Apple only shows off its finished products, which makes the company’s secret prototypes and early concepts all the more fascinating. Details of these first-draft designs usually don’t come out until years after Apple dreams them up and discards them. Even if you’re well-versed in Apple history, these alternate-history unreleased Apple products will intrigue and confuse.

The wild and crazy ideas go back more than 40 years. If anything, it proves that Apple continuously skates toward the next hit. The quest for innovation continues, no matter whether the company is in dire straits or cruising on success. Keep reading or watch our video to see the wildest Apple products that might have been.

Given all the doomsday bunker TV shows in recent years — Silo, Fallout, The Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt, Doomsday Bunkers — you knew an animated version for kids and families would come along eventually. And it has. In the WondLa, a teen born and living underground is forced to a surface of Earth populated by aliens and covered in otherworldy plants and animals.

So what happened to all the humans?

Update: The ambitious animated adventure series is now on Apple TV+. All seven episodes of the first season are available to stream immediately.

Looks like today’s computer setup user spent bigger bucks on an M2 MacBook Pro and an epic ultra-wide curved display, and smaller bucks on a good sound system. That’s smart, because you can get high-quality near-field-monitor speakers for your desktop without spending a mint — if you go with something like this user’s Edifier R1280T speakers.

When it comes to protecting your iPhone and keeping it secure, not all kickstand cases are created equal. Torras’ Ostand iPhone 15 cases — the R series and the Spin series — deliver military-grade drop protection. And their rugged and rigorously tested kickstands will hold your iPhone in place, even under adverse conditions.

The strong magnets in these slim cases ensure reliable MagSafe charging, and their sturdy kickstands put your iPhone right where you want it. Each model delivers something different, but they all provide great protection, a powerful magnetic hold and some of the toughest and most versatile iPhone kickstands in the business.

Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s commissioner for competition, said Thursday that Apple’s decision to not offer its artificial intelligence upgrades for iPhone and Mac in the European Union is an admission that the company knows the features are anticompetitive.

In contrast, Apple says interoperability requirements in EU law would make the AI features a risk to user privacy.

This smart plug deal is a quick and easy way to make your house a smart home. The Belkin Wemo Smart Plug with Matter’s Thread mesh networking comes in a three-pack, and it’s fully compatible with your Apple devices or Apple HomeKit.

Vision Pro launched in Apple Stores in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore on Friday. It’s the first time the AR headset has been officially available outside the United States since it debuted in February.

In addition, the product went up for preorder in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the U.K. on Friday. Delivery will come in July.

Apple could use electrically induced adhesive debonding to make battery removal easier on future iPhones. The company reportedly might use this technology in at least one iPhone 16 model this year.

The move could help Apple make iPhones more repair-friendly — and help Apple comply with upcoming EU laws.

Some people complain that the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad lacks a backlight for the keys. Turns out the accessory really has one but the controls aren’t where you might expect.

Here’s how to find the control for the Magic Keyboard in the Control Center. And how to adjust the backlight, too.

Here’s your eagerly awaited dead drop, Slow Horses fans: The fourth season of the BAFTA Award-winning espionage series returns to Apple TV+ on September 4, according to the “first look” the streamer gave Thursday. That’s the image above. And once again, some makeup artist deserves major awards for making Gary Oldman look like sagging spymaster Jackson Lamb, poster boy for decades of booze, smokes, greasy food, stress and betrayal.

Dozens of students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) participated in a two-week creative arts program funded by Apple’s Racial Equality and Justice Initiative, the iPhone giant said Thursday.

Apple’s Propel Center and Apple Music’s Nashville office worked with two universities on the program. It aims to help students pursue creative and executive careers in the arts, particularly music.

A fresh approach to owning a MacBook is here. With Upgraded’s subscription service, you can enjoy the latest MacBook every two years without the hefty upfront cost.

