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.
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.
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’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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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’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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.