A screen protector that is allegedly designed for Apple's rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air model has revealed a potential design difference.


Based on an image shared today by a leaker known as Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Air's front camera may be positioned to the left of the Dynamic Island, rather than to the right of it like on iPhone models released over the past few years.

It is unclear why Apple may be planning this change specifically for the iPhone 17 Air, but perhaps the device's ultra-thin design has forced it to rearrange some internal components related to the front camera and Face ID. The device is expected to be the thinnest iPhone ever released, measuring just 5.5mm at its thinnest point.


All four iPhone 17 models released this year are rumored to feature a 24-megapixel front camera, up from a 12-megapixel front camera on all iPhone 16 models. This change alone likely does not explain the iPhone 17 Air's potential repositioned front camera, given that the screen protectors shown for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max still have a front camera hole on the right side of the Dynamic Island.

Apple will likely announce the iPhone 17 Air in September, and it may offer an explanation for the repositioned front camera at that time, if this rumor is true.
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To celebrate the 20th anniversary of iTunes gaining support for podcasts, Apple has shared a new web page highlighting 20 podcasts that the company loves.


The podcasts are categorized by year: 2005-2010, 2011-2015, 2016-2020, and 2021-2025.

Featured podcasts include This American Life, Acquired, The Daily, and others.

Apple shared a letter to honor the occasion:

At Apple Podcasts, we love podcasts.

Since the medium came to iTunes in 2005, our team has dedicated countless hours to helping people discover new shows. To celebrate 20 years, here are 20 favorites that best exemplify how far podcasting has come—and where it can go in the next two decades.

This list is a love letter to the podcasts that left a lasting impact on us and the ones we continue to recommend again and again. They are shows with hosts that feel like friends, and shows that make us press play immediately on the latest episode to hear what happens next. These shows have measurably improved our lives and helped define this medium we know and love.

Explore the list and join the celebration.

The anniversary is technically in a few more days, as Apple released iTunes 4.9 with support for discovering, listening to, and subscribing to podcasts on June 28, 2005.

"Apple is taking Podcasting mainstream by building it right into iTunes," said Steve Jobs, in a press release shared that day. "Podcasting is the next generation of radio, and users can now subscribe to over 3,000 free Podcasts and have each new episode automatically delivered over the Internet to their computer and iPod."

You can still read our own Arnold Kim's coverage of the iTunes update that day. Time flies!

Podcasts emerged a few years before iTunes support came along. The word "podcast" is credited to journalist Ben Hammersley, who referred to "podcasting" in a 2004 article in The Guardian. The word is a portmanteau of "iPod" and "broadcast."
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Samsung this week opened up pre-orders for its newest collection of monitors, including the new 32-inch Smart Monitor M9 (M90SF), and the updated 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 (M80F) and 32-inch/43-inch Smart Monitor M7 (M70F). When you pre-order these monitors at Samsung or Amazon, you'll receive up to $300 in credit from each retailer.

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.

Specifically, pre-ordering the 32-inch Smart Monitor M9 at $1,599.99 grants you a $300 Amazon gift card. If you pre-order the 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 at $699.99 or the 32-inch Smart Monitor M7 at $399.99, you'll receive a $100 Amazon gift card. All of these credit deals are being matched at Samsung, and you'll find a better deal on the M8 model at Samsung versus Amazon.



All three monitors have received advanced AI features, while the flagship M9 model features a 32-inch 4K QD-OLED panel to deliver deep contrast and vibrant color. It also includes a glare-free display to minimize reflections and Samsung Vision AI, which Samsung says will enhance picture and sound quality in real time based on content and surroundings.

• 32-inch Samsung Smart Monitor M9 - $1,599.99 ($300 Amazon gift card/$300 Samsung gift card)


• 32-inch Samsung Smart Monitor M8 - $699.99 ($100 Amazon gift card/$150 Samsung gift card)


• 32-inch Samsung Smart Monitor M7 - $399.99 ($100 Amazon gift card/$100 Samsung gift card)

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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The upcoming macOS Tahoe update adds three pre-installed Apple apps to all compatible Macs: Phone, Journal, and Games.


Phone and Journal come from the iPhone, while Games is entirely new. Below, we provide an overview of each of these apps.

macOS Tahoe is currently available as a developer beta, and the update will likely be released to the general public in September.

Phone

Macs could already answer iPhone calls thanks to Apple's cross-platform Continuity features, but macOS Tahoe goes a step further.

Apple has expanded the Phone app to the Mac, complete with all of the new features coming to the app with iOS 26, such as Hold Assist, Call Screening, Live Translation, and more. The app syncs with your iPhone, allowing you to view recent phone calls and expanded contact cards, listen to voicemail messages, and more directly on your Mac.

Here is how Apple describes the Phone app on Mac:

The Phone app on Mac has the familiar features of the Phone app on iPhone — including Recents, Favorites, and Voicemails — and the latest updates like Call Screening and Hold Assist. Call Screening automatically answers calls from unknown numbers and asks the caller for information so a user can decide whether or not to answer. And when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist allows them to keep their spot in line while they wait for a live agent, so users can continue working on their Mac.

Journal

Apple introduced a Journal app on the iPhone with iOS 17, and it is now available on the Mac too. You can use this app to type out your daily thoughts, and you can include drawings, handwriting, photos, videos, audio recordings, and more.

On the Mac, users can take advantage of the Journal app's new features, including the options to create multiple journals and view the locations of journal entries on a map.

Games

The all-new Games app on the Mac, iPad, and iPhone is an all-in-one hub for your App Store and Apple Arcade games, and in-game events. There are also new single-player game challenges available for competing with friends and family.
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Woot this week is back with a massive sale on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop bands for Apple Watch, and some of the deals are even better than they were in past sales.

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

You can get the Solo Loop for just $14.99 ($34 off) and the Braided Solo Loop for $29.99 ($69 off). In regards to the Solo Loop, this price beats the previous discount at Woot by $5. All bands in this sale are in brand new condition and come with a one-year Apple limited warranty.



Shoppers should note that this sale is focused on colors of the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop that Apple has stopped selling, and it doesn't include any of the new band colors. That being said, all of the bands in this sale are in new condition.

The entire sale is focused on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop Apple Watch bands, so you'll need to know the size that works best for you before you buy. Apple has a measurement tool on its website that you can use to determine your exact size.

Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00


• Blue Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00


• Green Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00


• Purple Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00


• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00

Braided Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Blue Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Green Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Purple Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00


• Pride - $29.99, down from $99.00

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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Apple today announced that its store at Roosevelt Field in Garden City, New York will be reopening "soon," following extensive renovations.


The store has been closed since November, with Apple operating out of a temporary location on the west side of the shopping mall until the renovations are completed. Apple has yet to share an exact date for the grand re-opening.

Roosevelt Field is the largest mall on Long Island. Apple first opened its store there in 2002, months after the original iPod launched. When the store reopens, it will feature a modern design with more wood, as Apple has moved away from stainless steel walls. Many of its newer stores also offer an Apple Pickup station for online orders.

Elsewhere in the U.S., Apple is working on a few other store projects. Apple The Galleria in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Apple Baybrook, outside of Houston, Texas, remain under renovation, and we are still waiting on a grand opening date for the all-new Apple Downtown Detroit store that the company teased back in February.
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Amid its push to promote "F1: The Movie," Apple is considering starting its own theatrical distribution unit, the Wall Street Journal reports.


Apple announced its foray into original video content in 2019 with the launch of Apple TV+, positioning the service as a curated platform for high-quality, original programming. Since then, the company has invested billions of dollars in films and series, drawing in top-tier talent including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, and Cate Blanchett. However, the service has yet to produce a breakout theatrical success or significantly impact the broader streaming landscape in terms of subscriber volume.

Apple reportedly agreed to spend nearly $250 million on F1: The Movie, making it the company's most expensive film project to date. Brad Pitt, who plays the lead role as an aging Formula 1 driver returning to the sport, was apparently paid more than the $20 million baseline typically reserved for A-list actors and will receive a portion of the film's backend profits if the movie performs strongly.

The WSJ describes the success of the movie as a "a referendum on Apple's ability to meld carefully curated content with broad popular appeal after six years in which it hasn't released a single box-office hit." However, according to pre-release surveys, F1 has struggled to generate interest among audiences beyond older men.

