Several current and former TSMC employees have been accused of stealing proprietary information related to the company's 2-nanometer chip process, which is expected to debut in Apple's A20 chip for the iPhone 18 lineup (via the Financial Times).
TSMC is Apple's sole chip supplier. It today disclosed that it has identified and acted upon an internal security breach involving attempts to exfiltrate trade secrets concerning its next-generation 2-nanometer process technology.
TSMC referred the matter to Taiwanese authorities, resulting in the arrest of three individuals, including a current engineer, a former employee, and a third suspect whose connection to the company was not disclosed. TSMC uncovered the situation by noticing "unusual access patterns" within the company's internal system related to "critical" information about 2-nanometer chip development and production.
According to TSMC's official roadmap, the 2-nanometer node offers considerable gains in both performance and energy efficiency. The node introduces nanosheet transistor architecture, replacing the FinFET design used in prior generations.
TSMC claims this shift will enable a 10% to 15% speed improvement or a 25% to 30% reduction in power consumption compared to 3-nanometer, with similar or better density. Apple is widely expected to adopt the 2-nanometer process for the "A20" chip, which will likely be used across next year's iPhone 18 lineup.
Amazon is discounting the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE to $169.00 today, down from $249.00. This is a match for the best price that we've ever seen on the Apple Watch SE, and it's available in Starlight, Silver, and Midnight Aluminum color options.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Amazon has six 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE at this price, including multiple sizes of the Sport Band model. Most are in stock and available to be delivered by the end of the week.
Additionally, you can get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE at the low price of $199.00 today on Amazon, down from $279.00. This one is available in Midnight, Silver, and Starlight Aluminum colors, and in both Sport Loop and Sport Band options.
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.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple recently updated its website with Terms of Use for the Support Assistant, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The page confirms that the feature will be a ChatGPT-like chat tool powered by generative AI, with customers able to receive generated answers to their questions about various Apple products and services.
You can already chat with a human in the Apple Support app, whereas this tool will be a bot.
"Support Assistant uses generative models," says Apple's Terms of Use. "You understand and agree that generative models may occasionally generate incorrect, misleading, incomplete, offensive, or harmful outputs."
Apple says the tool is for technical support only.
Apple last updated its Support app on July 15, which is the same date listed in the Terms of Use. To the best of our knowledge, however, the Support Assistant has yet to launch. There is precedent for Apple updating its Legal page about a feature before it launches, but leave a comment if you find the Support Assistant.
The feature will likely be available in the U.S. only, at least initially, as the Terms of Use have not been published in any other countries.
Adobe this week is offering first-time subscribers of the Adobe Creative Cloud Pro plan a 40 percent discount on the service. With this sale, you'll pay $41.99 per month for the plan, down from $69.99 per month, and this price will last through your first year.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Adobe. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can also choose to pay for the entire year upfront at the price of $467.93 per year, down from $779.88 per year. After your first year ends, your subscription will automatically renew at the standard rate unless you change or cancel the subscription. This sale ends August 17.
When signing up for Creative Cloud Pro, you gain access to more than 20 creative apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Acrobat Pro, plus Adobe Firefly creative AI for images, video, and audio. You also get templates, cloud storage, and thousands of Adobe Fonts.
Adobe is also offering 40 percent off your first six months of Creative Cloud Pro for teams, priced at $59.99 per month, down from $99.99 per month. Finally, students and teachers can get Creative Cloud Pro for $29.99 per month for their first year, down from $69.99 per month.
Adobe's Creative Cloud Pro plan is basically the same as the previous "Creative Cloud All Apps" plan, with the addition of AI features. This includes unlimited access to AI image features and 4,000 monthly generative credits for premium AI video and audio features.
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.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
The calendar has turned to August, and that means the iPhone 17 series is just one month away. Apple has yet to officially announce an event, but it has been rumored that the devices will be announced on Tuesday, September 9.
