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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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 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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If you often find yourself adding a track to an Apple Music playlist, going back, and then adding it to other playlists, iOS 26.4 includes an option that could save you bags of time: You can now select multiple playlists when adding a song.


Previously, tapping Add to Playlist would take you to a list of your playlists, and you could only pick one at a time. In iOS 26.4, there's a new multi-select option that lets you check off as many playlists as you like in one go. Here's how it works.

1. In the Music app, find the song you want to add.


2. Long press the song, or tap the three-dot menu (...) next to it.


3. Tap Add to Playlist.
   
   
4. In the bottom-right corner, tap the new multi-select button.


5. Select all the playlists you want to add the song to – each one gets a red checkmark.


6. Tap the checkmark button in the top-right corner to confirm.
   
   

The header at the top of the screen will update to reflect how many playlists you've selected, so you can keep track before confirming.

It might seem like a minor addition, but if you maintain several playlists organized by mood, genre, or occasion, it eliminates so much back-and-forth navigation. It's no exaggeration to say that some users will have been waiting years for this option.

In iOS 26.4, Apple has also given albums and playlists a new fullscreen design so that the album artwork colors style the entire background of the track list and other UI elements to give each album a more immersive, authentic look. To check out what's new, make sure your iPhone is up-to-date with the latest version by going to Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update.
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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through everything the iPhone 18 Pro will feature, according to the latest rumors.


Following last year's major redesign, the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models are expected to feature a very similar design to their predecessors. There is likely to be a smaller Dynamic Island, with Face ID's flood illuminator component moved under the screen to reduce the cutout's size. It is rumored to be approximately 35% narrower than the iPhone 17 Pro's. The Pro Max will be slightly thicker than its predecessor, rising to around 8.8mm and over 240 grams to accommodate a larger battery of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh, up from the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max's 5,088 mAh.

The rear will see a slight design shift as well. Apple is reportedly dropping the two-tone look found on ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models in favor of a more seamless aesthetic, with improved alignment between the Ceramic Shield back glass and the aluminum frame. The devices are also expected to come in a special red color.

The camera system will undergo more substantial changes. Both Pro models' main 48-megapixel Fusion camera are rumored to feature variable aperture, which would allow users to control the lens opening to manage light intake and depth of field. The aperture would function similarly to a DSLR camera, giving photographers greater control over focus sharpness and background blur in different lighting conditions. Additionally, Samsung is developing a new three-layer sensor for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, designed to reduce noise, improve dynamic range, and enhance camera responsiveness compared to Sony's current sensors.

The Camera Control button is also getting a simplification. Rather than supporting both capacitive touch gestures and pressure sensing as on the iPhone 17, the iPhone 18 will rely on pressure sensing alone, reducing manufacturing complexity and the cost of repairs, while improving ease of use.

The A20 Pro chip will mark Apple's debut of a 2-nanometer processor, with a reported 15% speed increase and about 30% better power efficiency compared to the A19 Pro. The chip will use TSMC's Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module technology, integrating RAM directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine rather than mounting it separately, which should improve performance and battery life while reducing the physical footprint of the chip.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models will also feature Apple's C2 modem, which is expected to bring faster speeds, improved power efficiency, and support for mmWave 5G in the United States, a capability absent from the C1 and C1X modems used in earlier iPhones. Other upgrades include Apple's N2 wireless chip and 5G satellite internet.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to launch in September 2026, with the standard ‌iPhone 18‌ and the lower-end iPhone 18e following in spring 2027. A foldable iPhone is also expected to debut alongside the Pro models in the fall. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or other podcast apps. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your player.



If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about Apple's announcement of its 37th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where the company is expected to unveil a major Siri overhaul alongside iOS 27, macOS 27, and other next-generation operating systems.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also email us at podcast@macrumors.com or head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
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An incredibly busy March in the Apple world has come to end, punctuated by the company celebrating its 50th anniversary on April 1.


That doesn't mean the news and rumors have stopped, however, as this week saw new discussion of the foldable iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro, a potential future iMac upgrade, and much more to come throughout the remainder of the year, so read on below for all the details!

