Apple is planning to release new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models in spring 2027, reports Bloomberg. No major design changes are expected, with Apple focusing on internal upgrades.


The ‌iPad Pro‌ models could use either M6 chips or M7 chips. Apple will introduce the M6 chip as soon as this year in an updated 14-inch MacBook Pro model, but it is aiming to release the M7 chip in the first half of 2027.

Bloomberg does not specify which chip Apple will put in the ‌iPad Pro‌, but if the M7 chip is ready by spring 2027, the new iPads could have the upgraded chip. If it's not ready, they'll use the M6. Both chips will be built on Apple's new 2-nanometer process, but the M7 has AI optimizations that the M6 doesn't have.

Apple has also tested a vapor chamber cooling system that could improve performance.

Little else is known about the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models, but if they come out in spring 2027, Apple could introduce them alongside the iPhone 18e, iPhone 18, and iPhone Air 2, devices that are also slated for spring 2027.
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Apple plans to release an updated 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip in late 2026, and then follow it with a revamped M7 model in the first half of 2027, reports Bloomberg.


Apple apparently finished work on a 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an M6 chip "months ago," and the device is expected to launch before the end of the year. Apple's M6 chip cycle will be shorter than prior chip cycles because it is not planning for M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. Apple is aiming to have a quick transition between M6 and M7 because its M7 chips have optimizations for AI workloads.

The M7 ‌MacBook Pro‌ coming in 2027 will have a new design that's "in line" with the design that Apple plans to use for its rumored high-end OLED touchscreen ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. Prior rumors have suggested the high-end ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ models could get a slimmed down design.

It's still unclear when the ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will come out, but Bloomberg believes a launch is slated for the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Apple's release timelines are uncertain because of the ongoing memory chip shortages and increased costs that it's dealing with.

Apple has a long list of products that could come in the first half of 2027, including new iPad Pro models, the iPhone Air 2 with a second camera, the iPhone 18, and the iPhone 18e.
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Apple is in talks to buy memory from Chinese semiconductor companies ChangXin Memory Technologies Co. (CXMT) and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC), reports Bloomberg, citing sources with knowledge of the talks. Discussions between Apple and the chipmakers are ongoing, and no deal has been finalized yet.


Financial Times previously reported Apple was looking into working with CXMT and YMTC to get RAM at a lower cost, and there were also several reports from South Korean sites on the possibility. Apple recently raised the prices of Macs, iPads, and other devices, and consumers are now forced to pay more for many Apple products.

Apple increased its prices because of an ongoing global memory shortage that has driven costs up. Chipmakers are focusing on chips for AI servers, leaving less supply for consumer devices. With demand outpacing supply, memory manufacturers can charge higher prices.

Both CXMT and YMTC are on the Defense Department's 1260H list of Chinese companies that the U.S. suspects have ties to the People's Liberation Army. YMTC is also on a U.S. Commerce Department blacklist that prevents U.S. companies from selling to companies on the list without an export license.

Apple is not required to get U.S. approval before buying chips from the Chinese companies, but working with the Trump administration would prevent political upset. Apple is hoping to get a green light on the deal, and it wants to keep CXMT off the Commerce Department's Entity List, which would prevent it from using CXMT as a supplier.

Bloomberg says Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken with Trump administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Apple has proposed using the chips sourced from the companies in devices meant for the Chinese market, freeing up chips from other suppliers for the U.S.

Some Trump administration officials are reportedly against letting Apple source chips from CXMT and YMTC, so it's not clear if the talks will lead to an agreement. Apple previously tried to source memory from YMTC in 2022, but the talks ended after congressional backlash.
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Elon Musk's SpaceX may be aiming to compete with Apple in the future. The company showed investors a prototype for a "handset-like device designed to reshape how humans interact with artificial intelligence," according to The Wall Street Journal.


The device is described as being slimmer than an iPhone, with a "sleek design." It runs a proprietary operating system, has a Qualcomm chipset, and integrates AI tech from SpaceX subsidiary xAI. In the past, Musk has talked about an "everything app" like China's WeChat, and the device investors were shown apparently drew on that concept.

SpaceX was showing the prototype to investors and stakeholders ahead of its IPO, and said the project was in the early stages of development. The final design could change, and it is not known if it will actually come to market.

Musk has talked about designing a smartphone in the past. He said he would develop one if X (formerly Twitter) was removed from the App Store by Apple. In November 2025, he said he didn't want to make a phone, but he would if Apple and Google did "really bad things" like censorship. In a town hall meeting, Musk said the idea of making a phone "makes me want to die," but one of his companies would make a phone if needed.

Earlier this year, Musk said explicitly that SpaceX is not developing a phone, but The Wall Street Journal says some SpaceX and Tesla investors were told Musk "has long envisioned" a device that would be a platform for Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI technologies. Musk has denied the report, calling it "utterly false."
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Google today launched Gemini Spark for its macOS desktop app, allowing the AI agent to automate tasks involving local files and desktop workflows.


Google announced the update today, adding a dedicated Spark tab to the sidebar of the Gemini app for macOS. The feature allows the AI agent to take action on files stored locally on a user's computer rather than just responding to questions in a chat window.

Users can perform actions such as sorting PDFs from a Downloads folder into labelled subfolders, or pulling figures from locally saved invoices to build a Google Workspace budget spreadsheet on a set schedule. Users control which folders Spark can see by linking them in the sidebar and can revoke that access at any time. Google says a future update will allow users to start tasks on their Mac from a phone.

Google also announced a series of third-party integrations for Spark on web and mobile. New connected apps include Google Tasks, Google Keep, Canva, Dropbox, Instacart, OpenTable, and Zillow Rentals, enabling actions like converting Keep notes into task lists, reserving restaurant tables, ordering groceries, and booking apartment tours. Those integrations are rolling out over the next week, with macOS support to follow in the weeks after.

