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Apple Highlights Photos Shot on iPhone During NASA's Mission to Moon

2026-04-11 23:17:14

As we previously reported, astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft used the iPhone 17 Pro Max to take selfies of themselves with the Earth in the background during the Artemis II mission around the far side of the Moon last week.


Now that the crew members have safely returned to Earth, Apple's CEO Tim Cook and marketing chief Greg Joswiak have both turned to social media to congratulate them on their successful mission and highlight the iPhone's involvement.

"You captured the wonders of space and our planet beautifully, taking iPhone photography to new heights, and we're grateful you shared it with the world," wrote Cook. "Your work continues to inspire us all to think different. Welcome home!"

"Honored that NASA astronauts brought iPhone to space with them," said Joswiak. "One small step for iPhone. One giant leap for space selfies."

In February, NASA announced that the iPhone had been fully qualified for extended use in orbit, with reports indicating that each of the four crew members aboard the Orion were equipped with an iPhone 17 Pro Max for personal photos and videos.

The photos show Artemis II's Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Christina Koch looking back at Earth through one of the Orion's main cabin windows. Flickr data indicates that these photos were shot with the iPhone 17 Pro Max's front-facing camera on April 2, which was the second day of the mission.


Most other photos from the mission shared so far were captured with other cameras, such as the Nikon D5, Nikon Z 9, and GoPro HERO4 Black.


Artemis II was NASA's first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972. The crew reached the far side of the Moon on Monday, breaking the all-time record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans. However, the Orion does not have landing capabilities, so it was a flyby mission only. The spacecraft returned to Earth on Friday.
This article, "Apple Highlights Photos Shot on iPhone During NASA's Mission to Moon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Stops Accepting Orders for Some Mac Mini and Mac Studio Models

2026-04-11 22:35:28

As noted by 9to5Mac, some Mac mini and Mac Studio configurations are now completely out of stock on Apple's online store in the U.S. as of this writing.


Mac mini configurations with an upgraded 32GB or 64GB of RAM and Mac Studio configurations with an upgraded 128GB or 256GB of RAM are listed as "currently unavailable" on the storefront, meaning they can no longer be ordered at all.

Other configurations that remain available continue to face lengthy shipping delays, with estimated delivery timeframes ranging from one to three months.

Last month, Apple entirely removed the Mac Studio's 512GB of RAM option.

While the shipping delays have prompted speculation that Apple may be preparing to update the Mac mini and Mac Studio with M5 chips, the delays are likely the result of a severe global memory chip shortage driven by surging demand from companies building AI servers that require large amounts of RAM. After all, the Mac mini and Mac Studio models that are "currently unavailable" are those configured with higher amounts of RAM.

In addition, the current delivery timeframes are extraordinarily long, which makes it harder to determine if this is the usual sign of an upcoming refresh.

Memory chip prices are reportedly starting to stabilize or slightly decrease, but prices still remain well above historical averages, so Mac mini and Mac Studio shipping estimates might not meaningfully improve any time soon.

It is still possible that the Mac mini and Mac Studio will be updated soon, even if it is purely coincidental. However, our best guess is that Apple will announce Mac Studio models with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips at WWDC in June and update the Mac mini with M5 and M5 Pro chips at some point in September or October this year.

This article, "Apple Stops Accepting Orders for Some Mac Mini and Mac Studio Models" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The Latest Foldable iPhone Rumors: What's Changed and What We Know Now

2026-04-11 05:57:17

Rumors about Apple's first foldable iPhone are picking up now that the device has entered a new testing stage that precedes mass production. If you've been having trouble keeping up with what's new, we've recapped the latest iPhone Fold rumors that have come out over the last few weeks.

Naming

One rumor claims Apple will call its foldable iPhone the "iPhone Ultra," which doesn't seem out of the question. We've been referring to it as the ‌iPhone Fold‌ during the rumor cycle, but it's unlikely Apple will actually use that name.

Samsung already has the Galaxy Fold, and that would be too similar for Apple's tastes. Apple already uses the Ultra naming for the Apple Watch and for the version of CarPlay that more deeply integrates with in-car systems.

Given the $2,000+ pricing of the foldable iPhone, "Ultra" could make sense.

Design

We've heard plenty of rumors about the ‌iPhone Fold‌'s design, but the first alleged dummy models came out this week. We don't know if these are reflective of the ‌iPhone Fold‌'s actual design, but it has all of the design features that have been rumored, and the right sizing.



The foldable iPhone will have a ~5.5-inch display when closed, making it Apple's smallest current-generation iPhone. When open, it will be around 7.8 inches, so about a half-inch smaller than the iPad mini. It will have a wider 4:3 aspect ratio like an iPad, which is a design that will set it apart from other foldable smartphones on the market. Most foldable smartphones are taller, but Apple is going in a different direction.

