Top Stories: iOS 27 Beta 5, iPhone 18 Pro Rumors, and More
Apple is likely winding down work on the initial release of iOS 27 as it prepares to install the operating system on new iPhone models coming next month, but some changes are still being made as we saw with the fifth round of betas this week.
Other news and rumors this week included a look at an alleged battery from the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max, third-party accessories revealing some information about the foldable "iPhone Ultra," and more, so read on below for all of the details!
Top Stories
Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 5
We're a little over a month away from the launch of iOS 27, and Apple is continuing to make changes. The
fifth beta of iOS 27 seeded to developers and public beta testers this week changes the look of some app icons and adjusts Liquid Glass, plus it adds some smaller features that make the iPhone just a little nicer to use.
Check out our full overview of all of the changes in the latest beta.
iPhone 18 Pro Max's Larger Battery Capacity Allegedly Revealed
The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will be
equipped with a nearly 12% larger battery compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to an apparent leak.
An alleged photo of a battery pack for a Chinese model of the iPhone 18 Pro Max with a SIM card tray lists a capacity of 5,391 mAh, up from 4,823 mAh for the equivalent iPhone 17 Pro Max battery.
The iPhone 18 Pro will reportedly
start with the same 256GB of storage as the iPhone 17 Pro, but one analyst firm estimates that memory price spikes and other increases will
raise Apple's costs to manufacture the new models by approximately 38%.
'iPhone Ultra' Screen Protectors Reveal Asymmetric Corners
The leaker known as "Ice Universe" this week shared
images and a hands-on video of screen protectors for Apple's rumored "iPhone Ultra," and the leak appears to confirm a few of the most discussed details about the foldable's front design.
Notably, the leaked accessory has square corners on the side that would sit next to the hinge, and rounded corners on the opposite edge. That asymmetry lines up with months of rumors describing a foldable device with a hinge on one side, and the leak marks one of the clearest looks yet at how the proportions and shape carry over to the cover display itself.
Third-party camera protectors intended for the iPhone Ultra may also point to
two expected color options for the device: silver and dark blue.
Apple Watch Rethink Could See Debut of Round Model, Screenless Fitness Tracker, and More
Apple is
re-evaluating the Apple Watch lineup and considering a host of radical new designs, according to
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In this week's edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman compared plans for the Apple Watch's evolution to the "revolutionary design change" that the foldable iPhone represents. It will be "something that transforms the product for a new era."
Apple's industrial design team has reportedly been "exploring a broader rethink of its smartwatches" for some time, with several directions under evaluation including offering a round display and even some screenless fitness tracker products.
In the nearer term, a
ceramic case option for the Apple Watch could return either this year or next. The material has been absent from the Apple Watch lineup since the discontinuation of the Series 5.
New MacBook Pro and Refreshed iMacs Likely Coming in October
Apple is likely to
unveil a new M6 MacBook Pro and refreshed iMacs in October, based on its typical release schedule, according to
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Writing in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman reiterated his belief that Apple is readying the launch of a refreshed base-model MacBook Pro with a 14-inch display powered by an M6 chip.
As for iMacs, the new version is likely to be an updated 24-inch model with an M5 chip or M6 chip, replacing the existing M4 model. No major design changes are expected.
iPhone Users Who Pay for Enough iCloud Storage Get New iOS 27 Perks
If you are subscribed to an iCloud+ plan with at least 2TB of storage, you will receive
new perks in the Home app on iOS 27, according to Apple.
Starting with iOS 27, Apple said iPhone users who are subscribed to an iCloud+ plan with at least 2TB of storage receive access to three new Apple Intelligence features in the Home app: generated video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video cameras, the ability to search for camera clips, and automatic surfacing of noteworthy clips.
According to Stephen Robles, the Home app on the fifth developer beta of iOS 27 now indicates how many HomeKit Secure Video cameras are eligible for generated video summaries. Robles told us he had a total of 8TB of iCloud+ storage (6TB plus 2TB from Apple One), and this made him eligible for video summaries for up to 15 cameras.
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