Apple has secured a top-five spot in the most-watched streaming series with its original programming for the first time, Bloomberg reports.
According to data from Nielsen, Apple TV+ claimed one of the five most-viewed original streaming titles in the United States during the first half of 2025. While Netflix maintained three of the top four positions and Amazon's Reacher performed strongly in second place, Apple emerged alongside those longstanding competitors for the first time with the second season of Severance.
Nielsen's rankings are based on total minutes viewed and represent U.S. audiences only, combining viewership across connected TVs and select devices. The most-watched shows in the United States in the first half of 2025 are as follows:
Squid Game (Netflix), 15,074 million minutes
Reacher (Prime Video), 13,313 million minutes
The Night Agent (Netflix), 12,219 million minutes
Ginny & Georgia (Netflix), 10,201 million minutes
Severance (Apple TV+), 9,275 million minutes
1923 (Paramount+), 8,536 million minutes
The Pitt (Max), 8,227 million minutes
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu), 8,165 million minutes
You (Netflix), 8,097 million minutes
Landman (Paramount+), 7,826 million minutes
Apple's rise in the rankings coincides with a broader trend; Netflix's share of the most-watched streaming titles declined from more than 80% in 2021 to just under 50% in the first half of 2025. The figures reflect increasing competition from rivals such as Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Paramount+, and Apple TV+, all of which have placed shows in the top 10 so far this year. Disney+, by contrast, has not had a single original series appear in Nielsen's top 10 to date.
While Netflix remains the most consistent producer of hits overall, with a larger number of top-performing series than any other service, its share of total streaming viewership has plateaued. Nielsen reported that total streaming consumption in the U.S. grew by 6% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, but Netflix's share of that growth remained flat. Free ad-supported platforms, such as YouTube, Tubi, and the Roku Channel, are increasingly capturing viewers from traditional TV and paid subscription services alike.
Apple does not disclose subscriber figures for Apple TV+, but Ampere Analysis estimated in May that the service has surpassed 60 million paying users globally, with the strongest growth occurring in North America and Western Europe over the past 12 months. Apple has renewed Severance for a third season.
Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely dates.
The anticipated timing of the iPhone 17 event was outlined in the latest "Power On" newsletter from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. According to Gurman, Apple traditionally schedules its iPhone unveilings for the week following Labor Day in the United States. In 2025, Labor Day falls on Monday, September 1, placing the target week between Monday, September 8, and Friday, September 12.
Apple has consistently avoided holding major product announcements on Fridays, eliminating September 12 from consideration. The company has also refrained from scheduling events on September 11 in recent years. Based on these constraints, Monday, September 8, Tuesday, September 9 and Wednesday, September 10 are the most plausible dates for the event. Gurman believes Tuesday, September 9 or Wednesday, September 10 is most likely.
Gurman's projections are supported by an analysis of Apple's event history over the past decade. Of the ten most recent iPhone launch events, five were held on a Tuesday and three on a Wednesday.
Only one occurred on a Monday, in 2024, making that day a less likely candidate despite its theoretical availability in the calendar. The majority of Apple's fall iPhone events also took place during the second week of September, with the only major deviation being in 2020, when the event was delayed until October due to pandemic-related production issues.
This year's event is expected to see the announcement of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. The company typically issues press invitations roughly one week in advance.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue are attending the 2025 Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Idaho, joining an exclusive gathering of global leaders from the technology, media, finance, and political sectors (via Fortune).
Held annually each July since 1983 in Sun Valley, Idaho, the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference is a private, invitation-only retreat hosted by the investment bank Allen & Co. The event is widely regarded as a discreet venue where high-level strategic discussions take place, often laying the groundwork for significant industry deals. Historically, major acquisitions such as Disney's 1996 purchase of ABC, Jeff Bezos' 2013 acquisition of The Washington Post, and Verizon's 2017 deal for Yahoo can be traced back to discussions held at Sun Valley.
Tim Cook has been a frequent attendee at the conference over the last two decades. This year, he returns accompanied by Eddy Cue, who oversees Apple's Services division, including Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, the App Store, and Apple TV+.
The week-long conference draws executives, founders, investors, and political figures, offering a setting for informal meetings amid hiking, golfing, and rafting excursions. Attendees include:
Tim Cook, Apple
Eddy Cue, Apple
Sundar Pichai, Google
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta
Satya Nadella, Microsoft
Andy Jassy, Amazon
Sam Altman, OpenAI
David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery
Bob Iger, Disney
Spencer Neumann, Netflix
Ted Sarandos, Netflix
Brian Roberts, Comcast
Mike Cavanagh, Comcast
Mary Barra, General Motors
Hiroki Totoki, Sony
Ravi Ahuja, Sony
Daniel Ek, Spotify
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber
Brian Armstrong, Coinbase
John Donahoe, PayPal
Tobias Lütke, Shopify
Neal Mohan, YouTube
Jim Lanzone, Yahoo
Jerry Yang, Yahoo
Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn
Robert Thomson, News Corp.
