MacBook Neo is still only a few months old, but it’s been a big hit for Apple. And rumors say its successor is coming next year, with MacBook Neo 2 getting the key upgrade it needs most: more RAM.

OpenAI is previewing a new way to run its most capable GPT-5.6 model at dramatically higher speeds. The company says its new Ultrafast service tier can run GPT-5.6 Sol up to 14 times faster than standard processing.

The 25% price drop on AirPods Pro 3 down at one of the best prices to date is still live, but today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is starting off with these M5 MacBook Air configs at $270 off courtesy of the official Apple Certified Refurbished Store and these 46mm Apple Watch Series 11 Cell models at $100 off. We also have the first discount on the new Schlage Home Key Sense Pro lock with Ultra Wideband, a return Amazon all-time low on Hyper’s 2026 120Gbps Thunderbolt 5 Dock with SSD enclosure for Mac, and some seriously deep clearance deals on Nomad’s leather and Sport iPhone 17 Pro/Max cases from $17. Scope it all out below. 

Apple’s big September event is almost here, and the company has three new iPhone models set to launch: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra. Here’s what to expect.

The very first Samsung Galaxy Fold launched back in 2019 proved so vulnerable to screen damage by dust and dirt ingress that the company cancelled all pre-orders for the device. Eight generations later, we’re today learning that the issue still hasn’t been fixed.

Ensuring that the iPhone Ultra did not share this vulnerability has reportedly been one of the reasons Apple waited so long before launching its own folding phone. We should know how well Apple has succeeded within minutes of next month’s launch …

While my preferred way to use an iPhone is with no case or screen protector, I’m actually enjoying both on iPhone 17 Pro and can recommend them. They’re inexpensive enough to try without committing for a year or more.

Apple TV 4K is finally expected to get its first hardware refresh in nearly four years. If the latest reports are right, Apple’s next streaming box could arrive this fall with a much faster chip, possibly the new Siri, upgraded wireless connectivity, and more.

Here is everything we currently know about the next Apple TV 4K.

iOS 27 is packed with new features for Apple’s Photos app, including two that have long been on many users’ wish lists: full-featured slideshow creation and upgraded iCloud Shared Albums.

I today discovered a feature tucked away in the System Settings app that I never knew existed: you can set different default languages for individual Mac apps. If you already knew this, then there’s nothing to see here, move right along. But otherwise, this is how it does (and doesn’t) work …

iPhone Ultra’s unveiling is only a few weeks away, and a new report claims the initial rollout could be extremely limited, including being US-only at launch.

Jeff Johnson, developer of the popular StopTheMadness Safari extension, has said that “obvious” App Store ratings fraud is going undetected by Apple despite the company’s claims to review listings.

He said that although he doesn’t go proactively looking for App Store fraud, he does encounter it rather frequently, citing the latest example …

The Apple store in the Oracle Shopping Centre in Reading, UK, is being moved to a new location with a completely new design in December.

Ahead of this, Apple Festival Place store in Basingstoke will be closing in November, leaving the company with 38 retail stores in the UK …

Marketed as a streaming service of originals, the Apple TV streaming service has been slowly growing its catalog of exclusive TV shows and movies. But Apple has just complemented its offering with a bunch of classic movies to stream with your subscription at no extra charge.

It’s currently not clear if this new initiative is intended to be permanent, or a limited time promotion. The service experimented with something similar a few years ago, but it didn’t last too long.

Today, Apple TV published the trailer for the fifth season of Stillwater, the platform’s Peabody and Emmy Award-winning mindfulness series. Watch it below.

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

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The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has been pursuing content deals worth up to nine figures to improve Siri AI’s access to current news and information. Here are the details.

As WhatsApp approaches the official rollout of usernames, the app now lets users save a contact’s username alongside their name and phone number. Here are the details.

The Supreme Court has granted Apple a 24-hour extension to a California court deadline requiring the company to propose what commission, if any, it should be allowed to charge on purchases made outside the App Store. Here are the details.

