MacRumors

With iOS 26, Apple is bringing several new features to the AirPods, making them more useful than before. The added functionality will be available this fall when Apple releases ‌iOS 26‌ and updated AirPods firmware, but you can test everything new right now.

Camera Remote

The AirPods can be used as a camera remote for the Camera app or third-party iOS camera apps. You'll need to enable the feature if you want to use it, and you can do so by connecting your AirPods to your iPhone, opening up the AirPods section in the Settings app, and then choosing the Camera Remote option.

Once the feature is turned on, using it is as simple as popping in your AirPods, opening the camera app, and then pressing and holding on the AirPods stem to take a photo or start a video recording.

When you're finished, a second press and hold gesture will stop the recording. If you have an Apple Watch, you can already control your ‌iPhone‌ remotely from your wrist, but the AirPods have the potential to be even quicker since it's a one-press physical gesture rather than a series of steps that include opening an Apple Watch app.

Studio-Quality Recording

The AirPods 4 and the AirPods Pro 2 now offer recording studio-quality audio for interviews, podcasts, songs, videos, and more. Apple says that the feature can be used to record high-quality vocals while on the go, with background sounds filtered out thanks to Voice Isolation.

You can record higher-quality audio when making videos or using your devices to do things like record a podcast.

Improved Call Quality

The H2 chip in the ‌AirPods 4‌ and AirPods Pro 2 brings more natural vocal texture and clarity to ‌iPhone‌ calls, FaceTime calls, and all CallKit-enabled apps like Zoom.

Studio-quality audio recording and improved call quality are available across ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac, and support the Camera app, Voice Memos, Messages dictation, third-party camera apps, and video conferencing apps.

Pause Audio for Sleep

If you're listening to music, a podcast, or a book while you're in bed and you're wearing AirPods, the AirPods will pause your audio when you fall asleep if you toggle on the new "Pause Media When Falling Asleep" option.

You'll find it in the AirPods settings after connecting your AirPods to your ‌iPhone‌, but you'll need the new AirPods firmware and ‌iOS 26‌. In addition to saving your spot in an audiobook or podcast, it will also preserve battery by turning your AirPods off so they're not running all night.

This feature also works with Beats earbuds.

Keep Audio in Headphones

‌iOS 26‌ addresses an irritating issue that happens with CarPlay and AirPods. There's a "Keep Audio in Headphones" option that prevents audio from switching to car speakers or Bluetooth speakers when you're listening to music through the AirPods.

With the option on, your music will continue playing in your AirPods when you get in the car. You can turn it on in ‌iOS 26‌ by going to Settings > General > AirPlay and Continuity.

Charging Reminders

Apple improved AirPods charging in ‌iOS 26‌, and the AirPods Charging case will now more clearly indicate charging status. You'll also see reminders when it's time to charge your AirPods so you're less likely to run out of battery.

There's a green light when the AirPods are fully charged, a pulsing amber light when they're charging, and a darker amber light that lets you know that it's time for a charge because the battery is getting low.

Beta Updates

With ‌iOS 26‌, Apple is adding an option to more easily install beta updates on AirPods. There's a new update interface when you connect your AirPods to your ‌iPhone‌ and tap into them in the Settings app.

How to Get the New AirPods Features Now

To try out the new ‌iOS 26‌ AirPods features, you'll need to install the ‌iOS 26‌ public beta or the ‌iOS 26‌ developer beta. The developer beta requires a free developer account, but anyone can sign up for the ‌iOS 26‌ public beta.

Just go to Apple's beta website and follow the steps.

Once you have ‌iOS 26‌ installed, you can connect your AirPods and then open up the AirPods section of the Settings app. From there, scroll down to AirPods Beta Updates and toggle on beta firmware.

Put the AirPods in the charging case and put them near your ‌iPhone‌ to trigger the beta firmware to be downloaded on the AirPods. Once your AirPods are running the beta firmware, you'll see settings for the new options in the AirPods section of the Settings app.

