Apple today released new beta firmware that's designed for the AirPods Pro 3. The firmware is limited to developers at the current time, and it has a build number of 8B5025a.
The firmware comes as Apple is testing the iOS 26.2 update. iOS 26.2 expands Live Translation for the AirPods to the European Union, so the firmware could be related to that.
There is no word on what's included in the firmware update, however.
With iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Apple added a beta firmware update installation option that's available from the AirPods settings interface when the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which facilitates beta testing.
Developers can use the beta option to turn on beta downloads.
Apple Card users can get extra Daily Cash back when shopping at Ace Hardware this holiday season. Apple and Ace are offering five percent Daily Cash back on up to $500 in Apple Pay purchases, for a total of $25.
Ace Hardware is an Apple Card partner that normally provides three percent Daily Cash back on Apple Pay purchases made with the Apple Card, but the promotion offers an additional two percent. The deal will be in place through December 15.
Getting the cash back reward requires Ace customers to use Apple Pay with the Apple Card either online, in the Ace Hardware app, or in retail store locations.
Apple is also currently offering five percent Daily Cash back for up to $500 in purchases made at Booking.com.
Apple partners with multiple retailers to offer three percent Daily Cash back on Apple Pay purchases made with Apple Card, including Ace Hardware. Three percent cash back can also be earned from Nike, Uber Eats, Uber, Hertz, Walgreens, Exxon Mobil, and Apple's own retail stores.
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip.
The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data collected from September 19 to October 29 of this year.
Ookla said Apple's N1 chip is a "substantial upgrade," with up to 40% faster average download and upload speeds compared to Broadcom's Wi-Fi chip in the iPhone 16 series. The study found that speeds were faster across every country it analyzed, including the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, and others.
The study found that the N1 chip "lifts the floor" for Wi-Fi performance, more than "raising the ceiling." Based on the results, Ookla said the N1 chip often delivers more consistent performance in challenging Wi-Fi conditions.
In the United States in particular, Ookla said the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air series achieved a median average Wi-Fi download speed of 409 Mbps, compared to 350 Mbps for the iPhone 16 series. That is a nearly 17% increase.
A few months ago, we reported that the N1 chip supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the standard's 320 MHz maximum. This limitation means the devices cannot achieve the peak theoretical speeds possible with Wi-Fi 7, but we said this was a non-issue for most customers, and the study backs that up.
Ookla said the results show the 160 MHz limitation "does not materially affect performance in real world use for most people."
While the study found the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air series tops the iPhone 16 series in terms of average global Wi-Fi download speeds, Ookla said the Google's Pixel 10 Pro series was even faster, but only by a slim margin.
The Pixel 10 Pro came in at 335 Mbps, edging out the iPhone 17 series at 329 Mbps.
All in all, the study reveals that the N1 chip is an upgrade, not a downgrade. If you are considering purchasing any of the iPhone 17 or iPhone Air models, it looks like you can be confident that Wi-Fi performance will not be an issue.
Apple today provided public beta testers with the third beta of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.2 update for testing purposes. The public beta comes a day after Apple provided the beta to developers.
After signing up for beta testing on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section in the System Settings app.
macOS Tahoe 26.2 beta 2 adds an Edge Light feature for video calls. Edge Light provides a light border around the edges of the Mac's display, mimicking the look of a physical ring light to improve lighting in darkened rooms.
Edge Light uses the Neural Engine for positioning, so it is optimally placed around your face in the video frame. Light color can be adjusted from warm to cool, and the feature is available in video conferencing apps alongside other options like backgrounds, Portrait mode, and Voice Isolation. It is available on Macs that support Apple silicon.
The macOS Tahoe 26.2 beta is limited to developers and public beta testers right now, but it won't be a long testing period. We'll likely see Apple release the update right around mid-December given past launch timelines.
Apple today provided public beta testers with the second releases of upcoming iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2, and watchOS 26.2 updates for testing purposes. The second public betas come two weeks after Apple seeded the first betas, and a day after Apple provided developers with the third iOS 26.2 beta.
After signing up for beta testing on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.
iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen, allowing you to customize the translucency of the clock. Alongside watchOS 26.2, the update changes labeling for the Sleep Score feature, adjusting numbers to better reflect sleep quality.