Jeffrey Katzenberg, WndrCo
Sheryl Sandberg, Meta
Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard
Michael Eisner, Disney
Michael Ovitz, Disney
Casey Wasserman, Wasserman Media Group
Barry Diller, IAC and Expedia Group
Robert Kraft, New England Patriots
Gayle King, CBS Mornings
Roland Fryer, Harvard University
Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense Fund
Ivanka Trump, former White House advisor
Jared Kushner, former White House advisor
Cook and Cue's presence comes at a time when Apple is under scrutiny from both political and industry entities, facing competitive pressures in artificial intelligence, supply chain strategy shifts, and ongoing regulatory attention.
Foxconn has begun importing iPhone 17 parts from China to India for trial production, marking a significant step ahead of the device's expected launch in September.
According to customs data reviewed by The Economic Times, Foxconn, Apple's primary contract assembler, began receiving shipments of critical components such as display assemblies, cover glass, mechanical housings, and integrated rear camera modules at its Indian facilities in June. These components account for approximately 10% of Foxconn's total imports from China for the month, with the remainder allocated to other iPhone models, including the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16.
Industry experts cited by The Economic Times interpret the scale of the shipments as indicative of early-stage trial production. Mass production is apparently scheduled to begin in August, in time for launch in September.
India has already begun to participate in Apple's New Product Introduction (NPI) process, which governs the early stages of new model development and previously took place exclusively in China; it joined the NPI process for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus in 2024. This allowed production to begin nearly simultaneously in both countries, a significant shift from the iPhone 14, when manufacturing in India began six weeks after the China ramp-up.
For the iPhone 17, Apple is reportedly targeting same-day production starts in both China and India for the first time. Sources cited by DigiTimes suggest that Apple intends to deepen its manufacturing footprint in India as part of its plan to diversify its supply chain, with Foxconn playing a central role under India's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
However, the effort has encountered challenges. Recent reports have pointed to the recent mass departure of Chinese engineers from Foxconn's Indian facilities. These individuals were responsible for factory design, precision machining, and employee training, which are essential functions during the early phases of iPhone assembly. An executive quoted by The Economic Times said:
Chinese engineers are crucial because iPhone 17 manufacturing involves complex precision machining of many small parts, and even a 1mm difference can cause a product to fail quality testing. They are needed to train employees on the intricate assembly processes and specific molds for components.
Despite these complications, the Indian government apparently remains optimistic. A source quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) said that the return of Chinese technical staff to China will have "no impact" on the production of the iPhone 17.
The source added that Apple continues to scale production according to plan and noted that import bottlenecks for machinery and equipment needed for large-scale manufacturing have begun to ease. The entire iPhone 17 lineup is expected to launch in the fall.
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:
Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable
5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2
Likely a wide-angle OLED display that is brighter when viewed from an angle, and offers a higher refresh rate for the always-on display mode
S10 chip or newer for faster performance
Blood pressure monitoring has been rumored, but it might not be ready in time for the Apple Watch Ultra 3
Last year, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 received a black titanium case option, but otherwise the Ultra model has not received any hardware upgrades since 2023.
After a two-year wait, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 should be unveiled in September.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Apple offered a line of Wi-Fi routers that it referred to as AirPort base stations. There was a standard AirPort Express, a higher-end AirPort Extreme with more advanced networking features, and an AirPort Time Capsule that doubled as an external storage drive for backing up a Mac with Time Machine.
A few days ago, Apple added a few more AirPort models to its obsolete products list, which reignited discussion about the products.
The big question: Will Apple ever return to the Wi-Fi router market?
Apple's chip will support Wi-Fi 6E, according to Gurman, whereas the final AirPort models supported what is now known as Wi-Fi 5. However, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu believes the chip will actually support Wi-Fi 7.
It remains to be seen if the Apple TV and HomePod actually become Wi-Fi routers, but Apple is seemingly developing technology that allows for it.
Apple's smart home hub will likely launch in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
HomePod with a screen (concept)
In a report last week, Gurman said that Apple originally planned to announce the home hub in March this year, but he said that the device was delayed indefinitely due to its reliance on the personalized Siri features that were postponed.
