MacRumors

Apple now offers some older Apple TV+ original films for digital purchase and rental in the ‌Apple TV‌ app's store section.

Older ‌Apple TV‌+ titles including Sofia Coppola's 2020 movie "On the Rocks," Sian Heder's Academy Award-winning 2021 film "CODA," and Aaron Schneider's 2020 World War II drama "Greyhound" are now available to buy or rent in 4K HDR options within the store section of the ‌Apple TV‌ app. This differs from Apple's usual distribution model for ‌Apple TV‌+ originals, which generally limits availability to active subscribers and excludes purchase or rental through the ‌Apple TV‌ Store.

Users in online forums have recently reported seeing the purchase options directly within the ‌Apple TV‌ app on Apple devices. CheapCharts, which tracks iTunes Store pricing and availability, lists the films under their respective iTunes IDs — 1805979868 for On the Rocks, 1806204768 for CODA, and 1805971117 for Greyhound.

The updated listings in the TV app suggest the company is testing or rolling out a new hybrid distribution model for its in-house productions. This could allow non-subscribers to access specific older titles without committing to the $9.99 per month ‌Apple TV‌+ subscription.

United Airlines today announced that select Apple TV+ shows are now available to watch for free through its in-flight entertainment system.

The shows are available to watch on United's more than 130,000 seatback screens, and in the United app. At launch, the airline is offering the first seasons of Severance, Shrinking, Ted Lasso, Slow Horses, and Silo, with The Morning Show and Bad Sisters to be added this September. Additional content will be added each month.

United eventually plans to have 300,000 seatback screens across its fleet, as it takes delivery of hundreds of new airplanes and retrofits existing aircraft.

This latest partnership between United and Apple provides the airline's passengers with an additional entertainment perk, while giving hit Apple TV+ shows more exposure. With only the first seasons of hit shows currently available, the passengers may be inclined to subscribe to Apple TV+ to keep watching the shows.

United also supports Apple's Live Activities and Share Item Location features.

In the U.S., Apple's streaming service is priced at $9.99 per month, or $99 per year. It is also bundled in all Apple One plans.

Epic Games has announced that Fortnite will return to iOS in Australia after Apple and Google were found to have broken competition law by banning ‌Epic Games‌ from their app stores.

Federal judge Jonathan Beach found that both companies had broken the law by misusing their market power in the way they run their app stores. Apple was ruled to have engaged in conduct that prevents direct downloading or sideloading of apps and blocks developers from using alternative payment methods. Google was also found to have breached the law for the similar Google Play billing system.

The victory is another win for Epic in its global legal campaign against Apple's App Store policies. Epic began legal proceedings against Apple in Australia in 2020 after it blocked Fortnite updates when Epic attempted to let players make in-app purchases via its own third-party payment service, bypassing Apple's 30% commission. Fortnite is still available in Australia on Android, but only through sideloading via the ‌Epic Games‌ Store.

"This is a win for developers and consumers in Australia," Epic said in a post on X (Twitter), though the company conceded that there were 2,000+ pages of findings that it would "need to dig into to fully understand the details."

Apple said it "strongly disagreed" with the ruling while welcoming the Australian court's rejection of some of Epic's other claims.

The ruling follows similar victories for Epic in the United States, where Fortnite returned to the ‌App Store‌ in May, and the European Union, where the game is available through the ‌Epic Games‌‌ Store alternative app marketplace. The U.S. version of Fortnite includes an option for players to purchase in-app currency using the ‌‌Epic Games‌‌ website as an alternative to in-app purchase. It is not available on the ‌‌App Store‌‌ in other countries.

Apple is currently appealing the U.S. court ruling that forced it to change its ‌domestic ‌App Store‌‌ rules to allow developers to link customers to purchase options available outside of the ‌‌App Store‌‌.

Elon Musk has threatened legal action against Apple, claiming that the company is violating antitrust rules by favoring OpenAI's ChatGPT in App Store rankings over his Grok AI assistant.

"Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation. xAI will take immediate legal action," Musk said in a post on X (Twitter), which he also owns.

