Apple News 3 Days

Last updated: June 18, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

Formula 1 and Entertainment

Apple is streaming Formula 1 for free to U.S. viewers for the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix, marking a departure from its usual subscription-gated coverage. The entire race weekend, spanning June 26 to June 28, will be accessible via the Apple TV app without requiring an active Apple TV+ subscription. In original programming, Apple TV will premiere a new comedy series titled "Brothers" in September, featuring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. This global debut arrives alongside the recent conclusion of the first season of Widow’s Bay, which has been accompanied by a massive musical playlist on Apple Music that significantly outlasts the runtime of the show itself.

Hardware and Accessory Deals

Consumers can currently secure AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price of $169, an $80 discount ahead of Amazon’s summer sales event. Retailers have slashed prices on several audio products, including the Beats Pill at $72 and the Powerbeats Pro 2 at $199.95, while Mophie launched a new collection of 25W Mag Safe chargers. Furthermore, Nimble debuted the SharePower, a modular 10,000mAh battery that splits into two separate units for shared charging. High-end computing peripherals are also seeing price drops, with Samsung discounting its latest monitor lineup and Amazon cutting the price of the 1TB M5 MacBook Air to $1,329.

Software Platforms and AI Integration

Apple continues to refine its ecosystem with the developer beta of iOS 27, which introduces new features for Apple Wallet and enhanced Find My capabilities. The update integrates over 40 performance improvements and new Notes app tools, while iPad OS 27 hands-on reports highlight a more capable Siri and refined multitasking. For professional users, mac OS 27 Golden Gate brings updates to iPhone Mirroring, though the transition has ended support for Time Capsule. Meanwhile, Jamf announced AI Governance controls for IT teams, and Tailscale updated Aperture to provide better oversight for shadow AI deployments. Microsoft has also updated Outlook for Mac with a new design language, and iA Writer 8 has introduced a Liquid Glass aesthetic to its text editing interface.

App Store and Regulatory Challenges

Apple is bringing alternative marketplaces and payment options to Brazil, following an agreement with the country's antitrust regulators. This distribution expansion coincides with investigations in Italy regarding iCloud interoperability and compliance with the European Digital Markets Act. The company is also facing scrutiny over App Store search data, specifically regarding the collection of keystrokes used to power its new personalized recommendation features. In the U.S., local officials in Baltimore have voiced support for workers at the Towson store, calling for better opportunities as the retail location faces closure.

Manufacturing and Future Strategy

President Trump recently confirmed a partnership between Apple and Intel to manufacture chips domestically, a move that boosted Intel stock by 9% in premarket trading. Despite these manufacturing efforts, CEO Tim Cook has confirmed price increases for future hardware due to unsustainable memory and storage costs, a trend that impacts the entire industry. Looking toward 2027, reports indicate Apple is preparing an iPhone Air 2 with a dual-lens camera for a spring launch, alongside a 20th-anniversary iPhone. Further out, 2028 models are expected to transition to 1.4nm A22 Pro chips, while iPhone 18 development currently targets 12GB of RAM to better facilitate on-device AI features.

Security and Competitive Landscape

Security researchers have identified an unpatchable exploit affecting the Boot ROM of A12 and A13 chips. In the firmware space, Apple has patched a vulnerability in Beats Studio Buds and released performance updates for AirPods Pro models. On the competitive front, Google is upgrading its Android Switch tool to import more data from iPhones, while Snap launched AR glasses priced at $2,195, a product that critics suggest lacks a clear use case. Additionally, OpenAI added scheduled tasks to Chat GPT, and SpaceX acquired the startup Cursor to bolster its internal AI coding capabilities.