In that report, he said the home hub may now arrive in the first half of next year.
Gurman revealed another related reason for the delay in his Power On newsletter today. Specifically, he said that the home hub is dependent on a new version of App Intents, which would allow Siri to more precisely control apps via voice commands. That is something that is also held up, and the home hub is in a holding pattern as a result.
Often referred to as a HomePod with a screen, Apple's home hub is rumored to feature a 6-inch to 7-inch square display, and an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence support. The device can reportedly be attached to a speaker base, or mounted on a wall, and it would allow users to control smart home accessories, make FaceTime video calls, and more. It might even double as a home security system with an optional Apple-designed smart home camera.
In March, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a HomePod with a screen would enter mass production in the third quarter of 2025. However, given the personalized Siri features have yet to launch, it is unclear if that timeframe remains accurate.
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors.
Rumors
Faster Wi-Fi Support
The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, which would be an upgrade over the current Apple TV's standard Wi-Fi 6 support. Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band with a compatible router. This can contribute to faster Wi-Fi speeds and lower latency compared to Wi-Fi 6.
The chip might even support Wi-Fi 7 instead, which can provide peak theoretical speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4× increase over Wi-Fi 6E.
Newer Chip
The current Apple TV is powered by the A15 Bionic chip, which debuted in all iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models in 2022. It is very likely that the next Apple TV will have a newer chip, such as an A18 or A19 chip, and this would result in faster overall performance and potentially even Apple Intelligence support on tvOS.
FaceTime Camera and Gesture Controls
tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the Apple TV, allowing for video calls with the rear camera on a connected iPhone or iPad. If the Apple TV gained a built-in camera, users would no longer need to rely on an external device for video calls on the TV.
In April 2024, Gurman said Apple had "discussed" offering an Apple TV with a built-in camera for FaceTime and gesture-based controls, but it is unclear if Apple is moving forward with that plan for the next model in particular. He did not elaborate on the gesture aspect, but it sounds like the next Apple TV would recognize various hand movements.
Apple says tvOS 26 enhances FaceTime in several ways — fitting for an Apple TV with a camera:
With tvOS 26, users can enjoy a more personalized FaceTime experience that's consistent with iOS. Contact Posters on Apple TV make it easier and more personal by displaying a contact's customized photo and name when starting a FaceTime call on Apple TV. Live Captions expand to include French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish, enabling Apple TV to use on-device intelligence to display Live Captions for FaceTime conversations, so users can follow what's being said in even more languages. Additionally, FaceTime audio and phone call notifications will appear onscreen for the active profile, allowing users to answer on connected HomePod speakers or their iPhone, and ensuring that communication with loved ones remains at the forefront.
Lower Price
On the same day as the current Apple TV was announced in October 2022, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that he expected the next Apple TV to be "more affordable." He said that a sub-$100 price would be the "sweet spot" for the Apple TV, but he did not say if Apple will actually achieve that price point.
Both the 2010 and 2012 versions of the Apple TV were priced at $99 in the U.S. at launch, and Apple eventually lowered the price of the 2012 model to $69, so there is precedent for a sub-$100 Apple TV. Other companies like Amazon and Roku offer low-priced streaming sticks, with sale prices going as low as $19.99.
In the U.S., the current Apple TV starts at $129 with 64GB of storage, and a 128GB model with an Ethernet port for wired internet is priced at $149.
Timing
The next Apple TV will be released "toward the end of the year," according to Gurman. If so, it is likely that the device will launch in September or October, but November or December cannot be entirely ruled out at this point.
Here is when the previous four Apple TV models were announced:
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality.
We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro
Those Pro and Pro Max models will also reportedly be shifting back to an aluminum chassis similar to that used on non-Pro models, after a number of years of using more premium stainless steel and later titanium.
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and the third developer beta released this week features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July.
iOS 26: What's Changed With the iPhone's Home Screen
The Home Screen is a core part of the iPhone experience, and iOS 26 is bringing some interesting changes to this aspect that nearly every user interacts with on a regular basis.
Beyond the basic Liquid Glass design, wallpaper choices take advantage of the new aesthetic to more thoroughly theme the experience as you can see through more of the user interface elements. Apple has also made some enhancements to various app icon options for Light, Dark, and Tinted, which are joined by the new Clear option if you want to go for the full glass look.
Apple's $350 Million Gamble on 'F1' Is Starting to Pay Off
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further.
Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that support iPhone car keys, but it has not been updated in a while, so it is missing some recent additions and we've put together a more complete list of vehicles where the handy feature is available.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Apple is working on a set of smart glasses that will rival Meta's popular AI-equipped Ray-Bans, offering many of the same features. Rumors about Apple's work on the glasses have been picking up, and we've gathered all of the information we've heard in the guide below.
