Foxconn has begun importing iPhone 17 parts from China to India for trial production, marking a significant step ahead of the device's expected launch in September.


According to customs data reviewed by The Economic Times, Foxconn, Apple's primary contract assembler, began receiving shipments of critical components such as display assemblies, cover glass, mechanical housings, and integrated rear camera modules at its Indian facilities in June. These components account for approximately 10% of Foxconn's total imports from China for the month, with the remainder allocated to other iPhone models, including the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and iPhone 16.

Industry experts cited by The Economic Times interpret the scale of the shipments as indicative of early-stage trial production. Mass production is apparently scheduled to begin in August, in time for launch in September.

India has already begun to participate in Apple's New Product Introduction (NPI) process, which governs the early stages of new model development and previously took place exclusively in China; it joined the NPI process for the ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus in 2024. This allowed production to begin nearly simultaneously in both countries, a significant shift from the ‌iPhone‌ 14, when manufacturing in India began six weeks after the China ramp-up.

For the ‌iPhone 17‌, Apple is reportedly targeting same-day production starts in both China and India for the first time. Sources cited by DigiTimes suggest that Apple intends to deepen its manufacturing footprint in India as part of its plan to diversify its supply chain, with Foxconn playing a central role under India's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

However, the effort has encountered challenges. Recent reports have pointed to the recent mass departure of Chinese engineers from Foxconn's Indian facilities. These individuals were responsible for factory design, precision machining, and employee training, which are essential functions during the early phases of ‌iPhone‌ assembly. An executive quoted by The Economic Times said:

Chinese engineers are crucial because iPhone 17 manufacturing involves complex precision machining of many small parts, and even a 1mm difference can cause a product to fail quality testing. They are needed to train employees on the intricate assembly processes and specific molds for components.

Despite these complications, the Indian government apparently remains optimistic. A source quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) said that the return of Chinese technical staff to China will have "no impact" on the production of the ‌iPhone 17‌.

The source added that Apple continues to scale production according to plan and noted that import bottlenecks for machinery and equipment needed for large-scale manufacturing have begun to ease. The entire ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup is expected to launch in the fall.
This article, "iPhone 17 Manufacturing Reaches Key Milestone as Launch Nears" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has long wrapped up its spring releases, including the new , M4 MacBook Air, , and A16 iPad. While the iPhone 17 lineup will certainly be the star of the show for this fall’s hardware releases, there’s something a bit unique coming later this year: 2.

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9to5Mac is brought to you by CleanMyMac: Tidy up your Mac and iPhone today! Try 7 days free and use our code 9TO5MAC15 for 15% off. Also check out CleanMyPhone for your iPhone!

macOS Tahoe 26 will be released to everyone later this year, and it brings a handful of notable new features to the Messages app. There are new customization options, upgraded search functionality, group message improvements, and more.

Head below for all the new features coming to the Messages app on Mac later this year.

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Apple has long offered a refurbished store on its website, where it sells recent generation products at a pretty sizable discount. Unlike other refurbished offerings, Apple guarantees a replaced outer shell, battery, and glass – ensuring no wear and tear. You also get a 1 year Apple warranty and the ability to add AppleCare if you’d like.

That sounds great, but is it actually worth it? Well, it depends. We’ll be delving into Apple refurbished listings, and comparing it to on the market.

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The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.


Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:

• Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable


• 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2


• Likely a wide-angle OLED display that is brighter when viewed from an angle, and offers a higher refresh rate for the always-on display mode


• S10 chip or newer for faster performance


• Blood pressure monitoring has been rumored, but it might not be ready in time for the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Last year, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 received a black titanium case option, but otherwise the Ultra model has not received any hardware upgrades since 2023.

After a two-year wait, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 should be unveiled in September.
This article, "Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Apple offered a line of Wi-Fi routers that it referred to as AirPort base stations. There was a standard AirPort Express, a higher-end AirPort Extreme with more advanced networking features, and an AirPort Time Capsule that doubled as an external storage drive for backing up a Mac with Time Machine.


