MacRumors

The "T-Satellite" Starlink satellite service that T-Mobile has been testing for the last several months is now out of beta, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert announced today.

Satellite-based connectivity is available for T-Mobile subscribers, but it is also an option for Verizon and AT&T users. T-Mobile's offering uses over 650 Starlink satellites to allow users to send text messages when they are out of range of a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

T-Mobile says that its satellite services work with more than 600 smartphones, including iPhones. If you have an iPhone 14 or later, you can use T-Satellite, though these devices already have Apple's built-in satellite functionality that works with Globalstar satellites. You will need iOS 18.3 or later to sign up.

The T-Mobile satellite service is limited to texting with iMessage and SMS, and data is not supported. Apple's built-in satellite service supports sending and receiving messages, sharing location via Find My, connecting with emergency services, getting satellite-based weather updates, and arranging roadside assistance via satellite. Apple does not yet charge for any of its Satellite functionality.

T-Satellite is free for Beyond 5G and Go5G customers, while T-Mobile users with other plans can get the service added to their plans for $10 per month using the Manage Add-Ons option in their accounts. AT&T and Verizon customers can get T-Satellite for $10 per month by contacting T-Mobile customer support. The $10/month pricing is a limited-time promotion, and T-Mobile intends to raise the price to $15 per month in the future.

iPhone users who sign up for T-Mobile's satellite service and connect to a Starlink satellite will see a small "SAT" icon in the status bar

Amazon has some decent deals on the latest M3 iPad Air models this week, with $50 to $70 off most models.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The 11-inch 128GB Wi-Fi iPad Air in Blue is priced at $539, down from $599. Other colors are around $10 more expensive. The 11-inch 128GB Space Gray iPad Air with cellular connectivity is priced at $678, down from $749.

If you want more storage, you can get a better deal. The 11-inch Space Gray iPad Air with 256GB of storage is priced at $629, down from $699. The 256GB cellular model in purple is priced at $774, down from $849. The 11-inch Wi-Fi iPad Air with 512GB of storage in Space Gray is priced at $799, down from $899, and the cellular version in blue is priced at $959, down from $1,049. The 11-inch cellular 1TB iPad Air in Starlight is available for $1021, down from $1,249.

For the larger 13-inch iPad Air, the base Wi-Fi model with 128GB of storage in purple is priced at $699, down from $799, and the 512GB Wi-Fi model in Space Gray is priced at $999, down from $1,099.

For more iPad deals, we have a dedicated Deals Roundup that has all of the current best prices available across different models.

Google today announced that it is bringing new AI video editing tools to both Google Photos and YouTube Shorts.

Google ‌Photos‌ is gaining a photo-to-video feature that's powered by Veo 2. The photo app will be able to generate short videos from the photos that are saved in the Google ‌Photos‌ gallery, adding subtle animations, facial expressions, and more.

Google ‌Photos‌ users can select a picture from their photo gallery and choose the "Subtle movements" or "I'm feeling lucky" options to bring images to life with movement. The feature is rolling out today in the Google ‌Photos‌ apps for iOS and Android.

In the next few weeks, Google ‌Photos‌ will get a "Remix" feature that will allow users to change the style of a photo using AI. Available options will include anime, comic, sketch, and 3D animation. The Photo to video and Remix tools can both be found in the new Create tab in Google ‌Photos‌, and all AI-generated content will be watermarked with a SynthID digital watermark.

As for YouTube Shorts, Google is allowing creators to use the Photo to video feature to turn pictures from the camera roll into videos that work on the Shorts platform. As with the option in Google ‌Photos‌, Photo to video can add movement to landscape photos, animate everyday images, and add life to group photos.

Creators are also able to use new effects that can transform doodles into images and turn selfies into unique videos.

Photo to video for YouTube Shorts is rolling out today and over the next week, and it's a free feature that will be available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The new effects are rolling out in the coming weeks and can be found by tapping the Effects icon in the Shorts camera.

