GoKawiil
Tech News
Apple broke a decade-long pattern this week by quietly releasing updated Mac mini and Mac Studio models in late August, even though they won't ship until September 22. This timing suggests Apple needed to clear these updates off its plate before the September 9 'Surprise and shine' event, which is rumored to feature five to nine or more new products.
Apple confirmed its September event with the English tagline 'Surprise and shine,' widely seen as hinting at a foldable iPhone reveal. A Twitter user noticed that Google Translate's rendering of the Chinese-language version of Apple's event teaser reads 'A new chapter unfolds, dazzling and brilliant,' which some fans see as an intentional nod to a folding device.
Apple has launched a custom hashmoji tied to the #AppleEvent hashtag on X, appearing whenever users post with that tag, ahead of its September 9 event themed 'Surprise and shine.' The event is expected to reveal the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, a first foldable iPhone, plus new Apple Watch and AirPods models.
Apple's Mac Studio, available with M5 Max or the fused-together M5 Ultra chip, offers up to 80 GPU cores, 512GB of RAM and a 16TB SSD, along with more ports than the Mac mini, including four Thunderbolt 5 connections. The Mac mini starts at $899 and covers most everyday needs, while the Mac Studio starts at $2,499 and targets professionals with intensive workloads.
Apple has scheduled its annual product launch for Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. PT in Cupertino, streamed live from the Steve Jobs Theater. The event is expected to introduce a new foldable iPhone alongside updated Pro and Pro Max models, new Apple Watches, and AirPods, with cheaper iPhone variants reportedly pushed to a spring release.
Samsung unveiled a 16GB LPDDR5X memory package that runs computation directly inside the chip, achieving 614 GB/s of internal bandwidth between its DRAM banks and compute units. That figure is eight times higher than the 76.8 GB/s the same package can push through its external pins, according to a Tom's Hardware report from the conference.
The August 26, 2026 episode of 9to5Mac Daily summarized the day's top Apple news, including confirmation that Apple's rumored 'Surprise and Shine' event is happening. The podcast, sponsored by Backblaze, is available across major podcast platforms with an ad-free subscription option via 9to5Mac Daily Plus.
Leaker Evan Blass posted images on X suggesting Apple's rumored foldable iPhone Ultra will come in three colors, including an unexpected red variant, alongside previously rumored black and white options. The images reportedly show inconsistencies with iOS 27's interface, using an outdated iOS 26 battery icon, raising doubts about their authenticity even if AI-generated.
TCL's Nxtpaper 11 Plus, an Android tablet with a 2.2K, 120Hz display, is currently discounted to $220 from its usual $280 price. The device can toggle between a full-color screen and an E-Ink-style mode, letting it function as both a tablet and an e-reader or digital notebook. A ZDNET reviewer reports using it alongside an iPad and Kindle without encountering crashes or performance issues, despite its lower-end specs compared to Apple's silicon.
Astropad has released version 4.0 of its Rock Paper Pencil accessory, which pairs a reusable nano-texture screen protector with custom Apple Pencil tips. The update adds a new graphite tip modeled on a 2B pencil alongside the existing steel ballpoint tip, giving users two distinct writing and drawing feels in one $49.99 kit shipping worldwide now.
Leaks ahead of Apple's confirmed September 9 event point to a foldable iPhone Ultra launching seven years after Samsung's first foldable phone. Reports describe a nearly crease-free inner display, an ultra-thin body powered by the A20 Pro chip and a vapor chamber for cooling, and a liquid-metal hinge built on technology Apple licensed more than 15 years ago.
Apple confirmed its next product launch event for September 9 at Apple Park in Cupertino, using the tagline 'Surprise and Shine.' The event is expected to introduce the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, along with the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra, and new smart home devices, though the standard iPhone 18 reportedly won't arrive until next year.