Starting at just $36.06 per month for a MacBook Air and $52.17 for a MacBook Pro with AppleCare+ included, this service keeps you updated with the newest models seamlessly. Interest rates start at 0% and vary based on your credit score. You can check out all available models at getupgraded.com.

Blake Crouch, who wrote the bestselling novel Dark Matter that was adapted into a hit Apple TV+ series, said this week he’s open to the idea of making season 2.

The sci-fi thriller’s season one finale premiered Wednesday.

UGR Tech Dual USB-C + USB-A 3.2 High Speed Flash Drive plugs into your new Mac or iPad but it can also be used with devices that still have an old full-size USB port.

It’s a low-cost flash drive so I was very suspicious. But the aluminum exterior is quite rugged, the design is clever and the accessory passed a fraud test.

If you like swimming — and you like listening to music, podcasts or training materials while you’re in the water — you need a solid pair of swim headphones. Swym bone-conduction headphones cling to the outside of your ear and play audio using vibrations through the bones in your ear.

And just in time for summer, you can snag a set of these IP68-rated waterproof swimming headphones for just $63.99 with coupon code SWYM15.

Apple will improve support for third-party iPhone displays and batteries later this year. The company revealed this in a new whitepaper published on June 26.

Titled “Longevity, by Design,” Apple detailed approach to longevity in the whitepaper.

Before you start right-clicking up a storm to save multiple images from a website, try Imaget. This bulk image downloader works on Mac and Windows, and you can use it to grab multiple pix from Instagram, Pinterest and more.

The first step is to get a lifetime subscription to Imaget for just $29.95 (regularly $99). It’s good for up to five devices.

OpenAI made the native ChatGPT Mac app available for all users Wednesday. It gives Mac users easy access to the artificial intelligence capabilities of the cutting-edge chatbot, as well as features not available with the web interface.

The free macOS app is “designed to integrate seamlessly into anything you’re doing on your computer,” according to OpenAI.

If you own an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15, it’s time to test one of its best abilities: Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite service. This allows users of these iOS handsets to exchange messages with emergency services while outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

Getting a compatible iPhone in contact with a satellite isn’t complicated. But it’s something users should know how to do before they need this potentially lifesaving feature.

Here’s how to use the iPhone’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature.

Consumer and business computer spending data for 2024’s first quarter shows iPad maintaining dominance in tablet sales, while Mac shipments show significant growth in the PC sector, according to a new report.

And in even better news, the analysts expect to see computer market growth through 2025.

There’s a lot to love about M1 MacBooks, but easy connectivity with multiple external displays isn’t on the list. So people often wonder which dock or adapter might suit their need to use one or more external displays with the laptop. Today’s M1 MacBook Air user asked for advice and got it. You can check out the three main recommendations for a good dock for MacBook Air below.

The Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair software tool launched on Europe on Wednesday. It lets those who want to fix their own iPhone or Mac identify which parts may need repair.

In addition, Apple announced that MacBook Air models with the M3 processor that launched in March 2024 are now part of the Self Service Repair program.

Vineyards in rural Spain might not be far enough away from murderous New York City loan sharks for safety, judging by the Land of Women trailer. The six-episode dramatic-comedy series starring Eva Longoria debuts Wednesday on Apple TV+. And it looks pretty fun.

Update: Apple TV+ released the first two episodes, or “chapters,” of Land of Woman today. Early reviews call it “winning,” a “feel-good drama” and a “palatable comfort-food family portrait.”

Want a great deal on Apple Watch in time to wear it over the July 4 holiday weekend? Amazon has your back. You can get up to 25% off a brand new Apple Watch SE, series 9 or Ultra 2 — all the current models. Shipping ranges from same-day to two-day for Prime members and almost that quick for others.

Supposed CAD renders of the Apple Watch Series 10 leaked online Wednesday, revealing a device with a bigger display than its predecessors. The renders show Apple’s upcoming smartwatch with a 2-inch display.

Despite the bigger screen, the Apple Watch Series 10 will seemingly be smaller than the Apple Watch Ultra 2.