Amazon is offering discounts on the M4 Mac mini this week, and you can get Apple's smallest desktop machine for up to $150 off.

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.

The M4 Mac mini with 24GB RAM and a 512GB SSD is available for $889, which is $110 off the standard price from Apple. The M4 Pro variant with 24GB RAM and a 512GB SSD is a little over $150 off, and there's a smaller discount on the standard M4 models with 16GB RAM.

These aren't the best discounts we've ever seen for the Mac mini, but they're the best prices available this week if you're looking to pick up a new desktop machine.

If you're looking for a different Mac, we keep track of the best prices available in our Apple Deals roundup.

Apple News+ Audio is expanding to the UK, Canada, and Australia as of today. Apple debuted ‌Apple News‌+ Audio way back in 2020, and it has been limited to U.S. ‌Apple News‌ subscribers until now.

‌Apple News‌+ Audio is primarily designed for ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers, and it provides professionally narrated versions of the best stories from ‌Apple News‌. Audio stories can be listened to in the ‌Apple News‌+ app or in the Podcasts app, with Apple highlighting popular stories from subscription publications like The New Yorker, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, and more.

Those who do not subscribe to ‌Apple News‌+ can hear previews of stories, and there's also a free News Today audio option that's available to all ‌Apple News‌ users.

‌Apple News‌+ has a robust selection of audio stories, with users able to see top options across categories like News and Politics, Business, Sports, Arts and Entertainment, and True Crime.

In Australia, Canada, and the UK, ‌Apple News‌+ Audio includes audio stories from local publications as well as stories from the U.S.

‌Apple News‌+ is priced at $12.99 USD per month, and it provides access to subscription publications like The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and The Atlantic, along with dozens of magazines and regional newspapers. ‌Apple News‌+ is also included in the Apple One Premier plan priced at $37.95 USD per month.

(Thanks, Ben!)

Apple's most affordable AirPods are even more affordable this week, with Amazon offering the AirPods 4 for just $99, down from $129.

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.

Apple introduced the AirPods 4 back in September, and the earbuds feature an updated design that's more comfortable in the ears, along with a vent system for pressure equalization. Sound quality is much improved thanks to a new acoustic architecture, so if you have older AirPods and have been wanting to upgrade, now might be a good time.

Amazon is discounting the standard AirPods 4, and unfortunately, the AirPods 4 with ANC aren't on sale this week.

If you're looking for more deals on Apple products, make sure to check out our Apple Deals roundup where we track sales.

Apple has modified the screenshot experience in iOS 26 to accommodate Visual Intelligence and its new Liquid Glass aesthetic. Taking a screenshot is still done by pressing the Side button and Volume Up button on your iPhone, but the interface has been redesigned, while there's another change that might slow down your workflow if you're used to the streamlined approach taken in iOS 18 and earlier.

Why You Might Want to Switch Back

If you regularly use Apple's screen capture tools in iOS 18, you'll know that screenshots appear as small thumbnails in the bottom-left corner that you can quickly tap to edit and save or ignore. This lets you continue using your iPhone without interruption, while still giving you the option to markup and/or share a screenshot when required.

In contrast, the new full-screen preview mode in iOS 26 displays your screenshot across the entire display by default, complete with editing tools and Visual Intelligence options at the bottom. While this gives you immediate access to cropping, markup, and AI-powered features, it may feel intrusive compared to iOS 18's approach.

Disabling Full-Screen Previews

When you take your first screenshot after updating to iOS 26, you should see an on-screen prompt asking if you'd like to "Switch to Thumbnail View." If you missed this opportunity or accidentally tapped "Not Now," you can still revert to the old thumbnail approach, thanks to a new settings menu:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap General.
3. Select Screen Capture.
4. Toggle off Full-Screen Previews.

Once disabled, screenshots will revert to the familiar iOS 18 behavior, appearing as temporary thumbnails in the bottom-left corner. You can still access all editing features by tapping the thumbnail when you need them, or you can review the images later in the Photos app.

