There was blockbuster news this week regarding Apple's naming conventions, while WhatsApp finally made the jump to iPad after 15 years.
Other news this week included a report on Apple's now-scaled-back aspirations for providing satellite-based internet service, tidbits on Apple's plans for smart home hubs including one with a robotic arm, and more, so read on below for all the details!
No iOS 19: Apple Going Straight to iOS 26
Here's a shocking rumor less than two weeks ahead of WWDC: Apple is reportedly going to overhaul the numbering convention it uses for its various operating systems, unifying them all under a "26" branding to represent the upcoming year, much like how car manufacturers typically release their new model years late in the previous year.
So say goodbye to what we thought were going to be iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16, tvOS 19, watchOS 12, and visionOS 3, because it looks like they're all just going to be numbered "26."
iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features
Apple's Pro iPhone models are usually the highlight of the September release cycle, and while they'll have some competition this year from the new ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air," we're still expecting some very notable changes for Apple's most expensive iPhone models.
Check out our overview of a dozen significant changes we're expecting in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, including some visual changes that will make it immediately obvious if you have Apple's latest iPhone model.
Looking further ahead, a source claims Apple has been testing a 200-megapixel camera sensor for the iPhone. That would likely first appear as the Main camera in Pro iPhone models, but it's probably a year or two away.
WhatsApp for iPad Now Available
Incredibly, one of the biggest news stories of the week was the launch of an iPad-optimized version of WhatsApp, more than 15 years after the messaging service debuted. WhatsApp teased the launch early this week, and released the app just a day later.
With WhatsApp now available for iPad, attention is now on Meta's other major app still lacking a native iPad app, Instagram.
Apple Pulls Some Features From Rumored Smart Home Robot
Apple's rumored smart home tabletop robot has been the subject of some intriguing rumors over the past few years, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is pulling some of the "bolder features" planned for it in order to bring it to market faster. The unspecified features could appear in later models.
The tabletop robot will reportedly feature an iPad-like display on a robotic arm that can adjust to remain in view of a person moving about the room, and it would be able to respond to voice commands.
The robot is rumored to follow a simpler smart home hub that Gurman says could launch "by the end of this year at the earliest."
Report: Apple Planned to Offer Starlink-Like Home Internet Service
A decade ago, Apple reportedly explored working with Boeing to launch a Starlink-like satellite internet service for Phones and homes, according to The Information. The companies would have launched thousands of satellites into orbit around the Earth to beam internet services down to the surface.
The project was ultimately nixed over concerns related to cost and Apple's relationship with carriers, and the company ultimately partnered with Globalstar on the much more modest satellite services Apple currently offers on recent iPhone models. Just this week, Apple expanded Messages and Find My via satellite to Mexico, joining existing coverage in the U.S. and Canada even as the company is reportedly weighing whether it's worth continuing to offer the features as carriers have started to introduce their own satellite services.
iOS 18 Leak Reveals Apple Tested MacBook Pros With M3 Ultra Chip
While Apple's highest-end M3 Ultra chip is currently limited to the Mac Studio, it appears that Apple tested the chip in the MacBook Pro as well.
A user on Chinese social media platform BiliBili claims to have found code references to unreleased 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M3 Ultra chip in an internal build of iOS 18 running on an iPhone 16 engineering prototype. Apple of course ultimately did not release an M3 Ultra MacBook Pro, potentially over thermal and/or power concerns, but it's interesting to see that Apple apparently tested the chip in that form factor.
Sony's New WH-1000XM6 Headphones vs. AirPods Max
Sony recently came out with a new set of high-end over-ear noise canceling headphones, so we thought we'd compare them to the AirPods Max to see how Sony's 2025 headphones measure up to Apple's headphones that haven't seen a notable update since their 2020 launch.
In one of our latest YouTube videos, Dan takes a look at the two sets of headphones, finding that while the AirPods Max offer some key benefits for the Apple ecosystem, Sony's latest headphones deliver a more comfortable fit and a better overall package.
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