Overview
There have been persistent rumors about Apple's work on augmented reality smart glasses, but true, lightweight augmented reality glasses are still years away. What's feasible now is a set of smart glasses that don't have any display functions, and that instead rely on cameras, speakers, AI integration, and sensors to offer useful features to wearers.
Apple's first smart glasses will be an iPhone accessory like the Apple Watch or AirPods, able to provide auxiliary features to reduce iPhone reliance.
Design
Apple plans to offer multiple material and frame options, making the smart glasses as much of a fashion accessory as the Apple Watch once was. Buyers will be able to choose their preferred color and frame style, selecting from metal and plastic frame options.
Apple is apparently testing 3D printing technology for manufacturing, but the glasses will need to be able to accommodate a battery, a chip, a camera, a microphone, speakers, and other technology, so that might limit how slim and lightweight Apple can make the glasses.
It's likely that Apple will offer both standard lenses and sunglasses, and based on the Vision Pro, Apple will also support prescription lenses. There's already a mechanism in place for ordering custom Vision Pro lenses through Zeiss, so Apple could expand that to cover the smart glasses as well.
Cameras and microphones will be included, and there is likely to be an LED light that indicates when the camera is active so no one can secretly record you.
Controls
The glasses are expected to support touch-based controls, such as a tap to snap a photo, and voice-based controls that take advantage of Siri.
Features
Here's what you'll be able to do with Apple's smart glasses, based on what we know so far:
Apple's smart glasses may need a connection to an iPhone to provide functionality like music playback and AI assistance, though they will have some on-device capabilities. Apple is designing a custom SoC for the glasses that's based on the chip in the Apple Watch.
AI Integration
The cameras in Apple's smart glasses will be able to feed information to an AI assistant. The AI will be able to answer questions about what the wearer is seeing, similar to how Visual Intelligence works on the iPhone today.
AI will be able to control the glasses and do things like snap a photo or play music, plus it will be able to provide directions.
Pricing
There's no word on what the smart glasses will cost, but somewhere in the AirPods to Apple Watch range would make sense. Meta's glasses are priced starting at $380.
Competition
Apple's main competition will be the Meta Ray-Bans and the Meta Oakleys. Meta teamed up with popular sunglasses manufacturers and its smart glasses have proven popular with customers.
The Meta Ray-Bans use the traditional Wayfarer style and come in a range of colors, plus there are other frame options available as well.
Launch Date
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman initially said Apple could introduce the smart glasses as soon as 2026, but now he believes Apple will show off the glasses in 2026 and launch them in 2027. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo doesn't expect the glasses to come out until 2027.
Future Features
Apple's first smart glasses will not include augmented reality capabilities, but a future version could integrate a display that would overlay digital information on the real world view. A second-generation model with a display could launch as soon as 2028.
A second-generation version of the smart glasses with an in-lens display may have separate modes depending on what device it's connected to. The glasses could run visionOS when paired with a Mac, and then use a more lightweight, mobile-friendly interface when paired with an iPhone.
Augmented reality glasses are a longtime goal of Apple's, and it is technology that the company is actively pursuing.
The Messages app has the Liquid Glass redesign that's been introduced throughout iOS 26, but Apple also added several long-desired features that make for a better experience in both one-to-one and group chats, such as custom backgrounds and group typing indicators.
Message Backgrounds
In any conversation in the Messages app, you can set a custom background, a feature that's available in many third-party messaging apps.
To set a custom background, tap on the name of the person or group at the top, and choose the "Backgrounds" option. There are pre-set options like sky, water, and aurora, or you can choose a solid color.
You can also opt to select a photo from your Photo Library, or generate an image with Image Playground. Backgrounds are changed for every participant in the conversation, but you need to have iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS Tahoe. Custom backgrounds can only be set for iMessage conversations at the current time, and there won't be an option to set a custom background in a chat with someone who has an Android device.
If you don't want to see custom backgrounds that people set, you can turn off the option in the Messages section of the Settings app. Just go to Settings > Apps > Messages and toggle off Conversation Backgrounds.
Regardless of the background that you choose, message bubbles will still be blue, and bubble color can't be changed.
Polls
For conversations where you're asking people to choose one of multiple options, you can now create a poll. If you tap on the "+" button next to the Messages text, there's a poll option.
You can add up to 12 choices in a poll, and then send it to people in a conversation to vote on. If you send a poll and someone thinks an option is missing, they can edit it and add in another choice.
