Accessory brand Alogic today announced an expansion to its display lineup, adding several new 5K and 6K models offering varying feature sets with availability coming over the next couple of months.
Aspekt displays
New models in the Aspekt touch-enabled family include a 27-inch 5K model and a 32-inch 6K model with support for 10-point multitouch and MPP 2.0 styluses. Dock capabilities are built into the display, including USB-C with up to 90 watts of upstream charging, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.0, additional USB-C and USB-A ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB-A KVM functionality. There's also a 34-inch 5K Ultrawide model, which offers a resolution of up to 5,120 x 2,160 and a 100Hz refresh rate, plus the 10-point multitouch functionality
The 27-inch 5K ($1,899.99) and 32-inch 6K ($2,999.99) models will be available by the end of October, while the 34-inch Ultrawide 5K model will be priced at $2,799.99 and launch by the end of November.
Clarity 6K display
Alogic has also expanded its Clarity family of displays, adding a 12-megapixel webcam to the 27-inch 5K ($1,899.99) and 32-inch 6K ($3,099.99) models, with availability by the end of October. Both displays similarly offer touchscreen support, USB-C, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 1.4 connectivity options, USB-A and audio connections, and up to 90 watts of upstream charging.
Vision displays
There's also a new 34-inch Edge 5K Ultrawide option priced at $1,599.99 launching by mid-November, and finally, on the low end of the display lineup, Alogic is introducing new 24-inch ($199.99) and 27-inch ($299.99) options in its Vision family of business-oriented displays, plus a 34-inch Ultrawide model.
FlashDock 5
Turning to peripherals, Alogic has announced the FlashDock 5 docking station, a 13-port Thunderbolt 5 dock supporting full bandwidth of up to 80 Gbps in symmetric mode or up to 120 Gbps in asymmetric mode. It supports up to three external displays (depending on capabilities of the host computer), with two HDMI 2.1 ports, two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, three USB-A ports, a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, SD and microSD card readers, a 3.5mm combo audio port, and an additional downstream Thunderbolt 5 port. There's also an integrated M.2 NVMe SSD slot to allow you to add external storage. It's available now and is priced at $399.99.
Crux mouse
And on the input side, Alogic is now shipping several previously announced accessories including the ergonomic multifunction Crux productivity mouse, priced at $79.99. The Hush full-size keyboard ($89.99) with backlit keys and multi-device support is also shipping, as is the Hush mouse ($29.99) with a slim design and multi-device support.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Alogic. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Acer recently came out with a new 6K 31.5-inch display, the ProDesigner PE320QXT. It's a touchscreen display that's able to work with a Mac using touch drivers, and it's aimed at professional creators. It's fun to use, but there are some compromises, and this is not the display to get unless you really want touch integration.
This is a big, heavy display. It's thicker than my Apple Studio Display, and it's thicker than any other display I've tested, likely because of the touch layer. It does have a tapered design so the sides aren't quite as thick as the middle, but this isn't a modern-looking monitor. It doesn't resemble something designed in 2026, especially with the button-based controls and the thick bezels. If someone told me this was a display from 2006, I'd believe it. With its stand, the ProDesigner weighs about 22 pounds, and it takes up a lot of room on my desk.
The display uses an IPS panel and has a resolution of 6016 x 3384, and it can connect to a Mac using HDMI or USB-C. I tested it on a 16-inch M1 MaxMacBook Pro running macOS Golden Gate and an M4 MacBook Air. By default, macOS uses a 3008 x 1692 scaled resolution, which is a good compromise between display quality and sizing. It can be set at higher resolutions, including the full 6016 x 3384, but window sizing and text get smaller as resolution goes up.
Text is crisp and everything looks sharp at the default resolution, but brightness is limited to 400 nits and contrast is just fair, not outstanding. My office is bright, and in the daytime, 400 nits is a little too dim, especially if I'm simultaneously using the MacBook Pro's much better mini-LED screen or a Studio Display with the Acer ProDesigner. Brightness does go up to 600 nits for HDR content, but I wouldn't recommend it for HDR movies because it doesn't have the local dimming you get from mini-LED or OLED.