Apple is not handling theatrical distribution of F1 directly. Instead, Warner Bros. Pictures is managing the film's global release under a revenue-sharing agreement. A person familiar with the deal said Warner's share of box-office revenue increases in proportion to total ticket sales. Apple has reportedly considered establishing its own theatrical distribution arm, but, for now, the company continues to rely on external partners for wide theatrical releases, which limits its ability to control exhibition timelines, advertising spends, and theater allocation.

F1: The Movie releases in U.S. theaters tomorrow, 27 June. It is expected to stream exclusively on ‌Apple TV‌+ after its theatrical run.
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Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.


Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year.

Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:

• Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a stainless steel frame. The back of the devices will supposedly have a new "part-aluminum, part-glass" design.


• Rectangular camera bump: iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to have a large rectangular camera bump with rounded corners. Apple apparently plans to stick with a triangular arrangement for the rear camera lenses.


• Sky Blue finish: Like the latest MacBook Air, the iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to be available in a Sky Blue color.


• Larger battery: The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to have a slightly thicker design that allows for a larger battery.


• A19 Pro chip: iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to use Apple's next-generation A19 Pro chip, which will reportedly be manufactured with TSMC's newer third-generation 3nm process. Like usual, expect modest year-over-year performance gains and power efficiency improvements compared to the current iPhones.


• Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip: All four iPhone 17 models are rumored to get a Wi-Fi 7 chip designed by Apple rather than Broadcom.


• 24-megapixel front camera: All four iPhone 17 models are said to feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, whereas all iPhone 16 models are equipped with a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.


• 48-megapixel rear Telephoto camera: An upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto camera is rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, up from the 12-megapixel Telephoto camera on iPhone 16 Pro models.


• Dual video recording: According to Jon Prosser, of the YouTube channel Front Page Tech, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will allow users to record video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously in the Camera app.


• 8K video recording: Apple allegedly tested 8K video recording on the iPhone 16 Pro models, but such functionality is still not available. With the iPhone 17 Pro models expected to have entirely 48-megapixel rear cameras, perhaps 8K video recording will debut on those devices.


• 12GB of RAM: iPhone 17 Pro models, and even the iPhone 17 Air, are rumored to have 12GB of RAM. This upgrade should help to improve the performance of Apple Intelligence and multitasking. All four iPhone 16 models have 8GB of RAM.


• Improved cooling: All four iPhone 17 models are rumored to feature internal design changes that result in better heat dissipation. A vapor chamber cooling system has been rumored for the Pro models specifically.

Update

A leaker known as Majin Bu this week shared a photo of an alleged copper thermal plate for the iPhone 17 Pro's rumored vapor chamber cooling system.


Many high-end Android smartphones are equipped with a vapor chamber, which is a thin, sealed metal chamber containing a small amount of liquid. When a smartphone heats up, the liquid turns to vapor and dissipates across the chamber's surface area. Eventually, the vapor cools down and condenses, allowing for the process to repeat. In the iPhone 17 Pro models, this system would help to move heat away from the A19 Pro chip.

Check out our iPhone 17 Pro roundup to learn more.
This article, "iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Earlier this week, reputable display analyst Ross Young of Counterpoint Research reignited discussion around recent reports about the display changes we should expect for next year's iPhone 18 Pro, and perhaps more notably, broader changes coming to the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027 – as well as what lies ahead for Apple's flagship device for the rest of the decade.


Contradicting a report by The Information, which suggests next year's iPhone 18 Pro models will come with a small hole cutout in the top-left corner to accommodate the front-facing camera, Young claims the premium devices will instead have a narrower Dynamic Island, owing to Apple moving some Face ID components under the display.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has also said that Apple will shrink the size of the Dynamic Island on at least some iPhone models launching next year, meaning there are now multiple sources who believe that iPhone 18 models will still have a smaller Dynamic Island rather than only a front camera hole.

As for the 2027 iPhone, Young believes that Apple's 20th anniversary device will continue to feature the smaller Dynamic Island. This contradicts recent claims by Gurman that the device will feature a truly uninterrupted display with no cutouts.

Adding intrigue to how things will unfold in the coming years, Young predicts that in 2028 Apple will put all Face ID components under the panel, leaving only the selfie camera as a hole punch-style cutout in the top-left corner of the display – reminiscent of the design The Information report said would arrive in next year's Pro models.

As for the mythical all-screen design, Young doesn't expect Apple to achieve such a feat until 2030 – a full three years later.


Young has since said he is "pretty confident" in his predicted display roadmap for the iPhone through 2030, and developer Filip Vabroušek has again stepped in to help us visualize the device's evolution over the next five years. Young has also given the image his thumbs-up.

Notably, Vabroušek's image merges two rumors by incorporating Gurman's separate claim that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will introduce curved glass edges and extraordinarily slim bezels. Young's sign-off on the image does not indicate that he agrees with Gurman's claim – only that he has no information about it one way or the other.

What are your thoughts on the alleged evolution of the iPhone through 2030? Confused? Disillusioned? Apathetic? As always, let us know in the comments.
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WhatsApp is making it easier to catch up on conversations you've missed with a new AI-powered feature that summarizes unread messages. The Meta-owned messaging app now lets users tap on unread message counts to "Summarize privately" and get quick, bulleted summaries generated by Meta AI instead of scrolling through every individual message.


The feature uses Meta's "Private Processing" technology, which the company claims keeps your messages and summaries completely private – even Meta and WhatsApp staff can't see them. Other chat participants won't know you've used the summary feature either.

Message Summaries is rolling out in English to US users first, with other countries and languages coming later this year. The feature is optional and turned off by default, giving users control over which chats can use AI features through Advanced Chat Privacy settings.

Apple Intelligence offers similar message notification summaries on Apple devices. However, Apple's feature has run into some embarrassing hiccups, particularly with news notifications where AI summaries have created misleading headlines. Apple subsequently chose to disable AI summaries for news apps, and has added warnings that the feature is still in beta.

For now, WhatsApp's approach is focused on private conversations only. Whether it can avoid some of the pitfalls Apple's AI has encountered remains to be seen.
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A new rumor today surfaced about Apple's book-style foldable iPhone, set to be released next year, and this time it's about the cameras.


In a previous report, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects the foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold" for short) to include a dual-lens rear camera, but Kuo provided no other specifics. Now, prolific Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station claims that those dual lenses will be 48 megapixels each.

This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. The current iPhone 16 Pro models feature a 48-megapixel Main camera and a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, and it would make sense for Apple to ensure the premium foldable's rear lenses are at least equivalent to its Pro models to justify that rumored ~$2,000 price tag.

Digital Chat Station did not provide additional lens specifications, but if Apple wants to maintain some feature parity with its high-end iPhone models, the foldable will have a 24mm main camera with a ƒ/1.78 aperture and second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization.

The foldable's main camera will also likely be capable of iPhone 16 "Fusion" – so-called because the system combines the high-resolution sensor with smart in-sensor cropping to deliver multiple high-quality focal lengths – like 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm – from a single main camera. Don't expect a telephoto lens though, likely due to space constraints.

According to Kuo, the foldable will also have a front-facing camera for both folded and unfolded states. Other sources have claimed that the inner display features an under-screen selfie camera, while the outer display – in the device's folded state – will have a hole punch-style front-facing camera.

Aside from cameras, here are some other foldable iPhone features we've heard from sources plugged into Apple's supply chain:

• 5.5-inch outer display with 2,088 x 1,422 resolution.


• 7.8-inch inner display with 2,713 x 1,920 resolution.


• Touch ID integrated into the Side button (i.e. no Face ID).


• Liquid metal "crease-free" hinge mechanism.


• Same high density battery cells as iPhone 17 Air.


• Titanium chassis.

Another point of note regarding today's rumor: Digital Chat Station claims that the latest inner display Apple is testing is approximately 7.6 inches rather than 7.8 inches, albeit with the same resolution.

That seems unlikely. Analyst Jeff Pu said in March that the device had entered the New Product Introduction (NPI) phase at Foxconn, and adjusting the display size during or after the NPI phase is virtually unheard of – especially for a company like Apple working with Foxconn. Kuo, who previously corroborated the 7.8-inch display dimension, also said the device is expected to enter production in September-October this year, which is awfully close to start introducing changes.

An exact launch date is currently unknown, but both Kuo and Pu say mass production is planned for the second half of 2026. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has also said he expects the device to be launched next year.
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With the new Liquid Glass design taking the spotlight, Apple didn't spend a ton of time discussing Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2025, nor was there a mention of the missing Siri features. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ wasn't a focus, but Apple is continuing to build out ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in iOS 26. There are new features, and updates to some existing features.


