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9to5Mac Daily: April 20, 2026 – iOS 27 rumors, iPhone colors

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Deals: M5 Pro MacBook Pro $200 off, AirPods 4/Pro 3, M3 iPad Air and AirTag clearance from $14, more

Joining the ongoing AirPods Pro 3 deal, today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by Apple’s least expensive 2026 16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro hitting its best price ever at $200 off alongside the 24GB/1TB M5 MacBook Pro at its best price of the year ($240 off launch) and 1TB 15-inch M5 MacBook Air models at $150 off. All of those deals join clearance pricing on this 1TB M3 iPad Air cell model at $200 off and 4-pack of AirTags at one of the best prices to date ($14 each). Head below for a closer look.

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Apple Watch sleep score became more useful for me with these settings

Apple Watch includes a built-in sleep tracking feature. Just wear your Apple Watch to bed, and it works automatically. No need to install apps or enter a special mode.

watchOS 26 takes sleep tracking further with Apple’s sleep score feature. Sleep score is a great way to visualize the quality of your sleep from night to night. There’s one setting in particular that has made sleep score especially useful for me.

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The latest Huawei folding phone kind of previews the iPhone Ultra

The latest Huawei folding phone kind of previews the iPhone Ultra | Huawei Pura X Max 5G shown

Coincidence or not, the latest Android folding smartphones mirror the form factor we’re expecting from the iPhone Ultra (now believed to be Apple’s branding for what was previously referred to as the iPhone Fold).

The Oppo Find N6 last month gave us a look at something very similar to the creaseless display we’re expecting Apple to offer, and today an extensive unboxing and hands-on of the Huawei Pura X Max 5G provides a video look at a device with much the same format we’re expecting from the iPhone Ultra …

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Judge says White House can’t ‘strong-arm’ Apple into blocking ICE trackers

Judge blocks White House from 'strong-arming' Apple into blocking ICE trackers | Stock photo shows a shadowy figure representing the mob

A judge has ruled that the Trump administration should not have coerced Apple and Google into taking down apps which track the activity of ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

A preliminary injunction has been awarded, with the creators of ICE Sightings and Eyes Up told that they are likely to succeed in their argument that the government suppressed protected speech under the First Amendment …

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App Store ratings ‘broken’ as your 4-star review could hurt a developer

App Store ratings 'broken' as your 4-star review could hurt a developer | Photo shows star-shaped decorations

Developers are arguing that Apple’s App Store ratings are fundamentally broken in at least a couple of different ways – including the fact that your 4-star rating could do more harm than good.

They also highlight the conflict between users not wanting their app experience to be interrupted, while Apple effectively forces developers to nag you for a rating and review …

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Apple says it faces world’s largest antitrust fine as India’s regulator hardens stance

Apple says it faces world's largest antitrust fine as India's regulator hardens stance | Photo shows an Apple Card against a background of $100 bills

Apple has said that it could potentially be fined a massive $38 billion in an antitrust battle taking place in India after it refused to cooperate with the regulator. Yep, that’s billion with a B.

The iPhone maker has persistently refused to submit financial data required by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) after being found guilty of abusing its dominant position in the smartphone market …

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The demand for local AI could shape a new business model for Apple

To put it simply: Apple Silicon is impressively optimized for running local AI models. And the data is clear: people care about this. Mac Studios are widely sold out, and Mac minis are impossible to find. There’s a variety of reasons for this – like OpenClaw and other computer-use agents. But there’s also a group of people buying up high-end Macs with swaths of unified memory, which are incredible for running local LLMs.

While I’m sure Apple appreciates the additional hardware sales, I think they could push this even further – by entering a segment they’ve thus far ignored.

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iOS 27 could make it much easier to switch up your home screen layout: report

iOS 27 concept

WWDC26 is just under 2 months away, where Apple will unveil its next generation of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and so on. Rumors for iOS 27 have so far indicated that this year’s release will mostly be focused on stability, with limited new features beyond Apple finally delivering on its AI promises.

Even though iOS 27 won’t have anything major, there still will be a few light customization features – and one of them will let you quickly undo and redo changes on your home screen.

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Apple has already teased Siri’s new design coming in iOS 27

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that Apple’s WWDC26 artwork has already given us our first look at the new design for Siri coming as part of iOS 27. Apple’s voice assistant will finally be getting the revamp it deserves in iOS 27, with a bunch of new functionality and a new look.

Gurman says the new Siri design includes visual elements that resemble the glow effect seen in the WWDC26 poster art. It is reportedly most striking when the iPhone is used in dark mode, which is why the WWDC art used a black background.

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Apple’s major MacBook Pro overhaul is reportedly ‘slightly’ delayed due to supply chain shortages

Touchscreen MacBook Pro mockup

A lot of us are impatiently awaiting the next-generation of MacBook Pro, which is expected to feature a bevy of updates including a new OLED display with Dynamic Island cutout, a touch screen a la iPad and iPhone, and the more powerful M6 Pro and M6 Max chip.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is today reporting in his newsletter that Apple is facing some production issues due to the industry-wide memory shortages. Supply constraints mean that the MacBook Pro launch is slightly delayed, and possibly won’t arrive until early next year.

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New Mac Studio may not arrive until October

In the latest edition of Mark Gurman’s Bloomberg newsletter, he reports that the new generation of Mac Studio may not arrive until October. The current Mac Studio is offered in M3 Ultra and M4 Max configurations, albeit with long shipping delays and several models now completely out of stock.

A refresh is certainly due. However, supply chain constraints are apparently impacting Apple’s ability to deliver the (likely M5-powered) Mac Studio update. Gurman says that Apple had been aiming for a release around the middle of the year, but now that has been pushed back several months.

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Postponed Apple TV series ‘The Savant’ will finally be released this summer

The Jessica Chastain thriller series, The Savant, was originally set to air on Apple TV last September. However, the company decided to cancel the release at the eleventh hour. Star Jessica Chastain said she was ‘not aligned’ with Apple on the decision. As months passed, many doubted if the series would ever make it to air.

But finally, Chastain herself confirmed to Variety that “we’re going to see it”. Variety indicates that Apple is targeting a July release date, although that is not yet officially confirmed.

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MacBook Neo has a chip supply problem, here’s how Apple could fix it

Why Apple hasn't gone all-in on keyboard glyphs in the new MacBooks (MacBook Neo keyboard shown)

Apple has a chip problem. MacBook Neo is selling far better than the company had expected, and now it seems like there aren’t enough binned A18 Pro chips to keep the production run going for another 6-12 months before a new version is released.

Some have floated the idea of Apple axing the 256GB trim, and just using an unbinned A18 Pro chip in the 512GB trim. That’s certainly plausible. I do wonder though, how can Apple prevent this from happening with every forthcoming MacBook Neo?

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