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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Notify is a simple app for monitoring websites for changes. It’s completely free, private, and local – running fully on your iPhone. The app is a bit niche, but it does its job really well.

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Apple's retail store at The Mall at Partridge Creek, in the Detroit suburb of Clinton Township, will be permanently closing at 7 p.m. Eastern Time today.


Apple did not provide a specific reason for the closure, but local news outlet WDIV last year reported that The Mall at Partridge Creek had been sold in receivership and was struggling to retain tenants at the time.

Fortunately, Apple said all affected employees at the Partridge Creek store will have the opportunity to continue working for the company.

Apple previously confirmed that its all-new store in Downtown Detroit will open later this year, so the company's total number of stores in Michigan will not change over the long term. Apple Somerset will continue to serve customers in Detroit's northern suburbs.

Apple's full statement, shared with MacRumors:

At Apple, we're committed to delivering an exceptional experience for all customers, and we're excited to open our new retail location in Downtown Detroit later this year. As we prepare to open, we will not continue our lease at Apple Partridge Creek, and all of our valued team members will have the opportunity to continue their roles with Apple. We've loved serving the Partridge Creek community for nearly 20 years, and look forward to welcoming our customers at our other stores in the Detroit metro area, including nearby Apple Somerset, as well as Apple.com and the Apple Store app.

Apple Partridge Creek first opened in 2007.

Apple also permanently closed its Northbrook Court store in a Chicago suburb earlier this year, along with stores in the UK and China last week.

All of Apple's permanent store closures this year are for specific property-related reasons that are unrelated to the company's overall performance. Apple just had a record-breaking quarter, and the company is opening many new and remodeled stores around the world.
This article, "Apple Store Near Detroit Permanently Closing Today Ahead of All-New Downtown Location" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon is offering numerous low prices on Apple Watch Series 10 devices today, including both GPS and cellular models at $100 off original prices.

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

Amazon has the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10 for $299.00, down from $399.00, as well as the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. Both of these are solid second-best prices on the Apple Watch Series 10, and they're available in numerous case colors and band styles, some of which you can find in the lists below.

42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10

• Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Plum Sport Loop - $299.00, down from $399.00


• Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Loop - $299.00, down from $399.00

46mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10

• Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band (M/L) - $329.00, down from $429.00


• Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Plum Sport Loop - $329.00, down from $429.00

42mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 10

• Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band (S/M) - $399.00, down from $499.00


• Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band (S/M) - $399.00, down from $499.00

46mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 10

• Jet Black Aluminum Case with Ink Sport Loop - $429.00, down from $529.00


• Silver Aluminum Case with Blue Cloud Sport Loop - $429.00, down from $529.00


• Silver Aluminum Case with Denim Sport Band (M/L) - $429.00, down from $529.00

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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This article, "Amazon Takes $100 Off Huge Collection of Apple Watch Series 10 Models" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system.

In a report this week, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform will blend elements of tvOS and watchOS. For example, he expects there to be a hexagonal grid of apps, just like on the Apple Watch.

The platform largely revolves around clock faces and widgets, and it will have multi-user support, Gurman said. Users will primarily interact with it using Siri voice commands, but touch will also be an option, he said. Some of the preinstalled apps from Apple will apparently include Calendar, Camera, Music, Reminders, and Notes.

Here is what he said about multi-user support:

The devices are meant to be easily shared: They include a front-facing camera that can scan users' faces as they walk toward it and then automatically change the layout, features and content to the preferences of that person.

We should learn more about the new operating system over the coming months.
This article, "Apple Working on All-New Operating System" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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For the next month or so, Apple has a special promotion for those heading out for Summer road trips (or anyone else who drives and has an Apple Card) – allowing users to earn a higher 5% cash back rate at Exxon/Mobil gas stations, as well as qualifying ChargePoint EV charging stations.