We've outlined what's new with ‌Apple Intelligence‌ below.

Live Translation

Live Translation works in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. It auto translates both spoken and text conversations if the people conversing do not speak the same language.


In a Messages conversation with someone, tap on the person's name and then toggle on the Automatically Translate option. From there, you can select a language that you want to translate your conversations to. Language packs vary in size, but they are around 900MB.


Language options include English (US), English (UK), Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain). You can set both the translate to and the translate from languages.

The messages that you send to someone will show up in both your language and the translated language on your iPhone, while the person on the other end sees the message only in their language. Messages they respond with will show both their language and the translated language.


Live Translation works similarly in the Phone and ‌FaceTime‌ apps, and it needs to be turned on for each conversation and language assets need to be downloaded. In the Phone app, Live Translation uses actual voice translation with an AI voice to translate spoken content quickly and efficiently, but you can also see a transcript of the conversation.


In ‌FaceTime‌, you'll see translated captions for speech, so you'll hear what the person is saying in their own language while also being able to read live captions with a translation.


To use these features, both participants should have Live Translation, so an Apple Intelligence-enabled ‌iPhone‌, iPad, or Mac that is running the 26 series software. In Messages, though, if you have Live Translation turned on and you're chatting with someone who has an older device, they can type in their language and you will see the translation. Your responses to them aren't translated to their language.

Onscreen Visual Intelligence

In ‌iOS 26‌, you can use Visual Intelligence with content that's on your ‌iPhone‌, asking questions about what you're seeing, looking up products, and more.


‌Visual Intelligence‌ works with screenshots, so if you take a screenshot on your ‌iPhone‌ and tap into it, you'll see new Ask and Image Search buttons. With Ask, you can ask ChatGPT a question about what's in the screenshot. The image is sent to ChatGPT, and ChatGPT is able to provide a response.


Search has two features. You can send a whole screenshot to Google or another app, or you can use a Highlight to Search feature to select something specific in the screenshot. Just use a finger to draw over what you want to look up, and then swipe up to conduct a search.


You can search Google Images, Etsy, and other apps that implement support for the feature.

If there's an event in your screenshot, ‌Visual Intelligence‌ will pop up an "Add to Calendar" option and it can be added directly to the Calendar app. It will also automatically suggest identifications for animals, plants, sculptures, landmarks, art, and books.

Wallet Order Tracking

Apple Wallet can scan your emails to identify order and tracking information, adding it to the Orders section of the Wallet app. The feature works for all of your purchases, even those not made using Apple Pay.


Automatic order detection can be enabled in the Wallet app settings under Order Tracking. Once turned on, you can see your orders by opening up Wallet, tapping on the "..." button, and choosing the Orders section.

Tapping into an order will provide you with the merchant name, order number, and tracking number, if available. You can also see the relevant email that the order information came from, and tap it to go straight to the message in the Mail app.

Image Playground

Apple quietly upgraded Image Playground, and the images that it generates using the built-in Animation, Sketch, and Illustration styles have improved. Faces and eyes look more natural, hair is more realistic, and it's overall better at generating a cartoonish image that looks similar to a person.


The change is most notable with people, but objects, food, and landscapes have improved too. We have a full ‌Image Playground‌ guide with more info.

• iOS 26 Brings Major Improvements to Image Playground

ChatGPT Integration

Apple added ChatGPT to ‌Image Playground‌, so you can use ChatGPT's image generation tools instead of the built-in options. You'll need a paid ChatGPT account for this, because it does take tokens to create images.


‌Image Playground‌ includes suggested design styles like anime, oil painting, vector, print, and water color, but there's also an open-ended "Any Style" option. With Any Style, ChatGPT can essentially do anything in any style, including generating realistic images.

As with standard ‌‌Image Playground‌‌ image generation, you can make a text-based request or upload an image to ChatGPT and ask it to use that as the basis for an image. Images that you upload and text requests can be combined.

Genmoji

Genmoji has been updated to support mixing two or more emoji together to create a new emoji character, plus it is integrated into ‌Image Playground‌.


Emoji can be combined together and altered further with text-based descriptions, which provides a better starting base for coming up with something new.

When ‌Genmoji‌ are added to ‌Image Playground‌ creations that include photos of friends or family, the ‌Genmoji‌ is used to dictate expression and emotion, like happy, sad, laugh, mad, shocked, thinking, thumbs up, and thumbs down.

Reminders

Relevant actions in an email, website, note, or other content can be identified and categorized in the Reminders app. There is a ‌Siri‌ Suggestions section in the Reminders app. You can tap the "+" button next to a suggestion to add it to the Reminders app, or swipe to delete it.


You will also see Reminder suggestions in apps like Mail, where you can tap to add a reminder without opening the Reminders app.

Messages Poll Suggestions

The Messages app supports creating polls, which is not an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature. But in group chats, if there is something that's relevant for a poll, the Messages app can suggest that you add one.


There's also an option to set custom backgrounds in the Messages app. ‌Image Playground‌ integration is included, so you can generate Messages backgrounds using Apple's image generation tools.

Developer Framework

There's an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ on-device model that's available for developers to integrate into their apps. Apple is essentially allowing developers to use the foundation model that runs ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to create new intelligent, offline experiences for ‌iPhone‌ users.


On-device models will not have any cloud API costs, making it less expensive for developers to add AI capabilities to their apps.

Shortcuts

Apple added new shortcuts that are powered by ‌Apple Intelligence‌, and there are actions for summarizing text with Writing Tools, creating images with ‌Image Playground‌, generating text, and more.


Shortcuts users can add ‌Apple Intelligence‌ models to their shortcuts, with options for on-device, ChatGPT, or Private Cloud Compute to generate responses that inform other actions in the shortcut.

When creating a Shortcut, there is an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ section that allows users to type directions into an open-ended prompt. Shortcuts can do things like pull in data from the Weather app, Calendar, and Reminders, creating a daily summary. Or there could be a shortcut that reads what you've written, checks for spelling and grammar errors, and then provides a short summary.

Apple Watch Workout Buddy

Workout Buddy is a watchOS 26 feature, but it relies on an Apple Intelligence-capable ‌iPhone‌ that's running ‌iOS 26‌. Workout Buddy provides motivation and insights during your workouts, and it does so by analyzing data from your current workout along with your fitness history.


It looks at heart rate, pace, distance, Activity Rings, personal fitness milestones, and other information. An Apple Intelligence-based text-to-speech model then translates the data into actionable and useful insights. The generative AI voice was trained using voice data from Fitness+ trainers, so Workout Buddy has the ideal energy and tone for a workout. Some Workout Buddy examples:

• "Way to get out for your run this Wednesday morning. You're 18 minutes away from closing your Exercise ring. So far this week, you've run 6 miles. You're going to add to that today."


• "Mile four. You picked up the pace and ran that last one in 8 minutes and 28 seconds."


• "Hey, check this out. Your total running distance for the year just crossed the 200-mile mark! That's a lot of running!"


• "Way to get your workout in! You went 4.3 miles in just over 38 minutes. Your average pace was 8 minutes and 58 seconds, and your average heart rate was 128. That was your longest run of the last 28 days. What will you do next?"

Workout Buddy is available with Outdoor Run, Indoor Run, Outdoor Walk, Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, Functional Strength Training, and Traditional Strength Training. It does not work with other workout types. Along with an ‌iPhone‌ that supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌, it also requires Bluetooth headphones that are connected to the Apple Watch, such as AirPods.

No Siri Features - Yet

After the WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple execs went on an interview spree, and discussed the delayed Apple Intelligence Siri features that were supposed to come in ‌iOS 18‌.


Software chief Craig Federighi and marketing chief Greg Joswiak confirmed that Apple is planning to release the Siri updates in 2026. Apple ran into quality issues with the first-generation architecture that it designed for ‌Siri‌, and opted to hold the functionality until it was able to transition the personal assistant to a second-generation architecture. At this point, we're looking at spring 2026 for the personalized ‌Siri‌ capabilities, and the timeline suggests ‌Siri‌ will get an update with iOS 26.4 sometime around April.

As a recap, here's what we're waiting on.

Personal Context

‌Siri‌ will be able to keep track of your emails, messages, files, photos, and more, learning more about you to help you complete tasks and keep track of what you've been sent.

• Show me the files Eric sent me last week.


• Find the email where Eric mentioned ice skating.


