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10 Ways to Improve Your iPhone's Battery Life

Juli Clover — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:53:10 PDT

When you're at home or work with regular access to an iPhone charger, you probably don't need to worry much about your iPhone's battery. On days when you're away from home for long stretches, you might want to make some adjustments to extend battery life.

We've rounded up 10 tips that can cut down on battery drain.

1. Turn on Adaptive Power

The best way to preserve battery life is to make sure you have Adaptive Power turned on. It's an iOS 26 feature that's available on Apple Intelligence iPhones. It uses on-device intelligence to analyze usage patterns and determine when you might need extra power.

It saves battery by lowering screen brightness a bit, adjusting performance, and limiting background activity. It also turns on Low Power Mode automatically when your battery hits 20 percent.

If you have an iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, or iPhone Air, Adaptive Power is on by default, but you need to turn it on with other models. Adaptive Power can be activated on eligible iPhones in Settings & Battery & Power Mode.

2. Set Up Automations for Low Power Mode

Turning on Low Power Mode is the most obvious way to extend battery life on your iPhone, and you can automate it so it turns on at a set battery percentage.

Apple will prompt you to turn on Low Power Mode when your battery is at 20 percent, but it's helpful to turn it on earlier. To set up a Low Power Mode shortcut, open up the Shortcuts app, and create a new Automation. With iOS 27, you can just type in what you want the automation to do, but in ‌iOS 26‌, search for Battery Level, choose a target battery percentage, then add Low Power Mode as the action to turn on when your battery hits that level.

3. Turn Off the Always-On Display

Your iPhone's Always-On Display leaves the time, wallpaper, widgets, and Live Activities visible on the Lock Screen even when your iPhone is locked.

The setting preserves battery by doing things like turning off the display when a connected Apple Watch is no longer nearby (signaling that the iPhone owner is out of the room) or the iPhone is in a pocket, but Always-On Display still drains battery faster than no Always-On Display.

You can turn off the Always-On Display by following these steps:

Open up the Settings app.

Tap on Display & Brightness.

Tap on Always-On Display.

Toggle off Always-On Display.

You can also customize the Always-On Display if you don't want to turn it off entirely. You can disable wallpapers or turn off notifications.

4. Limit Frame Rate

Some iPhones have a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, but dropping it down to 60Hz can eke out a bit more battery life. You can adjust frame rate by using an Accessibility setting.

Open up the Accessibility section of the Settings app.

Tap on Motion.

Toggle on Limit Frame Rate.

ProMotion is available on all ‌iPhone 17‌ models, the ‌iPhone Air‌, and Pro versions of earlier iPhones dating back to the iPhone 13 Pro.

5. Turn on Dark Mode

On OLED iPhone displays, activating Dark Mode preserves battery life because there's less power draw when darker-colored pixels are displayed. Activating ‌Dark Mode‌ when outside on a sunny day can preserve a good amount of battery life.

Lower levels of brightness in Light Mode use the same battery as higher levels of brightness in ‌Dark Mode‌, so ‌Dark Mode‌ can save battery even with brightness turned up when you're in a sunny location.

When you're somewhere that has dimmer lighting and screen brightness is lower, turning on ‌Dark Mode‌ won't save as much battery life, but it still draws a little less power.

6. Audit Apps With Location Access

It's a good idea to regularly check your privacy and access settings to make sure apps and services aren't doing things you don't want them to be doing.

Limiting the apps that have access to your location and how often apps can access that data can save battery life.

Open up the Settings app.

Choose Privacy & Security.

Tap Location Services.

Review the list and edit settings by tapping on the name of each app in the list.

You have four possible choices for location settings for each app, though not all four choices will always be available for every app depending on what it does. You can select the following: Never, Ask Next Time Or When I Share, While Using the App, and Always.

Never will prevent an app from ever accessing your location, and unless there's a real need for an app to know where you are, such as a mapping app, setting location access to Never is the best choice.

Ask Next Time Or When I Share will prompt an app to ask you with a pop-up the next time that it wants your location, so you can temporarily approve it. With this setting, location access is off until expressly allowed via the pop-up.

While Using the App lets an app access your location when the app is open and being actively used. If you close the app or switch over to another app, location access ends.

Always allows an app to have access to your location at all times, regardless of whether it's open or closed. This will cause the most battery drain and should be limited to only the apps that you need the most.

Many apps that don't need location information will ask for your location information. A banking app may want location access to show nearby ATMs, and a social media app like Facebook may want to serve you location-based features. Clearing the cruft will ensure no apps are accessing your location without express permission, and it'll save battery life at the same time.

You can also turn off Location Services entirely, but it's not ideal because it can impact apps you rely on, like Maps.

7. Rein in Background App Refresh

Most apps use background refresh to update even when they're not open. Limiting background activity to just the apps that need it is a classic way to cut down on battery usage. It's also another one of the privacy-related options that's just good to check regularly.

You can turn off Background App Refresh entirely or choose which apps can refresh in the background.

Open the Settings app.

Select General.

Tap on Background App Refresh.

