Related coverage
The Abxylute M4 joins the growing trend of tiny iPhone controllers with an excellent concept, but its tiny layout and iPhone placement make it tough to use. Abxylute M4 review: a tiny MagSafe controller I have mixed feelings about the Abxylute M4. It should be the perfect pocketable companion controller for my iPhone. However, multiple problems emerged the first time I picked it up. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
The Detroit Apple Developer Academy's fifth year is underway, with the next generation of iPhone developers joining a program whose expense and success have been questioned. Apple's Detroit Developer Academy is into another year The only developer academy of its kind in North America, the developer academy is a collaboration between Apple, Michigan State University, and the Gilbert Family Foundation. It offers a range of free programs, including the option for a full nine-month learning experience. The Detroit academy is just one of 19 around the world. All of them help students learn how to design and create their apps, with an eye on turning them into full-fledged businesses. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Apple's digital driver's license feature in the Wallet app is set to expand to Virginia, according to a person familiar with the matter. In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature has rolled out to 14 states so far, including Arkansas earlier this week , and it is also available in Puerto Rico. The other states are Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, Georgia, Ohio, Hawaii, California, Iowa, New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Illinois. Now, Apple is preparing for the feature to go live in Virginia, the person said. However, we do not have an exact timeframe for availability. Towards the end of 2025, Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles said it planned to support the Apple Wallet's digital ID feature in the coming months, so hopefully it goes live soon by this point. When the feature goes live, Virginia residents will be able to set it up by opening the Wallet app on the iPhone and tapping on the plus sign in the top-right corner. Next, they will tap on Driver's License and ID Cards, select Virginia from the list once it is added, and follow the on-screen steps to complete the process. Apple Wallet IDs are accepted at TSA checkpoints at hundreds of U.S. airports for domestic travel. Given that Apple Wallet IDs are not accepted by law enforcement, and lack many other use cases, carrying a physical ID is still necessary. If you live in a state that does not yet offer Apple Wallet IDs, you can create a Digital ID based on your U.S. passport , and present it at the same participating TSA checkpoints, for age and identity verification purposes during domestic travel. It is not a replacement for a physical passport, and it cannot be used for international travel. The passport feature requires iOS 26.1 or watchOS 26.1 and later. Tag: Apple Wallet This article, " iPhone Driver's License Feature Set to Expand to a 15th U.S. State " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
OpenAI is developing a smartphone intended to compete directly with the iPhone, in what appears to be a significant departure from the company's previously stated hardware strategy. Here's everything we know so far. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published his findings in late April following supply chain checks, describing the device as an "AI agent phone" built around a continuous, context-aware interface rather than individual apps. Kuo argued that the smartphone is the only device that captures a user's full real-time state, including location, activity, communication, and context, making it uniquely suited to AI agent inference. He said fully controlling both the operating system and the hardware is the only way for OpenAI to deliver a comprehensive AI agent service, and that AI agents will fundamentally shift how people interact with a phone, moving the focus from launching individual apps to completing tasks through a seamless interface. Specifications OpenAI's phone is said to use a customized version of MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 processor, built on TSMC's N2P node in the second half of 2026. Kuo initially named both MediaTek and Qualcomm as chip partners but has since said MediaTek appears "better positioned to become the sole processor supplier." Luxshare Precision Industry is believed to be the exclusive manufacturing partner. Separately, Kuo reported that Sunny Optical has secured component orders for two OpenAI devices, including the smartphone. This is likely for the camera module. The device's headline known hardware specification today is its image signal processor, which includes an enhanced HDR pipeline intended to improve real-world sensing through the camera. It is also said to use two AI processors for handling different tasks simultaneously, such as vision and language processing, along with fast memory and storage and security features to isolate processes. What About Jony Ive's Devices? The phone represents a notable reversal in OpenAI's publicly stated strategy. The company's hardware ambitions had previously been described as centered on non-phone form factors developed with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, whose startup io Products OpenAI acquired for $6.5 billion in May 2025. Ive and CEO Sam Altman had specifically said they did not want to build a device with a screen, with Altman describing a prototype to employees as "the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen." The first product from that collaboration was delayed out of 2026 and has since been identified as a smart speaker with an integrated camera , priced between $200 and $300 and expected to launch in early 2027. Other devices reportedly in development include smart glasses, a smart lamp, and potentially earbuds, though those products are further out on the roadmap and some could be cancelled. OpenAI has also been aggressively recruiting from Apple's hardware ranks, hiring over 40 former Apple employees. The hires include former Apple designers Evans Hankey, Tang Tan, and Scott Cannon, prompting Apple to offer its iPhone Product Design team retention bonuses of up to $400,000 in restricted stock units to counter the poaching. Timeline Mass production of OpenAI's smartphone was originally believed to be targeted for 2028, but Kuo has since revised that expectation to the first half of 2027. The accelerated timeline is said to reflect OpenAI's planned IPO, where a compelling hardware product could strengthen the company's investor narrative, as well as intensifying competition in the AI agent phone category. Kuo projects combined 2027 and 2028 shipments could reach around 30 million units if development stays on track. What Does It Mean for Apple? If the broader hardware lineup ships, OpenAI will be a direct competitor to Apple across several product categories. Apple is rumored to be developing smart glasses, AirPods with cameras, an AI pendant, and a smart home hub with enhanced Siri capabilities. On the day Kuo published his initial report , Altman posted on X that it "feels like a good time to seriously rethink how operating systems and user interfaces are designed." Tag: OpenAI This article, " Everything We Know About OpenAI's Planned iPhone Rival " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