On devices that support Apple Intelligence, the Messages app will suggest a poll in relevant conversations. If you're asking the group whether to get pizza, burgers, or pasta, for example, you might see a suggestion to create a poll.
Live Translation
iOS 26 supports a live translate feature in Messages on devices with Apple Intelligence. If you're conversing with someone that speaks another language, you can turn on translate. What they type will be translated to your language, and what you type will be translated to their language. Translations are near instantaneous and don't slow down text conversations.
Languages that are supported include Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified), French, German, Italian, English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
To opt in to automatic translate, tap on the person's name, scroll down, and toggle on the Automatically Translate option. You will need to select a language to translate from, and download that language pack if you don't already have it installed (they're around 900MB).
Messages that you send will show up in both your language and the translated language on your own phone, but the person on the other end will only see the message in their language. Messages they respond with will show their language and the translated language.
Live Translation is an Apple Intelligence feature, and it works best when both participants have iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS Tahoe. You can use Live Translation with someone who has an older device or an Android device, and it will translate their text on your end, but your responses are not translated to their language.
Group Chat Improvements
When you're in a group chat, you'll see typing indicators for people who are typing a response.
Apple Cash is also now supported in group chats, so members of the group can send money to one another without having to split out into separate conversations.
If you're in a group chat and there's a person that you don't know, there's now an option to add that person to your Contacts app with a tap.
Copy/Paste
If you want to copy just a part of a message, such as an address or a package tracking number, there's an option in iOS 26 to do so. Long press on the message that you want to copy and then tap on the "Select" option.
Message Filtering
Apple separated spam messages and messages from unknown senders into two categories in iOS 26, and both can be filtered out if you prefer.
There's a Filter section that you can access by tapping the icon at the top right of the Messages app interface that will let you see messages with specific content. Options include Unknown Senders, Transactions, Promotions, Spam, and Recently Deleted.
You can have messages from unknown senders (aka not saved in your Contacts) sent directly to the Unknown Senders list, and you won't get notifications. You'll see a badge in the filter section of the Messages app so you know the message is there, but you won't be bothered by it.
There's an exception you can turn on for Time Sensitive notifications, so you won't miss something like a food delivery person sending you a message. Messages classified as spam will be sent to the spam box, and you won't see a notification or a badge.
You can also turn on filtering notifications for messages that are classified as Personal (not from businesses), Transactions (order receipts and confirmations), and Promotions.
Natural Language Search
Messages supports natural language search, so you can use conversational words when looking for a text thread or something specific in a conversation.
Low Data Photo Sharing
Apple added a "Send Low Quality Photo Previews" setting that can be enabled in the Messages section of the Settings app. When it's turned on, Messages will send a lower quality preview of an image if your iPhone is in Low Data Mode. The full version of the photo is sent at a later time when you have a Wi-Fi connection.
Genmoji
In Messages, the Genmoji feature has been updated to support mixing two or more existing emoji characters together to create a new emoji.
In a conversation, tap on Genmoji to make a custom emoji character. Once in the Genmoji interface, tap on the smile icon with a "+" next to it, and you can select the emoji characters that you want to add from the emoji menu. You can add two emoji, or even more if you want.
Combined emoji can be further edited with text-based descriptions, and if someone sends you a combo emoji, you can long press on it and choose "New Emoji" to tweak it further.
CarPlay
When you're driving, you can now respond to an incoming message with a quick Tapback response. Plus you can pin conversations to the Messages app in CarPlay so you can access your favorite contacts quickly.
EU Changes
In the European Union, there's a new EU-only API for developers that will allow third-party messages apps to send and receive RCS/MMS/SMS messages by default instead of the built-in Messages app.
End-to-End RCS Encryption
Apple is planning to bring end-to-end encryption to RCS conversations between iPhone and Android users in a future software update, but the functionality is not implemented yet.
Read More
We have a complete iOS 26 roundup that covers all of the new features that are available in the update.
In the early to mid-1990s, Apple released a wide range of quirky and unique products, ranging from printers and digital cameras to a video game console and a PDA with a keyboard. Steve Jobs nixed the vast majority of these products upon his return to Apple in 1997, helping the company to regain its focus and avoid impending bankruptcy.
Many longtime MacRumors readers are likely already well informed about Apple's peculiar 1990s era, but for those who started following the company in the 2000s, it can be fascinating to look back at the products released in the older days.
Below, we reflect on five unique Apple products from the 1990s, including the QuickTake, Newton eMate 300, Studio Display, StyleWriter, and Pippin. There are of course many others, ranging from the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh to the Newton MessagePad, but we tried to make some selections that are perhaps a bit more obscure today.