Top Stories

Apple Preparing 'Most Significant Overhaul in the iPhone's History'

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has high expectations for Apple's first foldable iPhone. In his Power On newsletter this week, he said the foldable iPhone will be "the most significant overhaul in the iPhone's history."


"iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and iPhone X were clearly a big deal, but this is a whole new design," he said. Like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, the foldable iPhone will reportedly open up like a book, providing users with a large inner screen for watching videos, playing games, and multitasking. iOS 27 is expected to be optimized for the foldable iPhone, allowing for apps to be open side-by-side and for other iPad-like multitasking functionality.

We're expecting the foldable iPhone to be unveiled in September alongside iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models, though it may not ship until a few months later.

Everything New in iOS 26.5 Beta 1

Following last week's public release of iOS 26.4 and related updates, this week saw the first developer betas of iOS 26.5, macOS Tahoe 26.5, and more.


While we still haven't seen the revamped Siri powered by Apple Intelligence that had previously been rumored for iOS 26.4 and is now seemingly pushed back until iOS 27, the new update does have some changes and we've recapped all of the ones we've spotted in the first beta.

Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This Year

March was an incredibly busy month for Apple, with the company unveiling more than 10 new products and accessories. We said hello to the MacBook Neo at the start of the month, and we bid farewell to the Mac Pro at the end of it.


Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to come this year.

Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple's all-new smart home hub is finally expected to launch later this year, once the more personalized version of Siri arrives. We are also expecting a foldable iPhone, a MacBook Pro with an OLED display, and long-awaited updates to the Apple TV and HomePods this year.

Check out our full list of everything we're expecting to see through the rest of this year, according to rumors.

Apple Celebrates 50th Anniversary With Employee Gifts, Finale Concert With Paul McCartney at Apple Park

Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary this week, and the company's month-long celebration that saw a variety of events around the world culminated with a major party at Apple Park.


As hinted at by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman over the previous weekend, the Apple Park celebration was highlighted by a concert by Paul McCartney. Apple employees also received commemorative t-shirts, enamel pins, and limited-edition posters to mark the milestone anniversary.

iPhone 18 Pro's Smaller Dynamic Island Revealed

New images of an alleged iPhone 18 Pro prototype and screen protectors have emerged from multiple sources, adding weight to earlier reports that Apple plans to significantly shrink the Dynamic Island later this year.


An X user called @earlyappleleaks recently shared an image purportedly showing a prototype ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ with a noticeably smaller ‌Dynamic Island‌. In the picture, the flashlight of another iPhone is held over the corner of the display, revealing a small circular punch-hole cutout under the display, which is presumably a relocated Face ID sensor.

Apple Reportedly Planning to Launch iMac With OLED Display

Apple is preparing to launch an iMac featuring an OLED panel with higher brightness, according to ZDNet Korea.


Apple has apparently requested that Samsung Display, LG Display, and other suppliers produce 24-inch OLED panel samples suitable for a future ‌iMac‌ model using their mass-production facilities. This would be the biggest ever OLED display offered on an Apple device.

Specifically, Apple asked suppliers for 24-inch OLED panels with 600 nits of brightness and around 218 pixels-per-inch (PPI). By comparison, the current ‌iMac‌ features a 24-inch LCD display with 500 nits of brightness and 218 PPI.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, "Top Stories: Foldable iPhone, iOS 26.5 Beta, Apple's 50th, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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This week was the launch of the AirPods Max 2, and Amazon has the first cash discount on these brand new headphones for launch week. Below, you'll also find great deals on the M5 MacBook Air, 2026 Studio Display, and M4 iPad Air.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AirPods Max 2

• What's the deal? Take $20 off AirPods Max 2


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Apple's new AirPods Max 2 launched this week, and Amazon is one of the only retailers offering any sort of discount on the headphones. You can get the Midnight and Starlight color options for $529.00 on Amazon, down from $549.00.

