MacRumors

After a three-year wait, Apple finally upgraded the Apple Watch SE. The new Apple Watch SE 3 has several features that were previously reserved for more expensive models, but Apple didn't change the price at all.

The ‌Apple Watch SE 3‌ supports Always-On display technology, which the SE 2 lacked. You can now glance at the time and see complications without having to wake the watch, which is much more useful. The standard Apple Watch models have had Always-On displays since the Series 5, so it's long overdue for the SE. The Ion-X glass that protects the display is more durable than before, and it is 4x more resistant to cracking.

There's a faster S10 chip inside the ‌Apple Watch SE 3‌, which means it works with the Double Tap and Wrist Flick gestures that have been limited to newer Apple Watch models. Double Tap enables one-handed interactions with notifications, while Wrist Flick lets you dismiss notifications, calls, and more while your hands are full.

On-device Siri works faster thanks to a 4-core Neural Engine, plus ‌Siri‌ can answer health-related queries like giving you your heart rate. The ‌Apple Watch SE 3‌ also has double the storage of the SE 2, with 64GB.

Temperature sensing, Sleep Apnea detection, and Sleep Score are all ‌Apple Watch SE 3‌ functions that weren't available on the prior-generation version. Temperature tracking is used for women's health features and monitoring vitals, while Sleep Apnea detection detects potential breathing issues at night. Sleep Score assigns a numerical value to your sleep quality, taking into account bedtime, time asleep, and number of times you were woken in the night.

Compared to the more expensive Apple Watch Series 11, the SE line lacks ECGs, blood oxygen sensing, and hypertension notifications. It is also limited to 40mm and 44mm screen sizes, and doesn't have the newer, thinner display that Apple introduced with the Series 10.

Like the Series 11, the SE 3 supports 5G connectivity instead of relying solely on LTE. It is able to charge faster than before, reaching an 80 percent charge in 45 minutes. A 15 minute charge allows for eight hours of normal use, and an eight minute charge is enough for eight hours of sleep tracking.

If you have an Apple Watch SE 2, the ‌Apple Watch SE 3‌ is a great upgrade. It's also ideal if you've been waiting to upgrade from an older watch like the Series 4 or the Series 5.

The ‌Apple Watch SE 3‌ is priced starting at $249 for the GPS model, so it's $150 cheaper than the Apple Watch Series 11, which starts at $399.

The European Union is planning to query major tech companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Booking.com on whether they are doing enough to prevent online financial fraud, reports Financial Times.

European Commission tech leader Henna Virkkunen told Financial Times that the EC will ask the three tech companies for information on their efforts to block online scams that aim to steal money from Europeans. She said that financial scams are a new priority for the EC, with the commission looking to confirm that tech companies "take all their efforts to detect and prevent" fraudulent activity.

Virkkunen plans to look at how Apple and Google handle fake apps in their App Stores, like fake bank apps. Google and Microsoft will be asked about fake search results in Google Search and Bing, while Booking.com will be queried about fake listings.

The EC is just asking for information at this point, but there could be an investigation that leads to fines. The Digital Services Act allows for penalties up to six percent of a company's annual global turnover.

In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that it has continually improved its antifraud measures to keep consumers safe from ever-evolving fraud tactics. Apple also pointed out the hypocrisy of the EU's fraud investigation when EU law mandates support for alternative app marketplaces that can skirt Apple's antifraud protections.

As digital threats have evolved in scope and complexity over the years, Apple has expanded its antifraud initiatives to address these challenges and protect users. Every day, teams across Apple monitor and investigate fraudulent activity and utilize sophisticated tools to stop bad actors. Unfortunately, the European Commission is undermining our efforts by forcing Apple to allow alternative app distribution and payments, despite warnings that this puts users at greater risk of fraud and scams. While the regulator focuses on issuing misguided and counterproductive threats of investigation and fines, we will continue to advocate for the safety and security of our users.

