MacRumors

The official unveiling of the iPhone 17 lineup and new Apple Watch models plus potentially a few more announcements is just a month away now, and the rumor cycle is in full swing for these final weeks.

iOS 26 is also well into its beta testing cycle, with Apple putting the final touches on things over the next few weeks to be able to install it on the new iPhones before they ship, so read on below for all the details!

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 5

Apple is continuing to make progress on refining iOS 26 and related major operating system updates that should see their official releases in September, pushing out the fifth developer betas and second public betas this week with some fresh changes in store.

The new Liquid Glass design seems to be firming up after several revisions in previous betas, while beta 5 introduces some new "bounciness" for transitions in places like Lock Screen passcode entry and switching between Control Center pages. There are other functional and visual tweaks for Camera, Mail, AirDrop, Wallet and more.

iOS 26 Beta Reveals Apple Watch Ultra 3 Display Size

It looks like the display on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 might be just a hint larger than on previous Ultra models, based on imagery discovered by MacRumors in the latest iOS 26 beta.

It's likely the slight increase in display size will be accommodated by shrinking the bezels around the display rather than increasing the casing size, but we'll have to see once the next-generation Apple Watch Ultra is unveiled. The first substantial upgrade for the model in two years is likely to come next month alongside the iPhone 17 lineup.

iPhone 17 Air Battery Allegedly 2.49mm – Half the Thickness of 17 Pro's

Over the weekend, photos surfaced of what was originally claimed to be the metal-encased battery for the upcoming ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air," although the original report was later corrected to note that the battery is for the iPhone 17 Pro.

It didn't take long for photos of the actual iPhone 17 Air battery to surface, however, and they reveal that it measures just 2.49 mm thick, roughly half as thick as the iPhone 17 Pro battery. The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly have a battery capacity of 3,000 mAh or less, which will hamper battery life compared to thicker models. But between software optimizations and a rumored battery case, the majority of users will hopefully still be able to get a full day's use out of a single charge.

AirPods Pro 3 Could Be Just Weeks Away – Here's What We Know

Apple's high-end AirPods Pro earbuds are due for an update, and it could be arriving as soon as September alongside the new iPhone and Apple Watch models.

We're expecting some design tweaks for the earbuds and the case, performance upgrades in audio processing and active noise cancellation, in-ear heart-rate tracking, and perhaps some other improvements.

New Apple TV Still Launching This Year

The current Apple TV 4K model is coming up on three years old, but Apple is apparently on track to release an updated model later this year, according to a source speaking to MacRumors.

We're expecting a chip upgrade from the A15 Bionic found in the current model, Wi-Fi 7 support via a new Apple-designed Bluetooth/Wi-Fi chip, and additional enhancements.

Google Makes Fun of Apple Intelligence Siri Delay in Ad Promoting Pixel 10

Google this week used Apple's Siri failure to attempt to lure customers to the upcoming Pixel 10 series, sharing an ad that calls out the delayed Apple Intelligence ‌Siri‌ functionality.

"If you buy a new phone because of a feature that's coming soon, but it's been coming soon for a full year," the teaser video begins, "you could change your definition of soon. Or you could just change your phone."

In an all-hands meeting for Apple employees late last week, Tim Cook defended the company's AI efforts, noting that "we've rarely been first" to new technologies but that AI is "ours to grab" and the company "will make the investment to do it."

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

In iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Apple added an all-new Games app that's designed to be the go-to place for mobile gaming on Apple devices. The app includes features for discovering new games to play, along with add-ons meant to keep you more engaged.

The Games app is pretty similar to the Games tab in the App Store, which isn't going anywhere. It's as if Apple took the Games tab and expanded it into a full app.

Home View

The Home tab is the main view of the Games app, and it is tailored to each user. It has a "Continue Playing" section so you can get to the last game you've been playing with a tap, and there's a large carousel at the top of the interface with spotlighted content like game suggestions, friend achievements, and Games app features.

You can swipe through the content in the Home tab, and it works a lot like the Today suggestions in the ‌App Store‌. There are multiple sections to scroll through for content suggestions, some of which is personalized based on your gaming history.

