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HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More

Juli Clover — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 23:15:55 +0000

Apple today released HomeView Software 27.2, which is the software that runs on the upcoming HomeView device set to launch on November 13.

The HomeView was announced earlier in October, but the early software release gives us a look at features like wallpapers and reveals a few tidbits we didn't previously know.

Wallpapers

There are 20 default wallpapers to choose from on HomeView, with a range of colors. Users will also likely be able to set their own photo wallpaper. The HomeView uses faces, but the wallpapers may be shown on the Home Screen.

View all 20 photos in the full article →

Face Editing

Guilherme Rambo shared an image of the HomeView's face editing interface, where users can choose the design they want to use on the HomeView's Lock Screen.

Of course I had to virtualize a HomeView 😅
First look at the face editing UI. https://t.co/3t03FVmuP3
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) October 30, 2026

Hello Screen

At startup, the HomeView will show the familiar "Hello" text.

Hello! https://t.co/pXdUR21Gev
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) October 30, 2026

Control Center

A HomeView setup animation shows Control Center on the HomeView.

HomeView setup animation found in HomeView Software 27.2 https://t.co/k4gCHNV3bY
— Aaron (@aaronp613) October 30, 2026

Light and Dark Mode

As with other Apple devices, the HomeView will have Light Mode and Dark Mode options, with the device able to swap between modes automatically based on time of day.

Snoopy

The HomeView has a bunch of different Snoopy animations if you pick the Snoopy face.

Here are the Snoopy videos from the HomeView 🧵 https://t.co/hrRxPlmVSS
— Aaron (@aaronp613) October 30, 2026

Launcher

Unlike iOS, HomeView doesn't use SpringBoard. It has a new launcher called BreadBoard, and the process for its Control Center UI is called CupBoard.

iOS 26

There is a hidden HomeView Software 26 graphic in the update, which adds to evidence that Apple wanted to release the HomeView earlier but had to wait on Siri AI. Apple also appears to have been testing the interface on a sixth-generation iPad mini before launch.

HomeView Software contains this image, adding more indiciation it was initially going to ship with HomeView Software 26 last year https://t.co/yV1a1lbJcr
— Aaron (@aaronp613) October 30, 2026

The HomeView is priced at $299, and it can be pre-ordered from Apple's website. It will launch alongside the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K on November 13.

Related Roundup: Apple HomeView

Buyer's Guide: HomeView (Buy Now)

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Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 22:20:10 +0000

In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, and later obtained by MacRumors, Apple provided technicians with guidance on how to diagnose and address the iPhone Duo's inner display cracking issue.

If a customer reports the issue, Apple advised technicians to inspect the iPhone Duo and repair or replace it in accordance with their standard procedures. While the instructions themselves are straightforward, the fact that Apple issued an internal memo suggests the issue is widespread enough to warrant official guidance.

Apple's memo said the issue affects a small number of iPhone Duo units, which is consistent with what it said in a public statement on Monday.

"We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units," said Apple, in a statement shared with MacRumors. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement." You can get support on Apple's website or by calling 1-800-APL-CARE in the U.S. and Canada.

Apple said most iPhone Duo units are not susceptible to this issue and that impacted units appear to exhibit the defects rather quickly after usage.

Apple said there is no iPhone Duo recall, and the company has yet to launch a public-facing repair program on its website for this issue.

Almost immediately after the iPhone Duo began arriving to customers a week ago, a handful of early adopters reported that the device's inner display had cracked, resulting in lines appearing down the middle and towards the right side of the screen.

The electronics repair website iFixit completed an iPhone Duo teardown and said that the issue is likely related to a defective hinge on affected units. However, Apple has yet to comment on the underlying cause of the issue.

Related Roundup: iPhone Duo

Tags: Apple Authorized Service Providers, Apple Store

Buyer's Guide: iPhone Duo (Buy Now)

Related Forum: iPhone

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iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 21:46:00 +0000

Apple's website in China says iOS 27.3 will enable some Apple Intelligence features in China, such as Writing Tools, Genmoji, Clean Up, Notification Summaries, Priority Notifications, Visual Intelligence, and Live Translation with AirPods. Select features will not be available, including Siri AI and Image Playground.

The features will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer until Apple receives approval to launch them on the iPad, Mac, and other devices in China. Apple said the first iOS 27.3 beta will be available next week. The update will be released in December.

Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27

Tags: Apple Intelligence, China

Related Forum: iOS 27

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Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 21:45:09 +0000

Apple today announced that the first iOS 27.3 developer beta will be released next week and enable some Apple Intelligence features in China.

In a press release shared on the Apple Newsroom website in China, Apple said the beta will be released on Wednesday, November 4, but that likely means Tuesday, November 3 in the U.S. due to time zone differences. Apple said iOS 27.3 will then be released to the public in December, but it did not provide a specific date.

iOS 27.3 will enable some of the earlier Apple Intelligence features on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer in China, such as Writing Tools, Genmoji, Clean Up, Notification Summaries, Priority Notifications, Visual Intelligence, and Live Translation with AirPods.

Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features announced at WWDC 2026 will not be available in China on iOS 27.3, according to Apple.

Image Playground will also not be available in China.

Apple also said it has partnered with Alibaba to add support for its AI assistant Qwen within Siri, Writing Tools, and Visual Intelligence.

Both the iPhone and Siri language will need to be set to English and Chinese (Simplified).

Apple Intelligence features will not be available on the Mac, iPad, or other devices in China until Apple receives the necessary approvals, it said.

Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27

Tags: Apple Intelligence, China

Related Forum: iOS 27

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Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 21:18:56 +0000

The Wall Street Journal's Rolfe Winkler this week reported that flash storage suppliers once "bullied" by Apple have been "getting their revenge" on the company over the past year due to a severe memory chip shortage, which stems from AI companies building out massive data centers that utilize significant amounts of flash storage and RAM.

As the iPhone took off, Apple became the world's largest buyer of flash storage, and naturally that gave the company a lot of leverage in negotiations.

The report goes into detail about some of the hardball tactics that were employed by Apple and its former head of procurement, Tony Blevins.

"After ordering flash at rock-bottom prices, Apple would refuse delivery at times if flash prices were falling," the report said. "That left suppliers holding piles of unsold chips, including ones custom-made for Apple. Kioxia executives joked they felt like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football—with Lucy always pulling it away."

Based in Japan, Kioxia was previously known as the Toshiba Memory Corporation.

Apple is also said to have "bullied flash makers into opening their books so it could monitor sales, making sure no one else got a better deal."

The report shared another example involving flash storage supplier Sandisk. Apple's other suppliers, such as SK Hynix and Samsung, were not mentioned.

"Around the end of 2015, Sandisk refused Apple's requests to send additional supply because it already had customers willing to pay more," the report said. "Blevins threatened a Sandisk salesman with retaliation, saying he would have Sandisk's chief executive, Sanjay Mehrotra, 'crawl on his knees' back to Apple, according to a person familiar with the call."

Things changed when the AI era arrived.

"Two years ago, Apple bought nearly twice the flash storage of Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Google combined, according to TechInsights estimates," the report said, citing a research firm. "Hyperscalers are now buying double Apple's share."

Much of the "revenge" has been passed on to customers, as Apple has raised prices on more than a dozen products this year, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, HomePods, the Apple TV, and more, with the company attributing these increases to the memory chip shortage. Apple's former CEO Tim Cook said price increases were "unavoidable."

Apple is not completely immune, though. Higher prices could result in lower demand, and the report said its profit margins on storage upgrades have been impacted. For example, TechInsights estimated that Apple makes a gross profit of $134 when a customer spends $200 to upgrade an iPhone 18 Pro from 256GB to 512GB of storage, down from $185 when a customer opted for the equivalent upgrade for the iPhone 17 Pro last year.

"We've worked with many of our suppliers for decades, and we deeply value their partnership over the years," an Apple spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. "We look forward to continuing our important work together."

On an earnings call this week, SK Hynix forecasted that the memory chip shortage will persist through 2030, so the pendulum may not swing back in Apple's direction for at least four more years. Eventually, though, it probably will.

Tag: The Wall Street Journal

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14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2

Tim Hardwick — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 19:42:54 +0000

Apple released iOS 27.2 on October 26, bringing enhancements to Siri AI, adding Suggestions in Messages, and sneaking in a string of smaller additions across Photos, Podcasts, Games, Apple TV, and FaceTime.

iOS 27.2 is available to download to your device now via Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update. Note that some features may not be available in all regions or on all iPhone models. Apple maintains a feature availability list with all the details.