Musk failed to provide evidence to support his claim. Meanwhile, fellow X users noted that DeepSeek reached #1 overall on the App Store in January, long after Apple's partnership with OpenAI was announced that allows Siri to offload complex queries to ChatGPT.

The tech billionaire also criticized Apple for not featuring X or Grok in the App Store's "Must Have" section. ChatGPT currently holds the top spot for free apps, while Grok ranks sixth. Google's Gemini chatbot sits at 57th.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hit back with his own post on X, calling Musk's claims "remarkable" given allegations about Musk manipulating his own social media platform to benefit his companies.

Musk's remarks come amid growing pressure on Apple from regulators and competitors over its App Store practices. In April, a U.S. judge ruled that Apple violated a court order to open the App Store to more competition and referred the company for a criminal contempt probe, following a case brought by Fortnite maker Epic Games.

The same month, the EU fined Apple €500 million ($587 million) for violating the Digital Markets Act, citing restrictions that blocked developers from directing users to cheaper offers outside the App Store. Apple is currently appealing the fine.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Air will include an A19 Pro chip with a 5-core GPU, according to Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital. The Chinese account, which has over two million followers, claims that only the iPhone 17 Pro models will have the full 6-core GPU A19 Pro configuration.

It's the second time in as many months that Fixed Focus Digital has claimed to reveal accurate details about the ultra-thin device's chip specifications. The reduced GPU core count suggests Apple is using binned chips based on yields, or may be managing thermal constraints in the slimmer form factor, but most users are unlikely to notice the performance difference during typical usage.

The claim contradicts earlier reporting from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who over a year ago predicted the iPhone 17 Air would use a standard A19 chip, rather than the Pro variant.

The Weibo leaker also claims that the base iPhone 17 model will use an A19 chip. A few months ago, supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the device would have an A18 chip, but he has since rescinded the claim – he now also expects the regular iPhone 17 model to be equipped with the A19.

Fixed Focus Digital previously broke the news ahead of launch about the iPhone 16e name for Apple's upcoming iPhone SE successor.

Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 17 lineup next month, with an announcement rumored to be happening on Tuesday, September 9, so we don't have long to wait to find out all the specifics.

Apple Cinemas, the company that is being sued for alleged trademark infringement by Apple, today said that it is committed to defending its brand.

We are committed to defending our brand, our history, and our continued right to operate as Apple Cinemas--an identity that is and has always been clearly distinct and fully compliant with all applicable trademark laws.

Apple Cinemas is a long-established independent theater chain with no connection to Apple Inc. Our name reflects our geographic roots and has never been intended to suggest, or used to imply, any affiliation with their brand. Furthermore, claims of consumer confusion are unfounded. Apple Cinema's branding is clearly differentiated.

We have responded reasonably and transparently to all legal communications regarding this matter and remain focused on growing our business and brand in good faith, as we have for over a decade.

Apple filed a lawsuit against Apple Cinemas last Friday. Apple's attorneys accused Apple Cinemas of "knowingly and intentionally using the name Apple to sow confusion for its own benefit."

Apple Cinemas has operated since 2013, and the company claims that its name came from its first planned location at Apple Valley Mall in Rhode Island, but a movie theater never opened at that mall. Apple Cinemas operates 14 total locations, according to its website. One of those is in San Francisco, California, while the others are in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and New York.

Apple believes that Apple Cinemas is pursuing a nationwide expansion in the United States, including close to Apple's headquarters and retail stores.

In the lawsuit, Apple said that its "repeated efforts to resolve the matter amicably" were unsuccessful. Apple also cited comments from people who were under the impression that Apple Cinemas is owned by Apple. Apple has produced movies and TV shows distributed through its Apple TV+ service since 2019.

Apple Cinemas tried and failed to trademark both the Apple Cinemas name and the "Apple Cinemas Experience," with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denying the marks in 2024 because of potential confusion with Apple's prior trademark rights.

Apple is seeking monetary damages and an injunction to stop Apple Cinemas from using the name.

An in-person Live Translation feature could soon be available on the AirPods, according to imagery found in iOS 26 beta 6.

