MacRumors

watchOS 26 is set to be released on Monday, September 15, but developers and public beta testers already have access to the launch version. Apple seeded the ‌watchOS 26‌ release candidate earlier this week, and as long as no last minute bugs are found, it's the version we'll get next week.

The release notes included with the update have a few surprises, including confirming that Sleep Score and Hypertension Notifications are features that are integrated into ‌watchOS 26‌ and not exclusive to the newest Apple Watch models.

Liquid Glass
- A new design delivers a more expressive and seamless experience while maintaining the instant familiarity of watchOS and bringing more focus to your content
- Liquid Glass introduces more vitality to interactions across watchOS, refracts and reflects content in real time, and brings even more clarity to Smart Stack, Control Center, navigation, in-app controls, and more

Hypertension Notifications
- Hypertension notifications can alert you if consistent signs of chronic high blood pressure are observed over 30 day periods (Available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later)
- Hypertension notifications feature is intended for users 22 years or older, without a previous diagnosis of hypertension, and who are not pregnant

Sleep Score
- Sleep score provides a nightly score and classification of your sleep, based on sleep duration, bedtime consistency, and sleep interruptions to help you better understand the quality of your sleep and how to make it more restorative
- Sleep score can be viewed in the Sleep app, in the Smart Stack or as a watch face complication

Workout Buddy
- Personalized fitness experience with Apple Intelligence incorporates your workout data and fitness history for generative audible motivational insights during your workout
- Personalized insights are generated during key moments - like a pep talk to kick it off, your workout for splits and major milestones, and a summary of your effort once you finish - by rapidly analyzing and comparing your fitness history to your current workout
- Choose from three voices developed using a text-to-speech model with voice data from Apple Fitness+ trainers
- Your fitness data is processed privately and securely using your nearby Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone and Private Cloud Compute

Smart Stack
- Smart Stack has an improved prediction algorithm that deploys a Smart Stack hint when there is a suggestion that is immediately useful - for example, if you are in a remote location, you'll see a hint to start recording Backtrack
- Configurable widgets let you customize how widgets appear in the Smart Stack so you can see what's most important for you - for example, select a home accessory you'd like quick access to in the Home widget

Messages
- Live Translation in Messages uses Apple Intelligence and automatically translates incoming texts, including group messages, and sends a response in your preferred language -- it'll be translated when it's delivered (Available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone)
- Smart actions will be suggested in Messages using the context of a conversation, like starting a Check In when a friend asks a user to share when they arrive home
- Smart Replies get even more precise with an improved on-device language model that can generate relevant responses based on the content of a conversation

Watch Faces
- Exactograph is a modern re-imagination of a traditional regulator watch which separates out hours, minutes and seconds for more precise time keeping
- Flow uses Liquid Glass numerals that refract a fluid orb of color that responds to your wrist movements
- Waypoint acts as a live compass that will show where you are in relation to places you've saved in Maps or points of interest (Available on Apple Watch Ultra)
- Hermès Faubourg Party features animated shorts that appear based on the time of day or movements with a series of characters (Available on Apple Watch Hermès)
- The Photos face is enhanced by the new design with Liquid Glass, elevating numerals so you can see even more of your photos
- The Photos face will now shuffle images based on Featured content from Photos, so you can see images of your most meaningful moments every time you raise your wrist or tap the display
- Explore and discover watch faces more easily with the redesigned watch face gallery, with faces grouped into collections

Other features
- New layout of the Workout app makes it easier to use your favorite features - tap the icons in the four corners for quick access to metrics and views, experiences like Custom Workout and Pacer, media, Workout Buddy, and alerts
- Media experience in the Workout app is more integrated and intelligent, as Apple Music can now select the best playlist based on the workout type and your personal tastes, or you can see suggestions for playlists or podcasts based on what you've recently listened to during that particular workout type
- Notes app comes to Apple Watch, allowing you to access your notes right on your wrist, pin and unlock notes, complete checklist items, and create new notes with Siri, dictation, and the keyboard
- Wrist Flick is a new one-handed gesture you can use to dismiss a notification, mute incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, or return to your watch face (Available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later)
- Over 20 watch faces including Exactograph, Activity Digital, Reflections as well as Stopwatch and Timer apps, get 1Hz support that show seconds ticking in always-on mode (Available on Apple Watch Series 10 and later)
- Apple Watch can automatically adjust the volume of your notifications, incoming calls, timers, alarms, and Siri, based on the ambient noise in your environment
- Hold Assist and Call Screening come to the Phone app, when an iPhone is nearby. Hold Assist keeps your spot in line while you wait to speak to a live agent, and rings you to return to the call when the live agent is there. Call Screening lets you screen incoming calls from unknown numbers, getting you the caller's name and reason for the call before the phone rings

‌watchOS 26‌ will be released alongside iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. Expect the software right around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday.

macOS Tahoe is coming out next Monday, and Apple provided the release candidate (RC) version of the software earlier this week. The RC came with notes highlighting the features that Apple believes are most important.

