A wild rumor says Apple's working on a cheaper new MacBook. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple could launch a MacBook next year that’s even more affordable than the current $999 13-inch MacBook Air. The new budget laptop supposedly will use an A18 Pro chip and come in several colors.
The company hopes to boost MacBook shipments to return to the COVID-19 peak of around 25 million next year with this move.
The Apple logo could be on the move in the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro. Photo: Apple
The most significant design change to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max might force a secondary modification. The large camera bar reportedly coming to the two premier models could push down the location of the Apple logo, according to a noted tipster.
If true, the new location might cause problems for case makers and irritate MagSafe users.
Take a look at all four iPhone 17 series models (see below). Concept image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
You don’t need to wait until September to see the four models in the iPhone 17 series. Images of them leaked out already, including a new glamour shot showing the entire collection, including the slim model likely called the iPhone 17 Air.
A highlight of the image is the rumored move from a camera hump to a camera bar in most of Apple’s upcoming handsets.
The M5 iPad Pro is only a few months away. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
The next-generation iPad Pro is on the horizon. Its OLED screen is reportedly already in production, and the launch is rumored for this autumn with a new Apple M5 processor on board.
The upcoming iPadOS 26 might do more to spur sales of the tablet than a faster processor or gorgeous screen, though.
The iPhone screen cutout isn’t going away anytime soon. Image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
The gradual process of reducing the size of the iPhone screen cutout that’s been ongoing for years will continue, but the front-facing camera will remain visible until 2030, according to a reliable source of leaked Apple info.
Getting the various scanners to work well from behind the iPhone’s OLED panel isn’t a trivial task.
It’s clear Apple plans an extra-large folding iPad, not its first touchscreen Mac. Photo: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Early leaks about an upcoming Apple computer with an 18- to 20-inch folding display were vague about whether the device will be an iPad or the first Mac with a touchscreen. In the wake of the introduction of iPadOS 26, the answer now seems obvious: Apple’s extra-large folding tablet will be an iPad.
Recent comments by a high-level Apple executive about not merging macOS and iPadOS add weight to the theory.
Will Apple acquire Perplexity? Photo: Apple/Perplexity
Apple reportedly held internal discussions to acquire AI startup Perplexity AI. The latter is an AI-powered search engine. It uses a large language model (LLM) to process the answers and presents them in an easier-to-understand format.
The discussions inside Apple are seemingly at an early level, and it may not even officially provide an offer to the young startup.
A folding iPhone might be in short supply for a long time. AI concept: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Production of the long-awaited iPhone with a folding screen begins in a few months, according to a trusted analyst. But Apple supposedly plans to make only a few million of them, indicating the company expects this to be a niche product.
Previous reports indicate the price for the folding iPhone could be around $2,000 — about what similar Androids with foldable screens cost. High cost keeps this entire class of handsets out of the hands of average users, and so far it doesn’t seem like Apple has a solution.
The AirPods Pro 3 release date is apparently still months down the road. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Two reliable analysts recently predicted that the AirPods Pro 3 release date won’t come before the end of 2025.
Apple is reportedly loading the next generation of its high-end wireless earbuds up with new features, and that’s apparently taking some extra time. All the way to 2026.
Leaking pre-release images could land you behind bars. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
June 15, 2011: Three people get sentenced to prison in China for leaking information about the iPad 2 prior to its release.
The Foxconn R&D employees receive sentences ranging from one year to 18 months. They also must pay fines between $4,500 and $23,000. If you ever wonder why more Apple products don’t leak prior to release, this might help explain why!
Work on a much smarter Siri will take about a long to finish as pessimists predicted. AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
The release date for the AI-enhanced version of the Siri voice assistant will likely come in spring 2026, according to information leaking out of Apple. That’s nine months from now, and a year after it was first expected.
The long delay in the launch of smarter Siri was a significant black eye for Apple, clearly demonstrating that it wasn’t keeping up with rivals in AI research.
Will Apple launch the AirPods Pro 3 this year? Photo: Apple
iOS 26 developer beta hints at Apple launching the AirPods Pro 3 sooner rather than later. The first beta of the OS contains references to the upcoming wireless earbuds.
Conflicting reports surround the AirPods Pro 3 launch. Some point to a fall 2025 release, while others suggest the earbuds might not arrive until 2026.
Apple's Back to School promo goes live soon, too. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple’s yearly Back to School promo will supposedly go live in the US later this month. Like every year, the company will bundle gift cards with selected devices as part of the promo.
Additionally, Apple will double the carrier promos in its retail stores from late June to boost iPhone sales.
Bad news for anyone hoping for an M4 Ultra Mac Pro. Photo: Apple/Cult of mac
Apple won’t show off any new hardware at its developers conference this week, according to a reliable source. There are apparently no Macs or other products ready to launch.