Ask Siri About Past Conversations

Siri AI can now recall your past conversations, so you can ask it about something it told you before, like the restaurants it recommended last week. Siri AI features require an iPhone 16 model or later, or an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Get Answers From More of Your Personal Context

Siri AI can now draw from more sources when answering, including photos attached in Messages, Calendar event attendees, and your voicemails. Apple says you'll also get better results from Safari history and Reading List.

Use Siri in More Languages

Siri AI now supports French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish, in addition to English. Just keep in mind that, as things stand, it's not available in the EU or mainland China.

Control Which Apps Siri and Search Can Access

A new settings menu has been added that lets you choose which apps Siri, Search, and suggestions can access, all from one list. You can find it in Settings ➝ Siri ➝ Excluded Apps.

Copy Just Part of a Siri Response

Granular text selection lets you select and copy only the part of a Siri response you need, rather than the whole reply.

Act on Suggestions in Messages

The new Suggestions in Messages feature aims to help you take quick actions based on the context of a conversation, like adding a Calendar invite for a dinner or saving a Reminder. The feature appeared during iOS 27 beta testing but was held back from the initial release, so its arrival has been a good while coming.

Manage Shared Albums More Easily

Shared Albums in Photos gain three additions. You can now edit captions and comments, the app can avoid adding duplicate photos, and it can display a reminder before an album expires so participants can save important photos and videos.

Spot AI-Generated Images

iOS 27.2 supports SynthID watermarking, which aims to help you identify whether an image was generated or modified with generative tools in Photos and Image Playground.

See What Your Friends Are Playing

In the Games app, the Friends tab now provides context around friend suggestions, plus it shows you any recent games your friends have played on their player pages.

Create Apple TV Profiles for Your Household

If you have an Apple TV, you can now create profiles in the account settings section on iPhone and iPad. All you need for a profile is a name, plus whether it's for an adult or a child. Creating a profile for a child limits content to a PG rating by default, but there's a customize option for finer control. You can select age ratings for TV shows and movies that are appropriate for the child based on their age.

Stream FaceTime From Front and Rear Cameras

Dual Capture is now available in group ‌FaceTime‌ calls, so you can stream ‌FaceTime‌ video content from the front and rear cameras at the same time. On a compatible device running ‌iOS 27‌.2, flipping the camera while on a ‌FaceTime‌ call automatically turns on Dual Capture.

Dual Capture is available on the iPhone 17, ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro, ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and ‌iPhone Duo‌.

Watch Several Live Sports Streams at Once

Multiview has been expanded in the Apple TV app to the iPhone, so you can now watch up to four live sports streams at the same time. Multiview works for sports events that come with an ‌Apple TV‌ subscription, so that's Major League Soccer (MLS), Formula 1 (F1) in the U.S., and Friday Night Baseball doubleheaders during the Major League Baseball season.

iPhone Duo Edge Light and Apple Pencil Support

iOS 27.2 adds Apple Pencil USB-C support to the ‌iPhone Duo‌. It also includes support for the Edge Light feature that first appeared in macOS to illuminate your face during video calls.

Be Reminded of a Contact's Anniversary on a Call

A new feature of Call Context reminds you that it's your anniversary when you call that special person – as long as you've added the date in the Contacts app. To add an anniversary to a contact, open the Contacts app and select their name. Tap "Edit" in the corner, then tap "add date," and the first suggestion under date is anniversary. Do it now. It could save your marriage...

Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27

Related Forum: iOS 27

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iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later

Juli Clover — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 19:06:12 +0000

It's been a week since the iPhone Duo was released, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera wanted to revisit his review since he's been able to use the Duo for a longer stretch of time.

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You've probably seen images of iPhone Duos with a bright white line running across one side of the inner display. There is a defect affecting some users, but Apple says it's a problem limited to a small number of units.

None of us at MacRumors have had a display crack, and we've seen some AI photos floating around, so it's hard to tell just how many people are actually having problems. iPhone Duos with the hinge issue that causes the display to crack seem to get damaged shortly after purchase, so if you've had an ‌iPhone Duo‌ for the last week and it's still fine, it's not likely to have this defect.