Some of the different sections:

• Arcade Games for You - Includes all Apple Arcade title suggestions.
• Friends Are Playing - Games your Game Center friends have played recently.
• Top Played Games - A ranked list of the most played iOS games.
• Because You Played - Suggestions based on a specific title you previously played.
• Top Arcade Games - A ranked list of the top ‌Apple Arcade‌ games.
• New Games We Love - Recently released titles that aren't part of ‌Apple Arcade‌.
• New Games on ‌Apple Arcade‌ - Includes the new titles on ‌Apple Arcade‌, but not other ‌App Store‌ titles.
• Try Before You Buy - Games with demos you can play before you commit to a purchase.
• Our Most Anticipated Games - Upcoming games with pre-orders available.
• Friend Suggestions - Lets you invite people to be a Game Center friend via Messages.
• Top Free Games - A ranked list of the top free-to-play games.
• Top Paid Games - A ranked list of the top paid games in the ‌App Store‌.

Events

Apple introduced Events for games way back in iOS 15. Events for games are displayed in the Games app so you can see which games are offering fresh content.

Events can include limited time special gameplay, special trophies and items that are available for a short time, major content updates, crossovers, challenges, and more.

Apple Arcade

There is a dedicated tab for ‌Apple Arcade‌ content, where Apple promotes its $6.99 per month gaming service. The ‌Apple Arcade‌ tab is also broken down into different sections with gaming recommendations, much like the ‌Apple Arcade‌ section of the ‌App Store‌.

Unified Games Library

The Games app is split into four tabs, including Home, Arcade, Play Together, and Library. The Library tab includes all of the games that you have played across all of your devices.

The Library lets you see all of your achievements in one place separated by game, with filters to separate them by platform. There are also quick access links to new ‌Apple Arcade‌ titles and Events.

Game Info

Tapping into a game shows when you last played it and provides options for launching it or downloading it again if it's something that you've deleted or played on a different device.

All games have a Games Details section that includes clear information on the game's rating, type, whether there's controller support, and how large the game is.

Social Options

In the dedicated Play Together tab, you'll see a list of games that your friends are playing, along with suggestions for multiplayer games that you can play with someone else. There's also a dedicated Challenges tool, which is a new feature.

Multiplayer Games

For a multiplayer game, you can tap on the "Start Multiplayer" option and then invite someone to play with you. There's a list of friends that you've played multiplayer games with before, as well as a Party Code you can send to someone and an invite link.

Both players need to be running ‌iOS 26‌, ‌iPadOS 26‌, or macOS 26 or later to use the Multiplayer features that are in the Games app.

Multiplayer games are games where you play with one or more additional players at the same time in co-op or competitive gameplay.

Challenges

Challenges are a separate multiplayer option for asynchronous competitive gameplay for games that are traditionally single player.

With Challenges, you can select a game, choose rules or parameters for the challenge, and compete against friends to win. Challenge options range from completing a puzzle the fastest to getting the highest score. Each challenge is time limited, and for most games, you can set a time period of a day, three days, or a week.

Game Center

The Games app essentially makes Game Center features more prominent. Game Center has been around for a long time for earning achievements and playing games with friends, but it hasn't been as prominent as it is now.

There's still a Game Center section in the Settings app, where you can invite friends and control who you share your gaming activity with.

When you get a score that's higher than a friend's score in a game you're both playing, you'll see a pop up.

Game Mode

When you start a game, Game Mode is activated. If you tap into Control Center with Game Mode, you'll see an "Overlay" option. Tap that and you can see leaderboards, invite friends to play, and control game settings like sound level, display brightness, and controller parameters.

With Game Mode, you can access Game Center settings and social tools without having to leave the game that you're playing.

Game Mode is not a Focus mode and it doesn't block notifications or otherwise interrupt device operation.

Other Games App Features

Tapping on your profile at the top of the Games app brings up an option to invite friends to Game Center and respond to friend requests, plus you can see your challenge wins and your game achievements.

There's also a dedicated Search button where you can type in the name of a game or tap through different game categories to find something new to play.

For Developers

Developers can create challenges and multiplayer activities that will show up in the Games app for improved game visibility.

Device Compatibility

Using the new Games app features requires a device that is able to run ‌iOS 26‌, ‌iPadOS 26‌, or macOS Tahoe. For the new Games app features like Challenges, both users need to have a device with the latest software.

The Games app is for gameplay with other Apple users, and there's no functionality for playing games with people who have Android devices or use other platforms.

Read More

We have a complete iOS 26 roundup that covers all of the new features that are available in the update.

There's just about a month to go until Apple unveils the Apple Watch Series 11 models at its September event. Last year we got display upgrades, and this year, there could be new health features. We've recapped all of the current Apple Watch Series 11 rumors for a quick preview of what might be coming.

Faster Chip

Apple is likely planning to introduce an updated S11 chip that offers a more compact, efficient design. We could see improvements in processor performance to increase overall battery life, along with additional space for a bigger battery or other internal components.