Read More

We have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup that goes into detail on all of the new features that are available in the update.

While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already several early rumors about the devices.

Below, we recap some key iPhone 18 Pro rumors.

Under-Screen Face ID

In April 2023, display industry analyst Ross Young shared a roadmap showing that iPhone 17 Pro models would feature under-display Face ID. In May 2024, however, Young said he heard this change had been delayed until 2026. If so, that means that under-screen Face ID could debut on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max next year.

As a result of the under-screen Face ID, Young believes that the iPhone 18 Pro models will have a smaller Dynamic Island.

In May, The Information also reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would likely be equipped with under-screen Face ID.

Variable Aperture

The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

With variable aperture, users would be able to control the amount of light that passes through the camera's lens and reaches the sensor. The main cameras on iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro models have a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78, and the lens is always fully open and shooting with this widest aperture. With the iPhone 18 Pro models, users would be able to manually change the aperture, according to this rumor.

A variable aperture on iPhone 18 Pro models should provide users with greater control over depth of field, which refers to how sharp a subject appears in the foreground compared to the background. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to size constraints, it is unclear exactly how meaningful this improvement would be.

Samsung Image Sensor

Samsung is developing a new three-layer stacked image sensor that Apple is expected to use for at least one camera on the iPhone 18 Pro models, according to DigiTimes. This advanced image sensor would make the camera more responsive, and offer other benefits like reduced noise in photos, increased dynamic range, and more.

In July 2024, Kuo said he expected Samsung to begin shipping 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera sensors to Apple for iPhones as early as 2026, which is when the iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to be released.

Just this week, the Financial Times said Samsung will manufacture the image sensors in Texas.

Currently, all iPhone image sensors are supplied by Sony.

Other Rumors

iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to have an A20 Pro chip (2nm) and Apple's custom C2 modem.

In iOS 26, Apple Music introduces playlist folders, bringing the same organizational power that's long been available for photos and notes to your music collection. Whether you're juggling workout mixes, seasonal soundtracks, or genre-specific selections, folders should be a welcome management tool for your most favored collections.

The feature works exactly as you'd expect – simply create the folder, rename it to suit the intended content, and you'll be navigating your music library with newfound efficiency in no time. You can even nest playlist folders by mood, activity, artist, or whatever system that makes sense for how you actually listen to music.

How to Create a New Folder

Here's how to create a playlist folder in the Music app:

1. In the Playlist section, tap the + icon at the top.
2. Choose New Folder... from the popup menu.
3. Give your new folder a name, then tap Create.

Move Playlists into a Folder

With your folder created, move in some playlists like so:

1. Long press on a playlist.
2. Choose Move to... from the popup menu.
3. Select the folder from All Playlists.
4. Tap the red Move button.

That's all there is to it. Finally, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 bring a little more feature parity with the Music app on Mac.

Don't forget, iOS 26 also introduces Music pins, allowing you to pin your most frequently accessed songs, playlists, albums, and artists directly to the top of your Library tab. iOS 26 is currently in beta, with a general release expected in September.

Earlier this week, a leaker known as Majin Bu revealed that you might be able to attach a lanyard to Apple's official iPhone 17 cases.

It turns out that Majin Bu was not the only source to make such a claim this week, as another leaker known as DuanRui also shared a CAD of an alleged iPhone 17 Pro case with two spots to attach a lanyard, in the bottom corners.

DuanRui's post was spotted by 9to5Mac's Zac Hall.

There is precedent for such a thing, as AirPods Pro 2 charging cases have a cutout for attaching a lanyard. Apple does not offer its own AirPods Pro 2 lanyard, but it has offered various third-party options through its online store.

The same would likely apply for iPhone 17 lanyards: third-party and sold separately.

In addition, the fifth-generation iPod touch had a built-in mechanism for attaching a lanyard too, without even needing a case.

"DuanRui" often relays content that originates on Chinese social media platform Weibo. As always, this is just a rumor, with nothing confirmed yet.