Support for custom Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers is also arriving, giving users a way to connect additional services directly into Spark. Google also adds real-time topic tracking, allowing Spark to monitor blogs, news sites, social media, finance, sports, shopping, weather, and email and alert users when specified conditions are met.

Gemini Spark for macOS is available in beta to Google AI Ultra subscribers aged 18 and over in the United States, starting with version 1.80.15.516 of the Gemini desktop app. Google AI Ultra starts at $99 per month.
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iOS 27 adds a new copy-and-paste feature to the iPhone's keyboard, enabling convenient one-tap pasting for text, photos, links, and more.


For example, if you copy a link in Safari and move to the Notes app, a "paste from Safari" option with the link will automatically appear above the keyboard. Tapping on the shortcut adds the link to the note. Or if you copy a photo in the Reddit app and open the Messages app, a "paste from Reddit" option will appear above the keyboard.

Given this feature is built into the keyboard, it works across many combinations of apps, making pasting more convenient across iOS 27.

The keyboard has already surfaced one-time verification codes since iOS 12.

iOS 27 is currently available in developer beta, with a public beta to follow in July. The update is expected to be released to all users with an iPhone 11 or newer in September, and this small yet useful feature will likely be popular.
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Soaring demand for the iPhone 17 lineup seems to have finally come to an end, amid rumors that Apple has finally lowered expectations and reduced production plans by 15%.


In a pair of posts on Weibo, the leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said the claim comes from reliable sources within the supply chain. The leaker said that the ‌iPhone 17‌'s current outlook "won't hold for long," adding that "major global smartphone manufacturers — Apple included — have all lowered their shipment forecasts."

The second post provides broader industry context for that claim. Xiaomi has reportedly reduced its shipment targets by approximately 20–30%, while OPPO, vivo, and Honor are also lowering their targets by roughly 15–30%.

A simpler explanation for softening ‌iPhone 17‌ demand may be the natural product cycle. The iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to launch in September alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone, and many customers who were going to buy an ‌iPhone 17‌ model have likely already done so following a near-record sales run stretching back to launch last September.

As recently as June, TrendForce reported that Apple's iPhone production surged 19.7% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, even as the broader global smartphone market contracted 1.7% over the same period. That report attributed Apple's strong output to the launch of the iPhone 17e alongside ongoing production ramp-up for the broader ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup, and described Apple as better positioned than most competitors to absorb rising memory component costs without sacrificing profitability.

In May, Counterpoint Research's Global Handset Model Sales Tracker found the iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone globally in the first quarter of 2026, capturing 6% of worldwide unit sales, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ in second and third place. A separate Counterpoint report that same month found Apple had topped the global smartphone market in a first quarter for the first time ever, capturing 21% of global shipments and growing 9% year-over-year even as the overall market contracted 3%.

The ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup's strong run began at launch. Shortly after release in September 2025, Apple told two suppliers to increase daily ‌iPhone 17‌ output by at least 30% following a strong pre-order weekend, and Counterpoint found the lineup outsold the iPhone 16 models by 14% during the first 10 days in the United States and China. In January, Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC that demand for the iPhone during the holiday quarter was "simply staggering" and had surpassed the company's own expectations, with iPhone revenue reaching $85.2 billion, a new all-time high.

After nine months and with another generation on the horizon, it was inevitable that the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup's remarkably strong run would come to an end eventually.
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Last week, Apple introduced major price hikes across a number of products, including Macs, iPads, and more. This week, Apple's newly increased prices have begun to hit third-party retailers like Amazon, but there are a few select products that are retaining original prices, which now represent solid discounts on each device.

MacBook Pro

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There are now just three models left at notable low prices in the wake of Apple's price hikes. Prices start at $2,549.99 for the 24GB/2TB 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro, now a $449 discount on the new price of this model. You'll also find two 16-inch devices on sale this week on Amazon, but we don't expect these discounts to last much longer.

iPad Air

Amazon has up to $350 off the M4 iPad Air, although stock is quickly dwindling compared to sales from last week. Prices now start at $559.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Air, a $190 discount on the newly increased price of 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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A flaw in Apple's Hide My Email service can reportedly allow almost anyone to uncover the real email address behind a generated alias, and Apple has failed to address it for more than a year since it was first reported.


404 Media is withholding the technical specifics of the vulnerability because it remains exploitable, but the publication verified the issue this week using one of its own Hide My Email addresses. In tests with volunteers by the researcher who discovered the flaw, 100% of Hide My Email addresses were found to be exploitable.

Tyler Murphy, co-founder of EasyOptOuts, discovered the issue and responsibly reported it to Apple in June 2025, along with instructions to replicate it. Apple acknowledged the report a month later and said it was investigating. Murphy said:

Apple Hide My Email is leaking email addresses that are supposed to be hidden. We reported the issue and replication instructions to Apple over a year ago. We don't know why it hasn't been fixed, but we don't feel comfortable waiting any longer. Hide My Email users deserve to know that it may be possible for attackers to discover their hidden email addresses.

Free, publicly accessible people-search sites make it easy to link an email address to other personal details, so people relying on Hide My Email for safety may be at risk.

In March 2026, Apple told Murphy it had "addressed the reported issue in a recent system change," but Murphy found the flaw had not in fact been closed. He provided further information, and Apple replied again to say it was still investigating.

In May, Apple once more said the issue remained under investigation and asked Murphy not to disclose it publicly until the inquiry was complete. Murphy proposed that Apple suspend the creation of new Hide My Email addresses as an interim measure to limit customer risk, but there is no indication that suggestion was acted on. By the end of May, Apple said it expected to address the issue in a security update "expected in the coming weeks."

