Apple on Monday seeded to developers the release candidates for iOS 18.6, macOS Sequoia 15.6, iPadOS 18.6, watchOS 11.6, tvOS 18.6 and visionOS 2.6. This is usually the final step before new versions launch.
The general public should get access to these RCs soon.
Apple sued notorious leaker Jon Prosser and an associate Thursday, alleging that they concocted a “scheme to break into an Apple development iPhone, steal Apple’s trade secrets, and profit from the theft.”
Prosser published several renders showcasing iOS 26’s rumored visionOS-inspired glassy redesign months before WWDC25. While not completely accurate, his leaks proved pretty much on point regarding the look of the Liquid Glass design language of Apple’s upcoming operating systems.
Apple may hold the upcoming iPhone 17 launch event in the week beginning September 8. If not on Monday, the company could opt for September 9 (Tuesday) or 10 (Wednesday).
Apple typically unveils new iPhones in the second week of September.
The iconic 2013 “trash can” Mac Pro took its first step towards official retirement, as Apple added it to its vintage product list.
Apple also added several iPads launched in 2018 and the 2019 13-inch MacBook Air to its vintage products list.
PrimOn the fence about buying a pair of AirPods for your iPhone or Mac? Amazon Prime Day sales are the best time to buy Apple’s wireless earbuds, with prices dropping to record lows.
Amazon already frequently discounts AirPods. But for its flagship sale event for the year, it dropped them to new lifetime low prices.
In addition to a Liquid Glass design overhaul, iOS 26 will improve the CarPlay experience by bringing several iPhone features to cars’ infotainment displays.
If you’re a fan of Apple’s in-car software, check out how iOS 26 will upgrade your experience later this year.
Apple’s struggle to develop artificial intelligence might reach the point where the iPhone-maker will need to outsource one of its core technologies: Siri. A promised AI upgrade for the voice assistant may be powered by large language models created by Anthropic or OpenAI, not Apple itself, according to an unconfirmed report published Monday.
But this is only a possibility — no decision has been made.
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.
With every new iOS and macOS release, Apple deepens the integration between its mobile and desktop operating systems. iOS 26 is no different, building on the iPhone Mirroring feature introduced in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.
Check out all the new cross-device features and integrations that iOS 26 and macOS 26 (aka Tahoe) bring.
CarPlay Ultra just hit another speed bump. Several automakers reportedly won’t use Apple’s most advanced in-dash infotainment system because it takes over too many features of the vehicle that the carmakers themselves want to control. This is especially bad news for Apple as some of these holdouts are companies that previously showed interest in implementing CarPlay Ultra.
On the other hand, there are well-known carmakers still planning on adding the system to their vehicles.