Apple is continuing to highlight the Liquid Glass aesthetic that it introduced in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26. The company has shared an updated Liquid Glass Design Gallery that shows off Liquid Glass in third-party apps.


The visual gallery features several iPhone and iPad apps, with screenshots that show the difference between app design in iOS 18 and ‌iOS 26‌.

In the latest edition of our new design gallery, find out how teams of all sizes are taking advantage of the new design and Liquid Glass to create natural, responsive experiences across Apple platforms.

Apps included in the gallery have adopted Liquid Glass for elements like tab bars, navigation buttons, bottom toolbars, and more. Apple also highlights pop-out menu interfaces and the separate search buttons that some apps have implemented, both of which are Liquid Glass design elements that Apple has added to its own apps.

AllTrails, Carrot Weather, Fantastical, Kroger, SketchPro, Trello, and Le Monde are among the apps featured.

Apple previously shared a Liquid Glass gallery after the ‌iOS 26‌ launch, and that gallery provides more Liquid Glass design examples.

Since debuting Liquid Glass, Apple has made small changes like adding a slider bar to the Lock Screen clock for adjusting the Liquid Glass level, but no major updates have been introduced. Rumors suggest that iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will continue to feature the Liquid Glass aesthetic with little change, but Apple could also add a system-wide slider bar for Liquid Glass opacity adjustments.
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Apple appears to be quietly updating some apps, based on curious new update notes that have appeared on the App Store.


Over the last week, some app updates have included notes that suggest the update is coming from Apple rather than an app developer. "This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included," reads the description.

Some of the apps that have been updated include Candy Crush Soda Saga, Sentry Mobile, Catan Universe, Bluetti, Mortal Kombat, Duet Display, VLC, and many more.


It's not clear what functionality Apple is improving with each app update, if any. One developer on Reddit said that Apple inserted the text into an app update that had the same version number and content as a prior update.

The update text is appearing on apps that have not been updated in some time, as well as apps that received recent updates, so it's not clear what the apps have in common. When analyzing the code of one of the apps that received an Apple update, MacRumors could not find what had changed.
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Apple partner Foxconn has started trial production on the iPhone Fold, according to Chinese leaker Instant Digital. Trial production comes before mass production, which Apple plans to start in July as long as no issues come up during the earlier testing stage.


So far, Apple remains on track to launch the ‌iPhone Fold‌ in 2026, though the latest rumors suggest that it's not going to come out in September. Instead, it could launch sometime after the iPhone 18 Pro, debuting as late as December. Apple is likely to announce the iPhone 18 Pro models and the ‌iPhone Fold‌ at the same time at its September iPhone event, but the following launch sounds like it will be split.

The ‌iPhone Fold‌ will be Apple's first foldable, and it's expected to feature a ~5.5-inch screen size when closed and a larger ~7.8-inch size when open. Apple plans to use a wider 4:3 aspect ratio, so it will be similar in shape to an iPad, with a wider, shorter size than many competing foldable smartphones on the market.

Apple plans to make the ‌iPhone Fold‌ as thin as 4.5mm when it's open, and that thin design requires compromises. There won't be a triple-lens camera setup so no Telephoto lens, and Apple also can't use Face ID because the TrueDepth sensor doesn't fit. Rumors suggest the ‌iPhone Fold‌ will have an iPad-style Touch ID side button instead. Apple is supposedly focused on minimizing the crease, and has achieved a design with a nearly invisible fold down the middle when the device is open.

For more on what to expect from Apple's first foldable iPhone, we have a dedicated iPhone Fold roundup.
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Apple plans to ask the United States Supreme Court to weigh in on the App Store fee restrictions and contempt of court ruling levied against it in the ongoing Epic Games vs. Apple legal battle.


In a filing on April 3 (via TechCrunch), Apple asked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to hold off on a plan that would see the U.S. Northern District of California decide on a reasonable commission for Apple to charge developers for purchases made from a link in an app. Apple is concerned that the district court will decide on a fee, only to have the Supreme Court then reverse the ruling in its entirety.

Apple says that it does not want to make multiple major changes to its ‌App Store‌ fee structure. Instead, Apple proposes that the current no-commission setup remain in place until Apple hears back from the Supreme Court. Developers can currently include links to non-App Store purchase options in their apps and Apple charges no fee from purchases made using those links. Apple wants to continue fee-free links and hold off on the long legal battle to determine a fee for the time being.