A few days ago, Apple added a few more AirPort models to its obsolete products list, which reignited discussion about the products.

The big question: Will Apple ever return to the Wi-Fi router market?

Apple discontinued the AirPort line in 2018, but the company could return to the Wi-Fi router market in an unexpected way in the future.

Back in December, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was developing its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that will debut in new Apple TV and HomePod mini models later this year. He said the chip is "so sophisticated" that it could "theoretically" turn these devices into a wireless access point. However, it is unclear if Apple will actually follow through with that idea, so temper your expectations for the time being.

Apple's chip will support Wi-Fi 6E, according to Gurman, whereas the final AirPort models supported what is now known as Wi-Fi 5. However, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu believes the chip will actually support Wi-Fi 7.

It remains to be seen if the Apple TV and HomePod actually become Wi-Fi routers, but Apple is seemingly developing technology that allows for it.
This article, "AirPort Base Stations: Will Apple Ever Return to Wi-Fi Router Market?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is MacBook Pro update.

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Apple's smart home hub will likely launch in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In a report last week, Gurman said that Apple originally planned to announce the home hub in March this year, but he said that the device was delayed indefinitely due to its reliance on the personalized Siri features that were postponed.

In that report, he said the home hub may now arrive in the first half of next year.

Gurman revealed another related reason for the delay in his Power On newsletter today. Specifically, he said that the home hub is dependent on a new version of App Intents, which would allow Siri to more precisely control apps via voice commands. That is something that is also held up, and the home hub is in a holding pattern as a result.

Often referred to as a HomePod with a screen, Apple's home hub is rumored to feature a 6-inch to 7-inch square display, and an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence support. The device can reportedly be attached to a speaker base, or mounted on a wall, and it would allow users to control smart home accessories, make FaceTime video calls, and more. It might even double as a home security system with an optional Apple-designed smart home camera.

In March, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a HomePod with a screen would enter mass production in the third quarter of 2025. However, given the personalized Siri features have yet to launch, it is unclear if that timeframe remains accurate.


This article, "Here's Why Apple's All-New Home Hub is Delayed" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The all-new smart home hub was supposed to be Apple’s star of the show this year. There was just one problem: Siri. After a multitude of Siri hiccups and delays, it begun to look more and more unlikely that the product would launch in 2025. Now, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is reporting that a 2026 launch is almost a guarantee.

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A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.


Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors.

Rumors

Faster Wi-Fi Support

The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, which would be an upgrade over the current Apple TV's standard Wi-Fi 6 support. Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band with a compatible router. This can contribute to faster Wi-Fi speeds and lower latency compared to Wi-Fi 6.

The chip might even support Wi-Fi 7 instead, which can provide peak theoretical speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4× increase over Wi-Fi 6E.

Newer Chip

The current Apple TV is powered by the A15 Bionic chip, which debuted in all iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models in 2022. It is very likely that the next Apple TV will have a newer chip, such as an A18 or A19 chip, and this would result in faster overall performance and potentially even Apple Intelligence support on tvOS.

FaceTime Camera and Gesture Controls

tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the Apple TV, allowing for video calls with the rear camera on a connected iPhone or iPad. If the Apple TV gained a built-in camera, users would no longer need to rely on an external device for video calls on the TV.

In April 2024, Gurman said Apple had "discussed" offering an Apple TV with a built-in camera for FaceTime and gesture-based controls, but it is unclear if Apple is moving forward with that plan for the next model in particular. He did not elaborate on the gesture aspect, but it sounds like the next Apple TV would recognize various hand movements.

Apple says tvOS 26 enhances FaceTime in several ways — fitting for an Apple TV with a camera:

With tvOS 26, users can enjoy a more personalized FaceTime experience that's consistent with iOS. Contact Posters on Apple TV make it easier and more personal by displaying a contact's customized photo and name when starting a FaceTime call on Apple TV. Live Captions expand to include French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish, enabling Apple TV to use on-device intelligence to display Live Captions for FaceTime conversations, so users can follow what's being said in even more languages. Additionally, FaceTime audio and phone call notifications will appear onscreen for the active profile, allowing users to answer on connected HomePod speakers or their iPhone, and ensuring that communication with loved ones remains at the forefront.

