MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been testing all four of Apple's new iPhones for the last few weeks, so if you're still thinking about getting one an iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max, or iPhone Air, you'll want to watch his latest video.
OpenProject 16.5 has been released and this version introduces new features and improvements again. Please take a few minutes to learn what changes for you. We will summarize the most important changes in this blog article and, as always, please see our release notes that contain all changes, features and bug fixes.
Add work packages to a meeting section in the Meetings tab
When preparing for a meeting, it’s often the small details that make a big difference. Until now, adding a work package to a meeting from the Meetings tab was already possible, but it always landed at the end of the agenda. Teams then had to manually move it to the right section — an extra step that sometimes led to confusion.
With 16.5, this process becomes much smoother. When you add a work package to a meeting, you can now add it directly to the right section or choose the backlog. The improved meeting selector also makes it easier to find the right meeting, whether it’s one of your upcoming appointments or part of a recurring series.
Choose color mode more conveniently with “Increase contrast” checkboxes
Over the last releases, we have steadily improved how you can adapt OpenProject’s appearance to your needs. In 16.4, we introduced the option to automatically sync the color mode with your operating system, as well as a dark high-contrast mode alongside the existing light one.
With 16.5, we are making these settings even more practical. Instead of switching between multiple predefined modes, you can now simply choose Light, Dark, or Automatic, and then enable an “Increase contrast” checkbox for the selected mode.
When you manage many projects, you often just want to see what changed recently. In 16.5, project lists include an “Updated on” filter and a sortable “Updated on” column. Sort by this column (newest first) or combine the filter with other criteria to focus on the projects that were modified most recently.
For integrations and automation, the API now supports an updated_at filter on the /api/v3/projects endpoint. This lets you request only projects changed since a given timestamp — useful for delta syncs that reduce waiting time and server load.
Note
Updated on reflects direct changes to the project itself (for example, a new custom field or a renamed project). Latest activity at is much broader and includes activity within the project, such as attribute changes to work packages.
Jump to highlighted target elements from deep links
Deep links are especially useful when you want to point colleagues directly to a specific item in OpenProject. With 16.5, these links now do more than just open the right page — they also scroll to the exact position and highlight the target element.
For example, when sharing a link to a comment in the Activity tab or to an item in a meeting agenda, the element is automatically displayed near the top of the page and temporarily marked with a blue outline. This makes it clear what the link refers to, helping teams save time and avoid misunderstandings.
Confirm critical actions with more accessible danger dialogs
Accessibility is an ongoing priority for us, and with 16.5 we have improved how danger dialogs work for users of assistive technologies. These dialogs are shown when potentially destructive actions require an extra confirmation step.
In this release, we added ARIA semantics so that screen readers announce the relationship between the confirmation checkbox and the action button. When the checkbox is checked, users hear that the button to proceed is now active; when it is unchecked, they are informed that the button is inactive and that they need to tick the checkbox to continue.
Better access to helpful information
Finding the right information quickly is essential, especially when you are just getting started or want to dive deeper into specific features. With 16.5, we have updated the help menu in the header navigation (the ? icon on the right). The entries have been restructured, links refreshed, and localizations added to make it easier to find what you are looking for.
We also included a new Getting started video right inside the menu, giving new users a simple introduction to OpenProject and offering a helpful refresher for experienced teams. These changes are also reflected in the Community widget that is displayed on the home page of every new instance, so guidance is available right from the start.
OpenProject 16.5: Migration, installation, updates and support
You will find more information about all new features and changes in our Release notes or in the OpenProject Documentation.
If you need support, you can post your questions in the Community Forum, or if you are eligible for Enterprise support, please contact us and we are happy to support you personally.
New to OpenProject? To test all features of OpenProject 16.5 right away, create a 14 days free trial instance for our OpenProject Enterprise cloud.
Prefer to run OpenProject 16.5 in your own infrastructure? Here you can find the Installation guidelines for OpenProject.
A very special thank you goes to Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, City of Cologne, Deutsche Bahn and ZenDiS for sponsoring released or upcoming features. Your support, alongside the efforts of our amazing Community, helps drive these innovations. Also a big thanks to our Community members for reporting bugs and helping us identify and provide fixes. Special thanks for reporting and finding bugs go to Alexander Aleschenko, Lars Tiedemann, Akihiko Fujikawa, and Johannes Baumgarten.
Last but not least, we are very grateful for our very engaged translation contributors on Crowdin, who translated quite a few OpenProject strings! This release we would like to particularly thank the following users:
Samo, for a great number of translations into Turkish.
Kuma Yamashita, for a great number of translations into Japanese.
Would you like to help out with translations yourself? Then take a look at our translation guide and find out exactly how you can contribute. It is very much appreciated!
As always, we welcome any feedback on this release. 💙
The feature is available on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3 models running watchOS 26. It is not available on any Apple Watch SE models. Users can set up the feature in the Health app on a paired iPhone.
