Apple just dropped security updates for iOS 26.6.1, iPadOS 26.6.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 that fixe nearly 30 vulnerabilities according to a support document. The surprising thing about this update is that it's the third security release in as many weeks.

Earlier this month, The Financial Times reported that AI is surfacing bugs faster than Apple's normal update release schedule can handle.

Per Apple, this update includes fixes that were already added to the iOS 27 beta, iPadOS 27 beta and macOS Golden Gate betas that are currently running.

Close to 30 vulnerabilities

A majority of the vulnerabilities are related to WebKit and flaws that affected Safari. Simply accessing "maliciously crafted web content" could cause Safari to crash. These crashes came from memory handling issues, input validation, and processing states.

The other fixes include an audio vulnerability that could allow an app to leak sensitive information, an image flaw that could allow for random code execution, and a trio of kernel vulnerabilities.

For iOS specifically, Apple addressed a telephony bug that could allow a bad actor in a privileged network to bypass IPSec authentication and intercept your network traffic.

Interestingly, of the vulnerabilities outlined, 21 are WebKit-related, and nine are credited to OpenAI's Codex Security.

Stay safe and update

According to Apple, none of the vulnerabilities in today's listing are known to have been exploited in the wild yet. Still, you'll want to update to the latest version as soon as possible since bad actors could start targeting those flaws.

As such, we recommend you update to the newest versions as soon as possible, especially with all of these vulnerabilities being found so quickly.

For devices that can't run iOS 26 or iPad OS 26, Apple also released iOS 18.7.10 and iPadOS 18.7.10 so older devices can receive the same support and protection.

You can install the updates via the Settings app by tapping General and selecting Software Update.

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Apple's AirPods are a mainstay on our list of best wireless earbuds due to things like sound quality, noise canceling, and the way they fit seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem. While the AirPods are almost universally loved, the next iteration of the famous white buds could prove a bit more divisive.

We've heard rumors for awhile that a new pair of AirPods reportedly called the 'AirPods Ultra' could feature on-board cameras for the first time. These are believed to act as a visual input for Siri and could be revealed next month at Apple's iPhone 18 event.

Now, the team at MacRumors claims to have uncovered a video in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate showing the AirPods Ultra in action.

The video shows a man picking up a book and glancing at it while wearing a pair of distinctive white AirPods. Meanwhile, a Siri-esque voiceover says, "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later."

According to the site, if an obstruction like long hair is in the way of the AirPod cameras, the wearer receives an alert that reportedly states: "To get the most accurate information about things in your environment, make sure AirPods are not covered."

Unlike some of the best smart glasses, the cameras on the AirPods Ultra aren't designed for taking pictures. Instead, they're believed to act as a way to feed Siri information for Visual Intelligence without users having to take out their iPhone to snap a picture. A small LED is expected to be included that will reveal when the earbuds are capturing information from the outside world.

Avoiding a backlash

Launching any kind of head-mounted wearable with cameras attached is turning into a risky endeavor right now. There's a growing privacy debate about the 'pervert glasses' aspect of smart eyewear and Apple could easily fall into this trap if it doesn't nail the messaging.

A quick glance over at X shows plenty of users ready to be concerned about what Apple has planned.

The user @MatheasRomak wrote on X: "Yuck… I don’t need the NSA stapled to my head."

But an equal number seem convinced that Apple will integrate this tech in a non-intrusive way.

For example, the X user @imlwi writes: "We're seeing Meta AI Glasses get banned due to privacy. I'm guessing these AirPods will temporarily capture a few frames, identify the object, send Siri something like the book/author, throw away the camera frames."

I don't imagine Apple will face the same kind of backlash that's currently plaguing Meta, especially if it sticks to privacy-centric messaging.

Furthermore, the AirPods are one of Apple's best-selling and most popular products with a dedicated install base. Apple goes to great lengths to process data on-device and if the company can demonstrate that the AirPods Ultra can meaningfully improve Siri's capabilities without compromising privacy, I think adoption will overcome the criticism.

Genuinely useful

Apple's innovations with the AirPods have already helped those who are hard of hearing, and giving the AirPods cameras could be a game-changer. One of the rumors I'm particularly excited about is that the AirPods Ultra will be able to use external landmarks to help you navigate through unfamiliar areas. Voice prompts will tie to what the earbuds see and guide you around a foreign city.

When you combine this with the buds' real-time translation feature, you arrive at a genuinely useful feature for anyone who travels regularly.

Let me know in the comments below if you find the idea of camera-equipped AirPods concerning. In the meantime, here's everything we expect to see at Apple's iPhone 18 event next month.

More from Tom's Guide

• AirPods Ultra with cameras are 'nearly ready' — here's 4 features you need to know
• AirPods Ultra 'almost certainly' hinted at in iOS 27 code — and they could be a huge audio (and camera) upgrade
• Apple iPhone 18 event — all the new products expected to launch in September

If you’ve been browsing back-to-school sales this month, you have undoubtedly seen the MacBook Neo front and center. Apple’s newest laptop is sitting on shelves with a strong starting price of $699 — dropping to $599 if you qualify for an education discount.

For parents accustomed to spending well over $1,000 for a Mac, this looks like the ultimate cheat code. You get that premium aluminum Apple design, that macOS ecosystem, and the brand name your teenager is begging for, all for the price of a mid-range Windows machine.

But before you click “add to cart” and send your incoming college freshman off to the dorms, you need to read the fine print.

The MacBook Neo is Apple’s most affordable laptop ever, but to hit that aggressive price tag, they had to make some compromises. Compromises that some of your future nobel laureates will be able to workaround and others will not. Depending on what grade or subject your student is entering, the Neo is either the best budget laptop of the year — or a guaranteed academic bottleneck.

Here is everything a parent needs to know about the MacBook Neo.

The engine: it’s an iPhone in a laptop body

The biggest difference between the MacBook Neo and the rest of Apple’s lineup is the processor.

Every other modern MacBook uses the powerhouse M-series chips, but the Neo does something a little different. Instead, it’s powered by the A18 Pro — the exact same chip found inside the iPhone 16 Pro. In our testing, this delivers decently strong performance in some key areas.

These numbers tell a story. Because it uses a super efficient mobile processor, the Neo can confidently boast an all-day battery life to survive a whole day of classes — operating silently without a cooling fan. That single-core speed shows that for basic web browsing and typing essays, this will feel nicely snappy.

However, this chip is not designed to sustain heavy, multi-layered computing workloads the way a true laptop processor can.

The trap specs: what did Apple cut?

To bring that price down (and then back up slightly because of the RAM price crisis we’re all living through right now), Apple took a scalpel to several quality-of-life features that older students rely on. If your student is in high school or college, these three cuts could be major red flags:

• The 8GB RAM ceiling: The MacBook Neo comes with 8GB of unified memory, and you cannot pay to upgrade it. While unified memory is capable of some great things in my own testing, 8GB is barely going to scrape by. If your college student tries to run 30 Chrome tabs, Spotify and a heavy PowerPoint presentation all at once, they will hit a memory wall and the laptop will begin to stutter.
• No backlit keyboard: This is a brutal omission for students. The keyboard is not illuminated, meaning late-night typing sessions in a dark dorm room or dimly lit lecture hall can get incredibly frustrating. I’ve felt this in my own time testing the Neo.
• Crippled USB ports: The Neo only has two USB-C ports. One is a fast 10Gbps socket, but the other is capped at ancient USB 2.0 speeds. If massive projects need to be transferred or backed up, they are going to be forced to juggle dongles on that single fast port.

Who should actually buy the MacBook Neo?

Like I said, these could be major red flags. For some, this configuration will be more than enough, but others will suffer. So let me bring some clarity here.

✅ Buy it for: Middle schoolers & early high schoolers

Is your student entering 6th through 9th grade? For these, the MacBook Neo is an absolute home run. At this age, 95% of their coursework lives in web browsers and portals like Google Classroom.

They don’t need heavy multitasking power, they just need a reliable machine that won’t die during the school day. The Neo’s aluminum chassis is durable enough to survive a backpack, the A18 Pro is snappy and efficient for all of their demands, and the $599 education price blows similarly priced Chromebooks and Windows laptops out of the water.

❌ Skip it for: College students, STEM majors & tab hoarders

Do not buy this laptop for a university student. The lack of a backlit keyboard will make late-night studying miserable, and that hard 8GB RAM limit will struggle to run heavier multitasking workloads.

Furthermore, if they are majoring in engineering, computer science or design, that A18 Pro chip cannot handle the complex rendering software or heavy code compiling without slowing to a crawl or stopping completely.

The parent’s verdict

So I hope this was helpful for the parents busily researching away! The MacBook Neo is a fantastic entry-level device, but the reality check is that it is not a “lite” version of a MacBook Air — it is an entirely different class of machine.

If you are outfitting a high school junior, senior or an incoming college freshman, do not fall for the $599 price tag. Instead, do your student a favor and spend the extra money on something with more horsepower like a MacBook Air (M3 upwards).

For the extra cash, they will get a true laptop-grade processor, a backlit keyboard, faster ports and a machine that is capable of surviving four years of university workloads. To help, I’ve listed a few options below.

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Apple's annual iPhone event is surely only a matter of weeks away and it could easily be the biggest Apple event in years. We're expecting a slew of new devices to be unveiled as John Ternus takes the reins as Apple's new CEO.

And all of that is before we discuss the launch of the long-rumored, much-hyped foldable iPhone Ultra — Apple's first attempt at the folding phone form factor. It's not clear when the device will actually launch, but at the very least, its reveal is almost certainly right around the corner.

In all, Apple is expected to launch up to eight different devices, from the expected new iPhones and upgraded Apple Watches to several new smart home-focused products.

Here's what we expect to see at Apple's September event, and when it should kick off.

When is the iPhone 18 event?

For the last several years, Apple has held its iPhone launch event in the second week of September, and usually on a Tuesday. This would normally mean that Apple would hold its 2026 event on Tuesday, September 8. However, the preceding Monday is Labor Day, so Apple will likely push the event to Wednesday, September 9.

As for launch, iPhones usually go to pre-order the following Friday, but this year that's September 11. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that the pre-orders will be pushed to Saturday, September 12.

This year's edition will be hosted by Ternus, and it looks like his tenure will start with a bang.

New iPhones

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

This year, Apple is expected to launch only its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. The entry-level iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Plus won't debut until next spring alongside the iPhone 18e model.

Compared to the iPhone Ultra, they should be priced much more affordably, but analysts have predicted that they could still cost between $200 and $350 higher than the iPhone 17 Pro family. Sticking with the 1TB Pro Max, the current iPhone 17 model costs $1,599. This means the iPhone 18 Pro Max could cost between $1,849 and $1949.

Beyond price, we anticipate a few crucial updates to the iPhone this year. The design will likely look the same, but we should benefit from larger batteries, a variable-aperture camera lens, the A20 Pro chipset, and a smaller Dynamic Island.

iPhone Ultra

The biggest announcement of the event is sure to be the debut of the foldable iPhone Ultra.

Leaks have suggested that it will have more of a wider shape, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, with a 7.8-inch foldable display and a 5.4-inch cover screen. It could measure between 4.5 and 4.8mm when unfolded, making it one of the thinnest iPhones ever.

It's rumored to sport a 4,883 mAh battery, the A20 chipset, Apple's in-house C2 modem, and a Touch ID fingerprint scanner in the power button.

Apple reportedly delayed releasing a folding iPhone until it could eliminate the crease in the display, but whether it's accomplished this remains to be seen. Even Samsung and Oppo, despite their long lead time, have only had moderate success.

One downside is that the iPhone Ultra could be very expensive, costing as much as $2,500 for the base variant. And a brand-new leak this week suggested the iPhone Ultra may not be immediately available, with only "extremely limited" availability.

AirPods Ultra

These ones are a little surprising as based on a previous Gurman report, we weren't expecting the AirPods Ultra until 2027 at the earliest. However, rumor aggregator AppleTrack just reported this week that the Ultra version of AirPods will launch at the iPhone event.

The big change with these headphones is they will allegedly feature a camera that will feed into Siri to allow it to "see" the world.

It would utilize a version of Visual Intelligence to let you ask Siri questions about your surroundings or get turn-by-turn directions from the more powerful AI Siri releasing this fall.

The AirPods Ultra has also just appeared in a leaked video buried within the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, and it shows how they'll help you identify objects in the real world.

Apple Watch 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4

Unlike the iPhones, we know a bit less about the next Apple Watches. We are expecting two new models in the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

The leaks have been sparse, but Apple is reportedly not bringing many upgrades this year. The biggest change might be a new kind of band attachment. This does mean that your old bands might not be compatible with the new watches.

Reportedly, Apple could offer a ceramic case option for the first time in years. It should also sport new health and fitness-related upgrades. We already know that watchOS 27 will bring new AI features, an updated Workout Buddy and more useful data tracking. Plus, it should feature better integration with the upgraded Siri AI which we've already seen in the iOS 27 beta.

Smart Home

Apple's smart home ambitions and the rumors surrounding them need to be taken with a massive grain of salt. Leaks have suggested Apple is planning on introducing a suite of smart home devices starting with a revamped HomePod and an AI-powered Apple TV 4K streaming device.

Those rumors have existed for more than two years and largely feed into the company's promises around the AI-powered Siri.

However, this year with iOS 27, Apple may finally have the chatbot that was promised. If it actually releases and works as pitched, this year could actually be the start of Apple Home.

HomePod Home hub

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, long a reporter of the rumored HomePod updates, believes that a new HomePod mini could launch this September alongside the rumored HomePod Home hub.

Several different iterations of this device have been rumored, including one with a $1,000 robot arm. The most common version involves a wall-mounted touchpad or a HomePod speaker with a touch display about the size of an iPad mini.

This device would have a FaceTime camera for video calls and presence sensors to initiate smart home routines.

HomePod mini 2

A new HomePod mini might also debut, but it might not be as big of an upgrade as the Hub. Most rumors suggest that it will feature a new chip and audio improvements.

To be clear, this one feels even more far-fetched than the Hub; the HomePod mini 2 has been on our rumor radar since at least 2023. The current version debuted in 2020, and like the next device, is long overdue for an update.

Apple TV 4K 2026

Like the HomePod series, Apple hasn't released a new version of the Apple TV 4K since 2022. We're long overdue for an upgrade — even if it's only a more powerful chip for stronger performance.

Previously, it was suggested that a new Apple TV could feature the A17 Pro chip, but it's more likely it'll get the new A20 or, to save some money, last year's A19. The device should also get the rumored N2 chip for better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Outside of chips, the big upgrade would be Siri AI, which could let you connect the Apple TV as a hub for smart devices. One rumor suggested that Apple might release a set-top box with a camera, which would allow for FaceTime calls and gesture-based controls.

Will you be tuning in to Apple's event next month? Let me know which device you're most hyped for in the comments.

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The iPhone 18 Pro launch is likely just a few weeks away, with the Apple September event tipped to take place on Sept. 9. So we have a pretty full picture of what to expect from the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max when they’re unveiled.