Below is the August 2025 edition of our iPhone 17 Pro rumor recap, for an up-to-date overview of what to expect from the devices:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a stainless steel frame. The back of the devices will supposedly have a new "part-aluminum, part-glass" design.
Anti-reflective display option: While it has been an on-again, off-again rumor, the latest word is that iPhone 17 Pro models will feature an anti-reflect display option with a matte finish. Perhaps this will be the same nano-texture glass option that is available for the iMac, MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro.
A19 Pro chip: iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to use Apple's next-generation A19 Pro chip, which will reportedly be manufactured with TSMC's newer third-generation 3nm process. Like usual, expect modest year-over-year performance gains and power efficiency improvements compared to the current iPhones.
12GB of RAM: iPhone 17 Pro models, and even the iPhone 17 Air, are rumored to have 12GB of RAM. This upgrade should help to improve the performance of Apple Intelligence and multitasking. All four iPhone 16 models have 8GB of RAM.
24-megapixel front camera: All four iPhone 17 models are said to feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, whereas all iPhone 16 models are equipped with a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.
Vapor chamber cooling system: All four iPhone 17 models are rumored to feature internal design changes that result in better heat dissipation. A vapor chamber cooling system has been rumored for the Pro models specifically.
WhatsApp is testing a new feature that allows people to communicate with users over the platform even if they don't have an account.
According to WABetaInfo, the latest WhatsApp beta for Android contains references to so-called "guest chats," which lets users send a link to an online chat, where the "guest" doesn't have to have an app on their device or even need to be in possession of a WhatsApp account.
To kick off a guest chat, the WhatsApp user has to invite someone from their contacts who doesn't have the app installed and share a chat link. When the recipient opens the link, they're granted access to an online end-to-end encrypted chat with the sender – likely via an interface similar to WhatsApp Web.
As you might expect, there will be a few limitations to guest chats. Users won't be able to share media files like photos and videos, and guest chats won't support voice or video messages – only straight text. The mode will also be strictly one-to-one, so no group chats either.
Further technical details on how the guest chats will be implemented have yet to be made available, but the general idea lines up with parent company Meta's efforts to comply with EU rules on platform interoperability. WhatsApp has been working on the ability to integrate third-party chats from iMessage, Telegram, Google Messages, Signal, and others for some time.
It's not clear when guest chats will become generally available, but barring some insurmountable technical hurdle, expect the feature to arrive in a future WhatsApp update for both Android and iOS.
Apple is still on track to release a new Apple TV model later this year, according to a reliable source speaking to MacRumors.
According to a source familiar with the company's plans, Apple is highly likely to replace the current Apple TV 4K with a new model later this year. The current model will be discontinued.
Today's Apple TV 4K came out in 2022, featuring the A15 Bionic chip, support for HDR10+, and a tweaked Siri Remote with a USB-C port for charging. Apple does not refresh the Apple TV's hardware frequently, releasing a new model around every three years. This 2022 model is the newest and only Apple TV in the company's product lineup.
The new model is expected to feature a newer chip, support for Wi-Fi 7, and an Apple-designed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip for the first time, allowing Apple's smart home devices to work better together and synchronize data faster. The next-generation Apple TV could also be less expensive, with Apple aiming to lower prices to make the device more competitive, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Apple is widely expected to debut a new version of the Apple TV in late 2025, between September and December. The latest information suggests that this is still the case, with internal moves related to the device's release continuing.
Related information suggests that Apple is also likely to replace the second-generation HomePod this year.
Apple's iPhone 17 event this year appears to be scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, according to internal information from German mobile phone providers, as reported by iphone-ticker.de.
The timing lines up with a recent prediction by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who suggested Apple would hold its iPhone 17 announcement during the week of September 8. Gurman identified September 9 or 10 as the most probable dates, making the German carriers' claim all the more likely.
Following Apple's traditional pattern, iPhone 17 pre-orders would begin on the Friday immediately following the announcement, which would be September 12. The new devices would then likely reach customers and retail stores on Friday, September 19. The launch would cover major markets including the United States, China, Europe, and Japan.