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Another sizable lineup of week’s end Apple deals are at the ready folks. Last week we featured a series of massive Apple sales at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H, and since that time, just about all of the best deals have carried through to this week/weekend. We have also added a number of new price drops on M4 MacBook Pro and M4 MacBook Air configurations you don’t often see discounted, alongside offers on Apple Watch Series 10 at up to $149 off just after Apple introduced a brand new Blood Oxygen feature to the U.S., ongoing AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 deals, iPhone 16 Pro offers, and more. Everything awaits below. 

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Time Machine still works great. It’s one of those Apple features that quietly does its job, but it also feels like something from another era in terms of technology. It was built for a time when people backed up to a local drive under their desk or a shared volume down the hall at the office. That’s not how modern businesses work anymore. If Apple wanted to support the enterprise, Managed Apple Accounts would come with built-in cloud backup. That doesn’t exist. Apple hasn’t built it. So, companies like Backblaze are stepping in to solve the problem that Apple won’t.

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The Photos app was redesigned in iOS 18, and in iOS 26, Apple has adjusted some of those original design changes and update the navigation. ‌iOS 26‌ also includes new 3D image features and a few other useful updates.

Navigation

In ‌iOS 18‌, Apple introduced a unified ‌Photos‌ app view that did away with tabs. The Tab bar is back in ‌iOS 26‌, with buttons to swap between the newly separated Library and Collections sections in the ‌Photos‌ app.


Apple also added a separate Search button that's at the bottom of the ‌Photos‌ app, relocating it from the top.

The Library view offers an overview of all the images and screenshots that you've taken, much like the iOS 17 ‌Photos‌ app. There is a larger Select button at the top of the ‌Photos‌ interface, along with a clearly visible button for accessing filters and view options for zooming in, zooming out, and excluding things like screenshots and Shared With You images.

Filters were available in ‌iOS 18‌, but the button was hidden unless you started scrolling through the ‌Photos‌ Library, which could be confusing. The new layout makes it easier to find all of the different options in the ‌Photos‌ app.


Scrolling in the Library View continues to bring up the options to swap to Years and Months, with buttons for returning to the tab bar or launching a search.

In the Collections tab, you'll see all of the different viewing options that used to be included in the unified view. Recent Days is at the top of the app, along with dedicated views like People and Pets, Pinned, Memories, Trips, Albums, and Featured ‌Photos‌.

The dedicated view means you can see more of your Collections on one screen. The Media Types and Utilities sections under Collections have larger, more distinct buttons that make it clearer you can swipe or tap to get to more options.

Liquid Glass Design

As with all ‌iOS 26‌ apps, ‌Photos‌ has a Liquid Glass redesign. It's one of the apps where the Liquid Glass look is the most noticeable.


The two-button tab bar uses translucency to show the photos that are behind it, and when it expands into the larger navigation bar that has options for months and years, it remains clear. With the more transparent look, focus is on the photos while buttons fade into the background.

The tab bar, the search button, the select button, and other buttons in the ‌Photos‌ app have the same translucency, and use the more rounded look that Apple adopted this year.

Spatial Scenes

‌iOS 26‌ includes a Spatial Scenes feature that adds extra depth and realism to any image. It separates the subject from the background, introducing slight motion when you move your phone back and forth.


Spatial Scenes works with all photos, even those that have been in your Photo Library for years.

To use Spatial Scenes in the ‌Photos‌ app, tap into an image and tap on the small hexagon icon on the upper right side of the display. Once enabled, if you move your phone, you will see the depth effect.

Spatial Scenes uses generative AI to add depth to flat images, but it does not require Apple Intelligence. The feature is available on the iPhone 12 and newer.

Collections Customization

There's a more noticeable Reorder button in the Collections section, making easier to see that you can rearrange what you see. You can still grab and drag to reorder, but there is no longer an option to exclude certain types of collections.


Collections can be collapsed down until you tap into them, which is a new interface option. When collapsed, you'll only see the name of the collection rather than a thumbnail preview of what it includes.

There's a quick access interface option at the top where you can collapse all collections, show all collections, reorder, or choose a different view.

