Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting.


The second-generation ‌HomePod mini‌ is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current ‌HomePod mini‌ is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely to opt for the S9 chip, which was a considerable leap forward in terms of performance, or one of its derivatives such as the S10, which is a more compact iteration of the S9.

The S5 chip in the ‌HomePod mini‌ is derived from Apple's A12 Bionic architecture but runs at lower clock speeds and is tuned for always-on, low-power operation, making it well-suited for tasks like Siri processing and real-time audio tuning. In contrast, the S9 and S10 chips are based on the A13 chip, offering higher CPU and GPU performance, a more advanced Neural Engine, and greater efficiency per watt.

The new ‌HomePod mini‌ will be equipped with the N1 Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, which is much faster and has lower latency compared to the current ‌HomePod mini‌'s Wi-Fi 4 connectivity. Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference with a compatible router.

Apple could also bring its second-generation Ultra Wideband chip to the ‌HomePod mini‌ for a more reliable and lower-latency Handoff experience. The chip debuted in 2023's iPhone 15 lineup. If present, the chip should allow far more precise spatial awareness than the current model, allowing it to detect the exact position and orientation of nearby devices within a few centimeters.

New color options are also highly likely, but specific finishes are not yet known other than red, which was reportedly in testing. The current ‌HomePod mini‌ comes in Blue, Yellow, Midnight, Orange, and White.

Gurman says that, just like the next-generation Apple TV, the new ‌HomePod mini‌ "will be built with Apple's new smart home ecosystem in mind." It is unclear if the next ‌HomePod mini‌ will have ‌Siri‌ improvements. Unlike Apple's long-rumored smart home hub product, the new ‌HomePod mini‌ is not expected to get Apple Intelligence support.

Recently, Apple retailer B&H started listing all ‌HomePod mini‌ models as discontinued. Some other retailers are also listing the ‌HomePod mini‌ as out of stock or on backorder, which suggests that a refresh is set to take place soon. Gurman believes that a new ‌HomePod mini‌ "shouldn't be far off" amid tightening inventory and planned Apple Store refreshes.
This article, "New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple recently updated the iPad Pro, widening the gap with the iPad Air, but how different are the two product lines and which should you buy?


Earlier this year, Apple refreshed the ‌iPad Air‌ with the M3 chip—a minor update over the previous model from 2024 which added the M2 chip and Apple Pencil hover. The latest ‌iPad Pro‌ models introduced the M5 chip alongside a small number of changes after last year's major redesign, which saw the debut of a thinner design with OLED displays.

Should you consider purchasing the ‌iPad Air‌ to save money, or do you need the high-end features of the ‌iPad Pro‌? Our guide answers the question of how to decide which of these two iPads is best for you.

‌iPad Air‌ (M3, 2025)	‌iPad Pro‌ (M5, 2025)
Liquid Retina display (LED backlit display with IPS technology)	Ultra Retina XDR display (Tandem OLED)
	ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz
11-inch model SDR brightness: 500 nits max 13-inch model SDR brightness: 600 nits max	SDR brightness: 1,000 nits max XDR brightness: 1,000 nits max full screen, 1,600 nits peak (HDR content only)
	Nano-texture display glass option on 1TB and 2TB models
Drive external displays at 60Hz	Drive external displays at up to 120Hz
	Adaptive Sync support
‌M3‌ chip	M5 chip
Made using TSMC's first-generation 3nm technology (N3)	Made using TSMC's third-generation ‌3nm‌ process (N3P)
Based on A17 Pro chip from iPhone 15 Pro (2023)	Based on A19 Pro chip from iPhone 17 Pro (2025)
8-core CPU (4 performance + 4 efficiency cores)	Up to 10 CPU cores (4 performance + 6 efficiency cores)
9-core GPU	10-core GPU
	Integrated Neural Accelerator in every GPU core
Metal 4 developer APIs	Metal 4 developer APIs with Tensor APIs to program GPU Neural Accelerators
LPDDR5 memory	LPDDR5X memory
8GB of memory	256GB and 512GB models: 12GB memory 1TB and 2TB models: 16GB memory
100 GB/s memory bandwidth	153 GB/s unified memory bandwidth
	Dedicated display engine
First-generation ray tracing engine	Third-generation ray tracing engine
First-generation dynamic caching	Second-generation dynamic caching
Shader cores	Enhanced shader cores
GPU with standard power efficiency	More power-efficient GPU: Maintains performance with significantly less power
	Improved thermal design with graphite sheets and copper
Broadcom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip	N1 chip
Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 6
Wi-Fi 6E connectivity	Wi-Fi 7 connectivity
Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G modem (cellular models only)	C1X chip (cellular models only)
Touch ID in top button	TrueDepth camera system for Face ID
	Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
	Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono)
	Animoji and Memoji
	LiDAR scanner
	Adaptive True Tone flash
	Rear ambient light sensor
	ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 256GB capacity)
	ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording
Two microphones	Four studio-quality microphones
	Audio zoom
	Stereo recording
Landscape stereo speakers	Four speaker audio
Weight: 462 grams or 617 grams	Weight 444 grams or 579 grams
Depth: 6.1 mm	Depth: 5.3 mm or 5.1 mm
	Fast-charge capable (Up to 50% charge using a 60W adapter or higher in 30 minutes with the 11-inch model or 35 minutes with the 13-inch model)
USB‑C connector	USB‑C connector with support for Thunderbolt/USB 4
Supports Magic Keyboard for ‌iPad Air‌	Supports Magic Keyboard for ‌iPad Pro‌
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage	256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage
	Up to 2× faster SSD read and write speeds
Available in Space Gray, Starlight, Purple, and Blue	Available in Space Black and Silver
Price starting at $599	Price starting at $999