As the iPhone 17 lineup's announcement draws closer, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we discuss some of the most important latest rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The iPhone 17 Pro is expected to introduce a significant redesign. The device will move from a titanium frame to an aluminum unibody. As part of this new design, the rear camera array will be made out of aluminum and span the entire width of the back, with the flash and the LiDAR scanner moving to the right side.

To enable wireless charging, there will be a glass cutout in the aluminum chassis below the large camera bump. The Apple logo will move down to be centered to this glass segment, which will lead to some MagSafe accessories such as clear cases being redesigned so that the logo can still be seen.

A new cover glass with improved scratch resistance and a better anti-reflective coating are also expected. The new Pro models are rumored to come in black, white, gray, dark blue, and orange finishes. There are also sketchy reports of an iridescent-style "Liquid Glass" colorway.

The device is almost certain to be powered by the A19 Pro chip with 12GB of memory – a 50% increase. Thermal enhancements are also expected, along with battery life improvements. All four iPhone 17 models that are coming in 2025 will likely have Apple's first custom-designed Wi-Fi chip with Wi-Fi 7 support.

Major improvements are anticipated for the rear camera system, with the telephoto making the jump to 48-megapixels to match the main and ultra-wide cameras. It could also have an 8x optical zoom instead of the current 5x. There are also reports of an all-new "pro" camera app and even an additional camera control.

The iPhone 17 lineup is now rumored to be announced on Tuesday, September 9. The series of devices could see a $50 price hike, but a base storage bump from 128GB to 256GB is possible for the iPhone 17 Pro. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

You can also listen to The MacRumors Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about rumors for the standard iPhone 17 and the new ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air."

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

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As previously announced, this Saturday will be the final day of business for Apple Bristol in Bristol, England and Apple Parkland in Dalian, China.

Both of the stores will be permanently closing tomorrow, for landlord-related reasons. Apple Bristol is closing due to the landlord's redevelopment plans at the Cabot Circus Shopping Centre, and the adjacent Bristol Shopping Quarter, while Apple Parkland is closing because the mall faced financial struggles and lost many major retailers.

Apple Bristol and Apple Parkland will both open at 10 a.m. local time tomorrow. In Bristol, the doors will close for good at 5 p.m. local time, while customers in Dalian will have until 8 p.m. local time to visit one final time.

While it is a shame that Apple is leaving central Bristol, customers with a means of transportation can still visit Apple Cribbs Causeway on the outskirts of the city. Likewise, Apple will continue to operate its Olympia 66 store in Dalian.

In addition, Apple will be temporarily closing its store at The Forum Shops in Caesars Palace following business hours this Saturday, for behind-the-scenes renovations. Apple says the store will re-open on August 31. During the closure, customers can visit Apple's nearby Fashion Show store, which is also on the Las Vegas Strip.

On the bright side, customers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are getting an all-new Apple Shadyside on Walnut Street tomorrow, with the new location set to hold its grand opening at 10 a.m. local time. The new store is located at 5436 Walnut Street, just west of Bellefonte Street, in a two-floor unit that was previously occupied by clothing brand Gap. The new store is much larger than the original, and it has a modern design.

Apple Intelligence will integrate OpenAI's newly launched ChatGPT-5 model when iOS 26 arrives next month, Apple has confirmed (via 9to5Mac).

The integration means Siri will tap into the latest AI model when Apple's own systems can't handle specific requests. ChatGPT-5, which OpenAI announced Thursday, offers enhanced reasoning capabilities and coding tools, and better voice interaction and video perception, compared to the current GPT-4o model powering Apple Intelligence.

Currently, ChatGPT can be invoked selectively within Apple Intelligence for tasks like web searches, document queries, and Visual Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro and later models. Users can access these features without an OpenAI account, although linking one enables subscription benefits.

Apple Intelligence will also gain new capabilities in iOS 26, including Live Translation for real-time conversation interpretation in FaceTime and Messages, plus Visual Intelligence upgrades for systemwide content searching.

