It wasn't necessarily a surprise given circulating rumors, but the biggest news in the Apple world this week was the announcement that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO, with John Ternus taking over the reins as of September 1. Other recent news included updated details on color options for the iPhone 18 Pro, as well as fresh rumors about the standard iPhone 18 and timing for the launch of the highly anticipated touch screen-equipped MacBook Pro and updated Mac Studio, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! Top Stories Apple CEO Tim Cook Stepping Down, John Ternus Taking Over Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down as chief executive officer , and hardware engineering chief John Ternus is set to take over, Apple announced this week. Cook will continue on as Apple CEO through the summer, with Ternus set to join Apple's Board of Directors and take over as CEO on September 1, 2026. Cook is going to transition to executive chairman, and he will "assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world." In an all-hands meeting for Apple employees following the announcement, Cook said that he remains healthy and that he plans to stay in the executive chairman role "for a long time." Apple's current chip chief Johny Srouji will also be taking on an expanded role as Chief Hardware Officer, adding oversight of the Hardware Engineering group that had reported to John Ternus to his existing responsibilities with Apple's Hardware Technologies group. iPhone 18 Pro's Four Rumored Colors Revealed, Including 'Dark Cherry' A source said to be familiar with Apple's supply chain recently revealed the color options Apple is planning for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max . The information comes from Macworld , which says the signature new color for this year's Pro models will be Dark Cherry, a deep wine-like red. While other sources had previously reported on a "Dark Red" option, the hue is said to be considerably closer to wine than a brighter red. According to Macworld 's source, Apple has been working on four color options for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, with the following Pantone codes said to be in use internally: Light Blue (Pantone 2121), resembling the current iPhone 17's Mist Blue Dark Cherry (Pantone 6076), the headline new color Dark Gray (Pantone 426C) Silver (Pantone 427C), similar to the current generation MacBook Pro With Touch Screen and New Mac Studio Likely 'Postponed' The global memory chip shortage may result in the next MacBook Pro and Mac Studio models launching later than expected , according to the latest rumor. Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman has repeatedly stated that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a touch screen are slated to launch in late 2026 to early 2027. In his Power On newsletter this week, though, he said to be prepared for the laptops to potentially arrive towards the end of that timeframe due to the chip shortage. In other words, early 2027 is now more likely than late 2026. Gurman previously expected a new Mac Studio to launch around the middle of 2026, which pointed towards an announcement around WWDC 2026 in June. However, in his newsletter, he wrote that sources within Apple believe that the next Mac Studio models will not ship until around October this year as a result of the shortage. Leaker: Apple Downgrading iPhone 18 to Cut Costs Apple is downgrading the planned specifications of the standard iPhone 18 to cut costs , a leaker claims. In a new post on Weibo, the user known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said that the iPhone 18 features "certain manufacturing downgrades" that bring it more into line with the low-cost iPhone 18e model. The decision is said to be "a cost-cutting measure" that will "effectively bring it in line with the '18e' model." In follow-up posts, the leaker provided further detail indicating the iPhone 18 is likely to see downgrades to the display and main chip compared to Apple's original plans. iOS 27 Rumored to Drop Support for These iPhone Models iOS 27 will be compatible with the iPhone 12 series and newer , according to Instant Digital, a known Apple leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. If this rumor is accurate, iOS 27 will drop support for the following iPhone models, although they will continue to receive iOS 26 security updates for at least a few years: iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone SE (2nd generation) macOS 27 Will Mark the End of an Era During its Platforms State of the Union segment at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that macOS 26 Tahoe is the final major macOS version for Intel-based Macs . The upcoming macOS 27 release will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs only, meaning that you will need a Mac with an M-series chip or a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip in order to install the software update. macOS 27 should be available in beta starting in June, and the update will likely be widely released in September. MacRumors Newsletter Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view. So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter ! Tag: Top Stories This article, " Top Stories: Tim Cook Stepping Down, iPhone 18 Pro Colors, and More " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple is planning to start showing ads in the Apple Maps app this summer, and signs of ads have already shown up in the iOS 26.5 beta as Apple prepares to roll them out. Where Ads Show Up Ads will be displayed in the ‌Apple Maps‌ search interface. Depending on the search, relevant ads will be shown first in search results. Apple is also implementing a new Suggested Places feature in Maps that will show recommendations based on what's trending nearby and the user's recent searches. Suggested Places The Maps app is getting a Suggested Places feature that recommends locations to visit based on trending places that are around you and your recent Maps searches. Ads will be shown in Suggested Places. No Opt-Out Similar to ads in the App Store , there will be no option to turn off ads in ‌Apple Maps‌. Ads will be displayed for all users in the U.S. and Canada. Countries Ads will be shown in ‌Apple Maps‌ in the United States and Canada first, and could expand to other countries in the future. Platforms Ads will be displayed in the Maps app on iPhone and iPad . What Ads Look Like Apple says that ads in Maps will be clearly marked as ads with an "Ad" label, similar to how ads show up in the ‌App Store‌ search results. Businesses will be able to bid for ad placement, which is how ads in the ‌App Store‌ work. The highest bidder for a given term will have their ad shown in the app. Privacy Your location and ads that you see and interact with in the Maps app are not associated with your Apple Account, and the data is not shared with third parties. Beta Testing Apple is laying the groundwork for Maps ads in the iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 betas. There's an ads splash screen in the Maps app along with underlying ad code, but ads are not yet live. Launch Date Apple only said "summer" for the ads launch. "Summer" in the Northern Hemisphere starts on June 21 and ends on September 22. iOS 26.5 is likely to launch in late May or early June, and it's possible ads will be tied to the update. Tag: Apple Maps This article, " Ads Are Coming to Apple Maps This Summer: Here's What to Expect " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
X today launched XChat , a standalone messaging app for the iPhone and iPad , available now on the App Store . XChat allows users to chat with anyone on X in a private, focused space separate from the main X app. At launch, the app supports direct messaging and group chats, audio and video calls, and file sharing. X claims all messages are end-to-end encrypted and PIN protected, with no ads or tracking. Other features include disappearing messages, the ability to edit and delete messages for everyone in a chat, and a mechanism to block or alert users when a screenshot is attempted. The app is free to download and requires iOS 26.0 or later. Chat with anyone on X. Completely private. Now on your home screen. Download for iOS: https://t.co/wBBfjJyJmu pic.twitter.com/u0QeGs1Z3D — XChat (@chat) April 24, 2026 The app has been in testing with a small group of beta users since last year. X says more updates are still planned, with X lead designer Benji Taylor teasing that XChat is "just the beginning of what we're building for messaging." Unlike the main X app, XChat adopts iOS 26 design conventions, including the ‌iOS 26‌ keyboard. The app offers several customization options, including light and dark modes, message permissions, left-swipe interaction settings, and a selection of app icon options. There is also a prominent button within XChat for jumping back to the main X app. XChat can now be downloaded from the App Store in the United States. A release date for an Android version of the app has not yet been announced. Tag: Twitter This article, " XChat App Now Available " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