Though brightness wasn't where I wanted it to be, quality and color were excellent. With some displays, it's unpleasant to use them with a MacBook Pro because of the pixel density mismatch, but 6K resolution makes a difference when using the display next to a MacBook Pro. Text and interface elements don't look soft or low-resolution. Acer says the display is Calman-verified for color accuracy with support for 99 percent of the Adobe RGB and P3 color gamuts. I don't have a colorimeter or a reference display for testing, but colors were saturated and seemed similar to those on my MacBook Pro. I did notice a little light bleed at the edges of the display when viewing a dark image in a dark room, but it's not something I noticed in regular use and the display otherwise looked uniform.
One of the main concerns with any kind of color work is the glossiness of the display. This is one of the most reflective displays I've used, and it is problematic when viewing dark content in a room with bright light. If you have lights behind you, they're going to reflect and make it harder to see what you're working on. Acer says it's an anti-glare display, but I disagree.
This is a display with a 60Hz refresh rate, and I do notice the lower refresh rate when scrolling through webpages because I'm used to my Mac's 120Hz option. This isn't a display I'd choose for games because of it, but games do look good thanks to the resolution.
Controls
Acer doesn't have a native macOS app for controlling the display, so there's no way to control brightness from the Mac unless you download third-party display software. I use BetterDisplay, and it works well.
Without third-party display software, you're limited to the brightness controls on the monitor itself. There are five buttons on the bottom right of the display. On-device controls are not as convenient as software-based controls, and it takes too many button presses to adjust brightness. I need to press one button to toggle the brightness setting, then use a different button and press several times to adjust up or down.
The brightness control is right next to the power button, so I've accidentally turned the display off several times. It's hard to imagine a control scheme that would be less ergonomic than the one Acer chose. You can tediously control all of the display settings with the physical buttons, or use third-party software to solve the problem.
Stand
The ProDesigner uses a folding stand made for switching between an upright and a tilted, low-angle orientation, with the latter meant to be used for drawing, sketching, and other tablet-style work. Since the stand is meant to tilt into a tablet position, it doesn't have much height adjustment, with about six inches of range. If you need the display to be taller, you'll need a monitor riser.
It is easy to pull it down into more of a tablet mode, and when it's oriented like that, it's like using a giant iPad or drawing tablet. It can be adjusted to several different angles, and it swivels 360 degrees so you can find the best position for whatever you're doing. The stand mechanism feels well-designed and there's little friction when making changes.
I didn't think attempting to draw or write on a display this size was going to be comfortable, but being able to angle the display helped. I had no issue when using it at my desk, though it does take up a lot of space. This isn't a situation where you can pick up your drawing surface and pop over to the couch to draw. You need the right setup for this display and its large stand.
The stand design makes the most sense if you're often using the display in touch mode, and less sense if you just want a display. It doesn't have the range of height adjustment of a standard desktop display because of the mechanism to shift it into a tablet position.
Ports and Charging
The display connects to a Mac over USB-C and offers 90W passthrough charging. That's not enough power to reach the 140W maximum charging speed of a 16-inch MacBook Pro, but it was enough to keep my Mac topped up over the course of the day, even while gaming.
It has two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, a USB-C port with power delivery, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB-B upstream port, and a 3.5mm jack. There is no Thunderbolt support, so you can't daisy-chain displays.
Touchscreen and Software
macOS doesn't have native touchscreen support, so third-party software is required to make the Acer display's touchscreen function. Acer suggests the UPDD Touch Software driver from Touch-Base, and it allows for 10-finger touch input.
You can use all of the Mac gestures you're familiar with on the ProDesigner, but it's clear this is a display that wasn't built with the Mac in mind. The UPDD software requires per-app customization of touch gestures for some workflows. It's nice that the customization is available, but the software can be confusing. I don't know who is going to want to put in the work to get this running in a way that doesn't involve at least some frustration. In an app like Pixelmator Pro, I'd have to manually tweak the gestures to be able to use it efficiently, and the same goes for most apps. Apps on the Mac just weren't built for touch input.