This year's event is expected to see the announcement of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air (replacing the Plus model), iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple's new flagship smartphone lineup is also likely to be accompanied by announcements for Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and potentially AirPods Pro 3.
The most notable change to iOS 26 is the Liquid Glass design overhaul, which is the first major iOS design update since Apple rolled out iOS 7 back in 2013. There are new features in iOS 26, of course, but added functionality has definitely been sidelined in favor of the design refresh.
We've compiled a walkthrough of Liquid Glass, so you know what to expect when you install iOS 26. A lot of what's here is also applicable to iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe too.
Keep in mind that Apple is still refining Liquid Glass and some of the design could see further changes, but we'll update this guide with each revision.
Overview
Liquid Glass is translucent, and it's meant to behave similarly to real glass. It allows light and color to filter through, so you'll see bits of the background behind buttons, menus, and other interface elements.
Light is subtly reflected off of Liquid Glass buttons, which is noticeable when you move your iPhone. Apple says that Liquid Glass is designed to use real-time rendering to dynamically react to movement with reflective highlights.
App Icons
App icons are meant to look like layered glass, giving them a subtle depth. Apps like Messages, Weather, Photos, and Maps have a top layer icon design over a bottom color, for example, so you can see a hint of a 3D look.
Apple designed icons to have the same general colors as iOS 18, but there is an option to turn on an all-glass icon look by choosing the "Clear" option in the Home Screen customization interface.
Lock Screen
Liquid Glass is unmistakable from the moment you pick up an iPhone running iOS 26. The Lock Screen features Liquid Glass Control buttons (which are customizable like before), an option for a Liquid Glass design for the clock, and translucent notifications that use a more frosted variant of Liquid Glass.
The Clock is particularly interesting, because Apple designed it to merge more seamlessly with your wallpaper. If you use a photo wallpaper, the time readout will change in size to fit inside the empty space on the display.
Widgets that are on the Lock Screen also have a Liquid Glass design, with widgets, the Control Center buttons and the time reflecting the light with the movement of your iPhone.
Home Screen
App icons have the aforementioned layered look with the option for entirely clear icons, and widgets have the same design. When you turn on the clear icon option, widgets also adopt a much more translucent Liquid Glass design.
The dock is transparent and blends into the background behind it, and the same is true of the search interface. App folders have a soft, frosted Liquid Glass design that changes tint based on your wallpaper. The App Library has a similar look.
As you tilt and move your iPhone, you can see subtle glints of light reflecting off of the app icons, dock, folders, and search bar.
When Apple released the first beta of iOS 26, Control Center was so translucent it was almost unreadable. Apple made the Control Center buttons darker and more opaque, improving readability.
Control Center buttons now have a frosted glass look, but you can still see hints of what's in the background behind them.
Apps
In apps, Liquid Glass is noticeable in menu bars, navigation bars, and buttons. Most of Apple's apps have received a Liquid Glass update, and you'll see Liquid Glass almost anywhere there's a button, bar, or menu. Apple wanted navigation bars and menus to appear to be floating over the content in the app, and there is a distinctive layered look to navigation elements.
Navigation bars in apps are translucent and you can see some of the app's background behind them, especially when scrolling. Interface elements tend to fade more into the background to put the focus on content. Liquid Glass is accompanied by design changes in the form of pop out menus, rounded button designs, and disappearing navigation bars in select apps, with some of the more notable changes listed below.
Safari - Safari's Tab Bar uses Liquid Glass, and there's also a new Compact option. When you scroll, the Tab Bar collapses down, and you'll only see the website address. Scrolling back up brings it back. The interface for swapping between tab groups has changed, and all buttons also use Liquid Glass.
Photos - Photos no longer has a unified design, and there are separate Library and Collection tabs, along with a dedicated search button. Navigation bars disappear as you browse through your images, and all buttons have a rounded look.
