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Apple Watch Series 12: Everything we know so far

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A picture of the Apple Watch used in a story about Apple Watch rumor roundup.
Apple Watch Series 12 is rumored to bring a faster chip and a returning ceramic case option this September.
Photo: Pixabay

After years of small updates, Apple Watch Series 12 looks ready to kick things up a notch. Rumors point to a faster chip, a returning ceramic option and new AI-powered features.

The launch of the new smartwatch is mere weeks away.  Here’s everything reported so far.

Leaked Apple code reveals how AirPods cameras will actually work

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A picture of AirPods Pro 3 used in a story about AirPods with cameras.
Apple's AirPods with cameras use twin sensors to capture synced images, according to newly uncovered code.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple’s AirPods with cameras just got a lot less mysterious. Buried in the macOS 26.7 release candidate’s code is a hidden framework that reveals exactly how the earbuds will perceive and process the world around you.

The discovery goes far beyond the recently leaked demo video spotted in the same code. It details resolution numbers, capture modes, calibration systems and a built-in privacy light. This gives us the clearest picture yet of the long-rumored AirPods upgrade.

Walmart finally caves and starts accepting Apple Pay

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Walmart, America's retail giant, is finally giving in to Apple Pay.
We're free from Walmart Pay! The retail giant will soon support Apple Pay.
Image: Apple/Walmart/Cult of Mac

After years of refusing to support Apple Pay, Walmart is finally letting shoppers tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay.

So, shopping at the largest U.S. retailer is about to get easier. But don’t try it this weekend!

Apple Music will tell you when a song is made with AI

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A photo of the Apple Music app on an iPhone screen, used in a story about Apple Music rumored to get a free tier.
Apple Music’s new “Made With AI” label demands transparency.
Photo: Brett Jordan/Pexels

Apple Music will start labeling songs created using AI platforms as “Made with AI.” The company sent a note to its industry partners this week informing them of the change.

The move will require record labels and artists to tag songs if they used artificial intelligence to create a “material portion of the content.”

Apple urges judge not to dismiss its trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI

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A photo with Apple and OpenAI logo used in a story about Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI.
Apple’s new filing in the Apple OpenAI trade secrets lawsuit accuses OpenAI of relying on distortion and speculation.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple asked a federal judge to keep its trade secrets lawsuit alive Wednesday, saying OpenAI’s motion to dismiss relied “on distortion, speculation, and improper extrinsic evidence.”

Apple’s 32-page opposition brief, filed Wednesday, doubles down on Apple’s original accusations against two former Apple employees now working for OpenAI. It also sets up a key court hearing scheduled for October.

Apple’s camera AirPods leak early — but they’re many months away

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A picture of AirPods used in a story about AirPods with camera coming in 2027.
A leaked macOS 26.7 RC build revealed Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods in action, but the product may not launch until 2027.
Photo: Cult of Mac

That video of AirPods with cameras built in? Cool. But don’t expect to buy them anytime soon. Despite a leak that made AirPods with cameras look imminent, Apple is still holding the product for 2027. This year’s iPhone event won’t be the moment they show up.

If you were hoping to buy AI-powered earbuds alongside your next iPhone, you’ll have to wait. And that’s actually the more interesting story here: what almost shipped this year, and why it didn’t.

Leaks reveal basically everything about Beats 360 headphones

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Image that purports to show Beats 360 over-ear headphones, as leaked on Amazon UK and other shopping sites
Is this the next pair of Beats headphones?
Image: Reddit

Fresh leaks apparently revealed practically everything there is to know about Beats 360 headphones. The as-yet-unannounced headphones feature a fresh new look, with rounder ear cups than previous Beats models and a customization option that sounds both colorful and cool.

The noise-canceling headphones — which Apple looks set to pitch as great for workouts, thanks to sweat- and water-resistance — appeared briefly on various online retailers’ sites Wednesday. Multiple Reddit users spotted them before they disappeared.

Apple might bring iPhone’s Camera Control to iPad

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Image of the iPad's camera app used in a story about Apple filing a patent for bringing the Camera Control button to the tablet.
Apple might add the controversial Camera Control to the iPad.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple may be planning to port the iPhone’s Camera Control button to a future version of the iPad. A newly granted patent shows a pressure-sensitive iPhone control mapped onto a tablet-shaped devices. This could hint at where Apple’s photography ambitions are headed next.