• Everything Your iPhone Can Do With ChatGPT

When iOS 18 communicates ChatGPT, Apple obscures IP addresses and prevents OpenAI from storing user requests, and the same technique will be used in iOS 26 to maintain privacy. The software update will arrive alongside the expected iPhone 17 launch next month.

HBO Max is planning to crack down more aggressively on password sharing, according to Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming CEO JB Perette (via The Verge). Perette shared the info during an earnings call, where he said HBO Max users will be encouraged to pay a $7.99 per month fee to add viewers that are outside of their household.

"In September, you'll actually start to see the messaging -- which right now has been a fairly soft, cancelable messaging -- start to get more fixed and such that people have to take action," said Perette.

Warner Bros. began discouraging password sharing earlier this year after introducing the $7.99 per month sharing fee. As of right now, the restrictions on password sharing have not been enforced, and paying the extra fee is voluntary.

HBO Max with ads is priced at $9.99 per month, while the Standard plan with no ads is $16.99 per month. There's also a Premium plan with 4K streaming that's priced at $20.99 per month.

HBO Max customers that opt to add an extra member to their plan will need to pay the $7.99 per month fee, which provides the added member with their own account, password, and profile. Only one additional member can be added to an account.

At $7.99 per month, the extra member add-on is only $2 cheaper than the ad-supported plan, but the extra member is able to share the plan of the main subscriber. So if the subscriber has the 4K Premium plan, the extra member can access 4K streaming for the $7.99 per month price.

HBO Max will use account information, IP address, device ID, and user activity to determine if accounts are used by people in more than one household.

Cracking down on password sharing has been successful for Netflix and Disney, so it is no surprise to see other streaming services do the same thing. Netflix experienced strong subscriber growth and an increase in revenue when it stopped allowing customers to share their accounts.

Earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery changed the name of the streaming service, abandoning "Max" and going back to HBO Max. The service was branded as Max two years ago, but it turned out that eliminating the well-known and widely recognized HBO name was a mistake.

It's been several months since Apple released the mid-tier iPhone 16e to replace the iPhone SE, so we thought we'd revisit it for a longer-term review.

With a starting price of $599, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ isn't a low-cost smartphone, but it is Apple's most affordable ‌iPhone‌ option. The ‌iPhone 16e‌ has some of the same technology that's in Apple's flagship iPhone 16 models, so the price isn't bad for what it offers. You can often find deals that lower the price a little.

It has the same A18 chip that's in the ‌iPhone 16‌, but with a 4-core GPU instead of a 5-core GPU. It's as blazing fast for day-to-day performance, and the only place you might notice that missing GPU core is playing system intensive games. It has the same amount of RAM and supports Apple Intelligence.

You're limited to a single-lens camera, but it's Apple's 48-megapixel Fusion lens. You don't get ultra wide or 5x telephoto images, but it does support standard 26mm images and also 12-megapixel 2x telephoto images.

At 6.1 inches, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ is the same size as the ‌iPhone 16‌, but it's a little lighter in weight because of the single-lens camera. It doesn't have 120Hz ProMotion or a Dynamic Island. Those features are nice to have, but not essential. Another feature that you might miss more with the ‌iPhone 16e‌ is MagSafe. It's not clear why Apple didn't include ‌MagSafe‌, but it's limited to slower Qi-based charging.

The ‌iPhone 16e‌ is the first ‌iPhone‌ to use Apple's 5G C1 modem rather than a Qualcomm modem, and in our testing, it works just as well as Qualcomm hardware. Performance can be even better than Qualcomm in some areas with low connectivity. Battery life is better than the ‌iPhone 16‌, thanks to efficiencies introduced by the C1 modem.

There are some features you miss out on choosing the ‌iPhone 16e‌ over the ‌iPhone 16‌, but it's $200 less and has a whole lot to offer.