Lower Price

On the same day as the current Apple TV was announced in October 2022, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that he expected the next Apple TV to be "more affordable." He said that a sub-$100 price would be the "sweet spot" for the Apple TV, but he did not say if Apple will actually achieve that price point.

Both the 2010 and 2012 versions of the Apple TV were priced at $99 in the U.S. at launch, and Apple eventually lowered the price of the 2012 model to $69, so there is precedent for a sub-$100 Apple TV. Other companies like Amazon and Roku offer low-priced streaming sticks, with sale prices going as low as $19.99.

In the U.S., the current Apple TV starts at $129 with 64GB of storage, and a 128GB model with an Ethernet port for wired internet is priced at $149.

Timing

The next Apple TV will be released "toward the end of the year," according to Gurman. If so, it is likely that the device will launch in September or October, but November or December cannot be entirely ruled out at this point.

Here is when the previous four Apple TV models were announced:

• Apple TV 4K (3rd generation): October 2022


• Apple TV 4K (2nd generation): April 2021


• Apple TV 4K (1st generation): September 2017


• Apple TV HD: September 2015

Read our Apple TV roundup for more details.
This article, "New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

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Planning things accordingly can be hard. Timescape aims to make that easier by providing you a big picture look at your entire year, making it easy for you to see what long-term events you may already have booked.

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Apple’s been toying around with the idea of a cheaper iPhone in the lineup for quite some time, though it’s never been a consistent thing. Obviously, there was the iPhone 5c back in 2013 as a cheaper offering compared to the iPhone 5s. It didn’t sell too well, but it was certainly its first venture into this market.

Afterwards, there was the lineup, which had an average of 3 years between each refresh. Now, it’s looking like the ‘cheaper’ iPhone will become a regular part of the iPhone lineup, per recent reports.

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The MacBook is one of the most powerful tools of the modern age. Most people will spend years of their lives in front of their computer. So it makes sense to have a great one.

But the way we buy them is broken.

High cost. Trade-in headaches. Endless upgrade cycles.

For most people, spending upwards of $2,000 upfront puts a huge hole in your pocket, not to mention the hassle and time spent reselling it when you’re ready to upgrade.

But there’s a newer option…and it’s growing fast among professionals, creatives, developers, and students who want better tools without the stress. It’s called Upgraded, and it’s a MacBook Upgrade Program where you can get a brand new MacBook every 2 years, starting at $33.28/mo. Here’s how it works:

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The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality.


We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

We're just a couple of months away from the unveiling of the iPhone 17 lineup, and while the Pro model and its Pro Max sibling will differ in display size and battery life as usual, it's looking like the Pro Max model might get a bit thicker this year.


Those Pro and Pro Max models will also reportedly be shifting back to an aluminum chassis similar to that used on non-Pro models, after a number of years of using more premium stainless steel and later titanium.

Recent rumors also indicate that the Apple logo will shift lower on the rear casings of the Pro models due to the large camera bumps, and recent renders from leaker Majin Bu illustrate how this may look with revised MagSafe rings on clear cases.

And if the changes coming in the iPhone 17 Pro models aren't enough to get you in the mood for an upgrade, check out our list of five reasons why you might want to wait until the next update.

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and the third developer beta released this week features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July.


The continued refinement of the Liquid Glass aesthetic is certainly generating controversy, with some users appreciating greater readability that has resulted from toning some elements of the design down, while others are disappointed at the rollback from a true Liquid Glass to what some are calling more of a Frosted Glass look.

iOS 26: What's Changed With the iPhone's Home Screen

The Home Screen is a core part of the iPhone experience, and iOS 26 is bringing some interesting changes to this aspect that nearly every user interacts with on a regular basis.


