Apple Is Opening the iPhone’s NFC Chip to Third-Party Apps with iOS 18.1

Apple has announced that it is opening up the iPhone’s NFC chip using the Secure Element to allow for third-party contactless payments, separate from Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. This feature will debut in a future release of iOS 18.1 and will be available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K., and the United States.

Apple Aiming to Launch Tabletop Robotic Home Device as Soon as 2026 With Pricing Around $1,000

Apple is moving forward with its project to develop a tabletop robotic device, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iPhone Mirroring Now Lets You Rearrange Your Home Screen with ‘jiggle mode’ in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia

iPhone Mirroring is one of the headlining features of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, set to launch to the public this fall. With the latest betas of these updates, Apple has added a new feature to iPhone Mirroring: the ability to enter “jiggle mode” and rearrange your iPhone’s Home Screen.

iPhone SE 4 Likely to Feature 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence

Next year's iPhone SE 4 will almost certainly come with 8GB of RAM, up from 4GB in the 2022 model, due to the hardware requirements of Apple Intelligence.

Apple Introduces Sixth Developer Betas for Fall OS Updates

Apple has surprisingly brought out a new build of its fall operating systems earlier than expected, with new builds of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and visionOS 2 out for testing.

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Beta Firmware With Support for iOS 18 Features

Apple today released a third beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, including both the Lightning and USB-C versions. The updated firmware has a build number of 7A5266c, up from 7A5244b, and it is available to developers at the current time. This is the third firmware update that Apple has released since announcing new ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 features in June.

Apple Maps on Web Now Supports Firefox Browser

Apple updated its Apple Maps on the web feature to add support for the Firefox browser this week. Firefox users on Mac, PC, and iPad can now visit Apple Maps on the web, and the site works as intended.

Gurman: Apple Continuing Work on Smart Glasses; Cheaper Apple Vision on Track for Next Year

According to the latest edition of Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple’s Vision group is continuing to experiment with a couple different products to follow up the launch of Apple Vision Pro from earlier this year. These new products include a cheaper Apple Vision headset, a second generation of Apple Vision Pro, as well as a version of Smart Glasses.

Apple Preparing Major Mac Mini Redesign for Later This Year, Report Says

Apple is working on its first major redesign of the Mac mini since 2010, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The new Mac mini is slated for release later this year and will be “far smaller than its predecessor” with a new form factor similar to the Apple TV, the report explains.

Apple Loosens App Store External Linking Rules and Changes Fee Structure in European Union

Apple is today announcing some updates to its Digital Markets Act compliance plan in the European Union, with changes to external linking that give developers more freedom to direct customers to non-App Store purchase options and sales.

macOS Sequoia to Fix Exploit That Lets Hackers Access Internal Networks

Apple and other tech companies are constantly looking for ways to improve the security of their operating systems. Even so, some things go unnoticed. An exploit from 18 years ago is still being actively used by hackers to access internal networks, but Apple has already confirmed that it will fix this with macOS Sequoia.

With the Google Antitrust Ruling, Will Apple Build a Search Engine?

Earlier this week, a federal court ruled that Google's lucrative default search engine deal with Apple violates antitrust law. Google plans to appeal the decision and the court hasn't provided insight into how it plans to address Google's monopoly, but there is a chance Google will no longer be able to pay to be the default search engine on Apple devices.

Apple Arcade to Gain NFL Retro Bowl '25, Monster Train+, and Puzzle Sculpt

The Apple Arcade gaming service is set to gain three new games in September, including NFL Retro Bowl '25, an NFL and NFLPA-licensed relaunch of the popular Retro Bowl game that initially came out in 2020.

Apple Stops Signing iOS 17.5.1, Downgrading No Longer an Option

Apple today stopped signing iOS 17.5.1, preventing iPhone users from downgrading to that version of iOS.

iOS 18.0 or iOS 18.1 Beta? Here’s What’s Different Between These Versions

Apple last week released the first beta of iOS 18.1, even though iOS 18.0 hasn’t yet been officially released to the public. Even so, the company is still running tests with new builds of iOS 18.0 – which has confused some users. Read on as we detail what changes between these beta versions and which one you should install.

iOS 18 Lets You Shoot Video While Playing Audio on iPhone

Since the iPhone has been capable of shooting video, it has always stopped audio playback when you so much as launch the video camera.

California Prepares to Launch Support For Adding Your Driving License to the Apple Wallet App

Despite being announced by Apple in 2021, digital IDs in Wallet have only been adopted in five states so far, with Ohio joining just last week.

Apple’s SuperDrive for Reading Disks Seemingly Discontinued with No Inventory Online

Apple’s USB SuperDrive is now being discontinued.

Next Apple Watch SE Could Be Made from Plastic

The next-generation Apple Watch SE will feature a chassis made from a hard plastic material, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated in this week's Power On newsletter.

Apple Seeds Fifth Betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fifth betas of upcoming iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming nearly two weeks after the release of the fourth betas.

Gurman: iPhone 16 Still Launching in September Despite Apple Intelligence Delay

In this weekend’s Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has clarified that despite Apple Intelligence not launching until October, Apple won’t be delaying the release of the new iPhone 16 models.

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 24MP Front Camera

All four iPhone 17 models expected to launch next year will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, according to Apple analyst Jeff Pu.

Apple Says iOS 18's ChatGPT Integration on Track for Later This Year

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday said that ChatGPT will be integrated across iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia "by the end of the calendar year." He shared this timeframe during Apple's quarterly earnings call with analysts.

Tim Cook Says Apple Is Spending More to Get Apple Intelligence Ready for Launch This Fall

Although the Apple Intelligence features will be available for free with the iOS 18 and macOS 15 updates, they require the latest Apple devices – such as M1 or later iPads and Macs or the iPhone 15 Pro.