Additional Screenshot Options

While you're in Screen Capture settings, you'll also find new options for enabling HDR screenshots (saved in HEIF image format), a CarPlay Screenshots toggle for when your iPhone is connected to CarPlay, and Visual Lookup (iPhone 15 Pro and newer models only).

There is another change coming to AppleCare+ beyond the all-new AppleCare One bundle plan.

As noted by 9to5Mac's Zac Hall, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss plans will be available for the iPad and Apple Watch starting this Thursday, July 24. These plans are available individually, with no AppleCare One coverage required.

As the name of the plan implies, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss includes coverage for up to two incidents of theft or loss in a one-year period, in addition to unlimited repairs for accidental damage. In the U.S., the plan starts at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year for the iPad, and at $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year for the Apple Watch.

AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss was previously limited to the iPhone, with only regular AppleCare+ for repairs offered for the iPad and Apple Watch until now.

AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss is still not available for other devices, such as the Mac, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro.

If you do prefer AppleCare One, theft and loss coverage does apply to any devices that you add to that plan, including the iPad and Apple Watch.

More details are available on the AppleCare website.

An independent engineer known for modifying Apple products today revealed a new accessory that adds a fully functional USB-C port to older iPhones with Lightning ports via a custom-designed case.

Ken Pillonel, the Swiss robotics engineer who gained attention in 2021 after adding a USB-C port to an iPhone X through hardware modification, has launched a commercial product that enables USB-C charging and data transfer on Lightning-based iPhones without requiring any internal modifications.

The accessory, sold under the brand "Obsoless," is a two-part snap-on case that integrates a custom circuit board and USB-C connector. The product is designed to provide full compatibility with 9V fast charging, data transfer, and Apple CarPlay.

The project is built on the foundations of his earlier work with AirPods USB-C cases. In a new video, Pillonel explains how he overcame many of the technical challenges involved in developing the case, such as ensuring compatibility with fast charging.

The case itself consists of two parts that clamp around the phone, connecting to the Lightning port through a precisely aligned connector embedded within the enclosure. Pillonel developed a custom latching mechanism inspired by pen clickers and belt buckles, which uses a rotating joint and tactile latch to keep the enclosure closed without requiring tools.

The accessory is also MagSafe compatible. 20 different iPhone models with Lightning ports are supported in total. More color variants of the case will be available starting in September, and users can sign up for email notifications via the Obsoless website for updates on availability.

Halfbrick has teamed up with Apple's App Store team to offer Fruit Ninja fans a free month of Apple Arcade. The deal is available for both new and returning Apple Arcade subscribers.

New subscribers can get up to two free months, pairing the free Halfbrick month with a one-month free trial. Existing subscribers are eligible for a one month subscription to play Fruit Ninja and other ‌Apple Arcade‌ games.

To get the free month of ‌Apple Arcade‌, you can sign up on Halfbrick's website. Promo codes are available in the United States, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany, Japan, Philippines, Brazil, and Mexico. If you're not in the U.S., make sure to select your country from the dropdown menu. ‌Apple Arcade‌ promo codes are limited, so make sure to sign up soon.

Halfbrick is offering the promotion to celebrate a fun Bluey-themed event taking place this summer. Popular ‌Apple Arcade‌ game Fruit Ninja Classic+ has been updated with Bluey-themed wands, powers, dojos, and other easter eggs. It's worth checking out with the free month of ‌Apple Arcade‌ if you're a fan of Fruit Ninja or Bluey. There are a series of four in-game Bluey events that are available through August 13, with special in-game prizes available to unlock.

‌Apple Arcade‌ is normally priced at $6.99 per month. There are more than 200 games available, with no in-app purchases or ads.

Apple today announced AppleCare One, a new subscription plan for customers to cover multiple devices with a single plan.

AppleCare One starts at $19.99 per month for up to three products, with the ability to add more for $5.99 per month for each additional device. The plan incudes all of the benefits that come with AppleCare+, such as unlimited repairs for accidents, priority support, battery coverage, and more.

