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With Apple preparing to unveil iOS 27 and related updates at WWDC in just under a month, iOS 26.5 and friends are now right around the corner with some minor tweaks before we get our first look at the next major update. This week also saw Apple making more changes to its Mac mini and Mac Studio offerings amid product shortages, while the company is weighing how it can meet strong demand for the new MacBook Neo, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! Top Stories Apple Says iOS 26.5 Adds Three New Features to Your iPhone iOS 26.5 includes three new features for iPhones, according to Apple's release notes for the update , which is expected to be released next week. As discovered during beta testing, iOS 26.5 enables end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging between iOS and Android devices. Apple says this security upgrade is limited to supported carriers around the world and will continue to roll out. The second new feature added in iOS 26.5 is "Suggested Places" in Apple Maps. This section of the app provides recommendations based on your location and recent searches, and it will start showing ads in the U.S. and Canada later this year. Third, a new Pride Luminance wallpaper that "dynamically refracts a spectrum of colors" is available to download on iPhones and iPads running iOS 26.5 or iPadOS 26.5. Released alongside a new Pride Edition Sport Loop and Pride Luminance watch face, Apple says the wallpaper celebrates LGBTQ+ communities around the world. Why You Might Want to Wait to Buy a MacBook Pro Apple refreshed the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max models in March 2026, but depending on your needs and interests, you might want to skip this generation because there's something better in the works. The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models have faster chips, but the same design that Apple has used since 2021. An updated design with new display technology and faster performance is coming in late 2026 or early 2027. Check out our overview of everything rumored for this upcoming "MacBook Ultra." Apple Stops Selling Mac Mini With 256GB of Storage, Starting Price Rises to $799 Apple last week stopped offering a 256GB storage option for the Mac mini worldwide . As a result, the desktop computer now has a higher starting price. In the U.S., for example, the Mac mini now starts at $799 with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, whereas it previously started at $599 with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Apple is also continuing to cut other configurations of the Mac mini and Mac Studio as the company has been hit by related issues of memory shortages throughout the industry amid strong demand from customers looking to use these machines for AI-related purposes. Apple Was Caught Off Guard by MacBook Neo's 'Off the Charts' Demand Apple's most affordable MacBook ever appears to be a resounding hit with customers, based on comments shared by CEO Tim Cook last week. On an earnings call last Thursday, Cook said that customer response to the MacBook Neo has been "off the charts" since the laptop was unveiled in March. "We could not be happier with how things are going at the moment," he said. Apple has been struggling to meet customer demand for new laptop, and the company is said to be running out the A18 Pro chips used to power them. With Apple rumored to be considering ordering another run of the chips that will add to the cost, plus rising memory costs, tech columnist Tim Culpan believes Apple could be considering dropping the entry-level $599 configuration of the MacBook Neo and perhaps offering it in some additional colors . iPhone 18 Pro Rumored to Keep Aluminum Finish Amid Durability Complaints The iPhone 18 Pro will reportedly carry over the same anodized aluminum finish introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro, despite concerns from some users about its durability. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital," surface chipping on the iPhone 17 Pro has become a common complaint, and that users who have sought recourse from Apple have been told they cannot claim it, with the company classifying the issue as an inherent characteristic of the aluminum alloy material and normal wear and tear. Crucially, they added that the iPhone 18 Pro will "continue to utilize this same design approach" despite its weaknesses. Separately, a fresh leak of a CAD render for the iPhone 18 Pro lends support to circulating rumors of a smaller Dynamic Island. iPhone 18 Might Look a Lot More Like an 'e' Model, Leaker Claims The standard iPhone 18 and the lower-cost iPhone 18e are said to share components , according to the leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital," as further evidence that Apple is narrowing the gap between the two devices. In recent posts on Weibo, Fixed Focus Digital said that certain parts are interchangeable between the two models, adding that the information originates from a reliable manufacturing source. The leaker described the component overlap as confirmation that the specification convergence between the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e is real and measurable at the supply chain level. "Take it from me: The standard iPhone 18 model has been downgraded and its launch delayed—this decision is final and will not change," they added. 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: iOS 26.5 Coming Soon, Goodbye $599 Mac Mini, and More " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple is developing a wearable AI device that's been described as a pin or pendant, and that could compete with a similar AI product coming from OpenAI's Jony Ive. It wasn't clear if the wearable would actually make it to launch because Apple sometimes cancels projects, but it is still in the works and could come as soon as next year. 1. It'll Look Like an AirTag Apple's design plans could change, but rumors suggest the device is a pin or pendant that looks similar to an AirTag . It's been described as having a thin, flat, circular disc shape, with an aluminum and glass shell. A physical control button is included on one edge. Apple wants the final version of the device to be about the same size as an ‌AirTag‌, but because of the hardware inside, it could be thicker. It sounds like the wearable will be versatile. It could have a clip to attach to clothing like a pin, but there's also supposedly a hole in the device so it can be worn as a necklace. Rumors have referred to it as both a pin and a pendant. 