Featured: iOS 27 Beta 5, iPhone 18 Pro rumors and more

Apple is likely winding down work on the initial version of iOS 27 as it prepares to install the operating system on new iPhone models coming next month, but some changes are still in the works, as we saw with the fifth round of beta releases this week.

Other news and rumors this week included a glimpse of an alleged battery from the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max, third-party accessories revealing information about the foldable “iPhone Ultra”, and more, so read on below for all the details!

Featured

Everything new in iOS 27 beta 5

We’re just over a month away from the launch of iOS 27, and Apple continues to make changes. The fifth beta of ‌iOS 27‌ released to developers and public beta testers this week changes the appearance of some app icons and adjusts Liquid Glass, and adds smaller features that make the iPhone a little nicer to use.

Check out our full overview of all the changes in the latest beta.

iPhone 18 Pro Max’s biggest battery capacity reportedly revealed

The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a battery nearly 12% larger than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to an apparent leak.

A purported photo of a battery for a Chinese model of the iPhone 18 Pro Max with a SIM card tray lists a capacity of 5,391 mAh, compared to 4,823 mAh for the equivalent iPhone 17 Pro Max battery.

The iPhone 18 Pro would start with the same 256GB of storage as the iPhone 17 Pro, but one analyst firm estimates that memory price hikes and other increases will increase manufacturing costs for Apple’s new models by about 38%.

“iPhone Ultra” screen protectors reveal asymmetrical corners

The leaker known as “Ice Universe” shared images and a hands-on video of screen protectors for Apple’s purported “iPhone Ultra” this week, and the leak appears to confirm some of the most talked-about details about the foldable’s front-end design.

Notably, the leaked accessory features square corners on the side that would be next to the hinge and rounded corners on the opposite edge. This asymmetry aligns with months of rumors describing a foldable device with a hinge on one side, and the leak marks one of the clearest looks yet at how the proportions and shape carry over to the cover screen itself.

Third-party camera protectors for the iPhone Ultra may also indicate two expected color options for the device: silver and dark blue.

Apple Watch Rethink could see the launch of a round model, a screenless fitness tracker and more

Apple is reevaluating the Apple Watch line and considering a host of radical new designs, according to BloombergIt’s Mark Gurman.

In this week’s edition of his “Power On” newsletter, Gurman compared plans to evolve the Apple Watch to the “revolutionary design change” represented by the foldable iPhone. It will be “something that transforms the product for a new era”.

Apple’s industrial design team has reportedly been “exploring a broader redesign of its smartwatches” for some time, with several directions being evaluated, including offering a round display and even some screen-less fitness tracking products.

In the shorter term, a ceramic case option for the Apple Watch could return this year or next. Hardware has been missing from the Apple Watch lineup since the Series 5 was discontinued.

New MacBook Pro and refreshed iMacs expected to arrive in October

Apple is likely to unveil a new M6 MacBook Pro and refreshed iMacs in October, based on its usual release schedule, according to BloombergIt’s Mark Gurman.

Writing in the latest edition of his “Power On” newsletter, Gurman reiterated his belief that Apple is preparing to launch a refreshed base model of MacBook Pro with a 14-inch display powered by an M6 chip.

As for the iMacs, the new version will likely be an updated 24-inch model with an M5 chip or an M6 chip, replacing the existing M4 model. No major design changes are expected.

iPhone users who pay for enough iCloud storage get new iOS 27 benefits

If you’re subscribed to an iCloud+ plan with at least 2TB of storage, you’ll get new benefits in the Home app on iOS 27, according to Apple.

Starting with iOS 27, Apple said iPhone users subscribed to an iCloud+ plan with at least 2TB of storage have access to three new Apple Intelligence features in the Home app: generated video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video cameras, the ability to search for camera clips, and automatic highlighting of notable clips.

According to Stephen Robles, the Home app on the fifth developer beta of iOS 27 now shows how many HomeKit Secure Video cameras are eligible for generated video summaries. Robles told us it has a total of 8TB of iCloud+ storage (6TB plus 2TB of Apple One), making it eligible for video summaries for up to 15 cameras.

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