MacRumors

OpenAI today launched ChatGPT agent, a new agentic model that is able to think proactively and complete computer-based tasks on the user's behalf.

The ChatGPT agent is in the same family as o3. It combines several existing ChatGPT features, and it can do things like research and generate reports, execute code using Terminal, generate slides and spreadsheets, and connect to external data sources and applications.

OpenAI gives several examples of how ChatGPT agent can be used:

• Look at my calendar and brief me on upcoming client meetings based on recent news.
• Plan and buy ingredients to make Japanese breakfast for four.
• Analyze three competitors and create a slide deck.

The ChatGPT agent uses its own virtual computer, and it will navigate websites, filter results, prompt users to log into websites when needed, and deliver summaries of its findings. It is designed to seek permission before taking any "actions of consequence," and OpenAI says that users can interrupt tasks to add extra instructions, and stop tasks at any point.

ChatGPT agent is rolling out starting today for Pro, Plus, and Team users. Just select "agent mode" from the dropdown menu in the composer during a conversation. ChatGPT users are able to transition between conversations and action requests within the same chat.

Pro users will get access by the end of today, while Plus and Team users will get access over the next few days. OpenAI plans to add the functionality for Enterprise and Education users in the coming weeks. Pro users have access to 400 messages per month, and other paid users will get 40 messages monthly with additional usage available through flexible credit-based options.

Video hosting and sharing platform Vimeo today announced the launch of an updated Apple TV app, bringing Vimeo back to the Apple TV App Store for the first time in two years.

The updated Vimeo app has been rebuilt, and it is available on ‌Apple TV‌ units that are running tvOS 18 or higher. The Vimeo app supports discovering, searching for, and watching videos that have been uploaded to Vimeo.

It includes a Library, and Watch Later list, and a section for On Demand purchases, as well as Staff Picks. Enhanced playback with chapters, speed controls, and multi-language options, and 4K support is available.

While the Vimeo app was missing from the ‌Apple TV‌ ‌App Store‌, Vimeo users had to AirPlay from the Vimeo app on an iPhone or an iPad to watch videos on a bigger display. Vimeo says that its community has been asking for the return of the ‌Apple TV‌ app for watching premium, ad-free content.

Vimeo is free to use, but it offers paid Starter, Standard, Advanced, and Enterprise plans starting at $20 per month for video creators.

In an interview this week with CNBC's Alex Sherman, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that Apple, NBC, and ESPN have each bid on the media rights to MLB's "Sunday Night Baseball" package, for the 2026 through 2028 seasons.

Manfred said he plans to choose a winning bidder for "Sunday Night Baseball" within the month, and the rights could be split up between two bidders.

ESPN held the rights to "Sunday Night Baseball" through the 2028 season, but the network and MLB mutually opted out of the $550-million contract earlier this year, so ESPN's rights now expire after the 2025 season. Apple is now looking to pick up those final three seasons, along with NBC, and even ESPN is looking to renegotiate a deal.

Apple TV+ already streams MLB's Friday Night Baseball games, and the service could offer Sunday Night Baseball too if Apple wins the rights.

Following the 2028 season, all regional and national MLB media rights will be expired, and the league is hoping to table a bigger all-in-one package of rights. Apple would likely be very interested in such a package, as it would allow the company to offer an MLB equivalent of MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app. However, MLB is much bigger than MLS, so it remains to be seen if MLB would be willing to go all-in with Apple.

Apple continues to push into sports content, with the company reportedly likely to secure the rights to Formula 1 racing. In the past, the company unsuccessfully bid on NFL's "Sunday Ticket" package, and on the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

In celebration of World Emoji Day, the Unicode Consortium this week confirmed the new emoji characters that will be added to Unicode 17 in the fall.

Emoji characters that are coming include trombone, treasure chest, distorted face, hairy creature (aka Bigfoot or Sasquatch), fight cloud, apple core, orca, landslide, and ballet dancers.

After Unicode 17 is released later this year, artists at Apple will begin creating new emoji characters in the Apple emoji style. It takes several months for Apple to introduce new emoji after a Unicode update, so we can expect to see these characters next spring.

Apple will add the emoji to an iOS 26 update next year, likely in iOS 26.4. Apple most recently added new emoji in iOS 18.4, an update that came out in late March.

iOS 18.4 introduced the Unicode 16 emoji, which included bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, and splatter.

