Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of testing out the reMarkable Paper Pro. You can read my full review here, but in short, it gets everything right about the note taking experience. Despite being an e-ink tablet, it does get quite pricey. However, there are certainly some fantastic parts of the experience that make it worth comparing to an iPad Air, depending on what you’re looking for in a note taking device for school, work, or whatever else. Updated June 15th to reflect reMarkable’s new post-tariff pricing. Overview Since the reMarkable Paper Pro comes in at $679 with the reMarkable Marker Plus included, it likely makes most sense to compare this against Apple’s iPad Air 11-inch. That comes in at $599 without an Apple Pencil, and adding in the Apple Pencil Pro will run you an additional $129. The equivalent iPad setup will run you $50 more than the reMarkable Paper Pro. Given the fact that iPad Air‘s regularly go on sale, it’d be fair to say they’re roughly on the same playing field. So, $679 for a reMarkable Paper Pro setup, versus $728 for a comparable iPad Air setup. Which is better for you? Obviously, the iPad Air has one key advantage: It runs iOS, has millions of apps available, can browse the web, play games, stream TV shows/movies, and much more. To some, that might end the comparison and make the iPad a clear winner, but I disagree. Yes, if you want your tablet to do all of those things for you, the iPad Air is a no brainer. At the end of the day, the iPad Air is a general purpose tablet that’ll do a lot more for you. However, if you also have a laptop to accompany your tablet, I’d argue that the iPad Air may fall into a category of slight redundance. Most things you’d want to do on the iPad can be done on a laptop, excluding any sort of touchscreen/stylus reliant features. iPads are great, and if you want that – you should pick that. However, I have an alternative argument to offer… The reMarkable Paper Pro does one thing really well: note taking. At first thought, you might think: why would I pay so much for a device that only does one thing? Well, that’s because it does that one thing really well. There’s also a second side to this argument: focus. It’s much easier to focus on what you’re doing when the device isn’t capable of anything else. If you’re taking notes while studying, you could easily see a notification or have the temptation to check notification center. Or, if you’re reading an e-book, you could easily choose to swipe up and get into another app. The best thing about the reMarkable Paper Pro is that you can’t easily get lost in the world of modern technology, while still having important technological features like cloud backup of your notes. Plus, you don’t have to worry about carrying around physical paper. One last thing – the reMarkable Paper Pro also has rubber feet on the back, so if you place it down flat on a table caseless, you don’t have to worry about scratching it up. Spec comparison Here’s a quick rundown of all of the key specs between the two devices. reMarkable Paper Pro‘s strengths definitely lie in battery, form factor, and stylus. iPad has some rather neat features with the Apple Pencil Pro, and also clears in the display category. Both devices also offer keyboards for typed notes, though only the iPad offers a trackpad. Display– 10.9-inch LCD display– Glossy glass– 2360 × 1640 at 264 ppi– 11.8-inch Color e-ink display– Paper-feeling textured glass– 2160 × 1620 at 229 ppiHardware– 6.1mm thin– Anodized aluminum coating– Weighs 461g w/o Pencil Pro– 5.1mm thin– Textured aluminum edges– Weighs 360g w/ Marker attachedStylus– Magnetically charges from device– Supports tilt/pressure sensitivity– Low latency (number unspecified)– Matte plastic build– Squeeze features, double tap gestures– Magnetically charges from device– Supports tilt/pressure sensitivity– Ultra-low latency (12ms)– Premium textured aluminum build– Built in eraser on the bottomBattery life– Up to 10 hours of web browsing– Recharges to 100% in 2-3 hrs– Up to 14 days of typical usage– Fast charges to 90% in 90 minsPrice– $599 ($529 on sale) for iPad Air– $129 ($99 on sale) for Pencil Pro– $679 bundled with Marker Plus Wrap up All in all, I’m not going to try to convince anyone that wanted to buy an iPad that they should buy a reMarkable Paper Pro. You can’t beat the fact that the iPad Air will do a lot more, for roughly the same cost. But, if you’re not buying this to be a primary computing device, I’d argue that the reMarkable Paper Pro is a worthy alternative, especially if you really just want something you can zone in on. The reMarkable Paper Pro feels a lot nicer to write on, has substantially longer battery life, and really masters a minimalist form of digital note taking. Buy M3 iPad Air on Amazon: Buy reMarkable Paper Pro on Amazon: What do you think of these two tablets? Let us know in the comments. My favorite Apple accessory recommendations: Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Scammers are using AI tools to create increasingly convincing ways to trick victims into sending money, and to access the personal information needed to commit identity theft. Deepfakes mean they can impersonate the voice of a friend or family member, and even fake a video call with them! The result can be criminals taking out thousands of dollars worth of loans or credit card debt in your name. Fortunately there are steps you can take to protect yourself against even the most sophisticated scams. Here are the security and privacy checks to run to ensure you are safe … 9to5Mac is brought to by Incogni: Protect your personal info from prying eyes. With Incogni, you can scrub your deeply sensitive information from data brokers across the web, including people search sites. Incogni limits your phone number, address, email, SSN, and more from circulating. Fight back against unwanted data brokers with a 30-day money back guarantee. Use a password manager At one time, the advice might have read “use strong, unique passwords for each website and app you use” – but these days we all use so many that this is only possible if we use a password manager. This is a super-easy step to take, thanks to the Passwords app on Apple devices. Each time you register for a new service, use the Passwords app (or your own preferred password manager) to set and store the password. Replace older passwords You probably created some accounts back in the days when password rules were much less strict, meaning you now have some weak passwords that are vulnerable to attack. If you’ve been online since before the days of password managers, you probably even some passwords you’ve used on more than one website. This is a huge risk, as it means your security is only as good as the least-secure website you use. What happens is attackers break into a poorly-secured website, grab all the logins, then they use automated software to try those same logins on hundreds of different websites. If you’ve re-used a password, they now have access to your accounts on all the sites where you used it. Use the password change feature to update your older passwords, starting with the most important ones – the ones that would put you most at risk if your account where compromised. As an absolute minimum, ensure you have strong, unique passwords for all financial services, as well as other critical ones like Apple, Google, and Amazon accounts. Make sure you include any accounts which have already been compromised! You can identify these by putting your email address into Have I Been Pwned. Use passkeys where possible Passwords are gradually being replaced by passkeys. While the difference might seem small in terms of how you login, there’s a huge difference in the security they provide. With a passkey, a website or app doesn’t ask for a password, it instead asks your device to verify your identity. Your device uses Face ID or Touch ID to do so, then confirms that you are who you claim to be. Crucially, it doesn’t send a password back to the service, so there’s no way for this to be hacked – all the service sees is confirmation that you successfully passed biometric authentication on your device. Use two-factor authentication A growing number of accounts allow you to use two-factor authentication (2FA). This means that even if an attacker got your login details, they still wouldn’t be able to access your account. 