Apple today provided public beta testers with the first releases of upcoming iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2, and watchOS 26.2 updates for testing purposes. The public betas come two days after Apple provided the betas to developers.


After signing up for beta testing on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.

iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen, allowing you to customize the translucency of the clock. Alongside watchOS 26.2, the update changes labeling for the Sleep Score feature, adjusting numbers to better reflect sleep quality.

AirPods Live Translation is available in the European Union with iOS 26.2, and in the Reminders app, there's an option to have an alarm go off when a reminder is due. Apple also added new features to Podcasts, Passwords, Freeform, and more, with a full list of new additions available in our iOS 26.2 feature guide.
This article, "Apple Releases First iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Public Betas" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today provided the first beta of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a few days after the launch of macOS Tahoe 26.1.


Developers can download the macOS Tahoe 26.2 update by opening up the System Settings app, selecting the General category, and then choosing Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required.

Apple released the first iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 betas earlier this week, so we have an idea of a few features that are in macOS Tahoe 26.2.

The Reminders app will gain an option to have an alarm go off when a reminder is due, the News app has some design updates, and Apple is adding new features to the Podcasts app. The new additions to iOS 26.2 can be found in our iOS 26.2 feature guide.

The beta is available to developers right now, but a public beta is expected later this week. We'll likely see Apple release macOS Tahoe 26.2 right around mid-December given past launch timelines.
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It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. ‌HomeKit‌ and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026.

Home Hub

Apple is working on a home hub or "command center" that will serve as a centralized location for controlling smart home products, listening to music, making video calls, getting the weather, looking things up with Siri, displaying photos, making notes, viewing calendar events, and more.

The device has an all-display design that resembles an iPad, with a 7-inch display. It's said to be similar in size and shape to two iPhones placed side-by-side, but Apple is designing two variants. The first version is designed to be mounted on a wall, while the second version has a speaker base that looks similar to a HomePod mini and can be placed on a desktop or countertop.


The home hub will have its own operating system, and while there won't be an App Store, Apple apps will be available as widgets.

Built-in sensors will be able to determine when someone is near the home hub, and the features displayed will change based on presence. If no one is by the hub, it might show information like the time and temperature, but if someone approaches, it could shift to an interface for adjusting the temperature.

Presence detection will enable features like turning on the lights when someone enters the room, and it might also be able to tell one person from another. The home hub will play music, and it does have a camera that can be used for video calls.

Touch-based interactions will be available for widgets, but the hub will be heavily reliant on ‌Siri‌ voice commands. ‌Siri‌ could have a personified look on the hub, with one design described as a version of the Mac Finder icon.

While screen-based smart home devices like the Echo Show are available for under $200, Apple could price the home hub somewhere around $350. Price could vary for the version with the speaker base and the wall mounted version without it.

Apple is aiming to launch the home hub sometime in the March to April 2026 timeframe.

LLM Siri

Apple has held off on launching the home hub because it is waiting to debut the smarter, more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that's been in the works since Apple Intelligence features launched in iOS 18. The original plan was for a better version of ‌Siri‌ to come out in an iOS 18 update, but Apple decided ‌Siri‌ just wasn't good enough to do what it wanted.


‌Siri‌ was delayed so Apple could overhaul the underlying architecture that powers the personal assistant. The new ‌Siri‌ will be more similar to ChatGPT or Claude than the ‌Siri‌ of today, incorporating large language models to answer complex queries and complete more complicated tasks.

Here's what Apple originally promised ‌Siri‌ would be able to do with ‌Apple Intelligence‌:

Personal Context

With personal context, ‌Siri‌ will be able to keep track of emails, messages, files, photos, and more, learning more about you to help you complete tasks and keep track of what you've been sent.

• Show me the files Eric sent me last week.


• Find the email where Eric mentioned ice skating.


• Find the books that Eric recommended to me.


• Where's the recipe that Eric sent me?


• What's my passport number?

Onscreen Awareness

Onscreen awareness will let ‌Siri‌ see what's on your screen and complete actions involving whatever you're looking at. If someone texts you an address, for example, you can tell ‌Siri‌ to add it to their contact card. Or if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to someone, you can ask ‌Siri‌ to do it for you.

Deeper App Integration

Deeper app integration means that ‌Siri‌ will be able to do more in and across apps, performing actions and completing tasks that are just not possible with the personal assistant right now. We don't have a full picture of what ‌Siri‌ will be capable of, but Apple has provided a few examples of what to expect.