The Unicode Consortium releases Unicode updates on a yearly basis, adding new emoji characters each time. Anyone can submit an emoji proposal that the Consortium will consider.

It looks like Apple's foldable iPhone will have some "crease-free" competition.

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Samsung's next-generation Galaxy Z Fold 8 will use the same laser-drilled metal display plate as the foldable iPhone, with the component to be supplied by South Korean company Fine M-Tec.

Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 7 still has a visible crease in the middle of its inner screen. However, Kuo said that Apple's stricter crease-free requirement for the foldable iPhone has essentially raised the bar for foldable devices, so it sounds like next year's Galaxy Z Fold 8 will feature a "crease-free" screen as well.

Earlier this week, Kuo said the laser-drilled metal plate can disperse the stress generated by bending, allowing for a "crease-free" screen.

The foldable iPhone's inner screen will be supplied by Samsung, according to Kuo, but it is the Fine M-Tec plate that will enable the "crease-free" feat.

Kuo said Apple is aiming to start mass production of the foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026, so the device should finally launch next year. He expects the device to have a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID.

Apple today shared a new iPhone 16 ad that highlights the Clean Up feature that's available in the Photos app. In the spot, a man snaps a photo of a woman with her cat, and then removes the cat from the image using Clean Up.

Both the cat and the woman are upset with the change, so he undoes it, demonstrating the reversible nature of the feature.

Clean Up is an Apple Intelligence tool that is able to remove unwanted and distracting objects from a photo. It is accessible through the editing interface in the ‌Photos‌ app. You can swipe over whatever you want removed in an image, and the Clean Up tool will do its best to replace it by cloning the background and other elements of the photo.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ is available on the iPhone 15 Pro models, the ‌iPhone 16‌ models, and it will be available on the upcoming iPhone 17 models.

A new rumor out of China today has sparked speculation that Apple may be readying a unique new iPhone 17 Pro color that somehow reflects the new design language of its iOS 26 software.

Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital on Thursday hinted that the iPhone 17 Pro has a "special" color variant that is said to be "connected to the iOS 26 Liquid Glass design."

The leaker, who only claims to have heard of it but not seen it, seems to believe that the color is what previous leaks have simply referred to as white, "but it appears differently depending on the lighting."

While speculative, a white base material that subtly shifts hues depending on light and angle could add a dynamic, refractive quality to the color. Combined with the Liquid Glass UI aesthetic of iOS 26, a shimmering surface could potentially create a sense of motion or unity with the glassy elements of the software interface.

The account Instant Digital has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. But its track record isn't perfect.

On Wednesday, a Macworld report claimed to reveal all of the colors that each iPhone 17 model will come in. Allegedly based on an "internal document," the report listed white as a color option for all models, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Other colors that have now been rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models by multiple sources include a new copper-like orange, black, gray, and dark blue. Whether Apple chooses different names for the colors it ultimately goes with remains to be seen.

Curiously, the leaker Majin Bu recently shared images of third-party lens covers purportedly reflecting Apple's iPhone 17 colors. A white color was not shown, but another, identified as "Transparent," appeared in its place. When asked why the transparent accessory is included in the images, Bu has equivocated, but the leaker has since alluded to another "surprise" color that Apple is currently still testing, without giving anything else away.

In a change to last year's all-titanium iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple is believed to be using a part-glass, part-aluminum design for the iPhone 17 Pro chassis. This could potentially usher in all-new color choices for Apple's high-end iPhone 17 models. What they look like in reality is something we'll learn in just a couple of months. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17 series in September.

Development studio CD Projekt Red today released acclaimed role-playing action game Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for the Mac, and it looks like the developers have gone all-out to make the experience as impressive as possible for Mac gamers with the right hardware.

The 2020 triple-A game has been Metal API-optimized for a variety of Macs with Apple silicon, from the first M1 models right up to the latest M4 models. The only caveat is that Cyberpunk 2077 requires a minimum of 16GB of RAM to play, so 8GB M1 and M2 chips don't get a look in.