Overall, the ‌iPad Air‌ is the better option for the majority of users, simply on the basis of value for money. For most people, the additional $400+ needed to buy the ‌iPad Pro‌ is not justified to get the likes of ‌Face ID‌, a thinner design, four-speaker audio, and a ProMotion OLED display with refresh rates up to 120Hz.

Some ‌iPad Pro‌ features, such as LiDAR, up to 16GB of memory, and Thunderbolt connectivity are only practically useful to a small niche of users and most will never use some of these high-end capabilities. Many features, such as Adaptive Sync and Audio zoom, will not be meaningfully utilized by many users.

Professionals who have a clear use case for needing larger amounts of RAM and storage, a matte display, Thunderbolt connectivity, and OLED for HDR content will clearly benefit from buying the ‌iPad Pro‌. That being said, "prosumer"-style customers who simply want the best iPad will enjoy features such as 120Hz ProMotion for smoother scrolling and gaming, a thinner design, deeper blacks and more vivid colors with the OLED display, and the Adaptive True Tone flash for document scanning, even if they are not necessary.

Beyond these individual circumstances, the ‌iPad Air‌ is the best value for money and will be more than ample for most users' needs. With the ‌iPad Air‌, users can get a modern all-screen design, the M3 chip, practical features like USB-C and 5G connectivity, and compatibility with the core Apple accessories for a price well below that of the ‌iPad Pro‌.

A new ‌iPad Air‌ with the M4 chip is in development and will likely launch in the first half of 2026, which may be worth bearing in mind if you aren't in a hurry to make a purchase. The new chip is expected to be the main upgrade, with few other new features or enhancements expected.
This article, "M3 iPad Air vs. M5 iPad Pro Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is still planning to introduce a new AI-powered "Health+" service in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Gurman revisited the rumor about a revamped Health app in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. Apple is apparently planning to overhaul the Health app next year with a new Health+ service, featuring an AI assistant. Gurman said that it "could make Apple one of the first major tech companies to gain steam in the health AI chatbot space."

Earlier this year, Gurman said the AI-powered health coaching feature will offer personalized health recommendations accompanied by videos from health experts that inform users about various health conditions and ways to make lifestyle improvements. Nutrition tracking is also expected to be another big part of the revamped Health app.

Gurman also mentioned Apple's plans to introduce a revamped version of Siri with iOS 26.4, an AI-powered web search tool, and a redesigned version of ‌Siri‌ in iOS 27.


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Apple is working on a series of new satellite connectivity features for the iPhone, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.


In this week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman revealed that the new features in development include:

• Apple Maps via satellite: Navigation in Apple Maps without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.


• Photos in Messages via satellite: Support for sending photos in the Messages app using satellite connectivity.


• Natural Usage: Satellite connectivity from indoors environments, without the need to physically point the device toward clear sky.


• Satellite over 5G: Support for 5G NTN, allowing cell towers to use satellites for increased coverage.


• Satellite API framework for third-party apps: An API that will allow developers to voluntarily integrate satellite connectivity into their apps. Not all features and services will be compatible.

There apparently no plans to enable phone calls, video calls, or web browsing via satellite at present.

Today, Apple's satellite connectivity features are available for free. For more advanced capabilities in the future, Apple reportedly plans to let customers pay satellite carriers for features directly.

Apple could also create a paid option for extended connectivity with a company like SpaceX. Gurman added that there have been discussions in the company about offering its own satellite service, but concerns that Apple shouldn't act like a carrier have stifled that possibility.

Many of the new satellite features in development will apparently require upgrades to Globalstar's infrastructure, which Apple helped to finance. Gurman said that if SpaceX acquires Globalstar, the necessary enhancements could roll out faster.


This article, "Apple Developing These 5 New Satellite Features for iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue.

Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that makes it difficult for Apple to shut it down "without a backlash." The service is sufficiently inexpensive to operate that negative headlines would not be worth the saving.

Nevertheless, Gurman says the "future of Fitness+ is under review." He revealed that the service is to receive new management, with Apple health vice president Sumbul Desai taking control of the service. The health division, now including Apple Fitness+, will report directly to services chief Eddy Cue. The reorganization is likely to lead to added pressure to improve results.

Apple Fitness+ launched in 2020 as an ad-free video on demand guided workout streaming service. It costs $9.99 per month and is available as part of the Apple One Premier bundle.


This article, "Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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