Obviously, a patent filing does not mention a release date or even confirm an upcoming product. But it does indicate that Apple already invested time engineering how the button could work on a much bigger device.

Apple’s smart display widget gallery detailed in leaked macOS code

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A concept picture of Apple's home hub used in a story about the same.
Apple’s home hub gallery widget could let users customize their smart display’s home screen, similar to iPhone and iPad.
Photo: Vivint/Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly developing a smart display that would act as a smart home hub, and details of the upcoming product’s widget gallery appear in code buried in the latest macOS beta. 

The discovery paints a clearer picture of how Apple’s first true smart display might work. It also gives us an idea of how the widget gallery might pull content straight from your iPhone, mixing Apple’s own apps with third-party widgets.

iPhone 18 Pro Max might get big camera upgrades that regular Pro lacks

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A picture of the iPhone Pro model used in a story about the iPhone 18 Pro Max getting variable aperture.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture camera is rumored to be exclusive to Apple’s largest phone this year.
Photo: Pixabay

A new leak says the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s rumored variable-aperture camera won’t make it to the smaller iPhone 18 Pro.

The claim comes from a Weibo leaker with a strong track record on Apple hardware. The leaker also suggests Apple might limit a rumored upgrade to the Pro Max’s telephoto lens to the bigger phone, further widening the gap between this year’s Pro models.

iPhone 18 Pro could get a major performance boost from A20 chip

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A picture with the text A20 alongside an Apple logo used in a story about the A20 Pro chip.
The A20 Pro chip is rumored to power the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the much-rumored iPhone Ultra this fall.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple’s A20 Pro chip is shaping up to be a big leap forward. A new leak points to a significant jump in speed with a considerable cut in power use. This is the best look yet at the performance of a processor that will be critical to the success of Apple new flagship smartphones.

Built on TSMC’s 2-nm process, the chip is expected to make its debut in the iPhone 18 Pro lineup this fall. The upgrade should mean serious performance and battery gains, but it likely won’t come cheap.

Oops: Apple accidentally leaks 10+ unreleased devices

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Apple Store
A macOS 26.7 slipup from Apple reveals what's coming next.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple rarely lets details about unreleased products slip out ahead of schedule. But every once in a while, the company accidentally spoils its own surprises.

That’s exactly what happened with the macOS 26.7 Release Candidate, which contains references to several unreleased Apple devices, including upcoming iPhones, Macs and smart home products.

AirPods with cameras are real, and Apple just showed how they’ll work

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AirPods with cameras are real! Hello AirPods Ultra?
Apple accidentally revealed AirPods with cameras in macOS 26.7 RC.
Screenshot: Apple

A video file found in the new macOS 26.7 release candidate code gives us our first look at Apple’s upcoming AirPods with built-in infrared cameras. The video shows the AirPods Pro working in tandem with Visual Intelligence to let you save information about objects you see in the real world.

In the short demo, a man holds up a book so the AirPods’ cameras can identify its title. He then asks Siri to save it for later, showing how the IR cameras could give Apple’s earbuds a better understanding of the world around you.

Hackers exploit macOS Screen Sharing vulnerability — update your Mac ASAP

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An image of macOS Screen Sharing feature used in a story about an exploit being actively used in the wild.
The macOS Screen Sharing vulnerability lets attackers bypass login credentials entirely.
Photo: Cult of Mac

A macOS Screen Sharing vulnerability that Apple patched earlier this month is now being actively exploited by hackers. Attackers use the flaw to seize control of Macs and install cryptocurrency miners.

The bug allows attackers to bypass Screen Sharing’s login screen without needing any valid credentials. Once inside, attackers escalate to full root access and install Monero mining software on compromised machines. If you didn’t already update your Mac’s operating system, you should do it as soon as possible.

WhatsApp custom emoji reactions spotted in iOS beta

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A picture showing WhatsApp logo used in a story about new features coming to the app's iPhone version.
WhatsApp custom emoji reactions would let users replace the app’s six default icons with emojis of their choice.
Photo: Pixabay

WhatsApp is reportedly working on custom emoji reactions for iPhone. The feature would let users change the app’s six default reactions to emojis they like.

Right now, every iPhone owner sees the same six icons when they long-press a message. But the upcoming tool would let people build a reaction tray that actually matches how they text.

