Top Stories: Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 3, HomePod With Screen Rumor, and More

Apple is moving right along with development and testing on iOS 18 and related software updates, with the third developer betas arriving this past week and public beta versions of most of them expected very shortly.

top stories 13jul2024
Not all of the new features Apple showed off at WWDC last month will be available right away, however, with some rolling out in later iOS 18 updates over the next year. In particular, significant Siri enhancements with Apple Intelligence are reportedly slated for iOS 18.4 in the spring of 2025. Other news this week included hints of a touchscreen-equipped HomePod and rumors about the next-generation Apple Watch SE, so read on below for all the details!

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 3

Apple this week seeded the third beta of iOS 18 to developers for testing, and there are a handful of new features and changes. Check out our list of everything new in iOS 18 beta 3, including Dark Mode for additional app icons, tweaks to the Photos app, and more.

iOS 18 on iPhone Feature
Apple also seeded the third betas of iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, visionOS 2, and more.

iOS 18 Public Beta Coming Soon: How to Get Your iPhone Ready

Apple last month announced that the first public beta of iOS 18 would be released in July, so it should be available to try out soon. The first public betas of iOS 17 and iOS 16 were both released in the first half of July over the past two years, so it is possible that the iOS 18 public beta will be available next week.

iOS 18 Public Beta Thumb 3
Ahead of time, read our story outlining how to get your iPhone ready for the iOS 18 public beta.

New Siri Experience With Apple Intelligence Likely to Debut in Spring 2025

While some Apple Intelligence features will be available when iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia are first released to the public later this year, Apple last month said that some of the remaining features will be rolled out "over the course of the next year."

Apple Intelligence General Feature
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a smarter version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence will likely launch as part of iOS 18.4 in the spring of 2025.

tvOS 18 Hints at HomePod With Touchscreen Display

A reference to an unreleased HomePod with a built-in screen has allegedly been uncovered in the tvOS 18 beta, following earlier reports that Apple plans to release such a device in the future.

HomePod With Screen and Arm FaceTime Feature 2MacRumors concept mockups based on early rumors

Apple is rumored to have been prototyping several different smart home accessories, including a HomePod with a screen, a smart home hub with a robotic arm, a device that combines a HomePod and Apple TV, and more, but it is unclear if or when all of them will be released to the public.

Apple Reportedly Developing Apple Watch SE With Plastic Casing

Apple is developing a next-generation version of the low-end Apple Watch SE with a plastic casing, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

apple watch se 2022
A third-generation Apple Watch SE is expected to be released in September, but it is unclear if Apple will move forward with the plastic casing, which would replace the aluminum casing on previous models. The current Apple Watch SE starts at $249 in the U.S., and the move to plastic could allow for the next model to have an even lower starting price.

10+ Changes to Control Center in iOS 18

Apple is significantly overhauling Control Center on iOS 18 for the first time since iOS 11, with greater customization, multiple pages, additional controls, and more. Apple also now allows users to customize the Flashlight and Camera shortcuts on the Lock Screen.

iOS 18 Control Center Guide 1
Check out our list outlining more than 10 new features and changes in Control Center on iOS 18, which will be widely released later this year for the iPhone XS and newer.

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

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...

Top Rated Comments

ateslik Avatar
10 months ago
auto-refine still broken in the notes app with apple pencil. Not all shapes snap at all sizes. Reported in feedback app. Otherwise working very good on my ipad. I like the new control center and tapback emojis.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)