The MacRumors Show

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the latest leaks and rumors surrounding the iPhone 18 Pro. 01:30 Tata Electronics data leak discussion02:49 iPhone 18 Pro's C2 modem: US.. vs. international09:57 Color-matched rear glass insert12:20 Variable aperture camera upgrade17:31 Apple's camera marketing and demo criticism20:59 iPhone 18 Pro price increase expectations27:55 Apple TV price hike reaction35:24 Micron, memory shortage, and supplier pricing41:18 New HomePod and Apple TV timing 43:56 iPhone 18 Pro's 5G satellite connectivity feature49:11 SIM vs. eSIM and carrier headachesTata Electronics, one of Apple's manufacturing partners in India, was hit by a ransomware attackthat resulted in more than 200,000 internal files being posted online, including component lists, supplier data, and images of ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ test units. The material was obtained illegally, and MacRumors has not seen the stolen files directly.Among the leak's more surprising details is that the C2 modem may be limited to international models, succeeding the C1 and C1X modems already used in the iPhone Air, iPhone 17e, and M5 iPad Pro. A bill of materials for the U.S. variant instead lists Qualcomm components, including the SDX80M and other parts associated with mmWave 5G, a feature Apple's C-series modems still lack. U.S. carriers have spent years building out mmWave networks, making it a harder feature to drop from the Pro lineup than it was from the ‌iPad Pro‌ or a rumored cellular MacBook.The leak also lined up with existing rumors of a more uniform rear finish than the iPhone 17 Pro's two-tone design and camera lenses that protrude further from the plateau. Separately, a leaked SIM tray offered another look at the rumored Dark Cherry color option, expected to join Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver as this year's lineup, with no black model.On the camera side, the rumored variable aperture main camera is this year's headline upgrade, though it's unclear how much of a real-world difference it will make compared to genuinely transformative jumps in past generations, like the 8x telephoto lens introduced on the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ or the and 48-megapixel sensor from the iPhone 14 Pro. Pricing looms over rumors about the device. Apple has now raised prices across much of its lineup, citing a global memory chip shortage driven largely by AI data center demand. The Apple TV and HomePod price hikes drew particular criticism, since both products are several years old with no accompanying hardware changes.Estimates for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ itself point to a starting price as high as $1,399, up from $1,099 for the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, an increase weighed against a modest RAM and battery bump, a smaller Dynamic Island, and a more capable N2 chip. A rumored 5G-via-satellite feature will likely offer limited access to specific services like Siri or Maps rather than full Safari browsing.Micron's chief business officer suggested that Apple's own aggressive supplier negotiating tactics may have contributed to the memory shortage now driving prices up industry-wideVisit https://www.storyblocks.com/mac for 15% off annual plans.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we continue unpacking WWDC 2026 and take a closer look at iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and Apple's other new software updates coming this fall.00:00 — Intro & beta check-in00:42 — OS compatibility cuts: watchOS, iOS, macOS, tvOS, iPadOS09:49 — Sponsor: Claude11:08 — Liquid Glass refinements & redesigned icons14:10 — Shortcuts with natural language16:34 — Sidebar icons, extra-large widgets & foldable iPhone hints18:43 — Siri's new design & dynamic island shape20:20 — Siri AI in practice: autocorrect, clarifications, and daily use25:57 — Third-party AI extensions & region availability30:03 — Apple Intelligence across apps: Messages, Image Playground, Genmoji, Passwords, nutrition39:35 — macOS Golden Gate & the keynote's new format44:39 — iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS, tvOS, and HomeKit hintsiOS 27 supports the same iPhones as iOS 26, including the iPhone 11 and second-generation iPhone SE, giving the update the widest device compatibility of any iOS release to date.macOS Golden Gate drops Intel Macs entirely, confirming the end of an era that Apple flagged a year earlier when it said macOS Tahoe would be the final release for pre-Apple silicon machines. Four models that ran Tahoe miss out: the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019), the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with four Thunderbolt 3 ports (2020), the 2020 iMac, and the 2019 Mac Pro. Golden Gate is also the last version with full Rosetta 2 support, meaning the translation layer that keeps Intel-built