From there, you can tap on the Background App Refresh option to turn it off altogether or choose to have it activate only when connected to Wi-Fi, which doesn't drain battery as much as downloading over cellular.

8. Limit Live Activities and Notifications

Incoming notifications wake your screen, and Live Activities keep the Lock Screen updated constantly. Limiting the apps that can send you notifications and Live Activities saves battery life.

Under Settings & Notifications, go through the list and turn off notifications for apps you don't need to hear from. After that, you can further refine with Focus modes. Focus modes let you choose which apps and people can send you notifications and when.

Open the Settings app.

Scroll down to Focus and tap it.

Tap on the "+" button.

Follow the instructions to choose a Focus mode and the apps you want to use with it.

During work hours, you can make sure you're only getting work notifications, and during personal time, you can limit work notifications. You can set up Focus modes for all kinds of situations, from driving to workouts to sleep.

You'll still get all of your notifications, but silently. Turning off unwanted notifications from apps is still the best method for saving battery life, but Focus lets you keep your notifications while still cutting down on the number that you receive at any given time.

Scheduled Summary is another way to limit your notifications because you can have non-urgent alerts sent at a scheduled time.

You can toggle on Scheduled Summary for apps in the Notifications section of the Settings app, where you can choose which apps should have their notifications included in Scheduled Summary and when you want them delivered.

9. Turn Off Keyboard Haptics

Haptic feedback on the iPhone's keyboard is satisfying to feel when you tap on the on-screen keys, but it can drain your battery.

You can turn it off by going to Settings & Sounds & Haptics & Keyboard Feedback and toggling off Haptic.

10. Monitor Your Battery Usage and Adjust

In ‌iOS 26‌, Apple made it easier to see which of your apps are draining the most battery.

The top of the Battery interface has an overview of your current battery level and the time that you last charged. If your iPhone is charging, it also lets you know how much time you have left until the battery is full.

There is a weekly view of average battery use along with how much battery you're currently using compared to your typical average. The comparison tells you if you're using more, the same, or less battery life than you do on most days.

It shows which apps used more battery and by how much, which makes it easier to tell what's draining your battery. It also displays why an app used more battery, such as background app refresh or an excessive number of notifications.

Apps draining a lot of battery are shown in orange so they stand out, and that's where it's best to make adjustments.
This article, "10 Ways to Improve Your iPhone's Battery Life" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods: All the New Rumors

Juli Clover — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:58:59 PDT

Apple is working on AirPods that have cameras for feeding data to Siri. The new earbuds will be Apple's first AI wearable, and they're expected to launch sometime in 2027.

Leaked Video

Apple accidentally left a demo video featuring its rumored camera-equipped AirPods in macOS Tahoe 26.7 in mid-August. In the demo, a man holds up a book so the cameras in the AirPods can see the title. "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later," says the voiceover.

Here is your first look at AirPods with Cameras in action using Visual Intelligence.

This video file came from macOS 26.7 RC pic.twitter.com/yo7RI4MCeu

— Aaron (@aaronp613) August 18, 2026

The cameras on the AirPods will feed information to ‌Visual Intelligence‌, and ‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about the wearer's surroundings and log information. There is a direct reference to setting up ‌Visual Intelligence‌ on the AirPods.

If hair is covering the AirPods up, you'll receive an alert. "To get the most accurate information about things in your environment, make sure AirPods are not covered," it says.

Two Versions

Rumors about camera-equipped AirPods have been a little confusing. Most of the rumors about the AirPods with cameras were about a product with the codename B798. In June, Gurman said the camera AirPods had been delayed because of issues with ‌Siri‌ AI, and would not launch until September 2027 alongside the 20th anniversary iPhone.

In early August, Gurman revised his launch timing and said Apple was close to debuting camera AirPods with the codename B790. The B790 AirPods had apparently been progressing alongside the B798 model, and Gurman said the company "famously creates competing versions of the same product internally," with B790 closer to launch than B798. Then in mid-August, multiple references to the B790 version were spotted in ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7. After B790 was discovered, Gurman claimed the AirPods were no longer on Apple's release schedule, and Apple has no plans to release camera-equipped AirPods before 2027.

Gurman said B790 is a version of the AirPods Pro 3 with cameras, while B798 is a future AirPods Pro model with cameras.

Design

The AirPods will look similar to the current ‌AirPods Pro 3‌, but with cameras embedded in the stem. Apple may include a light that will come on when visual data from the AirPods is being sent to the cloud. The LED will let people around the wearer know the cameras are in use.

Size, design, and fit are expected to remain largely the same for the earbuds and the charging case, with the exception of the changes to the stem.

Features

The cameras in the AirPods will be used for sending data about the wearer's surroundings to ‌Siri‌, giving ‌Siri‌ more information about where the user is and what's nearby.

‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about objects or whatever the wearer happens to be looking at. The camera-equipped AirPods could be useful for more exact turn-by-turn directions when walking, contextual reminders, 3D mapping, and more.

The iPhone already has ‌Visual Intelligence‌, which uses AI to identify plants, animals, landmarks, art, books, and more. Camera-equipped AirPods will be able to supply data for ‌Visual Intelligence‌ without the need to use the Camera app.

