Amazon last week introduced the first cash discounts on Apple's brand new Mac mini, and today the M5 Max Mac Studio has joined in on the discounts. You can get this model, which includes 36GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, on sale for $2,449.99, a $49 pre-order discount.
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All of these deals are pre-order discounts on the 2026 Mac mini and Mac Studio, which officially launch on September 22. Regarding the Mac mini, you can get the 16GB RAM/256GB SSD Mac mini for $879.99, down from $899.00, and the 16GB RAM/512GB SSD model for $1,069.99, down from $1,099.00.
In terms of upgrades, Apple said the Mac mini with the M6 chip delivers up to 40% faster CPU performance, up to 4× faster performance for AI tasks in particular, up to 2× faster graphics performance, and up to 2× faster storage speeds compared to the previous-generation model with the 10-core M4 chip, 32GB of unified memory, and 2TB of storage.
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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Former Apple CEO Tim Cook played a major role in the development of the foldable iPhone, which could reach around $3,000 with storage upgrades, according to new details shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Early in the development of the foldable iPhone, the company reportedly targeted a starting retail price of $1,999, hoping to come under the "potentially controversial $2,000 barrier." The idea was to replicate the debut of the iPhone X in 2017, which started at $999.
Amid the impact of the global memory shortage, Apple is said to have recently discussed pricing the foldable at $2,199. Some storage configurations could approach $3,000. While the company anticipates some "sticker shock" for consumers, the willingness of customers to spend around $2,000 on iPhone models with upgraded storage convinced the company that an "upscale foldable device was worth bringing to market."
Gurman also revealed details about the history of the foldable iPhone inside Apple. Around 2020, Cook apparently returned from a visit to Asia "unusually energized" about foldable phones. During the trip, he saw growing numbers of consumers using foldable devices from the likes of Samsung and Huawei. He came to believe that Apple needed an equivalent offering in the market and pushed the company to accelerate its development efforts.
Apple's hardware engineering team had been studying foldable phones, displays, and related components for years, dating back to well before the launch of the first Galaxy Fold device in 2019. Before Cook's guidance, the project was mired by debates over the form that an Apple foldable should take, with one early concept being an iPad mini that could unfold into a larger tablet. Cook wanted the final device to be more mainstream in the form of a foldable iPhone, and his level of involvement in the project was unusual.
The project was conceived under Dan Riccio, who preceded John Ternus as head of hardware engineering. The company apparently prioritized resolving four main challenges: reducing the visibility of the display crease, improving hinge reliability, creating a new flexible cover glass for the inner display, and developing under-display camera technology.
The company eventually settled on a hinge system made using titanium and aluminum and custom cover glass developed with Corning. Despite being less durable than other existing iPhone models, Apple is said to believe that the construction quality of the foldable iPhone is industry-leading for the foldable market, and thinks it has an advantage over Android devices in terms of software.
Gurman restated several of the device's rumored specifications, including a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, and a wide form-factor design. During development, Apple designers apparently compared the folded proportions of the device to a passport and the unfolded proportions to a Magic Trackpad. The short-and-wide design was chosen to provide a point of differentiation with rival foldable and generate consumer interest.
He reiterated that the foldable iPhone may be less durable than a conventional iPhone, with an inferior camera system and less battery life. Despite these drawbacks, Apple employees are said to believe "the company will sell every foldable phone it can produce."
Gurman also noted that the foldable iPhone's engineering complexity "makes it an ideal showcase" for new CEO John Ternus, following his career as Apple's hardware chief. Ternus was apparently a major champion of the device and played a major role to "push it over the finish line," alongside Cook.
Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to be announced tomorrow at its "Surprise and shine" event. See the full Bloomberg report for more information.
Apple's iPhone Ultra is widely expected to feature Touch ID instead of Face ID, but references found in the iOS 27 beta probably shouldn't be treated as proof. Code sleuth pdfu has found Car Key strings that mention an iPhone in the same string as both Ultra Wideband and Touch ID, which they say "confirms" Touch ID for the foldable since "all existing iPhone models with an UWB chip, starting with iPhone 11, use Face ID."
However, Apple's codebase often has Touch ID references that aren't tied to specific hardware. Legacy terminology can also linger for years, with references to discontinued products like iPod still appearing in recent iOS code. So while Touch ID is expected, this detail doesn't confirm it.
Last month, Apple announced a new Mac mini built around the all-new M6 chip and the M5 Pro, replacing the M4 and M4 Pro models that had been on sale since October 2024. Pre-orders are open now, with the machines arriving to customers and in stores on September 22.
The M6 model starts at $899 and the M5 Pro model at $1,699, each $100 above what its predecessor was selling for by the end of its run and $300 above what their predecessors launched at. The Mac mini rose from $599 to $799 in May, and the M4 Pro configuration went from $1,399 to $1,599 in June, both as a consequence of the memory shortage driven by AI demand. Education pricing brings the new models down to $799 and $1,599 respectively.