apps running on Apple silicon will disappear entirely after this release.iPadOS 27 raises its hardware floor to the A14 Bionic or M1 chip, cutting the fifth-generation iPad mini, the eighth-generation iPad, the third-generation iPad Air, the first-generation 11-inch iPad Pro, and the third-generation 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌.watchOS 27 makes the steepest cuts in Apple Watch history, dropping the Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, original Ultra, and second-generation SE in a single wave and effectively erasing three years of device support at once. The only models that remain compatible are the Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, Ultra 3, and SE 3.tvOS 27 drops two Apple TV models, the Apple TV HD from 2015 and the first-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K from 2017, leaving only the second- and third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K boxes supported.In ‌iOS 27‌, notifications now slide in from the left edge of the screen rather than dropping down from the top, and reaching Notification Centre requires swiping down from the top-left corner instead of the centre, freeing up that gesture for Siri. Other changes include colorful sidebar icons, real-time widget updates when an app is already open, extra-large Home Screen widgets, and web audio that no longer interrupts other system audio.The centerpiece of the update is Siri AI, which replaces Spotlight with a "Search or Ask" interface accessed by swiping down from the center of the display. ‌Siri‌ is designed to tone-match a user's own writing style when composing messages. Apple's pill-shaped ‌Siri‌ indicator is seemingly a hardware workaround for current Dynamic Island constraints, and a smaller ‌Dynamic Island‌ on the iPhone 18 Pro could allow the indicator to become a true circle. On the Apple Watch, ‌Siri‌ AI requires pairing with an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence. In the European Union, ‌Siri‌ AI is available on macOS and visionOS at launch but not on the iPhone or ‌iPad‌.‌Apple Intelligence‌ is also getting smarter Writing Tools and a composition assistant in Mail and Messages that adapts to how a user typically communicates with different contacts. Apple has overhauled Genmoji, adding a "Describe a change" interface for iterating on existing creations and the ability to start a new Genmoji from an existing emoji, a photo, or a person tagged in the user's photo library. Image Playground similarly adds support for multiple aspect ratios for wallpapers, Contact Posters, and social media images, alongside new photorealistic image generation.Visual Intelligence, meanwhile, gets a new primary entry point called ‌Siri‌ Mode, though holding down Camera Control still works as an alternative. The feature is expanding to the ‌iPad‌ and Mac, and now supports importing multiple calendar events from a single photo of a flyer, as well as importing contacts directly from a photographed business card.On the Mac, ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ extends toolbars and sidebars to the edges of the screen with a more consistent, tighter corner radius across windows. iPadOS 27 adds undo and redo for ‌Home Screen‌ edits, extra-large widgets in Today View, an optional persistent menu bar, and Visual Intelligence support for screenshots combined with Apple Pencil highlighting. Notes gains an Image Wand tool that generates photorealistic images from rough sketches, the ‌Siri‌ app gets a dedicated sidebar with full windowing support, and Shortcuts adds support for Magic Keyboard triggers.watchOS 27 drops the Walkie-Talkie app entirely, with the feature missing from both the app list and Control Center in the first developer beta, while adding new Smart Stack suggestions, more accurate step tracking, and a consolidated Find My app. visionOS 27 lets users activate ‌Siri‌ simply by looking at its on-screen bubble rather than requiring a button press, and adds a redesigned Control Center along with new curved windows. tvOS 27 brings a redesigned Podcasts app, Hi-Res Lossless audio support in Apple Music, and on-device processing for HomeKit Secure Video.Ready to tackle bigger problems? Get started with Claude today at — https://www.Claude.ai/mac

