Apple News 3 Days

Last updated: June 29, 2026, 2:34 PM ET

Apple Software Updates & Developer Betas

Apple has released a series of minor software updates, including iOS 26.5.2 and iPad OS 26.5.2, which focus on security fixes released iOS 26.5.2. Alongside these stable releases, the company has also seeded the third developer betas for upcoming operating systems, with iOS 26.6, iPad OS 26.6, mac OS 26.6, watch OS 26.6, and tv OS 26.6 now available for testing third developer betas. mac OS Tahoe 26.5.2 has also been released as a small update to last year's operating system mac OS Tahoe 26.5.2. Developers can now access the third beta of mac OS 26.6, following the release of the second beta two weeks prior third mac OS Tahoe 26.6. Further developer betas include watch OS 26.6, tv OS 26.6, and vision OS 26.6 third watch OS 26.6.

App Acquisitions & Developer Tools

Apple has acquired Rabbit 3 Ties, Inc., the company behind the visual Swift development tool Play, which previously received an Apple Design award for innovation acquired award-winning app. This acquisition follows a notification to the European Commission in February regarding the purchase of certain assets and employee rights acquired 'Play'. The acquisition of Play, which won the 2025 Apple Design Award for Innovation, further signals Apple's focus on its developer ecosystem award winner acquired. In related news, SpaceX, which includes xAI, has acquired the agentic coding firm Cursor, positioning it as a competitor to tools like Claude Code and OpenAI Codex Cursor releases app. OpenAI has also teased an upcoming collaborative hardware project, potentially a Codex-branded input device, set to launch in July OpenAI teases hardware. OpenAI has also hired Paul Meade, a key figure in Apple's Vision Pro and smart glasses development, to lead its hardware initiatives OpenAI poaches Apple exec.

iPhone & Future Hardware Rumors

The original iPhone, which went on sale 19 years ago, was a stark contrast to today's advanced models, but its initial release fundamentally changed the mobile industry iPhone changed the world. rumors suggest the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, expected in a few months, will include ten new features iPhone 18 Pro features. Leaked images of the A20 Pro chip's motherboard indicate a new packaging technology will be used for the iPhone 18 Pro, promising improved performance and cooling A20 Pro leak. However, the iPhone 18e is reportedly not slated to receive Pro Motion display technology, maintaining the same refresh rate as the iPhone 17e iPhone 18e no ProMotion. A leaker has also outlined a plan for six new iPhone models to launch in 2027 six new iPhones coming.

Mac & iPad Pricing and Deals

Apple recently implemented significant price increases across its Mac and iPad lineups, with some products seeing hikes of up to 50%, attributed in part to demand from AI data centers Mac and iPad prices up. These price increases have consequently doubled the cost of memory and storage upgrades on some devices recent price hikes. A fully configured 16-inch MacBook Pro now carries a five-figure price tag following these adjustments maxed-out MacBook Pro price. Despite these increases, deals remain available, with discounts of up to $650 on various MacBook Pro configurations, including M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max models save on MacBook Pros. Amazon is offering a $350 discount on a 1TB 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip save $350 on MacBook Pro. Best Buy's Fourth of July sale also features markdowns on previous-generation M3 iPad Air models, offering savings of up to $350 M3 iPad Air deal. Some deals from the recent Prime Day event, including significant discounts on MacBook Pros, are still accessible this weekend Apple discounts still available.

Future Mac Display Technology

Future Macs, including MacBook Pro, iMac, and iPad Pro models, are anticipated to feature OLED displays with a significantly wider color gamut wider color gamut Macs. This advancement could lead to improved color accuracy, surpassing the capabilities of current premium OLED panels future OLED Macs upgrade. The Mac Studio is expected to receive a refresh in 2026, with a more substantial update, the M7 Ultra, anticipated in 2028, which is expected to incorporate enhanced cooling systems Mac Studio M7 Ultra.

Regulatory & Legal Challenges

Apple is confronting an antitrust investigation in India, which the company claims is based on "copy-pasted" allegations from its rivals and lacks independent analysis India antitrust case copy-pasted. Apple argues that the regulator's findings should be dismissed due to this alleged lack of original investigation India's antitrust case plagiarized. Separately, Apple has petitioned the U.S. administration to permit the purchase of Mac RAM chips from a Chinese supplier that is currently blacklisted, aiming to mitigate recent price increases Apple seeks Chinese RAM.

Smart Home & Connectivity

The Thread Group is working on improving smart home networks, with discussions on the future of the wireless standard and its enhancements featured on "Smart Home Insider" Thread fixing smart home. WhatsApp is rolling out a username system designed to enhance user privacy by allowing conversations without direct phone number sharing WhatsApp usernames privacy. Username reservations for WhatsApp are now open, following years of anticipation and preparation WhatsApp username reservations. The WhatsApp iPad app is also testing a "Liquid Glass" design, mirroring a recent rollout on iPhone WhatsApp iPad app design.

Other News & Developments

Apple TV+ is offering free access to all Formula 1 streaming content in the United States this weekend as part of a special promotion watch Formula 1 free. There is ongoing discussion about why Apple TV+ has not ventured into game show content Apple TV gameshow phobia. A homebrew project has successfully recreated the Apple II Plus entirely in hardware, bypassing emulation homebrew Apple II hardware. Joanna Stern has publicly called out Apple Books over the proliferation of AI-generated knockoffs of her book AI knockoffs on Apple Books. Anthropic has received clearance to release its Claude Mythos 5 to over 100 U.S. institutions following a previous export control directive Anthropic cleared release Claude. T-Mobile is reportedly closing approximately 1,100 legacy plans, which may result in price increases for long-term subscribers T-Mobile closing plans.