Updated Modem Chip

The Apple Watch Series 11 models could adopt new modems from MediaTek with 5G RedCap support. 5G RedCap is a 5G service that's designed for wearables that don't need standard 5G speeds.

Right now, the Apple Watch models are limited to LTE speeds, but 5G RedCap could bring connectivity improvements.

Blood Pressure Alerts

Apple is working on a blood pressure monitoring feature, though it continues to be unclear if it will be ready for launch in the 2025 models. Apple ran into development issues with accuracy and reliability that could push the feature back, but we haven't heard anything lately and it's possible Apple was able to fix the problems.

If we do get blood pressure monitoring for the Apple Watch, it's not going to provide exact systolic and diastolic measurements like a standard blood pressure cuff or monitoring device.

Instead, it will monitor for hypertension and will notify Apple Watch users if the condition is detected over time. Hypertension is a health issue where blood pressure stays high over time, and it is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and other health problems.

An Apple Watch user who is notified about hypertension will be able to provide that information to a medical professional for additional testing, similar to how the existing features for detecting atrial fibrillation can be used as an early warning system.

watchOS 26 Features

The Apple Watch Series 11 will run watchOS 26, which Apple is beta testing now. ‌watchOS 26‌ includes an all-new Workout Buddy that is designed to motivate you during workouts.

Workout Buddy relies on a paired iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, and it uses a text-to-speech generative AI model created using voice data from real Apple Fitness+ trainers. Workout Buddy sounds like a real personal trainer that can encourage you to get through your workout and meet your fitness goals.

‌watchOS 26‌ also includes a Liquid Glass redesign that matches the Liquid Glass look of iOS 26, plus it has an updated Smart Stack, a revamped Control Center, new gestures, and more.

A full list of what's new in ‌watchOS 26‌ can be found in our watchOS 26 roundup.

Sleep Score

In ‌iOS 26‌ code, we found signs that suggest Apple is working on a sleep score feature for the Apple Watch.

Little is known about Apple's work on the option right now, but Apple could perhaps provide a sleep-related score that will predict how well you'll be able to function during the day based on the amount of sleep that you got the night before.

Many health tracking devices offer a sleep score, but it's something that Apple has not provided with the Apple Watch yet. The Apple Watch has sleep tracking and separates sleep into REM, Core, and Deep, plus Apple provides time in bed and time awake metrics.

The sleep score could take into account multiple health metrics, like the Vitals option that came in watchOS 11.

There is no sign of the sleep score feature in ‌watchOS 26‌, so it's possible that it's something that will be exclusive to the 2025 Apple Watch models.

Apple Watch Anniversary

2025 actually marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch. There were rumors that Apple could debut a special anniversary edition of the Apple Watch with a major design overhaul that included a new magnetic band attachment system and a thinner casing.

With the Series 10, Apple introduced a slimmed down Apple Watch, but there was no sign of the rumored band attachment system.

We're still not expecting anything new with bands in the Series 11, but Apple could acknowledge the anniversary in some way.

Blood Oxygen Monitoring

Blood oxygen monitoring remains unavailable on Apple Watch models sold in the United States, and there are no signs that the feature will return with the Apple Watch Series 11.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman today said that the company will allow Plus users to continue to use the prior-generation GPT-4o model if they don't want to use the new GPT-5 model that came out yesterday.

As noted by The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern, there were some ChatGPT users who were upset that OpenAI replaced prior ChatGPT models with GPT-5 with no warning. Some people had become accustomed to the tone and feel of GPT-4o, and did not feel that the GPT-5 model was able to replicate it.

There are multiple complaints on Reddit about GPT-5's lack of personality compared to GPT-4o, and from people who feel that GPT-5 isn't able to complete the same tasks. Users have also complained about GPT-5 offering replies that are too short, and about hitting usage limits too quickly.

Altman says that Plus users can choose to continue to use 4o, and that OpenAI will watch usage and consider how long legacy models should continue to be supported.

To address the other complaints, GPT-5 rate limits for ChatGPT Plus users will be doubled as the GPT-5 rollout is completed. It is taking longer than expected for OpenAI to deploy GPT-5 to all users, and some people are not yet seeing GPT-5 as an option.

Going forward, GPT-5 should seem smarter, Altman said. There was apparently an issue with the autoswitcher yesterday that caused GPT-5 to seem "way dumber." OpenAI also plans to make it more clear about which model is answering a query, and will update the UI to make it easier to manually trigger thinking. Altman says that OpenAI will continue to listen to user feedback going forward.

Starting with iOS 26, the ChatGPT feature that's integrated into Siri will use the GPT-5 model. Until then, it will continue to use the prior ChatGPT models.