You can see collections in a view that makes the top collection thumbnails larger than the others, a view with all larger thumbnails, or a view with all smaller thumbnails.

Read More

We have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup that goes into detail on all of the new features that are available in the update.
This article, "iOS 26 Photos App: Everything That's Changed" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Despite a recent 15% bump, following positive Q3 2025 results and a stunt that brought it tariff relief, Apple’s stock is still 5% in the red for the year. But in a recently published investor note, Morgan Stanley says it believes momentum will keep shifting.

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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.

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DigiTimes Asia is out today with a new report saying Apple Watch sales in the first half of 2025 came in about 10% above expectations. Still, the more interesting part of the report touches on what to expect from a very promising 2026 lineup. Here are the details.

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Along with the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple plans to introduce a new version of the Apple Watch SE. The ‌Apple Watch SE‌ hasn't been updated since 2022, so it is overdue for an update.

Size and Design

The ‌Apple Watch SE‌ could get new display sizes, according to display analyst Ross Young. The device will supposedly come in 1.6-inch and 1.8-inch display sizes.

Those sizes aren't too far off of the current ‌Apple Watch SE‌ 2 display sizes, but it's time for a display upgrade. The ‌Apple Watch SE‌ 2 is modeled after the Apple Watch Series 6, and it comes in the older 40mm and 44mm size options.

With the Series 7, Apple updated the Apple Watch sizing to 41mm and 45mm, and with the Series 10, display sizes changed to 42mm and 46mm. It's possible that the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ 3 will get the Apple Watch Series 7 design, which features a thinner design and slimmed down bezels.

Right now, the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ does not have always-on display technology, and it's another feature that Apple could bring to the low-cost watch now that it's been around for some time. There are no rumors about always-on display technology for the SE 3, though.

Updated S11 Chip

The next-generation ‌Apple Watch SE‌ will get the same S11 chip as the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Apple Watch Ultra, according to information that Apple accidentally leaked.

The S11 is essentially the same as the S9 and the S10, but it will be a major improvement over the S8 chip that's in the current ‌Apple Watch SE‌. Performance should be much quicker and the SE 3 should be much more responsive.

With the S11, the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ 3 could get features like on-device Siri processing, support for double tap gestures, and more storage.

Possible Health Features

The ‌Apple Watch SE‌ has historically had fewer health features than Apple's flagship Apple Watch models. It doesn't have the ECG app, and there's no blood oxygen monitoring. If there are new health features in the Series 11 and the Ultra 3, it's unlikely the functionality will make it to the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ 3.

The ‌Apple Watch SE‌ does support core features like heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, and respiratory rate tracking, so Apple could add sleep apnea detection to the SE 3 because it would have all of the hardware to support the feature. Sleep apnea detection is currently limited to the Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2.

Apple could upgrade the optical heart sensor to the third-generation version that was initially introduced in the Apple Watch Series 7, because the current ‌Apple Watch SE‌ is still using the second-generation sensor.

Other possibilities include improved battery life, faster charging, and better water resistance.

Plastic Casing Rumors

Back in mid-2024, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was working on a new ‌Apple Watch SE‌ with a colorful plastic casing. The device would have been reminiscent of the iPhone 5c, an ‌iPhone‌ that used a rigid plastic material instead of aluminum.

As of this year, Gurman says that Apple might have scrapped the plan for a new casing design. The design team supposedly did not like the look of the device, and the materials team was struggling to make it cheaper than the current aluminum casing.

For that reason, the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ 3 may continue to use an aluminum case instead of the more colorful plastic that's been mentioned in rumors.

Price

There haven't been rumors of a price increase for the ‌Apple Watch SE‌, and Apple will likely want to keep the device affordable. The current 40mm version is priced starting at $249, and the 44mm model is priced starting at $279.

Apple has been marketing the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ to parents who get the device for their children, and raising the price could impact Apple's efforts to market the device to kids.