With the UPDD software, touch input works, and works well. Finger taps are accurate, and Acer has a stylus that goes along with the display (that is a separate purchase). With the stylus, fine-line writing and drawing are supported, and features I'd expect with a stylus, like palm rejection and tilt, are available. Using the stylus is similar to using an iPad with an Apple Pencil that has hover. I can see the mouse cursor when the stylus is close to the screen so I can tell what I'm doing. Using touch or the stylus didn't seem laggy, and writing on the display was responsive.
Touch works on macOS, and I can tap with a finger to launch apps, change settings, adjust windows, and control on-screen elements, but it's not a feature I need or want. It would take me months, if not years, to get as fast with touch gestures as I am with a trackpad, and I'd never be able to replace the keyboard.
The display's touch feature is useful for drawing and sketching, and likely convenient for workflows like video editing, but I'm not sure it has appeal beyond that. There aren't many Mac tasks that are easier to do or more accessible with touch controls. Also, a display this big and this glossy really shows fingerprints.
Webcam and Speakers
There is a built-in 8-megapixel webcam, and it is higher quality than the camera in my MacBook Pro (not hard to achieve). Since I don't do a ton of video calls, it's not a super important feature for me, but someone who is often in video meetings might appreciate it more.
The camera can tilt for adjusting the angle depending on where you're positioned, but it is a wider angle than I'm used to with a webcam and the framing is awkward. When the camera is not in use, there's a physical cover for privacy purposes.
The speakers are fine, but nothing special. I wouldn't use them over standalone speakers or a Mac's speakers. Voice calls and short video content sound fine, but music sounds one-dimensional.
Bottom Line
Acer's ProDesigner PE320QXT wasn't built for the Mac, and it's obvious. It requires a lot of software to work, and it's software that Acer didn't even design. You can use it with the Mac, but the Mac was an afterthought.
The touch hardware works well, and if you want a 31.5-inch drawing surface, this display does that. You can make this work with a favorite creative app, and it's a lot of fun to have such a big digital canvas. There are rumors that Apple is working on a touchscreen OLED MacBook, so macOS could get more touch-friendly in the near future and that might change how useful the display is.
macOS wasn't built to be used with a touchscreen, and I would bet money that no Mac user is going to speed up an established and comfortable Mac workflow with Acer's display.
The only reason to choose this display over another 6K display is the touch feature. If you want a big touch surface, the ProDesigner is a good option and it's priced well for what it is. If you need a Mac display for any other purpose, you're probably better off getting something else.
The $49.99 Rock Paper Pencil is a screen protector and Apple Pencil tip combo that makes writing on your iPad feel like writing on a piece of paper instead of a slippery glass display. It's a more comfortable and natural writing and drawing experience.
A non-adhesive paper-textured screen protector attaches to the iPad's display, with a custom tip added to the Apple Pencil. The paper-like feel of the screen comes from a microscopic texture that adds friction to improve control.
Astropad this week launched the fourth iteration of Rock Paper Pencil, and it now comes with tips that have a different feel. There's a new graphite tip that's meant to feel like writing with a 2B pencil, which Astropad says is ideal for sketching and shading. It even sounds like writing with a pencil on paper when you use it. There's also a ballpoint tip that feels like using with a smooth gel pen. It's ideal for writing and linework. Two of each kind of tip are included in the kit.
When you want to use your iPad for watching videos or playing games, you can take off the screen protector and store it away in a protective sleeve. It attaches to the iPad with Astropad's NanoCling technology, so there's no adhesive to deal with.
For those who dislike the unnatural feel of writing or drawing on a glass surface with a plastic Apple Pencil tip, Rock Paper Pencil is worth checking out.
Rock Paper Pencil is compatible with all of Apple's M2, M3, M4, and M5 iPads, as well as many older iPads.
We have a Rock Paper Pencil kit, an M4 iPad Air, and an Apple Pencil Pro for 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.
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Aqara today introduced five new Matter-enabled smart lights compatible with Apple Home. The lights support Thread and Zigbee as well, and can be paired with Aqara sensors and switches.
The Floor Lamp T1 is a tall, rod-shaped light with a wall-wash effect. It has 18 controllable zones that can be set to different colors, and it supports 2000K to 9000K white light at up to 1,000 lumens.