Apple shares yearly reports on how its App Store review process prevents fraud and keeps consumers safe. In 2024, Apple said that the ‌App Store‌ prevented over $2 billion in fraudulent transactions. Over 146,000 developer accounts were terminated over fraud concerns, and 1.9 million ‌App Store‌ submissions were rejected due to security, reliability, and user experience concerns, including privacy violations and fraud concerns.

In the European Union, Apple is required to support third-party app marketplaces that allow consumers to install apps outside of the ‌App Store‌. Apple has a Notarization process that checks apps for "egregious fraud," but there are far fewer rules that non-App Store apps have to follow. Apple has continuously argued that the Digital Markets Act and alternative app marketplaces in the EU expose users to fraud and weaken Apple's security standards.

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.

Disney is increasing the price of Disney+, with the cost of the subscription service set to increase starting on October 21, 2025. Bundles that include Disney+ will also be more expensive.

The Disney+ ad-supported plan is currently priced at $9.99 per month, but the price is going up to $11.99 per month. The ad-free Premium plan is $15.99 per month, but it will be increasing to $18.99 per month.

• Disney+ With Ads - $11.99, up from $9.99
• Disney+ Ad-Free - $18.99, up from $15.99
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle (Ads) - $12.99, up from $10.99
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle (No Ads) - $19.99 (No Change)
• Disney+, ESPN, Hulu Bundle (Ads) - $19.99, up from $16.99
• Disney+(No Ads), Hulu (No Ads), ESPN Select (Ads) - $29.99, up from $26.99
• Disney+ (No Ads), Hulu (Ads), ESPN Select (Ads) - $24.99, up from $21.99
• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Basic (Ads) - $19.99, up from $16.99
• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Basic (No Ads) - $32.99, up from $29.99

Pricing on the Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited bundles is not changing at this time, nor is pricing for the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited, and NFL+ Premium plans.

Disney last increased the price of Disney+ in October 2024, so prices are going up again after just a year. Prior to October 2024, Disney+ ad-free was $13.99 per month and Disney+ with ads was $7.99 per month.

After Disney raised its prices in October 2024 and started cracking down on password sharing, it lost 700,000 subscribers. It is a curious time for Disney to implement a Disney+ price increase given the recent reaction to Disney's decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel's show off of the air.

Last week, Disney-owned network ABC said that Jimmy Kimmel Live would no longer be aired, leading to a social media campaign encouraging subscribers to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions. Disney reversed its decision following the backlash, but the price increase could prevent some subscribers from returning to the service.

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

Apple's thin and light iPhone Air is built with a durable titanium frame, and as we've seen demonstrated, it is highly resistant to bending even though it's only 5.6mm thick. Less has been shared about its drop protection, but device insurance provider Allstate Protection Plans today shared the results of its annual iPhone drop test. The drop test provides insight into the durability of both the ‌iPhone Air‌ and the iPhone 17 Pro models.

The ‌iPhone Air‌ and the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ use Ceramic Shield 2 instead of glass for both the front and back, which Apple says is better able to hold up to drops and scratches. The ‌iPhone Air‌ has the titanium frame, while the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ has an aluminum frame. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s design uses more aluminum than before, with just a rectangular Ceramic Shield cutout at the back for MagSafe charging.

In bend tests, the ‌iPhone Air‌ performed almost as well as the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌. The ‌iPhone Air‌ was able to withstand 190 pounds of pressure before it bent, while the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ withstood 200 pounds of pressure. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max performed even better, only bending at the 240 pound mark.

The ‌iPhone‌ 6, best known as the "bendgate" ‌iPhone‌, was able to be bent at 110 pounds of pressure.

In face-down drop tests, the ‌iPhone Air‌ and the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s displays shattered from a six-foot fall. The iPhones remained functional, but the Ceramic Shield 2 material was too sharp to use with bare hands.

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s aluminum frame protected it from damage during a back-down drop test, and it only received minor scuffs at the six-foot mark. The ‌iPhone Air‌'s less durable design resulted in a rear panel crack when it was dropped, but it was still usable.