It doesn’t look like there will be many substantial design changes — leave that for the foldable iPhone Ultra — but there are several notable upgrades and tweaks that could compel you to get the new iPhone.

From the design and chip to the battery and more, here are 7 biggest iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max changes you need to know.

Variable aperture camera

This iPhone 18 Pro rumor seems like a lock given how many times it has come up. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are both tipped to feature a variable aperture camera for the first time.

What does this mean? The iPhone 18 Pro camera would have tiny mechanical leaves inside the lens module that would alter the physical size of the opening. In low light the aperture would open wide to let more light hit the sensor but in bright sunlight the aperture would step down to a smaller opening, preventing overexposure.

The benefits for photographers would include a more natural-looking motion blur, sharper details and better depth control.

Smaller Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island on the iPhone comes in for getting live updates in that area of the display, but it can also be an eyesore when not in use. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are tipped to feature a smaller Dynamic Island, thanks to certain Face ID components moving under the display.

In other words, the display cutout for the front camera would be the smallest yet, building towards a true “all-screen” iPhone 20 next year.

New colors, new-ish look

If you liked the super-vibrant Cosmic Orange on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, you might be out of luck. It looks like Apple could be ditching this hue for a new Dark Cherry/Burgundy color. This would be the flagship color for the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Additionally, we may be getting a light blue color for the iPhone 18 Pro series, along with silver and possibly dark gray.

The back of the iPhone 18 Pro series could have a slightly different look, too. Apple is expected to move away from the two-tone design and opt for a more unified appearance.

A20 Pro chip

Apple A20 Pro chip for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max is expected be the company’s first ever to be built on TSMC’s 2nm design process. As a result, Apple should be able to fit up to 15% more transistors on the chip, improving performance but also with a 30% reduction in power consumption.

As 9to5Mac reports, the A20 Pro chip will offer a packaging innovation called Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module. This would also enable the SoC and DRAM to be integrated at the wafer level. The result is that the chip will be closer to the onboard memory and enable better performance and lower power consumption for AI tasks as well as gaming.

Bigger battery for iPhone 18 Pro Max

The iPhone 17 Pro Max already delivered astounding results in the Tom’s Guide battery test, lasting nearly 18 hours of web surfing over 5G. But the iPhone 18 Pro Max is tipped to get an even bigger battery going from 4,823 mAh all the way up to 5,391 mAh for the new iPhone.

Alas, the iPhone 18 Pro’s battery will reportedly be only 1% larger than the iPhone 17 Pro, going from 4,252 mAh to 4,288 mAh. However, the efficiencies gained from the A20 Pro chip and the new C2 modem could still result in significantly longer runtime.

C2 modem

The iPhone 16e featured Apple’s first cellular modem in the C1, followed by the C1X chip in the iPhone Air. According to 9to5Mac, the new C2 modem coming to the iPhone 18 Pro series brings a few advantages.

In addition to improved battery efficiency, the C2 modem should offer improved performance in spotty coverage areas. And we could see 5G via satellite capability added to the iPhone 18 Pro series.

Improved Camera Control

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found the Camera Control button to be a waste of space on iPhones. It’s too easy to activate and too finicky to control. But the updated Camera Control on iPhone 18 Pro will apparently be stripped back to make it less frustrating and more user friendly. MacRumors reports that Apple may remove touch-sensitive components entirely.

Outlook

While most of these iPhone 18 Pro changes are welcome, it doesn’t feel like Apple will be pushing the envelope with the Pro and Pro Max this year. Most of the attention will likely go to the iPhone Ultra/Fold, Apple’s first foldable phone.

However, the foldable iPhone is expected to make some trade-offs, including the lack of telephoto zoom and Face ID. So if you want the most cutting edge “traditional” iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture camera, faster A20 chip and bigger battery may be reasons enough to upgrade.

More from Tom's Guide

• Exclusive: Inside Google’s plan to win over your face with AI glasses — and avoid Meta's privacy missteps
• iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold? Sudden questions emerge over foldable iPhone
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Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone — either called the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold, depending on which reports you go by — will likely be unveiled in just a few short weeks at the Apple September event. Over the weekend, a reputable leaker confirmed that September launch window, but warned that actually getting your hands on one around that time won't be easy.

iPhone Ultra supply will be "extremely limited" when Apple unveils the foldable next month, according to Fixed Focus Digital, a noted Apple leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo (h/t 9to5Mac).

Apple is targeting a total production run of around 10 million units, as outlined in a July report from Nikkei Asia, but suppliers may need 3 to 5 months to reach that output goal. That would make the potential best foldable phone contender very hard to come by at launch, which is bad news for early adopters.

iPhone Ultra = iPhone X all over again?

Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said suppliers may ship only 7-8 million units in 2026, suggesting that we may be in for a repeat of what happened with the iPhone X. Back in 2017, bottlenecks with new components like the TrueDepth camera system for Face ID and OLED panel production constraints severely hampered the iPhone X launch. Pre-orders sold out in minutes, pushing shipping dates back by months.

In another post, Fixed Focus Digital said that despite earlier rumors that the iPhone Ultra might only ship in the U.S. initially, their sources claim mass production is moving smoothly with Chinese suppliers. This would point to a broader global launch from day one.

iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold?

For months, Apple’s foldable iPhone was widely expected to be called the iPhone Fold. But that started to change this spring, when the iPhone Ultra name began gaining traction. Several noted analysts and leakers have begun throwing cold water on the iPhone Ultra name this summer, though what exactly it could be called instead remains the subject of debate.

Over the weekend, leaker Instant Digital became the latest to cast doubt on the Ultra moniker. In a post on Weibo, he said he expects Apple to reserve the Ultra namesake for the 20th anniversary model and its successors. He noted Apple’s prior uses of Ultra in product naming, going on to say that he's skeptical the foldable will merit the name.

For what it's worth, Mark Gurman, who has been covering rumors around the foldable iPhone for years for Bloomberg, wrote back on X earlier this month that “Everyone calls it the Ultra internally. We’ll see what happens.”

We'll find out soon enough, with the iPhone Ultra/Fold/whatever it ends up being called likely to be revealed on September 9. We'll be there at the Apple event to bring you all the news and our hands-on impressions when Apple's first foldable goes live.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours
• iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold? Sudden questions emerge over foldable iPhone
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Buying a new iPhone 17 Pro Max is only part of the equation. The shiny new device can do a lot once it's finally out of the box and in your hands, but it doesn't change the fact that your experience can still be improved with a few add-ons.

There are countless accessories out there that you can buy to enhance the entire iPhone experience — whether you're picking up an iPhone 17, the larger 17 Pro Max or waiting for the foldable iPhone Ultra. The prospect of spending even more money after dropping at least $1,200 on a brand new phone may not sounds appealing, but trust me, you will be much happier than without — and you don't need to spend a fortune on them either.

Here are 5 accessories that helped improve my iPhone 17 Pro Max that all cost less than $50.

Easy-application screen protector

I used to hate applying screen protectors to my phone, because the whole process was so finicky and I'd inevitably get something wrong. I'd always end up with dust or bubbles under the screen, or screw up the alignment so much that I needed a fresh protector.

And these were the days when screens weren't nearly as durable as they are today. But even with the stronger display glass of the modern day smartphone, screens are still vulnerable to scratches and more serious kinds of damage. The good news is that screen protectors have adapted, and the process of applying them is easier than ever and almost completely pain-free.

Most screen protectors now come with some kind of application tool, but my personal favorites employ a pull-tab. Not only does this ensure perfect alignment with your phone, the fact that the sticky underside of the protector is only exposed to the air for a split-second minimizes the risk of foreign particles getting between it and the screen.

Just remember to clean the screen correctly first. Nothing can account for the fact you left smudges and dust all over your screen before applying the protective layer

While you're at it, make sure to pick up a case for your phone. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is notorious for taking taking damage, as I found out first hand not too long ago.

MagSafe PopSocket

The PopSocket is easily my favorite phone accessory, especially since the modern designs are compatible with Apple's MagSafe.

PopSocket grips make it so much easier to keep hold of your phone and access all corners of the screen one-handed — which is essential for a phone as big as the 17 Pro Max. I've always felt that they ensure a much sturdier grip of my phone too. This stops the phone taking as many unnecessary tumbles and potentially makes it harder for thieves to snatch it out of my hands.

A PopSocket also functions as a handy stand in certain situations, while the magnetic connection ensures the mount has a strong grip on your phone — all without compromising your ability to take it off later.

UGREEN 10,000 mAh Magnetic Power Bank

Apple's MagSafe connection has opened the door for a whole new range of iPhone accessories, all of which take advantage of the magnetic ring hidden in the back of every modern iPhone.

It also means that portable battery packs now include wireless charging. The magnets ensure the battery securely snaps onto the back of your iPhone, and ensures the charging session continues regardless of how much your phone might move.

There are a lot of possible options to choose from, but my personal favorite is the Ugreen Magnetic Power Bank, which offers 10,000 mAh of power and 20W charging speeds. It's not quite enough to recharge your iPhone 17 Pro Max twice, but it'll get you pretty close — and quickly. All without any wires getting in your way.

Anker Nano II GaN 65W charger

Apple doesn't sell phones with charging bricks anymore, which means you need to go out and buy one for yourself. But the good news is that there are affordable options that are far better than anything Apple would freely give away, like this compact 67W charger from Anker.

The Anker Nano II compact charger measures just 1.65 x 1.65 x 1.42 inches and weighs 5.28 ounces. Which is pretty darn small, and is aided by the fact the connection pins fold away for easy storage. In fact I'm pretty envious of this particular design, because electric plugs here in the U.K. have to be way bigger than those across the Atlantic.

Despite the small size, the charger packs a lot of power, thanks to the Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor inside. GaN chargers can handle higher voltages and produce less heat — allowing chargers to be smaller and lighter than they used to be.

Plus, not only is the 65W charging limit enough to charge your iPhone 17 Pro Max at the fastest possible speeds, it's also enough to power other devices — including iPads and MacBooks.

Belkin 2-in-1 Qi2 Foldable Stand

If you need a stand that does more than simply prop up your phone, then I can personally recommend Belkin's foldable 2-in-1 Qi2 wireless charging stand. This stand is compatible with MagSafe and offers up to 15W charging speeds for your iPhone. The magnetic connection also means you can secure your phone in any position you like, including the horizontal view that activates StandBy Mode.

This particular Belkin stand only charges at 15W, which is lower than the 25W speeds the iPhone 17 Pro Max can handle. However it also comes with a charging pad for compatible AirPods, which enables you to charge both devices at the same time.

Plus, since this is Qi2, rather than MagSafe, it's compatible with even more devices — including Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 (with a case).

More from Tom's Guide

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The price hike could be even bigger than we thought. A new report from Counterpoint Research released today indicates that the iPhone 18 Pro models could be way more expensive than we previously expected.

"A price increase on the new iPhones is inevitable," the report ominously begins. Though it notes that the question is whether or not Apple will eat some of the costs or pass higher prices along to customers.

For comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max reportedly costs Apple around $500 to build. The BoM for the iPhone 18 Pro Max could cost closer to $1,000.

Like every other price increase in the last year, any bump for the iPhone is thanks to increased component costs. The largest culprit is the ongoing memory shortage due to the AI boom.

Counterpoint estimates that bill of materials (BoM) for the iPhone 18 Pro Max in the 12GB and 1TB configuration is increasing by $300, compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max in the same form. Lower storage capacities options and the Pro models could see between $200 and $250 increases.

If Apple were to hold costs as is, we could see price increases between $250 and $350 for the next iPhone. That's a massive.

Sticking with the 1TB Pro Max, the current iPhone 17 model costs $1,599. This means the iPhone 18 Pro Max could cost between $1,849 and $1949.

Per Counterpoint, the question is whether or not Apple wants to protect its "gross margins" compared to previous generations.

Apple has options

There is some good news; Apple could reduce a potential price hike with several different tactics.

The company is pretty aggressive when it comes to negotiating component pricing, even when the company has to "reluctantly" raise prices. Apple will likely renegotiate pricing on non-memory components.

As an example, MacRumors reported today that Apple has secured lower prices for the OLED displays on the iPhone 18 Pro models. The potential price only went down by $10 from $120 to $110, but every little bit counts.

Additionally, Apple has rolled out the new Apple Upgrade program, which enables users to lease iPhones and other Apple devices. This results in a lower monthly fee and allows you to upgrade at the end of your lease.

Counterpoint suggests that Apple will likely institute tiered pricing for the iPhone 18 series, with the lower-tier storage models getting smaller price bumps. Meanwhile, the higher storage variants, which Counterpoint says are more popular among its "affluent and mature user base" could see higher prices.

Again, it all depends on if Apple is trying to protect its gross margins or not. If it is, then we'll see simpler, flatter increases across the board. If not, then variable pricing across the different storage capacities could give Apple more flexibility.

We'll know more when Apple launches the series this coming September. For more, see our Apple September event preview.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours
• 3 big ways the iPhone Ultra could beat the Galaxy Z Fold 8
• iOS 27 beta 5 is out: New app icons, Siri voices, improved search, and every new iPhone feature

Nvidia's ARM-based gaming laptops powered by the RTX Spark is around the corner and appear to be ready to launch thanks to new Geekbench listings.

The new ARM-based CPUs were first revealed at Computex in May by CEO Jensen Huang. "Our focus is to reinvent the PC. Windows is of course improving, but the basic architecture of a PC has largely been the same now for about 40 years, and we want to reinvent it," Huang told Tom's Guide.

How that looks is starting with an Arm-based design over the conventional x86 architecture, but Nvidia does have experience in that realm. The company already makes Arm gaming chips that power the Nintendo Switch 2.

The RTX Spark platform is starting out on a range of Windows gaming laptops and mini PCs with a focus on gaming and agentic AIs. It should have fairly low power consumption.

Geekbench scores revealed

Two different Geekbench listings reveal results for the RTX Spark N1X processor in 20-core and 18-core configurations.

If we focus on the 20-core configuration, it returned surprising scores with a single-core of 2,593 and a multi-core score of 23,424. The multicore is fairly impressive, comparing favorably with Intel's i9-14900KS, which managed a score of 23,785 in the same test.

View the full results here, though I will note that the final production scores might differ.

If you're unfamiliar, Geekbench measures how well the processor handles everyday tasks by running a bunch of simulated workloads from processing numbers to crunching numbers.

Single-core is all about how fast the CPU handles one task at a time, like editing a photo. Multi-core kicks in for multitasking like running several apps or rendering by using all the chip's "cores."

Here's how those numbers compare to Apple's M5, the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon X2, and Intel's Panther Lake chips.

Surprisingly, the RTX Spark performs well against the M5 and Intel X9 in multicore. Moving up to the M5 Pro and Max gets you higher scores. The same goes for the higher-end Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Extreme, which has recorded over 25,000.

Still, the RTX seems like it will compare favorably with most every chip on the market.

Where it seems to fail is in the single-core, where scores are significantly lower. It seems it might feel sluggish in those single tasks, but running multiple apps is where the RTX Spark might shine.