AirPods Live Translation is available in the European Union with iOS 26.2, and in the Reminders app, there's an option to have an alarm go off when a reminder is due. Apple also added new features to Podcasts, Passwords, Freeform, and more, with a full list of new additions available in our iOS 26.2 feature guide.
In the second beta of iOS 26.2, Apple made tweaks to menu animations, added Liquid Glass to the Measure app, and added a feature for turning off pinned messages in CarPlay. The third beta added further tweaks to iPad multitasking and new AirDrop functionality.
Just ahead of the 30th anniversary of Toy Story, The Steve Jobs Archive has shared a "never-before-seen" video of Steve Jobs discussing Pixar.
The interview is from November 22, 1996 — exactly one year after Toy Story debuted in theaters, as the world's first entirely computer-animated feature-length film. In the video, Jobs reflects on Pixar's early success, business model, and more.
For those unaware, Pixar was born after Jobs purchased the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm, and spun it into an independent company. He remained Pixar's majority shareholder until the company was sold to Disney in 2006.
Fun fact: Jobs appears in Toy Story's opening credits.
The Steve Jobs Archive was launched in 2022 by Laurene Powell Jobs, Tim Cook, and Jony Ive. The website features a collection of quotes, photos, videos, and emails from Jobs, and offers fellowships to young creators looking to follow in his footsteps.
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The announcement confirmed that the Apple Wallet ID will be accepted at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, as well as at Lambert airport in St. Louis, Missouri.
Illinois' Secretary of State's office is launching a free Mobile ID Verifier app for businesses to check proof of age for restrictive purchases, such as the sale of alcohol. This app will be available in the App Store starting tomorrow.
To set up the feature, open the Wallet app and tap on the plus sign in the top-right corner. Next, select Driver's License and ID Cards and follow the steps.
Apple says the feature requires an iPhone 8 or later running iOS 16.5 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 9.5 or later.
Below, we have outlined information about the feature's availability.
Supported States
The following 12 states offer driver's licenses in the Wallet app:
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time.
Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, Kaiann Drance, said:
AppleCare gives our customers peace of mind knowing that their products are protected and supported by Apple experts. With today's updates in India, we're making it easier and more affordable to get trusted protection, including access to our most complete coverage for iPhone.
AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for iPhone allows for up to two incidents of theft or loss every year, along with all of the other benefits of AppleCare+, such as battery replacement services, 24/7 priority support, and unlimited repairs for accidental damage. Plans start at INR 799.
Customers can view options for AppleCare+ coverage on eligible devices directly from the Settings app, where it begins immediately once initiated.
Klarna was already available via Apple Pay in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Apple discontinued its own buy-now, pay-later service called Apple Pay Later last year, and instead started partnering with third-party providers, including Klarna, Affirm, and Synchrony. Availability of these providers varies by country.
When checking out with Apple Pay online and in apps, iPhone and iPad users can select "Other Cards & Pay Later Options" to access installment payment plans from Klarna and other financing partners, where available. Starting with iOS 26, the buy-now, pay-later options are also available for in-store Apple Pay purchases.
Sony is hosting an early Black Friday sale with savings on the company's best headphones, speakers, sound bars, TVs, photography equipment, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Sony. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
We've collected a few of the most notable products on sale in the lists below, but be sure to head to Sony's website for the full list of deals. Most devices have an option for free pickup if you live near a Best Buy location that offers local pickup.
You can get Sony's popular WH-1000XM5 Premium Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for $249.99 during this event, down from $399.99. There are also a few earbuds and other noise canceling headphones on sale with notable discounts, all of which have been applied automatically and do not require any coupon codes.
You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find this holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro.
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.
If you're looking for something other than Macs, be sure to visit our Black Friday Roundup for all of the best deals and discounts happening this season. For more Apple-specific devices currently on sale, our main post on the best current Apple Black Friday deals is the best place to look.
MacBook Air
Amazon is hosting best-ever prices across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup for Black Friday. In total, you'll find $249 off every M4 MacBook Air notebook right now on Amazon, with both 13-inch and 15-inch models on sale.
