MacRumors

A unique blue finish will be the "main" color option of the all-new iPhone 17 Air, according to a rumor coming out of Asia.

According to the Weibo leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital," blue is highly likely to be the "main color" of the ‌iPhone 17 Air‌ upon its launch later this year, placed at the forefront of Apple's marketing materials.

The leaker went on to explain that the ‌iPhone 17 Air‌'s blue finish is "different from all the blue colors released by Apple in the past." The finish is apparently "very light," and in low-light conditions, could be "easy to confuse with white."

The rumor bears a resemblance to the Apple's "Sierra Blue" finish, which was the standout color offered on the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro. Sierra Blue was the first "Pro" ‌‌iPhone‌‌ color option to use a lighter shade that was still saturated with color. Sierra Blue was a unique metallic, almost icy look, that could appear blue in some conditions, and light grey in others. Apple went on to further experiment with even paler pastel glass and aluminum colors with the iPhone 15 models.

Fixed Focus Digital has a mixed track record for Apple rumors. While the leaker has had some major wins, such as reporting that the fourth-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE would in fact be the "iPhone 16e" and the iPhone 16 Pro's Gold Titanium color option, other claims have been inaccurate. The ‌iPhone 17 Air‌ is expected to debut alongside the rest of the new ‌iPhone‌ lineup in the fall.

Chinese display maker BOE is poised to overtake all rivals as Apple's largest supplier of MacBook panels in 2025, but the company's newfound dominance may not last for long with OLED MacBook Pro models on the horizon for next year.

According to market research firm Omdia, BOE is expected to capture 51% of Apple's MacBook display panel orders this year, up from 39% in 2024. The increase is primarily attributed to Apple's expanded procurement of LCD panels for the MacBook Air lineup, which now comes in 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch sizes.

BOE is projected to ship approximately 11.5 million units to Apple in 2025, representing the first time the Chinese manufacturer will supply more than half of the display panels used across Apple's MacBook lineup. Omdia believes that Apple's growing demand for ‌MacBook Air‌ panels was instrumental to the change.

Apple is forecast to purchase 22.5 million display panels for MacBooks in total this year, representing a 1% increase year-over-year. Although the increase in procurement volume is modest, the redistribution of orders among suppliers is considerable.

LG Display has historically been Apple's primary MacBook display supplier. It is now expected to supply only 8.48 million units in 2025, corresponding to a 35% market share. This marks a 12.2% decline in LG Display's shipment volume and a 9% point decrease in its share compared to the previous year.

Sharp continues to supply mini-LED panels for the ‌MacBook Pro‌ and it is forecast to supply 3.1 million units to Apple in 2025. This represents a 20.8% year-over-year decline in shipment volume and corresponds to a 14% market share. Omdia believes that weakening demand for ‌MacBook Pro‌ models has affected the supply volumes of LG Display and Sharp, as Apple redirects a greater proportion of orders to BOE.

Omdia noted that BOE's resurgence may not last for long; Apple is expected to upgrade the ‌MacBook Pro‌ to OLED technology next year:

OLED technology, with its superior display performance and slimmer, lighter form factors, is expected to be introduced in MacBooks starting 2026. Samsung Display is likely to join Apple's MacBook supply chain at that time, intensifying competition among display makers as the market shifts from LCD to OLED.

Until OLED panels begin shipping, BOE is expected to retain its dominant position in the MacBook display supply chain, largely due to the strength of the ‌MacBook Air‌ in Apple's product lineup. For now, BOE's 12% point gain year-over-year gives it a clear lead over its South Korean and Japanese rivals.

Apple has asked a U.S. federal appeals court to overturn an import ban on Apple Watch models with blood oxygen monitoring capabilities, arguing that the decision was based on a patent dispute involving an undeveloped competing product, Reuters reports.

On Monday, attorneys for Apple appeared before a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to contest a 2023 ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that blocked imports of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in 2023 due to alleged patent infringement. The ban stemmed from a complaint filed by Masimo, a medical technology firm based in California, which accused Apple of violating its patents related to pulse oximetry — the measurement of blood oxygen saturation through non-invasive sensors.

