Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: September 4, 2026, 10:21 PM ET

September 9 Event Preview

Apple's September 9 event is set for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and this year's iPhone lineup is expected to be a major one, with plans for a larger foldable and the "biggest overhaul" in iPhone history reportedly detailed in a leaked roadmap. Beyond the slab-style iPhone 18 Pro models, Apple is widely expected to unveil its first foldable device. While the long-awaited foldable iPhone has often been referred to as the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold in rumors, another name is making the rounds: "iPhone Duo." The Mac Rumors Show team discussed everything to expect at the upcoming event on this week's episode, and a leaked roadmap reportedly details plans for a larger foldable and the "biggest overhaul" in iPhone history.

iPhone Ultra and Foldable Production

Production of the foldable iPhone Ultra is reportedly hitting significant constraints. According to Nikkei Asia, Apple last month only managed to produce a few hundred units a day of its upcoming foldable due to "extremely high quality control standards." A separate supply chain report similarly notes that quality control inspections are rejecting a significant number of units, slowing output ahead of the September launch. The foldable Ultra is still likely to be missing these five features that will be present on the iPhone 18 Pro. Ahead of the event, case manufacturers have generated dummy units to test fit, and we've gotten a look at what the folding iPhone might look like based on these fakes.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 20

We are just five sleeps away from the unveiling of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. A new report details the flagship's mechanical aperture camera feature and more. However, there are questions about whether the iPhone 18 Pro's biggest upgrade will really deliver, as the variable aperture may not be a significant upgrade over its predecessor. Looking further ahead, a new Bloomberg report says Apple plans to release a special 20th-anniversary iPhone next year with the biggest design changes since the iPhone X. The iPhone 20 is expected to be a revolutionary redesign in 2027, and a leaked roadmap reportedly reveals plans for a larger foldable and more.

Apple's Product Roadmap

Apple reportedly plans to release 14 products by early next year, including the iPhone 18 Pro and foldable Ultra. A leaked iPhone roadmap covering 2026-2028 reveals plans for a larger foldable, the "biggest overhaul," and more. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also reported that Apple plans to release a second-generation MacBook Neo in 2027 with an A19 Pro chip and three key updates.

Apple Home Security

Apple could release a home security system and service in 2027, according to Bloomberg. The company is planning an AI home security camera and monitoring service that could be announced in 2027. A new report summarizes existing rumors and says the home security system will be announced alongside a monitoring service. Apple is also planning to launch a home security and monitoring service per the report.

Home Pod and audio OS 27

Apple has been testing a new full-sized HomePod with Siri AI support, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Code found in audio OS 27 beta 8 suggests Apple is working on a four-speaker surround sound system and a new "Party Mode." The code references suggest work on a new surround sound system and Party Mode features for the Home Pod.

Car Play and AI Chatbots

Car Play has picked up its fifth major AI chatbot app with the addition of Claude. Anthropic's iPhone app adding Car Play is the second AI chatbot app to be updated with support this week, and Claude comes to CarPlay means Claude users can talk to Claude through their in-car infotainment systems. The update makes Car Play work with five major chatbot apps.

watch OS 27 Changes

When watch OS 27 is released later this month, Apple Watch users may notice that some things work differently. The upcoming software update removes three features that users may miss after updating.

Game Controllers

References to two unreleased controllers that identify as Apple hardware in code were spotted in the macOS 26.7 release candidate. Apple already supports nearly every major game controller, but new evidence suggests that the company may want to add its own hardware, with two very different game controllers potentially in the works.

Test Flight Fix

As noted by Mac Stories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci, Test Flight now shows recent betas by default again for all users. In July, Apple updated the app with a search feature that introduced a regression, but Apple has now fixed the TestFlight beta order issue with the 4.3.1 update, resolving the frustrating regression that the search feature update added.

Displays and Monitors

Accessory brand Alogic today announced an expansion to its display lineup, adding several new 5K and 6K models offering varying feature sets. The new Alogic displays include a 6K touchscreen and a 5K ultrawide, with the new additions to its Aspekt Touch line working with the Mac mini docking stand. Acer recently came out with a new 6K 31.5-inch display, the Pro Designer PE320QXT, and a review finds that the 6K touchscreen display turns your Mac into a giant iPad, sort of. The new 5K and 6K models from Aler are available for pre-order.

Audio and Headphones

In August, Fender released the $299 MIX wireless headphones. The over-ear headphones come with a replaceable battery and the FWD Tx USB-C wireless transmitter for low-latency, lossless connectivity. Now, the Fender MIX headphones have an iPhone app for tuning your sound.

Accessories and Smart Home

The ULTRALOQ Bolt Fingerprint is a great option for almost anyone thanks to its Apple Home integration, built-in Wi-Fi, and fingerprint reader. However, it's missing Home Key support, which is the one feature you'd want. Consumer technology maker Ugreen has announced Home Agent, its first smart home platform, combining security camera storage, on-device AI, and Matter-based device control. The company also launched liquid-cooled Qi2 chargers. The Wokyis G7 dock goes after the retro gaming nostalgia vote, but it also happens to be a well-thought-out add-on for your Mac Studio.

Apple TV and Entertainment

Silo's season 3 finale is available now, and Silo season 4 just got its release date on Apple TV along with its first trailer. There's also a new original movie streaming today on Apple TV: a new action-comedy called Mayday, starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. Apple TV's big fall lineup includes Ted Lasso season 4 and every new show and movie coming soon.

Apple Leadership and Legal

John Ternus became Apple's new CEO this week, and the Financial Times published a profile that offers fresh insights into his life and reputation. The new John Ternus profile offers insight into the new CEO. The Apple podcast discussed the CEO transition, legal battles, and the iPhone Fold on this week's episode.

Grok and iPad

Last month, SpaceX launched Grok Bot, an iMessage-style AI system that displays agents as teammates. The product originally arrived as an iPhone and Mac app with a very expensive price tag. Now, Grok Bot expands to iPad and cheaper plans.

iMovie and iPad OS 27

Take your first steps to becoming the next Mr Beast, or make your vacation recap more bearable to watch, by using iMovie. Here's how to get started using it on iPhone and iPad with iMovie in iOS 27.

Giveaway and Deals

For this week's giveaway, Mac Rumors has teamed up with Astropad to offer readers a chance to win an M4 iPad Air and the revamped Rock Paper Pencil Kit. It's Labor Day weekend, and there are big discounts across a wide variety of Apple products, including some of the best prices of the year on Studio Displays. You can get up to $330 off Studio Displays and Mac mini pre-order savings. Amazon's massive Labor Day sale includes a $50 price drop on Air Pods Pro, and at $329 off, the standard Studio Display model is at an all-time low with the M5 MacBook Air $150 off and new Dark Cherry chargers.

Podcasts and Daily News

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac on the 9to5Mac Daily podcast, available on iTunes and Apple's Podcasts app.