Apple News 3d Briefing
×Hardware Announcements
Apple's online store went down macrumors.com briefly before the expected announcement of a lower-cost MacBook, potentially named the "MacBook Neo." Pre-orders for the MacBook Neo 9to5mac.com are now open, with the device featuring a starting price of $599. The new MacBook Neo has the most recycled content of any Apple product.
The new iPhone 17e macrumors.com also went up for pre-order this week, with various cellular carriers offering discounts. Apple has also launched new products 9to5mac.com this week, including new Studio Displays and accessories.
Mac Updates & Features
The MacBook Neo will offer the same magic keyboard as other Mac Books, but the option for Touch ID will cost extra macrumors.com. Apple also unveiled the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips 9to5mac.com for the MacBook Pro.
Early benchmarks have revealed the likely performance gains 9to5mac.com of the new M4 chip in the iPad Air. Apple is raising prices 9to5mac.com on the base models of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, although RAM upgrade costs remain unchanged.
Display and Accessories
The new Studio Display XDR macrumors.com supports DICOM medical imaging for diagnostic radiology. Ben Q has launched a new 27-inch 5K monitor, offering an alternative for Mac creators. Apple's new Studio Display boxes macrumors.com feature a collapsible design for easier recycling.
Apple has released new colors for its iPhone cases macrumors.com and Apple Watch bands.
Software & Services
iOS 26.4 is expected soon, and iOS 26 added new apps 9to5mac.com to the iPhone. Google Maps is rolling out a new gradient icon redesign 9to5google.com on Android and iOS. The new VSCO Galleries 9to5mac.com app is available to replace messy shared photo folders.
Apple TV+ has new content coming 9to5mac.com this month. Roku is now offering Apple TV subscriptions macrumors.com through its platform.
Apple and the App Store
Apple is facing a shareholder lawsuit alleging anticompetitive behavior appleinsider.com regarding the App Store. Australia may soon force the Apple App Store appleinsider.com to remove AI apps that lack age verification.
Apple's Business & Strategy
Apple has advised retail employees to expect a customer rush macrumors.com this week. The company is set to show at GDC 2026 with a coordinated push across hardware, flagship game ports, and App Store strategy appleinsider.com.
Apple is considering asking Google to run Siri macrumors.com on its servers.
iPhone 17e Details
The iPhone 17e 9to5mac.com is a solid upgrade, but its exterior design is familiar. An existing iPhone 16e case appleinsider.com will still fit the new model.
Deals and Discounts
Amazon is offering discounts on the Apple Watch Series 11 macrumors.com and the AirPods 4 macrumors.com.
Other Tech News
Google Chrome is switching to a two-week release cycle 9to5google.com. Anthropic is adding a voice mode 9to5mac.com to Claude Code.
Future Apple Products
A foldable iPad is still in development macrumors.com and could arrive by 2029. An OLED MacBook Air macrumors.com is expected in 2028. Next year's iPad Pro macrumors.com will likely feature a vapor chamber cooling system.