Apple News 3 Days

Last updated: August 21, 2026, 11:57 PM ET

Walmart Ends Its Decade-Long Apple Pay Boycott

Walmart has announced that it will finally begin rolling out Apple Pay support next week, ending more than a decade of resistance despite constant pressure from shoppers. The reversal ranks among the biggest payments shifts in American retail, because Walmart has long steered customers toward its own proprietary wallet instead of contactless options from rivals.

Tap-to-Pay Goes Live August 24 at Walmart and Sam's Club

Starting August 24, Walmart is expanding its checkout options with tap-to-pay after years of refusing services like Apple Pay and Google Pay at its registers. The company's corporate announcement confirms the feature will also reach Sam's Club warehouses, giving millions of iPhone owners a faster way to pay without digging for cards.

Walmart Makes It Official With a Corporate Statement

After years of holding out, Walmart today confirmed it will finally begin accepting contactless payments in U.S. stores. Mac Rumors notes the decision follows sustained shopper demand and brings the nation's largest retailer in line with the many major chains that adopted NFC wallets years ago.

Here's When Apple Pay Hits Your Local Walmart

Shoppers wondering about timing now have answers, because 9to5Mac published the full state-by-state schedule for the Apple Pay rollout at Walmart stores. The staggered timeline begins next week and phases in region by region, so most customers should gain access within days of the initial August 24 launch.

Apple Pay Purchases Will Benefit National Parks

Through August 28, Apple will donate $10 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made using Apple Pay on Apple.com, in the Apple Store app, and at Apple retail locations. The promotion gives shoppers an extra reason to tap their iPhones during the back-to-school window.

Apple Cuts 200+ Jobs Across Vision Pro and Siri Teams

Apple is eliminating positions across multiple divisions, and a new Bloomberg report tallies more than 200 jobs cut from the Vision Pro, immersive video, gaming, and Siri organizations. The scale makes this one of Apple's most consequential workforce reductions in recent memory, touching hardware and AI efforts simultaneously.

An Entire Vision VR Team Is Gone

Apple "has just laid off an entire team dedicated to VR development," according to Apple Insider reporting highlighted by Mac Rumors, with roughly 60 Vision employees dismissed from the Vision Products Group. The cuts suggest Apple is reassessing how much further investment spatial computing deserves after slower-than-hoped adoption.

The Reductions Extend Well Beyond Vision Pro

A day after news broke of about 60 layoffs across the Apple Vision project, Apple Insider revealed the reductions reach the Siri team as well. Siri's AI overhaul continues in parallel, but the trimming indicates Apple wants a leaner organization even as it rebuilds its assistant.

Immersive Video and Gaming Staff Hit Hardest

Mac Rumors details that Apple cut dozens of Vision Pro employees who worked on features like immersive video and gaming, while separately trimming Siri staff. Those content-focused roles were central to showcasing the headset's capabilities, making their elimination a notable strategic signal.

Resources Are Shifting Toward AI Glasses

9to5Mac reports the Vision restructuring reflects shifting priorities, with personnel moving toward AI glasses development instead. The pivot aligns with industry momentum behind lightweight smart glasses, a category competitors currently dominate with fashionable partnerships.

Apple Paid Ireland $17 Billion in Taxes Last Year

New tax disclosures show Apple paid Ireland $17B in corporate income taxes in 2025, according to Financial Times figures reported by 9to5Mac. The extraordinary sum stems from the EU state aid saga, which culminated after more than a decade of litigation over Apple's Irish tax arrangements.

The Payment Equals 40% of Apple's Global Tax Bill

Apple paid $17B in taxes to Ireland last year, representing 40% of its $43B worldwide total, Mac Rumors reports via the Financial Times. Few multinationals have ever remitted such a concentrated sum to a single country in one year, underscoring the scale of the EU's landmark recovery order.

One of the Largest Corporate Tax Recoveries Ever Ordered

Apple Insider frames the payout as the finale of scrutiny that lasted more than a decade and produced one of the largest corporate tax recoveries ever ordered by the European Union. Apple's operations and employment in Ireland remain substantial, but the era of contested arrangements has definitively closed.

Apple Accidentally Leaked 10+ Unreleased Products

Apple seeded the mac OS 26.7 Release Candidate on Monday, and its code apparently leaked references to more than 10 new products, including camera-equipped Air Pods, the Beats 360 headphones, and the Home Pad smart hub. The slip offers an unusually complete preview of Apple's fall roadmap ahead of any official announcement.

September Event Will Unveil 10+ New Products

Apple's September event is almost upon us, with the date likely being announced next week and 10+ new products expected on stage. Between new iPhones, Watches, Air Pods, and smart home gear, this fall shapes up as one of Apple's busiest launch seasons in years.

Home Pad Code Hints at a Giant Apple Watch Interface

The latest mac OS 26.7 beta revealed quite a lot about upcoming home products, and 9to5Mac reports the HomePad appears to run an interface resembling a scaled-up Apple Watch. That design choice would prioritize glanceable controls and quick interactions over dense app grids.

The Home Hub May Work More Like a Watch Than a Speaker

New code references found in mac OS Tahoe describe how the rumored HomeHub will operate, and Apple Insider says existing Apple Watch owners will feel right at home. The comparison suggests heavy reliance on widgets and glanceable tiles rather than voice-first speaker conventions.

Home Pad Is Reportedly Coming This Fall

Apple's new 'Home Pad' smart home hub is reportedly launching this fall, and the latest leak gives buyers yet another reason to consider putting one in every room. 9to5Mac rounds up the mounting evidence that Apple's long-rumored display-equipped home device is finally imminent. The HomePad story continues to develop weekly.

Camera Air Pods Code Reveals Resolution and Person Detection

Apple is working on camera-equipped Air Pods, and code discovered in the mac OS 26.7 update discloses specifics like image capture resolution, a status light, and person detection capabilities. Mac Rumors surfaced the references alongside a leaked demo video, painting the clearest picture yet of the accessory's behavior.

Air Pod Cameras Will Detect People and Warn Bystanders

Yet more details of Apple's AirPods Pro with cameras were found in the latest mac OS release, including confirmation the earbuds can identify people nearby and flash a status light to warn about image capture. The privacy-first design echoes lessons from earlier backlash against covert wearable cameras.

Camera Air Pods Won't Ship Until 2027

Despite the leaked demo video generating excitement, a prolific leaker maintains that AirPods with cameras will not be ready until 2027, and they reportedly will not take traditional photos either. The delay tempers expectations for anyone hoping to see the feature arrive alongside this fall's hardware wave.

Mac Rumors Corroborates the 2027 Timeline

Apple's camera-equipped AirPods will not launch until 2027 despite the demo video Mac Rumors verified earlier this month, according to supply-chain reporting. The extra runway gives Apple time to resolve technical hurdles and the regulatory questions surrounding wearable cameras.

Everything We Learned About Camera Air Pods This Week

It has been a busy stretch for rumors, and 9to5Mac assembled a full roundup of everything known about camera-equipped AirPods Pro this week. From resolution specs to status light behavior to the likely 2027 ship date, the picture has never been clearer.

iOS 27 Will Make Air Pods Worth Wearing All Day

Soon with iOS, Apple will launch new Air Pods(https://headlinesbriefing.com/mobi/9to5mac/ios-27-airpods