Hide My Email is an iCloud+ feature that lets users generate random alias email addresses, primarily for use when signing up to services or corresponding with third parties. It is designed to protect a user's real email address from spam, data breaches, and unwanted identification.

Murphy noted that numerous people-search databases are freely available online and can tie an email address to a person's other personal details, meaning anyone depending on Hide My Email for their safety may be more exposed than they realize. Last month, it emerged that Apple's decision to move Hide My Email to a dedicated "private.icloud.com" domain appears to have the consequence of making it easier for platforms that want to block ‌iCloud‌ aliases to do so.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook held "constructive" talks with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen on Tuesday about releasing Siri AI in the bloc while complying with the bloc's digital rules, reports the Financial Times ($).


An EU spokesperson told the publication the virtual meeting had involved a "constructive exchange on topics of common interest, on which the work continues."

Siri AI will be available for free with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 when they are released in September. However, the enhanced chatbot-style Siri will not be available in the EU on iOS and iPadOS until it can find a path forward under the bloc's regulatory framework. That includes the new Siri app for revisiting conversations, expanded Visual Intelligence capabilities, integrated writing tools, Siri mode in the Camera app on iPhone, and more.

When the new enhanced Siri AI features were announced at WWDC 2026 last month, Apple said EU regulators did not accept any of the company's proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants.

According to the Commission, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires Apple to give rival AI assistants access to the same underlying iPhone capabilities as Siri, allowing them to perform many of the same tasks on a user's behalf with appropriate user consent.

To address the issue, Apple came up with the idea of a Trusted System Agent – intermediary software that would be designed to let third-party virtual assistants securely access the same system capabilities as Siri AI on EU devices. Apple said the EU rejected the proposal.

The EU quickly shot back against that characterization, however, saying the decision not to launch Siri AI in the bloc was entirely Apple's and that the company sought an exemption from its legal obligations rather than a compliant solution. Regulators also said Apple simply requested a blanket exemption from its interoperability obligations under the DMA, something the Commission said is not an available option.

The dispute prompted a wave of criticism of the Commission. According to the Financial Times, EU officials received hundreds of emails from consumers accusing Brussels of denying Europeans access to the new technology.

As for Apple's proposed Trusted System Agent, a Commission official told the publication its contact with Apple on the idea was limited, and that it lacked a concrete proposal or details on how such an agent would work beyond the general concept. The official claimed Apple "focused on obtaining a green light to delay compliance."

"Apple's proposal to delay interoperability for third-party AI agents while having its product available to users would have risked leading to the entrenchment of its service before others would get a chance to compete for at least two years if not more," the official said.

By contrast, the official said changes Google made to Android prompted the Commission to open a formal consultation on how the company could comply with the DMA and avoid hefty fines.

Apple has not publicly commented on the latest round of discussions.
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Apple is working on a high-end MacBook Pro that could be called the "MacBook Ultra." The device will have several firsts in a Mac, including an OLED display and a touchscreen.


The "Ultra" name isn't a sure thing, and Apple could also continue to call the device the ‌MacBook Pro‌. It will be a "Pro" device in the ‌MacBook Pro‌ line.

Design

Apple hasn't redesigned the ‌MacBook Pro‌ since it added Apple silicon chips in 2021, so the device is due for a new look. The MacBook Ultra could feature some design changes, including a thinner chassis.

Apple could get rid of the notch on the MacBook Ultra, replacing it with an iPhone-style Dynamic Island. A ‌Dynamic Island‌ would unify the way Siri AI behaves across the iPhone and the Mac with iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate.

Size Options

The MacBook Ultra will be available in both 14-inch and 16-inch size options.

Display

Apple's upcoming MacBook will be the first with an OLED display. OLED display technology is already used for the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad Pro, but it has taken time for larger-sized OLED screens to come down in price.

OLED will be an upgrade over the current mini-LED display technology in most cases, bringing deeper colors and a higher contrast ratio with true blacks. In an OLED display, individual pixels turn off instead of dim when not activated, so there's less light leakage. OLED displays tend to have better HDR than mini-LED, but sometimes don't match the overall mini-LED brightness levels.

Along with OLED technology, the MacBook Ultra is expected to have the first touchscreen display on a Mac. Users will be able to use their fingers for tapping and interacting with items on the Mac's display, similar to an iPad.

Touchscreen capabilities will be used alongside the trackpad and keyboard, and so Apple may be viewing them as more supplementary than a main control method. Apple is rumored to be adapting ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ for touch input.

Apple plans to add a reinforced hinge to the MacBook Ultra's display so that it doesn't wobble when it's tapped.

M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips

The current ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are equipped with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and Apple plans to use the same chips for the rumored MacBook Ultra.

Apple is planning to introduce the M6 chip as soon as late 2026, but Bloomberg says Apple isn't going to release any other chips in the M6 series. Apple's chip plans have changed in recent months, and there won't be an M6 Pro or an M6 Max. With no M6 Pro or M6 Max, Apple will need to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max so it doesn't have to wait for the M7 series.

A second-generation MacBook Ultra will use the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips.

With the MacBook Ultra set to use the same chips that are in the existing ‌MacBook Pro‌, it's unclear if it will replace the existing 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models or be sold alongside them as a higher-end option.

MacBook Ultra Hints

There are features in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ that hint at a future touchscreen Mac. Apple added direct touch input to Sidecar so users can tap and interact with macOS elements when using the ‌iPad‌ as a Mac display.

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ supports an iPhone-style pull-to-refresh option, and it can be used across apps like Safari, Mail, News, Podcasts, and Calendar. A pull-to-refresh option makes the most sense on a touch display.

