Capsule.

With Time Capsule support ending and Apple sunsetting the AirPort Utility app, it's clear Apple does not plan to continue offering updates to users who are still holding on to their AirPort devices.
This article, "Apple Dropping AirPort Utility From the App Store With iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon Prime Day 2026 is here, and it will last for four days, ending this Friday, June 26. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and we're tracking numerous all-time low prices on Apple gear right now.

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.

For our coverage, we're focusing on discounts for Apple and Apple-related products that can be purchased right now on Amazon. As of today, this includes deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, monitors, charging accessories, and more. We're also sharing deals being matched at retailers like Best Buy in some cases.



As is typical for Prime Day deals, these markdowns are very time sensitive, so sales listed below may disappear fast, and new ones may appear even faster. With this in mind, we'll keep this article updated over the next few days, and keep an eye on the MacRumors front page as we'll be posting particularly great deals in separate articles next week.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Amazon Prime Day requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Special for 2026, Amazon is also offering 50% off Prime memberships for Young Adults. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.

AirPods

Amazon has the AirPods Max 2 on sale for $399.00 in all colors, down from $549.00. This is an all-time low price on the headphones. This is accompanied by a great discount on the AirPods 4 for Prime Day, available for $99.00, down from $129.00.

AirTag 2

Apple's AirTag 2 has hit the new low price of $24.00 for the 1-Pack and $89.00 for the 4-Pack.




This is the first major discount we've ever seen on the AirTag 2 at Amazon since the device launched earlier in 2026. 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.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Amazon is discounting a wide array of Apple Watch Ultra 3 models down to $649.00 for Prime Day, from $799.00. This is a new all-time low price on the 2025 smartwatch, beating the previous record low price by about $50, and it's available in both Natural and Black Titanium color options.

Apple Watch Series 11

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $120 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes a handful of GPS aluminum models on sale at record low prices.




You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $279.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $309.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you'll find three of the 42mm GPS models and three of the 46mm GPS models on sale at these all-time low prices.

Apple Watch SE 3

Amazon is also taking $50 off the Apple Watch SE 3, starting at $199.00 for the 40mm GPS model. These are matches of all-time low prices on the SE 3, and it's been over four months since we last tracked these prices on the wearable.




You can also get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE 3 on sale for $229.00, down from $279.00. Both the 40mm and 44mm GPS models are available in Midnight and Starlight Aluminum at these prices.

MacBook Air

You'll find $149 off a few models of the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air on Amazon this week, starting at $949.99 for the 512GB model, down from $1,099.00.

iPad Air

Amazon has brought back all-time low prices on a handful of M4 iPad Air tablets for Prime Day. This includes both 11-inch and 13-inch models of the brand new 2026 M4 iPad Air.






Specifically, the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M4 iPad Air has dropped to $519.99, down from $599.00, beating the previous low price by about $40.

iPad

Amazon is taking up to $52 off Wi-Fi and cellular models of Apple's 11th generation iPad for Prime Day. Prices start at $299.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00, a second-best price on this 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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With the second beta of iOS 27, Apple added support for replying to a specific message in an RCS conversation with an Android user.


You can now long press on a message to get to the option to reply, and it works the same way that it does with iMessage.


‌iOS 27‌ also displays tapback/reaction emoji to images and videos properly. In iOS 26, it would use a text descriptor, such as [x loved an image] instead of showing the emoji. In ‌iOS 27‌, the emoji shows up on the image or video as it does in an iMessage conversation.

Apple added support for ‌RCS‌ in iOS 18, and has been improving it since then. iOS 26.5 added encryption for ‌RCS‌ messages sent between iPhone and Android users, and now more of the ‌RCS‌ features are being implemented.

For ‌RCS‌ reply threading to work properly, both the sender and the recipient need to have a smartphone and carrier that supports ‌RCS‌.

‌iOS 27‌ is limited to developers currently, but it will be available to the public when Apple releases a public beta in July. The software will see an official launch in September.
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In iOS 27 beta 2, Apple updated the Home app to add support for remotely updating an Apple TV.