Apple has changed up the way that it provides release notes for macOS, and rather than a list of features, there's a carousel with more detailed descriptions of key additions and images to go along with each feature.

New design featuring Liquid Glass
The new design makes the iconic elements of macOS fresh yet familiar. A transparent menubar makes your display feel larger. Apps with Liquid Glass sidebars and toolbars reflect and refract what you're viewing, drawing more focus to your content. And you can personalize icons and widgets, giving them a light, dark, tinted, or new clear look to match your style.

Customize the look of folders
To make folders easy to recognize, you can give them a distinctive appearance. You can now choose a unique color and add emoji or symbol

Personalize Control Center
Enjoy more ways to customize which controls appear in Control Center, and how they're laid out. Add new controls from Mac and even iPhone apps, including from your favorite third-party apps. Arrange them however you like, and even create pages of controls. You can also place controls right into the menu bar for easier access.

Communicate seamlessly across languages with Live Translation
With Apple Intelligence, Live Translation helps you automatically translate text in Messages, follow along with live-translated captions in FaceTime calls, or listen to a real-time audio transcription spoken aloud in the Phone app. It works entirely on-device so your personal conversations stay private.

Create incredibly powerful shortcuts
The Shortcuts app is supercharged with Apple Intelligence. Intelligent actions can summarize text, create images, or tap directly into Apple Intelligence models. And with automations on Mac, you can make shortcuts run automatically based on conditions, such as the time of day, file or folder updates, connecting to an external monitor, and more.

New options for making Genmoji
Mix your favorite emoji together with descriptions to make something brand new. And get more control over Genmoji inspired by family and friends, with new options like hairstyle customization to help you match their latest look.

More ways to create the perfect image in Image Playground
Get more control over images inspired by people from your photo library, with new options to change their expressions or hairstyle to match their latest look. You can also access new ChatGPT styles, like Watercolor or Oil Painting, and use Any Style to describe what you want.

See Live Activities from iPhone on Mac
Continuity gets even better with Live Activities. Easily stay on top of activities that you started on iPhone, like tracking the progress of your order from Uber Eats, right from the menu bar on Mac. You can even click on the Live Activity to open the app in iPhone Mirroring.

All-new Phone app
Powered by Continuity, the new Phone app for Mac lets you relay cellular calls from your nearby iPhone. Call Screening can help you manage unwanted calls by finding out who's calling and why, without interrupting you. You can also access familiar features--including Recents, Contacts, and Voicemails--and new ones like Hold Assist and Live Translation.

Focus your Messages conversations
To help you focus on what matters, new screening tools filter out unknown numbers from your conversation list until you mark them as known, and on-device spam detection helps filter out spam. You can also add a background to your conversation to give it a distinctive look. And send polls to friends and family over iMessage and watch the votes come in live.

Discover new ways to browse in Spotlight
Spotlight makes it easy to see all your apps, locate recent or suggested files, discover actions you can take, and view your clipboard history. Just launch Spotlight from the menu bar and select the Applications, Files, Actions, or Clipboard button, which will appear next to the search field.

Take actions directly from Spotlight
You can now take hundreds of new system and app actions right from Spotlight, such as sending messages, creating an event, and running shortcuts, all without lifting your hands off the keyboard. And to get things done faster, Spotlight automatically assigns quick keys to actions you take, so you can execute them in just a few characters.

Experience the new Apple Games app
The Apple Games app is your one-stop gaming destination. Discover the latest updates across your games, such as in-game events, major updates, and games your friends are playing. Access your entire game library. And compete with friends in challenges.

macOS Tahoe will launch on September 15 alongside iOS 26, iPadOS 26, visionOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26.

Following the iPhone 17 event earlier this week, Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak and Apple hardware engineering chief John Ternus did an interview with Tom's Guide's Mark Spoonauer to discuss the iPhone Air. During the interview, Joswiak demonstrated the ‌iPhone Air‌'s durability by handing Spoonauer an ‌iPhone Air‌ and encouraging him to try to bend it.