2FA works by demanding a rolling code whenever you login. These can be sent by text message, but we strongly advise against this, as it leaves you vulnerable to SIM-swap attacks, which are becoming increasingly common. In particular, never use text-based 2FA for financial services accounts. Instead, select the option to use an authenticator app. A QR code will be displayed which you scan in the app, adding that service to your device. Next time you login, you just open the app to see a 6-digit rolling code which you’ll need to enter to login. This feature is built into the Passwords app, or you can use a separate one like Google Authenticator. Check last-login details Some services, like banking apps, will display the date and time of your last successful login. Get into the habit of checking this each time you login, as it can provide a warning that your account has been compromised. Use a VPN service for public Wi-Fi hotspots Anytime you use a public Wi-Fi hotspot, you are at risk from what’s known as a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack. This is where someone uses a small device which uses the same name as a public Wi-Fi hotspot so that people connect to it. Once you do, they can monitor your internet traffic. Almost all modern websites use HTTPS, which provides an encrypted connection that makes MitM attacks less dangerous than they used to be. All the same, the exploit can expose you to a number of security and privacy risks, so using a VPN is still highly advisable. Always choose a respected VPN company, ideally one which keeps no logs and subjects itself to independent audits. I use NordVPN for this reason. Don’t disclose personal info to AI chatbots AI chatbots typically use their conversations with users as training material, meaning anything you say or type could end up in their database, and could potentially be regurgitated when answering another user’s question. Never reveal any personal information you wouldn’t want on the internet. Consider data removal It’s likely that much of your personal information has already been collected by data brokers. Your email address and phone number can be used for spam, which is annoying enough, but they can also be used by scammers. For this reason, you might want to scrub your data from as many broker services as possible. You can do this yourself, or use a service like Incogni to do it for you. Triple-check requests for money Finally, if anyone asks you to send them money, be immediately on the alert. Even if seems to be a friend, family member, or your boss, never take it on trust. Always contact them via a different, known communication channel. If they emailed you, phone them. If they phoned you, message or email them. Some people go as far as agreeing codewords with family members to use if they ever really do need emergency help. If anyone asks you to buy gift cards and send the numbers to them, it’s a scam 100% of the time. Requests to use money transfer services are also generally scams unless it’s something you arranged in advance. Even if you are expecting to send someone money, be alert for claims that they have changed their bank account. This is almost always a scam. Again, contact them via a different, known comms channel. Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Rumors strongly suggest that Apple will be overhauling the MacBook Pro in 2026, marking five years since the previous redesign that we know and love today. There are three key rumors to follow with this redesigned MacBook Pro, and we’ll be delving into them here. OLED display After debuting in the iPad Pro in 2024, Apple is expected to introduce OLED display technology to the MacBook Pro for the very first time with the redesign in 2026. This’ll provide higher brightness, better contrast ratios, and nicer colors to the MacBook Pro lineup for the very first time. Plus, according to TheElec, Apple will be using the same Tandem OLED display tech as the aforementioned iPad Pro: The OLED MacBook Air is also expected to get a standard single-stack display, rather than the more sophisticated Two-Stack Tandem displays we reported on for the MacBook Pro. Single-stack displays have one red, green and blue layer, while two-stack tandem OLED has a second RGB layer. Two layers stacked in tandem increases the brightness of the screen, while also increasing longevity. While transitioning to OLED, Apple may also ditch the notch, in favor of a smaller camera hole cutout. This information comes from Omdia, who describes it as a “rounded corner + hole cut.” The report doesn’t specify whether or not it’ll be a single hole punch, or something more similar to Dynamic Island on the iPhone. Either way, there won’t be as chunky of a cutout in your MacBook Pro display once the redesign arrives. Thinner design According to Bloomberg, Apple will be adopting a new, thinner design with the 2026 MacBook Pro. There aren’t many other details specified, so it’s unclear if the overall chassis design will change: Though Apple has continued to enhance the product with new chips and other internal improvements, the MacBook Pro probably won’t get another true overhaul until 2026. The company had once hoped to release this new version in 2025 — with a thinner design and a move to crisper OLED screens — but there were delays related to the display technology. Cutting-edge M6 chip Apple will also debut the M6 family of chips in this new MacBook Pro redesign. Currently, M6 is anticipated to be the first generation of Apple Silicon to adopt TSMC’s 2nm technology, alongside the A20 chip for iPhone. As per usual, we should see M6, M6 Pro, and M6 Max versions of the MacBook Pro, in both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. With a new process node, we should see noticeable performance and efficiency gains. Wrap up Overall, the biggest feature of this upgrade is certainly the fact that the MacBook Pro will be adopting OLED. That said, I’ll certainly appreciate the thinner design – particularly on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which currently comes in at 4.7 pounds. In case you aren’t too fond of waiting around a year and a half to buy a new MacBook Pro, there are some good discounts on the current