• Moving files from one app to another.


• Editing a photo and then sending it to someone.


• Get directions home and share the ETA with Eric.


• Send the email I drafted to Eric.

This summer, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that transitioning ‌Siri‌ to new architecture was a success, and that the personal assistant is going to be an even bigger update than expected.

"The work we've done on this end-to-end revamp of ‌‌Siri‌‌ has given us the results we needed," Federighi told employees. "This has put us in a position to not just deliver what we announced, but to deliver a much bigger upgrade than that we envisioned."

Apple decided to use AI technology from Google, so ‌Siri‌ will in part be powered by a Google Gemini model that Google designed for Apple. ‌Siri‌ will be as capable as Gemini since it is using the same underlying technology, but Apple will run the model on its own Private Cloud Compute server with no information provided to Google.

The new version of ‌Siri‌ is expected to be ready for an iOS 26.4 update planned for the same March or April timeframe rumored for the home hub.

HomePod mini and Apple TV

We're supposed to be getting updated versions of the ‌HomePod mini‌ and the Apple TV at some point between now and early 2026.


Both devices will get chip upgrades, and in the case of the ‌Apple TV‌, it could gain support for some ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features. New Apple-designed networking chips will be included, but neither device is going to get a design update.

The ‌HomePod mini‌ and the ‌Apple TV‌ are linked to Apple's smart home platform and serve as smart home hubs for Matter, the cross-platform protocol that opens up the number of smart home accessories that are compatible with ‌HomeKit‌.

Apple Security Cameras

Rumors suggest that Apple is designing its own indoor security cameras that will connect to ‌HomeKit‌ and interface with the planned home hub.

Cameras designed directly by Apple would offer unique integrations with Apple devices, and would offer greater privacy than competing devices because of Apple's dedication to privacy and security. The first cameras could come out as soon as late 2026, and we could see other accessories like doorbells follow.

Read More
More on Apple's plans for the smart home hub can be found in our Apple Hub guide, while details on ‌Siri‌ can be found in our LLM Siri guide.
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With iOS 26.2, Apple is adding a prompt that allows iPhone users in Japan to select a preferred search engine. As noted on Reddit, the option to choose a search engine comes up after installing iOS 26.2 for the first time.


‌iPhone‌ users in Japan can select from Bing, Google, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo Japan, or Ecosia, the same options available globally in the Safari settings. In most other countries, Google is the default search engine and there is no prompt to choose a different option when the ‌iPhone‌ first starts up.

While ‌iPhone‌ users outside of Japan can choose one of the other options, doing so requires going into the Safari section of the Settings app to make a change. According to court documents, Google pays Apple roughly $20 billion per year to be the default search engine on Apple devices, which helps to explain why Apple does not offer an up-front choice in most countries.

Japan recently established guidelines that say Apple has to present a neutral choice screen for selecting a search engine during initial setup, hence the new functionality. While Google is the dominant search engine in many countries, Yahoo Japan is widely used in the country.

iOS 26.2 also appears to include support for installing alternative app marketplaces in Japan, which is also required by the Japan Fair Trade Commission's Mobile Software Competition Act. Japan's new rules go into effect on December 18, 2025, which is around the time that iOS 26.2 will see a public launch.
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The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google.


For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more capable, though training and architecture are also factors. Bloomberg says that Google's model "dwarfs" the parameter level of Apple's current models.

The current cloud-based version of Apple Intelligence uses 150 billion parameters, but there are no specific metrics detailing how the other models Apple is developing measure up.

Apple will use Gemini for functions related to summarizing and multi-step task planning and execution, but Apple models will also be used for some ‌Siri‌ features. The AI model that Google is developing for Apple will run on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, so Google will not have access to Apple data.

Gemini uses a Mixture-of-Experts architecture, so while it has over a trillion total parameters, only a fraction of them are activated for each query. The architecture allows for a large total compute capacity without racking up significant processing costs.

Apple weighed using its own AI models for the LLM version of ‌Siri‌, and also tested options from OpenAI and Anthropic, but it decided to go with Gemini after deciding Anthropic's fees were too high. Apple already has a partnership with Google for search results, with Google paying Apple around $20 billion per year to be the default search engine option on Apple devices.