With iOS 26, Apple is bringing several new features to the AirPods, making them more useful than before. The added functionality will be available this fall when Apple releases ‌iOS 26‌ and updated AirPods firmware, but you can test everything new right now.

Camera Remote

The AirPods can be used as a camera remote for the Camera app or third-party iOS camera apps. You'll need to enable the feature if you want to use it, and you can do so by connecting your AirPods to your iPhone, opening up the AirPods section in the Settings app, and then choosing the Camera Remote option.

Once the feature is turned on, using it is as simple as popping in your AirPods, opening the camera app, and then pressing and holding on the AirPods stem to take a photo or start a video recording.

When you're finished, a second press and hold gesture will stop the recording. If you have an Apple Watch, you can already control your ‌iPhone‌ remotely from your wrist, but the AirPods have the potential to be even quicker since it's a one-press physical gesture rather than a series of steps that include opening an Apple Watch app.

Studio-Quality Recording

The AirPods 4 and the AirPods Pro 2 now offer recording studio-quality audio for interviews, podcasts, songs, videos, and more. Apple says that the feature can be used to record high-quality vocals while on the go, with background sounds filtered out thanks to Voice Isolation.

You can record higher-quality audio when making videos or using your devices to do things like record a podcast.

Improved Call Quality

The H2 chip in the ‌AirPods 4‌ and ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 brings more natural vocal texture and clarity to ‌iPhone‌ calls, FaceTime calls, and all CallKit-enabled apps like Zoom.

Studio-quality audio recording and improved call quality are available across ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac, and support the Camera app, Voice Memos, Messages dictation, third-party camera apps, and video conferencing apps.

Pause Audio for Sleep

If you're listening to music, a podcast, or a book while you're in bed and you're wearing AirPods, the AirPods will pause your audio when you fall asleep if you toggle on the new "Pause Media When Falling Asleep" option.

You'll find it in the AirPods settings after connecting your AirPods to your ‌iPhone‌, but you'll need the new AirPods firmware and ‌iOS 26‌. In addition to saving your spot in an audiobook or podcast, it will also preserve battery by turning your AirPods off so they're not running all night.

This feature also works with Beats earbuds.

Keep Audio in Headphones

‌iOS 26‌ addresses an irritating issue that happens with CarPlay and AirPods. There's a "Keep Audio in Headphones" option that prevents audio from switching to car speakers or Bluetooth speakers when you're listening to music through the AirPods.

With the option on, your music will continue playing in your AirPods when you get in the car. You can turn it on in ‌iOS 26‌ by going to Settings > General > AirPlay and Continuity.

Charging Reminders

Apple improved AirPods charging in ‌iOS 26‌, and the AirPods Charging case will now more clearly indicate charging status. You'll also see reminders when it's time to charge your AirPods so you're less likely to run out of battery.

There's a green light when the AirPods are fully charged, a pulsing amber light when they're charging, and a darker amber light that lets you know that it's time for a charge because the battery is getting low.

Beta Updates

With ‌iOS 26‌, Apple is adding an option to more easily install beta updates on AirPods. There's a new update interface when you connect your AirPods to your ‌iPhone‌ and tap into them in the Settings app.

How to Get the New AirPods Features Now

To try out the new ‌iOS 26‌ AirPods features, you'll need to install the ‌iOS 26‌ public beta or the ‌iOS 26‌ developer beta. The developer beta requires a free developer account, but anyone can sign up for the ‌iOS 26‌ public beta.

Just go to Apple's beta website and follow the steps.

Once you have ‌iOS 26‌ installed, you can connect your AirPods and then open up the AirPods section of the Settings app. From there, scroll down to AirPods Beta Updates and toggle on beta firmware.

Put the AirPods in the charging case and put them near your ‌iPhone‌ to trigger the beta firmware to be downloaded on the AirPods. Once your AirPods are running the beta firmware, you'll see settings for the new options in the AirPods section of the Settings app.

Read More

We have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup that goes into detail on all of the new features that are available in the update.

While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already several early rumors about the devices.

Below, we recap some key iPhone 18 Pro rumors.

Under-Screen Face ID

In April 2023, display industry analyst Ross Young shared a roadmap showing that iPhone 17 Pro models would feature under-display Face ID. In May 2024, however, Young said he heard this change had been delayed until 2026. If so, that means that under-screen Face ID could debut on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max next year.

As a result of the under-screen Face ID, Young believes that the iPhone 18 Pro models will have a smaller Dynamic Island.

In May, The Information also reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would likely be equipped with under-screen Face ID.