Aqara's LED Downlight T2 has a thin profile for low ceilings or retrofitting. It supports 16 million colors and 2000K to 9000K white light. The trimmable LED Strip T2 has 108 LEDs per meter and is ideal for use under cabinets and along shelves. Aqara says it delivers even light without visible hotspots. The light strip has 18 controllable zones every three meters for smooth color gradients.
The Outdoor String Lights H1 are weatherproof for use on patios and decks. The lights have individually controllable zones with the same white light range as the other lights, and can adjust based on time of day, environment, and triggers from other smart home devices.
Aqara also announced the Permanent Outdoor Lights H1 that can be used all year. The lights feature independently controlled LEDs and can be extended or cut to fit any roofline.
Aqara is showing off the new lights at IFA. Pricing and launch timing are not yet available.
The event begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, and will be streamed on Apple's website, on YouTube, and through the Apple TV app. It is the first keynote since John Ternus succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive on September 1. Rumors suggest at least six new products will arrive at the event.
The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to add a new chip, improved fitness tracking, better battery life, continuous heart-rate collection, and redesigned Health and Fitness experiences. A ceramic case option may return in white or dark gray, but no major redesign or Touch ID is now expected.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 should receive the same new chip and health upgrades, again without a redesign. Apple may also expand its existing satellite connectivity features on the device with satellite Apple Maps and photo sharing in Messages.
The iPhone 18 Pro should retain the iPhone 17 Pro's design while gaining an A20 Pro chip on TSMC's 2nm process, with RAM integrated on the same wafer. Other expected upgrades include a LTPO+ display, Samsung image sensor, simplified Camera Control without a capacitive layer, a narrower Dynamic Island, 12GB of RAM, 256GB base storage, and 5G satellite internet. It may use Apple's C2 modem outside the U.S., while U.S. models will likely retain Qualcomm hardware for mmWave connectivity.
The foldable iPhone, likely called the "iPhone Ultra," is expected to be the biggest announcement, using a wide passport-style design with 5.5-inch outer and 7.8-inch inner displays, an iPad-like 4:3 aspect ratio, and a nearly invisible screen crease. It may feature a titanium-and-aluminum chassis, liquid-metal hinge, vapor-chamber cooling, A20 Pro chip, dual 5,400mAh to 5,800mAh batteries, Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, rear wide and ultra wide cameras, dual selfie cameras in hole-punch cutouts, and the Camera Control button, with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options. It is also expected to be more repairable than rival foldables.
The MacRumors Show is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also email us at podcast@macrumors.com or head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
As noted by MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci, TestFlight now shows recent betas by default again for all users.
In July, Apple updated TestFlight with a search field for quickly finding apps that you are beta testing, but some users started to see their apps presented in alphabetical order. It is not entirely clear if this was a bug or an intentional change, but many users did not like it, and TestFlight version 4.3.1 reverses course. The update with the fix is available in the App Store now. The search field remains.
It's Labor Day weekend, and we're tracking big discounts across a wide variety of Apple and Apple-related products, including some of the best prices of the year on Studio Displays. You can also still get pre-order discounts on the new Mac minis on Amazon.
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.
Mac Mini Pre-Orders
What's the deal? Take up to $29 off Mac mini pre-orders
Amazon this week introduced the first cash discounts on Apple's brand new Mac mini, with discounts including two of the M6 models as well as the M5 Pro model. All of these deals are pre-order discounts on the 2026 Mac mini, which officially launches on September 22.
Studio Display
What's the deal? Take up to $330 off Apple Studio Displays
Amazon this week introduced major discounts on the Apple Studio Display and Apple Studio Display XDR, providing up to $330 off these monitors. If you're shopping for the Studio Display, be sure to clip the on-page coupon on Amazon to get the final deal price.
Amazon Labor Day Sale
What's the deal? Save on popular accessories at Amazon
There's a big accessory sale happening on Amazon this week, with the year's best prices on Anker chargers, Samsung monitors, Sonos audio products, and much more.
Apple's AirTag 2 is on sale for $79.99 this week on Amazon, down from $99.00. This deal is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's a new record low price for the accessory, beating the previous low by about $9.
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 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Unfortunately, in his report outlining upcoming Apple products today, Gurman said the new full-sized HomePod "doesn't appear to be imminent," so do not expect the speaker to be updated soon. The current HomePod was unveiled in January 2023.