• Find the books that Eric recommended to me.


• Where's the recipe that Eric sent me?


• What's my passport number?

Onscreen Awareness

‌Siri‌ will be able to tell what's on your screen and complete actions involving whatever you're looking at. If someone texts you an address, for example, you can tell ‌Siri‌ to add it to their contact card. Or if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to someone, you can ask ‌Siri‌ to do it for you.

Deeper App Integration

‌Siri‌ will be able to do more in and across apps, performing actions and completing tasks that are just not possible with the personal assistant right now. We don't have a full picture of what ‌Siri‌ will be capable of, but Apple has provided a few examples of what to expect.

• Moving files from one app to another.


• Editing a photo and then sending it to someone.


• Get directions home and share the ETA with Eric.


• Send the email I drafted to Eric.

New Languages

Later this year, Apple plans to bring ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features to eight additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.

Device Requirements

To use the new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in ‌iOS 26‌, you need a device that supports the functionality. That includes the iPhone 15 Pro, ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 models. All of the iPhone 17 models will also support ‌Apple Intelligence‌ when they come out this fall.

iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe

Many of the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in ‌iOS 26‌ aren't limited to the ‌iPhone‌, and will also be available on Apple Intelligence-compatible Macs and iPads.

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: All the New Apple Intelligence Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Ring is updating its iOS app with support for AI-powered video descriptions, with a quick text-based summary of what's going on in video footage.


The AI summaries show up in motion notifications, so when you get a motion alert on iPhone, you'll be able to see a text summary of what the camera has detected. The text alerts show context about what's happening so you can decide whether or not you need to tap into the video feed to see more.

Ring says that the text alerts are meant to give customers with the ability to distinguish urgent activity from everyday activity at a glance. Video descriptions describe the main subject in the video that caused the motion alert, and the action that's happening.


Video descriptions are available for all existing Ring doorbells and cameras, and are rolling out to Ring Home Premium subscribers in the United States and Canada starting today. The feature can be turned on in the Ring app.
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Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services.


Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year.

If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will be automatically suspended and superseded by Chase's complimentary subscriptions during the offer period.

The complimentary subscriptions run through June 22, 2027.

Unfortunately, the perk does not extend to Apple One subscription bundles. If you currently pay for Apple One, you will continue to be charged on a monthly basis while your complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions from Chase are active, so make sure to cancel that if you plan on taking advantage of the credit card perk.

Alongside the new perks, Chase has raised the annual fee of the Sapphire Reserve from $550 to $795, which effectively offsets the $250 value of the complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions. However, there is a long list of additional perks, and Chase says the card now offers more than $2,700 in annual value.

Chase is offering new Sapphire Reserve cardholders a welcome bonus of 100,000 points (which can exceed $1,000 in value), as well as a $500 travel credit, after they spend a minimum of $5,000 in the first three months.

Via: The Points Guy
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AirPods Max were first released in December 2020, and the over-ear headphones have received minimal hardware changes since then.


Below, we recap when AirPods Max 2 are rumored to launch.

According to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new AirPods Max will be lighter than the current ones, but he did not mention a specific weight. The current AirPods Max weigh 0.85 pounds, excluding the charging case, according to Apple.

Kuo expects the AirPods Max 2 to enter mass production at some point in 2027, but he did not provide any other details about the headphones.

By the time the AirPods Max 2 launch in 2027, it will have been a seven-year wait for them. It is unclear what other changes they might have, beyond weighing less.

Last year, Apple updated the AirPods Max with a USB-C charging port and new color options, but they are still considered first-generation AirPods Max. The headphones did not receive Apple's H2 chip that debuted in the AirPods Pro 2 in 2022, so they continue to miss out on Adaptive Audio features, and there were no other changes.

AirPods Max still have the outdated H1 chip that Apple introduced in 2019, and yet the headphones continue to cost $549 in the United States.

AirPods Max with USB-C did gain support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio in a firmware update released earlier this year.


This article, "AirPods Max 2: When to Expect Apple's Next Over-Ear Headphones" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The upcoming iPadOS 26 update adds four pre-installed Apple apps to all compatible iPad models: Phone, Preview, Journal, and Games.


Below, we provide an overview of each of these apps.

iPadOS 26 is currently available as a developer beta, and the update will likely be released to the general public in September.

Phone

Apple has expanded the Phone app to the iPad, complete with new features coming with iOS 26, such as Hold Assist, Call Screening, and Live Translation. The app syncs with your iPhone, allowing you to make and receive phone calls over Wi-Fi, view recent phone calls, listen to voicemail messages, and more directly on your iPad.

Preview

A staple on the Mac, the Preview app is now available on the iPad too, providing you with a built-in app to edit and mark up PDFs and images. You can also create an empty page, and use an Apple Pencil to draw and write on it.

Journal

Apple introduced a Journal app on the iPhone with iOS 17, and it is now available on the iPad too. You can use this app to type out your daily thoughts, and you can include drawings, handwriting, photos, videos, audio recordings, and more.

Games

The all-new Games app on iPad, iPhone, and Mac is an all-in-one app for discovering App Store and Apple Arcade games, and in-game events. There are also new single-player game challenges for competing with family and friends.
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If you have an Hermès Apple Watch model, you're going to want to avoid installing watchOS 26 beta 2.


According to Apple's release notes for the update, the beta causes the Apple Watch Hermès to crash continually. Apple says that Hermès Apple Watch owners should not update to beta 2 at this time.

Installing ‌watchOS 26‌ on a Hermès Apple Watch causes the watch to overheat, crash continually, and fail to charge, based on reports. It appears to be the Hermès Apple Watch face that is an issue.

Additionally, reports from MacRumors readers suggest that updating to iOS 26 beta 2 causes problems with the Hermès Apple Watches. Users have found that the Apple Watch app on iPhone will not open after installing ‌iOS 26‌ beta 2 if there is a Hermès watch associated with the ‌iPhone‌.

Unpairing a Hermès Apple Watch from an ‌iOS 26‌ beta 2 device allows the Apple Watch app to open again, but attempting to re-pair the watch does not work.

Apple will likely address the issue in the next ‌watchOS 26‌ and ‌iOS 26‌ updates, but for now, if you have a Hermès Apple Watch and have not installed the latest developer betas, make sure not to do so.
This article, "Warning: watchOS 26 Beta 2 Crashes Apple's Expensive Hermès Watches" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Porsche's chief designer Michael Mauer told the Financial Times that the luxury car maker remains committed to offering CarPlay Ultra in future vehicle models, but he did not share a timeframe for availability or disclose any other details.


Porsche was on Apple's list of automakers committed to offering the next generation of CarPlay, now known as CarPlay Ultra, when it was first announced in June 2022. Porsche went on to preview what CarPlay Ultra would look like in its vehicles in December 2023, but it had not provided a further update on its plans until now.

CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to luxury Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Apple said that many other automakers around the world are working to offer it over the next year and beyond, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.

Launched last month, CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust the color scheme. The connected iPhone provides app-related data, while the vehicle provides driving data like current speed, and other info like tire pressure.

The report also listed some automakers that said they have no plans to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Volvo, Polestar, and Renault.

Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Polestar had told MacRumors that it looked forward to "bringing the next generation of CarPlay to cars in the future," but the Financial Times report said otherwise, so they might not be planning to offer it after all.
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With the launch of iOS 26 and HomePod Software 26, Apple is adding support for Crossfade, an Apple Music feature that improves transitions between songs.


Beta testers who have the second ‌HomePod‌ Software 26 and ‌iOS 26‌ betas now have an option to enable Crossfade. The toggle is a little bit hidden, but it can be found by opening up the Home app, going to Settings, tapping on a person's name, and choosing ‌Apple Music‌.

Crossfade timing can be set anywhere from one second to 12 seconds, so users can adjust the fade in and fade out period for song transitions. When Crossfade is toggled on, the volume of the song that's ending will lower gradually, while the volume of the song that's coming on will increase. It is designed to prevent silence gaps between songs.


Crossfade is an ‌Apple Music‌ feature, so an ‌Apple Music‌ subscription is required to use it. It has been an option on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac for some time now, but Apple didn't bring it to the ‌HomePod‌ until now.

‌Apple Music‌ in ‌iOS 26‌ and iPadOS 26 has a new AutoMix feature that replaces Crossfade. AutoMix goes beyond simple crossfading, and it uses time stretching and beat matching for a DJ-like song transition experience.