A new Counterpoint Research report says pricing pressure from rising memory costs squeezed the low-end US smartphone segment in Q2 2026, with smaller manufacturers hit particularly hard as larger brands were better able to absorb component cost increases. Here are the details.

Claude is turning its Chrome side panel into a full Cowork session, allowing browser-based tasks and conversations to follow users across Claude’s other apps.

An Apple billboard showing a toddler holding an iPhone has drawn criticism in Italy, prompting the country’s children’s rights watchdog to refer the ad to three regulators for review. Here are the details.

watchOS 27 is the next major software update for Apple Watch, and among its variety of new features, it will add two new apps to your Watch.

Ted Lasso has returned (watch here) for a highly anticipated fourth season, and Apple TV exec Eddy Cue has now hinted that the show has a long and bright future ahead beyond this season.

Apple regularly rolls out new features for Apple Wallet, and a future upgrade could center on trade-ins. Code also suggests Apple may extend how long trade-in quotes stay valid, from 14 days to 90.

The official MLB app for iPhone is rolling out a useful update for fans who want to follow more games. Both the CarPlay app and Live Activity experience has improved in a few ways.

If you use an Apple Watch with cardio equipment, GymKit should be on your radar. It’s the best way for Apple Watch and a fitness machine like a treadmill or elliptical to exchange workout data, producing more accurate measurements than either device can provide alone.

Apple introduced GymKit with watchOS 4 in 2017, but compatible equipment has remained surprisingly difficult to find. The good news is that, nearly a decade later, you no longer need to spend around $15,000 on a GymKit treadmill.

Instead, you can spend around $1,000 on an excellent home treadmill that works with Apple Watch. I’ve been testing the BowFlex T6 treadmill this summer, and its combination of GymKit support, approachable pricing, and dial controls makes it easy to recommend.

iPhone 18 Pro is being unveiled in mere weeks, and due to a lineup overhaul this year, it’s set to become Apple’s new default model like never before.

iPhone Ultra will be unveiled next month, and a new leak indicates the device’s front cameras could be positioned in unusual spots.

Apple has hired a new vice president of government affairs. Bloomberg today reports that Nate Gatten, a veteran executive from American Airlines, will take over the role on August 31.

Raycast has a new feature called Screen Awareness, which lets users bring context from their active app or window directly into AI Chat. Here are the details.

SpaceXAI seems to be in the process of repairing Grok’s reputation. From the recent Cursor acquisition to yesterday’s Grok Bot agent release, the company is getting more serious about its models. Today’s Grok 4.6 release builds on that effort with what SpaceXAI says is intelligence comparable to OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Sol and Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5.

Amazon is still offering one of the best prices ever on AirPods Pro 3 down at nearly 25% off the list, and likely not for much longer. But today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by some big-time offers on the (nearly 35% off) and the ongoing 2026 Best Buy Back to School sale loaded with thousands of price drops on a giant list of product categories. Details await below. 

iOS 27 introduces a variety of new Home Screen widgets for apps, and Apple Calendar gets my standout favorite. Here are the details.

As Apple battles ongoing supply constraints, availability of the MacBook Air is dwindling quickly. Here are the latest details on MacBook Air shortages across Apple and third-party retail partners.

While the actual Made by Google 2026 event isn’t happening for another eight hours, Google has fully detailed the Pixel 11, Pixel Watch 5, and Pixel Tag.

Pluribus became an instant hit when it premiered on Apple TV last year. And creator Vince Gilligan just shared an exciting update on the progress of Pluribus season 2, and when it might return.

Apple Watch includes a built-in sleep tracking feature. Just wear your Apple Watch to bed, and it works automatically. No need to install apps or enter a special mode.

watchOS 26 takes sleep tracking further with Apple’s sleep score feature. Sleep score is a great way to visualize the quality of your sleep from night to night. There’s one setting in particular that has made sleep score especially useful for me.

Apple’s base model iPhone 18 won’t launch until early 2027, but when it arrives, it could pack two new Pro-level upgrades.

As Apple’s lead iPhone assembler, contract manufacturing company Foxconn long made more than half of its revenue from the Cupertino company.