M5 MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Take up to $84 off M5 MacBook Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon has introduced a few new record low prices on the new M5 MacBook Air this week, with up to $84 off these notebooks. The biggest markdowns can be found on the 13-inch MacBook Air, but there are still some solid deals on 15-inch models as well.

Apple Studio Display

• What's the deal? Take $100 off the new Studio Display


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Apple just launched the new line of Studio Displays last month, and Amazon already has a few $100 discounts on select models. You can get the Standard Glass Studio Display with Tilt-Adjustable Stand for $1,499.00, down from $1,599.00, an all-time low price.

M4 iPad Air

• What's the deal? Take up to $80 off M4 iPad Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Last month saw the launch of all of Apple's new products, and Amazon is already offering good discounts on many models of the M4 iPad Air. We're seeing up to $80 off both the 11-inch and 13-inch models, which is solid for a brand-new product.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: AirPods Max 2 Launch Deal Arrives, Plus $100 Off Apple Studio Display and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple offers the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max in just three colors – Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue – but notably there's no black option. Last year was the first time Apple's high-end iPhones have not been available with a black or dark gray color option in any way, but those hoping for the return of black this year for the iPhone 18 Pro should look away now.


According to Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital, Apple won't be offering its next-generation premium models in a black color option. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that Apple is testing a deep red finish for the iPhone 18 Pro models, alongside a couple of more traditional color options. But black doesn't appear to be one of them.

It was previously rumored that Apple was also considering purple and brown finishes for the iPhone 18 Pro models, but Gurman has said he believes those color options are "just variants of the same red idea."

There's better news for anyone planning to buy Apple's rumored foldable iPhone in a more traditional finish. Gurman said Apple plans to "stay away from fun colors" and stick to more conservative space gray/black and silver/white colors.

Instant Digital has a good track record for Apple rumors and has provided some strikingly accurate information ahead of time, such as the imminent launch of 2023's Yellow iPhone 14, as well as the frosted back glass of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.

The iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to launch in September, with the foldable iPhone potentially arriving later in the year.
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Amazon is offering new all-time low prices on Apple's M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro, with up to $149 off select models without the need of a membership or clipping a coupon. This deal is part of Amazon's ongoing Big Spring Sale, which has major discounts on AirPods, iPads, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Starting with the 14-inch models, you can get the 24GB/1TB M5 Pro MacBook Pro for $2,049.99, down from $2,199.00. This deal, along with all of the others we're tracking in this article, represent new best-ever prices on the brand new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro.




We're also tracking similar steep discounts on the 16-inch models, including a few M5 Max options. These discounts reach up to $199 off original prices, and as of writing we're only tracking these deals on Amazon.




If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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Amazon today has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.00 during its Big Spring Sale, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, and one of the best all-around deals you can get during the Amazon's springtime Prime Day.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that's meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts.



You can also get the AirPods 4 for $99.99 in the Big Spring Sale, down from $129.00, which is a solid second-best price. You can find all of the best discounts going on during this event in our dedicated post, which highlights discounts on AirTag, iPads, MacBooks, and more.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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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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March has been an incredibly busy month for Apple, with the company unveiling more than 10 new products and accessories. We said hello to the MacBook Neo at the start of the month, and we bid farewell to the Mac Pro at the end of it.


Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to come this year.

Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple's all-new smart home hub is finally expected to launch later this year, once the more personalized version of Siri arrives. We are also expecting a foldable iPhone, a MacBook Pro with an OLED display, and long-awaited updates to the Apple TV and HomePods this year.

Here is what to expect from Apple later this year, according to rumors. Where there are arrows shown, it refers to a device's current chip → next chip.

iPhones

• iPhone 18 Pro: A20 Pro chip, a smaller Dynamic Island, a simplified Camera Control button, a red color option, variable aperture for at least one rear camera, web browsing via satellite, Apple-designed C2 modem for 5G, and more.


• iPhone 18 Pro Max: The same features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro, but the Pro Max model might be slightly thicker.