Spoonauer says that it survived the bend test. "I used all my strength, and the 5.64mm thin phone bowed (slightly), but did not break," he said. TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff was also part of the interview, and he too was unable to get the ‌iPhone Air‌ to bend. It did flex, but it returned to its original position, which Joswiak said was meant to happen.

The 6.5-inch ‌iPhone Air‌ has a grade 5 titanium frame, and with the iPhone 17 Pro models transitioning to aluminum, it's now Apple's only titanium iPhone. When announcing the ‌iPhone Air‌, Apple said the titanium frame "exceeds" its "stringent bend test requirements."

The bendability of an ‌iPhone‌ has been something people pay attention to since the 2014 launch of the ‌iPhone‌ 6 models. The ‌iPhone‌ 6 and ‌iPhone‌ 6 Plus became famous for "bendgate" after users found that the iPhones could bend in a pocket.

According to Ternus, multiple factors needed to align for Apple to design a thin and light ‌iPhone‌. "We needed advancements in our materials development, Ceramic Shield on the back to be able to create that hollow plateau. If you look at the inside of the ‌iPhone Air‌, almost the entire phone is living right up there in that top and that in that plateau. And then we need the efficiency of Apple silicon. So it was all of these pieces that had to come together," he explained.

Spoonauer says that he asked about the "plateau" naming for the camera bump, and it's a word that Apple has been using internally "for a while."

The interview continued with TechRadar, where Ternus and Joswiak discussed the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models.

Apple set out to make the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models the "most Pro phones" possible, leading to improvements in battery life, new camera technology, and durability. On the transition from titanium to aluminum, Ternus said there were "two undeniable wins for aluminum." Apple used a custom aluminum alloy, and it is 20 times better at thermal conductivity than titanium so it is better able to spread heat. Aluminum is also lighter than titanium, which allowed for more battery weight. "And then the icing on the cake is it allowed us to anodize it," said Ternus, referring to the Cosmic Orange ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌.

"Look, for years we've had Pro customers say 'Hey, how come the other part of the line gets all the fun colors, you know, and we don't?' And it's like Okay, you want a fun color? How about Cosmic Orange, baby?" Joswiak said.

Both interviews are worth watching for those who are interested in additional details on the ‌iPhone Air‌ and the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models. Apple's new devices will be available for pre-order starting on September 12, with a launch planned for September 19.

While the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery is not compatible with any other iPhone models, the USB-C port on the battery pack can charge some smaller accessories.

As noted by 9to5Mac's Zac Hall, the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery product page has this line:

Charge smaller accessories via USB-C

Apple says the USB-C port on iPhones can charge an AirPods case, Apple Watch, or another small device that supports USB Power Delivery at up to 4.5W, and the USB-C port on the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery likely behaves the same way.

So long as the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery has a sufficient charge, connecting a USB-C cable from the battery pack to the small accessory will initiate charging of the accessory — it could even be something like a small USB-powered fan.

Apple's original MagSafe Battery Pack with a Lightning port could not charge small accessories like an AirPods case or an Apple Watch in this manner.

You can order the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery now, with U.S. pricing set at $99.

The iPhone 17 Pro launches next week, offering 25 changes and improvements over its predecessor from last year. Here's everything that's different between the two generations.

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ introduces an aluminum unibody design, the A19 Pro chip, a new front-facing camera with Center Stage, and a 48-megapixel telephoto camera. Beyond these headline features, how much of an improvement does the ‌‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ really offer?

This guide breaks down the differences between the iPhone 16 Pro and ‌‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models to help you understand all of the changes and determine whether these enhancements are enough to justify making the switch‌.

‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ (2024)	‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ (2025)
iPhone 16 Pro: Weighs 7.03 ounces (199 grams) iPhone 16 Pro Max: Weighs 7.99 ounces (227 grams)	iPhone 17 Pro: Weighs 7.27 ounces (206 grams) iPhone 17 Pro Max: Weighs 8.22 ounces (233 grams)
8.25 mm thickness	8.75 mm thickness
Titanium frame	Aluminum unibody
Glass rounded square camera bump	Full-width rounded rectangle aluminum camera plateau
Glass back	Ceramic Shield back
Ceramic Shield front	Ceramic Shield 2 front with 3x better scratch resistance
2,000 nits peak display brightness (outdoor)	3,000 nits peak display brightness (outdoor)
A18 Pro chip (N3E)	A19 Pro chip (N3P)
6-core GPU	6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators
	Apple N1 chip for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity	Bluetooth 6 connectivity
12-megapixel TrueDepth camera	18-megapixel TrueDepth camera
Tap to zoom on front-facing camera	Tap to zoom and rotate on front-facing camera
	Center Stage front-facing camera
	Ultra-stabilized video on front-facing camera
	Dual Capture (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps)
12-megapixel Telephoto camera	48-megapixel Fusion Telephoto camera
0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x optical zoom options	0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x optical zoom options
	ProRes RAW capture support
	Genlock support
iPhone 16 Pro: Up to 27-hour battery life iPhone 16 Pro Max: Up to 33-hour battery life	iPhone 17 Pro: Up to 33-hour battery life iPhone 17 Pro Max: Up to 39-hour battery life
iPhone 16 Pro: MagSafe wireless charging up to 22W with 30W adapter or higher iPhone 16 Pro Max: ‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher	‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher
iPhone 16 Pro: Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher iPhone 16 Pro Max: Up to 50% charge in 35 minutes with 20W adapter or higher	iPhone 17 Pro: Up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher iPhone 17 Pro Max: Up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher
iPhone 16 Pro: Available with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage iPhone 16 Pro Max: Available with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage	iPhone 17 Pro: Available with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage iPhone 17 Pro Max: Available with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage
Available in Desert, Natural, White, and Black	Available in Silver, Deep Blue, and Cosmic Orange

The shift from a titanium frame and glass back to a thicker aluminum unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 is one of the most striking updates in years, delivering a design that is not only more durable but also offers three times better scratch resistance and enables longer battery life. Battery life improves meaningfully, rising from 27 hours on the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ to 33 hours, and from 33 to 39 hours on the Pro Max. Charging is also considerably faster, reaching 50% in 20 minutes with a 40W adapter.

Display performance also sees a measurable boost, with peak outdoor brightness rising from 2,000 to 3,000 nits—a 50% increase that will be most noticeable for users who frequently use their device in bright environments. Similarly, the A19 Pro chip introduces efficiency improvements through its move to TSMC's N3P process and incorporates Neural Accelerators into its GPU, giving it advantages in AI-driven tasks and intense gaming.

The most significant leap comes in photography and videography. The front-facing camera now features an 18-megapixel sensor, Center Stage, and ultra-stabilized video, making the device much more appealing for video calls, selfies, and content creation. On the rear, the jump to a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with up to 8x optical zoom is a major increase in versatility. Support for ProRes RAW, Genlock, and Dual Capture further cements its credentials as a creator-focused device.

While the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ is clearly positioned toward professionals and "pro-sumers" more than ever, even casual users will appreciate its longer battery life, brighter display, and more advanced cameras. Overall, the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ seems to offer a fairly substantial upgrade over its predecessor.

Apple and Epic Games have been involved in a high-profile legal battle in the United States, but the two companies have also been facing off in court in Australia. Back in August, Australia's federal court ruled that the Apple App Store had violated competition laws by prohibiting sideloading and alternative payment methods.

At the time, the court had not shared a written judgment, but now the 900-page document has been published and additional information on the court's decision is available. In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that it does not agree with the court's decision and will continue to argue its position in court.

Apple does not have a monopoly position in Australia or in any market around the world. We strongly disagree with many decisions in this case, including an improper market definition that has been rejected by other courts. We will continue to seek an outcome that respects our intellectual property and protects the safe, secure experience that consumers and developers have come to expect from the App Store.

In the Australia case, Epic argued that Apple misused market power by limiting app distribution to the ‌App Store‌, requiring apps to use in-app purchase for digital content, and blocking competition by prohibiting alternative app stores and payment methods.

The court adopted a narrow definition of the markets in play, viewing iOS as its own ecosystem and concluding that Apple has a monopoly over iOS app distribution and in-app payment processing. Apple doesn't have to make any changes yet, but the court did not look favorably on Apple's rules against sideloading and third-party payments.

Apple believes that viewing the iPhone as a single brand market is inappropriate, because it faces competition from other platforms like the Google Play Store, the Samsung Galaxy Store, and stores that allow for software purchases on PCs and consoles. Other courts, including the U.S. court overseeing the ‌Epic Games‌ v. Apple case, have not used that market definition.

The Australian court used Europe's Digital Markets Act as evidence that alternative app distribution is possible, but Apple says that the viewpoint ignores the risks associated with skirting the ‌App Store‌'s security and privacy protections. It is Apple's position that sideloading risks malware, fraud, and viruses, and subjects users to questionable content because there are few restrictions. Sideloading could also diminish the trust that people have in the ‌iPhone‌, and Apple says that relying on the DMA is a mistake because the DMA hasn't been around long enough to demonstrate the full effects of weakened security.

