Apple today said its store at the Westfield Hornsby shopping mall, in Hornsby, Australia, will be permanently closing in October.
Apple Hornsby
In a statement shared with Australian tech news website EFTM (via Reddit), Apple said that it has decided not to renew its lease at Westfield Hornsby. Apple said all affected retail employees will be given the opportunity to work at Apple's nearby store at the Chatswood Chase shopping mall, in Chatswood, which is set to reopen in October.
Hornsby is a suburb of Sydney, on the Upper North Shore. Apple opened its store there in 2011.
Apple Chatswood Chase has been closed for renovations for many months. Apple said the store will be completely redesigned, and it will offer an Apple Pickup station for collecting online orders, and a dedicated area for Today at Apple sessions.
Apple did not provide a specific reason for the Hornsby store closure, but it is clearly consolidating its North Shore retail presence into the Chatswood Chase store.
On the other hand, Apple continues to open new stores in several countries, including the U.S., Spain, Sweden, Malaysia, South Korea, China, and others. In the U.S., Apple opened a new store in Miami earlier this year, and in the Los Angeles area last year. Apple is also planning to open a store in Downtown Detroit soon.
The Camera app received some of the most noticeable design updates in iOS 26, with Apple simplifying the interface to make it easier to get to various controls. Most of what's new focuses on design, but there are a couple other notable changes.
Liquid Glass Design
Like all of the iOS 26 apps, the Camera app has adopted the Liquid Glass look. Buttons are more rounded and "float" over the background of the app thanks to a new depth effect.
The area behind the camera shutter and control buttons is a touch more see-through than before, so you can see the areas outside of your image more clearly. There's also no bar behind the toggles to change focal length, so the interface looks a bit cleaner.
Two-Tab Layout
The navigation bar at the bottom of the Camera app has been overhauled in iOS 26. Rather than the option to swipe between all of the photo and video modes, there are now just two main options that you see: Photo and Video.
While it's only the Photo and Video buttons that are visible, you can actually still swipe in the same way to get to the other options like Portrait, Panorama, Slo-Mo, Cinematic, and more.
For multi-lens cameras, the small buttons to change focal length are still in the same position, and the buttons to view the photo you just snapped or change to the front camera haven't changed location. The button to view photos is now round instead of square, in line with the Liquid Glass update, and Apple has shifted the controls down on the display.
The Photo and Video buttons are below the shutter button, when they used to be above. The shutter button itself no longer has a bright white ring around it, with Apple instead opting for a more subtle Liquid Glass ring. Bezel size for the top and bottom bars hasn't changed.
Pop Out Menus
Some of the controls that used to be located at the top of the Camera app are now tucked inside pop out menus. When you select a mode like Photo, you can then tap on the Photo button to get more options.
The menu has a Liquid Glass design and it offers large buttons for accessing Flash, Live Photo settings, Timer, Exposure, Styles, Aspect, and Night Mode. Tapping one gives you further options for that setting. So if you tap Exposure, you'll get a slider where you can quickly adjust the exposure setting before you take a photo.
In Video mode, you can tap to access Flash, Exposure, and Action. Most of the other modes also have at least one option that's accessed through this new menu. These menu options are also accessible by tapping on the menu icon at the top right of the display.
There are still some quick access buttons at the top of the Photos app, so you can swap to RAW mode, tap into Styles, or adjust flash and Night Mode settings without having to open the menu. Context-specific settings like the Macro mode toggle also still pop up in the same way as before when applicable.
There are toggles to see the Flash, Live Photo and Action Mode indicators in the Camera section of the Settings app.
Remote AirPods Shutter
The AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 can be used as a camera shutter in iOS 26, so you can take a photo by pressing on the stem of the AirPods. To get this to work, connect your AirPods to your iPhone, open the Camera app, and then press and hold on the AirPods stem.
You can take a photo using this method, or continue to hold to start a video. When you're finished recording, press and hold again to stop the video.
Using this feature requires iOS 26 and the new AirPods firmware that accompanies iOS 26. Using the AirPods as a remote shutter button works with the Camera app and with third-party photo apps.
Cleaning Warning
If your camera lens is dirty, your iPhone can detect that it needs to be cleaned and will send you a notification letting you know you should clean it.
Developer APIs
Developers have access to a new Cinematic mode API in iOS 26 that allows third-party apps to capture Cinematic mode video, just like the built-in Camera app.
