MacRumors

With dummy models of Apple's rumored foldable iPhone now circulating, YouTube channel Max Tech's Vadim Yuryev has shared images and video of the book-style form factor compared to existing Apple devices, giving us a better idea of what to expect when it launches later this year.

The foldable iPhone's inner display is said to have a 4:3 aspect ratio like an iPad, and it will have an iPad mini-sized OLED display when it's opened up. Most rumors say it will be 5.5 inches when closed, and 7.8 inches when open, making it a bit smaller than the 8.3-inch iPad mini (shown behind the dummy in the image above).

Compared to an iPhone 17 Pro Max in landscape orientation, Yurydev says the width of the foldable is basically the same, but it has a 56.9 percent taller display (71 mm vs. 111.5 mm). Yurydev suggests this will provide a more immersive video experience at 16:9 and will be "awesome" for gaming using onscreen controls.

Yurydev also shared a video showing what it might be like to interact with the outer display, which is probably smaller than many people will be expecting. According to The Information, it will measure just 5.3 inches – smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the iPhone 13 mini – but that claim is an outlier, whereas most rumors put it at 5.5 inches. Either way, bigger hands may find it takes some getting used to.

Further images give us an idea of the side of the device when folded. A Touch ID-integrated power button and a Camera Control button can be seen set apart on the right side, with volume buttons along the top like the iPad mini. Face ID is not expected to feature because of space constraints, while Apple apparently sees Camera Control as a key feature for the device, enabling users to maintain a steady grip while making any required adjustments, or do so one-handed if they wish.

Note the raised camera bump or "plateau" that does not span across the entire back of the device. It houses a two-lens camera system, rather than three, which is expected.

Yurydev says his dummy unit is exactly 11mm thick when it's closed. That contrasts with rumors suggesting the foldable could be around 9mm to 9.5mm when closed. Yurydev stands by the accuracy of his dummy, saying it should be "spot on" like last year's iPhone 17 Pro units. Yurydev did not disclose the thickness of the unit when open, but if it is 4.5mm as some rumors claim, the foldable iPhone will be Apple's thinnest device by far.

• iPhone Ultra: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Apple is expected to unveil the foldable iPhone in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models (shown above), whose dimensions are expected to remain identical to the iPhone 17 Pro series, albeit with a smaller Dynamic Island and – based on these dummies – a potentially thicker camera plateau with lenses that protrude more. Apple may call its first foldable "iPhone Ultra," according to an oft-reliable Chinese leaker.

Apple appears to be sold out of the base Mac mini, and the machine is listed as “Currently Unavailable” from the Apple Online Store.

The base ‌Mac mini‌ is the model with an M4 chip, 256GB of storage, and 16GB RAM. M4 Mac mini models with upgraded storage are still in stock, as are ‌Mac mini‌ models that are equipped with the M4 Pro chip. Configurations with 24GB RAM are also still available, but some models that use 32GB RAM or higher are out of stock.

When an Apple device goes out of stock, it can be an indication of an imminent refresh, but it’s not clear if that’s the case with the ‌Mac mini‌. The ‌Mac mini‌ has been in high demand because people are purchasing it to use as a machine to run AI models locally, so it’s possible the shortage is related to demand rather than a sign that an update is coming soon.

Apple is also dealing with RAM shortages caused by a surge in global memory demand that has led to increased RAM pricing. The memory shortages previously caused some higher tier ‌Mac mini‌ and Mac Studio models to go out of stock. Apple removed the 512GB ‌Mac Studio‌ from its online store entirely earlier this year.

Apple is working on M5 and M5 Pro versions of the ‌Mac mini‌ for 2026, but the update may not come until later in the year due to the RAM supply issues.

(Thanks, Max!)

Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro, which could come as soon as this year. The AirPods are expected to be a variant of the current AirPods Pro, which suggests they won't be called the AirPods Pro 4.

Cameras

Multiple sources have said Apple is developing AirPods Pro that have tiny infrared cameras. The cameras won't be used to take photos or videos like an iPhone camera, but will instead provide the AirPods with information about what's around the wearer.

Cameras could potentially provide data to a connected iPhone, improving Visual Intelligence and Siri features that are set to come out in iOS 27.