There is a raised camera bump that does not span across the entire back of the device, which is expected. It has a two-lens camera system, and a thin chassis. Rumors suggest the ‌iPhone Fold‌ will be as thin as 4.5mm when open, which limits space for the camera. It's so thin that Apple won't be able to use the TrueDepth camera system, and it's going to have Touch ID instead of Face ID.

Release Timing

We've heard a lot of back and forth rumors on release timing over the last two weeks. Some rumors have suggested the ‌iPhone Fold‌ will be delayed past September because of late stage production issues, while others suggest it's on time for a September launch.

In March, a Barclays analyst suggested the ‌iPhone Fold‌ could be introduced in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, but launch later, perhaps as late as December.

Japanese site Nikkei said this week that Apple is running into so many issues that the ‌iPhone Fold‌ might be pushed until 2027, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the report is "off base." Gurman believes the ‌iPhone Fold‌ will be available for sale "around the same time" or "soon after" the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models.

If the ‌iPhone Fold‌ does launch in September alongside the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models, it's likely it will be in short supply. Reports agree that the device is complex and manufacturing isn't smooth sailing. In December, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said production challenges could cause supply shortages into 2027.

Pricing

Apple's foldable iPhone will "cross the $2,000 threshold," according to Gurman. It is not clear if $2,000 will be the starting price point, or if it will come with a lower price tag but have some higher-end configurations that exceed $2,000.

Most rumors have suggested that the ‌iPhone Fold‌ will start around $2,000, though there have been outliers that put the starting price upwards of $2,300.

Read More

There are plenty of other rumors about the foldable iPhone, including details about Apple's work on the hinge, the materials it'll be made of, what camera technology it will use, and more. We have a full iPhone Fold roundup with all of the rumors we've heard so far.
This article, "The Latest Foldable iPhone Rumors: What's Changed and What We Know Now" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Halfbrick Launches Free 'Jetpack Joyride Racing' Game With Multiplayer Support For Up to Six Players

2026-04-11 02:35:29

Mobile game developer Halfbrick today launched a new iOS game in its popular Jetpack Joyride series. Jetpack Joyride Racing is a multiplayer racing game that supports up to six players for real-time racing competitions.

Players can take on the role of Barry Steakfries, Dan, Josie, Professor Brains, Robo Barry, and more, with four circuits and a zone system that changes gameplay on the fly. Purple zones slow you down, red zones cut your engine, and green zones speed you up.

Races feature items to collect for boosts, drift mechanics, and different tactical designs to master in each level. In addition to the competitive racing mode with support for Discord voice chat, players can also team up with friends for collaborative gameplay in Party Mode. The game has easy-to-learn controls, but it will take some time to master drifting and boosting to win.

Players can collect in-game cards for rewards, and the cards are part of the Halfbrick+ collectible card system. Cards unlock ships, characters, and cosmetic items, and will eventually integrate with other Halfbrick+ games similar to Nintendo's Amiibo. With Season Pass rewards, players can make their way through a progression system laden with prizes.

Jetpack Joyride Racing is free to download and play, with no ads included. The optional Halfbrick+ subscription provides access to other Halfbrick games like Fruit Ninja, plus it includes exclusive rewards, premium cosmetics, faster progression, and subscriber-only content. Halfbrick+ starts at $2.99 per month, but there is no need to subscribe to play Jetpack Joyride Racing.

Jetpack Joyride Racing can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
This article, "Halfbrick Launches Free 'Jetpack Joyride Racing' Game With Multiplayer Support For Up to Six Players" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone 17 and Astropad Fresh Coat Anti-Reflective Screen Protector

2026-04-11 01:50:30

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Astropad to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of Apple's iPhone 17 models and a Fresh Coat anti-reflective screen protector from Astropad to use with it.


Fresh Coat is a screen protector with an optical-grade anti-reflective coating to minimize glare and provide a better iPhone viewing experience. The technology reduces reflections by 75 percent, while improving contrast and keeping colors vibrant. Unlike other anti-reflective screen protectors on the market, Fresh Coat adds no haze or distortion to the iPhone's display.


Priced at $30, Fresh Coat is made from a scratch-proof tempered glass that provides protection for the iPhone's display in addition to cutting down on glare and reflections. It's slim and doesn't add bulk to the iPhone even though there are five layers of protective technology at work. From the top down, there's an anti-reflective coating, an oleophobic and hydrophobic coating, a layer of tempered glass, a dust barrier, and an impact-resistant "airbag" bonding.


