Apple today provided beta testers with updated beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, allowing them to test the new AirPods features in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. The firmware is only available to developers and public beta testers at the current time, and a device running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 is required to install the update. The firmware has a build number of 8A5324b, up from 8A5308b.
The firmware adds several features that Apple is debuting alongside iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.
The AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 support improved audio quality for phone calls and video calls, plus studio-quality audio recording for interviews, podcasts, and videos. There's also an option to use the AirPods as a camera remote with the Camera app to take photos or start a video recording.
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 the beta testing.
The iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, and macOS Sequoia 15.6 updates that Apple released today address dozens of vulnerabilities, according to Apple's security support documents. None of the vulnerabilities are known to have been actively exploited in the wild, but it's still a good idea to install the new updates right away.
There are over 20 vulnerability fixes in iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6. An issue with Accessibility could let a Passcode be read aloud by VoiceOver, and parsing maliciously crafted audio could lead to memory corruption.
The update includes eight WebKit-related fixes that could disclose sensitive user information, cause Safari to crash, and result in memory corruption. For iPad users unable to update to iPadOS 18.6, Apple released iPadOS 17.7.9 with a number of security fixes.
macOS Sequoia 15.6 patches over 80 vulnerabilities that could lead to crashes, leak sensitive user data, and more. There are fixes for the Dock, Find My, Notes, Safari, Spotlight, System Settings, and other apps and features.
There are also macOS Sonoma 14.7.7 and macOS Ventura 13.7.7 updates for those who have older Macs that can't run macOS Sequoia 15.6.
Apple's other updates released today, including visionOS 2.6, tvOS 18.6, and watchOS 11.6, include fixes for between 17 and 19 vulnerabilities.
Apple recommends keeping your devices up to date with the latest software to avoid issues caused by any of these security vulnerabilities. Apple says that updating software is one of the most important things that a user can do to maintain the security of Apple products.
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.6, the sixth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.6 comes a over two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.5.
Mac users can download the macOS Sequoia 15.6 update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15.
macOS Sequoia 15.6 is light on new features. According to Apple's release notes, the update provides important bug fixes and security updates.
More information on the features in macOS Sequoia can be found in our macOS Sequoia roundup. Apple will soon replace macOS Sequoia with macOS Tahoe, an update that is being beta tested ahead of a fall launch.
Apple today released iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, the sixth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems. iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 come more than two months after the release of iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
iOS 18.6 addresses a Photos-related bug that could prevent users from being able to share memory movies in the Photos app. Apple's release notes are below.
This update provides important bug fixes and security updates, and fixes an issue in Photos that could prevent memory movies from being shared.
The iOS and iPadOS 18.6 updates also bring changes to the App Store rules in the European Union. EU iPhone and iPad users will see a new interface for installing alternative app marketplaces or apps from a developer's website.
Apple's work on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 is winding down, and the company is already beta testing iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. The updates are set to come out in September alongside new iPhone models.
Apple today released watchOS 11.6, the sixth update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.6 comes more than two months after Apple released watchOS 11.5. The update is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2.
watchOS 11.6 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery and it needs to be placed on a charger.
The watchOS 11.6 update focuses on bug fixes and security improvements, with no new features included. Apple's release notes are below.
This update provides bug fixes and important security updates for your Apple Watch.
Apple will soon replace watchOS 11 with watchOS 26, an update that is set to come out this fall.
Apple today released tvOS 18.6, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.6 comes 11 weeks after the launch of tvOS 18.5, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models.
tvOS 18.6 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to the new version of tvOS automatically.
Apple shares full release notes for tvOS in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each new version of tvOS comes out.
Apple has also released a new version of the HomePod Software 18.6 for the HomePod and HomePod mini. HomePod software is based on tvOS. According to Apple's release notes, the HomePod software update includes performance and stability improvements.
Apple today released visionOS 2.6, the sixth update to the visionOS 2 operating system that came out in September. visionOS 2.6 comes two months after the launch of visionOS 2.5.
visionOS 2.6 can be downloaded on all Vision Pro headsets by navigating to the Settings app, selecting the General section, and choosing the Software Update option.
