While the iPhone 17 Pro is not expected to launch until September, a prototype of the device has potentially been spotted in the wild. However, the mysterious device could be just about anything, so this might simply be a false alarm.

iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1
X account @Skyfops today shared two somewhat blurry photos of the mysterious device. The post was later shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

"I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild," the post said.


Everything that we have wrote below is purely speculation.

In one of the photos, a person wearing reflective sunglasses can be seen holding what appears to be an iPhone inside of a thick black protective case, which might be intended to disguise the design of the iPhone 17 Pro in public. They are also holding what appears to be an iPhone 16 Pro with a sticker on the back of it, which could be hiding a data matrix code that allows Apple to track internal iPhones used by employees for development purposes.

What might make the disguised device an iPhone 17 Pro? Well, rumors indicate that the back of the device will have a rectangular camera bump, with the LED flash, rear microphone, and LiDAR Scanner expected to be vertically aligned on the right side of the bump. And in the photo, the back of the device seems to have circular openings in the top-right corner for what could be the LED flash and LiDAR Scanner. Your guess is as good as ours, though.

Gurman seems to think the photos might be the real deal. "This looks legit," he said. Or maybe he's just being sarcastic. Who knows.

Adding to the intrigue, @Skyfops said "the guy on the right was security and trying to go in front of the iPhone to hide it." Allegedly!

The user is located in Los Angeles, according to the account's bio.

Even if this really was an iPhone 17 Pro prototype in the wild, these photos do not really show anything that is not already rumored. But who doesn't love an old-school 2010-era rumor in mid-summer, as we count down the days to Apple's announcement?

Related Roundup: iPhone 17 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

Just hours after we published a long list of Apple Stores that are opening or closing this year, Apple has announced one more.

Apple Store Shadyside PittsburghThe existing Apple Shadyside opened in 2004

Apple Shadyside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will be on the move next month, with the store set to relocate from 5508 Walnut Street to 5436 Walnut Street. The new store is in a two-floor unit that was previously occupied by clothing brand Gap. Apple has completed extensive renovations to the unit, which has an all-new facade.

The new store will be holding its grand opening on Saturday, August 9 at 10 a.m. local time, according to Apple's website. It is located just west of Bellefonte Street, just steps away from Apple's existing store on Walnut Street.

The new store is significantly larger than the original Apple Shadyside, which will be closing as part of the shuffle. It will have an updated design, which typically includes an Apple Pickup station for in-store pickup of online orders, and often a Genius Bar with varied table and seat heights for improved accessibility. Apple's newer stores also use more engineered wood, whereas classic stores made extensive use of stainless steel.

Apple Shadyside first opened in September 2004, so the company has already been doing business on Walnut Street for more than 20 years.

Thanks, Jordan Leven!

Amazon has brought back the all-time low price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, available for $649.99, down from $799.00. We first tracked this deal during Prime Day, but it hasn't reappeared since then.

apple watch ultra 2 new blackNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Models on sale at this price include the Natural Titanium Case with Orange Ocean Band, Natural Titanium Case with Indigo Alpine Loop, Natural Titanium Case with Blue Alpine Loop, and more.

Best Buy is also discounting the Apple Watch Ultra 2 this week, and it has more options for the Black Titanium models. You can get the Black Titanium Case with Black Ocean Band, Black Titanium Case with Dark Green Alpine Loop, and more on sale for $649.00.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.


Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

When the iMac moved from Intel processors to Apple silicon in 2021, the desktop computer also received a new colorful, ultra-thin design. Since then, the iMac has lacked something that it had for many years: an Apple logo below the screen.

Apple iMac M4 hero feature
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Apple did prototype a version of the current iMac with an Apple logo in the "chin" area, according to a post on X today from a user known as Kosutami. The user has occasionally shared images of alleged Apple device prototypes, but they have also shared some incorrect information in the past.

Apple evidently went with a logo-free iMac screen, but 2021-and-newer models do still have a large Apple logo on the back of the computer.