Apple has not petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case yet, and there is no guarantee that the Supreme Court will do so. Back in 2024, both Apple and Epic Games asked the Supreme Court to make a ruling in their ongoing dispute, but the Supreme Court denied the request. Apple is going to ask the Supreme Court to hear the contempt aspect of the case, and there's a non-zero chance the Supreme Court will agree.

Back in April 2025, Apple was found to have violated a 2021 injunction requiring it to let developers direct customers to third-party purchase options on the web with in-app links. The injunction stemmed from the ‌Epic Games‌ legal battle, which Apple won almost entirely. Apple was not found to have a monopoly, but the judge overseeing the case, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, ordered Apple to relax its "anti-steering" link rules.

Apple implemented new App Store rules, but only slightly lowered its fees. Apple charged a 12 to 27 percent commission instead of a 15 to 30 percent commission for purchases made via a web link, and the high fee combined with third-party payment fees meant almost no developers opted to add links. ‌Epic Games‌ accused Apple of charging "unjustified fees," and asked the court to decide whether Apple was complying with the injunction. The court found that Apple was in "willful violation," and Gonzalez Rogers banned Apple from collecting any fee on links at all.

Apple immediately appealed the ruling, but dropped link fees in April 2025. Apple argued that the ruling was unconstitutional and that it should receive compensation for its technology. In December 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals handed down a mixed ruling, agreeing that Apple violated the injunction, but questioning the severity of the response. The appeals court suggested Apple should be able to charge a reasonable fee, and tasked the district court with deciding what the fee should be.

Apple is hoping the Supreme Court will do what the appeals court did not, and vacate the district court's ruling entirely. Apple plans to challenge the contempt ruling and the scope of the injunction, which Apple argues should not extend to all developers nationwide, instead applying only to developers connected to ‌Epic Games‌. Apple is questioning the civil contempt ruling and the court's ruling that Apple violated the "spirit" of the injunction rather than the direct text. Apple says that it should not be held in contempt because the injunction had no specific wording about commissions. It's possible the spirit vs. plain text dispute will catch the Supreme Court's attention.

If the appeals court agrees to Apple's plan, the fee calculation hearing in the district court will be put on pause until the Supreme Court makes a decision. After an appeals court ruling, the Supreme Court is the last stop. If the Supreme Court decides not to hear the case, the appeals court ruling will stand and the district court will be able to proceed with deciding on a fee.

Should the appeals court not grant Apple's request for a stay, the district court will start the fee calculation process while Apple simultaneously petitions the Supreme Court and waits to hear back.
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Netflix today launched a new Netflix Playground app designed for kids who are eight and under. Playground offers a selection of games with popular characters from shows like Sesame Street and Peppa Pig, with no ads and no in-app purchases.


Playground is included in all Netflix memberships, and it is an expansion of the existing gaming options that Netflix offers. Netflix has had games available since 2021, but now there is a dedicated space for games aimed at children. Netflix Playground is a standalone app that users can sign into with a Netflix account, and it is available on the iPhone and iPad.

With Netflix Playground, Netflix will compete with Apple Arcade, which is Apple's subscription gaming service. Like Playground, ‌Apple Arcade‌ games have no ads, fees, or in-app purchases, with one monthly fee unlocking all content. Apple has hundreds of titles, and it does not have an all-in-one subscription option with both streaming content and gaming access like Netflix does.

Apple does have an Apple One bundle that combines Apple TV, iCloud+, Apple Music, and ‌Apple Arcade‌ for $19.95 per month, but the ad-supported Netflix plan that includes TV shows, movies, and games for adults and children is cheaper at $8.99 per month. Ad-free Netflix is about the same price as ‌Apple One‌ at $19.99 per month.

Netflix's children's app launches as multiple countries have introduced stricter app restrictions for minors and age verification requirements for app users. The renewed focus on content that children are exposed to has likely pushed parents to look for simple, kid-friendly content like Netflix is making available.

The new Netflix Playground app is available in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, Philippines, and New Zealand today, and it is launching worldwide on April 28. [Direct Link]
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We're long overdue for an Apple TV update, and there have been rumors about an imminent refresh since late last year. It's now sounding like we're not going to get a new version for several months because of Siri delays. If you're holding out for a new model, here's a recap on what to expect when it eventually comes out so you can decide whether to continue to wait, or buy now.

Design

‌Apple TV‌ design updates are few and far between, and that's not changing in 2026. The next ‌Apple TV‌ is going to have the same squircle shape as the current model, and it'll continue to be made from a black plastic material.