The ‌Apple TV‌ is now listed in the Updates section of the Home app's Settings interface, and tapping on the ‌Apple TV‌ update button installs the latest software without needing to turn on the ‌Apple TV‌.

The HomePod and HomePod mini have long been able to be updated through the Home app, so the ‌iOS 27‌ change for the ‌Apple TV‌ puts it on par with the ‌HomePod‌. The ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌ run a variant of tvOS, so it makes sense for the ‌Apple TV‌ to be updated in the same way.

Apple's decision to add the ‌Apple TV‌ to the Home app update interface suggests that the upcoming home hub device that's in the works will also be controlled and updated through the Home app.

Apple is expected to release a dedicated home hub later this year, and it will run a version of tvOS like the ‌HomePod‌. It will be a centralized spot for controlling smart home products, making video calls, getting information like the current weather, and interfacing with Siri. The device is expected to have a 7-inch square display with built-in speakers, and it could be something of a HomePod-iPad hybrid.
This article, "A Small iOS 27 Change Hints at Apple's Long-Rumored Home Hub" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has added a new "Insights" feature to the Wallet app in the second iOS 27 beta. Accessible by tapping the three dots in the upper right corner, Insights appears to let users add different financial accounts to monitor their spending.


A splash screen for the feature says users will be able to connect accounts to Wallet to see spending insights, recurring transactions, account balances, and more. The fine print says the following: "Your device is connected to your financial institution by an Apple wholly owned subsidiary, which fetches, categorizes, and standardizes your account information for display on your device. Your account information is not stored."

Tapping on the Continue button on the splash screen goes to the Add to Wallet interface with no new options available, so it does not appear to be functional at this time.

Apple has detailed transaction information for the Apple Card, but support for other cards and accounts has been limited. Apple did introduce a Connected Cards (later renamed Connected Accounts) feature in iOS 17.1, but it saw limited adoption. Discover implemented support and users could see their total card balance, Pay with Rewards, and transaction history, but Discover removed the functionality in early June and almost no other U.S. issuers ever used it. Several UK banks still have deeper integration with the Wallet app's Connected Accounts option.

It looks like Insights could be a successor to Connected Accounts that will work without card issuers specifically adding in support.

Update: We've heard from several users whose banks have offered Connected Accounts integration, and the new Insights feature in ‌iOS 27‌ beta 2 is working for them, displaying spending highlights and details, so it's clear that Insights is indeed an evolution of the existing Connected Accounts feature.
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Apple today provided developers with the second beta of macOS Golden Gate, with the update coming two weeks after Apple seeded the first beta.


Developers can download ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ by going to System Settings > General > Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required.

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ includes multiple design improvements. Liquid Glass opacity has been improved to increase readability, there's a slider for controlling the level of transparency, and changes to shadowing make it easier to tell when a window is active. Apps now have uniform toolbars, edge-to-edge sidebars, and less rounded corners, plus there are fewer icons in menu bars.

Siri has been transformed into ‌Siri‌ AI, a chatbot-style assistant that combines general world knowledge, your personal data, and onscreen awareness to answer questions about anything and find information for you. ‌Siri‌ lives in Spotlight, and you can ask questions with the new Search or Ask interface.

There's also a ‌Siri‌ app where you can chat with ‌Siri‌ and view past conversations, and on newer Macs, you can set a custom voice for ‌Siri‌ with personalized pace and expressivity. Visual Intelligence is now on the Mac so ‌Siri‌ can answer questions about what's on your screen, and a Write with ‌Siri‌ feature lets ‌Siri‌ generate text or give feedback on your writing.

There are AI photo editing tools in the Photos app, AI tab organization in Safari, an option to use AI to automatically update weak passwords in the Passwords app, and a revamped Image Playground app that can generate photorealistic images.

More on all of the new features in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ can be found in our macOS Golden Gate roundup. ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ is limited to developers right now, but Apple plans to release a public beta in July.
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Apple today seeded the second betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the first betas following the WWDC 2026 keynote.


Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update.

‌iOS 27‌ introduces Apple's smarter version of Siri, ‌Siri‌ AI. ‌Siri‌ AI is a chatbot similar to ChatGPT, incorporating general world knowledge, personal data from apps like Messages and Mail, and onscreen awareness to answer questions and find information for you.