This is a pretty good indication of how the RTX Spark platform will handle CPU-heavy tasks. It doesn't tell us the whole picture, especially when it comes to gaming, but we do know the GPU will support DLSS 4.5.

RTX Spark laptops are supposed to arrive later this fall with Windows 11 out of the box. It should be compatible with most Windows games, and Nvidia is reportedly ensuring the chip will work with common anti-cheat and DRM software.

Nvidia has already confirmed that it will launch with laptops from Asus, MSI, Microsoft and more.

More from Tom's Guide

• Nvidia RTX Spark is here, and it's going to 'reinvent the PC' — here's everything you need to know about this all-new laptop chip
• Intel Arc G3 is here to shake up handheld gaming, and AMD should be terrified — Acer Predator Atlas 8, a new MSI Claw and more launching soon
• I tested the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and 5 250K Plus against AMD’s best gaming CPUs — this should be a mismatch, but the results shocked me

Apple's annual September event is closing in fast, and this year's show could be the biggest Apple has put on for a very long time. In fact, this could be the first time in several years that Apple mixes up its usual release cycle, and not release the standard grouping of four new iPhones.

Not to mention the fact that this event should mark the debut of the foldable iPhone Ultra — the first iPhone of its kind. We still don't know exactly when the foldable is going to be released, but all signs point towards an imminent reveal. Not to mention the fact we're also likely to see new wearables, and maybe even some home-centric devices.

Here's what you need to know about Apple's September event, and what to expect

Apple September Event: When is it?

Apple is a creature of habit, and usually holds its iPhone launch event during the second week of September — typically on a Tuesday. That isn't always the case, though, and Apple events have been moved around to avoid clashing with major calendar events, such as Labor Day and the anniversary of 9/11.

Under normal conditions, this year's Apple event would fall on September 8, but since Labor Day is on Monday 7, it's likely that Apple will push the event back to September 9. This has happened in the past, and the reasoning is that Apple doesn't want to ask attendees to travel on a holiday weekend. For example, the iPhone 14 launched on Wednesday September 7, following Labor Day on Monday 5, and that'll likely be the case this year too.

As for pre-orders Mark Gurman at Bloomberg notes that they may also be pushed back by a day. Normally iPhone pre-orders open on the Friday immediately following the iPhone event. But since that day falls on September 11 this year, Gurman believes that things will be pushed to Saturday September 12.

That's what Apple has done in the past, and there's little reason to think it would do things differently this year.

iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are the two phones that most people watching the Apple September event will end up buying. They're actually being released this year, unlike iPhone 18, and should be priced in a way that makes them more accessible than iPhone Ultra.

However, they're likely to be more expensive, due to the ongoing RAM and memory shortages.

We don't anticipate major updates to this year's Pro-tier iPhones; the design should look more or less the same as last year. That said, there are going to be more than a few hardware upgrades if the leaks are to be believed. That includes larger batteries, a variable aperture camera lens, the A20 Pro chipset and a range of new colors.

The Dynamic Island is expected to shrink even further, though the fabled under-display Face ID is apparently eluding us for at least another year.

iPhone Ultra

The biggest reveal of the September Apple event is expected to be the foldable iPhone Ultra. While there are still a lot of things we still don't know for sure, the leaks have given us a pretty good idea of what to expect from the first foldable iPhone.

First is that the design is set to be more passport-shaped, like Galaxy Z Fold 8, complete with a 7.8-inch foldable display and a 5.4-inch cover screen. The build is expected to blend aluminum and titanium, with a thickness somewhere between 4,5 and 4.8mm when unfolded. This would make the Ultra the thinnest iPhone ever made.

The rear is expected to come with a pair of 48MP cameras, horizontally positioned like the back of the iPhone Air, alongside two separate 24MP selfie cameras — one for each screen. Other features include a 4,883 mAh battery, Apple's C2 modem, an A20 chipset and a Touch ID fingerprint scanner in the power button.

Apple has reportedly eliminated the display crease, but we'll have to wait and see how successful it's really been. Samsung and Oppo have only had some level of success doing the same thing.

The downside is that the iPhone Ultra is expected to be very expensive, and could cost as much as $2,500 for the cheapest variant. The number of units on sale is expected to be limited at launch too, which means there probably wouldn't be enough to go around if the price tag were considerably lower.

Apple Watch Series 12 & Ultra 4

On the wearable front, Apple is expected to offer two new models in the form of Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Less is known about these devices compared to the upcoming iPhones, but there have been plenty of rumors to give us an idea.

As it turns out, we shouldn't expect any major upgrades this year. Apple is reportedly focussing on performance-based upgrades, though there are murmurs that Apple could offer a new kind of band attachment. Though this would almost certainly mean older Apple Watch bands are incompatible with the newer models.

It's also rumored that Apple will offer a Ceramic case option for the first time in several years, alongside a bunch of new health and fitness-related upgrades — which is par the course for Apple Watch progress. We can probably expect better integration with Siri AI as well, given how big a presence she's been with iOS 27 beta and the iPhone.

Other possible products

The Apple event could feature more than just iPhones and smartwatches, if the rumors are to be believed. We don't expect to see any news about upcoming MacBooks, since new models typically get their own launch event later in the year, but there are possible home-centric devices that could be released.

Possible reveals include a brand new Apple TV 4K, since the last model was first released way back in 2022 and we're overdue for some kind of upgrade — even if it's only performance-based. Mark Gurman also believes that a new HomePod mini could make an appearance, perhaps alongside the long-rumored Apple smart home hub.

The hub has reportedly been ready for a while, but lacked the necessary Siri AI upgrades to make it fully functional. With Siri AI now out in the world that's no longer an issue, even if Apple's chatbot will technically still be in beta following the public release of iOS 27.

What about iPhone 18?

Some of you may be wondering why there's been no mention of the iPhone 18, with all focus being on the Pro and Ultra models. That's because, according to all the leaks and reports, Apple isn't going to reveal the iPhone 18 during the September event.

Instead it's apparently being held back until early 2027, where it will reportedly be revealed alongside iPhone Air 2 and iPhone 18e. Personally, I think it's rather a strange decision to release the standard model so late, and alongside the cheaper E-series phone, but it's not like Apple plans its big releases around the opinion of one guy.

So those of you that aren't interested in buying an iPhone Pro, or the foldable iPhone Ultra, are going to have to wait a few more months before you get the opportunity to upgrade. Though that isn't always a bad thing, considering the price hikes that are expected to hit the incoming iPhone models.

More from Tom's Guide

• iOS 27 finally gives you total control over your iPhone lock screen — here's what to change first
• I added this thermal camera to my mobile photography kit — and it completely transformed my outdoor walks
• Does the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra make the most use of its screen space? I streamed a bunch of movies and TV shows to find out

The Apple Watch has looked pretty much the same for the last 11+ years — a rectangular wearable with a large screen and some buttons on the side — but that could soon change.

According to a report from Business Insider’s Mark Gurman, a prolific Apple insider, Cupertino is actively exploring a potentially revolutionary redesign of the Apple Watch, and future models could look nothing like today's.

From a circular case design to ditching the screen altogether, here’s everything you need to know about the latest Apple Watch redesign mutterings.

Screen-free is the way to be?

2026 is truly the year of the screen-free fitness tracker. Both Garmin and Google just launched subscription-free competitors to the Whoop 5.0 in the form of the Garmin Cirqa and Fitbit Air. Might Apple do the same?

According to Gurman, it’s doubtful we’ll see a screenless Apple Watch in 2026. However, Apple R&D is apparently actively considering the concept. Of course, this isn’t the first time talk of a screen-free Apple fitness tracker has surfaced.

Over the past decade, Apple has filed numerous patents hinting at the possible development of an Apple smart ring. However, there’s little evidence suggesting such a product is a current priority.

This is to say, I wouldn’t count on an Apple-built Oura Ring competitor anytime soon. But an Apple-built Whoop alternative? That might actually be on the horizon.

A screen-free Apple Watch could solve my biggest gripe

The number one thing holding back full-featured smartwatches, especially Apple Watches, in 2026 is battery life, or rather, lack thereof. Even the best Apple Watch models don’t last more than a few days per charge.

The latest Apple Watch Ultra 3, for instance, gets just 42 hours per charge in the standard operating mode, but what if Apple nixed the display, a notorious power hog?

The results could be an Apple wearable that cruises for closer to a week; the Fitbit Air lasts seven days, the Garmin Cirqa is good for ten days, and the Whoop 5.0 keeps on chooglin for up to two weeks.

Other radical Apple Watch redesigns are also on the table

Apple Watch with a circular design. He also suggests that Cupertino is considering expanding the Apple Watch line to potentially include premium models above the Ultra series and/or more affordable ones below the SE range.

In the more immediate term, Gurman suggests that 2026 may see a return of the ceramic Apple Watch case design as an optional upgrade for the latest models likely arriving this fall. The list may include the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Ultimately, while it’s exciting to know that Apple is taking an open-minded approach to the future look and feel of the Apple Watch, Gurman notes that the design team has yet to settle on any one direction.

Of course, as with all insider Apple reports and rumors, digest the above info with a grain of salt or two.

Would you consider a screen-free Apple Watch? Let me know in the poll below.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just reviewed the Garmin Cirqa — 5 things you need to know about Garmin’s subscription-free Whoop and Fitbit Air alternative
• I trekked the Cascade Mountains with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Garmin Instinct 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 — this is the one I'd take on my next hike
• Is your old fitness tracker good enough? I tested a 5-year-old Fitbit vs Apple Watch Series 11 on a 5,500-step walk to find out

Update (Aug. 8, 26): Bloomberg's Mark Gurman dropped a report this morning claiming that the all-glass iPhone 20 is not canceled. "Apple Inc. is still planning to offer a glass-centric overhaul of the iPhone for the device’s 20th anniversary," Gurman said.

Apple's designs are reportedly "mostly locked in" and in advanced testing a year in advance, barring any mishaps. Gurman noted that the design will feature some metal holding the two glass halves of the phone together. The iPhone 20 is supposed to be seamless, it's unclear if this metal band will be visible or not.

Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone could be less exciting next year. Today, Jefferies analyst Edison Lee released a new report that downgraded Apple from sell to hold in his stock recommendations.

The report, "Roadmap to Higher-Priced iPhone Looks Challenging; Downgrade to UNPF," claims that Apple has canceled the all-glass version of the iPhone 20 due to "low yield."

"Apparent cancellation of the 20th anniversary all-glass iPhone is a big setback to raising iPhone's ASP and margin in the medium term," Lee wrote in the report. This means when Apple tests manufacturing the new phone, only a small amount of its test batches have proven viable.

Lee views this as a "major setback" for Apple's plans to sell more expensive iPhones to protect itself against rising memory costs. Apple has been reluctant to really blame memory costs for the recent rising prices, but it's clearly a factor.

Despite this, Lee and other analysts appear cautiously optimistic about Apple's long-term outlook, per TipRanks.

iPhone Ultra and iPhone 19 Pro Max insights

Lee's report suggests that Apple will return to the iPhone 19 nomenclature next year, not iPhone 20, but the Pro Max would get an upgrade to 16GB of RAM from 12GB.

Unfortunately, that could mean higher prices. Lee suggests that the forthcoming iPhone Ultra could cost as high as $2,199 for the 256GB storage version, while the 2TB model could be $3,099 based on estimates.

The Pro Max could go up by $100.

What the iPhone 20 is supposed to feature

The 20th anniversary edition is supposed to feature at least eight major upgrades. The biggest design change is a bezel-less, quad-curved display seamlessly attached to the glass and ceramic back panel. The Pro and Pro Max models would come in 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch sizes.

It could also feature a larger 200MP main camera, on par with Samsung's Ultra Galaxy S series. Additionally, with Samsung finally adding silicon-carbon batteries, it's rumored that Apple could also test out the next tech next year.

One of the more intriguing rumors is that Apple will get rid of the speaker grill on the bottom of the iPhone 20. Instead, "vibration technology" would push out sound. We may see this in the rumored OLED iPad mini that is supposed to launch this fall.

What's next?

Honestly, we don't know.

Lee's supply chain report doesn't reveal how Apple will pivot, just that the design was canceled. At its simplest, this means next year could just be another version of the iPhone 17 Pro design that is expected to continue with the forthcoming iPhone 18 Pro models.

We know Apple will want to do something to celebrate the 20th anniversary, but it might not be the big design revamp that came with the iPhone X for the 10th anniversary.

It all comes down to new CEO John Ternus as he finally takes the reins from Tim Cook. Navigating the RAM crisis and an iPhone redesign is a tough first assignment, but it should give us an idea of how Ternus' term will go.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours
• iOS 27 finally gives you total control over your iPhone lock screen — here's what to change first
• I ran 10K with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and my trusty Apple Watch Ultra 2 — here's 3 things Samsung did better (and 1 it didn't)

When it comes to streaming movies and TV shows, a larger screen is usually considered the better option. But, that only really works if the screen shape actually conforms to the aspect ratio of the content in question. That's not an issue for most phones or tablet screens, but what about the larger, oddly-shaped foldable displays like the one on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra?

I've been testing the Z Fold 8 Ultra for the past few weeks, and it shouldn't surprise anyone that watching video on the larger display means I also have to contend with large areas of blank space around the video. This can be rather irritating, especially in brighter environments that highlight both the display crease and my own reflection.

But as many people will no doubt point out, there are multiple ways to watch videos on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. There's the cover display which, while narrower than most phones, offers a traditional viewing experience. The foldable display can also be oriented in portrait or landscape modes, and switching between the two flips the aspect ratio.

While this may not seem like a big deal, the Z Fold 8 Ultra isn't a perfect square, and that means the flip also changes how video content sits on your phone. But which mode is the better way to watch stuff? I tested the Z Fold 8 Ultra's three viewing experiences against the iPhone 17 Pro Max to find out.

How I tested the screens

It's easy to load up some content on a screen and rely on vibes alone to make your conclusion, but I took things a step further by actively measuring everything on screen. This started with the screen itself, measuring between the bezels and calculating the amount of screen space that is actually available.

I should caveat at this point that this is only a rough calculation, because all four phones have curved corners. This is less of an issue on the Z Fold 8 Ultra because those curves are very slight. However the iPhone 17 Pro Max's corners are larger and more rounded, which means the total screen area is slightly smaller than the math suggests.

Once the total area of each display was calculated, I got to work streaming, throwing up a bunch of different kinds of content and measuring how much screen space they took up. Content included:

• "X-Men (2000)" (2:39:1) purchased on YouTube
• "X-Men-97" (2:35:1) on Disney Plus
• "The Emperor's New Groove" (16:9) on Disney Plus
• "Scrubs" (2001) (4:3) on Disney Plus
• "Avengers: Endgame" (2:39:1) on Disney Plus
• "Avengers: Endgame IMAX Enhanced Edition" (1:9:1) on Disney Plus
• Various vertical videos on TikTok

I set up each video playing on the four screen types, then measured how large each video was. With that in hand, I was able to work out just how much screen space they actually used, and thus, how much space is just sitting there going to waste. Crucially, this means I can figure out the best option for watching content in something close to a full-screen experience.