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's newly launched AirTag 2 and Apple Creator Studio.Earlier this week, Apple announced the second-generation ‌AirTag‌, marking the first major update to its item tracker since the product's introduction in 2021, with improvements focused on tracking range, audio output, and device support rather than changes to its physical design.The new ‌AirTag‌ uses a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip that extends Precision Finding range by up to 50%, adds support for Precision Finding on compatible Apple Watch models for the first time, and includes an upgraded Bluetooth specification designed to improve general tracking range. Apple also says the built-in speaker is up to 50% louder, making it easier to locate items in noisy environments.Externally, the ‌AirTag‌ remains visually similar to the original and continues to use a replaceable CR2032 coin battery with more than a year of battery life, while internally Apple has made a significant number of internal changes. The second-generation ‌AirTag‌ is priced the same as before at $29 for a single unit or $99 for a four-pack, is compatible with existing ‌AirTag‌ accessories, and requires devices running iOS 26.2.1 or later.Apple also launched Creator Studio, a new all-in-one subscription aimed at content creators. For $12.99 per month, or $129 per year, Creator Studio provides access to Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage, consolidating tools for video editing, music production, image editing, and live performance. The bundle replaces Apple's long-standing one-time purchase model for these apps with a subscription approach, while keeping standalone versions available for users who do not want access to the full package.Beyond bundling existing apps, Creator Studio introduces a set of AI-powered features that are exclusive to subscribers. These include transcript and visual search in Final Cut Pro, enhanced beat detection and new dynamic titles, AI-assisted session players and harmonic analysis in Logic Pro, and new design and warp tools in Pixelmator Pro, which is now available on iPad for the first time. The subscription also unlocks premium AI features in Apple's free productivity apps, including Keynote, Pages, and Numbers, with Freeform support coming later.Creator Studio is available now via the App Store, with a one-month free trial for all users and a three-month trial for customers who purchase a qualifying new Mac or ‌iPad‌. The subscription supports Family Sharing for up to six people, includes discounted pricing for students and educators.

On this year's first episode of The MacRumors Show, we take a look at CES 2026, Apple Creator Studio, and the confirmation that Google Gemini will power the next-generation version of Siri. Following ‌CES 2026‌, we talk through this year's tech showcase, which saw major announcements related to robotics, AI, and display technology, as well as plenty of new Apple accessories. We discuss some of our favorite products highlighted at the event, such as Strada and the Clicks Power Keyboard.Apple this week announced a new bundle called “Apple Creator Studio" that offers access to six creative apps, as well as exclusive AI features and content, as part of a single subscription. In the U.S., pricing is set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. Six apps are included with the subscription: Final Cut Pro on the Mac and iPad Logic Pro on the Mac and ‌iPad‌ Pixelmator Pro on the Mac and ‌iPad‌ Motion on the Mac Compressor on the Mac MainStage on the Mac For college students, Apple Creator Studio costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. If you set up Family Sharing, you can share an Apple Creator Studio subscription with up to five other family members with a linked Apple Account for free. Pixelmator Pro was previously only available on the Mac, but it is now coming to the iPad. Apple Creator Studio subscribers will receive access to exclusive AI features and premium content across not only the Final Cut Pro and Pixelmator Pro apps, but also the iWork apps Numbers, Pages, and Keynote, and the Freeform app later this year. Apple Creator Studio will be available through the App Store starting on Wednesday, January 28. Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage will each remain available for one-time purchase, and free versions of the Numbers, Pages, Keynote, and Freeform apps will continue to exist, but only Apple Creator Studio subscribers will receive access to some of the premium new AI features and content.In other news, Apple this week released a statement confirming that Google Gemini will power the next-generation version of ‌Siri‌ that is slated to launch later this year, as was widely rumored. After a considerable delay, the new capabilities will deliver better understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls.Apple's decision to lean on Google's artificial intelligence technology should result in the revamped ‌Siri‌ being more capable and advanced than it otherwise would have been, as Gemini's large language model is significantly larger than Apple's own model. Apple and Google added that Gemini will help power not only a more personalized version of Siri, but a range of future Apple Intelligence features.The next-generation version of ‌Siri‌ is expected to be introduced with iOS 26.4, which will likely be officially released to the public in March or April.Save more than fifty percent on term life insurance at https://www.selectquote.com/macrumors and get started today!