Camera - The Camera app features one of the most notable design updates. Navigation has been distilled down into just a Video and a Photo button, though you can swipe to get to other modes. Tapping on a button displays pop out menu with a Liquid Glass design.
Messages - Messages looks largely the same, but buttons have a frosted glass look and the keyboard's edges are rounded. Buttons and bars have the same rounded look as the rest of iOS 26.
Maps - Maps also looks similar to the iOS 18 version of the app, but with more rounded interface elements and slightly more translucency.
App Store - The App Store app has a slimmed down navigation bar at the bottom with a frosted glass look. It can be almost translucent on some darker backgrounds.
Apple Music - Apple Music has the same translucent navigation bar as the App Store, with a design that shows the background through the bar.
Phone - The Phone app has an opt-in unified view with Liquid Glass-style buttons.
Weather - There's no more bottom bar in the Weather app, and instead, there are Liquid Glass buttons for changing locations and accessing settings.
Mail, Notes, Reminders, Health, News, and other Apple apps all have similar changes, primarily in the form of buttons that are slimmed down, rounder, and slightly more translucent.
Functionally, it's only the Camera app, the Photos app, and the Phone app (if using the unified view) that have significant navigation changes. For the most part, app buttons are in the same place and work in the same way, even though they have a different look.
How Liquid Glass Has Evolved
In the first developer beta, Liquid Glass had a heavy emphasis on translucency. So much so that text in areas like the Notification Center and the Control Center could be difficult to read.
iOS 26 beta 1 on left, iOS 26 beta 2 on right
Almost all of the interface was transparent, with color showing through behind everything. With white text and Apple having little to no control over the background colors of wallpapers and content, usability was a problem.
In the second developer beta that came out on June 23, Apple addressed the translucency of the Control Center, which was one of the areas that received heavy initial criticism. Apple increased the opacity of the buttons in the Control Center, and further blurred the background. Translucency for interface elements on the Lock Screen and the Home Screen also saw minor tweaks.
Apple made further changes in the third developer beta, rolling back some of the Liquid Glass translucency in app menu bars and buttons.
iOS 26 beta 2 on left, iOS 26 beta 3 on right
iOS 26 beta 2 on left, iOS 26 beta 3 on right
In the fourth beta, some of the translucency was reintroduced, and now we have a design that's not quite as transparent as the Liquid Glass that was demonstrated at WWDC, but that isn't as opaque as what we had in the third beta.
Beta 4 on right, beta 3 on left
Beta 4 on left, beta 3 on right
With every beta update, there have been complaints from people who think there's too much transparency, and those who want more transparency. Apple is still working to find a balance, and we could see further changes in the future.
Criticism
People have strong opinions about Liquid Glass. Some love the novelty of a fresh look, and others think that it's a usability nightmare that's almost unreadable in some situations.
Apple so far hasn't managed to strike enough of a balance to satisfy everyone, and so far, it doesn't look like the company plans to compromise with a slider for customizability.
Do you like the Liquid Glass design, or do you want to see Apple scrap it? Let us know in the comments.
iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe
The Liquid Glass design extends to iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, with all of the updates adopting similar translucency for various interface elements. iPadOS 26 is the closest to iOS 26, featuring the same general design across the operating system and in Apple apps.
Apple wanted to improve design cohesiveness for its software across different devices, so you'll see Liquid Glass on all of your Apple products when you update to the latest operating systems in the fall.
OpenAI is making several changes to the way that ChatGPT works, with the aim of helping people use the chatbot in a healthier way.
Starting today, ChatGPT will provide users with "gentle reminders" about how long they've been using the service, with suggestions for breaks. OpenAI says that it isn't measuring success by time spent on ChatGPT, but by ensuring that people leave the product after finishing what they came for.
We build ChatGPT to help you thrive in all the ways you want. To make progress, learn something new, or solve a problem -- and then get back to your life. Our goal isn't to hold your attention, but to help you use it well.