M4 MacBook Pro models now that they’re around halfway through their lifespan. You can pick up an M4 14-inch for $1429, an M4 Pro 14-inch for $1779, or an M4 Pro 16-inch for $2249. These are all around $200 off compared to their typical prices. My favorite Apple accessory recommendations: Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Have you ever wanted a medicine tracker that keeps you motivated, is interactive, and fun to use? Pill Buddy is the answer for you. Designed by a former Duolingo Product Manager, Pill Buddy truly encapsulates everything engaging and applies it to yet another pesky chore: medicine. Top features Pill Buddy has all of the basic features you’d expect in a medicine tracking app. You can log your medicines, receive reminders, and keep track of everything from convenient home screen widgets. Pill Buddy actually takes reminders a step further, and has an option to give you an actual phone call when you need it. Beyond the basics, Pill Buddy has a number of features to keep you hooked. For one, you have a personal mascot in the app. When you keep on track with your doses, you earn stars (which can be used to buy items to personalize your mascot). When you miss a dose (or continually do so), your mascot will look sad. If you stay on top of things though, you’ll build a streak – all while continuing to earn stars for your mascot. It’s meant to feel personal, motivating, and fun. Pill Buddy also lets you customize your schedule for each medicine while you’re setting it up, so the app adopts to your needs. Pill Buddy is available for free on the App Store for iPhones running iOS 18.1 or later. It’s also available on macOS and visionOS as an iOS app. The app has no ads. The developer, Kai, left his full time job at Duolingo to pursue indie development as a full-time gig – so if this app is something you’ve been looking for, give it a go! You can also check out the apps website here. My favorite Apple accessory recommendations: Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

If you’ve recently found your Mail app stuck on a blank white screen, you’re not alone. It’s been happening to my girlfriend, to my mom, and to quite a few thousand people around the world. Here are a few workarounds. No Mail for you Over the past few days, a growing number of iPhone users have reported that the Mail app displays a blank screen upon opening, becomes unresponsive, or crashes unexpectedly. This issue appears to affect various iPhone models, suggesting it is a software-related problem tied to iOS 18.5. Apple has yet to acknowledge the issue. Interestingly, while iOS 18.5 was released last month, widespread reports of this Mail app issue have only surfaced recently. Users across platforms like Reddit, Apple Support Communities and MacRumors have been sharing their experiences, indicating that the problem isn’t isolated. Temporary workarounds While there’s no official fix yet, some users have found temporary solutions, including restarting the iPhone, force-closing the Mail app, disabling keyboard auto-correction and smart punctuation, and reinstalling the Mail app. However, these solutions are not permanent, and the problem often recurs. Nothing from Apple As of now, Apple has not officially acknowledged the issue. The company’s System Status page does not indicate any problems with the Mail app either, and there has been no official communication regarding a fix. In situations like this, Apple usually waits until it has a bug fix roadmap before it says anything. Still, we asked Apple about it, and will update this post if they respond. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Today, Meta shared (via The Verge) a few new details about Aria Gen 2, its next-generation experimental smart glasses. While they’re still not meant for consumers, the hardware show just how fast Meta is moving and how far ahead it is thinking when it comes to the future of wearables, AI, and spatial computing. It also signals how quickly Apple will have to work if it really intends to do more than simply try to catch up. Again. Aria Gen 2 Designed as a research platform for augmented reality, AI, and robotics, Aria Gen 2 packs a full eye-tracking system that monitors “gaze per eye, vergence point, blink detection, pupil center estimation, pupil diameter, corneal center, etc.” It also features multiple computer vision cameras that enable 3D hand and object tracking, which Meta says is precise enough to train robotic hands. Interestingly, Apple has just published a study on this subject. Inside the nosepad, there’s a PPG heart rate sensor (like the Apple Watch) and a contact microphone that improves audio capture in loud environments. And unlike the Aria Gen 1, the frame folds. It is also lighter than before, and available in eight sizes “accounting for a number of human factors including head breadth and nose bridge variation.” Other hardware includes: 12 MP RGB camera 7 spatial microphones Ambient light sensor Accelerometer and gyroscope Stereo speakers USB-C port Meta calls Aria Gen 2 a “testbed,” and it sure looks more like a pair of computer glasses, rather than just… glasses. But it’s hard to look at this device and not foresee people wearing something like this in real life sooner rather than later. Open vs. private prototyping As Meta iterates in public (yes, with bulky, expensive and commercially unviable prototypes), Apple is reportedly aiming to enter this space by the end of next year. Per Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Tim Cook is “hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can.” Whether Apple will actually succeed in leapfrogging Meta and launch an industry-leading product remains to be seen. But much like with AI, Apple’s biggest challenge will be to move fast enough not to let cutting-edge tech become obsolete before (or rather, if) it finally hits the market. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Nintendo Switch 2 has now officially released and is available for purchase online (or will be very soon – midnight ET). Years in the making, and years of waiting, it has finally happened and the next-generation of Nintendo gaming is now out in the wild. If you’re not picking up your pre-order in-store, waiting for it to land on your doorstep tomorrow morning, or lining up to buy one on location right now, Walmart and others now have the new console up for sale! Walmart will be your best source to buy one tonight: Walmart – Nintendo Switch 2 launch Nintendo Switch 2 releases today – now available for purchase If the late April pre-orders of Nintendo’s new console are any indication, and they likely are, Walmart is going to be your best bet to actually score one. It seemingly had the highest number of consoles up for grabs online back in April and might very well again for launch.  That said, Target, GameStop, Costco, and Walmart are all confirmed to have more units available online tonight and tomorrow at this point, so you should have a good chance at scoring one before the work week is out.  We have done everything in our power to surface all of the details on each retailer for folks, and while we aren’t sure exactly what time Target and Costco will go live today and tomorrow (June 5 and 6), we will be monitoring listings all night and all day to make sure you get one. Chances are the major retailers are going to go out of stock pretty quickly tonight, and but we might very well get another blast of units going up for sale for a limited time through the early hours of the morning and through the day.  