Apple plans to release a special 20th-anniversary iPhone next year with the biggest design changes since the iPhone X, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Unveiled by Steve Jobs in 2007, the iPhone turns 20 next year. To mark the occasion, the report said Apple plans to release a 20th-anniversary iPhone with "curved glass around all corners and edges" and thinner bezels around the screen.
"It will be the biggest overhaul to what is now the iPhone Pro line since the iPhone X," the report said, but no further details were provided.
Released in 2017, the iPhone X was the first iPhone with Face ID. The removal of the Touch ID button allowed for the iPhone X's screen to extend more towards the edges of the device compared to previous models. It seems like the 20th-anniversary iPhone would go a step further than this by truly having the screen wrap around the corners and edges of the device, for a seemingly all-glass appearance.
Rumors about the 20th-anniversary iPhone have gone back and forth, but based on Gurman's latest reporting today, the device seems to be in the works still. However, it remains to be seen if Apple can fully achieve the ambitious design changes that are apparently in development, or if plans for the device will ultimately be scaled back.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reported that Apple plans to release a second-generation MacBook Neo in 2027 with three updates: an A19 Pro chip, 12GB of RAM, and new color options.
Released in March 2026, the current MacBook Neo has an A18 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM, and it is available in Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo. In the U.S., the laptop initially started at $599, but Apple raised the price to $699 in June. Apple continues to offer a $100 discount to college students and educational staff.
Apple will be holding its next event on Wednesday, September 9 to unveil its latest iPhones and Apple Watches, but that is not all, according to a new report.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today shared a long list of products that he expects Apple to unveil between next week and early 2027.
Our list below summarizes Gurman's reporting and mixes in some other rumors.
iPhone 18 Pro Max: The same features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro, but the Pro Max model may be slightly thicker due to a larger battery and a variable aperture camera, which might be exclusive to the Pro Max model this year.
iPhone Ultra: A foldable so-called "iPhone Ultra" with a 7.7-inch inner display and 5.3-inch outer display, two rear 48-megapixel Wide and Ultra Wide cameras, one front camera, a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, an A20 Pro chip, and more. The device's crease is expected to be less noticeable compared to many previous foldables. iOS 27 will have more landscape apps, side-by-side apps, and other multitasking features on the device. Expect to spend $2,000 or more.
Apple Watch Ultra 4: A faster S11 chip or newer, fitness tracking improvements such as the continuous heart-rate sensor, and additional satellite features for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and newer, such as Apple Maps via satellite and the ability to send and receive photos with Messages via satellite.
Apple TV: At least five new features, including an A17 Pro chip or newer, an increased 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence, Siri AI support, an Apple-designed N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, and an updated Siri Remote. The new Apple TV will apparently look similar to the existing model, so do not expect any major design changes.
HomePod mini: Newer chip with Siri AI support, improved sound quality, Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and potentially new color options like red. The new HomePod mini will apparently look similar to the existing model, so do not expect any major design changes.
Home Hub: An all-new smart home hub featuring Siri AI, a 6-inch to 7-inch square display, an A18 chip or newer for Apple Intelligence, FaceTime, and more. A new operating system will feature clock faces, widgets, and more. There will a tabletop version with a speaker base and a wall-mounted version.
Beats 360:New over-ear Beats 360 headphones with an AirPods Max-like design, interchangeable ear cushions and headbands, up to 1.75× more noise cancellation than the Beats Studio Pro, IPX4-rated water resistance, and more.
Consumer technology maker Ugreen has announced HomeAgent, its first smart home platform, combining security camera storage, on-device AI, and Matter-based device control in a single hub.
The hub is capable of processing and storing camera footage, files, and other media with no monthly storage fee. Ugreen says the onboard AI can also identify people, vehicles, pets, and packages in footage, as well as summarize events and search recorded video by keyword.
The hub is then able to create highlight reels from camera footage as well as stored photo libraries, and it can display them on Ugreen's Gallery LCD Smart Frames.