OpenAI is working to improve ChatGPT's responses to certain kinds of questions. Rather than providing a direct answer to a high-stakes, sensitive question, ChatGPT should help users weigh pros and cons and think it through. OpenAI is updating ChatGPT's behavior for important personal decisions soon, so users will see more helpful responses for questions like "Should I break up with my boyfriend?"
OpenAI is still improving its models to better detect signs of mental or emotional distress, to ensure that ChatGPT does not feed into signs of delusion or emotional dependency and can direct users to helpful, evidence-based resources.
The company says that it has worked with more than 90 physicians across 30 countries to build custom rubrics for complex, multi-turn conversations. Human-computer interaction researchers have been recruited to give feedback on how ChatGPT has identified concerning behaviors and to stress-test product safeguards, plus OpenAI is putting together an advisory group of experts in mental health, youth development, and human-computer interaction.
Spotify today said that it is raising prices for Premium subscriptions in multiple countries across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Spotify is sending out emails to customers who will see their subscription prices go up.
A sample email suggests that prices in an unnamed European country are increasing by a euro, from €10.99 to €11.99. Price hikes will vary by location, and Spotify users can see the new pricing for their country by visiting the Spotify website.
Prices are not going up in all markets at this time including the United States. In the U.S., a Premium individual subscription continues to be priced at $11.99 per month.
Spotify says prices are increasing so that it can "continue to innovate" on product offerings and features and "bring users the best experience."
Google today used Apple's Siri failure to lure customers to the upcoming Pixel 10 series, sharing an ad that calls out the delayed Apple Intelligence Siri functionality.
With the spot, Google is shaming Apple for the misstep, suggesting Apple users should purchase a Pixel 10 smartphone instead.
If you buy a new phone because of a feature that's coming soon...
But it's been coming soon for a full year...
You could change your definition of soon. Or you could just change your phone.
At WWDC 2024, Apple showed off personalized Siri features powered by Apple Intelligence. When the iPhone 16 models launched, Apple used those Siri features to promote the new smartphones, and listed the Siri functionality as coming soon.
Apple was not able to deliver personalized Siri functionality as planned, and earlier this year said that it would be delayed until 2026. Apple is now on track to release Apple Intelligence Siri in spring 2026, a year after it was supposed to launch. The delay has led to upset customers and even class action lawsuits for false advertising.
Google plans to unveil its new Pixel 10 smartphones later this month.
iOS 26 gives you two distinct ways to add websites to your iPhone's Home screen – as web apps or traditional bookmarks. They might look similar at first glance, but choosing the right option can dramatically improve how you access your favorite sites.
Understanding the Difference
When you add a website to your Home screen using the "Add to Home Screen" option, iOS 26 allows the website to be opened as a web app. The update introduces a new feature for adding any website to the Home Screen as a web app, even if it doesn't support progressive web app (PWA) functionality.
Web apps run almost like native apps, with features like offline access, push notifications, and a streamlined interface without Safari's address bar. In contrast, traditional bookmarks simply open the website in Safari when tapped. This choice matters more than you might think. Web apps can provide a faster, more app-like experience, whereas bookmarks work better for informational sites you visit only occasionally.
Add a Web App or Bookmark to Home Screen
In iOS 26, Safari offers an Open as Web App toggle for all websites, even those that don't support have built-in web app support. If you want a bookmark, just switch the toggle off.
Open Safari and navigate to the website you want to add.
Tap the three dots to the right of Safari's address bar, then tap Share in the pop-up menu.
Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
If the site supports web apps, you'll see the Open as Web App toggle in the dialog – switch it off if you want a bookmark instead.
Customize the app name if desired, then tap Add.
Web apps appear on your Home screen with a dedicated icon, and tapping it will launch the site in its own window without Safari's browser interface. Bookmarks display with a generic website icon or the site's favicon, and tapping them opens the page in Safari.
Remove Bookmark or Web App From Home Screen
Both web apps and bookmarks can be deleted from the Home screen, much like any other app. To remove either kind, long-press the icon on your home screen, then tap Delete Bookmark (for some reason iOS doesn't differentiate the kind in this menu).