According to Apple's release notes, visionOS 2.6 focuses on bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements. There are no new features in the update.
Apple is working on an updated version of the Apple TV, and rumors suggest that we could see it before the end of the year. We've rounded up all of the rumors on the features that we could see with the new model.
New A-Series Chip - The next-generation Apple TV is expected to get an updated A-series chip. The Apple TV could get the prior-generation A17 Pro, the current A18 series chips, or the A19 chips that are coming with the iPhone 17 lineup. With any of these chips, the Apple TV will support console-quality games thanks to much improved CPU and GPU performance.
Apple-designed Wi-Fi Chip - Apple is developing its own communications chip that combines Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, reducing its reliance on Broadcom. Apple's chip is expected to feature either Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, so either way it will work on the 6GHz Wi-Fi band. Users can expect faster Wi-Fi speeds and lower latency.
A Camera? - This is far from guaranteed and we haven't heard anything about it for quite some time, but there have been rumors suggesting that a future version of the Apple TV could have a front-facing camera for FaceTime. Right now, the Apple TV requires a connected iPhone for FaceTime calls, but if a built-in camera is added, an iPhone wouldn't be needed. A camera could also add support for gesture-based controls.
tvOS 26 - The next-generation Apple TV will run tvOS 26, the latest version of tvOS that Apple is beta testing right now. tvOS 26 has the new Liquid Glass design, changes to the Apple TV app interface, easier profile selection when logging in, Live Captions for FaceTime, and new aerial screensavers. There's also an option to use an iPhone as a microphone with the Apple Music Sing karaoke feature on the Apple TV.
Pricing - There's a possibility that Apple will cut costs for the next Apple TV, and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that Apple is targeting a price point around $100. If Apple uses the latest chips, it might not be able to hit that price with the flagship model, but there could be a lower-end entry-level option that's more affordable.
Apple could release the new Apple TV model as soon as September at its iPhone-centric event, but a new Apple TV could also be held until a second event in October or November.
For more on the next Apple TV 4K, we have a dedicated rumor guide that receives regular updates.
Specifically, it was rumored that the Telephoto lens in the iPhone 17 Pro models will be able to move, allowing for multiple focal lengths. As a result, the tipster claimed that the iPhone 17 Pro models will let you switch between 5× and 8× optical zoom, without tricks like sensor cropping. A moving Telephoto lens would require more parts and internal space, which could explain why the camera bump is expected to increase in size this year.
On the iPhone 16 Pro models, the Telephoto lens has a fixed focal length of 120mm, and it offers a single 5× optical zoom option. Apple says the devices also have a 2× optical zoom option, but that uses the main rear camera with sensor cropping, which in simple terms is a technique that effectively zooms in on the center of a larger photo.
Of the three rear camera lenses on the iPhone 16 Pro models, the Telephoto lens is the one that is furthest to the right, so the parts that would allow the lens to move on the iPhone 17 Pro models could be housed inside the middle of the camera bump, in the area between the lenses and the LED flash/rear microphone/LiDAR Scanner.
For now, this is only speculation about a rumor. We should find out what Apple has officially planned in just about six weeks from now.
Another image of the iPhone 17 Pro's rumored new MagSafe design has surfaced. Unfortunately, though, the image's quality is pretty low.
A user known as "UnclePan" on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week shared an image of third-party MagSafe cases that are apparently for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
On the iPhone 17 Pro cases, the MagSafe layout has changed slightly, with the magnets no longer forming a complete circle on those devices.
On the regular iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air, however, the MagSafe design is unchanged compared to previous iPhone models.
As always, the MagSafe outline will only be visible on cases, and not on the iPhones directly.
Years ago, "UnclePan" accurately leaked that the Apple Watch Series 7 would be available in then-new 41mm and 45mm sizes, but the account does not have a perfect track record. However, this particular rumor has been corroborated by other sources.
Apple will likely announce the iPhone 17 series in just about six weeks from now.
JPMorgan Chase is in "advanced talks" with Apple about becoming the Apple Card's new financial partner, according to The Wall Street Journal.
JPMorgan owns Chase Bank, one of the largest banking chains in the United States.