H3 Chip

Apple is working on an upgraded H3 chip and it could make its first appearance in the camera-equipped AirPods. The H3 chip is expected to bring latency improvements and better audio quality.

Technical Details

Code in ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7 shows how the cameras in the AirPods will work. Of note, there's no mention of an infrared sensor, despite rumors suggesting there would be one.

Two cameras - There are individual camera sensors in both the left and right earbuds.

Paired color images - The cameras take synchronized RGB still images of up to 1 megapixel, each with the same frame ID. The cameras give ‌Visual Intelligence‌ a look at the same scene from two angles.

No video - The cameras can take a series of pictures for ‌Visual Intelligence‌, but there is no video recording option.

Resolution - There's an "active" mode that's likely triggered when the wearer activates ‌Siri‌ where the AirPods capture a 640x640 image. In a separate passive mode, they capture a 320x320 image. The sensors are capable of higher-quality images, but Apple appears to be capturing a specific image size.

Passive image capture - Passive capture mode appears to be for background environmental awareness, triggered by nearby speech, audio changes, posture changes, head rotation, and more.

Head movement - The cameras in the AirPods have distortion correction to account for head movement, and can reject images that have excessive movement.

On-device processing - Some content is processed directly on the AirPods, such as person detection.

Indicator lights - Code suggests the AirPods have a hardware indicator light to let people know when still images are being captured.

Naming

There were rumors suggesting the new AirPods could be called the "AirPods Ultra" instead of the AirPods Pro, but the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7 file we found that references the new AirPods is labeled "AirPods Pro" and not AirPods Ultra. It's possible that's a placeholder name, so AirPods Ultra isn't entirely out of the question. Apple may have also planned to use AirPods Pro for a version of the camera-equipped AirPods that won't ultimately make it to release.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in March that Apple was considering several devices with the Ultra name, including the foldable iPhone Ultra, AirPods Ultra, and an OLED MacBook Ultra, but that may or may not be a term we see for the new AirPods.

Pricing

Pricing is unconfirmed, but the current ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ sell for $249. Camera hardware could make the new version more expensive.

Compatibility

Since the AirPods will feed data to ‌Siri‌, an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence will be required to use the features. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

Release Date

Despite showing up in ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7, the camera-equipped AirPods aren't going to come out until 2027. They'll likely launch alongside the 20th-anniversary iPhone in September.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3

Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution), AirPods Pro (Neutral)

Related Forum: AirPods

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Apple's New Beats 360 Headphones Spotted in Another Regulatory Filing

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:55:30 PDT

Apple's upcoming Beats 360 headphones have been submitted to a regulatory database in the United Arab Emirates, according to a filing viewed by MacRumors. The filing mentions both the name Beats 360 and the model number A3577.

To learn more about the Beats 360, read our previous coverage. The headphones have also appeared in U.S. and Brazilian regulatory databases, teaser photos, and retail listings, suggesting that Apple will release them soon.

Tags: Beats, Beats 360

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Apple Guts Vision Pro Gaming and Immersive Video Teams, Trims Siri Staff

Juli Clover — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:16:26 PDT

In addition to cutting dozens of Vision Pro employees who worked on features like immersive video and gaming, Apple is laying off people who worked on Siri and AI, reports Bloomberg.

Apple is "largely shutting down" the Vision Pro team focused on gaming, and it is paring down the team that makes immersive video content. Approximately 100 employees who were part of the Vision Products Group have been laid off, with Apple also cutting 100 people from its ‌Siri‌ and software groups.

Vision Pro employees were told Apple is realigning its priorities based on how customers are using the device, suggesting immersive video has not worked out. Bloomberg says the immersive videos Apple produces can cost millions of dollars to film, and it has not been cost-effective because so few people actively use the device. Apple plans to make a smaller number of videos in-house and rely on third-party 3D content.

On the ‌Siri‌ team, Apple is creating new positions for the shift to ‌Siri‌ AI and prioritizing work on AI features.

The company told Bloomberg that it is overhauling some of its teams to "evolve" its business and deliver a better experience for customers. Affected employees will be able to apply for other positions at Apple.

While we will create new roles as part of this change, it will also impact a limited number of existing roles. We are grateful to these team members for their contributions, and we are committed to supporting them throughout their transition, including opportunities to apply for other roles at Apple.

Despite the cuts to the Vision Products Group, employees were told that the Vision Pro and visionOS operating system are not being eliminated. Apple continues to work on AI smart glasses expected in 2027, but that device will not support 3D gaming or video.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro

Tag: Siri

Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)

Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

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The MacRumors Show: Michael Fisher Talks iPhone Ultra

Hartley Charlton — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:48:57 PDT

YouTuber Michael Fisher, known as "MrMobile," joins us on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show to talk through key rumors about the "iPhone Ultra" and how the device could compare to rivals.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos

Michael has covered the foldable phone category since 2019 and personally owned or reviewed nearly every major device in it, from the original Galaxy Fold to Samsung's newly redesigned Galaxy Z Fold8. He still carries a Motorola Razr Ultra as his personal phone alongside a rotating stack of review units.