Variable Aperture

The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

With variable aperture, users would be able to control the amount of light that passes through the camera's lens and reaches the sensor. The main cameras on iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro models have a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78, and the lens is always fully open and shooting with this widest aperture. With the iPhone 18 Pro models, users would be able to manually change the aperture, according to this rumor.

A variable aperture on iPhone 18 Pro models should provide users with greater control over depth of field, which refers to how sharp a subject appears in the foreground compared to the background. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to size constraints, it is unclear exactly how meaningful this improvement would be.

Samsung Image Sensor

Samsung is developing a new three-layer stacked image sensor that Apple is expected to use for at least one camera on the iPhone 18 Pro models, according to DigiTimes. This advanced image sensor would make the camera more responsive, and offer other benefits like reduced noise in photos, increased dynamic range, and more.

In July 2024, Kuo said he expected Samsung to begin shipping 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera sensors to Apple for iPhones as early as 2026, which is when the iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to be released.

Just this week, the Financial Times said Samsung will manufacture the image sensors in Texas.

Currently, all iPhone image sensors are supplied by Sony.

Other Rumors

iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to have an A20 Pro chip (2nm) and Apple's custom C2 modem.

In iOS 26, Apple Music introduces playlist folders, bringing the same organizational power that's long been available for photos and notes to your music collection. Whether you're juggling workout mixes, seasonal soundtracks, or genre-specific selections, folders should be a welcome management tool for your most favored collections.

The feature works exactly as you'd expect – simply create the folder, rename it to suit the intended content, and you'll be navigating your music library with newfound efficiency in no time. You can even nest playlist folders by mood, activity, artist, or whatever system that makes sense for how you actually listen to music.

How to Create a New Folder

Here's how to create a playlist folder in the Music app:

1. In the Playlist section, tap the + icon at the top.
2. Choose New Folder... from the popup menu.
3. Give your new folder a name, then tap Create.

Move Playlists into a Folder

With your folder created, move in some playlists like so:

1. Long press on a playlist.
2. Choose Move to... from the popup menu.
3. Select the folder from All Playlists.
4. Tap the red Move button.

That's all there is to it. Finally, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 bring a little more feature parity with the Music app on Mac.

Don't forget, iOS 26 also introduces Music pins, allowing you to pin your most frequently accessed songs, playlists, albums, and artists directly to the top of your Library tab. iOS 26 is currently in beta, with a general release expected in September.

Earlier this week, a leaker known as Majin Bu revealed that you might be able to attach a lanyard to Apple's official iPhone 17 cases.

It turns out that Majin Bu was not the only source to make such a claim this week, as another leaker known as DuanRui also shared a CAD of an alleged iPhone 17 Pro case with two spots to attach a lanyard, in the bottom corners.

DuanRui's post was spotted by 9to5Mac's Zac Hall.

There is precedent for such a thing, as AirPods Pro 2 charging cases have a cutout for attaching a lanyard. Apple does not offer its own AirPods Pro 2 lanyard, but it has offered various third-party options through its online store.

The same would likely apply for iPhone 17 lanyards: third-party and sold separately.

In addition, the fifth-generation iPod touch had a built-in mechanism for attaching a lanyard too, without even needing a case.

"DuanRui" often relays content that originates on Chinese social media platform Weibo. As always, this is just a rumor, with nothing confirmed yet.

As the iPhone 17 lineup's announcement draws closer, on this week's episode of The Tvsil Show we discuss some of the most important latest rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The iPhone 17 Pro is expected to introduce a significant redesign. The device will move from a titanium frame to an aluminum unibody. As part of this new design, the rear camera array will be made out of aluminum and span the entire width of the back, with the flash and the LiDAR scanner moving to the right side.

To enable wireless charging, there will be a glass cutout in the aluminum chassis below the large camera bump. The Apple logo will move down to be centered to this glass segment, which will lead to some MagSafe accessories such as clear cases being redesigned so that the logo can still be seen.

A new cover glass with improved scratch resistance and a better anti-reflective coating are also expected. The new Pro models are rumored to come in black, white, gray, dark blue, and orange finishes. There are also sketchy reports of an iridescent-style "Liquid Glass" colorway.

The device is almost certain to be powered by the A19 Pro chip with 12GB of memory – a 50% increase. Thermal enhancements are also expected, along with battery life improvements. All four iPhone 17 models that are coming in 2025 will likely have Apple's first custom-designed Wi-Fi chip with Wi-Fi 7 support.