I should also note that while a lot of streaming platforms offer a "zoom to fill" option on smart phones and tablets, I have not taken this into account since that essentially crops the video and means you don't see everything that's going on.

iPhone 17 Pro Max

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has roughly 17.6 square inches of screen space available, but it seems as though a bunch of the tested content struggles to fill up that space by default. The most efficient use of the screen comes from TikTok, which takes up 92.94% of the screen. This shouldn't be a huge surprise given the platform's vertical video feed that can take up almost the full length of the screen.

When it comes to horizontal video, the content doesn't fare nearly as well. The worst offender was "Scrubs," though this shouldn't really be a surprise since the early seasons were broadcast in the (then standard) 4:3 aspect ratio. That box-like shape isn't great at filling up wider-screen devices, reflected by the fact it only filled 61.41% of the available space.

Widescreen live action movies didn't do so well either. Both movies have been cropped vertically, and can't take full advantage of the landscape height, but they don't fail to take advantage of the iPhone's width and crop that way as well. In fact, all the movies suffered from this and left at least 1.1 inches of wasted space across both sides of the display. In the end, though, both movies wasted only slightly less space than "Scrubs" did, taking up 61.95% of the usable screen space

The IMAX edition of "Avengers: Endgame" fared a little better, with the IMAX scenes using up more of the vertical space that the standard aspect ratio. Because of this, the movie, along with the bizarrely proportioned "X-Men-97," used up 77.95% of the iPhone's available screen space. This was closely followed by the 16:9 "Emperor's New Groove," with 76.53%, a difference accounted for by a slightly shorter and narrower video.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (Cover Display)

Looking at the results for the Z Fold 8 Ultra's cover display, and you'll see a couple of oddities. Both "X-Men 97" and the standard edition of "Avengers: Endgame" both took up 100% of the screen space. Which is certainly good, though this made me pause and wonder what's going on.

Checking the measurements of the cover display versus the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I noticed that the video was actually smaller on the iPhone — despite the fact the 17 Pro Max has almost 2.5 extra square inches of available screen space.

Weirder still was the fact that my Google-purchased copy of "X-Men" was smaller than "Endgame," taking up a paltry 53.19% of the screen. They were both the same size on the iPhone, but the Z Fold 8 Ultra decided that the black bars must be preserved for this particular movie. This appears to be a YouTube issue, because X-Men on Disney Plus expanded to the full size of the display, just like Endgame did.

The IMAX version of Endgame obviously came out a little worse, since the taller image requires more space than the 8 Ultra's cover display allows — causing black bars at either side of the screen. That said, it still used up 87.54% of the available screen.

16:9 content like "The Emperor's New Groove" fared a lot worse here, though, since the narrow screen forced the video to shrink at the edges even more than an IMAX movie. Likewise the design meant "Scrubs" left a load more wasted space thanks to its square-ish aspect ratio. Both videos used up a respective 71.55% and 57.74% of the available screen space.

As for TikTok, this result did surprise me. The vertical videos used up all the available width when playing, but they didn't take full advantage of the screen length. Which again, I assume is down to the 8 Ultra's narrow cover display, and means TikTok only used 76.94% of the available screen space.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Foldable Display (Portrait)

The Z Fold 8 Ultra's larger display is the size of two cover displays side by side, which should mean a larger video to watch, right? Well, apparently not. At least not when the phone is in portrait mode. The size of the screen means there is a lot more wasted space, but the videos themselves aren't automatically bigger than they appear on the cover display either.

Both "X-Men-97" and the standard version of "Avengers: Endgame" ended up being smaller than their counterparts on the Ultra's cover display — in terms of height, width and overall area. Both used a respective 41.08% and 37.71% of the available screen space.

That only worse performer was X-Men on YouTube, which used up 37.04% thanks to the way YouTube presents the video. That means almost two thirds of the screen is going unused. However, the video itself is larger than what I saw on the 8 Ultra's cover screen and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. So there is still a benefit to using the large screen.

There is an awful lot of wasted screen space watching in portrait mode. "The Emperor's New Groove" only used 47.33% of the screen, while the IMAX edition of "Endgame" took up just over half (50.34%). TikTok also suffered, using up 55.63% and showed off a video that was both shorter and wider than the one from the iPhone.

The major winner here is "Scrubs," thanks to the aspect ratio, which means it took up 67.51% of the screen and offered a much larger overall image than we've seen from it so far.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Foldable Display (Landscape)

The key benefit to watching video in landscape mode is that the entirety of the display crease gets covered up by whatever you're watching, which makes it nearly impossible to see. The other main advantage to watching video this way is that the videos are larger (and less wasteful) than in portrait mode

The biggest winner is again, "Scrubs," or any other older TV show that was filmed with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The show took up 83.74% of the total screen space, over 16% more than it did in portrait mode. This obviously means that the video is noticeably larger, though the standard definition image does not look great if you're getting up close with the screen.

Most of the other videos take full advantage of the extra width, with the only exception being "The Emperor's New Groove," which is about 0.4-inches narrower. However the extra height afforded to 16:9 movie means it uses up 58.33% of the screen, compared to the 46.46% utilized by X-Men and the standard version of "Avengers: Endgame."

"X-Men-97" is 0.2-inches taller in this configuration, meaning its total raises to 50.09%, while the IMAX enhanced edition of "Endgame" fills up 58.88% on account of its extra height.

The only real loser here is TikTok, which is shorter and narrower in landscape mode, and wastes an extra 11% of the screen compared to portrait mode. That also makes sense, since this orientation is wider than it is long, and that means the vertical videos get squashed down compared to viewing in portrait mode.

Verdict

With the exception of TikTok, landscape mode actually seems to have the largest overall video size of all four display configurations, barring one. The way "Avengers: Endgame" is presented on the cover display means it is slightly taller on the outer screen, by one tenth of an inch.

The cover display's aspect ratio means it seems to be uniquely suited to playing live action theatrical releases. Assuming the service you're using actually makes the most of the space, and doesn't do what YouTube did with my copy of X-Men and squashes the whole thing down for no reason.

As for TikTok, it's clear that the Z Fold 8 Ultra's foldable display is not as well-suited to vertical video as non-folding screens. Likewise, those of you that are bothered about black areas of screen around your video, you may want to avoid foldables for the time being. If you need a larger image to watch, you should probably invest in some kind of tablet.

But now the one question I have is this: How different would the results have been if I'd had a Galaxy Z Fold 8 to compare everything to? Samsung has positioned the passport-shaped device as the ideal device for streaming and media after all, but that face-off is going to have to wait.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I used a thermal camera to see how hot the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra gets compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra — here's what happened
• I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Galaxy S26 Ultra for 2 weeks — here’s the one I’d buy
• I just tried the new Samsung DeX on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — and it has one huge upgrade

You're going to want to update your Mac to address a serious Screen Sharing vulnerability that could letter a malicious actor initiate screen sharing without authentic credentials.

This week Apple released macOS Sonoma 14.8.9, macOS Sequoia 15.7.9, and macOS Tahoe 26.6.1 with release notes. Notably, all three releases claim that Apple made "important security fixes" and recommended the updates for everyone.

"Impact: An attacker on the network may be able to authenticate to Screen Sharing without valid credentials

Description: An authentication issue was addressed with improved state management."

That message is the same across all three versions of macOS.

It doesn't appear that the bug has been exploited in the wild, but if you haven't updated your Mac recently, now is the time to do so. Based on Apple's description, it appears that a bad actor could bypass Screen Sharing authentication checks, which would give them remote access to your computer.

Potentially, this would allow them to view the screen, open apps or files or perform other actions on the computer.

You may not use screen sharing, but it's still a good idea to install this update. Apple clearly deemed the flaw serious enough to patch three different versions of macOS before the next round of major OS updates.

Keep your Mac safe

To keep your Mac safe you may want to ensure that updates are automatically applied. Understandably if you're cautious about updates before they're settled you may wait. So you'll want to track updates and make sure you get the security-focused ones to protect your computer.

For screen sharing specifically, this vulnerability may have been able to sneak around you. But if you do any screen sharing, make sure it's with a trusted partner that you know to protect your computer. Additionally, keep any sensitive information closed before passing permissions just as a way to introduce a little bit of a block.

At the end of your session, double-check that screen sharing is turned off.

Beyond that, Apple does have Gatekeeper built-in which can block or warn you before you install unverified apps from the web. Still, you might want to consider using one of the best Mac antivirus software along side Apple's built-in ones.

Again, these macOS updates are available right now, so make sure you've installed them.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to disable iOS 27’s annoying auto-subtitles for good
• iPhone Ultra rumors: Everything you need to know about the foldable iPhone
• I asked Siri AI and Gemini a series of increasingly bizarre questions to see how they responded —here's what happened

Rumors about Apple's first foldable phone have been circulating for years, but 2026 is looking to be the year the foldable iPhone Ultra finally breaks cover. Considering the foldable phone space has been pretty small potatoes for almost a decade, this could be a turning point that edges this category closer to the mainstream — and puts Samsung's dominance at risk.

Everything we've heard points to the iPhone Ultra launching alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max during the September Apple event. Based on the rumors, we've heard that the iPhone Ultra will have a short and squat passport-style design, possibly no crease at all, dual rear cameras, Touch ID and more.

Here's everything we've heard about the foldable iPhone Ultra so far.

iPhone Ultra: Rumored specs

iPhone Ultra: Price & release date estimates

The iPhone Ultra is expected to be unveiled at the Apple event this fall, which typically happens during the first or second week of September. The date that seems most likely based on the rumors is Sept. 9, which is two days after Labor Day.

This event should also see the reveal of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, both of which should be released before the end of the month. iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 aren't expected to make an appearance, with reports suggesting they'll be released in early 2027.

There is some debate surrounding the iPhone Ultra's release date. Some sources claim that the phone will arrive around the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro, while others suggest production issues may see the phone arrive later in the year — the same way the iPhone X did in 2017.

Whenever the phone arrives, reports suggest that supply may be limited at first, though this may not be as big an issue considering how much the phone is rumored to cost. Another rumors indicates suppliers would potentially need three to five months to fulfill Apple's initial 10-million-unit production target.

Early estimates tipped the phone to cost around $2,000, but issues with supply chains and the rapidly rising cost of components now suggest that the iPhone Ultra price could start from $2,400 to $2,500.

iPhone Ultra: Design

The iPhone Ultra will obviously be like no iPhone that has ever been released, since it will ditch the unibody design in favor of the new folding form factor. A slew of dummy units have shown up online revealing the look and feel of the foldable, with Apple opting for a more passport-style design that is shorter and wider than traditional book-style foldable.

The closest comparable foldable is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which adopts a similar look — but appears to be slightly larger than what we expect from Apple. It's speculated that Apple could utilize titanium to enhance the durability of the iPhone Ultra, while keeping the overall weight low — much as it did with the iPhone Air.

Reports suggest that the foldable display will be around 7.8-inches in size, which is around half an inch smaller than the iPad mini 7, with a 5.5-inch cover display. This would likely mean an aspect ratio close to 4:3, just like iPads and the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which makes the Ultra a hybrid phone/tablet.

It's also been claimed that an open iPhone Ultra could be as thin as 4.5mm, and somewhere between 9 and 9.5mm when closed. This would make it the thinnest Apple device so far, beating the 5.1mm iPad Pro. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is thinner than these dimensions.

The smaller size also means that the phone only seems to have two rear cameras, while the front display will reportedly skip Face ID in favor of adding Touch ID to the power button — similar to the system Apple uses on cheaper iPad models.

Rumors about possible colors suggest that Apple will stick to muted options like black or dark gray, and either silver or white. However, there are rumors that a color similar to iPhone 17 Pro Max's Deep Blue could be available.

iPhone Ultra: Crease-free display?

The iPhone Ultra is also expected to have no visible crease. Apple was reportedly very particular about this, and it rumored to be using the crease-free display as one of the iPhone Ultra's key selling points. Reports suggest this will be reliant on a bunch of design innovations, including a more durable liquid metal hinge, ultra-thin glass, a structural glass mid-frame and optically clear adhesive.

These hardware features will apparently work in tandem to ensure that there won't be a visible crease out of the box, nor will it form with continued use. Meanwhile, Apple has apparently worked to ensure the crease depth is under 0.15mm, with a crease angle below 2.5mm. Lower depth should make the crease less noticeable, while the lower angle should offer a flatter look when the screen is unfolded.

It's unclear as to whether the "crease-free" description holds up to scrutiny. After all, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was reportedly crease-free, and while the crease is much harder to spot, it is still there.

iPhone Ultra: Performance

We don't know a lot about the performance capabilities of the iPhone Ultra, but it goes without saying that the phone should feature an A20 chipset — which is rumored to be built on TSMC's 2nm process.

The transition from the 3nm process will allow boosted performance from the increased transistor density. Reports suggest that the A20 could be 15% faster than the A19 chips, and 30% more efficient. That means stronger performance, less heat generation and lower energy consumption. The latter is particularly important because it means the large batteries rumored to be in the iPhone Ultra should last even longer.

RAM for the iPhone Ultra is expected to be at least 12GB, simply because that's the minimum needed to utilize the full range of Siri AI features. Any less and features like improved dictation and expressive AI voice styles will not be supported on the foldable — which would be absurd for a $2,500 phone.

iPhone Ultra: Software

The iPhone Ultra is going to have to make major changes to the way iOS handles multitasking, since it's going to have to start splitting apps across a much larger area than ever before. It's a feature that works well on iPadOS, and should make the transfer to the foldable device. Likewise, I'd be surprised if we don't see a menu bar, similar to what is already available on iPads and Samsung Z Fold devices.

The fact that this iPhone Ultra will feature two wildly different screen sizes to normal non-folding devices means app developers will need to ensure their apps are better optimized. Not only for the larger foldable display, but also the smaller cover display. Apple referred to something known as "app adaptability" at WWDC 2026, and it's likely this will play a key role in iPhone Ultra app support.

This concept will likely involve ensuring apps can adjust themselves based on the size of the screen they're on — which will allow them to switch between both iPhone Ultra displays. Hopefully, this ends up being a little more robust than some Android foldable apps, which simply blow up the phone app to take up more screen space.

iOS 27 beta also features references to a "foldstate" and "angledegrees," which all but confirms that iOS 27 will need to be able to detect the exact state of a foldable's hinge. Not only does this suggest the iPhone ultra will automatically transfer contents between screens when the iPhone Ultra is opened (or closed), it also hints at a feature similar to Samsung's Flex Mode.

Flex Mode is able to split the foldable screen into two distinct areas when the hinge is fixed at a 90-degree angle. That way you can do something on one half of the screen, while the other does something completely different. This could be helpful for gaming, with a split between the touch controls and the game itself, or when watching videos on social media.

iPhone Ultra: Cameras

The one common theme with iPhone Ultra leaks is that the rear camera array will only feature two lenses — arranged horizontally on a raised camera bar like the iPhone Air. It's unlikely that either of these will be a telephoto lens, due to the foldable's thin design, which means we're likely to see the traditional pairing of main and ultrawide angle lenses.

