Following today's release of macOS Big Sur, Apple has updated a number of its apps to support the new operating system version and upcoming Apple Silicon Macs.
Apple's suite of iWork apps is among the updates, with Pages, Numbers, and Keynotes all sporting refreshed icons and a "refined new design on macOS Big Sur." Stability and performance improvements are also included. Alongside the updates on the Mac side, the iWork apps for iOS have seen minor updates for stability and performance improvements.
GarageBand for Mac has also been updated with a new icon and refreshed macOS Big Sur design, among other improvements and additions.
- Refined new design on macOS Big Sur - Improved performance and efficiency on Mac computers with Apple silicon - Allows customisation of region colours in your tracks - Adds 1,800 Apple Loops in a variety of genres including Hip-Hop, Chill Rap, Future Bass, New Disco, Bass House and more - Adds over 190 instrument patches and 50 vintage and modern drum kits
Alongside GarageBand and the iWork apps, Apple updated its iMovie app for Mac with Apple Silicon support. No other new features are included.
Tuesday August 25, 2026 8:39 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today unveiled a new Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro chip options, a new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chip options, a new version of the Polishing Cloth with a lower price, and updated Magic Keyboards for Macs.
To learn more about these products, read our coverage below:
Apple Announces New Mac Mini With M6 and M5 Pro Chips and More
Apple Unveils New Mac Studio With M5 Max and M5...
Thursday August 27, 2026 7:58 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The new Mac mini and Mac Studio models unveiled by Apple this week are the company's first new Macs announced in August since 2020.
It is extremely rare for Apple to announce new products of any kind in August, excluding smaller things like new color options and accessories.
As mentioned, Apple's last notable August product announcement was in 2020, when it updated the 27-inch iMac and a...
Apple today quietly introduced updated Magic Keyboard models with revised U.S. English key labeling.
On the new keyboards, the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps are labeled with glyphs rather than edge text. On the full-size models with a numeric keypad, the change goes further, with the home, page up, page down, end, clear, and enter keys also swapping their text labels for...
There is nothing wrong with the icons. In fact, they are the same icons, just morphed into looking like iOS icons. That’s the part I don’t like, the uniqueness of macOS has been reduced and consumed into the universe of its mobile offspring. I missed the stand out uniqueness of photo realistic icons. It’s really what made OS X attractive. Seeing a representation of true life on screen.
Apple now considers that redundant and I believe it was Jony Ive who promoted this when explaining the abstract look of icons iOS 7 such as Game Center. Icons should hint what they do and at least with these three, you have an idea,
- the charts and cells in the background suggest this has something to do with numbers.
- the pen, quotation symbol and lines suggest this is a tool for writing.
- the podium and what looks like screens it slides is a program for preparing presentations.
I still do miss the unique icons from the old days though. The Adobe Photoshop 7 eye, the Quark Xpress lotus flower, the picture of the child at the beach in preview.
Apple do this in sake of Big Sur and all iOS interface unification. Previously I can easily recognize software icon because of distinctive shape, but with all boxy icon it takes more times for my eyes scanning what picture inside that box.