• Foldable iPhone: 7.7-inch inner display with a reduced crease, 5.3-inch outer display, two rear cameras, one front camera, a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, and more. iOS 27 is expected to be tailored for the foldable iPhone, allowing for side-by-side apps and other iPad-like multitasking functionality.

Apple Watches

• Apple Watch Series 12: A new chip, design changes (or not), and potentially Touch ID.


• Apple Watch Ultra 4: A new chip and potentially Touch ID.

iPads

• iPad 12: A16 chip → A18 chip or A19 chip with Apple Intelligence support.


• iPad mini: A17 Pro chip → A19 Pro or A20 Pro chip, an OLED display, a vibration-based speaker system, and a water-resistant design.

Macs

• Mac Studio: M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips → M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips.


• Mac mini: M4 and M4 Pro chips → M5 and M5 Pro chips.


• iMac: M4 chip → M5 chip, plus new color options.


• MacBook Pro with OLED display: A major redesign towards the end of 2026, with M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, an OLED display, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. On this device, which could also be named MacBook Ultra, macOS 27 is expected to offer a touch-friendly interface.

Home

• Apple TV: A17 Pro chip with support for the more personalized Siri, and Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support. A built-in FaceTime camera has been rumored for a future Apple TV, but it is unclear if that will arrive with the next model.


• HomePod mini: S9 chip or newer with support for the more personalized Siri, Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and potentially new color options like red.


• HomePod: A new full-sized HomePod that supports the revamped Siri.


• Home Hub: An all-new smart home hub featuring the more personalized version of Siri, a 6-inch to 7-inch square display, an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence, FaceTime, and more. Place it on a table or mount it on a wall.


• Security Camera/Sensor: Apple-designed, HomeKit-enabled security camera/sensor accessory to be sold alongside the new smart home hub.


• Face ID Doorbell: A video doorbell with Face ID and HomeKit Secure Video, wirelessly connects to a compatible deadbolt lock.

For more details, read our Upcoming Apple Products Guide: What's Coming in 2026.
This article, "Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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It was a busy week in the Apple world, with Apple announcing the discontinuation of the Mac Pro, releasing iOS 26.4 and other updates, and officially announcing dates for this year's Worldwide Developers Conference.


This week also saw the AirPods Max 2 become available to order while we heard some fresh details about upcoming Apple hardware, so read on below for all the details!

Top Stories

Apple Confirms Mac Pro Is Dead, No Future Models Planned

It shouldn't be much of a surprise considering it hadn't been updated in three years and there have been no rumors of anything coming in the future, but it was still a bit sad to see Apple officially discontinue the Mac Pro this week. And yes, Apple's infamous $700 kit to add wheels to the Mac Pro has also been put out to pasture.


Arriving 20 years ago as an Intel-based upgrade to the PowerPC-driven Power Mac G5, the Mac Pro evolved from a traditional tower workstation to a compact cylindrical form factor and back again over the years, but while it was intended to serve the high-end professional market, it was never upgraded as frequently as other Macs and its role has largely been usurped by the Mac Studio that carries a much lower starting price.

Apple Releases iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 With New Emoji, Playlist Playground, Purchase Sharing Changes and More

Apple this week released iOS 26.4 and related operating system updates, delivering several improvements but not the revamped Siri we'd been hoping would make an appearance in these releases. That major revamp now looks like it may not come until iOS 27.


iOS 26.4 does bring a number of new features like the AI-driven Playlist Playground in Apple Music, eight new emoji characters, concert listings in Apple Music, CarPlay enhancements, and more.

Alongside iOS 26.4, other releases included macOS Tahoe 26.4 with the return of the compact tab bar option for Safari and a new battery charge limit setting, plus tvOS 26.4 with a new Genius Browse content discover feature, subtitle styling, and more.

Apple Announces WWDC 2026 Will Take Place June 8 to 12

Apple has officially announced that its annual developer conference will take place during the usual timeframe, kicking off with a keynote on Monday, June 8, and running through Friday, June 12.


WWDC will be a hybrid event again this year, with developers able to attend virtual sessions and labs free of charge. There is a lottery, however, for developers to enter for a chance to attend the Monday keynote sessions in person at Apple Park.