Beyond the basic Liquid Glass design, wallpaper choices take advantage of the new aesthetic to more thoroughly theme the experience as you can see through more of the user interface elements. Apple has also made some enhancements to various app icon options for Light, Dark, and Tinted, which are joined by the new Clear option if you want to go for the full glass look.

Apple's $350 Million Gamble on 'F1' Is Starting to Pay Off

Apple's latest original film, "F1: The Movie," has become the company's highest-grossing theatrical release to date, earning over $293 million globally within ten days of release, according to industry estimates.


Apple has been marketing the heck out of the Brad Pitt film, and the company is reportedly now looking to potentially ride that momentum to bid on streaming rights for Formula 1 racing in the United States.

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further.


Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that support iPhone car keys, but it has not been updated in a while, so it is missing some recent additions and we've put together a more complete list of vehicles where the handy feature is available.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, "Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

Passkey technology has been a “gradually, then suddenly” shift in my daily life. I was hearing about it for years, then a few sites supported it, and now it’s more likely than not that a new site will support it. It’s one of the easiest security upgrades you can make at work and at home. With Apple’s upcoming fall release, it’s getting even better.

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Apple is working on a set of smart glasses that will rival Meta's popular AI-equipped Ray-Bans, offering many of the same features. Rumors about Apple's work on the glasses have been picking up, and we've gathered all of the information we've heard in the guide below.

Overview

There have been persistent rumors about Apple's work on augmented reality smart glasses, but true, lightweight augmented reality glasses are still years away. What's feasible now is a set of smart glasses that don't have any display functions, and that instead rely on cameras, speakers, AI integration, and sensors to offer useful features to wearers.

Apple's first smart glasses will be an iPhone accessory like the Apple Watch or AirPods, able to provide auxiliary features to reduce ‌iPhone‌ reliance.

Design

Apple plans to offer multiple material and frame options, making the smart glasses as much of a fashion accessory as the Apple Watch once was. Buyers will be able to choose their preferred color and frame style, selecting from metal and plastic frame options.

Apple is apparently testing 3D printing technology for manufacturing.

It's likely that Apple will offer both standard lenses and sunglasses, and based on the Vision Pro, Apple will also support prescription lenses. There's already a mechanism in place for ordering custom Vision Pro lenses through Zeiss, so Apple could expand that to cover the smart glasses as well.

Cameras and microphones will be included, and there is likely to be an LED light that indicates when the camera is active.

Controls

The glasses are expected to support touch-based controls, such as a tap to snap a photo, and voice-based controls.

Features

Here's what you'll be able to do with Apple's smart glasses, based on what we know so far:

• Take photos


• Record video, including spatial video


• Listen to audio


• Get directions


• Get answers to questions


• Get descriptions of the surroundings


• Identify plants, animals, landmarks and more


• Make phone calls


• Live translation


• Find My integration (not rumored, but likely)

iPhone Reliance

Apple's smart glasses may need a connection to an ‌iPhone‌ to provide functionality like music playback and AI assistance, though they will have some on-device capabilities. Apple is designing a custom SoC for the glasses that's based on the chip in the Apple Watch.

AI Integration

The cameras in Apple's smart glasses will be able to feed information to an AI assistant. The AI will be able to answer questions about what the wearer is seeing, similar to how Visual Intelligence works on the ‌iPhone‌ today.

AI will be able to control the glasses and do things like snap a photo or play music, plus it will be able to provide directions.

Pricing

There's no word on what the smart glasses will cost, but somewhere in the AirPods to Apple Watch range would make sense. Meta's glasses are priced starting at $300.

Competition

Apple's main competition will be the Meta Ray-Bans and the Meta Oakleys. Meta teamed up with popular sunglasses manufacturers and its smart glasses have proven popular with customers.


The Meta Ray-Bans use the traditional Wayfarer style and come in a range of colors, plus there are other frame options available as well.

Launch Date

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes Apple could introduce the smart glasses as soon as 2026, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo doesn't expect them to come out until 2027.

Future Features

Apple's first smart glasses will not include augmented reality capabilities, but a future version could integrate a display that would overlay digital information on the real world view.

Augmented reality glasses are a longtime goal of Apple's, and it is technology that the company is actively pursuing.
This article, "Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know About Apple's Answer to Meta Ray-Bans" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Roborock:The smartest vacuums just got more affordable. Roborock’s Prime Day sale has arrived—with exclusive, limited-time savings on their top models.

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The Messages app has the Liquid Glass redesign that's been introduced throughout iOS 26, but Apple also added several long-desired features that make for a better experience in both one-to-one and group chats, such as custom backgrounds and group typing indicators.

Message Backgrounds

In any conversation in the Messages app, you can set a custom background, a feature that's available in many third-party messaging apps.


To set a custom background, tap on the name of the person or group at the top, and choose the "Backgrounds" option. There are pre-set options like sky, water, and aurora, or you can choose a solid color.

You can also opt to select a photo from your Photo Library, or generate an image with Image Playground. Backgrounds are changed for every participant in the conversation, but you need to have ‌iOS 26‌, iPadOS 26, or macOS Tahoe. Custom backgrounds can only be set for iMessage conversations at the current time, and there won't be an option to set a custom background in a chat with someone who has an Android device.

If you don't want to see custom backgrounds that people set, you can turn off the option in the Messages section of the Settings app. Just go to Settings > Apps > Messages and toggle off Conversation Backgrounds.

Regardless of the background that you choose, message bubbles will still be blue, and bubble color can't be changed.

Polls

For conversations where you're asking people to choose one of multiple options, you can now create a poll. If you tap on the "+" button next to the Messages text, there's a poll option.


You can add up to 12 choices in a poll, and then send it to people in a conversation to vote on. If you send a poll and someone thinks an option is missing, they can edit it and add in another choice.

On devices that support Apple Intelligence, the Messages app will suggest a poll in relevant conversations. If you're asking the group whether to get pizza, burgers, or pasta, for example, you might see a suggestion to create a poll.

Live Translation

‌iOS 26‌ supports a live translate feature in Messages on devices with ‌Apple Intelligence‌. If you're conversing with someone that speaks another language, you can turn on translate. What they type will be translated to your language, and what you type will be translated to their language. Translations are near instantaneous and don't slow down text conversations.


Languages that are supported include Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified), French, German, Italian, English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).

To opt in to automatic translate, tap on the person's name, scroll down, and toggle on the Automatically Translate option. You will need to select a language to translate from, and download that language pack if you don't already have it installed (they're around 900MB).


Messages that you send will show up in both your language and the translated language on your own phone, but the person on the other end will only see the message in their language. Messages they respond with will show their language and the translated language.


Live Translation is an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature, and it works best when both participants have ‌iOS 26‌, ‌iPadOS 26‌, or macOS Tahoe. You can use Live Translation with someone who has an older device or an Android device, and it will translate their text on your end, but your responses are not translated to their language.

Group Chat Improvements

When you're in a group chat, you'll see typing indicators for people who are typing a response.

Apple Cash is also now supported in group chats, so members of the group can send money to one another without having to split out into separate conversations.

If you're in a group chat and there's a person that you don't know, there's now an option to add that person to your Contacts app with a tap.

Copy/Paste

If you want to copy just a part of a message, such as an address or a package tracking number, there's an option in ‌iOS 26‌ to do so. Long press on the message that you want to copy and then tap on the "Select" option.

Message Filtering

Apple separated spam messages and messages from unknown senders into two categories in ‌iOS 26‌, and both can be filtered out if you prefer.


There's a Filter section that you can access by tapping the icon at the top right of the Messages app interface that will let you see messages with specific content. Options include Unknown Senders, Transactions, Promotions, Spam, and Recently Deleted.

You can have messages from unknown senders (aka not saved in your Contacts) sent directly to the Unknown Senders list, and you won't get notifications. You'll see a badge in the filter section of the Messages app so you know the message is there, but you won't be bothered by it.

