Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 7, 2026, 9:03 PM ET

iPhone 18 Pro and the Ultra Era

Apple is gearing up for a flagship-heavy fall event, expected to take place on September 9 according to Apple Insider. The iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to feature a 2nm A20 chip and an Apple C2 modem, alongside under-display Face ID — a combination that could deliver major performance and efficiency gains. A new rumor suggests Apple will introduce a likely price increase of $100 to $200 for the Pro models, pushing the lineup to new price highs. Meanwhile, Apple is also preparing three new 'Ultra' products by early next year, including a foldable iPhone Ultra, and a poll from 9to5Mac asks readers whether they plan to buy the iPhone 18 Pro or foldable Ultra. The iPhone Air, which turns one year old next month, is also getting a successor: the Mac Rumors Show discusses iPhone Air 2 changes after a rocky first year, including potential tweaks to the display and battery.

iOS, watch OS, and Software Fixes

Apple is internally testing iOS 26.6.1, but the bigger focus is on iOS, which introduces a long-awaited fix for a common Wi-Fi to cellular lag issue that plagued users when switching networks. The update also adds a new compact clock option that shrinks the time display to a small pill in the top-left corner, giving wallpapers more room. Another long-requested feature finally arrives: iOS 27 lets users import physical passes into Apple Wallet by scanning barcodes, a feature that has been on wishlists for years. On the watch OS side, the upcoming update could improve the Apple Watch’s hypertension notification feature with more detailed alerts and trend data. Separately, after 326 days, iOS 26 has received its first jailbreak thanks to the Dopamine jailbreak tool. iOS 27’s compact clock feature is explained in a how-to guide from MacRumors.

Apple’s Hardware Pipeline: MacBook Pro, Air Pods, and More

MacBook Pro users will have two new upgrade options this fall: the M6 MacBook Pro with improved performance cores and a new MacBook Ultra that packs a desktop-grade chip in a portable chassis. Apple is also expected to launch new Air Pods with cameras next month alongside the iPhone 18 Pro — a feature that sounds very exciting, as the integrated cameras could enable spatial audio head-tracking and gesture controls. Meanwhile, the company has added rare M5 MacBook Pro configurations and the Apple TV 4K to its Certified Refurbished Store, offering discounts on high-end builds. On the legacy front, the Mac Pro turns 20 years old today — five months after Apple discontinued the tower for good, though some still argue the original “cheese grater” remains the best Mac ever made for its modular design.

Services, Car Play, and Apple TV+

Apple’s Account Card in Wallet has expanded to four new countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia, allowing users to store their Apple account balance alongside payment cards. Meanwhile, three major automakers — Tesla, Rivian, and GM — still don’t support Car Play, and a new report explains why they continue to resist: Tesla wants to control the entire in-car experience, Rivian focuses on its own navigation and media, and GM plans to drop Car Play entirely by 2027 in favor of an Android-based system. On the entertainment front, actor James Marsden has been confirmed for his third Apple TV+ project, the comedy series Bad News Dads. In a separate note, Apple seems to have abandoned Cinematic mode on the iPhone — an opinion piece argues that’s a mistake, claiming the feature had untapped creative potential for video recording.

Developer Tools, AI, and Security

Starting next week, Claude Code auto mode will become the default permission setting for Pro, Max, and Team users unless an administrator pins a different mode — a change Anthropic says streamlines workflow but raises some privacy questions. The mac OS version of Claude Code is also gaining cross-session messaging, allowing sessions to talk to each other and share findings or coordinate tasks across projects. OpenAI has delayed its next major AI model, Astra, over critical hacking concerns — the company says it is pausing activities because its cyber capabilities could be weaponized. OpenAI is also working on a feature to let users export custom stickers created in Chat GPT straight into WhatsApp, integrating AI-generated art into messaging. On the hardware supplier side, SK hynix is making a massive $38 billion investment to expand AI memory production, though the Apple Insider podcast notes it won't make iPhones cheaper due to rising component costs.

Legal, Market Dominance, and Podcasts

Apple has told a federal court that it hasn’t heard from Jon Prosser’s legal team in a month, as discovery drags on in its trade secret lawsuit against the leaker, accusing him of misappropriating confidential product information. In market news, Apple captured 65% of the global premium smartphone market in the first half of 2026, with the premium segment’s share of overall sales hitting a record 29% — up from 25% a year earlier. Several Apple-focused podcasts dropped new episodes: 9to5Mac Overtime 076 discusses native retro games on iPhone, including a Pokémon 3D mod and a native port of Mario Kart; the 9to5Mac Daily recaps iPhone Fold hype and mac OS fixes; and the Apple Insider Podcast tackles AI costs, iPhone 18 rumors, and the OpenAI lawsuit. The Security Bite podcast explains why scammers love FaceTime now, highlighting how the platform’s end-to-end encryption makes it attractive for phishing and impersonation. Finally, a feature celebrates BBEdit, a Mac text editor that has been a legend for 34 years, still beloved by developers for its raw power and simplicity.