Gestures

The infrared cameras could recognize hand gestures, allowing music and other features to be controlled with hand movements.

The AirPods Pro already support head gestures for doing things like declining or accepting phone calls, and the addition of hand gestures could expand this functionality.

Apple could even remove pressure sensitivity from the stem of the AirPods Pro, making gestures the main control method.

Vision Pro Integration

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the cameras integrated into the AirPods Pro will upgrade the spatial audio experience when used with the Apple Vision Pro headset.

Naming

There is some disagreement about where the AirPods Pro with cameras will fit in the AirPods lineup, and what they will be called.

The AirPods Pro 3 came out in September 2025, and the new model with cameras isn't expected to be labeled AirPods Pro 4. Apple could just upgrade the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ with cameras and keep the name, or call them something like ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ with Cameras.

Apple released two versions of the AirPods 4, one that has ANC and one that doesn't. The ANC model is named ‌AirPods 4‌ with Active Noise Cancellation, so there is precedent for a straightforward AirPods Pro name.

Apple could also call the AirPods Pro with cameras the "AirPods Ultra," and that's what some rumors suggest will happen.

H3 Chip

It's possible that Apple will include a new H3 chip with camera-equipped AirPods Pro. Apple is working on a new chip, but the current ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ launched with the same H2 chip that was in the AirPods Pro 2.

The H3 chip is expected to bring lower latency and improved audio quality.

Pricing

Some rumors suggest the AirPods Pro with cameras will be more expensive than the existing model, while others say they will be the same price. If Apple is planning to sell them for $249, the AirPods Pro with cameras would replace the current model. If they're more expensive at ~$299, they could be sold alongside the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌.

Launch Date

A new version of the AirPods Pro with cameras could come out as soon as 2026, and if that launch timing is accurate, we'll likely see them introduced alongside new iPhone models in September.

The iOS 26.4.2, iPadOS 26.4.2, iOS 18.7.8, and iPadOS 18.7.8 updates that Apple released today address a security vulnerability that the FBI recently used to extract Signal message previews from an iPhone even after the app was deleted.

A flaw with notification services allowed notifications that were supposed to be deleted to be retained on an iPhone or iPad. Apple says it fixed the logging issue with improved data redaction.

Apple became aware of the vulnerability after recent court testimony revealed that the FBI was able to access the internal notification database on an iPhone involved in a case, providing law enforcement with access to message previews. The iPhone in question was set to display the content of Signal messages on the Lock Screen, and with that feature enabled, the iPhone stores message content.

The defendant in the case had deleted the Signal app and had Signal messages set to disappear, but the iPhone kept the messages in its database long enough for the FBI to access them.

Apple users running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, iOS 18, or iPadOS 18 should update to the latest versions to avoid being impacted by the security flaw.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Google today commented on its partnership with Apple, confirming that Gemini will power a new, more personalized version of Siri that's set to be released later in 2026.

Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian mentioned the Apple partnership during Google Cloud Next 2026, a conference that's taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada today.

Earlier this year, we announced a monumental partnership with one of the most iconic brands that will bring the power of our technology to users everywhere around the world. We're collaborating with Apple as their preferred cloud provider to develop the next generation of Apple Foundation Models based on Gemini technology.

These models will now power future Apple Intelligence features including a more personalized Siri coming later this year.

Kurian's comment doesn't provide us with any new information because Apple has already committed to a 2026 launch for the new ‌Siri‌ features. When Apple first delayed the smarter ‌Siri‌ in March 2025, the company said it would launch "in the coming year."

Later in 2025, Apple said that ‌Siri‌ would get an update at some point in 2026, though it did not provide a specific launch timeline. In February 2026, Apple confirmed to CNBC that the new version of ‌Siri‌ is still set to come out this year.

According to rumors, Apple was planning to release the Apple Intelligence version of ‌Siri‌ in spring 2026, but ran into issues with accuracy. Since Apple never gave a launch date beyond 2026, the ‌Siri‌ update isn't exactly delayed, but Apple has needed to adjust its internal schedule. Apple has until December 31, 2026 to update ‌Siri‌, but we could get a first look at the new personal assistant in iOS 27.

