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watchOS 26 public beta lets you try smarter workouts with personality, new and improved Apple Watch apps

watchOS 26 public beta

Apple is now offering the first public beta of watchOS 26, the next major update for Apple Watch, ahead of its official fall release. While the biggest visual update may appear to be the limited Liquid Glass elements, the substance of watchOS 26 exists in how it integrates with Apple Intelligence for smarter workouts and more context-aware communication. After some hands-on time with the update, here’s what stands out so far.

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iOS 26 beta 4 changes, AppleCare One, and an M5 iPad Pro surprise

Benjamin and Chance talk about all the changes in iOS 26 beta 4, the strangely good deal that is the new AppleCare One package, and a surprising rumored detail about the upcoming M5 iPad Pro. 

And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo discuss the recent exodus from the AI group as motivation to work on Apple AI research wavers. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Deals: M2 Max Mac Studio $899 ($900 off), 24GB 13-inch M4 MacBook Air $160 off, iPhone 16 Pro, and more

Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break deals are starting off with a seriously rare Amazon deal on Apple’s 32GB M2 Max Mac Studio with the 30-Core GPU at $900 off the original list price. We then move over to the MacBook world with the 24GB 13-inch M4 Air now undercutting the Prime Day price at $160 off alongside the M4 Pro MacBook Pro at $240 off the price at Apple. Those offers join a host of MagSafe and charging accessory discounts alongside Amazon’s Renewed Premium 1TB iPhone 16 Pro at $489 off. Head below for a closer look. 

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Apple shows off new store in Osaka, Japan – with Apple Intelligence workshop

Apple shows off new store in Osaka, Japan – with Apple Intelligence workshops | Apple Umeda store frontage

We learned earlier this month that a new Apple store was coming to Osaka, Japan, and the company has today shared photos ahead of Saturday’s official opening. Accessibility is cited a key factor in the store design.

Apple says that the Today at Apple workshops offered there will include one on taking advantage of Apple Intelligence features …

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9to5Mac Daily: July 24, 2025 – tvOS 26 features, more

9to5mac daily podcast

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts appStitcherTuneInGoogle Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Bitwarden: Check out Bitwarden Password Manager, featuring a new Apple Watch authenticator integration, secure autofill on Safari and iOS apps, and enterprise-grade security tools that help you manage credentials with confidence.

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T-Mobile the fastest mobile network; AT&T best for broadband

T-Mobile the fastest mobile network; AT&T best for broadband | Speed-test graphic on orange background

Ookla’s latest speed-test report has found that T-Mobile is this year’s fastest mobile network, offering the speediest downloads overall, and the fastest 5G. For home broadband, AT&T Fiber took the crown.

Plans to boost broadband speeds have, however, been thrown into doubt by the Trump administration, which wants to abandon a target for every American to have gigabit speeds …

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Here’s what Apple Intelligence summarized news notifications look like on iOS 26

After launching notification summaries as one of the flagship features of Apple Intelligence, Apple disabled the feature for apps in the News and Entertainment categories in the iOS 18.3 update, following backlash from publications like the BBC about Apple Intelligence portraying its news headlines inaccurately.

Having been disabled entirely for these apps since mid-January, Apple announced this week the feature will return as part of iOS 26. Users running the developer have noticed that these notifications get a different visual treatment compared to normal notification summaries generated from other categories of apps.

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Qi2 25W wireless phone chargers are official, but caution still advised

Qi2 25W wireless phone chargers are official, but the caution still applies | Earlier Qi charger shown

Last week saw certification of the first next-gen wireless chargers, and the latest standard has now been officially launched, as Qi2 25W. The new name will help ensure we can see for sure that we’re buying the more powerful models.

The iPhone was the first to support the standard, with Android smartphones now following, but anyone planning to buy an iPhone 17 may want to hold off for now …

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Yet another automaker reaffirms no plans to support Apple’s CarPlay Ultra

Following a long delay, CarPlay Ultra launched a couple of months ago, delivering the much-anticipated tighter integration between the iPhone and car systems promised during WWDC 2022.

And while Apple had originally lined up several automakers to support the new experience, some have since backed away. Now, one holdout is doubling down on its decision to pass on the feature.

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Messages on iOS 26 will make it harder to fall for phishing scams

While even tech-savvy users can fall for elaborate phishing scams, most attacks are designed to target less technically inclined people.

With that in mind, the new Messages app in iOS 26 introduces (or better yet, removes) two things that could make a pretty big difference in keeping users safe, regardless of how familiar they may be with phishing tactics.

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