Snag yourself a pair of AirPods Pro 2 for just $169 today

Macworld AirPods Pro 2 are always on sale, but theyre rarely on sale for this little. Instead of shelling out $249 for the earbuds, you can get them for $169 at Amazon , the lowest price weve seen since they dipped to $159 on Prime Day. The 2nd-gen AirPods Pro are several years old, but theyre still one of the best in their class with incredible audio quality and noise cancellation. The transparency mode is also stellar on these buds, with our 4.5-star review noting that the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro take it to a new level. Powered by Apples H2 chip, the AirPods Pro 2 connect seamlessly to your Apple devices in seconds. The Active Noise Cancellation feature is great for blocking out the loud world around you, while the Adaptive Transparency mode makes it possible to be more aware of your surroundings, which is useful when using them while walking down a busy street. Youll also get a slew of software features, including Conversation Boost , Hearing Protection , and, coming in iOS 26, the ability to pause if you fall asleep. At this price, youre not going to find anything better, so go grab your own AirPods Pro 2 for $169 before the deal runs out. Get AirPods Pro 2 for 32% off Buy now at Amazon

Apple TV+ this week: Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical is now streaming

Macworld Apple has planted its own flag in the streaming wars with Apple TV+ , its in-house streaming service that focuses almost entirely on original programming rather than an extensive library of existing TV shows or movies. This guide lists all the Apple TV+ content you can watch today, divided into episodic shows or series and movies. Theres also a ton of new content in the works for Apples $9.99-a-month service. If you want to know whats on the way, check out our list of upcoming Apple TV+ shows and movies . Updated August 15, 2025 : Animated special Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical is now available. Mentioned IN THIS story Apple TV 4K (2022, 3. Gen.) 128GB WiFi + Ethernet Read our review Price When Reviewed: 64GB $129 | 128GB $149 Best Prices Today: $129 at Apple Apple TV+ latest releases Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical Released: August 15, 2025 Platonic (season 2 ) Released: August 6, 2025 Chief of War Released: August 1, 2025 Stillwater (season 4) Released: August 1, 2025 Acapulco Released: July 23, 2025 How to get Apple TV+ If you want to start watching Apple TV Plus heres how. You can subscribe to Apple TV+ on Apples website here , or via the Apple TV app on your device. It costs $9.99/8.99 a month, which you can cancel at any time (Read: How to cancel and Apple subscription ). You can also opt for a one-year subscription for $99/89, which essentially gives you two months free each year. Apple also offers various trials so that you can try out Apple TV+ before you subscribe. Take a look at our article explaining all the ways you can watch Apple TV for free , and the best Apple TV+ deals you can get. Students can get Apple TV+ for free with an already subsidized Apple Music subscription. Best shows on Apple TV+ Theres far too much content on Apple TV+ to sift through it all yourself. If youre looking for something to watch and dont know where to start, here are a few of the Macworld staffs favorite shows, series, and movies. Bad Sisters Synopsis: A dark comedy about a group of Irish sisters who find themselves at the center of a life insurance investigation after John Paulthe abusive husband to one of the sistersdies unexpectedly. Number of seasons: 2 Release date: August 19, 2022 Black Bird Synopsis: A gripping miniseries about a convicted con artist who works for the FBI to try to get a serial killers confession before he is released from prison. Based on the true story of James Keene and Larry Hall. Number of seasons: 1 Release date: July 8, 2022 For All Mankind Synopsis: What if the U.S.S.R. put a man on the moon before the U.S.? How would the ensuing space race change history throughout the decades? Thats the high concept behind this gripping big-budget sci-fi series. Number of seasons: 4 Release date: November 1, 2019 Mythic Quest Synopsis: A lighthearted workplace comedy about a game development studio and the big egos and personal conflicts that happen within. Its goofy good fun but sometimes quite touching. Number of seasons: 4 Release date: February 7, 2020 Severance Synopsis: A combination of dystopian sci-fi drama and workplace comedy about a company where employees are severedwhen at work, they cant remember their outside lives, and vice-versa. Number of seasons: 2 Release date: February 18, 2022 Shrinking Synopsis: A surprisingly quick-witted comedy about a therapist who has trouble dealing with the death of his wife and his eccentric patients. Number of seasons: 2 Release date: January 27, 2023 Slow Horses Synopsis: Gary Oldman turns in a great performance as the cranky leader of a band of misfit spies. Number of seasons: 4 Release date: April 1, 2022 Ted Lasso Synopsis: Apples fish-out-of-water comedy/drama about a midwestern college football coach who heads to England to coach Premiere League soccer is a breakout hit for good reason. Number of seasons: 3 Release date: August 14, 2020 The Morning Show Synopsis: Big star power and a fantastic performance by Jenniffer Aniston highlight this fast-paced drama that goes behind the scenes of a fictional morning news program. Number of seasons: 3 Release date: November 1, 2019 Apple TV+ shows and series These are all the episodic series you can currently watch on Apple TV+, including both recurring and limited series. This list is in alphabetical order. Title Premiere Seasons / Episodes 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything May 21, 2021 8 episodes Acapulco October 8, 2021 4 seasons, 40 episodes Amazing Stories March 6, 2020 1 season, 5 episodes Amber Brown July 29, 2022 1 season, 10 episodes Bad Monkey August 14, 2024 1 season, 10 episodes Bad Sisters August 19, 2022 2 seasons, 20 episodes BE@RBRICK March 21, 2025 1 season, 13 episodes Becoming You November 13, 2020 1 season, 6 episodes Before October 25, 2024 10 episodes Best Foot Forward July 22, 2022 1 season, 10 episodes Big Beasts April 21, 2023 1 season, 10 episodes Black Bird July 8, 2022 6 episodes Boom! Boom! The World vs Boris Becker April 7, 2023 2 episodes Calls March 19, 2021 1 season, 9 episodes Camp Snoopy June 14, 2024 10 episodes Carme April 30, 2025 1 season, 8 episodes Carpool Karaoke August 8, 2017 5 seasons, 75 episodes Central Park May 29, 2020 3 seasons, 39 episodes Chief of War August 1, 2025 9 episodes Circuit Breakers November 11, 2022 1 season, 7 episodes City on Fire May 12, 2023 1 season, 8 episodes Constellation February 21, 2024 1 season, 8 episodes Cowboy Cartel August 2, 2024 4 episodes Criminal Record January 10, 2024 1 season, 8 episodes Curses! October 27, 2023 2 seasons, 20 episodes Dark Matter May 8, 2024 1 season, 9 episodes Dear Edward February 3, 2023 1 season, 10 episodes Dear June 5, 2020 2 seasons, 20 episodes Defending Jacob April 24, 2020 8 episodes Dickinson November 1, 2019 3 seasons, 30 episodes Disclaimer October 11, 2024 7 episodes Dope Thief March 14, 2025 8 episodes Doug Unplugs November 13, 2020 2 seasons, 26 episodes Dr. Brain November 3, 2021 1 season, 6 episodes Drops of God April 21, 2023 1 season, 8 episodes Duck & Goose July 8, 2022 2 seasons, 17 episodes Earth at Night in Color December 4, 2020 2 seasons, 12 episodes Earthsounds February 23, 2024 1 season, 12 episodes Echo 3 November 23, 2022 1 season, 10 episodes El Deafo January 7, 2022 3 episodes Eva the Owlet March 31, 2023 2 seasons, 17 episodes Extrapolations March 17, 2023 1 season, 8 episodes Five Days at Memorial August 12, 2022 8 episodes For All Mankind November 1, 2019 4 seasons, 40 episodes Foundation September 24, 2021 3 seasons, 30 episodes Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock January 21, 2022 2 seasons, 27 episodes Fraggle Rock: Rock On! April 21, 2020 1 season, 6 episodes Frog and Toad April 28, 2023 2 seasons, 18 episodes Get Rolling with Otis October 8, 2021 2 seasons, 18 episodes Ghostwriter November 1, 2019 3 seasons, 39 episodes Government Cheese April 16, 2025 1 season, 10 episodes Greatness Code July 10, 2020 2 seasons, 13 episodes Gutsy September 9, 2022 1 season, 8 episodes Harriet the Spy November 19, 2021 2 seasons, 20 episodes Hello Tomorrow! February 17, 2023 1 season, 10 episodes Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show November 5, 2021 2 seasons, 16 episodes Helpsters November 1, 2019 3 seasons, 40 episodes Helpsters Help You April 24, 2020 6 episodes High Desert May 17, 2023 1 season, 8 episodes Hijack June 28, 2023 7 episodes Hollywood Con Queen May 8, 2024 3 episodes Home April 17, 2020 2 season, 19 episodes Home Before Dark April 3, 2020 2 seasons, 20 episodes Interrupting Chicken November 18, 2022 2 seasons, 17 episodes Invasion October 22, 2021 2 seasons, 20 episodes Jane April 14, 2023 3 seasons, 20 episodes John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial December 6, 2023 3 episodes K-Pop Idols August 30, 2024 6 episodes La Maison September 20, 2024 1 season, 10 episodes Lady in the Lake July 19, 2024 7 episodes Land of Women June 26, 2024 1 season, 6 episodes