Cinematic mode supports recording video with a shallow depth of field and automatic focus changes between subjects. Apple uses rack focus to quickly swap the focus from one subject to another, for a movie-like recording experience.
Apple is also providing developers with an Audio Mix API for adjusting sound after a video is captured. Third-party video recording apps can offer the same Audio Mix controls that are available in the Camera app. Options include In-Frame for reducing sounds and voices from sources outside of the frame, Studio for reducing background sounds and reverb, and Cinematic for putting voices into a front-facing track while leaving environmental noises in surround, similar to movie audio.
Mac Accessibility
With macOS 26 and iOS 26, your Mac can connect to your iPhone to use your iPhone's Camera app as a magnifying glass. A Magnifier on Mac feature uses the iPhone's zoom capabilities, with the iPhone's video feed showing up on a connected Mac through Continuity Camera.
Apple showed a student with vision issues using an iPhone to zoom in on a blackboard in a college class, with the feed coming through to her Mac so she could view what was going on while also taking notes.
Read More
We have a complete iOS 26 roundup that covers all of the new features that are available in the update.
Native Union today debuted the Find It Card and the Find It Tag, two new products that work with Apple's Find My functionality.
Priced at $40, the Find It Card is meant to fit in a wallet, and it measures in at 1.7mm thick. For comparison's sake, a standard credit card is about 0.76mm, so Native Union's card is about two credit cards in thickness. There's a hole in the center where a metal keychain wire attaches, so it can also be attached to items like backpacks.
There is a rechargeable battery inside that can be charged using a MagSafe charger or a Qi-based charger, and the battery is able to last for up to six months.
The $20 Find It Tag is shaped like an AirTag, featuring a round body and a replaceable CR2032 battery that lasts for up to a year. The Find It Tag has an attached loop that can be added to a keychain or connected to other items for tracking purposes.
The Find It Card and Find It Tag are both compatible with the Find My app, and can be added to the Items tab to be tracked alongside Apple devices like the iPhone. All of the Find My features are included, and you can get notifications when an item is left behind or play a loud sound to locate an item that's close enough to detect over Bluetooth.
When an item is out of Bluetooth range, the Find It Card and Find It Tag can take advantage of the Find My Network, leveraging nearby Apple products to relay location information back to you.
The base model iPhone 17 will have an A19 chip after all, according to Apple analyst Jeff Pu.
A few months ago, Pu said the device would have an A18 chip, but he has now reversed course.
"We now expect the iPhone 17 model to be equipped with A19 (vs. earlier expectation of A18)," Pu said today, in an investor note with equity research firm GF Securities. He also expects the iPhone 17 Air to have an A19 chip, and he said the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be powered by an A19 Pro chip.
Even still, there are some conflicting rumors about the chips for the iPhone 17 series.
Last week, a Weibo account known as Fixed Focus Digital said the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with an A19 Pro chip, instead of an A19 chip. However, the account said the A19 Pro chip will have a 5-core GPU in the iPhone 17 Air, whereas he expects the chip to have a 6-core GPU in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
At least rumors agree on the base model iPhone 17 having an A19 chip now.
Just two months to go until the iPhone 17 series is official.
Transcend today announced the launch of the ESD420, a portable SSD that includes a magnetic attachment designed to work with MagSafe iPhones.
The ESD420 can be attached to the back of a MagSafe-compatible iPhone and connected using the appropriate cable, such as a USB-C to USB-C cable. It supports iPhone video recording features that require an external SSD, such as 4K ProRes video recording.
Transcend designed the SSD to be compact and portable, and it weighs 48 grams. Transcend says that it offers military-grade drop resistance so that it can withstand shocks and falls, and it is meant to match the iPhone with gold and space gray color options available. Because there is a magnet inside, the SSD can also be attached to other magnetic surfaces for storage purposes.
The ESD420 comes in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities. It supports read and write speeds of up to 2,000MB/s, and it comes formatted in the exFAT file system. More information is available on Transcend's website.
The tax-free holidays will occur in late July to early August, with the exact dates per state and other details outlined on Apple's website.
Sales tax holidays provide a limited-time opportunity to purchase select Apple products online or in stores without paying sales tax. Apple says tax savings may not appear during checkout, but will be reflected on the final receipt.
Apple products that are eligible for the tax-free holidays vary by state, and there are also price limits in some states. The most common eligible products include Macs, iPads, and related accessories, but the iPhone and Apple Vision Pro are also eligible in a few states, and some states allow any item up to a certain price limit.