There's an exception you can turn on for Time Sensitive notifications, so you won't miss something like a food delivery person sending you a message. Messages classified as spam will be sent to the spam box, and you won't see a notification or a badge.

You can also turn on filtering notifications for messages that are classified as Personal (not from businesses), Transactions (order receipts and confirmations), and Promotions.

Natural Language Search

Messages supports natural language search, so you can use conversational words when looking for a text thread or something specific in a conversation.

Low Data Photo Sharing

Apple added a "Send Low Quality Photo Previews" setting that can be enabled in the Messages section of the Settings app. When it's turned on, Messages will send a lower quality preview of an image if your iPhone is in Low Data Mode. The full version of the photo is sent at a later time when you have a Wi-Fi connection.

Genmoji

In Messages, the Genmoji feature has been updated to support mixing two or more existing emoji characters together to create a new emoji.


In a conversation, tap on ‌Genmoji‌ to make a custom emoji character. Once in the ‌Genmoji‌ interface, tap on the smile icon with a "+" next to it, and you can select the emoji characters that you want to add from the emoji menu. You can add two emoji, or even more if you want.

Combined emoji can be further edited with text-based descriptions, and if someone sends you a combo emoji, you can long press on it and choose "New Emoji" to tweak it further.

CarPlay

When you're driving, you can now respond to an incoming message with a quick Tapback response. Plus you can pin conversations to the Messages app in CarPlay so you can access your favorite contacts quickly.

EU Changes

In the European Union, there's a new EU-only API for developers that will allow third-party messages apps to send and receive RCS/MMS/SMS messages by default instead of the built-in Messages app.

End-to-End RCS Encryption

Apple is planning to bring end-to-end encryption to ‌RCS‌ conversations between ‌iPhone‌ and Android users in a future software update, but the functionality is not implemented yet.

Read More

We have a complete iOS 26 roundup that covers all of the new features that are available in the update.
This article, "iOS 26: Every Change to the Messages App" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported that Apple was in active negotiations to acquire the streaming rights for Formula 1 in the United States.

Business Insider now builds on that report and says that “barring a last-minute change,” Apple is poised to secure this deal.

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Apple Watch Ultra, outside of a very nice new titanium black, hasn’t been meaningfully upgraded since 2023. But this fall that’s going to change when the Apple Watch Ultra 3 arrives. Here are three new features coming to the next-generation Apple Watch Ultra 3.

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Rumors about the iPhone 17’s Dynamic Island are all over the place, with some trusted sources saying it’s not changing this year, while others report otherwise. Now, leaker Majin Bu has just teased the “significant evolution” Apple has planned for the feature.

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Apple has picked up six Daytime Emmy nominations for one of its most interesting nature docuseries, produced in partnership with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit. See the categories and watch the trailer below.

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In the early to mid-1990s, Apple released a wide range of quirky and unique products, ranging from printers and digital cameras to a video game console and a PDA with a keyboard. Steve Jobs nixed the vast majority of these products upon his return to Apple in 1997, helping the company to regain its focus and avoid impending bankruptcy.


Many longtime MacRumors readers are likely already well informed about Apple's peculiar 1990s era, but for those who started following the company in the 2000s, it can be fascinating to look back at the products released in the older days.

Below, we reflect on five unique Apple products from the 1990s, including the QuickTake, Newton eMate 300, Studio Display, StyleWriter, and Pippin. There are of course many others, ranging from the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh to the Newton MessagePad, but we tried to make some selections that are perhaps a bit more obscure today.

Newton eMate 300

In 1993, Apple released the Newton MessagePad, a personal digital assistant (PDA) that was sort of like a very early and rudimentary version of the modern smartphone. Equipped with a black-and-white, pressure-sensitive touch screen, and a stylus, the device offered basic calendar, contact, note-taking, to-do list, and email functionality.