Apple's foldable iPhone, rumored to be called the "‌iPhone Ultra‌," is widely expected to be announced alongside the iPhone 18 Pro this fall, featuring a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch cover screen, the A20 chip, and a starting price above $2,000.

Much of the design speculation centers on Apple adopting a shorter, wider form factor similar to the Z Fold8 and older Pixel devices, rather than the taller, narrower shape most foldables have used for years. To minimize the crease that has plagued the category since the original Galaxy Fold, Apple is reportedly pursuing a layered glass display structure paired with a liquid metal hinge.

The foldable is reportedly expected to ship with just two rear lenses and no telephoto camera, despite engineering compromises made elsewhere to fit in a Camera Control button, while Samsung's competing Z Fold8 Ultra ships with a three-lens system that includes a telephoto with 3x optical zoom. The foldable iPhone is also expected to use Touch ID built into the side button rather than Face ID, since there is reportedly no room for the TrueDepth sensor array in such a thin chassis.

Pricing has been a recurring point of speculation, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman saying the foldable will "cross the $2,000 threshold" in the U.S., which would make it Apple's most expensive iPhone ever. Durability is also likely to face scrutiny, given the hinge failures that plagued the original Galaxy Fold and the fact that Samsung's current foldables still lack a full dust resistance rating years into the category's existence.

Code strings found in the iOS 27 beta reference a hinge angle, which could hint at foldable-specific software features, and Apple has already introduced new app adaptation protocols, likely as preparation for the device.

See more of Michael's work over on his YouTube channel. Fisher is also a co-founder of Clicks, which makes physical keyboard accessories for smartphones. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel!

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 how the Apple Watch is seemingly heading into one of its least eventful new generations, yet the rumors stacking up behind it describe the most radical rethink in the product's history coming later.

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.

Tags: iPhone Ultra, The MacRumors Show

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Apple Pay Supporting U.S. National Park Foundation Over the Next Week

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:52:21 PDT

Now through August 28, Apple will donate $10 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made in the U.S. using Apple Pay on Apple.com, in the Apple Store app, or at an Apple Store, up to a maximum of $1 million.

In addition, the annual U.S. national parks Apple Watch Activity Challenge returns on Sunday, August 23 this year.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

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MG Could Be Next Automaker to Get Apple Car Key Support

Hartley Charlton — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:04:24 PDT

Code found in Apple's backend car key system suggests the company is preparing to add support for MG vehicles.

The discovery indicates Apple has begun preparing car key support for SAIC Motor's MG brand. With an Apple Car Key, drivers can use their iPhone or Apple Watch to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle instead of relying on a traditional key fob, with support for Express Mode that works without authentication.

MG began as a British sports car marque in 1924 before China's SAIC Motor acquired the brand in 2007, and it has since become one of the fastest-growing car brands in Europe. The company recently delivered its one millionth car to a European customer, with roughly 386,000 of those sales coming from the UK alone, where MG now holds more than four percent of the market and ranks among the country's 10 largest car makers by volume. That growth has been driven in large part by MG's electric lineup, including the MG4 and MG Cyberster.

As with other backend references to expanded Apple Car Key support, the code does not indicate which MG models will be compatible or provide a timeframe for rollout, and MG has not yet announced support for the feature. Its addition to Apple's backend code does suggest, however, that its release could soon be on the way.

Tag: iPhone Car Keys

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Apple's Biggest Summer Deals Drop: AirPods Max 2 Plummet to $429, M4 iPad Air $100 Off

Mitchel Broussard — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:23:42 PDT

This week, Best Buy kicked off its big 60th anniversary sale that includes great deals on AirPods, TVs, computers, and much more. Alongside this event, we're tracking solid markdowns on portable power stations from Anker and Jackery, plus the best prices of the summer on 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.

Best Buy Anniversary

What's the deal? Save sitewide during Best Buy's 60th Anniversary Sale

Where can I get it? Best Buy

Where can I find the original deal? Right here

SITEWIDE SALE

Best Buy 60th Anniversary Sale

Best Buy is hosting its big 60th Anniversary sale this week, with notable markdowns on Apple devices, TVs, headphones, monitors, and much more. This event is set to last for the rest of this week, and you don't need to be a My Best Buy Plus or Total member to see most of the deals.

Portable Power Stations

What's the deal? Take up to $1,500 off Anker and Jackery portable power stations

Where can I get it? Amazon and Jackery

Where can I find the original deal? Right here

UP TO 46% OFF

Anker SOLIX Sale

UP TO $1,500 OFF

Jackery Home Backup Sale

Anker and Jackery have introduced big discounts across their most popular portable power stations this week, including up to $1,500 off select models from each company. We're tracking Anker's best deals over at Amazon, while Jackery's discounts can be found on the retailer's own website.

