The MacRumors Show

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Oct 2026

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Join MacRumors' Dan Barbera and Hartley Charlton for discussion about all of the latest news and rumors from the world of Apple. Whether you’re wondering what’s next for the iPhone, looking for insights into the rumor mill, or just have an interest in the latest gadgets, we’ll be bringing you everything you need to know about the Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and more.

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October 16, 2026Episode 21456 min

214: Was Apple's HomeView Worth the Wait?

Apple this week finally announced the HomePod mini 2 , a new Apple TV 4K, and its "HomeView" smart home hub. On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show , we talk through our reactions to the announcements. 00:00 Intro 01:51 HomeView First Impressions 11:53 HomeView Apps and Ecosystem 21:22 HomeView Pricing and Wall Mounting 24:55 Apple TV and HomePod Price Hikes 30:21 Apple Home Collection 39:11 HomeView vs. iPhone Duo 43:05 Siri AI and HomePod mini 2 48:22 Apple TV 4K Upgrade Debate 52:06 Apple’s Smart Home Roadmap 54:05 OLED MacBook Ultra Rumors Apple's HomeView costs $299 and combines a 7-inch square display with Siri AI, FaceTime , music playback, and smart home controls. It has had something of a mixed reception from YouTubers and the wider Apple community, with some of the criticism centering on what it adds for someone who already owns an iPhone, iPad , Apple Watch, or HomePod . A screen for timers, photos, music, and home controls will be useful for many, but it is harder to explain why someone wearing an Apple Watch would reach across a kitchen counter to set a timer, or why they would type a message on HomeView instead of taking out their iPhone. Apple's promotional video puts some of those less convincing uses front and center. There are many details to like about the design. The display can show photos and customizable faces , dim to just 0.3 nits in the dark, and adjust its interface as someone approaches. In the kitchen, guided recipes turn webpages into step-by-step instructions, with voice-controlled timers available while cooking. HomeView makes more sense as a replacement for an Echo Show or Nest Hub, particularly for anyone tired poor ecosystem integration and ads on their smart display. For people who have never wanted one, it may be less obvious what Apple has added to change their minds. HomeView recognizes up to six people and switches to their apps and personal information. Its privacy protections mean personal content normally appears only when the user is recognized and their paired device is nearby and recently unlocked. ‌Siri‌ AI can answer general questions without an Apple Intelligence-compatible device, but personal requests still require one. There is no App Store , either. Compatible third-party audio and video apps appear through a connected iPhone or ‌iPad‌, using a CarPlay-like system . For services such as Spotify and Audible, that means relying on another device rather than installing an app directly on HomeView. The wall-mounted version costs the same $299 despite losing the tabletop model's speaker base , woofer, and passive radiators. Mounts start at $59.95, and the box includes no power adapter or cable. It could be a welcome replacement for an ‌iPad‌ mounted on a wall, but putting several around a home quickly becomes expensive. Six years after the original ‌HomePod‌ mini, the HomePod mini 2 adds an S10 chip, Sound Glow lighting, and support for ‌Siri‌ AI while retaining the same basic speaker hardware. Its $149 price is roughly 50% higher than the original's $99 launch price, following a June increase to $129. The new model can serve as a default Mac speaker on models with Wi-Fi 6E or later. ‌Siri‌ AI is likely to make a bigger difference to everyday use, but it will arrive later , after the speaker launches on October 30. The new Apple TV 4K also asks buyers to pay more for a familiar product. At $299 , it adds the A19 chip , built-in microphones , and an updated ‌Siri‌ Remote. ‌Siri‌ AI is also coming to older models , while the new remote can be bought separately for $59. The starting price is now more than twice the $129 entry point available before June's increases. The new model includes 128GB of storage, Ethernet, and Thread, and the equivalent outgoing model had already reached $249. Even so, $299 is a substantial outlay for a streaming box when many existing owners have little reason to replace theirs. Support for four HomePods is one reason to upgrade. The new ‌Apple TV‌ can use matching front and rear pairs of ‌HomePod mini 2‌ or second-generation full-sized HomePods for surround sound. Buying the box, two full-sized HomePods, and two ‌HomePod mini 2‌ speakers at Apple's U.S. prices totals $1,295. These are products people can keep for years, but that also makes keeping an existing setup an attractive option. The Apple Home Collection , developed with LG and Schneider Electric, adds another set of expensive purchases. One-tap setup and a lock that uses Ultra Wideband to unlock as someone approaches are useful features. Whether they justify paying more than for other HomeKit accessories is another matter, especially when buying equipment for an entire home. Apple is reportedly still working on a robotic home display and its own camera , separate from the LG and Schneider products. The camera is said to detect activity and presence without recording video. We also look ahead to the rumored OLED MacBook , where a lighter design and a new display could matter more than the touchscreen. It is expected to be announced later this month. We also briefly return to the iPhone Duo , including whether its folding display and software changes make a more convincing case for trying a new kind of Apple device. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/mac #rulapod Ready to launch your business before Black Friday? Start your free trial at https://shopify.com/mac

October 9, 2026Episode 21347 min

213: Apple’s All-New Smart Home Products Are Coming

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show , we look ahead to Apple's recently announced October 13 event and its expected push into the smart home market, including a dedicated home hub, the HomePod mini 2, and a new Apple TV . 00:00 Intro 00:57 Apple’s Upcoming Smart Home Event 03:28 John Ternus’s Vision for Apple 12:05 Apple’s Smart Home Hub 27:02 Apple’s Partnership With LG 30:25 HomeKit Reliability and Home App Redesign 36:46 Apple TV 4K Upgrades 39:44 HomePod mini 2 44:40 iPhone Duo Pre-Orders and Colors 45:29 Hartley’s iPhone 18 Pro and Apple Watch Upgrades Apple is expected to introduce its first smart home hub, a new ‌HomePod mini‌, and an updated ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . Siri AI is expected to be central to all three devices, following years of delays. The impending launch also comes amid Apple's reported efforts under CEO John Ternus to introduce products more frequently and accelerate development. Moving beyond predictable spring and fall release cycles could give Apple more opportunities to experiment, particularly in categories where existing products have gone years without substantial hardware changes. The home hub is expected to feature a square 6-inch display , with a tabletop version resembling the iMac G4 and a separate wall-mounted model. Its new operating system reportedly combines customizable clock and photo displays, Apple Watch-style app icons, and iPad-like layouts. A range of apps including FaceTime , Music, Calendar, Notes, and more should make it useful for quick interactions throughout the day. Facial and voice recognition will bring up individual profiles, while a guest mode will hide personal information from visitors. The device is rumored to start at around $350 . The ‌Apple TV‌ 4K is rumored to tout an A19 or A19 Pro chip , additional memory, Apple's N1 networking chip, and an updated ‌Siri‌ Remote, while retaining its existing design. The hardware should improve gaming performance and enable Apple Intelligence and Siri AI . The ‌HomePod mini‌ 2 is also expected to retain its current design, with leaked images revealing green, pink, and lighter blue finishes alongside white and black. A faster S-series chip would support Siri AI . A new full-sized HomePod is reportedly planned for a later date. Separately, software findings point to four-HomePod surround sound mode. Apple's reported collaboration with LG could help expand the ecosystem around the home hub. The planned lineup includes a video doorbell, deadbolt lock, thermostat, and temperature sensor , along with indoor, outdoor, and floodlight cameras. These would carry LG branding, with Apple reportedly contributing to their development. Apple's longer-term plans also include its own privacy-focused camera and sensor , reportedly designed to analyze the home without recording video. A higher-end home hub with a 9-inch display mounted on a robotic arm also reportedly remains in development. Apple has now announced a product event for Tuesday, October 13, sharing a "Welcome home" teaser. Selected members of the media have been invited to an "Apple Experience" in Tribeca, New York, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Ready to tackle bigger problems? Get started with Claude today at — https://www.Claude.ai/mac

September 25, 2026Episode 21247 min

212: Are the iPhone 18 Pro Cameras Actually Worth It? ft. Tyler Stalman

Photographer and videographer Tyler Stalman joins us on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show to examine whether the iPhone 18 Pro 's camera is a compelling reason to upgrade, how its new features affect everyday shooting, and what photographers gain or give up with the iPhone Duo . The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌'s Main camera combines a new 48-megapixel sensor, a faster variable-aperture lens, and updated image processing. The variable aperture offers settings of ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, and ƒ/4.0. The iPhone 17 Pro has a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture , so the new lens's widest setting admits about 45% more light on aperture values alone, or just over half an exposure stop. Apple claims around 50% better low-light performance for the complete Main camera system. At ƒ/2.8 or ƒ/4.0, people standing at different distances in a group shot can remain sharper, provided there is enough light to compensate for the smaller opening. A narrower aperture can also let video use a slower shutter speed in bright conditions, producing more natural motion blur. At ƒ/1.48, the camera has more light for indoor photos and potentially shorter Night mode exposures. The wider opening should also reduce the need for Night mode at all in some situations. The camera defaults to ƒ/1.8, close to the 17 Pro's fixed aperture, but the new sensor and processing still affect photos taken at that setting. The Pro Controls add manual aperture, shutter speed, and white balance adjustments, plus a live histogram directly in the native Camera app. Users can pin their most-used settings to the top of the viewfinder, which is a major practical improvement for professionals. For example, shutter speed offers control over frozen action or intentional motion blur, while white balance can help stop greenery being made too blue by automatic settings or maintain a consistent look between video clips. Photographic Styles 3 goes further with the ability to adjust tone and color while preserving skin tones, and new controls add Soft Skin, Glow, and Film textures, with grain that can be paired with any of them. The Film setting aims to reproduce more of an analog photograph's character, including its grain and the glow around bright highlights. The strength of the effects can be adjusted, and the style can be changed after capture. Tyler has tested the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌'s film look against a film SLR loaded with Kodak Portra 400. Apple Reference Image signs data from the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌'s new Main camera sensor at capture, creating a secure digital negative that can be compared with an editable photo. Meanwhile, iOS 27's Photos tools can change perspective with Reframe, generate scenery beyond a picture's original edges with Extend, or remove larger objects with Clean Up. Reference Image leaves room for creative editing while giving photographers a way to show what the sensor captured, provided they enabled the mode before taking the shot. Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo's camera system has a 48-megapixel Main camera with a fixed ƒ/1.6 aperture and the same 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera as the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌. Its Main camera shares a 26mm focal length, ƒ/1.6 aperture, and Hybrid Focus Pixels with the iPhone 17e , leading some to question why Apple's most expensive iPhone appears to have camera hardware similar to an entry-level model . That being said, the Duo has sensor-shift optical image stabilization, which the 17e lacks, and Apple has not disclosed enough sensor details to establish that the two phones use identical hardware. Compared with the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, the ‌iPhone Duo‌ also lacks a dedicated Telephoto lens, variable aperture, manual Pro Controls, Reference Image, and professional formats including ProRAW and ProRes. The ‌iPhone Duo‌'s folding design makes a different case for its camera. Smart Take can capture a group photo when everyone is posing, Kid Cue plays animations on the outer display to draw a child's attention, and Duo Preview lets subjects see a live view of a photo being taken of them with the rear camera. The phone can also stand partly open for hands-free shots. Looking to the future, Apple is rumored to be working on a custom image sensor that could arrive as soon as next year with the 20th-anniversary iPhone. Ready to tackle bigger problems? Get started with Claude today at — https://www.Claude.ai/mac Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/mac #rulapod Check out Tyler's podcast here - http://www.fullstackcreatorshow.com/ 00:00 Intro 01:02 iPhone 18 Pro Camera Upgrades and Variable Aperture 08:42 Is the iPhone 18 Pro Worth Upgrading To? 16:22 New Pro Camera Controls and White Balance 20:20 Photographic Styles and Film Grain 28:35 AI Photo Editing and Reference Images 31:53 Will the iPhone Duo Camera Be Good Enough? 40:40 Can the iPhone Duo Replace an iPad? 43:19 What’s Next for iPhone Cameras?

September 18, 2026Episode 21157 min

211: The iPhone Duo Debate Continues

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show , we revisit the iPhone Duo debate, early impressions of AirPods 5 , and the merits of Apple's latest iPhone and Apple Watch upgrades. 00:00 Intro 03:41 iPhone Duo Hype and Compromises 15:26 Will the iPhone Duo Sell Out? 17:45 The iPhone Duo Display Debate 22:34 Who Is the iPhone Duo Actually For 28:09 Can the iPhone Duo Replace an iPad? 32:54 AirPods 5 First Impressions 36:43 Apple Watch Series 12 and the New Health App 42:25 Is the iPhone 18 Pro Worth Upgrading To? 55:44 Outro Apple's first foldable iPhone continues to divide opinion, with much of the discussion centering on whether its larger inner display justifies the compromises elsewhere . Combining an iPhone and an iPad-like device has obvious appeal, but its value depends on how often that extra screen space would actually be used. Watching videos, reading, referencing documents, and working across multiple apps could all make the foldable display worthwhile, particularly when traveling. For users who primarily take photos, send messages, and browse social media, the benefits may be harder to justify against the device's price, weight, thickness, and camera trade-offs. The excitement surrounding a new form factor also raises the question of whether buyers will embrace it for the long term or return to a conventional iPhone. Our discussion also addresses criticism of the ‌iPhone Duo‌'s inner display, including concerns about sharpness, color saturation, and crease visibility. Its nano-texture finish introduces a balance between reducing glare and retaining the appearance of a glossy screen, with hands-on impressions offering a different perspective from photos and videos online. Other considerations include using the wider form factor one-handed, switching from Face ID to Touch ID , and potentially replacing an iPad on some trips. ‌AirPods 5‌ emerge as a potential standout following a week of use, including on a flight. Their fit and improved active noise cancellation could make them particularly appealing to users who struggle with AirPods Pro's silicone tips. We also consider the value of the higher-end model and how iOS 27 's equalizer can help adjust a sound profile that may initially seem too bass-heavy. The Apple Watch Series 12 and redesigned Health app receive a closer look, with this year's health features forming a more substantial upgrade after several relatively modest generations. Clearer presentation of health data and new longevity information promise to make collected metrics more useful. Whether those additions justify replacing an older watch remains a separate question for owners whose basic fitness and sleep-tracking needs are already met. Finally, we return to the iPhone 18 Pro 's variable-aperture camera , smaller Dynamic Island , and new Photographic Styles . The discussion weighs how noticeable these changes will be in everyday use, with the new film-inspired styles potentially offering as much appeal as the camera hardware improvements. We also look at whether owners of recent Pro models have sufficient reason to switch , and when a discounted iPhone 17 Pro could offer better value. Start your business with Shopify and get everything you need to sell online and in person. Start today at https://www.shopify.com/mac

September 11, 2026Episode 2101 hr 15 min

210: Apple Surprise and Shine Recap: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro & More!

Apple just had one of its biggest product launches in years. On this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show, we share our first reactions to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, AirPods 5, and Apple’s long-awaited first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo. 00:00 Introduction 01:52 iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max 13:28 Sponsor: DraftKings 14:51 iPhone 18 Pro cameras 22:30 AppleCare One Family 24:39 AirPods 5 28:28 Sponsor: Quince 29:59 Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 39:43 iPhone Duo: design, display, and software 52:52 iPhone Duo: price, compromises, cameras, and verdict We discuss the biggest upgrades, including the iPhone 18 Pro’s new camera system and A20 Pro chip, the Apple Watch’s new health and Audio Intelligence features, AirPods 5 getting ANC as standard, and what it’s actually like to see Apple enter the foldable market. We also talk pricing, some surprising omissions from the iPhone Duo, and whether Apple’s latest products are worth getting excited about. Football is back! New DraftKings customers can sign up with code MAC, spend $5, and get $200 in rewards within 21 days. Get started at https://www.draftkings.com/ with code MAC. Terms and eligibility apply. Find your next fall favorites at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or visit https://www.quince.com/MAC . Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

September 4, 2026Episode 20949 min

209: iPhone 18 Pro & iPhone Ultra Event Expectations

Ahead of Apple's "Surprise and shine" event on September 9, we talk through everything to expect on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show . 00:00 Intro 04:37 AirPods 5 predictions 09:26 Apple Watch predictions 18:35 iPhone 18 Pro expectations 28:39 iPhone Ultra first look 43:50 Apple Pencil and home product rumors 49:12 Event coverage and closing remarks The event begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, and will be streamed on Apple's website, on YouTube, and through the Apple TV app. It is the first keynote since John Ternus succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive on September 1. Rumors suggest at least six new products will arrive at the event. The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to add a new chip, improved fitness tracking , better battery life , continuous heart-rate collection, and redesigned Health and Fitness experiences. A ceramic case option may return in white or dark gray, but no major redesign or Touch ID is now expected. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 should receive the same new chip and health upgrades, again without a redesign. Apple may also expand its existing satellite connectivity features on the device with satellite Apple Maps and photo sharing in Messages. AirPods 5 is expected to arrive in two versions, with and without active noise cancellation . Both may use an H3 chip for improved sound and lower latency, but are not expected to add the AirPods Pro 3 's heart-rate sensor. The iPhone 18 Pro should retain the iPhone 17 Pro 's design while gaining an A20 Pro chip on TSMC's 2nm process, with RAM integrated on the same wafer . Other expected upgrades include a LTPO+ display , Samsung image sensor, simplified Camera Control without a capacitive layer, a narrower Dynamic Island , 12GB of RAM, 256GB base storage, and 5G satellite internet . It may use Apple's C2 modem outside the U.S., while U.S. models will likely retain Qualcomm hardware for mmWave connectivity. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max should share the smaller models's upgrades while adding a 5,391mAh battery in China and 5,567mAh battery in the U.S. . It may be thicker, heavier, and around 243 grams, with a variable-aperture main camera that could be exclusive to the larger device. The foldable iPhone, likely called the “ iPhone Ultra ," is expected to be the biggest announcement, using a wide passport-style design with 5.5-inch outer and 7.8-inch inner displays, an iPad-like 4:3 aspect ratio , and a nearly invisible screen crease. It may feature a titanium-and-aluminum chassis, liquid-metal hinge, vapor-chamber cooling, A20 Pro chip, dual 5,400mAh to 5,800mAh batteries, ‌Touch ID‌ power button instead of Face ID , rear wide and ultra wide cameras, dual selfie cameras in hole-punch cutouts, and the Camera Control button, with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options. It is also expected to be more repairable than rival foldables.

August 28, 2026Episode 20846 min

208: Apple’s Surprisingly HUGE Week of Announcements

It's been an unusually big week for Apple announcements. On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show , we discuss the new Mac mini and Mac Studio , the M6 and M5 Ultra chips, and invites to Apple's September event. 00:00 Intro and Apple’s Unexpectedly Busy Week 00:59 Apple Event Invite Predictions 06:19 What to Expect at Apple’s September Event 07:07 Sponsor: Claude 08:43 Why the Foldable iPhone Is the Big Surprise 13:13 Apple’s Smart Home Plans 15:28 New Mac Mini Announcement 17:12 What Makes the M6 Chip Different 22:16 Mac Mini Price and Buying Advice 30:24 M5 Ultra Mac Studio Explained 37:42 Apple’s New Polishing Cloth and Magic Keyboard Apple confirmed on Wednesday that its annual iPhone event will take place on Wednesday 9 September at Apple Park , starting at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with select members of the media invited to attend. The event's tagline is "Surprise and Shine." Apple is expected to introduce at least six new products , including the the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, iPhone 18 Pro , ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and the first foldable iPhone. Pre-orders should follow shortly after, and release dates for iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate should also be revealed at the event. Apple announced the new Mac mini on Tuesday, offering M6 and M5 Pro chip options. The machine gains an N1 networking chip, bringing Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and moves to 2.5Gb Ethernet as standard, up from 1Gb, with a 10Gb option. Thunderbolt 5 is restricted to the M5 Pro model, which gets three Thunderbolt 5 ports while the M6 model keeps Thunderbolt 4. Genlock support over USB-C is also new, syncing a display's refresh timing to a camera such as the iPhone 17 Pro . Pricing starts at $899 with 16GB and 256GB, rising to $1,699 for the M5 Pro at 24GB and 512GB. Pre-orders are now open , with launch on 22 September. M6 is Apple's first 2nm chip . Its 12-core CPU is split into 2 super cores, 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores, making it the first Apple chip to combine all three core types in one design. Super cores are Apple's top tier, optimised for single-threaded speed. The 12-core GPU features a Neural Accelerator in each core for the first time in a ‌Mac mini‌. The GPU also adds an updated shader architecture, Dynamic Caching, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing, while an all-new Dual 16-core Neural Engine doubles peak compute over the previous generation, with system frameworks able to drive both engines at once. Memory starts at 16GB and tops out at 32GB, running at up to 170GB/s. M5 Pro scales further, to an 18-core CPU, a 20-core GPU and up to 64GB at 307GB/s. The new Mac Studio arrived alongside the ‌Mac mini‌, with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chip options. The M5 Max offers an 18-core CPU with 6 super cores and 12 performance cores, an up-to-40-core GPU with Neural Accelerators in every core, and up to 128GB of memory at 614GB/s, with the GPU running up to 50% faster than the previous generation. Both configurations move to a next-generation SSD architecture on PCIe Gen 6 for up to twice the storage performance, and gain up to six Thunderbolt 5 ports at 120Gb/s, and the same genlock support as the ‌Mac mini‌. Apple's N1 chip also brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 to the ‌Mac Studio‌. Pricing starts at $2,499 for the M5 Max at 36GB and 512GB, and $5,499 for the M5 Ultra at 96GB and 1TB, with the 512GB memory option not arriving until late October. M5 Ultra is Apple's first quad-die chip , using a next-generation version of UltraFusion to join two dual-die M5 Max chips into a single processor. The result is a CPU with up to 36 cores, and 12 super and 24 performance, delivering 1.25x the single-threaded and 1.3x the multithreaded performance of the M3 Ultra. Its up-to-80-core GPU is the most powerful Apple silicon GPU ever made and the first on an Ultra chip to feature Neural Accelerators. Second-generation Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading and third-generation ray tracing lift graphics up to 40% over M3 Ultra, and the chip features a 32-core Neural Engine. Memory reaches 512GB at 1.2TB/s, which is a 50% bandwidth increase. Other announcements this week included a new, softer Apple Polishing Cloth at $9, down from $19, and refreshed U.S. Magic Keyboards for the Mac, now featuring glyphs instead of edge text. Apple Support's 1-800-APL-CARE line is also now answered by a generative AI assistant in the U.S. and Canada. Ready to tackle bigger problems? Get started with Claude today at — https://www.Claude.ai/mac

August 21, 2026Episode 20759 min

207: What Apple MUST Get Right With Its Foldable iPhone Ultra ft. Michael Fisher [MrMobile]

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. 00:00 Introduction 03:29 Why the Short-and-Wide Foldable Is Winning 11:45 The A4 Paper Theory and Apple's Ideal Form Factor 14:01 Apple Could Validate Foldables for the Mainstream 17:25 The Crease Problem 20:11 Where Apple Can Beat Android Foldables 22:01 The Camera Compromise at an Ultra Price 28:40 Touch ID and First-Generation Trade-Offs 32:20 Can a $2,000+ Foldable iPhone Be Worth It? 39:36 What Apple Must Get Right: Durability and Software Michael has covered the foldable phone category since 2019 and has 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, widely expected to be called the “‌iPhone Ultra‌,” is reportedly set to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro this fall , with a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch cover screen, an A20 chip, and a starting price near or over $2,000. Samsung is widely believed to be the exclusive supplier of the foldable’s OLED panels, with mass production of the displays reportedly beginning in May . Visit https://www.storyblocks.com/mac for 15% off annual plans.

August 14, 2026Episode 20644 min

206: Apple Watch’s Biggest Redesign Yet Is Coming

On this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the latest Apple Watch rumors, including the return of the white ceramic Apple Watch, modest upgrades coming to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and Apple’s plans for longer battery life. Looking further ahead, rumors point to a major Apple Watch redesign in 2027 or 2028 that could introduce a new band attachment system, larger battery, new display technology, and a significant redesign of the hardware. We also discuss Apple’s broader plans for the Apple Watch lineup, including potential new form factors, display-less wearables, more premium models, AI-focused features, and the company’s long-term health ambitions. Start your business with Shopify and get everything you need to sell online and in person. Start today at https://www.shopify.com/mac

August 7, 2026Episode 20544 min

205: iPhone Air 2 - What Changes After a Difficult First Year

The iPhone Air reaches one year on sale next month, and Apple is now closer to launching its successor than it is to the original's debut. On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show , we discuss what's next for the device. The first-generation model has had a difficult run. A KeyBanc Capital Markets survey found virtually no demand for the device within weeks of its September 2025 launch, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that suppliers were asked to cut capacity by more than 80% between launch and early 2026, and Luxshare and Foxconn both wound down production, leaving the phone believed to be entirely out of manufacture. Apple discounted it heavily in March, and SellCell data put its ten-week depreciation at 44.3% on average, against 34.6% for the iPhone 17 series. The Weibo leaker known as "Digital Chat Station" said in May that the device had barely surpassed 700,000 activations even after multiple rounds of price cuts. A single rear camera left a $999 phone looking less capable than the cheaper ‌iPhone 17‌, which has two, and the absence of the iPhone 17 Pro 's vapor chamber cooling means the Air runs warmer under load. It also lacks stereo speakers. Battery life falls short of a full day for many users, mitigated in part by the dedicated MagSafe battery accessory Apple sells alongside it. With the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ starting at $1,099, the Air occupies a $100 gap that gave buyers little reason to stop there. Almost every change rumored for the second-generation model targets one of those points. Bloomberg reported in June that Apple will add an Ultra Wide lens alongside the existing 48-megapixel Fusion camera, and that the dual-lens design has reached advanced testing with the same exterior as the current model save for the extra lens. Almost everything other than the battery sits inside the ‌iPhone Air‌'s camera plateau, and Apple has reportedly asked suppliers for an ultra-thin Face ID module to free up space. The company also plans to adopt Samsung's CoE display technology, which is thinner and brighter than the current panel and debuts first on the foldable iPhone. Digital Chat Station expects a 3,500mAh battery , up from 3,149mAh, and The Information reported that Apple wants the device to be lighter and to gain vapor chamber cooling despite the added hardware. The device will also likely feature the A20 Pro chip, binned in some form like its predecessor, along with Apple's second-generation N2 wireless networking chip, the C2 modem, and 12GB of RAM, unchanged from the current model. Externally, little is expected to change beyond the additional rear camera, but Pu expects a slightly smaller Dynamic Island , in line with the wider iPhone 18 lineup. A lavender color option could replace Sky Blue. Pricing is the biggest open question. The Information reported that Apple is considering a lower price for the second model, but the surrounding lineup is moving too. Pu expects the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to cost $250 to $300 more than the current Pro models owing to 2nm silicon and memory costs, and the foldable iPhone is rumored to start somewhere between roughly $2,000 and $2,500 . A widened gap between the Air and the Pro tier could change the calculation that undermined the original, particularly once the camera disparity with the standard iPhone disappears. The leaker "Fixed Focus Digital" claimed in April that Apple will push through at least two generations of the device no matter how poorly it sells, a position consistent with Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman , who expects the Air 2 in spring 2027 alongside the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e . Nikkei Asia reported in January that no second-generation Air was expected before 2027 at the earliest. Apple's confidence in the fall lineup appears to be growing in the meantime. The company reportedly told suppliers to prepare roughly 10 million foldable iPhones this year, up from an earlier forecast of seven to eight million, and has booked parts for around 80 million smartphones in the second half of 2026. Samsung, meanwhile, says the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8 drew 1.44 million pre-orders in South Korea across seven days, a company record, with the redesigned Z Fold 8 accounting for close to half of them. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable iPhone are expected in September, and Apple has already begun preparing for the event , opening a lottery for U.S. retail employees to staff it.