It would probably be more surprising if Apple had NOT tested both logo and logo-free designs, but if this sort of thing interests you, then now you know.

Do you think Apple made the right choice? Let us know in the comments section.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Neutral)
Related Forum: iMac

Microsoft Threat Intelligence found a Spotlight-related vulnerability that could allow attackers to steal private file data, outlining the issue in a blog post today. Microsoft's threat team is calling the exploit "Sploitlight" because it uses Spotlight plugins.

bug security vulnerability issue fix larry
According to Microsoft, the vulnerability is a Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) bypass that can leak sensitive info cached by Apple Intelligence. Attackers could have used it to get precise location data, photo and video metadata, face recognition data from the Photo Library, search history, AI email summaries, user preferences, and more.

TCC is designed to keep apps from accessing personal information without user consent. Spotlight plugins that allow app files to appear in search are sandboxed by Apple and heavily restricted from accessing sensitive files, but Microsoft found a way around that. Microsoft researchers tweaked the app bundles that Spotlight pulls in, leaking file contents.

Microsoft shared details of the bypass with Apple, and Apple addressed the issue in macOS 15.4 and iOS 15.4, updates that came out on March 31. The vulnerability was never actively exploited, because Apple was able to fix it before it was disclosed.

Apple's security support document for the update said that the problem was addressed through improved data redaction. Apple fixed two other vulnerabilities that were credited to Microsoft at the same time with improved validation of symlinks and improved state management.

Full information on how the exploit worked can be found on Microsoft's website.

Amazon is kicking off the week with new best-ever prices across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, with discounts that beat Prime Day prices by about $50. In total, you'll find $200 off every M4 MacBook Air notebook right now on Amazon, with both 13-inch and 15-inch models on sale.

M4 MacBook Air 13 and 15 inch Feature Pink and TealNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Starting with the 13-inch models, Amazon has $200 off all three configurations of this notebook. Prices start at $799.00 for the 256GB model, then raise to $999.00 for the 16GB/512GB model and $1,199.00 for the 24GB/512GB model. Every deal represents a new all-time low price on the M4 MacBook Air.



Moving to the larger display models, Amazon has both 512GB versions of the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week, as well as the 256GB model. The 16GB/512GB model is available for $1,199.00 and the 24GB/512GB model is on sale for $1,399.00. Across the board, these are all record low prices on the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air.



If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.


Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple will be permanently closing a retail store in China next month, but it is also in the process of opening several new stores around the world.

Apple Store App Feature Blue
As reported by the South China Morning Post today, Apple Parkland in Dalian, China will be closing on Saturday, August 9 at 8 p.m. local time, according to the store's listing on Apple's website. This is a permanent store closure, rather than a relocation.

In a statement shared with MacRumors today, Apple said that it decided to close the store because the Parkland shopping mall (recently rebranded as Intime City) has lost several retailers. Apple confirmed that all affected employees at the store will have the opportunity to continue to work for the company going forward.

Apple's full statement:

At Apple, we're always focused on providing an exceptional experience for all of our customers both online and at more than 50 Apple Store locations across Greater China. Given the departure of several retailers at the Parkland Mall, we have made the decision to close our store there on August 9, 2025. We love serving the Dalian community, and all of our valued team members will have the opportunity to continue their roles with Apple. We look forward to welcoming customers at our nearby Olympia 66 store, as well as on Apple.com and the Apple Store app.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the mall's landlord has been facing financial struggles and litigation for several years, leading to the mall's majority shareholder assuming full control of leasing and operations earlier this year.

Other retailers that have departed the mall include Coach, Hugo Boss, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, UGG, and others, the source said.

Apple has more than 50 other stores across Greater China, and its all-new Uniwalk Qianhai store in Shenzhen opens on August 16.

Apple has announced many store openings and closures this year, so we have shared a list of all of the locations below as a recap.

The eight stores that are opening or closing later this year are bolded.