The hub works as a Matter controller and can talk to third-party devices over Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth, NFC, ONVIF/RTSP, and PoE. Ugreen's compatibility list includes devices from Aqara, ThirdReality, SwitchBot, and Eve, with the company promising more third-party support to come, though the initial phase is limited to lights, switches, sensors, and curtains.
All of this can be controlled by talking to the onboard AI assistant Uliya, which can also check live status or event history, and can generate voice notifications for events like packages arriving or the sound of a baby crying.
The hub is available in three configurations, each with increasing levels of AI processing power. The entry-level HA100 comes with storage, camera security, and device control, and responds to voice commands, while the HA100 Pro offers faster network connectivity and more compute for heavier workloads.
Then there's the MasterAgent Ma100, which runs on NVIDIA's Jetson Thor T5000 platform. Ugreen says it runs at up to 2,070 FP4 TFLOPS of local compute and calls it the hub for larger models juggling multiple devices and tasks at once.
Preorders for all hub models are open now on Ugreen's EU and U.S. websites, with a $50 deposit securing 50% off ahead of a Kickstarter campaign that starts on October 27. Early bird pricing for the three models is $899, $2,999, and $9,999, respectively.
Elsewhere, Ugreen has also launched a 25W MagFlow Pro Magnetic Power Bank, featuring a 10,000mAh battery. The company is touting it as the world's first liquid-cooled Qi2 power bank, since it features a micro-pump that circulates coolant behind a transparent window, so you can actually watch it flowing around inside.
The MagFlow Pro costs $149.99 and is available now from Ugreen and Amazon.
The company has also launched a MagFlow Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand 25W, priced at $159.99, also available from Ugreen and Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple last month only managed to produce "a few hundred units a day" of its upcoming foldable iPhone because of the company's extremely high quality control standards, according to Nikkei Asia ($), citing supply chain sources.
From today's report:
"Production is ramping up slowly, with output currently at only a few hundred units a day in late August. That initial volume could be challenging to meet market demand," one supply chain manager with knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia.
Multiple reports have suggested the foldable iPhone's production has faced hurdles because of how difficult the device is to build, with the hinge structure and display durability testing having been the principal bottlenecks. Those issues were thought to have been resolved during trial production at Foxconn, with Apple subsequently raising its order to around 10 million units, up from 7-8 million units for the year, Nikkeipreviously reported.
But the publication's sources now claim that Apple carried out an additional verification process in August for the foldable iPhone to make sure it can be mass-produced according to its specified design. "The surface flatness and the performance of the hinge are among the details where Apple is asking for better production yields," a person with knowledge of the matter told Nikkei.
All of this has apparently "pushed back commercial production for weeks," suggesting Apple could fall short of its production target unless it can ramp up output more quickly. Apple and its suppliers are said to be working "around the clock" to ramp up production and avoid limited stocks at distribution centers.
It sounds like timing couldn't be tighter for Apple's foldable. A previous report even suggested the device could face a staggered market launch, with availability initially limited to the U.S.
However things pan out, Apple is still expected to unveil the foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on Wednesday, September 9 at the company's "Surprise and shine" event. For everything we know about the device, be sure to check out our latest roundup.
Apple appears to be working on some major new HomePod home theater features, including a four-speaker surround sound system and a new "Party Mode," according to code found in audioOS 27 beta 8, and shared on the MacRumors forums by member pdfu.
References in the software for the second-generation HomePod suggest the ability to tune for a setup with front-left, front-right, rear-left, and rear-right HomePods. The four-speaker surround configuration references automatic room calibration, speaker-position mapping, timing adjustments, bass management, EQ, dialogue enhancement, and different processing modes for movies and music.
For stereo content, the code suggests the ability to either spatialize sound across all four speakers or limit traditional stereo playback to the two front speakers.
The files also reference a new tuning system called "Forklift" that combines two second-generation HomePods with two speakers that use an unidentified AID12007 hardware family. We haven't seen this identifier before – it doesn't correspond to any existing HomePod models – suggesting it refers to a future HomePod mini, third-generation HomePod, or some other unreleased audio device.
In addition, Apple appears to be working on a new "Party Mode" feature for stereo-paired HomePods. The feature applies a more diffuse sound field that's designed to spread sound more evenly across the room for a more immersive listening experience, rather than optimizing playback for a single listening position.