New York-based law firm Kasowitz LLP today announced that it is filing a lawsuit against Apple on behalf of its client, Texas-based company Fintiv, over alleged theft of mobile wallet technology used to create Apple Pay.

In a press release, the law firm said the complaint accuses Apple of violating U.S. federal and state RICO and trade secret laws.

According to the press release, the complaint alleges that Apple approached Fintiv's predecessor CorFire between 2011 and 2012, and received confidential technical information under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Fintiv believed that Apple planned to license CorFire's mobile wallet technology, but said it instead stole the confidential information and later hired away key CorFire employees, before launching Apple Pay in 2014.

The lawsuit is being filed in a Northern Georgia district court.

"Apple's theft of Fintiv's technology is part of a pattern and practice that Apple has engaged in for years – falsely pretending to partner with companies in order to steal confidential and proprietary information under the guise of a working relationship, and thereafter hiring away key employees, all in order to steal the company's valuable intellectual property and use it to commercialize the business on its own," the complaint alleges.

The complaint cites Apple's "similar pernicious scheme" to steal trade secrets from Masimo to develop the Apple Watch's blood oxygen measuring feature.

MacRumors has yet to find the complaint in the U.S. court filing system, so these allegations and quotes are entirely relayed from the press release.

While this particular lawsuit in Georgia is new, Fintiv has been waging a legal battle against Apple since 2018, when it filed a patent infringement case against the company in Texas. That case was eventually dismissed, but an appeals court overturned the decision and remanded it to Texas for further proceedings. Earlier this week, a judge in Texas ruled that Apple did not infringe certain patents, and granted Fintiv's motion to dismiss the remaining claims. Now, the saga will shift to a Georgia court with the filing of this fresh lawsuit.

Best Buy is hosting a new Apple Shopping Event this week, with discounts on MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch, iPhone, and more. This sale is available to all shoppers and is set to last through this Sunday, August 10.

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

In terms of MacBooks, highlights of the event include the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,299.00 ($300 off) and the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $799.00 ($200 off), both record low prices. We shared these deals earlier in the week when both Amazon and Best Buy were discounting each computer, and you can still find them at Amazon as well.

If you're shopping for iPads, Best Buy has the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $399.00 ($100 off), which is a solid second-best price on the tablet. The retailer is also matching Amazon's new record low prices on the M3 iPad Air, now starting at $449.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model ($150 off).

Other notable discounts during this event include the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $649.00 ($150 off), Powerbeats Pro 2 for $199.99 ($50 off), Beats Studio Pro for $179.99 ($170 off), Apple Pencil Pro for $99.00 ($30 off), and more. We've compiled a list below of some of these notable sales, but be sure to check out Best Buy's website for all of the deals before the event ends on Sunday.

• 14-Inch M4 MacBook Pro - $1,299.00 ($300 off)
• 13-inch M3 MacBook Air - $799.00 ($200 off)
• 11-inch M3 iPad Air - $449.00 ($150 off)
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 - $649.00 ($150 off)
• Apple Watch Series 10 - $329.00 ($100 off)
• iPhone 16 - Save up to $1,000
• Powerbeats Pro 2 - $199.99 ($50 off)

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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OpenAI today introduced GPT-5, which the company says brings a "significant leap" in intelligence and fewer hallucinations. GPT-5 is supposed to be better at following instructions and minimizing sycophancy.

The model offers improved performance across coding, math, writing, health, visual perception, and more. OpenAI says that GPT-5 is its best coding model to date, with improvements to complex front-end generation and debugging large code repositories.

Along with better coding, GPT-5 has improved writing capabilities and it is better at answering health-related questions.

According to OpenAI, GPT-5 is "significantly less likely to hallucinate" compared to prior models. With web search enabled, GPT-5's responses are 45 percent less likely to include a factual error than GPT-4o, and when thinking, responses are 80 percent less likely to have errors than OpenAI o3.