The outer display is small, but Dan finds it useful for checking notifications, replying to messages, and scrolling through apps and websites. He unfolds it for multitasking or longer messages, and is a fan of using the ‌iPhone Duo‌ unfolded in portrait mode for watching videos and using an app at the same time.

He finds the Touch ID fingerprint sensor easy to find, and says Apple Watch unlock is similar to Face ID. The cameras are just okay, and someone who zooms in a lot is probably going to miss having a telephoto lens.

Battery life is between an iPhone 18 Pro and a Pro Max, and for most people, it's likely going to last a full day. Not all apps have been updated for the Duo layout yet, but it's getting better. There's an extension called Wider that extends the Safari window to the edges of the ‌iPhone Duo‌'s outer display, and it's a big improvement. We may see other accommodations in the coming months as developers and users get used to the new layout.

Dan says the ‌iPhone Duo‌ is the most excited he's been about an iPhone in a long time, and he plans to keep using it even though he misses having a telephoto lens.

Did you get an ‌iPhone Duo‌? What do you think now that you're a week into using it? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Roundup: iPhone Duo

Buyer's Guide: iPhone Duo (Buy Now)

Related Forum: iPhone

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MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 18:59:18 +0000

Apple on Wednesday unveiled new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with touch-enabled OLED displays, and more details about them continue to be shared by tech reporters who were invited to Apple's hands-on experience in Los Angeles.

Nicolas Lellouche of the French website Numerama shared 15 details about the new MacBook Pro models in an article and a social media post. Some of this information has already surfaced, but he provided a useful summary:

Apple said the keyboard and trackpad remain the primary input methods, with touch input available as an additional option for those who want it.

Apple said there is now a generation of young creators who grew up using touchscreens, so it felt the timing was right to bring the functionality to the Mac.

Apple said music creators prefer touch over trackpads for controlling virtual instruments.

"Traffic light" controls in the top-left corner of macOS windows expand when pressed.

Items in a list become more spaced out when touched.

A swipe up from the bottom of the screen brings up the Dock.

A swipe down from the top of the screen brings up Spotlight/Siri AI.

A long press is equivalent to a right click.

Holding a window and quickly moving it left or right triggers Split View.

If you close your Mac while your finger is touching the display, touch input is temporarily deactivated to prevent accidental touches.

The camera is stabilized so it does not shake on video calls when you touch the screen.

You cannot wake the MacBook Pro by touching the screen.

Multi-touch supports up to 10 fingers at the same time. No word yet on toes (kidding).

Live Activities from iPhone apps can appear in the Dynamic Island.

There are settings that allow you to turn off touch input and the illuminated Apple logo on the MacBook Pro's lid.

The new MacBook Pro models can be pre-ordered now and launch Friday, November 6.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign

Juli Clover — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 17:20:31 +0000

Samsung this week launched an advertising campaign mocking the display issues some people have had with the iPhone Duo.

In an Instagram post on its Canadian account, Samsung shared several images showing a bright line through the spot where ‌iPhone Duo‌ models have been experiencing display problems.

There are three images, each with different text:

Folding is nothing new to us

Folding. We know a thing or eight.

Switch to Galaxy Z Fold8

A Samsung spokesperson said it's a "playful new campaign" that taps into the conversation about the "growing rivalry in foldables and how experience plays in the category."

The first Galaxy foldable smartphone came out in September 2019, and the company introduced its eighth-generation Galaxy Z Fold8 three months ahead of when the ‌iPhone Duo‌ debuted.

Shortly after the ‌iPhone Duo‌ launched, some customers ran into hinge issues that caused cracks in the inner display. Affected devices seem to break in the same spot, with a bright line appearing on the OLED screen.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Samsung Canada (@samsungcanada)

Apple said it is aware of the issue and that only a small number of ‌iPhone Duo‌ units have a problem. Customers who have a faulty device will see the issue early on, and users with a broken ‌iPhone Duo‌ should contact Apple for a replacement.

The response to iPhone Duo from early users has been incredibly positive, and we are seeing exciting things from developers who are rapidly updating their apps to take advantage of its unique form factor. We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.

The ‌iPhone Duo‌ is backordered until January for online orders, though Apple has had some in-store stock available sporadically. There do not appear to be supply issues for the Galaxy Z Fold8, with many colors and capacities delivering on November 3.