The open-world action-adventure role-playing game lets players take on the role of V, a cyber-enhanced mercenary ready to do whatever it takes to make a name for themselves in Night City — a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour, and body modification. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition features the base game, starring Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand, and the critically acclaimed spy-thriller expansion Phantom Liberty, starring Idris Elba as Solomon Reed. It also contains every update released for the game so far, including the brand new Update 2.3 — which introduces new quests, new vehicles, AutoDrive, extra Photo Mode options, and more.

To make the most of your machine, the CD Projekt Red team has created "For this Mac," a dynamic preset that assigns settings and resolution based on your Mac's hardware capabilities "to deliver an optimal balance between visual quality and performance."

For example, the Minimum configuration (M1 chip and 16GB of RAM) runs at 1,440 x 900 or 1,600 x 900 resolution with a target FPS of 30, while the Recommended preset requires an M3 Pro chip and 18GB of RAM, and produces an 1,800 x 1,125 or 1,920 x 1,080 resolution with a target FPS of 60.

Users with higher spec Mac models can look forward to enabling two special configurations: High Fidelity requires an M2 Ultra or M3 Max chip and 36GB of RAM, and produces 2,294 x 1,432 or 2,560 x 1,440 resolution with a target FPS of 60. Meanwhile, Very High Fidelity requires an M3 Ultra or M4 Max chip and 36GB of RAM, and produces 2,294 x 1,432 or 2,560 x 1,440 resolution with a FPS target of 60.

In addition, Apple XDR Display owners and owners of other HDR-equipped monitors will get HDR support in the game, while AirPods owners can enable Spatial Audio and head tracking. Lastly, users who want to play with Ray Tracing on can enable it manually in Settings ➝ Graphics, under the Quick Preset menu. Ray Tracing is available on M3 and newer chips.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition supports cross progression across all platforms, and includes the Phantom Liberty expansion as well as all subsequent patches. The title requires macOS 15.5 or later, as well as 92GB of storage when downloaded from GOG, Epic Games Store, or Steam, and 149GB of storage when downloaded from the Mac App Store. Prices vary depending on the store, but GOG currently is offering a 53% discount on the game's usual $87.69 price that ends on July 23. Note that players who already own a copy on these storefronts can download it for free on their Apple silicon Mac.

Amazon is discounting the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE to $169.00 today, down from $249.00. This is a match for the best price that we've ever seen on the Apple Watch SE, and it's available in Starlight, Silver, and Midnight Aluminum color options.

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.

Amazon has six 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE at this price, including multiple sizes of the Sport Band model. Most are in stock and available to be delivered by the end of July.

Additionally, you can get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE at the low price of $199.00 today on Amazon, down from $279.00. This one is available in Midnight, Silver, and Starlight Aluminum colors, and in both Sport Loop and Sport Band options.

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.

---

You may have missed it, but select Apple Watch models are gaining a new Wrist Flick gesture in watchOS 26 that allows users to dismiss notifications and return to their watch face with a simple wrist movement.

The gesture works by turning your wrist over and back, using the accelerometer and gyroscope to detect the motion. With the gesture, you can dismiss incoming notifications, mute calls, silence alarms and alerts, and return to the watch face without needing to use your other hand.

Wrist Flick joins the existing Double Tap gesture as another one-handed control option for Apple Watch users. The feature can be toggled on or off in Settings ➝ Gestures ➝ Wrist Flick.

The new gesture is only available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 – the same models that support the Double Tap gesture.

Apple doesn't say exactly why older models don't support the feature, despite having the same sensors, but it does use a new machine learning model, suggesting that only the newer chips found in recent Apple Watch models are powerful enough to handle it.

The watchOS 26 beta is currently available through the Apple Developer Program, with a public beta coming later this month, followed by a general release in the fall.

OpenAI has expanded access to Record Mode in ChatGPT for macOS, bringing the AI-powered transcription feature to Plus subscribers after its initial rollout to business users last month.

The new capability adds a simple "Record" button to the input window in the desktop app that allows you to capture both microphone and system audio during meetings or calls.

When recording stops, ChatGPT processes the audio on OpenAI's servers, generating structured notes complete with summaries, action items, and timestamped references. Microphone and system audio permissions must be enabled by the user first.

Sessions are limited to 120 minutes, with the original audio deleted after transcription. It's likely to be a convenient addition for some paying ChatGPT users, but the feature raises privacy considerations that the company openly acknowledges:

"Please make sure you check local laws and always get the right consents before recording others," the company warns in its documentation.

