Apple today released watchOS 26.6, the sixth update to the watchOS 26 operating system that came out in September. watchOS 26.6 comes over two months after Apple released watchOS 26.5.
watchOS 26.6 can be downloaded for free on an iPhone running iOS 26.6 by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update, or initiating an update in the Settings app on the watch. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery and it needs to be placed on a charger.
According to Apple's release notes, watchOS 26.6 includes unspecified bug fixes and security updates.
Apple today released tvOS 26.6, the sixth update to the tvOS operating system that came out last fall. tvOS 26.6 is available for the Apple TV 4K, and it comes two months after Apple released tvOS 26.5.
tvOS 26.6 can be downloaded using the Settings app on Apple TV. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to tvOS 26.6 automatically.
No new features were found in tvOS 26.6 during the beta testing period, so it likely focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements. Apple shares tvOS release notes on its website.
Apple today released visionOS 26.6, the sixth update to the visionOS 26 operating system that launched in September. visionOS 26.6 comes over two months after Apple released visionOS 26.5.
visionOS 26.6 can be downloaded on all Vision Pro headsets by navigating to the Settings app, selecting the General section, and choosing the Software Update option. To install an update, the Vision Pro headset needs to be removed, and there is a software progress bar available on the exterior EyeSight display.
Apple's release notes say that visionOS 26.6 includes bug fixes and security improvements in addition to optimizing the Spotlight index for the upcoming visionOS 27 launch.
visionOS 26.6 is recommended for all Vision Pro users.
Amazon is planning to deploy up to 5,105 low Earth orbit satellites that will use Globalstar spectrum to provide voice, data, messaging, and emergency services to devices like the iPhone. Amazon's project is expected to improve existing iPhone satellite features and support new features.
Apple uses Globalstar for the satellite features on the iPhone and Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Amazon is in the process of acquiring the company. Apple and Amazon have worked out a deal that will see Globalstar operating alongside Amazon's Leo satellite network, with Globalstar and Amazon Leo powering future satellite services for Apple.
Amazon's proposed 5,105-satellite constellation will allow devices to have satellite-based cellular service in areas where a cell tower is unavailable. Amazon says the system will give customers improved speed and throughput, and it will be able to reach any compatible mobile device with a satellite-capable chipset. Amazon specifically highlights its Apple partnership in its blog post announcing the satellite plan.
Amazon Leo already announced an agreement with Apple to power satellite services for supported iPhone and Apple Watch models—including Emergency SOS via satellite, Messages, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite—and to collaborate with Apple on future satellite services using the expanded network.
Amazon plans to deploy five orbital shells meant to reach different parts of the planet. Three will cover heavily populated areas, while others will extend service toward polar areas. Amazon has filed an application with the FCC for the system, and is awaiting approval. Amazon expects to deploy satellites starting in 2028, with the Globalstar merger set to close in 2027 after it receives regulatory approval.
Starting today, the popular podcast platform Pocket Casts is available on all Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. The app was already available on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
"Your podcasts, your Up Next, your place in every episode, right on the screen in front of you," said Pocket Casts, in a blog post. "Start something on your phone at the bus stop. Finish it on the couch that night, exactly where you left it. Nothing to re-find. Nothing to sync by hand."
Amazon's prices on the 2026 MacBook Pro have now joined in on Apple's recent price hikes, meaning we're no longer tracking pre-hike markdowns on these devices. However, there are still notable sales to be found if you're shopping for a MacBook Pro this month, with up to $500 off new prices available right now on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
14-Inch MacBook Pro
Prices start at $2,299.00 for the 24GB/1TB 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro, down from $2,499.00. Amazon is also providing $500 off both the 15-Core/24GB/2TB model, as well as the M5 Max 26GB/2TB model, both of which are new low prices in the wake of the price hikes.
In terms of the larger display models, we're tracking four total discounts on Amazon. These start at $2,799.00 for the 24GB/1TB M5 Pro configuration ($180 off), and reach up to $4,499.00 for the 48GB/2TB M5 Max device ($500 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.