As of the last quarter, however, that proportion fell to below 29%, and the company says the shift is going to be permanent – leaving investors concerned …

This week has seen conflicting reports on whether or not Apple has given up on its plan to launch a radical new iPhone design next year, which I’ll refer to as the iPhone 20 Pro for now.

An Apple analyst claimed that the company had found the task too challenging, while Bloomberg quickly said this isn’t true and that the design is on track to launch in 2027. Today sees new support for the latter view …

iOS 27 Beta 5 includes references to an upcoming new feature to allow Apple to authenticate iPhone photos.

Not many iPhone users will need to use this for reasons we’ll get to in a moment, but the move is just the start …

Parents are being urged to revisit the screen time limits they impose on their kids when they head back to school. It says stressed parents may take a more relaxed attitude to screen time during the summer break, and this can prove seriously detrimental to their children once the new school term begins.

Additionally, experts say that the two hours a day limit previously recommended is now outdated, and parents should take a more sophisticated approach based on “the 5 Cs” …

Apple TV subscribers can now stream the first episode of the new season of Women in Blue (Las Azules). Here’s what to expect from the season.

Microsoft’s latest Edge Canary build has added new flags for signing in to the browser with an Apple Account, while Microsoft’s release notes indicate the feature is also rolling out to Edge Beta users. Here are the details.

Eligible students, parents of students, and educators in the United States just got a few extra weeks to claim Apple’s 2026 Back to School deals on select Macs and iPads. Here are the details.

A new report from Sensor Tower shows that non-gaming apps continued to drive global mobile spending growth in Q2 2026 across iOS and Android, while gaming revenue declined 4.5% year over year. Here are the details.

iPhone 18 Pro is just a few weeks away, and rumors indicate it could bring an especially noteworthy batch of camera upgrades. Here are the three main camera features currently rumored.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has rejected Apple’s request to pause the App Store fee proceedings pending the Supreme Court’s review of the company’s contempt ruling. Here are the details.

Apple is rumored to use ‘iPhone Ultra’ branding for its upcoming foldable model, and Mark Gurman says that is indeed the name widely used within the company’s ranks.

Apple is among companies in talks to acquire US rights to golf’s Open Championship, according to a new report from the Guardian. Netflix and Amazon are also expected to be interested in the rights.

Apple released iOS 27 public beta 3 today, and now new beta firmware has also arrived for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and more.

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

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Apple’s head of Apple Pay and Wallet is retiring in October, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Jennifer Bailey joined Apple in the early 2000s and has served as vice president of Apple Pay since 2014.

iOS 27 beta 5 released yesterday, and alongside redesigned app icons and new Siri AI voice options, the update also lets you make Liquid Glass more transparent than ever.

A new leak reveals that one of Apple Watch’s most popular watch faces—Modular—is set to gain a variety of new color customization options in watchOS 27. Here are the details.

Users enrolled in Apple’s public beta program can now install macOS 27 Golden Gate public beta 3. Here’s what’s new in the system.

One day after shipping beta 5 for developers, Apple has just released public beta 3 for iPadOS 27 and several other OS 27 updates.

The third iOS 27 public beta is now available for iPhone. It gives users an early chance to try Apple’s biggest software update of the year.

Siri AI is the headline feature. The release also includes a redesigned Screen Time experience, Liquid Glass refinements, performance upgrades, and dozens of quality-of-life changes.

Here’s how to install the beta, what’s new, and which features you should try first.

Two years ago, Sonos made the leap from wireless speakers to over-ear headphones. Now it sounds like Sonos is preparing a more premium, AI-infused encore.

SpaceXAI and Cursor are in the process of becoming a single company, but first, the two firms are releasing an all-new iPhone and Mac app called Grok Bot.

