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Received — 25 July 2026 ⏭

Top Stories: 'Apple Upgrade' Program, Apple Music Price Hike, and More

✇MacRumors
By: MacRumors Staff
25 July 2026 at 14:00
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.

As part of the transition, Apple will wind down the existing iPhone Upgrade Program.

Apple Music Now Costs $11.99 as Apple Increases Subscription Prices


Following last month's move to raise prices across its Mac and iPad lineups, Apple last week expanded its price increases even further.


Apple Music saw price increases across all tiers, with the change driving increases to Apple One bundles as well. Apple also raised iPhone prices in Japan by up to 11%, perhaps foreshadowing price hikes in other countries with the iPhone 18 lineup, if not earlier. And finally, Apple increased iCloud+ prices in eight countries.

Apple to Overhaul Mac Lineup With 11 New Models


Apple is preparing to refresh every Mac it sells over the next two years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


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.

The wave of new Macs will begin this fall with a refreshed entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro and the first new iMacs in two years. Check out the full list of new Macs under development in our coverage.

Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 4


Apple is continuing to tweak iOS 27 ahead of its September launch, with the fourth developer beta and second public beta released this week.


Check out our full list of tweaks and changes in the latest beta, including some new settings toggles, visual tweaks, and more.

Interestingly, some new code in this beta makes several references to an iPhone with multiple internal batteries, hinting at the upcoming foldable "iPhone Ultra" that will have a battery in each half of the device.

iOS 27: Access the New iPhone Recovery Screen


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.


In iOS 27, currently still in beta, Apple has removed that limitation, and you can now manually boot into a Mac-style recovery screen whenever you like.

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.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, "Top Stories: 'Apple Upgrade' Program, Apple Music Price Hike, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Podcast Rewind: Siri AI, the Game Boy Advance Returns, and Smart Ceiling Fans

✇MacStories
By: Devon Dundee
24 July 2026 at 20:35

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John look at what Siri AI is good at, where it needs improvement, and where it might be heading.

On AppStories+, the conversation expands to Federico and John’s experiences with the betas of macOS Golden Gate, iOS 27, and iPadOS 27.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, AYANEO is chasing the classics again, teasing a Game Boy Advance clone, while Magmi is getting vertical – plus, a Mechanism desk stand for your handheld, 8BitDo’s FlipPad, and the GPD Win Max 3 blurs the lines between laptop and console.

On NPC XL, Brendon and John try Armada and report to listeners about whether it’s ready for prime time.

Comfort Zone

Niléane brings her newest fan (literally), Chris just assumed his co-hosts have installed the betas (they have), and they all tell each other how their respective apps could start earning millions.

This week’s Cozy Zone is a complete, and authoritative, tier listing of every Men’s World Cup logo ever.

MacStories Unwind

This week, app launchers, universal truths about ISPs, and an epic movie.

AppStories, Episode 494, ‘All About Siri AI’ Show Notes

This episode is sponsored by:

  • Daylite: The only made-for-mac CRM solution. Start your free trial today.
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All About Siri AI

AppStories+ Post-Show

Subscribe to AppStories+

Visit AppStories.net to learn more about the extended, high bitrate audio version of AppStories that is delivered early each week and subscribe.

NPC, Episode 89, ‘AYANEO Teases a New Game Boy Advance’ Show Notes

The Latest Portable Gaming News

Subscribe to NPC XL

NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the “regular” NPC episodes. You can subscribe here.

Comfort Zone, Episode 110, ‘Only One Person Being Strangled’ Show Notes

Things Discussed

Cozy Zone

For even more from the Comfort Zone crew, you can subscribe to Cozy Zone. Cozy Zone is a weekly bonus episode of Comfort Zone where Matt, Niléane, and Chris invite listeners to join them in the Cozy Zone where they’ll cover extra topics, invent wilder challenges and games, and share all their great (and not so great) takes on tech. You can subscribe to Cozy Zone for $5 per month here or $50 per year here.

MacStories Unwind, ‘A Long Journey Home’ Show Notes

Unplugged Segment

Picks

Unwind Deal

MacStories Unwind+

We deliver MacStories Unwind+ to Club MacStories subscribers ad-free with high bitrate audio every week. To learn more about the benefits of a Club MacStories subscription, visit our Plans page.

MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, NPC: Next Portable Console, and First, Last, Everything that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media.

If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees.

Samsung unveils 3 new foldables packed with AI

✇Mobile World Live
By: Amiya Johar
22 July 2026 at 17:12

Samsung Electronics expanded its foldables lineup with a trio of smartphones at its Galaxy Unpacked event in London, including the first Ultra-branded foldable as it pushed upgraded form factors and AI-powered features.

Leading the charge was the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, the first device to carry Samsung’s Ultra branding on a foldable. Measuring 4.1mm when unfolded, Samsung said the device is its thinnest Galaxy Fold model to date.

Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, the handset features an 8-inch main display, 5,000mAh battery and a 200MP main camera. It also introduced new Galaxy AI tools including Gemini Notebook, capable of summarising documents and generating content from uploaded files, and Now Nudge, a contextual Galaxy AI feature designed to proactively prompt actions based on user activity.

Samsung also refreshed the Galaxy Z Fold8 with a redesigned display format and adjustable aspect ratios aimed at improving content consumption across video, gaming and reading. The device weighs 201 grams, making it the company’s lightest Fold model, and includes a 4,800mAh battery rated for more than 26 hours of video playback. The Fold8 also introduced an AI-powered editing tool to automatically track and reframe a subject in a video.

In the clamshell segment, Samsung updated the Galaxy Z Flip8 with expanded functionality on its FlexWindow cover display, enabling users to access apps, messages and personalised AI information without opening the handset. The latest Flip model also adds a 50MP main camera and dual recording mode for capturing both subject and creator simultaneously.