Apple's legal counsel this week argued that the ITC's ruling was unjustified because, at the time Masimo filed its complaint in 2021, the company had not yet brought a competing product to market. Masimo's first smartwatch, the W1, which included blood oxygen tracking, was not released until 2022 — two years after Apple introduced the feature with the Apple Watch Series 6.

Apple maintains that Masimo's device was not market-ready when the company filed its complaint, and that the legal standard should not permit hypothetical products to justify trade restrictions. The decision had wrongly "deprived millions of Apple Watch users" of the blood-oxygen feature, Apple's attorney said.

Masimo's attorney countered that Apple was attempting to "rewrite the law" by asserting that the ITC should only block imports when a physical, commercialized product exists at the time of complaint filing.

The ITC originally ruled in Masimo's favor in October 2023, determining that Apple's implementation of blood oxygen measurement technology infringed several of Masimo's patents. As a result, the commission issued an exclusion order blocking imports of Apple Watch models that included the contested functionality. Following a brief stay granted by the Federal Circuit in December 2023, the import ban was reinstated in January 2024.

Apple subsequently modified its devices for the U.S. market, disabling the blood oxygen sensor in newly sold Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 models in order to resume domestic sales without violating the order. International models retain full functionality.

The case remains under consideration by the Federal Circuit. A ruling is expected later this year.

We're still one day away from the official launch of Amazon Prime Day, but the retailer has already introduced the best prices we've tracked so far this year on both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max. You can also find all-time low prices on both models of the AirPods 4 for Prime Day.

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 highlight of these deals include the AirPods Pro 2 for $149.00, down from $249.00, and the USB-C AirPods Max for $399.00, down from $549.00. It's been months since we've seen discounts this steep, so now is the best time to buy these models if you've been waiting for great AirPods deals.

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.

Update: This article has been updated with new record low prices across the board on every AirPods model.

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Apple is once again under pressure from the Trump administration over its dependence on Chinese manufacturing, as senior trade advisor Peter Navarro publicly criticized CEO Tim Cook for failing to shift iPhone production to the United States.

In an interview on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street," White House Senior Counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro sharply criticized Apple's global manufacturing strategy, focusing on its continued reliance on China for ‌iPhone‌ production. Navarro accused Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ of delaying efforts to relocate operations and claimed that the company had made insufficient progress:

Going back to the first Trump term, Tim Cook has continually asked for more time in order to move his factories out of China. I mean, it's the longest running soap opera in Silicon Valley. And my problem with Tim Cook is he never takes the steps to actually do that. And with all these new advanced manufacturing techniques and the way things are moving with AI and things like that, it's inconceivable to me that Tim Cook could not produce his iPhones elsewhere around the world and in this country.

Multiple industry analysts and economists have warned that reshoring Apple's production facilities to the United States would face serious logistical, economic, and labor-related barriers. Apple currently sources thousands of parts from over 40 countries.

Navarro's comments come as the Trump administration prepares to impose a new round of tariffs following the expiration of the 90-day tariff pause that was introduced in April 2025. During that pause, the administration sought to negotiate updated trade agreements with key manufacturing countries. As of this week, those efforts have led to partial deals with some countries, while others now face new tariffs of between 10% and 40% on exports to the United States.

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.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been offering AI engineers massive pay packages to poach them from other companies, and a key Apple engineering manager has decided to take the deal, according to Bloomberg.

Ruoming Pang, who manages Apple's foundation models team, is moving from Apple to Meta. He was in charge of a team with approximately 100 employees that work on Apple's large language models. Models developed by Pang's team are used for Apple Intelligence features like email summaries, Priority Notifications, and Genmoji.

Meta lured Pang with a deal worth tens of millions of dollars per year. Meta has also scooped up AI experts from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Scale AI.

Rumors suggest that Apple has been considering relying on technology from Anthropic or OpenAI for a future LLM version of Siri, rather than using the models it has been working on. Those discussions have reportedly impacted the morale of the foundation models team that Pang is leaving. Other engineers on the team are also mulling offers from other companies.

Apple is struggling to catch up to competitors that have more advanced AI features, including Google and Samsung. Earlier this year, Apple delayed the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ ‌Siri‌ features that it had promised at WWDC 2024, and the delay led to a restructuring of its AI teams. Apple's AI efforts are now being overseen by Apple's software chief Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell, who led Vision Pro development.

Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July.

Transparency

In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the transparency of the navigation bars. The look is more opaque to make the buttons more legible.

With some backgrounds, notifications have a darker tone to make the text more readable, and there Safari has the same transparency changes with certain colors.

There have been some complaints about the changes that Apple is continuing to make, with some users suggesting that Apple is eliminating too much of the transparency that makes ‌iOS 26‌ unique.

Wallpaper

Apple added new color options for the default "iOS" wallpaper that it designed for ‌iOS 26‌, so now we have Halo, Dusk, Sky, and Shadow. There are three different blue tone options, and one version that has shades of purple.

The wallpapers have more unique color differences when viewed in Dark Mode.

Control Center

Apple tweaked the blue and green colors for the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirDrop, and Cellular Toggles. The colors are brighter and more in line with the other colors in Control Center.

iPadOS 26 Mouse Cursor

In iPadOS 26, if you shake the cursor, it will get bigger so that it's easier to find on the display. It's the same behavior that's available in macOS.

Maps

The Maps app gains support for fog advisories when using offline maps, plus beta 3 fleshes out the feature that alerts you to commute delays.

Safari

The folders interface in Safari features some minor design tweaks.

Bug Fixes

Apple says it fixed an issue that could cause iPads connected to external displays to go into sleep mode while in active video calls.

Read More

We have additional info on all of the new features in ‌iOS 26‌ in our roundup.

Amazon is back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront. Even though the event doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, we're tracking numerous all-time low prices on Apple gear right now.

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.

For our coverage, we're focusing on discounts for Apple and Apple-related products that can be purchased right now on Amazon. As of today, this includes deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, MacBook Air, and more. We're also sharing deals being matched at retailers like Best Buy in some cases.

As is typical for Prime Day deals, these markdowns are very time sensitive, so sales listed below may disappear fast, and new ones may appear even faster. With this in mind, we'll keep this article updated over the next few days, and keep an eye on the MacRumors front page as we'll be posting particularly great deals in separate articles next week.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Amazon Prime Day requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Special for 2025, Amazon is also offering a free six month trial to Prime for Young Adults right now. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.

AirPods

Amazon has the USB-C AirPods Max on sale for $399.00, down from $549.00, and the AirPods Pro 2 for $149.00, down from $249.00. You'll also find an all-time low price on the AirPods 4 for Prime Day.

iPad

Amazon is taking up to $55 off Wi-Fi and cellular models of Apple's 11th generation iPad for Prime Day. Prices start at $299.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00, a second-best price on this model.

iPad Mini

Amazon has record low prices on every Wi-Fi model of the iPad mini 7 this weekend, starting at $399.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $499.00. You'll also find a few deals on cellular models during this sale.

Compared to past sales, this is a match of the best price we've ever tracked on the tablet, and it's available in all four colors. You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $499.00 and the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $699.00, both $100 discounts and available in all colors.

iPad Air

Amazon this week has discounts across nearly the entire M3 iPad Air lineup, offering $100 off these tablets. Prices start at $499.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M3 iPad Air, down from $599.00. Best Buy is matching all of these deals on the iPad Air.

Our list below focuses on Wi-Fi models, but you'll also find many cellular models on sale at $100 off right now. The 128GB cellular 11-inch iPad Air is available for $649.00 and the 128GB cellular 13-inch iPad Air is available for $849.00, both $100 discounts.

11-inch M3 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $499.00, down from $599.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $599.00, down from $699.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $799.00, down from $899.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $999.00, down from $1,099.00

13-inch M3 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $699.00, down from $799.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $799.00, down from $899.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $999.00, down from $1,099.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00

MacBook Air

Amazon today has low prices across nearly the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, with up to $175 off both 13-inch and 15-inch models.

Starting with the 13-inch models, Amazon has $150 off all three configurations of this notebook. Prices start at $849.00 for the 256GB model, then raise to $1,049.00 for the 16GB/512GB model and $1,249.00 for the 24GB/512GB model. All of these are solid second-best prices on the M4 MacBook Air.