Last year, the iPhone 16 Pro Max display shattered and the device was unusable after a six-foot face-down drop. In the back-down drop test, the rear glass shattered after a single drop and it wasn't safe to use because of broken glass. This year's ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models are much more durable than the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models, and that improved durability does carry over to the ‌iPhone Air‌. It's not quite as resistant to drops as the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, but it performed better than the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models.

Allstate used to do dunk tests, but ‌iPhone‌ models have such good water resistance at this point that it's no longer worthwhile. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models and the ‌iPhone Air‌ continue to offer IP68 water and dust resistance. IP68 means the iPhones can survive 19 feet under water for up to 30 minutes.

Since Allstate always performs its drop tests in the same way, with the same apparatus, and from the same height, it's a useful way to see year-over-year changes in drop resistance. It looks like Apple's claims of improved durability are accurate, though Ceramic Shield 2 is still a glass-like material that has the potential to break.

In a real-life situation, the angle of an ‌iPhone‌'s drop, the drop height, and the surface that it lands on will impact the outcome of a fall, and it's still a good idea to have a protective case or a protection plan like AppleCare+.

While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead.

Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors.

Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's plans can change.

Smaller Dynamic Island

The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a slightly smaller Dynamic Island, but the devices will not feature under-screen Face ID, according to the Weibo account Instant Digital.

There were conflicting rumors about whether the iPhone 17 Pro models would have a smaller Dynamic Island, but its size did not change. Now, the rumor is back on the table for the iPhone 18 series, and there is a decent chance it will be true this time around, as it would be a stepping stone towards the rumored 20th-anniversary all-glass iPhone.

Under-screen Face ID, however, is no longer expected until the iPhone 19 Pro models or later.

Instant Digital has around 1.5 million followers on Weibo, a popular Chinese social media platform. The account has accurately leaked information about future Apple products in the past, such as the iPhone 17 Pro models featuring a vapor chamber cooling system, the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. However, the account does not have a perfect track record, and some of the other iPhone 17 rumors it shared in recent months did not materialize.

'Translucent' MagSafe Area

Overall, the iPhone 18 Pro models will feature a similar design as the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to Digital Chat Station, a previously-accurate leaker with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

The leaker said the devices will have the same rear camera system design as the iPhone 17 Pro models, with a "plateau" housing three lenses in a triangular arrangement. They also expect the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes used since the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Notably, the leaker claimed that the Ceramic Shield area on the back of the iPhone 18 Pro models will feature a "slightly transparent design," without elaborating.

Perhaps this just means the Ceramic Shield cutout on the back of the iPhone 18 Pro models will have a more frosted appearance than it does on the iPhone 17 Pro models, but we will have to wait for additional rumors to surface for clarification.

Variable Aperture

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

With variable aperture, users would be able to control the amount of light that passes through the camera's lens and reaches the sensor. The main cameras on all of the iPhone 14 Pro through iPhone 17 Pro models have a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78, and the lens is always fully open and shooting with this widest aperture. With the iPhone 18 Pro models, users would be able to manually change the aperture, according to this rumor.

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

None of the iPhone 17 Pro cameras offer variable aperture.

Other Rumors

• A20 Pro chip fabricated with TSMC's latest 2nm process, for more significant year-over-year performance improvements
• Apple's custom-designed C2 modem, with mmWave 5G support in the United States
• A redesigned Camera Control button, with a focus on pressure-sensitive controls, rather than swipe gestures

Read our iPhone 18 roundup for more information.

Apple today announced that four additional games will be added to the Apple Arcade library throughout October, including NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition.

On Thursday, October 2, three existing App Store games will be added to Apple Arcade, including the classic tile-matching game Dominoes by MobilityWare, puzzle game Piffle by Hipster Whale, and kids game Thomas & Friends: Let's Roll by StoryToys.

NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition arrives to Apple Arcade on Thursday, October 16, ahead of the NBA's 2025-26 regular season, which begins Tuesday, October 21. In the latest version of the game, you can relive the greatest eras in the NBA's history with the new "NBA Eras" option in The Association mode. And in MyCAREER mode, there are new player templates, so you can build players that look just like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or other stars.