Epic did not score a total victory in Australia. The court said that Apple is well within its rights to charge for its intellectual property, found that Apple's refusal to support third-party app stores is justified, and acknowledged the privacy and security protections provided by the ‌App Store‌.

Remedies to address Apple's alleged anticompetitive conduct have not yet been determined and Apple hasn't been ordered to make changes, but after the ruling, ‌Epic Games‌ claimed that Fortnite would be returning to iOS in Australia.

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.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with GRID Studio to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a brand new iPhone 17. GRID Studio's fifth anniversary coincides with Apple's ‌iPhone 17‌ launch, and GRID Studio wanted to celebrate by hosting a sale and a giveaway.

GRID Studio creates art showcasing Apple's history from old, discarded Apple products that would otherwise clutter up landfills. GRID Studio collects vintage Apple devices, disassembles them, and designs attractive wall art for Apple fans. Art pieces are available with a range of different iPhones and Apple products, so if you have a favorite device, you can likely get a collector's version from GRID Studio's website. GRID has everything from the original iPhone to the ‌iPhone‌ 13. You're not limited to iPhones, though, and GRID also offers iPads, iPods, A-series chips, the first MacBook Air, and Apple Watches.

Each GRID frame features a deconstructed Apple device with all of the components carefully laid out and labeled. There are also useful facts and relevant details about each product, along with a Steve Jobs quote. Most frames are around 11 inches by 16 inches, with some smaller square versions also available.

For its anniversary, GRID Studio is offering 20 percent off all purchases with the promo code GRID5, and the sale will last from September 10 to September 17. There are also some special deals available with even lower prices.

The GRID 1 that features Apple's iconic first ‌iPhone‌ from 2007 is priced at $299, which is $100 off of the original $399 price. The GRID 4S that features the 2011 ‌iPhone‌ 4s is just $99. All other products without special deals are available at a discount with the sitewide promo code.

We have a new 256GB ‌iPhone 17‌ for one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (September 11) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 18. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after September 18 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Apple announced the new Apple Watch lineup earlier this week, including the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. If you're planning to pre-order the Ultra 3, Best Buy is offering a $50 discount to its members this week.

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

To get this deal, you need to be a My Best Buy Plus or Total member, and when you add the smartwatch to your cart you'll automatically see the $50 discount applied. This knocks the price of the brand new device down to $749.00, from $799.00.

This offer is available for many models of the Apple Watch Ultra 3, including the Titanium Milanese Loop model. Earlier this week, we highlighted other pre-order deals on new Apple devices, including $20 in Best Buy credit when purchasing the AirPods Pro 3.

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's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3 all set to launch on Friday, September 19.

Apple is not finished on the year, though, with rumors claiming that the company might release up to six more products before 2025 ends.

Here are the rumored products — many of which are likely to be announced in October:

• Apple TV: A faster A17 Pro chip that will support next year's revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, and an Apple-designed Wi-Fi chip with Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 support. A built-in FaceTime camera has been rumored for a future Apple TV, but it is unclear if that will arrive with the next model.
• HomePod mini: S9 chip or newer with support for next year's revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, an Apple-designed Wi-Fi chip with Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 support, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and potentially new color options like Red.
• AirTag: Up to 3× longer item tracking range vs. current AirTag, a more tamper-proof speaker, and "very low" battery life alerts.
• iPad Pro: M5 chip and two front cameras, allowing for photos and video calls in both portrait and landscape orientations.
• Vision Pro: A faster M4 chip or M5 chip, a new head strap that improves comfort, and potentially a Space Black color option.
• Studio Display 2: A new version of the Studio Display with mini-LED backlighting is expected to launch in late 2025 or early 2026.

Multiple reports have indicated that MacBook Pro models with the M5 series of chips might not launch until early 2026, and it is unclear if any other Macs with M5 chips like an iMac or Mac mini would debut this year as a result. If new Macs are not arriving until next year, the Studio Display might not be updated until 2026 too.

It is not yet known if Apple plans to host another event this year, or if these products would be announced with press releases on the Apple Newsroom website only.

In an interview this week with The Wall Street Journal's Sam Schube, Apple's software design chief Alan Dye said the iPhone Air represents another step "towards that singular piece of glass that Steve Jobs talked about back in the day."