Lessons in Chemistry October 13, 2023 8 episodes Liaison February 24, 2023 1 season, 6 episodes Life by Ella September 2, 2022 1 season, 10 episodes Lincolns Dilemma February 18, 2022 4 episodes Liseys Story June 4, 2021 8 episodes Little America January 17, 2020 2 seasons, 16 episodes Little Voice July 10, 2020 1 season, 9 episodes Long Way Up September 18, 2020 11 episodes Long Way Home May 9, 2025 10 episodes Loot June 24, 2022 2 seasons, 20 episodes Losing Alice January 22, 2021 1 season, 8 episodes Love You to Death February 7, 2025 1 season, 7 episodes Lovely Little Farm June 10, 2022 2 seasons, 14 episodes Make or Break April 29, 2022 2 seasons, 15 episodes Manhunt March 15, 2024 7 episodes Masters of the Air January 26, 2024 9 episodes Me July 12, 2024 1 seasons, 10 episodes Messi Meets America October 11, 2023 6 episodes Messis World Cup: Rise of a Legend February 21, 2024 4 episodes Midnight Family September 25, 2024 1 season, 10 episodes Monarch: Legacy of Monsters November 17, 2023 1 season, 10 episodes Monster Factory March 17, 2023 6 episodes Mr. Corman August 6, 2021 1 season, 10 episodes Murderbot May 16, 2025 1 season, 10 episodes My Kind of Country March 24, 2023 1 season, 8 episodes Mythic Quest February 7, 2020 4 seasons, 40 episodes Not a Box June 13, 2025 1 season, 8 episodes Now and Then May 20, 2022 1 season, 8 episodes Omnivore July 19, 2024 1 season, 8 episodes One-of-a-Kind Marcie August 18, 2023 39 min. Onside: Major League Soccer February 21, 2025 8 episodes Oprah Talks COVID-19 March 21, 2020 1 season, 13 episodes Oprahs Book Club November 1, 2019 1 season, 14 episodes Pachinko March 25, 2022 2 seasons, 16 episodes Palm Royale March 20, 2024 10 episodes Physical June 18, 2021 3 seasons, 30 episodes Pinecone & Pony April 8, 2022 2 seasons, 16 episodes Platonic May 24, 2023 2 seasons, 20 episodes Prehistoric Planet May 23, 2022 2 season, 10 episodes Presumed Innocent June 12, 2024 8 episodes Pretzel and the Puppies February 11, 2022 2 seasons, 18 episodes Prime Target January 22, 2025 8 episodes Puppy Place October 15, 2021 2 seasons, 16 episodes Real Madrid: Until the End March 10, 2023 3 episodes Roar April 15, 2022 1 season, 8 episodes Sago Mini Friends September 16, 2022 3 seasons, 24 episodes Schmigadoon! July 16, 2021 2 seasons, 12 episodes See November 1, 2019 3 seasons, 24 episodes Servant November 28, 2019 4 seasons, 40 episodes Severance February 18, 2022 2 seasons, 19 episodes Shantaram October 14, 2022 1 season, 12 episodes Shape Island January 20, 2023 1 season, 8 episodes Shining Girls April 29, 2022 1 season, 8 episodes Shrinking January 27, 2023 2 seasons, 20 episodes Side Quest March 26, 2025 4 epsiodes Silo May 5, 2023 2 seasons, 20 episodes Slow Horses April 1, 2022 4 seasons, 24 episodes Slumberkins November 4, 2022 1 season, 8 episodes Smoke June 27, 2025 9 episodes Snoopy in Space November 1, 2019 2 seasons, 24 episodes Stick June 4, 2025 1 season, 10 episodes Still Up September 22, 2023 1 season, 8 episodes Stillwater December 4, 2020 4 seasons, 40 episodes Strange Planet August 9, 2023 1 season, 10 episodes STEVE! (martin): A documentary in two pieces March 29, 2024 2 episodes Sugar April 5, 2024 8 episodes Sunny July 10, 2024 1 season, 10 episodes Super League: The War for Football January 13, 2023 4 episodes Surface July 29, 2022 2 seasons, 16 episodes Surfside Girls August 19, 2022 1 season, 10 episodes Suspicion February 4, 2022 1 season, 8 episodes Swagger October 29, 2021 2 season2, 18 episodes Ted Lasso August 14, 2020 3 seasons, 34 episodes Tehran September 25, 2020 2 seasons, 16 episodes The Afterparty January 28, 2022 2 seasons, 16 episodes The Big Cigar May 17, 2024 6 episodes The Big Conn May 6, 2022 4 episodes The Big Door Prize March 29, 2023 2 seasons, 20 episodes The Buccaneers November 8, 2023 2 seasons, 16 episodes The Changeling September 8, 2023 1 season, 8 episodes The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin March 1, 2024 1 season, 6 episodes The Crowded Room June 9, 2023 1 season, 10 episodes The Dynasty February 16 2024 10 episodes The Enfield Poltergeist October 27, 2023 4 episodes The Essex Serpent May 13, 2022 6 episodes The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey March 11, 2022 6 episodes The Last Thing He Told Me April 14, 2023 7 episodes The Line November 19, 2021 4 episodes [a] The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball April 22, 2022 1 season, 5 episodes The Me You Cant See May 21, 2021 1 season, 6 episodes The Morning Show November 1, 2019 3 seasons, 30 episodes The Mosquito Coast April 30, 2021 2 seasons, 17 episodes The New Look February 14, 2024 1 season, 10 episodes The Oprah Conversation July 30, 2020 1 season, 15 episodes The Problem with Jon Stewart September 30, 2021 2 seasons, 20 episodes The Reluctant Traveler February 24, 2023 2 seasons, 13 episodes The Shrink Next Door November 12, 2021 8 episodes The Snoopy Show February 5, 2021 2 seasons, 26 episodes The Studio March 26, 2025 1 season, 10 episodes The Super Models September 20, 2023 4 episodes The Wild Ones July 11, 2025 1 season, 6 episodes They Call Me Magic April 22, 2022 1 season, 4 episodes Time Bandits July 24, 2024 1 season, 10 episodes Tiny World October 2, 2020 2 seasons, 12 episodes Truth Be Told December 6, 2019 3 seasons, 28 episodes Trying May 1, 2020 4 seasons, 32 episodes Visible: Out on Television February 14, 2020 5 episodes Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn August 25, 2023 4 episodes Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson July 30, 2021 1 season, 6 episodes WeCrashed March 18, 2022 8 episodes Wheres Wanda? October 2, 2024 1 season, 8 episodes Wolfboy and the Everything Factory September 24, 2021 2 seasons, 20 episodes Women in Blue July 31, 2024 1 season, 10 episodes WondLa June 28, 2024 2 seasons, 14 episodes Wonder Pets: In the City December 13, 2024 1 season, 13 episodes Yo Gabba Gabbaland August 9, 2024 1 season, 20 episodes You Would Do It Too October 30, 2024 1 season, 8 episodes Your Friends and Neighbors April 11, 2025 1 season, 9 episodes Apple TV movies and short films Apple TV+ is home to a fair number of original movies, too. Some of the movies saw a limited theatrical release, all are listed here in alphabetical order. Title Release Date 9/11: Inside the Presidents War Room September 1, 2021 Argylle April 12, 2024 Beastie Boys Story April 24, 2020 Billie Eilish: The Worlds a Little Blurry February 26, 2021 Blitz November 22, 2024 Blush October 1, 2021 Bono: Stories of Surrender May 30, 2025 Boys State August 14, 2020 Bread and Roses November 22, 2024 Bruce Springsteens Letter to You October 23, 2020 Causeway November 4, 2022 Cha Cha Real Smooth June 17, 2022 Cherry March 12, 2021 CODA August 13, 2021 Come from Away September 10, 2021 Dads June 19, 2020 Deaf President Now! May 16, 2025 Echo Valley June 13, 2025 Emancipation December 9, 2022 Fancy Dance June 28, 2024 Fathom June 25, 2021 Finch November 5, 2021 Fingernails November 3, 2023 Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds November 13, 2020 Flora and Son September 29, 2023 Fly Me to the Moon December 6, 2024 Fountain of Youth May 23, 2025 Ghosted April 21, 2023 Girls State April 5, 2024 Greyhound July 10, 2020 Hala December 6, 2019 Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas November 22, 2023 Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth April 17, 2020 Killers of the Flower Moon January 12, 2024 Louis Armstrongs Black & Blues October 28, 2022 Luck August 5, 2022 Lulu is a Rhinoceros May 30, 2025 Mariah Careys Magical Christmas Special December 4, 2020 Mariahs Christmas: The Magic Continues December 3, 2021 Napoleon March 1, 2024 Napoleon: Directors Cut August 29, 2024 Number One on the Call Sheet March 28, 2025 On the Rocks October 23, 2020 Palmer January 29, 2021 Raymond & Ray October 21, 2022 Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me November 4, 2022 Sharper February 17, 2023 Sidney September 23, 2022 Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical August 15, 2025 Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne December 10, 2021 Snoopy Presents: Its The Small Things, Charlie Brown April 15, 2022 Snoopy Presents: Lucys School August 12, 2022 Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), With Love May 6, 2022 Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin February 16, 2024 Spirited November 18, 2022 Stephen Curry: Underrated July 21, 2023 Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie May 12, 2023 Swan Song December 17, 2021 Tetris March 31, 2023 The Banker March 20, 2020 The Beanie Bubble July 28, 2023 The Bloody Hundredth March 15, 2024 The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse December 25, 2022 The Elephant Queen November 1, 2019 The Family Plan December 15, 2023 The Gorge February 14, 2025 The Greatest Beer Run Ever September 30, 2022 The Instigators August 9, 2024 The Last of the Sea Women October 11, 2024 The Pigeon Tunnel October 20, 2023 The Sky Is Everywhere February 11, 2022 The Tragedy of Macbeth January 14, 2022 The Velvet Underground October 15, 2021 The Velveteen Rabbit November 22, 2023 The Year Earth Changed April 16, 2021 Twas the Fight Before Christmas November 26, 2021 Who Are You, Charlie Brown? June 25, 2021 Wolfs September 27, 2024 Wolfwalkers December 11, 2020