Instead, WWDC25 will focus entirely on operating system upgrades and other software.
2027 iPhone may build on iOS 26's new visual design. Photo: ChatGPT
Apple’s new visual language for iOS 19/iOS 26 reportedly will lay the groundwork for its upcoming hardware products. This will include a revamped design for the 2027 iPhone, dubbed “Glasswing.”
The device apparently will feature an all-glass design, with a “extraordinarily slim bezels” and a notch-free display.
As WWDC25 looms, rumors flow of more Apple app updates. Photo: Gemini
Apple reportedly is cooking up significant changes to core iPhone and iPad apps, with redesigned interfaces coming soon to the Phone, Safari, Camera and Messages apps. The company plans to reveal the app updates Monday during the WWDC25 keynote, alongside other sweeping changes to its operating systems.
watchOS 12/26 will apparently work with your old Apple Watch. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple reportedly does not plan to drop support for any older Apple Watch models with watchOS 12 (or watchOS 26). A leaker indicates the upcoming watchOS release will support Apple Watch Series 6 and newer models — the same as watchOS 11.
Apple discontinued support for several older Apple Watch models with the release of watchOS 11 in 2024
watchOS 12 could give the Apple Watch's Control Center a big upgrade. Photo: Cult of Mac
The upcoming version of watchOS reportedly will shake up the Apple Watch’s Control Center by adding support for third-party widgets. Right now, it only surfaces toggles for Wi-Fi, Battery, Focus mode, and other system settings.
However, like the iPhone, Apple supposedly will open the watchOS Control Center and allow for greater customization.
They look the same as existing Apple MagSafe charging pucks, but they'll bring more power. Photo: 91mobiles
The iPhone could soon take a big leap in wireless charging technology, with new MagSafe 50W charging pucks that support the upcoming Qi 2.2 standard. A well-known leaker found regulatory filings that reveal two new MagSafe charger models from Apple that could enable dramatically faster wireless charging speeds, at least for newer handsets.
iOS 26 could make the AirPods Pro even better. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iOS 19/iOS 26 will reportedly enhance the AirPods experience by introducing new head gestures. The earbuds will also become smart enough to stop audio playback when you fall asleep while wearing them. Plus, you may finally be able to use the AirPods as a remote shutter for the camera.
With every new major iOS release, Apple added new features to AirPods as well. It appears the company may continue that trend this year as well.
What's in store for the next version of watchOS? A big name change might be just the start. Image: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
There’s less than a week to go until WWDC, the annual developer fest where Apple takes the wraps off its latest OS releases. While the rumor mill has mostly focused on iPhone this year, there’s plenty for Apple Watch fans to look forward to.
Rumor has it that the next big watch update — possibly dubbed “watchOS 26,” in line with Apple’s rumored naming convention shakeup — will get a fresh new user interface, Apple Intelligence, conversation transcriptions and a smart AI coach that delivers tailored health and fitness advice.
Let’s roll up our sleeves and take a closer look at what’s in store for Apple Watch.
iOS 19 will offer more than a redesign. Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
Apple reportedly will introduce several enhancements to its Messages, Notes and Music apps as part of iOS 19. New additions in the Messages app include automatic translations and support for polls. And the Music app will enhance the Now Playing view on the Lock Screen by adding animated, full-screen album art.
The A20 chip will arrive in 2026 with the iPhone 18 generation. Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple’s A20 chip, which likely will power the iPhone 18 Pro and folding iPhone, reportedly will use a new technology that integrates RAM inside the chip. Bringing the memory closer to the CPU, GPU and Neural Engine might provide significant boosts in performance, battery life and thermal efficiency.
The next major macOS release could pack bigger changes than anticipated. Illustration: ChatGPT
WWDC25 is nearly here, with iOS 19 and iPadOS 19 possibly set to steal the spotlight. However, the latest rumors indicate you shouldn’t count macOS 16 out just yet, as it might bring more upgrades than expected. It might not even be called macOS 16, if Apple’s rumored switch to year-based release names happens. (We’ll refer to it as macOS 16 until the big switch happens.)
With June 9 fast approaching, here’s a breakdown of what macOS 16 could bring to the table.
The debate continues over whether all four iPhone 17 models will get ProMotion display, or if two of them will just be 120Hz. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will probably receive significant display upgrades, but recent leaks suggest the improvements may not be as comprehensive as initially hoped. While multiple sources have indicated the non-Pro models will finally get high refresh rate screens, a conflicting report now questions whether these will include Apple’s full ProMotion technology.
In other words, base iPhone 17 and super-thin iPhone 17 Air may lack what makes ProMotion what it is.