Pricing

Apple's OLED MacBook is expected to be a premium product, with a price tag higher than current ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. Apple raised the prices of all Macs in June, and so the MacBook Ultra will likely be even more expensive than expected.

The higher-end 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M5 Pro chip starts at $2,499, while the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $2,999. The OLED MacBook will be priced even higher.

Launch Date

Rumors suggest the MacBook Ultra will launch in late 2026 or early 2027, with mass production to start in late 2026. If the MacBook Ultra comes in 2026, it could be released sometime between October and December, but it won't be unveiled at Apple's September iPhone event.

If it launches in 2027, it could come early in the year at Apple's first 2027 event.
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Nanoleaf today launched the Smart Multicolor Ceiling Light, an affordable Matter-compatible lighting product. With a dual-sided design, there's a main downlight and an upward backlight for a layered lighting glow. Each side can be controlled individually for bright light or an ambient lighting option.


The light has 196 LEDs inside, with up to 2600 lumens. White light ranges from 2200K to 6500K, supporting tones that change throughout the day to match natural light. Nanoleaf says it was built with RG0 Low Blue Light technology to reduce blue light hazard and eye strain.

There are 28 color zones, and millions of colors are supported for gradients. According to Nanoleaf, the Multicolor Ceiling Light has a Color Rendering Index of 95, offering "vivid-natural looking colors."

The light measures 13.8 inches, and it is 1.18 inches thick. It is a hard-wired light that's meant to be installed with a standard light switch, though it also works with the Nanoleaf Sense+ Wireless Smart Switch.

Nanoleaf's new light supports Matter over Wi-Fi, so it can connect to a HomeKit setup for use with Siri and the Home app. It also works with the Nanoleaf app, which offers hundreds of color scenes and support for music pairing. For multi-color lighting scenes with gradients, the Nanoleaf app is required because ‌HomeKit‌ doesn't support that.

The Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Ceiling Light can be purchased from Amazon.com or the Nanoleaf website for $80.
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Anthropic today introduced Claude Sonnet 5, a more affordable model that narrows the gap between Sonnet and Opus. Anthropic says Claude Sonnet 5 is its most agentic Sonnet model to date, able to make plans, use tools like browsers and terminals, and run autonomously.


Opus models have better agentic capabilities, but they're more expensive than Sonnet models. Sonnet 5's performance is similar to Opus 4.8, and it has improved over Sonnet 4.6 in areas including reasoning, tool use, coding, and knowledge work.

As for agentic capabilities, Sonnet 5 is able to finish complex tasks that Sonnet 4.6 could not complete, and it checks its own output without being asked. It is better at refusing malicious requests, and Anthropic says it shows lower rates of hallucination and sycophancy.

Sonnet 5 is available across all plans and is the default model for Free and Pro plans. It is priced at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens through August 31, then prices will go up to $3 and $15, respectively.
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Apple's Beats brand has launched a new retailer-exclusive orange color for its Solo Buds, with the earphones available now at Best Buy in the United States and coming July 4 to 7–Eleven in Japan.


The Solo Buds are an entry-level earphone product from Beats, normally priced at $79.99 in the United States, although they are occasionally offered on sale such as the current $10 discount at Best Buy bringing all colors down to $69.99. The Solo Buds offer up to 18 hours of battery life in the buds themselves, with their tiny case offering only wired charging capabilities and no battery of its own.

Beats debuted the Solo Buds back in June 2024 in Matte Black, Storm Gray, and Transparent Red color options, as well as an Arctic Purple that has been exclusive to Apple and Target. Late last year, a new retailer-exclusive Ivory color launched at Walmart in the United States and at other retail partners in select countries.

While the new orange color is exclusive to Best Buy and 7-Eleven, it is very similar to orange Solo Buds that were offered in India for free with the purchase of an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus back in October 2024 as part of a promotion in celebration of Diwali. The limited-edition earbuds offered in India included purple Beats "b" logos on the earbuds and case, while the new ones at Best Buy and 7-Eleven feature red "b" logos.
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The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear Apple's appeal against the contempt ruling that forced it to change its App Store linking rules, reports Reuters.


In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said the court's decision was welcome news.

This is an important question of law and we are pleased the Supreme Court will hear our case.

Apple asked the Supreme Court to review the decision back in May, and it was unclear if the request would be granted because the court previously declined to weigh in on the dispute. The 2024 denial involved the original Epic Games vs. Apple commission battle, but the case has since gotten spicier and piqued the Supreme Court's interest.

Apple largely won the Epic Games case in 2021 and wasn't found to have violated antitrust law, but Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the judge overseeing the case, ordered Apple to relax its anti-steering rules and let developers link to alternate payment options in apps. Apple agreed, but ended up charging a 12 to 27 percent fee on link-outs instead of 15 to 30 percent. When adding in fees to payment processors, developers got more hassle with little to no discount, which resulted in few developers using the new link system.

‌Epic Games‌ accused Apple of violating the judge's order, and took Apple back to court. Gonzalez Rogers agreed with Epic, and in April 2025, found Apple in contempt of court for willfully violating the 2021 injunction. She barred Apple from collecting any fees on links in the U.S. App Store, and Apple changed its ‌App Store‌ rules to comply.

Apple appealed, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the contempt finding, leading Apple to further appeal to the Supreme Court.

Apple argued the contempt ruling was inappropriate because of the wording around the original order and Apple's implementation. The initial order did not bar Apple from charging fees when developers linked to third-party payment options, but both the district court and the appeals court said Apple violated the "spirit" of the injunction by charging fees that were too high. Apple said that a contempt ruling based on "spirit" instead of the word of the ruling is a "recipe for abuse." Apple is aiming to have the Supreme Court toss out the contempt decision because there was no clear and unambiguous violation.