There are new Apple Intelligence features in apps like Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords, plus Apple added a standalone ‌Siri‌ app that houses ‌Siri‌ conversations. Write with ‌Siri‌ is available systemwide for generating text or offering feedback on your writing, and Visual Intelligence has been relocated to the Camera app with a new ‌Siri‌ mode.

Apple improved the look of Liquid Glass and added a slider for customizing transparency. There are multiple performance improvements to speed up iOS, so everything feels faster, even on older iPhones. Apps launch quicker, AirDrop transfers are faster, the keyboard pops up more quickly, and devices are better at transitioning between Wi-Fi and Cellular to keep you connected.

For more on what's new in ‌iOS 27‌, we have a dedicated iOS 27 roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Second Betas to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the second beta of tvOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the first beta following the WWDC keynote.


The beta can be downloaded and installed through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A free developer account is required.

tvOS 27 has few new features compared to the other 27 software updates, but it does add a redesigned Podcasts app, options for larger text, and a more responsive Control Center.

AirPlaying to an ‌Apple TV‌ from another Apple device is faster, and apps and animations are smoother. You can also now see AppleCare coverage details in the Settings app.

More on the features in tvOS 27 can be found in our Apple TV roundup.
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Apple today provided developers with the second beta of an upcoming visionOS 27 update for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after Apple released the first beta.


visionOS 27 can be installed by opening the Settings app, going to Software Updates, and opting into Beta Updates.

visionOS 27 introduces Siri AI, the smarter and more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that's similar in capability to chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude. On the Vision Pro, ‌Siri‌ can answer questions about anything the wearer is looking at, and there's a new ‌Siri‌ orb that can be placed anywhere in wearer's virtual space.

Panorama photos can be turned into spatial environments, and there's a new Icelandic Thórsmörk environment that features dramatic mountains, valleys, and glaciers, along with the northern lights. Web Environment support allows developers to create 360-degree environments in Safari for a more native Vision Pro browsing experience.

App windows are now curved to provide a more immersive workspace, and Control Center has been reorganized to make system controls easier to find. Apple added a smaller widget size, and notifications automatically expand when the wearer looks at them.

More on what's new in visionOS 27 is listed in our Vision Pro roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds Second visionOS 27 Beta to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's next-generation AI dictation feature for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air is not turned on by default in the first developer beta of iOS 27.


Apple says the new AI-powered dictation system delivers "a major boost in accuracy," with more reliable on-the-fly capitalization and punctuation than the existing dictation system. The feature runs on Apple's new AFM 3 Core Advanced model, which is a 20-billion-parameter, natively multimodal system that uses a sparse architecture, activating just one to four billion parameters at a time depending on the request.

To fit a model that large onto a smartphone, the full model is stored in flash memory rather than DRAM, with a lightweight routing block selecting a fixed set of "experts" during initial processing and periodically reselecting them during generation, a technique Apple calls Instruction-Following Pruning.

In side-by-side human evaluations against Apple's previous production dictation system across seven quality dimensions, AFM 3 Core Advanced was preferred on overall quality by a margin of 44.7% to 17.6%, with that preference holding consistently across the other six dimensions, which include punctuation, casing, layout, meaning capture, disfluency handling, and style.

Because of the model's size, the upgraded dictation is limited to a handful of newer devices: the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, the ‌iPhone Air‌, the Vision Pro with M5 chip, iPads with an M4 chip or later with at least 12GB of RAM, and Macs with an M3 chip or later with at least 12GB of RAM. Notably, the standard iPhone 17 is excluded, as it ships with 8GB of RAM rather than the 12GB the larger model requires. The same AFM Core Advanced model also powers Apple's new customizable expressive Siri voices, another opt-in preview as of beta 1.

The new dictation model runs entirely on-device, so transcription quality stays the same whether or not the iPhone is connected to a network. It remains unclear whether the preview will stay off by default when ‌iOS 27‌ is released officially later this year, or whether Apple will switch it on automatically at some point during the beta cycle this summer.
This article, "Advanced AI Dictation Not Enabled by Default in iOS 27 Beta" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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