As always, team rosters have been updated, too.

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

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

The iPhone 16e joined the lineup as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone 16 earlier this year. Despite sharing most of their features, there are still more than 25 differences between the devices to be aware of.

Following the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup and the iPhone Air, Apple discontinued the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus, and bumped the ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus down in price by $100.

This means that the ‌iPhone 16e‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ now represent the two cheapest ‌iPhone‌ options available directly from Apple, with just $100 between them. To justify this, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ misses out on features such as the Dynamic Island and MagSafe connectivity. However, it still features the A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support, the same main rear camera, and more. Here's everything that's different:

‌iPhone 16e‌ (2025)	‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus (2024)
"Notch"	‌Dynamic Island‌
Ceramic Shield front	Latest-generation Ceramic Shield front
6.1-inch display	6.1- or 6.7-inch display
800 nits max brightness (typical)	1,000 nits max brightness (typical)
1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR)	1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR)
	2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor)
	1 nit minimum brightness
Glass back	Color-infused glass back
Available in White and Black	Available in White, Black, Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink
	Camera Control
	12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera
1x or 2x optical zoom options	0.5x, 1x, or 2x optical zoom options
Optical image stabilization	Sensor-shift optical image stabilization
Portrait mode with Depth Control	Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
Photographic Styles	Latest-generation Photographic Styles
	Macro photography
	Spatial photos and videos
	Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps)
	Action mode
A18 chip with 4-core GPU	A18 chip with 5-core GPU
Apple C1 modem	Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem
	mmWave 5G connectivity
Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity	Wi-Fi 7 connectivity
	Thread connectivity
	Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding
26-hour battery life	22 or 27-hour battery life
Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W	Qi 2 wireless charging up to 15W
	‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher
	Compatible with ‌MagSafe‌ cases, wallets, wireless chargers, and more
128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage	iPhone 16: 128GB iPhone 16 Plus: 128GB or 256GB
Starts at $599	Starts at $699

At a markedly more accessible price point, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ will be the go-to ‌iPhone‌ for many customers, especially those buying on a budget. Unlike the ‌iPhone‌ SE that came before it, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ has very few compromises and offers almost all of the ‌iPhone 16‌'s most important features. In fact, it has considerably better battery life, partly thanks to Apple's custom modem technology, which is also now used in the ‌iPhone Air‌.

Some customers will not care about the lack of an Ultra Wide camera, camera control, additional color options, or Wi-Fi 7. The ‌iPhone 16e‌ is a newer device and many will not be able to justify the extra $100 to upgrade to the

However, the lack of ‌MagSafe‌, a brighter display, the ‌Dynamic Island‌, and a large array of camera capabilities may be a dealbreaker for some. Those who want a little more out of their ‌iPhone‌, especially when it comes to the rear camera, should consider the ‌iPhone 16‌ over the ‌iPhone 16e‌.

That being said, most prospective customers should likely opt for the ‌iPhone 16e‌ over the pricier ‌iPhone 16‌, unless the larger display of the ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus is essential.

Amazon and Best Buy are both discounting Apple's 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro to record low prices this week, offering $300 off select models of the computer. In this article we're focusing on the 10-core configurations of the computer, but you'll also find sales on other M4 MacBook Pros at both retailers.

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

Starting with the 10-core 16GB RAM/512GB 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, you can get this model for $1,299.00 [Amazon/Best Buy], down from $1,599.00. This is the entry-level model of the M4 MacBook Pro, and it's never dropped below this price.

You can also get both 1TB 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro models on sale this week. The 10-core 16GB RAM/1TB model is available for $1,499.00 [Amazon/Best Buy] and the 10-core 24GB RAM/1TB model is available for $1,699.00 [Amazon/Best Buy]. Both of these are also $300 discounts and record low prices on each computer.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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Apple today announced a new investment in the restoration and sustainable management of California's Gualala River Forest, expanding its global Restore Fund initiative.

The project is conducted in partnership with The Conservation Fund and seeks to protect and manage coastal redwoods in Mendocino County while generating carbon credits that contribute to Apple's climate goals.