The ‌HomePod‌ 26 software also includes a new feature that allows you to select a Wi-Fi network to connect to, something that wasn't an option before.

(Thanks, Hidde!)
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If you own an iPhone or iPad with a USB-C port, the port can be used to charge AirPods, an Apple Watch, or even another iPhone, which is handy for times when you don't have a spare charger or power outlet available. Here's how it works.


If your AirPods or Apple Watch run out of battery while you don't have access to a charger, you can use the battery in your iPhone or iPad for a little extra juice rather than carrying around an additional battery pack.

Additionally, if you plug an ‌iPhone 15‌ or newer into another ‌iPhone 15‌ or newer, the two devices will communicate with one another, determine which ‌iPhone‌ has the lower battery, and transfer power in the direction that needs it most. So if your iPhone has a very low battery and a friend's iPad/iPhone has a full battery, you can plug your ‌iPhone‌ into your friend's device and they can provide you with some juice to hold you over until a more practical charging solution arrives in your midst.

If your friend has a USB-C Android phone, if the device has USB Power Delivery support and you connect your ‌power-hungry iPhone‌ to it, the Android device will also be able to provide battery power. However, if the Android phone does not have USB PD, the results are likely to be inconsistent, and there's no way to predict which phone will be the charger and which will get the charge.

What You Need

You'll need an appropriate cable for the job, depending on what you want to charge. You'll need a Lightning to USB-C cable for older-generation AirPods with a Lightning port, or a USB-C to USB-C cable for AirPods with a USB-C Charging Case. For Apple Watch, you'll need a dedicated USB-C charging puck.

Unfortunately, when charging another device with an ‌iPhone 15‌ or newer, the charge is limited to 4.5W. That's appropriate for small devices like the Apple Watch, but not so much for another ‌iPhone‌. In other words, expect slow charging speeds when using ‌iPhone‌ to ‌iPhone‌ charging functionality.

One more thing – despite persistent rumors, you still can't charge your AirPods by placing them on the back of a MagSafe-enabled iPhone. Apple is said to have been developing this kind of reverse wireless charging for years, but the feature hasn't made it to market. For now, using a USB-C connection remains the most practical and reliable way to top up your AirPods or other accessories on the go.
This article, "Charge AirPods (or Even an iPhone) With Your iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Samsung's upcoming AR/VR headset will feature more advanced displays than Apple's Vision Pro, according to a new supply chain report from The Elec that reveals key specifications and sourcing strategies.


Samsung is preparing to launch its first extended reality (XR) headset later in 2025, and it will reportedly contain displays that surpass the resolution of Apple's Vision Pro. The Elec claims that the device will use 1.3-inch OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) microdisplays with a pixel density of approximately 3,800 pixels per inch (PPI).

In comparison, the Vision Pro uses 1.42-inch OLEDoS panels from Sony with a pixel density of 3,391 PPI. The increase in pixel density will likely represent a significant improvement in visual clarity over the Vision Pro. Despite having a slightly smaller panel, which could reduce the field of view, Samsung's headset should be able to deliver sharper visuals.

The Vision Pro was the first mainstream consumer device to adopt OLEDoS microdisplays. OLEDoS technology allows for extremely high resolution in compact form factors, making it particularly suitable for immersive virtual reality applications.

Samsung is apparently reviewing plans to source OLEDoS panels from both Sony and Samsung Display, with Sony currently acting as the main supplier. While Sony is recognized for its expertise in microdisplay manufacturing, it has limited its production capacity and previously declined Apple's request to expand output for the Vision Pro. Sony's focus remains centered on its entertainment business, and it is reportedly cautious about committing additional resources to its display operations.
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Best Buy this week kicked off a new sale called "Member Deals Days," which is full of deals that are exclusive to those who have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership. The sale will run through Sunday, and new deals are set to appear every day of the event.

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

If you don't have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, you can sign up for one directly from Best Buy's website. Prices start at $49.99 per year and include perks like free two-day shipping, exclusive access to select deals, and more.



Categories with major discounts in this sale include home theater, computers, tablets, video games, headphones, smart home, wearables, smartphones, and more. There aren't many big Apple discounts this time around, but you can find steep discounts on big ticket items like TVs and gaming monitors, which we've rounded up below.

TVs

• 75-inch Samsung 4K Smart TV - $449.99 with membership ($150 off)


• 43-inch Samsung The Frame QLED 4K TV - $699.99 with membership ($300 off)


• 55-inch LG OLED 4K UHD Smart TV - $1,796.99 with membership ($403 off)


• 77-inch LG OLED 4K UHD Smart TV - $1,996.99 with membership ($503 off)

Monitors

• 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G5 Monitor - $299.99 ($50 off)


• 27-inch HP OMEN Gaming Monitor - $329.99 ($150 off)


• 27-inch ASUS Pro Gaming Monitor - $729.99 ($30 off)


• 45-inch LG OLED UltraGear Smart Gaming Monitor - $1,199.99 with membership ($500 off)


• 32-inch LG OLED UltraGear Gaming Monitor - $1,119.99 ($280 off)

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Best Buy Kicks Off Member-Exclusive Event With Big Discounts on TVs, Monitors, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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According to a 9to5Mac report this week, citing reliable sources, Apple is now planning to release the AirTag 2 in September or later this year. If so, the updated accessory could be announced at the iPhone 17 event in less than three months from now.


The report also said that iOS 18.6 beta code hints at the upcoming software update being compatible with the AirTag 2, when it is released.

Finally, the report said that the AirTag 2 will provide alerts for both low and very low battery levels. You can already see if the current AirTag's battery level is low in the Find My app, but it sounds like there will now be two tiers of alerts.

9to5Mac speculated that this change could hint at the AirTag 2 featuring a rechargeable battery. However, in a November 2024 edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next AirTag would "certainly not" be equipped with a rechargeable battery, suggesting that Apple will stick with a replaceable battery.

In that same newsletter, Gurman said that Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025, which sounded more like June or July. So, if 9to5Mac is accurate about the accessory's launch timeframe now being September or later this year, then customers will have to wait a little longer for it than expected.

Whenever it launches, the AirTag 2 is rumored to feature up to 3× longer item tracking range compared to the current AirTag. Gurman expects the AirTag 2 to look similar to the current model, but he said the built-in speaker will be more difficult to remove, which would make it harder to covertly stalk people with the accessory.

Apple released the current AirTag in April 2021, so it is now more than four years old. It debuted at an event alongside the iMac with the M1 chip, the iPad Pro with the M1 chip, a new Apple TV, and a purple color for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.
This article, "AirTag 2 Now Rumored to Launch in September or Later This Year With New Battery Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today announced that it has updated its Sports app with support for tennis, in time for the ongoing Wimbledon tournament.


Tennis fans can view live scores for Grand Slam and 1000 tournaments, and track current and previous men's and women's singles matches.

Apple Sports supports the Live Activities feature, and that extends to tennis scores. This means you can view live tennis scores at a glance on an iPhone's Lock Screen, and in the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and newer.

The app has also gained a revamped "Home" section. Apple says matchups and events are now grouped by league, and there are expanded controls for fans to order them how they prefer. Favorite/starred teams always appear at the top.

Last, you can now view pitcher and batter matchups at the top of every scoreboard.

Launched in February 2024, the Apple Sports app shows scores, stats, standings, upcoming games, and more for a variety of leagues. The free app is currently available on the iPhone only, in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada.

Apple Sports version 3.0 is available now in the App Store.
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Xiaomi has filed a trademark for a second-generation custom chip called the "XRING 02," signaling that the company is proceeding with its in-house silicon roadmap mirroring Apple's transition to its own custom chips.


Xiaomi's new filing, first reported by Wccftech and verified via China's TianYanCha trademark database, suggests that development of the XRING 02 system-on-a-chip (SoC) is now underway. The move follows the company's announcement earlier this year of the XRING O1, its first custom processor built with a 3-nanometer process, which debuted in the Xiaomi Tablet 7 Ultra.

Xiaomi openly said that it had looked to Apple as a benchmark for its hardware ambitions and vertical integration across its ecosystem. The company said it had asked itself:

We also want to become one of the top chipmakers, with our phones targeting iPhones, can our chips also be compared against those of Apple's?

The new XRING 02 trademark is one of several filings made by the company in recent weeks. Others include the XRING T1 and XRING 0. Xiaomi likely seeks to build a family of custom processors for use across device categories, similar to Apple's use of the A-series, M-series, and S-series chips in iPhones, Macs, and Apple Watches.
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Apple is facing mounting resistance from automakers over CarPlay Ultra, the next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles that was announced last month.