2. There Will Be Cameras Apple's AI wearable is going to have at least one camera, but rumors are mixed on exactly what the camera will be used for. Bloomberg says the pin will have a low-resolution camera that gives it info about its surroundings rather than a camera for capturing photos and videos. The camera will be always-on and processing visual data, but users will not be able to use it for images. The Information reports there will be two front cameras, one with a standard lens and one with a wide-angle lens for capturing photos and videos. Apple's AI device will rely heavily on Visual Intelligence , which is currently an iPhone feature that uses the camera to provide users with more information about places and objects around them. 3. Siri is the Brain Rumors have described Apple's wearable as an AI pin or pendant, because it's going to be reliant on artificial intelligence. It's one of several AI-equipped devices that Apple is working on, and it will give wearers a way to interface with Siri without having to use an iPhone. The camera on the pin will give ‌Siri‌ insight, and ‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about what the wearer is looking at or the wearer's surroundings. Apple is planning to completely overhaul ‌Siri‌ in iOS 27 , turning the personal assistant into a much smarter chatbot on par with Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT. 4. iPhone Required While the AI wearable will have a chip inside, it will be a smaller chip that's similar to the H2 in the AirPods. It won't use a high-powered chip, and most processing will need to be done on the iPhone. The pin is not meant to be a standalone device, and it will instead be marketed as an iPhone accessory. 5. It'll Listen, But Might Not Talk Back To listen for voice requests and to pick up sounds around the wearer, the AI pin will have a microphone. Apple has not yet decided whether to add a speaker for back-and-forth ‌Siri‌ conversations and audio playback. If there's no speaker, responses might be directed to the wearer on the iPhone, Apple Watch, or AirPods. Release Date Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman said this week that the AI wearable could see a launch as soon as 2027. Related Roundup: AirTag Tag: Apple AI Pin Buyer's Guide: AirTag (Buy Now) This article, " Apple's AirTag-Sized AI Pendant: Five Features Rumored So Far " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
With watchOS 26.5, Apple is introducing a Pride Luminance face, and it's one of the most versatile and customizable watch faces. There are pre-configured color options, but the face also supports custom colors. You can select 1 to 12 colors from a palette that has every color of the rainbow, some in-between shades, and black, white, brown, and gray. The colors you pick are distributed across the watch face in a gradient, available in either radial or linear styles. The first style looks like a starburst, while the second style is a series of rectangular lines. The dial can be set to Rectangle for edge-to-edge color, or Circle for a smaller dial that supports four complications. As with most of Apple's faces, the Luminance face is animated. When the wrist is down, it shrinks into slim lines of color on a black background, but when the wrist is raised, the full color palette is displayed. Colors will also shift slowly. Apple's pre-selected colors represent different Pride flag colors, but with the deep customization options, the Pride Luminance face can match clothing, show off support for sports teams, or just display your favorite colors. iOS 26.5 also has a matching Pride Luminance Wallpaper option that can be customized in the same way. You can choose up to 12 colors for the Lock Screen and Home Screen . On the Lock Screen, the colors collapse onto a black background when the device is locked. To get the new watch face, you need iOS 26.5 and watchOS 26.5. Apple has released RCs, and the public versions of the updates are expected as soon as next week. Related Roundup: watchOS 26 Related Forum: Apple Watch This article, " A Closer Look at watchOS 26.5's New Luminance Watch Face " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
While not too much has been reported about the next Apple Watch models, there are a few rumors about potential design changes and watchOS 27 features. Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 models are expected to be released in September, and we have outlined some of the key rumored hardware and software changes below. A new Apple Watch SE is not expected this year, as that model was just updated last year and it typically goes two to three years between refreshes. Apple will unveil watchOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on Monday, June 8 , and a developer beta will likely be available immediately afterwards. A public beta typically follows in July, and the update should be widely released in September. Touch ID Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 , according to internal Apple software code that leaked online last year. Touch ID would likely be built into the Apple Watch's side button, enabling users to unlock the device with their fingerprint instead of a passcode. Even though new Touch ID references were discovered within the code, there is no guarantee that Apple will move forward with this plan either this year or ever. In addition, credible sources such as Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman and Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have yet to mention Touch ID coming to the Apple Watch this year. New Chips After One-Year Hiatus While the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3 all contain the same S10 chip as the previous year's models, the leaked Apple code indicated that the Series 12 and Ultra 4 will get a new chip . It is unclear if the chip will have S11 or S12 branding, but performance improvements are expected either way. New Modular Watch Face watchOS 27 will reportedly include new watch faces, including a variant of the "Modular Ultra" watch face that is currently exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra. New Apple Intelligence Features On watchOS 26, the following Apple Intelligence features are available on an Apple Watch when it is paired with an iPhone 15 Pro or newer: Workout Buddy Live Translation in Messages Notification Summaries When it announced the dates for WWDC 2026, Apple promised to unveil "AI advancements" across its platforms, and it can be reasonably assumed that watchOS 27 will include some additional Apple Intelligence features powered by the iPhone. New Satellite Features Apple Watch Ultra 3 has built-in satellite connectivity, enabling Emergency SOS, Find My, and Messages via satellite without any reliance on an iPhone. iOS 27 will reportedly include up to five new satellite features , and the following two would likely extend to watchOS 27: Apple Maps via satellite Photos support for Messages via satellite Amazon last month announced plans to acquire Globalstar , the satellite company that powers Apple's satellite features on the iPhone 14 and newer and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. In turn, Amazon announced that it has signed an agreement with Apple to provide satellite connectivity for current and future iPhone and Apple Watch features. Related Roundups: Apple Watch 11 , Apple Watch Ultra 3 , watchOS 26 Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution) , Apple Watch Ultra (Neutral) Related Forum: Apple Watch This article, " Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: What to Expect Later This Year " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