We're expecting to see Apple unveil significant AI advancements this year after a number of delays, and the company has confirmed that those advancements will be a major focus of WWDC.

AirPods Max 2 Now Available for Pre-Order With First Deliveries as Soon as April 1

Apple this week began accepting pre-orders for the AirPods Max 2 headphones that were introduced on March 16. In the U.S., Apple's online store intially listed a delivery timeframe of April 1 to April 3, although orders placed today may arrive a few days later than that.


Priced at $549, the ‌AirPods Max 2‌ feature the same design as the original AirPods Max, but Apple updated the over-ear headphones with an H2 chip that adds new capabilities already offered by other AirPods models. Amazon is already offering small discounts on select colors.

The AirPods Max 2 aren't the only new audio product launched by Apple in the past week, as the company's Beats brand also released new special-edition Nike Powerbeats Pro 2 featuring Nike's signature neon green-yellow "Volt" color.

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Remain 'Ready' to Launch

Apple has unveiled quite a few new products this month, but the wait continues for the next-generation Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini models.


In his Power On newsletter this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said new versions of the Apple TV and HomePod mini have been "ready" since last year, but he reiterated that Apple has held off on releasing them until the more personalized version of Siri and other Apple Intelligence upgrades are released later this year. In a live Q&A on Thursday, Gurman indicated that a new full-size HomePod is in the same predicament.

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Apple this week announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features.


Rolling out on April 14, the service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single interface to manage devices, employees, communications, and customer engagement across Apple's ecosystem.

The effort will also bring ads to Apple Maps, starting "this summer" in the United States and Canada.

Apple Reportedly Preparing 'Biggest Set of iPhone Revamps' Ever

Apple is working on "the biggest set of iPhone revamps in the product's history," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In an in-depth profile of Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus, who is widely considered to be the leading candidate to become Apple's next CEO whenever Tim Cook steps down, Gurman said Ternus is "overseeing the biggest set of iPhone revamps in the product's history, including a foldable model this year and a version with an edge-to-edge screen that could arrive as early as 2027, for the device's 20th anniversary."

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
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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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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's announcement of its 37th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where the company is expected to unveil a major Siri overhaul alongside iOS 27, macOS 27, and other next-generation operating systems.



Like last year, WWDC 2026 will be a primarily online event open to all developers at no cost, with an in-person component at Apple Park in Cupertino reserved for developers and students selected through a random lottery. Apple will notify accepted in-person attendees on April 2. The keynote and all sessions will be available on the Apple Developer app, Apple's website, and YouTube, with over 100 video sessions and interactive labs with Apple engineers and designers planned across the week.

Apple first unveiled Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, promising a smarter Siri with personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper app integration, features that were delayed in March 2025, delayed again at WWDC 2025, and then missed a further internal target of iOS 26.4. Apple confirmed in its announcement that the conference will "spotlight incredible updates for Apple platforms, including AI advancements and exciting new software and developer tools," which points clearly to what is shaping up to be the most consequential ‌Siri‌ update ever.

The revamped ‌Siri‌ is said to be a sweeping redesign that turns Apple's long-struggling assistant into a full AI chatbot, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reporting that Apple is testing a standalone ‌Siri‌ app displaying prior conversations in a list or grid, with pinned and searchable chats and iMessage-style chat bubbles. ‌Siri‌ is also said to be gaining Dynamic Island integration, with a glowing icon and "searching" label while processing requests, an "Ask ‌Siri‌" button in third-party app menus, and a "Write with ‌Siri‌" keyboard option, while Spotlight is expected to be replaced by ‌Siri‌ as the primary search interface on iPhone.

The technology underpinning virtually all of this comes from Apple's multi-year partnership with Google, under which next-generation Apple Foundation Models are based on Gemini, with processing continuing to run on-device and in Private Cloud Compute. Separately, Apple plans to open Siri to third-party AI chatbots in ‌iOS 27‌ via an "Extensions" system in Settings, ending OpenAI's exclusive arrangement and allowing users to direct queries to Claude, Gemini, Grok, and others.

