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Benjamin Mayo

bzamayo

Follow Benjamin on Threads to keep up with his latest projects. Benjamin blogs about Apple news and rumors and posts insightful product and app reviews. Read his work on 9to5Mac and his personal blog.

Benjamin Mayo also creates apps for iOS as a professional indie developer and contractor; more details here. Email to discuss making your iOS project.

on Twitter and follow @bzamayo on Threads.

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iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17e just got more expensive

With the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max now starting $100 more than their predecessors, Apple has also applied the price hike to the entire iPhone lineup, including the phones that didn’t change at all.

That means the base model iPhone 17 now starts at $899, up from $799. Similarly, the iPhone Air breaks into the four digit club, now priced at $1099 to start.

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iPhone 18 Pro can authenticate that your photo wasn’t edited with AI

Apple is introducing a new Reference Image feature as part of the new iPhone 18 Pro, which digitally authenticates that the image you took with the camera has not been altered later by AI. If edits have been made, users can see the ‘digital negative’ original and compare the differences.

This is Apple’s answer to the rise of synthetic AI-generated imagery. Reference Image ensures that people looking at your photos know if it reflects the true reality or not.

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New iPhone 18 Pro price rises perhaps not as bad as some feared

Apple has hiked priced across its range of products the past few months, but the iPhone has so far escaped unscathed. That is set to change today when Apple unveils its newest lineup of high-end iPhone models, including iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the brand new foldable device, the iPhone Duo.

But a late-breaking Bloomberg report indicates that the price increases may not be as bad as some feared. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will cost $100 more than the previous-generation, setting a new starting price of $1199.

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The new Apple Watch will use microphone and other sensors to generate AI recaps of your day

Apple will announce the new Apple Watch lineup later today, and Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has the early scoop. He reports that the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 will include a new AI feature that ambiently listens to the microphone, GPS, and uses other sensor data, to generate daily recaps of what you did, including conversation summaries.

Gurman says the feature does not store audio recordings, and can be controlled to run all day long, or only when at certain locations. and generated Recaps will be stored inside the new Siri app.

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Apple TV leads Emmys wins so far, with Widows Bay set for awards sweep

The prestigious television Emmy Awards began this weekend, with the winners announced for Creative Arts categories. The Primetime award ceremony is coming up on September 14th, which will include the big categories like Best Drama and Best Comedy.

So far, though, Apple will be very happy with the recognition it has gotten, with Apple TV leading the weekend with a record 20 wins. A lot of that success is attributable to the breakout comedy Widows Bay, which earned 8 wins, and is now looking likely to sweep up all the top prizes in the comedy categories.

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Apple leadership page updated as John Ternus becomes the new CEO

Today is September 1st, and Apple has officially handed over the reins of CEO from Tim Cook to John Ternus. This commences a new era with Ternus leading the company.

You can see the change reflected on the company’s newly-updated leadership page, with Ternus getting the CEO title and Cook moving to the Board of Directors section in his new role as Executive Chair.

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Apple TV acquires breakout British hit comedy for global streaming

Apple TV has picked up a new comedy series, Small Prophets, for its streaming service in an atypical fashion for the streamer. Rather than commission the project upfront, Apple has bought out the worldwide rights for the series a few months after the show debuted in the UK to record ratings.

Small Prophets was the biggest new scripted series launch for the BBC this year, and Apple will be hoping to replicate its success around the world. It streams on Apple TV starting October 7.

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Apple is automatically updating some Apple Watch apps for watchOS 27 compatibility

If you are a big Apple Watch app user on the beta this summer, you may have noticed that some number of existing apps do not launch on watchOS 27. Apple has identified the issue and is automatically updating the apps on the developer’s behalf to ensure compatibility.

These updates are being sent out through the App Store with a What’s New note that reads: ‘This app has been updated by Apple to prepare for watchOS 27 compatibility. No new features are included’.

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Apple TV just added a bunch of classic movies to stream for free

Marketed as a streaming service of originals, the Apple TV streaming service has been slowly growing its catalog of exclusive TV shows and movies. But Apple has just complemented its offering with a bunch of classic movies to stream with your subscription at no extra charge.

