Apple News 3 Days

Last updated: August 22, 2026, 12:29 AM ET

Layoffs Hit Vision Pro and Siri Teams

Apple is cutting more than 200 jobs across multiple teams, according to a new Bloomberg report. The layoffs hit Vision Pro and Siri teams, as well as immersive video and gaming groups. The cuts extend beyond Vision Pro development, with Siri also affected. Apple has laid off an entire team dedicated to VR development, roughly 60 employees in the Vision Products Group, according to MacRumors. The restructuring signals a shift toward AI glasses and away from spatial computing's slow progress, with dozens of Vision Pro employees working on immersive video and gaming let go and Siri and AI teams also trimmed.

Walmart Finally Adds Apple Pay

After more than a decade of holding out, Walmart has announced it will finally begin rolling out Apple Pay support next week. The retailer confirmed the move despite years of pressure from shoppers. Starting August 24, tap-to-pay is coming to Walmart and Sam's Club stores in the US. Walmart's announcement ends its long refusal of payment services like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and the full state-by-state rollout schedule is now available.

Apple's $17B Irish Tax Payment

New tax disclosures show Apple paid Ireland $17 billion in corporate income taxes in 2025, according to the Financial Times. That represents 40% of Apple's $43 billion worldwide tax total, MacRumors notes. The payment came as the EU's back-tax case came due, culminating in one of the largest corporate tax recoveries ever ordered by the European Union, according to AppleInsider.

iPhone 18 Pro and Ultra Rumors Heat Up

Apple's new flagship iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra are expected to be unveiled next month, with release dates likely following the familiar September pattern. Major upgrades to the camera, modem, and battery will differentiate the iPhone 18 Pro from prior models. Color rumors point to a dramatic new "Dark Cherry" finish. Pre-order timing usually follows Apple's event schedule. Fake case leaks hint at new Clear and Tech Woven color options. However, AppleInsider warns against buying cases before Apple's launch, as early accessories risk being wasted money.

Air Pods With Cameras: Leaks and Delays

It's been a busy week for rumors about camera-equipped Air Pods, and a roundup covers everything learned about the upcoming Air Pods Pro. Code found in the latest mac OS release reveals image capture resolution, a status light, and person detection features. AppleInsider found more details in the mac OS release, including image resolution and certification data. The leak sparked a privacy debate on the AppleInsider Podcast. 9to5Mac's podcast also discussed the leak and the demo video Apple accidentally published. Despite all that, a prolific leaker claims the camera Air Pods won't launch until 2027. MacRumors agrees the camera-equipped Air Pods are delayed to 2027. With iOS, Apple will launch new AirPods upgrades that should make wearing Air Pods all day more compelling.

Beats 360 Headphones Leak

Apple's upcoming Beats 360 headphones have been spotted in a UAE regulatory filing. Retail listings for the new over-ear model have also leaked.

Apple Watch: Series, Ceramic, and watch OS 27

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 are launching next month with a major chip upgrade. A ceramic casing is rumored to return with the Series, the first since the Series. A hands-on with the white ceramic Series 5 revisits the Apple Watch Edition line. watchOS 27 adds three features that one writer has been loving in beta. A triathlon runner credits the Apple Watch ECG for alerting him to a life-threatening heart condition. Best Buy and Amazon are offering Series 11 discounts of $100.

MacBook Pro, MacBook Ultra, and iPad Rumors

The M6 MacBook Pro is expected to get a big speed boost in a familiar form factor this fall. MacBook Ultra rumors point to six new features launching this fall as part of Apple's expanding Ultra lineup. B&H has cut the M5 MacBook Pro to $1,669 with a $350 discount. Amazon and Best Buy are offering up to $500 off 2026 MacBook Pro models. iPad mini 8 rumors suggest an OLED display and A19 Pro chip. Apple plans to upgrade five products with OLED by 2029, including iPads and Macs.

Apple Defies Global Smartphone Decline

Smartphone sales are falling worldwide, but Apple keeps growing; four reports published this week reveal drops in smartphone sales and shipments across multiple markets. iPhone sales rose 5% in Latin America even as that market contracted. Counterpoint Research reports show Apple gained ground in several regions despite market declines. In Europe, Apple ties with Samsung as sales hit a three-year low. Strong iPhone sales have also boosted Samsung Display's OLED shipments this year.

Apple TV+ Adds New Seasons and Documentaries

Apple TV has a wave of new content; Stillwater season 5 has arrived with five new episodes of the Emmy-winning, mindfulness-focused animated series. Three big releases are coming very soon, including the long-awaited Ted Lasso season. The Dynasty: UConn Huskies, a three-part docuseries about the University of Connecticut women's basketball program, is now available to stream. Stick season 2 returns soon with Pluribus star Rhea Seehorn added to the cast. Bad Monkey returns December 2 with Vince Vaughn.

Chat GPT Expands on Apple Platforms

Chat GPT's iPhone app now has a handy photo attach shortcut for quickly adding recent photos to conversations. On Mac, Chat GPT can now read and send iMessages, working with iMessage, SMS, and RCS. AppleInsider raises privacy concerns about giving Chat GPT your entire Messages history. The Messages integration allows searching messages, drafting texts, and analyzing conversations. A ChatGPT outage blocked users from logging in or creating new accounts, though OpenAI says the issue is now fully resolved.