Beyond ‌Siri‌, iOS 27 is expected to be a relatively lean update, described as a "Snow Leopard" year, focused on performance improvements, bug fixes, and code cleanup rather than major new feature additions. Notable exceptions include optimizations for Apple's first foldable iPhone, which is expected to launch in the fall, and new satellite connectivity features.

macOS 27 will apparently share the same ‌Siri‌ upgrades and "Snow Leopard" stability focus. It will drop support for Intel-based Macs entirely. Apple will also unveil iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27 at the keynote. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or other podcast apps. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your player.



If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about Apple's surprise AirPods Max 2 announcement.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also email us at podcast@macrumors.com or head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
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Amazon kicked off the Big Spring Sale this week, and with it has come big discounts across a number of Apple products. This includes all-time low prices on AirPods Pro 3, AirTag, M4 iPad Air, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AirPods Pro 3

• What's the deal? Take $49 off AirPods Pro 3


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.99 this week, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, which has been rare on Amazon in recent weeks.

AirTag

• What's the deal? Take $39 off AirTag 1


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon has the first generation AirTag 4-Pack on sale for $59.99 during the Big Spring Sale, down from $99.00. This is a new record low price on the first generation accessory.

M4 iPad Air

• What's the deal? Take up to $80 off M4 iPad Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

This month saw the launch of all of Apple's new products, and Amazon is already offering good discounts on many models of the M4 iPad Air. We're seeing up to $80 off both the 11-inch and 13-inch models, which is solid for a brand-new product.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

• What's the deal? Take $49 off M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Similar to the M4 iPad Air, Amazon is offering multiple discounts across the new M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro this week. You'll find $49 off select models right now, without the need of a coupon code.

Apple Watch Series 11

• What's the deal? Take $100 off Apple Watch Series 11


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. We first started tracking the return of these deals last month, but this sale has now expanded with many more options on both 42mm and 46mm GPS models.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Low Prices Hit AirPods Pro 3, AirTag, and More During Amazon's Big Spring Sale" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple this week announced that it has discontinued the Mac Pro, with new configurations no longer available and no further models planned.


Below, we reflect on nearly two decades of the Mac Pro.

2006 to 2013

In August 2006, Apple introduced the original Mac Pro, which was an Intel-based follow-up to the PowerPC-based Power Mac G5 that debuted a few years earlier.

Mac Pro was the final Mac model to transition from PowerPC to Intel processors.

"Apple has successfully completed the transition to using Intel processors in just seven months—210 days to be exact," said Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs, in a press release announcing the first Mac Pro. "And what better product to complete it with than the new Mac Pro, the workstation Mac users have been dreaming about."


The original Mac Pro was powered by two dual-core Intel Xeon processors, making it up to twice as fast as the Power Mac G5, according to Apple. It could be configured with up to 2TB of storage—the most ever in a Mac at the time—and up to 16GB of RAM. The computer was equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics card.

Like the Power Mac G5, the Mac Pro featured an aluminum tower with a perforated front panel, which earned it the nickname "cheese grater Mac Pro." The computer was equipped with a variety of FireWire and USB-A ports, and it had PCI Express expansion slots. In the U.S., the original Mac Pro started at $2,499.

The classic Mac Pro went on to receive faster Intel processors and other spec bumps until 2012.

2013 to 2019

"Can't innovate anymore, my ass," Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller infamously joked, when unveiling the redesigned Mac Pro in June 2013.

"The new Mac Pro is our vision for the future of the pro desktop, everything about it has been reimagined and there has never been anything like it," said Schiller, in a press release announcing the second-generation Mac Pro.


The so-called "trash can" Mac Pro featured a cylindrical design with a polished black aluminum finish and a "unified thermal core." The computer was visually striking, but Apple later admitted that it was thermally constrained, and it had poor upgradeability. Instead of internal slots, Apple pushed expansion via six Thunderbolt 2 ports.