What Changed Across Both Models
A number of upgrades apply equally to the standard and Pro configurations, regardless of which chip you choose:
Mac mini (2024)
Mac mini (2026)
Neural Accelerators in each GPU core
Variable refresh rate and HDR support
Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
Wi-Fi 7 connectivity
Apple N1 wireless networking chip
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 6
Thread networking technology
Gigabit Ethernet or 10Gb Ethernet
2.5Gb Ethernet or 10Gb Ethernet
Genlock support over USB-C
Mac Mini With M4 vs. M6
Here is everything else that differs between the M4 and M6 versions of the Mac mini:
Mac mini (M4)
Mac mini (M6)
M4 chip
M6 chip
10-core CPU with four performance cores and six efficiency cores
12-core CPU with two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores
10-core GPU
12-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Dual 16-core Neural Engine
120GB/s memory bandwidth
153GB/s memory bandwidth, rising to 170GB/s with 24GB or 32GB of unified memory
Two displays up to 6K at 60Hz, plus a third up to 5K at 60Hz
Two displays up to 6K at 60Hz or 4K at 165Hz, plus a third up to 5K at 60Hz
Up to two external displays over a single Thunderbolt port
Now discontinued
From $899
Mac Mini With M4 Pro vs. M5 Pro
The comparison below outlines the remaining differences between the two Pro configurations:
Mac mini (M4 Pro)
Mac mini (M5 Pro)
M4 Pro chip
M5 Pro chip
Base: 12-core CPU with eight performance cores and four efficiency cores Configurable to: 14-core CPU
Base: 15-core CPU with five super cores and 10 performance cores Configurable to: 18-core CPU
Enhanced shader core and third-generation ray tracing
273GB/s memory bandwidth
307GB/s memory bandwidth
Three displays up to 6K at 60Hz
Three displays up to 6K at 60Hz or 4K at 165Hz
Two displays: one up to 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 240Hz, plus a second up to 6K at 60Hz
Two displays: one up to 8K at 60Hz, 5K at 120Hz, or 4K at 240Hz, plus a second up to 5K at 120Hz or 4K at 200Hz
Up to three external displays over a single Thunderbolt port
Now discontinued
From $1,699
How Much Faster Is It, Really?
The latest refresh is minor for ordinary work and significant for AI workflows. Against the M4, Apple claims 40% faster CPU performance and 2x faster graphics, which is a normal generational step, alongside unusually large gains of up to 4x faster AI performance and up to 4.8x faster prompt processing in LM Studio. Almost all of the engineering appears to have gone into AI optimization, in the form of Neural Accelerators built into every GPU core for the first time on the Mac mini and a Neural Engine doubled to two 16-core units. The M5 Pro follows the same pattern, at up to 4x faster than the M4 Pro for prompt processing but only 1.4x faster for ray-traced rendering in Blender.
Display support is the one significant change beyond the chips. Both models add 4K at 165Hz and variable refresh rate, which the 2024 machines never supported, and the M5 Pro can drive a second display at 5K at 120Hz where the M4 Pro capped it at 6K at 60Hz. If you own a high refresh rate monitor, this is perhaps the most noticeable difference in the entire update.
It is worth noting that Apple's figure of up to 170GB/s for the M6 only applies to the 24GB and 32GB configurations. The 16GB models run at 153GB/s, so the gain over the M4's 120GB/s is around 28% for many buyers rather than the 42% implied. Bandwidth governs how fast a model's weights move out of memory, which makes the 32GB configuration a faster machine.
The memory ceilings are also not the increases they appear to be. The M4 shipped with a 32GB option and the M4 Pro with 64GB when they launched in October 2024, and Apple removed both in May as memory prices climbed. The new models restore those ceilings rather than raising them, so a 32GB M4 or 64GB M4 Pro already has the same ceiling as its 2026 equivalent.
Which to Choose?
If you own a 2024 Mac mini and do not run AI models on it, skip this generation. A 40% CPU improvement is not something you will notice in daily use, and nothing else meaningful about the machine has changed. The exception is display support: if you have a high refresh rate monitor stuck at 60Hz, that is a real problem the new models solve and the old ones never will.
If you do run models locally, the upgrade is easy to justify from an M4, but more difficult from an M4 Pro. Roughly 4x faster prompt processing changes what you can attempt. From an M4 Pro you get unchanged GPU core counts, a 12% bandwidth increase, and a $300 rise over what you paid, so wait for the next year's revision unless you specifically need to upgrade to a 64GB model.
For new buyers, the gap between the two 2026 models is wider than the $800 price difference suggests: the M5 Pro has 80% more memory bandwidth, double the memory ceiling, and 50% more CPU cores at the top. Since tools like LM Studio and Ollama run on the GPU rather than the Neural Engine, capacity and bandwidth are what matter. Memory capacity decides which models you can load at all, while bandwidth determines how fast they run. If your models fit in 32GB, buy the M6 at $899. If they do not, the M5 Pro is your only option here.
The 2024 models remain worth considering even though Apple has stopped selling them new, with availability via third parties, Apple's refurbished store, or second-hand.
Do not expect prices to collapse in the usual way, whichever route you take. The memory shortage pushed Apple's prices up, twice during the M4's final year, so a modest discount off $799 is unremarkable. The M4 model is worth buying nearer the $599 it launched at, and much above that, the stretch to buy a new M6 is difficult to argue against.
The 32GB M4 and 64GB M4 Pro were only sold between October 2024 and May 2026, so they exist on the used market but were unavailable new for the machine's final months. A 64GB M4 Pro matches the memory ceiling of a $1,699 M5 Pro at 273GB/s against 307GB/s, for considerably less. For running larger models on a budget, that may be the most cost-effective configuration.
The new Mac mini is available to pre-order now, with deliveries and in-store availability beginning on Tuesday, September 22.
Apple's foldable "iPhone Ultra" may launch in mainland China later than in some other markets, according to an oft-reliable Chinese leaker.
Posting on the Weibo social media platform, Instant Digital said that Apple has a limited initial inventory for its first foldable device, and the rollout could be shaped by regional allocation.
The claim follows a recent report out of Japan suggesting that Apple was struggling to produce more than a few hundred units a day in late August because of the company's stringent quality control standards. Apple has reportedly ordered around 10 million units of the foldable for this year, but hinge and display durability tests are said to be taking longer than expected.
