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Apple and MLB today released the July schedule for Apple TV's weekly Friday Night Baseball doubleheader.
Friday Night Baseball games are included with an Apple TV streaming subscription at no additional cost.
Now through July 5, new and qualified returning subscribers in the U.S. and Canada can receive a one-month free trial of Apple TV.
Apple is set to unveil iOS 27 with an all-new Siri app and more next week, but there are some compatibility details to know about.
According to Instant Digital, a known Apple leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, iOS 27 will be compatible with the iPhone 12 series and newer. However, given the more personalized version of Siri will be powered by Apple Intelligence, the revamped Siri is expected to be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer.
If this rumor is accurate, iOS 27 will drop support for the following iPhone models:
However, these devices will continue to receive iOS 26 security updates for at least a few years.
iOS 27 will be compatible with the following iPhone models, according to the leaker:
Apple will unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote this Monday, June 8, and the first developer beta should be released later that day. A public beta typically follows in July, ahead of a final release to all users in September.
iOS 27 been likened to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is reportedly focused on bug fixes and stability improvements. There will still be some new features, though, including the dedicated Siri app with ChatGPT-like chatbot functionality and Apple Intelligence enhancements across other Apple apps.
Instant Digital has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the yellow color for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. However, the account does not have a perfect track record.
Apple today highlighted a new study by economists at Analysis Group that outlines four key App Store stats for 2025.
Ahead of WWDC 2026 next week, Apple's core message with this press release is that the App Store is reaching new heights and that "developers continue to thrive globally."
Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes a handful of GPS aluminum models on sale at record low prices.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you'll find four of the 42mm GPS models and three of the 46mm GPS models on sale at these all-time low prices.
Best Buy is matching these deals during its Apple Shopping Event, which is set to last through this Sunday. Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple today announced that nine new games are coming to Apple Arcade, including a mobile version of the popular game show Family Feud.
The following four games were added to Apple Arcade today:
Family Feud Pocket is launching on Apple Arcade on Tuesday, June 30. Apple says the game will provide an "authentic, true-to-show trivia experience."
"Hosted by the iconic Steve Harvey, the game features the classic mechanics fans know and love, along with daily challenges and exclusive questions," says Apple. "Players can guess the answer and outsmart the competition solo or with loved ones — at home or on the go — through local and online multiplayer."
Four popular App Store games will be receiving Apple Arcade editions on Thursday, July 2:
App Store links for the above games are not functional yet. More details about all nine games are outlined in Apple's press release.
Apple Arcade is a subscription service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. All of the games are free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month, and it is also bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.
Apple Arcade can be accessed through the App Store and the Apple Games app.
Apple's upcoming OLED MacBook Pro – aka "MacBook Ultra" – is expected to be the primary driver of a hybrid OLED laptop display market worth $4 billion this year, according to a new Omdia research report ($).
The report corroborates rumors that Apple's first OLED MacBook will use a hybrid OLED architecture combining oxide TFT (thin-film transistor) and tandem OLED layers. The combination is already used in Apple's iPad Pro models, and offers higher brightness, improved power efficiency, and longer lifespan compared with conventional single-stack OLED panels.
Samsung Display is said to be making the panels, and the supplier has invested heavily in an 8.6-generation OLED production line in South Korea. The line recently reached a key milestone for mass production.
It will be the first time the combination has been used for a laptop in the 14-inch and 16-inch range, and Apple's adoption is expected to pull the rest of the OLED laptop industry in the same direction. Omdia estimates that hybrid OLED panels will account for 12.6% of all OLED laptop shipments in 2026, rising dramatically to 89.5% by 2033.
Omdia says manufacturers are already exploring new patterning methods for large OLED panels. In addition to the established Fine Metal Mask (FMM) process, it says technologies such as inkjet printing (IJP) and fine photolithography mask (FPM) are being developed to improve production efficiency for larger screens.