iOS 26 superguide: Whats coming in the new iPhone update and when it will arrive

Macworld Apples iOS 26 plans, in brief The new iOS update is called iOS 26, not iOS 19 Redesignfeatures translucent Liquid Glass effect Phone to get Call Screening, Hold Assist, and Live Translations Apple revealed its plans for its next iOS update at the WWDC keynote on June 9, 2025. iOS 26, coming to iPhones later this year, will bring a brand new look and lots of new features that will simplify and enhance the way we use existing apps. In this article we cover everything you need to know about iOS 26, including when iOS 26 will launch, which iPhones it will be compatible with, and all the new features and apps that are coming with the iPhone update. We also have the latest information about the iOS beta, for those who are keen to get iOS 26 on their iPhones now. Its iOS 26, not iOS 19 The upcoming iOS is known as iOS 26, rather than iOS 19. In 2025 Apple is breaking with tradition and switching to a simpler naming convention that relates to the year, rather than a sequential number: it is 26 because iOS 26 will not launch until late 2025, and will be the operating system until late in 2026. Apple is using 26 for all of the operating system updates across the board, including the next iPadOS update , macOS Tahoe , the new watchOS and more, all of which were announced at WWDC. iOS 26 Release date: When is the new iOS coming out? Date TBC: (we predict September 15, 2025) iOS 26 isnt out yet, at least not for the general public. It will likely be available to install on compatible iPhones in September. This will likely happen shortly after the September event and the launch of the iPhone 17 and new Apple Watches . iOS 26 Beta release date: Whats the latest beta Latest Developer Beta: Version 6 second release, August 14, 2025 Latest Public Beta: Beta 3 August 14, 2025 You dont have to wait until the full release to try the new software out. Apple runs a developer beta and a public beta for those who want to try out the new features before they are released to the general public. Both betas are free, though the developer beta requires a free registration as a developer. The first version of the iOS developer beta was released following the WWDC keynote, so developers could immediately begin testing it with their products. This beta is not stable and there were reports of issues from those who installed it straight away. Apple updated the first developer beta a few days after the launch. As of August 14 the developer beta is in version 6. Apple released the first Public Beta on July 24. It corresponds with the the second release of Developer Beta 4 (build 23A5297m). Version two of the public beta arrived on August 7. Between WWDC and the official release in the fall, Apple will release a string of beta releases, typically eight or so in total. We have a separate article that details how to join Apples beta software program so you can test the new software as soon as the beta arrives. Anyone using the beta is encouraged to file bug reports using the included Apples Feedback Assistant app so that the company can address them. If you want to learn more about the beta read: Whats in the latest iOS beta and how to get it . And make sure you read why we advise against installing the iOS beta as well as why you shouldnt install the iOS 26 public beta yet. iOS 26 is a free software update for iPhone 11 and later The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max will miss out on iOS 26 Apple Apple has confirmed the following iPhones will get iOS 26, weve included the year that phone launched. iPhone 16e (2025) iPhone 16/16 Plus/16 Pro/16 Pro Max (2024) iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max (2023) iPhone 14/14 Plus/14 Pro/14 Pro Max (2022) iPhone SE (3rd gen) (2022) iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Pro/13 Pro Max (2021) iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max (2020) iPhone SE (2nd gen) (2020) iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max (2019) iOS 26 supported devices: Which iPhones get iOS 26 When Apple updates the operating system for its devices it often means that certain models are not compatible with the update. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, which were supported by iOS 18 and launched in 2018, will miss out on iOS 26. This doesnt mean that those 2018 iPhones are unsupported by Apple. Apple will continue to issue security-related software updates to iOS 18 for a few more years. Read about how long iPhones are supported to find out which iPhones are no longer supported with security updates. Nor does this mean that all the supported iPhones get all the new features. As was the case in 2024, only certain iPhones can support Apple Intelligence powered features. Thats the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and the whole of the iPhone 16 range. This means that if your phone isnt one of those mentioned you miss out on features such as the Visual Intelligence and Genmoji updates, as well as the Phone app ability to manage your unwanted calls. Find out how the new iOS compares with the current version in our comparison of iOS 26 vs iOS 18: Whats different, whats new, and should you update? iOS 26 design: Liquid Glass and other design changes Apple During the WWDC keynote Apple previewed the new iPhone features coming later in 2025. The biggest change is a visual one: a bold new redesign called Liquid Glass. What is Liquid Glass? The new design features a graphical user interface that Apple is calling Liquid Glass, which creates a translucent effect that mimics the qualities of glass. The new Liquid Glass theme represents the biggest change to iOS since iOS 7 was introduced in 2013. Back then Apple dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat symbolic icons. This time everything is more curved, less flat, with translucent elements reflecting or refracting the content in the background, and resizing to fit around what is onscreen. The Liquid Glass elements will also change color to reflect the content beneath as you scroll and it will be possible to see blurred and refracted elements of the background through the top layer. Apple says that it will feel more like interacting with the physical world, with elements dynamically reacting to your touch. The company also says the changes blur the lines between hardware and software. This new Liquid Glass design extends to all of Apples products and to all of Apples apps. Youll see the effect on the Dock, widgets and icons. Panes, windows, buttons and menus will be presented as translucent layers with specular highlights. Apple says that it will also make design changes that will simplify app interfaces to make the controls more visible. Initial feedback to the new Liquid Glass design was negative with some beta testers complaining that content wasnt visible due to the overlaying of menus over background images, later versions of the beta have dialled this back to make the menus more visible. Interface changes Apple Apple is adapting the interface to focus more on what is on the screen rather than cover things with tools and menu bars. Menus will shrink as you scroll to reveal the content below. Apple is also removing some of the clutter from menus to simplify things and emphasise the more frequently used options. For example, rather than occupying a rectangular bar at the bottom of the screen, groups of controls will appear on floating elements that pop out additional controls, change as you move between views, and are tucked away when you scroll. These changes to the menus are designed to make it easier to access the features you use most often, and discover others. Apple is trying to make iOS and its apps more intuitive. A good example of how these design changes will be applied is the Lock Screen, which will be more adaptive. The image you choose as your wallpaper will be scaled to fit the height and width of the Lock Screen and positioned to fill the available space around elements like the time. Additionally, the wallpaper image will slide up as notifications come in. Well discuss the changes coming to individual apps below, but essentially Apple is making it easier to find the tools you usually use, without the clutter of all the other features you dont need. iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence Apple has been having trouble with some of its AI efforts, especially the Siri features that were touted at WWDC 2024. Apple had promised that iOS 18.4 would bring a major update to Siri, where it would be better at natural conversations with the user, using personal context, awareness of what is on screen, and the ability to perform in-app actions. Apple has since confirmed that these Siri-related features have been pushed back until 2026, which means they should come as an update to iOS 26, perhaps in March, but we could be waiting even longer. Apple still had a number of impressive Apple Intelligence powered features to show off at WWDC though.In fact, some of the new features coming to Spotlight on the Mac look like some of the features promised for Siri. Some of these new Apple Intelligence features will make a big impact in apps, especially the Phone app, which we will discuss below. Another beneficiary of Apple Intelligence is Visual Intelligence, which was introduced in iOS 18 and gains a very useful ability in iOS 26. Visual Intelligence in iOS 26 Visual Intelligence in iOS 26. IDG In iOS 18 you can use Visual Intelligence by holding up the iPhone to view something you are curious about, triggering Visual Intelligence (via the Camera Control button if you have one, or via the Control Centre if not) and viewing information about what you were pointing the camera at. It could identify a building, or offer to add the date from a poster to your calendar, for example. Thats all very well when you are out and about, but what about when you are just browsing the web and want to know where something someone is wearing is from or where a video is being filmed? In iOS 26 it will be possible take a screenshot and look up information about that image and products in it using Visual Intelligence. You can also ask ChatGPT for information about the screenshot. Genmoji and Image Playground in iOS 26 Apple Also benefitting from Apple Intelligence is Genmoji , another feature that arrived with iOS 18. Genmoji lets you create custom emoji using AI. To create a Genmoji you type a description in the Describe an Emoji field and tap on Create New Emoji. You can use photos of people you know as a basis and refine the emoji until it represents what you are looking for. The emoji will then be available in your emoji keyboard to use. In iOS 26 the Genmoji interface is getting a redesign. Users will be able to mix two emoji together, or alter an existing emoji to create something new, or even combine an emoji and a Sticker (which can be created from a photo). Users will be able to further customise emoji inside Image Playground, changing expressions. Image Playground , which is Apples app for making AI-generated images, arrived in iOS 18 and is getting an update in iOS 26. In iOS 26 it will be possible to use ChatGTP styles and prompts, such as an oil painting as well as those provided by Apple to create images in Image Playground. iOS 26 new apps and updated apps Phone: Call Screening and Hold Assist Translations Camera app overhaul With each iteration of iOS the set of apps Apple provides grows and evolves, and many of the changes coming to the apps on the iPhone are shared by those same apps on Apples other devices. iOS 26 is no different. This time some of the upcoming changes are going to be quite transformative to how you use the phone and by which we mean the telephone aspect to the iPhone. Phoneapp The phone app might not be the one we use the most, but as Apple says, it is fundamental to the iPhone. With iOS 26 the phone app is getting a big update that essentially turns it into a PA and a spam filtering tool. Apple is tapping into Apple Intelligence to bring new Voice Mail summaries to surface the most important information, but even more exciting, it is aiming to eliminate unwanted calls with a new Call Screening option that can answer the call in the background, ask the caller to explain their reason for calling, and then provide a text summary of those details to you before you decide whether or not to take the call. Of course this may make it harder to ignore calls from people you ought to actually speak to, but it will be a good way to siphon off spam and hoax calls from unknown numbers. Thats not all. Another new feature is Hold Assist , which will automatically detect hold music and mute the call until it is connected to an agent. As a result you can get things done without having to keep your phone speaker playing irritating hold music until someone answers. When an agent becomes free they will be informed that you are there and your phone will ring alerting you to the connection and you can take the call. Its going to be like having your own receptionist. Another change in the Phone app should make it impossible to accidentally tap on contact in the Recents list and call them. Currently, if you tap on a name in your Recents list it will automatically call that person. A new setting will allow you to turn off Tap Recents to Call . @macworld.com iOS 26 makes the iPhone a betterphone? #wwdc #iphone #fyp original sound Macworld Macworld Live Translations Also coming to the Phone app, but also present as a features in Messages and FaceTime, is Live Translations , which will help you communicate with someone who speaks another language. With this feature you will be able to have a conversation with some who speaks a different language to you. If you are familiar with the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy this is almost at the level of having a Bable Fish. If you are speaking to some via the phone app the iPhone will translate what it being said, with a spoken voice translating what has been said into your language. The recipient will also hear translations in their own language. Apparently they dont need to have an iPhone. The main restriction right now is that Live Translation for Phone is available only for one-on-one calls in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. As we said above, its not only the Phone app that will get the Live Translation features. FaceTime and Messages will as well. And Translation is also finding its way into the Music app. FaceTime When speaking to someone via FaceTime you will see real-time captions in your own language. Live Captions arent entirely new to FaceTime, you can already turn on that functionality in Accessibility > Live Captions although this only works if your language is set to English U.S. As well as the new Live Translation feature, FaceTime also gets changes to the interface designed to surface the controls you need while keeping the caller visible. For example, controls float to the bottom right and recede when you dont need them. The FaceTime call list also gets a new look, with video messages autoplaying as you scroll. Messages Apple If you are using Messages to communicate with someone who speaks a different language what you type is translated into their language and vice versa. As with the phone, Messages is getting a screening tool to combat spam. On-device spam detection will give you total control over who appears in your conversation list, according to Apple. It is already possible to filter out spam by using the Unknown Senders list in Messages, but in iOS 26 Messages will have a greater ability to screen for spam, and it will make sure you still receive verification codes and other critical or time sensitive messages. Also in Messages you will be able to add a background image to Group Chats and a new option to create a poll will be available. Messages will even suggest a poll if a situation calls for one. Anyone can add options to the poll, as well. Those who have access to Apple Cash (still U.S. only) can also access this from group chats. A small but brilliant update coming to Messages is the ability to copy parts of a text, rather than the whole thing . This is one of those incomprehensible failures of Messages on iPhone right now: the only option is to copy the entire message, paste it, and then edit out what you dont want. When using Messages on the Mac you can just copy the part of the Message you need. So its a long overdue feature for iPhone Messages. Apple Music In Apple Music you will be able to follow the lyrics alongside the translation into your own language. For some languages you will even see a pronunciation guide. Also coming to the Music app is a new auto-mix option that uses AI to fade between songs and match beats like a DJ would. There is also a new animated Apple Music artwork option for the Lock Screen. Interface changes should also mean it is faster and easier to get to the music you are in to. For example, you can pin your favourite album or playlist to the top of your library. Apple Camera & Photos In iOS 26, Apple is redesigned camera app, hiding most of the lesser used camera shooting modes and options to simplify the increasingly cramped layout and giving users quick access to settings. In the Photos app there will be the ability to add 3D effects to photos. We have a separate article covering how to use the iOS 26 Camera app , including where to find camera modes and features, how to change capture settings and how to use AirPods as a remote. Games Apple is finally tidying up the gaming experience on the iPhone with a brand new Games app. With half a billion people playing games on iPad, according to Apple, its about time. Apple says it is creating a new destination to help its gamers get more out of their games. The Games app will offer various tabs to make finding the games you are playing or have played easier. The Home tab reveals whats most relevant to you. The Library tab shows all the games you have ever downloaded. There is also a Play Together tab where you can see what your friends are playing, play games with them, compare scores, and invite them to play games. You can also challenge them to beat your highest score in single player games. Turning single player games into fun competitions with friends, with scores in real time.This will be Apples second attempt to get users to connect socially: remember iTunes Ping? (Apple would probably rather you forgot). Apple Another change coming to gaming on iPhone (and iPad) is a new consistency to hoe touch controls are applied in games. Developers working on an iPhone or iPad game that requires more advanced controls have always had to design their own touch controls, and this can be inconsistent. In iOS 26, Apple will provides its own touch controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads. Apple Wallet Like Apple Cash many of the new Apple Wallet features are U.S. only, such as the ability to add Drivers Licenses to Apple Wallet. Apple says there will be more ways to pay with Apple Pay in iOS 26, for example you can redeem points or choose to pay in instalments. That feature is currently available in nine states. From the fall Apple says it will be possible to add a U.S. passport, but only for use for flights inside the U.S. There will be a new API for developers to take advantage of, enabling them to provide customers with more information within the Wallet app, such as details of the services included with the fare and upgrade options that can be accessed from within the Wallet app. You can also track Apple Pay orders, with Apple Intelligence finding the order details and tracking information and keeping them together for you. Passwords & Autofill The Passwords app , introduced in iOS 18, is also getting an update. You can check changes that youve made to accounts logged in the Passwords app, view previous passwords that were used for these accounts and see when they were altered. In addition, iOS 26, Apple is introducing improvements that will make using passkeys easier. Passkeys is an authentication method that replaces traditional passwords with security keys and biometrics. Many apps and websites already provide support for passkeys, and with the iOS 26 update, it will be possible for iPhone and iPad apps to enable users to create a passkey with just a tap. Passkeys can be authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID, and credentials will be synchronized between your Apple devices via iCloud. It will also be possible to pre-fill personal data, such as name and email, so you no longer have to waste time filling in long sign-up forms. Even better, iOS 26 will be able to autofill verification codes from Gmail and WhatsApp. Verification code autofill may also work in Google Chrome, currently verification codes only work with Apples Safari browser. Apple Maps Apple The Maps app also gets an update, using Apple Intelligence to understand your regular commutes and learn your favourites. With this information it will be able to warn you if you should take a different route due to traffic. Another change to Maps is that if you want it to it can log (with encryption) Visited Places, which will make it easier to find and recall places you have been to in the past. Its easy to delete this history too. Reminders In iOS 26, Reminders will suggest things such as tasks and grocery items, plus follow-ups based on your emails or other text on your iPhone, Mac, and more. Notes Notes will gain Markdown. Weather Satellite-based weather. Clock You will finally be able to set a snooze duration of between one and 15 minutes, rather than being stuck with set eight minute snoozes! You will also gain the ability to set alarms from inside other apps. For example, you could set an alarm from within a recipe app without you needing to open the Clock. AirPods related features: Pause Media When Falling Asleep Existing AirPods should get some new features due to the iOS 26 update. These include a new feature that will enable AirPods to pause when they sense the wearer has fallen asleep. Code in the iOS 26 beta indicates that this feature is tied to iOS 26, rather than the AirPods line specifically it may even work on Apples Beats headphones. In addition it will be possible to easily switch between different audio input devices so you could switch from AirPods as dedicated microphones to another device, for example. Other new features in iOS 26 There are lots of other changes coming to iOS itself, many of which will improve the overall experience. Running tasks in the background iOS 26 will have a new API for running tasks in the background. So you wont have to keep an app open when theyre doing something important, such as uploading files or exporting a video. Users can switch to other apps without interrupting the previous task . Adaptive Power Mode This feature aims to extend battery life by adjusting performance based on usage patterns. Where Low Power Mode throttles your iPhones performance and kills certain background activities to save energy, Adaptive Power Mode makes smaller adjustments to your iPhones performance based on how you use it. As a result the impact should be subtler, and potentially something users could keep on at all times. Battery Intelligence:AI-powered battery management iOS 26 will introduce a feature dubbed Battery Intelligence. This presents the estimated charging duration to reach 80% (then 100%) when connected to a charger so you know how long you will need to change your iPhone before you can leave the house. A new adaptive low power mode has been spotted in the iOS 26 developer beta. This doesnt replace the regular low power mode (thats still around) but instead uses machine learning to make adjustments that could help eke out a little more juice from your battery. In addition, the Lock Screen will now display estimated charging times to hit 80 percent and 100 percent battery power. RCS Universal Profile 3.0 and other Android friendly features Support for RCS Universal Profile 3.0 may come in an update to iOS 26. RCS 3.0 will encrypt iPhone-to-Android messages, and offer other features to make communicating between iPhones and Android phones more seamless. Currently, Android users can edit a message within 15 minutes of it being sent this works in iOS 18.5 and the iOS 26 developer beta but the iPhone displays the edited message as a new one with an asterisk rather than replacing the message with the edited message. iPhone users are able to edit messages sent to other iPhones, but they are not yet able to edit RCS messages sent to an Android phone. RCS 3.0 should also make this available to iPhone users. There also be simplified eSIM transfer from Android.

