Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 26, 2026, 10:59 PM ET

iPhone 18 Pro & iPhone Ultra Event

Apple has officially confirmed its September event for Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, using the tagline "Surprise and shine" in the U.S. — though the tagline varies by country. In China, Google Translate suggests the localized tagline may include a hidden teaser for the foldable iPhone Ultra. As is tradition, Apple has activated a custom hashmoji on X for the #Apple Event hashtag, which will appear on posts leading up to the event. For those attending in person, Apple is hosting a pre-event Welcome Run — a fun walk, run, or wheelchair lap near the venue the night before.

The event will not be limited to the iPhone 18 Pro or the folding iPhone, according to Apple Insider's expectations roundup. There are also ways to watch the launch live, and Apple has already posted the livestream to its events page.

Foldable iPhone Ultra

The iPhone Ultra is shaping up to be the star of the show. According to IDC, via Bloomberg, Apple has a bullish outlook on shipments of 10 million foldable iPhone units in the device's first year. Leaker Evan Blass has posted the three colors expected to come with the iPhone Ultra — including one surprise shade that has some questioning the leak's veracity.

While anticipation builds, 75% of U.S. adults say they have no interest in buying a foldable iPhone, per a new CNET survey. However, 25% of US adults expressed interest in the iPhone Ultra — but many won't pay the expected premium price. Meanwhile, fan-made concept videos are circulating; one imagining the foldable reveal is almost as polished as Apple's own launch material. You Tuber concept work impressed AppleInsider with its production quality.

Ahead of the launch, motherboard photos have surfaced online, claimed to be from the upcoming foldable device. Apple has kept production details under wraps better than it did with prior products, but this leak could offer a glimpse inside.

iOS 27 Features

The Reminders app gets new features in iOS. The Messages app, arguably the most important on iPhone, receives 13 smart improvements in iOS 27 designed to make it less annoying.

The beta of iOS 27 has also revealed that Apple TV 4K and Home Pod may gain powerful new AI features coming directly from the software.

Apple's Wallet app gets a tweak to the U.S. Passport feature, adjusting the information and menus shown alongside the digital ID. Also, the new OS could lead to indexing delays in Spotlight after an update. Apple has published a support document explaining that Spotlight indexing can take days after installation.

New Hardware: Mac mini, Mac Studio & M6 Chip

Apple announced the M6 chip — its first processor built on a 2nm process and the first Apple silicon design to use three different CPU core types. The Mac mini has been refreshed with the M6, in an unusually timed update. Apple has also informed some customers who recently ordered a Mac mini with M4 that has yet to ship, and it's offering an upgrade to the equivalent M6 model for free.

They also announced the Mac Studio with M5 Max chip. There is a $300 gotcha in upgrade pricing for the Mac Studio. The Mac mini and Mac Studio both now feature genlock support over USB-C for precise multi-camera syncing.

If you're looking at pre-orders for the new Mac mini or Mac Studio, Best Buy is offering rewards that get you money back.

For those eyeing the MacBook Pro instead, Amazon has a $500 markdown bringing the 2TB MacBook Pro with M5 Pro 20-core GPU down to $2,699, the lowest price available.

Apple Services

Apple Support's phone number has changed how it works. Now, when you dial 1-800-APL-CARE from the U.S. or Canada, there's a good chance an AI-powered support assistant will answer.

Apple has renewed its push for expedited rediscovery in its trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI. Apple claims the AI company continues to profit from allegedly stolen information while hoping to delay. In the legal filing, Apple pressed the court for speed calling the delay harmful daily.

Virginia is the latest state to launch driver's licenses in Apple Wallet. The digital ID can be used for proof of identity and more.

In a surprise move earlier this week, Apple released a new $9 Polishing Cloth that's softer than the original but close in size — in response to a rare August launch Apple pulled off ahead of the big September show.

Accessories & Features

Astropad has released Rock Paper Pencil 4.0, an updated screen protector with a new Graphite Apple Pencil tip.

Sonnet has released its Echo 21 Thunderbolt 5 Super Dock — we went hands-on with the follow-up to the Echo Thunderbolt, finding a significant speed boost.

Pioneer, maker of Car Play head units, has launched its first collection of iPhone accessories, including a Mag Safe car mount.

In the car world, Volvo has detailed its CarPlay update adding Spatial Audio support for the EX90, EX60, and ES90.

Apple Wallet, Maps, & Services

Ads have landed in Apple Maps in the U.S. and Canada — and they're drawing criticism from users, as expected. Most 9to5Mac readers polled previously said Apple should get out of the ad business altogether.

Apple's Car Keys feature appears to be coming to Xiaomi Auto vehicles, based on code changes spotted in Apple's Wallet backend.

Entertainment & More

Apple TV unveiled a first look at 12/12/12, a new heist drama series starring and produced by Anthony Mackie and other stars, announcing a streaming premiere.

Instagram is rolling out a new feature that can create Reels automatically — but the platform's creators are concerned about the approach.

While you may view these as separate issues, one new study says that the iPhone 17 is the world's best-selling smartphone in the second quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research, so the iPhone audience is still strong.

Safari Technology Preview

Apple also released Safari Technology Preview 251 with various bug fixes and performance features for developers.

Proton Outage

Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Lumo, and other Proton platforms experienced a widespread outage, confirmed by Proton

. The issue seems to be resolved.

Meta & Teen Safety

Meta is set to implement major changes to Facebook and Instagram to limit teens' time spent on the platforms, and Meta has called on TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar changes.