Apple is developing a wearable AI device that's been described as a pin or pendant, and that could compete with a similar AI product coming from OpenAI's Jony Ive. It wasn't clear if the wearable would actually make it to launch because Apple sometimes cancels projects, but it is still in the works and could come as soon as next year.

1. It'll Look Like an AirTag

Apple's design plans could change, but rumors suggest the device is a pin or pendant that looks similar to an AirTag. It's been described as having a thin, flat, circular disc shape, with an aluminum and glass shell. A physical control button is included on one edge.

Apple wants the final version of the device to be about the same size as an ‌AirTag‌, but because of the hardware inside, it could be thicker.

It sounds like the wearable will be versatile. It could have a clip to attach to clothing like a pin, but there's also supposedly a hole in the device so it can be worn as a necklace. Rumors have referred to it as both a pin and a pendant.

2. There Will Be Cameras

Apple's AI wearable is going to have at least one camera, but rumors are mixed on exactly what the camera will be used for.

Bloomberg says the pin will have a low-resolution camera that gives it info about its surroundings rather than a camera for capturing photos and videos. The camera will be always-on and processing visual data, but users will not be able to use it for images.

The Information reports there will be two front cameras, one with a standard lens and one with a wide-angle lens for capturing photos and videos.

Apple's AI device will rely heavily on Visual Intelligence, which is currently an iPhone feature that uses the camera to provide users with more information about places and objects around them.

3. Siri is the Brain

Rumors have described Apple's wearable as an AI pin or pendant, because it's going to be reliant on artificial intelligence. It's one of several AI-equipped devices that Apple is working on, and it will give wearers a way to interface with Siri without having to use an iPhone.

The camera on the pin will give ‌Siri‌ insight, and ‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about what the wearer is looking at or the wearer's surroundings.

Apple is planning to completely overhaul ‌Siri‌ in iOS 27, turning the personal assistant into a much smarter chatbot on par with Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT.

4. iPhone Required

While the AI wearable will have a chip inside, it will be a smaller chip that's similar to the H2 in the AirPods. It won't use a high-powered chip, and most processing will need to be done on the iPhone.

The pin is not meant to be a standalone device, and it will instead be marketed as an iPhone accessory.

5. It'll Listen, But Might Not Talk Back

To listen for voice requests and to pick up sounds around the wearer, the AI pin will have a microphone. Apple has not yet decided whether to add a speaker for back-and-forth ‌Siri‌ conversations and audio playback.

If there's no speaker, responses might be directed to the wearer on the iPhone, Apple Watch, or AirPods.

Release Date

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said this week that the AI wearable could see a launch as soon as 2027.
This article, "Apple's AirTag-Sized AI Pendant: Five Features Rumored So Far" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

After more than a year of discussion, Apple and Intel established a preliminary agreement that will see Intel manufacturing processors for Apple devices, reports The Wall Street Journal.


Intel would make chips based on Apple chip designs, much like TSMC. Prior rumors on Intel's Apple talks have suggested Intel could make some of the lower-end processors used in Apple devices, including the lowest-end M-series chip used in select iPad and Mac models.

Before Apple adopted Apple silicon, it used Intel-designed chips for its Macs, but had to deal with continual chip delays. Apple now designs its own Arm chips that are manufactured by TSMC, allowing it to provide updates at a more regular cadence.

Intel makes its own chips, but it also makes chips for other companies. Apple has not previously eyed Intel as a supplier because it has lagged behind other chip makers like TSMC and Samsung, and because of the history between the two companies. Intel replaced CEO Pat Gelsinger with Lip-Bu Tan last year, and Tan has led an effort to revitalize Intel's chip manufacturing business.

Tan has been focusing on Intel's most advanced process node, 14A, which will reach production in 2028. Intel has been seeking customers for its 14A 1.4nm node. Intel also makes 18A chips built on a 1.8nm node, along with chips built on older process nodes.

Apple has been working to diversify its supply chain, because Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is currently its sole Apple silicon manufacturer. During Apple's latest earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said iPhone 17 models had been constrained during the quarter because Apple could not get enough A19 and A19 Pro chips from TSMC.