Apple's first OLED MacBook Pro will also feature a touchscreen display, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The claim has been corroborated by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who also says the laptops will have "thinner and lighter frames." Apple is apparently focusing on delivering the thinnest possible device without compromising on battery life or major new features. That might also mean a higher price point and a new "Ultra" tier for the laptop.
The redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are also expected to have a hole-punch camera at the top of the display, and it could potentially be housed in a pill-shaped cutout similar to the iPhone's Dynamic Island, rather than the notch MacBook Pro owners are accustomed to. Gurman says the machines will be powered by M6 chips and are being readied for a late 2026 or early 2027 launch. As things stand, the latter time frame is now looking more likely, owing to the global memory chip shortage.
Best Buy has a new sale going on today with multiple Apple devices hitting record lows, and that includes the AirPods Max 2. You can get the brand new over-ear headphones for $499.00 in all five colors, down from $549.00. Amazon is matching this deal in the Midnight color.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This beats Amazon's current low price by $10 and is a new record low price on the headphones. Best Buy offers both in-store pick-up and delivery options for the AirPods Max 2, so you should be able to get them before the end of the week in many locations.
You'll also find solid deals on Beats products, Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, iPad Air, iPad, AirPods Pro 3, and more during this event. We've collected some of the best deals in the list below, but be sure to browse the full sale on Best Buy's website before it ends on Sunday.
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.
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
The annual percentage yield (APY) for the Apple Card's savings account was lowered from 3.5% to 3.4% this week.
If you deposited $1,000 and made no withdrawals for one year, you would earn $34 in interest at the current APY.
Update: Since publication, new information has come to light suggesting the images have been AI-manipulated and are not in fact iPhone 18 Pro chassis parts. The original article follows.
The color options Apple is reportedly planning for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have appeared online today in the form of images of chassis parts of unknown authenticity.
Shared by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the images show what appear to be production-ready frames for three of the four colors Apple is rumored to be planning.
Multiple rumors have suggested Apple is testing a deep red finish for the iPhone 18 Pro models, and the color is expected to be the special color that Apple chooses in 2026, similar to Cosmic Orange for iPhone 17 Pro.
Two other colors Apple is said to be planning are Light Blue and Dark Gray. Apple may also offer the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in Silver, though that color isn't shown in these pictures. Macworld previously shared what it said were Pantone codes for the four colors Apple is testing.
The four colors have also been spotted in the first iPhone 18 Pro dummy models to leak, providing another look at the shades Apple is likely to use.
The iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to be unveiled this September alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone, which will have its own set of color finishes that are likely to be more muted, with silver, white, and indigo rumored so far.
Apple has published a new ad to appeal to customers who prioritize privacy when browsing, suggesting that Safari is the one you should use if you want to "Keep data trackers off your back."
Apple on its website calls privacy a "fundamental human right," and highlights several features that Chrome doesn't come with out of the box. Safari blocks third-party cookies by default, uses machine learning to combat tracking, removes tracking parameters from URLs in Private Browsing, hides your IP address from known trackers, prevents web extensions from accessing your browsing activity by default, and blocks known trackers in Private Browsing.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will be the same thickness as its predecessor, measuring in at 8.75mm. The latest information comes from Weibo-based leaker Ice Universe.
The leaker suggested that the lack of evolution in Apple's Pro lineup this year is because most of the company's development focus has been on the "iPhone Ultra," its rumored foldable model.
The latest claim comes as somewhat of a surprise, given that the same leaker in March said the device would be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That chimed with a report last year alleging hardware changes in the iPhone 18 Pro Max will make it the heaviest iPhone yet.
Last November, fellow Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital said the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly heavier than its predecessor, tipping its weight over 240 grams and making it the heaviest iPhone since the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Of course, if the new model does turn out to have the same thickness, this doesn't necessarily mean its weight won't change either. The device's heaviness could still be impacted by internal hardware changes.