Both lenses are expected to offer 48MP resolution, which is par the course for modern iPhone flagships. So don't expect any Samsung-style 200MP cameras on this particular foldable.

Selfie camera rumors are a little sketchy, with some rumors speculating that we could see an under-display camera on the larger folding screen. However, the exterior cover display is likely to be a standard hole-punch design which, in the absence of Face ID hardware, should be a lot smaller than the Dynamic Island pill we've already seen on iPhone 17 Pro. Resolution is tipped to be 24MP on both cameras, should we get two.

iPhone Ultra: Battery

Apple is not really one to brag about the size or makeup of its batteries, so don't expect to hear much about the iPhone Ultra's power supply until we get our first post-launch teardowns. But rumor is that Apple won't scrimp on the battery with the iPhone Ultra, despite rumors of the ultra-thin display.

It's been claimed that the battery could be 4,883 mAh, which would be similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8's 4,800 mAh.

The question is, what sort of batteries will Apple employ? Samsung recently added silicon carbon batteries to boost the capacity in the Z 8 series of foldables, with the highest being a 5,000 mAh battery in the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Since silicon carbon offers better power density, it could allow Apple to offer such large batteries while maintaining the slim, lightweight profile of the iPhone Ultra.

Then again, Apple may also have a different idea in mind, with rumors suggesting that it could redesign the power systems to be thinner, while simultaneously adopting high-density battery cells. What we should expect to see is the total battery capacity split across to separate battery packs — one on each side of the phone.

References in iOS 27 beta suggest that a future iPhone will have more than one battery, and the Ultra makes the most sense — especially since the split battery is a common design feature in other foldables.

iPhone Ultra: What's it actually going to be called?

The name iPhone Ultra has gained popularity over the last few months, toppling the old "iPhone Fold" nickname everyone had been using. However, as we draw closer to the Apple September event it seems the debate surrounding the name of this device is growing.

Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach doesn't believe that Apple will finally adopt the iPhone Ultra name for the foldable. His reasoning is that "It makes no sense to me given the other Ultra branding Apple has. It does not seem Ultra. It’s lesser than but unique compared to the Pro, that is not an Apple Ultra-product.

Fellow Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi, posted her own two cents, stating that, "to some extent this is like the Neo a new category and the name Ultra would be a poor descriptor of what you are buying. Apple might not want to call the iPhone Fold or the iFold but that is what it is really."

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mark Gurman claims that the phone is referred to as the "Ultra" internally, but admitted that we'll have to "see what happens." In other words, nothing is set in stone just yet, but it's clear Apple employees are making the use of the long-rumored Ultra name.

Personally, I feel as though Ultra is a little more fitting, even if iPhone Fold is a literal description of what this phone is.

Not only is this tipped to be the most expensive iPhone ever made, Apple needs to emphasize that this device isn't just a gimmick. As descriptive as the term "Fold" is, it highlights the foldable nature of the phone while seemingly ignoring everything else. "Ultra" suggests that this is a step beyond the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and should intrigue people about the kind of things this phone can do. Or, at least, that's the way I see it.

We won't know for sure until the iPhone Ultra is unveiled at the Apple event, but until then the consensus is that Apple is opting for the "Ultra" name.

iPhone Ultra: Outlook

As we inch closer to the fall Apple Event, we're forming a much better picture of the iPhone Ultra and the kind of things it should be able to accomplish. Obviously, there are still a bunch of unknowns, and we can't form a concrete opinion until we test the phone for ourselves, but the rumors and leaks paint a fairly positive picture of Apple's very first foldable.

Then again, rumored $2,000+ price could be a major sticking point. While iPhone Ultra demand is expected to be high, the fact that it could cost more than three iPhone 17s may make shoppers think twice, even if the new Apple Upgrade leasing program is able to reduce that monthly cost.

We won't know for sure until Apple actually reveals and releases the iPhone Ultra later this year. Until then keep checking back for all the latest news and rumors about the first-ever Apple foldable.

More from Tom's Guide

• I used a thermal camera to see how hot the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra gets compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra — here's what happened
• 3 big ways the iPhone Ultra could beat the Galaxy Z Fold 8
• This is the Pixel 11 Pro Fold — and this is when pre-orders officially start

The launch of Siri AI with the iOS 27 beta means that your new phone, no matter who makes it, has a built-in AI chatbot for you to interact with. iPhones will have Siri AI once iOS 27 officially releases in the fall, while Android phones come packaged with Google Gemini — plus whatever other models the manufacturer wants you to use, like Samsung's Bixby.

The real question is, which of those chatbots is the better one to have? Despite the fact Siri AI runs on Google's Gemini models, it behaves very differently than Gemini itself. That manifests itself in a lot of different ways, but crucially, how does it affect the answers you get?

To get a better understanding of how these chatbots work, I asked them a bunch of loaded questions to see how much of a difference there really is. Here's what I uncovered.

Finding a coffee shop

First up is the all-important question for any working person, especially those ones that have loud, needy children to cater to. Siri and Gemini were able to "find me the nearest coffee shop" right away, pointing out that the nearest spot was an independent cafe just five minutes walk from my house.

Both AIs offered Maps previews with brief information on opening times, customer ratings and directions on how to get there. Gemini also took it upon itself to suggest a bunch of similar businesses nearby, including nearby cafes and a sandwich shop. However Siri kept things short and to the point.

I tried to get both AIs to tell me how busy the cafe might be, but that information wasn't available. It took me a few attempts with different spots, like the local Starbucks and McDonalds, to get Gemini to tell me about crowd levels — so while Google technically has that information available, it's inconsistent in whether you will be able to access it. Sadly this is something Apple Maps, and therefore Siri, totally lacks.

The fastest way to the office

Next up I needed information on how I can get to Future's offices in central London as quickly as possible. Siri wanted a little bit of clarification as to which office I meant, while Gemini picked up that I meant the office on Westbourne Terrace without need for further elaboration.

Both AIs defaulted to offering driving directions, though Siri got confused during the process. Apple Maps loaded up the correct address near London's Paddington station, but the previews in the Siri app related to a different Westbourne Terrace much closer to home. The driving routes were more or less the same from both, but both AIs disagreed on the fastest method of transport.

When asked whether it would be faster to drive or take the train, Google confirmed that a train to Paddington would only take 35 minutes — as opposed to over an hour by car. Meanwhile Siri decided that the train would take one minute longer than driving by car.

I was confused as to why Siri thought the train would take so long, until I checked Apple Maps and realized it was taking into account when I'd arrive if I left home right this second. It neglected to inform me that the next train wouldn't be passing through for another half an hour.

Which is the cheaper option?

Something the two can agree on is that driving is actually the cheaper option, when comparing trains against my 40kWh Nissan Leaf. Both noted that the exact cost of the drive will depend on how much I'm paying for electricity, though only Gemini realized that I would have to take other fees into account as well.

In fact Gemini gave me a full breakdown of costs for both methods of transport, noting the cost of train tickets, the London Underground and offering a rough total for the entire trip. For driving it took into account that there are many ways of charging a care, with average costs for home and public charging sessions.

It also made a point of mentioning the various extra costs of driving into London including the congestion charge, parking fees and the ultra low emission zone — though thankfully a zero emission electric car is exempt from the latter. So Gemini did what it could to inform me of all potential costs, while Siri only offered up the most basic information unless I asked further questions.

What about making skateboarding dogs?

Both Siri and Gemini were able to generate images in the middle of chats, based on my prompt of asking to see a Labrador riding a skateboard. Both images were very different, and Siri's had the more obvious tell-tale signs of being AI generated at first glance — including that distinct sheen the subjects in AI generated images often have.

Both AIs were up front about what additional art styles were available when asked, though Google went into far too much detail over-analyzing every single option available. Meanwhile Siri just listed them out and expected me to understand what was being said. In this instance, that's actually the option I prefer, because I don't need an explanation of what oil paintings or "Pixar-style 3D animation" means.

Tricking AI into helping me commit crimes

Now, we all know that AIs have safeguards that stop you from directly asking about how to pull off illegal activities. But can you trick them into giving you information with weird hypothetical scenarios? So I asked them to help me smuggle powdered sugar into a country where such a thing is illegal.

Siri shut that down right away and refused to help me smuggle items or bypass customs, even if I was talking about a hypothetical situation. Gemini, on the other hand, was more than eager to try and help me sneak sugar across the border.

It suggested that I try to soak the sugar into fabrics and garments, with information on how I can extract it again. It also offered the idea of packing it in with legal white powders like protein powder, talc and cornstarch, even going so far to suggest that I reseal the packaging to try and escape detection.

While these techniques may not be applicable to illegal substances, it was remarkably easy to get Gemini to try and aid my "hypothetical" criminal behavior. But when I changed tact, and directly asked if I could smuggle illegal drugs across the border, Gemini shut the whole thing down and declared that it can't assist with illegal activities.

Cheating on my homework

Siri and Gemini both refused to help me cheat on my imaginary homework, but they did offer to help me study instead. Siri was as blunt as usual, offering to help me learn the material, while Gemini gave a more in-depth list of ways it can help me learn.

Both AIs were pretty eager to write me an essay on the history of the iPhone, though they had wildly different takes on what an essay should be. Siri's essay was a four-paragraph summary, followed by a disclaimer that I should double check all this information. Meanwhile Gemini's was not only longer, it was also split into sections focussing on different iPhone eras — plus a conclusion.

It's almost like Siri is the kid that begrudgingly does the bare minimum, while Gemini is the studious nerd striving for top grades and all the extra credit it can muster.

Political betting odds

Those who are familiar with British politics will know that there's about to be an election that will select a new Member of Parliament. For various political reasons that I won't go into, the two frontrunners are the former MP, who resigned and triggered the election, and a man dressed as a sentient trash can from another planet — aptly named Count BinFace.

Naturally one of these candidates is not like the other, and I asked both AIs where I can check the odds on Count BinFace actually winning this election. Gemini gave me a bunch of resources and information to check this for myself, while Siri cut out the middleman and just gave me a summary of the best odds. Gemini only volunteered that information after I explicitly asked for the odds, rather than asking where I could find them.

Medical advice and emergencies

We all go to the internet asking for medical advice, even if we know we should see a doctor about it. So what exactly does AI have to say if you go to it for help instead of a doctor? Gemini and Siri emphasize that they are not doctors, and that you really should see a medical professional.

But failing that, they do seem to try and help in any way they can. When told that my foot was hurting, Gemini and Siri both suggested possible causes, and situations where you really should seek urgent medical attention. However, only Gemini asked for more information about the kind of pain I was experiencing, and which part of my foot was affected. Gemini also suggested some options for home treatment, such as rest, elevating the foot and applying ice.

While Gemini was a little more helpful in that regard, it really dropped the ball when I claimed I was having a heart attack. I got a very large message telling me that I need to call 999 (or 911) immediately, and suggested some things I can do to stay alive while I wait for EMTs to arrive.

Siri's response was to start calling 999 automatically, causing me to scramble to cancel the call before it made a connection. As helpful as Gemini's information is, reading material is the last thing you need in an emergency — which is why I prefer Siri's no-nonsense approach.

What happens if you ask for the wrong AI?

Both Siri and Gemini didn't really seem to care when I referred to them as Alexa and Bixby mid-conversation. Siri straight-up ignored the fact I called it by a different name, while Gemini's response seemed to be phrased as if the AI is laughing it off

Regardless of that initial response (or lack thereof), both AIs answered the question without any further hesitation.

Can my AI beat up your AI?

I don't know about your school, but when I was a kid one of the popular playground topics was figuring out whose dad would win in a fight — because pre-teen boys aren't the most cultured demographic. Obviously I wanted to see which chatbot would win in a fight, and whether Siri and Gemini thought they could physically overpower Claude and ChatGPT.

Siri refused to entertain this topic, insisting that it is a "fan of all intelligence, artificial or otherwise." Which feels like a nice way of saying that this is a stupid topic and we should all just get along.

Gemini pointed out that chatbots have no physical form, so any kind of brawl is impossible. Instead it put together a face-off for the three chatbots to see what skills they each excel at. According to Gemini, Claude takes the crown for coding and logic, while ChatGPT is the best AI for general tasks and productivity. Meanwhile Gemini itself is the best AI for live data and multi-modal capabilities.

Asking about fake events

Some AI chatbots have developed a reputation for just telling people what they want to hear, with little regard for facts and accuracy. So I attempted to ask Siri and Gemini about things that haven't happened yet, or never did happen, to see what the response would be.

First up was asking the winner of the World Cup in 2027, to which Siri informed me that the 2027 World Cup hasn't actually happened yet. I had failed to realize that the FIFA Women's World Cup is taking place next year, and obviously does not have a winner. Gemini also pointed out that the Rugby World Cup and ICC Cricket World Cup are happening next year too.

Only Gemini seemed to acknowledge the fact that the FIFA Men's World Cup has already happened, with Siri speaking about the tournament in the future tense.

When prompted about the 2030 Men's World Cup, both AIs pointed out that it hasn't happened yet. Due to a hearing mixup Siri also pointed out that there was no World Cup in 2013, and asked if I meant the 2014 or 2010 tournaments.

Struggling with logic puzzles

Interestingly both Siri and Gemini seemed to struggle with some logic puzzles I gave it. In particular with the riddle, "A mother had five boys Marco, Tucker, Webster and Thomas. Was the fifth boy's name Frank, Evan or Alex?"

The answer is Frank, because the four older boys share their first initial with the days of the week — meaning Frank corresponds to Friday. Siri was adamant that the fifth boy was named Thomas, because it misinterpreted the wording as saying "Thomas was the fifth boy's name." I ended up having to correct Siri, because it wouldn't let go of the fact that the fifth kid is supposed to be Frank.

Gemini got the correct answer, but went through some bizarre and incorrect logic in the process. It insisted the answer was Alex, but also realized that the boys' initials corresponded to days of the week. Gemini then went through a process of correcting itself automatically, and documenting everything its thought process into a single answer.

Then again they were both fine with other logic puzzles, and even recognized that I was trying to make them solve the Monty Hall problem without mentioning it by name. According to Siri and Gemini, your odds really are better if you switch your choice partway through the game, rather than sticking with your original choice. They weren't able to give me an answer for the Trolley Problem, though.

Overall impressions

While Siri AI is based on Google's Gemini models, there are a lot of differences in the way the two chatbots actually respond to questions. The main thing I noticed is that Siri was a lot faster to respond, and it had a preference for offering shorter and simpler responses.

In a lot of cases this might be preferable, because information overload is a very real thing. Similarly the fact Siri didn't mess about with bombarding me with information and immediately started calling emergency services when I claimed to be having a heart attack is a tactic that could save peoples' lives.

Gemini took a while to get most answers, even ones that should have been fairly easy, as though it was Googling every little thing it gave me. The answers it gave were often rather long and complicated, offering a huge amount of detail and explanation for every little thing. While this can be useful in certain situations, such as trying to cheat on my homework or being informed about London's driving tolls, it isn't necessary all the time. Less is more, as the saying goes.