Apple's ‌iPhone Duo‌ is priced starting at $1,999 for 256GB of storage, while Samsung is charging $1,899 for the same capacity.

Related Roundup: iPhone Duo

Tag: Samsung

Buyer's Guide: iPhone Duo (Buy Now)

Related Forum: iPhone

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The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More

Hartley Charlton — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:50:22 +0000

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's newly announced OLED MacBook Pro, iPad mini with A20 Pro, and M6 versions of the iMac and entry-level 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌.

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The MacBook Pro gains a tandem ‌OLED‌ display with touch support for the first time. Available in 14- and 16-inch sizes, the "PROLED XDR display" offers up to 2,000 nits of peak HDR and SDR brightness, a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and Adobe RGB support alongside P3. Touch input enables gestures such as scrolling, pinching to zoom, and dragging content, with a reinforced hinge and camera stabilization designed to accommodate interaction with the screen.

A Dynamic Island replaces the notch, providing access to Live Activities, Siri AI, and more. The enclosure is thinner and lighter, with the 14-inch model weighing 3 pounds and the 16-inch model weighing 4 pounds. The larger model's display grows to 16.3 inches, and the iconic illuminated Apple logo returns.

The new models retain the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips introduced earlier this year, but add a redesigned thermal architecture and upgraded speakers with 50% deeper bass and dedicated tuning for closed-lid playback. Maximum storage doubles to 16TB. Pricing starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model, a $400 premium over comparable mini-LED configurations.

The new ‌iPad mini‌ moves from an 8.3-inch LCD to an 8.5-inch ‌OLED‌ display, with thinner borders, up to 1,200 nits of peak HDR brightness, and a nano-texture option on the 256GB and 512GB configurations. It is thinner and lighter at 5.4mm thick, and becomes the first iPad with an official IP67 water and dust resistance rating. The display remains limited to 60Hz, with no ProMotion support.

The A20 Pro chip brings GPU Neural Accelerators and increased memory bandwidth to the device, with Apple claiming up to 60% faster CPU performance, 2.7 times faster graphics, and 4.5 times faster AI performance than the previous generation. The 512GB configuration has an additional CPU core and a second 16-core Neural Engine compared with the 128GB and 256GB models.

An all-new Acoustic Display speaker system eliminates external speaker holes, while the front camera moves to the landscape edge and the rear camera gains an Adaptive True Tone flash. Other additions include fast charging, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread, Apple's C2 modem on cellular models, and extended external display support with iPadOS 27.2. The ‌iPad mini‌ starts at $699 in Midnight or Starlight, with a new $79 TechWoven Smart Folio available separately.

The M6 iMac replaces the M4 model, adding two CPU and GPU cores to both the two-port and four-port configurations. It also gains GPU Neural Accelerators, dual 16-core Neural Engines, up to twice as fast SSD storage, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread, and 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet. Pricing starts at $1,499, with the four-port model starting at $1,699.

The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro moves from M5 to M6, with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, dual 16-core Neural Engines, and upgraded wireless connectivity. Memory bandwidth increases to 170GB/s on 24GB and 32GB configurations, while the 16GB model remains at 153GB/s. Its $1,999 starting price and battery life of up to 24 hours carry over from the outgoing model.

All four products are available to pre-order now and launch on November 6. 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 the launch of the iPhone Duo and the iPod's 25th anniversary.

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 familiar guests such as Tyler Stalman, Michael Fisher, 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, 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.

Related Roundups: iPad mini, MacBook Pro

Tags: OLED, The MacRumors Show

Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now), MacBook Pro (Buy Now)

Related Forums: iPad, MacBook Pro

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Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders

Mitchel Broussard — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:21:20 +0000

It's Halloween weekend, and we're tracking a bunch of great accessory discounts from popular companies like Belkin, Hyper, and Anker. In addition to these seasonal sales, below you can find a recap of this week's top Apple offers, including pre-order discounts on Apple's new MacBooks and iPad mini, plus our exclusive Banktivity discount.

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.

Halloween Deals

Tomorrow is Halloween, and in celebration of the holiday multiple retailers are hosting notable sales and discount events this weekend. These events include savings on MagSafe-compatible chargers, iPhone cases, noise cancelling headphones, and more.