We're expecting the 2026 ‌Apple TV‌ to be indistinguishable from the existing ‌Apple TV‌ on the exterior.

New Chip

A new A-series chip will be the main ‌Apple TV‌ update, and rumors suggest that it will get the A17 Pro chip that Apple first used in the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Compared to the A15 Bionic in the current ‌Apple TV‌, the A17 Pro is a big update, and it's a good reason to hold off on buying the current model. The A17 Pro is built on a 3-nanometer process for faster speed and better efficiency, and it has hardware-accelerated ray tracing for higher-quality graphics in games.

Given that Apple has held the ‌Apple TV‌ update for so long, it's entirely possible it'll get an even newer chip like the A18 or A19. A RAM update is possible too, especially if the ‌Apple TV‌ has any kind of Apple Intelligence support.

Apple Intelligence and Siri

The next ‌Apple TV‌ is supposedly ready to launch at any time, but new ‌Siri‌ features are the holdup. Apple wants to debut the ‌Apple TV‌ with the smarter version of ‌Siri‌ that's in the works, and it's not ready to go.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the Apple TV is linked to "new artificial intelligence features" that Apple has postponed until September 2026. Apple intended to launch the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ ‌Siri‌ features in spring 2026, but the company was still experiencing issues with ‌Siri‌. At this point, we're not going to see new ‌Siri‌ capabilities until iOS 27, which also means a delay for all the devices that Apple is holding.

Along with the ‌Apple TV‌, the rumored home hub and a next-generation version of the HomePod are waiting on ‌Siri‌.

Updated ‌Siri‌ features will likely require more RAM and a faster chip, so if you want the smarter ‌Siri‌ on the ‌Apple TV‌, that's another reason to wait before making a purchase.

Wi-Fi

The ‌Apple TV‌ could get Apple's N1 networking chip with Wi-Fi 7 support. Wi-Fi 7 works with the 6GHz band offered by newer routers.

6GHz connectivity is faster and less congested, which you generally want for a device designed for streaming content.

Bluetooth

The ‌Apple TV‌ 4K could get Bluetooth 6 for connecting devices like controllers and earbuds.

Pricing

There might be a cheaper version of the ‌Apple TV‌ available because there have been rumors of a price drop.

Apple could release two models, one that's higher-end and one that has lower specs and a lower price tag, or it could keep the existing ‌Apple TV‌ around as a low-cost option.

Launch Date

If the new version of ‌Siri‌ has been pushed to ‌iOS 27‌ and the ‌Apple TV‌ is tied to that update, we're not going to see the ‌Apple TV‌ refreshed until September 2026 or later.
This article, "New Apple TV Waiting for Siri: Here's What's Coming When It Launches" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today provided public beta testers with the first releases of upcoming iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, macOS Tahoe 26.5, watchOS 26.5, and tvOS 26.5 updates for testing purposes. The public betas come four days after Apple provided the betas to developers, though Apple seeded updated iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 betas to developers earlier today.


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

iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, and ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5 include a new Suggested Places feature for recommending nearby locations to visit, and Apple is also gearing up to start showing ads in Maps.

Apple is testing end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users again, and there are proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third-party wearables in the EU.
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Today marks the 16th anniversary of when Apple released the first-generation iPad. After Steve Jobs announced the ‌iPad‌ on January 27, 2010, it launched a few months later on April 3, 2010.


Apple's original ‌iPad‌ looked like a larger version of the iPhone, featuring thick bezels, a 9.7-inch multitouch display with a 1,024 x 768 resolution, a Home Button, and a 30-pin dock connector. The ‌iPad‌ was the first device that Apple released with a custom-designed chip, the Apple A4.

The concept of a tablet device like the ‌iPad‌ actually predated the iPhone, and Apple had a prototype project in the works in 2004. Then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs wanted to prioritize the iPhone, so the ‌iPad‌ was put on hold until after the iPhone was established.

Apple priced the ‌iPad‌ at $499, and Jobs called it a "magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price." Like the iPhone, the ‌iPad‌ dominated the tablet space, and it still continues to do so today. Apple sold a million iPads in the first month, and while competitors like Microsoft and Samsung quickly came out with competing tablets of their own, the ‌iPad‌ has no match.

Apple has led the global tablet market for over a decade and no competitor comes close to matching its tablet market share. As of the fourth quarter of 2025, Apple's market share was 44.9 percent, with Samsung the next closest at 14.7 percent.