Apple also asked the court to evaluate the scope of the injunction, which Apple said should apply only to ‌Epic Games‌ and not to all developers. Apple heavily leaned on Trump v. CASA, a recent ruling that said lower courts do not have the authority to issue universal injunctions to block nationwide policies.

In its request to the Supreme Court, Apple said the contempt ruling based on spirit and the order forcing it to change its policies for all developers "have combined to create an injunction that may reshape the global app marketplace." Apple's argument that the outcome of the case could lead to regulatory changes worldwide may also have swayed the court to weigh in on the case.

The Supreme Court will hear the case in its next term that begins in October after a summer break. While Apple waits for the Supreme Court decision, it will be going back to district court for fee calculations that will go into effect if the higher court does not toss out the contempt ruling and resulting anti-steering order. Apple was ordered back to district court because the appeals court found the district court's total ban on commissions went too far, and sent it back to set a reasonable fee.
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Apple today updated its online refurbished store in the United States, adding the iPhone 16e. Refurbished iPhone 16e models are available at discounted prices for the first time since the device launched in February 2025.


Entry-level 128GB iPhone 16e models are priced at $419, which is a $180 discount from the original price. The iPhone 16e was retired when the iPhone 17e came out, so it is no longer available new from Apple.

Upgraded 256GB and 512GB iPhone 16e models are available for $509 and $679, respectively. The iPhone 16e comes in black or white, and Apple has both colors available.

At $419, a refurbished iPhone 16e is $180 less than Apple's most affordable iPhone, the 17e, but it lacks a few useful features. It does not include MagSafe charging, it has a slower C1 modem instead of the C1X, 128GB starting storage instead of 256GB, an older A18 chip, and original Ceramic Shield glass instead of Ceramic Shield 2.

Refurbished iPhones are unlocked and eligible to be used with any carrier. Apple revamps iPhones that have been returned or repaired, adding new batteries, outer shells, and cables. Refurbished iPhones are essentially identical to new iPhones after going through Apple's cleaning and testing process, and they come with the same one-year warranty with an option to purchase AppleCare+ coverage.
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Starting today, a mobile version of the popular game show Family Feud is available on Apple Arcade, and four more games are coming this week.


Apple says the game provides an "authentic, true-to-show trivia experience."

"Hosted by the iconic Steve Harvey, the game features the classic mechanics fans know and love, along with daily challenges and exclusive questions," says Apple. "Players can guess the answer and outsmart the competition solo or with loved ones — at home or on the go — through local and online multiplayer."

On Thursday, July 2, four popular App Store games are coming to Apple Arcade:

• Dungeon Clawler+


• Creatures of the Deep+


• Pocket City 2+


• Draw It+

More details about these games were outlined in Apple's press release earlier this month.

Apple Arcade is a subscription service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. All of the games are free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month, and it is also bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.

Apple Arcade can be accessed through the App Store and the Apple Games app.
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Apple today provided public beta testers with the third betas of iOS 26.6, iPadOS 26.6, macOS Tahoe 26.6, watchOS 26.6, and tvOS 26.6, with the software coming a day after Apple seeded the betas to developers.


After signing up to beta test the software updates on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the new software using the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.

iOS 26.6 has a feature that will let you know when you have blocked too many contacts, but the limit is in the thousands so most users may not ever see the messaging. There are also signs of a new iPhone anti-snatching feature that locks a stolen iPhone when it's grabbed from your hand.

No other major new features have been found in any of the software updates, with Apple likely focusing on bug fixes and security improvements. We're nearing the end of the "26" software cycle, with Apple planning to release iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and more in September.
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American Express today announced that you can now redeem Membership Rewards points when checking out with Apple Pay on the web and in apps on the iPhone and iPad.


When checking out with Apple Pay on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later, tap on your eligible American Express card (Platinum, Gold, Green, and others) and select the Membership Rewards points option. You can use points to cover all or part of your purchase, with every 10,000 points redeemed through Apple Pay worth a $70 statement credit.

American Express points can be redeemed entirely within the Apple Pay checkout flow, with no need to open another app or complete additional steps.


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Apple today updated its Creator Studio apps, adding new AI features to Pixelmator Pro, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and more.


Apple is integrating Pixelmator Pro with Final Cut Pro, Keynote, Numbers, and Pages. Final Cut Pro users can send a frame to Pixelmator Pro to create thumbnails and social graphics. In Keynote, Numbers, and Pages, users can select an image in a document and open it in Pixelmator Pro to edit, with changes saved to the original document.

The three office apps support generating vector shapes using AI, and Pixelmator Pro is getting advanced image generation and a Content Hub. Users can generate AI images directly in Pixelmator Pro with natural language, and browse a curated collection of images in Content Hub. Freeform also integrates with Pixelmator Pro in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate.

Final Cut Pro is getting Generate Captions, an on-device AI feature that automatically adds subtitles to videos based on audio. Subtitles can have animations and custom fonts, colors, and positions.

Edit Detection is a new AI feature that analyzes rendered video and splits it back into the original clips on the timeline. Apple says editors can use the tool for edit refinements or assembling a cut-down highlight clip for social media.

On the Mac, Final Cut Pro has an Auto Mask feature that isolates and refines video elements like skin, hair, sky, foliage, and clothing. Users can hover over a clip and make precise adjustments with no manual tracking. Color Match now produces more accurate and natural color matches in different lighting conditions, plus Advanced Trimming lets users fine-tune incoming and outgoing frames one-by-one.