Subscribers can freely move their devices in and out of the plan at any time. AppleCare One also enables users to add products they already own that are up to four years old, providing they are in good condition, extending beyond the current 60-day window to purchase AppleCare+. When a customer trades in a covered product with Apple, it is automatically removed from their AppleCare One plan and replaced with the new device.

AppleCare One also expands theft and loss protection to the iPad and Apple Watch. Previously, it was only available for the iPhone.

AppleCare One's pricing is the same regardless of the products that are covered. Apple says that a customer who enrolls their iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch could save up to $11 per month versus enrolling in separate AppleCare+ plans for each device.

Customers in the United States can sign up for AppleCare One starting tomorrow on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or by visiting an Apple Store.

Britain's competition regulator has today outlined sweeping proposals that could force Apple to fundamentally alter how it operates its App Store, Safari browser, and iOS ecosystem in the UK.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a detailed roadmap of potential interventions after proposing to designate both Apple and Google with "strategic market status" under new digital competition laws. The designation would give the CMA unprecedented powers to impose binding requirements on how Apple runs its mobile platform.

The CMA's immediate priorities include forcing Apple to allow app developers to "steer" users away from the App Store to complete purchases elsewhere, which would potentially undercut Apple's lucrative 30% commission model. The regulator also wants to require fairer, more transparent app review processes and prevent Apple from using data collected during app reviews to benefit its own services.

The CMA's most ambitious long-term goal involves breaking Apple's tight control over iOS by allowing alternative browser engines beyond WebKit and enabling better interoperability for digital wallets and connected devices like smartwatches.

"Apple and Google's mobile platforms hold an effective duopoly," said CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell, noting that 90-100% of UK mobile devices run on these platforms. The regulator estimates the UK app economy generates 1.5% of GDP and supports around 400,000 jobs.

Ultimately, the CMA believes that successful implementation could mean access to innovative digital wallets beyond Apple Pay, more capable third-party browsers, and potentially lower app prices as developers gain alternatives to Apple's payment systems.

Apple has already pushed back against the proposals, warning that they "would undermine the privacy and security protections that our users have come to expect, hamper our ability to innovate, and force us to give away our technology for free to foreign competitors."

The roadmap draws heavily on enforcement actions already underway in the EU and other jurisdictions. In the US, for example, a court recently forced Apple to allow app developers to include external payment links, leading companies like Spotify and Proton to announce price cuts of up to 30% for American users.

The CMA's phased approach aims to begin with app store reforms later this year, followed by more complex interventions around browser engines and device interoperability from 2026 onwards. However, some of the measures remain under review pending developments in US litigation and European enforcement.

The regulator has until October to finalize its strategic market status designations. In the meantime, it has invited stakeholders to submit feedback on the proposed intervention roadmap.

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.

Proton today launched Lumo, an AI assistant that promises to keep your conversations completely private. Best known for its encrypted Mail and VPN services, the Swiss company says it built Lumo as an alternative to mainstream AI tools that typically capitalize on users' data by using it to train their large language models (LLMs).

Lumo can be used just like other AI chatbots (Open AI's ChatGPT or Google Gemini, for example) so it can do things like analyze documents, rewrite emails, and generate code. Proton says Lumo doesn't keep chat logs on its servers, and everything stays encrypted on your device using the same technology that protects the company's other services, so no one else can read your conversations – including Proton itself.

The service runs on open-source AI models like Mistral's Nemo and Nvidia's OpenHands 32B. The models operate from European data centers that Proton says it controls directly. Users' questions and responses don't get fed back into the system to train future versions, so there's no risk of your private information showing up in someone else's chat.

Lumo includes a "Ghost mode" that makes your current conversation disappear forever when you close it, while the assistant's web search feature (if you turn it on) uses privacy-friendly search engines. You can also link Proton Drive files to Lumo and everything stays encrypted.