And you’ll also want to keep in mind that Target has confirmed its online listings will only be available on June 6 (as opposed to tonight). You’ll want to be ready at midnight ET on June 6 for these – although we will be monitoring Target tonight as well just in case.  Switch 2 at Walmart – midnight ET June 5 Walmart – Nintendo Switch 2 launch Switch 2 at GameStop – midnight ET June 5 GameStop – Nintendo Switch 2 launch Switch 2 at Target – midnight ET on June 6 Target – Nintendo Switch 2 launch Switch 2 at Costco – Online (time unknkown) Costco – Switch 2 launch Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle Switch 2 at Best Buy – In-store only midnight June 5 Best Buy – Nintendo Switch 2 launch Switch 2 at Amazon – ??? Amazon – Nintendo Switch 2 launch (TBD) For those of you looking to land some Switch 2 games tonight, you’ll find an updated list of the top titles, including both day 1 titles and those releasing later this year, you can scoop up at retail right now below: Donkey Kong Bananza $69 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Mario Kart World $79 Walmart | Best Buy | Target The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition $79 Walmart | Best Buy | Target The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildSwitch 2 Edition $69 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 Edition $80 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Kirby and The Forgotten Land Switch 2 Edition $79 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Street Fighter 6 $60 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Sonic x Shadow Generations $50 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Split Fiction $50 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster $40 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition $60 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Hogwarts Legacy $60 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition $69 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion $70 Walmart | Best Buy | Target Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma $70 Walmart | Best Buy | Target No Sleep For Kaname Date $50 Walmart | Best Buy | Target FTC: 9to5Toys is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!

Following the breakout success of ‘Your Friends and Neighbors’, which stars Jon Hamm and wrapped its first season last week, Apple has extended its deal with showrunner Jonathan Tropper, Deadline reports. Three-time Apple signee Apple TV+ first partnered with Tropper back in 2019, when he served as executive producer and showrunner for See, one of the platform’s launch titles. Since then he’s quietly become one of the most prolific creators on Apple TV+, with two active series and two high-profile films currently in the pipeline. Under the terms of this latest multi-year extension, he’ll continue developing and producing original content for Apple through his production company, Tropper Ink. Here’s Tropper: “Working with the entire team at Apple continues to be the single most creatively fulfilling collaboration of my career, and I’m looking forward to bringing Lucky and other new projects to the platform, while making more seasons of Your Friends & Neighbors” Breakout success According to Nielsen sampling data, Your Friends and Neighbors is the most-watched new Apple drama series of the year, based on first-month viewership across U.S. households. It’s also on track to break into the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 for the first time, a rare feat for a newer Apple TV+ original. Notably, Apple had already seen the breakout coming: the show was renewed for a second season back in November, months before it even premiered. Season 2 is currently in production. Up next Coming up next from Tropper: Lucky, a limited series starring Anya Taylor-Joy (The Gorge, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) and based on Marissa Stapley’s bestselling novel, is expected to debut later this year. On the film side, Tropper is writing and producing The Corsair Code, a sci-fi mystery adventure starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok), and Matchbox, an action-comedy based on the iconic toy brand, featuring John Cena (Peacemaker), Jessica Biel (The Illusionist), and Sam Richardson (Veep). Outside of Apple, Tropper is also writing an upcoming Star Wars film for director Shawn Levy. Not bad. Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Studio, The Morning Show, Shrinking and Silo. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Things have been quiet on the Apple Watch front lately. Too quiet. In fact, sales are down for the second year in a row, and just last quarter, Xiaomi overtook Apple to become the top wearable brand worldwide. The good news is that the Apple Watch line is due for a refresh. Here’s what’s coming. Apple Watch SE 3 (or what if: Apple Watch Series 11e?) It’s been almost three years since Apple announced the Apple Watch SE 2. It kept the same overall design from the original SE, got a 30% larger display, and gained the S8 SiP processor, giving it a 20% performance bump. This September, Apple is expected to announce its successor. Hardware and software While rumors have been circulating for the better part of the last several months about Apple replacing the current aluminum case with a “rigid plastic” case, these plans seem to have been shelved. While there haven’t been leaks regarding an increase in case or screen size, it would make sense to expect the options to go from 40/44mm to the current 42/46mm, or a bezel reduction, which would give it more screen real estate while maintaining the footprint. Expect also a SiP upgrade, bringing it on par with the upcoming Series 11 lineup, a much welcome upgrade against the current Series 8-era S8 SiP for the SE 2. Price Alongside the material change rumors, there had been rumblings about Apple lowering the price of its entry-level watch. However, that seems unlikely, given the recent tariff turmoil and the apparent reversal of Apple’s plans to change the material. It would be safe to expect the Apple Watch SE 3 to start at the same $249 as the current version, if not a tad above that, in case Apple decides to send the Apple Watch SE the way of the iPhone SE, and introduce a more expensive entry-level Apple Watch Series 11e. Apple Watch Series 11 2024 saw the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch announcement. However, 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of its release. This gave Apple two opportunities to release a 10-year anniversary edition of the Apple Watch, and the company has already skipped the first. This September, it might skip the second. To be fair, it looks like Apple did have a plan to release a 10th-anniversary Apple Watch band, but the company seems to have given up on that as well. Hardware and software Currently, it looks like any significant changes to the next generation of the main Apple Watch line should come from within. Alongside a predictable S11 SiP chipset update, the Apple Watch Series 11’s