A new (paywalled) Financial Times report claims several major brands are walking back their earlier commitments to support the upgraded dashboard software. German luxury manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and Audi have both distanced themselves from the system, along with Volvo, Polestar, and Renault.

It's a major retreat from Apple's 2022 announcement, which originally named 14 automakers as future CarPlay Ultra partners, including all of those mentioned above.

CarPlay Ultra goes far beyond traditional CarPlay by taking control of the entire dashboard experience. The system displays vehicle information like temperature, speed, and fuel levels alongside iPhone apps, creating what Apple calls "a unified and consistent experience across all the driver's screens."

Mercedes-Benz had previously expressed reluctance to cede dashboard control to Apple. Now other premium brands are following suit, citing concerns about maintaining their own software experiences and revenue streams from in-car services. From the report:

Some companies have found Apple's foray into driver screens as over-reach. One executive at Renault, which is developing a vehicle mainly controlled by software with Google and Qualcomm, said the French carmaker told Apple: "Don't try to invade our own systems."

As for other car brands that were included in Apple's original 2022 list, Jaguar Land Rover said it was still evaluating the system, while Ford and Nissan along with its Infiniti brand said they had no information to share about future implementation.

BMW – which was not named in Apple's original list of partners – said it would integrate the existing Apple CarPlay with its new design, but not CarPlay Ultra, according to FT. Meanwhile, Audi said its focus was to offer drivers "a customized and seamless digital experience," so it would not use CarPlay Ultra, though the standard version was available on its vehicles.

The pushback comes despite standard CarPlay's overwhelming popularity – Apple claims 98% of new US cars include standard CarPlay, with drivers using it over 600 million times daily.

Currently, only Aston Martin offers CarPlay Ultra in production vehicles. Hyundai and its Kia and Genesis cars remain committed partners, while Porsche plans future support. Other originally announced brands like Ford and Nissan have provided no updates on their CarPlay Ultra plans.

Despite the walk-backs, Apple told FT that more carmakers using CarPlay Ultra are on the way. "We're collaborating closely with automakers to provide the best of iPhone and the best of the car and this work takes time," Apple said.
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Apple is expected to release new iPad Pro models powered by its latest M5 chip later this year, and both Samsung Display and LG Display have reportedly begun mass production of the devices' OLED panels in preparation.


For last year's iPad Pro models which debuted OLED displays, Samsung handled supply for the 11-inch panels, while LG dealt with the 13-inch panels. This year, ZDNet Korea reports that the two manufacturers will share supply for both panel sizes, likely as a result of Apple's efforts to diversify its supply chain.

The change is also likely related to Apple's need to deepen OLED adoption across its suppliers. Reports suggest plans to introduce OLED panels for the iPad mini in 2026 and the iPad Air in 2027.

Aside from OLED displays, last year's M4 iPad Pro models adopted a thinner and lighter design, support for the new Apple Pencil Pro, and more. This year, the iPad Pro will likely receive a much smaller update, with no major upgrades rumored beyond the M5 chip, which will be manufactured on TSMC's more advanced 3-nanometer process technology for performance and efficiency improvements.

The only other potential change that's been rumored is for the Apple logo on the back to switch to a landscape orientation rather than a portrait orientation. That would make the Apple logo upright when the iPad is in landscape mode, such as when it is used with a keyboard.

Back in March, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the new iPad Pro models could launch around October this year. For reference, the M4 iPad Pro models launched in May of 2024.

(Via DigiTimes.)
This article, "M5 iPad Pro OLED Displays Enter Mass Production for October Launch" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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If you've been following iPhone 18 Pro reports recently, you'll know that there are two competing rumors from usually reliable sources about how Apple plans to integrate Face ID into the display, and both of them likely affect the fate of the Dynamic Island – and in turn the overall look of the display itself.


Last month, The Information's Wayne Ma said that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max would have "only a small hole cutout in the top-left corner to accommodate the front-facing camera."

Unless Apple opts to still periodically display the familiar pill-shaped interface element in its iOS 27 software, Ma's wording suggests that the devices might not have a Dynamic Island at all. Taking Ma's report as a cue, developer Filip Vabroušek has helpfully attempted to visualize what such an iPhone 18 Pro model could look like (see below – and ignore the iOS version shown).


All well and good, you might think. However, Counterpoint Research VP Ross Young this week lobbed a grenade into Ma's settled territory by claiming that the iPhone 18 Pro will still have some visible Face ID elements.

For this reason, Young believes that the devices will still have a Dynamic Island, albeit a "smaller" version compared to the one on the iPhone 14 Pro through iPhone 16 models. Vabroušek has again stepped in to give us a peek at this alternative implementation.



Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has also said that Apple will shrink the size of the Dynamic Island on at least some iPhone models launching next year, so there are now multiple sources who believe that iPhone 18 models will still have a smaller Dynamic Island rather than only a front camera hole.

So there you have it: two rival interpretations of what the iPhone 18 Pro's display could look like. It's quite a big deal for anyone who plans to upgrade their iPhone next year, considering how much time we spend staring at the screen.

As for the 20th anniversary iPhone, due in 2027, Young's roadmap also threw a spanner in the works by refuting claims by the likes of Gurman that it will be the first iPhone with a truly uninterrupted display with no cutouts.

Young now believes that the first iPhone with both under-screen Face ID and an under-screen front camera will be released all the way in 2030, suggesting that a truly all-screen iPhone remains a full five years away.
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Image Playground is Apple's image generation app that launched last year. Most people may not have a lot of use for the cartoonish images that it produces in iOS 18, but you're going to want to take another look at it in iOS 26 because Apple has improved its algorithms.


People look more natural in the images generated by the app, with more realistic eyes and more variation in hair that better matches sample photos.

As a quick recap, ‌Image Playground‌ lets you type in any phrase to generate an image in one of three non-realistic styles. You can also select pre-determined scenes and props that Apple suggests, and generate images featuring your friends and family. It's these images where you will see the biggest difference in ‌iOS 26‌, because the content generated based on images of people has changed quite a bit.

Animation

In ‌iOS 18‌, photos generated using the Animation style have blunt hair with little variation, lots of contrast, and unnatural looking faces, but in ‌iOS 26‌, features are softer, hair is more varied, and it has more flow. Clothes also look more natural, though ‌Image Playground‌ doesn't often bother matching outfits.



‌Image Playground‌'s Animation style in ‌iOS 26‌ seems to take more liberty with image backgrounds, pose, and body shape, and it's better at small details like specific eyebrow shape.

Sketch

With the Sketch style, ‌Image Playground‌ is again better at matching facial expression, features, and hair style. The image on the right looks more like MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera than the middle image.

Illustration

Illustration has some of the same characteristics as Sketch, better capturing colors and inventing better backgrounds.

Animals and Landscapes

The changes to ‌Image Playground‌ can also be seen in images of animals, food, places, and more, in all three built-in styles.

Emotions

‌Image Playground‌ seems to be better at reflecting emotion, too. For this image, the modifier "sobbing" was added to the image. It didn't quite show tears, but there is more emotion in the ‌iOS 26‌ face on the right. There's even a dedicated "Expressions" menu, with options that include laugh, happy, mad, sad, shocked, thinking, thumbs up, and thumbs down.

ChatGPT Integration

ChatGPT image generation capabilities are included in ‌Image Playground‌ in ‌iOS 26‌, so there are an expanded range of styles to choose from. There are a few suggested options, including anime, oil painting, vector, print, and water color styles, all of which use ChatGPT rather than Apple's capabilities to create the image.


The output is similar to what you get if you use ChatGPT 4o for image generation, and you can make those cute anime-style images that have been floating around the internet.


There's also an open-ended "Any Style" option to create images with ChatGPT, and that adds more range to what's possible with ‌Image Playground‌. ChatGPT can essentially mimic any style that you ask it to, and it can generate realistic images, which is not something that Apple's image generation technology does.


As with standard ‌Image Playground‌ image generation, you can make a text-based request or upload an image to ChatGPT and ask it to use that as the basis for an image. Images that you upload and text requests can be combined.

Creating images with ChatGPT uses up tokens, and if you have a free account, you probably won't be able to create more than one or two images. Taking advantage of ChatGPT image creation features in ‌Image Playground‌ beyond that requires a paid account.