Anker - Save an additional 20% sitewide with code HALLOWEEN20

Best Buy - Save sitewide on video games, iPads, and more

Belkin - Buy one, get one 30% off

GRID Studio - Up to 57% off select frames

Hyper - Save 25% on select products

Sony - Save on TVs, headphones, and more

ZAGG - Save 20% when buying any two items

Burton Goods - Get 15% off your first order with code NEW15

Banktivity

What's the deal? Save 30% on your first year of Banktivity

Where can I get it? Banktivity

Where can I find the original deal? Right here

30% OFF

Banktivity First Year Subscription

MacRumors has partnered with the personal finance app Banktivity to offer our readers a 30 percent discount on their first year of the service, plus a 30-day free trial. This deal is available to new subscribers only, and you can find it on Banktivity's website, where it has been automatically applied with no coupon code needed.

Apple Pre-Orders

What's the deal? Save on pre-orders of select new Apple products

Where can I get it? Best Buy

Where can I find the original deal? Right here

$50 GIFT CARD

iPad mini 8 at Best Buy

$100 GIFT CARD

M6 MacBook Pro at Best Buy

$100 GIFT CARD

PROLED XDR MacBook Pro at Best Buy

Apple announced an array of new products this week, including the iPad mini 8, M6 iMac, M6 14-inch MacBook Pro, and PROLED XDR MacBook Pro. A few of these devices have pre-order bonuses at Best Buy in the form of gift cards, and right now these are the only offers we're tracking on any of Apple's newest devices.

Mac Mini and Mac Studio

What's the deal? Get record low prices on Mac mini and Mac Studio

Where can I get it? Amazon

Where can I find the original deal? Right here

$200 OFF

M5 Max Mac Studio 36GB/512GB for $2,299.00

$120 OFF

M6 Mac mini 16GB/256GB for $779.00

$150 OFF

M6 Mac mini 16GB/512GB for $949.00

Apple's M5 Max Mac Studio with 36GB RAM and a 512GB SSD is still on sale for $2,299.00, down from $2,499.00. Regarding the Mac mini, you can get the 16GB RAM/256GB SSD Mac mini for $779.00, down from $899.00, and the 16GB RAM/512GB SSD model for $949.00, down from $1,099.00.

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.

Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? You can sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry

Hartley Charlton — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 14:58:16 +0000

Apple faces Russian data retention and disclosure requirements after being added to the country's state surveillance registry, Bloomberg reports.

Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, listed Apple and Microsoft on October 2 as "organizers of information dissemination," a classification that carries obligations to preserve communications and make data available to Russian security agencies.

Those obligations cover correspondence and messages containing audio or video. Companies must also keep information identifying users and recording the transmission of their communications within Russia for three years. Businesses that fail to meet the requirements risk fines and, ultimately, restrictions on their services.

Apple and Microsoft join other services on the registry, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat. Google and its Meet video calling service were listed in January.

The designation follows Russia's December 2025 block on FaceTime. Roskomnadzor justified that restriction by alleging the service was being used to facilitate terrorism, recruitment, and fraud. Russia had already restricted calling through WhatsApp and Telegram and blocked Signal and Viber.

Apple suspended sales in Russia in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, in addition to stopping exports into its Russian sales channel and limiting Apple Pay.

Tags: Bloomberg, Microsoft, Russia

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Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 14:57:44 +0000

Since late August, Apple has been on an absolute spree, releasing more than 25 new devices and accessories. Quite the start to the John Ternus era.

Below, we have recapped most of the new products that Apple has released over the past two months, with some available now and others still up for pre-order. This list is not entirely complete, as it does not include various Apple Watch bands, iPhone cases, and certain other accessories, but it covers most notable items.

Mac Mini With M6 and M5 Pro Chips

Mac Studio With M5 Max and M5 Ultra Chips

New Apple Polishing Cloth

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone Duo

Apple Watch Series 12

Apple Watch Ultra 4

AirPods 5

Beats 360

Wrist Strap for iPhone 18 Pro and AirPods Pro 3

New Apple Watch Charging Puck

New Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote

HomePod Mini 2

Apple HomeView

New iPad Mini With OLED Display

New iPad Mini Smart Folio With TechWoven

New 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M6 Chip

New iMac With M6 Chip

MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display and Touch

New 70W/140W Power Adapters, Extension Cable, and World Travel Adapter Kit

Beats Pill Pokémon Special Edition

Barring any surprises, Apple has likely cleared through its slate of remaining major product announcements this year, but things will continue to be busy through at least mid-November as we wait for the HomeView, new Apple TV 4K and iPad mini, MacBook Pro models with OLED displays, and more to begin arriving to customers.
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Apple Acquires Ascend.io

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 14:53:42 +0000

Apple this year acquired Ascend.io, a California-based company that developed technology to help businesses automate the collection and analysis of data, and more recently introduced AI agents to help engineers manage this data.