Kurian did say that Google Cloud is Apple's "preferred cloud provider," which is the same language that Google used earlier this year. It continues to be unclear if the new ‌Siri‌ and Gemini-powered ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features will use Private Cloud Compute or will run on Google's servers.

Apple has asked Google to investigate setting up servers in Google data centers to run ‌Siri‌ because Apple is anticipating much more cloud usage when the smarter ‌Siri‌ launches.

Apple plans to introduce ‌iOS 27‌ at the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to begin on June 8, 2026. We'll hear more about ‌Siri‌ at WWDC.

Apple today released minor iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2 software updates for the iPhone and iPad, respectively. The updates are available two weeks after Apple released iOS 26.4.1 and iPadOS 26.4.1.

The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings → General → Software Update.

According to Apple's release notes, the software updates contain unspecified bug fixes and security updates.

Apple also released iOS 18.7.8 for older iPhones that are not updated to iOS 26.

Apple is already beta testing iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, the next versions of ‌iOS 26‌ that will likely launch later in May.

OpenAI this week introduced ChatGPT Images 2.0, which the company says brings a new era of image generation. Images 2.0 is an updated model that can better handle complex visual tasks.

It is able to follow detailed instructions, placing and relating objects accurately, preserving fine detail, and rendering dense layouts. Images 2.0 is OpenAI’s first image model with thinking capabilities, and it has an improved sense of composition and visual taste, which OpenAI says will result in images that feel less AI-generated.

Images 2.0 is able to search the web to get real-time information, create up to eight images from a single prompt, and double-check its output. Graphics can be created across several aspect ratios and at up to 2K resolution. The new model also has improved multilingual understanding and can better render non-Latin text like Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Hindi, and Bengali.

Images 2.0 is available now for all ChatGPT, Codex, and API users.

Following the emergence of a rumor that Apple is planning to downgrade the iPhone 18 to cut costs, further detail has emerged suggesting that display and chip specifications will see downgrades.

Earlier this week, the leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said that the ‌iPhone 18‌ features "certain manufacturing downgrades" that bring it more into line with the low-cost iPhone 18e model. The decision is said to be "a cost-cutting measure."

Now, the leaker has provided further detail. For example, the ‌iPhone 18‌'s display specifications will be downgraded, resulting in inferior screen quality. The manufacturing process itself is said to be "taking a step backward."

The iPhone 17 features a 6.3-inch display with ProMotion and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. Since ProMotion was among the biggest upgrades for the device last year, it seems likely that brightness could be among the display specifications to be reduced.

In a follow-up post, the leaker provided some insight into Apple's decision. Rather than increase the price of the ‌iPhone 18‌, the company plans to downgrade certain components, including the chip, to maintain the same price point.

Although both the ‌iPhone 17‌ and iPhone 17e feature the A19 chip, the ‌iPhone 17‌'s variant has a five-core GPU, instead of the ‌iPhone 17e‌'s four-core version. The iPhone 17 Pro's A19 Pro chip is essentially the same but has a six-core GPU.

As a result, a reduction from five to four GPU cores in the ‌iPhone 18‌ could be among the planned downgrades. Fixed Focus Digital added that it is "highly probable" that Apple will tweak the name of the device's A-series chip in an effort to disguise the extent of downgrade.

The Weibo leaker ultimately doubled-down on the move, saying that "the downgrade in the standard ‌iPhone 18‌ model's specifications has now been confirmed." Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) of the ‌iPhone 18‌ and iPhone 18e are apparently set to take place simultaneously in June.

The leaker's previous report outlined Apple's decision to implement new cost-control strategies for the device, including specific downgrades to manufacturing processes, chips, memory, and more. The move will "effectively bring it in line with the '18e' model."

With the ‌iPhone 17e‌ and ‌iPhone 17‌, the biggest differences are the Dynamic Island, display size, ProMotion, brightness, the front facing camera, the Ultra Wide camera, and battery life. It is not clear which key differentiators will remain between the two devices in their next iterations.

• iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 17 Buyer's Guide: 35+ Differences Compared

The leaker apparently verified the information using multiple sources. They noted that the information originates from the same source who correctly confirmed that the ‌iPhone 17e‌ would continue to feature a "notch," contrary to false reports that the device would have a ‌Dynamic Island‌.