TSMC is one of the world's largest chip manufacturers, and along with making chips for Apple, it makes chips for other companies like Nvidia. With the AI boom and huge demand for AI servers, TSMC has more limited capacity for chips made for consumer devices, and Apple has less leverage to convince TSMC to make its chips.
This article, "Apple Could Soon Be Buying iPhone and Mac Chips From Old Frenemy Intel" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Mother's Day is just two days away now, and you can still find great discounts across multiple retailers like Anker and ZAGG. Additionally, this week we began tracking new record low prices on the AirPods Max 2, M5 Pro MacBook Pro, and iPhone Air MagSafe Battery.

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.

Mother's Day Deals

• What's the deal? Save on popular accessories and more


• Where can I get it? Anker, OtterBox, ZAGG, and more


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 10, and multiple popular accessory companies are hosting big discount events to mark the holiday. You'll find savings on Anker charging accessories, OtterBox iPhone cases, ZAGG screen protectors, and much more in the list below.

• Anker - Get up to 40% off charging accessories


• AT&T - Get iPhone 17 Pro Max for up to $1,100 off


• Best Buy - Save on everything from wearable tech to TVs and more


• Belkin - Get up to 30% off


• Casetify - Buy two get 20% off


• Grid Studio - Get 15% off sitewide


• Hyper - Get 20% off select products


• Nimble - Get 20% off with code MOM20


• OtterBox - Get 25% off sitewide


• Verizon - Get iPhone 17, iPad, and Apple Watch Series 11 for no cost when switching


• ZAGG - Get 25% off screen protectors and cases

AirPods Max 2

• What's the deal? Take $40 off AirPods Max 2


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week introduced a new record low price on the AirPods Max 2, now available for $509.00, down from $549.00. This sale is available in all five colors of the headphones.

MacBook Pro

• What's the deal? Take up to $216 off M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon is offering a few all-time low prices on Apple's M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro this week, with up to $216 off select models.

iPhone Air MagSafe Battery

• What's the deal? Take $39 off


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Following a few steep discounts on the iPhone Air last month, we're now tracking a new all-time low price on the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery on Amazon. You can get the accessory for $59.99, down from $99.00, beating the previous low price by about $20.

Samsung Sale

• What's the deal? Save on Samsung's best monitors, TVs, and more


• Where can I get it? Samsung


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Samsung this week is offering big discounts across multiple product categories, including its most popular monitors and TVs. This sale precedes the announcement of Samsung's newest line of 2026 monitors, and if you sign up with your e-mail and phone number, you can lock in $50 savings on the upcoming monitors.

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.

---

This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Shop Popular Mother's Day Accessory Deals, Plus AirPods Max 2 for $509.99" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded new release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming five days after the first RC. It's not clear what's changed in the second RC, but Apple typically sends out another candidate if there are bugs that need to be addressed.


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.

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 in the Apple Maps app.

Apple is continuing to test end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users. Apple included the feature in the iOS 26.4 beta, but removed it before the update launched to the public.

There is a new Pride wallpaper to go along with the Pride Apple Watch band for this year.

More detail on what's new in iOS 26.5 can be found in our iOS 26.5 beta features guide. iOS 26.5 is likely to see a launch next week.
This article, "Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 Release Candidates to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Plugable to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a MacBook Neo and a Plugable ‌MacBook Neo‌ accessory kit that includes the UD–6950PDH USB-C Docking Station, USBC–9IN1E USB-C Hub, and the PS–30C1 30W power adapter.


Plugable makes a wide range of accessories for Apple devices, and it is perhaps best known for its hubs and docks. There are several dock and hub options that work well with Apple's new low-cost ‌MacBook Neo‌, and Plugable's solutions are affordable.

The UD–6950PDH USB-C 14-in–1 Dock is priced at $180, and it adds multiple ports to the ‌MacBook Neo‌ or another Mac. There's a 5Gb/s USB-C port that also provides power for accessories, four 5Gb/s USB-A ports (one of which can power peripherals), microSD and SD card reader slots, a 100W USB-C port for charging a connected MacBook, a 1Gb/s Ethernet port, two HDMI ports, two DisplayPorts, and a K-Lock for security.


The dock supports two 4K 60Hz displays connected via HDMI or DisplayPort, and it uses DisplayLink software to get around display limitations on the ‌MacBook Neo‌ and other Macs. Even though the ‌MacBook Neo‌ only supports one external 4K display natively, with the dock, it can power two displays.


