Shortly after increasing the lifetime version of the Plex Plan to $749.99, Plex has now introduced a new five-year option. One charging $249.99 for streaming media from your Mac to your iPhone. Plex logo On July 1 , Plex significantly increased the cost of its Lifetime Plex Plan from $249.99 to a staggering $749.99 . While consumers will have missed the boat to get the old pricing, they can still spend $249.99 on something that's not quite as everlasting. Subscribers can sign up for a new five-year Plex Pass. The new option, offered alongside the monthly $6.99 and annual $69.99 subscriptions, gives users a lengthy period of usage without paying a regular subscription. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
After last week's craziness around Apple's major price hikes, things returned to a bit more of a normal flow this week, with the rumor mill offering up tidbits about the long-rumored touchscreen MacBook, the iPhone 18 lineup, and more. This week also saw minor updates for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS that included a surprising number of security fixes, while a cyberattack at an Apple manufacturing partner has the company concerned about leaked confidential information, so read on below for all the details! Top Stories Apple's OLED 'MacBook Ultra' Will Stick With M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips Last week, Bloomberg reported that Apple will be accelerating development of its M7 family of chips to deliver greater AI-focused capabilities sooner, but it also means Apple will not be releasing M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. That revelation left open the question of which chips Apple is planning on using in its highly anticipated touchscreen "MacBook Ultra" rumored for release late this year or early next year, and Bloomberg now says Apple will be using M5 Pro and M5 Max chips for that product . The news is likely to disappoint some who have been waiting for the new high-end MacBook, considering the M5 Pro and M5 Max have been used in the current MacBook Pro models since March, so the chips could be approaching a year old by the time the MacBook Ultra debuts. For more details on what we're expecting to see in the MacBook Ultra, be sure to check out our guide and recent video overview . As for the base MacBook Pro currently powered by the regular M5 chip, Bloomberg says there is an M6 model coming late this year, with a redesigned M7 model matching the upcoming MacBook Ultra to follow relatively soon after in the first half of 2027. 2027 iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e to Get 9GB RAM and A20 Chip The lower-end iPhone 18 models set to launch in spring 2027 will feature 9GB DRAM , up from 8GB, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. By lower-end iPhones, Kuo is likely referencing the iPhone 18 and the iPhone 18e, both of which are rumored to be coming around March or April of 2027. The report is a bit of a surprise given previous rumors have indicated that at least the iPhone 18 would include 12GB of RAM, and a couple of iOS 27 features unveiled at WWDC last month are only available on iPhone and iPad devices with at least 12GB of RAM . Apple 'Concerned' Over iPhone 18 Pro Data Leak From Supplier Tata In late June, it was revealed that Apple manufacturing partner Tata had been the target of a cyberattack that resulted in confidential documents from Apple and other companies being leaked on the dark web . Apple is unsurprisingly "concerned" about the leak from its Indian manufacturing partner, as the files include detailed information about parts and suppliers for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Some details from the files have been circulating, including a few images and videos, though it appears Apple may be trying to crack down on distribution of the confidential content . iPhone 18 Pro is Just a Few Months Away With These 10 New Features Even aside from the Tata leak, a lot of information is already known about the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which are expected to debut in September, so be sure to check out our overview . Among the most recent leaks are an alleged SIM tray in a dark cherry color that has been rumored for the device, and an alleged diagram of the device's logic board showing a new layout for the A20 Pro chip with the RAM sitting next to the main processor rather than on top of it. Potential buyers should also be prepared for the possibility of a price shock, considering Apple's recent price increases across its iPad and Mac lineups. One market intelligence firm believes Apple could raise prices by up to $200 compared to the current iPhone 17 Pro lineup. Apple Releases iOS 26.5.2 With Security Fixes Apple this week released 26.5.2 updates for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Tahoe , delivering fixes for more than 25 security vulnerabilities . Apple says that it used the releases to deliver the included security fixes sooner than originally planned , as the company seeks to speed up fixes in an age where AI has made it easier and faster to exploit disclosed vulnerabilities. Apple Acquires Award-Winning App 'Play' In February, Apple notified the European Commission that it would be acquiring certain assets from and have the right to hire certain employees from Rabbit 3 Times , the company behind the award-winning app design tool Play. The notification was published on the European Commission's website this week, following a four-month waiting period. Play was a Mac and iPhone app that allowed designers to prototype iPhone app interfaces using Apple's SwiftUI frameworks, and then send them to Xcode. In 2025, the app won an Apple Design Award for innovation, but it is no longer available in the App Store and it is unclear what Apple's plans are for the intellectual property associated with it. 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: 'MacBook Ultra' and iPhone 18 Rumors, iOS 26.5.2 Security Fixes, and More " first appeared on MacRumors.com
With iPhone Air 2 rumored to be less than a year away, Apple could turn to better cooling or more cameras to make the ultra-thin phone even more popular than the original. Here's what's been rumored, and some other possibilities. iPhone Air is a great phone, but the second-generation could be even better Despite what some vocal online detractors say, iPhone Air has its fans. I'm certainly counted among them. Early reports said Apple's thinnest phone was a "failure" and that the second-generation was cancelled. Now that we're three-quarters of the way through the iPhone Air first-year release cycle, it's more evident that the phone isn't a "failure" and a second-generation model is coming. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