Deals Newsletter
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Memory prices have doubled, Macs and iPads have gone up, and iPhones are expected to follow. Ed Zitron – who writes the Where's Your Ed At newsletter, hosts the Better Offline podcast, and has been described by Politico as the AI boom's most "acerbic gadfly" – has spent years arguing the buildout driving those costs will never pay for itself.
We asked him what happens to Apple if he's right.
You've been calling AI a bubble since before it was fashionable. For MacRumors readers who mostly know it as ChatGPT or Apple Intelligence on their iPhone, what, in plain terms, is actually broken about the economics of the LLM industry?
At their very core, Large Language Models' costs run contrary to basically every model of selling software.
Consumers and enterprises alike have been trained to pay a monthly fee for a service, and while these services might have limits or strictures, basically nobody buying software expects to have a metered service, let alone one that's both metered and with hard to measure costs.
LLMs burn tokens at a per-million rate regardless of whether or not you get the response you want, or whether it does what you ask it to do. If you ask a coding agent to do some sort of software task and it goes off and spins its wheels in a loop, you're paying for the tokens regardless.
AI companies knew that consumers would never pay the actual cost of their AI services, so they have, for the most part, sold them monthly subscriptions with vague rate limits that allow them to burn way more in tokens than the cost of their subscription. SemiAnalysis found that you can burn hundreds of dollars on a $20-a-month subscription and thousands of dollars on a $200-a-month subscription, and while AI boosters will claim that these companies have "70% gross margins on tokens," there is little proof that this is the case, and my own reporting shows that OpenAI lost $20.9 billion on $13.07 billion in revenue in 2025.
Image credit: SemiAnalysis
This means the very basic economics are broken. If Anthropic and OpenAI believed customers would actually pay the real cost of AI tokens, they wouldn't have to give away 20 to 40 times the amount of tokens to subscribers.
Meanwhile, back in March of this year, both moved their enterprise customers over to token-based billing. Within a few weeks, it came out that Uber had spent its entire annual token budget in the space of a quarter, and its COO said that it was getting "harder to justify" the cost of AI because it was hard to track the cost of AI to any actual useful features shipping. Sam Altman would eventually say it was a "huge issue" but declined to say how it might be fixed.
This is a problem across basically every single AI-powered startup, which has to pay the per-million token rate. Perplexity, Cursor, GitHub Copilot (which moved to token-based billing in June) – every single AI startup is unprofitable because their users don't want to pay the actual cost of AI.
Another issue is that AI services are just not that useful or differentiated. While people get some sort of benefit out of AI-generated code, these tools actually end up making them slower, and are filling codebases full of slop. Otherwise, an LLM is an LLM is an LLM – it can generate, it can summarize, it can search, and that's about it, which means that every AI service is effectively the same. That's why 89% of all AI revenues are Anthropic and OpenAI, and why every AI startup talks in terms of "annualized revenue" (monthx12) – because actual revenues are very depressing. Even then, most are barely at $100 million annualized.
Then there are the data centers. An AI data center is very, very expensive to build, takes 18 to 36 months, and costs billions of dollars, which means effectively anyone building one will be raising debt and only get paid once a customer moves in... except there aren't really any customers for AI data centers outside of Anthropic and OpenAI, both of whom are so unprofitable that they've had to raise hundreds of billions of dollars even when Microsoft, Google and Amazon built all their infrastructure.
The only reason everybody isn't freaking out about this is because AI-related stocks have done well, even though none of the hyperscalers actually share their AI revenues.
You've argued that AI's demand story is essentially a mirage – that most of the data center capacity is being absorbed by OpenAI and Anthropic themselves, which is masking the absence of real enterprise demand. If that's right, who do you think will actually bear the cost when the whole thing unravels?
Honestly, it's going to be a lot of private credit funds, because they're the ones funding the data centers, and they're funded by pension funds like the SF teachers fund or CalPERS, which makes me really, really worried about the systemic contagion.
People will argue that this means there's going to be a bailout, but this isn't really a bailoutable thing. These data centers are funded by project financing, which means that the money is basically gone and the only way to "make them whole" would be to either buy out the debt or feed them revenues. While you could theoretically bail out these special purpose vehicles (SPVs), doing so would be to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars and be political cancer.