Though Apple is planning to rely on Google AI for now, it plans to continue working on its own models and will transition to an in-house solution when its LLMs are capable enough. Apple is already working on a 1 trillion parameter cloud-based model that could be ready as soon as 2026. Apple is unlikely to publicize its arrangement with Google while it develops in-house models.

Apple was meant to debut an updated version of ‌Siri‌ in iOS 18, but deficiencies required the company to overhaul the underlying ‌Siri‌ architecture and significantly delay the rollout. The smarter ‌Apple Intelligence‌ ‌Siri‌ is expected to be introduced in an iOS 26.4 update that's coming in spring 2026.

‌Siri‌ will be able to answer more complex queries and complete more complicated tasks in and between apps. It will be closer in function to Claude and ChatGPT, though Apple is not planning a dedicated chatbot app.
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Google has proposed sweeping changes to its Play Store and Android to end an ongoing antitrust dispute with Epic Games. The two companies filed a joint settlement agreement with the court last night, and if approved, Apple will be left as the only company embroiled in a public antitrust fight with Epic.


Google will allow Android app developers to use alternative payment methods in apps or through external links instead of forcing them to use Google Play Billing. Google is supporting Registered App Stores, which are alternative app stores that can be easily installed alongside Google Play. ‌Epic Games‌ would be a Registered App Store, able to be installed on Android devices to offer its own catalog of app titles.

As for fees, Google will charge a maximum of 9 percent or 20 percent based on transaction type and date of install, with the lowered fees applicable worldwide instead of solely in the United States. Google can charge a fee for transactions completed using alternative payment methods, and it is also able to charge an additional fee for transactions processed by Google Play Billing.

The wording around fees is complicated and could be somewhat open to interpretation for virtual items in games, plus it applies to new app installs, not existing app installs. Google can charge a 20 percent fee for in-game purchases providing more than a de minimis gameplay advantage, which would presumably be things like power ups, items that increase experience, or loot boxes.

Google can only charge a 9 percent fee for items that do not affect gameplay, such as additional levels, events, or Fortnite skins that are considered cosmetic. The 9 percent maximum fee is also applicable to in-app subscriptions, non-game app purchases, or up front app and game purchases. In a situation where there's a mixed bundle that includes in-game items like weapons and in-game skins, Google can charge the higher 20 percent rate. Google told The Verge that it would also charge a five percent fee for apps that choose to use the Google Play Billing system, which would be in addition to the 9 to 20 percent fee.

To simplify, the base fee for all apps will be 9 percent, while fees for games will range from 9 percent to 20 percent. Developers will pay another five percent if using Google Play Billing. For alternative app stores, Google is able to charge reasonable fees that cover operational costs, but nothing additional. ‌Epic Games‌ will be able to create an ‌Epic Games‌ Store on Android, paying minimal fees to Google, which is what the company set out to do when it initially filed lawsuits against Apple and Google back in 2020. ‌Epic Games‌ CEO Tim Sweeney said that Google's proposal is "awesome" and a "comprehensive solution that stands in contrast to Apple's model of blocking all competing stores."


Google agreed not to enter into agreements that would see apps launch "first or exclusively" on Google Play, and it will not require an app to provide the same features on Google Play that it does on another app store. Developers are also free to communicate with customers about cheaper prices available outside of the Google Play Store.

It's possible that Google's settlement with ‌Epic Games‌ could impact the eventual outcome of the ‌Epic Games‌ v. Apple case. Apple and Google have charged developers similar fees historically, and there is inevitable change coming to the ‌App Store‌ ecosystem.

There are important differences between the two legal disputes, however, so what's going on with Google is not directly applicable to Apple. In Epic v. Apple, Apple largely won the case. The judge did not find that Apple had a monopoly, and Apple was only required to allow developers to link to web-based purchase options.

In Epic v. Google, Google lost. If Google didn't settle with Epic, it was going to be forced to make Play Store changes anyway. A jury decided that Google abused its power by operating an app store monopoly and charging developers exorbitant fees. Google has also always allowed for sideloading on Android devices and has been more open to it, even though it isn't as easy as it will be in the future.

Apple has consistently opposed sideloading and will not likely make the same concessions that Google made without being forced into it.

In Epic v. Apple, Apple is currently fighting an injunction requiring it to allow developers to link to outside purchase options in apps in the U.S. Apple is currently not allowed to collect fees on purchases made through in-app links, an order that came after the court found that Apple had willfully violated the original order requiring links by controlling the appearance of links and charging high fees.