Apple has expanded its ‌iPad‌ lineup over the years, and we now have multiple sizes at multiple price points. The 11-inch ‌iPad‌ is available for those who want a low-cost option, while the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air are mid-range products with a Mac chip. The 8.3-inch iPad mini is available for those who want a smaller-sized tablet, and for those who want top-of-the-line performance with Apple's latest Mac chip, the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are available.
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Repair site iFixit today shared a teardown of Apple's new AirPods Max 2 headphones, and as expected, there are few changes. iFixit says the ‌AirPods Max 2‌ are "basically the same" as the original AirPods Max headphones that came out in 2020.


A comparison of the internal components of the ‌AirPods Max 2‌ and the USB-C AirPods Max indicate the headphones are identical, and opening them up requires the same steps. The only difference is the updated H2 chips inside each earcup.

Apple hasn't addressed the common failure points in the AirPods Max, such as condensation that builds up in the earcups in humid environments, and Apple doesn't have parts or repair manuals available.

iFixit suggests that if Apple made instructions and components available through its self-service repair program and made the battery and USB-C port more accessible, the AirPods Max would be repairable and could have a much longer lifespan.

With no updates to the ‌AirPods Max 2‌ design, the headphones are no more repairable than the prior-generation models. iFixit gave the prior version a repairability score of 6/10.
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Apple is now selling M4 iPad Pro models in its online store for refurbished products, allowing customers to purchase like-new models at a discounted price.


There are both 11-inch and 13-inch options available, in multiple storage configurations. Apple is offering Wi-Fi and Cellular refurbished models, and silver and black color options.

Pricing on the 11-inch M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ starts at $759, down from the original $999 price. The 13-inch model is priced starting at $1,019, down from the original $1,299 price. Entry-level models are Wi-Fi only with 256GB of storage.

Apple released the M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ models in May 2024, but this is the first time that refurbished models have been available for purchase. Apple discontinued the M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ models with the launch of the M5 ‌iPad Pro‌ in October 2025.

Apple sells refurbished devices with the same one-year warranty that comes with a new Apple product. Refurbished iPads feature all manuals and accessories, plus Apple has a testing, repair, repackaging, and cleaning process to make sure that refurbished products are identical to new devices. Refurbished products are eligible for AppleCare+ protection.
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Apple today seeded revised first betas of upcoming iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming four days after Apple seeded the initial betas.


Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update. It's not clear why Apple has seeded new beta updates, but there may be a bug fix that couldn't wait for the second beta.

iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 do not include new Siri capabilities, suggesting any ‌Siri‌ updates are being held until iOS 27. The Maps app has a Suggested Places feature for recommending locations to visit nearby based on trends and recent searches, plus Apple is laying the groundwork for ads.

Apple is again testing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users. Apple tested the feature in iOS 26.4, but removed it before the update launched.

In the European Union, Apple is testing proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third-party wearables like earbuds and smartwatches.

More detail on what's new in iOS 26.5 can be found in our beta 1 features guide.
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Students and developers who won the lottery to attend the WWDC 2026 Special Event at Apple Park on June 8 have started receiving their invites.


Apple is holding a WWDC keynote viewing at ‌Apple Park‌, but space is limited so invites were done on a lottery basis. Apple accepted submissions from those interested in attending until Monday night, and winners are now being notified.

Developers and students who won a spot will take part in an all-day event. The day will begin with the keynote viewing at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, followed by the Platforms State of the Union, ‌Apple Park‌ tours, and a dinner. Attendees will be able to connect with Apple engineers and experts.

Current Apple Developer Program members, Apple Developer Enterprise Program members, Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni, and Swift Student Challenge winners from 2024 to 2026 were eligible to apply, with attendees chosen by random selection.

Apple does not charge a fee for the ‌Apple Park‌ special event, but the company does not cover transportation or lodging. Out-of-state attendees will need to purchase airfare, hotel accommodations, and transportation to ‌Apple Park‌.

‌WWDC 2026‌ will take place from June 8 to June 12. Developers and students not selected to attend the ‌Apple Park‌ event can follow along with WWDC through Apple's developer website and app. Apple plans to share 100+ WWDC sessions that walk through all of the new features, and developers can attend interactive group labs and get one-on-one help from Apple engineers.
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App developer Clément Sauvage has designed a set of enamel pins for Apple fans who want to commemorate WWDC 2026 and Apple's 50th anniversary. Sauvage is offering the pins on Kickstarter, and plans to start shipments in May ahead of WWDC.