I also fundamentally believe that Oracle gets killed by OpenAI. Its revenues have been stagnating for 20 years, and the only way it's kept its head above water is $85bn+ in acquisitions, and even then, that's just kept things flat. Its bets on AI data centers – $340bn+ with hundreds of billions in debt – require OpenAI to become the largest, most-profitable company in the world by 2030, or Oracle runs out of money. Good luck on that one Larry.
The actual contagion from the collapse will be widespread. The TWSE is heavily reliant on Taiwanese ODMs like Quanta and Hon Hai (Foxconn) who have seen their revenues boosted by selling AI servers. While I don't think it kills these companies (especially as Hon Hai makes so much from Apple), it will cut their stock price, which will in turn cut the livelihoods of those investing. The same goes for Korean investors on the KOSPI, and eventually American investors in the various hyperscalers and semiconductor companies that are running entirely because of the AI bubble.
It all really sucks.
One of OpenAI's "Stargate" data centers (image credit: OpenAI)
Hyperscalers building out data centers have hoovered up so much of the world's memory supply that DRAM prices have roughly doubled this year. Tim Cook has called Apple's recent price increases "unavoidable" – Macs and iPads are already up, and iPhone models are expected to follow soon. It seems the clearest sign yet that the bubble's costs are being passed onto ordinary consumers. If the buildout is as speculative as you say, are people basically paying more for hardware to subsidise data centers that may never turn a profit?
I don't think any of them turn a profit, no.
Hyperscalers have spent over $1 trillion in capex since 2022. If we assume that even half of that is AI data centers, they need to make over $1.5 trillion in brand spanking new profit, not revenue, but actual profit, to justify any of these expenditures.
And yes, we are all paying more for stuff for effectively no reason other than that everybody in big tech has gone insane and wants to build as many data centers as possible. I wrote about this in the Hater's Guide To The Memory Crisis.
The hyperscalers are collectively spending north of $650 billion on AI infrastructure this year, whereas Apple is spending about $14 billion. It's as if Cupertino is treating AI as a commodity by paying Google around a billion a year for Gemini to run Siri and doing what it can on-device. The company was previously said to be dangerously behind on AI. That no longer seems to be the case, but at the same time, is it really more savvy to be renting a dependency on the very companies you say can't survive?
So, I think Apple Intelligence was both the worst and best thing to happen to Apple as far as the AI bubble goes.
It was a mass-radicalization of its users against AI – an attempt to cram a barely-functional series of add-ons that nobody asked for in the most-obtrusive way possible, with summaries that were almost immediately turned into memes and a new Siri that was, somehow, even worse than the old Siri.
And I think that told Apple to pump the brakes. It's barely spent anything on capex. It's barely done anything with AI. Despite headline after headline claiming it's "falling behind," nobody can really explain what it is it's falling behind on or why it matters. People hate Apple Intelligence, and I think Apple knows that, and so they're going to jingle the keys for the markets by putting "AI" on stuff without ever really putting their back into it.
If the bubble deflates the way you expect (write-downs, too much compute supply, possibly OpenAI cratering), can you walk us through what that would actually look like for Apple? Does anything break for iPhone users, or does Apple mostly watch it happen from the sidelines? Could it even benefit Apple?
I think things would look much the same for Apple. I think they will sit on the sidelines and watch everything burn. I could see them doing some choice acquisitions as things begin to collapse, but I could also see them do nothing.
I think Apple is in a very weird place at the moment. The Vision Pro was a dud, but it was also the most interesting and future-forward thing I've seen anyone put out in a while. If they were smart, they'd tread water and sink as much money into making that as small as humanely possible – no matter how long it takes – because the entire AI bubble is a result of everybody running out of hypergrowth ideas, mostly because we're flat out of new interfaces.
I want to be clear that what they want to do with the Vision Pro requires it to basically be weightless and invisible and never need adjustments. When it works, it's genuinely awesome. But that's a load-bearing when. One slight movement means the whole thing goes out of focus. I can't even use mine anymore because it needs an update that requires you to wear the thing the whole time. So much promise, released too early, shoved out the door by a CEO on his way out.
AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss plans for the iPad and Apple Watch will be available starting Tuesday, August 4 in four additional countries, including Australia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
These plans provide coverage for up to two incidents of theft or loss every 12 months, with each incident subject to a service fee.
AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss was already available for the iPhone in these countries. In the U.K., for example, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for an iPhone 17 Pro costs £11.99 per month or £239 upfront. If the iPhone were to be lost or stolen, you would be required to pay an additional service fee of £109 per incident.
The standard AppleCare+ benefits are included with the Theft and Loss plans too, including repairs for accidental damage and 24/7 priority tech support.
Apple today announced that AppleCare One will be available in Australia, France, Germany, and the U.K. starting Tuesday, August 4.
Introduced in the U.S. last year, AppleCare One covers up to three devices as part of a single monthly subscription, and the total cost can be lower than multiple AppleCare+ plans. In the U.K., for example, Apple says customers can save up to £11.48 per month compared to paying for three separate AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss plans.
AppleCare One includes all AppleCare+ benefits, including unlimited repairs for accidental damage subject to a fee per incident, 24/7 priority tech support, and theft and loss protection for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Depending on the country, customers can sign up for AppleCare One on Apple.com or at an Apple Store. Those who already have an AppleCare+ plan can also sign up directly in the Settings app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Existing devices that are up to four years old can be added to an AppleCare One plan, provided they are in good condition. A diagnostic check may be required. Additional devices beyond the three included can be added to the plan for an additional cost per month, per device, with most of the various fees outlined below.
Apple is facing a new lawsuit from three customers who allegedly lost a combined $1.8 million after falling victim to a fake Bitcoin wallet app in the App Store, according to a complaint filed in California federal court on Friday.
The complaint alleges that Apple violated California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act and other laws by failing to adequately review and monitor apps distributed through the App Store, despite marketing it as "a safe and trusted place to discover and download apps." Due to these assurances in Apple's marketing, the complaint said the plaintiffs trusted that a Sparrow Wallet app they downloaded from the App Store on iOS was legitimate, when in reality it was a fraudulent spoof designed to steal Bitcoin from users.
Sparrow Wallet is only available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The popular Bitcoin wallet is not available on iOS, but scammers have released fake lookalike apps in the App Store that can trick users into giving up control of their funds.
"Users found their accounts had been wiped out and their cryptocurrency assets transferred to the scammers' private wallets," the complaint says. "This fraud succeeded precisely because Apple exploited the consumer trust it had deliberately cultivated through more than a decade of marketing the App Store as a uniquely safe and trusted environment."
The plaintiffs James Ramirez, Christopher Ellis, and Jalen Delgado had Bitcoin amounts that were worth approximately $875,000, $840,000, and $120,000 respectively stolen via the app from May to August of 2025, according to the complaint.
Even when victims reported fraud, the lawsuit alleges that Apple often took little to no action, and it says other fake Sparrow apps remain in the App Store.
Sparrow Wallet developer Craig Raw has publicly addressed Apple's slow response to multiple fake versions of his app appearing in the App Store. In a January 2024 social media post, for example, he said "there is still a scam 'Sparrow Wallet' app on the @Apple App Store, despite myself and others having reported it weeks ago."
Last month, Raw said his attempt at protecting users by submitting a "placeholder" app to the App Store that contained marketing screenshots stating that Sparrow Wallet is a desktop app only resulted in his Apple Developer account being flagged for termination due to "dishonest activity." Apple later reversed this decision.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages, including reimbursement of all funds wrongfully lost through the fraudulent Sparrow Wallet app.
Update — July 27 at 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time: In response to our request for comment, Apple said it has taken swift action to remove any apps impersonating Sparrow Wallet on the App Store and to terminate developer accounts associated with those apps.
Apple said developers who suspect that content available on an Apple service infringes on their intellectual property rights can submit a dispute form to Apple's legal department, and customers can report App Store scams or frauds too. Apple says it takes immediate action against apps that do not comply with its guidelines.
Apple previously announced that it terminated 193,000 developer accounts over fraud concerns and prevented over $2.2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2025.
Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone is expected to arrive in the fall of 2027 with the most significant design overhaul the device has seen since the iPhone X.