The leaker's warning today also echoes an earlier report out of Australia, which suggested that the foldable iPhone could face a staggered country-by-country launch over several months, with initial availability limited to the U.S. market.
On the other hand, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he would be "very surprised" if the foldable iPhone does not come out at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro models or "very close" to them. "Either on the same launch date, a dual launch, or coming out within weeks later," he said in an interview with Tom's Guide.
"This idea of a late October, November launch, massive delays, supply chain issues, I don't believe to be the case," he added.
To the best of our knowledge, Gurman has not commented on the claim that the device could see a staggered market-by-market launch, similar to the Vision Pro in 2024.
We should know more about Apple's launch plans for the foldable iPhone on Wednesday, September 9, when the company is expected to unveil the device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models. Stay tuned to MacRumors for all the latest news and updates.
Apple may be considering scrapping the standard iPhone 18 entirely and rebranding the iPhone Air 2 as its new $999 entry point when the more affordable iPhone models launch in spring 2027, a sketchy rumor claims.
The claim comes from the X account "Early Apple," who said Apple is "exploring the idea" of having the Air 2 simply take over the iPhone 18 name and price point rather than launching as a separate device.
This would be a major break from how the two devices have been described up to now. Over a year's worth of rumors have consistently portrayed the standard iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e, and the Air 2 as three separate devices set to launch together next spring, following the iPhone 18 Pro models and Apple's first foldable iPhone arriving later this month. Given how firmly that three way split has held up in the rumor cycle so far, a rebrand this drastic looks unlikely for 2027.
We have covered leaks from the account before, including an alleged iPhone 18 Pro prototype photo back in April, but as we noted at the time, Early Apple is a relatively new account of unknown origin with no established track record, so the claim is best treated as an informed guess. The rumor has gained some traction online, so we have covered it for the sake of completeness.
The broader idea isn't entirely new, though. Other observers such as leaker Jon Prosser raised a similar possibility months ago, suggesting Apple's ultra-thin design could eventually become the template for the standard iPhone rather than remaining a separate niche model, framing it as a longer term shift rather than something arriving as soon as next spring.
There is a reasonable case for some convergence over time, even if next year is too soon. Apple has a history of debuting design features on pricier models before trickling down to the standard iPhone in later years, and with the iPhone Air 2 expected to close the gap by adding a second rear camera, one of the biggest practical differences between the Air and the standard iPhone would disappear. That makes it plausible that a future standard iPhone could eventually resemble the Air, even if an outright merger during the upcoming product cycle remains a stretch.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone tomorrow, with the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and Air 2 following in spring 2027.
Apple is working on a broader set of Camera app improvements in iOS 27 it has announced, according to a new deep dive from MacRumors forum member "pdfu."
iOS 27 beta code apparently points to five features that could arrive alongside new iPhone models this week or in a future software update:
Exposure scopes: The Camera app can display a waveform or histogram to help judge exposure while shooting. A histogram shows how much of the image is too dark, too bright, or in between, while a waveform shows similar information but keeps it lined up with where those areas are in the frame.
Focus peaking and highlight warnings: New code overlays helpful information right on top of the camera preview. Focus peaking highlights the edges of whatever's in sharp focus using a colored outline, while a separate overlay warns when part of the image is getting overexposed, using a solid color, a pulsing color, diagonal stripes, or a checkerboard pattern.
Repeated self-timer shots: Apple is adding the ability to take several timed photos in a row rather than just one. After each shot, the countdown starts again right away instead of waiting for the photo to finish saving, so the shots can be taken back to back.
Manual focus: A control for manually setting and locking focus, rather than relying on autofocus, has also turned up in testing, similar to what's already available in Apple's Final Cut Camera app. A version of this existed in iOS 26 with a focus slider, but that slider was removed in iOS 27 beta 1. The underlying focus-locking code is still there, but Apple has restricted it to devices that ship with iOS 27 or later, so it won't work on any current iPhone.
Aperture-based image correction: A change to how photos are processed could be tied to a future iPhone with a variable aperture, a lens opening that can widen or narrow rather than staying fixed. iOS 27 can adjust lens corrections depending on the aperture setting, blending between up to four reference points to smooth out the results.
Although the hidden features could be made available to other iPhone models, the presence of aperture-based image correction when the iPhone 18 Pro is widely expected to offer a variable aperture main camera suggests that at least some of the capabilities could arrive with the new models.
Ahead of the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 later this week, code in the watchOS 27 and iOS 27 betas points to a series of new features for the product line.
The information comes from a new post from MacRumors forums member "pdfu." The findings include:
New "Readiness" app: An all-new separate Watch app referred to in code as "Readiness," distinct from the existing Vitals app. The watchOS 27 launcher apparently includes it in the default Home Screen layout immediately after the Workout app, and the Watch companion app on iOS 27 references the same app in its logic for arranging apps on the Home Screen. Its name and placement next to the Workout app suggest Apple is preparing a more substantial readiness or recovery experience for the Apple Watch.
Richer strength workouts: Expanded health infrastructure to store individual sets, repetition counts, weight, equipment, body side, and duration.
New optical-sensing system: A new sensor family called "Sunstone4p0" with lower noise coefficients, and wrist- and orientation-based channel selection. This could point to revised heart-sensing hardware on an upcoming Apple Watch, featuring improved readings when the reflected pulse signal is weak and specialized sensing according to the watch's placement.