Apple's former design chief Jony Ive and Jobs both dreamed of an all-glass iPhone with a seamless, low-profile design. Apple has made progress towards this goal over the years, with the iPhone X doing away with thick bezels in favor of a notch in 2017, the iPhone 14 Pro models introducing a smaller Dynamic Island cutout in the screen in 2022, and now the iPhone Air topping the iPhone 6 as the thinnest iPhone ever.

Rumors suggest that Apple might finally achieve its long-sought vision for the iPhone in two years from now. Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was planning a 20th-anniversary iPhone for 2027 with "curved glass edges," "extraordinarily slim bezels," and "no cutout section in the screen." Inside Apple, he said the device was known as the "Glasswing," in reference to a type of butterfly that has transparent wings.

The rest of the interview contains typical marketing speak from Apple executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook saying he will decide when to use the iPhone Air or another model based on "whether I want to float through the air."

iPhone Air can be pre-ordered starting this Friday, and it launches September 19.

In the environment section of its iPhone Air press release this week, Apple revealed that the device is equipped with a 3D-printed titanium USB-C port.

Apple said the 3D-printed titanium USB-C port offers three benefits compared to one manufactured with a conventional forging process: it is thinner, stronger, and uses 33% less material to be more environmentally friendly.

3D printing for metal is also known as metal additive manufacturing, a process that involves creating objects layer by layer with powdered metal, based on a CAD model.

Despite this manufacturing innovation, the iPhone Air's USB-C port is limited to outdated USB 2 speeds of up to 480 Mb/s for wired data transfer.

Titanium cases for Apple Watch Ultra 3 and higher-end Apple Watch Series 11 models are also made with a 3D-printing process that uses half the raw material as previous generations of each device, according to Apple's announcements.

iPhone Air can be pre-ordered starting this Friday at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, while the new Apple Watch models are available to pre-order now, in the U.S. and many other countries. All of the devices are set to launch Friday, September 19.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 17, ‌iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max are set to begin on Friday, September 12 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with the new devices set to become available for pre-order in multiple countries around the world simultaneously.

We've compiled pre-order times for various countries to help MacRumors readers be among the first to order. This list isn't exhaustive, so please verify the exact time for your specific location.

U.S. customers can prepare for the iPhone 17 launch using the "Get Ready" pre-order setup. This process allows you to select your iPhone model, confirm your carrier, and enter payment and shipping details in advance.

For those wanting a device on launch day, immediate pre-ordering is recommended. Supply availability is uncertain, and popular models or colors may sell out within minutes or hours.

The iPhone 17 starts at $799, while the iPhone Air begins at $999. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199. U.S. carriers are offering various discounts. Apple also provides the iPhone Upgrade Program and trade-in options to reduce costs.

Pre-orders open on September 12. The first iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 Pro orders will be delivered to customers on Friday, September 19.

Apple's new Live Translation feature for AirPods will be off-limits to millions of European users when it arrives next week, with strict EU regulations likely holding back its rollout.

Apple says on its feature availability webpage that "Apple Intelligence: Live Translation with AirPods" won't be available if both the user is physically in the EU and their Apple Account region is in the EU. Apple doesn't give a reason for the restriction, but legal and regulatory pressures seem the most plausible culprits.

In particular, the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) both impose strict requirements for how speech and translation services are offered. Regulators may want to study how Live Translation works, and how that impacts privacy, consent, data-flows, and user rights. Apple will also want to ensure its system fully complies with these rules before enabling the feature across EU accounts.

Apple's Live Translation feature, unveiled during its AirPods Pro 3 announcement, is also coming to older models including AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and AirPods Pro 2.

Live Translation enables hands-free communication by allowing users to speak naturally while wearing AirPods. For conversations with non-AirPods users, the iPhone can display live transcriptions horizontally, showing translations in the other person's preferred language.

The feature becomes more powerful when both conversation participants wear compatible AirPods with Live Translation enabled. Active Noise Cancellation automatically lowers the volume of the other speaker, helping users focus on translated audio while maintaining natural interaction flow.

The new Live Translation functionality requires AirPods updated with the latest firmware to pair with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone running iOS 26 or later, so iPhone 15 Pro and newer models are supported. Apple has been beta testing firmware in concert with iOS 26 beta updates, and we expect the firmware to drop the same day that iOS 26 is officially released on September 15.

The feature supports real-time translation between English (UK and U.S.), French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. Apple plans to add Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) support later this year. When the EU/Apple Account restriction will be lifted remains unclear, but we've reached out to Apple to see if they're willing to provide more details.