iOS 26 gets a new developer beta 6 update and public beta 3

Macworld As is tradition, Apple released beta versions of its new operating systems to developers on the first day of WWDC on June 9. That first beta release had all the major features Apple demonstrated in its WWDC keynote: Liquid Glass , the new Phone app and features, the new Camera and Photos experience , and more. Subsequent releases have focused on refining the interface, improving performance and quality, and squashing bugs. There are still plenty of unrefined areas, as you would expect with a major iOS update still weeks from release. Not everything is working as it should, so you might think twice about running the beta on a critical device. You can read all about all the new features in our iOS 26 superguide and find out the latest information about the iOS beta including when it will launch and how to install it in a separate story. Latest developer beta release: Whats new On August 11, Apple released iOS 26 beta 6 to developers. Here are the most significant changes found so far. Liquid Glass gets further refined, with new effects when you change toggles, refinements to the lock screen, and more. Apps launch faster and have faster launch animations. The Camera app has reverted the swipe direction for changing modes back to to the old direction (reversed, like a physical dial). There are multiple new ringtones in this release. Several new onboarding screens and videos explain the new interface and features of iOS 26. There was another update, still labeled beta 6, on August 14. Its not yet clear what has changed since the release on August 11. Public beta 3 is essentially the same as this new beta 6 release. iOS 26: How to install the public beta The iOS 26 public beta because available to download on July 24. Click Sign Up on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID. Log in to the Beta Software Program. Click Enroll your iOS device . Open the Settings app, tap General , then Software Update . In the Beta Updates section, select the iOS Public Beta. It may take a few moments after registering for the beta option to appear in Software Update. iOS 26: How to install the developer beta Youll need to be registered as an Apple developer, but a free developer account will do. You can get one via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Heres how to do it via the Apple Developer app: Download the Apple Developer App from the App Store. Open the app. Tap on Account. Sign in using your usual Apple ID. Find out everything you need to know about iOS 18 in our iOS 26 superguide .

Code reveals 2025 Apple Watch details: 3 models, 5G, and a new wireless chip

Macworld Weve been talking a lot about the iPhone 17 leading up to its launch next month, but Apple has also been preparing other new products for this fall. More specifically, new Apple Watches. According to rumors, this years models will not feature major upgrades, at least when it comes to design. But Apple may have a card up its sleeve. Internal code published by Apple and seen by Macworld confirms that Apple plans to launch five new Apple Watch models next month, and they may come with a neat surprise: a new wireless chip built by Apple. First, here are all the new Apple Watch models you can expect this fall, based on information discovered in the code: Apple Watch Series 11 (Wi-Fi and Cellular versions) Apple Watch Ultra 3 (Wi-Fi + Cellular) Apple Watch SE 3 (Wi-Fi and Cellular versions) From what we know, all new Apple Watch models will look a lot like the current models. Inside, they wont be much different either, as Apple will use a chip based on the same CPU as the Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 10, so there arent likely to be any performance gains this year. Apple often goes several generations without a chip redesign, as the current chip is already powerful enough for a smartwatch. But despite having the same CPU, Apple has been working on improving other internal parts of its new Apple Watch. More specifically, Macworld saw evidence suggesting that this years Apple Watch models feature a new Proxima module, which matches the name of Apples new wireless chip reported by Bloomberg late last year. That means the Apple Watch could be the first product to feature Apples custom wireless chip. With this chip, Apple can better optimize how its devices handle wireless connections, potentially reducing energy consumption. But theres more: based on the leaked code, at least one new Apple Watch model will feature a 5G modem, potentially the Apple Watch Ultra 3, as previously rumored by Bloomberg . Current Apple Watches with cellular are limited to LTE. The same code revealed the existence of a Mac Pro with the M4 Ultra chip and a new MacBook Pro with cellular 5G connectivity . Of course, keep in mind that Apples plans can change at any time. After all, the products reported here have been found in internal code, so the company could have scrapped some of the features before the official launch.