Newton eMate 300
In 1993, Apple released the Newton MessagePad, a personal digital assistant (PDA) that was sort of like a very early and rudimentary version of the modern smartphone. Equipped with a black-and-white, pressure-sensitive touch screen, and a stylus, the device offered basic calendar, contact, note-taking, to-do list, and email functionality.
Apple went on to release a line of Newton products, including the eMate 300 in 1996, an entry-level computer for children to use in the classroom. It was the only Newton device with a built-in keyboard, and it featured a colorful and durable plastic casing that could withstand the perils of the classroom. It looks a little bit like the iBook that Apple released a few years later, but it ran the Newton operating system instead of Mac OS.
Priced at around $800, the eMate 300 was equipped with a 6.8-inch black-and-white, pressure-sensitive touch screen with a resolution of 480×320 pixels. Other specs included a 25 MHz ARM processor and a whopping 3 MB of RAM.
Jobs discontinued the entire Newton line upon his return in 1997.
QuickTake
In 1994, Apple released the QuickTake, one of the first consumer-oriented digital cameras ever. Apple designed the original QuickTake 100 model in partnership with Kodak. With 1MB of built-in storage, the camera could store up to a whopping eight photos with a resolution of 640×480 pixels. The camera had a built-in flash, but it did not offer manual focus or zoom controls. And while it featured a small LCD screen for basic information like battery level, it did not provide a live preview of the viewfinder's image.
Apple went on to release two more QuickTake 150 and QuickTake 200 models, with the latter made in partnership with Fujifilm. Some of the QuickTake 200's key upgrades included support for higher-resolution photos up to 1024×768 pixels, a 1.8-inch LCD screen with a viewfinder preview, and a removable 2MB storage card.
At the time the QuickTake was released, it was still common for people to have photos printed at a store, so the ability to transfer digital photos to a Mac or PC was quite novel, but Apple faced lots of competition from the likes of Canon, Nikon, and Sony, and it was ultimately a lower-selling product that did not survive the Jobs chopping block.
Pippin
Believe it or not, Apple once made a video game console.
Apple teamed up with Bandai to release the Pippin, or PiPP!N, in 1996. Priced at $599, the PowerPC-based console was intended to be somewhat of a hybrid of a computer and a video game console, with its software based on the Macintosh System 7.5.2. Games were loaded into the built-in CD-ROM drive, but the selection was limited.
Ultimately, the PiPP!N was a flop, as both Sony's PlayStation ($299) and the Nintendo 64 ($199) were less expensive and offered a wider library of games.
Another casualty of Jobs' return, the PiPP!N was discontinued by 1998.
Studio Display
Studio Display from the early 2000s
You might be thinking that Apple just released the Studio Display three years ago, but it first used that name for an external monitor released back in 1998.
The original Studio Display featured a sleek design, with a 15-inch flat-panel LCD screen and a 4:3 aspect ratio. It had a resolution of 1024×768 pixels, a far cry from the current model's resolution of 5120×2880 pixels. It was priced at $1,999.
This is actually a product that Apple released shortly after Jobs returned to Apple, and the line remained available until 2004, when Apple fully shifted to its widescreen Cinema Display. In 2011, Apple moved on to the Thunderbolt Display, which was discontinued in 2016, before releasing the Pro Display XDR in 2019 and the current Studio Display in 2022.
Apple also released a bulkier CRT version of the Studio Display in 1999.
StyleWriter
Printers are another device category that Jobs put the kibosh on when he returned to Apple. Before then, though, Apple had released a variety of printer models, including the ImageWriter in 1982, the LaserWriter in 1985, and finally the StyleWriter in 1991.
The original StyleWriter was Apple's first inkjet printer with liquid ink, whereas the ImageWriter was a dot-matrix printer and the LaserWriter was a laser printer.
In the 2000s to early 2010s, Apple offered a rebate on third-party printers from brands like HP, Canon, Epson, and Lexmark with the purchase of a new Mac, but it has been nearly 30 years since an Apple-branded printer was last on the market.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with GRID Studio to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of Apple's iPhone 16 models. If you're not familiar with GRID Studio, it's a company that takes old, discarded Apple products and turns them into art for Apple fans.
GRID Studio is hosting a sale this week, and there are special discounts on the iPhone 2G and the iPhone 5 pieces, along with a 15 percent discount on everything else. Just enter the promo code PD15 when checking out to get the deal.