It’s currently not clear if this new initiative is intended to be permanent, or a limited time promotion. The service experimented with something similar a few years ago, but it didn’t last too long.

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The new iOS 27 beta further expands Siri voice customization options

iOS 27 beta 5 has further expanded the new Siri voice customization options. In earlier betas, the new Pace and Expressivity sliders were only available for the two newly-introduced Siri voices that have an American accent.

But now, the customization is available for any American voice, and all of the existing British accent voices as well …

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A new ceramic Apple Watch could go on sale soon

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote today that Apple is planning a return of the much-beloved ceramic Apple Watch. In fact, Gurman says a new ceramic Watch could go on sale as soon as this year.

The ceramic watch option was last offered in 2019 as the ‘Apple Watch Edition Series 5’, back when it still used the Edition branding for its more premium watches featuring higher-end materials.

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Apple considers round screens and more radical designs for future Apple Watch revamp

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman goes into some detail today about the future for the Apple Watch product line.

He suggests Apple is going back to the drawing board as the Watch faces stiffer competition from the likes of the Oura Ring and other screenless smart fitness devices. It seems Apple is preparing to revamp the concept of the Apple Watch from the ground up …

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OpenAI asks for Apple’s trade secrets lawsuit to be dismissed, says it was filed without ‘adequate investigation’

The ongoing Apple-OpenAI lawsuit of alleged trade secrets theft continues, with OpenAI today filing a motion to have the case dismissed by a federal judge. OpenAI said Apple’s complaint was “filed without adequate investigation” and framed “ordinary conduct” out of context.

Meanwhile, Apple is currently pressing for a preliminary injunction, which will be heard in court on October 1. The larger case could take years to resolve.

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Siri AI may require a paid subscription for heavy users

Siri AI

On Tim Cook’s final earnings call before formally resigning as Apple’s CEO, artificial intelligence was a hot topic of conversation. The investor community is interested in Siri AI’s potential to boost iPhone upgrades, and at the same time concerned about what it means for Apple’s rising capital expenditure costs.

Cook suggested that the financial outlook for Siri AI is still unclear, but did mention in passing that heavy users of Siri AI will be faced with an iCloud+ subscription paywall.

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iOS 27 includes smarter Find My location sharing for Apple Watch users

The Find My app is used by millions of people to find their misplaced devices in a pinch, and millions more use it to share their current location with close friends and family.

The iOS 27 software releases include a bevy of changes to enhance the Find My experience. Specifically, iPhone users who regularly go for a walk with just their Apple Watch will automatically benefit from smarter location sharing …

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Apple TV announces streaming date for its epic Neuromancer adaptation, new Dark Matter and Matchbox trailers

Apple TV prepared a slew of announcements for its main stage Hall H appearance at San Diego Comic Con this weekend. Leading the charge, its new sci-fi epic Neuromancer (based on the genre-defining William Gibson novel) has finally got a release date: the series will premiere on January 22.

The streamer also released new trailers for season 2 of Dark Matter and upcoming movie Matchbox. Watch them after the break …

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Apple Store launches 2026 Back to School offer: get up to $150 gift card with Mac or iPad purchase

Apple today launched its Back to School deal for 2026. Students can get a gift card worth up to $150 with the purchase of a MacBook Pro. $100 gift cards are available with the purchase of MacBook Air, iPad Pro, and iPad Air.

As is typical, you can usually save more money than the $150 gift card included in Apple’s promo by buying a new Mac from Amazon. However, it can still represent a reasonable deal for students who want to buy from the Apple Store directly.

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Apple developing new Apple Pencil models for release next year, possibly with replaceable batteries

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that Apple is developing a new lineup of Apple Pencil stylus accessories, set for launch next year alongside new iPad Pro models in spring 2027.

This would mean new generations of Apple Pencil (USB-C) and the wireless-charging Apple Pencil Pro. Bloomberg suggests that these new stylus could feature new battery systems, which would make them more easily user-replaceable in order to comply with upcoming EU regulation.

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