Opened/Opening

  • Apple MixC Hefei in Hefei, China on January 18 (New)
  • Apple Miami Worldcenter in Miami, Florida on January 24 (New)
  • Apple Trafford Centre near Manchester, England on March 1 (Updated)
  • Apple La Encantada in Tucson, Arizona on June 14 (Updated)

  • Apple Perth City in Perth, Australia on June 26 (Updated)
  • Apple Touchwood Centre in Solihull, England on July 26 (Updated)
  • Apple Umeda in Osaka, Japan on July 26 (New)
  • Apple Den Haag in The Hague, Netherlands on August 14 (Updated)
  • Apple Uniwalk Qianhai in Shenzhen, China on August 16 (New)
  • Apple Chatswood Chase in Chatswood, Australia in October (Updated)
  • Apple Downtown Detroit in Detroit, Michigan later this year (New)

Closed/Closing

  • Apple Northbrook Court in Northbrook, Illinois on April 26
  • Apple Bristol in Bristol, England on August 9
  • Apple Parkland in Dalian, China on August 9
  • Apple Partridge Creek in Clinton Township, Michigan on August 16
  • Apple Hornsby in Hornsby, Australia in October

Apple is in the process of renovating or relocating several other stores, such as Apple Roosevelt Field in New York, Apple Baybrook in Texas, and Apple The Galleria in Florida, but it has yet to announce grand reopening dates for those locations.

Apple's original film "F1: The Movie" has surpassed $500 million in global box office revenue, becoming the company's highest-grossing theatrical release to date and marking a significant milestone for Apple TV+.

Apple TV F1
The film reached $509 million in ticket sales as of the final weekend in July, according to Comscore data reported by CNBC. F1 eclipses the previous record held by "Napoleon," Ridley Scott's 2023 historical epic, which grossed $221 million worldwide.

The film also significantly outperformed other Apple theatrical projects including "Killers of the Flower Moon" ($158 million), "Argylle" ($96 million), and "Fly Me to the Moon" ($42 million). F1's box office performance positions Apple to recoup its full investment through theatrical receipts alone.

The film crossed the $400 million threshold in mid-July. F1 was released in over 80 countries and reportedly maintained strong attendance during weekday screenings. With $509 million in earnings, F1 surpasses "Superman" at $502 million to become one of the most popular films of the summer.

After its theatrical run, F1: The Movie is expected to come to ‌Apple TV‌+ later this year. Apple is also believed to have put in a winning bid to stream Formula 1 itself.

Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will have several new camera-related features, according to an anonymous tipster who contacted MacRumors today.

iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1
The tipster claimed to be familiar with an iPhone 17 Pro commercial that is allegedly being produced by a film company that has publicly listed Apple as one of its clients. MacRumors has not independently confirmed any of the information shared by the tipster, so skepticism is obviously warranted for now.

The tipster revealed three alleged iPhone 17 Pro features that have not been rumored previously:

  • An upgraded Telephoto lens with up to 8× optical zoom, compared to up to 5× optical zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The lens can apparently move, allowing for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths.
  • An all-new pro camera app from Apple for both photos and videos. This app would compete with the likes of Halide, Kino, and Filmic Pro. It is unclear if the app would be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro models.
  • An additional Camera Control button on the top edge of the devices, for quickly accessing the camera and related settings. This would complement the Camera Control button on the bottom-right edge of all iPhone 16 models.

For the pro camera app, the tipster warned there is a chance Apple is planning a major update to its existing Final Cut Camera app instead of an all-new app.

The tipster also said that rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro having a new copper-like color option and a centered Apple logo are apparently true.

iPhone 17 Pro models are widely expected to feature a redesigned rear camera system, so it would be a fitting year for Apple to have some big camera-related upgrades planned. The devices are expected to have three 48-megapixel rear cameras.

In February, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was planning to emphasize the iPhone 17 Pro's improved video recording capabilities.