If you have an ‌iPhone 17‌, it already has an anti-reflective coating from Apple. What you probably don't know is that you can't use just any screen protector with the ‌iPhone 17‌. If you put a regular screen protector without an anti-reflective coating on, it nullifies the anti-reflective properties of that added coating.


Since Fresh Coat has its own anti-reflective coating, it improves on Apple's included anti-reflective layer, cutting glare even further. With Fresh Coat, the iPhone's screen is easy to see in any lighting conditions, there's less eye strain, and if you use Dark Mode, it looks even darker.


If you don't have an ‌iPhone 17‌, Fresh Coat can provide an iPhone 17-style display upgrade, mirroring Apple's own reflection-reducing display coating. Fresh Coat is available for all ‌iPhone 17‌ models, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.


Astropad designed an installation process that's impossible to mess up, so you get perfect alignment on your iPhone without the hassle that comes with most screen protectors.

We have an ‌iPhone 17‌ and a Fresh Coat screen protector for one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (April 10) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on April 17. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after April 17 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
This article, "MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone 17 and Astropad Fresh Coat Anti-Reflective Screen Protector" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The MacRumors Show: Apple's Foldable iPhone 'Ultra'

2026-04-11 00:15:29

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss all of the rumors surrounding Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, now said to be called the "iPhone Ultra," which is shaping up to be a comprehensive redesign unlike anything the company has shipped before.

The ‌iPhone Ultra‌ is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max this fall, though reports suggest it will ship after the Pro models, potentially as late as December. Pricing is expected to start at over $2,000, making it the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold.

The device will have a book-style, passport-shaped design with a 4:3 aspect ratio, wider than it is tall and unlike any foldable currently on the market. When closed, it will have a 5.5-inch outer display; when open, a 7.8-inch inner OLED panel takes over, making it just slightly smaller than the 8.3-inch iPad mini. According to design leaks from Instant Digital, the device will measure just 4.5mm thick when unfolded, which would make it Apple's thinnest iPhone to date. The outer frame is said to be made of titanium for durability at that thinness, while the inner frame uses aluminum. The back features a glass finish with a shorter, iPhone Air-style camera plateau housing two horizontally arranged rear cameras.

The same leak revealed that volume buttons are relocated to the top edge of the device, aligned to the right. The inner display features a single punch-hole cutout resulting in a smaller Dynamic Island, while a Touch ID power button and Camera Control remain on the right edge. Reports indicate the ‌iPhone Ultra‌ will support iPad-style multitasking and layouts for running apps side by side when unfolded, befitting its iPad mini-sized inner display. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has described it as the "most significant overhaul in the iPhone's history."

Achieving that ultra-thin form factor comes with tradeoffs, and the ‌iPhone Ultra‌ will be missing several features that iPhone users have come to expect, in some ways echoing the compromises Apple made with the iPhone Air. The ‌iPhone Air‌ went without stereo speakers, a SIM card slot, and multiple rear cameras to achieve its 5.6mm frame; the ‌iPhone Ultra‌ faces similar constraints at an even more demanding 4.5mm. The ultra-thin chassis leaves no room for a triple-lens camera setup, so the telephoto lens found on iPhone Pro models is absent, leaving just a dual 48-megapixel rear system. More significantly, there is no space for the TrueDepth sensor array required for Face ID, meaning the ‌iPhone Ultra‌ will rely on a side-button ‌Touch ID‌ module instead.

Under the hood, the ‌iPhone Ultra‌ is expected to feature Apple's A20 chip paired with 12GB of RAM. Storage options are said to include 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, while color options could simply be black and white. Battery capacity is reportedly in the 5,400mAh to 5,800mAh range, which would put it among the largest ever in an iPhone despite its slim dimensions.

The scale of Apple's production ambitions for the ‌iPhone Ultra‌ has already been tempered by manufacturing realities. Kuo initially indicated Apple placed orders for 15 to 20 million total foldable iPhones, though he noted demand would likely be limited due to the device's cost. By December, Kuo warned that early-stage yield and ramp-up challenges could mean smooth shipments may not occur until 2027, with potential shortages lasting through at least the end of 2026.

The high asking price is expected to be a further constraint on volume: IDC projects the device will capture over 22% unit share of the foldables market in its first year, but that market remains a niche segment overall. The ‌iPhone Air‌'s underwhelming sales performance, with Kuo reporting suppliers cut production capacity by more than 80% after demand fell short of expectations, may serve as a cautionary tale for premium iPhone form-factor experiments.

The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or other podcast apps. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your player.



If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about everything the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ will feature, according to the latest rumors.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also email us at [email protected] or head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Apple's Foldable iPhone 'Ultra'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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