Apple went on to release a line of Newton products, including the eMate 300 in 1996, an entry-level computer for children to use in the classroom. It was the only Newton device with a built-in keyboard, and it featured a colorful and durable plastic casing that could withstand the perils of the classroom. It looks a little bit like the iBook that Apple released a few years later, but it ran the Newton operating system instead of Mac OS.

Priced at around $800, the eMate 300 was equipped with a 6.8-inch black-and-white, pressure-sensitive touch screen with a resolution of 480×320 pixels. Other specs included a 25 MHz ARM processor and a whopping 3 MB of RAM.

Jobs discontinued the entire Newton line upon his return in 1997.

QuickTake

In 1994, Apple released the QuickTake, one of the first consumer-oriented digital cameras ever. Apple designed the original QuickTake 100 model in partnership with Kodak. With 1MB of built-in storage, the camera could store up to a whopping eight photos with a resolution of 640×480 pixels. The camera had a built-in flash, but it did not offer manual focus or zoom controls. And while it featured a small LCD screen for basic information like battery level, it did not provide a live preview of the viewfinder's image.

Apple went on to release two more QuickTake 150 and QuickTake 200 models, with the latter made in partnership with Fujifilm. Some of the QuickTake 200's key upgrades included support for higher-resolution photos up to 1024×768 pixels, a 1.8-inch LCD screen with a viewfinder preview, and a removable 2MB storage card.

At the time the QuickTake was released, it was still common for people to have photos printed at a store, so the ability to transfer digital photos to a Mac or PC was quite novel, but Apple faced lots of competition from the likes of Canon, Nikon, and Sony, and it was ultimately a lower-selling product that did not survive the Jobs chopping block.

Pippin

Believe it or not, Apple once made a video game console.

Apple teamed up with Bandai to release the Pippin, or PiPP!N, in 1996. Priced at $599, the PowerPC-based console was intended to be somewhat of a hybrid of a computer and a video game console, with its software based on the Macintosh System 7.5.2. Games were loaded into the built-in CD-ROM drive, but the selection was limited.

Ultimately, the PiPP!N was a flop, as both Sony's PlayStation ($299) and the Nintendo 64 ($199) were less expensive and offered a wider library of games.

Another casualty of Jobs' return, the PiPP!N was discontinued by 1998.

Studio Display

You might be thinking that Apple just released the Studio Display three years ago, but it first used that name for an external monitor released back in 1998.

The original Studio Display featured a sleek design, with a 15-inch flat-panel LCD screen and a 4:3 aspect ratio. It had a resolution of 1024×768 pixels, a far cry from the current model's resolution of 5120×2880 pixels. It was priced at $1,999.

This is actually a product that Apple released shortly after Jobs returned to Apple, and the line remained available until 2004, when Apple fully shifted to its widescreen Cinema Display. In 2011, Apple moved on to the Thunderbolt Display, which was discontinued in 2016, before releasing the Pro Display XDR in 2019 and the current Studio Display in 2022.

Apple also released a bulkier CRT version of the Studio Display in 1999.

StyleWriter

Printers are another device category that Jobs put the kibosh on when he returned to Apple. Before then, though, Apple had released a variety of printer models, including the ImageWriter in 1982, the LaserWriter in 1985, and finally the StyleWriter in 1991.

The original StyleWriter was Apple's first inkjet printer with liquid ink, whereas the ImageWriter was a dot-matrix printer and the LaserWriter was a laser printer.

In the 2000s to early 2010s, Apple offered a rebate on third-party printers from brands like HP, Canon, Epson, and Lexmark with the purchase of a new Mac, but it has been nearly 30 years since an Apple-branded printer was last on the market.
This article, "Apple Released These Oddly Unique Products in the 1990s" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has updated its list of obsolete and vintage products with a variety of fresh additions (via MacRumors), including the 2013 Mac Pro, 2019 Macs, 2018 iPads, and more. Perhaps one of the most significant changes is that several AirPort products have now been marked ‘obsolete.’ Here’s what that means.

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