Launch Timing

We're expecting Apple to announce the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ 3 at its September ‌iPhone‌ event. Rumors suggest the event could take place on September 9, and if that's the case, pre-orders for the watch could follow on September 12, and a launch could come on September 19.
This article, "Apple Watch SE 3: What to Expect From Apple's Upcoming Budget Smartwatch" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A new report from Appfigures shows ChatGPT firmly leading the pack in revenue per download among the top AI assistant apps. Here’s the breakdown.

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At least one new Apple Watch model launching next year will feature a "significant redesign," according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes.


In a paywalled report this week, citing supply chain insiders, DigiTimes claimed that a high-end 2026 Apple Watch model will feature "exterior design" changes, including but not limited to "eight sensors arranged in a ring pattern visible through a glass cover on the watch's underside."

Earlier this year, images of an alleged Apple Watch Series 10 prototype surfaced, and the device had a never-before-seen ring with eight white lines in it. It is unclear if that is the same ring that DigiTimes is referring to, but it seems similar, so perhaps it is still coming on the Apple Watch Series 12 and/or Apple Watch Ultra 4 next year.


More sensors would make sense, as the Apple Watch continues to get more health features. For example, Apple has reportedly been testing a feature that could alert you to signs of high blood pressure. This feature was first rumored well before the Apple Watch Series 10 launched, but Apple continues to face development challenges. It is unclear if the feature will be ready in time for the Apple Watch Series 11 next month.

Beyond sensors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman once reported on the possibility of a redesigned Apple Watch with a thinner case and a magnetic band system. While the Series 10 is the thinnest Apple Watch ever, the magnetic band system has still never materialized.

The report also says the Apple Watch Series 11 will support Apple Intelligence, enabling smarter health management capabilities, but we are skeptical about this claim due to Apple Watch performance and RAM limitations. However, watchOS 26 adds some new features "powered by" Apple Intelligence, with reliance on a paired iPhone.

DigiTimes has a notoriously hit-or-miss track record, so this report warrants a healthy dose of skepticism. Moreover, the publication has become more of an aggregator of Apple rumors in recent years, but it still publishes some original reports from time to time. Earlier this week, it published an "exclusive" report corroborating rumors that Apple is planning a new lower-cost MacBook with around a 13-inch display and an A18 Pro chip.

Given that the 2026 Apple Watch lineup is still over a year away, there is plenty of time for more rumors, so we should find out if this report is accurate in due time.
This article, "Apple Watch Reportedly Set to Receive 'Significant Redesign' Next Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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One of my favorite iPhone features is StandBy, which turns your iPhone into a smart display when it’s in landscape orientation and charging. One of the best ways to take full advantage of StandBy is with an upright wireless charger.

Head below for a closer look at some of my favorite MagSafe stands for iPhone, perfect for StandBy.

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Battery life is easily one of the iPhone’s most important features. Whether you’re planning to buy the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, the battery beast iPhone 17 Pro Max, or hold on to your current model, iOS 26 has a new feature coming that can make your iPhone’s battery last longer: Adaptive Power.

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A recent Amazon rollout brought support for adding Amazon return codes to Apple’s Wallet app—and another Amazon-Wallet improvement is coming soon in iOS 26.

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iOS 18.4 finally brought robot vacuum support to HomeKit, opening the door for a new wave of Matter-enabled vacuums that work with your existing smart home environment. I’ve been testing the for the past few months (even before iOS 18.4) to see how well it fits into a smart home, but more importantly, whether it’s worth the money as a way to keep your floors cleaned.

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For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Astropad to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an M3 iPad Air, an Apple Pencil Pro, and a Rock Paper Pencil kit to go along with it. Astropad has a range of useful hardware and software like the Studio, Luna Display, and Rock Paper Pencil, but the company just recently launched a new planning app, the Rock Daily Planner.


The Rock Daily Planner was built for the iPad with full ‌Apple Pencil‌ integration, and it's clear that a lot of thought went into how people use planning apps on their tablets. The app has a clean design that minimizes distractions and puts maximum focus on events and tasks.