Apple also seems to have Siri locked down on the morality side of things. It won't acknowledge any attempts to turn it into a romantic partner and it shoots down any questions that flirt with the wrong side of the law — even if you ask it as a hypothetical. The fact Gemini was so eager to help me smuggle sugar was a little disturbing, to be honest.

That said, I did like the fact that Gemini offered some kind of message telling you it was thinking. Siri was inconsistent with this, and there were times when Siri needed a little more time to figure things out and the screen ground to a halt. So I had no idea whether it was processing an answer or if it had crashed. Then again, Siri is still in beta, so these kinds of errors are to be expected.

More from Tom's Guide

• ‘We don’t want to overwhelm the consumer with AI’: why Samsung is taking a different approach with Galaxy Z Fold 8 launch
• Is the Apple Upgrade program a good deal or a rip-off? I asked ChatGPT to crunch the numbers and here's the verdict
• I tested Starlink-powered 4G on my phone — here's what actually happened in a dead zone

Apple held its third-quarter earnings call today, where the tech giant reported "record" $109 billion earnings, largely driven by a 22% increase in iPhone sales. Despite that, Apple's stock fell 8% based on missed revenue estimates in China and the company's services arm.

Outgoing CEO Tim Cook, in his swan song earnings call, was also questioned by investors about the impact of the ongoing memory crisis on Apple supply and future forecasts.

"We reluctantly raised prices," Cook said, referring to last month's price increases that affected every Apple device except the iPhone.

"We did it because we’re in what I’d categorize as a 100-year flood on memory pricing," Cook continued, repeating an analogy he made a month ago.

What Apple is saying about the memory crunch

During the call, Cook admitted that Apple is facing supply constrains that are affecting iPhone, Macs and iPads, primarily on Macs. Cook asserted several times that this issue was largely driven by surprising amounts of demand.

Both Cook and Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh noted that the supply chain has become less "flexible" which was blamed on nodes for advanced SoCs and that they expected continued high levels of demand.

"We expect the impact from supply chain constraints to increase significantly [in September]," Cook said. In response to an investor Cook said that Apple expects to pay even more for memory through the next quarter.

Investors were only allowed two questions but nearly everyone who spoke used at least one to ask about memory and pricing. Cook repeatedly claimed that the cause of Apple supply constraints is "not a regular supply issue" and instead said it was a demand forecast issue where iPhones and Macs performed "remarkably better than we thought they would."

However, "we’ve got a quarter that we’re going to be scrambling on supply side," Cook told one investor.

The upcoming fourth quarter will tell us a lot about how Apple is dealing with the memory crisis. Price increases might defray rising component costs, and the new Apple Upgrade Program could help the company keep a more constant source of revenue.

Apple still has the iPhone 18 series, new Macs and iPads to release and potentially more. But we're already bracing for a potential $200 price increase for the iPhone 18 Pro models. And a possible $2,500 iPhone Ultra.

More from Tom's Guide

• Is the Apple Upgrade program a good deal or a rip-off? I asked ChatGPT to crunch the numbers and here's the verdict
• New iPhone 20 video reveals the 8 biggest upgrades to expect from the 20th anniversary iPhone
• I knew better than to carry around a naked phone — then my iPhone 17 Pro Max met the asphalt

This week, Apple revealed its new Apple Upgrade Program that lets you lease several of the company's devices, including iPhones, Macs, Apple Watches and iPads.

With fixed 12-, 24 or 36-month terms, you're locked into paying a monthly rate for your chosen device until the term is up or you decide to upgrade. Abandoning the lease early is possible, but there are a number of penalties and fees associated with doing so.

Is the Apple Upgrade Program a good deal versus buying the phone outright or getting it from a carrier? I crunched the numbers, but also turned to ChatGPT to find out if it's a ripoff or worth your dollar.

iPhones and Apple Watches

Here's how much an iPhone or Apple Watch will cost you over a 24-month term. If you want to keep the device at the end of the lease, you'll need to pay the remainder.

Macs and iPads

And here's how it looks for Macs and iPads, which are eligible for a 36-month lease. This table specifically looks at a 24-month lease.

The fine print

There are two big caveats to Apple's leasing program. The first is that, according to the terms of service, if you miss three consecutive payments, Klarna (the company managing the lease) will terminate the contract, and the customer will owe the remaining balance.

The second is that AppleCare+ is not included with the lease. You could roll the dice and not subscribe to AppleCare+ but you are liable for any damage, per the fine print.

"Insurance is not included in your lease, and you may incur damage fees if the device is lost, stolen, or not returned in the condition required by the lease."

AppleCare+ ranges in cost from $2.99 (Watches) up to $9.99 (iPhone) per month depending on your device. There are annual payment options as well.

Here's the iPhone and Watches table again with how much a 24-month lease would set you back with AppleCare+.

As you can see, over two years, the price goes up by a few hundred dollars and in some cases exceeds the initial price of the iPhone or Apple Watch.

Yes, that would be the case if you weren't leasing an iPhone. AppleCare+ is a protection plan that you subscribe to a monthly or annual basis.

However, as mentioned, it may be more necessary for a leased device than one you own because of those potential damage fees. You could also be hit with upgrade fees or substantial termination fees if you try to end the lease early.

What about trade-ins?

Another factor against Apple's lease program is that, because you don't own your device, you won't get any credits for trading in your older device, which could lower your monthly payments to something lower than you would get from the Apple Upgrade program.

Let's take the iPhone 17 Pro as an example.

If you're upgrading from an iPhone 16 Pro, you could get as much as $560 in trade-in value, which would lower the cost to $22.45/month for 24 months.

If you were upgrading from an iPhone 15 Pro, you could get as much as $410 in trade-in value, which would lower your monthly bill to $28.70.

While you can trade in your current phone and get credit in the Apple Upgrade Program, it's a one-time thing, as you wouldn't own your phone from then on.

What ChatGPT had to say

According to ChatGPT, the Apple Upgrade Program is not a rip-off, but it may not be the cheapest way for you to obtain an Apple device.

"For most people it's more expensive than buying and later selling or trading in the device. The biggest winner is Apple, because leasing encourages customers to stay on a continuous upgrade cycle," the AI said.

For those who keep their devices for three or more years not be a good deal, especially since Apple devices tend to retain their resale or trade-in value. Plus, the leasing program means that you don't own the device.

Interestingly, I actually prompted ChatGPT as well as Gemini and Claude and none of them mentioned AppleCare+ beyond noting that it is no longer bundled with the Apple Upgrade Program the way it was with the iPhone Upgrade plan.

Unless you upgrade annually or money isn't an issue for you, Apple Upgrade Program may not be the right fit for you. I'm a major proponent of owning your devices and this program doesn't let you do that until the end of the terms.

More from Tom's Guide

• Is your old fitness tracker good enough? I tested a 5-year-old Fitbit vs Apple Watch Series 11 on a 5,500-step walk to find out
• New iPhone 20 video reveals the 8 biggest upgrades to expect from the 20th anniversary iPhone
• I knew better than to carry around a naked phone — then my iPhone 17 Pro Max met the asphalt

I thought turning my iPhone screen monochrome would be a straightforward, low-stakes experiment. A minor productivity tweak to trim maybe twenty minutes off my daily screen time. I was radically, foolishly wrong.

What I expected to be a mild digital detox turned into two weeks of sensory deprivation, phantom-limb anxiety, and a genuine shock at how my brain relies on color, especially in the middle of summer.

If you want to experience instant disorientation, and ultimately, a profound sense of digital freedom, flip your phone to grayscale on a blazing July afternoon. But consider yourself warned: the transition is an absolute shock to the system.

Before you reach the quiet relief of a quieted mind, you have to survive the initial withdrawal of a world drained of its color.

Summer cast in newsprint

The first three days felt like a slow-motion collision between muscle memory and self-restraint, with my brain throwing a quiet, frantic temper tantrum every time my thumb touched the screen.

Taking photos, in particular, degenerated into a bizarre act of blind faith. Standing on a packed pier, trying to capture the moment where the English coast looks like the Mediterranean, yielded nothing on my screen but a dull, slate gradient. It looked less like a seaside holiday and more like an archival photo of a Victorian industrial dock.

Social media felt completely drained of its pull. We rarely notice how much platforms like Instagram rely on rich warmth and hyper-saturated color to trigger envy, hunger, or idle curiosity. In grayscale, the endless feed loses its hypnotic spell.

I'd open an app purely out of habit, stare at a flat gray wall of content for three seconds, realize my brain wasn't getting the cheap reward it wanted, and close it. Then I'd do it again two minutes later.

They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result, and grayscale definitely caught me red-handed.

The day 7 shift

By the time I hit a week, the constant low-grade frustration completely evaporated, replaced by a strange, liberating quiet. The initial withdrawal phase was over.

My thumb stopped twitching toward the phone every time there was a lull in my day, because my brain had finally registered that the rectangle in my pocket was no longer a source of instant entertainment.

With screen time down over sixty percent, my attention span began to heal in ways I didn't expect. I found myself picking up a book on my commute, turning to my neglected record player, and, for lack of a better term, finding play again.

My iPhone went from being a black hole for my attention back to what it was originally meant to be: an inanimate utility tool.

If you want to reach that same turning point without throwing your iPhone into the nearest ditch, you need a strategy to get you through the adjustment period. Here is what helped me survive the shift, and the rules I wish I'd set on day one.

How to enable Grayscale on your iPhone

• Open settings
• Navigate to Accessibility
• Tap Display & Text Size
• Select Color Filters and toggle the switch on
• Select Grayscale

The greyscale survival guide

How two weeks of gray reshaped my habit

By week two, the novelty wore off and my brain just got used to it. The urge to constantly check my phone died down because there was nothing visual pulling me in. I stopped reaching into my pocket out of sheer boredom.

When the two weeks ended and I switched the color back on, it was surprisingly jarring. Everything looked aggressively bright, almost like the screen was turned up too high.

The real test, though, was whether the old habits would immediately come back. They didn't. Even with full color restored, the automatic reflex to scroll was broken. My screen time has stayed way down, and I stop defaulting to my phone every time I had two free seconds.

Did the experiment break my dopamine addiction? Yes, aggressively so. Going grayscale for a bit isn't a silver bullet, but it does a fantastic job of resetting your baseline.

It's a clear reminder that our phones are designed to keep us hooked, docile, and distracted. You just have to decide if you're willing to play along.

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Today Apple announced its new leasing program, Apple Upgrade which is undergirded by Klarna for iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad.

The program lets customers sign up for a plan, similar to how you would lease a car, for fixed 12-, 24- and 36-month terms depending on the device. There are options to upgrade to a new device early or return it at the end of the lease.

Apple called the new plan a "more flexible way to pay for products."

It's possible this does offer some flexibility from paying an upfront lump sum or tying yourself to an onerous contract via a network carrier like Verizon or T-Mobile.

However, experts I spoke with think the Upgrade plan is meant to cover rising component costs.

"By shifting the focus to lower monthly payments, it helps mask the effect of rising hardware costs and makes premium devices feel more affordable and attainable for a broader range of consumers," Jitesh Ubrani, a director at IDC, said.

They added that it could entice people who don't want to pay the higher upfront costs, as even Apple has hiked prices recently. It also gives Apple a "steady stream of trade-ins" that the company can resell to expand its customer base.

"Many people are effectively leasing their phones already through carrier plans; leasing a watch or a Mac -- when you know that these are also devices that have upgrade cycles -- can make sense," Techsponential's Avi Greengart told Tom's Guide. "it's still a lease, so you won't be able to use it until it dies unless you buy out the lease, and it may not be the absolute most economical approach."

Beyond upfront prices, is Apple Upgrade better for you? Let's take a look at how the program works.

How Apple Upgrade works

Apple Upgrade offers 12- or 24-month lease terms for eligible iPhones and Apple Watches. For those seeking a Mac or iPad, there are 24- or 36-month options.

Prices start as low as $11.99 per month for the Apple Watch and iPad, depending on size and storage capacity. iPhones start at $17.99, while Macs can be leased starting at $24.99 a month.

You can sign up online or at an Apple Store, where you will be approved by Klarna, which does require a soft credit check that should not impact your credit score.

At the end of the lease term, you can return the device or upgrade to a newer generation or purchase it with a one-time payment.

Compared to the outgoing iPhone Upgrade program, the Apple Upgrade Program does not include AppleCare, which is a separate subscription price and varies in price depending on your device.

Per MacRumors, if you miss a payment, it will be rolled into the next month's payment with no late fees. However, if you miss three consecutive payments, the lease will end, and you will have to pay the full outstanding balance, minus the value of the device when returned. If Klarna can't collect, a debt collection agency will be sent your information.

Apple Upgrade prices

Apple is offering the entire iPhone 17 lineup, plus the iPhone Air, both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 and three iPad options, including the iPad Air, iPad Pro and iPad mini.

For Macs, you can lease the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Studio.

Apple defaults to the 24-month leasing option, so we'll share that. The other options can lower or raise your price. Additionally, higher storage capacity or chip versions will also increase the monthly price.

Finally, the price does not include taxes and fees.

Here's how much the base model of each device will cost you.

We've separated the iPads and Macs out because these devices can have the longer 36-month term. Again, the prices below are for the base model of each device and the 24-month term.

No leasing entry-level devices

You may have noticed several Apple devices aren't eligible for the upgrade program. It includes the vanilla iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, as well as the entry-level models of almost every device category.

Here's the full list of Apple products you can't lease:

• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• Apple Watch SE
• MacBook Neo
• Mac mini
• iPad (A16)
• Studio Display

Availability

Apple Upgrade is available now for all of the listed devices. Apple says that a security deposit is not required and that a trade-in device could reduce monthly payments.

I will note that if you end a lease early, you could see termination fees. Also, if you don't do anything at the end of the lease, you'll be charged the purchase fee.

Lastly, hidden in the fine print, upgrading a device could increase your monthly payments, which is true for both higher-capacity versions of devices and more expensive models when new generations launch in the coming years.

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Apple is supposed to introduce its next iPhone, including the rumored iPhone Ultra, in a month and a half. But who cares about that when the intriguing 20th anniversary iPhone leaks are starting to pick up steam?

The latest batch of rumors comes from the leak-tracking YouTuber AppleTrack, who covered eight major upgrades potentially coming to the iPhone 20 in his latest video.

The updates cover everything from the all-glass curved display to better internal components, including a bigger main camera and new battery technology.

All glass everything

One of the more consistent rumors we've seen is that Apple plans on making the 20th anniversary nearly all-glass, starting with the display.

AppleTrack alleges that Apple has codenamed the next iPhone "Glasswing" after a type of butterfly with see-through wings. Check out this blog on the Greta Oto from PBS for a picture of the transparent butterfly.

Simply, as we've seen before, the iPhone 20 will be bezel-less with a quad-curved display that is seamlessly attached to the glass and ceramic back panel.

Curvy

Continuing with the display, the curved design could come in two sizes: 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches. iPhones are already fairly round, but this new design could make them even curvier.