The court is planning to review the proposed Epic v. Google settlement on November 6.
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Google is updating the Chrome app for the iPhone and the iPad with a dedicated "AI Mode" button that matches functionality found in the desktop version of Chrome. AI Mode is located under the Google search bar, next to an Incognito Mode button.


The AI Mode option provides quicker access to Chrome's Gemini-powered AI search feature. Google says that AI Mode lets users ask more complex, multi-part questions, and follow up on answers.

Chrome users in the United States will see the AI Mode button in the Chrome apps for ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Android as of today, with Google planning to expand it to additional countries in the near future.
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Apple is currently beta testing iOS 26.1, which will be the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system. It's not going to bring the new version of Siri that we've been waiting for, but it does include useful new features and interface changes. We're nearing the end of the beta testing process, and iOS 26.1 could be released early next week.


We've rounded up all of the new features that are included in iOS 26.1.

Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle

Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness, there's a new option to switch between Clear or Tinted settings.


Clear is more transparent and is the standard version of Liquid Glass that displays the background underneath buttons, menu bars, and other interface elements, while Tinted increases the opacity of Liquid Glass and adds contrast.

Lock Screen Camera Swipe

In the Camera section of the Settings app, there's a Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera setting, and turning it off disables the feature where you can swipe left to open the camera from the Lock Screen.


The iPhone has long allowed users to open the Camera app directly from the Lock Screen with a swipe, but it can be a setting that's easy to activate, and it provides a way for someone that gets ahold of an ‌iPhone‌ to use it to take unwanted photos.

There was previously no way to turn off Lock Screen camera activation without disabling the camera app entirely.

Phone Haptics

In the Phone app, there's a toggle to turn off haptic feedback when a call is connected or dropped.

Alarms and Timers

Alarms and timers that you set up in the Clock app now have a slide to stop button rather than a tap to stop button on the Lock Screen. You can snooze an alarm with a tap, but to turn it off entirely, you need to use a slide gesture.


The change makes it much harder to accidentally dismiss an alarm when you're trying to tap on the snooze button.

New Apple Intelligence Languages

Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.

AirPods Live Translation Languages

AirPods Live Translation works with additional languages in iOS 26.1, including Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified).

Apple Music

You can swipe on the music player in Apple Music to switch songs. Just slide a finger over where the song title is listed, and it'll go to the next song or back to the previous song.

Apple TV App

The Apple TV app has a new, more colorful icon that adopts the Liquid Glass aesthetic that Apple added alongside the ‌Apple TV‌+ name change. Apple is no longer referring to its streaming service as ‌Apple TV‌+, and is instead just calling it ‌Apple TV‌, like the app.

Fitness App

You can create custom workouts in the Fitness app on ‌iPhone‌. There are options for selecting workout type, estimated Active Calories, effort, duration, and start time.



There were workout creation options before, but they were more structured than the open, custom creation options that are in iOS 26.1.

Settings App

Apple changed the alignment of icons and text in the Settings app. All settings with headers that feature text now have that text aligned to the left instead of center aligned. It's a small change that makes a big visual difference.


This includes General, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular, Personal Hotspot, Accessibility, and more.

Home Screen Folders

When you tap into a folder on the Home Screen, the name of the folder at the top is left aligned instead of center aligned, matching the changes made in the Settings app.

Phone

The Phone keypad now uses Liquid Glass for the numbers.

Photos

The slider for scrubbing through videos in the Photos app has been updated.


The navigation bar also has a slightly more frosted look that makes it easier to see on light backgrounds.


The interface for managing multiple photos that you've selected has been tweaked slightly. Play as Slideshow, Favorite, and Hide are now at the top of the menu.

Safari

The Tab Bar (Bottom) in Safari is wider with less padding around the edges. In Reduce Transparency mode, there's more padding, so it no longer looks odd.

Background Security Improvements

The Privacy and Security section of the Settings app now has a toggle to automatically download and install security improvements. It's a revamp of the prior Rapid Security Responses feature.

Display Settings

The Display section of the Settings app now has iOS 26-themed wallpaper instead of iOS 18 wallpaper.

Liquid Glass

The light refraction effect around apps is now more subtle with darker icon colors and background colors.

Wallpaper

When setting a wallpaper on the Lock Screen, instructions like Pinch to Crop show up momentarily and then disappear, rather than being shown all the time.

