Apple today released public new beta firmware that's designed for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4. The firmware is now available for Apple's public beta testing group, and it has a build number of 8B5014c. Apple provided this firmware to developers last week.
The firmware comes alongside a new public beta of iOS 26.1, and it likely adds support for Live Translation in new languages, including Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified).
With iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Apple added a beta firmware update installation option that's available from the AirPods settings interface when the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which facilitates beta testing.
Public beta testers can use the beta option to turn on beta downloads after signing up on Apple's website.
Apple today provided public beta testers with the third releases of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1 and watchOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. Apple seeded the betas to developers earlier this week.
After signing up for beta testing on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.
iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 expand Apple Intelligence to new languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.
AirPods Live Translation is also available in Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified) in iOS 26.
Amazon this week has returned Apple's AirTag 4-Pack to $64.99, down from $99.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the accessory.
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.
Amazon provides delivery dates as soon as today for Prime members at some residences in the United States, and you won't need to clip an on-page coupon in order to see this deal. If you're shopping for just one AirTag, Amazon has the AirTag 1-Pack for $24.99, which doesn't match the all-time low of $19.99 that we've seen recently, so you might want to hold off for now or consider stepping up to the 4-Pack deal.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
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Apple's AirPods Max have now been available for almost five years, so what do we know about the second-generation version?
According to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new AirPods Max will be lighter than the current ones, but exactly how much is as yet known. The current AirPods Max weigh 0.85 pounds (386.2 grams), excluding the charging case, making it one of the heavier options in the premium over-ear headphones category. It is unclear what other changes they might have, beyond weighing less.
Both Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo believe that new AirPods Max are on the way. Kuo expects the AirPods Max 2 to enter mass production at some point in 2027—seven years after the first-generation model launched.
In 2024, Apple updated the AirPods Max with a USB-C charging port and new color options, but they are still considered to be first-generation AirPods Max. The headphones did not receive Apple's H2 chip that debuted in the AirPods Pro 2 in 2022, so they continue to miss out on Adaptive Audio features, and there were no other changes. The AirPods Pro 3 have a range of features that could feasibly come to the next-generation AirPods Max, including:
By 2027, the AirPods Pro could be even more advanced than the recently unveiled third-generation model, adding the "H3" chip and IR cameras. As a result, these features are also possibilities for the second-generation AirPods Max.
A refreshed design seems likely, especially given the rumored weight reduction and complaints from some users about the durability of the headband's mesh canopy. The Smart Case, which simply serves to put the headphones into their ultra-low power state, could also be due a redesign.
Gurman said that the long wait for a new model is due to the fact that the headphones are stuck in a kind of commercial limbo—"too popular for Apple to stop selling them, and not popular enough for the company to invest a ton of time and money into creating a new version." Apple's audio team is apparently more focused on annual updates for earbud AirPods and supporting audio components across other products.
Apple plans to announce new products "this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said the products set to be updated this week include the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and "likely" the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, with all three likely to receive a spec bump with Apple's next-generation M5 chip.
Gurman does not expect Apple to hold an event to announce these products. Instead, there will likely be a series of press releases on the Apple Newsroom website, and there might also be shorter promotional videos for each product on YouTube.
Below, we have recapped rumors about each product.
iPad Pro
The next iPad Pro was already leaked in a pair of unboxing videos out of Russia. The videos confirmed that the device will be equipped with the M5 chip, and an increased minimum of 12GB of RAM, but no major design changes were visible.
There is one minor design change: "iPad Pro" is no longer inscribed on the back of the device.
It was previously rumored that the next iPad Pro models would be equipped with two front cameras, instead of one, making it easy to have video calls in both portrait and landscape orientations. However, there was no evidence of a second front camera in the unboxing videos out of Russia, so it is unclear if this rumor will pan out.