There's a side bar with a full calendar, but the most useful view is the daily interface. Each day gets a dedicated page, with an organized hourly timeline and a separate to-do list. A Daily Plan summarizes everything that you have going on.


The default view shows an hourly timeline and to-do list, but there are customization options for adding note-taking pages. You can create a page with dots, lines, a grid, or a to-do list, or opt for a blank page. You can import your calendar, so you can see your hour-by-hour schedule, important notes, and to-do list all in a single view.


The Rock Daily Planner is meant to be used with an ‌Apple Pencil‌, so you can handwrite your calendar events, to-dos, and take notes. Notes can be customized with emoji labels, and can be pinned to the side bar so you can keep what's most needed front and center.


Rock Daily Planner was designed for Astropad's $45 Rock Paper Pencil, and it's free to download and use. Rock Paper Pencil is a screen protector and ‌Apple Pencil‌ tip kit that's designed to provide ‌iPad‌ users with a paper-like writing experience.


There's a microtexture screen protector that goes on the ‌iPad‌, and it has a thin, papery feel. Since it's removable, you can put it on when you need it and then take it off later if you want to play a game. The screen protector is combined with a 1mm stainless steel ‌Apple Pencil‌ tip that feels like writing with a pencil when combined with the screen protector. If you dislike the feel of writing on smooth glass, the Rock Paper Pencil is a useful solution. There are options for most ‌iPad‌ models.

Astropad is providing one lucky MacRumors reader with an 11-inch M3 ‌iPad Air‌, an ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro, and a Rock Paper Pencil kit to use with the Rock Daily Planner. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.The contest will run from today (August 15) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 22. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after August 22 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
This article, "MacRumors Giveaway: Win iPad Air M3 Bundle to Use With Astropad's New Daily Planner App" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A new wave of Apple Watch models is launching soon. Apple Watch Ultra 3 will rightfully get a lot of attention, but there’s a new Apple Watch Series 11 coming too—here are the rumored new features.

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Alleged images of the iPhone 17 Pro Max's internal design have surfaced, offering a potential look inside the device before it is announced by Apple next month.


The images were shared by the account "yeux1122" this week, in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver. The account aggregates Apple rumors and leaks, so it is likely not the original source of the images, and it is unclear if they are legitimate.

In any case, it is unlikely that these images are showing official CAD files from Apple, but they still might provide an accurate look at what is rumored.

The images show that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will apparently feature a metal-covered battery, as previously rumored. There will apparently be two versions of the battery, with the L-shaped one in the image below to be used in iPhone 17 Pro models that still have a physical SIM card tray. The battery is expected to be more rectangular in iPhone 17 Pro models that lack a physical SIM card tray, such as those sold in the United States.


The metal cover would help to dissipate heat generated by the battery. Apple already uses a metal-covered battery in the iPhone 16 Pro, but the standard iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 16 Pro Max batteries still have black foil covers.

The batteries in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus use a type of adhesive that can be loosened with low-voltage electrical current, from a 9V battery or another power source. Another leaker known as "Majin Bu" expects the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max batteries will also be removable in the same manner.

The images also show the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a much larger camera bump compared to previous models, as widely rumored by this point.

You can also see the position of the MagSafe system, and the charging port.

Overall, the image does not reveal anything that has not already been rumored by this point, but it does help to reinforce expectations.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 series in less than a month from now.
This article, "iPhone 17 Pro Max's Internal Design With Metal Battery Allegedly Leaks" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break deals is headlined by our giant lineup of weekend Apple deals. We are once again heading into the weekend with all-time low pricing on the M3 iPad Air lineup alongside deals on M4 MacBook Air, iPad mini 7, AirPods 4, and a whole lot more all rounded up for you right here. On top of that we have also spotted a rare discount on the most affordable 24GB M4 MacBook Pro you can buy at $300 off alongside even deeper deals on M4 Max Mac Studio models at $300 off. Everything is waiting below. 

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This week saw discounts remain consistent for multiple Apple products, including record low prices on the M4 MacBook Air, M4 MacBook Pro, and M3 iPad Air. We're also tracking solid deals on AirPods and the iPad mini 7 right now.