Genmoji

‌Image Playground‌ in ‌iOS 18‌ does not support creating Genmoji, and that's a separate feature located in the Messages app. In ‌iOS 26‌, you can use ‌Image Playground‌ for ‌Genmoji‌.


‌Genmoji‌ is a style that you can select, and choosing it opens up an interface where you can choose an emoji or multiple emoji to customize. One of the new ‌Genmoji‌ features in ‌iOS 26‌ is the option to combine emoji to make new emoji rather than starting from scratch with a character, and this capability is available in ‌Image Playground‌ in addition to the Messages app.

You can tap multiple emoji to create a new one, or choose an emoji and then add text-based descriptions to make tweaks. There is no option to use photos for ‌Genmoji‌. The ‌Genmoji‌ that you make are added to your emoji keyboard and they can be used in Messages.

Labeling

When you send someone an image generated with ‌Image Playground‌ in ‌iOS 26‌, like over AirDrop, it is labeled as a generated image in the file name.
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Nomad today announced the launch of the Leather Mag Wallet for iPhone, which includes an integrated Tracking Card that works with Apple's Find My app.


The Leather Mag Wallet attaches to the back of a MagSafe ‌iPhone‌ using a magnetic connection, and it serves as an alternative to Apple's own Leather Wallet with ‌MagSafe‌. Nomad made the wallet from vegetable-tanned Horween leather that will develop a unique patina over time.

Nomad's Mag Wallet is able to hold up to four standard credit cards, and it connects to ‌Find My‌ so if it comes off of the ‌iPhone‌ and is lost, it can be found with the ‌Find My‌ app. ‌Find My‌ network integration is included, so if you are out of range, it will be able to connect to Apple products owned by others to relay its location. ‌Find My‌ also includes features for playing a sound and getting a notification when the wallet is left behind.

There is a rechargeable battery inside and the Mag Wallet can be charged using any Qi or ‌MagSafe‌ charger. The battery lasts for up to five months. The wallet can be attached to any ‌MagSafe‌ ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPhone‌ in a ‌MagSafe‌ case, and it comes in black and brown colors.

The Leather Mag Wallet can be purchased from the Nomad website for $79.
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Several of Apple's iCloud services are experiencing issues at the current time, with the System Status page reflecting problems with ‌iCloud‌ Mail, ‌iCloud‌ Storage Upgrades, ‌iCloud‌ Web Apps, iWork for ‌iCloud‌, and Photos.


‌iCloud‌ Web Apps and iWork for ‌iCloud‌ are both listed as having an outage at the current time, and Apple says that some users may be experiencing problems.

The other services are shown with a yellow "Issue" warning, but they have the same note about some users experiencing problems with the service. The outages have been ongoing since 2:36 p.m. Eastern Time.

Update 5:53 p.m. ET: Apple added Find My and ‌iCloud‌ account sign in to the list of services experiencing problems.

Update 6:41 p.m. ET: The ‌Find My‌ issue has been resolved, but the other services are still having issues.
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Apple today updated its Invites app, adding a new event background options for customizing the look of event invitations that are sent out. Apple says that the added background options are ideal for planning a pool day, drinks with friends, or a watch party for the big game.


There are several new backgrounds in the "Photographic" section, including clouds, a lime slice in soda water, lemon slices in punch, a frosty beer, watermelon slices, a pool inner tube, a disco ball, orchid flowers, bamboo shoots, a zoomed in shot of a chrysanthemum, a colorful set of pickleballs, tennis balls, footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, golf balls, a beach with clear water, a green bokeh background, brocade fabric, grass, colorful flowers, rainbow sparkles, a multi-colored light pattern, and champagne glasses.


Apple launched the Invites app back in February, and this is the second update the app has received. In May, Apple added the option to include links in event invitations.

Invites is an event planning app that supports creating custom invitations with unique background images, fonts, and relevant information like directions and the weather. It also has easy-to-use event managing and RSVP tools.

While Invites is free, it is an iCloud+ service, so an ‌iCloud‌+ subscription is required to create an event. ‌iCloud‌+ plans are priced starting at $0.99 per month, and they include additional ‌iCloud‌ storage and features like Private Relay.

Though an ‌iCloud‌+ subscription is needed for creating an event, anyone can RSVP to an invitation, including those without iPhones.

The Invites app can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]
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Apple today provided developers with new beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, with an 8A293c version number. The firmware is only available to developers at the current time, and a device running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 is required to install the update. This is the second beta so far.


The new firmware adds several features that Apple is debuting alongside ‌iOS 26‌, ‌iPadOS 26‌, and macOS Tahoe.

The ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 and ‌AirPods 4‌ support improved audio quality for phone calls and video calls, plus studio-quality audio recording for interviews, podcasts, and videos. There's also an option to use the AirPods as a camera remote with the Camera app to take photos or start a video recording.

With the latest updates, Apple added a firmware update installation option that's available from the AirPods settings interface when the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
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Apple today sent out an ad to some iPhone users in the form of a Wallet app push notification, and not everyone is happy about it.


An unknown number of iPhone users in the U.S. today received the push notification, which promotes a limited-time Apple Pay discount that movie ticket company Fandango is offering on a pair of tickets to Apple's new film "F1: The Movie."

Some of the iPhone users who received the push notification have complained about it across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, X, and other online discussion platforms.

"As far as I can tell, Apple is now just sending me ads to my screen now as push notifications, something I hate with an absolute passion and disable across the board in every app that tries this," said one person who received the notification.

Some people are especially upset about receiving a push notification ad through the Wallet app because it is a very important app for personal finances, so simply turning off notifications for the entire app is not a feasible solution.

Worse, Apple seems to be ignoring the guidelines that apply to App Store apps. The company says push notifications should not be used for promotions or direct marketing purposes unless users have explicitly opted in to receive them for said purposes.

The full text of Apple's guideline:

Push Notifications should not be used for promotions or direct marketing purposes unless customers have explicitly opted in to receive them via consent language displayed in your app's UI, and you provide a method in your app for a user to opt out from receiving such messages.

Apple did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

Apple has been heavily promoting F1: The Movie, which debuts in theaters on June 25 in Europe and on June 27 in the U.S. and Canada. However, the company may have gone a step too far here based on online reaction from some iPhone users.

One silver lining is that the iOS 26 beta adds an "Offers & Promotions" toggle to the Wallet app, allowing users to opt in or out of receiving special offers and discounts available from Apple and its unspecified partners. However, Apple sent out to the push notification ad to iPhone users on iOS 18 too, and those users seemingly did not explicitly opt in to receive such an ad. For that reason, some people are disappointed in Apple.
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Apple has joined China's national digital product subsidy program through its own direct sales channels for the first time, enabling eligible customers in Beijing and Shanghai to receive government-backed discounts on select iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs (via South China Morning Post).


Apple customers in Shanghai can access the subsidies by purchasing qualifying devices in one of the city's eight Apple retail stores, while Beijing residents can receive the discount through Apple's online store, provided they use a Beijing shipping address.

The program offers subsidies of up to 2,000 yuan (approximately $278) on certain Apple products, with eligibility criteria determined by product type and price. Devices priced below 6,000 yuan (roughly $835) receive a 15% discount, capped at 500 yuan, while some higher-value items such as Macs are eligible for a bigger discount.

Previously, Apple products were available under the subsidy program only through authorized third-party platforms such as JD.com and Alibaba's Taobao marketplace. This therefore marks the first time Apple's own online and retail stores have participated directly in the scheme.

Data from market analytics companies have painted a consistent picture of Apple's smartphone shipments in mainland China falling in 2025, making Apple the only one among the country's top five smartphone vendors to record a decline this year. By contrast, Xiaomi and Huawei have grown dramatically.
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The second developer beta of macOS Tahoe is now available for testing, and it includes a handful of smaller new features and changes on the Mac.


Below, we recap everything new that has been found in macOS Tahoe beta 2 so far.

Redesigned Finder App Icon

Crisis averted: Apple has restored the Finder icon's design to its former glory on the second beta.

On the first macOS Tahoe developer beta, the app icon's colors were inverted, with blue appearing on the right side and white appearing on the left side. That change disappointed some people, and Apple has evidently listened to that feedback.

Redesigned Migration Assistant App Icon

The second beta also gives a fresh coat of paint to the Migration Assistant app icon.

