2026-04-14 22:20:13
Expercom has introduced new record low prices across the entire 2026 Studio Display XDR lineup this week, with up to $200 off these monitors. Expercom is a reliable Apple partner that sells both brand new and pre-owned Apple products at discounted prices.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Expercom. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In regards to the 2026 Studio Display XDR, these are all new models with deals that beat the current Amazon discounts by over $100 in some cases. Prices start at $2,749.00 for the Studio Display XDR with Standard Glass and VESA Mount Adapter, down from $2,899.00.
2026-04-14 21:57:51
A joint status report filed yesterday in Apple's trade secrets lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti shows Prosser is still failing to comply with discovery, prompting Apple to seek a court order to compel him.
The latest filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California yesterday, covers developments since the parties' last update in February 2026. It notes that Apple served Prosser with document and deposition subpoenas on February 3, and that while he has provided some responsive materials, he has failed to fully respond to certain requests and has not responded at all to others. Apple has extended his deadline multiple times and says it has still not received the limited discovery it needs to understand the full scope of what confidential information Prosser and Ramacciotti obtained and how they got it. Apple says it now intends to file a Motion for an Order to Show Cause in the Northern District of Ohio to force his compliance.
The filing also reveals that Prosser has indicated he is retaining counsel and intends to move to set aside the default judgment entered against him in October 2025, after he missed the court deadline to respond to Apple's complaint. At the time, Prosser told The Verge he had "been in active communications with Apple since the beginning stages of this case," a claim Apple subsequently disputed in court documents.
Apple filed the lawsuit in July 2025, accusing Prosser and Ramacciotti of misappropriating trade secrets by gaining unauthorized access to a development iPhone belonging to former Apple software engineer Ethan Lipnik. According to Apple's complaint, Ramacciotti accessed the device while Lipnik was away and showed Prosser the contents over FaceTime, revealing details about what was then called iOS 19 and later unveiled at WWDC 2025 as iOS 26. Prosser published videos on his YouTube channel showing recreated renderings of the software's Liquid Glass design months before Apple's announcement. Lipnik was terminated for failing to follow Apple's policies for securing development devices.
Ramacciotti's posture in the case stands in contrast to Prosser's. According to the filing, he has allowed Apple to forensically review an additional device, agreed to supplement his interrogatory responses, and offered to sit for a follow-up deposition once Apple completes its third-party discovery, including any deposition of Prosser. Apple and Ramacciotti have been informally discussing a potential settlement since at least October. Apple is seeking monetary damages and an injunction barring both defendants from further disclosing any of the company's confidential information.
The parties have scheduled a further status update with the court for June 10, 2026.
2026-04-14 21:41:39
Amazon this week has multiple discounts on the brand new M4 iPad Air, providing up to $100 off these brand new models.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Specifically, Amazon has up to $83 off the 11-inch M4 iPad Air and up to $100 off the 13-inch M4 iPad Air. All of these discounts have been automatically applied and do not require a coupon code or a Prime membership.
2026-04-14 20:42:03
A building permit filed in Zurich confirms Apple is planning a new retail store at Lintheschergasse 7, near the city's famous Bahnhofstrasse shopping street, with construction set to run through early 2027.
The permit, submitted to the city of Zurich in February and reviewed by Swiss Apple publication macprime, explicitly describes the project as a "Bahnhofstrasse Relocation" and includes Apple's internal designation "R159" for its Zurich store. The planned location sits at the corner of Lintheschergasse and Usteristrasse, adjacent to the Globus department store.
According to a person with knowledge of Apple's retail planning, the company's current Rennweg store was never intended as a permanent home. "The Rennweg store was planned as a temporary location, since the entrance has stairs and an elevator," the person told MacRumors. They said it was already an open secret when Apple left Bahnhofstrasse that the company was seeking a significantly larger space, and that a dedicated team was tasked with identifying possible buildings before the construction and planning department took over.
According to the permit documents, the ground floor, labeled "Sales," spans around 454 square meters, comparable to Apple's current Rennweg store. A first-floor space labeled "Backstage," likely office use, adds a further 521 square meters. Whether that upper floor will ultimately serve as retail space remains unclear. If both floors are used for sales, the total retail footprint would rank the store among the largest Apple locations in Europe, with Tagesanzeiger reporting an overall area of around 2,000 square meters. Estimated rent is around 1,500 Swiss francs per square meter per month.