There's a picture of the AirPods with Hello in several different languages, along with a suggestion that the feature will be activated with a double press. The file itself is named "Translate," which certainly seems to imply that there will be a gesture to activate a Live Translation option.

9to5Mac reported on the image first, but we can confirm that it is tucked away in the files for the Translate app in the latest beta.

Prior to the launch of ‌iOS 26‌, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the AirPods would get a translate feature for translating in-person conversations, and it looks like Apple is working on introducing it soon. Live Translation for AirPods could come either in the launch version of ‌iOS 26‌, or in an update to ‌iOS 26‌.

‌iOS 26‌ already offers Live Translation for the Phone app, Messages app, and FaceTime, so an in-person option through the AirPods makes sense.

Based on the images, the feature will work on the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4. Existing Live Translation features are linked to Apple Intelligence, which means the AirPods feature could also require an iPhone that supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

There's just about a month to go until Apple unveils new iPhones at its September event, and that means time is running out for Apple to perfect iOS 26. We've reached a weekly beta update cadence, and Apple seeded ‌iOS 26‌ beta 6 to developers today.

There are changes to Liquid Glass, tweaks to navigation, new ringtones, and more.

Ringtones

There are now several variants of the Reflection ringtone, including Buoyant, Dreamer, Tech, Pop, Reflected, and Surge. Reflected is the "Alt 1" Reflection ringtone that was added in the second beta of ‌iOS 26‌.

There's also a new Little Bird ringtone.

Toggles

Toggles now have a Liquid Glass effect when tapped.

Lock Screen

The Liquid Glass effect on the Lock Screen has been updated. The clock is more transparent than it was before, though it still has a frosted glass look.

When entering a passcode, the passcode buttons are now more translucent than before.

Navigation Bars

Navigation bars in apps have been slightly updated to enhance translucency without impacting readability.

In some places, there's more translucency, but in others, the background is more opaque so that text can still be read even if the background is busy.

App Animations

Apple changed the animation for opening and closing apps, and it's much faster than before so apps open more quickly. The animation has a very slight bounce to it, matching the bounce that's been added to the Lock Screen and Control Center.

Camera

Apple removed the toggle in the Camera app that allowed users to activate Classic Mode. Classic Mode reversed the scroll direction when switching from mode to mode in the app.

Now Classic Mode is the default, and there's no option to return to the animation from earlier betas.

The toggle was initially added in beta 5.

Introductory Video

When you update to ‌iOS 26‌, there's now an introductory video that walks you through the Liquid Glass design changes.

Preview App

Apple changed the design of the Preview app, adding larger buttons for creating a new document and scanning a document. When scanning a document, the location of the buttons has also changed, and they're at the bottom of the interface rather than the top.

Read More

We have additional info on all of the new features in ‌iOS 26‌ in our dedicated iOS 26 roundup.

It has been more than three years since Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac, as part of its move away from Intel processors. Since then, the 24-inch iMac has been Apple's only all-in-one desktop computer, with no larger model available.

Will a larger iMac ever make a comeback? Below, we recap the latest rumors.

In November 2023, Apple announced that it had no plans to release a new version of the 27-inch iMac with an Apple silicon chip at that time. Instead, Apple recommended pairing its standalone Studio Display with a Mac Studio or Mac mini. But an even larger iMac could materialize one day, if rumors from the past are still accurate.

In late 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo both said Apple was developing a 32-inch iMac, which Kuo said would launch in 2025. Kuo said the larger iMac's screen would feature mini-LED backlighting, allowing for increased brightness and a higher contrast ratio compared to the current LCD model.

Unfortunately, it has been many months since we received any sort of update about Apple potentially releasing another larger iMac. In February, Gurman briefly mentioned that "Apple also will probably eventually get around to offering a larger-screen iMac," but he has not commented on the topic since as far as we have seen.

All in all, the latest update on a larger iMac is essentially that there is no update, unfortunately. Apple is expected to update the 24-inch iMac with an M5 chip by early next year, though, and that would be the next timely opportunity for the company to release the rumored 32-inch iMac, if such a computer is ever coming.