Here is what he said about that:

In past years, Apple has focused more heavily on the camera's photo-taking abilities. This year it will stress improvements to video recording. One of the goals for 2025's iPhone line is to get the vlogging community and other video creators to move away from standalone cameras and use the iPhone for even more of their work. Look for Apple to more heavily than ever tout these video recording capabilities when the new iPhones debut in September.

In addition, Front Page Tech's Jon Prosser said the Camera app on the iPhone 17 Pro models will let users record video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously.

As we mentioned above, these rumors should be treated with skepticism for now, since they were shared by an anonymous tipster with no proven track record. If other sources confirm or deny these rumors, we will be sure to update this article accordingly.

Update — 11:45 a.m. Pacific Time: MacRumors has voluntarily removed the name of the film company from this article, after receiving a follow-up request from the anonymous tipster. The tipster had not requested that the company's name remain confidential at the time the information was provided.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

Earlier this month, MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to permanently close its Partridge Creek store, just outside of Detroit, Michigan, and now the company has announced a closure date for the location.

Apple Partridge CreekApple Partridge Creek

Apple Partridge Creek's final day of business will be Saturday, August 16, with the store set to close for good at 8 p.m. local time that day. All of the store's employees will have the opportunity to continue their roles with Apple, the company said.

Apple added the following notice to the store's page this week:

Thank you, Partridge Creek. Apple Partridge Creek is closing on August 16 at 8pm. We're still here for you. Please visit apple.com/retail to find your nearest store.

The store is located in Clinton Township, a northern suburb of Detroit. It opened in 2007.

The closure comes as Apple prepares to open an all-new store in Downtown Detroit on Woodward Avenue, near Grand River Avenue. In a statement shared with MacRumors earlier this month, Apple said that location will be opening at some point later this year.

Apple Somerset will become the closest store for customers north of Detroit.

Apple pushed it almost to the end of July, but the public betas of iOS 26 and other upcoming updates are now available for wider testing ahead of their full public release this fall, giving more users a chance to experience the Liquid Glass redesigns and other improvements.

top stories 2025 07 26
The past week has seen some other notable news and rumors including an Apple lawsuit over leaks, fresh information about future iPhone and iPad models, and a new "AppleCare One" subscription bundle, so read on below for all the details!

Apple Releases First iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 Public Betas

After four rounds of beta testing with developers, Apple this week released the first versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and more to public beta testers, providing wider access to the upcoming major updates that will be released to all users in the fall.

iOS 26 Feature
Apple's new Liquid Glass design is the most obvious change across the operating systems, but there are plenty of new features and tweaks throughout.

Apple Sues Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leaks

Earlier this year, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared some fairly accurate information and mockups about what would become iOS 26, and Apple clearly took notice.

ios 19 messages app
Apple has filed a lawsuit against Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti for misappropriation of trade secrets, describing an alleged scheme in which the two conspired to obtain the passcode of an Apple employee's development iPhone and access the device to view and capture details of the upcoming operating system version.

Prosser has denied that the events played out as Apple claims, so we'll have to see what happens with this situation going forward.

Foldable iPhone's Display Sizes Leaked

Apple's first foldable iPhone will be equipped with a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch outer display, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce. That matches previous information from supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent 1
Apple is reportedly looking to launch its first foldable iPhone in late 2026, and it sounds like Apple is emphasizing a "crease-free" inner display for an improved user experience compared to foldables on the market today.

Apple Announces 'AppleCare One' Subscription Plan for Multiple Devices

Apple this week introduced a new AppleCare subscription bundle known as AppleCare One, offering extended warranty and repair coverage for up to three products priced at $19.99 per month. Additional devices can be added for an extra fee.

Apple AppleCare One Feature
As part of the AppleCare changes, Apple is now also offering Theft and Loss coverage for iPad and Apple Watch. It was previously only available for iPhone.

iPhone 17 Air's Limited Battery Capacity Leaked

The battery capacity of Apple's rumored iPhone 17 Air will be below the 3,000 mAh mark, according to a recent post from Instant Digital, an account with more than 1.4 million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

iPhone 17 Air Thumb 2 Blue Electric Boogaloo
The new Adaptive Power Mode in iOS 26 should help users squeeze as much battery life out of that capacity as possible, and Apple will reportedly be launching a battery case for those who regularly need more power.

