Apple's employees who participated in the company's annual Close Your Rings Challenge have begun to receive a limited-edition Apple Watch band and a special enamel pin marking the 10th anniversary of the internal challenge.


This year's band is a black Sport Loop with special lugs and an end piece that are colored similarly to the Apple Watch's Move, Exercise, and Stand rings.


Given that these bands are limited to Apple's employees, rather than being sold directly to customers, they are relatively rare. You can keep track of hundreds of Apple Watch bands released since 2015 through the Bandbreite app on the iPhone.
This article, "Apple's Limited-Edition 2026 'Close Your Rings' Watch Band Revealed" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Time is running out on the Apple Card sign-up promo that began last month. For three more days, you can effectively receive AirPods Pro 3 for free when you sign up for a new Apple Card, but there are some strings attached.


If you sign up for and are approved for an Apple Card for the first time, and use it to purchase AirPods Pro 3 by June 15, you can earn up to $250 in bonus cash back over a 10-month period if you meet minimum transaction requirements.

Specifically, from July 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, you can earn a bonus $25 cash back each month when you use your new Apple Card to make a minimum of 10 purchases of any amount ($0.01 or higher) that post to your account each month. The initial purchase of the AirPods Pro 3 does not count towards this requirement.

AirPods Pro 3 are regularly priced at $249 in the U.S. — but are currently on sale on Amazon for an all-time low price of $179 — so this promotion effectively allows you to earn back the cost of the wireless earbuds over 10 months.

If you already have an Apple Card, you are not eligible for this promotion.

Apple's website outlines full terms and conditions for this promotion, so be sure to look over the fine print at the bottom of the page.

Apple's credit card launched in 2019, and it remains available in the U.S. only. The card can be managed in the Apple Wallet app on an iPhone, has no annual fee, and offers up to 3% cash back (known as Daily Cash) on purchases paid out daily.

Daily Cash amounts: 1% on purchases with the physical Apple Card, 2% on purchases with the digital Apple Card via Apple Pay, and 3% on purchases from Apple itself and select partners such as Nike, Walgreens, Ace Hardware, and Uber.
This article, "Last Chance: Apple Card Sign-Up Promo Can Earn You Free AirPods Pro 3" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The upcoming iOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate updates expand drawing tools to more of Apple's built-in apps across the iPhone and Mac.


In the Messages app on iOS 27, there is a new "Drawing" option in the app drawer, which can be opened by tapping the plus sign in the bottom-left corner.

On older iOS versions, the Messages app once had a very basic drawing tool that was accessible by tapping a button on the keyboard in landscape orientation, but now Apple's complete set of Markup tools are available in the app.

On the Mac, macOS 27 adds the Markup tools to the Notes and Freeform apps.


iOS 27 and macOS 27 are currently available in developer beta. The updates are expected to be released to the general public in September.
This article, "iOS 27 Adds New Drawing Tool to Your iPhone's Messages App" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's annual WWDC developers conference is drawing to a close, but there is still a lot to look forward to in the second half of the year.


Apple is expected to release at least 15 more products later this year. Now that the more intelligent and personal version of Siri has finally arrived in beta, a full two years after Apple first previewed it at WWDC 2024, we should begin to see some new devices that were reportedly postponed until the new Siri was ready.

Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches in September, Apple's all-new smart home hub is expected to debut later this year. We are also expecting a foldable iPhone Ultra and long-awaited updates to the Apple TV, HomePod, and HomePod mini. And a redesigned MacBook Ultra with an OLED display is expected by early 2027.

Here is what to expect from Apple later this year, according to rumors.

iPhones

• iPhone 18 Pro: A20 Pro chip, a smaller Dynamic Island, a simplified Camera Control button, a Dark Cherry color option, variable aperture for at least one rear camera, Apple's C2 modem with support for 5G web browsing via satellite, and more.


• iPhone 18 Pro Max: The same features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro, but the Pro Max model may or may not be slightly thicker.


• iPhone Ultra: A foldable iPhone Ultra with a 7.7-inch inner display and 5.3-inch outer display, two rear cameras, one front camera, a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, and more. iOS 27 is expected to be tailored for the foldable iPhone, allowing for side-by-side apps and other iPad-like multitasking functionality.

Apple Watches

• Apple Watch Series 12: A faster S11 chip or newer, plus design changes such as Touch ID and/or more health sensors (disputed).


• Apple Watch Ultra 4: A faster S11 chip or newer, plus design changes such as Touch ID and/or more health sensors (disputed). There may also be additional satellite features for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and newer, such as Apple Maps via satellite and the ability to send and receive photos with Messages via satellite.

iPads

• iPad 12: A16 chip → A18 chip or A19 chip with Apple Intelligence support.


• iPad mini: A17 Pro chip → A19 Pro or A20 Pro chip, an OLED display, a vibration-based speaker system, and a water-resistant design.

Macs

• Mac Studio: M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips → M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips.


• Mac mini: M4 and M4 Pro chips → M5 and M5 Pro chips.


• iMac: M4 chip → M5 chip, plus new color options.


• MacBook Ultra: A major MacBook Pro redesign in late 2026 or early 2027, with M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, an OLED display, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. On this laptop, which will reportedly be named MacBook Ultra, macOS 27 is expected to offer a touch-friendly interface.

Home

• Apple TV: A17 Pro chip with support for the more personalized Siri, and Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support. A built-in FaceTime camera has been rumored for a future Apple TV, but it is unclear if that will arrive with the next model.


• HomePod mini: S9 chip or newer with support for the more personalized Siri, Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and potentially new color options like red.


• HomePod: A new full-sized HomePod that supports the revamped Siri.


• Home Hub: An all-new smart home hub featuring the more personalized version of Siri, a 6-inch to 7-inch square display, an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence, FaceTime, and more. Place it on a table or mount it on a wall.

Notes

• Apple's smart home hub may be accompanied by accessories such as a security camera/sensor and a Face ID doorbell.


• AirPods Ultra with cameras for Visual Intelligence are also rumored, but it is unclear if they are launching this year or later.


• The next Mac Studio and Mac mini models as well as the MacBook Ultra could be delayed until 2027 due to the RAM chip shortage.

This article, "Apple to Release These 15 New Products Later This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iOS 27 enables landscape mode in more of Apple's built-in iPhone apps, including Apple Music, Podcasts, Fitness, Health, Reminders, Home, Shortcuts, Apple Watch, Find My, Weather, Voice Memos, Apple TV Remote, and others.


In the Apple Music and Podcasts apps, landscape support is limited to the audio player for now.

Many of the apps feature a left-aligned sidebar in landscape mode. In the Messages app, which already supported landscape orientation on iOS 26 and earlier, you can now collapse the sidebar to show only names and profile pictures.







Landscape mode was already available on iOS 26 or earlier in Apple Maps, Calendar, Files, Notes, Mail, and some other Apple apps too, but iOS 27 expands support to many more apps. This change could be laying the groundwork for the "iPhone Ultra," as landscape-friendly apps would be well suited for the rumored foldable device.

iOS 27 also adds landscape support for Live Activities in the Dynamic Island.

To use landscape mode in a supported app, simply turn your iPhone sideways. Portrait Orientation Lock must be turned off in Control Center.

Landscape apps used to be more common on iOS many years ago. In fact, the Home Screen grid supported landscape orientation on the iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone 8 Plus, but that functionality ended with the iPhone X.

iOS 27 is currently in beta and is expected to be released in September, which is also when Apple reportedly plans to unveil the "iPhone Ultra."
This article, "iOS 27 Adds Landscape Mode to More Apple Apps Ahead of 'iPhone Ultra'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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