Other specs included up to a 12-core Intel Xeon processor, dual AMD FirePro GPUs, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to a 1TB SSD. In the U.S., pricing started at $2,999.

Overall, Apple prioritized the Mac Pro's compact size, thermal efficiency, and quiet operation, when most pro users simply wanted the most performant and expandable Mac possible. Then, the Mac Pro went years without receiving upgrades, leading some to question whether Apple was still committed to the high-end Mac market.


The criticism ultimately led Apple to make the rare and surprising move of publicly apologizing to Mac users and ensuring that it remained committed to the Mac. Apple also pre-announced that it was working on a "completely rethought" Mac Pro with a modular design, along with what became the iMac Pro and Pro Display XDR.

"I think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner, if you will," said Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, at the time. "We designed a system with the kind of GPUs that at the time we thought we needed, and that we thought we could well serve with a two GPU architecture. That that was the thermal limit we needed, or the thermal capacity we needed. But workloads didn't materialize to fit that as broadly as we hoped."

So, Apple went back to the drawing board.

2019 to 2023

In December 2019, the third-generation Mac Pro arrived. As promised, it fixed many of the problems that arose with the "trash can" model.

With this Mac Pro, Apple returned to a modular design with an aluminum housing that lifts off for "360-degree access" to the entire system. The computer had a "state-of-the-art thermal architecture" and eight PCI Express expansion slots.

"We designed Mac Pro for users who require a modular system with extreme performance, expansion and configurability," said Schiller, in a press release at the time. "With its powerful Xeon processors, massive memory capacity, groundbreaking GPU architecture, PCIe expansion, Afterburner accelerator card and jaw-dropping design, the new Mac Pro is a monster that will enable pros to do their life's best work."


This was the final Intel-based model, with up to a 28-core Xeon processor available alongside up to 1.5TB of RAM and up to an 8TB SSD. It could be configured with AMD's Radeon Pro Vega II Duo, which Apple said was the world's most powerful graphics card at the time. Other specs included four Thunderbolt 3 ports and an Apple Afterburner accelerator card that enabled playback of three streams of 8K ProRes RAW video simultaneously.

In the U.S., pricing started at $5,999, which was much higher than the previous models.

2023 to 2026

In June 2023, the Mac Pro entered the Apple silicon era when it received the M2 Ultra chip.

Mac Pro was the final Mac model to transition from Intel to Apple silicon.

Apple stuck with the same overall design as the previous generation, but the M2 Ultra chip with unified graphics and memory freed up a lot of internal space compared to the Intel model, resulting in a "hollow" appearance. And on the exterior, the Mac Pro gained eight Thunderbolt 4 ports, up from four Thunderbolt 3 ports previously.

Other specs included up to 192GB of unified memory and up to an 8TB SSD. In the U.S., starting pricing rose to a steep $6,999.


By the time the Mac Pro moved to Apple silicon, Apple had already released the Mac Studio, another desktop computer that is smaller than a Mac Pro but beefier than a Mac mini. It is currently powered by M4 Max or M3 Ultra chips, and configurations with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips are expected to launch later this year.

The primary reason to purchase the latest Mac Pro over the Mac Studio was PCI expansion, but the Mac Pro's starting price was thousands of dollars higher than the Mac Studio, so the writing was on the wall that the Mac Pro's days were probably numbered.

Indeed, the Mac Pro was ultimately discontinued this week, marking the end of an era.
This article, "Mac Pro Discontinued: Reflecting on 20 Years of Apple's Desktop Tower" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has discontinued the Mac Pro and has removed the machine from its website, reports 9to5Mac. Apple said it does not plan to design a new version of the ‌Mac Pro‌, and no new model will be coming in the future.


The ‌Mac Pro‌ was last updated in 2023, which was when Apple added an M2 Ultra Apple silicon chip, but the chassis has not been refreshed since 2019. Apple redesigned the ‌Mac Pro‌ to be more modular in 2019 after failing with its "innovative" trashcan Mac Pro, but the machine has never been mainstream due to its $6,999 starting price.