In many ways, the device is expected to repeat the story of the iPhone X, which marked the device's 10th anniversary in 2017 by dropping the Home button and introducing an edge-to-edge display. The 2027 model is rumored to overhaul the design language that has defined the iPhone ever since, and will likely set the template for the years that follow. The device is highly likely to launch in the fall of 2027 alongside the second generation foldable iPhone.
All-Glass Design With Curved Display
Glass is at the center of the redesign. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman described a mostly glass, curved iPhone without any cutouts in the display, with a return to a glass back and curved glass that wraps around all four edges of the device. It would be the clearest expression yet of former design chief Jony Ive's ambition for an iPhone that resembles a single slab of glass. Facilities in Apple's supply chain have reportedly completed renovations ahead of production, with build quality said to be comparable to that of the first-generation iPhone Air.
Rather than the aggressive "waterfall" edges that Samsung used on its Galaxy phones for years, Apple is said to be seeking an equal-depth quad-curved panel that keeps the curve very shallow, using so-called "micro-curves" rather than a deep roll onto the sides. The gentler shape could make swipes from the edge of the display feel more natural, prevent distortion of on-screen content, and help the device feel softer in the hand.
The effect may rely on more than physical curvature alone. Leaker "Ice Universe" suggested it is unlike traditional quad-curved displays or the curved screens seen on Android phones, and could depend on a combination of optical refraction, light-guiding structures, and carefully engineered visual illusion to make the frame recede from view. Apple may reflect the theme in its branding, with one report claiming it could market the panel as a "Liquid Glass Display," echoing its current software design language. One unverified mock-up, shared by an account with an unproven track record, depicted a bezel of just 1.1mm around the display, compared to approximately 1.44mm on the iPhone 17 Pro.
No Dynamic Island?
The front of the device remains the most uncertain aspect of the design. Apple reportedly wants to achieve a front with no cutouts at all, moving both the Face ID system and the selfie camera beneath the display, with one report describing a "spliced micro-transparent glass" window that would let Face ID's infrared sensors pass through the panel. DSCC's Ross Young has said the technology is unlikely to be fully ready for 2027, however, and while Apple is still testing an under-screen camera, it seems likely that a small hole-punch or a reduced version of the smaller Dynamic Island expected on iPhone 18 Pro models could remain.
The frame is expected to be a thin polished band, though its material remains uncertain. Some rumors point to a departure from the aluminum used on Apple's current models, but leaker Fixed Focus Digital has pushed back on claims that Apple is preparing a return to titanium or a switch to Liquid Metal, arguing that aluminum remains the only practical choice for now given the heat generated by on-device AI processing. The same leaker has described aluminum as the material for "straight-edged" phones specifically, a distinction that leaves room for a different approach on the curved-edge anniversary model.
Haptic Buttons
Apple is also rumored to be revisiting solid-state haptic buttons for the device. The company is said to be reviving the long-shelved "Project Bongo" effort to replace the mechanical Side button, volume buttons, Action button, and Camera Control with haptic equivalents integrated into the frame, with zero physical movement when pressed.
Doing away with the physical openings that mechanical buttons require would suit a device intended to look like an unbroken piece of glass, and the buttons have reportedly passed tests for use with gloves, wet hands, extreme temperatures, and with a case fitted. An ultra-low energy microprocessor is said to keep them working even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out.
Apple currently plans to unveil its first smart glasses at WWDC 2027 next June, and privacy will be a focus, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
For the glasses, Apple is prototyping "a slew of new hardware and software-related privacy features" that are not available on current products, he said. He did not mention any specific features, but he noted that Apple's marketing will likely emphasize the privacy measures of its glasses compared to rival products like the Meta Ray-Bans.
In a world where some people are wary of being secretly recorded by camera-equipped glasses, Gurman said Apple has considered releasing smart glasses with cameras that assist with AI features, but lack photo and video recording capabilities. In fact, he said Apple has even prototyped smart glasses without a camera system entirely.
Still, the most likely outcome is that Apple's glasses will have cameras, but with the sort of privacy protections that the company is known for.
Like the Meta Ray-Bans, Apple's glasses would also have speakers and microphones for music, phone calls, and notifications announced by Siri.
Apple apparently aims to begin shipping the glasses to customers in late 2027.
