Apple News 8 Hours

Last updated: September 15, 2026, 2:26 PM ET

iOS 27 Ships With New Siri, Camera, and Phone Features

Apple released iOS 27 this week following roughly three months of beta testing, and the headline addition is an all-new Siri AI that arrives with a waitlist rather than instant access for every user. Those who just installed the update may also notice their battery draining faster than usual, though the company says the drain is temporary as the system reindexes in the background. The Camera app picks up three powerful new features, including a Siri mode and custom controls, with some capabilities reserved for iPhone 18 Pro hardware and AI-compatible models. Among the more surprising additions is a Phone app feature that has quickly become an instant favorite: call context surfaces useful information about who is calling before you pick up. Apple also tucked a classic Mac easter egg into the release, and you can find the Dogcow by digging through the Settings app. For a full recap of the day's coverage, the 9to5Mac Daily podcast rounds up the top stories.

watch OS 27 Trims Features as New Watches Arrive

The watch OS 27 update removes a useful shortcut that Apple Watch owners relied on for multitasking, part of a broader set of three features users may miss after updating. On the hardware side, the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are already on shelves following their September 18 launch, and the Series 12 introduces a health-focused Readiness app that turns fitness and recovery data into a single score. The Ultra 4 itself brings a new chip, additional AI features, and improved heart rate sensing compared with the Ultra 3, making it the most capable premium smartwatch Apple has shipped. A more controversial addition is Siri Recap on the Series, which listens all day to surrounding conversations while Apple claims it is locked out of the audio through hardware isolation. That design may push the company up against privacy laws in multiple US states, and the new audio features could require new legal precedent before their legality is settled.

M6 Chip Benchmarks Leak Ahead of Mac Mini Refresh

The first unverified benchmark result for Apple's new M6 chip has surfaced in the Geekbench 7 database, arriving just ahead of a Mac mini launch expected next week. The numbers are not yet corroborated by Apple, but they offer the clearest early signal of the performance jump the company is targeting for its next desktop refresh.

Air Pods 5 and New Watches Get Aggressive Pre-Order DiscountsAmazon has introduced the first pre-order discount on the brand-new Air Pods, dropping the price to** $124.99 ahead of the Friday release. Broader pre-release promotions have cut the ANC-equipped Air Pods 5 to AirPods 5 for $125, alongside the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Series 12 lineup that Apple unveiled last week. A separate deals roundup tracks the M5 MacBook Air at $150 off, plus a 25W Mag Safe car mount and other accessories. Amazon has also expanded its Apple Watch pre-order discounts, with up to $20 in savings on the Series 12 and Ultra.*

Apple TV and Home Pod Mini Hit Shipping Delays

Apple TV and Home Pod mini orders continue to face extended shipping delays on Apple's online store in the US, amid persistent rumors about new models coming later this year. The Home Pod mini is also unavailable in orange, adding to speculation that a refresh is imminent.

Apple TV Sets Emmy Record With 29 Wins

Apple TV shows swept the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, with the streaming service taking home a record 29 wins overall to become the most awarded network of the year. It marked Apple TV's best-ever showing, led by "Widow's Bay," and the service has now become the most awarded streamer ever in the awards' history. Meanwhile, "Slow Horses" returned tonight for its sixth season, and Apple confirmed it has already renewed seasons 7 and 8 of the Gary Oldman spy drama.

iPhone Duo Makes Red-Carpet Debut as Camera Trade-offs Draw Scrutiny

Apple CEO John Ternus showed off the iPhone Duo on the Emmys red carpet, delighting the press gaggle while the internet started whining as it tends to do. The Duo's camera system is drawing closer technical scrutiny, with reviewers framing its limitations as deliberate design compromises rather than flaws — the same trade-off philosophy that shaped the iPhone Air. For Mac users who want a piece of the Duo's personality, a new utility recreates its opening animation on most modern MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lids.

iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders Look Lukewarm

A high-profile analyst described demand for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max as "lukewarm" based on early pre-order data, though the report cautions that the signal does not mean much this early in the cycle.

Trade-In Values Shift From iPhone to Mac and iPad

Apple has updated its US trade-in estimates, cutting values for every eligible iPhone while raising them across the iPad and Mac lines. The shift nudges upgraders toward the company's tablet and computer categories at a moment when iPhone demand is under question.

Car Keys Expand to Lincoln, Lucid, and Freelander

Apple Wallet car keys are coming to three more vehicle brands — Lincoln, Lucid Motors, and China's Freelander — according to code uncovered by Mac Rumors contributor Aaron Perris. The expansion extends Apple's phone-as-key feature into both the luxury EV segment and the Chinese market.

Spotify Adds Kids Music Toggle to Protect Wrapped

Spotify announced a feature every parent has probably asked for: the ability to exclude kids and family music from recommendations. The toggle also keeps children's tracks out of the year-end Wrapped recap, sparing users an annual embarrassment of nursery-rhyme statistics.

Home Kit Secure Video Summaries Carry a Steep iCloud+ Price

Apple Intelligence summaries of HomeKit Secure Video cameras are genuinely useful, but the feature is tied to iCloud+ plans that can run as high as $60 per month. It is a reminder that Apple's AI features increasingly sit behind subscription tiers rather than one-time hardware purchases.

India Opens Probe Into Apple's Software Warranty Terms

India's consumer protection regulator has launched a probe into Apple's software warranty terms over claims that iPhone users were paying exorbitant fees for repairs the regulator believes should be covered. The investigation adds regulatory pressure in one of Apple's most important growth markets.

Fleet Joins Anthropic's Project Glasswing for Endpoint Security Research

Fleet announced it has joined Project Glasswing, Anthropic's controlled-access program for its Claude Mythos Preview, to evaluate how frontier models can be applied to endpoint security. The collaboration signals growing enterprise interest in pairing device management tooling with large language models.

Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming This Year

With the iPhone launch in the rearview mirror, Apple may still be cleaning up, but several products remain on the docket for the rest of 2026 — and others will slip. A launch guide breaks down which new Apple products will arrive this year and which will not, spanning the Mac, iPad, and home categories.

Anniversary: The U2 iTunes Debacle Turns 12

Twelve years ago today, Apple published a web page with one job: to make a U2 album go away. On September 9, 2014, at the iPhone 6 event, Tim Cook revealed that "Songs of Innocence" would be given to every iTunes user, and the resulting walk-back became one of the company's strangest public relations episodes.