The Restore Fund launched in 2021 with Goldman Sachs and Conservation International. It has since grown to include Climate Asset Management and direct investments from Apple in projects across the U.S. and Latin America. Apple suppliers TSMC and Murata also back the fund, which now supports two dozen conservation and regenerative agriculture initiatives spanning six continents.

The Gualala River Forest project is part of Apple's push to reach carbon neutrality across its entire footprint by 2030. The company aims to cut emissions by 75% from 2015 levels and offset the remainder through nature-based carbon removal, targeting 9.6 million metric tons annually. Apple says it has already surpassed 60% of its emissions reduction target.

Apple previously partnered with The Conservation Fund to protect 36,000 acres of forest in Maine and North Carolina and has invested in a temperate rainforest in Washington.

A grand reopening date has been set for Apple Ginza.

Apple today announced the store will reopen on Friday, September 26, at 10 a.m. local time, at its original corner in Tokyo's shopping district. The store has returned to the Sayegusa Building, which was demolished and rebuilt in recent years.

The original Apple Ginza opened in 2003, becoming Apple's first retail location outside of the United States. Initially, the five-floor store featured a 27-foot-long Genius Bar, an 84-seat theater, and even an internet cafe for customers.

In 2022, Apple moved to a temporary store in Ginza, while the Sayegusa Building was rebuilt. With the new store ready to open, that location is now closed.

The new store features an updated design that spans four floors of the Sayegusa Building. It offers an Apple Pickup station for customers to collect online orders, a Genius Bar with varied table and seating heights for accessibility, a seating area for one-on-one Apple Vision Pro demos, free Today at Apple creativity sessions, and more.

Apple says customers can celebrate the grand reopening with a special-edition Apple Gift Card, set to be offered exclusively at this store for a limited time.

Apple also shared a special wallpaper for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, on the store's page.

"This reopening is another incredible milestone on our journey here in Japan, and a symbol of our strong ties to customers and communities across the country," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "We couldn't be more excited to open the doors to this beautifully redesigned space, share our latest products, and build on the incredible history we share."

The iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max come in just three color options, so which should you choose?

With a new aluminum unibody design, glass cutout, two-tone design, and full-width camera plateau, the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models look very different to their predecessors. Unlike previous years, there are no gray, black, or gold options for this year's iPhone lineup. The good news is that with just three options to choose from, making a decision should be a little easier.

You should also consider if you plan to use a case with your device and, if so, which one. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s large, full-width camera plateau stands out on most cases, exposing more of the device's color. Choosing a complimentary color should be your first priority.

Silver

Silver is the most classic, versatile, and timeless option, but also the most practical. The finish gives off a clean and bright look that pairs well with virtually any case or wallpaper, and it reflects light more than the other two, enhancing its neutrality.

The color is likely to age well since it goes well with any case and embodies Apple's most traditional colors. It is also the only finish of the three that pairs well with Apple's own clear case.

Unlike Cosmic Orange or Deep Blue, Silver minimizes the appearance of damage. When the anodized layer chips or scratches, the raw aluminum underneath is very close in tone, so imperfections blend in far better. For users who prioritize long-term durability of appearance, Silver is the most forgiving finish. It may not be as dramatic as Cosmic Orange or as sleek as Deep Blue, but it is the safest choice for maintaining a "like-new" look over years of use.

Choose Silver if you want a classic, neutral look that mitigates the signs of damage.

Deep Blue

Deep Blue is the most understated of the three colors, often appearing almost black until light strikes it to reveal the blue depth. If you normally choose a dark gray or black device, this will be the best choice.

It is sleek and modern, giving the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ a more professional aesthetic, but this sophistication comes at a cost. Scratches and chips on Deep Blue stand out sharply because the anodized finish contrasts heavily with the lighter silver aluminum beneath.

Early handling reports and durability tests suggest this model shows wear faster than the others, particularly on high-stress edges and corners of the camera plateau. Even micro-scratches from keys or coins in a pocket can be visible. Anyone using the device without a case should be prepared for noticeable damage.

