Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 27, 2026, 3:43 AM ET

Apple's September 9 Event

Apple has officially announced its annual iPhone-centric event for Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with the tagline "Surprise and shine." Interestingly, the tagline varies by country, and in China, Google Translate has sparked speculation that the phrasing includes a hidden "foldable" teaser. As is tradition, users posting on X with the #Apple Event hashtag will get a custom Apple logo hashmoji attached to their posts.

The event is expected to feature the iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone Ultra, alongside other announcements. Apple has also added an event placeholder to its website, and we've compiled where and when to watch the livestream. For those attending in person, Apple is hosting a "Welcome Run" the night before, featuring a fun walk, run, or wheelchair lap at Apple Park. A full rundown of what to expect from the "Surprise and shine" event is available.

iPhone Ultra and Foldable iPhone

Leaker Evan Blass has posted what he claims are the three colors coming to iPhone Ultra, including a surprising red option that has been disputed. A concept video from a You Tuber imagines how Apple might present the foldable device, with production quality rivaling Apple's own launch videos. Another fan-made concept is also circulating online weeks before the expected unveiling.

The iPhone Ultra motherboard may have just leaked, with images and video claiming to show circuitry from Apple's upcoming foldable device surfacing on X and Chinese social media. Analysis of the alleged motherboard photos is ongoing. As Apple gears up to announce the device, Bloomberg reports that IDC expects Apple to ship 10 million foldable iPhones in its first year — a bullish outlook.

However, a new CNET survey found that 75% of US adults have no interest in buying a foldable iPhone. The same survey revealed that 25% are interested in the iPhone Ultra — but many won't pay the expected premium price. Still, three features are expected to make the iPhone Ultra worth the wait, according to our analysis.

New Macs and Apple Silicon

Apple surprised customers this week with an unusually timed August launch of new Mac hardware, signaling a big September event. The company refreshed the Mac mini with the M6 chip, and we've compared the new model's specs against the M4 version it replaces. Apple also announced the M6, its first chip built using a 2nm process and the first Apple silicon design to use three different CPU core types — we've compared it against the M5.

Some customers who recently ordered a Mac mini with an M4 chip that has yet to ship are receiving a free upgrade to the M6 model. The new Mac mini and Mac Studio also feature genlock support over USB-C, allowing precise camera syncing. The Mac Studio got updated with the M5 Max chip, though there's a strong argument to keep the prior M4 Max model instead. However, there's a $300 gotcha in the M5 Max Mac Studio upgrade — the GPU upgrade costs more than expected.

If you're pre-ordering a Mac mini or Mac Studio, Best Buy rewards can get you money back. For those pairing their new Mac with a display, we've rounded up the best external displays for the Mac mini and Mac Studio. Amazon is also offering a $500 discount on the 2TB MacBook Pro with M5 Pro, bringing it down to $2,699.

iOS 27 and Software Updates

Apple has published a new support document explaining how Spotlight indexing works across its devices, including three things that can speed up the process. The company also explains why indexing can take days after a major update like iOS 27 or mac OS 27 Golden Gate.

iOS 27 adds new features to the Reminders app, and we've detailed everything new in this year's update. The Messages app also gets 13 smarter improvements in iOS, including quality-of-life fixes. The beta also reveals that Apple TV 4K and HomePod may get powerful new AI features.

Apple has released Safari Technology Preview 251 with bug fixes and performance improvements. iOS 27 also tweaks Apple Wallet's U.S. Passport feature, changing some of the information and menus shown alongside the Digital ID.

Apple Services and Support

Apple Support's phone number 1-800-APL-CARE now connects callers with an AI-powered support assistant instead of a human in many cases. Apple's new Polishing Cloth is priced at $9 and is softer than the original, though not smaller. Virginia residents can now add a digital driver's license to Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, usable for identity verification.

In a rare move, Apple has pushed back against OpenAI in the trade theft lawsuit, pressing for expedited discovery while the AI company continues to profit from allegedly stolen information. Apple's Car Keys feature appears to be coming to Xiaomi Auto vehicles, based on code changes discovered in Apple's Wallet app backend.

Ads have landed in Apple Maps in the US and Canada, and early reactions suggest they are as bad as expected. Proton Mail and other Proton platforms experienced a widespread outage that has since been largely resolved, though some lingering issues remain.

Mac Accessories and Tips

If you've removed Downloads from your Mac's Dock, you can restore the Fan view for the folder. The Sonnet Echo 21 Thunderbolt 5 SuperDock offers a significant speed boost over its predecessor, according to our hands-on review.

Smart Home and In-Car

Bringnox smart roller shades offer Matter over Thread support for Apple Home at a less costly price point than competitors. Pioneer has launched its first collection of iPhone accessories, including a Mag Safe lineup for in-car use. Volvo has detailed a CarPlay update that adds Spatial Audio support for Apple Music across three models: the EX90, EX60, and ES90.

AI and Apps

LM Studio has added Z.ai's new GLM-5.3-Flash model to its Bionic AI agent platform, bringing multimodal input, a 1 million-token context window, and significantly lower pricing than GLM-5.2. Instagram now has a new iPhone-exclusive feature that can create Reels automatically — you select video clips and it creates an edit with a single tap, though Meta is being careful not to upset creators.

Astropad has launched Rock Paper Pencil 4.0, an updated version of its screen protector and Apple Pencil tip with a new graphite option.

Meta and Social Media

Meta has agreed to limit teens' time on Facebook and Instagram following an agreement with state attorneys general, and is calling on TikTok and YouTube to match its changes.

Entertainment

Apple TV has announced a new crime thriller called "12-12-12", a heist drama starring and executive produced by Emmy Award nominee Anthony Mackie and Golden Globe nominee.

Market Data

The iPhone 17 retained its position as the world's best selling smartphone in the second quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research.