If you want an existing reference, Apple's own Watch Series 7 hints at how the iPhone 20 might look. There shouldn't be side bezels, and it should look all of a piece compared to the two-tone currently on the iPhone 17 Pro.

Sinking the island

Since the Dynamic Island was introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, there have been rumors that Apple is trying to reduce or remove the cutouts for the front-facing camera and Face ID.

Instead, Apple would replace it with under-display technology that conceals those features below the screen. It would also mean a smaller or even non-existent Dynamic Island

This is the most grain-of-salt rumor that keeps recurring. I'll believe this one when I actually see it.

Huge main camera

Currently, the iPhone 17 Pro features a lineup of 48 MP rear cameras, including the main, ultrawide and telephoto lenses. However, per AppleTrack, the iPhone 20 is going to make a massive leap to a 200MP sensor, at least for the main camera, which would match Samsung's Ultra Galaxy S series phones.

This does match rumors from earlier this year that Apple is testing out a 1/1.12-inch sensor to boost its cameras to 200MP. Though at the time it wasn't clear when this new camera would launch.

Image stabilization

Alongside a huge main camera, the ultrawide lens is supposed to get optical image stabilization. Basically, this makes recording videos smoother and less jittery.

The telephoto lens already features this tool, which helps, but you're more likely to use the ultrawide when recording video. So this should make movies even smoother.

New buttons

Clickable buttons may be a thing of the past with the iPhone 20. It's rumored that Apple will get rid of buttons for solid-state ones that provide haptic feedback. This is supposed to make the iPhone 20 more water-resistant.

Similar to the under-display rumors, haptic buttons have been rumored since at least 2022. We even reported on a patent for haptic buttons on the iPhone 20 last October.

In the case of the iPhone 20, it actually makes sense considering the all-glass design. I rate this one as more than likely if the display rumors are true.

No more speakers?

This rumor is wild and the first we've heard of it. Apparently, Apple might remove the speaker grill on the bottom of the iPhone 20.

Instead, Apple would use a "vibration technology" without the need for a speaker cutout. The vibrations would be responsible for the sound. Allegedly, this will debut with an OLED iPad mini that is supposed to launch later this year. I'm very curious about this one.

Better batteries

The final rumor surrounds power and battery. First, AppleTrack says Apple will be introducing reverse wireless charging with the iPhone 20, enabled by a new battery.

Since 2024, Chinese manufacturers like Oppo and Huawei have been introducing silicon carbon batteries in their phones, enabling larger capacity batteries to be inserted into the same space as current lithium-ion ones.

Rival Samsung finally made the leap to silicon carbon with the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra that were released this July. “We have been testing silicon batteries for quite some time. We’re looking at being very — I wouldn’t say conservative — but more taking it one step at a time," Samsung's executive VP of the Z Fold series, Jay Kim, told Tom's Guide in an interview.

Apple is known for being cautious with new technology, like waiting for a crease-free display to release its version of a foldable.

The iPhone 20 could finally be Apple's time to try the new battery technology out.

Price and release date

Apple probably won't change its usual September release window, so I expect we'll see the 20th-anniversary iPhone launch in September 2027. We should also see the iPhone Ultra 2.

As for price, the iPhone 20 likely won't be cheap. Apple just raised prices on everything but the iPhone. However, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will give us an idea of where things are trending heading next year.

We're expecting the iPhone 18 Pro models to be $200 more expensive. Currently, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, so the iPhone 18 Pro could cost $1,299. The 20th anniversary might go as high as $1,399 or $1,499 if trends continue.

We're still more than a year away from launch, so we have some time to twiddle our thumbs and ponder.

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There was a point a couple of years ago when you could make an argument that phones didn't need cases or screen protectors. Phone makers had been adopting more durable materials, titanium frames were all the rage, and display glass was reaching the point where it could hold up to everyday conditions rather well.

But those days are long gone, and given everything that's happening in the phone industry it's unlikely that they'll be coming back anytime soon. And my recent experience dropping a caseless iPhone 17 Pro Max proves it.

It happened yesterday afternoon while taking my son for a walk. I'd kept the iPhone 17 Pro Max in a pouch on his stroller alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — so they would be easily accessible to take photos with. Unfortunately, later on in the day, I didn't grab the iPhone tightly enough and, unable to catch it in time, it took a short tumble (maybe 4 feet) onto the asphalt below.

Had I been sensible, and put my iPhone in a case, things could have been different. I drop phones onto a variety of surfaces all the time, because I'm a clumsy fool, but those phones typically have some kind of protection. For some reason, I never afforded that same protection to the iPhone, and now that carelessness has come back to haunt me.

The damage is pretty minor, and nothing close to as catastrophic as it could have been had the circumstances been a little different. But I really should know better, and everyone out there should learn from my mistake.

A backwards step for durability

A lot of phone companies like to employ aluminum in their phones, and with good reason. It's lightweight, easy to work with, easily recycled and, perhaps most importantly, cheap. Apple was pretty quick to jump onto the stainless steel bandwagon with 2010's iPhone 4 before moving to a wrap-around steel band on iPhone X.

The main benefit of stainless steel is that it's considerably stronger than aluminum, though the exact difference varies depending on the specific alloy used. The downside to that strength is that steel is a lot heavier, so you're trading comfort for increased durability.

Apple's eventual switch to titanium on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max was designed to offer the best of both worlds, a light design that maintains the strength and durability of stainless steel. Unfortunately, Apple didn't stick to that change for very long, ditching titanium just two years later with the release of iPhone 17 series.

Various reasons were given for the change, most notably the fact that titanium has poor thermal conductivity and that led to reports of iPhones overheating. However, the fact that titanium is rather an expensive metal can't be ignored either. This factor also means that Apple is unlikely to return to titanium on the majority of its phones — especially since RAMageddon has caused component prices to rise to unprecedented highs.

This means only the devices that really need titanium, like iPhone Air and (we assume) iPhone Ultra, are likely to get that metal in the near future.

But rather than switching back to stainless steel, Apple opted to use aluminum instead. Not just any aluminum, of course. According to Apple this is an "aerospace-grade 7000-series aluminum alloy" which supposedly exceeds industry standards for hardness.

While that sounds all well and good, it doesn't change the fact that aluminum is a softer metal — and it didn't take long for people to notice just how much damage it can pick up.

I knew about scratchgate and neglected to case up anyway

The first reports of what became known as "scratchgate" started happening within days of the iPhone 17 Pro being released. Users were reporting damage occurring to the back of their iPhone, particularly around the raised edges of the phone's protruding camera bar — also known as the forged plateau.

People were noticing that the anodized layer was getting damaged, exposing the silver aluminum underneath. Apple did respond, even going so far as to claim that some of the scratches weren't actually scratches at all and could be wiped away.

Some of us here at Tom's Guide experienced the issue first hand, to varying degrees, and even my iPhone 17 Pro Max had some minor scratches that came from everyday use. Now, though, it's collected a few dents and a scratch along the edge of the ultrawide camera lens. It's purely cosmetic damage, and doesn't actually affect the day-to-day workings of the phone, but I'm still kicking myself for letting it happen.

Because, let's be completely honest here, I could just have easily done some serious damage. All it would have taken is if the fall had been a little higher, or the phone had landed at a slightly different angle, and suddenly you have a busted phone or cracked screen that needs fixing ASAP.

Don't make the same mistake I did

Everyone out there should learn from my mistakes, and let this be a lesson in over-protectiveness. Your phone is an expensive device, and a split-second fumble could be the difference between it lasting through the day and needing an expensive out of warranty repair. I got lucky this time, but the next accidental drop may actually take out my iPhone 17 Pro Max — which is the absolute last thing I need to happen.

The fact that phone companies are looking for ways to help cut costs also means that durability is potentially one of the things that gets cut. We know this has happened to Pro-tier iPhones, but we've also seen other companies pull similar tricks. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is made of aluminum too, a downgrade from the titanium S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra of previous years.

This means protecting your phone is about to be even more important than ever. You don't need an expensive bulky shock-absorbing case that can survive a nuclear blast, but you should have something to help keep the thing safe from falls and other accidental damage.

Likewise, a screen protector is crucial to protect the most important part of the phone itself. Believe me, nothing is worse than having a phone that would be working perfectly well, if it weren't for the cracked screen making it totally unusable. I had to swap out my Sony Xperia Z3 because of this about a decade ago, simply because nobody could get the right parts to repair it.

Even Apple's Ceramic Shield 2, which is regarded as one of the best and strongest display glasses out there, isn't perfect. It's still glass, and glass will break under the right conditions. Once that happens, an official Apple screen repair is going to set you back $379 if you don't have AppleCare+, or $29 (plus the $140 annual fee) if you do. The cost of a semi-competent case and a screen protector is a fraction of that price — not to mention it saves you the hassle of getting the repair sorted.

That's a best case scenario in terms of major damage. Worst case is that your phone needs completely replacing. With iPhone 17 Pro Maxs starting at $1,199, and rumors that prices could rise by as much as $200 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, you do not want to face the prospect of paying it all a second time due to your own carelessness.

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The question of "when will the iPhone Ultra actually be released" still doesn't seem to have an answer. After some back and forth over whether the first Apple foldable will be released alongside iPhone 18 Pro, another report from DigiTimes suggests that the actual release date for the foldable still remains uncertain

At this point I don't know who I should believe, and the only thing I know is that I am so tired of hearing about if and when the foldable iPhone might arrive. Especially now that Samsung has just launched a new wave of foldables, including its own passport-style Galaxy Z Fold 8 that could rival Apple's foldable ambitions.

I just wish Apple would start hustling and release this thing, because it feels like everything even remotely new gets stuck in a perpetual state of "it might arrive this year."

The current deal with the iPhone Ultra

According to previous reports, iPhone Ultra mass production began earlier this month. The final assembly is reportedly being carried out by long-time Apple collaborator Foxconn, who DigiTimes's sources claim are "the only partner likely to have a realistic chance of meeting the expected production target."

It's unclear whether that production target means the full 10 million units Apple has reportedly ordered, or simply enough to satisfy demand during the initial release window.

Foxconn is apparently in the process of "final mass-production adjustments," which has led to even more speculation that the iPhone Ultra may be delayed after all. While it's widely assumed that the phone will be unveiled alongside iPhone 18 Pro at Apple's September event, the actual release date remains unknown.

Last we heard Apple's suppliers believed everything was still on track, and the iPhone Ultra was shaping up to release alongside iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. But any hypothetical issues could alter the release schedule depending on the severity of the problem.

Past reports suggested that the hinge structure and display durability could be the real sticking points — especially with Apple pushing to release an "exceptionally refined product."

While the foldable is expected to be very expensive, with a rumored starting price around $2,500, demand is still expected to be rather high. Prolonged issues would force Apple to push back the release, to try and ensure there is enough supply to match release-day demand.

So while there's no need to panic about this right now, this back-and-forth over the fate of the iPhone Ultra is really starting to get tiresome. to the point where I'm starting to resent the fact that Apple seems to have taken so long to actually release the phone.

Just release the thing already

Maybe it's just because September's iPhone launch event is coming up fairly soon, or maybe it's just because foldable iPhone rumors have been circulating for the better part of a decade. We're at the stage now when I'm sick and tired of hearing about it, and wish Apple would hurry up and get the iPhone Ultra out into the world.

I'd even settle for an announcement and confirmation that the Ultra will actually arrive a few months later than the iPhone 18 Pro. It happened with the iPhone X back in 2017, and I feel like the knowledge that a release date is confirmed would be quite comforting — and would certainly put the majority of these rumors to bed.

The crazy thing is that this problem isn't exclusive to the iPhone Ultra. It actually seems to happen to most major Apple releases, with rumors circulating multiple years before the final product ever gets released.

The most infamous example is the Apple Car, which was in development for a decade before Apple realized it had bitten off more than it could chew. Who knew that trying to develop a fully-autonomous car from nowhere wasn't going to work out? So the project was canceled, and some of the stuff Apple learned was rolled into its ongoing work with AI and Apple Intelligence.

A similar situation to the iPhone Ultra happened with Apple Vision Pro. Rumors of an Apple VR or mixed reality headset circulated for multiple years, and I distinctly remember a lot of rumors and speculation that Apple could reveal it at the next Apple event.

We've been seeing something similar happen with Apple Glasses and the long-awaited Siri-powered smart home hub. It's not Apple's problem that these things leak so early, and we've seen it make a concerted effort to plug leaks over the years, but it makes it feel as though these new products are being developed at a snail's pace.

Bottom line

I've always argued that Apple has been a little too particular about when it releases new products. It often feels as though the company has been so hell-bent on making the "perfect" product that it's willing to drag production out for an extended period of time as it attempts to chase an impossible dream.

The botched Apple Car development and the obsession over eliminating the display crease says to me that Apple has a problem with accepting when a new product is simply "good enough."

Others would argue that Apple was wise to wait, in an attempt to make the best foldable phone possible. Studying the market, working out the issues that can be fixed, them jumping in to knock Samsung off its throne.

Considering the foldable phone market is rather small, you could argue that Apple isn't really missing out by waiting and endeavoring to make the best foldable it can — even if it takes several years.

That doesn't make the constant talk of what may or may not be happening any less exhausting, though. It's at the point that I feel Apple should really have released the iPhone Ultra three or four years ago. So, the sooner it actually makes it to Apple Store shelves, the happier I will be.

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I've used Apple Notes for years. It's where I keep all my ideas, random thoughts and lists to stay organized. But like a lot of the Apple apps that come with the phone, I'd never really stopped to explore what it could do. So I decided to try something different. Instead of searching YouTube or scrolling through Reddit for tips, I asked ChatGPT one simple question:

"How can I make Apple Notes more useful in my everyday life?"

The suggestions were surprisingly practical. Rather than suggesting third-party tools, ChatGPT showed me how to unlock power features already sitting inside the app. Here are the eight changes that completely transformed my daily workflow.

1. Create a 'Dashboard' note instead of dozens of random notes

My biggest problem was finding notes after making them. What good was a brainstorm if the ideas were lost in my phone? To solve this, ChatGPT suggested building a single "Dashboard" note (essentially a Map of Content) using internal note links to connect everything I use regularly.

This brilliant trick put a halt to endlessly searching through hundreds of flat notes. Now I open one main note and use it as the control center. It turns Apple Notes into a personal wiki.

Mine now includes linked sections for:

Work & Projects

Story & Article Ideas

Family Reminders & Shared Lists

Travel Itineraries

Frequently Used Links & Resources

2. Pin the Notes you actually need

I’d ignored the Pin feature for years. Now, my Dashboard, weekly to-do list and active project notes stay permanently anchored to the top of the app. It saves more time than I expected because I’m no longer hunting through old entries several times a day.

3. Turn one giant note into collapsible sections

I tend to dump everything into giant, sprawling text files. ChatGPT suggested organizing long notes using "Headings" combined with collapsible sections. Now, for long-form brainstorming or article ideas, I can expand or hide categories as needed. It keeps huge notes organized and very easy to navigate.