Geekbench 6 results shown in one of the unboxing videos revealed the M5 chip will stick with a 9-core CPU, with three performance cores and six efficiency cores. The results showed the M5 chip will offer up to 12% faster multi-core CPU performance, and up to 36% faster GPU performance, compared to the M4 chip in the current iPad Pro.
There could also be an R2 chip for improved input processing, but the report said that chip would be manufactured with TSMC's latest 2nm process, and Apple's first chips using that process are not expected to debut until the second half of next year.
Apple is expected to start including a more comfortable "Dual Knit Band" head strap in the box with the updated Vision Pro, and the headset could get a Space Black color option. The device will continue to support Wi-Fi 6, rather than Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7, according to FCC documents that were erroneously made available for public viewing.
It is unclear if these changes will be enough for Apple to consider the updated Vision Pro to be a second-generation model. Recent reports have indicated that Apple has suspended development of a truly next-generation Vision Pro, along with a lightweight and lower-cost "Vision Air" model, as it focuses its efforts on smart glasses.
14-inch MacBook Pro
A base 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip is "ready for launch," according to Gurman.
Last week, AppleInsider reported that a base MacBook Pro with an M5 chip would be released before higher-end models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which are expected to follow in early 2026. Beyond the M5 chip, no significant changes are expected.
Bigger changes to the MacBook Pro are expected with the two-generations-away models, with rumored upgrades including an OLED display, touchscreen capabilities, a thinner design, built-in cellular connectivity, and M6 chips manufactured with TSMC's latest 2nm process, for even greater year-over-year performance gains.
Other Products in Pipeline
The following products are expected to be updated before the end of the year, but it is not clear if Apple will announce any of them this week in particular.
HomePod mini availability is starting to dwindle at select Apple Store locations around the world. For example, the HomePod mini is completely out of stock in all five color options at Apple's flagship Regent Street store in London.
As part of Apple's goal to become carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030, the company today announced it is expanding its clean energy projects across Europe and China.
By 2030, Apple said it plans to match 100% of the electricity that all customers use to power and charge their Apple devices with clean electricity, by helping to bring new wind and solar power developments online around the world.
In Europe, this includes new solar and wind farms in development in Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Spain, according to Apple. And in China, Apple said over 90% of its manufacturing in the country is now powered by renewable energy.
Apple said its suppliers have jointly launched a new $150 million investment fund to support renewable energy infrastructure development in China.
Apple also announced it has donated an undisclosed sum to Tsinghua University in Beijing, to advance environmental education and research in China.
Apple's second-generation HomePod is now 1,000 days old, with no sign of a refresh or third-generation model on the horizon.
The original HomePod was announced at WWDC in 2017 and launched in 2018 after a heavily delayed release. The device was met with mixed reviews; critics praised its outstanding sound quality but pointed out its high price, missing features, and limited functionality compared to rivals.
Apple dropped its price from $349 to $299 in April 2019 and, in March 2021, the company announced that it was discontinuing the first-generation HomePod, instead shifting its focus to the HomePod mini, which launched the previous year. The decision left a gap in Apple's product lineup for a full-sized smart speaker until the company introduced the second-generation model via a press release on January 18, 2023.
The second-generation HomePod looks virtually identical to the original, although it is 0.2 inches shorter and has a larger edge-to-edge LED touchscreen on top. It also boasts a range of upgrades and changes compared to its 2018 predecessor, including the S7 chip, a U1 ultra wideband chip, a removable power cable, a temperature and humidity sensor, and sound recognition. However, it features two fewer microphones and horn-loaded tweeters.
This second-generation device has now reached 1,000 days since its announcement and no successor is rumored, but at least two other HomePod products are allegedly in the pipeline. One is a new HomePod mini with a new S-series chip and Apple's new N1 Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip, and the other is an all-new smart home hub, which has been described as a HomePod with a square iPad-like 7-inch screen and an A18 chip. Apple is widely rumored to be planning a wave of new smart home devices over the next few years, so while a third-generation HomePod doesn't seem to be on the horizon for now, a refresh or the launch of a similar product seems inevitable.