In his newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that a new "Apple Upgrade" program is set to launch in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 28. Apple will stop accepting iPhone Upgrade Program sign-ups on the same day, but he said customers who are already enrolled will be able to remain in the program "for the time being."
Apple is partnering with buy-now, pay-later company Klarna on the program, he said.
The program will allow you to lease most iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models, with a 24-month term for iPhones and Apple Watches and a 36-month term for iPads and Macs. Customers will have various options, including returning their device after the term, upgrading to a newer device, paying a fee to keep the device, and so forth.
Some lower-priced devices, including the Apple Watch SE, the entry-level iPad, the iPhone 16, and the MacBook Neo, will not be eligible, he said.
Unlike the iPhone Upgrade Program, Apple Upgrade plans will apparently not include AppleCare+ coverage bundled into the monthly price.
Apple plans to advertise the program as a way to have lower monthly payments compared to current financing programs, according to the report, so it sounds like Apple Upgrade will be focused on leasing rather than traditional financing, and it will apparently replace the iPhone Upgrade Program for new purchases going forward.
While it was rumored that Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch Series 12, Gurman said he does not expect the Series 12 or Ultra 4 to have any major design changes compared to the current Series 11 and Ultra 3 models. Touch ID probably counts as a major design change, so the rumor now sounds increasingly unlikely.
Instead, he expects more ordinary changes, including faster performance and unspecified improvements to health and fitness tracking. The Series 11 and Ultra 3 both have an S10 chip that debuted in the Series 10 and Ultra 2, so the S11 chip or newer should provide the first Apple Watch performance improvements in years.
There will not be an Apple Watch SE 4 this year, he said.
Bigger changes are in the works for the Apple Watch, but he said they are unlikely to arrive for another year or two. Even further ahead, he added that Apple continues to develop a blood sugar detection feature with a goal of releasing it by 2030.
Apple's next iPad mini will apparently be the first iPad with a water-resistant design, and the tablet is now expected to arrive by October.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported last year that Apple is working on an updated casing that offers protection comparable to the iPhone, making the iPad mini safe for casual use in wet environments like a bathroom or a pool area. No iPad currently carries an official water resistance rating, and Apple does not consider the existing models safe to get wet.
To achieve this, Apple has reportedly designed a vibration-based speaker system that removes the need for traditional speaker holes. Sound would instead emit from flat surfaces on the tablet's chassis, effectively turning parts of the body into a speaker diaphragm and eliminating one of the main routes through which water and dust enter a device.
The approach differs from the method Apple uses on the iPhone, which relies on adhesives and gaskets to seal speaker openings and other ingress points. It is not yet known what IP rating the iPad mini will carry. The iPhone is rated IP68 and can withstand submersion in water up to six meters deep for 30 minutes.
Apple has been building toward the technology for some time. A 2014 patent from the company describes a "mechanically actuated panel acoustic system" that vibrates flat panels to generate sound, negating the need for speaker grilles altogether.
A sealed design would also close one of the everyday gaps between the iPad mini and dedicated e-readers. Devices like the Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Color are rated to survive immersion, and the ability to read in the bath or by the pool has long been one of the practical advantages they hold over Apple's smallest tablet.
Water resistance is one of at least four major changes expected this year. The switch to OLED will make the mini the second iPad line to adopt the technology after the iPad Pro, delivering higher contrast, true blacks, and better power efficiency than the LCD screen in the iPad mini 7. A Korean source claimed earlier this month that the panel is an 8.4-inch LTPS design clocked at 60Hz, which would rule out ProMotion.
Apple is also reportedly planning a "major processor leap" for the tablet. Code accidentally published by Apple pointed to the A19 Pro chip used in the iPhone Air, while other evidence in a macOS kernel debug kit suggests the device will use the unreleased A20 Pro.
Apple last updated the iPad mini in October 2024 with the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence support. The tablet now starts at $599 following the company's sweeping price increases in June, and Gurman previously suggested the OLED model could command up to $100 more, though that estimate predated the June rises.
We tracked a few solid deals on Apple devices this week, including savings across the entire AirPods lineup, a record low price on AirTag 2, and the best prices on Apple's A16 iPad since June. All of these deals are still available to purchase today, plus ongoing low prices on Apple Watch Series 11.
