Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 27, 2026, 3:51 PM ET

Apple’s September Event Takes Shape

Apple has officially confirmed its annual iPhone event for September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. The event is widely expected to include six new products. In China, a localized version of the tagline is being scrutinized for a possible foldable tease. The event logo itself is said to hint at two rumored iPhone 18 Pro features, including new color options. Meanwhile, a separate analysis suggests the viral iPhone Ultra tease has perhaps been lost in translation. The “Surprise and shine” hashmoji is already live on X for users posting with the #Apple Event hashtag. Even the event taglines vary by country, with localized versions differing across Apple’s international sites.

Ahead of the event, a report from IDC projects that Apple will ship around 10 million foldable iPhones in its first year thanks to the new iPhone Ultra. However, not all press is good: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has disputed the authenticity of “Exclusive Red” images of the foldable device, calling the renders fake. Rival Xiaomi is also leaking its own book-style foldable ahead of Apple’s announcement. As the launch approaches, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to hold four key advantages over the pricier iPhone Ultra, including camera and battery strengths.

Apple’s rare August product launches leading up to the event are being seen as a signal that the company is clearing the decks for a major September lineup. So far in 2026, Apple has reportedly announced 11 new products in bursts, with more expected at the September keynote.

Mac Deals and New Hardware

The new M5 MacBook Air with 32GB RAM has dropped to $1,549 at B&H, a $150 savings. For those eyeing a 2026 MacBook Pro, Amazon and Best Buy are offering up to $500 off on select models. Meanwhile, Apple’s new Mac Studio models are shipping with macOS Golden Gate, according to reports. The new Mac Studio also picks up a feature long sought by professional video producers: built-in Genlock support, which the M5 Pro Mac mini also gets. If you’re comparing the new M5 Ultra Mac Studio to the original M1 Ultra model, four years of generational progress bring big gains in performance and connectivity. The M5 Ultra Mac Studio arrives with the M5 Max, marking a major upgrade in the workstation lineup.

Looking forward, Apple’s M6 chip just launched in the new Mac mini, and the release schedule for the M6 in Macs and iPads has already begun leaking. For those picking up a new desktop Mac, we have rounded up the best external displays to pair with the Mac mini or Mac Studio.

iOS & Software Updates

The Messages app is getting a big upgrade in iOS, with 13 new ways that make the app smarter and less annoying. The Reminders app also gains new functionality in iOS 27 alongside a redesign. Meanwhile, Apple has shared three tips on how to deal with Spotlight indexing to help it finish faster — and if you are having issues with it, this guidance is worth reading.

If you are a heavy Apple Watch app user, you may have seen apps fail to launch on watch OS, but Apple has detected the issue and is automatically updating Watch apps for compatibility.

Apple Arcade, Security, and Legal

Apple has announced the sneakiest crossover of the summer within Apple Arcade: Sneaky Sasquatch is joining forces with Subway Surfers+, with stickers included. The new Apple Arcade crossover is a playful event, but it has legal implications too. Apple is seeking trademarks for Sneaky Sasquatch merchandise, including clothing, costumes, watches, jewelry, books, and bags, with new trademark filings suggesting more promotion is on the way. In an unfortunate safety reminder, do not use an unsolicited iPhone that arrives in the mail: a security PSA warns that these free iPhones are a vector for hackers to steal bank accounts and passwords. Apple also announced an expansion to its educational program for supply-chain workers in Vietnam with a $50 million fund. It also opened a new Apple Education Center in Hanoi for Mac, iPhone, and Apple Vision Pro suppliers. In other business news, Meta has reached a settlement with US states in an $18 billion lawsuit over teen protection features on Instagram. The settlement will force Meta to limit teens’ hours on its platforms, and calls on TikTok and YouTube to match.

Software and Edge

Adobe has released a new optional mode within Photoshop: the AI Assisted Editor, a prompt-based interface designed for image editing in beta. LM Studio has also added Z.ai’s GLM-5.3-Flash model to its Bionic AI agent platform, bringing a 1-million-token context window and image input capabilities at lower pricing. Apple has also released Safari Technology Preview 251 with bug fixes and performance improvements.

Home Kit and Accessories

Bringnox smart roller shades offer Matter over Thread support in a less costly package than Apple-branded options, and they have been reviewed as a good Apple Home product. For those with new Macs, there are also tips on how to restore Fan view in the Dock for the Downloads folder, and how to get the most out of the Dock.

Deals and Discounts

LG’s Labor Day sale is offering major discounts on OLED TVs and monitors, including deals on displays and accessories. You can also find discounts on the latest iPhone models: the iPhone 17 Pro is up to $285 off, with Air Tag 2 starting at $20 and the Anker Mag Safe Nano Power Bank at $49.

Service & App Updates

Proton Mail has seen a wide-scale outage affecting Proton’s platforms, though the company says the issue has now been largely resolved, with lingering issues being cleared up. In other productivity news, Astropad has launched Rock Paper Pencil 4.0 with a new graphite Apple Pencil tip. Finally, to get the full breakdown of the September event’s likely new devices, you can watch the keynote stream on Apple’s site.