128GB storage: A NAND storage profile tied to the T8320 chip for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 suggesting that they could offer 128GB of storage, up from 64GB on previous models.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurmanpreviously reported that the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will tout new health and fitness features.
pdfu has emerged as an intriguing source of code discoveries in recent weeks. The forum member previously spotted references to two unreleased game controllers in the first macOS 26.7 release candidate, identified by the internal names T6502 and T1057, and separately found evidence in audioOS 27 beta 8 pointing to a four-speaker HomePod surround sound system and a new "Party Mode" feature.
Xiaomi today officially announced the 18 Fold, its first wide-format foldable, at a product event in China, two days before Apple is expected to unveil its own first foldable iPhone.
The Xiaomi 18 Fold uses a similar wide-folding design to the Samsung Z Fold8 and Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone. It features a 5.38-inch outer display and a 7.58-inch inner display, both with 120Hz LTPO technology and 4000 nits of peak brightness. The display is protected by a new double-layer ultra-thin glass structure.
The phone folds around a redesigned hinge Xiaomi calls the "Dragon Bone" hinge, which the company says underwent 492 structural optimizations, facilitating a noticeably more rounded design than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8. It launches in four finishes, including a Nishino Red colorway and a limited Ceramic Special Edition capped at 1,500 units.
The 18 Fold is the first flagship to contain Xiaomi's in-house Xring O3 chip, built using a 3nm process with a 10-core CPU clocked to 4.35GHz and a 16-core GPU. Xiaomi says the chip delivers a 60% multi-core CPU gain and an 85% GPU performance gain over its predecessor, with power draw down 25% and 64% respectively, alongside a dedicated NPU rated at 200 TOPS.
The rear camera system was developed with Leica and is led by a 200-megapixel main sensor, alongside a 50-megapixel ultrawide and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom. Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to feature two rear cameras only, with no dedicated telephoto camera.
The device ships with Xiaomi's HyperOS 4 software and a 6,000mAh battery supporting 67W wired and 50W wireless charging. Pricing starts at 10,999 yuan (approximately $1,638), for the base 12GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration, rising to 14,999 yuan (approximately $2,235) for the top 16GB/1TB model, with a limited Ceramic Special Edition at 15,999 yuan (approximately $2,384). Apple's foldable is widely expected to be priced above $2,000.
Xiaomi also introduced the Xiaomi Pad 9 Pro Max tablet at the event, which shares the Xring O3 chip, along with three electric vehicles under its Pengcheng brand. The company has not announced global availability for the 18 Fold; its earlier Mix Fold foldables have stayed exclusive to China.
Apple's September 9 iPhone announcement event could become a negative catalyst for the stock, KeyBanc Capital Markets warns.
In a research note seen by Investing.com, KeyBanc said the event could motivate investors to weigh pricing decisions against the impact of higher costs on demand and margins. KeyBanc added that Apple faces a choice to either raise prices broadly to offset gross margin pressure, which could hurt unit volumes and trigger "sticker shock," or raise prices more selectively.
This could invite greater scrutiny of margins and raise the prospect of further price increases later down the line. The firm maintained an "Underweight" rating on Apple and a $250 price target, against a share price of $324.96 at the time of publication.
KeyBanc models total iPhone 18 lineup builds at around 80 million units across the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 and first quarter of fiscal 2027, down from roughly 91 million units a year earlier. The firm attributed most of the decline to the absence of a base iPhone 18 model in this part of the product cycle, with higher pricing and a richer product mix expected to partially offset the lower volumes.
KeyBanc is also expecting a $150 price increase for the iPhone 18 Pro, raising it to $1,249, and a $200 increase for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, raising it to $1,399. The firm expects the foldable "iPhone Ultra" to start at $2,199.
KeyBanc also pointed to a historical pattern of Apple shares weakening around iPhone announcements, with the stock averaging a 0.72% decline on announcement day over the past five years and a 1.22% decline five trading days later. Apple's "Surprise and shine" event commences at 10 a.m. Pacific time on Wednesday, September 9.
Apple is looking at further ways to monetize the App Store and increase the company's recurring revenue from the platform, according to a new report.
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that newly appointed Apple CEO John Ternus and services chief Eddy Cue are behind the effort to raise margins from the App Store, which already generates Apple an estimated $30 billion a year.
Interestingly, Gurman ties the effort to Apple Fellow Phil Schiller's decision to step away from running the App Store and work on other unspecified projects. Schiller, now 66 and edging toward retirement, "seems to believe that such moves will only irk developers and governments," he said. Based on what Gurman has heard from internal sources at the company, he added that "there was no internal blowup or anything like that, [but] it's something he wanted no part of."
Back in February 2025, as part of Apple's ongoing legal battle with Epic Games, Schiller testified that he initially opposed the 27 percent commission Apple originally wanted to charge on purchases made outside the App Store, citing compliance risks and potential developer backlash.
Schiller said in court that he had concerns that the fee would create an "antagonistic relationship" between Apple and developers, and worried about Apple becoming "some kind of collection agency" that might need to audit developers who didn't pay.
Apple has not collected fees from App Store link-outs in the U.S. since April 2025, after being found to be in contempt of court for charging 27 percent commission and ordered by a judge to stop the practice. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Apple's challenge to the contempt ruling, but hasn't yet decided it.
Meanwhile, Apple is now said to be moving responsibility for the App Store to Cue, who oversaw it until 2015, when Schiller took over. Carson Oliver, who has long been on the App Store team, will oversee its day-to-day operations.
App Store Earnings Down
Apple admitted during its July earnings call that regulatory changes have started to weigh on its Services growth. Apple reported services revenue of $30.7 billion for the June quarter, a record for the period but short of the $31.4 billion that analysts expected.