The building at Lintheschergasse 7 is a listed municipal heritage structure, which limits how extensively the exterior can be altered. The permit describes a facade renovation covering the ground and first floors, including new metal panels in "Aluminium Champagne" between the shop windows and updated window frames, while the concrete pillar cladding matching the upper floors will remain unchanged. The works also involve a slight expansion of the ground-floor entrance area, eliminating a recessed corner entry in favor of a flush facade, adding 11 square meters and bringing the total building footprint to 965 square meters. A basement level will likely provide storage.
The construction timeline runs from early November 2026 to early May 2027, suggesting an opening sometime in summer 2027. Apple opened its first Zurich store on Bahnhofstrasse in May 2009, then relocated to Rennweg 43 in 2019. The planned Lintheschergasse location would mark the company's third Zurich address.
Separately, Apple is also planning a new Geneva store, with building permits there showing a dramatic glass facade design. Apple currently operates four retail stores in Switzerland, two in Zurich and one each in Basel and Geneva.
2026-04-14 20:31:40
Amazon and Globalstar have announced a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire the satellite operator. News of the deal puts to bed questions about the fate of Apple's exclusive satellite connectivity partner, and reveals how Apple will still benefit.
Alongside the acquisition, Amazon and Apple have signed a separate agreement for Amazon's Leo satellite network to power existing iPhone and Apple Watch satellite features, including Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite.
Amazon said it will continue supporting iPhone and Apple Watch models that use Globalstar's existing and upcoming low Earth orbit constellation, which is being built by MDA Space. Amazon also said it will work with Apple on future satellite services running on the expanded Leo network.
Amazon's acquisition deal, said to be worth $11.57 billion, is expected to close in 2027, subject to the usual regulatory approvals and the achievement of specific satellite deployment milestones by Globalstar.
"Apple and Amazon have a long and proven track record of working together through Amazon's core infrastructure services, and we look forward to building on that collaboration with Amazon Leo," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing.
"This ensures our users will continue to have access to the vital satellite features they have come to rely on, including Emergency SOS, Messages, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, so they can stay safe and connected while off the grid."
2026-04-14 19:38:20
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a two-phase rollout starting with the iPhone 18 series. That means the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Fold will be released in September 2026, followed by the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e in spring 2027.
Overall Design
iPhone 17 Pro Style
Rumors suggest the iPhone 18 Pro lineup will largely retain the same design as the iPhone 17 Pro models. The rear camera system will look identical to the current generation, featuring a raised "plateau" with three lenses arranged in a triangle. Display sizes are also expected to remain unchanged, with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max continuing to use 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch panels, respectively – the same dimensions introduced with the iPhone 16 Pro series. iPhone 18 Pro models could drop the current two-tone look of the rear casing found on the iPhone 17 Pro in favor of a more seamless aesthetic. For the next-generation models, Apple has apparently updated the back-glass "replacement process" to minimize the color difference between the Ceramic Shield 2 glass and the aluminum frame, resulting in a more unified appearance.
Next-Level Battery Life
Thicker Chassis
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, claims a Chinese leaker. The Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. (The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the biggest iPhone battery to date at 5,088 mAh. Apple says it has a battery life of up to 39 hours.) According to another rumor, the body of the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, raising the device's weight to around 243 grams. That would make the iPhone 18 Pro Max approximately 3 grams more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is currently the heaviest model Apple has produced. A larger battery is the most likely cause.
Smaller Dynamic Island
Under-Screen Face ID?
Rumors continue to circulate about whether the iPhone 18 Pro models will introduce under-display Face ID, but reports remain divided on when the technology will actually arrive. The feature would move the TrueDepth camera system beneath the display, eliminating the need for the current Dynamic Island cutout.
According to Wayne Ma of The Information, Apple is targeting a design without a Dynamic Island, replacing it with a single pinhole camera in the upper-left corner of the screen. However, other sources dispute that claim. Display analyst Ross Young believes under-display Face ID is possible for the iPhone 18 Pro, but says a smaller Dynamic Island will still be present. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has echoed this view, reporting that the new models will feature a slimmed-down Dynamic Island rather than removing it entirely. Apple is also said to be testing new camera miniaturization technology to reduce the size of the front-facing camera currently located within the Dynamic Island.
The Weibo leaker "Ice Universe" has claimed the Dynamic Island cutout on the iPhone 18 Pro models will be approximately 35% narrower than it is on the iPhone 17 Pro models. Specifically, they said it will have a width of around 13.5mm, down from around 20.7mm
Meanwhile, Chinese leaker Instant Digital has offered yet another version of events, saying the Dynamic Island will shrink in size, but that under-display Face ID and camera technology won't debut this year. The latest word on the subject is that Apple is weighing two options for the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island, and a final decision has yet to be made. One option apparently retains the existing screen mold from the iPhone 17 Pro, while the other introduces a significantly smaller "Mini Dynamic Island" enabled by moving the Face ID receiver and transmitter components beneath the display.