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

iPad Air

• What's the deal? Get $150 off M3 iPad Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon and Best Buy


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

This week we continued tracking new record low prices across the entire M3 iPad Air lineup, with discounts available at both Amazon and Best Buy. These massive $150 discounts beat the previous all-time lows tracked during Prime Day by about $30.

iPad Mini

• What's the deal? Get $100 off iPad mini 7


• Where can I get it? Amazon and Best Buy

Amazon and Best Buy are both offering $100 off the iPad mini 7 this week, which is a solid second-best price on the tablet.

AirPods

• What's the deal? Get up to $80 off AirPods


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has solid second-best prices on the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, and both deals are still available right now.

M4 MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Get $200 off M4 MacBook Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week introduced a new record low price across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, and you can still get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for just $799.00, plus many other deals.

M4 MacBook Pro

• What's the deal? Get up to $436 off M4 MacBook Pro


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Continuing this week's theme of steep MacBook-related discounts, Amazon also has great deals on the M4 MacBook Pro right now. You'll find up to $436 off these computers, starting at $1,299.00 for the entry-level 14-inch 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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This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Shop All-Time Lows on iPad Air, MacBook Air, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through Apple's plan to focus on the smart home with a host of new devices and improvements to Siri.


An upgrade to ChatGPT-5 integration is planned for Siri with iOS 26, aiming to improve reasoning capabilities. The next-generation version of ‌Siri‌ is now being tested with third-party apps including Uber, AllTrails, Threads, Temu, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp. A more advanced large language model-based ‌Siri‌, which will be more powerful than the "personalized" ‌Siri‌, could launch as early as next spring. A visually redesigned ‌Siri‌ interface for iPhones and iPads is also under consideration for release in 2026.

The company is said to be recruiting engineers for its "Answers, Knowledge, and Information" team tasked with enhancing ‌Siri‌, Spotlight, Safari, and other services. This team is in the early stages of creating a "new ChatGPT-like search experience" and is even exploring the possibility of a standalone "answer engine" app.

The next-generation HomePod mini is expected to launch this year and will shift further toward the smart home. It will incorporate Apple's "S11" chip, a new Apple-designed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip with Wi-Fi 6E support, and potentially a second-generation ultra-wideband chip for enhanced spatial awareness. The refresh may also bring improved sound quality alongside new color options. Likewise, a new Apple TV is expected to launch this year with the A17 Pro chip and the new Apple-designed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip.

Meanwhile, Apple's first smart home hub is now expected in 2026 and will feature a 7-inch display paired with an integrated speaker, taking visual cues from Google's Nest Hub with a square display, thin black or white bezels, rounded corners, and a half-dome-shaped base. Designed for shared household use, its interface will emphasize clock faces and widgets for core Apple apps, including Calendar, Camera, Music, Reminders, and Notes. ‌Siri‌ could feature a new visual interface, personified and inspired by the Mac Finder icon. The device will include a front-facing camera to deliver personalized content and features for each user, but it will not run third-party apps or have an app store. It is rumored to heavily rely on the next-generation version of ‌Siri‌.

Apple is also believed to be working on a Ring-style home security camera with facial recognition and motion detection to trigger home automations. Battery life is apparently being designed to last several months to a year. A facial recognition doorbell is also in development. The camera could debut alongside the 2026 smart home hub.

Lastly, a so-called Apple "robot companion" is in the prototyping stage, targeted for a 2027 launch. It will feature a 7-inch iPad-like display mounted on a movable arm that can rotate and extend about six inches in any direction—nicknamed internally as the "Pixar lamp." Apple envisions it as an AI-driven household companion, powered by an advanced ‌Siri‌ capable of remembering information, engaging in more natural conversations, and presenting a "visual personality." The device could proactively interrupt with suggestions and be similar to OpenAI's voice mode. It will include Center Stage as well as joystick-controlled camera movement to show different parts of a room during calls.

The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.



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