New iPad Pro Expected This Year With M5 Chip and Two Front Cameras

Following a major redesign with an ultra-thin form factor last year, we haven't been expecting much for the next M5 generation of the iPad Pro beyond the chip upgrade, but it sounds like Apple might have one nice trick up its sleeve.

ipad pro 2024
Apple has been gradually transitioning the front-facing cameras on its iPads from portrait to landscape positioning, but that probably hasn't sat well with users who prefer to use their iPads in portrait orientation, especially with apps like FaceTime that are optimized for that orientation. Apple is reportedly solving that issue in the next iPad Pro by including two front-facing cameras, one centered for each orientation of the device.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should launch in late September, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.

iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:

Check out our iPhone 17 Pro roundup to learn more.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

Like iOS 26, iPadOS 26 adopts Apple's new Liquid Glass material, for an interface that's glossy, shiny, and more transparent than before. But Liquid Glass isn't the biggest change that Apple made to the iPad's software. Multitasking got a much needed revamp that lets you use an ‌iPad‌ like a Mac, if that's what you want to do.


In iPadOS 26, ‌iPad‌ windows work like Mac windows. You can open up multiple app windows, move them around on the display, and layer them over one another if you want. You can essentially put them anywhere you want.

Some older iPads are limited to four open app windows at a time, but if you have a newer model, you can have more apps open and running at one time, swapping between them with a tap. Every ‌iPad‌ that's able to run iPadOS 26 can use the new multitasking features in some capacity.

The updated windowing is opt-in, so when you install iPadOS 26, you can decide whether you want to use apps in full screen or use multitasking. It's great that people who want to use an ‌iPad‌ like a Mac finally have that option, and the window system is a much better solution than the Slide Over and Split View multitasking.

If you turn on windowing and then want to turn it off later, you can just swipe down into Control Center and hit the new toggle.

Speaking of Slide Over and Split View, those are gone. Stage Manager is still around, so if you use that in your ‌iPad‌ workflow for grouping up different apps and changing workspaces, it's still available to you.

Resizing windows in iPadOS 26 is simple. There's a small "handle" at the bottom right corner of every window, and if you tap it and drag, you can change the size of the open window. You can open additional apps from the dock or by tapping over to the Home Screen.

To move an open app window, drag it from the menu bar at the top. That's also new, by the way. Apps on the ‌iPad‌ have Mac-like menu bars where you'll find relevant in-app options, though keep in mind third-party developers need to update their apps to take advantage of this functionality. You can close an app, minimize an app, or make an app full screen using the "traffic light" buttons at the top left of each ‌iPad‌ window, which are borrowed directly from the Mac.

If you long press on those buttons, you'll see several options for moving, resizing, and arranging your open windows. You can move an app to the top, bottom, left, or right of the display, or choose one of the tiling options for displaying up to four apps in a neat arrangement.

The dock features an App Library to make it easy to get to all of the apps you have installed on your ‌iPad‌. If you swipe up from the bottom of the ‌iPad‌'s display, your open windows are swept to the sides in a new Exposé view so you can get a clear view of everything that's open.

To add one more Mac-like touch, Apple turned the ‌iPad‌'s cursor into an arrow. So if you're using a peripheral like the Magic Keyboard's trackpad, the cursor now looks like it does on the Mac.

If you don't want to use any of these multitasking features and prefer ‌iPad‌ apps to be full screen, you can just keep using the ‌iPad‌ in the same way you always have.

There are some other nice features that are worth mentioning in iPadOS 26 beyond the multitasking.

