Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: August 28, 2026, 4:12 AM ET

Apple Leadership & Executive Transition

With Tim Cook stepping down as Apple's CEO in just five days, the company's hardware engineering chief John Ternus is set to take the reins. Cook has been preparing incoming CEO John Ternus behind the scenes, and the transition took a lighthearted turn when the Pokémon team visited Apple Park on their way to the Pokémon World Championship. In a tongue-in-cheek post on X, Cook shared a video showing Pikachu running around the campus, and the Pokémon Company CEO met with both Cook and Ternus during the visit. The moment also offered a rare inside look at the work Cook is doing as he prepares for his departure next week.

New Mac Lineup & Hardware

Apple surprised the industry this week with a new lineup of Mac Studio and Mac mini models, with the new Mac mini and Mac Studio now available for pre-order on Amazon. The new Mac Studio features the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, and Apple has added Genlock support to both the Mac Studio and the M5 Pro Mac mini, a significant boon for professional video production. The M5 Ultra Mac Studio arrives four years after the original M1 Ultra model, and the latest top-spec model has moved on considerably in terms of performance and capabilities. Apple charges $3,800 to upgrade the new M5 Max Mac Studio from 512GB to 8TB, but there are better and more flexible 8TB SSD alternatives that can save you money.

The new Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro was unveiled this week, but we've since learned three things about the product that Apple didn't highlight in the announcement. The new Macs are also "slated to ship" with macOS Golden Gate, according to recent reports. Apple launched its next-generation M6 chip this week in the new Mac mini, and the rumored release schedule for M6 Macs and iPads suggests several more products will get M6 upgrades soon. A new Apple TV 4K is also long overdue and expected to launch soon with four new features, now that Siri AI is ready.

September Event & iPhone 18 Rumors

Apple has officially announced September 9 as the date for its iPhone launch event, with the tagline "Surprise and shine." The company is widely expected to unveil six new products at the September 9 event, including the iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone Ultra. Apple's logo for the upcoming event hints at two rumored iPhone 18 Pro features, including new color options. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has disputed the authenticity of iPhone Ultra renders shared by the usually reliable leaker Evan Blass, which show the unreleased foldable iPhone in red. Apple fans are also arguing semantics over whether a Chinese event tagline contains a cheeky nod to the iPhone Ultra.

The iPhone 18 Pro will have four key advantages over the iPhone Ultra, according to recent analysis. Ahead of the iPhone Ultra launch, the Xiaomi 18 Fold has leaked, showing that book-style foldables are winning the form factor war. Apple has also announced invites for the September event, and the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra are expected to headline the show.

Apple Pay & Software Updates

Apple Pay is getting even better with four new features and Walmart support recently announced. Among the many Apple Intelligence features coming in iOS, the Passwords app is getting an especially powerful one: the ability to automatically change your passwords for you. Apple is also automatically updating some Apple Watch apps for watchOS 27 compatibility, after identifying that some existing apps do not launch on the new OS. Adobe has announced a beta for AI Assisted Editor, a new optional editing mode within Photoshop with a simplified, prompt-based interface for image editing.

Legal & Regulatory

Apple has been cleared for the second time to pursue documents from federal agencies in its antitrust case against the DOJ. Special Master Jose Linares has rejected the DOJ's request to reconsider his decision allowing Apple to seek documents from 14 separate government agencies in the antitrust case. OpenAI, along with Chang Liu, Tang Tan, and io Products, has filed a new petition asking the court to dismiss Apple's trade secret misappropriation complaint with prejudice. Meta has reached a settlement with US states in an $18B lawsuit accusing the social media giant of deliberately making Instagram addictive for teens.

App Store & Pricing

Apple's Developer blog has announced tax and price updates for apps, In-App Purchases, and subscriptions in four countries. Apple has also announced what it describes as the sneakiest crossover of the summer in the form of Sneaky Sasquatch joining forces with Subway Surfers+ in Apple Arcade. Apple is seeking trademarks for Sneaky Sasquatch merchandise, including clothing, costumes, watches, jewelry, books, trading cards, and bags.

Deals & Accessories

A staggering $1,400 discount is in effect on Apple's loaded 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Max 40-core GPU and 128GB of RAM, but supply is limited. A limited-time MacBook Air special is in effect on Apple's latest M5 13-inch laptop, bringing the 32GB model down to $1,549. Amazon and Best Buy are offering up to $500 discounts on 2026 MacBook Pro models. Joining this week's Air Pods Pro 3 discount and best deals yet on Air Tag 2 from $20 each, today's deals are headlined by Anker's MagSafe Nano Power Bank down at $49 in all colors, with iPhone 17 Pro up to $285 off. LG is hosting a Labor Day sale on its website this week, with deals on monitors, TVs, and home appliances.

Product Reviews & Tips

I tested out Apple's updated polishing cloth, and it still cleans fine, though there are cheaper options available. The August 27 partial lunar eclipse will place 96.3% of the moon inside Earth's shadow, and an iPhone Live Photo can give photographers several chances to capture the event. If you get an unexpected iPhone shipped to you, using it is just giving hackers your bank accounts and passwords; here's what to look for and who to tell.

Apple TV & Entertainment

The first episode of the new season of Dark Matter is now available to Apple TV subscribers, with a trailer for the new season available below. The 9to5Mac Daily podcast has a recap of the top stories of the day, available on iTunes and Apple's Podcasts app.

Corporate Social Responsibility & Education

Apple is once again stepping up to contribute to support relief efforts following a deadly natural disaster, with a donation pledged for flood relief in Nepal and Tibet. Apple has announced an expansion of its Supplier Employee Development Fund, a $50 million educational program for workers in its supply chain, with a new Apple Education Center in Hanoi aiming to train employees in the growing number of Vietnamese manufacturing firms supplying the company. Vietnam is an increasingly significant manufacturing hub for Apple, and the new center will support Mac, iPhone, and Apple Vision Pro suppliers in the region. Apple has also announced the new education hub in Hanoi to expand training and skill development for supplier employees.

Miscellaneous

A new Air Tag launched in January, followed by a packed March launch cycle and two major Mac updates in August. Add everything up, and Apple has announced 11 new products in 2026 so far, with more coming soon. An interesting project by Jeff Halter lets users run the original 68k After Dark screen savers on modern Macs, bringing back classic favorites like Flying Toasters and Fish. Benjamin and Chance break down an action-packed week of news, with a new lineup of Mac mini and Mac Studio announced, invites officially going out for the September iPhone event, and even more rumors on the 9to5Mac podcast.