Lumo is free to use at Lumo.proton.me and does not require a Proton account when accessed. However, if you have a Proton account, your chat history can be saved using the company's "zero-access" encryption across all your devices. There are also mobile apps for iPhone and Android.

For power users, Lumo Plus costs $12.99 per month and removes limits on chats and file uploads. Announcing the chatbot, Proton CEO Andy Yen said the company built Lumo because AI shouldn't become the world's most powerful surveillance tool. "For this reason, we believe it is essential to provide an alternative that protects privacy and serves users as opposed to exploiting them."

Lumo by Proton is available to download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Apple's first foldable iPhone will be equipped with a 7.8-inch inner display, and a 5.5-inch outer display, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce.

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo already mentioned those same display sizes for the foldable iPhone in March, meaning there are now multiple sources backing those sizes, so long as TrendForce is not simply copying what Kuo said.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 has an 8-inch inner screen, and a 6.5-inch outer screen.

TrendForce said Apple will likely launch the foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026, so the device could debut in September of next year.

Last week, Kuo said the foldable iPhone (and Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8) will feature a "crease-free" inner display. He said Apple will achieve this feat by using a laser-drilled metal display plate, which can disperse the stress generated by bending.

Kuo expects the foldable iPhone to have two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID.

Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 26 today, and the company has continued making changes to the way that Liquid Glass looks. There are also new features, including the return of Apple Intelligence Notification Summaries for news. This beta is of particular interest because it's likely the beta that public beta testers will get in the not too distant future.

Liquid Glass Changes

Liquid Glass is more translucent in beta 4, with Apple walking back some of the opacity changes that it introduced in beta 3.

Menu bars in apps like Photos, Music, and the App Store are now feature more transparency, allowing more of the background color to show through.

On the Lock Screen, when you scroll through notifications, the background gets darker. The darker tone improves the readability of text.

Notification Summaries

‌Apple Intelligence‌ Notification Summaries are available for News and Entertainment apps again. Apple removed summaries for news articles back in January to improve the feature, and now it's ready for testing again.

At the time, Notification Summaries were producing misleading news headlines by picking up and combining the wrong information in articles. Apple says the feature should work better now, and that testing will continue throughout the ‌iOS 26‌ beta.

After updating to ‌iOS 26‌, you'll see a pop up for enabling the summary feature for different app categories. You can choose to get news summaries or opt out. All notification summaries for News and Entertainment apps that are generated with ‌‌Apple Intelligence‌‌ will be italicized and will be annotated with a "Summarized by ‌‌Apple Intelligence‌‌" notice.

Camera App

When you swipe between modes in the Camera app, the button behavior has changed slightly. Before, the button seemed to be fixed with the background sliding back and forth, but now the button moves freely in both directions.

Apple also changed the icon of the Camera app on the Home Screen.

CarPlay Wallpapers

There are new CarPlay wallpapers available that match the new ‌iOS 26‌ wallpaper design. The ‌CarPlay‌ wallpapers come in a range of colors, including blue, brown, gray, green, purple, and red. The wallpapers support both light mode and dark mode.

Apple has also removed some older ‌CarPlay‌ wallpapers that were introduced with earlier versions of iOS.

Passcode Changes

When you tap on Face ID & Passcode in the Settings app, there's an updated interface and wording that reminds you to enter the passcode you use to unlock the iPhone.

Passwords

The Passwords app has an Allow Contacting Websites option, which allows the app to contact websites to show names and icons for apps and websites and to let you know when a website supports passkeys.

With this feature, Passwords now shows custom icons for websites automatically.

Weather

There's a new toggle in the Weather app settings that allows it to access Significant Locations. With the feature enabled, the Weather app is able to provide weather information for places that you are likely to visit.

Reduce Loud Sounds

The "Late Night Mode" option in the Sounds and Haptics section of the Settings app has been renamed to Reduce Loud Sounds, and Apple added a description.

Reduces audio volume range and creates softer sound effects while maintaining the quiet details of the original audio.