Apple has largely replaced the ‌Mac Pro‌ with the Mac Studio, a device that is smaller and uses newer Apple silicon chips. The ‌Mac Studio‌ is now Apple's high-end desktop machine designed for professional use.

The current ‌Mac Studio‌ features an M3 Ultra chip, though it is expected to get an M5 Ultra refresh later this year. Apple's desktop lineup also includes the Mac mini and the iMac.

The ‌Mac Pro‌'s downfall started in 2013 when Apple introduced a radical cylindrical design that turned out to be a major mistake. The ‌Mac Pro‌'s components were mounted around a central thermal dissipation core and cooled with a single fan that pulled air from under the case, through the core, and out of the top of the machine. It was quiet, but not efficient.

When Apple announced the 2013 ‌Mac Pro‌, Phil Schiller infamously said "Can't innovate anymore, my ass," in response to critics who complained about the ‌Mac Pro‌'s lack of updates and Apple's failure to create products for pro users.

Unfortunately, the 2013 ‌Mac Pro‌'s design did not include PCIe expansion slots for graphics cards and other hardware, with expansion handled through Thunderbolt 2 ports. The design also did not account for future updates in GPU technology, leaving Apple unable to add larger graphics cards and other components to the device.

Apple ended up apologizing to its pro user base and said the 2013 design was thermally constrained in a way that made upgrades impossible. It took Apple until 2019 to unveil the current ‌Mac Pro‌, which adopted a more standard tower form factor with eight PCIe slots.

After the 2019 launch, the ‌Mac Pro‌ got an Apple silicon chip in 2023, and that's it. There have been three ‌Mac Pro‌ updates in the last 13 years, so it's not surprising to see the ‌Mac Pro‌ retired. The ‌Mac Studio‌ offers almost all of the same capabilities as the ‌Mac Pro‌, with the exception of PCIe expansion slots.
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Apple plans to allow third-party AI chatbots to integrate with Siri in iOS 27, reports Bloomberg. Apple already has a partnership with OpenAI that lets ‌Siri‌ hand questions off to ChatGPT, but Apple will expand that integration to other companies like Google and Anthropic.


An iPhone user with the Claude or Gemini app installed will be able to send questions to those chatbots, like how the current ChatGPT feature works. Right now, if a user has a question that ‌Siri‌ cannot handle, ‌Siri‌ suggests sending it to ChatGPT. Users can also ask ‌Siri‌ to query ChatGPT.

iPhone users will be able to select which services they want to use inside ‌Siri‌ through "Extensions" options coming to ‌iOS 27‌, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The options will be available in the Apple Intelligence and ‌Siri‌ section of the Settings app, with Apple providing download links for chatbot apps.

AI apps installed through the App Store will be able to work with ‌Siri‌, including with Apple's planned ‌Siri‌ app and other ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features. Bloomberg suggests that expanding ‌Siri‌ integration to other chatbots will allow Apple to generate more money from third-party AI subscriptions made through the ‌App Store‌. AI companies will need to enable support for the new feature in ‌iOS 27‌.

Apple is still planning for a full ‌Siri‌ overhaul, and it will release its own chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ based on Google's Gemini models. Extensions will simply give users the option to direct requests to their favorite chatbot instead of ‌Siri‌.

OpenAI will no longer have an exclusive partnership with Apple when the change is made in ‌iOS 27‌. While most AI companies have not complained about the ‌Siri‌ ChatGPT integration, Elon Musk's xAI startup sued Apple and OpenAI, accusing the two companies of conspiring to "ensure their continued dominance" in the AI market. Musk has been vocal about wanting Grok to be available on the iPhone alongside ChatGPT.

Apple has been considering allowing other companies to integrate with ‌Siri‌ for some time, and it was previously working on a deal that would allow ‌Siri‌ to hand queries to Gemini.

Apple plans to announce the new ‌Siri‌ and the third-party integration option when it unveils ‌iOS 27‌ at the June 8 WWDC 2026 keynote.
This article, "Apple Plans to Let Rival AI Chatbots Integrate With Siri in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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