If you’re still looking to land a set of AirPods Pro 3, Amazon’s particularly notable 25% price drop is still flying, but we are kicking off today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break with another chance to score all AirPods Max 2 back at $100 off and this 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro at $300 off. We also have Anker’s latest Prime Qi2 25W MagSafe Car Charger Mount at 25% off, and the ongoing Best Buy Back to School sale with loads of deals on tech, dorm gear, smart home, and more. Scope it out below. 

iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone Ultra? That’s the decision upgraders will face next month. Here are two iPhone Ultra features that ‘Pro’ users should really love.

Today Apple TV released the trailer for Last Seen, a new thriller series that will kick off the streamer’s fall lineup next month.

After a major Madden NFL 27 release in August, Apple Arcade is adding “two beloved puzzlers” to the ad-free platform in September.

A Zoom vulnerability discovered with the help of an AI tool gave an attacker the ability to remotely execute code on whatever device a meeting participant was using, including both iPhone and Mac …

iOS 27 beta 5 arrived this week, and it includes confirmation of something Apple has hinted before: paying for higher iCloud+ tiers unlocks more access to Apple Intelligence features.

Yesterday saw two conflicting reports about next year’s 20th anniversary iPhone, said to embody Apple’s long-term vision of “a single slab of glass.”

There have already been contradictory reports about exactly what we should expect, but yesterday’s disagreement was the biggest yet …

Apple released iOS 27 beta 5 yesterday, with changes including new app icons and Spotlight design tweaks. As it turns out, the update also includes references to all the new iPhone models expected to be released over the next six to eight months.

Security researchers last week revealed a flaw in Apple’s iCloud Private Relay feature. While this is supposed to protect your IP address from the websites you visit, a vulnerability means that it often fails to do so.

Any time there’s a problem with an Apple product or service, a class action lawsuit is sure to follow, and this is no exception …

One of Apple’s proposed solutions – or at least mitigations – for the memory shortage was to buy RAM from two Chinese companies, CXMT and YMTC.

While it was not technically banned from doing so, this would have put it into conflict with the US government, and the idea is now looking even less likely thanks to two developments …

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In this episode of Apple @ Work, I go solo as I talk through the good and bad of ChromeOS and macOS deployments after spending a lot of time with each.

Following reports that Apple had scrapped its long-rumored all-glass iPhone planned for the device’s 20th anniversary, Bloomberg says the redesign remains on track for next year’s Pro models. Here are the details.

Jefferies today became the latest firm to cut Apple’s stock price target in recent days, citing supply chain checks that suggest Apple has scrapped plans for a rumored all-glass iPhone expected to mark the device’s 20th anniversary next year. Here are the details.

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

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Apple has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) last year. Here are the details.

ChatGPT users can now book restaurant reservations and join waitlists through Yelp without leaving their chats. Here are the details.

While WhatsApp has long offered a search option in the chat info screen, the app is now working on a faster way to access it directly from a conversation. Here are the details.

There are tons of MagSafe battery variations, and I may own most of them. The new TESSAN AERO 5000 caught my eye because it’s really thin and has a titanium finish. It also uses a new battery technology to reduce heat and improve overall safety. After reviewing the entire spec sheet, I think this might be one of the more interesting MagSafe batteries hitting the market this year, and I can’t wait to get my hands on one.

Apple TV confirmed today that it has picked up Alfonso Cuarón’s Ascension series, marking his second collaboration with the platform. Here are the details.

The official Apple Certified Refurbished Store is a particularly compelling resource for landing great offers on iPhone, MacBook, Studio Display, Apple TV, and even accessories. This is not some guy in his basement shilling iPhones that fell off a truck at a discount, or some third-party selling refurbs of questionable quality, but rather, units with an official Cupertino seal of approval that have passed Apple’s “rigorous refurbishment process” and, perhaps most importantly, often times at lower prices than retail.

The 9to5Mac team has been saving hundreds on Apple’s official renewed storefront for years, actively tracking stock, prices, and new additions everyday of the week, and we are ready to share our top picks with everyone.

References included in iOS 27 beta 5 point to a new feature designed to authenticate the camera source of an iPhone photo. Here are the details.

AirTag 2 launched this year with upgrades to range, a louder speaker, and more. But one key feature didn’t improve: battery life. Fortunately, there’s an add-on accessory that extends AirTag 2’s roughly one year of battery life to 10 years or more.