Barclays and Synchrony were also reportedly in the running to become the Apple Card's new financial partner, but it looks like JPMorgan Chase is currently the frontrunner. The report said JPMorgan Chase's talks with Apple "accelerated in recent months."
JPMorgan Chase would be taking over for Goldman Sachs.
Goldman Sachs is in the process of winding down its consumer lending business, which has lost billions of dollars in recent years. On an earnings call this year, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said the company is contracted to be the Apple Card's lender until 2030, but he said there is a "possibility" that the partnership will end earlier.
Last year, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined Apple and Goldman Sachs nearly $90 million combined after finding the companies mishandled transaction disputes and misled iPhone users about interest-free payment options.
If the Apple Card does eventually get a new financial partner, it is unclear if there would be any major changes to the card's features and policies.
Apple will launch its first foldable iPhone in September 2026 as part of the iPhone 18 lineup, according to JPMorgan.
In a market research note to investors, the bank supported the increasingly corroborated rumor that Apple will launch the device next year. The iPhone 17 lineup will apparently offer few compelling upgrades, resulting in investor focus shifting to Apple's 2026 launches.
The first foldable iPhone will apparently be priced at $1,999 and create a $65 billion market opportunity for Apple, with high-single-digit earnings accretion in the medium term. JPMorgan forecasts foldable iPhone sales of around 45 million units by 2028, starting in the low-teens millions in 2027. Foldable smartphone sales in 2025 reside at around 19 million units; Apple's influence on the market is expected to be considerable.
Apple's first foldable iPhone is rumored to feature an inward-folding book-style 7.8-inch display with virtually no crease, a 5.5-inch outer display, a titanium chassis, a durable hinge with Liquid Metal, two rear cameras, and Touch ID instead of Face ID.
Today we're tracking a collection of discounts on Apple's M4 MacBook Pro at Amazon, including as much as $436 off select models of the computer. Most of these deals represent new all-time low prices on each model.
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.
Deals include both 14-inch and 16-inch models, and the most notable deals this time around are on the former group. You can get the entry-level 16GB RAM/512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro for $1,299.00, down from $1,599.00. This represents a new record low price on the model, and both M4 1TB models are also seeing new best-ever prices at $300 off during this sale.
For the 16-inch models, you'll find the steepest deals on these computers on Amazon this week. The biggest discount is on the high-end M4 Max 48GB RAM/1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro, available for $3,562.84, down from $3,999.00.
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 today announced the all-new Apple Manufacturing Academy, which kicks off with a two-day event in Detroit, Michigan next month.
On August 19-20, Apple engineers and Michigan State University experts will consult with small- and medium-sized businesses on how they can implement AI and other technologies to enhance manufacturing, according to the announcement.
The sessions will focus on machine learning, automation, and more.
The two-day event is just one aspect of the Apple Manufacturing Academy. Apple engineers are also offering in-person and virtual consulting services. And later this year, the academy will offer virtual programming.
"Apple works with suppliers in all 50 states because we know advanced manufacturing is vital to American innovation and leadership," said Apple's COO Sabih Khan. "With this new programming, we're thrilled to help even more businesses implement smart manufacturing so they can unlock amazing opportunities for their companies and our country."
India has overtaken China as the leading manufacturer of smartphones shipped to the United States, a change largely driven by Apple, according to Canalys.
New data from Canalys shows that iPhone shipments to the United States fell 11% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2025, as the company accelerated a major supply chain shift to India amid persistent trade tensions with China; Apple shipped 13.3 million iPhones to the U.S. between April and June, down from 14.9 million units in the same period last year.
The decline follows a strong first quarter in which Apple saw a 25% year-over-year shipment increase, partly attributed to early consumer purchases ahead of anticipated tariffs. Canalys attributes the second-quarter decline to a combination of frontloaded demand, rising economic pressure on consumers, and increased competition in the low- and mid-range segments of the market.
Despite the drop in shipments, Apple remained the leading smartphone vendor in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2025, holding a 49% market share. This still represents a 7% decline from the 56% share recorded in the second quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, Samsung obtained 38% year-over-year growth, reaching 8.3 million units shipped and expanding its market share from 23% to 31%.