macOS 26 Tahoe Beta: Latest beta and how to get it

Macworld Every year, Apple updates the Mac operating system. The current version of macOS is macOS 15.5, but development of macOS 26 (not macOS 16) is well underway. Apple runs a beta program, which means developers and registered public testers can try out new features before they are released to the general public later in the year. The beta process doesnt stop with the full release of macOS in the fall. After macOS 15 Sequoia arrived on Macs in September 2024, development continued with new features rolled out every couple of months. The same will be true of the macOS 26 development cycle. In this article, well explain what you need to do to get your hands on a copy of the new beta of macOS 26, how to install it, and what you should bear in mind if you want to avoid problems. (If you would prefer to use the latest official release of macOS, heres how to update macOS on your Mac .) Update August 14, 2025: Apple released macOS 26 public beta 3 . macOS beta: Latest version The most recent version of the macOS 26 Tahoe developer beta is beta 6. It was released on August 11, 2025. Following WWDC 2025 on June 9, the macOS 26 developer beta is now available to download for those signed up to the program. The macOS 26 name is part of a coherent annual naming system along with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 . Foundry macOS beta: Public beta release date Apple released the macOS Tahoe public beta on July 24, 2025. Version 3 of the public beta arrived on August 14. macOS beta: Next beta update New betas tend to arrive every one to two weeks, and more frequently as the full release data approaches. The beta testing program will continue to run after the new macOS 26 software launches in September or October 2025, with Apple continuing to roll out new features. How to get the macOS beta To get the developer version of the macOS 26 beta, you need to be running macOS Sequoia and be registered for Apples developer program, either having paid $99/79 to enroll in Apples Developer program ( here ) or with a free developer account (follow the instructions below for how to register for that). Alternatively, if its the public beta you are after, you just need to sign up for the Public Beta program on Apples beta webpage , sign the NDA, and enroll your Mac. Details of how to do that are below. As long as you are a registered developer or enrolled in the public beta program, when the relevant macOS Beta becomes available, it will also show up on your Mac. Before you download the beta, a few warnings: We strongly advise that if you arent a developer, you dont download the developer beta. We also strongly recommend that you back up your Mac before you upgrade to the macOS beta. We recommend that you do not run the macOS beta on your primary Mac; ideally, run it in a separate volume . This should minimize any risks to you. How to get a free Apple developer account If you just want a free Apple Developer account so you can access the beta, you can get this via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Heres how to do it via the Apple Developer app on an iPhone: Get the Apple Developer App from the App Store . Open the app on your iPhone. Tap on Account. Tap on Sign In. Sign in using your usual Apple ID. If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store or receive support, youll need to pay $99/79 per year for a paid account. You can compare the free and paid accounts here . How to register for the macOS public beta The macOS public beta is accessible to anyone with a valid Apple ID. To register, go to the Apple Beta Software Program page. Select the Sign Up option. Sign in using your Apple ID. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the registration process. Enrol the Mac you wish to run the beta on via this Apple page . How to download macOS beta Open Software Updates on your Mac. ( System Settings > General > Software Updates .) You should see two options: Automatic Updates and Beta Updates . Click on the (i) beside Beta Updates . You can now turn on Beta Updates (if they werent already on). Choose the beta you want to download: public or developer. If your account is tied to a different Apple ID than your usual one, you can change that here. Click Done . Now your Mac will check for updates and eventually show the latest macOS Beta as an upgrade. Click on Upgrade Now . Foundry Do I need the macOS Beta Access Utility? Only if you are running macOS Ventura 13.3 or earlier. Apple changed the way it delivers betas in Ventura 13.4. If you arent yet running that version of macOS you will need to download the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility or macOS Public Beta Access Utility in order to download betas. If you were already running an earlier macOS Public Beta youll find the new macOS beta as an upgrade via Software Update. Just click on Upgrade Now. You may have to update to the latest version of your current beta before you can do so, if not follow the steps below to get the beta access utility. If you are enrolled in the Developer Program, go to Apples beta download page . Click on Install Profile to download the new macOS Developer Beta Access Utility to your Mac. If you are enrolled as a public beta tester, download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility . Go to Downloads on your Mac and click on the macOS Beta Access Utility to open it. Double-click on the dmg file and the installer will run. Once the new macOS beta is installed Software Update will check to see if there are any updates. Click Update and the latest version will download. Youll see a prompt to install the latest macOS beta, click on Continue . Agree to the Ts&Cs (more on them below). Click Install . Once you are running the beta, the updates will come through to your Mac automatically; you just need to click to install. You will receive a notification when the next update to the beta is available. Updates will be available via Software Update (in System Settings/System Preferences) FAQ 1. Who can run the macOS beta? Anyone can run the macOS beta, but to do so, you do need to register for either the developer beta, the pubic beta, or both. Apple offers both developer and public beta programs for macOS, enabling all interested users to test pre-release versions of the operating system. While both betas provide early access to new features, they cater to different user profiles based on technical expertise and risk tolerance. Beta software tends to be buggy so the more stable public beta version may be preferable, but even that will not be bug-free. In the past, the developer beta was only available to developers who had paid to join Apples Developer Program (which costs $99/79). However, for a couple of years now, Apple has opened up the developer beta to registered developers with free developer accounts. We explain how to get a free developer account below. If you decide you no longer want to run the beta version of macOS read this: How to remove the macOS beta . 2. macOS public beta vs developer beta Since 2023, the Developer Beta has been available to anyone who registers as a developer, even if they arent a paid-up member of Apples Developer Program. As a result, people with a basic free developer account can download the new macOS developer beta (we show you how to register below). Whether you should download the developer beta if you arent a developer is another question. We dont recommend you install the developer beta if you arent a developer. Instead, our recommendation is to use the public beta (the first version of which usually arrives in July). There are a few differences between the public and developer betas. The public beta is not the same as the beta that is released through the developer program. The public beta typically launches after the developer beta has undergone initial testing and refinement Developers get updates to their beta first, and possibly more frequently. But you should keep in mind that betas are by nature not stable, and because the public beta comes after the developer beta it could be a little safer to install. The most significant difference is probably the motive of the testers: Developers usually have the aim of ensuring their apps work when the updated macOS is released to the general public, while public beta testers are essentially helping Apple detect bugs and offering feedback on the features. Because of this, developers may get to test new features not available in the public beta. If you want to get the public beta the first thing you need to do, if you havent already, is join Apples beta programs read this for more information: How to become an Apple beta tester. 3. Is the macOS beta stable? By its nature, a beta has the potential to be unstable. Therefore, its not advised that you install it on a Mac that you rely on. If you have a second Mac that isnt mission-critical, then install it there. We strongly recommend that you dont risk all by putting the macOS beta on your primary macOS, especially not in the early days of the beta development. If you dont have a second Mac, there are a couple of ways you could run macOS beta on your Mac without running the risk of losing data or finding your Mac stops working: We recommend installing it on a partition, which these days is really a volume (and is much easier to create than a partition was). Read about how to do that here: How to dual-boot Mac: Run two versions of macOS on a Mac . Alternatively, you could install the macOS beta on an external drive and run it on that. We discuss the safety of the macOS beta and the risks you might be taking in more detail in a separate article. If the stability of the beta worries you, then you are probably better off waiting until the final version is out, or at least waiting until testing has been happening for a few months before getting the beta. 4. How to prepare your Mac for the beta Update your software : We recommend you have the latest full version of macOS installed, although Apple says that the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility requires macOS 10.8 or later. Make space: Wed recommend at least 15GB of available space because the macOS betas tend to be very large. If you end up requiring more space, read: How to free up space on Mac. Note that we always recommend that you have at least 10% space free on your Mac at any time, so if you dont have that, expect problems! Back up : Before you install a beta on your Mac, you should make a backup of your data and files. You can find out how to use Time Machine to back up your Mac . We also have a round-up of suitable backup solutions . 5. How to send feedback to Apple Should you come across an error or a bug, you should use the Feedback Assistant app to provide feedback to Apple. Launch the app and follow the appropriate steps, selecting the area about which youre providing feedback and then any specific sub-area. Then describe your issue in a single sentence, before providing a more detailed description, including any specific steps that reproduce the issue. Youll also be able to attach other files. Youll also have to give permission for the Feedback Assistant app to collect diagnostic information from your Mac. It wont always be obvious whether something is a bug or just not as easy to use as you might have hoped. Either way, if your feedback is that something appears to work in an illogical way, Apple will want to know that. If you are having trouble with a third-party app, you can let Apple know by reporting it through the 3rd-party Application Compatibility category in the Feedback Assistant. However, wed suggest that you also provide feedback to the apps developer, who will no doubt be grateful. 6. Will I be able to update from macOS beta to the final version? Beta users will be able to install the final build of the OS on release day without needing to reformat or reinstall. 7. Can I talk about the beta publicly? According to Apple and the license agreement all beta testers must agree to, the beta is Apple confidential information. By accepting those terms, you agree not to discuss your use of the software with anyone who isnt also in the Beta Software Program. That means you cant blog, post screenshots, tweet, or publicly post information about the public beta software. However, you can discuss any information that Apple has publicly disclosed; the company says that information is no longer considered confidential. 8. How to downgrade from the macOS beta You can always revert to an earlier version of macOS, though depending on how you back up, its not necessarily a painless process. Start by making sure the data on your drive is backed up, then erase the drive and install the latest public version of macOS. When you first start up your Mac, you can use the Migration Assistant to import your data from the backup. Heres a more detailed tutorial on downgrading from the macOS beta and we also have a tutorial on downgrading to an older version of the Mac OS . macOS Sonoma beta timeline To get an idea of what to expect for the macOS 26 beta timeline, heres how the macOS Sequoia beta rolled out in 2024. The first version of the macOS 15 Sequoia developer beta arrived after the WWDC keynote on June 10, 2024. Beta 2 arrived on June 24. The first public beta of Sequoia arrived on July 15, 2024. Developer beta 4 was released on July 23. The second public beta also arrived on July 23, 2024. Developer beta 5 arrived on August 5 followed by the third public beta. Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15 developer beta 6 on August 12. The fourth public beta of Sequoia arrived on August 13, 2024. Developer beta 7 and the fifth public beta of Sequoia were released on August 20. On August 28, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15 beta 8 and the sixth public beta of Sequoia. The release candidate of Sequoia arrived on September 9. The full version of Sequoia arrived on compatible Macs on September 16. There were actually two versions of the developer beta running concurrently. The macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta included Apple Intelligence features that are only available on M-series Macs (a iOS 18.1 beta was also in development separately with Apple Intelligence features for compatible iPhones). Apple started work on the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta on July 29. macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta 2 arrived on August 12. macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta 3 was released to developers on August 28. Initially, this beta was only for developers, but Apple released a macOS Sequoia 15.1 pubic beta on September 19, 2024, following the release of Sequoia to the general public. Eventually, the macOS Sequoia 15.1 release candidate was released on October 21, and a second release candidate 2 was released on October 24. The final version of macOS Sequoia 15.1 arrived on compatible Macs on October 28. After the macOS Sequoia full release, the beta continued: macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta arrived September 19, 2024 macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta- arrived October 23, 2024. Including a second set of Apple Intelligence features. The official release of 15.2 was on December 11. macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta arrived December 16, 2024. Including the ability to create Gemoji. Release Candidate available on January 2. macOS Sequoia 15.4 beta arrived on February 19, 2025. Included Mail updates and Proximity Pairing with the iPhone. Release Candidate available on March 28. macOS Sequoia 15.5 beta arrived April 2, 2025. Apple released the Sequoia 15.5 beta 1 to developers. Out May 12, 2024.