GPT-5 is less likely to lie to the user about what it is able to complete, or what has been done. It more honestly communicates its actions and capabilities for tasks that are impossible, underspecified, or missing key tools.

There are four personalities that users can select for GPT-5, including Cynic, Robot, Listener, or Nerd. The different personalities are opt-in and let users set how ChatGPT interacts and responds to questions.

GPT-5 is available to all ChatGPT users, but Plus subscribers will get more usage before a limit is imposed, and Pro subscribers can access GPT-5 Pro, a version that has extended reasoning.

When users hit a usage limit, ChatGPT will switch to a mini version of GPT-5 for remaining queries. GPT-5 replaces GPT-4o, OpenAI o3, OpenAI o4-mini, GPT-4.1, and GPT-4.5.

Apple today provided public beta testers with a second beta of macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS that's set to launch this fall. The second beta comes two weeks after the first macOS Tahoe public beta, and it corresponds to the fifth developer beta.

Public beta testers can download macOS Tahoe from the Software Update section of the Settings app after signing up for the betas on Apple's website.

macOS Tahoe has the same Liquid Glass design as iOS 26, and it extends to app icons, folders, the Dock, in-app navigation, menus, the Control Center, and the Menu Bar. The Control Center and the Menu Bar are customizable, and you're also able to customize folders, app icons, and widgets.

Safari has an updated tab design and a redesigned sidebar, and Apple has brought the Phone app to the Mac for making phone calls through Wi-Fi Calling. The Phone app supports the new Call Screening and Hold Assist features.

Spotlight has been overhauled with improved search and the ability to execute hundreds of actions without opening up an app. There's a new Games app with a Game Overlay feature, and developers have access to Metal 4.

More on what's new can be found in our macOS Tahoe roundup.

Apple today released the second public betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, allowing the public to test the updates ahead of their September launch. The second public betas come two weeks after the first public betas, and the updates correspond with the fifth developer betas.

Beta testers that have registered on Apple's website can download the ‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ updates by opening the Settings app, going to the General section, tapping on Software Update, and choosing the ‌iOS 26‌ or ‌iPadOS 26‌ Public Beta options.

‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ feature Apple's Liquid Glass design, with a visual aesthetic that focuses on transparency. Icons, menu buttons, navigation bars, and more reflect and refract light with subtle animations. There are pop-out menus in some areas, tab bars shrink down, and everything has a more rounded look.

There are new Apple Intelligence features like Visual Intelligence for screenshots, updated order tracking in the Wallet app, new features in Reminders, and Live Translation for the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps. Image Playground has ChatGPT style options, and Genmoji supports mixing two or more emoji characters to make something new.

2D photos have a more 3D look with a Spatial Scene feature, and Safari has updated navigation. In the Phone app, there are new Call Screening and Hold Assist features that will save you time, while the Messages app supports customizable backgrounds and polls. Apple Music has a DJ-like AutoMix feature, CarPlay has an overhauled interface, there's a new Apple Games app, and Preview has come to the iPhone for the first time.

For more on all of the new features in the updates, we have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup and a separate iPadOS 26 roundup. ‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ will launch in September.

Apple today seeded the second public betas of tvOS 26 and watchOS 26 to Apple TV and Apple Watch users who have signed up for the public beta program. The second tvOS 26 and ‌watchOS 26‌ public betas come two weeks after Apple seeded the first public betas.

‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26 can be downloaded through the Settings app on each device after you sign up on Apple's beta website.

The updates adopt Apple's Liquid Glass aesthetic, which is also coming in macOS Tahoe and iOS 26. Liquid Glass focuses on transparency and a more rounded look for menus and other interface elements.