Apple today seeded the third beta of macOS 26.1 to developers for testing, and it hints at a potential Pro Display XDR 2 with a built-in camera.
As first reported by 9to5Mac's Zac Hall, and corroborated by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, the latest macOS Tahoe beta includes new "Pro Display XDR Camera" and "Pro Display XDR Desk View Camera" code strings, which suggests that Apple is planning to release a new version of the external monitor with a built-in Center Stage camera.
Center Stage is a feature that keeps you centered in the frame during video calls, even if you move around. Desk View, which requires a camera with Center Stage support, can show your face and an overhead view of your desk at the same time.
The current Pro Display XDR lacks a built-in camera — and speakers — despite starting at a steep $4,999 in the United States.
Released in December 2019, the Pro Display XDR features a 32-inch screen with 6K resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, up to 1,600 nits of brightness, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. Infamously, the monitor's stand costs $999 extra.
Apple went on to release a 27-inch Studio Display with a Center Stage camera and speakers in March 2022. That monitor starts at $1,599, stand included.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that Apple is working on two new external monitors, so perhaps both the Pro Display XDR and the Studio Display will be updated.
It has been nearly six years since Apple released the Pro Display XDR, so there has been a long wait for a new model. It is unclear when Apple would announce the model with a camera, but macOS 26.1 will likely be released later this month, and the company is expected to announce at least a few new products as early as tomorrow.
The Apple TV app icons and other visuals across the latest releases like iOS 26.1 and tvOS 26.1 beta 3 have adopted a hint of glasslike multicolor, replacing the previous subdued gray theme.
It remains to be seen whether there will be additional components to the rebranding beyond the name and logo changes, but if there are, we should be seeing them fairly soon.
Apple today provided developers with the third betas of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The third betas come a week after Apple released the second betas.
The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.
Apple Intelligence is now available in more languages in the updates, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPods Live Translation also works with Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified) in iOS 26.1.
Liquid Glass has been expanded to the Phone app's keypad, Apple Music has a new swipe gesture for changing tracks, and there are visual changes to Calendar, Safari, and Photos. Details on what we've found in iOS 26.1 so far can be found in our iOS 26.1 feature list.
The iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1, betas will be released later in October.
Buried in its announcement about "F1: The Movie" making its streaming debut on December 12, Apple has also announced that Apple TV+ is being rebranded as simply Apple TV.
A single line near the end of the press release states "Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity," though Apple's website has yet to be updated with any changes, so we're unsure on the details of the new identity. Apple's blurb about the streaming service at the bottom of the press release also reflects the updated naming.
Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
Apple of course offers its set-top box hardware under the Apple TV name while also offering the Apple TV app across various platforms as a hub for Apple TV+ and other content. As a result, offering Apple's streaming service itself under the same name may lead to some confusion, and the reason for the change is unclear.
Apple today announced that "F1: The Movie" will finally be available to stream on Apple TV+ starting on Friday, December 12.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer alongside F1 legend Lewis Hamilton, the film stars Brad Pitt as a veteran driver attempting a classic comeback. According to Deadline, F1: The Movie made the $629 million at the box office, making it both the highest grossing Apple Original Film and sports film of the year.
The film originally premiered worldwide on June 27. Such is its success that Apple did a second theatrical run in August, when it also became available to purchase at home. The popularity of the movie reportedly led Apple to bid for the rights to stream Formula 1 in the United States.
Disney recently introduced a new promotion on its streaming service, offering a bundle of Disney+ (with ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN Unlimited for $29.99 per month for your first year. This offer represents a savings of over 39 percent on the bundle, and after your first year ends it will return to the then-current monthly price unless cancelled.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Disney+. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
To get the deal, head to the promotion landing page on the Disney+ website and click on the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN Unlimited bundle option. This offer is valid only for new and eligible returning subscribers.
Additionally, you can save on the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN Unlimited Premium Bundle, which is the ad-free option for Disney+ and Hulu. This is priced at $38.99 per month for your first year, down from $44.99 per month.