The feature can alert users if signs of chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) are detected, according to Apple. Based on data from the Apple Watch's optical heart sensor, the feature can analyze how a user's blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. The algorithm works passively in the background, reviewing data over 30-day periods, and users are notified if consistent signs of hypertension are detected.
Apple says the feature does not require calibration, does not measure blood pressure directly, and does not surface a blood pressure reading to users.
Apple said the feature underwent "rigorous scientific validation," as outlined in a 12-page document. According to the company, it was developed with advanced machine learning and training data from multiple studies totaling more than 100,000 participants, and its performance was then validated in a clinical study of more than 2,000 participants.
Apple says the feature is "not intended for use by people under 22 years old, those who have been previously diagnosed with hypertension, or during pregnancy."
Apple has quietly added a protective silicone ring to its in-store MagSafe charging stands following reports of marks appearing on some iPhone 17 series display models, according to Consomac.
The apparent move comes after Apple last month confirmed that worn MagSafe chargers in retail stores were causing what appeared to be scratches on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. There have also been reports of the marks appearing on iPhone Air models.
Apple said the marks were actually material transfer from the stand to the phone, and could be removed with cleaning. The company also noted that other models like the iPhone 16 were affected by the problem.
It's currently unclear whether the in-store display change is localized to France, where the Consomac report originates, or if it's just a snapshot of a more widespread rollout to Apple retail stores in other countries.
Separately, Apple has addressed concerns about scratching on the camera plateau area of the iPhone 17 Pro models, saying the edges have similar characteristics to aluminum cases on other Apple devices, like MacBooks, and may show normal wear and tear over time.
Alongside iOS 26, Apple introduced a new tvOS 26 update for the Apple TV. tvOS updates aren't as feature rich as iOS updates and often go under the radar, so we thought we'd highlight some of the useful new features that you should check out.
Liquid Glass - Liquid Glass has a subtle presence in tvOS 26, with Apple adding Liquid Glass buttons, interface elements, and Control Center. It's not as extensive as Liquid Glass in iOS 26, and it blends in well with the tvOS operating system.
Apple TV app - The Apple TV app has been overhauled and it displays more TV shows and movies on the screen at one time.
Profiles - It's much easier to switch profiles in tvOS 26, so you can keep the content that you like separate from the content that other people in the family prefer. You can choose a profile whenever you wake your Apple TV up from sleep. You'll get better suggestions on a per-person basis, and it's a great way to separate kid content from adult content.
Karaoke - When using Apple Music Sing, you can use your iPhone as a microphone. The iPhone can show you real-time lyrics, lyric translations, and lyrics pronunciation.
AirPlay - If you use third-party speakers with the Apple TV, you can now set them as the default AirPlay speakers. Your Apple TV will then automatically use those speakers and you won't have to select your speaker each time you use the device.
FaceTime - FaceTime has been supported on the Apple TV since last year with an iPhone as the camera, but now there's an updated, card-style interface and support for Live Translation with captions.
Screen Savers - You can pick your favorite screen saver categories, choosing cityscape, earth, landscapes, and more. Each person can choose their own screen savers if desired.
Have a favorite tvOS 26 feature? Let us know in the comments below, and check out our video for even more tvOS tips and tricks.
The unboxing videos showed the M5 chip, and an increased minimum of 12GB of RAM.
According to Geekbench 6 benchmark results shown in one of the videos, the M5 chip offers up to 12% faster multi-core CPU performance and up to 36% faster graphics performance compared to the M4 chip in the current iPad Pro models from May 2024.
The benchmark result also showed the iPad Pro with 256GB of storage will have 12GB of RAM, just like the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. iPad Pro models with the M4 chip have only 8GB of RAM when equipped with 256GB or 512GB of storage, but models with 1TB or 2TB of storage are equipped with 16GB of RAM.
Last year, the iPad Pro was updated with an OLED display and a thinner design. No major design changes are expected this year, but the unboxing videos did reveal that "iPad Pro" will no longer be inscribed on the back of the next models.
Beyond the M5 chip and a minimum of 12GB of RAM, a third rumor is in jeopardy.
It was previously rumored that the next iPad Pro models would have two front cameras, allowing you to easily take photos and go on video calls in both portrait and landscape orientations. However, there is no evidence of a second front camera in the unboxing videos, with only an ambient light sensor visible in the top bezel in one of the videos.
I can say with certainty that M5 iPad Pros within Apple have the second lens. There's a history of Apple testing features at an advanced stage before pulling them (such as certain storage capacities or features like a second dock connector on the original iPad), but this would be a strange, last-minute cut.
We shall see. Apple will likely unveil the next iPad Pro models this month, so an official announcement is likely just a few weeks away.
Apple is working on a next-generation version of the Vision Pro with an updated chip, and it could include a new Dual Knit Band that provides a more comfortable fit.