biggest draws should be software rather than hardware-focused. Apple is slated to debut an AI-based health coach that will use data collected by the Apple Watch and from other sources to offer a comprehensive, tailor-made health guide. At the same time, watchOS 12 is expected to adopt the same visual cues that iOS 19, macOS 19, and iPadOS 19 seem to be destined to adopt from visionOS. As for dimensions, a size increase doesn’t sound likely, as the current 42/46mm options already feel too large for some customers, but don’t rule out a small bezel shaving for a few extra pixels in screen dimensions. Price Just like with the Apple Watch SE, it would be wise to bet on similar-if-not-slightly-higher price points to make up for the uncertainty surrounding tariffs. The current Apple Watch line starts at $399, so don’t expect anything below that. Apple Watch Ultra 3 Last year, while many expected Apple to announce an Apple Watch Ultra 3, it announced a satin black option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. This September, though, it might be different. Hardware and software There have been no reports about Apple planning to move away from titanium with the new Apple Watch Ultra. So, like the Apple Watch Series 11, this year’s update will probably rely on new features as a differentiator from its predecessor. According to leaks by Mark Gurman, the next-generation Apple Watch Ultra is slated to get 5G connectivity, as well as high blood pressure detection. The latter, it seems, will work in the same way as Apple currently measures body temperature and sleep apnea: instead of offering real-time data, it offers a rough trend overlook and warns the user when something seems off. Also, Apple is working to add independent satellite messaging to the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which will definitely be a welcome addition to those who live up to the Ultra’s sales proposition. Price The Apple Watch Ultra 2 currently starts at $799, which is quite pricey. There’s no sign Apple plans to lower the price, and given the risk of surprise tariffs, it’s unlikely they’ll raise it either. This model is probably the most stable in the lineup when it comes to pricing, but if there is one thing we have learned these last few months, it is that nothing is set in stone. Are you in the market for a new Apple Watch? Have you been holding off on buying one until new versions are announced? Let us know in the comments! Best Apple Watch deals currently on Amazon Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Earlier this year, Apple launched the iPhone 16e. While in many ways it was an iPhone SE successor, the naming scheme changes things up a bit compared to the iPhone SE. Now that it’s part of the mainline iPhone lineup, many have wondered – will this be an annual refresh? Today, we’ll be recapping the rumors. iPhone 17e: Annual refresh? According to leaker Instant Digital on Weibo, Apple is already preparing trial production of an iPhone 17e, suggesting that it’s almost definitely on the way: The setup of the 17e production line is being planned. This answers the question: There will be a 17e next year, and now it is almost in the trial production stage. It’s unclear what would change in an iPhone 17e. Dynamic Island would certainly be a welcome upgrade. It’ll also likely adopt the A19 chipset found in the upcoming iPhone 17 models. It might also debut the C2 modem, though that’s just a personal guess. One way or another, it seems quite plausible that the new ‘e’ iPhone will be an annual refresh, unlike the iPhone SE that came before it. Reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also anticipates an iPhone 17e launching in the first half of 2026. Beyond iPhone 17e Earlier this month, The Information reported that Apple will be transitioning to a split iPhone launch strategy, with iPhone 18 Air, Pro, Pro Max, and the foldable launching in fall 2026, and iPhone 18 and 18e launching in spring 2027. While this detail in itself doesn’t confirm an annual refresh for the ‘e’ iPhone, it does at least indicate that new entry-level iPhones will launch more regularly than iPhone SE models, which launched in 2016, 2020, and 2022, leaving an average refresh cycle of 3 years. Wrap up Overall, it’s too early to say for sure. However, I’d lean towards the answer being yes: Apple will probably launch an iPhone 17e in early 2026. I do personally hope that Apple diversifies their offerings a little bit. With the entry-level iPhone being $599 now, I think it could potentially be really cool if we saw an iPhone mini renaissance. It could potentially start at $499, making it a much more appealing purchase than the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini at $699. That’s more of a pipe dream, though. What do you think about iPhone 16e and the possibility of there being more regular ‘e’ iPhone launches? Let us know in the comments. My favorite Apple accessory recommendations: Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Here’s a fun one for Mac nostalgia fans: a new project by hobbyist Nick Gillard has taken the idea of mini retro builds to a whole micro level. Called the pico-mac-nano, this is a working replica of the original Macintosh that stands just 62 millimeters tall (that’s 2.4 inches for you, Casey Liss). And what’s more, you can actually run MacPaint and MacWrite on it. How awesome is that? The project (via BoingBoing) builds on an earlier open-source emulator by Matt Evans, who had already managed to get a Raspberry Pi Pico running System 1. Gillard took that idea and ran with it, packing it into a shockingly faithful 3D-printed case, complete with a tiny rainbow Apple logo and even a scale replica of the original Picasso-style shipping box. “I just couldn’t resist creating a matching, tiny version of the iconic ‘Picasso’ box that the original 128K Macintosh shipped in. After finally finding a manufacturer (in India!) and having the first batch back, I’m super-happy with the result; a white, full colour printed, corrugated cardboard box.” The guts of the machine are made of a Pi Pico microcontroller, a 2-inch 480×640 TFT screen configured to match the original Mac’s 512×342 resolution, and a speaker capable of those signature startup chimes. Everything runs off a custom firmware that emulates a 68000 CPU, all open-sourced and shared on GitHub. The result is a perfect desktop curiosity you can gift yourself on a special occasion or, if you’re one of these DIY creatures, build on your own. Gillard says he’ll be selling a few pre-assembled kits soon, but if you’re the DIY type, you can also grab the STL files, firmware, and a full parts list for your next weekend project over at 1BitRainbow.com. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Focus is a unique pomodoro timer app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro that makes it easy to stay focused and develop productive working habits. If you have a procrastination problem, this could be an excellent tool for keeping you on pace. It recently got a new update with a redesign, deeper customization, and additional data with new charts/graphs – making it even more useful. Top features For one, Focus breaks down larger tasks into segments called “Focus Sessions.” This keeps you stay focused for a shorter period of time, and encourages breaks in between. This reduces stress and maintains overall energy. On top of that, the app features a clean to do list, making it easy to keep track of all of your tasks. To bring everything together, the app also monitors your progress and shows you how you’ve been doing. It’s a little nudge to keep you motivated. The app also features widgets, lock screen controls, live activities, and more. Staying productive is hard, but Focus wants to make it easier for you. Focus is available for free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro on devices running iOS 17 or later. For the full experience, you can purchase Focus Pro for $4.99/month or $39.99/year. The annual option offers a 1 week free trial. My favorite Apple accessory recommendations: Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