The standard ‌iPhone 18‌ is expected to launch months after the iPhone 18 Pro models as part of an all-new split launch strategy. Apple's usual fall iPhone announcement is expected to include the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and the so-called foldable "iPhone Ultra." The iPhone 18e, ‌iPhone 18‌, and iPhone Air 2 will likely follow in the spring of 2027.

Opera has pushed another update for its flagship browser, with new changes aimed at making video streaming and conferencing better. Here are the details.

Opera users now get direct access to YouTube and Twitch from the browser sidebar, allowing them to pin the panel for side-by-side viewing or snap the video out with the Video Popout feature, which creates a floating overlay that they can move while navigating the web.

Meanwhile, in what the company is describing as a first for any browser, Opera now has an integrated Volume Booster that lets users increase a tab's volume by up to 500 percent. The feature includes per-tab control, so users can, for example, keep background music at a quiet 5%, while simultaneously boosting a quiet video in another tab to 500%.

The company says this native feature means users no longer need to rely on third-party volume extensions that can cause full-screen glitches and security warnings.

Opera is also touting major quality-of-life upgrades to remote working in the latest update. The app now fully supports any video conferencing website that supports PiP, which includes full compatibility with Zoom. Users also get per-site control over Auto-PiP permissions for every individual conferencing website. And in an aesthetic change for consistency, the Video Popout window matches the chosen Opera One theme for the first time.

Opera browser is available now as a free update and can be downloaded from the company's website.

Last week, Macworld's Filipe Espósito reported that Apple is testing four color options for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and one of those colors has since been corroborated by a known leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.

The four alleged color options include Light Blue, Dark Cherry, Dark Gray, and Silver.

Dark Cherry would be the signature new color option for the iPhone 18 Pro models this year, following Cosmic Orange for the iPhone 17 Pro models. This might end up being the "deep red" that was previously rumored for the devices.

Weibo leaker "Instant Digital" today corroborated the Dark Cherry color option, describing it as a mix of burgundy, coffee, and deep purple. Those were all previously-rumored iPhone 18 Pro color options, but it appears that they are actually one in the same.

"Instant Digital" has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the yellow color for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

Light Blue looks similar to the iPhone 13 Pro's Sierra Blue color option.

Depending on the shade, Dark Gray could be similar to either the iPhone 13 Pro's Graphite color option or the iPhone 14 Pro's Space Black finish.

Silver would remain an option too — it is Apple's classic color.

iPhone 17 Pro models are available in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, and Silver. Macworld said Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue will likely be discontinued, so do not expect either of those color options to remain available for the iPhone 18 Pro models.

Last year, Macworld accurately leaked the iPhone 17 Pro's Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue colors, but the report also mentioned black, white, and gray color options that did not materialize. So, at least some of the rumored iPhone 18 Pro colors will likely prove to be true, but it remains to be seen if Apple moves forward with all four.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models in September.

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes a handful of aluminum models of the Series 11 on sale at record low prices.

Note: 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.

You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you'll find two of both the 42mm and 46mm GPS models on sale at these all-time low prices.

In terms of cellular models, Amazon doesn't have any all-time low prices as of writing, but you can shop a few solid second-best deals this week. The 42mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 has hit $429.00, down from $499.00, and the 46mm cellular model has hit $459.00, down from $529.00.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

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Mike Rockwell, the Apple executive who led development of the Vision Pro and is now in charge of rebuilding Siri, has considered leaving the company or moving into an advisory role as soon as next year, according to a new Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman.

Rockwell is said to have reservations about reporting to his new boss, software chief Craig Federighi, and wants a bigger remit than the one he currently has, according to people with knowledge of the matter who spoke to Gurman. Rockwell was apparently once lined up for a role defining Apple's product and AI roadmap – something close to a chief technology officer position – on the assumption that head-worn wearables would form the foundation of Apple's post-iPhone era.

However, that trajectory has gone south because the Vision Pro has struggled to find a mainstream audience, with many put off by its $3,499 price tag and physical heft. Apple is still developing smart glasses and other wearables, but the picture for Rockwell is decidedly murkier than it once was.