Display Accessibility

Under the Display and Text Size section in the Accessibility settings, there is a new "Display Borders" toggle. It adds a border to all buttons, and replaces the prior "Button Shapes" setting.

Local Capture Settings

There's now an option to set a location in the Files app for audio and video recordings from calls. It's available by going to Settings > General > Local Capture.

Bonus: iPadOS 26.1

Many of the changes above are in iPadOS 26.1 too, and iPadOS 26.1 also makes some changes to multitasking.

Slide Over

With iPadOS 26.1, Apple is reintroducing Slide Over. Slide Over works alongside the window-based iPadOS 26 multitasking functionality, so you can have multiple windows open and still swipe over to quickly access a Slide Over app.


You can only have one Slide Over app at a time in iPadOS 26.1, and you can use the feature by tapping on the green window resizing button and toggling on Enter Slide Over.

External Microphones on iPad

There's now an option to adjust input gain on the iPad when using an external microphone.

Download iOS 26.1

iOS 26.1 is available for both developers and public beta testers, so if you want to get your hands on the new features now, you can. It's easiest to sign up for public beta testing by visiting Apple's beta website. You don't have long to wait for a public release, though.

Compatibility

iOS 26.1 is available on all iPhones that support ‌iOS 26‌.

Release Date

Apple could release iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3 or Tuesday, November 4.
This article, "iOS 26.1 Coming Next Week: All the New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple held its earnings call for the fourth fiscal quarter (third calendar quarter) of 2025 today. With quarterly revenue of $102.5 billion, Apple set a new September quarter revenue record, beating analyst expectations. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Kevan Parekh provided insight into iPhone sales, holiday quarter expectations, and more.


We've rounded up the most interesting takeaways from the call.

iPhone 17 Sales

Cook said that demand for the iPhone 17 models is "off the chart." Traffic in stores is up significantly, and Cook said that consumer reception is "very strong." Apple set a September quarter record for upgraders.

‌iPhone‌ supply was constrained during the quarter, and several ‌iPhone 17‌ models are still constrained. Cook said Apple is working hard to fulfill all the orders that it has.

When asked why the ‌iPhone 17‌ was doing so well, Cook said the following:

I think it's all about the product. The product lineup is incredibly strong or strong as ever. The 17 Pro is the most pro phone we've ever done. It's incredible. And the design sings. The iPhone air feels so thin and so light in your hand, it feels like it's going to fly away. And then the 17 phone is an incredible value, and takes several of the features that were reserved for pro before and brings them down to the consumer lineup. So overall, strongest iPhone lineup ever, and it's resonating around the world.

iPad

Though Apple refreshed the iPad lineup with the iPad Pro, many other iPads haven't had an update as of late. ‌iPad‌ sales were flat, with $6.95 billion in revenue.

Half of customers who purchased an ‌iPad‌ during the quarter were new to the product.

Mac

Mac sales were up, thanks to the launch of new MacBook Air models this year. Mac revenue was $8.7 billion, up from $7.7 billion last year. The Mac install base reached a new all-time high.

Apple said next quarter's Mac sales won't be as impressive because of an "extremely difficult compare." Last year, Apple launched several Macs late in the year, but this year the company only released the M5 MacBook Pro.

Wearables, Home and Accessories

Apple's wearables category includes the Apple Watch and Vision Pro. Sales were slightly down at $9.01 billion compared to $9.04 billion last year.

Services

Apple's Services segment hit a new all-time revenue record, reaching $28.8 billion, up from $25 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Services set revenue records in Americas, Europe, Japan, Rest of Asia Pacific, and a September quarter record in Greater China. Payment services hit an all-time revenue record and there was double-digit growth on Apple Pay active users.

Services revenue has surpassed $100 billion for the year, up 14 percent.

Siri Revamp

Apple is still on track to release an upgraded version of Siri next year, according to Cook. Apple is also planning for more partnerships like the ChatGPT integration in Apple Intelligence.

AI

Parekh said that Apple is "significantly increasing" its investments in AI, with operating expenses between $18.1 and $18.5 billion expected.

Cook said that Apple is continuing to develop its Apple foundation models, and several are in development. But he also said that Apple continually looks at the market and is open to pursuing an acquisition if it will advance the company's roadmap.

China

Despite strong ‌iPhone‌ sales, revenue in China was down significantly. Cook said that China is expected to return to growth in the December quarter because of the reception to the ‌iPhone 17‌.