AirPods

What's the deal? Take $120 off AirPods Max 2, $59 off AirPods Pro 3, and more

Where can I get it? Amazon

Where can I find the original deal? Right here

$59 OFF

AirPods Pro 3 for $189.99

$120 OFF

AirPods Max 2 for $429.00

Amazon this week had a big collection of discounts across the AirPods lineup, highlighted by the AirPods Max 2 for $429.00, down from $549.00. This is now the best price we've seen on the AirPods Max 2 since Prime Day, and one of the overall best prices we've tracked so far in 2026, and it's accompanied by a solid deal on the AirPods Pro 3.

iPad Air

What's the deal? Take $100 off M4 iPad Air

Where can I get it? Amazon and Best Buy

Where can I find the original deal? Right here

$100 OFF

11-inch M4 iPad Air for $649.00

$100 OFF

13-inch M4 iPad Air for $849.00

Amazon and Best Buy this week have multiple discounts on the M4 iPad Air, providing $100 off these 2026 models. These are the best prices we've seen in the wake of Apple's summer price hikes.

AirTag

What's the deal? Take up to $10 off AirTag 2

Where can I get it? Amazon

Where can I find the original deal? Right here

$5 OFF

AirTag 2 (1-Pack) for $24.00

$10 OFF

AirTag 2 (4-Pack) for $89.00

Apple's AirTag 2 is on sale for $89.00 this week on Amazon, down from $99.00. This deal is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's a match of the record low price first seen during Prime Day.

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 in 2026? 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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Walmart to Begin Accepting Apple Pay in U.S. Stores

Joe Rossignol — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:12:47 PDT

After years of holding out, Walmart today announced that it will finally begin accepting tap-to-pay options like Apple Pay in some of its Walmart and Sam's Club stores in the U.S. starting Monday, August 24. The retailer plans to roll out tap-to-pay support to all of its U.S. stores by the end of 2026 and to its gas stations by mid-2027.

"We want customers and members to have choice in how they pay, so they can check out in the way that works best for them," said Walmart, in a press release.

Other major U.S. retailers like The Home Depot, Lowe's, Kroger, and Texas-based grocery store chain H-E-B already reversed course and rolled out tap-to-pay support in recent years, leaving Walmart as one of the most notable remaining holdouts until now.

Before this, Walmart prioritized its own Walmart Pay system that involves scanning a QR code at checkout, but it has finally listened to customer feedback and decided to accept NFC-based tap-to-pay options like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay at its U.S. stores. Tap-to-pay support extends to physical credit and debit cards.

With Apple Pay, launched in 2014, you can simply hold your iPhone or Apple Watch near the payment terminal to pay with a digital version of an eligible credit or debit card stored in the Apple Wallet app. Apple Pay has a lot of privacy protections, including hiding a customer's actual credit card number during the payment process.

Existing payment options like Walmart Pay will remain available.

Walmart has already accepted Apple Pay in its Canadian stores since 2020. It is unclear if the retailer will begin accepting tap-to-pay options in Mexico too.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Tag: Walmart

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Apple Paid $17 Billion in Taxes to Ireland Last Year

Hartley Charlton — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 06:45:55 PDT

Apple paid $17 billion in taxes to Ireland last year, which is 40% of its $43 billion worldwide total (via the Financial Times). The figures were disclosed for the first time under new EU rules requiring large companies to break down their finances by country.

The payment was significantly boosted by the EU's top court ordering Apple in 2024 to pay €13 billion in back taxes, after ruling that Ireland had granted the company unlawful state aid resulting in a tax rate of less than 1%.
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Smartphone Sales Are Falling Worldwide, But Apple Keeps Growing

Hartley Charlton — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 06:38:47 PDT

Apple gained ground in India, Latin America, and Europe even as all three markets contracted, according to a new series of Counterpoint Research reports.

Between late March and the beginning of August, Indian smartphone sales ran 14% behind the equivalent stretch of 2025, and the market slipped for three straight weeks once major promotions in July had finished. Apple outperformed every rival with a 15% rise, which Counterpoint attributes to strong iPhone 17 demand holding up alongside continued affordability offers. Samsung and OPPO each grew just 4% in the country.

The research firm added that promotions are borrowing demand from the weeks either side of them, rather than growing the market. Amid broad price rises, Counterpoint expects the Indian smartphone market to finish 2026 down around 13%.

Latin American smartphone shipments fell 10% in the second quarter, which is the region's steepest annual drop since the third quarter of 2023. Apple and Samsung were the only brands to grow, by 5% and 6% respectively, while Motorola, HONOR, and Xiaomi all receded in the market. Apple's gains apparently came from absorbing component cost increases rather than passing them on to customers, and the company now accounts for roughly 51% of everything sold above $600 in the region.

European shipments dropped 10% to 35 million units, which is the weakest second quarter in three years. Apple added nine percentage points of market share to achieve parity with Samsung, with each now on 34%, and Xiaomi on 15%. No other brands sit above 4%. Counterpoint expects further declines as inventory dries up, but forecasts that Apple will continue outperforming the wider market.

The smartphone market in China was down 8.6% across the first 30 weeks of the year, with the rate of decline widening back into double digits once the popular 618 shopping festival had concluded. Apple's sales have slowed since July, with discounts pulled back across retail channels and much of the summer's demand already spent during promotions. Counterpoint expects that lull to last until the new iPhone lineup arrives. Huawei, meanwhile, led the market throughout in the region, holding more than a fifth of weekly sales since April.