A20 Pro Chip
2nm Process
The iPhone 18 Pro models will use Apple's A20 chip, based on TSMC's 2nm process for power and efficiency improvements. A move to 2nm fabrication increases transistor density, which will enable higher performance. The A20 series is expected to deliver roughly a 15 percent speed gain and about 30 percent better efficiency compared with the A19 series used in Apple's iPhone 17 models.
Apple's A20 chip will be packaged with TSMC's Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology, suggesting at least some A20 chips will have RAM integrated directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine, rather than sitting adjacent to the chip and connected via a silicon interposer. This could contribute to faster performance for both overall tasks and Apple Intelligence, and longer battery life from improved power efficiency.
C2 Modem
Replacing Qualcomm
Apple plans to include its next-generation C2 modem in the iPhone 18 Pro models, according to supply chain analyst Jeff Pu. The chip will succeed the C1 modem, which debuted in the lower-cost iPhone 16e as Apple's first in-house cellular modem, and the C1X modem chip in the iPhone Air, which Apple says is up to 2× faster than the C1. The C2 is expected to bring faster speeds, improved power efficiency, and support for mmWave 5G in the United States – a feature missing from the C1 and C1X.
Apple's modem roadmap is part of a long-term strategy to reduce reliance on Qualcomm, which currently supplies 5G modems for the rest of the iPhone lineup. The company has been working on developing its own cellular chips for years, aiming for deeper integration and greater control over power management and performance.
New Camera Sensor
Samsung-Made
Samsung is working on a new three-layer stacked image sensor, reportedly intended for the iPhone 18. The sensor, referred to as PD-TR-Logic, integrates three layers of circuitry, which would improve camera responsiveness, reduce noise, and increase dynamic range. The leak comes from a source known as "Jukanlosreve," who claims the sensor is being developed specifically for Apple's 2026 iPhone lineup. Sony has long been Apple's sole image sensor supplier, so Samsung's entry would be a big shift in the iPhone's camera supply chain.
Variable Aperture
DSLR-Style
Apple intends to equip this year's iPhone 18 Pro models with a variable aperture lens, according to reports. Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station claims the main rear camera – what Apple calls the 48-megapixel Fusion camera – on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, which would be a first for the iPhone. A variable-aperture system physically adjusts the lens opening, letting more light in for low-light shots or narrowing the opening for brighter scenes and deeper depth of field.
The main cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro, 16 Pro, and 17 Pro all use a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, where the lens is permanently set to its widest setting. With a variable lens, the iPhone 18 Pro would allow users to manually shift the aperture, similar to on a DSLR camera. This would mean more control over depth of field, enabling sharper focus on subjects or smoother background blur. Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in November 2024 that Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models will get the feature.
5G Satellite Internet
Non-Terrestrial Data
According to a report by The Information, Apple plans to add support for 5G networks that operate via satellites rather than Earth-based towers as early as next year. This advancement would allow future iPhones to gain full internet connectivity through satellite, not just limited emergency features.
If Apple meets the 2026 target, the first devices to feature 5G satellite internet would likely be the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the long-rumored foldable iPhone. Apple partners with Globalstar for its iPhone satellite features, but there is currently no service that delivers full 5G satellite internet directly to a smartphone, and the report did not specify who would supply it.
Simplified Camera Control
New Design
Apple is reportedly working to simplify the Camera Control button's design on iPhone 18 models in order to reduce costs. The current Camera Control button on iPhone 17 models uses both capacitive and pressure sensors beneath a sapphire crystal surface. The capacitive layer detects touch gestures, while the force sensor recognizes different pressure levels for taps, presses, and swipes.
However, according to the Weibo-based account Instant Digital, Apple will remove the capacitive sensing layer and retain only pressure sensing recognition in the second iteration to achieve all Camera Control functions on the iPhone 18. The simplified version is not about reducing functionality in the button, but about saving money. The current solution is said to be very expensive for Apple and is generating costly after-sales repairs.
New Colors
Three in Testing
In February 2026, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is testing a deep red finish for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Rumors of purple and brown finishes have also circulated, but Gurman believes those are just variants of the same red idea. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max were previously available in Deep Purple, and Apple has never released an iPhone in a genuinely brown color. According to a Chinese leaker, Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models won't come in black this year. If the rumor is true, it will be the second consecutive year Apple has ditched what was arguably its most classic color option for the Pro lineup.
