Apple News 3 Hours

Last updated: August 11, 2026, 3:08 PM ET

Software Updates Spread Across Apple Ecosystem

Apple has released a wave of public betas today. The iOS 27 public beta 3 brings Siri AI and systemwide speed improvements, while the concurrently seeded iOS 27 beta 5 adds deeper Liquid Glass transparency and a birthday fireworks call alert. For tablets, iPadOS 27 public beta 3 is now available. mac OS users can test the third public beta of macOS Golden Gate ahead of its fall launch. On the TV and watch fronts, tvOS 27 and watchOS 27 public betas are also out; the watchOS 27 Modular face is set to gain new color options. Ear hardware gets love too: Apple released new iOS 27 AirPods beta firmware for public testers, and a separate AirPods Pro 3 beta firmware is rolling out for both Air Pods Pro 2 and Air Pods Pro.

Key Executive Departure at Apple Pay

Jennifer Bailey, the longtime head of Apple Pay and Wallet, is retiring in October after 23 years at the company, as reported by Bloomberg. Three outlets confirm the move: Jennifer Bailey retiring from Mac Rumors, Apple Pay VP Bailey from Apple Insider, and Apple Pay leader retiring from 9to5Mac. Bailey spearheaded Apple Pay and Apple Card during her tenure. Her successor has not yet been named.

Legal, Deals, and New Hardware Rumors

In its ongoing Epic Games dispute, Apple fails to delay filing new App Store fees on outbound links — it now has just 24 hours to submit them. On the deals front, Amazon is offering the AirPods Max 2 deal for $449.00 in all five colors, $100 off the $549 MSRP. The 9to5Mac Daily podcast rounds up iOS 27 beta 5 changes and glass iPhone rumors. Elsewhere, Space XAI and Cursor have launched Grok Bot app for iPhone and Mac, positioning it as an AI teammate. Sonos is reportedly planning Sonos Ace Ultra headphones with a heavy AI push, marking its second headphone release.