Separately, analytics firm Appfigures said in August that Apple's U.S. commission revenue from the App Store has fallen 18 percent since the start of 2026. It also found App Store revenue declining in Brazil and Japan since both countries introduced new regulations.
Tim Cook will attend the screening for Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event this Wednesday, but he will not feature in the event video itself, according to sources cited by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Cook stepped down as Apple CEO on September 1 to become executive chairman of the company, paving the way for John Ternus to take over the top job.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple has "carefully orchestrated this transition to make Ternus the face of the foldable iPhone and all the new products to come. Putting Cook in the presentation would just undermine that."
Apple's AirTag 2 is on sale for $79.99 this weekend on Amazon, down from $99.00. This deal is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's a match of the record low price for the accessory, beating the previous low by about $5.
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.
We're also tracking a smaller deal on the AirTag 2 1-Pack, available for $24.00, down from $29.00. This is another record low price on the AirTag 2.
The new AirTag is equipped with a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, enabling the Precision Finding feature to work up to 50% farther away from an item compared to the previous-generation model.
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 announced the M6 chip last week, just ahead of its September iPhone event, providing the clearest indication yet of what the A20 will bring to the iPhone 18 lineup.
Apple silicon generations share much of their architecture across the A-series and the M-series, so a new A-series chip normally functions as a partial preview of the M-series chip that follows it. This year the order reversed; the M6 was revealed on August 25, ahead of the A20 Pro expected in the iPhone 18 Pro this month.
Recent reports place the A20 Pro at up to 18% faster and up to 30% more power efficient than the A19 Pro, which is broadly similar to the M6 over the M5.
Apple's First 2nm iPhone Chip
The M6 is Apple's first chip built on TSMC's 2nm (N2) process, with the second almost certain to be the A20. Being a smaller manufacturing process, N2 has higher transistor density, allowing Apple to pack more performance into a smaller area.
Apple has historically debuted new nodes on the A-series, since iPhone volume validates yields, so introducing N2 in an $899 Mac mini represents a change. As such, reports that the A20 and A20 Pro will move to N2 are now supported by a shipping product rather than analyst predictions. The consequence for the iPhone event is that the "Apple's first 2nm chip" claim is no longer available.
Dual Neural Engine?
The iPhone's Neural Engine has remained at 16 cores and approximately 35 trillion operations per second since the A17 Pro, spanning three generations. The M6 introduces a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, which Apple says system frameworks can address simultaneously for up to 2x the peak compute of previous generations.
The change corresponds with the reported move to WMCM packaging, which integrates memory onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine to shorten the path between them. It is possible that die area and thermal constraints may limit a dual engine to the A20 Pro.
GPU AI Gains Are Now Incremental
Apple said the M5 delivered over 4x the peak GPU compute for AI compared to the M4, reflecting the introduction of Neural Accelerators within each GPU core. The M6 is rated at nearly 30% over the M5.
The A19 Pro recorded a comparable 4x improvement on the iPhone 17 Pro last September for the same architectural reason. Second-generation Neural Accelerators consequently appear to represent a refinement rather than another step change, suggesting the A20 Pro will not repeat the A19 Pro's headline figure.
Graphics Improvements Should Carry Across
The M6 adds 50% increased geometry rates, an updated shader core architecture, revised Dynamic Caching, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. These are architectural changes and comparable graphics work has historically appeared across both the A-series and M-series within the same generation.
Memory Bandwidth Suggests a Modest A20 Gain
Memory bandwidth determines how quickly data moves between the memory and the processor, and it is the main constraint on running large language models on device. The M6 provides up to 170GB/s, which Apple describes as a 10% increase over the M5's 153.6GB/s.
That increase is small enough to indicate Apple is using a faster grade of the same LPDDR5X memory rather than moving to the newer LPDDR6 standard, which would have delivered a far larger jump. Reports indicate Apple is sourcing high-speed LPDDR5X from Samsung for the iPhone 18 lineup, and the M6 is consistent with that.
The implication for the A20 is that memory bandwidth is unlikely to improve dramatically. The A19 Pro is rated at 76.8GB/s, and a similar 10% uplift would take the A20 Pro to roughly 85GB/s. Any meaningful gain in how quickly the iPhone 18 Pro loads and runs on-device models is therefore more likely to come from WMCM packaging shortening the distance data travels than from the memory itself.
AV1 Encode Remains Absent
The M6 Media Engine supports hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, with AV1 decode but no AV1 encode, matching the M5. The omission on a new process node in a desktop chip makes its inclusion in the A20 Pro highly unlikely.
After years of rumors, the highly anticipated foldable iPhone is almost here, but that's not all we're expecting to see at next week's big event, and we've got full coverage of expectations for the "Surprise and Shine" event.
Beyond the event, this week also saw John Ternus take over from Tim Cook as Apple CEO, while we learned a bit more about what's coming in iOS 27 and how Apple has been trying to respond to massive demand for its desktop Macs amid the surge in AI computing, so read on below for all of the details!
Top Stories
iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18 Pro, and More: Apple's September 9 Event Preview
Apple's September event will take place on Wednesday, September 9, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. At the event, Apple will announce its 2026 iPhone lineup, and this year is a big one. Along with the slab-style iPhones we've been using for years, Apple is going to debut its first foldable device. We'll also get new Apple Watches, a new set of AirPods, and possibly some other surprises.
Everything we expect to see at the "Surprise and Shine" event is recapped in our event guide and overview video, so make sure to check it out.