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.
AirPods
What's the deal? Save on AirPods 4, Pro 3, and Max 2
Amazon this week introduced solid deals across the full AirPods lineup, with up to $100 off these models. You can find discounts on the AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2 still available today.
Apple's AirTag 2 is available for the all-time low price of $89.00 this week, down from $99.00. This sale is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's a match of the record low price we last tracked during Prime Day.
Amazon this week is taking $50 off Wi-Fi models of Apple's 11th generation iPad. Prices start at $399.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $449.00. This is now the best price we've seen on the iPad since Apple's price hikes in June.
Apple Watch Series 11
What's the deal? Take $100 off Apple Watch Series 11
Amazon this week has low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes a handful of 42mm and 46mm GPS aluminum models, but cellular devices are a bit more rare this time around.
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.
Deals Newsletter
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It's been another busy week in the Apple world, led by word that the company is preparing to launch a new device leasing and financing program as it has raised some more prices including on Apple Music subscriptions.
This week also saw a fresh round of beta releases for iOS 27 and related updates, details on roughly a dozen new Macs under development, and more, so read on below for all of the details!
Top Stories
'Apple Upgrade' Program Reportedly Launching Next Week
Apple and Klarna are partnering on a new "Apple Upgrade" leasing program set to launch in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The program will allow you to finance most iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models, with a 24-month term for iPhones and Apple Watches and a 36-month term for iPads and Macs. Customers will be able to pay off the device early during the term, upgrade early to a newer device, or keep or return the existing device after the term.
The plans come amid a Mac resurgence, with sales projected to climb for a third consecutive year, partly thanks to a growing following among users who lean on the machines for demanding, agent-based AI workloads.
Since iOS 26, a malfunctioning iPhone has been able to boot itself into Recovery Assistant, with no Mac or PC required. However, you could only get there if your device failed to start up and dropped into recovery on its own.
The new recovery mode lets you troubleshoot, update, or erase your device without necessarily plugging it into anything. It can connect automatically to a known Wi-Fi network, and it shows your battery percentage in the corner of the screen. Check out our guide to see how to access recovery mode and what the various options it offers can do.
Hands-On With Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8, the Closest Thing Yet to a Foldable iPhone
Amid the ongoing wait for Apple's first foldable iPhone expected in just a few months, Samsung this week introduced the Galaxy Z Fold8, which adopts a very similar form factor to what we're expecting for Apple's device.
Samsung's Z Fold8 has a 7.6-inch display when open and a 5.5-inch display when closed, and it has a passport-style form factor, so it's wider and more square than prior Samsung foldables.
The aspect ratio of the unfolded Z Fold8 makes it feel similar to using an iPad mini, which feels more natural than using taller foldables. It's a size that's perfect for watching videos or running two apps side by side. The Z Fold8 gives us a pretty clear look at what the Apple foldable will look like and what it will feel like to use.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Apple's first high-end MacBook redesign in five years is expected to arrive in the near future, bringing a run of firsts to the Mac.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the laptop to arrive between late 2026 and early 2027, with the later window now looking more likely owing to the global memory chip shortage. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects mass production to begin by late 2026.
Apple last redesigned the MacBook Pro in 2021 with the M1 Pro and M1 Max models, so this would be its first new high-end laptop design in at least five years. Here is everything rumored about the device so far:
"MacBook Ultra" branding: Apple has reportedly decided to market two new "Ultra" products over the next year, the foldable iPhone and this laptop, which would establish a tier above the MacBook Pro for the first time. The name is not confirmed and Apple theoretically could still use "MacBook Pro" branding, but for now, "MacBook Ultra" seems highly likely.
OLED display: The MacBook Ultra is expected to be the first Mac with an OLED display, replacing the mini-LED backlighting used in current MacBook Pro models. It should deliver richer colors, a higher contrast ratio with true blacks, greater brightness, and improved power efficiency, since individual pixels switch off rather than dim. The laptop will reportedly use hybrid OLED technology combining an oxide TFT backplane with a tandem two-stack OLED structure, the same approach used in the iPad Pro, offering a longer panel lifespan.