Moving to the larger display models, Amazon has both 512GB versions of the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this weekend, as well as the 256GB model. The 16GB/512GB model is available for $1,249.00 and the 24GB/512GB model is on sale for $1,424.50. Across the board, these are all second-best prices on the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air.

Apple Watch

Series 10

Amazon is offering numerous all-time low prices on Apple Watch Series 10 devices ahead of Prime Day, including both GPS and cellular models at $100 off original prices. Best Buy is matching these prices in many cases.

Amazon has the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10 for $299.00, down from $399.00, as well as the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. Both of these are record low prices on the Apple Watch Series 10, and they're available in numerous case colors and band styles, all of which you can find in the lists below.

SE

In addition to Series 10 deals, Amazon is discounting the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE to $169.00 today, down from $249.00. This is the best price we've tracked so far in 2025, and it's available in Starlight, Silver, and Midnight Aluminum color options.

Additionally, you can get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE for $199.00 today on Amazon, down from $279.00. This one is also available in Midnight, Silver, and Starlight Aluminum colors, and multiple band sizes.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Amazon has introduced a new all-time low price on the Black Apple Watch Ultra 2, available for $649.00, down from $799.00. This is the first time in a few weeks that we've tracked any notable discount on the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Models on sale at this price include the Black Titanium Case with Black Trail Loop (M/L), Black Titanium Case with Dark Green Alpine Loop (L), and more. If you're shopping for the Natural color option, you can find the models with the Navy Ocean Band and Tan Alpine Loop (M) on sale for $649.00 as well.

Accessories

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 provided developers with the third beta of macOS Tahoe 26 for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after the second beta.

Registered developers can download the new beta software through the System Settings app. Right now, there is a bit of a bug with the beta that is preventing Apple silicon Macs from being able to download it. Intel Macs can be updated with no issue, but Apple will need to address the server side bug before it will be available to everyone.

macOS Tahoe features Apple's Liquid Glass redesign, which extends across all of the new updates this year. Apple also brought the Phone and Journal apps to the Mac for the first time, and introduced a new cross-platform Games app.

With the update, Apple overhauled how Spotlight works, enabling new functionality that allows it to be used to complete all kinds of actions like sending emails without having to open up an app. There are also changes to a number of apps, including Messages, Safari, and Notes.

All of the new features that are included in macOS Tahoe are outlined in our dedicated roundup. There were several tweaks made in the second beta, so check that out to see what's changed so far.

Apple plans to release macOS Tahoe to public beta testers in the near future, and the update will see an official launch in the fall.

Apple today provided developers with the third betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 for testing purposes, with the updates coming two weeks after Apple seeded the second betas.

Registered developers can download the new beta software using the Software Update section of the Settings app.

‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ feature Apple's new Liquid Glass design aesthetic, with a focus on translucency and glass-like interface elements. The design extends to the Lock Screen, Home Screen, and Control Center, along with menus and buttons in apps.

Apple's software includes features for apps like Messages, Phone, Shortcuts, and Apple Music, along with new Apple Intelligence features, a revamp for CarPlay, and more. In ‌iPadOS 26‌, there's a whole new multitasking system that supports multiple app windows for a more Mac-like experience.

For more on the features in ‌iOS 26‌, we have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup and a separate iPadOS 26 roundup. Several new features were found in beta 2, and we rounded them up.

While the ‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ betas are limited to developers right now, Apple plans to release a public very soon. The updates will launch in the fall.

Apple today provided developers with the third betas of watchOS 26 and visionOS 26 for testing purposes, with the betas coming two weeks after the second betas were released.

The software updates can be downloaded through the Settings app on each device. A developer account is required.

‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26 adopt new Liquid Glass design changes inspired by visionOS, much like iOS 26 and macOS 26. watchOS has a new AI-powered Workout Buddy for motivation and the Smart Stack incorporates more personal context for better suggestions. There's also a new Notes app and support for Live Translation.

visionOS 26 adds support for spatial widgets that can be placed anywhere in the space around you, along with refinements to make personas more lifelike and support for shared spatial experiences between two Vision Pro users.

The third ‌watchOS 26‌ beta should address an issue that affected Hermes Apple Watch models, causing them to overheat and crash. Apple has not yet seeded a third tvOS 26 beta.