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.

Following the debut of the iPhone 17 lineup on Tuesday, Apple quietly updated its iPhone 16 lineup so that the standard ‌iPhone 16‌ is now sold only in a 128GB configuration for $699. The previous storage tiers of 256GB and 512GB for the base ‌iPhone 16‌ have been discontinued.

The ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus retains slightly more flexibility by remaining available in both 128GB and 256GB versions, although its 512GB tier has also been removed.

The change makes sense for Apple's marketing strategy. Given that all ‌iPhone 17‌ models now start at 256GB, maintaining a 256GB ‌iPhone 16‌ tier would have created product overlap and potentially impacted sales of the newer model.

It also streamlines Apple's manufacturing and inventory management, and will likely encourage customers who need more storage to either choose the ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus or upgrade directly to the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup.

Apple opens pre-orders for ‌iPhone 17‌ models, including the ultra-thin iPhone Air, on Friday, September 12, with availability starting Friday, September 19.

Before Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, there were rumors suggesting that some features like the upgraded Telephoto camera could be exclusive to the Pro Max. In the past, Apple has limited some capabilities to the Pro Max, so it was a possibility, but the two devices have the same general feature set this year.

There are a few things that are different, of course, but that comes down to size.

Display

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max has a 6.9-inch display, while the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ has a smaller 6.3-inch display. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ is smaller and lighter weight than the Pro Max, and easier to use one-handed.

Battery

Since there's more room in the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max for the battery, it lasts longer. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ offers up to 33 hours of video playback, while the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max offers up to 39 hours of video playback. It's the longest battery life in an iPhone to date.

Storage

With the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, you can get up to 2TB of storage, which is a new upper limit for the ‌iPhone‌. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ is limited to 1TB. The difference may be due to size and the space inside for storage components.

The 2TB ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max costs $2,000.

There are no other differences between the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, so if you opt for the smaller Pro model, you're only missing out on a larger display size, a longer battery, and the option to upgrade to 2TB of storage.

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models will be available for pre-order this Friday.

With the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, Apple introduced a new design for the rear of the device. Instead of a camera bump, we now have a camera plateau that spans almost the entire back of the iPhone. The camera plateau houses an upgraded camera system that includes a revamped Telephoto lens.

All three of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and Pro Max cameras are 48 megapixels, and there are five zoom options across the lenses.

Telephoto Lens

The 48-megapixel Fusion Telephoto lens is new, and an upgrade over the 12-megapixel Telephoto lens in the iPhone 16 Pro models. It supports 4x zoom, or a 100mm focal length equivalent. At 4x zoom, you can capture 48-megapixel images.

It also supports 8x zoom, or a 200mm focal length equivalent. 8x zoom images are limited to 12 megapixels. Apple says that the Telephoto sensor is 56 percent larger, allowing for improved performance in poor lighting conditions.

The Telephoto lens supports Hybrid Focus Pixels, 3D sensor-shift optical image stabilization and autofocus, and it has the tetraprism design that Apple introduced last year.

The 8x optical zoom can be expanded to 40x digital zoom. It doesn't quite match the 100x zoom that Samsung's smartphones are known for, but it does expand the zoom range compared to prior iPhones.

Wide Lens

The 48-megapixel wide-angle lens, or Fusion Main lens as Apple refers to it, hasn't changed much compared to the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌.

You can take 24-megapixel or 48-megapixel images at the standard 24mm focal length, or 12-megapixel 2x Telephoto images at a 48mm focal length.

Features include second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100 percent Focus Pixels, and an f/1.78 aperture.

Ultra Wide-Angle Lens

Apple calls the 48-megapixel ultra wide lens the Fusion Ultra Wide. It has a 13mm focal length, an f/2.2 aperture, and a 120 degree field of view. It supports taking close-up 48-megapixel macro shots, and has support for what Apple calls Hybrid Focus Pixels.

LiDAR and Flash

At the right side of the camera plateau, there's an Adaptive True Tone Flash and LiDAR Scanner.

Other Camera Features

Other camera technology that Apple has introduced over the years is included.