Read John Ternus' First Memo to Apple Employees as CEO
In his first memo to employees as CEO, Ternus thanked employees for a warm welcome, expressed thanks to Cook for his contributions to Apple and assisting with the transition, and shared excitement about the future including "a huge launch" next week.
iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders May Start at an Unusual Time
Following next Wednesday's event, pre-orders for the new iPhone hardware may start at an unusual time. Pre-orders for the new iPhone models typically start at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on the Friday immediately following the event, but this year that falls on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
As it did back in 2015 when pre-orders would also have fallen on the 11th, Apple will reportedly push things back this year and begin accepting pre-orders at midnight Pacific Time on Saturday, September 12.
iOS 27 Introduces New 'iPhone Handoff' Feature
Back at WWDC in June, Apple made the briefest of mentions about iOS 27 offering the ability to share a phone number between devices, and now we know how that feature will work.
MacRumors forum member pdfu this week shared a video showing how users will set up the feature, dubbed iPhone Handoff, from the Cellular section of the Settings app. iPhone Handoff will require carrier support, with the user's main eSIM remaining on their primary phone and a companion eSIM being sent to another iPhone. Once activated, a single phone number will be used across both devices, with the phone number automatically switching back and forth to whichever device is unlocked at the moment.
Foldable iPhone Ultra Likely Has MagSafe Charging
In addition to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, next week's event will also see the long-awaited introduction of Apple's first foldable iPhone. The device will sacrifice a few features in order to enable its ultra-thin profile, and until recently it was thought that MagSafe charging might be one of those things.
Apple Caught Off Guard by AI Demand for Mac Mini and Mac Studio
Apple's unusually timed announcement of new Mac mini and Mac Studio models last week was driven by unexpectedly strong enterprise appetite for AI hardware, according to The Information. Apple normally releases new Mac models in the fall, closer to October or November, but Apple pulled Mac announcements ahead of the anticipated arrival of new iPhone models as it has sought to meet strong demand for its desktop Macs.
Apple highlighted the Mac mini and Mac Studio's shift toward business buyers back in June, with a "Business at the Park" event involving executives from major companies Ford, Disney, and Anthropic. The Mac mini was said to be the "darling" of the event.
A surge in demand for Mac hardware to run AI models has coincided with the global memory shortage, leaving many Mac mini and Mac Studio configurations out of stock for months and making the new models a priority to allow Apple to offer improved performance and higher production volumes.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Apple's September event will take place on Wednesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple will announce its 2026 iPhone lineup, and this year is a big one. Along with the slab-style iPhones we've been using for years, Apple is going to debut its first foldable device. We'll also get new Apple Watches, a new set of AirPods, and possibly some other surprises.
Everything we expect to see at the "Surprise and Shine" event is below.
Foldable iPhone
Apple's 2026 iPhone lineup will include its first foldable device. We don't know what Apple will call it, but rumors suggest it might be named the iPhone Ultra.
Apple has designed a book-style foldable that has an iPad-like layout when it's opened up. It will have a ~5.5-inch OLED outer display, which is what you'll use when the iPhone is closed. It will unfold into a larger OLED display that's approximately 7.8 inches.
The design is wider than it is tall when it's open, and you can picture it as something like an iPad mini that folds in half. Samsung's recent Galaxy Z Fold8 matches the foldable iPhone rumors, so it may be the best look at the size and layout of Apple's device.
Apple wanted a crease-free design, but that doesn't seem to be possible with a foldable yet. The iPhone Ultra will instead have a minimal crease and a durable liquid metal hinge. Foldables are delicate and hinges can be a weak point, so Apple focused on durability. Rumors indicate Apple could have some tricks to keep the crease less visible over time, such as optically clear adhesive that will fill in any micro-cracks caused by repeated folding.
When unfolded, the iPhone Ultra could be as thin as 4.5mm, making it Apple's thinnest iPhone to date. That would make it 9mm when folded, which is close to the thickness of the 8.75mm iPhone 17 Pro Max. With a chassis that thin, Apple had to make design compromises.
There is reportedly no space for the TrueDepth camera system for Face ID, so it's going to use Touch ID instead. There will be a Touch ID side button, similar to the iPad Air and iPad mini. Though Face ID isn't included, there will be front cameras for both the inner and outer displays.
Apple also didn't have room for a three-lens rear camera system, so the iPhone Ultra won't have a telephoto lens. Rumors suggest it will have an Ultra Wide lens and a Wide lens located on the back of the device, so the rear camera works whether the iPhone Ultra is folded or unfolded.
The iPhone Ultra will have a 2nm A20 Pro chip. The A20 Pro is expected to be around 18 percent faster and up to 30 percent more power efficient than the A19 Pro, and it could have a 7-core GPU, a wider memory interface, and a larger L2 cache for its efficiency cores. We're expecting 12GB of RAM.
Apple's 2026 iPhones could use its house-designed C2 modem, which is expected to be faster and more efficient than the C1X. It's not yet clear if Apple has added mmWave technology to the C2, and if it hasn't, foldable iPhone models sold in the U.S. could use Qualcomm modems instead. mmWave 5G isn't widely used outside of the U.S., but it is an expected feature for U.S. iPhones. The other alternative is limiting the foldable iPhone to sub–6GHz 5G speeds worldwide.
Each half of the iPhone Ultra will have a battery inside, and it could have a total capacity in the 5,400 to 5,800 mAh range. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 5,088 mAh battery for comparison.
Apple isn't taking risks with color. The iPhone Ultra will come in silver/white and a second color that's been described as a very deep shade of indigo that's close to black.
Software could make or break the iPhone Ultra, and Apple has been telling developers to design their apps for a variety of sizes and aspect ratios to accommodate the two foldable screens. The iPhone Ultra is likely to support multitasking, side-by-side apps, and sidebars, much like the iPad.
