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Ahead of its 'Surprise and Shine' event, Apple has quietly added nearly 40 hardware identifiers to its backend systems, covering iPhones, Macs, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TV, and a HomeAccessory category. Notably, seven iPhone identifiers appeared even though only six models are currently expected in the iPhone 18 lineup, suggesting either an unannounced variant or a surprise new device.
Apple's iOS 27 update expands the Clean Up feature in the Photos app with a new Auto control that lets users choose between two processing modes. A Fast mode uses a smaller AI model for quick edits like removing background clutter, while a High Quality mode uses more advanced AI for complex scenes, such as removing multiple people from a photo, at the cost of speed and battery life.
TrendForce reports Apple's smartphone production rose 14% year-over-year to about 52 million units in Q2 2026, giving it a 19% global share behind only Samsung's 62 million units. The overall global smartphone market fell 8% to 275 million units, a smaller drop than analysts had expected, prompting TrendForce to raise its full-year 2026 forecast to 1.07 billion units.
Some iOS users reported that Nest camera and doorbell alerts stopped appearing on their iPhones over the past several days, even though the app still logged the events when opened manually. Google has confirmed it identified the cause and deployed a fix, apologizing for the delayed communication about the issue.
Meta AI has released Muse, a new personal AI agent available as an iPhone app and through the web at muse.ai for Mac users. The app lets users customize their agent's name and avatar, and offers free access with weekly usage limits, while paid subscribers get expanded access. Muse is currently limited to the US, with plans to expand to more countries over time.
Panic will livestream its Playdate Update Showcase on Wednesday, September 9 at 12PM ET, just one hour before Apple's iPhone event, revealing Season 3's games and release date. The announcement came only 23 hours ahead of the stream, following the pattern of Season 2, which launched in May 2025 with six weeks of weekly game drops for $39 and sold over 15,000 copies.
Apple will hold its annual iPhone launch event on September 9 at 10 AM PDT, streamed live on YouTube and Apple's events site. The event is widely anticipated to introduce Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Ultra, alongside new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, with the standard iPhone 18 expected next year. Apple may also reveal updated HomePods, camera-equipped AirPods, and new Apple Watches.
Apple released iOS 26.6.2 for iPhone and the matching iPadOS 26.6.2 for iPad, a minor patch addressing a bug that blocked downloading software updates over cellular data. The update is available now through Settings' Software Update screen, arriving just days before Apple's expected release of iOS 27.
Case maker Dbrand has already listed close to 50 grip cases for the rumored foldable iPhone Ultra, even though Apple hasn't officially unveiled the device. The phone is widely expected to debut at Apple's September 9 event, with a foldable design similar to the Samsung Z Fold or Google Pixel Fold and a price tag potentially exceeding $2,000.
Apple is preparing an event dubbed 'Surprise and Shine,' with leaks pointing to a foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro models, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and new AirPods 5. Details remain based on rumors and supply-chain leaks rather than official confirmation from Apple.
Ahead of Apple's Sept. 9 'Surprise and Shine' event, a CNET reader survey found 77% expect the company to unveil its first foldable iPhone, alongside likely updates to AirPods, Apple Watch and Ultra models. Opinion is divided over whether Apple will also debut smart glasses at the event, part of CNET's ongoing 'Big Guessing Game' contest across its network of sites.
LiDAR on iPhone Pro models works by emitting light pulses and timing their return to measure distances to nearby surfaces, giving the device a sense of depth alongside camera imagery. Apple's ARKit uses this data to build a 3D mesh of a room's floors and walls, which apps like RoomPlan use to map furniture, doors and windows into a full 3D model. The sensor also boosts photography, enabling faster autofocus and Night mode portraits in dim lighting.