Motion gains native support for scaling vector graphics without affecting quality, and Compressor has an Immersive Metadata Viewer for the Vision Pro. Final Cut Camera is getting expanded ProRes Support, an option to disable digital zoom, and Clean HDMI Out for sending a pristine video signal to external monitors and recorders.

Logic Pro's Chord ID feature has been rebuilt and it is more accurate than before. Apple says Session Players will respond and perform chord changes more quickly. Both Logic Pro and MainStage have a new granular sync mode in Alchemy to open up "new dimensions of sound design."

More information on the updates can be found on Apple's website. Creator Studio Pro includes all of Apple's creative software, and it is priced at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. Up to six people can share a single membership.
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A "major overhaul" of the Apple Watch's design is due to arrive next year with a new system for connecting bands, according to a known Weibo leaker.


In a set of recent posts, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" linked the new claim to older rumors about an "Apple Watch X" model, which was said to introduce a fresh design and break compatibility with the existing watch band system. Citing a post from August 2023, the leaker reiterated that the way the band attaches to the case would change, creating internal space for a larger battery. The leaker went on to advise that anyone planning to buy a new Apple Watch in 2027 should hold off on buying extra bands in the meantime, given that a redesigned case could leave the current attachment system behind.

The "Apple Watch X" rumor traces back to a 2023 report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who said Apple was planning the "biggest overhaul yet" for the Apple Watch's 10th anniversary, complete with a new magnetic band attachment system, a thinner case, and a microLED display. None of this materialized and Apple instead released the Apple Watch Series 10, keeping the existing band system intact with a design that, while tweaked somewhat, scarcely represented a major overhaul. It now looks like this redesign could simply have been delayed, rather than shelved entirely.

The timing lines up with how Apple has historically refreshed the standard Apple Watch's design. The original Apple Watch through to the Series 3 shared one design, the Series 4 through Series 6 shared another, and the Series 7 through Series 9 shared a third. The current design arrived with the Apple Watch Series 10. Following that roughly three-year pattern, a new design would be due to land with the Apple Watch Series 13 in 2027, matching the timeline Instant Digital is now describing.

The leaker previously said that the redesign would not appear until 2028, the year after the debut of the 20th anniversary iPhone. Last year, DigiTimes said that at least one future high-end Apple Watch model would get a "significant redesign ," including exterior changes such as eight sensors arranged in a ring pattern on the device's underside, tied to broader health-sensing ambitions. Earlier this month, Apple was said to be evaluating next-generation OLED backplane technology for the 2027 Apple Watch.

This year's Apple Watch Series 12 is not expected to feature a new design, continuing to use the same one introduced with the Series 10 in 2024, which introduced a thinner case, larger display, and a metal back that folds the antenna into the housing.
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Apple will try to convince the UK Supreme Court this week to throw out a $502 million judgment in favor of patent holder Optis Wireless.


As reported in the Financial Times, the UK Supreme Court this week takes up a dispute that has stretched on since 2019 in both U.S. and UK courts, when Optis first accused iPhones, iPads, and LTE-equipped Apple Watch models of infringing patents covering 4G networking technology.

The current UK fight is no longer about whether Apple infringed the patents, but rather what Apple should reasonably owe for using it. Patents deemed essential to a wireless standard must be licensed on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms, and the two sides remain far apart on the number. The award is structured as a single upfront payment spanning 2013 to 2027, covering Optis' LTE patents across Apple's cellular hardware.

The figure has shifted dramatically over the course of the proceedings. London's High Court had set the bill at $56.43 million in 2023. The Court of Appeal multiplied that roughly ninefold to $502 million last year. To get to that figure, the judges leaned on a separate agreement Optis had signed with Google as a reference point and counted royalties stretching back to 2013, well beyond the six-year window the High Court had favored.

Apple wants the justices to reconsider not just the size of the award but how the lower court arrived at it, contending the Court of Appeal "erred in law" and produced a figure it calls "arbitrary." Optis counters that Apple has spent years dodging fair payment and using its scale to drive rates down. Qualcomm has also lined up against the appeal, warning that Apple's stance breaks with established licensing norms and risks discouraging future innovation.

The dispute traces back to a pivotal 2020 ruling in which the UK Supreme Court held that British courts can set worldwide patent licensing rates, even though they can only rule on the infringement of UK patents. That decision opened the door for Optis to pursue global damages. After a 2021 High Court finding that Apple had infringed two of its patents, with the potential bill reported to run as high as $7 billion, an Apple lawyer told the court the company could withdraw from the UK rather than accept terms it considered "commercially unacceptable." Apple later backed away from that position.

The proceedings in the UK contrast with the parallel U.S. case, where Apple has fared considerably better. In February, a U.S. jury cleared Apple of infringing any of the five patents in dispute, the latest turn in a case that has repeatedly ended in Apple's favor.

Two earlier awards, of $506 million and $300 million, were each thrown out on appeal. Optis has signaled the U.S. legal battle isn't finished, saying it expects the District Court and the Federal Circuit to revisit the verdict.
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Last summer, Swiss-based Proton launched Lumo, an AI assistant with a privacy-first approach. Today, the company has announced Lumo 2.0, a major update to the chatbot that brings three new features commensurate with its core principles of no logs, no data sharing, and zero-access encryption.


Proton says Lumo 2 has been rebuilt on a new architecture that brings its biggest leap in capability to date, with Fast and Thinking modes now available. Fast of course prioritizes speed, while Thinking is optimized for more complex, multi-step reasoning. Proton says Lumo 2 responds to everyday queries up to 76 percent faster than Lumo 1.4.

Beyond the new architecture, Lumo 2 also boasts multimodal capabilities such as image generation and image recognition. Users can now upload an image to analyze, create visuals from a prompt or a rough sketch, or edit existing images, all in the same conversation.