The betas are limited to developers right now, but ‌watchOS 26‌ will be available to public beta in the near future. The updates will launch in the fall.

Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year.

In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum frame, with a glass section on the back of the devices to preserve MagSafe and Qi wireless charging support. This part-aluminum, part-glass design for iPhone 17 Pro models was previously reported by The Information's Wayne Ma, and it is now backed by an additional source.

Apple has continued to use aluminum frames for the lower-end iPhone models each year, including the latest iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. The higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature titanium frames, so the return to aluminum for the Pro models would be a notable change. Instant Digital said the aluminum frame will be very thin, and they expect the iPhone 17 Pro models to feature ultra-thin bezels.

Aluminum is lighter and cheaper than titanium, but Apple's reasons for allegedly shifting back to the material are unknown at this point.

A previous rumor indicated that the all-new "iPhone 17 Air" model will still use a mix of titanium.

Instant Digital has more than 1.4 million followers on Weibo, and the account has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. However, like most sources, the account does not have a perfect track record.

Apple will announce the iPhone 17 series in September, so we will find out if and why the company returns to aluminum in a few more months.

Amazon this week has Apple's AirTag 4-Pack for $67.99, down from $99.00. This is the first time since February that we've seen the AirTag 4-Pack hit this record low price, making it another great Prime Day deal.

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

Amazon provides delivery dates as soon as today for Prime members at some residences in the United States, and you won't need to clip an on-page coupon in order to see this deal. If you're shopping for just one AirTag, Amazon has the AirTag 1-Pack for $19.99, which is a record low price.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

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iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past.

The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are planned for the Dynamic Island, but the mention of a new user interface makes it sound like there will be some changes on the software side. It may be that iOS 26 introduces a redesigned Dynamic Island exclusively on all iPhone 17 models.

On the hardware side, Dynamic Island rumors have been conflicting. It was initially rumored that the iPhone 17 Pro Max might have a smaller Dynamic Island area compared to the iPhone 17 Pro and earlier iPhone models, but it was later reported that such a change might not be happening until the iPhone 18 Pro models. And if a smaller Dynamic Island cutout ends up happening this year, one source said it would be on all iPhone 17 models.

All in all, it sounds like there is a decent chance that the Dynamic Island will change in some way on iPhone 17 models, for the first time since the feature was introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro models in 2022. Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in early September, so we will find out for sure in around two months from now.

Apple says the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature the thinnest bezels around the screen of any product it has ever released, and it has now been rumored that this design change will expand to more iPhone models later this year.

The entire iPhone 17 series will feature thinner bezels, according to Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked information about future Apple products in the past, such as camera-related details for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.

Notably, this means the iPhone 17 base model and the all-new "iPhone 17 Air" model would have ultra-thin bezels, rather than only the Pro models.

Here is what Apple said about the iPhone 16 Pro bezels in a press release last year:

The new Pro lineup features the thinnest borders of any Apple product and introduces larger display sizes: 6.3 inches on iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches on iPhone 16 Pro Max — the largest iPhone display ever.

Previous rumors have indicated that the iPhone 17 base model will be equipped with a 6.3-inch display, up from a 6.1-inch display on the iPhone 16 base model. The so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is expected to have a 6.6-inch display.

Here is what to expect based on all rumors to date:

• iPhone 17: 6.3-inch display with ultra-thin bezels
• iPhone 17 Air: 6.6-inch display with ultra-thin bezels
• iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display with ultra-thin bezels
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display with ultra-thin bezels

In line with previous rumors, Digital Chat Station said that the iPhone 17 base model will look more or less the same as the iPhone 16 base model. They also reiterated that the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a much larger camera bump across the back of the devices, plus an upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto camera with up to 5× optical zoom.

Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September.

Apple is appealing the 500 million euro ($570 million) fine that it is facing in the European Union for allegedly violating the Digital Markets Act.

In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that the fine is unprecedented, and goes beyond what the law requires.

Today we filed our appeal because we believe the European Commission's decision--and their unprecedented fine--go far beyond what the law requires. As our appeal will show, the EC is mandating how we run our store and forcing business terms which are confusing for developers and bad for users. We implemented this to avoid punitive daily fines and will share the facts with the Court.