Rockwell took on the Siri project in March 2025 as part of a wider reshuffle, after Tim Cook lost confidence in the AI work being done under former AI chief John Giannandrea and reassigned the voice assistant away from his team.

Gurman reports that Rockwell is unlikely to walk away before finishing the Siri overhaul, which is now expected to arrive as part of iOS 27. He is one of several senior Apple figures who are said to be weighing their next move as John Ternus prepares to take over from CEO Tim Cook in September.

Among them is retail and HR chief Deirdre O'Brien, who has told colleagues she is considering retirement, while government affairs head Kate Adams is set to retire later this year. Marketing boss Greg Joswiak, App Store head Phil Schiller, and services chief Eddy Cue are all approaching four decades at the company, raising the prospect of further departures during Ternus's watch.

Apple is evaluating four camera upgrades for future iPhone models, with the first new feature scheduled for this year's iPhone 18 Pro models, according to a reputable Chinese leaker.

The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple has implementation plans for the following upgrades:

• Variable aperture
• 1/1.12-inch "ultra-large" main camera sensor
• Enhanced optical image stabilization for ultra-wide lens
• 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens

The variable aperture is widely rumored to be introduced with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, expected to launch this September. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in December 2024 that the main rear camera on both ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models will offer variable aperture. More recently in October, a report claimed that Apple is moving ahead with those plans and was discussing components with suppliers.

Apple has never implemented a variable aperture on an iPhone. From the iPhone 14 Pro through the iPhone 17 Pro, the main camera uses a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, meaning the lens remains fully open at all times when capturing images. In contrast, a variable aperture lets the camera control how much light reaches the sensor. In low-light conditions, it opens to admit more light, while in bright scenes, it closes to avoid overexposure. This should also give users more control over depth of field.

The other camera upgrades the leaker mentioned appear to be ones that Apple is testing for future models beyond the iPhone 18 Pro, with an unclear timeline for implementation.

Regarding the "ultra-large" main sensor, the 1/1.12-inch label is based on a legacy optical format, not a literal measurement. It dates back to video camera tubes, so the number doesn't correspond directly to the sensor's physical width. In practice, a 1/1.12-inch sensor has a diagonal of around 14.5mm – far smaller than the label might suggest, but very large by smartphone standards. It's the same size as Sony's LYTIA LYT-901, which is shipping in the Vivo X300 Ultra. It's significantly larger than the 1/1.28-inch main sensor the iPhone 17 Pro models use, and would offer improved low-light performance, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio.

As for the 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, Digital Chat Station has mentioned multiple times that Apple is studying the technology, but they recently said it is unlikely to feature in an iPhone before 2028.

Digital Chat Station has more than three million followers on Weibo, and has a track record of accurately leaking Apple-related information. For example, they accurately revealed the overall design of the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro, as well as the triple 48-megapixel rear camera system of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro.‌ Recently, the leaker claimed Apple's first foldable, expected to arrive alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, will be called "iPhone Ultra."

X, formerly Twitter, has announced it is launching a custom timelines feature that allows users to pin specific topics to their home tab in the X app for iOS.

The company says custom timelines are powered by Grok AI, which understands the social media platform's algorithm personalization so that timelines are tuned for individual users.

Paying users will see an Add+ button appear next to the Following tab, with support for over 75 topics, ranging from design to robotics to real estate. X says Grok's filters work even better for topics a user already engages with.

Early access to custom timelines is currently limited to Premium subscribers on iOS, with Android set to follow "soon."

Today, X is also rolling out a tool to snooze topics on the For You tab, allowing users to tune out politics- or sports-related posts, for example.

Apple has announced the availability of Tap to Pay on iPhone in Malaysia, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers in the region to use ‌iPhones‌ as a payment terminal.

Tap to Pay allows iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets‌‌‌. All transactions are encrypted, and Apple has no information about what is purchased or the person who made the purchase.

No additional hardware or credit card machine is required‌ to use Tap to Pay on iPhone. The feature uses NFC technology to securely authenticate the contactless payments, plus the feature also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.

Starting today, ADAPTIS, Fiuu, HitPay, Stripe, and Zoho are the first payment platforms in Malaysia to bring Tap to Pay on iPhone to its merchants. Tap to Pay on iPhone will also be coming soon for checkout at Apple The Exchange TRX. Supported contactless debit and credit cards include American Express, JCB, Mastercard, MyDebit, UnionPay, and Visa.

Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ launched in February 2022 in the United States, and since then, Apple has expanded it to more than 50 countries and regions around the world.

Apple yesterday announced that longtime Apple CEO Tim Cook is planning to step down from his role later this year, with current hardware engineering chief John Ternus set to take over as CEO. We've seen media reports suggesting Ternus will bring Jobs-like decisiveness back to Apple, as well as reactions from top world leaders, but we thought we'd also highlight what MacRumors readers think of the transition.

Reactions on the MacRumors forums run the gamut from positive to negative, with some people praising Cook for everything he's done for Apple, and others celebrating his departure from the role.

From Cook fans:

• nfl46 - Thank you, Tim! He left John in a reallyyyyyyy good financial position!
• RMMediccc - Thanks for being the right guy at the right time Tim. You will be missed, but it was time and you are making the correct call just as Steve did.
• DocMultimedia - Congrats to Mr. Cook for amazing growth for Apple over so many years. Hopefully Apple will continue to grow under Mr. Ternus. So much respect for both (unlike many on this forum).
• Adelphos33 - A lot of... let's say disappointing responses. Cook became COO on October 14, 2005. One of the best and most important executives of all time. He made a lot of people very wealthy, and not just Apple employees. A personally pioneering one as well.
• KPOM - Tim Cook will go down as one of the best CEOs to lead a Fortune 500. I expect he'll stay on as executive chairman at least until January 2029 as he is Apple's ambassador to the world of politics.
• transpo1 - Cook was the right guy for the job at the right time. He could never do what Jobs did, and Jobs could never do what Cook did. Jobs told him "Don't do what I would do, do what you would do," and like it or not, he made wildly profitable decisions that enabled the company to keep moving forward from a position of enormous success.

From Cook critics:

• Kylo83 - good, hopefully we actually see real change now
• firstcitazen - Ding Dong the ....
• iPedro - But Tim Cook was anything but a visionary and he completely missed what Steve Jobs intended for Siri, which debuted in the iPhone the day before his death. New blood is needed and an engineer who's a stickler for detail is a great place to start.
• turbineseaplane - Party time!!! 🥳 Fantastic news. It's time for some fresh ideology, I hope.
• Anonymous123 - Good riddance. Glad to see the penny pincher finally gone. Hope this marks a new, better direction for Apple. Less focus on services and ads, more focus on higher quality software and hardware, please.
• gleepskip - Tim Cook is so dull, his memoirs would be an autobiography titled "Supply Chain Optimization: A Love Story."
• delsoul - Does this mean we'll finally get some ballsy, new daring products instead of trying to appease the shareholders nonstop with boring stale products
• superarijit - He got fired, pure and simple, PR free. Why? Imagine the utter billions he lost on failed Apple Intelligence, Apple Car, Apple Vision Pro and more. Crap software, same hardware every year. He's lucky that iphone saved him each and every time.
• tgurske - Thank god. I don't know why Jobs picked a Toyota Camry to be CEO but I can't wait for someone interesting to get in there.
• iMac The Knife - Hip hip hooray! Cook ended up being the worst possible choice to succeed Steve Jobs as Apple's CEO - at least in terms of product design, user experience, and genuine innovation.
• HiVolt - It's finally happening. I really hope Ternus can make things better, and at least he will have a more interesting personality than a potted plant.

From Ternus fans:

• Nismo73 - John's the guy for the job. Congrats!
• venom600 - Awesome... glad to have a hardware guy in charge.
• aj8690 - MAKE CEOs HOT AGAIN
• spritle - THE TERNUSATOR!
• jonnyb098 - Best Apple News in a while. Apple needs a product visionary after 5 years of stagnation (Vision Pro is not a consumer hit at all nor do most know it exists). Tim made the company a behemoth but that comes with risks. John is a product guy and that's what Apple needs now.
• fant0mas - I like that John doesn't wear white shoes though... his taste in this regard seems better than Tim's. Hope this means that the OS designs will improve again as well.