Touch screen: The device is expected to be the first Mac to support touch input directly on the display, ending years of Apple resistance to the idea. Kuo first claimed the panel would support touch, Gurman corroborated it, and the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" says the feature is now confirmed. Apple is apparently not positioning the machine as a touch-first device like the iPad, instead letting customers move between touch, trackpad, and keyboard interchangeably, in what Gurman describes as "touch-friendly, not touch-first." The laptop is said to remain a conventional clamshell, with the keyboard and trackpad retained and no detachable or convertible design.
Touch-optimized macOS: Apple is reportedly reworking macOS so that controls adapt to the input method being used. Tapping a menu bar item would apparently surface a larger set of touch-optimized controls, and the system is said to gain iPad-style gestures including pinch-to-zoom and fast scrolling. Touch-based options would be integrated throughout the operating system rather than confined to a handful of apps.
Reinforced hinge: Apple likely plans to add a reinforced hinge so the display does not wobble when it is tapped. The current MacBook Pro hinge moves easily and does not tilt especially far back, both of which could be a problem on a machine designed to be prodded.
Hole-punch camera: The "notch" is expected to disappear, replaced by a far smaller hole-punch camera at the top of the display. The change was first indicated by a roadmap from research firm Omdia and has since been corroborated by Bloomberg. Losing the notch would add visible screen area and free up the menu bar space it currently intrudes upon, taking the design a step closer to an uninterrupted, edge-to-edge display.
Dynamic Island: The cutout is expected to digitally expand into an iPhone-style Dynamic Island. It would be interactive and expand contextually based on the app or Mac feature in use, surfacing items such as Siri, low battery alerts, and AirPods connection indicators in the area surrounding the camera.
M5 Pro and M5 Max chips: The laptop is now expected to ship with the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips already found in the current MacBook Pro, rather than the "M6 Pro" and "M6 Max." Apple has apparently scrapped the M6 Pro and M6 Max altogether, accelerating instead to M7 Pro and M7 Max chips said to be optimized for intensive AI workloads with upgraded neural accelerators, graphics improvements, and increased memory bandwidth. A second-generation model with those chips is reportedly planned for late 2027.
Thinner design: The MacBook Ultra is expected to be noticeably thinner and lighter than the current MacBook Pro. Moving away from mini-LED backlighting should itself help slim down the lid. There has so far been no indication that Apple intends to remove ports such as HDMI, MagSafe, or the SD card slot to achieve it, which was a deeply unpopular decision the last time around.
Two display sizes: The laptop is expected to be offered in both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, mirroring the current MacBook Pro lineup, with the two models reportedly code-named K114 and K116.
Slimmer bezels: Research firm Omdia claims Samsung Display will supply 14.3-inch and 16.3-inch panels, marginally larger than the 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch screens on current models, which would suggest thinner bezels around a slightly bigger display. A February report from Bloomberg indicated that overall screen sizes are not expected to change compared to the MacBook Pro.
Built-in cellular: Apple has reportedly at least considered built-in cellular connectivity for future Macs, which would be a first for the platform. If the plan goes ahead, the MacBook Ultra would likely use Apple's existing C1X modem or its next-generation C2 modem for 5G and LTE. This is seemingly the most uncertain feature on this list.
There are already signs of the touchscreen MacBook in Apple's software. macOS 27 Golden Gate hints at the machine in at least three ways: it adds direct touch input to Sidecar, allowing users to tap and interact with macOS elements with a finger on an iPad; it introduces iPhone-style pull-to-refresh across apps including Safari, Mail, News, Podcasts, and Calendar; and its new "Search or Ask" Siri interface in Spotlight adopts a dark, pill-shaped design that would sit naturally around a Dynamic Island.
There is some awkwardness for buyers. The first MacBook Ultra looks set to pair Apple's most ambitious Mac redesign in years with silicon that has already been on sale for months, but a successor with much more advanced chips could follow less than a year later.
Pricing is the remaining unknown, but it is likely to be high. Apple raised prices across its Mac lineup in June, and the 14-inch MacBook Pro now starts at $1,999, rising to $2,499 with the M5 Pro chip, while the 16-inch model starts at $2,999. The MacBook Ultra is expected to sit above all of them.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a ~5.5-inch outer display and a ~7.8-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.
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