For those who only need a single display, Plugable has the $50 9-in–1 USB-C Hub. It connects to the ‌MacBook Neo‌ or another Mac via USB-C, adding several useful ports. Unlike the dock, it does not need an external power source because it is bus-powered.


The hub has a 10Gb/s USB-C port, an HDMI 2.0 port, microSD and SD card slots, a USB 2.0 port, two 10Gb/s USB-A ports (one offers 15W charging for accessories), a USB-C port for 125W passthrough charging to the connected Mac, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Plugable currently has a 15% discount on the 9-in–1 Hub on Amazon.


Plugable's ‌MacBook Neo‌ accessory lineup is rounded out with a compact $24 USB-C Charger Block, which comes in either black or white. The power adapter provides 30W for the ‌MacBook Neo‌, which is ideal. It uses GaN technology so it's small in size, and it has collapsible prongs, making it ideal for travel. Plugable is offering a 16% discount on the power adapter on Amazon this week.


We have a ‌MacBook Neo‌ and a Plugable accessory kit to go along with it for one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.


Plugable Giveaway (U.S. Only)The contest will run from today (May 8) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on May 15. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after May 15 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
This article, "MacRumors Giveaway: Win a MacBook Neo and Accessory Kit From Plugable" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through how the global memory shortage is forcing Apple's hand across multiple key products, killing configurations, delaying launches, and prompting spec decisions that would have seemed unlikely a year ago.


The pressure originates outside Apple's control. JPMorgan analysis cited by the Financial Times found that memory could account for as much as 45% of an iPhone's component costs by 2027, up from around 10% today. Companies like Nvidia are reportedly outbidding consumer electronics makers for limited DRAM supply from Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, while cloud firms are locking in capacity with multi-billion-dollar upfront commitments. Apple, which buys memory for roughly 250 million iPhones per year, has shifted from a position where it could dictate terms to one where it must compete for supply, and component prices are being driven up as a result.

The consequences are already visible in the Mac lineup. Apple last week removed the Mac mini's 256GB storage option, pushing its starting price from $599 to $799. Days later, it eliminated Mac mini models with 32GB and 64GB of RAM and stripped the M3 Ultra Mac Studio to a single 96GB configuration, with delivery estimates for remaining Studio models at 9 to 10 weeks. The ‌Mac Studio‌ had already lost its 512GB memory option in March, and multiple configurations became entirely unavailable in April. On Apple's April 30 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that both machines would be "hard to get for months to come" and said Apple expects "significantly higher memory costs" in the current quarter.

The MacBook Neo was sold out through April and Cook described demand on the earnings call as "off the charts." The ‌MacBook Neo‌ uses binned A18 Pro chips, adopting manufacturing rejects from the iPhone 16 lineup with one GPU core disabled, repurposed rather than discarded to keep costs low enough to hit the $599 price point.

Apple's initial production target is believed to be about five to six million units, but demand has since pushed the company to instruct suppliers to prepare for at least 10 million. TSMC's N3E production lines, where the A18 Pro was made, are now running at maximum capacity, with AI-related orders consuming much of the available output. A fresh manufacturing run for the A18 Pro would yield fully functional chips rather than defective ones, raising the per-unit cost before any expedited manufacturing premium is applied.

Apple is now said to be weighing up its options for the ‌MacBook Neo‌. The company is purportedly considering cutting the 256GB entry-level model, which would push the effective starting price up by $100 without changing any existing configuration's price, the same mechanism used with the ‌Mac mini‌. Separately, Apple may be considering new color options to soften any price increase.

Upcoming products are apparently being reshaped too. Weibo leaker "Fixed Focus Digital" has claimed in a series of posts that the standard iPhone 18 is being downgraded as a cost-cutting measure, with both display and chip specifications affected. Most recently, the leaker said certain parts are interchangeable between the ‌iPhone 18‌ and the lower-cost iPhone 18e. For context, iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e differ meaningfully: the standard model has a larger ProMotion display, Dynamic Island, Ultra Wide camera, five-core GPU, and significantly better battery life, but it looks like there could be fewer differences with the next generation.

A follow-up post framed the new split launch strategy, under which the ‌iPhone 18‌ ships in spring 2027 rather than alongside the Pro models in the fall, as a deliberate commercial mechanism to smooth out demand. By extending the ‌iPhone 17‌'s flagship run, Apple is also said to be creating conditions under which a lower-specced successor will be more palatable. The split launch itself has been widely reported since last year, with Ming-Chi Kuo and Nikkei among those to have corroborated it.