Major improvements are anticipated for the rear camera system, with the telephoto making the jump to 48-megapixels to match the main and ultra-wide cameras. It could also have an 8x optical zoom instead of the current 5x. There are also reports of an all-new "pro" camera app and even an additional camera control.

The iPhone 17 lineup is now rumored to be announced on Tuesday, September 9. The series of devices could see a $50 price hike, but a base storage bump from 128GB to 256GB is possible for the iPhone 17 Pro. The Tvsil Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

You can also listen to The Tvsil Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The Tvsil Show, catch up to hear our discussion about rumors for the standard iPhone 17 and the new ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air."

Subscribe to The Tvsil Show for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

The Tvsil Show is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The Tvsil Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

As previously announced, this Saturday will be the final day of business for Apple Bristol in Bristol, England and Apple Parkland in Dalian, China.

Both of the stores will be permanently closing tomorrow, for landlord-related reasons. Apple Bristol is closing due to the landlord's redevelopment plans at the Cabot Circus Shopping Centre, and the adjacent Bristol Shopping Quarter, while Apple Parkland is closing because the mall faced financial struggles and lost many major retailers.

Apple Bristol and Apple Parkland will both open at 10 a.m. local time tomorrow. In Bristol, the doors will close for good at 5 p.m. local time, while customers in Dalian will have until 8 p.m. local time to visit one final time.

While it is a shame that Apple is leaving central Bristol, customers with a means of transportation can still visit Apple Cribbs Causeway on the outskirts of the city. Likewise, Apple will continue to operate its Olympia 66 store in Dalian.

In addition, Apple will be temporarily closing its store at The Forum Shops in Caesars Palace following business hours this Saturday, for behind-the-scenes renovations. Apple says the store will re-open on August 31. During the closure, customers can visit Apple's nearby Fashion Show store, which is also on the Las Vegas Strip.

On the bright side, customers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are getting an all-new Apple Shadyside on Walnut Street tomorrow, with the new location set to hold its grand opening at 10 a.m. local time. The new store is located at 5436 Walnut Street, just west of Bellefonte Street, in a two-floor unit that was previously occupied by clothing brand Gap. The new store is much larger than the original, and it has a modern design.

Apple Intelligence will integrate OpenAI's newly launched ChatGPT-5 model when iOS 26 arrives next month, Apple has confirmed (via 9to5Mac).

The integration means Siri will tap into the latest AI model when Apple's own systems can't handle specific requests. ChatGPT-5, which OpenAI announced Thursday, offers enhanced reasoning capabilities and coding tools, and better voice interaction and video perception, compared to the current GPT-4o model powering Apple Intelligence.

Currently, ChatGPT can be invoked selectively within Apple Intelligence for tasks like web searches, document queries, and Visual Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro and later models. Users can access these features without an OpenAI account, although linking one enables subscription benefits.

Apple Intelligence will also gain new capabilities in iOS 26, including Live Translation for real-time conversation interpretation in FaceTime and Messages, plus Visual Intelligence upgrades for systemwide content searching.

• Everything Your iPhone Can Do With ChatGPT

When iOS 18 communicates ChatGPT, Apple obscures IP addresses and prevents OpenAI from storing user requests, and the same technique will be used in iOS 26 to maintain privacy. The software update will arrive alongside the expected iPhone 17 launch next month.

HBO Max is planning to crack down more aggressively on password sharing, according to Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming CEO JB Perette (via The Verge). Perette shared the info during an earnings call, where he said HBO Max users will be encouraged to pay a $7.99 per month fee to add viewers that are outside of their household.

"In September, you'll actually start to see the messaging -- which right now has been a fairly soft, cancelable messaging -- start to get more fixed and such that people have to take action," said Perette.

Warner Bros. began discouraging password sharing earlier this year after introducing the $7.99 per month sharing fee. As of right now, the restrictions on password sharing have not been enforced, and paying the extra fee is voluntary.

HBO Max with ads is priced at $9.99 per month, while the Standard plan with no ads is $16.99 per month. There's also a Premium plan with 4K streaming that's priced at $20.99 per month.

HBO Max customers that opt to add an extra member to their plan will need to pay the $7.99 per month fee, which provides the added member with their own account, password, and profile. Only one additional member can be added to an account.

At $7.99 per month, the extra member add-on is only $2 cheaper than the ad-supported plan, but the extra member is able to share the plan of the main subscriber. So if the subscriber has the 4K Premium plan, the extra member can access 4K streaming for the $7.99 per month price.

HBO Max will use account information, IP address, device ID, and user activity to determine if accounts are used by people in more than one household.