Sales tax holidays are especially beneficial to students, as the tax savings can be combined with Apple's ongoing Back to School promotion, which offers students a free or discounted accessory like AirPods 4 with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad.
July 2024: Apple replaces the HomePod mini's space gray color with a midnight color.
HomePod mini 2: Rumors
In January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was aiming to release a new HomePod mini "toward the end of the year." If that timeframe remains accurate, the HomePod mini 2 will likely be released in September, October, or November this year.
The new HomePod mini will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Gurman. He said the chip will support Wi-Fi 6E, which is much faster and has lower latency compared to the current HomePod mini's Wi-Fi 4.
No other features or changes have been rumored yet, but improved sound quality and a newer processor are safe bets. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. The speaker could also be updated with Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which debuted in iPhone 15 models.
Apple today provided developers with the third betas of upcoming visionOS 2.6, tvOS 18.6, and watchOS 11.6 updates for testing purposes. The software comes two weeks after Apple released the second betas.
The betas are available to registered developers at the current time, and can be downloaded from the Settings app on each device.
There's no word on what's included in the beta updates at this time and no features were discovered in the first two beta rounds, but we'll update this article if anything new is found.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.6 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the second macOS Sequoia 15.6 beta.
Developers can opt-in to the macOS Sequoia beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.
There's no word yet on what's included in macOS Sequoia 15.6, and no new features were discovered in the first two betas. Apple's work on macOS Sequoia is winding down as it focuses on macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS that's coming in the fall.
Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming two weeks after Apple seeded the second betas.
iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.
No notable new features were found in the first two iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 betas, so it's not clear what might be added in the update, though there are some changes to the App Store in the EU due to the DMA. Rumors suggest that Apple wanted to expand Apple Intelligence to China with iOS 18.6, but regulatory hurdles have delayed the launch.
iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 likely focus on smaller changes and bug fixes, and we'll update this article should anything new be found in the third beta.
Apple is winding down work on iOS 18 and is focusing on iOS 26. iOS 26 is in beta testing right now and is set to launch in September alongside new iPhone 17 models.
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start compatible vehicles with select iPhone and Apple Watch models. The feature is based on the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC)'s Digital Key specification, which will be receiving an upgrade soon, according to an announcement today.
Digital Key version 3.0 was released in 2021, adding support for Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology alongside Bluetooth LE. Four years later, it appears that the CCC is currently in the process of readying Digital Key version 4.0. In a press release today, the CCC said that Apple and other CCC members will be conducting real-world testing of Digital Key version 4.0 this week at an event hosted by Apple in Cupertino, California.
Unfortunately, the CCC has not shared many details about Digital Key version 4.0 at this time. All it said is that the latest specification will "further improve cross-platform interoperability and cross-version compatibility" of digital car keys.
Digital Key version 4.0 should enhance the iPhone's car key feature in various ways, but we will have to wait for specific details and a timeframe.
We recently shared a list of vehicles that offer iPhone car keys, including select models from Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, RAM, Volvo, and others. During its WWDC 2025 keynote last month, Apple listed other brands that will soon offer the feature, including Acura, Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Porsche, Rivian, and more.
Amazon is offering numerous all-time low prices on Apple Watch Series 10 devices today, including both GPS and cellular models at $120 off original prices. These deals were introduced last week during Prime Day and have stuck around, so if you missed them you still have a chance to get them this week.
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.
Amazon has the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10 for $279.00, down from $399.00, as well as the 46mm GPS model for $309.00, down from $429.00. Both of these are record low prices on the Apple Watch Series 10, and they're available in numerous case colors and band styles, all of which you can find in the lists below.
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.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Majin Bu initially claimed that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models would be available in Sky Blue, but today they said that Apple has ultimately decided to limit the color option to the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air.
iPhone 17 Pro models could still be available in a darker blue shade, according to a separate rumor. An image of alleged camera lens covers for the iPhone 17 Pro models suggests that Apple might reintroduce the Blue Titanium color that it offered for the iPhone 15 Pro models, after skipping that finish for the iPhone 16 Pro models.
iPhone 16 Pro models are available in four colors: Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.
Best Buy today has Apple's M2 13-inch MacBook Air on sale for $699.00, down from $799.00. This deal is available in Starlight and Midnight color options, with both pickup and delivery options.