• Photonic Engine - Combines the best pixels from a high-resolution image and an image optimized for light capture, producing a 24-megapixel image with detail sourced from an image twice the resolution. The Photonic Engine kicks in for low light images.
• Deep Fusion - Works in mid to low lighting conditions and brings out the texture and detail in the image. It improves images with medium lighting.
• Smart HDR 5 - Recognizes one or more people in a scene and optimizes contrast, lighting, and skin tones so everyone looks their best.
• Portrait images with Focus and Depth Control - You don't need to choose Portrait mode before capturing an image to get a portrait shot. You can just snap a photo, and if there's a person or a pet, depth information is collected and Portrait mode is enabled automatically with a blurred background. It works for Night mode, too.
• Portrait Lighting - Changes the lighting of Portrait mode photos with effects that include Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, and High-Key Mono.
• Night mode - Takes a series of images over a few seconds and aggregates them to allow for photography in extreme low lighting situations.
• Panorama - Captures panoramic shots that are up to 63 megapixels in size.
• Photographic Styles (including a new Bright option this year) - Photographic Styles are filters that you can apply before an image is captured, previewing them as you take a shot.
• Spatial photos and videos - Videos and photos captured in spatial mode can be viewed in 3D on the Vision Pro.
• ProRAW - A pro video recording option.
• Lens correction (for the Ultra Wide) - Eliminates distortion.
• Auto image stabilization - Corrects for camera shake.
• Burst mode - Allows a series of images to be captured all at once, which is good for high-action shots.

Video Capabilities

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models support recording 4K Dolby Vision video at up to 120 frames per second.

4K 120fps ProRes video recording is available with an external storage device attached, and the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models support ProRes RAW recording, a new feature this year. There's also support for Apple Log 2 and Genlock video synchronization, pro features aimed at filmmakers.

Apple added a Dual Capture feature that records from the front and back cameras at the same time. Dual Capture supports up to 4K Dolby Vision recording at 30 frames per second.

Other video features that Apple has added over the years are also available.

• Cinematic mode up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps for keeping the focus on the main subject while you move
• Action mode up to 2.8K Dolby Vision at 60 fps for enhancing stabilization to reduce shake
• Spatial video recording at 1080p at 30 fps, with spatial audio
• Academy Color Encoding System
• Macro video recording, including slo-mo and time-lapse
• 1080p Slo-mo support at up to 240 fps, or 4K Dolby Vision at 120 fps
• Time-lapse
• QuickTake
• Digital zoom up to 15x
• Cinematic video stabilization
• Continuous autofocus video
• Audio Mix and wind noise reduction

Front Camera

Apple added a new 18-megapixel Center Stage front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. It has an f/1.8 aperture, and as the name suggests, it supports Center Stage. Center Stage is the feature that keeps you in frame during video calls as you move around.

The updated front camera sensor is larger and it is square-shaped, which means more can fit in the frame than before. You can even take front-facing cameras in landscape or portrait mode without rotating your phone. Apple also improved stabilization when capturing video.

Dual Capture video works with both the front and rear cameras, so you can record a scene and your reaction at the same time.

Other iPhones

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models are the only devices that have the three-camera setup. The standard iPhone 17 has a dual-lens camera setup with wide and ultra-wide lenses, while the iPhone Air has a single-lens camera that's equivalent to the Main camera on the 17 Pro.

Apple introduced the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max yesterday and gave members of the media some hands-on time with them. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera was able to take a look to check out the new design and share his first impressions.

Rather than using titanium and glass, the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models have a unibody aluminum frame. There's aluminum around the camera plateau and at the back except for where there's a Ceramic Shield insert for MagSafe charging. The camera plateau is much bigger, and there's a two-tone look thanks to the aluminum and Ceramic Shield design.

The updated iPhones feel solid and well built, and Apple promises that durability and scratch resistance have improved. Apple added a new anti-reflective coating, and while it's not a dramatic change, it does cut down on glare.

The new dark blue and orange color options are attention grabbing, but Apple didn't provide a space black or space gray kind of option. It's silver, orange, or dark blue only this year.

There's a new Telephoto lens that supports up to 8x zoom, and an upgraded front-facing camera that lets you take selfies in portrait or landscape mode without rotating your phone.

Apple is launching the new iPhones on September 19, and we'll have a more comprehensive review then. We also took a look at the iPhone Air if you want to check out that video.

Apple today announced that its retail store at the South Coast Plaza shopping mall, in Costa Mesa, California, has temporarily relocated.

Apple has opened a temporary store in the mall, just down the hall from its original location, which will presumably be renovated. The company has not indicated when the original store will reopen, but its renovations often take months.

Opened in 2001, Apple South Coast Plaza was one of the company's first retail locations, in the heart of Orange County. The mall is the largest in California.

Apple already alerted some customers about the store relocation via email last week, and today it posted a notice on the store's page on its website.