While in today’s edition of Power On, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman mentioned a quiet but meaningful upgrade coming to Apple’s SwiftUI framework, 9to5Mac has learned of a second welcome improvement for developers who have been eager but unable to go all-in on SwiftUI app development. For years, SwiftUI has been marketed as the future of Apple app development: a modern way to build user interfaces that works across all Apple platforms. And for the most part, it does the job. Until you need to do something incredibly advanced like… support bold or italic text input, or embed web views. Finally, a built-in rich text editor Rich text has been one of SwiftUI’s biggest blind spots. It has had display-side rich text for a while, but nothing for input. And since there’s no built-in component specifically for that, developers have had to jump through hoops, mixing their code with good old UIKit, using third-party libraries, or hacking together awkward workarounds that break SwiftUI’s clean, platform-native feel. However, according to Gurman, this may be about to change: “And, in a development that will certainly appease many developers, SwiftUI, a set of Apple frameworks and tools for creating app user interfaces, will finally get a built-in rich text editor.” With a native rich text editor support reportedly on the way, Apple might finally be closing one of the most frustrating gaps in the framework. It’s a small change that might unlock a lot: better input fields for notes, messaging apps, documents, all without having to abandon SwiftUI’s declarative flow. Finally, web view embedding Adding to today’s report, 9to5Mac has also learned that Apple is preparing a new native API that will finally let developers embed web views in SwiftUI. Like with rich text support, this means developers won’t have to keep resorting to hacks or bridging UIKit code just to display a webpage. You can check the new code by yourself on WebKit’s GitHub page. These kinds of friction points are exactly what’s kept many developers from fully embracing SwiftUI. And while today’s news checks off just two long-standing items on their long wish lists, it might be enough to bring a few more of them onboard, which means better app experiences across the board for the rest of us. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the name for the next version of macOS is set to be ‘Tahoe’, named after Lake Tahoe in California. This name will accompany Apple’s first macOS redesign since Big Sur in 2020. Gurman describes macOS 26 as the third significant macOS redesign since Apple adopted California names, and Apple wanted to find a special name to accompany it: I’m told that the company has homed in on Lake Tahoe as its next moniker, making it macOS Tahoe. It’s a famous resort area and a vacation destination (and second-home site) for many Apple employees.  Developing… My favorite Apple accessory recommendations: Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

According to Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter, Apple insiders “believe that the conference may be a letdown from an AI standpoint,” highlighting how far behind Apple still is. Still, Apple has a few AI-related announcements slated for June 9. As previously reported, this year’s biggest AI announcement will be Apple’s plans to open up its on-device foundation models to third-party developers. These are the same ~3B parameter models Apple currently uses for things like text summarization and autocorrect, and they’ll soon be available for devs to integrate into their own apps. To be clear, this is a meaningful milestone for Apple’s AI platform. It gives developers a powerful tool to natively integrate into their apps and potentially unlock genuinely useful features. Still, these on-device models are far less capable than the large-scale, cloud-based systems used by OpenAI and Google, so don’t expect earth-shattering features. AI features slated for this year’s iOS 26 Elsewhere in its AI efforts, Apple will reportedly: Launch a new battery power management mode; Reboot its Translate app, “now integrated with AirPods and Siri”; Start describing some features within apps like Safari and Photos as “AI-powered”. As Gurman puts it, this feels like a risky “gap year.” Internally, Apple is aiming to make up for it at WWDC 2026, with bigger swings that “it hopes it can try to convince consumers that it’s an AI innovator.“. However, given how fast the competition is moving, waiting until next year might put Apple even further behind, perception-wise. What’s still in the works? Currently, Apple’s ongoing AI developments include an LLM Siri, a revamped Shortcuts app, the ambitious health-related Project Mulberry, and a full-blown ChatGPT competitor with web search capabilities. According to Gurman, Apple is holding off on previewing some of these features to avoid repeating last year’s mistake, when it showed off Apple Intelligence with features that were nowhere near ready and are still MIA. Behind the scenes, Gurman reports Apple has made progress. It now has models with 3B, 7B, 33B, and 150B parameters in testing, with the largest ones relying on the cloud. Internal benchmarks suggest its top model is close to recent ChatGPT updates in quality. Still, concerns over hallucinations and internal debates over Apple’s approach to generative AI are keeping things private, for now. Apple’s dev AI story As for Apple’s developer offerings, Gurman reports: “Developers will see AI get more deeply integrated into Apple’s developer tools, including those for user interface testing. And, in a development that will certainly appease many developers, SwiftUI, a set of Apple frameworks and tools for creating app user interfaces, will finally get a built-in rich text editor.” And if you’re still waiting for Swift Assist, the AI code-completion tool Apple announced last year, Gurman says Apple is expected to provide an update on it. Still, there is no word yet on whether this update includes releasing the Anthropic-powered code completion version that its employees have been testing for the past few months. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