Choose Deep Blue if you want a dark, stealthy, and professional look, but be willing to accept signs of wear and tear.

Cosmic Orange

Cosmic Orange is the standout shade in the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ lineup, designed to be bold and attention-grabbing. It is the most distinctive ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ color, and the most likely to indicate that you have the latest generation device—there has never been an ‌iPhone‌ color option like it before.

The anodized aluminum frame and the raised camera plateau are coated in a deep orange finish, while the ceramic glass back takes on a slightly lighter hue, creating a subtle contrast between surfaces. In daylight it leans toward a warm amber, while in artificial lighting it shifts closer to a burnt metallic orange.

The finish tends to hide small scratches and light scuffs better than Deep Blue, since the raw aluminum beneath the anodized layer is not drastically different in tone. That said, chips along sharp edges—especially around the camera plateau—will still reveal bare metal if struck or scraped. The look is essentially more durable than Deep Blue, but less durable than Silver.

Choose Cosmic Orange if you want a bold, eye-catching look that is unique to the iPhone 17 Pro.

In iOS 26, Apple has introduced several new features for its Messages app, and this one in particular is long overdue. The ability to create polls in conversations has been a mainstay of rival messaging platforms. And now, Messages finally has it too.

You can add up to 12 choices in a poll, and then send it to people in a conversation to vote on. If you send a poll and someone thinks an option is missing, they can even edit it and add in another choice.

For chats where you want to ask people to choose one of multiple options, you can create a poll in the following way:

1. Tap the + button next to the message input field.
2. Select Polls in the vertical list.
3. Fill in your poll's choices (you can have up to 12).
4. Add a message to accompany your poll, then tap the Send button.

People need only tap on an option in the poll to vote for it. An "Add Choice" option also appears below the poll, allowing anyone to add their own choices. In addition, if you long press on a poll, there's an option in the dropdown menu to see Poll Details, where you can view a breakdown of who voted for what.

On devices that support Apple Intelligence, the Messages app will also suggest a poll in relevant conversations. If you're asking the group whether to get pizza, burgers, or pasta, for example, you might see a suggestion to create a poll.

Note that users need to have a device with iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 installed in order to interact with polls in Message conversations. If they're running an older version of iOS, the poll simply won't appear for them in the chat thread.

Apple for its 20th anniversary iPhone will adopt a Samsung-made OLED technology called COE (Color Filter on Encapsulation) to make the display brighter and thinner than previous panels, reports ETNews.

In a traditional OLED panel, a polarizing film sits above the display to cut reflections and improve contrast. The drawback is that this film also absorbs some of the OLED's own light, reducing brightness and efficiency. With COE, Apple would remove the polarizer entirely and instead apply the color filter directly onto the OLED's protective encapsulation layer.

The result would be a thinner display stack that lets more light through, delivering higher brightness without requiring more power. Removing layers would also mean less thickness overall, potentially contributing to a slimmer iPhone design.

However, Apple's challenge is that without a polarizer, reflections and glare control become trickier, so Apple will likely have to rely on advanced coatings and pixel-level materials to maintain outdoor readability.

If Apple brings COE to its 2027 iPhone – the 10th anniversary of the iPhone X – it would be the first use of the technology in a non-foldable device from the company. Meanwhile, Samsung is expected to expand COE to its Galaxy S26 Ultra in 2026. Samsung first rolled out COE in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 back in 2021 to contribute to the device's thinness.

Apple is reportedly considering a radical redesign for the 20th anniversary iPhone that could feature a completely bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device. The model is expected to be preceded in 2026 by Apple's first foldable iPhone.

Apple today announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone is available in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Monaco, and Norway, providing a way for independent sellers, small businesses, and larger merchants in these countries to use an ‌iPhone‌ as a contactless payment terminal.

Tap to Pay first arrived in February 2022 in the US, and allows iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets‌‌‌. All transactions are encrypted, and Apple has no information about what is purchased or the person who made the purchase.

No additional hardware or credit card machine is required‌ to use Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌. The feature uses NFC technology to securely authenticate the contactless payments, plus the feature also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.