The GRID 2G is available for $299, which is $100 off the regular $399 price. The GRID 2G is one of the most popular devices that GRID Studio sells, because it showcases the first iPhone that Apple made. It highlights all of the components that were in the original 2007 iPhone, including the curved shell, power button, headphone socket, speaker, logic board, and ear piece.
The Grid 5 is available for just $109 this week, down from $169. It features the 2012 iPhone 5, which was the first iPhone that was developed under Apple CEO Tim Cook and the last iPhone that Apple CEO Steve Jobs was involved with. The iPhone 5 is an important part of Apple's history because it included a taller 4-inch display, and it was the first iPhone to use the Lightning port rather than the 30-pin port.
GRID Studio has a whole range of deconstructed Apple devices, and each one includes all of the components artfully displayed and labeled. A sleek black frame completes the look, and there are interesting details included about each component.
We have a 128GB iPhone 16 to give away to one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (July 11) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 18. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after July 18 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
Apple updated its vintage and obsolete products list to add several Macs, iPads, accessories, and more. The 2013 "Trash Can" Mac Pro was added to the vintage list, 12 years after it was first introduced.
Most products are added to the vintage list much earlier, but Apple sold the 2013 Mac Pro for so long that it wasn't eligible until now. A device is considered "vintage" five years after it was last distributed for sale.
The trash can Mac Pro wasn't discontinued until December 2019, when the redesigned "Cheese Grater" Mac Pro came out. The 2013 Mac Pro was the subject of Phil Schiller's infamous "Can't innovate anymore, my ass," line, which backfired spectacularly when the Mac Pro's design turned out to be unsustainable.
The Mac Pro featured a radical new cylindrical design that was much smaller than the previous-generation Mac Pro, but it didn't end up meeting the needs of pro users. There wasn't space to upgrade internal components like GPUs, which proved to be a major downfall as GPUs expanded in size, power, and thermal requirements. Apple wasn't able to introduce a new version of the Mac Pro due to design limitations, and in 2017, Apple admitted that it had failed with the 2013 Mac Pro. "I think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner," Apple hardware chief Craig Federighi said at the time.
Along with the 2013 Mac Pro, Apple also added the 2019 13-inch MacBook Air, 2019 iMac, 2018 11-inch iPad Pro, and 2018 third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro to its vintage products list. The 128GB iPhone 8 also joins the 64GB and 256GB iPhone 8 models on the vintage list. The 64GB and 256GB models were added earlier this year, but the 128GB iPhone 8 was sold for a longer period of time.
Several devices were also transitioned from the vintage products list to the obsolete products list. The second-generation AirPort Express, 2TB and 3TB AirPort Time Capsules, and 802.11ac AirPort Extreme are now considered obsolete.
Devices are moved from the vintage list to the obsolete list after a two-year period. Apple products are typically considered technologically obsolete seven years after they were last available for sale.
For vintage products, Apple retail stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) are still able to offer repairs if the required parts are available. If parts can't be obtained, Apple isn't able to do repairs.
Products that are obsolete are not repaired by Apple Stores or AASPs and Apple does not provide parts. Some Mac laptops are eligible for a battery-only repair period of up to 10 years from when the product was last distributed from sale, though this is subject to parts availability.
At the end of June, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuoleaked an extensive roadmap of the company's plans for its Vision and smart glasses product lines until the end of the decade. Most recently, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman provided some clarifications about the new Vision Pro that is expected to launch this year. With the information from these two highly reliable sources, here's what we're now expecting:
2025
Apple Vision Pro (M4): A refreshed first-generation Vision Pro. Featuring the M4 chip, potentially with a more powerful Neural Engine. It will also likely have an all-new head strap with a focus on improving comfort. No other changes are expected and the new device will not be considered to be a "second generation" model. Mass production is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025 and Apple is expecting to ship 150,000–200,000 units this year. It will likely remain a niche product. The second-generation model is simply designed to maintain market presence and support ecosystem development, as well as reduce inventory of excess components in the supply chain.
2026
No new Vision or smart glasses products to be released.
2027
Apple Smart Glasses: Similar to Meta Ray-Bans, Apple's first smart glasses product will offer multiple frame and temple material options for a more personalized look. It will feature voice control and gesture recognition, but there will be no display. Key features include audio playback, photography and videography, and AI-powered environmental awareness. Some users will use the smart glasses to replace their AirPods or iPhone camera in certain situations. Mass production is scheduled for the second quarter of 2027, with Apple expecting shipments of three to five million units in the launch year. It will likely be the first Vision or glasses product to achieve significant sales volume.