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are set for a general release in September 2025.
Missing the familiar Safari design from iOS 18? In iOS 26, currently in beta, Apple has learned from past criticism and made it easy to ditch the new Compact layout in favor of the classic tab layouts you may well prefer.
iOS 26 introduces a new "Compact" Safari design as the default, but Apple has included two additional layout options that essentially restore the iOS 18 experience. Here's how to get your old Safari back in just a few taps.
How to Switch to the iOS 18 Layouts
Open Settings on your iPhone.
Scroll down and tap Apps, then locate and tap Safari in the alphabetical list.
Scroll down to the "Tabs" section.
Select either Bottom or Top instead of Compact.
Both the Bottom and Top options function exactly like the Safari tab bar layouts from iOS 18, so you don't need to relearn how to navigate between tabs or access your bookmarks.
What's the Difference?
Compact Layout (Default): Hides the share, bookmark, and tab settings behind a three-dot button on the right side of the URL bar. It saves screen space but requires an extra tap to access frequently used features.
Bottom Layout: Places all Safari controls at the bottom of the screen, making them easily reachable with your thumb during one-handed use.
Top Layout: Keeps the traditional desktop-style layout with controls at the top of the browser.
iOS 26's three Tab options from left to right: Bottom, Compact, Top
All three options now feature Apple's new Liquid Glass translucent design that blends the URL bar and buttons into the background of whatever webpage you're viewing. The translucent effect works in both Light and Dark Mode, and auto-adapts to match the webpage's color scheme.
Apple Learned From Its Mistake
This isn't the first time Apple has rethought Safari's design after user feedback. During iOS 15's beta testing, Apple initially changed Safari's design without providing layout alternatives and received full-throated negative feedback in return. It ultimately added options to revert to the original design. This time, Apple has gotten ahead of potential complaints by building choice directly into iOS 26, which will see a general release in September 2025.
Apple is moving forward with plans to bring a new type of image sensor with dynamic range levels approaching that of the human eye to future iPhones, according to a Weibo leaker.
For comparison, the dynamic range of the human eye is estimated to be around 20 to 30 stops, depending on how the pupil adjusts and how light is processed over time. Most smartphone cameras today capture between 10 and 13 stops. If Apple's proposed sensor reaches its potential, it would not only surpass current iPhones but also outperform many professional cinema cameras, such as the ARRI ALEXA 35.
The patent outlined a stacked sensor design made up of two layers. The top layer, called the sensor die, contains the parts that capture light. The layer underneath, the logic die, handles processing, including noise reduction and exposure control.
One of the most important parts of the sensor design is a system called a Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor (LOFIC). This allows each pixel in the sensor to store different amounts of light depending on how bright the scene is, all in the same image. With this, the sensor can handle extremely wide lighting differences, such as a person standing in front of a bright window, without losing detail in the shadows or highlights.
Another part of the design focuses on reducing image noise and grain. Each pixel has its own built-in memory circuit that measures and cancels out heat-related electronic noise in real time. This is done on the chip itself, before the image is saved or edited by software.
According to the Weibo leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital," the project is more than merely a patent filing at Apple. The company has reportedly already developed the sensor and could now be testing it in developmental hardware, suggesting that there are plans to bring it to a consumer device in the future.
Currently, Apple uses sensors made by Sony across the iPhone lineup. Those sensors also use a two-layer design, but Apple's proposed version includes several original features and takes up less space. Crucially, Apple transitioning to its own sensors would give it complete control over the image pipeline and follow similar moves away from using hardware from companies like Intel and Qualcomm in favor of its own custom technology.
Today we're tracking a pair of deals on AirPods over at Amazon, with solid discounts on the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can get the AirPods 4 for $99.00, down from $129.00, which is just $10 higher compared to the all-time low price we tracked during Prime Day. This is the base model without Active Noise Cancellation.