Revenue in China was $14.5 billion, down from $15 billion last year, and below analyst expectations of approximately $16.4 billion.

Tariffs

Apple said that it had $1.1 billion in tariff-related costs in Q4 2025. Apple expects $1.4 billion in tariff-related costs next quarter, assuming that nothing changes. It does include the recent tariff change on goods imported from China, which dropped to 10 percent from 20 percent.

December Quarter

Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ said that total company revenue would grow 10 to 12 percent year over year in the December quarter. ‌iPhone‌ revenue is expected to grow double digits, and Apple is projecting that it will have its best December quarter ever.
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WhatsApp today provided its TestFlight users with a new Apple Watch app for testing purposes, which means a version of WhatsApp for the wrist could be coming soon.


The app supports reading WhatsApp messages, sending replies, sending message reactions, sharing voice messages, and more, without the need to open the app on another device.

A connected iPhone with the WhatsApp app installed is required to use the Apple Watch app, and it is only available to beta testers at this time.

WhatsApp has not previously offered an Apple Watch app. There's no word on when a public launch might happen.
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During today's call for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2025, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave rare insight into Apple's expected performance in the holiday quarter. Cook said that Apple believes it will set a new all-time revenue record in the December quarter.


"We are incredibly excited about the strength we're seeing across our products and services," said Cook. "We expect the December quarter revenue to be the best ever for the company and the best ever for iPhone." Overall revenue is expected to grow 10 to 12 percent year over year, while ‌iPhone‌ revenue is expected to grow double digits.

Cook went on to say that Apple is heading into the holiday season with a "truly remarkable lineup that includes the biggest leap ever for ‌iPhone‌." Apple has received a "tremendous response" to the iPhone 17 lineup despite supply constraints for some ‌iPhone 17‌ models and also iPhone 16 models before the ‌iPhone 17‌ launched.

Apple set a new ‌iPhone‌ September revenue record at $49 billion, up six percent year-over-year.

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Apple recently refreshed the Apple Vision Pro, adding a new M5 chip for improved performance. There aren't design changes, but Apple did introduce a new Dual Knit Band that's supposed to be more comfortable. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera picked up one of the new Vision Pro headsets to see how it compares to the prior-generation M2 versions.


Software and hardware are the same if you've been using visionOS 26, but with the M5 chip, performance is noticeably improved. Creating a Persona, generating spatial photos, and using multiple apps at once are all tasks that are quicker.

Apple didn't update the micro-OLED displays in the Vision Pro, but the M5 is able to render 10 percent more pixels and it supports a 120Hz refresh rate, so things look smoother than before. Mac Virtual Display, where the Vision Pro works as a screen for your Mac, looks like two sharp 5K displays side-by-side. Personalized Spatial Audio support adds more accurate directionality for more immersive audio.

To improve the wearing experience, the Vision Pro ships with a Dual Knit Band that replaces the prior Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop that came with the ‌M2‌ model. The Dual Knit Band has a strap that goes over the top of the head and one at the back of the head, which allows for better weight distribution. The back band has weights inside for counterbalance, and it does make a difference in how it feels.

The top and bottom straps can be adjusted using an updated Fit Dial, so each Vision Pro wearer can get an ideal fit. The Dual Knit Band isn't a miracle fix, so while it does make the Vision Pro a little more comfortable to wear, it's still a heavy headset. The M5 Vision Pro continues to be priced at $3,499, and it can be purchased from Apple. ‌M2‌ Vision Pro owners can buy the Dual Knit Band standalone for $99.
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OpenAI today said that it has acquired Software Applications Incorporated and its AI app, Sky. Software Applications Incorporated and Sky were created by a team of former Apple employees known for their work on Apple's Shortcuts feature and the Workflow app that preceded it.


Ari Weinstein and Conrad Kramer, two of the founders of Software Applications Incorporated, also founded Workflow. Workflow was a popular iOS automation app before Apple acquired it in 2017. Weinstein and Kramer joined Apple when Workflow was acquired, and the app ended up serving as the backbone for the Shortcuts feature that's available across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Kramer left Apple in 2019 and Weinstein left in 2023, which is when the two teamed up to found their new company and start work on Sky. Sky didn't officially launch, but it is a Mac-based natural language AI assistant able to answer questions and complete tasks in any open Mac window.