The pins feature the Apple developer logo, the Apple Intelligence icon, Apple's "spaceship" and rainbow at the Apple Park campus, the entrance to Apple's Infinite Loop campus, the Swift logo, and more. A single pin is available for 10 euros, while a full set of eight WWDC-themed pins is priced at 45 euros.


Sauvage has done enamel pin sets in 2021 and 2024, so this is his third offering. There are some add-on pins from prior years available as well.

Apple often designs its own WWDC pins that are given to developers that attend the WWDC Special Event, but the pins are not available for general purchase.
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Anker this week launched a useful new accessory for your desk, debuting the 10-in-1 Nano Power Strip. Priced at $70, the Nano Power Strip has a unique clamp design that puts multiple ports on your desktop while eliminating cable clutter.


I was able to test out the Nano Power Strip ahead of when it launched, and found it to be a useful alternative to standard under-desk power strips. The power strip comes in black or white and it's made of plastic, but the matte finish adds aesthetic appeal, as does a silver front plate for some of the ports.

The clamp is adjustable with an included knob and it fits desktops from 0.6 inches to 1.8 inches. Unfortunately, I have a Parsons-style desk that's too thick to use the power strip as intended, so it's worth measuring. With my thicker desk, I can still attach it to a leg or the back of the desk, but it doesn't put all of the outlets in the ideal position. There are silicone pads at both sides of the clamp to keep furniture from being scratched.


There are two outlets at the top, two outlets at the bottom, and two outlets at the sides, for a total of six outlets. There are two USB-C ports with 70W max charging (split between 45W and 25W when charging two devices), and two 12W USB-A ports. 70W isn't going to charge a MacBook Pro at its maximum speed, but it's enough for day-to-day use, and it'll fast charge most other Apple devices. I do wish there was more USB-C power and one less USB-A port, but it's easy enough to use one of the top outlets to plug in one of Anker's small multi-port power adapters.

With the power strip positioned at the edge of a desk, the two outlets on the top of the device are accessible from the desktop. The four other outlets are accessible from the bottom of the desk, so cables can be hidden away. The USB-A and USB-C ports are also meant to be used from the desktop, and the above-desk portion is slim, coming in at under an inch.

Because the Nano Power Strip attaches to a desk, it stays secure when plugging things in to the ports or the top outlets, which is convenient. I don't need to hold it down to unplug something, and it doesn't move around on a tabletop. If you've ever had a power strip with a bunch of heavy cables plugged in, you probably know what a hassle it can be trying to keep it upright.

The Nano Power Strip is a surge protector, and Anker says that it has overload, short-circuit, and temperature control.

Anker's Nano Power Strip can be purchased from the Anker website or from Amazon for $70.
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Apple has continued posting short videos featuring its new Little Finder Guy mascot on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, taking advantage of the popularity of the anthropomorphized Mac Finder icon.


The short videos promote the MacBook Neo through a series of Mac tips, all of which include Little Finder Guy in cute poses. A video about journaling features the character with a book and a pen, while another about the Passwords app has Little Finder Guy with a magnifying glass.






Apple has shared nine Little Finder Guy videos this week, and on TikTok, the thumbnails for the videos come together to make a Little Finder Guy mosaic on the Apple TikTok page.


Now that Apple has likely completed its Little Finder Guy image on TikTok, videos with the character could stop or become less frequent, but Apple might opt to keep the mascot around because of how it's caught on.


Apple introduced Little Finder Guy after launching the ‌MacBook Neo‌ in early March, and Apple users immediately liked the character. Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels created a 3D print version, and Basic Apple Guy has a series of mockups, plus stickers for sale. PCalc's James Thomson also made a set of 5K Little Finder Guy wallpapers.
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For its 50th anniversary celebration, Apple invited The Wall Street Journal's Ben Cohen to Apple Park to meet up with Apple CEO Tim Cook.


Cohen and Cook took a look at rare archival materials from the early days of Apple, some of which Cook wasn't even familiar with. Cook said that he had seen a lot of the devices for the first time while preparing for Apple's 50th anniversary.

Items on display included the first patent Apple filed, which was for the Apple II, the original 2001 iPod, early iPhone components and prototypes, the Apple Watch Cook wore on stage when announcing the device, and more.

According to Cook, the launch of the iPhone was his favorite moment at Apple. When asked why, he said it was because a phone was something everyone at Apple was using every day.

We were using that generation's smart phone, and it was such an awful experience. And I love the fact that all of a sudden you had this touch interface, and it worked like your mind worked.

