Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 13, 2026, 9:05 AM ET

Retail Store Changes and Back to School

Apple has confirmed that its Festival Place store in Basingstoke, England will close permanently in November 2026, while a nearby location in Reading undergoes a major expansion. The UK loses Basingstoke Apple Store after 15 years of operation. Meanwhile, the Oracle store in Reading will reopen in December with a completely new design. Apple's annual Back to School promotion is now live in the UK and 18 other European countries. The company is also developing a system that would let customers save a trade-in offer to the Wallet app for up to 90 days. For students, a big accessory sale on Amazon features deals on Anker, Sony, and Samsung products.

Apple TV+ and Streaming Content

Apple's Eddy Cue strongly hinted that a fifth season of "Ted Lasso" is likely on the way. The show has returned for a fourth season, but the creators already have plans for more. Apple TV also published the trailer for the fifth season of Stillwater, the platform's award‑winning mindfulness series. Subscribers can now watch a series of classic movies at no added cost. The Apple TV streaming service continues to add free classic films to its library. Creator Vince Gilligan revealed that Pluribus season 2 has hit a major milestone, with filming likely starting in late 2027.

App Store and Developer Ecosystem

Developer Jeff Johnson has said that “obvious” App Store ratings fraud is going undetected by Apple. Separately, Apple faces a final 24‑hour deadline to detail the fees it wants to charge for outbound links as part of its ongoing App Store commission plan battle with Epic Games.

iPhone Lineup and Future Models

The Base iPhone 18 model is tipped to feature 12GB of RAM and an improved Dynamic Island, two Pro‑level upgrades. A separate report confirms the two new Pro‑level upgrades would include 12GB RAM and a new Dynamic Island design. Supplier Pegatron indirectly confirmed that the standard iPhone 18 model will not be released until 2027, skipping 2026. Apple has secured lower OLED display prices for the iPhone 18 Pro despite a RAM shortage. The iPhone Ultra’s selfie cameras could sit in the same corner of the device. The iPhone 20 Pro display will be slightly bigger but retain the same aspect ratio and be bezel‑free. Google’s price hike of $100 on its latest smartphones may hint at Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro pricing plans. The iPhone 17 Pro goes head‑to‑head with the Google Pixel 11 Pro in a detailed spec comparison. Google’s Pixel 11 lineup also includes the Pixel Watch 5 and a Pixel Tag rival to Apple’s Air Tag. A new report says US smartphone sales fell 5% in Q2 2026 as rising memory costs pushed prices higher, squeezing the low‑end segment.

Wearables, watch OS, and Software

The upcoming watchOS 27 will add standalone Siri and Find My apps to the Apple Watch. On the iPhone side, iOS 27 introduces an extra‑large Calendar widget that becomes a game‑changer for the Home Screen. The BowFlex T6 review finds that Apple Gym Kit comes home at a reasonable $999 treadmill price. Customizable settings for the Apple Watch sleep score can make sleep tracking more useful.

AI, Siri, and Software Patents

Apple is negotiating content deals with publishers to give Siri AI access to current news and information. Claude is turning its Chrome side panel into a full Cowork session for browser‑based tasks. Raycast has a new feature called Screen Awareness that lets users bring context from their active app into AI Chat. A newly published Apple patent application describes a system for improving notification summaries and the “Reduce Interruptions” focus mode.

Leadership, Legal, and Controversies

Apple has hired former American Airlines executive Nick Gatten as its new vice president of government affairs. An Apple billboard showing a toddler holding an iPhone has stirred controversy in Italy, prompting a children’s rights watchdog to refer the ad to regulators. Twitch now lets streamers block Amazon from using their broadcasts to train generative AI, but it requires opting out.

WhatsApp, MLB, and Other App Updates

WhatsApp now lets users save a contact’s username when adding them, following the rollout of username support. The WhatsApp username support is rolling out and allows saving username alongside name and phone number. The MLB app for iPhone has been updated with new Car Play and Live Activity features for following games.

Deals, Supply Chain, and Mac

Amazon is offering the M5 Pro MacBook Pro with up to $540 off, along with deals on Air Pods Pro 3 and Apple Watch Ultra. MacBook Air shortages are worsening as Apple battles supply constraints, with availability dwindling quickly. The M4 Mac mini is back in stock at Amazon, with the base model at $999 and the M4 Pro model on sale. Foxconn now makes less than 29% of its revenue from Apple, down from over half, as AI server demand grows.

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