The iPad Pro still isnt a MacBook replacement, and it never will be

Macworld Ever since Apple introduced the first iPad Pro in 2015 , its been advertising its flagship tablet as a worthy PC replacement. Campaigns such as Your next computer is not a computer and Whats a computer? have made it clear Apple wants people to see the iPad as more than a fun tablet. At the same time, the iPad has many limitations that prevent it from truly replacing a computer like Apples MacBooks. And although iPadOS 26 , which is coming to iPads this fall, introduces many new macOS-inspired features , iPad Pro will almost certainly never be a full MacBook replacement. Great hardware limited by software iPads have impressive hardware, especially the Air and Pro models powered by the same chip as the latest Macs. The fact that you can buy an iPad Pro with the same M4 chip as a MacBook Pro is incredible. And its a big reason why Apple positions it as a PC replacement after all, it has the same CPU and GPU as a Mac. But a computer is more than the sum of its components. The thing is, the iPads software doesnt take advantage of the full potential of the chip inside it. For example, the iPad still runs iOS apps, which are often the same or similar to the apps you have on your iPhone, but bigger. For the most part, you simply cant run the same software you find on a Mac. Hooking the iPad Pro to an external display is a reminder that it just isnt the same as a Mac. Foundry iPad users have always asked for multi-window support, and Apple finally gave it to us with Stage Manager in iPadOS 17, but not quite in the way most people would have expected. Stage Manager does let iPad users interact with multiple apps on the screen at the same time, but its not like macOS or Windows. You cant freely resize windows, and theres a limit to the number of apps you can open at the same time. iPadOS 26 finally fixes this with a new window management system that lets users move apps around the screen freely, just like on a Mac. Even so, theres still a lot to be done. For example, when I plug my iPad into my Studio Display, the experience is disappointing. iPadOS still doesnt really take advantage of external monitors. Apps have a lot of empty space on a big screen, and the Home Screen interface looks terrible on a 27-inch display. Not to mention that the iPad doesnt have Clamshell mode like MacBooks, so the iPad screen needs to stay onclosing the Magic Keyboard also shuts off the image on the external monitor. And even when I use pro apps such as Photoshop and Final Cut, theyre just not the same software available for macOS. Theyre essentially tablet versions with a lot of limitations. Apple doesnt want the iPad to become a MacBook The truth is, Apple doesnt want the iPad to become a MacBook replacement. Yes, theyll be happy if you switch from a Windows laptop to an iPad, but Apple also wants its users to crave both an iPad and a MacBook, because the company sees them as two distinct products for different tasks. iPadOS, even the vastly improved version 26, is basically a tablet version of iOS, because iPad was born as a larger iPhone. It relies on touch as its main input method and is made to run on screens much smaller than any MacBook. The touch-first iPad interface means it will always be inherently diffferent than a Mac. Foundry To make the iPad a true Mac replacement, Apple would need to fundamentally change how iPadOS works, not just add new features. The macOS interface was designed to be used with a keyboard and mouse. While you can use the iPad Air and iPad Pro with a keyboard and mouse, many people dont. And compromising the experience people have in favor of better support for external input methods would be a problem. Not to mention that macOS is a much more robust operating system with support for third-party drivers, a full terminal, and sideloading and this is what allows developers to create much more complex apps for the Mac. But Apple doesnt seem to be willing to open up iOS and iPadOS to have the same level of openness as macOS. For Apple, having iPad users limited to the App Store ecosystem is a good thing after all, iPad users have been used to it since day one. Still, there are a lot of things Apple could do to make the iPad experience better for pro users. iPadOS should have a better file manager, an easier way to install fonts, and a new way to automatically optimize the interface for when youre using the iPad as a tablet versus with a keyboard, mouse, and external monitor. The iPad looks more like a Mac than everbut its still falls short. Foundry But at the end of the day, Apple still expects you to buy both an iPad and a Mac. Thats why I no longer believe that the iPad will ever replace the MacBook. For Apple, it makes much more sense to convince customers that iPad and Mac work well together (because they do) than to make the iPad as appealing as a MacBook. Dont get me wrong, I love using my iPad Pro to write, browse the web, and edit photos on the go, especially with an Apple Pencil. The iPad is a great creativity platform, but its not a MacBook replacement, and you probably shouldnt expect it to ever become one. Now its up to you to decide whether you need a MacBook, can make do with a MacBook, or are willing to spring for one of each.

Apple is planning a big AI comeback, but weve heard this song before

Macworld Bloombergs Mark Gurman has a juicy new report today detailing Apples future plans for AI and robotics, which he pitches as a turnaround for the company. A comeback of sorts, for a company that has badly missed the boat and disappointed fans with its AI ambitions so far. These future releases all sound great. There are robots, smart home products, and big Siri improvements but weve heard this kind of promise before. From Apple Car to Vision Pro, to folding iPhones, weve heard rumors of Apple stuff coming in a couple years that either never materialize or fail to live up to expectations. Apple needs its AI-powered products and services to show up on time (the company is already behind competitors) and impress both fans and critics with their capabilities. Heres what Gurman reports is coming down the pike. LLM Siri The foundation of most of Apples upcoming projects is a completely new Siri. Built on a large language model like most of the generative AI customers are familiar with today (like ChatGPT), this version of Siri is code-named Linwood, but Apple employees allegedly just call it LLM Siri. This version of Siri would use personal context to fulfill requests, understand whats on your screen, and take actions within apps. It was meant to debut earlier this year as part of iOS 18, using a hybrid modelthe LLM for some things and the standard keywords-based Siri for others. That was untenable, and so the new Siri has been delayed for about a year to get all of Siri unified under this new LLM model. Linwood uses an LLM developed by Apple, but theres a parallel project code-named Glenwood that would use models developed outside Apple. Gurman says no decision has yet been made on what model would be used, but is testing with Anthropics Claude . Apple is also preparing a new visual design for Siri on iPhones and iPads. Gurman says that Apple employees working on a future robotics project have used ChatGPT or Gemini to build and test features, and that Apple employees are increasingly using AI tools made by other companies. Robots A new Siri is a fundamental part of future projects, but Apple likes to sell new physical products, not just make new software for its existing hardware. The most important one is probably a new tabletop robot, with a screen like an iPad on a motorized, movable limb that can turn, tilt, and reposition itself. If you saw that research project for a robot lamp we wrote about earlier this year, thats what were talking aboutonly there will be a screen instead of a lamp head. Giving this robot a personality will be a major selling point, but FaceTime calls (with your iPhone as a joystick you can use to move the screen around) is also a priority. This robot is supposed to be sort of a person in the room, even chiming in on conversations with helpful information. Siri is front-and-center on this device, with a project called Bubbles that will give it a visual representation with personality. This tabletop robot is currently anticipated for release in 2027, but plans remain fluid. There are several other robots in earlier stages of development, including one with wheels and one with a large mechanical arm that can be used in manufacturing or the back of retail stores. A new smart home OS The tabletop robot and another projecta standalone smart home displayboth use a new operating system dubbed Charismatic. They may both feature the new Siri with a face and personality, too. But the smart home display is simpler, and could launch as soon as next year. Think of it like the robot without the mechanical arm and with a less conversational Siri. Its meant to handle smart home control, music playback, note-taking, web browsing, and, of course, FaceTime. The new Charismatic OS will center on things like clock faces and widgets, and can scan faces as people approach so it can show that persons preferred layout and information. There will be lots of Apples standard apps, but the interface will be controlled mostly through widgets and voice. The smart home display is supposed to be a 7-inch square with thin black or white bezels and rounded corners. It sits on a half-dome base that holds some electronics, speakers, and microphones. Youll be able to mount it on a wall, too. Other smart home products An AI-powered camera (code-named J450) is next in Apples salvo of AI-powered smart home products. Gurman says it will be battery-powered and run for several months to a year on a single charge, similar to many rival home cameras today. It will use facial recognition and infrared sensors to determine who is in a room. In addition to the obvious home security implications, these are meant to assist with home automation. Turning off lights when everyone leaves a room, or playing the music a particular person likes when in the room theyre in, for example. This camera is meant to be just the first of an entire line of smart home products to compete with the likes of Ring and Nest. Apple has tested a smart doorbell with facial recognition to unlock the door, Gurman says. Apples AI and smart home future Obviously, Apple has to right the ship when it comes to AI. Siri practically popularized the idea of an AI assistant, but now it is seen as lagging far behind the state of the art. But Apples push to build AI with personality and build it into smart home products marks an entirely new area for the company. It sounds exciting, but we should remind readers of all the articles weve seen about Apples smart car that never materialized (despite a big team working on it for years), or how the company hyped the spatial computing era as the future, only to deliver one very expensive and only somewhat useful pair of mixed reality goggles. Apple plans always sound great on the rumor mill, and the best stuff is always just two years away. What arrives on our desks and in our pockets is often something else.

Report: iPhone 17 Air may have slower GPU speed than the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup

Macworld One month before the launch of the iPhone 17 series , there are only a few details that have not yet been agreed upon. One of these concerns the chip in the iPhone 17 Air. Back in October 2024, industry specialist Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the new thin iPhone would use an A19 chip, just like the standard iPhone 17. A leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo has now contradicted this: Fixed Focus Digital claims that the iPhone 17 Air would instead come with the A19 Pro, but it would be a binned chip with one deactivated GPU core. A standard A19 chip is projected to have 6 GPU cores, while the binned version in the iPhone 17 Air would have 5 GPU cores. The performance difference would be noticeable in benchmarks, but not so much in practice. The only times it would be noticeable would be with demanding games (which would put a noticeable strain on the battery life of the thinnest iPhone) and when editing and rendering high-resolution videos, which should also be secondary on the iPhone 17 Air with only one camera. Fixed Focus Digital had claimed a week ago that Apple had finalised the development of its own image sensor for the iPhone camera, in July that the iPhone 17 Air would come in a completely new shade of blue and the standard iPhone 17 would not have a Pro Motion display, and in April that the iPhone 17e would be released in spring 2026. Just over a year ago, Fixed Focus Digital claimed, contrary to the opinion of many others, that the iPhone SE 4, which has since been released as the iPhone 16e, would use the iPhone 16 casing. This claim turned out to be falseits actually using the iPhone 14 casing. So that Fix Focus Digitals reports for what theyre worth. Apple is expected to release the iPhone 17 models at an event on September 9. Learn more about the iPhone 17 .