Digital Chat Station – another Weibo-based leaker – has claimed the iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery, with a capacity in the range of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh (up from 5,088 mAh in the eSim version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max).
If so, Apple may have reconfigured the internal design or miniaturized aspects of it in order to accommodate the larger battery without altering the device's thickness. Apple isn't expected to change the screen size of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and it will feature the same 6.9-inch display as the current model.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max may feature a possibly smaller Dynamic Island, along with a next-generation C2 modem, a simplified Camera Control, and an upgraded main camera with a variable aperture. The devices are expected to be unveiled around mid-September alongside the foldable iPhone.
Apple will rely on Google's fleet of Nvidia chips to power its overhauled version of Siri when it launches in September, according to a new report from The Information.
Last week, the outlet reported that Apple plans to highlight the on-device AI capabilities of its devices at WWDC next week, but queries that require cloud-based processing will still fall back on one of Google's large Gemini models, as per an agreement between the two companies.
Today's report adds some specificity to the planned cloud setup by revealing that Apple will tap into Google's fleet of Nvidia Blackwell B200 data center chips, where user data will be encrypted using Nvidia's hardware-based confidential compute feature. Introduced in 2024 as the successor to Hopper, Blackwell chips are designed primarily for large language models, and can dramatically speed up AI training and inference compared to the previous generation.
The report notes that the arrangement diverges from Apple's usual strategy of "attempting to control all the critical ingredients to its products." It also adds that it's unclear how Apple's previously launched server system, called Private Cloud Compute, will fit into the upcoming Siri launch.
Private Cloud Compute runs on Apple's Mac-series chips and was announced two years ago as a way to offer cloud-based computing in a more private and secure fashion. Apple reportedly tried to get a modified version of Gemini working on its in-house server system, but found that it ran too slowly. The publication's previous report said Apple will likely retain the Private Cloud Compute branding despite the change.
Apple Intelligence was unveiled at WWDC 2024, but its rollout has been overshadowed by a lukewarm reception to its initial features and ongoing delays to the more personalized version of Siri. WWDC 2026 begins on June 8, when Apple is expected to reset the narrative by revisiting those delayed features and introducing new AI capabilities.
Siri is getting a major overhaul in iOS 27, but Apple also has some big updates planned for apps like Camera, Photos, and Wallet. There are multiple new AI features in the works, plus some non-AI upgrades.
Much of the information about what's coming in iOS 27 is sourced from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who has shared extensive information on Apple's Siri changes and new app features.
Apple is moving Visual Intelligence from the Camera Control button to the Camera app in iOS 27. There will be a Siri mode that will be available alongside the existing Photo, Video, Portrait, and Panorama modes. When in Siri mode, the existing Camera app shutter button will feature the Apple Intelligence logo, letting users know the Siri features are available.
Image via BloombergVisual Intelligence can identify objects, plants, animals, art, books, and more, searching for whatever the user snaps on Google Image Search. In iOS 27, Siri will be able to answer questions about what a user is looking at, providing information from the web.
Apple is adding new Visual Intelligence capabilities in iOS 27, and they will be available through the Camera app Siri mode.
Apple plans to make the Camera app more customizable in iOS 27. iPhone users will be able to replace the top row of camera shortcuts with options of their choosing, selecting features like flash, exposure, timer, depth of field, photo styles, and resolution.
Camera controls, now labeled as widgets, can be placed at the top of the Camera interface in any order. Users can select widgets from a transparent widget tray that comes up from the bottom of the app and organizes widgets into categories like basic, manual, and settings.
The Camera app will have the same default layout that's available now with quick tap buttons for flash, Live Photos, and Night Mode, but the customizable widget interface will be added as an advanced layout that will appeal to professional users.
Image via BloombergThe Camera app is also going to get new grid and level options that will join the existing features.
The Photos app will have an Apple Intelligence Tools section when editing an image with new Extend and Reframe options.
