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The September 18, 2026 episode of 9to5Mac Daily rounds up the day's Apple news, focusing on fresh details surrounding iOS 27 and the rumored dual-screen or dual-device iPhone Duo concept. The podcast, sponsored by task-management app Stuff, is distributed across major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and TuneIn.
iOS 27 introduces a bill-splitting feature in Apple Wallet that uses the iPhone camera and Apple Intelligence to scan receipts and calculate what each person owes, including tax and tip. The tool works across Messages, Wallet, and Visual Intelligence, with a new Siri camera mode able to identify receipt items and trigger a split-payment option automatically.
Apple's iOS 27 update brings a major Apple Intelligence overhaul, including a much-improved Siri, but some newer iPhones now need up to 14GB of free storage for full AI functionality, compared to 8GB previously. This higher requirement applies specifically to iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, Air, Duo, and 18 Pro models, while other iPhones still only need 8GB.
Apple's iOS 27 update brings five notable changes to Apple Music: a landscape layout that pairs artwork with lyrics, an improved AutoMix feature with smoother transitions now also coming to tvOS and HomePod, redesigned artist pages with fullscreen color backgrounds, and a new weekly 'Friends' playlist that surfaces what people in your network are streaming.
Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro launches at $1,199, a $100 increase over the iPhone 17 Pro, adding a variable aperture camera system for photographers. Google's Pixel 11 Pro also rose $100 to $1,099, gaining a larger 48-megapixel telephoto sensor with 30x optical-style zoom and a 120x AI-enhanced Pro Zoom mode. Beyond cameras, the two phones diverge sharply in design, colors and software, running iOS 27 and Android 17 respectively.
In the latest 9to5Mac Happy Hour episode, hosts Chance Miller and Benjamin Mayo share hands-on impressions after a week testing the iPhone 18 Pro and new Apple Watch models, alongside first reactions to Apple's newly released operating systems, including macOS Golden Gate. The episode also touches on rumors that Apple may be developing its own game controllers for iPhone.
Apple's newly released iOS 27 introduces daily usage caps on server-dependent Apple Intelligence features like image generation, but iCloud+ subscribers on most paid tiers get expanded access beyond the free limits. The update also brings AI-powered upgrades to HomeKit Secure Video, including video descriptions, clip search, and automatic highlighting of notable footage for compatible home cameras.
Tech writer David Pogue published a Substack post detailing 125 prompts he tried with Apple's overhauled Siri AI in iOS 27, ranging from summarizing pending tasks across Mail and Messages to deleting dozens of alarms at once. The assistant succeeded in nearly all cases, with only a handful of failures like completing a Venmo payment.
9to5Mac's daily podcast covered ongoing iOS 27.2 beta testing and other Apple news in its September 17, 2026 episode. The episode is available across major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Google Play.
Apple's iOS 27 update introduces the ability to shrink or expand the clock on the iPhone lock screen, building on previous features like removable controls and movable widgets. Users can now toggle between a compact clock near the top and an enlarged version that takes up roughly a third of the screen, adjustable through the Wallpaper settings menu.
Apple's iOS 27 rollout is causing some iPhone users to see faster-than-normal battery drain in the days following installation. The company attributes this to background processes like search-index rebuilding, app refreshes, and data prep for Siri and AI features, which typically resolve within one to three days. Users with large photo libraries or heavy AI usage may see the effect last longer.
A bug in iOS 27 can temporarily freeze an iPhone when users quickly swipe down the Notification Center and Control Center in succession. Affected phones show icons stuck at the top of the screen and stop responding to taps or swipes, though the issue is not permanent.