Apple released iOS 27 beta 5 today, giving developer beta testers the next preview update since iOS 27 debuted at WWDC. Developers can download the new beta now.

iOS 27 is a major iPhone update centered around Siri AI, Apple Intelligence, Liquid Glass refinements, and a long list of quality-of-life changes. Here’s what we’ve found so far in iOS 27 beta 5.

iOS 27 beta 5 has further expanded the new Siri voice customization options. In earlier betas, the new Pace and Expressivity sliders were only available for the two newly-introduced Siri voices that have an American accent.

But now, the customization is available for any American voice, and all of the existing British accent voices as well …

Apple released iOS 27 beta 5 today after an unusually long three-week wait, and the update comes with brand new app icons for the Siri app, Safari, and more.

Today Apple released beta 5 for iOS 27 and companion updates, but the company also shipped a surprise second wave of betas, for iOS 26.6.1, macOS 26.6.2 and more.

Following an unusually long three-week wait, new beta updates are rolling out now for developers, including iPadOS 27 beta 5 and more. Here are the details.

Continuing Apple’s beta rollouts ahead of the official launch of macOS 27 Golden Gate later this year, Apple has now released the fifth beta of the OS to developers. Here’s what to expect.

Apple has released the fifth iOS 27 beta for developer testing. iOS 27 beta 5 continues Apple’s summer beta cycle ahead of a public release next month. We’ll update our devices and share what we discover.

iOS 27 is packed with a wide array of new features for iPhone, including in Apple Maps. Here’s everything new for Apple Maps in iOS 27.

Meta is on a roll with new iPhone app releases this summer. The latest is called Facebook Creator Studio.

Last week’s special deal price on AirPods Pro 3 at nearly 25% off is still live, and perhaps not for much longer, and we also spotted the Matte Black Beats Solo Buds down as low as $41. But today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by the official Apple refurb store offering the most affordable M5 MacBook Pro at $300 off alongside new condition Apple Watch Series 11 models at $100 off and some rare discounts on Apple Sport Bands and Loops. From there we move over to return all-time low pricing on Anker’s latest 3-in-1 Qi2 25W foldable MagSafe Charging Station and 45W Nano Smart Display charger, joined by Best Buy’s updated Back to School sale. Scope it all out below. 

Apple is making another foray into live Apple Immersive content for Apple Vision Pro. The company has announced that it will stream four upcoming Friday Night Baseball games in Apple Immersive video for Apple Vision Pro.

Rumors have long indicated that Apple is working on an all-glass new iPhone design for the 20th anniversary next year. But an analyst from Jefferies believes that device is no longer moving forward.

Last year iPhone 17 Pro’s Cosmic Orange color proved an instant hit, but rumors indicate it’s being replaced in iPhone 18 Pro by a new burgundy. Here’s what to expect, per a new leak.

We’re one month out from Apple’s big September event, and a new Bloomberg report outlines eight new products likely to be announced.

Apple has revealed how the new Siri AI features will work for users in China. The new AI features will be powered by Alibaba’s Qwen models.

While the iPhone maker is partnering with Google for access to its Gemini models in most countries, the Chinese government requires Apple to instead partner with a local AI company …

One of the most annoying elements of the iPhone user interface is the guessing game we have to play when changing settings for an app.

Some of the time we open the app itself and go to its built-in settings menu. Other times we have to exit the app and open the completely separate Apple Settings app, which is a clunky experience to say the least (though a free shortcut helps) …

A Bloomberg report yesterday suggested that we could see a pretty dramatic shake-up in a future Apple Watch lineup.

In particular, it suggested that the company was exploring the possibility of one or more models with a round rather than square form factor …

A new TrendForce analysis estimates that Apple will pay 38% more for iPhone 18 Pro components than it did for its predecessor. Unsurprisingly, the biggest hike is in the cost of memory, with Apple said to be paying around three times more this year.

However, the firm’s analysis supports my own view that this year’s increase in price will not be as high as some have suggested …