2026-05-01 22:34:47
A Weibo leaker today suggested that Apple's iPhone Air 2 may be the only next-generation ultra-thin flagship smartphone from a major brand, after the original model's poor sales performance appears to have led competing manufacturers to abandon plans for their own follow-up products.
The leaker known as "Digital Chat Station" today posted on Weibo, claiming that the iPhone Air barely surpassed 700,000 unit activations even after multiple rounds of price reductions. The post also noted that an unspecified domestic Chinese ultra-thin device managed only 50,000 activations, and that the rival's planned follow-up now looks "highly precarious" and is in all likelihood going to be scrapped. The leaker concluded that the iPhone Air 2 may end up as the sole ultra-thin flagship of the next generation.
The iPhone Air has struggled commercially since its September 2025 launch. A KeyBanc Capital Markets survey found "virtually no demand" for the device, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that suppliers had been asked to cut capacity by more than 80% between launch and early 2026, and the iPhone Air is now widely believed to be entirely out of production.
The device's poor reception has reverberated across the industry. Xiaomi reportedly planned a "true Air model" to rival Apple's offering, while Vivo targeted thinness within its mid-range S series. Both companies are said to have halted related projects. Samsung similarly cancelled the Galaxy S26 Edge after the Galaxy S25 Edge sold poorly.
Despite all of this, a separate leaker claimed last month that Apple will push ahead with at least two generations of the device regardless of sales performance. Reports are now aligned around a spring 2027 launch, with the delay attributed both to poor sales of the original and to Apple's new split launch strategy, which moves the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 to a spring window while reserving fall 2026 for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone. Reports from Nikkei Asia, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and The Information all point to an early 2027 release.
Apple is said to be significantly revising the iPhone Air 2 to address the main criticisms of the original. The Information reported that Apple is considering adding a second rear camera, likely an Ultra Wide lens to complement the existing 48-megapixel Fusion camera, along with lower pricing. Other rumored changes include reduced weight, vapor chamber cooling, and increased battery capacity. Apple is believed to have requested an ultra-thin Face ID module from suppliers to free up internal space for the additional camera. According to The Elec, Apple also plans to bring a thinner, brighter Samsung OLED technology called CoE (Color Filter on Encapsulation) to the iPhone Air 2, after debuting it first on the foldable iPhone.
2026-05-01 21:30:58
MacRumors is pleased to announce our Seventeenth Annual MacRumors Blood Drive, throughout the month of May 2026. Let's save lives together by encouraging donations of blood, platelets, and plasma, and signing up as bone marrow and organ donors. While most blood drives are specific to a geographic location, our blood drive is online and worldwide. Anyone can participate.
Over the past 16 years, MacRumors Blood Drives have recorded donations of 1,795 units of blood, platelets, and plasma, cheered for donors, and celebrated new signups for the bone marrow and organ donor registries. We've heard from hundreds of forum members who donate or whose lives were saved by the donations of strangers.
This year's featured donor is user m53rd. Not only is he a blood donor, registered as an organ donor, and registered as a bone marrow donor, but he's already been an organ donor, having donated a kidney and then 60% of his liver to people in need. It's a magnificent example how a single person can save many lives.
Whether you're a regular donor or someone overcoming apprehension to donate for the very first time, we welcome and congratulate you.
How to participate in the MacRumors Blood Drive
2026-05-01 06:39:20
Apple held its earnings call for the second fiscal quarter (first calendar quarter) of 2026 today after announcing its best March quarter ever. Apple saw revenue of $111.2 billion with double-digit growth across every geographic segment and across every product category. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Kevan Parekh provided insight into iPhone sales, Mac sales, RAM supply issues, and more.
We've rounded up the most interesting takeaways from the call.
As I have said, there is no one on this planet I trust more to lead Apple into the future than John Ternus. John is a brilliant engineer, a deep thinker, a person of remarkable character, and a born leader. I know he will push us to go further than we think is possible in order to deliver the greatest products and services for our users. I have been so proud to call him a colleague and a friend, and I will be even more proud to call him Apple's CEO.
As Tim mentioned, we have an incredible roadmap ahead. And while you're not going to get me to talk about the details of that roadmap, suffice it to say this is the most exciting time in my 25-year career at Apple to be building products and services.
There are so many opportunities before us, and I couldn't be more optimistic about what's to come. For now, let me simply say I am deeply grateful to Tim, to the executive team and to everyone at Apple, and I look forward to all of the important work ahead with that.
2026-05-01 05:59:58
During today's earnings call for the second fiscal quarter of 2026, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the Mac mini and Mac Studio could be hard to get for months to come.
"We think, looking forward, that the Mac mini and Mac Studio may take several months to reach supply demand balance," Cook said.
Apple underestimated demand for the Mac mini and the Mac Studio. "Both of these are amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools and the customer recognition of that is happening faster than what we had predicted, and so we saw higher than expected demand," Cook said.
Shipping delays for the Mac mini and the Mac Studio have been increasing over the last few months, and the waits for some models stretch into months. Apple stopped selling the Mac Studio with 512GB RAM entirely, and it stopped accepting orders for some models with higher amounts of RAM. As of last week, the base Mac mini was listed as "Currently Unavailable" from Apple's online store because it is out of stock.
2026-05-01 05:48:39
Apple had higher memory costs during the March quarter, and the impact is expected to get worse as the year goes on. Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple is expecting "significantly higher memory costs" in the June quarter, and beyond June, memory costs will "drive an increasing impact" on Apple's business.
Cook said the higher memory costs have been partially offset because the company is selling existing inventory that it has stockpiled. As those supplies dwindle, Apple's costs will go up.
According to Cook, Apple is going to look at a "range of options" and the company is "continuing to evaluate" the situation. Cook declined to provide more insight into how Apple plans to deal with the problem.
Memory costs have been soaring due to global supply constraints caused by AI server demand. Chip makers are prioritizing memory for AI servers rather than consumer devices, causing prices to go up.
This article, "Apple Expects 'Significantly Higher Memory Costs' in June Quarter and Beyond" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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2026-05-01 05:01:51
Apple's iPhone 17 models are its most popular iPhones to date, Apple CFO Kevan Parekh told the Financial Times. Both Parekh and Apple CEO Tim Cook attributed Apple's stellar Q2 2026 performance to iPhone sales.
"The iPhone 17 family is now the most popular line-up in our history... we believe we gained market share during the quarter," said Parekh. Cook told Reuters that iPhone demand was "off the charts," and that supply was constrained despite the impressive sales.
"And there's just a little less flexibility in the supply chain at the moment for getting more parts," Cook said. Apple's iPhone sales were held back by the A19 and A19 Pro chips that it gets from TSMC, as TSMC also manufactures AI chips.
Parekh said that memory had an "increasing impact" between the first and second quarters of 2026.
Issues with chip supply and increasing problems acquiring RAM could potentially have an impact on the iPhone 18 lineup that Apple is expected to introduce this September. The lineup will include Apple's first foldable iPhone.
The current iPhone 17 family includes the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17e, and iPhone Air.