Cracking down on password sharing has been successful for Netflix and Disney, so it is no surprise to see other streaming services do the same thing. Netflix experienced strong subscriber growth and an increase in revenue when it stopped allowing customers to share their accounts.

Earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery changed the name of the streaming service, abandoning "Max" and going back to HBO Max. The service was branded as Max two years ago, but it turned out that eliminating the well-known and widely recognized HBO name was a mistake.

It's been several months since Apple released the mid-tier iPhone 16e to replace the iPhone SE, so we thought we'd revisit it for a longer-term review.

With a starting price of $599, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ isn't a low-cost smartphone, but it is Apple's most affordable ‌iPhone‌ option. The ‌iPhone 16e‌ has some of the same technology that's in Apple's flagship iPhone 16 models, so the price isn't bad for what it offers. You can often find deals that lower the price a little.

It has the same A18 chip that's in the ‌iPhone 16‌, but with a 4-core GPU instead of a 5-core GPU. It's as blazing fast for day-to-day performance, and the only place you might notice that missing GPU core is playing system intensive games. It has the same amount of RAM and supports Apple Intelligence.

You're limited to a single-lens camera, but it's Apple's 48-megapixel Fusion lens. You don't get ultra wide or 5x telephoto images, but it does support standard 26mm images and also 12-megapixel 2x telephoto images.

At 6.1 inches, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ is the same size as the ‌iPhone 16‌, but it's a little lighter in weight because of the single-lens camera. It doesn't have 120Hz ProMotion or a Dynamic Island. Those features are nice to have, but not essential. Another feature that you might miss more with the ‌iPhone 16e‌ is MagSafe. It's not clear why Apple didn't include ‌MagSafe‌, but it's limited to slower Qi-based charging.

The ‌iPhone 16e‌ is the first ‌iPhone‌ to use Apple's 5G C1 modem rather than a Qualcomm modem, and in our testing, it works just as well as Qualcomm hardware. Performance can be even better than Qualcomm in some areas with low connectivity. Battery life is better than the ‌iPhone 16‌, thanks to efficiencies introduced by the C1 modem.

There are some features you miss out on choosing the ‌iPhone 16e‌ over the ‌iPhone 16‌, but it's $200 less and has a whole lot to offer.

New York-based law firm Kasowitz LLP today announced that it is filing a lawsuit against Apple on behalf of its client, Texas-based company Fintiv, over alleged theft of mobile wallet technology used to create Apple Pay.

In a press release, the law firm said the complaint accuses Apple of violating U.S. federal and state RICO and trade secret laws.

According to the press release, the complaint alleges that Apple approached Fintiv's predecessor CorFire between 2011 and 2012, and received confidential technical information under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Fintiv believed that Apple planned to license CorFire's mobile wallet technology, but said it instead stole the confidential information and later hired away key CorFire employees, before launching Apple Pay in 2014.

The lawsuit is being filed in a Northern Georgia district court.

"Apple's theft of Fintiv's technology is part of a pattern and practice that Apple has engaged in for years – falsely pretending to partner with companies in order to steal confidential and proprietary information under the guise of a working relationship, and thereafter hiring away key employees, all in order to steal the company's valuable intellectual property and use it to commercialize the business on its own," the complaint alleges.

The complaint cites Apple's "similar pernicious scheme" to steal trade secrets from Masimo to develop the Apple Watch's blood oxygen measuring feature.

MacRumors has yet to find the complaint in the U.S. court filing system, so these allegations and quotes are entirely relayed from the press release.

While this particular lawsuit in Georgia is new, Fintiv has been waging a legal battle against Apple since 2018, when it filed a patent infringement case against the company in Texas. That case was eventually dismissed, but an appeals court overturned the decision and remanded it to Texas for further proceedings. Earlier this week, a judge in Texas ruled that Apple did not infringe certain patents, and granted Fintiv's motion to dismiss the remaining claims. Now, the saga will shift to a Georgia court with the filing of this fresh lawsuit.

Best Buy is hosting a new Apple Shopping Event this week, with discounts on MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch, iPhone, and more. This sale is available to all shoppers and is set to last through this Sunday, August 10.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

In terms of MacBooks, highlights of the event include the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,299.00 ($300 off) and the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $799.00 ($200 off), both record low prices. We shared these deals earlier in the week when both Amazon and Best Buy were discounting each computer, and you can still find them at Amazon as well.

If you're shopping for iPads, Best Buy has the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $399.00 ($100 off), which is a solid second-best price on the tablet. The retailer is also matching Amazon's new record low prices on the M3 iPad Air, now starting at $449.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model ($150 off).