Updated Apple backend code found by MacRumors includes a reference to a "Dual Knit Band," which is not a band that exists at the current time. The Apple Vision Pro comes with a Solo Knit Band and a Dual Loop Band, but no Dual Knit Band.
Based on the name, the new band could be a cross between Apple's two existing bands, featuring the same comfortable material as the Solo Knit Band but with a more supportive two-band fit. A text description of the Dual Knit Band suggests that there will be an upper band that spans the top of the head and another band that fits behind the head.
Some people have made custom adjustments to the Vision Pro to get it to accommodate two Solo Knit Bands for extra support at the top of the head, and those that have gone that route suggest it is much more comfortable than Apple's current Dual Loop Band.
Back in July, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the refreshed Vision Pro could include a new strap that would make it easier to wear the headset for long periods of time, and it looks like the rumor is accurate.
The Vision Pro weighs between 21.2 and 22.9 ounces, putting considerable strain on the head when it's worn for long periods of time. Some users find the weight of the device and the poor distribution of the Solo Knit Band to cause discomfort. The Dual Loop Band removes some of the weight from the face, but because it doesn't have the same knit design as the Solo Knit Band, it is less comfortable.
Apple is expected to refresh the $3,499 Vision Pro before the end of 2025. It will get a faster M5 chip, but Apple doesn't plan to make any other updates to the device.
The AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max are Apple's highest-end headphone options, so which should you choose?
Apple just debuted the AirPods Pro 3, adding new features like improved active noise cancellation, the U2 chip, and heart rate monitoring. The AirPods Pro 2 were already more advanced than the AirPods Max, which have not been meaningfully refreshed since their introduction in 2020, so the AirPods Pro 3 take an even bigger leap ahead of their over-ear siblings. Nevertheless, there is still a good case for buying the AirPods Max against the AirPods Pro.
Both the AirPods Max and the AirPods Pro feature active noise cancellation, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, volume controls, "Hey Siri" commands, and automatic switching. As the two highest-end AirPods options, should you consider purchasing the $249 AirPods Pro 3, or do you need the AirPods Max, which still sell for $549? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these AirPods are best for you.
AirPods Pro 3 (2025)
AirPods Max (2020, 2024)
Plastic design
Aluminum, stainless steel, and silicone design
IP57 dust, sweat, and water resistant earbuds and charging case
Available in White only
Lightning: Available in Silver, Space Gray, Sky Blue, Pink, and Green
USB-C: Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Purple, and Orange
Up to 8 hours of listening time on a single charge
Up to 20 hours of listening time on a single charge
5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour of listening time
5 minutes of charge time provides around 1.5 hours of listening time
Charge with Apple Watch charger, MagSafe charger, Qi wireless charging mats, and USB-C
Charge via USB-C or Lightning only (depending on model)
MagSafe Charging Case
Smart Case to preserve battery charge in ultra-low-power state
$249
$549
While there is some overlap between the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max with features like Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency, the entirely different fit and form factor of the headphones should make it easier for most customers to decide which device they prefer. Some users will even buy and use both.
The AirPods Max offer a wide range of color options and a premium design, making them more of a fashion accessory. They also feature much longer continuous battery life from a single charge. If you dislike the in-ear design of the AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max may also be more comfortable, especially for longer listening sessions.
Owing to its over-ear design and significantly larger drivers, the AirPods Max deliver markedly better audio quality than the AirPods Pro, so if your main priority is audio quality, the AirPods Max will undoubtedly be the best choice. They also support Lossless Audio via USB-C.
On the other hand, the AirPods Pro 3 offer a high-level of convenience and portability due to their small size and charging case. The audio quality of the AirPods Pro cannot rival the AirPods Max, but features like Adaptive Audio, Loud Sound Reduction, Conversation Boost are ideal for when you're on the go.
Due to their lightweight, in-ear design and sweat and water resistance, the AirPods Pro are perfect for outdoors use and fitness activities. They also now feature heart-rate monitoring during workouts.
The AirPods Pro 3 are much more versatile when it comes to charging, with four different ways to charge, compared to the AirPods Max's obligatory USB-C port. Due to their size, weight, less durable design, and limited portability, the AirPods Max are best used at home for high-fidelity, prolonged listening sessions, while the AirPods Pro offer a more balanced experience with a high level of convenience and portability.
It is also worth noting that the AirPods Pro have many more features than the AirPods Max, such as "Siri" voice commands, Precision Finding, Bluetooth 5.3, wireless lossless audio with the Vision Pro, Live Translation, and Hearing Test.
AirPods frequently see hefty discounts on Amazon and other third-party retailers, so stepping up to the Max version may be more worth it if you can take advantage of one of those deals. Both sets of AirPods often see solid discounts, so it is always worth seeking the best price using our Deals roundup.
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