Starting with the 13-inch models, Amazon has $249 off all three configurations of this notebook. Prices start at $749.99 for the 256GB model, then rise to $949.99 for the 16GB/512GB model and $1,149.99 for the 24GB/512GB model. Every deal represents a new all-time low price on the M4 MacBook Air.
Moving to the larger display models, Amazon has both 512GB versions of the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week, as well as the 256GB model. The 16GB/512GB model is available for $1,149.99 and the 24GB/512GB model is on sale for $1,349.99. Across the board, these are all record low prices on the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air.
Amazon has dropped the price of the new M5 MacBook Pro to $1,473.00, down from $1,599.00. This is the 10-Core model with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD in Space Black, and it's a new all-time low price on the M5 MacBook Pro.
If you're shopping for any other models of the M5 MacBook Pro, you'll want to take a look at our exclusive offers at Expercom. In regards to the higher-end models you'll find the best prices here, and our discount has been applied automatically to every computer. Some examples of deals are listed below.
Note: We're currently seeing an issue where clicking on the Expercom links may not show the discounted pricing. Opening the links in a new tab/window or manually copying and pasting them into your browser should, however, work. The issue seems to only affect Safari, with Chrome, Firefox, and several other browsers working fine in our testing.
You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find this holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone next year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the book-style foldable's design and cameras, there are still questions surrounding its potential battery life, particularly given Apple's recent focus on thinness.
According to the leaker and news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, Apple is testing a battery in the 5,400–5,800 mAh range, which would make it the largest capacity of any current or previous iPhone. For reference, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 5,088 mAh battery.
As for how it would compare to rival foldables already on the market, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a battery size of 5,015 mAh, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a 4,400 mAh battery, so anything in Apple's alleged testing range would likely offer superior battery life.
A March report from the same Korean aggregator account claimed that Apple has placed a heavy focus on improving power efficiency while slimming down key components of its foldable iPhone, with battery life said to be a key priority for the company. Separately, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the device will use high-density battery cells.
The latest post claims that Apple will eventually settle on a capacity at the higher end of its testing range, as it apparently did previously with the iPhone Air. The details allegedly originate from a supply chain source, and the blog has offered accurate insights into Apple's component strategy in the past, but it has also been wrong, so a degree of caution is warranted.
Multiple sources agree on key specifications for Apple's first foldable iPhone, including a 7.8-inch main display when unfolded and a 5.5-inch cover display. That's the consensus among Kuo and fellow analyst Jeff Pu, as well as the Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station. The device is also expected to use Touch ID integrated into the side button instead of Face ID, similar to the iPad Air and iPad mini.
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to be equipped with four cameras, consisting of one front camera, one inner (possibly under-screen) camera, and two rear cameras. The device will reportedly use Apple's second-generation C2 modem for cellular connectivity, but it will lack a physical SIM card slot.
Barring any unexpected delays, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes the foldable iPhone will launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in the fall of 2026.
The titanium case on Apple Watch Ultra 3 models, the titanium case on higher-end Apple Watch Series 11 models, and the USB-C port on the iPhone Air are all 3D printed with 100% recycled aerospace-grade titanium powder, according to Apple.
3D printing involves creating an object layer by layer with powdered metal, until it is as close to the final shape needed as possible. It is an additive process, meaning that materials are only used as needed, whereas conventional forging is a more wasteful process that involves taking a solid block of metal and shaving it down into a desired part.
Apple says its use of 3D printing enables Apple Watch Ultra 3 and titanium Apple Watch Series 11 cases to use just half the raw material compared to the equivalent previous-generation models. In total, Apple estimates that more than 400 metric tons of raw titanium will be saved this year alone thanks to this new process.
Apple is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire footprint by 2030, and 3D printing helps it get one step closer to that goal.
"A 50 percent drop is a massive achievement — you're getting two watches out of the same amount of material used for one," said Sarah Chandler, Apple's Vice President of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation, in the press release.
In addition to the environmental benefits, Apple said 3D printing improves waterproofing for the antenna housing in cellular Apple Watch models, as it provides better bonding between the metal case and the thin plastic strip for antenna signals.
Apple previously said the iPhone Air's 3D-printed USB-C port offers three benefits compared to one made with a conventional forging process: it is thinner, stronger, and uses 33% less material to be more environmentally friendly.