Apple is also testing an AI photo editing feature that lets users request edits using natural language. Users would be able to tweak color, lighting, cropping, and other image parameters without having to use manual tools. The voice-based photo editing feature may not arrive in the first version of iOS 27.
The iOS 27 Shortcuts app will support using natural language to create a shortcut with AI. Users will be able to tell Siri what they want to accomplish with a multi-step shortcut, and Siri will generate it.
The Shortcuts app will open with a prompt that says "What do you want your shortcut to do?" with a text field to enter a description. Shortcuts that are created using AI are then automatically installed and immediately available for use.
The Wallet app is getting a "Create a Pass" option so users can generate digital passes from scans of physical items like movie tickets, concert passes, and gym membership cards.
Users can tap on the "+" button in the Wallet app and then scan a QR code on a pass or ticket if one is available. If there is no QR code available, there will be an option to create a custom pass.
There are three pass types in Create a Pass, each with a different color. Apple is using purple for events, blue for memberships, and orange for other types of passes. Users can customize images, colors, style, and text on the digital passes.
Apple is also adding an AI bill-splitting feature that will work with Apple Cash. iPhone users will be able to take a photo of a receipt and generate Apple Cash payment requests for different people.
Apple is updating the Image Playground app. The interface for generating a new image has fewer controls and a "describe a change" option for editing images that are created. Previously created images are displayed in a grid with more rounded edges, and instead of a New Image button, there's a "+" button.
Apple has also been testing new models that produce more lifelike images, so we could see new image generation capabilities in iOS 27 with better image quality.
Genmoji is also getting an update so it will use fewer resources, causing less battery drain and fewer heat problems. Genmoji will be better quality with a new Genmoji model, and a Suggested Genmoji feature will bring up custom emoji ideas based on your media and text history.
Apple is testing an expanded version of Writing Tools that will do more rewriting and text generation than the current version. There is a "Write with Siri" toggle at the top of the keyboard, along with a "Help Me Write" option that comes up when Siri is activated while a text field is open.
Apple is going to add a dedicated AI grammar checker that will work alongside the current spell check. When writing in Messages, Mail, and other apps there will be a translucent menu that slides up from the bottom of the iPhone's screen, and it will show suggested revisions next to the original written text.
Users can go through the suggestions and accept or reject them one by one, approve all of the changes at once, or ignore the changes.
There are system-wide design changes coming in iOS 27. The separate tab bar in apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, News, and Apple TV will be adjusted to combine search with the other navigation options. Apple separated search in many apps when introducing Liquid Glass, but it's reverting to the original look.
When using the on-screen keyboard, there's a new animation that shows the keys sliding up from the bottom of the iPhone interface, and Apple is adding redo and undo controls for easier customization of the Home Screen's icon and widget layouts.
Apple doesn't plan to make major changes to the Liquid Glass aesthetic in iOS 27, but the company is mulling a system-wide setting that would precisely adjust the look of the interface. In iOS 26.2, Apple added a slider that lets users adjust the opacity of Liquid Glass for the Lock Screen's clock, and that setting could be expanded to the entire operating system.
The first foldable iPhone will be introduced in September. Rumors suggest that it will feature a 5.5-inch display when folded, and a 7.8-inch display when it's opened up like a book.
An iPhone with a larger display will require major updates to iOS, and iOS 27 will focus on building new interfaces and experiences made for a larger smartphone display.
The iPhone Fold will operate like a cross between an iPhone and an iPad, but it will run iOS, not iPadOS, and it won't support iPad apps. When unfolded, the iPhone will have an iPad-like layout that supports multitasking with two apps side-by-side. Many of Apple's iPhone apps will have sidebars on the left of the display, with Apple providing developers with tools to easily adapt their apps to the new layout.
Apple is using a wider design for the iPhone Fold than most foldable smartphone makers have used, and it is rumored to have an iPad-like 4:3 aspect ratio. When the iPhone is closed, it will have a standard iPhone layout that looks like the version of iOS we have now.