On top of the new features, Lumo 2.0 has far stronger web search compared to Lumo 1.4, according to the company. There's also a Memory feature that lets Lumo learn your preferences, working style, and ongoing context, with the context window now twice as large.

Lumo 2.0 also introduces Custom Lumos, described as enabling purpose-built assistants that can be tailored to specific tasks, such as a research assistant that structures answers the way you need them.


Lumo is free to use at Lumo.proton.me and does not require a Proton account when accessed. However, if you have a Proton account, your chat history can be saved using the company's "zero-access" encryption across all your devices. There are also mobile apps for iPhone and Android.

For power users, Lumo Plus brings unlimited chats, Projects, advanced image generation, and priority access to the fastest models. Plus costs $12.99 per month, and there's also a Lumo Professional plan for teams offering secure collaboration for $14.99 per user per month, with discounts currently available for both plans.
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Samsung's newest monitors have been further discounted this week, with big savings on the Odyssey G8, ViewFinity S8, and Movingstyle Essential. All of these have discounts that have been applied automatically, plus an additional $50 on-page coupon that you can clip to add to your cart.

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

Prices start at $749.99 ($200 off) for the 27-inch Odyssey G8 5K Monitor, and also include Samsung's first 6K monitor with the 32-inch Odyssey G8 6K Monitor for $1,549.99 ($50 off). Samsung also has a new 40-inch ViewFinity S8 Curved Monitor on sale for $1,139.99 ($260 off), as well as the Movingstyle Essential Monitor for $649.99 ($250 off).



Shoppers should remember that all of the prices listed below will be reflected after clipping Samsung's $50 extra credit coupon and heading to the cart screen. The coupon can be found in the "Your Special Offers" section of each monitor's page, which is typically at the very top of each page.

• 43-inch Movingstyle Essential - $649.99 ($250 off)


• 27-inch Odyssey G8 5K Monitor - $749.99 ($200 off)


• 32-inch Odyssey OLED G7 4K Monitor - $799.99 ($300 off)


• 27-inch Odyssey OLED G8 4K Monitor - $1,049.99 ($50 off)


• 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 4K Monitor - $949.99 ($350 off)


• 40-inch ViewFinity S8 Curved Monitor - $1,139.99 ($260 off)


• 32-inch Odyssey G8 6K Monitor - $1,549.99 ($50 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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Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to introduce new color options, including a dark cherry color, and today we may have been given another peek at the rumored finish, courtesy of the Chinese leaker known as Ice Universe.


In an image posted on Weibo, a SIM tray allegedly from the unreleased iPhone is shown in a dark cherry color, which could also be described in this grainy example as burgundy, brownish, or purple.

Multiple rumors have suggested Apple is testing a deep reddish finish for the iPhone 18 Pro models, and the color is expected to be the special one that Apple markets prominently in 2026, similar to how it did for the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro.

Two other colors Apple is said to be planning are Light Blue and Dark Gray. Apple may also offer the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in Silver. Macworld has previously claimed to have identified the Pantone colors for all four finishes.

The four colors were also spotted in the first iPhone 18 Pro dummy models to leak, providing another look at the shades Apple is likely to use.

Notably, in the same Weibo thread where the SIM tray image was posted, Ice Universe responded to another user asking if the iPhone 18 Pro would be available in black. The leaker replied simply, "No." It's not the first time we've heard there will be no black iPhone 18 Pro model this year.

Apple's next-generation premium devices are expected to be unveiled in September alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone, which could have its own set of more muted color finishes, with silver, white, and indigo rumored so far, with other rumors suggesting it will be available in two colors or perhaps even just one.
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Apple could be taking action to limit the spread of leaked iPhone 18 Pro video footage that surfaced online following a recent cyberattack targeting Tata Electronics, one of Apple's manufacturing partners in India.


Over the last day, video clips that apparently showed an iPhone 18 Pro undergoing drop testing began appearing on X (Twitter). The clips appeared to show a silver-gray iPhone 18 Pro model with a more uniform rear aesthetic than the current iPhone 17 Pro's two-tone design. The device had the expected three-camera rear array, but the lenses appeared to protrude more from the plateau than on the iPhone 17 Pro. The Apple logo on the back of the device also appeared to have a reflective finish.

The clips were initially shared by an account using the @EvLeaks handle and were reposted by Ice Universe, but the posts have been taken down by X, citing a violation of the platform's rules. The @EvLeaks account has since been suspended.

Evan Blass, who was previously associated with the EvLeaks name, says he has "nothing to do with the new @EvLeaks account nor the purported iPhone leak posted there." Blass added: "Looks like Apple may have done what Samsung never could," likely referring back to the hundreds of Samsung leaks that Blass himself has been able to freely make public unimpeded over the years.

It is not clear whether the posts were removed at Apple's request or Tata's request, or because the videos were later believed to be fake.

Elsewhere, over in China, Ice Universe claimed on Weibo that Apple had "already banned the leaked data on Twitter."

Apple has not publicly commented on the removals, but the videos appeared to be genuine based on similar descriptions provided by Reuters.

The alleged leaked footage follows the outlet's report that Apple is "concerned" about confidential files stolen from Tata Electronics and circulated on the dark web. Reuters said the leaked files included Apple-watermarked documents, component details, supplier information, codenames, and images of iPhone 18 Pro models during drop testing. Apple is said to be investigating the incident and working with Tata on long-term measures to improve security.

We are not sharing the videos or images of them here out of caution, though some are still circulating online. They may not last the day, however. The speed of the takedowns, if instigated by Apple, may indicate that the company is moving more aggressively than usual in the face of a major data breach in order to prevent further spread.