In the meantime, Apple continues to sell two standalone monitors, including the 27-inch Studio Display from 2022 and the 32-inch Pro Display XDR from 2019.

Apple is continuing to tweak the way that the Liquid Glass design looks ahead of the iOS 26 launch, and the latest beta makes a change to the Lock Screen.

The Lock Screen clock has been updated with additional transparency, allowing more of the background to peek through.

The clock also has more of a 3D, floating look, which is in line with the rest of the Liquid Glass design. Apple didn't change the Liquid Glass look of the control buttons, but the icons are larger. Lock Screen widgets haven't changed.

With the updated floating design and added translucency, the clock can be somewhat harder to see on certain darker backgrounds, but it is definitely more of a Liquid Glass aesthetic.

Apple has been tweaking different ‌iOS 26‌ design elements throughout the beta testing process as it aims to perfect Liquid Glass before the ‌iOS 26‌ debut in September.

With the sixth beta of iOS 26, Apple has added several new ringtones that are alternatives to the classic "Reflection" ringtone. Reflection is the ringtone that Apple has long used as the default on the iPhone.

In addition to the standard Reflection ringtone, there are now six variants: Buoyant, Dreamer, Tech, Pop, Reflected, and Surge.

Reflected is identical to the "Alt 1" ringtone option that was added back in the second beta of ‌iOS 26‌.

The classic Reflection ringtone is still the default, so if you prefer one of the new sounds, you'll need to set it manually. Apple also added a new ringtone called Little Bird, which is distinct from the new Reflection options. You can listen to all the new ringtones below.

You can get to the new ringtones in ‌iOS 26‌ by opening up Sounds and Haptics in the Settings app, tapping on Ringtone, tapping on Reflection, and then selecting one of the alternates.

OWC is still hosting its annual Back To School sale this week, offering big discounts on a variety of USB-C docks, memory cards, external drives and enclosures, and Mac accessories. All of the discounts have been applied automatically, so you won't need any special coupon codes.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with OWC. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

OWC has added a few new items to the event, including big discounts on its 1M2 Enclosure, available for $95.99, down from $119.99, which beats last year's Black Friday price on the accessory. You'll also find a few bundled options that come with OWC's 1TB-8TB drives.

This sale also includes $130 off the popular 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock for Mac, available for $149.99, which remains the steepest discount we've seen in months on the accessory. If you purchase a qualifying new or used Mac at the same time as this dock, you can get an additional $20 off the accessory at checkout.

Docks and Hubs

• OWC USB-C Travel Dock - $34.99, down from $49.99
• Thunderbolt Mini Dock - $89.99, down from $129.99
• Thunderbolt Hub - $109.99, down from $129.99
• 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock - $149.99, down from $279.99
• Thunderbolt Go Dock - $199.99, down from $349.99

Memory Cards

• 480GB OWC Atlas Pro - $169.99, down from $199.99
• 960GB OWC Atlas Pro - $299.99, down from $399.99

External Drives and Enclosures

• 1TB 1M2 SSD - $199.99, down from $249.99
• 2TB 1M2 SSD - $299.99, down from $399.99
• 2TB Envoy Pro FX SSD - $299.99, down from $379.99
• 4TB 1M2 SSD - $449.99, down from $629.99
• 4TB Envoy Pro FX - $459.99, down from $649.99
• 8TB 1M2 SSD - $949.99, down from $1,399.99

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 today provided developers with the sixth beta of macOS Tahoe 26 for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after the fifth beta.

Registered developers can download the new beta software through the System Settings app.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ features Apple's Liquid Glass redesign, which extends across all of the new updates this year. Apple also brought the Phone and Journal apps to the Mac for the first time, and introduced a new cross-platform Games app.

With the update, Apple overhauled how Spotlight works, enabling new functionality that allows it to be used to complete all kinds of actions like sending emails without having to open up an app. There are also changes to a number of apps, including Messages, Safari, and Notes.

All of the new features that are included in ‌macOS Tahoe‌ are outlined in our dedicated roundup.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ is set to launch this fall.

Apple today provided developers with the sixth betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 for testing purposes, with the updates coming a week after Apple seeded the fifth betas.