OpenAI also says that notes and transcripts from record mode can be referenced in new chats and my be used to improve its models, though this can be disabled in the app's settings. Team, Enterprise, and Edu workspaces are all automatically excluded from model training by default.

The feature remains exclusive to macOS for now, with no immediate plans announced for Windows or mobile platforms. Team, Enterprise, and Education workspace administrators can disable the feature through ChatGPT's settings if needed.

Apple's all-new "Emoji Game" for Apple News+ subscribers is now available for users running iOS 18.4 or newer.

The Emoji Game was initially unveiled at WWDC earlier this year as an iOS 26 feature, but to coincide with World Emoji Day today, Apple has released the game for all ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers running iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, or newer.

The game shows words and blank spots with a selection of emoji and emoji combinations below, and the player needs to drag an emoji into the blank spot to fill in the word. If the word is "disappear," for example, you would drag a pear to the blank spot in the word. Pear could also be used to finish off the word "fruitful." The Emoji Game also uses Genmoji to offer unique emojis.

The game is limited to ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers. ‌Apple News‌+ is priced at $12.99 per month, but the whole family can use the service. Apple has been aiming to increase the number of games that are available, and the app also features Crossword, Quartiles, and Sudoku.

New Emoji Game puzzles will be released on a daily basis. The game is currently available in the U.S. and for English-speaking users in Canada. It can be accessed from the Following tab in the News app. Results can be tracked on Game Center leaderboards.

The AirPods market appears to be flatlining in the United States, but the launch of AirPods Pro 3 later this year could boost sales, a new report claims.

According to a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), approximately 44% of iPhone owners in the United States now report owning Bluetooth earbuds, up from 41% in the previous year. Of those, 59% say they use AirPods. This represents a small gain from 57% the year before, effectively bringing the figure back to its 2023 level. This means AirPods are used by roughly 26% of all iPhone owners in the United States today.

While the data reflects a recovery in Apple's share of the Bluetooth earbuds market among iPhone users, it does not indicate meaningful growth beyond previous highs. The size of the market is increasing slowly, and Apple is maintaining its portion, but not expanding it.

AirPods face growing challenges from competitors including Samsung, Sony, and Bose, as well as a wide array of low-cost alternatives. Apple released the AirPods Pro 2 in September 2022, featuring the H2 chip, improved noise cancellation, enhanced Find My integration, and more.

AirPods Pro 2 were offered at a substantial discount during Amazon Prime Day earlier this month, with the price reduced from $249 to $149. Best Buy and Walmart quickly matched the pricing, despite Apple maintaining its full price on its website and in stores.

The $100 discount represented one of the steepest markdowns ever for the current-generation model. CIRP speculated that Apple and Amazon may have sought to clear out existing inventory ahead of the anticipated launch of a new model. The more likely explanation was apparently a desire to drive high-volume sales through temporary margin flexibility.

The AirPods Pro 3 are likely to be announced later this year, perhaps alongside new iPhone and Apple Watch models in September. The new model is expected to feature improved ANC, enhanced sound, design tweaks, and heart rate monitoring.

The refresh is expected to target both new customers and existing users with degrading batteries or older models. CIRP says that, as one of the most frequently reordered items on Amazon, AirPods provide Apple with an opportunity to capitalize on a faster-moving product line amid slowing iPhone upgrades.

We have just under two months to go until the debut of Apple's iPhone 17 models, and rumors have been ramping up in recent weeks. We went through everything we know so far, pulling out the most exciting rumors and highlighting some other changes that aren't going to be so great.

Top Tier

• Ultra Thin iPhone 17 Air - The ‌iPhone 17‌ Air is 2025's most exciting iPhone rumor, because it's the first real redesign that we've seen to the iPhone in years. We got to try Samsung's competing super thin Galaxy S25 Edge, and it's nice holding such a lightweight smartphone.
• That Orange Color - The iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to come in an orange-like shade. It's probably going to be more muted than we've seen and copper in tone, but it's still a cool color we haven't seen before.
• 24-Megapixel Selfie Camera - Better selfies and FaceTime video quality? Nothing to complain about there. The 24-megapixel camera is rumored for all ‌iPhone 17‌ models.
• More RAM - The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 17‌ Air models are expected to have 12GB RAM, up from 8GB. More RAM is always a plus for games and future AI features.
• iPhone 17 Pro Battery Life - According to rumors, the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max will have the biggest battery of any iPhone to date with a capacity of ~5,000mAh, so it should last even longer than the 33 hour maximum of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Pretty Awesome