Grab this AirPlay 2-enabled Sonos Move 2 for $100 off before prices go up

Macworld Unfortunately, Sonos has announced that it will be raising prices on certain products later this year due to tariffs, but right now, you can get the Sonos Move 2 speaker for one of its very best prices. Instead of shelling out $449 for this portable speaker, you can get it for $349 at Amazon , very close to its all-time low of $336. The Sonos Move 2 is a stellar speaker that promises to deliver a HomePod-level high-fidelity stereo with crispy, clear vocals and detailed instrumentals. Despite its size, this speaker delivers deep and dynamic bass. But the best part is that its completely portable. Youll also get about 24 hours of playback on a single charge, which is quite impressive considering the previous generation barely got half of that. The speaker was also built to survive bumps and shocks, and the IP56 rating means itll survive spills and dust-ups when outside. One of the coolest things is that it comes with AirPlay 2, so you can stream content more easily straight from your Apple device. The Move 2 also comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, or you plug in an auxiliary cable to save battery. So snag the Sonos Move 2 for $349 before the deal expires and the prices go up. Get this awesome portable Sonos speaker for $349 Buy now at Amazon

The best Apple deals: Huge savings on Macs, AirPods, iPhones, and more!

Macworld Whether youre looking to gift an Apple product or just pick one up for yourself, weve scoured the web for the best prices on everything from Macs to MacBooks, iPads to iPhones, Apple Watches to AirPods, and more. Apple rarely discounts its own productseven during its annual Black Friday shopping event , which runs from Black Friday to Cyber Monday it elects to give out gift cards rather than actual price reductions. However third-party retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy run sales all year long. So if you want a new Apple device right now, there are plenty of discounts worth grabbing. In this article, youll find the top discounts weve seen. Plus, for even more deals, weve linked to our dedicated deals round-ups for each product category. Apple does offer year-round discounts to students , including a Back To School event where further-education students can get free AirPods or an Apple Pencil when purchasing certain Apple products from Apple. Theres also the Apple Refurbished Store where you can sometimes grab a bargain. Use the table of contents above to jump to the best deals right now for the Apple product you want to buy. Best AirPods deals You can get AirPods for less than Apples price. Foundry Apples AirPods Pro are due for an update maybe as soon as this fall, but we still recommend grabbing a pair on sale. We are also seeing some good deals on the AirPods 4 with ANC. U.S. Amazon, AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C case) : $169 ($80 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, AirPods 4: $99 ($30 off, MSRP $129) Amazon, AirPods 4 (with ANC): $149 ($30 off, MSRP $179) Amazon, AirPods Max (USB-C) : $480 ($69 off, MSRP $549) U.K. Amazon, AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C case) : 189 (40 off, MSRP 229) Amazon, AirPods (4th gen, ANC, 2024) : 149 (30 off, RRP 179) Best iPhone and accessory deals You can save money on an iPhone if you know where to shop. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry The new iPhone 17 is expected to launch in September 2025, so if you want the newest and best iPhone you may want to wait to see what is in store. If you are looking for a deal right now though, you may find one below. In the U.S. iPhone deals are hard to come by apart from carrier offers for new signups and trade-ins. We recommend checking Verizon , AT&T , and T-Mobiles sites if youre looking to change carriers or add a new line. Apple also offers trade-ins and carrier deals through its website. We also recommend that you look at our round-up of where to get the best iPhone 16 deals in the U.S. which includes the best contract deals. In the U.K., we frequently see Apple-certified resellers discount unlocked iPhones. Look for money off at Amazon , Currys , and Very . We track the best deals for the iPhone 16, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max separately. You can save around 100 per iPhone in the U.K. right now: Amazon iPhone 16e (128GB) : 544 (55 off, RRP 599) Amazon iPhone 16e (256GB) : 799 (100 off, RRP 899) Amazon iPhone 16 (128GB) : 698 (101 off, RRP 799) Amazon iPhone 16 (256GB) : 798 (101 off, RRP 899) Amazon iPhone 16 (512GB) : 998 (101 off, RRP 1,099) Amazon iPhone 16 Plus (512GB) : 1,098 (101, RRP 1,199) Amazon iPhone 16 Pro (128GB) : 899 (100, RRP 999) Amazon iPhone 16 Pro (512GB) : 1,199 (100, RRP 1,299) Amazon iPhone 16 Pro Max (512GB) : 1,299 (100, RRP 1,399) Amazon iPhone 15 (128GB) : 598 (101 off, RRP 699) Amazon iPhone 15 Plus (128GB) : 698 (100 off, RRP 799) Best iPad deals Get more for your money with an on-sale iPad. Dominik Tomaszewski/IDG You can save a decent amount on most iPads, from time to time we see really good discounts, especially on the larger capacity models. There are rumors that the iPad Pro will be updated with M5 chips in the fall of 2025, so you may prefer to wait for that. U.S. Amazon, iPad (A16, 128GB) : $299 ($50 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, iPad mini (128 GB) : $399 ($100 off, MSRP $499) Amazon, 11-inch M3 iPad Air (128GB): $449 ($150 off, MSRP $599) Amazon, 13-inch M3 iPad Air (128GB) : $649 ($150 off, MSRP $799) Amazon, 11-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB) : $895 ($105 off, MSRP $999) Amazon, 13-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB) : $1,099 ($200 off, MSRP $1,299) U.K. Amazon, iPad (A16, 128GB) : 309.97 (20 off, RRP 329) Amazon, iPad (A16, 512GB) : 589.97 (40 off, RRP 629) Amazon, iPad mini (A17 Pro, 128GB) : 453.97 (45 off, RRP 499) Amazon, 11-inch iPad Air (M3, 128GB) : 559.97 (39 off, RRP 599) Amazon, 13-inch iPad Air (M3, 128GB) : 750 (49 off, RRP 799) See our dedicated round-up of the best iPad deals. Best Apple Watch deals Dont pay full price for an Apple Watch. Jason Cross/IDG Apple updates the Apple Watch Series every year, so the Apple Watch Series 11 is due to launch in the fall. The Ultra and SE are also expected to get an update and when they do there may be some big discounts to be had on the older models which Apple will stop selling. U.S. Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm) : $299 ($100 off, MSRP $399) Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm) : $329 ($100 off, MSRP $429) Amazon, Apple Watch SE 2 (40mm) : $169 ($80 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, Apple Watch SE 2 (44mm) : $199 ($80 off, MSRP $279) Amazon, Apple Watch Ultra 2 : $649 ($150 off, MSRP $799) U.K. Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm) : 329 (100 off, MSRP 429) Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm) : 299 (100 off, MSRP 399) See our dedicated round-up of the best Apple Watch deals Best MacBook deals Save money on a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. Foundry Apple released new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4/M4 Pro/M4 Max processors in October 2024 and may be updated with M5 chips in October 2025 read about the new MacBook Pro . The MacBook Air was updated to the M4 chip in March 2025 so we arent expecting the M5 MacBook Air update until the spring of 2026. U.S. Amazon, 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) : $799 ($200 off, MSRP $999) Amazon, 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (512GB) : $999 ($200 off, MSRP $1,199) Amazon, 15-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) : $999 ($200 off, MSRP $1,199) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/16GB RAM, $1,299 ($300 off, MSRP $1,599) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/24GB RAM, $1,699 ($300 off, MSRP $1,999) Amazon, 14-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB RAM, 512GB) : $1,785.07 ($214 off, MSRP $1,999) Amazon, 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB RAM, 512GB) : $2,234.51 ($264 off, MSRP $2,499) Amazon, 16-inch M4 Max MacBook Pro (48GB RAM, 1TB) : $3,561.34 ($437 off, MSRP $3,999) U.K. Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M4 (256GB) 859 (140 off, RRP 999) Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M4 (512GB) 1,051 (148 off, RRP 1,199) Amazon, 15-inch MacBook Air, M4 (256GB) 1,051 (148 off, RRP 1,199) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/16GB RAM, 1,609.97 (184 off, RRP 1,799) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM, 1,749.97 (250 off, RRP 1,999) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/24GB RAM, 2,119.97 (245 off, RRP 2,399) Amazon, M4 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/36GB RAM, 2,845 (354 off, RRP 3,199) Amazon, M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM, 2,199.97 (299 off, RRP 2,499) Amazon, M4 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/48GB RAM, 3,065.97 (434 off, RRP 3,499) See our dedicated round-ups of the best MacBook Pro deals and the best MacBook Air deals . Best Mac desktop deals Grab a deal on an iMac . IDG Apple released the M4 iMac and M4/M4 Pro Mac mini in October 2024. All models now start at 16GB RAM, and the Mac mini has a completely new design with a smaller case and front-facing ports. A new Mac mini and iMac probably wont arrive until 2026, so we recommend taking advantage of any deals right now. U.S. Amazon: M4 Mac mini (256GB) : $549 ($50 off, MSRP $599) Amazon: M4 Mac mini (24GB RAM, 512GB) : $909 ($90 off, MSRP $999) Amazon: M4 Pro Mac mini, 512GB/24GB RAM , $1,265 ($134 off, RRP 1,399) Amazon: M4 iMac (8-core GPU, 256GB): $1,169.65 ($129 off, MSRP $1,299) Amazon: M4 iMac (10-core GPU, 256GB ): $1,347.50 ($151 off, MSRP $1,499) Amazon: M4 iMac (10-Core GPU, 512GB RAM ) $1,542 (157 off, RRP 1,699) U.K. Amazon: M4 Mac mini, 256GB/16GB RAM , 528.98 (70 off, RRP 599) Amazon: M4 Mac mini, 512GB/16GB RAM , 729 (70 off, RRP 799) Amazon: M4 Pro Mac mini, 512GB/24GB RAM , 1,269 (125 off, RRP 1,399) AO: M4 iMac (8-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM ), 1,179 (120 off, RRP 1,299) Amazon: M4 iMac (10-Core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM ), 1,349 (150 off, RRP 1,499) Amazon: M4 iMac (10-Core GPU, 512GB RAM ) 1,550 (130 off, RRP 1,699) For more Mac deals check out our round-up of the best Mac Studio deals and the best Mac mini deals , plus our dedicated round-up of the best iMac deals .