The acquisition was revealed in a notice posted on the European Commission's website today, and Ascend.io's own website mentions "winding down operations as we prepare for our next great adventure."

Tag: Apple Acquisition

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Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac

Hartley Charlton — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:38:25 +0000

The developers of Draw Things have launched Local Code, an open-source AI assistant that lets Mac users download models and put them to work on their own computers.

Local Code lets users download an AI model and start working without separately installing the tools it needs. When using a local model, the app processes prompts and files on the Mac rather than sending them to a cloud AI provider.

Local Code can create presentations, generate images and videos, analyze spreadsheets, work with Word and PowerPoint files, and more. It also includes a browser that the assistant can use to navigate websites and complete online tasks.

With the user's permission, the app can read information from Mail, Messages, and Notes, as well as make changes in Calendar and Photos. According to its documentation, Apple's App Sandbox restricts its access to files and other parts of the system.

The app offers Qwen and DeepSeek models for Macs with different amounts of memory. Its website lists 16GB as the minimum for Qwen 3.8 27B, with recommended downloads taking around 10GB to 21GB of storage. The larger DeepSeek models require downloads of around 89GB or 376GB, depending on the version.

Users can also choose a cloud model, although doing so sends prompts and relevant files to the selected provider. Local use is free, while optional cloud access is available through users' own API keys or prepaid credits starting at $9.99.

Local Code follows a public beta that began on September 12. A direct Mac download is available now, and the developers say a Mac App Store release is coming soon.
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HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:05:17 +0000

Today is HomePod mini 2 launch day, with the first pre-orders beginning to arrive to customers and the speaker now available to purchase at most Apple Store locations around the world. In the U.S., the HomePod mini 2 is priced at $149, with two-tone pink, green, and blue color options available alongside white and midnight.

Here is what is new with the HomePod mini 2:

Siri AI support is coming in a future software update, with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad required for requests involving your personal context.

S10 chip, up from the S5 chip for the previous model. Apple said the S10 chip enables "advanced computational audio," but it did not explicitly confirm if the HomePod mini 2 has improved sound quality compared to the original model.

Wi-Fi 6E support, up from Wi-Fi 4 for the previous model.

Bluetooth 6 support, up from Bluetooth 5 for the previous model.

Default audio output support on Macs with Wi-Fi 6E and later. The full-sized HomePod 2 also supports this capability with the latest software updates.

Sound Glow: the top area glows and pulses in sync with the music playing. This feature has also been added to the original HomePod mini.

Four-speaker surround sound with the new Apple TV 4K: connect four HomePod mini 2 and/or full-sized HomePod 2 speakers in front and rear pairs. A related Whole Room Audio feature is offered for parties.

Three microphones for Siri, down from four in the previous model. It is unclear if users will notice this difference.

Two-tone pink, green, and blue color options, along with white and midnight.

3% weight reduction. Huge.

The previous HomePod mini was initially $99, but it became $129 after a June price increase. As mentioned, the new model is $149.

Related Roundup: HomePod mini 2

Buyer's Guide: HomePod Mini (Buy Now)

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AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99

Mitchel Broussard — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:48:50 +0000

Apple's AirTag 2 has hit $69.99 this week on Amazon and Best Buy, down from $99.00. This deal is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's a new record low price for the accessory.

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.

We're also tracking a smaller deal on the AirTag 2 1-Pack, available for $23.00, down from $29.00. This is another record low price on the AirTag 2.

$6 OFF

AirTag 2 (1-Pack) for $23.00

$29 OFF

AirTag 2 (4-Pack) for $69.99

The new AirTag is equipped with a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, enabling the Precision Finding feature to work up to 50% farther away from an item compared to the previous-generation model.

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.