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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The iPhone Air will be available for pre-order in China this Friday, Apple CEO Tim Cook today said on Weibo during a visit to the country.
Apple initially postponed the release of the iPhone Air in China while it worked with mainland authorities to resolve regulatory issues related to the device's eSIM requirement. The iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max already went on sale with the global launch as normal.
At 5.6mm thick, the iPhone Air does not have a physical SIM slot, and is limited to eSIM-only operation. That's a problem in China, since carriers have not traditionally supported eSIM for the iPhone even though it's widely used around the world. Apple has said that all three state-owned telecommunications network operators – China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom – will "provide eSIM support [with] specific timing subject to regulatory approval."
The iPhone Air starts from 7,999 yuan in China. Pre-orders will open on Friday, October 17, with launch on Wednesday, October 22.
Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone may cost less to manufacture than previously expected thanks to major reductions in hinge component pricing, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a new report, Kuo said that the hinge designed for Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to carry an average selling price (ASP) of approximately $70 to $80 when mass production begins, well below the market expectation of $100 to $120 or higher. Kuo attributed the cost decline not to cheaper materials, but to "assembly design optimization" and Foxconn's influence in production scaling.
Foxconn has reportedly entered a joint venture with Taiwanese hinge maker Shin Zu Shing (SZS) to take on the majority of Apple's hinge orders. The new venture has secured about 65% of total orders, while U.S.-based Amphenol is expected to supply the remaining 35%. Kuo said that Foxconn holds a slightly larger stake in the partnership and is "steering future direction."
The expected drop in hinge pricing could significantly benefit Apple. Foldable smartphones are notoriously expensive to produce, with complex hinge designs adding both mechanical and financial challenges. A hinge ASP reduction of $20 to $40 compared to expectations could improve Apple's margins or enable more aggressive pricing to compete with established players such as Samsung and Huawei.
Kuo also suggested that Luxshare-ICT, one of Apple's fastest-growing manufacturing partners, could become an additional hinge supplier after 2027. With further competition, hinge costs could drop even lower.
The hinge mechanism is a critical component in any foldable device, determining both the reliability of the screen's movement and the long-term durability of the product. Designs under consideration have reportedly ranged from stainless steel and Liquid Metal hinges to lighter aluminum and titanium frames similar to that of the iPhone Air.
Whether the reduction in hinge price will reduce retail price or simply bolster Apple's margins is an open question. The company's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch in the fall of 2026, alongside the iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Apple's second-generation smart glasses with an in-lens display may have two modes, depending on which device they are connected to.
Meta Ray-Bans without an in-lens display
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he was told a future version of Apple's smart glasses may be able to run a full version of the visionOS operating system when they are paired with a Mac, and then switch to a more lightweight, mobile-friendly interface when they are paired with an iPhone.
Apple's smart glasses would compete with the Meta Ray-Bans, which are now available with an in-lens display (pricing starts at $799 in the United States). However, Gurman previously said Apple's first version of smart glasses will not offer an in-lens display.
Apple's first smart glasses will have speakers for music playback, cameras for photos and video, voice control, and potentially health features, according to Gurman.
He previously said Apple may announce the first-generation glasses as early as 2026, ahead of a 2027 launch.
It is unclear if the new AirPods Pro would be branded as AirPods Pro 4, or if they would be considered an updated version of AirPods Pro 3. Gurman did not take a position, opting to describe them as a "new version" of the "high-end in-ear buds."
AirPods Pro 2 were updated with a USB-C charging case and a few other tweaks a year after they launched, without receiving a name change.
Last month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the AirPods Pro would receive "more significant" hardware upgrades next year, including at least one tiny infrared camera. A leaker on Chinese platform Weibo subsequently claimed that these would be a higher-end AirPods Pro 3 option, rather than AirPods Pro 4. This would be similar to the standard AirPods 4, which are available in two configurations, with and without active noise cancellation.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is developing its next-generation H3 chip for wireless audio, with improved sound quality and lower latency. It would make sense for this chip to be included in the next AirPods Pro, but Gurman did not explicitly mention which AirPods models the chip will debut in, or when.
