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


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

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.

AirTag

• What's the deal? Take $10 off AirTag 2


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

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.

iPad

• What's the deal? Take $50 off iPad


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

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


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

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.

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This article, "AirPods, AirTag 2, and iPads Hit Low Prices This Week" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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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.

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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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.
This article, "'MacBook Ultra' Coming Soon With These 12 New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iOS 27 includes new iCloud capabilities across several apps like Apple Home, Siri, Photos, and more. There are some direct ‌iCloud‌ improvements like upgrades to photo uploads and sharing, along with some indirect new features.

HomeKit Secure Video Cameras (iCloud+)

If you have HomeKit Secure Video cameras, the Home app in ‌iOS 27‌ has a couple of useful new Apple Intelligence features.

You can get text-based summaries of what's going on, sent as notifications. So when you get a notification for movement, it will say something like "Someone was seen," or "Animal seen."

The text descriptions are also shown in the video playback timeline, and you can search for specific events. Events that take place across two cameras, such as the same person walking from room to room, are paired together to give an overview of action across the home.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in the Home app require a 2TB or higher iCloud+ plan, which is priced starting at $9.99 in the United States. The 2TB plan is also the plan required for an unlimited number of ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cameras.

‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cameras have always required an ‌iCloud‌+ plan to store the camera footage in ‌iCloud‌. A single camera can be added with the 50GB plan, and five cameras can be added with the 200GB plan.

To use the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ Home app features, you need a home hub like a HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV 4K, as well as a device that supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌ (iPhone 15 Pro or newer).

‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cameras can also record up to 4K footage in ‌iOS 27‌, but that feature does not use ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

Apple Intelligence Limit Increase (iCloud+)

Apple said at WWDC that some ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features like image generation with Image Playground will have limits on daily use.

Those limits can be increased with most ‌iCloud‌+ plans. Apple has not given a list of features that will have limits beyond ‌Image Playground‌, nor has it said what the limits will be without an ‌iCloud‌+ plan and with the tiered options.

Siri

‌Siri‌ conversations in the ‌Siri‌ app sync across devices using ‌iCloud‌. The ‌Siri‌ app lets you revisit previous conversations, start new conversations, pin important chats, and continue chats across iOS, macOS, and iPadOS.

Photos

There are several new ‌iCloud‌ features in the ‌Photos‌ app.

• Prioritize Syncing - There's a toggle to force all of your photos to upload to ‌iCloud‌ regardless of battery status. It turns on for 24 hours and then turns off.


• Shared Albums - Android and Windows users can upload photos to Shared Albums. Shared Albums also keep full-resolution photos and videos to support the cross-platform sharing feature.


• Upload Speed - iPhones will now start uploading to iCloud Photos more quickly to make images available across devices faster.

Collaboration

• Link Previews - ‌iCloud‌ collaboration links now show richer previews so you can more clearly see what you've been sent.


• Access Requests - Users can send access requests for items shared via ‌iCloud‌.


• Speed - Apple says users will get faster access to shared content on iCloud.com.


• Links - Creating links to ‌iCloud‌ content is easier with a more accessible share link.

Journal

You can now see the ‌iCloud‌ sync status for each journal entry.

Passwords

The Passwords app can use ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to automatically fix weak passwords in ‌iOS 27‌. It uses ‌iCloud‌ Keychain and Safari to operate.

An Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone is required to use the feature.

Read More

More information on the features in ‌iOS 27‌ can be found in our roundup.

Launch Date

‌iOS 27‌ is available to developers and public beta testers. It will launch in September alongside new iPhone models.
This article, "iOS 27: All the New iCloud Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Paleontologists at the University of New South Wales have described a new genus and species of dasyurid marsupial from the Early Miocene of Australia, offering the first solid evidence that the family Dasyuridae -- which today includes quolls, Tasmanian devils and tiny antechinuses -- existed long before scientists had proof of it in the fossil record.

The post Early Miocene Fossil Rewrites Family Tree of Little Carnivorous Marsupials appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Learn how to set up an automation on your iPhone that turns off Low Power Mode when Adaptive Power Mode automatically enables it.

This week's episode of The MacRumors Show covers OpenAI's move into hardware and the trade secret lawsuit Apple filed against the company earlier this month.


Apple sued OpenAI in the Northern District of California on July 10, alleging a months-long scheme to obtain confidential information about unreleased products. The complaint centers on OpenAI chief hardware officer Tang Tan, a 24-year Apple veteran who previously led iPhone product design, and former Apple electrical engineer Chang Liu. Apple claims Tan coached recruits on evading its exit-interview security procedures and told at least one employee to bring hardware components to an interview, and that OpenAI persuaded a supplier to apply a proprietary metal-finishing technique to an OpenAI device by falsely stating it had Apple's permission. The filing describes OpenAI's hardware business as "rotten to its core."

The suit follows a souring of the 2024 partnership that brought ChatGPT to Siri, with OpenAI itself weighing legal options against Apple in May. More than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, including Vision Products Group leader Paul Meade, and former design chief Jony Ive leads design on the hardware lineup through LoveFrom after OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of his startup io Products. Apple has countered with retention bonuses of up to $400,000 and has now sent legal preservation letters to around 40 former employees, suggesting it believes the alleged misappropriation goes beyond those named. OpenAI says it has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets."

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman argues the case is already causing damage ahead of any ruling, deterring Apple engineers from interviewing at OpenAI and making Asian suppliers wary of deepening ties with the company. Ive is not named in the complaint, which Gurman believes was deliberate given Apple's relationship with io Products investor Laurene Powell Jobs.

OpenAI's first device, teased for months by Ive and CEO Sam Altman, is believed to be a portable, screenless smart speaker that is now expected in early 2027 at $200 to $300. Powered by ChatGPT and GPT-Live, it has a rechargeable battery so it can be carried between rooms, a camera for understanding its surroundings, and motorized elements that move on their own to give a sense that the device is alive. OpenAI reportedly does not regard the HomePod or HomePod mini as comparable, and people familiar with the project told Bloomberg the device is unlike anything Apple sells, making infringement unlikely. Apple's own smart home hub is the closest analogue.

Further out, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that OpenAI is developing an "AI agent phone" built around a continuous, context-aware interface rather than individual apps, with the company controlling both the operating system and the hardware. Kuo has since revised his mass production expectation from 2028 to the first half of 2027, projecting combined 2027 and 2028 shipments of around 30 million units. The device is rumored to be a direct iPhone rival.

The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or other podcast apps. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your player.



If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion where we look ahead to the 20th anniversary iPhone, the radically redesigned model that Apple is expected to launch in 2027.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also email us at podcast@macrumors.com or head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Can OpenAI Really Beat the iPhone?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Google is testing a new Gemini feature in Chrome for iPhone. The latest Chrome for iOS TestFlight beta adds a Tabs option to the Ask Gemini prompt, letting users select multiple recent pages and ask Gemini questions across them without leaving the browser. This builds on the Ask Gemini button Google has already been testing […]

The post Chrome for iPhone beta lets you ask Gemini about multiple open tabs appeared first on The Mac Observer.

New data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft show temperatures spike more than 20 degrees Celsius just a few meters under Io’s surface, providing the first look at what’s happening below the crust of the Solar System’s most volcanic world.

The post Juno’s Microwave Vision Peers beneath Surface of Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Io appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Find out why you may not see the option to turn off text message forwarding for a Mac or iPad on your iPhone, and how to fix this issue.

Apple is already working on the second-generation iPhone Air, and early reports suggest it will fix several of the biggest complaints about the first model. While the original iPhone Air impressed buyers with its ultra-thin design, many users wanted better cameras, longer battery life, and improved sustained performance. The upcoming iPhone Air 2 is expected […]

The post iPhone Air 2 Release Date, Features, Camera, Battery and Everything We Know appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Liopleurodon ferox is a short-necked marine reptile that patrolled the seas of what is now England and France some 163 million years ago.

The post Jurassic Pliosaur Liopleurodon Was Big, but Not as Big as Once Feared appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Apple is working on a new MacBook Neo with two major hardware upgrades, as the company prepares a wider refresh of its Mac lineup. The second-generation model is expected to use the A19 Pro chip and include more RAM, which should improve everyday performance, multitasking, and support for newer AI features. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports […]

The post MacBook Neo 2 Rumored With A19 Pro Chip, 12GB RAM, and New Colors appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Apple is preparing to update every Mac model it sells over the next two years, with new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio and MacBook Neo models now moving through development. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple will begin the refresh cycle in fall 2026 with an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro powered […]

The post Apple Plans 11 New Macs With M6 Chips, OLED MacBook Pro, New iMac and More appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Download stunning Vivo S60 wallpapers in multiple colors to add a touch of flowing glass aesthetic to your iPhone or Android phone screen.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro this September, continuing its long-running tradition of launching new flagship iPhones in the fall. While the company has not confirmed an official date yet, multiple reports and Apple’s previous launch history point to an announcement during the second week of September. This year could also bring […]

The post iPhone 18 Pro Release Date: Here’s Exactly When Apple Is Expected to Launch It appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Learn how to stop Firefox on your Mac or Windows PC from periodically showing little recommendation popups about features and updates.

Paleontologists in India have unearthed a partial skeleton of a diminutive, previously unknown neosauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic rocks of Gujarat’s Kachchh Basin.

The post Small Sauropod Dinosaur from Jurassic Period Discovered in India appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Find out why you may see a gray question mark or the same question mark over an app icon in your Mac’s Dock and how to address this issue.

Paleontologists have described a new genus and species of ancient gecko found in two pieces of amber from the 99-million-year-old (mid-Cretaceous) amber deposits in Kachin province, Myanmar.

The post Oldest Known Male Gecko Found Preserved in Kachin Amber appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.