Alternatively, it could be that the videos simply originated from an X account that was suspended for impersonating someone else, and they where later deemed to be fakes for that reason. We should know for sure when the iPhone 18 Pro is released in September.
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The U.K.'s competition regulator has proposed letting app developers direct users to payment options outside Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store, in a move aimed at increasing competition and reducing the fees charged by the two companies.


As reported by Reuters, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the proposals would remove restrictions that currently prevent U.K. developers from directing users to off-platform payment options.

The regulator said any fees Apple and Google charge developers for enabling such "steering" must be fair and reasonable, remain below existing App Store and Play Store commissions, and allow developers to either pass savings on to consumers or reinvest them in innovation.

The CMA said it was also considering making Apple open up access to its near-field communication (NFC) technology, which is used for Apple Pay contactless payments. This would allow developers to potentially offer alternative payment options within their own apps.

Last year, Apple was designated with strategic market status (SMS) in the U.K. for iOS and iPadOS, which enables the CMA to initiate targeted interventions designed to open the platforms to greater competition.

Apple has previously said it does not support allowing developers to direct users to off-platform payments. The company argues this ​could undermine user security and fraud ​protections, and limit its ability ⁠to verify transactions.

An Apple spokesperson told Reuters it could open the door to "scams, bait-and-switch tactics, and the circumvention of parental controls."

"When users are directed away from Apple's trusted payment infrastructure, they lose the protections ​they rely on Apple to provide," the spokesperson said, adding the U.S. tech giant would continue to "make ​our concerns clear" ⁠to the CMA.

In February, Apple and Google agreed to a series of changes aimed at making their app stores fairer for developers. Under terms published by the CMA, both companies said they will ensure apps are reviewed and ranked on their app stores in a "fair, objective and transparent way," without discrimination against apps that compete with their own services.

Apple must allow developers to more easily request access to iOS features and functionality, which could clear the way for third-party apps to better compete with Apple's own services.
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Some T-Mobile customers with legacy phone plans are being upgraded to newer T-Mobile plans automatically, reports CNET. The company has been sending out notifications to customers with older plans, letting them know that they're going to be transferred to a current plan.


Customers being pushed to a new plan could get an automatic bill increase. The carrier plans to move customers to comparable modern plans. T-Mobile options include Essentials, Essentials Saver, Experience More, and Experience Beyond. Prices for a single line start at $50 per month.

T-Mobile marketing lead Allan Samson said the majority of customers being automatically upgraded will pay below what the plan sells for, and won't have the same pricing that a plan would cost a new customer. The average increase will be around $4 per line per month, with some pricing going up $6.

Employees were told T-Mobile is transitioning customers to modern plans to get rid of over 1,100 legacy billing codes, and were warned to expect increased customer contact volume in the coming weeks.

T-Mobile declined to tell CNET which plans are being retired, but some date back 15 years. The company has run through a lot of plans over the last decade and a half, plus Sprint users on legacy plans were folded into T-Mobile after the 2020 merger.

Thousands of customers are affected, and will be receiving alerts from T-Mobile. Plans will change during the next billing cycle. Customers unhappy with T-Mobile's decision can pick a different T-Mobile plan or switch carriers.
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Popular messaging app WhatsApp is now allowing users to reserve usernames ahead of plans to launch username-based messaging. Right now, WhatsApp uses a person's phone number as an identifier, but usernames will allow people to interact without having to exchange personal information.


Username reservations are rolling out starting this week, and not all users will have access to the reservation system right away. WhatsApp is sending a notification when a username can be reserved. Usernames are optional, and once access has been granted, a username can be selected by going to Settings > Account > Username. Usernames can be 3 to 35 characters in length.

There are over three billion people on WhatsApp, and the company says it is opening up reservations early so "everyone has the opportunity to select the username that matters to them." WhatsApp suggests users choose a unique name only contacts would know.

Creators, small businesses, and organizations have the option to claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp. Users who have a username on Instagram or Facebook can claim the same username on WhatsApp by choosing the Use Instagram username or Use Facebook username option, as long as it isn't already taken.

WhatsApp has no directory of usernames to browse, and no username discovery suggestions. People will need to know a WhatsApp user's exact username to send a message, plus there is an optional username key that adds extra spam protection.

Usernames will roll out gradually over the next few months. Once live, an account with a username set will no longer reveal a phone number when messaging a person or a business for the first time.
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Popular open source AI agent OpenClaw is expanding to the iPhone and iPad with a new native iOS app. OpenClaw for iOS can be used alongside an existing gateway as a secure node for chat, voice approvals, sharing, and device-aware automation.


The iOS app replaces iPhone and ‌iPad‌ workarounds that involved using Telegram or WhatsApp for on-the-go access.

OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI agent that runs on a Mac or PC. Users can connect an API key from Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, or other AI services, linking the model to content on the gateway machine. OpenClaw lets an AI model access messaging apps, files, web browsers, and more, so it can complete tasks.

To make use of the new iOS app, you'll need a gateway running on a local machine. The App Store description says the iOS app can be used in multiple ways.

• Pair with your private OpenClaw Gateway by QR code or setup code


• Chat with your assistant from iPhone


• Use realtime and background Talk mode


• Review Gateway action approvals from your iPhone


• Share text, links, and media directly from iOS into OpenClaw


• Enable device capabilities such as camera, screen, location, photos, contacts, calendar, and reminders when you choose


• Receive push wakes and node status updates for connected workflows

OpenClaw is a useful tool, but it has risks. It is susceptible to prompt injection and requires broad system permissions on gateway devices.

OpenClaw started out as Clawdbot, because the initial version created by Peter Steinberger used Claude. Anthropic complained about the name, prompting a rename.

The app can be downloaded from the ‌App Store‌ for free. [Direct Link]
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