Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 11, 2026, 11:51 PM ET

iPhone & Hardware

Apple’s next-generation iPhone lineup is taking shape amid a flurry of leaks. According to a new rumor, everyone at Apple is calling the company’s foldable the iPhone Ultra internally, though the final retail name remains unconfirmed. That device is expected to offer two features that “Pro” users should love, as detailed in separate reporting. Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro will reportedly start with 256GB of storage, and rumors indicate three major camera upgrades are coming to the Pro model. Making sense of the conflicting 20th anniversary iPhone reports has become a challenge, with one report pointing to a radical glass design and another pushing back. A deeper look at iOS 27 beta 5 reveals references to six unreleased iPhone models, suggesting Apple’s entire iPhone 18 roadmap is now baked into the firmware.

On the component front, Apple is stockpiling more OLED panels and other parts amid rising prices, while China now looks even less likely to solve Apple’s memory crunch as proposed RAM supply deals stall. Separately, iPad Air OLED panel orders could be split with BOE in 2027, potentially diversifying Apple’s display supply chain.

Software & Betas

Apple has released a wave of public betas for its OS 27 updates. iOS 27 public beta 3 is now available with Siri AI, iPhone speed upgrades, and more. The beta also lets users make Liquid Glass more transparent than ever. A new feature in iOS 27 celebrates your friends’ birthdays with fireworks during calls, and iPhone users who pay for enough iCloud storage (2TB+) get new Home app perks.

Alongside iOS, Apple released public beta 3 for iPadOS 27 and several other OS 27 updates, the third public beta of macOS Golden Gate, and the third public betas of tvOS 27 and watchOS 27. A new leak indicates that watch OS 27 will upgrade the popular Modular watch face with new color customization options. Apple also released new Air Pods beta firmware (build 9A5336b) for public testers, available for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3.

For a daily recap of the top stories, listen to the latest 9to5Mac Daily podcast, covering iOS 27 beta 5 and glass iPhone rumors.

Services & Legal

Apple’s legal battle with Epic Games continues to escalate. A court has denied Apple’s bid to delay filing new App Store fees, forcing the company to detail fees for outbound links within 24 hours. Apple had sought a stay while waiting on the Supreme Court, but the judge ruled that Apple can’t delay the fee fight.

In other legal news, Apple faces a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of fraud and false advertising over a security flaw in iCloud Private Relay. Separately, a serious Zoom flaw discovered with the help of an AI tool allowed attackers to take over devices, including iPhone and Mac.

On the Apple Pay front, chief Jennifer Bailey is retiring in October, and the service is set to launch in India by October. Additionally, Apple is in talks to acquire US streaming rights for golf’s Open Championship, according to a report.

Apple TV+ & Media

Apple TV+ is kicking off its fall lineup with a new crime thriller called Last Seen, for which a trailer was released today. The second season of Women in Blue (Las Azules) has also premiered on the service.

Accessories & Third-Party Ecosystem

Several new accessories and competing products made headlines. Sonos is working on an upgraded version of its Ace headphones with AI voice assistant support, positioning it as an AirPods Max rival. Samsung announced that its Galaxy Buds Hearing Aid feature has received FDA clearance, meaning Samsung is starting to catch up to Apple on hearing health. Microsoft Edge is testing Apple Account sign-in support in its latest Canary build. Meanwhile, Satechi launched the Charge View 240W Desktop Charger with six USB-C ports. On the messaging front, Bluesky now lets users hide reposts from specific users in their feeds.

Elon Musk’s Space XAI launched Grok Bot, a “team of always-on agents” for mac OS and iOS that can autonomously complete tasks using tools and apps.

Deals & Promotions

Apple extended its 2026 Back to School promotion until September 24. However, as one analysis notes, Apple’s Back to School offers are limited, and you can do much better with reseller discounts. Amazon is offering the Air Pods Max 2 for $100 off in all five colors, and the Air Pods Pro 3 are seeing a 25% price drop alongside other MacBook Pro and Anker deals. LG is hosting a Back to School sale with major discounts on OLED TVs and monitors, with savings up to 45%. Separately, you can save up to $5,000 on LG OLED TVs, with the 32-inch Ultra Fine 6K monitor dropping to $1,099.

Industry & Other Apple News

Non-gaming apps drove global mobile spending growth in Q2 2026, while gaming revenue declined 4.5%, according to Sensor Tower. Apple Arcade is gaining two new puzzle games: Block Blast!+ and Art of Fauna: Cozy Puzzles+. In a lighter note, August 11 marks Steve Wozniak’s 76th birthday, and a reflection on how Wozniak gave Apple its soul before Steve Jobs made it a hit. For enterprise users, the Apple @ Work podcast discusses ChromeOS vs macOS after deploying 300 devices.