Apple's first foldable won't be cheap. According to rumors, it will cost at least $2,000, and higher-capacity models could be upwards of $2,500.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
The iPhone 18 Pro models will look a lot like the iPhone 17 Pro models, with no major design changes expected. There are rumors that the iPhone 18 Pro Max might be a little bit thicker and heavier because of a larger battery, but iPhone 17 Pro cases are expected to fit the iPhone 18 Pro models. The camera plateau could be slightly thicker to accommodate a new variable aperture lens.
Apple has new colors planned, including a dark cherry shade, light blue, and silver. Rumors suggest there won't be a black iPhone 18 Pro option.
With the iPhone 17 Pro models, there's a clear color contrast between the frosted glass back and the aluminum casing, but that might be more subtle with the iPhone 18 Pro. While the overall shape isn't being updated, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could have a smaller Dynamic Island. There were early rumors about under-display Face ID with no Dynamic Island at all, but that's not going to happen.
There may be a noticeable increase in battery life due to the larger capacity battery rumored for the 18 Pro Max (5,567 mAh), plus efficiency improvements from the 2nm A20 Pro chip it's supposed to get and an upgrade in display technology. Rumors say Apple is using an LTPO+ display that's more efficient than the current OLED display.
Apple plans to upgrade the main rear camera with a DSLR-like variable aperture, giving users more control over the light that reaches the lens. An option for a smaller aperture in bright lighting could improve exposure, while a larger aperture in lower lighting conditions would let in more light to reduce grain and produce sharper images. A variable aperture also gives more control over background blur. Some rumors suggest this might be a feature exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but it's not clear if that's accurate.
Apple could use a three-layer stacked image sensor developed by Samsung, which would make the camera more responsive and improve low-light performance. The Telephoto lens could have a wider aperture to let in more light, but no changes are rumored for the Ultra Wide lens or the front-facing camera.
There might be changes to the Camera Control button. Apple is supposedly simplifying it to eliminate the capacitive layer that lets you swipe to adjust camera settings on the button.
As with the foldable iPhone, some or all of the iPhone 18 Pro models could get Apple's C2 modem, but again, it's possible U.S. models will have Qualcomm modems for mmWave 5G.
Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, the iPhone 18 Pro models will be more expensive. Apple is paying more for memory and storage, and prices for Macs and iPads already went up. We could see a price increase ranging from $100 to $300.
Apple Watch Series 12
The Apple Watch Series 12 won't design changes, but Apple could bring back the ceramic case option. We're expecting an updated processor that could bring improvements to health and fitness tracking.
Apple is testing a feature that would let the heart rate sensor continuously collect data throughout the day, powering a new Health app feature that could show wellness-related info similar to what the Oura Ring offers.
Apple Watch Ultra 4
Like the Apple Watch Series 12, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will have no major changes. It's likely to get the same upgraded processor and related changes.
AirPods 5
References to AirPods 5 were found in the macOS 26.7 release candidate, and the new earbuds could launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models. Apple could add an updated H3 chip for improved sound quality and lower latency, and we're likely to still get an ANC version and a non-ANC version.
Possible Product Launches
Home hub - Apple is working on a home hub with a 7-inch square display, an integrated camera, presence detection sensors, and more. It will control smart home devices, but it will also run apps. Rumors suggest it can be used to make video calls, play content, and interact with Siri AI, the new version of Siri in iOS 27. Apple has been waiting to launch the home hub because Siri AI is a central feature of the new device.
Apple TV 4K - There's a new Apple TV with a faster processor in the works, and it could come at the September event. No design changes are expected, but an updated chip could support Siri AI and new gameplay features. There are also signs of a new remote in Apple code.
HomePod mini - The HomePod mini is due for a refresh, and it's also expected to get a faster processor. We haven't heard word of design changes, but it could come in new colors.
Software Updates
At the September 9 event, Apple will announce the release dates for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27. Apple will also likely seed release candidate versions of the updates to developers and public beta testers following the event.
Based on historical release timelines, iOS 27 and its sister updates could come out as soon as September 14.
What Not to Expect
There are several other products rumored to be launching before the end of 2026, but they'll likely come at a second event in October or November. There's also a notable omission from the lineup, because Apple is going to delay the iPhone 18.
iPhone 18 - The standard iPhone 18 will not launch in September 2026, with Apple instead planning to debut it in spring 2027 alongside the iPhone 18e and the iPhone Air 2. In the fall, we're only getting the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone.
Apple Watch SE 4 - There won't be a new Apple Watch SE 4 this year.
M6 MacBook Pro - A new entry-level MacBook Pro with an M6 chip is coming before the end of the year, but not at the September event.
M6 iMac - There's also an M6 iMac rumored to be coming in 2026, but Apple is likely to hold a Mac event to announce it, or do it via press release at a later date.
OLED MacBook Pro - We've been waiting on an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro, and it's rumored for late 2026 or early 2027. It's not a candidate for Apple's September event.
OLED iPad mini - There's an OLED iPad mini in development, and it's expected to launch before the end of October. It's another one that's unlikely for an iPhone event.
Apple's New CEO
New Apple CEO John Ternus has presented at Apple events before, but the iPhone event will be the first he hosts as CEO in place of Tim Cook.
Cook was Apple's CEO for 15 years, so a transition to Ternus leading an event is a major change.