Apple (and everyone else) tells Elon Musk hes wrong about app favoritism

Macworld Apple has insisted it ranks apps based on objective criteria rather than favoritism, contradicting accusations of misconduct by Elon Musk earlier this week. Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, the hotheaded billionaire tweeted on Tuesday, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation. Musk then claimed that his xAI company, which created ChatGPT rival Grok, would take immediate legal action in response. But, as has happened before, users of Musks own site have undermined his claims. Anyone viewing his tweet is now informed, thanks to X/Twitters Community Notes feature, that in fact DeepSeek and Perplexity have both reached the top spot, the latter on the India App Store and the former overall, since the Apple-OpenAI agreement was signed, and preferential treatment might therefore be suspected. Musks own users stepped up to contradict his claims. X/Twitter Unsurprisingly, Sam Altman, the billionaire CEO of OpenAI, also begged to differ, referring to Musks tweet as a remarkable claim given the way Musk is alleged to have manipulated Xs algorithms to favor his own tweets. And when Grok was called upon to settle the dispute, it sided with Altman , citing factual issues with Musks initial claims and pointing to his history of directing X algorithm changes to boost his posts and favor his interests, per 2023 reports. (For the record, Grok has often been wrong and shouldnt be regarded as a reliable source. Its just mildly amusing that even Musks own AI disagreed with him on this occasion.) It might seem unnecessary at this point for Apple to wade into the dispute, but the company chose to email a statement to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who covered the original story . We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria, the company said. Our goal is to offer safe discovery for users and valuable opportunities for developers, collaborating with many to increase app visibility in rapidly evolving categories. It added, Gurman says, that the App Store is designed to be fair and free of bias. Which is an interesting phrasing: why only designed to be fair and free of bias, rather than actually being those things? (Similarly, why only say that safe discovery and valuable opportunities are a goal, rather than something users and developers can rely upon?) While fairness is often an unattainable ideal, one would imagine that bias generally reflects intentionality, and that it should be relatively straightforward to ensure that certain apps are not given preferential treatment. Perhaps Apple wishes to emphasise that objectivity is baked into the system from the ground up: an element of its fundamental design, rather than something which relies on the way its currently run. Regardless of the slight ambiguity of Apples statement (perhaps merely reflecting lawyer-advised caution), its hard to conclude that anyone has been made to look bad by this brief and ugly spat other than Elon Musk himself. Apple may very well have the motive to favor one app maker over another, particularly when its own apps and apps made by its business partners are in the mix, but Musk has failed to make a convincing case that it is doing so. And one would imagine that significantly more evidence will be necessary if the legal action is to succeed.

Best Apple Watch Deals: Dont pay full price for an Apple Watch

Macworld The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch on the market, but its not cheap. Luckily, you dont have to pay full price for an Apple Watch. Resellers frequently offer fantastic deals on all models, including the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch SE 2 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. In this article, we share the best Apple Watch deals you can get right now so you dont have to pay full price. But if youre not sure which is the right model for your needs, take a look at our Best Apple Watch buying guide . We also have a guide to the best Apple deals right now on all Apple products, including MacBook Air deals , MacBook Pro , iMac , Mac mini , iPhone and iPad . Best Apple Watch deals These are the very best Apple Watch deals we are seeing right now on all the different Apple Watches Apple sells. We have deals for U.S. and U.K. below. U.S. Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm) : $299 ($100 off, MSRP $399) Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm) : $329 ($100 off, MSRP $429) Amazon, Apple Watch SE 2 (40mm) : $169 ($80 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, Apple Watch SE 2 (44mm) : $199 ($80 off, MSRP $279) Amazon, Apple Watch Ultra 2 : $649 ($150 off, MSRP $799) U.K. We are not seeing as many deals on the Apple Watches at Amazon U.K, but there are savings on the Series 10. Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm) : 329 (100 off, MSRP 429) Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm) : 299 (100 off, MSRP 399) Use our automated price trackers below to compare prices for the most popular models across various retailers. Best Apple Watch Series 10 deals The Apple Watch 10 (2024 model) starts at $399/399 for the aluminum 41mm version and $429/429 for the 44mm model.Its an extra $100/100 for cellular. It costs the same as the Series 9 did. Apple Watch Series 10, 42mm, from $399/399 Retailer Price $299 View Deal $299 View Deal $299.99 View Deal $399 View Deal $399 View Deal $399 View Deal $429 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Apple Watch Series 10, 46mm, from $429/429 New Refurbished Retailer Price $329 View Deal $329 View Deal $329.99 View Deal $409 View Deal $429 View Deal $429 View Deal $429 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple Watch Series SE 1 (2020) GPS + Cellular 44 mm Aluminium Gold Sport loop Red $146.84 View Deal Apple Watch Series 10 (2024) GPS + Cellular 42 mm Aluminium Rose Gold Sport band Starlight $300 View Deal Apple Watch Series 10 (2024) GPS + Cellular 46 mm Aluminium Rose Gold Sport band Starlight $307.49 View Deal Apple Watch Series 10 (2024) GPS + Cellular 46 mm Aluminium Rose Gold Sport loop Red $413.06 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best Apple Watch Ultra2 deals The Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023 model) starts at $799/799. It comes with cellular. The original Ultra previously sold for $799/849, so the U.K. price is better this time. Apple Watch Ultra 2, from $799/799 New Refurbished Retailer Price $779 View Deal $799 View Deal $799 View Deal $799 View Deal $799.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band Blue $470 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Alpine loop Blue $670 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Black Alpine loop Green $720.61 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best Apple Watch SE (2022)deals The Apple Watch SE (2022 model) starts at $249/219 (was 259) for the 40mm version. Its an extra $50/50 for cellular. New Refurbished Retailer Price $169 View Deal $169.99 View Deal $249 View Deal $249 View Deal $299 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS + Cellular 40 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $119.30 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 40 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $130.49 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 40 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $131.67 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS + Cellular 40 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $131.67 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS + Cellular 40 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band White $138 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 40 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $147.73 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 40 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport loop Starlight $238.14 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices The 44mm version of the Apple Watch SE 2 starts at $279/249 (was 299). New Refurbished Retailer Price $219 View Deal $279 View Deal $279 View Deal $279 View Deal $279.99 View Deal $310 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 44 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $128.97 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 44 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $139.09 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS + Cellular 44 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $169 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 44 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $399 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Discontinued Apple Watches and Refurbished Deals Best Apple Watch Ultra 1 deals The original Apple Watch Ultra was discontinued when the second model launched, but you may still see a deal or two. You can also expect to see refurbished and used models for sale. New Refurbished Retailer Price $799.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Trail loop Black $397 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band Black $426.60 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Alpine loop Green $427.99 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Trail loop Blue $449 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band White $449.39 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Trail loop Yellow $460.09 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band Blue $470 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Alpine loop White $481.49 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band Yellow $526 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Black Alpine loop Green $720.61 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Best Apple Watch Series 9 deals The Apple Watch 9 (2023 model) has been discontinued, but you may still see a deal or two. You can also expect to see refurbished and used models for sale. Apple Watch Series 9, 41mm, was $399/399 New Refurbished Retailer Price $154.99 View Deal $289 View Deal $399.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 41 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $240.87 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 41 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $241 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $246.23 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $256.93 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $257 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 41 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $257.02 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Stainless steel Silver Sport band Blue $264 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band Blue $264.34 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 41 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band Blue $276.69 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Pink Sport band Pink $279 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Apple Watch Series 9, 45mm, was $429/429 New Refurbished Retailer Price $429.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $222.48 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $236 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $246.23 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band Blue $251.58 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $256.93 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $257 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band Blue $264 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $271 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $279 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Best Apple Watch Series 8 deals Its been a couple of years since Apple sold the Series 8, but you can can expect to see refurbished and used models for sale. If the Refurbished tab doesnt work try using Chrome. Apple Watch Series 8, 41mm, was from $399/419 Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Apple Watch Series 8, 45mm, was from $399/419 New Refurbished Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $165 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $181.89 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $183.56 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $189 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $195.99 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $196 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $208.99 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Stainless steel Gold Sport band Starlight $231.99 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Stainless steel Graphite Milanese loop Black $239.59 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Stainless steel Gold Sport band Black $244 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Black $285 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Stainless steel Graphite Sport band Black $383 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Where to buy an Apple Watch If youre simply looking to pick up an Apple Watch regardless of price, there are plenty of stores that sell not only the latest Apple Watch Series, but older variants of the Apple Watch that arent available from Apple any moresome at significant savings, too. Apple Watch buyers in the U.S. can check out the following stores: Apple Amazon Best Buy Costco Target Walmart If youre based in the U.K., you can pick up an Apple Watch from the following retailers: Apple Amazon Argos Carphone Warehouse Currys John Lewis KRCS Very Where to buy an Apple Watch with Cellular Youve also got the option of picking up an Apple Watch with a cellular contract, allowing it to function as a standalone device that doesnt need to be tethered to your phone to make calls and send texts.Amazon and other retailers sell the Apple Watch with cellular and you can usually find discounts on most models, though not as deep as the GPS versions. Here are the sales were tracking this month: All of the major U.S. carriers sell the Apple Watch and offer trade-in deals: T-Mobile Verizon AT&T Carriers in the UK that stock the Apple Watch include: EE O2 Vodafone 3 Best refurbished Apple Watch deals One of the best places to look for Apple Watch deals all year round is the Apple Refurbished Store. There, youll find huge Apple Watch discounts, sometimes even on the latest models. These Apple Watches have been returned to Apple for various reasons, and then completely revamped for resale. One of the major benefits of buying a refurbished Watch from Apple is that it will come with a one-year warranty so Apple may fix or replace it for free should anything happen to it in that first year. In the U.S. you can get an Apple Watch Series 9, either generation of Ultra, or the SE for less than full price. You can, for example, save $120 on a refurbished 2nd-gen Apple Watch Ultra. Get a refurbished Apple Watch at Apple's refurbished store (U.S.) In the U.K. you can save money on an Apple Watch Series 7, 8, or 9, either generation of Ultra, or the Apple Watch SE. For instance, you can save up to 100 on a refurbished Apple Watch 9. Get a refurbished Apple Watch at Apple's refurbished store (U.K.) For more information on this topic, read Should I buy a refurbished Apple Watch? See our roundup of the best Apple Watch bands , as well as our roundup of the best stands and charging docks . Also, note that Apple has left the power adapter out of the box for the Apple Watch Series 6 and later. Read: Which plug do I need for my Apple Watch? If this is your first time buying and using an Apple Watch, weve also got helpful tips on how to use the Apple Watch .