Apple was fined in April for restricting app developers from informing users about purchase options available outside of the App Store. The European Commission said that developers should have the ability to direct customers to outside of the ‌App Store‌.

"App developers distributing their apps via Apple's ‌App Store‌ should be able to inform customers, free of charge, of alternative offers outside the ‌App Store‌, steer them to those offers and allow them to make purchases," said the EC in its ruling.

Besides fining Apple 500 million euros, the EC also ordered Apple to change its ‌App Store‌ rules around steering or face further fines. Apple made the required changes in late June to prevent being further penalized during the appeals process. Apps that are distributed through EU storefronts can now freely link to deals available outside of the ‌App Store‌, and can even provide alternate purchase options that don't use Apple's in-app purchase system.

Apple also updated its fee structure in the European Union, and by January 1, 2026, all EU developers will pay a Core Technology Commission, an initial acquisition fee, and a store services fee. Fees will vary based on the level of ‌App Store‌ service that developers opt to use, and Small Business Program participants will pay lower fees. The maximum fee under the new system for ‌App Store‌ app distribution with Apple's full suite of services is 20 percent, 10 percent lower than the prior 30 percent fee.

There is a tiered system for ‌App Store‌ services to lower fees. Developers that want to pay less can choose tier 1, and Apple will not provide automatic app updates, ratings, reviews, search suggestions, ‌App Store‌ features and marketing, and analytics. Tier 2 provides all of the current ‌App Store‌ services. Tier 1 is mandatory, and tier 2 is optional.

Apple says that the European Commission required it to offer different tiers that would let developers pay less for fewer services, which is why there is a new, more complex system. The EC also instructed Apple on which services developers should be able to opt out of, resulting in Apple moving search discovery and browse options out of its mandatory tier.

Apple plans to argue that the EC is telling it how to operate its business, and that the commission has expanded the definition of steering beyond what the law requires.

TikTok will launch a new U.S.-exclusive version of its app on app stores on September 5, as part of an ongoing effort to comply with federal legislation requiring the divestment of its American operations due to national security concerns, The Information reports.

The existing version of TikTok, internally codenamed "M," will be removed from U.S. app stores on the day of the new app's debut, and users will be directed to download the replacement version, internally referred to as "M2."

U.S. TikTok users will need to migrate to the new version in order to maintain access to the platform beyond March 2026. The current app will cease functioning after that date.

Apple does not allow developers to create region-specific forks of apps within a single listing, meaning TikTok is required to distribute "‌M2‌" as a distinct bundle identifier under a new App Store entry. The move is unusual for an app of TikTok's scale, especially given its estimated 170 million U.S. users. All user data will reportedly be transferred to U.S.-based infrastructure as part of the switch.

The decision to release a separate app for the United States follows the passage of a law by Congress mandating that Chinese parent company ByteDance either sell its U.S. TikTok business or face a nationwide ban. The U.S. version of the app will then will be managed under the oversight of a U.S.-based ownership group, including Oracle.

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.

New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max.

Several of the design changes coming to the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side.

The device is also expected to move to an aluminum frame that encompasses the new camera bump design, similar to the iPad Pro. To enable wireless charging, there will be a cutout in the aluminum frame below the camera bump for a glass segment.

Most recently, it emerged that the Apple logo will likely be repositioned to the center of this glass segment. The repositioning means the Apple logo will now appear lower than before when viewed relative to the full height of the device.

This has a subsequent impact on the appearance of ‌MagSafe‌ accessories, since the magnetic ring on clear cases would obscure the Apple logo. To resolve this, Apple will apparently change the distinctive ‌MagSafe‌ magnet array to add a break in the circle to allow the Apple logo to show through.

The latest render from the leaker known as "Majin Bu" depicts both the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max in clear cases, showing how Apple apparently proposes to change the ‌MagSafe‌ magnet array to allow the relocated Apple to be clearly shown in its new, lower position, centered to the glass cutout.

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max is expected to launch in the fall, with upgrades including a 48-megapixel telephoto camera, 24-megapixel front-facing camera, and the A19 Pro chip.