Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 22, 2026, 12:36 AM ET

Apple Pay and Retail Expansion

Walmart will finally begin accepting Apple Pay next week, with a state-by-state rollout schedule. The retailer confirmed the move after years of resistance, as reported by AppleInsider. Walmart's official announcement was covered by MacRumors, and the 9to5Mac story notes the company will also support the payment at Sam's Club. The company's announcement was also covered by 9to5Mac. Meanwhile, Apple is donating $10 to the National Park Foundation for every Apple Pay purchase made through its own channels until August 28. In other payment news, code suggests MG could gain Apple Car Key support soon.

Apple's Irish Tax Settlement

Apple paid Ireland $17 billion in 2025, as revealed in new tax disclosures, according to 9to5Mac. The payment represents 40% of Apple's worldwide tax bill, as noted by MacRumors. This follows the EU's landmark ruling on illegal state aid, with AppleInsider detailing the decade-long case, and the $17 billion outflow is a historic single-year payment.

Apple's Layoffs and Restructuring

Apple has laid off more than 200 employees across Vision Pro and Siri teams, according to a Bloomberg report. The cuts include an entire team dedicated to VR, as reported by MacRumors. Apple Insider adds that the layoffs extend beyond Vision Pro to Siri and AI teams, with further details. Mac Rumors also covered the broader cuts to Vision Pro and Siri AI teams in a separate report.

Air Pods with Cameras

Code in mac OS Tahoe reveals that camera-equipped Air Pods will capture images at 1280x960 resolution and include a status light, as detailed by MacRumors. Apple Insider reports that the Air Pods Pro cameras will detect people and warn about image capture via a status light, according to their leak analysis. A roundup of all the week's Air Pods camera rumors was compiled by 9to5Mac. The Apple Insider podcast also discussed the leaks, along with Apple Maps ads and Siri AI updates, in its latest episode. 9to5Mac's daily podcast also covered the Air Pods camera news, available here.

Upcoming Products: iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac

The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to be announced in September, with a release date article outlining the timeline. The device will differentiate itself with major camera, modem, and battery upgrades, as detailed by 9to5Mac. Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 are rumored to get a major chip upgrade, according to 9to5Mac. For Mac users, the M6 MacBook Pro is expected to offer faster performance in the same design, as reported by AppleInsider. The Mac Rumors Show featured Michael Fisher discussing iPhone Ultra rumors, which you can watch here. A hands-on with the ceramic Apple Watch Edition Series 5 was also published by 9to5Mac.

Apple's Market Performance

iPhone sales grew 5% in Latin America even as the overall smartphone market shrank, according to AppleInsider. Counterpoint Research data shows Apple gaining ground in India, Latin America, and Europe despite global declines, as reported by MacRumors.

Apps and Ecosystem

Chat GPT's iPhone app now includes a shortcut to attach recent photos more quickly, as covered by 9to5Mac. The Mac version of Chat GPT can now control Messages, raising privacy concerns, according to AppleInsider. Grok Bot, a new AI agent app from Space XAI and Cursor, launched for iPhone and Mac, as reported by 9to5Mac. Epic Games has accused Apple of evading its App Store antitrust obligations in Brazil, with a complaint filed to regulators, according to 9to5Mac. Homey has secured Matter 1.5 certification, enabling expanded bridging and energy support, as detailed by 9to5Mac. iPad OS 27 adds three features that make the iPad more Mac-like, according to 9to5Mac. A disguised Russian banking app has topped the US iPhone App Store, as reported by 9to5Mac.

Apple TV and Streaming

Apple TV+ has three big new releases coming soon, including Ted Lasso season, as reported by 9to5Mac. The Emmy-winning series "Stillwater" returns with five new episodes, according to 9to5Mac.

Deals and Accessories

This week's best deals include a $500 discount on the M5 Pro MacBook Pro, along with Air Tag 2 and other accessories, as highlighted by 9to5Mac. Apple's summer sale offers Air Pods Max 2 at $429 and the M4 iPad Air with $100 off, according to MacRumors. Amazon has slashed the LG 27" Ultra Gear OLED monitor to $467.97, the lowest price ever, as reported by AppleInsider. Apple's refurb store now features Apple TV 4K and Apple Watch Ultra, among other items, according to 9to5Mac. The new Beats 360 headphones have been spotted in a UAE regulatory filing, hinting at an imminent launch, as reported by MacRumors.

Miscellaneous

John Ternus, set to become Apple CEO on September 1, could bring bigger acquisitions and new product categories, according to an analyst cited by 9to5Mac. For those looking to extend device life, a guide on when to reuse, sell, or recycle an old iPhone or iPad is available from AppleInsider. The iPhone as a primary camera for video b-roll is the focus of a 9to5Mac article. Finally, 10 ways to improve iPhone battery life are outlined by MacRumors.