Apple is finally bringing its own AI model to China — with Alibaba’s help

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An Apple logo alongside the Qwen logo used in a story about Apple's AI deal with China.
Apple’s China AI deal leans heavily on Alibaba’s Qwen for its Chinese Siri experience.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple’s deal to bring its AI tools to China finally cleared Beijing’s regulatory hurdles, paving the way for Apple Intelligence to launch in the country. Apple trained its own large language model specifically for Chinese devices, but leaned on Alibaba’s support to pull it off.

ChatGPT just learned to watch everything you do on your Mac

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Screenshot from an OpenAI video introducing the new Computer History feature.
To better automate workflows, ChatGPT's new Computer History feature remembers most of what you do on your machine.
Screenshot: OpenAI

OpenAI wants ChatGPT to remember your workday better than you do. The newly introduced Computer History feature, currently rolling out in the ChatGPT desktop app for macOS, turns your clicks, keystrokes, web browsing and more into a searchable timeline.

The idea is to make ChatGPT more of an intelligent assistant. It can help you resume unfinished work, locate relevant files or conversations and automate workflows. If you lose the thread of what you were doing before lunch, ChatGPT can reconstruct it for you. Whether you want an AI logging all that activity is a separate question — one that’s in opposition to Apple’s privacy positioning.

iPhone 18 could bring Pro-level features to Apple’s base model

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A picture showing the iPhone Pro alongside the base model used in a story about iPhone 18 getting two iPhone 18 Pro upgrades.
The iPhone 18 could get features that bring the standard model closer to Apple’s Pro lineup.
Photo: Pixabay

The standard iPhone 18 may finally close the gap with its pricier Pro siblings. New supply chain research suggests a jump in iPhone 18 RAM. A smaller Dynamic Island, once tipped only for Pro models, could be on the way as well.

Both upgrades would put the base iPhone 18 closer to Apple’s premium lineup. The changes are still unconfirmed, and one prominent analyst disagrees on the memory number.

Here’s what we know now. 

Apple TV gets big batch of classic movies you can stream at no extra cost

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Classic movies for Apple TV subscribers
Apple TV just beefed up its catalog with a collection of classic movies for subscribers to enjoy.
Image: Apple TV/Cult of Mac

Apple TV added something its growing library of original shows and movies has been missing: a bunch of big-name Hollywood hits. The streaming service now offers a collection of popular movies that subscribers can watch at no additional cost.

Apple Originals are great, but sometimes you’re in the mood for an old-school classic. Check out the ones now available through Apple TV.

Apple patent hints at an iPhone that knows when to leave you alone

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Apple filed an AI interruption patent hoping to improve notifications.
Notifications are great... until they get irritating.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple wants your iPhone to know when to bug you and when to back off. A newly published Apple AI interruption patent describes a system that keeps an eye on what you’re doing and nudges you only when your behavior calls for it.

The filing, published this month, pairs this very idea with another feature. It turns your recent activity into a quick summary that you can check later instead of interrupting whatever you’re doing on your iPhone. Together, the two pieces do read like a blueprint for smarter Reduce Interruptions and notification summaries.

Apple could spend big to give Siri AI better answers

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A photo of Siri AI on the iPhone iOS 27 developer beta, taken from the WWDC26 keynote, used in a story about redesigned Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro.
Apple wants publisher deals to keep Siri AI up to date.
Photo: Apple

Apple reportedly wants to secure content deals with publishers to give Siri AI access to the latest news and information. It is supposedly proposing multi-year agreements with publishers for this. 

As part of the deal, Apple will pay publishers every time their content is used or displayed in Siri AI. 

Pixel Watch 5 adds a feature Apple Watch desperately needs

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Image of Google Pixel Watch 5 in olive green color
Let's hope Apple Watch cribs this new Pixel Watch 5 feature.
Photo: Google

People often accuse Google of stealing from Apple, but here’s something Apple should pinch from its rival ASAP.

The new Pixel Watch 5, unveiled Wednesday at the annual Made by Google event, comes with a new feature that can predict insulin resistance, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes. If flagged early, insulin resistance can often be reversed with lifestyle changes.

“A first-of-its-kind feature on Pixel and Fitbit wearables, Insulin Resistance Trends analyzes multi-week physiological data to track shifts in your metabolic health without requiring a single drop of blood,” Google said in a press release Wednesday.

It’s not the sort of full-blown blood sugar monitor Apple has been trying to build into the Apple Watch for years. However, Pixel Watch’s Insulin Resistance Trends feature could spot changes in the health of someone wearing the device in time for them to take action. And that could keep them from a potentially deadly diabetes diagnosis.