Apple News 3 Days

Last updated: July 20, 2026, 2:30 AM ET

iOS 27 and System Updates

Apple released first of iOS 27 and mac OS Golden Gate this week, making testing available to a wider audience. iOS 27 promises to make iPhones a lot faster, with Apple outlining over 30 improvements. For those who have already installed the beta and are experiencing issues, instructions on from iOS 27 Beta to iOS 26 are available. The iOS 27 public beta also includes several changes to CarPlay. Additionally, a new iPhone Recovery Screen has been introduced since iOS, allowing malfunctioning iPhones to boot into Recovery Assistant without the need for a Mac or PC as noted by MacRumors.

Apple's AI Initiatives and Privacy Concerns

Apple is reportedly testing a new AI-powered "Live Notes" feature at Genius Bar locations, which can transcribe and summarize conversations between employees and customers according to Bloomberg. This feature has raised concerns among employees about potential monitoring and evaluation as reported by AppleInsider. In related AI news, Apple's work on shrinking AI models could lead to significant on-device AI processing benefits and potentially a billion-dollar business as discussed in a Sunday Reboot article. Meanwhile, 1Password has added support for Claude, allowing the AI service to access credentials without directly seeing user passwords as detailed by MacRumors. Separately, a San Francisco City Attorney has sent cease-and-desist letters to Apple and Google, demanding the removal of 13 AI "face-swap" apps that can generate nonconsensual nude images according to WIRED.

Apple's Product Pricing and Retail

Apple has increased prices on more products and services beyond Macs and iPads, following earlier hardware price hikes. This has led to discussions about whether Apple One subscription bundles are still worthwhile as analyzed by AppleInsider. In retail news, Apple's store at the Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is relocating to a new space within the mall on July 31st.

Deals and Promotions

This week saw significant discounts on Apple products, with Air Pods Pro 3 available for as low as $199.99 and Air Pods 4 for $99. Further deals included Air Pods Pro 3 with a $50 price drop and Air Pods 4 with ANC starting from $119. MacBook Pro laptops received discounts of up to $400 off M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max models at B&H as reported by AppleInsider. Amazon is offering a $200 discount on the 512GB M4 iPad Air 13-inch model as part of a weekend sale according to AppleInsider. Apple's Back to School promotion is also underway mentioned in a MacRumors article.

Apple's Market Performance and Industry Moves

Apple surpassed Nvidia to become the world's most valuable publicly traded company again, according to CNBC. In a significant move for the semiconductor industry, Apple chip supplier TSMC has pledged an additional $100 billion for U.S. chip plants, bringing its total commitment to $265 billion as confirmed by the Department of Commerce.

iPhone Loyalty and App Store Investigations

iPhone loyalty has climbed to 87%, indicating a slowdown in users switching to Android, according to research firm CIRP. Google is reportedly making no progress in converting iPhone users to Android, with existing iPhone owners continuing to dominate new purchases as noted by AppleInsider. In a concerning App Store development, an investigation revealed dozens of disguised gambling apps on the App Store in Brazil reported by 9to5Mac.

Other Apple News and Developments

Apple's Car Keys feature is reportedly coming to TANK SUVs made by Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motor (GWM) based on code changes discovered by MacRumors. The tense relationship between Apple and OpenAI has escalated, with Apple reportedly suing OpenAI over trade secret accusations as covered by AppleInsider. Apple TV+ released the first trailer for its upcoming docuseries, ‘The Dynasty: UConn Huskies’ according to 9to5Mac. The Apple Journal app, while not promising mental health improvements, aligns with psychological research on reflective writing as explored by AppleInsider. Apple once explored developing "M2 Extreme" and "M3 Extreme" chips for the Mac Pro but ultimately decided against their release according to Bloomberg. The long-running DOJ antitrust case against Apple may not go to trial, as the two parties are reportedly in early settlement discussions reported by AppleInsider. WhatsApp has begun rolling out its new username feature to select iPhone users according to WABeta Info. YouTube is aware of an issue where picture-in-picture mode is not activating when closing the app on both iPhone and Android devices reported by 9to5Mac. An indie app called ‘Passable’ has been highlighted for making it easy to share contact information through Apple Wallet featured by 9to5Mac. Home Kit Weekly covered the arrival of hardwired Matter lighting with the Switch Bot RGBICWW ceiling light as noted by 9to5Mac. In enterprise security, a new mac OS Click Fix malware has emerged, presenting a potential backdoor for enterprise fleets discussed by 9to5Mac.