Pricing starts at $2,099 for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, $1,899 for the Galaxy Z Fold8 and $1,199 for the Galaxy Z Flip8. All three models will be available from 7 August.

At the event, TM Roh, CEO, president and head of Samsung Electronics’ Device eXperience division, emphasised the importance of foldables in the AI era.

“The question is: if AI is becoming more personal, more proactive, and more multidimensional, what is the optimal device to bring that experience to life? We believe the answer is foldables.”

Wearables
Samsung also refreshed its wearables portfolio with the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9, its first watches built on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite platform.

The smartwatches introduce new AI-powered health features, with the vendor claiming both models received an FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection update. The Galaxy Watch9 starts at $379, while the Watch Ultra2 is priced from $699.

In addition, Samsung unveiled intelligent eyewear, although pricing and a release date were not disclosed.

Doubling down
Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, said Samsung is “doubling down on foldables at exactly the moment the category is about to get its biggest credibility boost with the much-rumoured arrival of a folding iPhone later in the year.”

He said Apple’s expected entry “could also be the moment that turns foldables from a niche premium category into a mainstream flagship battleground.”

Wood added “Qualcomm is one of the quiet winners from Samsung’s latest launch, securing important design wins across phones, watches and glasses.”

The post Samsung unveils 3 new foldables packed with AI appeared first on Mobile World Live.

D2D use set for rapid growth in Australia, NZ

✇Mobile World Live
By: Chris Donkin
22 July 2026 at 11:47

Consumer use during off-grid travel was cited as a primary driver in early direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity adoption in Australia and New Zealand by Gartner analysts, who forecast more than 1.5 million connections on the service in 2027 across the nations.

The projected number of low Earth orbit (LEO) D2D connections next year would be up from an expected 673,000 in 2026. In 2025 the figure for the two countries stood at 251,000.

Gartner noted end user spending on the service last year was $5 million. This is expected to hit $23 million this year and reach $66 million in 2027.

The rise in use of the technology in the countries comes during a period of early rollouts and limited functionality, with initial launches restricted to specific handsets, areas and messaging.   

Gartner senior director analyst Khurram Shahzad highlighted early adoption was being driven by use for safety and in recreational pursuits by consumers, but enterprise demand was “steadily increasing for field operations in industries such as mining, agriculture, forestry and transportation” due to the need for continuous connectivity for operations and worker safety.

“Australia and New Zealand are among the early adopters of LEO D2D satellite communications due to the vast remoteness and persistent gaps in terrestrial mobile coverage in both countries,” Shahzad said.

“Adoption is accelerating rapidly as services move beyond early trials and into broader commercial availability, demonstrating how satellite connectivity can extend mobile coverage without the need for traditional infrastructure.”

The post D2D use set for rapid growth in Australia, NZ appeared first on Mobile World Live.

TestFlight: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

✇MacStories
By: John Voorhees
21 July 2026 at 22:04

I test a lot of apps, so I have strong opinions about TestFlight. However I usually keep those opinions to myself because despite the fact that it’s critical to my work, TestFlight wasn’t built for app reviewers. Most people haven’t accumulated hundreds of active and inactive betas in the app like I have, and for them, TestFlight is probably fine. However, for me, TestFlight is a constant source of frustration.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I read a post by Zac Hall at 9to5Mac that a search field had been added to TestFlight. “Finally,” I thought to myself. I stopped what I was doing and updated the app immediately. After all, search was my number one request for TestFlight back in 2024.

An apostrophe gets you the top spot in Apple's new alphabetical TestFlight list.

An apostrophe gets you the top spot in Apple’s new alphabetical TestFlight list.

That 2024 wishlist was published in the wake of a bad stretch the app had beginning in 2023. At the time, TestFlight was plagued by laggy performance if you were on a lot of betas. To Apple’s credit, they fixed the performance issues, though the issues have begun to creep back into recent releases. Still, the past couple of years as a TestFlight user have been fine despite all the ways the app could be made better for users.

When the TestFlight update finished installing, I eagerly opened it on my Mac and then my iPhone. Sure enough, there was the search field at long last. Lists practically beg for a search field, and finally someone at Apple added one, and to whoever built that feature, a huge thanks from me and the MacStories team.

Unfortunately, this story comes with one very big “but.” Previously, TestFlight betas were listed in reverse chronological order, which I liked. The newer beta releases were at the top of the list and the older ones that were on the verge of being replaced by an App Store release were at the bottom, along with expired betas, a list that I never really understood the purpose of.

Well, those expired betas are now scattered among the active TestFlight betas in an alphabetical list and it seems that the expired beta list has been expanded to include every single beta I’ve ever been a part of. I did a rough count and for me that’s nearly 800 app listings. As you can imagine, the active betas in that list are few and far between. Search helps, but scrolling is no longer an option.

The live betas are few and far between when mixed with betas gone by.

The live betas are few and far between when mixed with betas gone by.

I get that this is a very “me and a few of my friends” problem, and search does help, but it’s not enough. The active to inactive beta ratio is so bad that few iPhone screens include more than two or three active betas. So here’s my proposal:

  • Add a toggle in TestFlight’s settings that hides inactive betas.

That’s it, that would make all the difference in the world. I’d love to have the reverse chronological ordering back, a performance tune-up, and the other things I wished for back in 2024, but I’ll live with hiding all the noise from my beta list.

This unique MacBook accessory adapts its buttons to every app [Review]

✇Cult of Mac
By: Rajesh Pandey
20 July 2026 at 14:30
Dune is a context-aware programmable accessory for your Mac.

Dune’s three context-aware buttons adapt to the app you’re using, making keyboard shortcuts easier to access. But does this clever MacBook accessory justify its price tag?

(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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