Cook declined to speak on future products, but he suggested Apple's next hit would be something that "finds the intersection of hardware, software, and services." Cook also declined to comment on talk about him retiring. "My answer to that is when the day comes, I'll know it," he said.

Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary with a Paul McCartney concert for employees last night, and today, in addition to speaking with the ‌Wall Street Journal‌, Cook sent out a heartfelt letter to employees.

Today officially marks Apple's 50th anniversary. And as we've celebrated that milestone this month, I've been reflecting on some powerful words from Steve.

"When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is," he said. "But life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. You can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."

This is the ethos that brought Apple into the world in 1976--and for fifty years, it's what has drawn the smartest, most passionate, most creative and most committed people to this company.

We come here to do the best work of our lives, and to reach beyond what any of us could do alone. To be part of a culture that asks us to stay curious, to collaborate deeply, to demand excellence of ourselves and the people around us, and to believe--genuinely believe--that we can do the impossible.

Across our teams and across generations, we've been united by a simple belief: the future isn't something you wait for. It's something you build. And it is staggering to think of everything we've built together.

Fifty years ago, there was a single computer prototype in a garage. Today, there are 2.5 billion active Apple devices in the hands of people in every corner of the earth - helping them create, communicate, learn and connect in ways that would have seemed unimaginable then.

It's impossible to fully quantify the profound impact this company and its people have had on the world. And it's a truly special thing to do what we do every day, knowing that our work is squarely focused on empowering people and enriching their lives.

Whether you joined this year or have been here for dozens of years, I hope you take a minute to reflect on how much your work means. Thank you.

Thank you for pushing yourselves further than you thought you could go. Thank you for believing in our mission and holding fast to our values. Thank you for dedicating yourself to something so much bigger than any one of us.

As extraordinary as it is to reflect on the past fifty years, what excites me most is what comes next. The opportunities ahead of us are among the greatest we have ever seen - and there's no team in the world better positioned to meet them.

Thank you for everything and here's to the next fifty years.

Prior to today, Apple also celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of concerts and events around the world.
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Apple today updated the Sports app for iPhone to add more 2026 FIFA World Cup content. Soccer fans are now able to view complete tournament groupings and follow their favorite national teams in the app. This is the first 48-team World Cup and a departure from the traditional 32-team format.


Following teams allows Apple Sports users to get real-time score updates and stats, plus there is support for Live Activities for tracking games. Apple says that it's easier than ever for fans to stay up to date on the tournament action when it begins on June 11.

The Apple Sports app lets users follow their favorite teams, tournaments, and leagues, with tools for navigating between scores and upcoming games, viewing play-by-play and lineup details, and tapping into the Apple TV app to watch live events.

Apple Sports includes support for more than 30 of the top soccer leagues and tournaments across North America, Latin America, and Europe.

The Apple Sports app is free to download from the App Store.
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We're less than three months away from our first look at Apple's smarter, redesigned version of Siri. iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will focus on ‌Siri‌ updates, and rumors about what we can expect are picking up.


There's a full chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ in the works, which will change the way that we use Apple's personal assistant. ‌Siri‌ will be more like Claude or ChatGPT, marking a major improvement in how ‌Siri‌ works and what it can do.

SiriBot

With ‌iOS 27‌, Apple will change the way that ‌Siri‌ works. Right now, ‌Siri‌ can answer common questions and complete simple tasks, but you can't engage it in a back and forth conversation, get help with multi-step tasks, or ask complicated questions.

Based on the current ‌Siri‌ chatbot rumors, ‌Siri‌ will be able to do all of that and more with the upcoming upgrade, and it will work like competing chatbots.

Apple wasn't initially planning to introduce a full chatbot like ChatGPT, but chatbots have become too popular for Apple to ignore. Simply adding AI capabilities to apps and features isn't enough for Apple to stay competitive with the way people have embraced chatbots for everything from web searches to coding help.

Google has already integrated Gemini into its Android device lineup, and chatbots like ChatGPT have hundreds of millions of weekly active users.

Standalone Siri App

When ‌Siri‌ evolves into a dedicated Apple-designed chatbot, it will launch alongside a standalone ‌Siri‌ app. The ‌Siri‌ app will look similar to apps from other companies like OpenAI, displaying a grid or list of past conversations.

‌Siri‌ will support text and voice-based conversations, and there will be options to favorite chats, search for content within chats, initiate new chats, and save chats. Conversations with ‌Siri‌ will apparently resemble iMessage conversations, with Apple adopting chat bubbles.