Menu Bar Background Option

Apple removed the frosted background from the menu bar by default on macOS Tahoe, as part of the Liquid Glass redesign. If you miss it, though, the second beta adds a "Show menu bar background" option to the System Settings app under Menu Bar.

AirPods Beta Firmware

As spotted by Federico Trevisani, the second macOS Tahoe beta lets you enroll in beta testing of AirPods firmware updates directly on a Mac.

First, connect your AirPods to your Mac. Next, open the System Settings app and click on the Bluetooth menu. Then, select the (i) symbol next to your AirPods. On the ensuing page, scroll down to the bottom and click on "AirPods Beta Updates. Finally, there is a toggle to enable beta firmware updates on your AirPods. Firmware updates will be installed when your AirPods are in their charging case and near the Мас.

Apple currently offers AirPods beta firmware updates to developers only. However, that will soon change. Apple plans to start offering public betas of AirPods firmware updates in July for the first time, beginning with the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2.

The latest firmware beta for the ‌AirPods 4‌ and AirPods Pro 2 adds support for improved audio quality for phone calls and video calls, plus studio-quality audio recording for interviews, podcasts, and videos. There is also an option to use AirPods as a camera remote with the Camera app to take photos or start a video recording, and these AirPods models can automatically pause audio if it is detected that you fell asleep.

Other Changes

• Apple's release notes for the second macOS Tahoe developer beta mention the same new Recovery Assistant feature that was added to iOS 26. Apple: "Recovery Assistant is a new way to recover your device if it doesn't start up normally. It can look for problems and attempt to resolve them if found."


• There is a new "Your Mac has been updated" notification.
• Developers can test that their Mac apps no longer depend on Rosetta 2, which will be phased out starting with macOS 28.

The first macOS Tahoe public beta will be available in July, and the update will likely be released to the general public in September.
This article, "Here's Everything New in macOS Tahoe Beta 2" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In the iOS 26 beta, Apple has redesigned the alarm screen in the Clock app, giving it a cleaner look with a larger time display and significantly bigger buttons. When the alarm goes off, you'll now see two large, equal-sized buttons for Stop and Snooze placed side by side at the bottom of the screen.


While the redesign fits with Apple's broader visual refresh in iOS 26, it also seems to address a problem the company had already solved: reducing the chances of you hitting Stop instead of Snooze when you're half-awake and fumbling for your phone. Ironically, internal testing once showed that making both buttons the same size actually made that mistake more likely.

According to Jack Fields, a former Apple engineer and head writer at Kernel Extension, the new layout contradicts internal research he was involved in during his time at the company. That testing included a version of the Clock app that logged user interactions to a heat map, tracking exactly where people tapped the screen upon waking.

"It was recording where our sleepy hands were smacking around on the screen in order to see how accurate we were in turning off the alarms," says Fields. What they found was perhaps counterintuitive: when Stop and Snooze were made the same size and placed close together, users were 30% more likely to hit Stop by accident. In other words, it actually increased the chances of oversleeping.

That's why recent versions of iOS feature a prominent, centered Snooze button and a much smaller Stop button tucked further down the screen. "By making the Stop button such a small hit target, it ensures you're awake enough to actually stop it," Fields explains.

"This new design is... interesting," he adds. "It goes against any studies I was a part of, so I'm curious what data they have to support the change. It's terrifyingly large now."

It's worth remembering this is beta software, and Apple could tweak the layout before the final release. But for now, the update makes you wonder whether a more symmetrical, simplified UI is always better, or (at least in this case) is it more likely to make you tap the wrong thing, just faster?

In a related change you may have missed, Apple also now allows users to customize snooze length, choosing a length of time between 1 minute and 15 minutes. (Previously, tapping snooze always snoozed an alarm for nine minutes.) Now that's a change we can certainly get behind.
This article, "Apple's New Alarm Design in iOS 26 Might Make You Oversleep" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Today marks 15 years since Apple released the popular iPhone 4 and launched FaceTime, its proprietary video calling service.


The ‌iPhone‌ 4 first became available to customers on June 24, 2010, following its unveiling by then-CEO Steve Jobs at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference earlier that month. It was the first ‌iPhone‌ to feature a high-resolution "Retina" display, with a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, making individual pixels imperceptible at a standard viewing distance. Apple described it at the time as offering "four times the pixel density of previous displays," resulting in crisper text and sharper images.

The device introduced a new industrial design made from stainless steel and glass, with squared edges that diverged significantly from the rounded plastic form factor of previous iPhones. It also featured Apple's first custom-designed system-on-a-chip, the A4, which debuted in the original iPad. The A4 provided improved performance and battery life compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 3GS. The ‌iPhone‌ 4 also marked the debut of the front-facing camera on an ‌iPhone‌, enabling selfies for the first time, as well as ‌FaceTime‌ video calling.

The ‌iPhone‌ 4 shipped with iOS 4, which introduced several new software features including background functionality for third-party apps, home screen folders, and a unified Mail inbox. It was also the first iOS version to drop support for an ‌iPhone‌, the original model.

One of the most infamous issues surrounding the ‌iPhone‌ 4 was the so-called "antennagate" controversy. Due to the external stainless steel antenna band doubling as a signal receiver, some users experienced signal degradation when holding the device in a way that bridged the antenna gaps. Apple addressed the issue in a press conference in July 2010, offering free bumper cases to affected customers and explaining that most smartphones exhibited similar signal attenuation under certain conditions.

Despite the controversy, the ‌iPhone‌ 4 was Apple's most successful smartphone launch at the time. The company reported pre-orders of over 600,000 units on the first day alone, and long queues were seen outside Apple Stores on launch day across the United States and other countries. The model went on to become one of the best-selling iPhones of its era and remained available in various forms until 2014, including as a low-cost option with reduced storage.

‌FaceTime‌ was initially limited to Wi-Fi connections and available only between ‌iPhone‌ 4 devices running iOS 4. With the device already signed into the user's Apple ID, making a call was simple and initiated directly from the Phone or Contacts app. In 2011, Apple expanded ‌FaceTime‌ support to the ‌iPad‌ 2 and the Mac. ‌FaceTime‌ Audio was introduced with iOS 7 in 2013.

In iOS 12, Apple added support for Group ‌FaceTime‌ with up to 32 participants, and in 2021, ‌FaceTime‌ links brought limited compatibility with Android and Windows via web browsers. While Apple initially described ‌FaceTime‌ as "an open industry standard," the company never published the protocol, and the feature has remained exclusive to Apple platforms.
This article, "iPhone 4 and FaceTime Launched 15 Years Ago Today" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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As spotted by Federico Trevisani, the second macOS Tahoe beta lets you enroll in beta testing of AirPods firmware updates directly on a Mac. A similar interface was already introduced on the iPhone and iPad with the first iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 betas.


First, connect your AirPods to your Mac. Next, open the System Settings app and click on the Bluetooth menu. Then, select the (i) symbol next to your AirPods. On the ensuing page, scroll down to the bottom and click on "AirPods Beta Updates. Finally, there is a toggle to enable beta firmware updates on your AirPods. Firmware updates will be installed when your AirPods are in their charging case and near the Мас.


Apple currently offers AirPods beta firmware updates to registered developers only. However, that will soon change. Apple plans to start offering public betas of AirPods firmware updates in July for the first time, beginning with the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2.

Apple already released a developer beta of an upcoming firmware update for the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 earlier this month. With the new firmware, the ‌AirPods 4‌ and AirPods Pro 2 gain support for improved audio quality for phone calls and video calls, plus studio-quality audio recording for interviews, podcasts, and videos. There is also an option to use AirPods as a camera remote with the Camera app to take photos or start a video recording. Plus, these AirPods models can automatically pause audio if it is detected that you fell asleep.
This article, "You Can Now Enable AirPods Firmware Update Betas on macOS Tahoe" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon today has low prices across nearly the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, with $150 off both 13-inch and 15-inch models. Many of the notebooks in this sale are seeing delivery estimates around late June.

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.

Starting with the 13-inch models, Amazon has $150 off all three configurations of this notebook. Prices start at $849.00 for the 256GB model, then raise to $1,049.00 for the 16GB/512GB model and $1,249.00 for the 24GB/512GB model. All of these are solid second-best prices on the M4 MacBook Air.





Moving to the larger display models, Amazon has both 512GB versions of the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week, as well as the 256GB model. The 16GB/512GB model is available for $1,248.99 and the 24GB/512GB model is on sale for $1,449.00. Across the board, these are all second-best prices on the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air.





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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