I was lucky enough to get an early look and hands-on experience with Satechi’s new OntheGo line at CES this year, and I was immediately impressed. Satechi managed to bridge the gap between tech enthusiasts like myself, who appreciate cutting-edge features like Qi2 and MagSafe charging, and everyday users, thanks to their thoughtful material choices and versatile color palette. Here’s everything you need to know! Be sure to check out our video below on Satechi’s OnTheGo 3 in 1 charger! What you get & specs So in the box you get: The 3 in 1 charger itself 1M USB-C to C cable Nice little travel pouch In typical 2025 standards, you do not get a charging brick, and they recommend a 36W charging brick for optimal performance. It will work with other charging bricks but just won’t be optimal. Specs: Charges your iPhone via Qi2 at 15W Fast charges Apple Watch at 5W Headphone charges at 5W (can also place anything else that supports wireless charging. Hands-on review Satechi’s OntheGo 3-in-1 Charger hits the sweet spot for travelers and everyday users at the same time. It can charge your big three: your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. It also easily fits into every aspect of your life. The foldable design makes it super easy to pack away, but what stood out to me is how you can prop up your phone at different angles while charging. So, in theory, it supports Standby and night stand modes! Whether you’re checking notifications, watching a video, or hopping on a FaceTime call, it adds a layer of versatility that most travel chargers miss. The charger feels sturdy when folded into a stand mode, and the magnetic connection keeps your iPhone securely in place without any wobble. Combined with the premium vegan leather finish, lightweight build, and the new sand color, it is a new staple in my everyday carry. Pricing & availability The new 2 in-1 and 3-in-1 OnTheGo chargers are available today directly from Satechi. They come in three different colors: Black, Desert Rose, and Sand. The 2 in 1 is $79 and the 3 in 1 option is $99. I am happy they have two versions for the people who don’t have AirPods or an Apple Watch. Let me know what you think of these. Are these a charger you would use? Let’s discuss below! Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Long-time 9to5Mac readers will remember that the native Shortcuts app started as an indie project called Workflow, a clever, approachable tool that made automation fun and accessible to less technical users. Today, Shortcuts remains a powerful utility, particularly on the Mac. However, compared to how agentic AI tools have reshaped how we think about automation, it’s feeling a bit stagnant. That may be about to change. As reported by Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter, Apple is preparing a significant overhaul of its Shortcuts app, integrating AI capabilities through its Apple Intelligence initiative: “A revamped version of its Shortcuts app, which today lets users create actions such as launching certain features within apps or playing a particular playlist. The new version will let consumers create those actions using Apple Intelligence models. (This had long been planned for 2025, but delays may push it to 2026.)” In other words, an AI-based Shortcuts app might allow more natural language interactions, further lowering the barrier for automation-curious users who might find the current interface a bit challenging to navigate. This move aligns with broader industry trends where AI is increasingly integrated into system-level functionalities. Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs, for instance, feature an AI agent capable of performing actions and daisy-chaining system adjustments based on user requests through natural language commands. Imagine combining this capability with AI-generated automations triggered by simple voice or text prompts, such as: “When I start a Zoom, Teams, Meet, or FaceTime call, activate Do Not Disturb, dim the screen, and open Notes. During the meeting, capture participant names, job titles, and key discussion points. After the call, draft an email summarizing the meeting and outlining each person’s action items.” This might be trivial for you, but it sure isn’t for most users. And having this sort of stuff one voice command away could be really powerful. I’ll say it again: MCP And then there’s Anthropic’s MCP, an open standard designed to facilitate seamless integration between AI assistants and external data sources and tools. Against all odds, it has been adopted by major players, including Google and OpenAI (who also offer their own solutions), in a rare case of cross-industry collaboration. While it’s uncertain whether Apple will ever embrace MCP, its adoption would absolutely benefit users by enabling automation even further, beyond just system settings and limited local app control. Given Gurman’s report that this AI-powered Shortcuts feature, initially planned for 2025, might be delayed to 2026, it’s unlikely we’ll see it showcased at the June 9 WWDC keynote. Still, it’s a relief to know that Apple has been paying attention to this aspect of agentic AI. Whether it will deliver on its promise remains to be seen. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple Intelligence has been off to a rocky start, especially when it comes to Siri. The assistant still has a lot to be desired, and that should definitely be at the forefront of Apple’s priorities. Regardless, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple plans on expanding current Apple Intelligence capabilities to additional apps in iOS 26, and I figured I’d throw out some ideas I’d like to see. Summaries in more places I think providing summaries is probably one of the better use cases of on-device large language models. Apple introduced notification summaries in iOS 18, and while there were some major inaccuracies early on, things seem to be mostly fine. Apple recently enabled Apple Intelligence on compatible devices by default, rather than making it an opt-in feature. For one, I think it’d be neat if there were an API for developers to use summarization models in their apps. I’m sure Apple would put strict guardrails on it, but allowing third-parties to utilize Apple’s summarization models would be a big win. It’d empower indie developers to create AI features without having to worry about an OpenAI bill. On top of that, I’d really like to see some summarization improvements in the Messages app, particularly in group chats. If you missed out on a 100-message conversation, Apple should provide a more detailed summary than what can fit within two lines. Or, say you’re a student – imagine being able to summarize the notes you took in a class after the fact. You’d still need to read the notes to get a thorough understanding, but a note summary could serve as a great way to jog your memory if you’re quickly trying to recall something. Genmoji for everyone Genmoji is probably one of the most popular Apple Intelligence features unveiled at WWDC24. Unfortunately though, it’s only available on some of the most recent iPhone models: iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16/16 Plus, and iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max. If you have anything older, including the one-year-old iPhone 15, you can’t use Genmoji. I don’t expect Apple to make its models run locally on less capable hardware, as nice as that would be. However, they did announce Private Cloud Compute – a private server for handling Apple Intelligence requests in the cloud. Those servers were likely low capacity