The Home app and Apple TV do not currently provide a way to configure four HomePods as a surround system. Indeed, none of these features have been referenced before. All we can say at this point is that they indicate that Apple is testing them, but whether Apple ultimately releases them remains to be seen.
A new HomePod mini, a new Apple TV, and an all-new Apple smart home hub are all coming soon, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, so it's possible that these features could be part of Apple's broader Home refresh. Watch this space.
Apple last week announced two new Mac mini models, one with the all-new M6 chip and one with the M5 Pro chip that debuted in the MacBook Pro earlier this year.
Somewhat like the MacBook Pro last year, Apple has again placed its newest silicon in the entry-level machine and a previous-generation Pro chip in the high-end machine, so the more expensive Mac mini is not simply a faster version of the cheaper one. The M6 model starts at $899 with a 12-core CPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB of storage. The M5 Pro model starts at $1,699 with a 15-core CPU, 24GB of memory, and 512GB of storage, and it can be configured with up to an 18-core CPU and a 20-core GPU.
Both are the highest starting prices Apple has ever set for the Mac mini, which makes the $800 gap between the two models more consequential than in previous generations. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two Mac mini models is best for you.
Both models are available to pre-order now and launch on Tuesday, September 22. The two machines are physically identical and share the majority of their hardware. The shared features include:
The same 5.0 by 5.0 inch aluminum enclosure in silver, unchanged since 2024
Neural Accelerators in every GPU core, a first for the Mac mini
Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 via the N1 chip, another first for the Mac mini
2.5Gb Ethernet as standard, with a 10Gb Ethernet configuration option
Two front USB-C ports and a headphone jack with high-impedance headphone support
An HDMI port and native support for up to three external displays
Genlock over USB-C for synchronizing a display with a camera such as the iPhone 17 Pro
Two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores
Up to six super cores and 12 performance cores
World's fastest single-threaded performance, according to Apple
12-core GPU
16-core or 20-core GPU
Updated shader core architecture, Dynamic Caching, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing, with 50% higher geometry rates
Enhanced shader core with third-generation ray tracing
Dual 16-core Neural Engine, with up to 2x the peak compute of previous generations
16-core Neural Engine
Up to 170GB/s memory bandwidth
307GB/s memory bandwidth
16GB, 24GB, or 32GB of unified memory
24GB, 48GB, or 64GB of unified memory
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage
512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB of storage
Three Thunderbolt 4 ports
Three Thunderbolt 5 ports
Clustering of multiple Mac mini systems over Thunderbolt 5
1.5 pounds (0.67 kg)
1.6 pounds (0.73 kg)
Starts at $899
Starts at $1,699
For the majority of buyers, the M6 model is the right choice, and not only because it is $800 cheaper. It is the newer chip, built on a 2nm process, and Apple says it contains the world's fastest CPU core. It is also the only Mac mini with the Dual 16-core Neural Engine, which Apple says delivers up to twice the peak compute of the single Neural Engine used in the M5 Pro. If your workload is dominated by everyday productivity, web work, photo editing, coding, or light on-device AI, the M6 should feel marginally faster in day-to-day use, especially for single-core tasks, and be more future-proof.
Buying the more expensive machine means accepting older silicon in exchange for a broader performance. What the M5 Pro provides is scale rather than speed per core: up to 18 CPU cores against 12, up to 20 GPU cores against 12, and 307GB/s of memory bandwidth against 170GB/s. Those advantages only really surface in sustained, heavily parallel work such as video rendering, 3D and VFX production, compilation of large codebases, and scientific simulation.
The memory ceiling is the clearest dividing line. The M6 model tops out at 32GB of unified memory, while the M5 Pro reaches 64GB. If you intend to run local large language models, work with complex 3D scenes, or keep sizeable datasets resident in memory, the M6 configuration simply cannot be specified high enough, no matter how much you spend on it. Storage works the same way, with the M6 limited to 2TB and the M5 Pro extending to 8TB.
Thunderbolt is the other hard limit. The M5 Pro model has three Thunderbolt 5 ports, double the bandwidth of the Thunderbolt 4 ports on the M6 model, and Thunderbolt 5 is what allows several Mac mini systems to be clustered together to run large AI models entirely on device. This is significant for users building a small local compute setup, or attaching high-speed external storage arrays for video work.
