Top Stories: Apple Black Friday Deals, iOS 18 Rumor Recap, and More

The holiday shopping season is now in full swing with Black Friday deals hitting all over the web yesterday. Many of them are continuing through the weekend and into Cyber Week, and we're keep track of all of the best ones.

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This week, we also took a look at the upcoming iOS 17.2 update that's currently in beta testing, while we recapped news and rumors about iOS 18 coming next year, Apple's move to add RCS messaging support, and the next iPad Air, so read on below for all the details!

Apple Black Friday Deals Still Available for AirPods, iPhone, iPad and More

Black Friday itself may be over, but tons of deals are still going strong on a wide variety of Apple products and accessories, with noteworthy savings available on iPhones, iPads, AirPods, Macs, Apple Watches, and more.

General Black Friday Deals 2022 Green
Aside from our huge list of Apple products on sale at Amazon and elsewhere, check out Best Buy's mega sale on MacBooks and popular gifts of all types, Samsung's steep discounts on monitors, TVs, and more, Sonos' best prices of the year, and great deals on Anker's lineup of charging accessories.

26 New Things Your iPhone Can Do With Next Month's iOS 17.2 Update

iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for nearly a month now, and it is expected to be released in mid-December. The software update includes a long list of new features and changes for the iPhone, including a Journal app, new Apple Music features, and more.

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We recently shared a list of 26 new things that you'll be able to do on your iPhone with iOS 17.2, so check it out for a closer look at everything new in the update.

iOS 18: All the Rumors and Known Features So Far

iOS 18 is still over seven months away from being announced, but there are already a handful of rumors and expected features for the update.

iOS 18 Mock Feature Baubles
In his newsletter this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said iOS 18 could be a "relatively groundbreaking" update with "major new features and designs." He said Apple's senior management has internally described its upcoming operating systems as "ambitious and compelling."

What to Know About Apple's Plans to Support RCS on iPhones Next Year

Earlier this month, Apple surprisingly announced that it will finally support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting "later next year." This change will significantly improve the default messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices.

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We've put together an in-depth overview of Apple's plans to support RCS on the iPhone.

What to Expect From the Next iPad Air in Early 2024

Over 600 days have passed since Apple last updated the iPad Air, as outlined in the MacRumors Buyer's Guide. In a recent article, we outlined rumored features and launch timing for the next iPad Air, which would be the sixth-generation model of the device.

iPad Air 12
New 10.9-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Air models are scheduled for mass production in the first quarter of 2024, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

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.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Popular Stories

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15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
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Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
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Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
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Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
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John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
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iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

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iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
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Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

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A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
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iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
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iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...

Top Rated Comments

iLuddite Avatar
27 months ago

I am really tired of seeing commercials of what the newest Galaxy phones can do with their camera app. There should never be a time when any Android phone has better software or hardware when it comes to photography. I don’t give a damn about new colors or a slightly bigger screen or many of the other upgrades that Apple announces with each new version of software or hardware if Apple is not also going to give the millions of loyal iPhone owners not only a phone with comparable photo hardware and software to any Android phone but we should be getting the latest and greatest features. I’m tired of being asked by Android owners if my iPhone 15 Pro Max can do what these phones can do and I have to say no. Apple leaders, get your heads out of your asses and start delivery state of the art features. You have been playing catch up to Android phones long enough. And as a stockholder who owns a lot of your stock how about spending more of your profits on R&D and less on stock buy backs. Your stock price will go up quicker when you are once again on the cutting edge of phone technology. You haven’t been in that place for a long tim.
Sounds like you may as well vote with your wallet and buy an Android device.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)