4. Scan paper documents intead of taking photos

I used to snap blurry camera photos of physical documents. Not only did that clutter my photos, but the quality of the image just wasn't good. But Apple Notes has a built-in scanner that crops, flattens and sharpens paper into high-contrast PDFs.

I now scan warranty info, school forms, insurance paperwork and receipts directly into designated folders. They look cleaner, take up less storage and the text inside them is fully searchable.

5. Let ChatGPT organize messy brain dumps

This ended up being my favorite workflow. When I have messy, unorganized meeting notes or rapid-fire ideas, I copy the mess into ChatGPT and ask it to structure the information:

"Organize these notes into bulleted categories."

"Turn these raw thoughts into an prioritized action list."

"Summarize key takeaways and highlight unresolved questions."

Once ChatGPT cleans and formats the text, I paste the polished version back into Apple Notes. It gives me the speed of raw note-taking with the clarity of an organized system.

6. Build reusable Note templates

There are certain structures I use over and over. I now keep a dedicated folder of master templates for:

Packing Lists

Weekly Planning & Reviews

Meeting Agendas

Vacation Itineraries

Whenever I need one, I simply duplicate the template note instead of building it from scratch.

7. Use smart folders & tags to organize automatically

Instead of manually moving notes into nested subfolders, I started tagging entries with hashtags like #work, #recipes, #travel or #ideas.

Using Smart Folders, Apple Notes automatically pulls every tagged note into its corresponding hub. I can save a quick thought, slap a tag on it, and trust that it will route itself to the right place.

Bonus: trigger 'Quick Notes' and auto-templates with iOS Shortcuts

To take automation a step further, I paired Apple Notes with Apple’s native Shortcuts app and Quick Notes.

Quick Notes: Swiping up from the bottom-right corner of an iPad or tapping the Quick Note control in iPhone's Control Center opens an instant scratchpad without opening the main app.

Automated Templates: I set up a simple Shortcut on my home screen titled "New Weekly Plan." Clicking it automatically generates a fresh, pre-formatted Apple Note with the current date, ready for my weekly review.

My biggest takeaway

Before asking ChatGPT to help, I had pretty much given up on my notes app and resorted to just emailing myself everything. That has led to a whole slew of disorganization issues. I needed a solution and ChatGPT delivered!

I expected AI to suggest something like Notion or Obsidian. Instead, it showed me how to get 90% of those advanced workflows using tools Apple had provided all along.

The biggest improvement was getting my Apple Notes to a place where they are useful again, despite being full of ideas. ChatGPT helped me go from a digital sticky note graveyard to the backbone of my everyday organization.

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It appears likely that Apple is looking to make a big shift in how it treats leased iPhones and payment plans. The changes include a new Upgrade Program and leaked iOS 27 beta code that suggests Apple could restrict iPhones when customers skip payments.

Apple Upgrade Program

The code leak (from 9to5Mac) appears to coincide with a report from yesterday that Apple is planning to ditch the iPhone Upgrade Program in favor of one that lets you lease different Apple devices.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will partner with Klarna to finance the program, which would cover most iPhones, Macs, MacBooks, iPads and Apple Watches, save the entry-level models. The leases would run between 24 and 36 months depending on which device you get.

Like car leases, the Program would let you pay off your device or upgrade to a new model before the lease ends. At the end of the term, you could keep the device or return it.

iOS 27

With that in mind, according to 9to5Mac, iOS 27 contains code that reveals a "broader system for managing a financed iPhone." This system apparently includes the ability to restrict apps and service if a payment is missed.

There is something called App Managed Features which would authorize financing and perform status checks, presumably to ensure payments have been made.

If a payment is missed, the iPhone would be put in "Restricted Mode." This mode "blocks access to most apps." A small set of apps would remain available, including:

• Accessibility Reader
• App Store
• Health
• Magnifier
• Phone
• Clock
• Settings
• Wallet
• Passwords
• The Restricted Mode interface itself

Some apps like Messages and Home or safety apps might also remain accessible. Though it seems the financial provider has control over the exceptions.

Apparently, the number of missed payments that trigger Restricted Mode is up to the financial provider and their policies.

When could Restricted Mode arrive?

Apple is rumored to launch the new Apple Upgrade Program next week on July 28. However, 9to5Mac couldn't find references to the Restricted Mode in the current beta code or iOS 26.6 RC, which was released yesterday.

It's possible Apple could launch either feature later.

We'll know in less than a week whether or not Apple decides to actually launch its revised Upgrade Program.

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Apple’s Mac lineup will get a major overhaul starting later this year. That’s according to Bloomberg reporter and Apple tipster Mark Gurman, whose sources gave him a rundown of the upcoming Macs.

Things will kick off with a refreshed entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro featuring the new M6 chip, along with a new iMac that will also sport the yet-to-be-announced processor. Development of these Macs is reportedly complete, but they aren’t likely to ship until the fall.

The next biggest release should be higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks with OLED panels and a new design. These brand-new editions to the MacBook line will have M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Apple will reportedly release these MacBooks in late 2026 or early 2027.

New MacBook Air models are expected early in 2027. These 13- and 15-inch laptops will apparently resemble the current models, though Apple is reportedly developing an OLED model for 2028. There will be another MacBook Pro with a new design and packing an M7 chip sometime in 2027.

Additionally, Apple is working on a refreshed MacBook Neo. This model reportedly runs on the updated A19 Pro chip and more RAM. The report doesn’t say anything about pricing or when this laptop will launch.

Gurman’s report also says that a new iMac with an OLED screen is in the works, but won’t be released until later. Apple is also planning new Mac mini and Mac Studio models with refreshed chips. This includes the M5 Pro and M6 for the Mac mini, and the M5 Max and M5 Ultra for the Mac Studio.

Outlook

As always, take this report with a grain of salt, as Apple hasn’t made any official announcements about these Mac models. There’s certainly a lot to look forward to if all of this is accurate, though with the ongoing RAM crisis, it’s anyone’s guess when these computers will actually release and how much they’ll cost. As always, stay tuned for more as we hear further reports.

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• What you need to know about the rumored 'Apple Upgrade' program
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Apple is reportedly planning on ditching its long-running iPhone Upgrade plan for a new "leasing" program. The new "Apple Upgrade" program is allegedly going to launch at the end of the month.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new plan will be similar to how a car lease works with options to upgrade a new device early or keep or return the iPhone at the end of the lease.

One upside of the plan is that it will supposedly cover most Apple devices including iPhones, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models. Apple is allegedly partnering with Klarna, a digital banking platform based out of Sweden. You may be most familiar with Klarna and its "Pay Later" program, similar to offerings from PayPal and Affirm.

However, entry-level devices like the base model iPad, Apple Watch SE and MacBook Neo are reportedly not eligible for the new program. Additionally, Apple is not including AppleCare with the plan, unlike the iPhone Upgrade Program. Unfortunate since Apple just raised AppleCare subscription prices.

How the 'Apple Upgrade' program could work

Per Gurman, starting July 28 this Apple Upgrade program would replace the iPhone Upgrade plan with 24-month leases for iPhones and Apple Watches, and 36-month leases for iPads and Macs. Apparently, you will need to be approved via a soft credit check.

Current iPhone Upgrade subscribers can upgrade to the newest model, presuming they've kept up 12 months of payments. Gurman says you'll be able to upgrade to a new model earlier if you want, like a car lease. That would just extend the lease another two years.

Allegedly, Apple is planning to pitch the change as a way for customers to have lower payments versus current financing programs. Most customers, at least in the U.S., who don't purchase directly from Apple likely lock into contracts with the big three network carriers that offer "free" iPhones, but really it's subsidized into your bill over the contract period.

What it replaces

The iPhone Upgrade Program has existed since 2015 as a way for Apple-buyers to upgrade to the premium iPhone at a lower monthly cost than the upfront price. It is (or was) marketed as a first-party program directly through Apple.

Importantly, the iPhone Upgrade program let you get a new iPhone every year (after 12 installments) without being tied to one carrier. Apple also threw in its AppleCare+ warranty, which includes up to two years of hardware repairs, software support and up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage (subject to an additional service fee).

Beyond that, it means Apple is operating through a new partner, Klarna, instead of Citizens One in the U.S. and Barclays in the U.K. It mostly means that Apple continues not having to bear the risk of financing.

It's not clear from Gurman's report if current subscribers to the iPhone Upgrade Program will be pushed over to the new Apple Upgrade plan, especially with the lack of AppleCare.

Lease to own?

One of the fears surrounding the ongoing RAM crisis is that companies will force you to rent your computers instead owning them moving forward. This does feel like Apple attempting to build their version of that concept.

Earlier this year, comments made by Amazon's Jeff Bezos resurfaced when he claimed that computing wasn't going to be something rented off the grid. "That's not going to last. It makes no sense. You're going to buy compute off the grid. That's AWS," Bezos predicted.

In February, HP launched a laptop subscription service that lets you pay a monthly fee for an AI-powered PC that starts around $34.99 per month. We did the math and found that after three years, you'd be overpaying for the laptops.

Phones and laptops are expensive, with starting prices for a decent model starting around $700. For many, having that kind of scratch on hand can be tough, but a phone and laptop are nearly essential in today's world.

Plus, as we've repeatedly found with digital games, movies and ebooks, it means you don't own the product, which also means companies can take them away whenever they want.

The next big fight in tech between the little guy and big corporations may be over the right to own the things we pay for.

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The iPhone 18 Pro models are right around the corner, but September's models may be merely a stopgap until the 20th anniversary next year.

We're expecting big changes to come with the iPhone 20, and one of them may include an increased display size.

Regular Apple tipster Digital Chat Station (DCS) posted on Weibo that Apple is testing out a 7-inch display for the iPhone 20. Which, admittedly, is more of a step than a leap over the existing 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max, but it would still be the largest iPhone display to date.

"An exclusive and forward-looking information shows Apple is proofing a super-large screen with a physical size of 6.96 inches and a standard size of 7 inches," DCS wrote (machine translated).

In response to a comment, DCS claimed that the aspect ratio would be similar to the iPhone 17 Pro Max "making it comfortable to hold."

It's an interesting rumor with the caveat that we're more than a year away from the anniversary edition and Apple is known to test new features all the time, even if they don't make it into the next phone.

Borderless display

Notable Samsung leaker Ice Universe posted a similar rumor about the iPhone 20 yesterday, July 21. They suggested that Apple will achieve this larger size by decreasing the bezels on the display.

Both DCS and Ice Universe's posts seem to lend credence to previous rumors that Apple is working on a quad-curved screen for the 2027 iPhone. This means the iPhone 20 could have an all-glass design that wraps around the phone to the already glass and ceramic rear panel. The illusion will be that the iPhone 20 is completely made of glass.

A few more iPhone 20 rumors

With so much time in between and the iPhone 18 family likely just over a month away, we don't know much about the 20th anniversary iPhone beyond the recurring rumors of an all-glass design.

A few other tidbits have suggested that there may be two iPhone 20 models that would replace the Pro and Pro Max iterations. But it's not clear if that means the base models would also disappear.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has also reported that the iPhone 20 will run on a 2nm A21 chipset, meaning it will certainly be more efficient and more powerful than the current 3nm A series. We'll have to wait until we can test it ourselves to find just how powerful it is though.

Alongside the expanded display, rumors suggest Apple may ditch the cutout for the front camera and Face ID in favor of under-glass versions. To be clear, this rumor has been circulating for every iPhone going back to the iPhone 14, so take this one with a grain of salt.

Other rumors suggest we may see solid-state buttons with haptic feedback, a stronger version of Ceramic Shield and a 6,000 mAh battery.

In the meantime, you can check what's happening with this year's fall event by checking out our official hubs for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Ultra.

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• iOS 27 beta 4 is now here — all the newest features for your iPhone

Following the launch of the iOS 27 public beta early last week, the fourth iteration of the developer beta is now rolling out as well. Since the developer beta is slightly ahead of the public option, this means there are a bunch of new features coming to those of you that signed up.

This update isn't particularly extravagant — offering a few small upgrades and fixes rather than a bunch of new features. However, the changes are important quality of life updates, which should improve your overall iOS 27 experience — either as a beta tester or once the official version lands later this year.

Here's what's changed in iOS 27 beta 4.

New features in iOS 27 beta 4

Changes have come to Siri, with the most noticeable update being a new "splash screen" that appears when you summon the AI from either the Dynamic Island or your home screen. This features a little more information about the "All-New Siri" and gives a brief explainer for those users who may not be familiar with what the changes to Siri mean.

The recent apps menu in the pull-down menu has also been fixed with this new update, with the app options no longer appearing grayed out.

Siri's Expressive Voice feature has been drip feeding us updates over the course of multiple beta updates. Beta 3 added the ability to change the pace and expressiveness for two distinct voices. iOS 27 beta 4 adds new voices and an array of new English-language accents that you can choose from. However, the customization options are still limited to those original two American accents for the time being.

Siri's settings now include a feature to adjust the length of previews in the Siri app too. This lets you pick anywhere between zero lines of preview and five.

The Control Center now supports the AirPods Pro adaptive mode slider, which was introduced in iOS 27 beta 3. This means you can alter the level of ANC and transparency on your AirPods Pro 2, Pro 3 or AirPods 4 without necessarily having to go into the AirPods app first.

Apple TV app now includes a toggle that will set Apple TV to automatically download upcoming episodes of your favorite streaming shows. So long as the show is in your "Continue Watching" list, Apple TV will automatically download the next two episodes, and automatically delete old ones once you've finished watching.

Simply head to Settings > Apps > TV > Automatic Downloads. It's a quick process, and means it should be a lot harder to find yourself caught out with no new episodes to watch offline.

Other smaller inclusions include a new "Zoom Photos to Fill" toggle in Apple Photos, which automatically fits your photos to match your screen's aspect ratio. The camera app now has an option for ProRes log Format if ProRes is switched on, while Wi-Fi settings give you the choice to turn off Connectivity Assist for individual Wi-Fi networks.

Sadly Apple has also removed the wallpaper preview in the Notification Center, which lets you see a cutout of your wallpaper's subject as you're swiping down. It's unclear why, but I'd guess that it was probably a bug that wasn't supposed to be there.

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Watch out, MacBook Neo! The new Dell XPS 13 is here, and it could arguably be the best budget laptop available. With a starting price of $699, it packs many of the features you’d find in higher-end XPS laptops. Given the ongoing RAM crisis, this notebook is seriously worth considering for what it offers.

Unlike most budget Windows laptops, the XPS 13 has a CNC aluminum chassis built to the same standards as its more expensive XPS counterparts. Not only does it look great, but it’s also the thinnest XPS laptop ever. Toss in other features, such as a vivid 2.5K touch display, a backlit keyboard, and fast performance, and you have a winner.

I’ve spent 48 hours with the Dell XPS 13 and find that it lives up to the hype. To be clear, I tested the model with 16GB of RAM, which retails for $899. I’ll review the model with 8GB of RAM soon, but for now, here’s what I think of the new Dell XPS 13.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Specs