Apple Vision Air: Featuring all-new design that is "substantially lighter," with over 40% weight reduction compared to the Vision Pro. This weight reduction will be achieved by replacing glass with plastic, using magnesium alloy, and reducing the number of sensors on the device. It will contain Apple's latest flagship iPhone processor of the time, rather than an M-series chip. It will come at a "significantly lower price point" than the Vision Pro. Mass production is scheduled for the third quarter of 2027.
2028
Apple Vision Pro (second generation): Apple's true second-generation Vision Pro headset will debut an entirely new design with a significantly reduced weight. It will feature a powerful, Mac-grade processor and a lower price point. Mass production is projected to begin in the second half of 2028.
Apple XR Glasses: While the product will feature voice control and gesture recognition like the company's first smart glasses, this more advanced version will add a color Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) display with waveguide optics. AI will apparently be critical to the device's success. Mass production is scheduled for the second half of 2028. Several other brands are expected to release similar products before Apple to establish early market presence, but due to the nature of this category of devices as early technology, these products will probably remain niche offerings over their first few years of existence.
We discuss our thoughts on each of these devices, how they're likely to fit into Apple's lineup, and how customers may respond. In light of Samsung's announcement of the ultra thin Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 this week, we also touch on Apple's foldable iPhone plans. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about Apple's apparent plan to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip.
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Amazon Prime Day is coming to a close later today, so we're quickly recapping all of the best Apple and Apple-related deals that are still live on Amazon right now. Since many of these products have been on sale for a few days, shipping may be delayed, but they're all at some of the lowest prices we've ever seen.
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 Prime Day requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.
Special for 2025, Amazon is also offering a free six month trial to Prime for Young Adults right now. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.
AirPods
Amazon has the AirPods Pro 2 for $149.00, down from $249.00, and the AirPods 4 for $89.00, down from $129.00 for Prime Day. These are both new record low prices, and it's possible we won't see deals this good again until closer to the holidays, so be sure to shop soon if you're interested.
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.
Amazon has introduced a new all-time low price on the Black Apple Watch Ultra 2, available for $649.99, down from $799.00. This is the first time in a few weeks that we've tracked any notable discount on the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Amazon this week is discounting a collection of Beats headphones and speakers, including an all-time low price on the Powerbeats Pro 2. You can get this new 2025 model for $179.95 in four colors, down from $249.99. This deal on the Powerbeats Pro 2 is being matched at Best Buy, along with a few other Beats deals.
Samsung's popular 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 (Model M80D) is down to the best price we've ever seen it on Amazon, available for $384.99, down from $699.99.
In addition to the Smart Monitor M8, Amazon has a wide array of monitors and PCs on sale from HP, Acer, Samsung, and more for Prime Day. One of the highlights is Samsung's 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Monitor for $999.99, down from $1,599.99.
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!
We're in the final hours of Amazon Prime Day for 2025, and you can still find record low prices on nearly every AirPods model right now on Amazon.
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 highlight of these deals include the AirPods Pro 2 for $149.00, down from $249.00, and the AirPods 4 for $89.00, down from $129.00. Both of these are new all-time low prices for the AirPods during Prime Day, and it's very likely we won't see deals this good again until the holidays come around.
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!
xAI's latest Grok 4 large language model appears to search for owner Elon Musk's opinions before answering sensitive questions about topics like Israel-Palestine, abortion, and U.S. immigration policy.
Data scientist Jeremy Howard was first to document the concerning behavior, showing that 54 of 64 citations Grok provided for a question about Israel-Palestine referenced Musk's views. TechCrunch then successfully replicated the findings across multiple controversial topics.
The AI model's "chain of thought" reasoning process explicitly states it's "considering Elon Musk's views" or "searching for Elon Musk views" when tackling such questions. This happens despite Grok's system prompt instructing it to seek diverse sources representing all stakeholders.
Here's a complete unedited video of asking Grok for its views on the Israel/Palestine situation.
It first searches twitter for what Elon thinks. Then it searches the web for Elon's views. Finally it adds some non-Elon bits at the end. ZA 54 of 64 citations are about Elon. pic.twitter.com/6Mr33LByrm
— Jeremy Howard (@jeremyphoward) July 10, 2025
On the other hand, there is no reference to Musk in the LLM's system prompt guidelines, therefore the behavior could be unintentional. Indeed, programmer Simon Willison has suggested Grok "knows" that it's built by xAI and owned by Musk, which is why it may reference the billionaire's positions when forming opinions.
Of course, either way, the discovery raises questions about Musk's claim that Grok 4 represents a "maximally truth-seeking AI." Musk has yet to comment on the matter.
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.
HomePod with a screen (concept)
Studio Display from the early 2000s
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