Apple is working on several new satellite features for the iPhone, and it's possible some features could be introduced as soon as 2027.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has described iOS 27 as a "Snow Leopard" update, suggesting that Apple will focus on improving underlying performance and quality.
Apple is prioritizing cleaning up the iOS code and removing anything that's outdated, which could mean upgrading apps to improve performance and rewriting some existing features to be more efficient. The code updates could provide a more responsive, faster version of iOS.
Apple is also aiming for efficiency improvements that could translate into tangible battery life gains.
Apple will preview the new iOS features at its WWDC 2026 keynote event on June 8. Developers will get access the same day, and a public beta will likely be available in July. iOS 27 will launch in September alongside new iPhones.
We're just a handful of days away from Apple's 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference, which will see the introduction of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and more.
We've heard plenty of rumors about iOS 27 and it sounds like most of the new features will focus on Siri and AI, but we want to hear from readers. Are you looking forward to any of the new capabilities? Read our iOS 27 roundup to see what's in store.
What's at the top of your wishlist? Do you want updates to the Liquid Glass design? Multitasking options? More emoji?
MacRumors readers have been discussing some of their iOS 27 wants in a dedicated iOS 27 wishlist forum thread that's worth checking out. Some top picks:
Let us know what you're hoping to see from Apple.
The WWDC 2026 keynote event will take place on Monday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time or 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Bluetti's Elite 10 Mini Power Station is larger than your average iPhone or iPad power bank, but it's still small enough to be portable. It's ideal for camping, day trips, barbecues, or to have on hand in case of a power outage. It's also a design that works well on a desktop thanks to the included ports.
The Elite 10 has a 128Wh capacity, which is enough to charge a MacBook Neo almost three times, a MacBook Pro 1.5 times, or a MacBook Air twice. It can charge an iPhone or an iPad multiple times, and it supports charging multiple devices at one time too. It can power devices that draw as much as 200W and it has 300W surge capacity with 400W lifting power, so it's more than adequate for Apple products. You can plug in anything that is under 200W, so it's not going to work for things like blow dryers or heaters, but it can power all kinds of small electronics.
There's a single AC outlet on the right side of the charger, plus two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and a 12V DC port at the front. One of the USB-C ports offers up to 100W charging, so you can charge a Mac, iPad, or iPhone directly with that port without the need for a power adapter. The other USB-C port is 15W, as are the two USB-A ports. As with other Bluetti chargers, you need to press the AC or DC buttons to turn on power to the ports, a feature that prevents unnecessary power draw in standby mode.
Bluetti sells the Elite 10 in a standard gray shade or a light green that's a fun match with the bright colors of the MacBook Neo. It's made from plastic, but it's weighty and feels durable. The Elite 10 is 7.9 inches long, 5.8 inches wide, and 4.3 inches tall, so it's not something you're going to want to carry around in a backpack as a daily charger, but it is small enough to keep in the car for emergencies, and at four pounds, it's not too heavy to bring on a trip to the park or the beach.
There's a carrying handle at the top of the Elite 10, and it has built-in fans to keep it cool. The fans are barely noticeable unless you're drawing power at full capacity, and even then, they're quiet. An LED display lets you know the Elite 10's capacity, how much power is being sent to a device, and how much longer the battery will last. Alternatively, you can use the Bluetti app to see that information.
There is a built-in LED light strip at the back that offers cold light, warm light, and a flashing emergency light that can stay on for up to 50 hours. The light is bright enough to light up a tent or a small space. I'm a fan of the LED strip in the Elite 10 because it's a feature that not too many power stations offer.
I've been testing the Elite 10 since December 2025, and I have no complaints. It's worked as intended, and it's a charger that I like to keep on my desktop. I've also brought it outside to charge up smart bird feeders, and it's come on day trips. I did most of my testing of the Elite 10 back in December, but I wanted to see how it would work as a power station that's just tucked away until it's needed in an emergency.