when they just begun rolling them out, but it’ll have been over a year since the rollout begun by the time iOS 19 releases to the public. While I don’t expect Apple to give out Private Cloud Compute usage for free, I think it’d be pretty neat if they bundled Genmoji in iCloud+ subscriptions for users with older devices – giving people a taste of what Apple Intelligence offers. More customizable focus modes One of my favorite features in iOS 18 has been the new Reduce Interruptions focus mode. In short, it analyzes every notification that comes through, and only presents what it thinks is important. The rest just stay in notification center. I agree with the more granular focus options. I'd like a focus option for when I connect to my home wifi. A separate focus for different workout options...I'd like to be "more" silent when running outside, and less when working out in the gym. Just a few ideas here, and they should be able to work within the present APP options. View all comments I’d really like to see Apple offer additional granularity here. For example, you could configure a focus mode that only triggers on key words that you set up. I could also see the inverse being useful, where you’d normally allow an app to notify you, but you’d like notifications with matching key words to be muted. That’s just scratching the surface, but I really think there could be a lot of opportunity for AI to enable more granular notification management. The new “Reduce Interruptions” focus is just the start. My favorite Apple accessory recommendations: Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

According to a recent investor note from GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu, Apple might have a pair of surprises in store for the iPhone 17 lineup this fall. Most notably, Pu has seemingly changed his prediction that the entire iPhone 17 lineup will use a version of the A19 chip. Instead, he now believes the base model iPhone 17 will use the same A18 chip that’s used in the iPhone 16. Pu had previously predicted that the entire iPhone 17 lineup would use the A19 chip and the differentiating factor would be the RAM. The analyst had said the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air would have 8GB, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max would have 12GB of RAM. Now, Pu claims that the iPhone 17 will use 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone 17 Air will feature 12GB of RAM just like the Pro models. Also in this analyst note, Pu says that all four iPhone 17 models will adopt a new metalens technology for the proximity sensor. The “metalens” technology may help Apple dramatically reduce the size of the Face ID sensor. Previously, Pu had said this change would only come to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. If it pans out, this means the entire iPhone 17 will feature a smaller Dynamic Island. Notably, this contradicts Ming-Chi Kuo, who reported in January that the Dynamic Island across the iPhone 17 lineup will be “largely unchanged” compared to the iPhone 16 models Here is Pu’s full breakdown of the iPhone 17 lineup specifications: SpeciPhone 17iPhone 17 AiriPhone 17 ProiPhone 17 Pro MaxLaunchSep-25Sep-25Sep-25Sep-25Display6.1″6.6″6.3″6.9″ProcessorA18 N3EA19 N3PA19 Pro, N3PA19 Pro, N3PDRAMLPDDR5 8GBLPDDR5 12GBLPDDR5X 12GBLPDDR5X 12GBFront Camera24MP, 6P24MP, 6P24MP, 6P24MP, 6PRear Camera48MP 7P, 12MP 5P48MP, 7P48MP 7P, Periscope48MP 1G+3P, 48MP 6P48MP 7P, Periscope48MP 1G+3P, 48MP 6PFace IDStructured lightStructured lightStructured lightStructured lightCasingAluminumTitaniumAluminumAluminumModemQualcommQualcomm or AppleQualcommQualcommCharging35W35W35W35WNPIFoxconnFoxconnFoxconnICT My favorite iPhone accessories: Follow Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Mastodon.  Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

With just days to go before WWDC, the consensus is that Apple will unveil a big, visionOS-inspired redesign across its operating systems. And while some might be dreading a repeat of the iOS 7 announcement from a decade ago, it’s been long enough that many readers might not remember (or may have never even seen) what that overhaul actually looked like. So here’s a quick refresher on what happened, and why this year will likely (I mean, hopefully?) be different. The years between 2011 and 2013 were pretty busy at Apple. Following Steve Jobs’ passing, Apple fired Scott Forstall (then SVP of iOS Software) over the botched release of Apple Maps. That left a gap in software design leadership, which was filled by Jony Ive, who also led hardware design. Soon after, rumors began swirling that he was planning a major visual overhaul of the entire system. Flat In the run-up to WWDC 2013, the Wall Street Journal reported that Ive had been working on “a more ‘flat design’ that is starker and simpler,” a sharp departure from the great skeuomorphic visuals of the time (think linen textures, paper-like folders, glass effects, and yes, Corinthian leather). Some time after that, 9to5Mac exclusively shared mockups of the redesign, which had been leaked to Mark Gurman. It was chaos. I vividly remember thinking it was reckless to publish such unfairly primitive sketches of what would certainly be a more polished overhaul. After weeks of intense debate and fierce expectations that the rumors had been wrong, Apple introduced iOS 7: In the years that followed, Apple scaled back its over-flattening of the system, evolving toward what we have today. Now, that’s about to change once again. Why iOS 26 probably won’t be like iOS 7 Currently, most reports tend to agree that the redesign will be deeply influenced by the visual language of visionOS, with its translucent layers, depth effects, and soft glassy textures. And even if you’re like me and you’ve never worn an Apple Vision Pro, chances are you’ve seen what visionOS looks like. Apple has already laid the groundwork, so the change won’t be such a jarring surprise, like with iOS 7. And from a design perspective, speaking as someone who’s worked in graphic design for over two decades, the best move Apple could make is exactly what’s been reported: updating all systems at once. If you’ve ever had to adapt interfaces and key visuals to multiple concepts, such as wide, narrow, square, rectangular, big, small, etc., you know that with every new aspect ratio, you become a little more familiar and more comfortable with each individual element. By starting out with the virtually boundless, unconstrained environment of visionOS, then increasingly moving to smaller interfaces across macOS, iPadOS, iOS, and watchOS, every decision informs past and future visual adaptations. In other words, a redesign this broad can be iterative in both directions. Will it be beautiful? That’s subjective. Even iOS 7 had a handful of defenders. But one thing is certain: Apple’s design team knows how much this moment matters. This is the biggest task they’ve been given since Ive left the company, and they are well aware of the contentious history of iOS design updates. The mere fact that the new design hasn’t leaked yet points to the absence of dissidents inside the team, and considering how close we are to the announcement, that’s already a victory in itself. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel