The Wall Street Journal reports that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has urged Apple not to turn to Chinese memory chips as the company looks for alternatives to alleviate the ongoing global supply shortage. Here are the details.

New references in the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS suggest users may soon be able to replace the app’s standard set of emoji reactions with their own selection. Here are the details.

Apple has expanded its Certified Refurbished Store this week with a handful of new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro configurations. It also includes unique iPhone 16 Plus models, Apple Watch, and more.

ChatGPT is rolling out a deeper integration with Google Drive, allowing users to add Google Drive files to their ChatGPT Library and edit documents without leaving the chat. Here are the details.

9to5Mac is brought to you by Memoket: The Memoket Gem is an 11g AI wearable that slots beside your Apple Watch in a co-wear band. Press once to capture a conversation, and Gem connects it to what you discussed weeks ago — surfacing the earlier thread with a source link. From $179, shipping August 2026.

Nearly four years into the latest AI boom sparked by ChatGPT, here are the tools that have actually stuck and make my life, work, and personal projects much easier on my Mac.

Tim Cook has entered his final weeks as Apple CEO, with John Ternus set to take over on September 1.

In an interview with CBS News this week, Cook reflected on his “legacy” as Apple CEO.

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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iPhone 18 Pro will be unveiled soon, and rumors indicate the Pro Max model could have unique advantages this year in a key area or two. Here’s what to expect.

Apple has replaced a billboard in Milan that showed a toddler holding an iPhone, as part of its newest “Relax, it’s iPhone” campaign. Here are the details.

Apple TV just added a bunch of classic movies for subscribers, and the move comes just ahead of an especially film-heavy fall lineup for the streamer.

The ideal command center for your smart home is simple: take an old iPad, mount it somewhere central, and give it one job. Dashboard for your home is the really great Apple Home app that solves this problem. Cameras, thermostats, lights, local weather, and your calendar all on a single screen.

Claude Code auto mode has become the default permission setting for users starting today.

Sessions for Pro, Max, and Team users now use it unless a user or administrator has pinned another setting.

Earlier this year, I replaced my battery-powered push mower with an iPhone-controlled robot lawn mower. That machine creates a virtual map by letting you manually steer it around the perimeter of your yard. Once everything is configured, it takes over mowing duties on a schedule.

More recently, I’ve been testing another system called the TerraMow V1000. It takes a substantially different approach to navigation, and after several weeks of testing, I think it may be the more user-friendly option for a lot people.

Even Realities CEO, Will Wang, joins Overtime to talk about his history with Apple, why Silicon Valley is no longer the place for hardware innovations, insights into the Apple supply chain and China, the Even Realities G2, privacy challenges, and why smart glasses are the future of tech.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

Less is more when it comes to how I use the Apple Watch. The best experience, for me, requires few notifications and intentional focus on what I want out of the device. This approach applies to Apple Watch faces too. While there are no new watch faces in watchOS 27 yet, I’ve been loving a scaled-back version of a very information-dense option.

We are getting set to head into the weekend with the ongoing 25% price drop on AirPods Pro 3 and a solid $100 off AirPods Max 2, but today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by the most affordable 13-inch M5 MacBook Air back at $1,099 in 3 colors via official Apple refurb store ($200 off) if you’re fast – this model tends to sell out quickly. We also have MacBook Neo at up to $120 off the new list prices, Apple Watch Ultra 3 with the Natural or Black Milanese Loop at nearly $100 off via Amazon and the latest latest 240W braided Beats USB-C cable down at the $18 Prime shipped Amazon low (40% off). Just be sure to scope out the updated 2026 Best Buy Back to School sale while you still can, and head below for more details. 

September brings Apple’s big iPhone launch event, where new Apple Watch models will be introduced too. Here’s what to expect from Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Apple Watch Series 12.

tvOS 27 is coming next month as the next software version for Apple TV owners. And for two reasons, the update could push you to upgrade to a new Apple TV 4K.

Apple is reportedly taking a new route to bring artificial intelligence features to customers in China: training a large language model of its own with help from Alibaba.

Ads are coming to Apple Maps soon in the US and Canada, and today businesses can start booking their own ads. Here are the details, including a limited-time promotional offer for businesses.

When SpaceX isn’t landing rockets, it’s apparently landing AI company deals. In February, the firm behind Starlink absorbed xAI, which includes Twitter-turned-X. In April, SpaceX inked a deal with Cursor, a competitor to Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex. As of August 14, the purchase has been completed. SpaceXAI, as it’s now called, also recently released Grok Bot and Grok 4.6 models with the help of Cursor.

Overcast developer Marco Arment just launched a brand-new app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Called Unforgetful, the new task-management app is built for people who struggle to keep reminders from slipping through the cracks. Unforgetful is designed around persistent notifications, flexible snoozing, and a deliberately simple interface.

Apple One is getting better in iOS 27, with subscribers set to benefit from new features coming to bundled Apple services like iCloud+ and Apple Music. Here’s what’s new.

I fully acknowledge that my DIY iPhone camera mod looks exceedingly silly – but it’s actually made my iPhone photography more practical and more enjoyable.

It was initially something I came up with to solve a problem for one particular video shoot, but I’ve actually found myself using it a surprising number of times …

In addition to submitting its proposed commission structure for purchases made outside the App Store’s IAP system in the US, Apple filed a motion indicating it is willing to explore a settlement with Epic Games. Here are the details.

Apple has notified users in 110 countries who it suspects may have been targeted by spyware attacks. 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 submitted its proposal for the fees it should be allowed to charge for purchases made outside of the App Store system in the Epic Games case. Here are the details.

Chase recently added new benefits to its popular Sapphire Preferred credit card, including free Apple TV for a year or discounted Apple One. Here are the details.

The latest WhatsApp beta for iOS includes references to a revamped set of chat customization options, including animated wallpapers. Here are the details.

OpenAI is giving ChatGPT and Codex a new way to learn from and remember how you use your Mac, even when that work happens outside the app.

HomePod mini arrived in 2020, and nearly six years later, Apple is reportedly preparing a long-awaited second generation. Here is everything we know so far.

Apple today updated its vintage and obsolete product lists, with the iPhone X and 15-inch 2018 MacBook Pro now classified as obsolete. Here’s what that means.

Ted Lasso season 4 is off to a strong start, with Apple revealing to Deadline that it had “the biggest launch ever for Apple TV.” Here are the numbers.

Apple Wallet is getting several upgrades in iOS 27, including a new ‘Discover’ section that was just added in beta 5 this week. Here’s what it does.

Today Apple is celebrating the opening of its Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston, Texas. Here are the details.

Benjamin and Chance talk about all the changes in iOS 27 beta 5, as Apple reportedly takes a fresh look at fitness wearables, details about the glassy iPhone 20, Friday Night Baseball on Vision Pro and more rumors about Apple TV sports rights — this time, golf.

And in Happy Hour Plus, out of the blue, Apple TV launches another round of its free movie catalog collection promotion. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Matic has added voice and gesture control to its robot vacuum and mop through a software update called Matic Cues. After testing both features, the short and sweet of it is that voice control is really good.

Just say, “Hey Matic, vacuum the kitchen,” and Matic gets to work. There is no phone to unlock, app to open, or smart home intermediary involved. You speak directly to the robot, and it responds.

Matic Cues understands commands in more than 70 spoken languages. The feature is rolling out to every existing Matic through an over-the-air software update and will be included on all new robots.

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.

Update, August 14: Apple has taken down the billboard. The original story follows below.

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.