I charged it to full in January, made sure it was off, then stuck it in my closet and left it alone. I was curious about whether it could hold a charge across multiple months, and it does. When I pulled it out of the closet on May 15, it was still at 100 percent charge. It's not ideal to leave a battery at a 100 percent charge for long periods, but if you charge it up and forget about it until a power outage, it's still good to go. Draining it to about 90 percent and then checking in on it every six months or so should be enough if you just want an in-case-of-emergency device that you don't have to think about often. Bluetti says that the LiFePO4 battery inside will last for over 3,000 cycles while remaining above 80 percent total capacity.
UPS mode is supported for uninterrupted power during an outage. You can plug the Elite 10 into a power source and then plug in a computer or router. If the power goes out, it takes 10ms for the Elite 10 to provide power to your computer or router, so your device won't shut off. When you're using it for that purpose, it supports 350W max bypass charging, so it will work for some PC setups. I tested with my router and with a light, and it did swap over as quickly as advertised.
The Elite 10 can be charged with a standard outlet (and a charging cable is included), a car (adapter sold separately), or up to a 100W solar panel. It supports simultaneous AC + solar charging too at up to 150W. With AC power, it can charge at 150W, reaching 100 percent in just over an hour.
Bluetti says that the Elite 10 is in the airline-approved range for carry-on batteries, but I'm not sure I'd try to bring it on a plane. The last few times I've flown in the U.S., flight attendants have been wary of portable batteries and there's now a rule that they must be visible and in reach at all times.
If you're looking for a portable charger that's still big enough to power multiple iPhones, a couple of iPads, or a MacBook and an iPhone, the Elite 10 is a good option. It's light enough and small enough to bring on short trips, and it's also ideal for keeping in the car or on hand for power outages.
Bluetti's Elite 10 Mini Power Station can be purchased from the Bluetti website or from Amazon for $120.
Note: Bluetti provided MacRumors with an Elite 10 Mini Power Station for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Bluetti and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.
Apple today said App Store rules in Texas are changing due to the enforcement of SB 2420, a law that adds age assurance requirements for app marketplaces and developers.
Apple users located in Texas will soon be required to confirm whether they are 18 years or older when creating an Apple Account. Apple Accounts for users under 18 must be part of a Family Sharing group, and parents need to provide consent for all App Store downloads, app purchases, and in-app transactions.
Developers need to adopt the Declared Age Range API to provide the required age categories for new account users in Texas, and they are responsible for implementing the correct age restrictions. Developers must get parental consent for a minor to download an app, and are required to re-obtain consent if there is a "significant change" to an app. It is up to developers to determine when a significant change has been made to an app.
Parents in Texas are able to revoke consent for any app they previously approved for their child, a system that developers also need to support. Apple has several APIs for developers who need to implement these features, including the Declared Age Range API and the Significant Change API. Developers could face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.
Apple first outlined the changes it was making to support SB 2420 in October 2025, because it was supposed to go into effect on January 1, 2026. In December, a Texas federal judge blocked the age verification law and said it was "more likely than not unconstitutional" and a violation of the First Amendment due to the burden of age verification.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit temporarily stayed the injunction that was blocking the law from being enforced, so SB 2420 will go into effect on June 4, 2026. Legal proceedings are still ongoing, and the Fifth Circuit has not decided on whether it will issue a permanent stay of the injunction during the appeals process. The courts still need to determine the constitutionality of SB 2420 and whether the state has the authority to impose age verification requirements on app marketplaces.
When SB 2420 is live, Apple will need to confirm user age when a person creates an Apple Account, an action that the company has not wanted to take. Apple is required to use "commercially reasonable methods to identify an individual's age" during account creation. Existing accounts are not affected. Google's Play Store is also subject to the law.
