Apple News 3 Days

Last updated: August 12, 2026, 11:57 PM ET

Legal & App Store

Apple was dealt a pair of legal setbacks today. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan granted Apple a one-day stay in its fight with Epic Games, but the company then lost a separate bid to delay fee calculations, meaning Apple must now produce a detailed App Store commission plan within 24 hours. The App Store fee fight is heading to the Supreme Court later this term. Separately, Apple is facing a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of fraud and false advertising over a security flaw in iCloud Private Relay. The company also agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by the EEOC, according to a settlement report.

Siri AI & Publisher Deals

Apple is aggressively pursuing content deals to power Siri AI. The company has approached publishers to establish agreements worth up to nine figures, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The deals would give Siri access to current news and information, reducing AI hallucinations. A separate story confirms Apple is in talks with major news organizations. Meanwhile, Apple briefly published a support guide in China explaining how Mac users can connect Alibaba's Qwen AI to Siri and Writing Tools, before pulling it. The Siri AI in China integration raises privacy questions, as noted by 9to5Mac.

iPhone 18 Pro & Ultra Rumors

The iPhone 18 Pro is just weeks away, and leaks are intensifying. A photo leak backs up claims of a massive 5,391mAh battery for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, a nearly 12% increase over its predecessor. The iPhone 18 Pro will reportedly start at 256GB of storage, as revealed by a supply chain report. Three new camera upgrades are also expected, including a periscope lens and improved sensor-shift stabilization, detailed in a 9to5Mac roundup. The "Dark Cherry" color shade for the Pro Max has been debated, with a leaker weighing in on the correct shade. Apple has secured lower display prices for the iPhone 18 Pro amid a RAM shortage, as reported by DealSite. The standard iPhone 18 will not launch until early 2027, per Pegatron's earnings call, and could bring 12GB RAM and a new Dynamic Island, according to a base model report.

The rumored foldable "iPhone Ultra" is being called that internally by everyone at Apple, per a leak. Screen protectors for the iPhone Ultra have revealed asymmetric corners, shared by leaker Ice Universe. The iPhone Ultra will feature two selfie cameras in the same corner, according to a placement rumor, and will offer two features that "Pro" users should love, per 9to5Mac.

20th Anniversary iPhone & Future Models

Conflicting reports have emerged about Apple's all-glass 20th anniversary iPhone. Jefferies analyst Edison Lee claimed it has been canceled, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and other leakers insist the all-glass iPhone is still on track. A 9to5Mac analysis attempts to make sense of the conflicting rumors. Meanwhile, the iPhone 20 Pro will be bigger with familiar aspect ratios and a bezel-free design, reported by AppleInsider. The latest iOS 27 beta references six unreleased iPhone models, hinting at the entire roadmap.

Software Updates: iOS, mac OS Golden Gate & More

Apple released the fifth developer beta of iOS, along with iPad OS, watch OS, tv OS, vision OS, and mac OS. The fifth betas include redesigned app icons for Siri, Safari, Settings, and more, as noted by MacRumors. iOS 27 beta 5 expands Siri AI voice customization, allowing users to adjust Pace and Expressivity, per a MacRumors report. It also lets you make Liquid Glass more transparent than ever, detailed by 9to5Mac. New "Before Searching" settings and updated app icons are covered in a AppleInsider roundup. Public beta 3 is now available for iOS, iPad OS, tv OS, watch OS, and mac OS Golden Gate, allowing non-developers to test Siri AI and speed upgrades, per 9to5Mac. The third macOS Golden Gate public beta is also out. For Apple Watch, watch OS 27 will add two new apps — Siri and Find My — and upgrade the Modular watch face with new colors, according to a leak. iOS 27 also celebrates friends' birthdays with fireworks during calls, a new reminder feature. Apple also seeded beta security updates for iOS, iOS, and mac OS, as reported by AppleInsider, and released iOS 26.6.1 and mac OS Tahoe 26.6.2 betas, per 9to5Mac.

Apple TV+ Content & Sports Rights

Apple TV published the trailer for the fifth season of Stillwater, its Emmy-winning mindfulness series. Eddy Cue hinted at a bright future for Ted Lasso beyond season, saying the show has more stories to tell, per 9to5Mac. Women in Blue (Las Azules) season 2 premiered today, and the first episode is now streaming, with a season overview. Vince Gilligan revealed that Pluribus season 2 has hit a major milestone and could return in late 2027, as detailed by 9to5Mac. Apple TV unveiled a new crime thriller, Last Seen, that kicks off its big fall lineup, with a trailer release. Apple TV also picked up Alfonso Cuarón's Ascension series, marking his second collaboration with the platform, per 9to5Mac. On the sports front, Apple is reportedly in talks to acquire streaming rights for golf's Open Championship, according to a Guardian report. Apple and MLB announced the September schedule for Friday Night Baseball, and will add 3D MLB games to Vision Pro, per MacRumors.

Apple Pay, Wallet & iCloud

Apple Pay chief Jennifer Bailey is retiring in October, reports Bloomberg. Apple Pay will launch in India by October, according to Business Standard. Apple Wallet could soon save trade-in quotes for 90 days, based on code seen by MacRumors. iPhone users who pay for at least 2TB of iCloud+ storage will get new perks in the Home app on iOS, as announced by Apple.