Counterpoint expects constrained memory supply and elevated prices to run through the remainder of 2026, with a recovery unlikely before 2028. Apple is expected to introduce its next iPhone lineup in September, featuring the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra."

Tags: China, Counterpoint, Europe, India, Latin America

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Apple Reportedly Lays Off 60 Vision Products Group Employees

Tim Hardwick — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 04:28:45 PDT

Apple "has just laid off an entire team dedicated to VR development," reports AppleInsider, citing its own source. Apple is said to have laid off at least 60 employees from its Apple Vision Group.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the Vision Pro team was disbanded and its members redistributed across other projects, following the October 2025 refresh of the Vision Pro and the headset's weak reception.

Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus also reportedly signed off on canceling both a second Vision Pro and a cheaper, slimmer "Vision Air," with Apple's focus now shifted to smart glasses.

Last month, The Elec reported that Apple had suspended development of the display for a cheaper, lighter version of the Vision Pro that it originally planned to launch in the next few years. Gurman doesn't expect Apple to launch another headset before late 2028 at the earliest.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro

Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)

Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

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Camera AirPods Code Reveals Image Capture Resolution, Status Light, Person Detection, and More

Tim Hardwick — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 02:32:05 PDT

Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods, as indicated by various reports and a demo video of them in action discovered earlier this week. The video was found by MacRumors in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, but it turns out there are even more details in the code.

MacRumors forum member mactracker has discovered a hidden macOS framework called "AccessorySensorManager" that manages sensor data from the AirPods when they are connected to a Mac. That's turned up the following information:

AirPods designed to capture paired color images: Code indicates the left and right earbuds have individual camera sensors that return synchronised RGB still images of up to 1 megapixel with matching frame IDs, giving Visual Intelligence the same scene from two angles. This doesn't rule out other sensors like infrared cameras, but they aren't mentioned in the code.

AirPods support periodic image capture but not video: The cameras take internal still frames for Visual Intelligence to process, rather than "taking pictures" or recording video. In "active" mode, the framework can request a synced pair of images, or it can receive a capture rate, where pairs of stills are continually sent at the specified rate.

Active and passive capture modes use different resolutions: In "active" mode, likely triggered by the user via Siri, the AirPods capture a 640x640 image and return a processed 1024x1024 image. "That's about 0.4 megapixels of sampled image data, and a little over 1 megapixel for the output frame," mactracker explains. In "passive" mode, they capture a 320x320 image that can return a 320×320 or 512×512 output. "These are capture-specific resolutions, and the physical sensor's native resolution may be larger," adds mactracker.

Passive mode appears intended for background environmental awareness: The framework mentions contextual conditions like nearby speech, changes in the surrounding audio, posture changes, head rotation, and movement outside a defined area. It's not clear from the code whether every condition triggers a camera capture.

AirPods account for continual head movement: The framework includes lens distortion correction, dual-camera calibration, and camera-to-motion sensor calibration. It can also reject images affected by excessive movement or an occluded view.

Some processing happens directly on AirPods: The code mentions "peripheral inference," or on-device detection of whether a person is in view.

Each AirPod likely has a capture indicator light: The framework contains code that allows it to remotely control a hardware indicator and its brightness, suggesting the AirPods have a light to let other people know when they are capturing still images.

It's worth noting that the AirPods that were shown in the demo video were a version of the AirPods Pro 3 with cameras, which have a B790 codename. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said that Apple no longer plans to release this model, and instead is working on a new generation of AirPods with cameras, codenamed B798. This makes it likely that the discovered framework is related to the canceled model. It also underlines that the findings show how Apple's camera-equipped AirPods could work, rather than a guarantee of the final product's features.

Gurman says the AirPods are planned for 2027, and could potentially launch alongside the 20th-anniversary iPhone.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4

Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution)

Related Forum: AirPods

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Dark Cherry and More: Every iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra Color Rumor

Juli Clover — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:33:41 PDT

We're likely about a month away from when Apple will launch new iPhone models, and color has been a major topic of discussion. There's going to be a dramatic new color for the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, but Apple plans to play it safe with the foldable iPhone.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

With the iPhone 17 Pro line, Apple introduced a bold new Cosmic Orange color. This year, Cosmic Orange is being retired for a shade that's darker and moodier.

Dark Cherry is the color Apple is rumored to be using, and it looks like a cross between red and purple.

Apple's colors always look different when lighting conditions change, which can lead to some confusion. At first, rumors described the color as a deep red.

We also heard rumors about the possibility of burgundy, purple, and brown color options, with Apple set to choose one.

In April, Macworld shared the exact Pantone colors Apple allegedly plans to use, describing the color as Dark Cherry for the first time. The site said the other three colors would include Silver, Dark Gray, and Light Blue. We used the Pantone shades to make a mockup.

Light Blue (Pantone 2121), resembling the current iPhone 17's Mist Blue

Dark Cherry (Pantone 6076), the headline new color

Dark Gray (Pantone 426C)

Silver (Pantone 427C), similar to the current generation

Dummy models soon surfaced showing similar colors, though with a bit more of a pink tone for the Dark Cherry shade.