The following payment services will support Tap to Pay on iPhone:

• Estonia: SumUp and Revolut
• Latvia: SumUp
• Lithuania: SumUp and Revolut
• Monaco: Adyen and BNP Paribas
• Norway: Adyen, Nexi, PayPal, Stripe, SumUp, Surfboard Payments, and Viva.com

Tap to Pay on ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ requires ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ XS or newer models, and works for customers as any normal ‌‌‌‌‌Apple Pay‌‌‌‌‌ transaction would. Sellers just need to open up the app, register the sale, and present their ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ to the buyer, who can then use an appropriate contactless payment method.

Apple's website maintains a list of countries where Tap to Pay on iPhone is available.

Apple has stopped signing iOS 18.6.2, which means that if you've upgraded to iOS 26, you're no longer able to downgrade to a version of iOS 18. Apple released iOS 26 a week ago.

When software is "signed," it means that it has passed a server-side verification check that Apple performs when a new version of iOS is downloaded on an iPhone. An update can't be installed unless it passes the verification check.

Unsigning software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS.

Apple isn't forcing users to install ‌iOS 26‌, and there is an option to continue using iOS 18, but once a device has been upgraded to ‌iOS 26‌, there's no going back.

Apple has also stopped signing iPadOS 18.6.2 and tvOS 18.6, so there's also no downgrade option available for iPads.

Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about.

New Apple Intelligence Languages

‌Apple Intelligence‌ is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.

AirPods Live Translation Languages

AirPods Live Translation works with additional languages in iOS 26.1, including Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified).

Phone

The Phone keypad now uses Liquid Glass for the numbers.

Apple Music

You can swipe on the music player in Apple Music to switch songs. Just slide a finger over where the song title is listed, and it'll go to the next song or back to the previous song.

Photos

The slider for scrubbing through videos in the Photos app has been updated.

The navigation bar also has a slightly more frosted look that makes it easier to see on light backgrounds.

Calendar

In the Calendar app, some of the views now show events from different calendars with a full color background.

Safari

The Tab Bar (Bottom) in Safari is wider with less padding around the edges.

Background Security Improvement

Apple appears to have changed the name of Rapid Security Updates to Background Security Improvement, which is mentioned in the iOS 26.1 code.

"Background Security Improvement improves the security of your iPhone by installing security improvements and system files before they are available in iOS Software Updates. In rare instances of compatibility issues, these deliveries may be temporarily removed and then improved in a feature software update."

More Features

Know of something new in iOS 26.1 that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.

With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.

Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with ‌Apple Intelligence‌ last year, and now the added language support is here. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ is now available in the following languages:

• English (U.S.)
• English (Australia)
• English (Canada)
• English (New Zealand)
• English (U.K.)
• English (South Africa)
• English (India)
• English (Singapore)
• Chinese (Simplified)
• French
• Japanese
• Spanish
• German
• Italian
• Korean
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Danish (iOS 26.1)
• Dutch (iOS 26.1)
• Norwegian (iOS 26.1)
• Portuguese (Portugal) (iOS 26.1)
• Swedish (iOS 26.1)
• Turkish (iOS 26.1)
• Chinese (Traditional) (iOS 26.1)
• Vietnamese

The iOS 26.1 update also adds more languages that work with AirPods Live Translation, including Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified).

iOS 26.1 is available for developers right now, but Apple will likely expand it to public beta testers in the coming weeks.

Woot today has Apple's AirPods Max with USB-C for $449.00 in four colors, down from $549.00. These are in new condition on Woot, and they come with a one-year Apple limited warranty.

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

Colors available include Purple, Orange, Blue, and Starlight. Although this isn't an all-time low price on the AirPods Max, it's been a few weeks since we last saw that discount, and Woot's is a solid second-best offer.

In other Apple deals at Woot, you can also still get 70 percent off a huge collection of Apple Watch bands right now. This includes Solo Loop options for just $14.99 and Braided Solo Loop for $29.99, with many colors to choose from on Woot's storefront.

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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