Other notable discounts during this event include the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $649.00 ($150 off), Powerbeats Pro 2 for $199.99 ($50 off), Beats Studio Pro for $179.99 ($170 off), Apple Pencil Pro for $99.00 ($30 off), and more. We've compiled a list below of some of these notable sales, but be sure to check out Best Buy's website for all of the deals before the event ends on Sunday.

• 14-Inch M4 MacBook Pro - $1,299.00 ($300 off)
• 13-inch M3 MacBook Air - $799.00 ($200 off)
• 11-inch M3 iPad Air - $449.00 ($150 off)
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 - $649.00 ($150 off)
• Apple Watch Series 10 - $329.00 ($100 off)
• iPhone 16 - Save up to $1,000
• Powerbeats Pro 2 - $199.99 ($50 off)

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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OpenAI today introduced GPT-5, which the company says brings a "significant leap" in intelligence and fewer hallucinations. GPT-5 is supposed to be better at following instructions and minimizing sycophancy.

The model offers improved performance across coding, math, writing, health, visual perception, and more. OpenAI says that GPT-5 is its best coding model to date, with improvements to complex front-end generation and debugging large code repositories.

Along with better coding, GPT-5 has improved writing capabilities and it is better at answering health-related questions.

According to OpenAI, GPT-5 is "significantly less likely to hallucinate" compared to prior models. With web search enabled, GPT-5's responses are 45 percent less likely to include a factual error than GPT-4o, and when thinking, responses are 80 percent less likely to have errors than OpenAI o3.

GPT-5 is less likely to lie to the user about what it is able to complete, or what has been done. It more honestly communicates its actions and capabilities for tasks that are impossible, underspecified, or missing key tools.

There are four personalities that users can select for GPT-5, including Cynic, Robot, Listener, or Nerd. The different personalities are opt-in and let users set how ChatGPT interacts and responds to questions.

GPT-5 is available to all ChatGPT users, but Plus subscribers will get more usage before a limit is imposed, and Pro subscribers can access GPT-5 Pro, a version that has extended reasoning.

When users hit a usage limit, ChatGPT will switch to a mini version of GPT-5 for remaining queries. GPT-5 replaces GPT-4o, OpenAI o3, OpenAI o4-mini, GPT-4.1, and GPT-4.5.

Apple today provided public beta testers with a second beta of macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS that's set to launch this fall. The second beta comes two weeks after the first macOS Tahoe public beta, and it corresponds to the fifth developer beta.

Public beta testers can download macOS Tahoe from the Software Update section of the Settings app after signing up for the betas on Apple's website.

macOS Tahoe has the same Liquid Glass design as iOS 26, and it extends to app icons, folders, the Dock, in-app navigation, menus, the Control Center, and the Menu Bar. The Control Center and the Menu Bar are customizable, and you're also able to customize folders, app icons, and widgets.

Safari has an updated tab design and a redesigned sidebar, and Apple has brought the Phone app to the Mac for making phone calls through Wi-Fi Calling. The Phone app supports the new Call Screening and Hold Assist features.

Spotlight has been overhauled with improved search and the ability to execute hundreds of actions without opening up an app. There's a new Games app with a Game Overlay feature, and developers have access to Metal 4.

More on what's new can be found in our macOS Tahoe roundup.

Apple today released the second public betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, allowing the public to test the updates ahead of their September launch. The second public betas come two weeks after the first public betas, and the updates correspond with the fifth developer betas.

Beta testers that have registered on Apple's website can download the ‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ updates by opening the Settings app, going to the General section, tapping on Software Update, and choosing the ‌iOS 26‌ or ‌iPadOS 26‌ Public Beta options.

‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ feature Apple's Liquid Glass design, with a visual aesthetic that focuses on transparency. Icons, menu buttons, navigation bars, and more reflect and refract light with subtle animations. There are pop-out menus in some areas, tab bars shrink down, and everything has a more rounded look.

There are new Apple Intelligence features like Visual Intelligence for screenshots, updated order tracking in the Wallet app, new features in Reminders, and Live Translation for the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps. Image Playground has ChatGPT style options, and Genmoji supports mixing two or more emoji characters to make something new.

2D photos have a more 3D look with a Spatial Scene feature, and Safari has updated navigation. In the Phone app, there are new Call Screening and Hold Assist features that will save you time, while the Messages app supports customizable backgrounds and polls. Apple Music has a DJ-like AutoMix feature, CarPlay has an overhauled interface, there's a new Apple Games app, and Preview has come to the iPhone for the first time.

For more on all of the new features in the updates, we have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup and a separate iPadOS 26 roundup. ‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ will launch in September.