New conversations will start with suggested prompts on what users can ask ‌Siri‌.

Deep Integration

While there will be a standalone ‌Siri‌ app for back-and-forth conversations, ‌Siri‌ will be deeply integrated into Apple devices at the system level. ‌Siri‌ will be activated the same way as today, by speaking the ‌Siri‌ wake word or pressing on the side button of a Siri-enabled device. ‌Siri‌ will be able to respond to both voice and text-based requests.

Siri Capabilities

‌Siri‌ will be able to do much of what current chatbots can do, such as searching the web with visually rich results, providing summaries, and evaluating uploaded documents. The personal assistant will still be integrated into Apple devices. ‌Siri‌ integration will replace the current Spotlight search functionality, but Apple plans to keep and expand on ‌Siri‌ Suggestions. ‌Siri‌ Suggestions will have more access to user data to provide more relevant prompts.

• Search the web for information


• Generate images


• Generate content


• Summarize information


• Analyze uploaded files


• Use personal data to complete tasks


• Ingest information from emails, messages, files and more


• Analyze open windows and on-screen content to take action


• Control device features and settings


• Search for on-device content, replacing Spotlight

‌Siri‌ will also be integrated into Apple's core apps, including Mail, Messages, Apple TV, Xcode, and Photos. ‌Siri‌ will be able to search for specific images, edit photos, help with coding, make suggestions for TV shows and movies, and send emails.

New Look

Chatbot ‌Siri‌ will have an updated look to go along with the dedicated app. Activating ‌Siri‌ will have a new animation that prompts the user to search or ask a question, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is testing a version of ‌Siri‌ integrated into the Dynamic Island. Apple's test interface includes a glowing ‌Siri‌ icon and a "searching" label in the ‌Dynamic Island‌ while ‌Siri‌ is processing a request, and once done, ‌Siri‌ expands into a larger translucent panel with the results. Pulling down on the menu initiates an interface for a conversation.

Apple may also integrate an "Ask ‌Siri‌" button into the menus of other apps, giving users a way to send content directly to ‌Siri‌ alongside a request. The iOS keyboard could get a Write with ‌Siri‌ option that surfaces Writing Tools.

Memory

Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini can remember past conversations and interactions, retaining a memory of the user. Apple is said to be discussing how much the ‌Siri‌ chatbot will be able to remember.

Apple may limit conversational memory to protect user privacy.

Third-Party Chatbot Integrations

Apple will allow third-party AI chatbots to integrate with Siri in ‌iOS 27‌. Apple already has a partnership with OpenAI that lets ‌Siri‌ hand questions off to ChatGPT, but that integration will expand to chatbots from other companies like Google and Anthropic.

An iPhone user with the Claude or Gemini app installed will be able to send questions from ‌Siri‌ to those chatbots, similar to how the OpenAI integration works today.

iPhone users will be able to choose which services they want to use inside ‌Siri‌ through a new "Extensions" option coming to the ‌Siri‌ and Apple Intelligence section in the Settings app.

Promised iOS 18 Features

‌Apple Intelligence‌ ‌Siri‌ features that were originally planned for iOS 18 will be introduced in ‌iOS 27‌, with ‌Siri‌ able to use personal data and context to answer queries. ‌Siri‌ will also be able to do more in and between apps, and will be able to see what's on the user's screen. Apple promised that those features would appear before the end of 2026.

Underlying Architecture and Servers

Apple has inked a deal with Google that will see Gemini powering upcoming versions of ‌Siri‌. Apple plans to use Gemini for the ‌Siri‌ chatbot and the other ‌Siri‌ features coming in ‌iOS 27‌.

"Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," the two companies said in a statement in January.

The ‌Siri‌ chatbot specifically will rely on a custom AI model developed by the Google Gemini team. Gurman claims that the custom model is comparable to Gemini 3, and that it is more powerful than models Apple has developed in-house.

Apple and Google are also discussing running the ‌Siri‌ chatbot on Google's servers powered by Tensor Processing Units, probably because Apple doesn't yet have the infrastructure to handle chatbot queries from billions of active devices per day.

Launch Date

Apple is planning to introduce ‌Siri‌'s chatbot capabilities when it announces ‌iOS 27‌, iPadOS 27, and ‌macOS 27‌ at the June Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts on Monday, June 8. It is still unclear which ‌Siri‌ features Apple will be ready to unveil, and some could be held for future updates.
This article, "5+ Things to Know About the Siri Chatbot Coming in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Anime streaming service Crunchyroll is now available as an Apple TV app channel, making it easier for prospective customers to subscribe without having to open up another app.