The AirPods Pro 2 are on sale for $169.00, down from $249.00. Compared to previous record low prices, this is just about $20 higher, and one of the best prices we've tracked since that low price was available during Prime Day.
Both models have an estimated August 9 delivery date for most residences in the United States. If you live in a select location, and have a Prime membership, you may have access to free same-day shipping as well.
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.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
For the first time, an individual has been seen publicly controlling an iPad entirely through thought, thanks to Apple's new brain-computer interface (BCI) protocol and Synchron's implantable Stentrode device.
A new video from Synchron shows how Mark, a participant in the company's COMMAND clinical study and a person living with ALS, can navigate the iPad's Home Screen, launch apps, and compose text, all without moving his hands, speaking, or using his eyes.
Mark's control of the iPad is powered by a combination of Apple's accessibility feature "Switch Control" and the Stentrode BCI, which is implanted into a blood vessel above the brain's motor cortex. The endovascular implant captures neural signals related to motor intent and wirelessly transmits them to an external decoder. That decoder interfaces directly with iPadOS through Apple's BCI HID standard.
The BCI HID protocol enables closed-loop communication between Apple devices and Synchron's technology, with the system dynamically sharing contextual on-screen data to optimize performance and responsiveness. Dr. Tom Oxley, Synchron's founder and CEO said:
This is the first time the world has seen native, thought-driven control of an Apple device in action. Mark's experience is a technical breakthrough, and a glimpse into the future of human-computer interaction, where cognitive input becomes a mainstream mode of control.
Apple first collaborated with Synchron in early pilot projects using Apple Vision Pro, which Mark controlled through thought in 2024. The integration then expanded to iPhones and iPads, with support built into Apple's accessibility frameworks. Apple is expected to roll out broader support for the BCI HID protocol across its platforms later in 2025.
Synchron has now implanted its Stentrode in 10 patients across the United States and Australia, under FDA's investigational device exemption. Unlike Neuralink's more invasive N1 chip, which embeds electrodes directly into brain tissue, Synchron's approach avoids open-brain surgery, relying on a safer, catheter-based procedure through the jugular vein.
Apple is planning to bring tandem-structure OLED panels to its iPhone lineup in the coming years, which would bring over some of the display improvements currently exclusive to Apple's M4 iPad Pro models.
The Elec reports that Apple has set a two-year production plan for the superior OLED technology to be adapted for iPhone models. However, Apple has yet to decide whether to develop the panels in partnership with Samsung Display or LG Display, suggesting iPhones with tandem OLED won't arrive until sometime after 2028.
The tandem OLED displays used in Apple's iPad Pro models have two RGB organic light-emitting layers stacked together for increased brightness, improved power efficiency, and longer longevity compared to single-layer OLED displays. Currently, iPhone OLEDs use a single-stack method.
However, according to the report, the tandem OLED Apple is reviewing for iPhones involves stacking two layers for the blue sub-pixel only, while keeping red and green on a single layer. This method is apparently known in the industry as "simplified tandem."
LG Display is said to have proposed simplified tandem OLED to Apple based on confidence in its technology, and had already suggested tandem OLED for iPhones several years ago.
Apple is reportedly showing interest in LG's proposal, since Samsung is behind LG Display in developing this particular type of tandem OLED technology. Notably, LG's OLED panel shipments to Apple for iPad Pro models have exceeded those of Samsung, while its automotive OLEDs are also already built using a two-stack tandem method. By comparison, Samsung has mainly used a single-stack structure for automotive OLEDs.
Ultimately, Apple is likely to rely on multiple suppliers for the technology to ensure production capacity and maintain price competitiveness. That suggests China's BOE may also be called upon. As with all rumors running this far into the future, Apple's plans could of course change.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Adobe. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
iOS 26 beta 1 on left, iOS 26 beta 2 on right
iOS 26 beta 2 on left, iOS 26 beta 3 on right
iOS 26 beta 2 on left, iOS 26 beta 3 on right
Beta 4 on right, beta 3 on left
Beta 4 on left, beta 3 on right
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