The color Apple goes with will likely be close to the Pantone shade, with purple or red tones depending on the lighting. It's not quite burgundy because it trends closer to purple. It's redder than a true purple, but more violet than a dark red or maroon. It's more of a wine or a plum color, so if Dark Cherry is indeed the name of the color, it's a fitting one.

An alleged ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ SIM tray in Dark Cherry

We've had iPhones in Lavender, Pink, Deep Purple, (Product)RED, and Purple, but nothing like what Apple is planning for 2026.

There were only three color options for the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, but it looks like there will be four for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models. Along with Silver and Dark Gray, there's a blue color.

Blue is a shade Apple has used for iPhone models multiple times in the past. The rumored blue is probably closest to the Sierra Blue color Apple used for the iPhone 13 Pro, but it's more saturated with less red and green to tone it down. Most of the blues Apple used in the past have been lighter or much darker, but this shade still won't feel as unique as the Dark Cherry color.

Uniform Back

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models have a two-tone design where the glass on the back is a noticeably lighter shade than the color of the aluminum frame. With the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models, the color difference between the frame and the glass panel at the back could be less pronounced.

Rumors suggest Apple will minimize the color difference between the two components for a more unified appearance.

iPhone Ultra

While the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max will have two colors that offer options beyond the standard silver or gray, Apple doesn't plan to experiment with the foldable iPhone (which might be called the iPhone Ultra).

The expensive new device is apparently only going to be available with a limited color palette. White has been mentioned multiple times, which probably means a white/silver type of shade, while rumors have been a little mixed on the second color (if there is one).

Macworld said in April that Apple would use silver and indigo, with the latter shade being similar to the Deep Blue color used for the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌. In May, Weibo leaker Instant Digital said white was the only confirmed color, and in June, dummy models leaked alongside a rumor that the foldable iPhone might only be available in white.

Camera accessories that leaked in August suggest the foldable iPhone will come in silver/white and a dark blue shade that's almost black. Since the foldable iPhone is going to cost upwards of $2,000, it's not surprising Apple didn't want to make it in colors that might have narrower appeal.

Color Caveats

We're working with rumors and dummy models at this point. The colors that leak ahead of when a new iPhone launches are typically accurate, but lighting and material affect how color appears. Apple's devices often look far better than the dummy models and renderings.

With the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, mockups and dummy models featuring the Cosmic Orange color were a duller shade than we actually got, plus nothing quite captured the two-tone look of the glass back and the frame. Ahead of the iPhone 16 Pro launch, there were rumors of a desert titanium shade. The mockups and dummy models were a darker, uglier brown than the soft, almost pink-toned gold shade Apple used.

It's unusual for the color rumors to be wrong, but it happens. Last year, rumors suggested there would be a black ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, but it was a color Apple apparently dropped.

What About the iPhone 18?

The iPhone 18 isn't going to launch in the fall alongside the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models and the foldable iPhone. Apple's holding it until spring 2027, and since it's still months away, we haven't heard what its color options might be. With standard iPhones, Apple often debuts a range of colors.

There are five ‌iPhone 17‌ colors, including black, white, and three pastel shades in blue, lavender, and green. Apple tends to go back and forth between pastels and more saturated shades for the standard iPhone, so the 2027 ‌iPhone 18‌ could have brighter colors than the ones Apple used for the ‌iPhone 17‌ line.

The ‌iPhone 18‌ is rumored to be launching alongside the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2, and we also don't know what colors Apple will use for those devices.

Launch Timing

Apple is expected to introduce the foldable iPhone and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models at an iPhone event held the week of September 9. Pre-orders could start at the end of that same week, with a launch on September 18.

Related Roundups: iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Fold

Tag: iPhone Ultra

Related Forum: iPhone

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Apple Music to Label AI-Generated Songs

Juli Clover — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:41:33 PDT

Apple sent emails to its music industry partners about the upcoming launch of a Made With AI label that Apple will apply to AI-generated content (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Content tagged as being "materially generated using AI" will have a label visible to all Apple Music users.

In March, Apple announced Transparency Tags, a system that lets music creators disclose when AI has been used. Transparency Tags are available for artwork, track, composition (lyrics), and music video. Apple said at the time that the tags were optional, and it would defer to content providers to determine what qualifies as AI-generated.

In today's email, Apple says AI Transparency Tags are required in "any instance where AI was used to create a material portion of the content, including tracks that are AI platform generated." Apple said AI-platform-generated content is defined as "anything that is primarily derived from a generative AI service."

Back in April, ‌Apple Music‌ VP Oliver Schusser told Billboard that more than a third of monthly uploads to ‌Apple Music‌ are 100% AI-generated, but AI music accounted for less than 0.5% of actual listening. Schusser said Apple has an in-house system for detecting AI, but is still relying on content makers to disclose AI use.

Apple's email did not give a specific timeline for the launch of the AI labels in ‌Apple Music‌, but said they will show up "later this year."

Tag: Apple Music

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ChatGPT Can Now Read and Send iMessages on Mac

Juli Clover — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:12:55 PDT

OpenAI today said there's a new Apple Messages plugin for ChatGPT, allowing ChatGPT on Mac to search messages, draft messages, analyze conversations, and send replies to people.