‌Apple TV‌ users in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia are now able to subscribe to Crunchyroll through the ‌Apple TV‌. There's a 7-day free trial available, after which the service is priced at $9.99 per month. The Crunchyroll ‌Apple TV‌ Channel is separate from existing Crunchyroll subscriptions, and an existing account can't be linked to the ‌Apple TV‌ app.

As with all ‌Apple TV‌ Channels content, if you sign up for Crunchyroll with the ‌Apple TV‌ app, you'll be billed through Apple. Crunchyroll says its full catalog of over 50,000 episodes is available through the Crunchyroll ‌Apple TV‌ Channel.

Apple TV Channels have long been an ‌Apple TV‌ app feature that makes subscribing to multiple services more convenient. Channels content can be watched in the ‌Apple TV‌ app without having to open up another app, and access can be shared with up to six members of a Family Sharing group. Channels also offer watch on-demand content and offline downloads.

Some of the available ‌Apple TV‌ Channels include Starz, Paramount+, AMC+, Mubi, Shudder, MGM+, and IFC Films.
This article, "Apple TV Channels Gains Crunchyroll Anime Streaming Service" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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It's been a little over two weeks since the MacBook Neo launched on March 11, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using it daily to do a more thorough review.


At $599 (or $499 for students), the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is the cheapest laptop that Apple has come out with, and given the quality of the product, it's an impressive price. The A18 Pro chip isn't underpowered for a notebook machine, and the Neo is going to handle every day-to-day task that you might throw at it.

8GB RAM might sound like not enough because all of Apple's other Macs have 16GB or more, but Macs use RAM so efficiently that most people aren't going to miss having more RAM. If you're browsing the web, watching videos, managing documents, writing, scrolling through social media apps, sending emails, completing homework, and doing other light work, the ‌MacBook Neo‌ isn't going to struggle. 8GB RAM is also sufficient for all of the Apple Intelligence features that Apple has come out with so far.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ works totally fine for editing photos and videos, but it's of course not as quick as Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with M-series chips. You're going to see slower export times, but the actual process of editing video on the ‌MacBook Neo‌ doesn't feel overly sluggish.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ had no problems with 30 Chrome tabs open with YouTube, Google Docs, news sites, spreadsheets, Twitter, and more, even when other apps like Mail, Messages, and Spotify were running. Bumping up to 60 tabs used all of the available RAM, but everything running was usable with no freezing or beach balls. A Windows laptop probably wouldn't be able to operate like the Neo does on just 8GB RAM, but with Apple's SoC, it works.

There are some compromises with the ‌MacBook Neo‌ in addition to the RAM. You're not going to get Apple's best display, but it's not too far off the ‌MacBook Air‌ display. There's just no True Tone for adjusting the display white balance to the lighting in the room. You're limited to two USB-C ports (one limited to USB 2 speeds at 480Mb/s, which does impact how fast files transfer), and another that's USB 3 at 10Gb/s. There's no Thunderbolt, no MagSafe charger, no SD card slot, no HDMI port, and no backlighting for the keyboard. The trackpad is mechanical instead of Force Touch, but it works largely the same, and there's a 1080p camera.

Battery life is solid at up to 16 hours on a full charge, and the power draw is low enough that you can get some extra juice with a small power bank. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ only comes in 256GB and 512GB configurations, so storage is a bit limited, and we do recommend that 512GB upgrade for an extra $100 if you can swing it because it adds Touch ID to the keyboard. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is slim and lightweight at 2.7 pounds, plus it comes in fun colors like blush, citrus, silver, and indigo.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is designed for students on a budget, parents buying a first laptop for a child, and people who just need a basic machine for everyday online tasks. It may be Apple's lowest tier Mac, but it is one of the best computers you can get in its price range.

Many competing Windows PCs and Chromebooks around the $600 mark are bulkier and uglier, with dimmer displays and less powerful chips. PC makers haven't had to try in the low-end market because Apple didn't compete there, but now that's changed.

There's a reason why ASUS CFO Nick Wu said that the ‌MacBook Neo‌ was a "shock" to the entire PC industry that's being taken "very seriously." PC makers are going to need to innovate to keep Apple from dominating the affordable and education market.
This article, "MacBook Neo Review: Can Apple's Cheapest Laptop Handle Real Work?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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