  • Files - There's a Mac-style list view for the ‌iPad‌ files app, so you don't need to view everything in a tiled view like before. Columns are resizable, and folders can be customized with colors and emoji. It's a nice change if you use the Files app regularly, but the best part for power users may be the option to choose a default app for a particular file type.
  • Background Tasks - If you download a large file, export a large video file, or do something similar that's going to take a long time, you can now run those tasks in the background. For exporting an FCP video, for example, you can start the process, open up another app, and see progress through a Live Activity interface.
  • Phone app - iPadOS 26 brings the Phone app to the ‌iPad‌, and it works through Wi-Fi calling on an iPhone associated with your Apple Account. This is likely of limited use for a lot of people, but it's useful to have the option to place a call from the ‌iPad‌. Tools like Call Screening, Live Translation, and Hold Assist work on the ‌iPad‌.

There are other useful and/or fun features on the ‌iPad‌ that are new in iPadOS 26, but almost everything else is also in ‌iOS 26‌ and available on the ‌iPhone‌. We did an iOS 26 review that discusses new features in Messages, Apple Music, Photos, Camera, and more.

Availability

iPadOS 26 is available to developers, and as of this week, public beta testers. It came out on Thursday, and all you need to do to get it is sign up on Apple's beta testing website.

Should You Update?

iPadOS 26 is fairly stable, so updating should be safe. You're going to want to make a backup before you upgrade, just in case you need to go back to iOS 18.

If the ‌iPad‌ is a device that you use for work or anything else that's crucial, you might want to hold off. This is a beta, and while the software runs well, betas can have bugs that may not be addressed right away.

Read More

We have more on all of the features that are in iPadOS 26 in our dedicated iPadOS 26 roundup.

Amazon has the iMac available at a discount, so if you're thinking about getting a new desktop machine for back to school, make sure you're not paying full price.

Apple iMac M4 hero featureNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple's base M4 iMac with 8-core CPU is available for as low as $1,149 from Amazon, down from $1,299. That price is only for the pink version, and you'll have to pay around $1,185 for the other colors.

The higher-tier M4 iMac with 10-core CPU, 16GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD is available for as low as $1,365, down from $1,499. Some colors are a little more, but discounts on all shades except for orange and yellow are over $100.

The M4 iMac with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD is also on sale, with Amazon dropping the price as low as $1,542, down from $1,700. The version with 24GB RAM and a 512GB SSD is $1,716, down from $1,900.

Looking for more discounts? Make sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we highlight the best Apple-related deals that are currently available.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Several U.S. states are offering sales tax holidays in the coming weeks, and some of those sales tax savings are available on Apple products.

apple sales tax holiday
Apple's website lists all of the states that can get Apple devices without sales tax, and the dates for the tax-free periods. Purchases with no sales tax can be made in Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia in the coming weeks and days. There was also a tax-free holiday in Alabama, but it has since ended.

The tax-free holidays in New Mexico and Tennessee start today and last through July 27. Tax holidays in other states will take place in August.

During these tax-free holidays, select Apple products purchased online or in retail stores will not be subject to sales tax. According to Apple, tax savings may not appear at checkout, but will be reflected on the final receipt.

Devices that are eligible for tax-free purchase vary by state, and some states also have price limits, so it's worth checking the specifics for your state. Apple's website has details.

In New Mexico, for example, computers that are $1,000 or less and accessories under $500 are eligible, while in Tennessee, tax breaks are available on Macs, iPads, and related accessories under $1,500.

In Arkansas, all Macs, iPads, iPhones, and the Vision Pro can be purchased tax free, and Massachusetts removes tax from purchases under $2,500. In Virginia, only cell phone chargers and batteries under $60 are eligible for tax-free purchase.

Sales tax holidays are useful for back to school shopping for students, and for Apple devices, the savings can be combined with Apple's Back to School Promotion. Students are eligible for a free or discounted accessory like the AirPods 4 with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad.

If you want to pick up an Apple Watch, Amazon has some deals on the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch SE that are worth checking out. Discounts are available on both the cellular and GPS models.

Apple Watch Series 10

apple watch series 10 purpleNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Amazon has the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10 for as low as $299.00, down from $399.00, as well as the 46mm GPS model for $359.00, down from $429.00.



