Apple News

• No detailed monetization plan yet – Apple wants to gauge demand first, but higher-tier iCloud+ plans are the likely path
• Free usage limits for Siri AI haven't been disclosed, and beta versions currently have no restrictions in place
• This follows an existing pattern: premium iCloud+ tiers already unlock perks like extra Image Playground generations, advanced Photos features, smart Home search, and Cloud Pro storage in Notes

🧠 He wasn't able to share the original slides, but recreated one from memory –"Enabling a full range of local AI inference":
- iPhone and iPad. Up to 16GB unified memory. Up to 14 billion active parameters.
- MacBook Air. Up to 32GB unified memory. Up to 35 billion active parameters.
- Mac mini. Up to 64GB unified memory. Up to 70 billion active parameters.
- MacBook Pro. Up to 128GB unified memory. Up to 120 billion active parameters.
- Mac Studio. Up to 512GB unified memory. Up to 480 billion active parameters.
- Mac Studio Cluster. Up to 2TB unified memory. 1.6 trillion+ active parameters.

📊 Important caveat: this was an intraday peak only. Shares closed the session at $340.08, putting market cap at roughly $4.99 trillion — just shy of the threshold. Apple needed to close above $340.43 to officially finish the day above $5 trillion. Apple is up about 25% year-to-date, compared to Nvidia's +6% over the same period. The company also overtook Nvidia the day before to reclaim its spot as the world's most valuable public company.

What else is in it:
🚫 New alert when you hit your blocked contacts limit
🔒 Hidden code for an unreleased anti-theft (grab-and-lock) feature – not active yet
🏢 Fix for enterprise Wi-Fi privacy settings

🛡Security: 78 fixes covering 87 CVEs, including critical bugs in MediaRemote, AVEVideoEncoder, Game Center and libc that could've allowed root access or code execution. No known exploitation in the wild.

• 2026-2027: The most anticipated releases – redesigned 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros featuring OLED touchscreens.

• 2027: A refreshed MacBook Air plus a new budget option, the MacBook Neo, running on the A19 Pro chip.

• 2028+: OLED versions of the MacBook Air and iMac aren't expected before this.

• Also in the pipeline: macOS 27.1 is currently in testing, targeting an October release.

• Notably, Apple has reportedly scrapped plans for the ultra-powerful M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme chips originally meant for the Mac Pro.

Here's how it'll work:
 Customers will be able to pay off their device early, upgrade to a newer model before the lease ends, keep the device after the payment period, or return it at the end of the lease
 iPhone and Apple Watch leases will run for 24 months, while Mac and iPad plans will last 36 months
 Klarna will be the financial partner behind the program, taking on the credit risk instead of Apple

🆙 TSMC's price hike lands right in the middle of a global RAM shortage. With NAND and DRAM prices up 4x, the production cost of the future iPhone 18 Pro Max could approach $1,000 per unit – roughly $300 more than the current model. TSMC frames the increase as a strategic move to fund new fabs and pricey next-gen equipment.

Bloomberg says:
• Recording only happens with consent from both sides
• Audio files aren't saved – only transcripts
• Store managers don't have access to the transcripts
• Employees can edit the text and AI summary before it's saved

• iPad mini (J510) – the biggest overhaul of the mini line in half a decade, finally getting an OLED display for the first time. Expected to be announced this fall, with sales starting no later than October.

• Base iPad (J581) – due as early as Q1 next calendar year. The main change will be a faster processor rather than a design overhaul.

• iPad Air (J807 / J837) – will stick with 11" and 13" screen sizes, expected to launch this spring.
iPad Pro – new models are also in the works, expected around the same timeframe as the Air.

• Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Pencil Pro are also getting refreshed, reportedly with a new battery design that's easier to replace yourself — likely to comply with new EU rules taking effect in February 2027, which require portable batteries in devices to be user-removable and replaceable throughout the product's lifespan.

For comparison:
📱 Pixel 10 Pro Fold – 5,015 mAh
📱 Galaxy Z Fold 7 – 4,400 mAh
This is lower than earlier rumors of 5,400–5,800 mAh, though those reportedly described just an engineering sample. Ming-Chi Kuo says the device will use high-density cells.

• Lighthouse and eraser – two new "rescue" signs.
• Leftwards/rightwards thumb gesture – if the pointing finger says "look over there," this new gesture says "check out this guy."
• Cracked smiling face — for when "I'm fine!" is held together by pure willpower.
• Net with handle — a rare emoji-verb: catching a vibe, some data, or whatever else needs pulling out of the info-stream.
• Meteor splits off from comet — they used to be the same icon with a design mix-up. Now the comet goes back to being a calm blue streak of ice and wishes, while the meteor is a fireball reserved for full-on cosmic-scale meltdowns.
• Cucumber and pickle finally go their separate ways — the cucumber stays crisp and fresh, and for "I'm in an awkward situation" there's now a dedicated pickle emoji.
• Monarch butterfly gets its own slot, separate from the blue morpho — now you can show exactly that orange-and-black pattern, with its whole story of migrating across an entire continent.

• iOS 27 Public Beta (24A5380h)
• iPadOS 27 Public Beta (24A5380l)
• watchOS 27 Public Beta (24R5315i)
• macOS Golden Gate 27 Public Beta (26A5378n)
• tvOS 27 Public Beta (24J5315i)
• HomePod Software 27 Public Beta (24J5315i)

 M6 launches this year, but only as a base chip – for the entry-level 14" MacBook Pro. Apple is reportedly skipping M6 Pro, Max, and Ultra – a first for the M-series.
 Why: it's betting on M7, which promises a major leap in on-device AI. Base M7 arrives in H1 2027, M7 Pro/Max by late 2027, and the flagship M7 Ultra in 2028 (possibly powering Apple Intelligence servers from 2029).
 As a result, the long-rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro will ship on the older M5 Pro/Max chips (expected late 2026/early 2027), with an M7 Pro/Max version not before late 2027.
 An updated M5 Ultra for the Mac Studio is also expected this year.

What came out:
• One former iPhone engineer refused to hand back his work laptop when he left – and kept using it to pull data from Apple's internal databases while already working at OpenAI.
• He reportedly told former colleagues things like "lol, I still have access, this'll be fun," and even wrote guides on how to quietly copy work files without tripping security.
• Tang Tan, who spent nearly 25 years working on the iPhone before becoming OpenAI's head of hardware, allegedly poached people from Apple and asked them to bring mockups and schematics to interviews.

🏎️ Urus SE Performante
🏎️ Temerario
🏎️ Revuelto
🏎️ Urus SE

🏭 The agreement also includes a $1.5B investment to expand and modernize Broadcom's manufacturing facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, which will produce advanced RF components (including FBAR filters) and wireless connectivity technology.

ℹ️ This is Apple's largest commitment yet under its American Manufacturing Program (AMP) – and part of the company's broader pledge to invest $600B in the US economy over the next four years.

What's new:
🤪 Active Siri voice settings — adjust speed & expressiveness
🔎 Live Recognition — identify objects in real time through the camera
🎧 Simplified Adaptive Audio setup for AirPods
🌼 Star ratings in the Photos app
📶 Mobile network type (LTE/5G) displayed in Control Center even while on Wi-Fi

Also updated:
• Shortcuts (Editor's Choice pick)
• Safari — new features on launch
• Reminders app icon
• Control Center visuals
• Smarter suggestions in Maps & Home

Other platforms:
🖥️ macOS 27 "Golden Gate" beta 3 adds new wallpapers & screensavers themed around the Golden Gate name
⌚ watchOS 27 beta 3 debuts the new Siri AI with its own dedicated Apple Watch app, synced across devices