The launch of the rumored all-new high-end MacBook Pro or "MacBook Ultra" with an OLED display and touchscreen has also apparently slipped. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said early 2027 is now looking more likely than late 2026 due to Apple's constrained memory supply.

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 answers to your listener questions about the future of Apple's product lineup, the software and services shaping the ecosystem, and our own personal histories with the company and its devices.

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.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Is Apple Downgrading iPhone 18 Due to Memory Shortage?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Starting today, Apple will require customers in the U.S., Canada, and Chile to verify their status as a student or educator to get educational discounts. Apple is adopting the UNiDAYS verification system that it uses in other countries, with a new process to accommodate homeschool families.


Apple is also adding the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to its Education Store, which means students and teachers are now eligible for up to a 10 percent discount on Apple's most popular wearable.

Students and educators in the three countries can use the UNiDAYS app or website to verify their academic status with an email address from an educational institution, a student or staff photo ID, or another valid educational document.


Eligible customers who homeschool can also be verified by UNiDAYS. Verification requires an identity document like a driver's license or passport, and a homeschool document, such as a Letter of Intent or Letter of Acknowledgement. Most customers will be verified instantly, with UNiDAYS providing a decision in under 24 hours when manual review is required.


Once confirmed through UNiDAYS, students and educators in the U.S., Canada, and Chile will be able to purchase the Apple Watch and other Apple devices at Apple's discounted educational prices. Apple's Education Store offers special pricing on Macs, iPads, and the Studio Display, along with accessories like the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil.

Apple did not previously have an established academic status verification system in the U.S. or Canada, which meant that anyone could technically purchase from the Education Store. Apple's sales policies said that it routinely audited customer purchases to verify purchase conditions were followed. Apple briefly used UNiDAYS in the U.S. in 2022 to verify student status, but it was removed after a few days following complaints about issues with the verification process.

Apple's Education Store discounts are available to employees of K–12 institutions, faculty and staff of higher education institutions, students attending or accepted to higher education institutions, and parents purchasing on behalf of children attending or accepted to a higher education institution.

In addition to the U.S., Canada, and Chile, Apple has added the Apple Watch to the Education Store in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, France, Germany, India, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, and the UK.

Apple also expanded UNiDAYS verification requirements to Australia, Hong Kong, and Turkey yesterday.
This article, "Apple Now Requires UNiDAYS Verification for Education Discounts in U.S. and Canada, Adds Apple Watch" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple's upcoming camera-equipped AirPods Pro are nearing completion and have reached an "advanced" testing stage, reports Bloomberg. The design is almost finalized, as is the feature set, and early mass production could begin soon.


The AirPods Pro will have built-in cameras that will feed visual information about the wearer's surroundings to Siri. While there will be a longer stem for the camera in each AirPod, the device will otherwise look similar to the AirPods Pro 3.

The cameras in the AirPods will not be able to take photos or videos, and will solely be used for AI purposes. A small LED light will illuminate when the AirPods are sending visual information to ‌Siri‌.

Apple wants users to be able to look at an item and ask ‌Siri‌ questions about it, working similarly to image uploads in chatbot apps. The cameras could also offer reminders based on visual information, and give more detailed turn-by-turn directions by viewing what's around the wearer.

The Camera app in iOS 27 is also set to get a Siri mode that incorporates Visual Intelligence, letting users do things like scan nutrition labels on food packaging for calorie tracking.

Apple wanted to start selling the camera-equipped AirPods Pro in the first half of 2026, but the product's launch has been held back because the smarter, AI version of ‌Siri‌ is not yet ready to be released. The new ‌Siri‌ is set to be introduced in September in ‌iOS 27‌, macOS 27, and iPadOS 27, so we could see the AirPods Pro launch sometime in that same timeframe.

Apple could also opt to wait to launch the AirPods if it is not satisfied with the quality of the ‌Visual Intelligence‌ features planned for ‌Siri‌.

It is not yet clear how the new AirPods will fit into Apple's lineup. Rumors suggest Apple does not intend to brand them as the "AirPods Pro 4," and they could instead be referred to as the AirPods Ultra, or perhaps ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ With Cameras.
This article, "AirPods Pro With AI Cameras Reach 'Advanced' Testing Stage" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums