New reports indicate Apple will release updated AirPods 5 open earbuds alongside Beats-branded over-ear headphones in the coming weeks, rather than the long-rumored camera-equipped AirPods Pro. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the IR camera version, aimed at powering Siri visual intelligence and gesture recognition, won't arrive until next year, despite recent leaked video evidence found in a MacOS 26.7 release candidate. The AirPods 5 are expected to come in two versions priced similarly to the current AirPods 4, at $130 and $180.
Apple unveiled the M6 chip alongside new Mac mini and Mac Studio models, marking the debut of a chip family that will later include the iPhone 18 Pro's A20 Pro. Apple says M6 uses a 2-nanometer manufacturing process and a redesigned 12-core CPU layout, delivering major gains in speed and power efficiency along with a doubled Neural Engine for on-device AI tasks.
John Ternus will officially become Apple's CEO next week, taking over from Tim Cook, who moves into the role of executive chairman. Cook led Apple for 15 years, during which its market value grew from $349 billion to over $5 trillion, with shares up roughly 2,205% versus the S&P 500's 560% gain.
Following Apple's announcement of new Mac Studio and Mac mini models with M6 and M5 Pro/Ultra chips, Amazon has begun accepting pre-orders for the 2026 Mac mini lineup starting at $899. Apple also refreshed its Magic Keyboard, which is now listed on Amazon in configurations ranging from $99 to $199.
Costco has launched an early round of Labor Day 2026 promotions covering televisions, smartwatches, Apple devices and other electronics. The deals are being aggregated and vetted by outlets like ZDNET, which test and compare pricing across retailers before recommending items to shoppers.
Apple has scrapped a June proposal to shift new Hide My Email addresses from the standard @icloud.com domain to a separate @private.icloud.com domain. The change would have let websites instantly identify and potentially block masked addresses, undermining the privacy tool's core purpose. Apple confirmed the reversal in a developer note, though it gave no public explanation, while reports point to internal objections from its own Hide My Email team and user backlash.
Threat intelligence firm SOCRadar has exposed AnonyMousKIT, a phishing-as-a-service platform active since early 2024 that automates theft of Apple Activation Lock codes needed to unlock stolen iPhones. The operation spans 506 domains and 168 reseller storefronts, and uses AI-driven voice calls impersonating Apple to trick victims into handing over unlock credentials, iCloud data, and Keychain passwords.
Author Blake Crouch, creator of Apple TV's sci-fi series 'Dark Matter,' has offered a preview of the show's upcoming second season as it prepares to return this week. The series, starring Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly, continues its multiverse-spanning storyline exploring alternate realities and the choices that shape them.
Apple has introduced a new version of the Mac Mini, now available with either its M6 or M5 Pro chip options. The update brings a performance boost to Apple's compact desktop lineup, giving users more choice depending on their computing needs.
ZDNET has published a roundup of early Labor Day 2026 deals on laptops from brands including Apple, Lenovo, and Dell. The list is compiled through the outlet's standard testing, research, and price-comparison process rather than being a single retailer promotion.
On his CNBC Investing Club Morning Meeting, Jim Cramer discussed Apple's newly unveiled Mac Mini and Mac Studio, which feature upgraded chips for better AI performance. The new Mac Mini now starts at $899, a $100 increase reflecting higher memory and storage costs passed on to consumers.
Apple has released the M5 Ultra chip for the new Mac Studio, built by fusing two dual-die M5 Max chips into a quad-die design, a first for the company's silicon lineup. The chip offers up to 36 CPU cores, a jump in inter-die connection speed to 4.4TB/s, and unified memory bandwidth of 1.2TB/s, both notable increases over the M3 Ultra.
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