Apple and OpenAI Trade Legal Blows

Apple has fired back at OpenAI's bid to dismiss its trade secrets lawsuit; Apple argues that OpenAI's defense depends on "distortion, speculation, and improper" arguments. The new filing urges a federal judge to reject OpenAI's motion to dismiss. Apple reaffirms its claims of pervasive trade secret misappropriation against two former employees and OpenAI.

Apple Music Mandates AI Labels

Apple will label AI-generated songs on Apple Music; Apple sent emails to music industry partners about the upcoming launch of a "Made With AI" label. Record labels and distributors will be required to label AI content, making the disclosure mandatory rather than optional.

Smart Home: Home Pad, Matter, and More

Apple's new HomePad smart home hub is reportedly launching this fall. Code hints suggest it will act like a giant Apple Watch. macOS Tahoe code describes how the rumored Home Hub will work, with an Apple Watch-like interface. Homey secured Matter 1.5 certification for its Homey Pro mini and Self Hosted Server, expanding bridging and energy support. Hisense's TopLift dehumidifier is the first dehumidifier to support Matter, making it a solid summer companion for Apple Home.

iOS 27 and iPad OS 27 Changes

iPadOS 27 adds three Mac-like features that bring the iPad closer to the Mac. iOS 27 changes Notification Center, breaking 15 years of muscle memory on iPhone and iPad. Shared Albums in iOS 27 now retain full-resolution quality for the first time, but they eat into your iCloud storage.

Deals Across Apple's Lineup

Best Buy's 60th anniversary sale includes AirPods Max 2 at $429 and M4 iPad Air for $100 off. M5 Pro MacBook Pro configurations are $500 off, with Air Tag 2 at all-time lows. Amazon has iPads down to as low as $399 for the weekend. M5 MacBook Air is available for $1,099. Anker and Jackery power stations are on sale with up to $1,500 off. A 1-day Apple sale features $400 off M5 Pro MacBook Pro and iPhone Air up to $406 off. LG's 27-inch UltraGear OLED monitor has dropped to $467.97 on Amazon, its lowest price ever.

Car Play and Automotive

Code found in Apple's backend car key system suggests MG vehicles may soon get Apple Car Key support. CarPlay is the deciding factor for consumers choosing between two nearly identical cars, with the Car Play version outselling its Chevy counterpart. CarPlay Ultra remains limited to Aston Martin, and Apple has yet to expand it.

AI Apps and Services

Grok Bot is an all-new AI agent app for iPhone, Mac, and Windows from Space XAI and Cursor. Adobe Firefly's music tools are now generally available for creating fully licensed tracks, voiceover, and sound effects. macOS Golden Gate adds a new Siri app for Mac. College students in the US can get a free year of Google AI Pro. Meta AI has arrived as a beta Mac app, though data collection practices raise concerns. Meta AI's desktop app is now available for Mac.

Retail and Expansion

A new Apple Store is reportedly opening in Idaho at The Village, a 10,000-square-foot location. Amazon's drone delivery service is fast, free, and loud, according to a staffer who tested it. Amazon Prime Air is expanding to nearly 500 US cities by the end of 2026.

App Store and Legal

Epic Games accuses Apple of sidestepping its App Store antitrust obligations in Brazil. Apple's EU battle appears to finally be over. Logitech customers who bought kit during the Trump tariff mess may be due a refund.

Apps and Media

The MacRumors Show features MrMobile discussing iPhone Ultra. WhatsApp is working on even more Liquid Glass interface changes on iOS. Things 3.23 brings a long-requested overhaul of repeating to-dos. Astropad Workbench 1.3 adds faster streaming and a privacy curtain. Susan Kare revisits the icons and graphics for the original Mac. The MacWeek archive offers the best look into Apple's past. 9to5Mac Daily recaps the top stories of the day. The latest 9to5Mac Daily covers Apple TV 4K rumors and Apple Maps ads.

Payments and Services

Apple Pay will donate $10 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase through August 28. Apple Card turns seven with a big Chase transition ahead. Apple Maps ads will be tasteful and minimal, and might help local businesses.

Security and Privacy

A disguised Russian banking app has topped the US iPhone App Store. ClarityCheck, a facial-identification tool, reportedly left millions of face photos publicly exposed. A hidden AirTag appears to confirm suspicions about illicit AI book scanning at an Amazon facility.

Leadership and Strategy

John Ternus as CEO could bring bigger acquisitions and new product categories, per a Bank of America analyst. 10+ new products are coming at Apple's September event. Apple accidentally leaked more than 10 new products in the mac OS 26.7 update. The next Apple TV 4K is rumored to have five new features, including Siri AI. The smart wearables market is set to generate more than $1 trillion through 2032.

Tips and Reviews

The iPhone as primary camera keeps paying dividends for video b-roll. Here's when to reuse or recycle an old iPhone or iPad. Here are iPhone battery life tips for when you're away from a charger. New AirPods beta firmware includes iOS 27 features. Here's a 2026 AirPods comparison for Air Pods 4 vs Pro. The Lexar Armor 700 offers impressive capacity and good speeds, with a catch.