Call Screening

Apple updated the Screen Unknown Callers option to add new options. You can turn the feature off, ask unknown callers the reason why they are calling, or silence calls from unknown numbers automatically, sending them to voicemail.

Mail

There are very subtle changes to the design of the Mail app icon.

Wallpaper

The wallpapers introduced with ‌iOS 26‌ are now dynamic and will change color over the course of the day.

Read More

We have additional info on all of the new features in ‌iOS 26‌ in our roundup.

Apple may be developing a sleep score feature for the Apple Watch, based on code found in iOS 26 by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser.

An image buried in the Health app code features an Apple Watch with an "84" on it. Around the sides of the number, there are three bars that are the same colors as some of the sleep stages that can be tracked with the Apple Watch. The orange could represent time awake, the lighter blue may correspond with REM sleep, and the darker blue could be Core or Deep sleep.

The watch graphic is surrounded by sleep-related icons that Apple uses in different places in iOS, including a moon and stars, a "zzz," a bed, an icon representing sleep stages, an alarm clock, and in one spot, a thermometer.

Apple named the image "Watch Focus Score," suggesting that it is indeed some kind of sleep-related score that the watch will provide. With the focus name, it could perhaps provide a prediction on how well you'll be able to function during the day based on the amount of sleep that you got the night before.

Many health tracking devices offer a sleep score, but it's something that Apple has not provided with the Apple Watch yet. The Apple Watch has sleep tracking and separates sleep into REM, Core, and Deep, plus Apple provides time in bed and time awake metrics.

Based on the temperature icon, the future sleep score could take into account multiple health metrics, similar to the Vitals option that Apple introduced in watchOS 11.

We haven't discovered further signs of a sleep score feature, so there is a possibility that this graphic relates to something else. It's also possible that this is an option that Apple plans to introduce with the watchOS 26 update, and we're just seeing the first hints of it.

In the fourth beta of iOS 26, there's some curious wording for a HomePod setting that references a ‌HomePod‌ with a display, perhaps hinting at a future product that could come out sometime in the not too distant future.

There’s a location-related setting that has the following wording:

Your HomePod won't be able to show you the local weather, time, or respond to Siri requests about your area.

"Show" is an interesting word for Apple to choose, because right now, the ‌HomePod‌ isn't able to show anything like the weather or the time because it doesn’t have a screen to display the information.

There have been multiple rumors of a ‌HomePod‌ with a display over the last few years, and the screen-equipped ‌HomePod‌ may in fact turn out to be the home hub that Apple has in development.

Rumors suggest that the hub will have an iPad-like display, but with a square shape rather than a rectangular shape. It will be able to control all of your HomeKit and Matter devices, plus it will run Apple apps like Weather, Calendar, Apple Music, Photos, Apple News, and more.

Siri integration is expected, with ‌Siri‌ able to answer questions similar to how the ‌HomePod‌ works. In fact, Apple has reportedly delayed the launch of the home hub due to the issues that it has had developing the Apple Intelligence version of ‌Siri‌.

There's no clear word yet on when the home hub will launch due to the ‌Siri‌ delays, but we could see it late this year or early next year.

With the fourth beta of iOS 26, Apple has again made changes to the Liquid Glass design that's available across the operating system, tweaking how the menus and buttons appear in apps.

In response to criticism about too little Liquid Glass in beta 3, Apple has upped the translucency in several areas.

Navigation bars in apps like Photos, Music, the App Store, Podcasts, are slightly clearer, allowing more of the background color to show through.

Apple cut down on the frosted glass look, but the changes are small enough that text remains readable, so it appears to be more of a balance between beta 2 and beta 3.

Control Center, the Lock Screen, and the Home Screen look largely the same, so most of the transparency changes are focused on app navigation bars and buttons. On the Lock Screen, though, the background darkens as you scroll through notifications.

Apple will likely continue to make small changes to Liquid Glass based on user feedback, and we won't see the finalized version of the design until ‌iOS 26‌ is released in the fall.