Apple is also developing two tiers of AirPods 5, according to Gurman.
AirPods Pro 3 offer heart rate monitoring during workouts, but Gurman does not anticipate this feature extending to the AirPods 5. He said Apple is planning several new health features for future AirPods, though, such as temperature sensing.
Gurman reiterated that Apple is considering adding cameras to at least some AirPods models. Kuo previously said AirPods with infrared cameras would support in-air gestures, and enable deeper integration between AirPods and the Vision Pro.
AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4 are equipped with the H2 chip, which debuted in the AirPods Pro 2. The over-ear AirPods Max still have an H1 chip.
Apple plans to announce new products "this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple's "Mac Your Calendars" teaser last October
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the products set to be updated this week include the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and "likely" the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, with all three likely to receive a spec bump with Apple's next-generation M5 chip.
Gurman does not expect Apple to hold an event to announce these products. Instead, there will likely be a series of press releases on the Apple Newsroom website, and there might also be shorter promotional videos for each product on YouTube.
Monday is the Columbus Day holiday in the United States, and Thanksgiving in Canada, so we shall see if Apple holds its announcements until Tuesday or later.
iPad Pro
The next iPad Pro was already leaked in a pair of unboxing videos out of Russia. The videos confirmed that the device will be equipped with the M5 chip, and an increased minimum of 12GB of RAM, but no major design changes were visible.
There is one minor design change: "iPad Pro" is no longer inscribed on the back of the device.
It was previously rumored that the next iPad Pro models would be equipped with two front cameras, instead of one, making it easy to have video calls in both portrait and landscape orientations. However, there was no evidence of a second front camera in the unboxing videos out of Russia, so it is unclear if this rumor will pan out.
Geekbench 6 results shown in one of the unboxing videos revealed the M5 chip will stick with a 9-core CPU, with three performance cores and six efficiency cores. The results showed the M5 chip will offer up to 12% faster multi-core CPU performance, and up to 36% faster GPU performance, compared to the M4 chip in the current iPad Pro.
There could also be an R2 chip for improved input processing, but the report said that chip would be manufactured with TSMC's latest 2nm process, and Apple's first chips using that process are not expected to debut until the second half of next year.
Apple is expected to start including a more comfortable "Dual Knit Band" head strap in the box with the updated Vision Pro, and the headset could get a Space Black color option. The device will continue to support Wi-Fi 6, rather than Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7, according to FCC documents that were erroneously made available for public viewing.
It is unclear if these changes will be enough for Apple to consider the updated Vision Pro to be a second-generation model. Recent reports have indicated that Apple has suspended development of a truly next-generation Vision Pro, along with a lightweight and lower-cost "Vision Air" model, as it focuses its efforts on smart glasses.
14-inch MacBook Pro
A base 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip is "ready for launch," according to Gurman.
A few days ago, AppleInsider reported that a base MacBook Pro with an M5 chip would be released before higher-end models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which are expected to follow in early 2026. Beyond the M5 chip, no significant changes are expected.
Bigger changes to the MacBook Pro are expected with the two-generations-away models, with rumored upgrades including an OLED display, touchscreen capabilities, a thinner design, built-in cellular connectivity, and M6 chips manufactured with TSMC's latest 2nm process, for even greater year-over-year performance gains.
Other Products
New models of the Apple TV, HomePod mini, and AirTag are "still very much on the road map," according to Gurman, but he did not provide any update on timing.
He also expects new entry-level iPad, iPad Air, Studio Display, and MacBook Air models, along with an iPhone 17e, to launch early next year.
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.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Disney+. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Meta Ray-Bans without an in-lens display
Apple's "Mac Your Calendars" teaser last October