OpenAI says that it plans to bring Sky's deep macOS integration into ChatGPT, with all members of the Sky team set to join OpenAI. That includes Weinstein, Kramer, and several other ex-Apple employees.

"We've always wanted computers to be more empowering, customizable, and intuitive. With LLMs, we can finally put the pieces together. That's why we built Sky, an AI experience that floats over your desktop to help you think and create. We're thrilled to join OpenAI to bring that vision to hundreds of millions of people." --Ari Weinstein, Co-Founder and CEO, Software Applications Incorporated

OpenAI's Sky acquisition comes just a day after OpenAI announced ChatGPT Atlas, a new browser that's designed to compete with Safari and Chrome. ChatGPT Atlas can perform tasks on the user's behalf with ChatGPT's existing AI Operator features, but Sky could further enhance that functionality in the future.
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Anthropic today said it is updating the Claude chatbot with a new memory feature, which will put Claude on par with ChatGPT. With memory enabled, Claude will be able to recall past conversations.


Anthropic first added memory to Claude earlier this year, but with the initial implementation, Claude would only recall details when specifically asked. In August, Anthropic expanded the memory feature to allow Claude to automatically remember conversation details without a specific user request, and that functionality has been limited to Team and Enterprise subscribers.

Claude's memory functionality is now expanding to all paid users, so Pro and Max subscribers can use the feature. Max users can turn it on now, while Pro subscribers will get access "over the coming days."

Memory is an opt-in feature that can be turned on in Claude's settings. There are options for "search and reference chats" and "generate memory from chat history." Claude offers an editable memory summary that users can view to see what Claude remembers from conversations.

In the projects section of Claude, each project will have a separate memory. The division ensures that different discussions remain distinct, allowing for separation of work and personal chats.
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Apple is one of several tech companies that will contribute to the construction of U.S. President Donald Trump's 90,000-square-foot ballroom, reports CNN.


Construction began on the ballroom this week, and the White House's east wing was torn down. Trump claims that the ballroom will cost $350 million, and that it will be privately funded through donations. The cost has already increased $150 million over the figures that Trump previously quoted.

Other tech companies that have donated to the ballroom construction include Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and HP.

There is no word on the specific amount that Apple donated toward the project.

Update: The total ballroom cost has been updated to $350 million, after Trump announced new pricing on Thursday evening.
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Earlier this month, IKEA debuted a tiny NFC-enabled bed that's meant to help smartphone users cut down on nighttime usage. The small "Phone Sleep Collection" is modeled after an actual IKEA bed, and it uses the IKEA app to monitor scroll-free sleep time.


Users who hit seven hours of scroll-free time for a week straight are eligible for an IKEA voucher.

Every phone bed comes with built-in NFC tech, making sleep effortlessly rewarding. Here's how it works:
- Download the IKEA UAE app.
- (For iOS users) When prompted, allow Motion & Fitness tracking.
- Place your phone on its bed and tap the notification to open the app.
- That's it. Your sleep time will track in the background (no counter will appear).
- Complete seven nights of seven-hour sleep, and earn your voucher.

Unfortunately, the tiny bed is only available in the United Arab Emirates, and it is a promotional item that IKEA is giving out when customers spend AED 750 or more in-person in IKEA, as long as the purchase includes an item from the company's Complete Sleep Collection.

IKEA's promotion has garnered quite a bit of attention, so it's possible that the company will expand the promotion to additional countries.
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AT&T today launched a new ad campaign that goes after T-Mobile, calling out the "litany of misleading and deceiving claims in T-Mobile's marketing."

AT&T's new ad features actor Luke Wilson, with Wilson calling T-Mobile the "master of breaking promises." AT&T points out that the BBB's National Advertising Review Board has recommended T-Mobile change its advertising 16 times over the past four years, though AT&T fails to mention that the NARB also found that some claims were accurate.

Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile often ask the National Advertising Review Board to investigate the advertising claims that their competitors are making, and all three carriers are regularly asked to make various changes as a result.

AT&T says that it covers 300,000 more square miles than T-Mobile, and that it had the fewest dropped calls in recent tests. AT&T claims that it is the first and only network to offer a guarantee for its wireless and fiber networks, providing "transparent communication" and proactive bill credits during outages.
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Apple said today that it might be "forced" to disable a key anti-ad tracking feature in the European Union, reports DPA International.