Apple goes on to detail its step-by-step process for 3D printing titanium Apple Watch cases. First, raw titanium is atomized into powder. Then, a machine with lasers uses that powder to build a set of cases layer by layer. Next, excess powder is removed from the cases. After the cases are separated, they are put through a final quality check.
The 2025 charts are now available in the New tab of the Apple Podcasts app and will remain accessible through the end of the year. Listeners in more than 15 countries will also see a curated Best Shows of 2025 selection chosen by its editorial team.
Apple identified The Joe Rogan Experience as the most popular podcast in the United States for 2025, based on overall listenership. The company also published full top-ten lists for all major categories:
Top Shows
The Joe Rogan Experience
The Daily
The Mel Robbins Podcast
Crime Junkie
Dateline NBC
SmartLess
Call Her Daddy
This American Life
Huberman Lab
The Ezra Klein Show
Top New Shows
Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce
Deadly Mirage
Blink | Jake Haendel's Story
Murder in the Moonlight
Devil in the Desert
What Happened to Holly Bobo?
Cold Blooded: Mystery in Alaska
Unicorn Girl
The Best People with Nicolle Wallace
Top Series
The Telepathy Tapes
The Binge Cases
Deadly Mirage
Blink | Jake Haendel's Story
Dateline Originals
Murder in the Moonlight
Serial
THREE
Devil in the Desert
CounterClock
Top Episodes
The Telepathy Tapes: "Unveiling the Hidden World of Telepathic Communication in a Silenced Community"
Crime Junkie: "MURDERED: The Feeney Family"
New Heights: "The Taylor Swift Episode"
The Joe Rogan Experience: "#2223 - Elon Musk"
The Daily: "Trump, Again"
Blink: "Blink"
Deadly Mirage: "Death in the High Desert"
SmartLess: "Amy Poehler"
Good Hang with Amy Poehler: "Tina Fey"
Murder in the Moonlight: "In Cold Blood"
Most Shared Shows
The Telepathy Tapes
The Mel Robbins Podcast
Sold a Story
Blink | Jake Haendel's Story
The Bible in a Year
The Daily
Huberman Lab
The Bible Recap
Scamanda
The Ezra Klein Show
Most Shared Episodes
The Mel Robbins Podcast: "The Body Reset"
The Telepathy Tapes: "Unveiling the Hidden World..."
The Ezra Klein Show: "Don't Believe Him"
The Shawn Ryan Show: "#163 Gary Brecka"
The Peter Attia Drive: "Women's sexual health..."
The Joe Rogan Experience: "#2294 - Dr. Suzanne Humphries"
The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart: "Trump Won. What Now?"
The Top Charts of 2025 are localized for audiences around the globe, offering a distinct regional perspective on the year's top podcasts.
The Apple Podcasts Show of the Year will be announced on Thursday, December 4. The annual award recognizes a single podcast that made what Apple described as a "significant cultural or creative impact" across the platform over the past year.
Apple had a bumper month for iPhone sales in China in October, with sales jumping 37% compared to a year earlier on strong demand for iPhone 17 models, according to data from research firm Counterpoint.
One in every four smartphones sold in the country for the month was an iPhone – a market share milestone Apple hasn't achieved since 2022, when there were fewer rivals in the premium segment. The iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max reached mid-to-high double-digit percentage growth, led by the standard iPhone 17.
New iPhone models accounted for more than 80% of Apple's unit sales, Counterpoint senior analyst Ivan Lam said. It is the best ever start to a December quarter for Apple, far surpassing its previous peak in October 2021.
"There is always some risk, especially with the much-expected Huawei Mate 80 series launching on November 25," said Lam. "But there's a lot of momentum behind Apple at this point. There is not much tapering to indicate a steep drop off."
China's overall smartphone sell-through grew 8% year-over-year in October, thanks to the performance of Apple's iPhone 17 series as well as that of domestic manufacturers like Xiaomi, which climbed to the number 2 spot for the first time in over a decade.
The data paints a rosy picture for Apple in the Chinese market, despite reports of a lukewarm reception for the iPhone Air, which has also performed poorly in other markets.
The designer who introduced the iPhone Air at Apple's September event left the company, reports Bloomberg. Abidur Chowdhury recently departed Apple to join an AI startup, a move that apparently "made waves" internally because he was a rising star on the design team.
Chowdhury worked on the iPhone Air, and he described its feature set in a two-minute presentation in September. His departure was not related to the iPhone Air or the disappointing sales of the device.
Chowdhury joined Apple's industrial design team in 2019, the same year that Jony Ive left the company to create a new design firm. After Ive departed, several other members of the design team left, either joining him or moving on to other companies.
There are very few designers remaining at Apple who worked under Ive, and Apple has lost several high-profile designers over the last six years.
Former Apple operations chief Jeff Williams had been overseeing the product design team since 2023, but he retired from Apple last week. Apple's design team will now report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Apple appears to be gearing up to add car key support to select Cadillac vehicles, based on backend code found by MacRumors. Cadillac is now on an internal Apple list of vehicles that offer car key integration.
Apple has supported NFC-based digital keys in the Wallet app since 2022, and vehicle manufacturers have been adopting the feature since then. Digital keys allow users to lock, unlock, and start their vehicles with an iPhone or Apple Watch using NFC.
At WWDC 2025, Apple confirmed that 13 vehicle brands would "soon" add support for digital car keys, and Cadillac was on the list. Other brands included were Acura, Porsche, GMC, Chevrolet, Rivian, Smart, Lucid Motors, Tata Motors, Hongqi, WEY, Chery, and Voyah.
Apple has now added backend support for GM, Voyah, and Smart vehicles, but car manufacturers have yet to add support. For car key to come to Cadillac vehicles, GM will need to add the functionality.
GM has not yet provided details on which Cadillac models will support car key.
Some newer vehicles from BMW, Genesis, Kia, Audi, Hyundai, Lotus, Mercedes, Volvo, and more offer car keys support, with a list available on MacRumors.com.
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3.
AirDrop
Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts.
iOS 26.2 includes an option to generate a one-time AirDrop code, which can then be shared with someone who is not in your contacts list. The code allows file exchanges over AirDrop for a 30-day period.
People you have shared a one-time code with can be managed by opening up the Settings app, selecting the General section, choosing AirDrop, and tapping on "Manage Known AirDrop Contacts."
Hypertension Notifications
According to Apple's developer notes, Hypertension Notifications are now available for reading with a new API. Apps can request authorization to read notifications resulting from the Hypertension Notification feature on Apple Watch.
This suggests a third-party app can read data from the Health app, so your medical app could be alerted if you receive a hypertension alert.
Privacy
When you access your Apple Account for the first time after installing iOS 26.2, you'll see an alert letting you know that Apple's privacy information for Apple Accounts has been updated to better explain how personal information is collected and used by Apple.
Side Button
Apple is laying the groundwork for a new option that will let iPhone users in Japan choose a different default voice assistant. A press and hold gesture on the Side Button only activates Siri in the current version of iOS 26, but there are multiple references to new Side Button behavior in the beta.
The wording indicates that Japanese users will be able to select a new app to activate with the Side Button, potentially allowing alternative assistants like Gemini or Alexa to be used on the iPhone. Developer documentation confirms that it will only be available for Japanese Apple Accounts owned by people living in Japan.
Liquid Glass Settings
When using the new Liquid Glass "Tinted" option that reduces transparency, there's a warning that the Tinted option cannot be used in tandem with the Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast Accessibility settings.
Turning on Tinted mode is able to turn off Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast automatically. In the prior betas, there was no option to turn on Tinted mode without turning off these features manually.
Games App
There is a new splash screen that confirms features coming to the Games app in iOS 26.2, including options to filter the games library, better support for navigating the Games app with a controller, and real-time updates challenge scores during gameplay.
Alarms in Reminders
There's now a small reminder about the option to mark a reminder as urgent to get an alarm, functionality that is new in iOS 26.2. The reminder shows up when you go to add a new entry in a list for the first time.
There's also a splash screen that lets users know about the new feature.
iPadOS 26.2 Multitasking
In the third iPadOS 26.2 beta, Apple added an option to drag and drop apps from the App Library, Dock, and Spotlight into Slide Over and tiled views, restoring some functionality that was removed in the iPadOS 18 to iPadOS 26 transition.
More Features
Know of a new feature in iOS 26.2 beta 3 that we left out? Let us know in the comments.