• iPhone 17 Colors - The standard ‌iPhone 17‌ is supposed to come in green and purple, two colors that we haven't seen for a while.
• Bigger iPhone 17 - The standard ‌iPhone 17‌ will be 6.3 inches, so it'll match the size of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌.
• ProMotion - There have been rumors that all four ‌iPhone 17‌ models will support 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates this year. If that happens, it's one less thing distinguishing the Pro models, but a plus for buyers who get the standard model.
• Two-Tone Pro Design - The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models are rumored to have a two-material design with more metal and less glass at the back. Anything that makes the iPhone harder to break is a plus.
• 48-Megapixel Telephoto - The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ is supposed to get an upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto lens for improved zoomed-in shots.
• A19 Chip - The ‌iPhone 17‌ and 17 Air could get an A19 chip, while the 17 Pro models get an A19 Pro. It's still a 3-nanometer chip, but it'll be faster and more efficient.
• Improved Cooling - The ‌iPhone 17‌ models are supposed to feature better heat dissipation, which will let the A19 chips run faster with less thermal throttling.
• Better Display Coating - The ‌iPhone 17‌ Air and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ could have an anti-reflective display that's more scratch resistant. Anything that improves durability is a plus.

So-So

• The Camera Bar - The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and the ‌iPhone 17‌ Air are both rumored to have a horizontal camera bar that goes all the way across the back of the iPhone. Apple's version will surely look better in real life than in renders and dummy models, but who really wants a bigger camera bump?
• Titanium to Aluminum - Apple is apparently going to drop titanium for aluminum for the 17 Pro models. Aluminum is lighter than titanium, but it feels like a step backward in quality.
• iPhone 17 Air C1 Modem - The ‌iPhone 17‌ and 17 Pro will get Qualcomm modems, but the ‌iPhone 17‌ Air is rumored to have Apple's C1 modem. It doesn't support the fastest mmWave 5G speeds.
• Relocated Apple Logo - With the larger camera bar, the two-material design, and some rumored MagSafe changes, the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models may have an Apple logo that's lower on the device. In mockups, it's included in the design of the ‌MagSafe‌ ring, and it looks odd.
• Apple Wi-Fi 7 Chip - Apple's using its own Wi-Fi 7 chip in all four ‌iPhone 17‌ models. This may bring battery life improvements, but it's mostly an under-the-hood change that lets Apple cut out external suppliers.
• Mechanical Aperture - ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models could have a mechanical aperture that will let users adjust the amount of light reaching the lens. It's useful for depth of field in DSLRs, but the utility in a smartphone remains to be seen, especially because Apple already has software-based tools for adjusting depth of field.
• 8K Video Recording - 8K video recording could be available on the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌. That's a cool feature, but there are a limited number of people who need to record in 8K. It's also going to take up a ton of space, and will probably require filming with an external SSD.

Lame

• Price Increases - Base iPhone pricing might go up due to tariffs. Apple's facing high prices in China, and several other countries where it manufactures iPhones. Price hikes aren't a sure thing, but probable.
• iPhone 17 Air Color - The ‌iPhone 17‌ Air will supposedly come in black, white, light blue, and light gold, with that blue being similar to the super light M4 MacBook Air blue. Needless to say, these are boring choices.
• Single-Lens iPhone 17 Air Camera - Due to space constraints, the ‌iPhone 17‌ Air is only getting a single-lens camera. It won't have the Ultra Wide lens for macro images or wider-angle shots, which limits versatility.
• iPhone 17 Air Battery Life - With a super thin chassis, the ‌iPhone 17‌ Air needs a smaller battery. Apple is making optimizations, but it won't be on par with the 17 and 17 Pro.
• iPhone 17 RAM - Right now, rumors suggest the standard ‌iPhone 17‌ is only going to have 8GB RAM, while the other models get 12GB. With AI evolving so rapidly, it's less than ideal to handicap one of the 2025 smartphones.

Do you agree with our rankings? Let us know what you're most looking forward to in the comments below. For more rumors, check out our iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro roundups, which we update regularly.

Google plans to unveil its latest Pixel smartphones at an event that will take place on Wednesday, August 20. Google's new devices will be introduced just a few weeks before we're expecting Apple to unveil its latest iPhone models.

Google's lineup is expected to feature the company's latest foldable smartphone, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. There will also be a Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL, for a four-device smartphone lineup.

Rumors suggest that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold won't be as thin and light as Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Fold7, but Google might be first to improved weatherproofing for a foldable smartphone. The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold could have an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, which would make it superior to the Z Fold7's IP48 water and dust resistance.

Few other changes are expected, but the display will increase in size a bit, and it might be a little brighter. Google is also going to add a bigger battery for some modest battery life improvements.

The new Google foldable will have a faster 3-nanometer Tensor G5 chip, as will the rest of the Pixel 10 smartphones that are in development. The G5 will be manufactured by TSMC instead of Samsung, which should bring notable improvements over last year's G4. The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL aren't going to see major design or size changes, and they'll be similar to last year's Pixel lineup. Google is also expected to unveil new AI features, specifically AI photo editing options.

Google's Pixel 10 devices will compete with Apple's iPhone 17 models, though Apple won't have a foldable device until next year at the earliest.

Apple has addressed yield issues with the scratch resistant anti-reflective display layer that it wants to use for some iPhone 17 models, and now it looks like the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max might feature the upgraded technology.

A reliable source that spoke to MacRumors said Apple suppliers have been able to achieve a high enough yield on the anti-reflective glass to support mass production. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and Pro Max will get the new display technology, but it won't be coming to the ‌iPhone 17‌ or the ‌iPhone 17‌ Air.

For context, we first heard rumors about the anti-reflective display layer in 2024. It's supposedly more scratch resistant than the current Ceramic Shield, so the ‌iPhone 17‌ models that use it may be able to better hold up to wear and tear.

Earlier this year, Apple was having problems with scaling the display coating process, and it seemed like the feature was going to be canceled as a result. Adding the anti-reflective layer was too laborious, and it was slowing down production. The process has since been improved, and the new display is once again a possibility.

Current iPhone models have a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating and the Ceramic Shield, but Apple hasn't focused on anti-reflectivity for the iPhone display like it has for iPad and Mac displays.

Samsung's latest smartphones feature Gorilla Glass Armor, a technology that cuts down on reflections by up to 75 percent and improves contrast in bright lighting conditions. Apple could introduce similar functionality to keep up with the improvements that Samsung has debuted.

Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone will likely have a starting price between $1,800 and $2,000 in the U.S., analysts at investment banking firm UBS said this week. If so, the foldable iPhone would cost more than a MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,599.

With a starting price of at least $1,800, the foldable iPhone would be the most expensive iPhone model ever released, topping the Pro Max at $1,199 and up.

In the U.S., Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999.99, so the foldable iPhone could be priced in line with competing devices.

In related news, the foldable iPhone's thickness has potentially leaked.

In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the foldable iPhone will have a thickness of at least 4.8mm. Earlier this year, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the device would be as thin as 4.5mm when unfolded, but perhaps Apple will not quite hit that mark.

Instant Digital has more than 1.4 million followers on Weibo, and the account has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. However, like most sources, the account does not have a perfect track record.

By comparison, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures 4.2mm when unfolded. So, regardless of which source is correct here, the first foldable iPhone would be slightly thicker than Samsung's latest offering. Of course, Samsung has been releasing foldable smartphones since 2019, so Apple will be entering the market years later.

Earlier this week, Kuo said Apple is aiming to start mass production of the foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026, so the device should launch next year. He said the device will have a 7.8-inch inner screen with a "crease-free" design, a 5.5-inch outer screen, two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID.

Last week, Amazon introduced a few discounts across the M4 MacBook Air lineup for Prime Day, and many of these deals are still available today. You'll find both 13-inch and 15-inch models on sale, and some will require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the final sale price at checkout.

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.

Starting with the 13-inch models, Amazon has up to $162 off two configurations of this notebook. Prices start at $849.00 for the 256GB model, then raise to $1,236.50 for the 24GB/512GB model. All of these are solid second-best prices 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 $1,249.00 and the 24GB/512GB model is on sale for $1,414.50. Across the board, these are all second-best prices on the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air.

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.

---