Apple fought against age assurance requirements in Texas and other states because of the data collection required to determine user age. Apple says SB 2420 forces users to share personally identifiable data to download any apps, even a simple app for checking weather or sports scores. Apple introduced the Declared Age Range API to minimize data collection where possible.
Apple CEO Tim Cook attempted to persuade Texas Governor Greg Abbott to veto the legislation, but Abbott went ahead and signed it into law.
More information on Apple's age assurance frameworks can be found on its Developer website.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple will be permanently closing three of its retail stores in the U.S. on the evening of Saturday, June 20, according to its website.
Apple Towson Town CenterIn April, Apple said it made the "difficult decision" to close the stores due to "declining conditions" at the shopping malls in which they are located.
Notably, the staff at the Towson Town Center location became Apple's first retail employees in the U.S. to unionize in 2022. They belong to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers' Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE), and they signed a collective bargaining agreement with Apple in 2024.
The union and the store's employees have been protesting the planned closure, and some lawmakers in Maryland have voiced their support.
The union is upset that Apple is allowing non-unionized employees at the Trumbull and North County stores to transfer to nearby locations, but not extending this offer to unionized employees at the Towson location. For its part, Apple said it is simply honoring the terms of the collective bargaining agreement that the employees agreed to.
According to Apple, the contract states that in the event of a store closure, Apple would transfer or rehire employees if the company opened a new store within 50 miles of the current location at Towson Town Center. In any other circumstance, the union negotiated for employees to receive severance, which is being provided.
Apple said it has no current plans to open a new store in the area, but if it were to do so within 18 months after the collective bargaining agreement was ratified, the affected employees would have the right of first refusal.
Nevertheless, IAM has accused Apple of potential union busting and said that the agreement "requires equal treatment."
"Apple workers in Towson voted to join the IAM, fought for and won a contract, and are now being punished for it," said IAM President Brian Bryant. "Apple signed a collective bargaining agreement that requires equal treatment. It is time for Apple to honor that agreement and do right by these workers before June 20."
Towson Town Center is genuinely in a state of decline and has lost many other major retailers in recent years, so it is very likely that Apple is exiting the shopping mall at least partly due to the worsening conditions. Nevertheless, the situation could benefit Apple by warning employees at other stores that joining a union does not always work out. However, we may never know Apple's true and full intentions behind its decision.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus signed off on a major revision of Apple's Vision Pro and smart glasses plans, consolidating Apple's work in the category.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Ternus nixed plans for a second Vision Pro and a lighter Vision Air. Kuo says there are only two smart glasses products in development, including the AI smart glasses that Apple is creating to rival the Meta Ray-Bans and a display-equipped set of AR smart glasses.
"I think removing the Vision Pro line was the right call, as Apple shifts resources toward smart glasses with greater mass-market potential," writes Kuo. Kuo says that the Vision products roadmap that he shared in June 2025 is no longer a useful reference because of the major changes that Apple has made to its plans over the last year. Kuo's product timeline originally featured seven products, but now it features just two that are still relevant.
Kuo believes the AI smart glasses will ship in 2027, while the display-equipped augmented reality glasses with "optical waveguides" won't come out until 2029 at the earliest. Optical waveguides pair a micro-display with waveguides that guide the image to the user's eyes. Lenses remain transparent, so the virtual content looks like it's overlaid on the real world view.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman weighed in on Kuo's report and said the Vision Air was discontinued in October 2025, the display glasses meant to pair with a Mac were sunset in January 2025, and AI smart glasses will launch at the end of 2027.
While Kuo does not believe Apple is working on any version of a Vision Pro, Gurman claims Apple has a Vision Pro 2 "in testing" but the category is "on ice." Earlier this week, Gurman also said Apple is working on a cheaper, lighter Vision Pro, but the device is unlikely to launch before late 2028 or 2029.
John Ternus is set to take over as Apple's CEO on September 1, 2026. Current Apple CEO Tim Cook will remain on as Executive Chairman.
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