"Intense lobbying efforts in Germany, Italy and other countries in Europe may force us to withdraw this feature to the detriment of European consumers," Apple said in a statement to DPA.

Apple is referring to App Tracking Transparency (ATT), a feature that lets iPhone and iPad users decide whether to allow apps to track their activity across other apps and websites for advertising purposes. Users can choose to allow apps to ask for permission, or turn off tracking entirely.

The anti-tracking features were implemented in Apple's iOS 14 updates. ATT prevents apps from accessing the advertising identifier of an ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or Apple TV without express permission, so apps can't track what users do on their devices and then use the information gleaned for ad targeting.

ATT has been unsurprisingly unpopular with advertisers and data brokers. Facebook rallied hard against App Tracking Transparency ahead of when it rolled out, positioning Apple as an enemy of small businesses and taking out multiple full-page newspaper ads.

Germany launched a probe into App Tracking Transparency back in 2022, and in February 2025, Germany's Federal Cartel Office preliminarily ruled that Apple abused its market power with ATT, giving itself preferential treatment, even though Apple says it does not collect data from third-party apps. The cartel said that Apple's restrictions made it "far more difficult" for app publishers to access user data relevant for advertising.

In March 2025, Apple was fined 150 million euros by France's Competition Authority. French regulators said that Apple complicated the process for users to opt out of tracking and unfairly disadvantaged third-party developers and ad providers. Apple is facing a similar investigation in Italy, with a ruling expected later this year.

Apple said that it has presented solutions to regulators in Europe, but it is facing complex solutions that would undermine App Tracking Transparency. Apple also said it will work to keep the feature available to Europeans. "We will continue to urge the relevant authorities in Germany, Italy and across Europe to allow Apple to continue providing this important privacy tool to our users."
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Apple engaged in anticompetitive behavior by charging App Store developers "excessive and unfair prices" for app distribution services, the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled today [PDF] (via Reuters).


The Tribunal found that Apple abused its market power by overcharging developers from October 2015 through the end of 2020. Developers were forced into using Apple's in-app purchase system and had no alternative to paying up to a 30 percent commission during that time period. The excessive fees ultimately led to higher prices for consumers.

According to the CAT, Apple had a monopoly over iOS app distribution and in-app payments. Apple's argument that Android and other platforms were viable alternatives for consumers and developers was rejected. The Tribunal also did not accept Apple's argument that its rules and fees were required for user security and privacy.

The end of 2020 in the UK's timeline corresponds with the launch of the App Store Small Business Program that saw Apple reduce ‌App Store‌ fees for independent developers and small business owners. The program reduced the commission that Apple collected from developers earning under $1 million per year to 15 percent, down from 30 percent. It's also when Apple began implementing other ‌App Store‌ changes in response to cases like Epic Games v. Apple.

The class action lawsuit was first filed in 2021 by Kings College London academic Dr. Rachael Kent, and the claim seeks up to £1.5 billion in damages. The period between 2015 and 2020 was selected in order to determine how much Apple will need to pay to UK consumers.

A damages trial is scheduled for November. Apple said it will appeal the ruling.
This article, "Apple Loses UK Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Fees, Faces £1.5 Billion in Damages" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple introduced a new version of the Vision Pro with M5 chip this week, and it came with a Dual Knit Band that Apple says is more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. M5 Vision Pro buyers will get the new band automatically, but those who have an M2 Vision Pro also have the option to buy it separately.


It appears ‌M2‌ Vision Pro owners are eager for an accessory that makes the headset easier to wear, because the $99 Dual Knit Band is now backordered for at least a month. As of yesterday, new Dual Knit Band orders were delivering between November 7 and November 14, and wait times could get even longer.

There are some retail stores that may have the Dual Knit Band in stock starting next week, as the M5 Vision Pro will launch on Wednesday, October 22.

The Dual Knit Band is made from the same 3D knitted material as the Solo Knit Band, but it has a two-strap design. One strap fits at the back of the head as before, but a second strap goes over the top of the head for better weight distribution.

Apple also added tungsten inserts to the ribbed back loop for counterbalance and a fit that is supposed to improve balance and stability. Apple says that the Dual Knit Band is soft and breathable, with a Fit Dial to adjust each strap independently.

The Dual Knit Band is available in small, medium, and large sizes, and making a purchase requires using an iPhone's Face ID camera to find the right fit for your face size.
This article, "Apple's New Vision Pro Dual Knit Band Proves Popular" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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