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 MacBook Air is a previous-generation model that launched in 2022, featuring Apple's M2 chip and 16GB of memory with a 256GB SSD. Although a few years old, the M2 MacBook Air is still a great option for anyone looking for a day-to-day laptop, especially at this low price.
The M2 MacBook Air features a 13.6-inch display with a notch, MagSafe charging, a 1080p camera, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. When it debuted in the summer of 2022, pricing for the MacBook Air started at $1,199.00.
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.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models may have a new copper-like orange color option, according to Sonny Dickson.
iPhone 17 Pro in blue and orange (concept)
In a social media post today, Dickson shared images of alleged lens covers for the rear cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models, with the following five color labels: black, gray, silver, dark blue, and orange.
The black, gray, and silver colors likely correspond with the existing Black Titanium, Natural Titanium, and White Titanium finishes for the iPhone 16 Pro models, while the presence of a dark blue lens cover suggests that Apple might reintroduce the Blue Titanium color option that it offered for the iPhone 15 Pro models.
The orange lens cover is the most notable one, as it could point to an all-new copper color that Apple has never offered for any iPhone models before.
iPhone 17 lens protection cover will match the phone color. The orange one for the Pro Max might hint at a new shade, possibly dark gold or copper. pic.twitter.com/BMamZ45now
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) July 14, 2025
It is unclear if the images are authentic, or if Apple finalized these color options.
Dickson has routinely shared images of dummy models, cases, CAD files, and other components related to future iPhone models over the years, and these images have often accurately depicted new color options or design changes.
Apple will likely unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, so we will find out if these colors are the real deal in just two more months.
Apple is expected to win the rights to stream Formula 1 races on Apple TV+ in the United States thanks to a $150 million bid, Business Insider reports.
The rights to broadcast Formula 1 in the United States are currently held by Disney's ESPN. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Disney is apparently unwilling to match or beat Apple's offer. It pays around $85 million per year for its current rights, just over half of Apple's latest bid.
Interest from other suitors, such as Netflix, was also reportedly "muted," leaving Apple as the leading bidder for the U.S. rights to show the races. As a result, Apple is likely to have another sport to stream on Apple TV+ next year, alongside Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer.
Apple's move to gain the rights to stream Formula comes amid the success of "F1: The Movie," which is Apple's first major box office hit, earning over $300 million globally already. It is expected to become available on Apple TV+ later in 2025.
Samsung may mirror Apple's iPhone 17 lineup model positioning by eliminating its own "plus" model next year, according to rumors coming out of Asia.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.
This year, Apple is expected to remove the "Plus" model from the latest iPhone lineup due to low sales, replacing it with an all-new, super-thin "Air" model. As a result, the lineup will move from the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max to the iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max.
Currently, Samsung's rival lineup consists of the Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Edge, and S25 Ultra. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," Samsung could next year replace its plus model with the super-thin Edge, just like Apple. The new lineup would be formed of the Galaxy S26, S26 Edge, and S26 Ultra.
Both the S25+ and S25 Edge share a 6.7-inch display, Snapdragon 8 chip, 50-megapixel main camera, and more; there is significant overlap between the devices. Key differences include the Galaxy Edge's move to titanium instead of aluminum, its lack of a telephoto camera, and its ultra-thin design.
Earlier this year, Samsung beat Apple in launching a super-thin smartphone; the S25 Edge is just 5.8mm thick. Apple's iPhone 17 Air could be even thinner at 5.5mm. It is expected to launch alongside the other iPhone 17 models in the fall.
The iPhone's Dynamic Island experience is set to undergo "significant evolution" over the next few years, according to a new rumor.
Earlier this month, a report suggested that the iPhone 17 lineup will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, but little else was explained about the software changes. Now, the leaker known as "Majin Bu" appears to have corroborated this, commenting in a new interview:
I can reveal that the Dynamic Island is set for a significant evolution in the coming years. Apple appears committed to making it more functional and integrated, turning it into a key element of the user experience. This development could mark a step forward in device interaction, but for now, I'll keep further details under wraps. Stay tuned to see how this innovation unfolds.
Overall, it sounds like there is a decent chance that the Dynamic Island will change in some way on iPhone 17 models, for the first time since the feature was introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro models in 2022. Apple is now expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series during the week of September 8, 2025.
Apple Hornsby
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.
iPhone 17 Air's rumored color options
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.
iPhone 17 Pro in blue and orange (concept)
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.