The share of U.S. smartphone shipments assembled in China dropped from 61% in the second quarter of 2024 to 25% in the second quarter of 2025. India now accounts for 44% of U.S. smartphone imports, up from just 13% a year ago. This marks the first time India has overtaken China as the leading manufacturing hub for smartphones shipped to the United States.
India became the leading manufacturing hub for smartphones sold in the U.S. for the very first time in Q2 2025, largely driven by Apple's accelerated supply chain shift to India amid an uncertain trade landscape between the U.S. and China. Apple has scaled up its production capacity in India over the last several years as a part of its 'China Plus One' strategy and has opted to dedicate most of its export capacity in India to supply the U.S. market so far in 2025.
Apple began assembling iPhone 16 Pro models in India during the quarter, marking a significant expansion of the company's operations in the country. Nevertheless, the company continues to rely on manufacturing facilities in China to meet the full scale of U.S. demand for Pro models.
The shift is part of Apple's broader effort to mitigate risk from U.S.-China trade tensions and reduce dependence on a single country for production. Apple also continued to frontload inventories in the second quarter to prepare for potential tariffs later in 2025.
Apple built up its inventories rapidly toward the end of Q1 and sought to maintain this level in Q2. Yet, the market only grew 1% despite vendors frontloading inventory, indicating tepid demand in an increasingly pressured economic environment and a widening gap between sell-in and sell-through.
The 1% overall market growth in U.S. smartphone shipments in the second quarter suggests that consumer appetite for new smartphones remains subdued. Apple is expected to report earnings on July 31.
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.
While the iPhone 17 Pro is not expected to launch until September, a prototype of the device has potentially been spotted in the wild. However, the mysterious device could be just about anything, so this might simply be a false alarm.
X account @Skyfops today shared two somewhat blurry photos of the mysterious device. The post was later shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild," the post said.
In one of the photos, a person wearing reflective sunglasses can be seen holding what appears to be an iPhone inside of a thick black protective case, which might be intended to disguise the design of the iPhone 17 Pro in public. They are also holding what appears to be an iPhone 16 Pro with a sticker on the back of it, which could be hiding a data matrix code that allows Apple to track internal iPhones used by employees for development purposes.
What might make the disguised device an iPhone 17 Pro? Rumors indicate that the back of the device will have a rectangular camera bump, with the LED flash, rear microphone, and LiDAR Scanner expected to be vertically aligned on the right side of the bump. And in the photo, the back of the device seems to have circular openings in the top-right corner for what could be the LED flash and LiDAR Scanner.
Gurman seems to think the photos might be the real deal. "This looks legit," he said.
Adding to the intrigue, @Skyfops alleged that "the guy on the right was security and trying to go in front of the iPhone to hide it."
The user is located in Los Angeles, according to the account's bio.
Even if this really was an iPhone 17 Pro prototype in the wild, these photos do not really show anything that is not already rumored. But who doesn't love an old-school 2010-era rumor in mid-summer, as we count down the days to Apple's announcement?
Just hours after we published a long list of Apple Stores that are opening or closing this year, Apple has announced one more.
The existing Apple Shadyside opened in 2004
Apple Shadyside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will be on the move next month, with the store set to relocate from 5508 Walnut Street to 5436 Walnut Street. The new store is in a two-floor unit that was previously occupied by clothing brand Gap. Apple has completed extensive renovations to the unit, which has an all-new facade.
The new store will be holding its grand opening on Saturday, August 9 at 10 a.m. local time, according to Apple's website. It is located just west of Bellefonte Street, just steps away from Apple's existing store on Walnut Street.
The new store is significantly larger than the original Apple Shadyside, which will be closing as part of the shuffle. It will have an updated design, which typically includes an Apple Pickup station for in-store pickup of online orders, and often a Genius Bar with varied table and seat heights for improved accessibility. Apple's newer stores also use more engineered wood, whereas classic stores made extensive use of stainless steel.
Apple Shadyside first opened in September 2004, so the company has already been doing business on Walnut Street for more than 20 years.
Amazon has brought back the all-time low price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, available for $649.99, down from $799.00. We first tracked this deal during Prime Day, but it hasn't reappeared since then.
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.
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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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.
The existing Apple Shadyside opened in 2004
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.