The Apple Messages plugin can be installed from the ChatGPT Plugins interface, and it is listed under Public. OpenAI suggests users try these prompts:

Check my calendar and reply to [name] with a few times I'm free for dinner next week

Suggest follow ups from yesterday in messages

Find birthdays in @messages and add them to my calendar

Find potential spam messages I can delete

ChatGPT can access iMessages, SMS messages, and RCS messages. Sending a message requires user approval by default, and OpenAI warns against granting persistent approval. For the Messages integration to work, ChatGPT needs Full Disk Access in System Settings, as well as access to contact names and automation tools.

Apple's involvement in the plugin's development is unknown, but it uses AppleScript and Accessibility settings to function on a Mac. Apple and OpenAI are currently facing off in court after Apple sued OpenAI over theft of trade secrets.

Messages integration is available in ChatGPT Work and Codex in the desktop version of ChatGPT, but it does not work in regular ChatGPT chats. It is available for all ChatGPT users who have an Apple silicon Mac.

Tags: ChatGPT, OpenAI

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Apple Releases New AirPods Beta Firmware With iOS 27 Features

Juli Clover — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:10:34 PDT

Apple today released a fifth version of the beta firmware it is testing for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware is available for developers and public beta testers. It has a build number of 9A5347a.

In iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple is adding a new AirPods interface, a slider for Adaptive mode, and support for custom EQ, so the firmware adds support for those features. AirPods are also compatible with the new Siri AI.

When the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 or later, there is a beta firmware option that can be accessed in the AirPods settings interface. Toggling on beta updates allows users to install the beta firmware.

Firmware updates can be downloaded by connecting the AirPods to an Apple device and connecting them to power. It can take a few hours for new firmware to be installed because there is no software update option like there is for other Apple devices.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3, iOS 27, iPadOS 27

Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution), AirPods Pro (Neutral)

Related Forum: AirPods

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Apple, Where is CarPlay Ultra?

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:25:12 PDT

In May 2025, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of CarPlay that it first previewed in 2022. More than a year later, however, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to select Aston Martin vehicles with six-figure price tags.

In a press release last year, Apple said "many" other vehicle brands around the world planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. Yet, more than 15 months have passed since that announcement, and the software has still not expanded beyond Aston Martin. Apple has not provided any further updates on CarPlay Ultra availability.

CarPlay Ultra features deeper integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in apps for radio and climate controls, rear-view camera feed support, and more. The connected iPhone provides app-related data, while the vehicle provides information like the current speed, fuel level, tire pressure, engine temperature, and more.

The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can choose from various preset design options.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he was told that CarPlay Ultra would come to at least one major new Hyundai or Kia vehicle model "in the second half of this year," so hopefully the software finally expands beyond Aston Martin over the final four months of 2026. We have reached out to Apple for comment.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Tag: CarPlay Ultra

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Apple Card Turns Seven With Big Change Ahead

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:19:07 PDT

Today marks the seventh anniversary of the Apple Card becoming widely available in the U.S., following a more limited preview period.

Apple's credit card can be managed in the iPhone's Wallet app, with key benefits including color-coded spending summaries, no fees, and Daily Cash cash back paid out daily. Apple Card holders can also open a high-yield savings account.

The anniversary comes ahead of a big change planned for the Apple Card.

In January, Apple announced that Chase will become the new Apple Card issuer by early 2028.

Currently, the Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs, but the investment banking firm is winding down its consumer lending business following significant financial losses and other issues over the years. Apple reportedly let Goldman Sachs out of the Apple Card contract that was supposed to run until 2030, and it has now turned to Chase, a large U.S. banking chain owned by the massive financial institution J.P. Morgan.

In a FAQ, Apple said cardholders can continue to use the Apple Card as they normally do.

Once the transition is complete, Apple Card balances for open accounts will be with Chase, and this will be reflected on each cardholder's credit report.

Goldman Sachs will continue to provide customer service to Apple Card users in the interim.

Mastercard will remain the Apple Card's payment network.

Apple said additional details regarding the transition will be shared with all Apple Card users as the transition date approaches, so there is no other specific information yet. It sounds like the Apple Card experience will remain the same until early 2028, but there could be some changes beyond that to be announced later.

Unfortunately, the Apple Card remains available in the U.S. only, and there is no indication that will change in the near future.

Tag: Apple Card

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Apple Watch Alerted Runner to Serious Heart Problem

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:58:09 PDT

In a new ad shared on its YouTube channel today, Apple highlighted how the Apple Watch alerted an athlete named Connor to signs of atrial fibrillation. Apple said doctors later uncovered that Connor had a congenital heart condition, which resulted in him having open-heart surgery, so the Apple Watch potentially saved his life.

After noticing he had a very fast heart rate while training for a triathlon, Connor used the ECG app on his Apple Watch, which detected signs of atrial fibrillation.

The ECG app comes preinstalled on the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer and all Apple Watch Ultra models, but it is not available on any Apple Watch SE models.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11

Tag: Apple Ads

Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Don't Buy)

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