Deals Newsletter

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral

Hartley Charlton — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:23:15 +0000

Filmmaker Rian Johnson, best known for writing and directing "Knives Out," "Glass Onion," and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," has seen his new iPhone photography app Chromagraph Camera climb to the top of the paid App Store charts after attracting attention on social media this week.

Johnson developed the app with his longtime cinematographer Steve Yedlin and programmer Eric Cameron, bringing image processing techniques from their films to iPhone still photography. Chromagraph currently ranks No. 1 in Photo & Video on the U.S. App Store.

Johnson's announcement on X accumulated six million views within a day, while users have been sharing their results, with some photo posts attracting thousands of likes.

Chromagraph shoots RAW photos and processes them using techniques Yedlin developed for his films, giving pictures a distinctive treatment of color, contrast, and grain. It also adds halation, a soft glow around bright areas. Users can adjust the look with controls for color, tone, and texture.

The effect appears after taking a photo, when users open the app's gallery. Original RAW files are kept intact, so edits can be changed later.

For sharing, photographs can be exported as JPEG or HEIC files with the processing applied. An automatic export option also sends each finished photo to the user's photo library.

Chromagraph Camera costs $12.99 as a one-time purchase on the App Store and requires iOS 17 or later.
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Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores

Tim Hardwick — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:10:09 +0000

Apple allocated roughly 80% of its initial iPhone Duo inventory to its retail stores, with locations holding as few as 50 units each, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Speaking on the latest episode of his Power On podcast, Gurman, citing people very close to the device's logistics, said most customers who bought a Duo in store on day one got one by waiting in line.

Flagship stores were said to have held up to around 250 units, and Fifth Avenue was stocked unusually heavily because Apple executives attended the launch. The inventory split helps explain why pre-orders slipped to late January within minutes on October 16, while most people who queued on launch day walked away with a new phone.

At the time, Apple described demand as "nothing short of extraordinary" and said it was working to satisfy demand "as quickly as possible," so there's a good chance that, even if a delivery estimate for your order is way out in the future, it could improve over time.

Where to Buy iPhone Duo: Stores, Pickup, and Wait Times

Just Got an iPhone Duo? Try These Features First

‌iPhone Duo‌ starts at $1,999 for 256GB, with 512GB at $2,199, 1TB at $2,599, and 2TB at $3,199 on Apple's U.S. store. In the UK, the same storage tiers run £1,999, £2,199, £2,599, and £3,199 on Apple's UK store.

Related Roundup: iPhone Duo

Tag: Mark Gurman

Buyer's Guide: iPhone Duo (Buy Now)

Related Forum: iPhone

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Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027

Tim Hardwick — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:28:16 +0000

Apple's new OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro could ship between 1.2 million and 1.5 million units in 2027, according to a new forecast from market intelligence firm TrendForce.

Announced on Wednesday, the new MacBook Pro is the first to feature a tandem OLED touchscreen, with pricing starting at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model. Pre-orders are available now, with a launch coming on Friday, November 6.

Given that Apple is selling the OLED models alongside its existing mini-LED MacBook Pro lineup, TrendForce says that the premium starting price could temper near-term replacement demand.

Even so, the firm expects Apple's arrival in the OLED laptop market to accelerate the market landscape more broadly. Up until now, it has been driven mainly by Windows brands such as Lenovo, HP, and ASUS.

The overall laptop market has been contracting for two consecutive years, but TrendForce forecasts OLED laptop shipments will grow nearly 40% year-over-year in 2026, followed by another increase of more than 40% in 2027, with brands increasingly prioritizing OLED models in their product roadmaps.

Samsung Display is currently the exclusive panel supplier for the new MacBook Pro. The company has designated Phase 1 of its G8.6 A6 production line at its Asan campus in South Korea as a dedicated facility for Apple, and the MacBook Pro is the first product to enter mass production on Samsung Display's G8.6 fine metal mask (FMM) OLED line. The display's tandem OLED architecture and 254 PPI pixel density impose exceptionally demanding production requirements, particularly in material costs and manufacturing yields, notes TrendForce.

Meanwhile, rival panel makers are conducting qualification programs, but TrendForce believes the cost of meeting Apple's specifications and Samsung Display's established position present considerable barriers to entry. LG Display, BOE, and TCL CSOT are instead said to be directing their efforts toward the supply chain for the OLED MacBook Air, which isn't expected to debut until at least 2028.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Tag: TrendForce

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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