Registered developers can download the new beta software using the Software Update section of the Settings app.

‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ feature Apple's new Liquid Glass design aesthetic, with a focus on translucency and glass-like interface elements. The design extends to the Lock Screen, Home Screen, and Control Center, along with menus and buttons in apps.

Apple's software includes features for apps like Messages, Phone, Shortcuts, and Apple Music, along with new Apple Intelligence features, a revamp for CarPlay, and more. In ‌iPadOS 26‌, there's a whole new multitasking system that supports multiple app windows for a more Mac-like experience.

For more on the features in ‌iOS 26‌, we have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup and a separate iPadOS 26 roundup. New features have been found in each of the betas, and you can get a recap here: beta 2, for beta 3, beta 4, and beta 5.

Apple today seeded a second release candidate version of macOS Sequoia 15.7, one week after seeding the first release candidate. If no further bugs are found, macOS Sequoia 15.7 could be released to the public soon.

Developers can opt-in to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app.

According to Apple's release notes, the update includes security fixes.

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

Given the rapid escalation to release candidate status, macOS Sequoia 15.7 likely addresses a critical security bug.

Apple today provided developers with the sixth betas of watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 for testing purposes, with the betas coming one week after the fifth betas were released.

The software updates can be downloaded through the Settings app on each device. A developer account is required.

‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26 adopt new Liquid Glass design changes inspired by visionOS, much like iOS 26 and macOS 26. watchOS has a new AI-powered Workout Buddy for motivation and the Smart Stack incorporates more personal context for better suggestions. There's also a new Notes app and support for Live Translation.

tvOS 26 supports karaoke using an iPhone as a microphone, improvements for using AirPlay speakers with a TV, new Aerial screen savers, and support for quicker logins to apps at setup thanks to Apple Account syncing.

visionOS 26 adds support for spatial widgets that can be placed anywhere in the space around you, along with refinements to make personas more lifelike and support for shared spatial experiences between two Vision Pro users.

The visionOS 26 beta is limited to developers, but developers and public beta testers can download ‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26. The updates will launch this fall.

Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a redesigned antenna system that wraps around the large rear camera bump on the devices, according to the latest rumor from a hit-or-miss leaker known as Majin Bu.

The leaker shared a render of the alleged new design in a post on X today, and they provided additional details in a corresponding blog post.

The plastic antenna lines on iPhones allow wireless radio signals to pass through the otherwise metal frame on the devices. With an antenna line wrapping around the rear camera bump, the iPhone 17 Pro models could have improved 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity compared to previous models, given that this antenna line would be longer and would not be covered by your hands when you are holding the device.

iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to use Qualcomm modems for cellular connectivity, before iPhone 18 Pro models reportedly switch to Apple's C2 modem. In addition, the iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to feature an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip.

The redesigned antenna system will result in fewer antenna lines on the iPhone 17 Pro frame, according to Majin Bu. One of the renders shared by the leaker shows that the device apparently lacks antenna lines on the top and bottom edges.

Majin Bu has a decidedly mixed track record as it relates to Apple rumors, with some of his leaks proving to be true, but others turning out to be complete misses. He was most recently accurate about iPadOS 26 adding a Mac-like menu bar to iPads.

Another leaker has cast doubt on this particular rumor, so keep your expectations in check. Fortunately, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series in a little less than a month from now, so official details are just around the corner.

Amazon is still hosting massive discounts across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, with sales that beat Prime Day prices by about $50. In total, you'll find $200 off every M4 MacBook Air notebook right now on Amazon, with both 13-inch and 15-inch models on sale.

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.

Starting with the 13-inch models, Amazon has $200 off all three configurations of this notebook. Prices start at $799.00 for the 256GB model, then raise to $999.00 for the 16GB/512GB model and $1,199.00 for the 24GB/512GB model. Every deal represents an all-time low price on the M4 MacBook Air.

Moving to the larger display models, Amazon has both 512GB versions of the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week, as well as the 256GB model. The 16GB/512GB model is available for $1,199.00 and the 24GB/512GB model is on sale for $1,399.00. Across the board, these are all record low prices on the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air.

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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