Apple Watch SE

apple watch se purple

In addition to Series 10 deals, Amazon is selling the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE for $169.00 today, down from $249.00, and it's the lowest price we've seen on the Apple Watch SE.

You can also get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE for $219.00 today on Amazon, down from $279.00.

For more discounts, take a look at Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple today provided developers and public beta testers who have an iPhone 11 with a new beta of iOS 26. Apple did not seed the ‌iPhone‌ 11 version of the ‌iOS 26‌ public beta yesterday, but it's out now. The update has a build number of 23A5297n, which is different from the 23A5297m public beta that other testers received.

iOS 26 Feature
Public beta testers with an ‌iPhone‌ 11 can download the beta software using the Software Update section of the Settings app. Developers with an ‌iPhone‌ 11 will also see an update. Apple says that the beta fixes an issue that could cause an issue with the way that folders are displayed on the Home Screen.

Fixed: On iPhone 11, if you have organized apps into folders on your Home Screen, you might only see the leftmost column of the grid of apps when opening a folder. The other two columns in the folder do not display the app icons, preventing users from launching those apps

iOS 26 features Apple's new Liquid Glass design aesthetic, with a focus on translucency and glass-like interface elements. The design extends to the Lock Screen, ‌Home Screen‌, and Control Center, along with menus and buttons in apps.

Apple's software includes features for apps like Messages, Phone, Shortcuts, and Apple Music, along with new Apple Intelligence features, a revamp for CarPlay, and more.

For more on the features in ‌iOS 26‌, we have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup and a separate iPadOS 26 roundup. Several new features were found in beta 2 and we rounded them up, plus we did the same thing for beta 3 and beta 4.

The ‌iOS 26‌ beta is limited to developers and public beta testers, with a launch set for this fall.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through this week's announcement of AppleCare One and automakers' opting out of CarPlay Ultra.

AppleCare One is Apple's new subscription for customers to cover multiple devices with a single plan. It starts at $19.99 per month for up to three products, with the ability to add more for $5.99 per month for each additional device. The plan incudes all of the benefits that come with ‌AppleCare‌+, such as unlimited repairs for accidents, priority support, battery coverage, and more.

Subscribers can freely move their devices in and out of the plan at any time. ‌AppleCare‌ One also enables users to add products they already own that are up to four years old, providing they are in good condition, extending beyond the current 60-day window to purchase ‌AppleCare‌+. When a customer trades in a covered product with Apple, it is automatically removed from their ‌AppleCare‌ One plan and replaced with the new device.

‌AppleCare‌ One also expands theft and loss protection to the iPad and Apple Watch. Previously, it was only available for the iPhone.

‌AppleCare‌ One's pricing is the same regardless of the products that are covered. Apple says that a customer who enrolls their ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Apple Watch could save up to $11 per month versus enrolling in separate ‌AppleCare‌+ plans for each device.

Customers in the United States can now sign up for AppleCare One on their ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or Mac, or by visiting an Apple Store.

We also discuss the news that automakers including BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, Renault, and General Motors will not support ‌CarPlay‌ Ultra. It seems to be a major retreat from Apple's 2022 announcement, which originally named 14 automakers as future ‌CarPlay‌ Ultra partners.

‌CarPlay‌ Ultra goes far beyond traditional ‌CarPlay‌ by taking control of the entire dashboard experience. The system displays vehicle information like temperature, speed, and fuel levels alongside ‌iPhone‌ apps, creating what Apple calls "a unified and consistent experience across all the driver's screens."

Currently, only Aston Martin offers CarPlay Ultra in production vehicles. Hyundai and its Kia and Genesis cars remain committed partners, while Porsche plans future support. Other originally announced brands like Ford and Nissan have provided no updates on their ‌CarPlay‌ Ultra plans.

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If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about all of the latest rumors about Apple's first foldable ‌iPhone‌ amid a multitude of reports about the device and its launch firming up for next year.

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