Hardware & Supply Chain

Apple is scaling back its 2026 hardware shipments due to DRAM shortages, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as reported by MacRumors. The company is stockpiling OLED panels and components amid rising prices, per ETNews. Apple is testing Chinese memory chips from CXMT in iPhones and Mac Books, as detailed by The Wall Street Journal. However, China is unlikely to solve Apple's memory crunch due to geopolitical issues, per 9to5Mac. Foxconn's revenue from Apple has dropped below 29%, as AI servers surpass iPhone assembly, according to 9to5Mac. New MacBook Pro M6 and refreshed iMacs are likely coming in October, per Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter. MacBook Air shortages are worsening due to supply constraints, and 9to5Mac lists where to buy one. Apple dropped a plan to ship leased iPhones already set up for users, a "white-glove" service that never launched, per MacRumors. A billboard in Italy showing a toddler with an iPhone has caused controversy and been referred to regulators, as reported by 9to5Mac. Apple hired former American Airlines executive Nick Gatten as vice president of government affairs, reports Bloomberg. On the anniversary of Steve Wozniak's 76th birthday, an AppleInsider piece reflects on how Wozniak gave Apple its soul.

Accessories, Deals & Reviews

Satechi launched the Charge View 240W Desktop Charger with six USB-C ports, splitting 240W, per MacRumors. Sonos is preparing an Air Pods Max rival called "Ace Ultra" with AI voice assistant support, reports Bloomberg. The Bow Flex T6 treadmill review highlights Apple Gym Kit coming home at a normal price of $999, per 9to5Mac. The Mcon mobile gaming controller review praises its compact, Mag Safe-compatible design, per AppleInsider. Air Tag 2 gets even better with an add-on case that extends battery life to 10 years, reported by 9to5Mac. Mag Safe Monday spotlights the TESSAN AERO 5000 ultra-thin titanium battery, per 9to5Mac. Amazon is offering Air Pods Max 2 for $100 off in all five colors, down to $449, from MacRumors. The best Back to School deals include Anker, Sony, Samsung accessories, highlighted by MacRumors. LG launched a Back to School sale with major discounts on OLED TVs and monitors, per MacRumors. Save up to $5,000 on LG OLED TVs and a 6K Ultra Fine monitor for $1,099, from AppleInsider. Apple's official refurb store offers savings on top picks of the week, per 9to5Mac. B&H is blowing out M4 15-inch MacBook Air inventory at $1,279, per AppleInsider. Apple Watch SE 3 is available for $219 on Amazon, per MacRumors. The M4 Mac mini is back at Amazon with deals on the M4 Pro model, per AppleInsider. Apple extended its Back to School promotion until September 24, but reseller discounts are far better, per MacRumors.

Gaming, Apps & Services

"Dave the Diver" is coming to iPhone, iPad, and Mac on September 17, preorders open now, per AppleInsider. Two new puzzle games are coming to Apple Arcade: "Block Blast!+" and "Art of Fauna: Cozy Puzzles+", announced by Apple. The official MLB iPhone app got better with new Car Play and Live Activity features, per 9to5Mac. WhatsApp starts rolling out username support when creating new contacts, as detailed by 9to5Mac. WhatsApp's latest iOS beta adds references to an in-chat search tool, per 9to5Mac. Bluesky now lets you hide reposts from specific users in your feeds, per MacRumors. Twitch will train Amazon's AI on your streams unless you opt out, with instructions from AppleInsider. Claude's Chrome side panel is now a full Cowork session, allowing browser-based tasks to follow users across apps, per 9to5Mac. Raycast adds Screen Awareness, letting users ask AI about whatever is on their screen, per 9to5Mac. Grok Bot brings always-on AI agents to mac OS and iOS, announced by xAI. Microsoft Edge is testing Apple Account sign-in support, per MacRumors. Meta released a new Facebook Creator Studio app for iPhone, per 9to5Mac. Chat GPT users can now book restaurant tables and join waitlists through Yelp, per 9to5Mac. Non-gaming apps drove mobile spending growth in Q2 2026, while gaming revenue fell 4.5%, reports Sensor Tower via 9to5Mac. Apple is working on a way to authenticate that a photo came from an iPhone camera, references found in iOS 27 beta, per 9to5Mac. A patent application describes improving notification summaries and "Reduce Interruptions" focus, per MacRumors. iOS 27 gives Apple Calendar a new extra-large Home Screen widget, per 9to5Mac. Apple Maps in iOS 27 gets several new features, detailed by 9to5Mac. A BBEdit retrospective celebrates the 34-year-old Mac text editor legend, per AppleInsider. Parents are urged to revisit screen time limits as kids head back to school, with tips from 9to5Mac. Apple also released new Air Pods beta firmware for iOS 27 public testers, per MacRumors.

Podcasts & Misc

The 9to5Mac Daily podcast covers Apple exec changes, iOS 27 beta, and glass iPhone rumors in episodes from August 10, and. Listen on iTunes and Apple's Podcasts app. Apple Insider's Smart Home Insider podcast features a flight tracker app and Schlage Sense Pro review, per AppleInsider. An opinion piece argues generative AI needs ethical leaders and should be controlled like nuclear power, per AppleInsider. A feature request suggests ending the guessing game with iPhone app settings, per 9to5Mac. Your iPhone can capture the Perseids meteor shower with the right tools, with astrophotography tips from AppleInsider. The Apple @ Work podcast compares Chrome OS vs mac OS after 300 devices, per 9to5Mac. US smartphone sales fell 5% in Q2 2026 as prices keep climbing, per Counterpoint via 9to5Mac. Google's Pixel 11 price hike and trade-in push hint at Apple's iPhone 18 Pro plans, per MacRumors. A detailed comparison of iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 11 Pro is available from AppleInsider. A round Apple Watch is possible, but an Apple Ring is more likely, according to 9to5Mac. Finally, Kuo disputes a rumor of a $1B Apple chip stockpile at TSMC, per AppleInsider. OLED iMac panels could include an extra layer to fight screen burn-in, per The Elec. iPad Air OLED panel orders could be split with BOE in 2027, per MacRumors.