A note of caution applies to configuring the cheaper machine upward. Adding 32GB of memory and 2TB of storage to the M6 model pushes it well past its $899 starting price and narrows the gap to the M5 Pro considerably. At that point, the M5 Pro entry configuration becomes a more sensible purchase for anyone doing professional work, since the extra outlay buys substantially more CPU and GPU capacity, faster memory, and Thunderbolt 5 rather than just more of the same.
One final consideration is longevity. Apple reportedly has no plans for an M6 Pro chip, so the M5 Pro will remain the highest-end Mac mini option until the M7 family arrives in 2027. Buyers who want the newest Apple silicon in the smallest desktop Apple sells can only get it by choosing the $899 machine.
We're less than a week away from the debut of Apple's first foldable iPhone, and rumors have been picking up as the event date approaches. Here's the latest.
Crease - Some of the early language about the foldable iPhone's crease suggested Apple might have found a way to make it invisible, but later rumors are more realistic. The crease is minimal, but Apple hasn't found a magic way to get rid of it.
Touch ID - Touch ID is still expected for the foldable iPhone. Apple didn't have room for the Face ID hardware because the device is rumored to be just 4.5mm thick. There will be volume buttons at the top of the iPhone Ultra, with a Touch ID side button for unlocking.
Software - iOS 27makes it clear Apple is making sure apps will work with the foldable iPhone. There's a big push for app resizability and layout flexibility. The iPhone is expected to support multitasking, sidebars, and side-by-side app usage.
Cameras - Camera rumors haven't changed. We're expecting a two-lens camera setup with Wide and Ultra Wide lenses.
Chips - Early rumors said Apple would transition to the C2 and move away from Qualcomm, but it looks like Apple might still use Qualcomm modems in the United States. It hinges on whether the C2 supports mmWave 5G. The iPhone Ultra will also adopt Apple's A20 Pro chip, the same as the iPhone 18 Pro models.
Colors - The foldable iPhone is expected in white/silver and dark blue.
Apple Pencil - Apple tested an Apple Pencil with the foldable iPhone, but it's probably not going to launch.
Launch Timing - Rumors on iPhone Ultra launch timing and production have been mixed, with some sources reporting delays. Gurman says he will be "very surprised" if the device doesn't launch at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro models or "very close to it." It's still possible supplies could be constrained, leading to long waits for those who don't pre-order early.
Price - The iPhone Ultra is expected to cost over $2,000, possibly up to $2,500 depending on storage capacity.
Apple will introduce the iPhone Ultra and the iPhone 18 Pro models at its "Surprise and Shine" event that will be held on Wednesday, September 9.
Apple is facing a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) lawsuit in London accusing it of imposing stricter App Tracking Transparency rules on third party developers than on its own advertising services (via Reuters).
The case, filed at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal, follows a similar suit in which the tribunal ordered Apple to pay around £1.5 billion over App Store commissions last October, a ruling Apple is appealing. The new claim still needs to be certified before it can proceed.
Amazon today has introduced a big discount on the Apple Studio Display with Nano-Texture Glass and Tilt-Adjustable Stand, available for $1,684.88 with an on-page coupon, down from $1,899.00. This is the first time in nearly three months we've seen any notable discounts on the 2026 Studio Display lineup.
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Amazon's discount today beats the previous all-time low price by over $100. There are a few other Studio Displays with markdowns on Amazon for Labor Day, but none reach the steep discount of this model. Remember that you will need to clip the on-page coupon in order to see the final sale price.
Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.
Apple refreshed the Studio Display lineup back in March, featuring two Thunderbolt 5 ports, built-in 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with Desk View, a six-speaker sound system, and more.
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.
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Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.
Aspekt displays
Clarity 6K display
Vision displays
FlashDock 5
Crux mouse
As 
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Apple has been testing a new full-sized HomePod with Siri AI support, 
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today 
Apple is facing a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) lawsuit in London accusing it of imposing stricter App Tracking Transparency rules on third party developers than on its own advertising services (via 
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.