‌watchOS 26‌ includes Workout Buddy, an Apple Intelligence feature meant to motivate you during your workouts. The Workout app interface has been redesigned, the Smart Stack has more actionable suggestions, the Messages app offer Live Translation and better Smart Replies, and the Phone app features like Call Screening and Hold Assist are available on the watch. Apple also brought the Notes app to the Apple Watch, so you can create notes and view existing notes right from your wrist.

tvOS 26 supports a new Apple Music Sing feature that uses the iPhone as a microphone, plus there are new lyric translation and pronunciation tools. FaceTime has been updated with incoming call notifications and contact posters, there are new aerial screen savers, and there's an option to set an AirPlay speaker as a permanent speaker for an ‌Apple TV‌.

‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26 are set to launch this fall alongside ‌iOS 26‌ and macOS Tahoe.

Four more games were added to Apple Arcade today, including Play-Doh World.

Exclusive to Apple Arcade, Play-Doh World lets you create digital Play-Doh characters and more.

"Whether sculpting, stretching, squishing, or squashing, kids are invited to unlock their imagination with creative activities, fun games, and rewarding interactions," part of the App Store description for the game says.

Apple's full description of the game:

Play-Doh brings its magic to the digital space with Play-Doh World, allowing players to craft their own characters and watch them spring to life. From inventing wild zoo animals to styling outrageous salon hairdos, every corner of this colorful universe responds to the player's creative whim. With dozens of interactive zones, collectible special Play-Doh, and regular content updates, Play-Doh World offers creative activities and open-ended, imagination-led play — all in a safe, ad-free environment.

The three other games added to Apple Arcade today:

• Worms Across Worlds
• Let's Go Mightycat!
• Everybody Shogi

More details about all of the games are outlined in Apple's announcement from last month.

Apple Arcade is a subscription service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. All of the games are free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month, and it is bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.

Apple Arcade can be accessed through the App Store, and the new Apple Games app.

Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act will require Apple to allow non-WebKit web browsers in the App Store on the iPhone later this year.

Specifically, the law "forbids designated providers from preventing individual app providers from using alternative browser engines."

In most countries, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and other popular web browsers on iOS are all currently forced to use WebKit, which is the web engine that powers Safari. Apple has previously stated that the WebKit requirement is due to security and privacy considerations, but critics have argued that the policy is anticompetitive.

Japan's law will allow web browsers and in-app browsers on the iPhone to use alternative browser engines like Blink (used by Chrome, Edge, and Opera) and Gecko (used by Firefox). The regulation takes full effect in December.

Apple has already allowed non-WebKit browsers on the iPhone and iPad in the EU since iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 18, to comply with the Digital Markets Act. However, Apple has a long list of requirements for alternative browsers on the iPhone and iPad, and there are still no major non-WebKit browsers available in the App Store on those platforms.

As noted by the not-for-profit Open Web Advocacy group on Wednesday, Japan's law goes a step further to ensure that there is a viable path for non-WebKit browsers, by preventing Apple from imposing "unreasonable technical restrictions" on web browsers that wish to implement alternative browser engines on the iPhone.

Japan's law will also require Apple to show a default browser selection screen in Safari on the iPhone, and the requirements for that are similarly strict.

Alongside the EU and Japan, it is expected that the UK will also require Apple to allow non-WebKit browsers on the iPhone in the foreseeable future.

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.

We're tracking new record low prices across the entire M3 iPad Air lineup today, with discounts available at both Amazon and Best Buy. These massive $150 discounts beat the previous all-time lows tracked during Prime Day by about $30.

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.

Prices start at $449.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M3 iPad Air, down from $599.00. Across the board these are all $150 discounts on the M3 iPad Air, and each one is a new best-ever price for the tablet.

Our list below focuses on Wi-Fi models, but you'll also find many cellular models on sale at $150 off right now. The 128GB cellular 11-inch iPad Air is available for $599.00 and the 128GB cellular 13-inch iPad Air is available for $799.00, both representing new record low prices.

11-inch M3 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $449.00, down from $599.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $549.00, down from $699.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $749.00, down from $899.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $949.00, down from $1,099.00

13-inch M3 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $649.00, down from $799.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $749.00, down from $899.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $949.00, down from $1,099.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,149.00, down from $1,299.00

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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