Cook is now Apple's executive chairman, and he may not make an appearance during the event at all.
iPhone Preorders
Apple almost always holds preorders on the Friday after an event, but this year, that Friday is 9/11. It's unlikely Apple will do iPhone preorders on Friday because of the date, so orders could happen on Saturday instead. The last time iPhone preorders overlapped with the 9/11 date in 2015, Apple pushed orders to Saturday.
If Apple follows the same pattern, the iPhone 18 Pro models and the iPhone Ultra could be available for preorder on Saturday, September 12. Back in 2015, Apple started preorders at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, but in recent years, preorders have started at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Preorders this year could take place at 5:00 a.m. on September 12.
The new iPhones will likely launch on Friday, September 18, regardless of preorder date.
How to Watch
Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event will start at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, September 9. Apple will livestream the event on its website, on YouTube, and through the Apple TV app on supported devices.
For those unable to watch the livestream, MacRumors will have full event coverage on MacRumors.com and the MacRumorsLive X account. We'll also take a much closer look at all of the new products after the event.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Ultra," is expected to launch without at least four features that will be present on the iPhone 18 Pro models, despite a price tag of at least $2,000.
The iPhone Air lacks Ultra Wide and Telephoto rear cameras, a SIM card slot, and stereo speakers. With a super thin design, a titanium frame, and a glass back, the iPhone Ultra is expected to be very similar to the iPhone Air in terms of design, and it is possible that similar concessions will be present on the device. There are no indications that the iPhone Ultra will be missing stereo speakers, but it is not out of the question given the other compromises Apple has chosen to make. Based on over a year of reports and rumors, the iPhone Ultra could be missing the following features:
MagSafe was originally in question earlier in the rumor cycle.
Face ID
The iPhone Ultra is believed to be too thin to accommodate Apple's TrueDepth camera array, which is required for Face ID authentication, so Apple is expected to revert to a Touch ID side button instead.
The last flagship iPhone with Touch ID was 2016's iPhone 7. The iPhone 18 Pro models are moving in the opposite direction, apparently relocating Face ID's flood illuminator beneath the screen to shrink the Dynamic Island.
Telephoto Camera
As visible on dummy models shared by Sonny Dickson, Vadim Yuryev, and others, the iPhone Ultra is expected to sport only two rear cameras. These are believed to be 48-megapixel Wide and Ultra Wide lenses, with no third Telephoto camera of the kind found on the Pro models.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said last month that the people who have used the device are impressed by it, but singled out the camera system as the most likely disappointment for buyers.
Action Button
Dummy models continue to point to the absence of the Action button. A power button and volume buttons are clearly visible, with the volume buttons located on the top edge of the device and aligned to the right, similar to the iPad mini, but the left edge appears to be entirely bare. That would make the iPhone Ultra the first iPhone with no Action button or silent switch, some three years after Apple introduced the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro as a replacement for the switch.
The unusual button layout was first rumored by Weibo leaker "Instant Digital," who said that the motherboard sits on the right side of the device. Rather than run cables across the display to the left side, where the volume buttons are located on every other iPhone, Apple is said to have decided to run them directly upwards to maximize internal space.
Rumors indicate that the iPhone Ultra will also lack a SIM card slot, just like the iPhone Air, being compatible with eSIM only. Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo both expect the device to be eSIM only in every market where it launches.
mmWave 5G Connectivity
The device is likely to miss mmWave 5G if it features Apple's in-house C2 modem as rumored, since reports indicate the C2 may still lack mmWave capability. iPhone 18 Pro models sold in the United States are expected to retain Qualcomm hardware because they support the mmWave bands used by American carriers. Apple does not sell mmWave-capable iPhones outside the U.S.
The iPhone Ultra's C2-based configuration would therefore advance Apple's modem transition, just like the iPhone Air, but could limit the device to sub-6GHz 5G.
MagSafe?
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has now indicated that MagSafe will make it into the device after all. Speaking in an interview with Tom's Guide, Gurman said "all indications that I've heard is that MagSafe is in for this foldable phone," pointing to the fact that Apple managed to fit the magnet array into the iPhone Air.
The uncertainty stemmed from the dummy models of the device that emerged earlier this year. Units shared by Dickson and Yuryev showed no indentations for the internal MagSafe magnets, while the mock iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max units shown alongside them clearly did. Leaked cases for the foldable, on the other hand, included a magnetic ring, leaving the question open until recently.
The rumored starting price for the iPhone Ultra varies, but reports agree that it will not be below $1,999, with Kuo placing it somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 and has all of the above features, and while the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to see a price increase of $200 to $300, the iPhone Ultra's compromises could still prove controversial.
Apple will almost certainly unveil the device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, September 9.
Apple could release a home security system and service in 2027, according to Bloomberg.
The company is designing a privacy-forward home security camera that will "use AI to monitor the surrounding environment instead of actual video footage." It will apparently work with a new home security and monitoring service, but no additional detail on the service is included.
Apple is planning to release a home hub for controlling smart home devices before the end of the year, and rumors have previously suggested there's a camera in the works to go along with it. Early rumors indicated it would be a wireless camera with Siri integration and a connection to the home hub that's in development.
Apple already has HomeKit Secure Video, an Apple Home feature for third-party cameras. HomeKit Secure Video features end-to-end encryption and uses iCloud to securely stream and store video from compatible HomeKit cameras.
In iOS 27, Apple is upgrading its HomeKit camera features. The Home app is able to generate written summaries for motion alerts, plus it can surface highlights and group footage from different cameras together. The new features require a 2TB or higher iCloud+ plan, while HomeKit Secure Video requires a 50GB plan or better.
It's possible a future home security monitoring service could also be tied to iCloud+ and Apple's existing HomeKit Secure Video features.
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.
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