General comments:

• terminator-jq - Tim Cook had very big shoes to fill, but ultimately he did great work in making Apple one of the most valuable companies worldwide. That being said the change and CEO could not have come at a better time. Smart phones have stagnated and we are quickly approaching the new augmented reality era. If Apple is going to maintain this leadership position through this transition, having a hardware guy at the helm might be their best bet.
• Brother Cavil - People expecting meaningful change from Ternus are in for a world of disappointment. If you pop your head outside the delusional MacRumors bubble, people LOVE their Apple products. He has no incentive to fix what isn't broken. Quite the opposite.
• erikkfi - You can't look at Apple's revenue and sales graph since 2011 and argue that Tim was an unsuccessful CEO on a metric that, like it or not, is really important. Since 2011 Apple has lost its flair, imagination, and verve, though, while still making very good, buttoned-down products that sell like crazy. I don't think they make many viscerally desirable products anymore. I hope a change at the top can help with that, but I don't know much about Ternus' taste and where he falls on a hypothetical Steve-Tim spectrum.
• jon9091 - Can he take Liquid Glass with him?
• turbineseaplane - Feel free to take the Vision Pro with you on the way out the door. That was quite the dud Tim.
• GermanSuplex - Negativity aside, Cook had a good run but it's time for a change. I expect the foldable iPhone will deliver a hardware "wow" factor that's been missing, and it's got a big hole to dig itself out of, but if they can overdeliver on their revamped Siri, that would be a good way to kickstart this guy's stint.
• macduke - Finally, and someone "younger." Between this and the liquid ass guy leaving and Apple hiring the excellent designer Sebastiaan de With, I'm hopeful for the future of Apple. They just need to get their AI ducks in a row. But nothing wrong with paying for a model they can keep in-house and customize.
• AnInanimateCarbonRod - I'm grateful for his time as CEO. Apple's ecosystem is still by far and away the only one I want to be in. iPhones, iPads and the Mac are still the best products in their class. MacBook Neo has totally upended the low-end market and put everyone else to shame. Apple Silicon is incredible engineering and an industry wide game changer. They haven't wavered from their commitment to privacy - and remain the only tech company I actually trust with my data. I could go on and on - AirPods, Apple TV, etc. - all fantastic successes in their own right.
• mk313 - Man, what are the macrumors commenters going to complain about now!
• mjschabow - Future Hot Take: "Tim Cook never would have allowed this."

Tim Cook is set to step down as CEO on September 1, 2026, which is when Ternus will take over. Cook will remain at Apple as executive chairman, a role he intends to hold "for a long time."

iOS 26.5 has been in beta since late March, with a third beta released this week. The update is relatively minor so far, which is not too surprising given that Apple is starting to shift its focus towards iOS 27. Apple will unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and the update should be released in September.

iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for two changes, including end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app.

End-to-end encryption for ‌RCS‌ is a security feature that ensures that messages sent between supported iOS 26.5 and Android devices are encrypted and cannot be intercepted and read by a third party while they are being delivered.

Apple already tested end-to-end encryption for RCS in the iOS 26.4 beta, but the feature did not make it into the final release of iOS 26.4 last month.

Last month, Apple announced that ads are coming to the Apple Maps app on the iPhone and iPad in the U.S. and Canada starting "this summer," and there is evidence of Apple preparing for that within iOS 26.5's code.

Apple says businesses in the U.S. and Canada will be able to place local ads in search results and at the top of a new "Suggested Places" section.

"Ads on Maps will appear when users search in Maps, and can appear at the top of a user's search results based on relevance, as well as at the top of a new Suggested Places experience in Maps, which will display recommendations based on what's trending nearby, the user's recent searches, and more," says Apple.

Similar to the ads that are already shown in App Store search results on the iPhone and iPad, ads in Apple Maps will have an "Ad" label, and Apple promises strong privacy protections. For example, Apple says a user's location and the ads they see and interact with in Apple Maps are not associated with a user's Apple Account.

In the iOS 26.5 beta, Apple is also working to extend iPhone features like notifications, Live Activities, and AirPods-like pairing to third-party smartwatches and headphones in the EU, as required under the Digital Markets Act.

Beyond that, iOS 26.5 has only a few other minor changes.

Following beta testing, iOS 26.5 will likely be released in May.