It turned out to be a big week for Apple news this week, as we not only got an official announcement about the upcoming iPhone event, but also several hardware announcements, including updated Mac mini and Mac Studio models.
Anticipation continues to build for Apple’s first foldable iPhone to be showcased at next month’s event, while subscribers to the Apple TV streaming service face another price increase, so read on below for all the details.
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Apple event announced for September 9: “Surprise and Shine”
Apple this week announced plans to hold its annual iPhone-focused event on Wednesday, September 9, at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The event will begin at 10 a.m. PT and select members of the media will be invited to attend.
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The September 2026 iPhone event carries the slogan “Surprise and Shine” and is expected to see Apple announce the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the foldable iPhone, which could be called the iPhone Ultra. There will be no iPhone 18 this year because Apple is waiting until spring 2027 to launch the most affordable models.
Apple announces new Mac Mini with M6 and M5 Pro chips and more
Apple this week announced the next-generation Mac mini, which can be configured with an all-new M6 chip or the M5 Pro chip launched earlier this year.
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The M6 chip features a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, compared to a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU in the M5 chip. Additionally, the M6 chip features the first-ever dual neural engine with two 16-core engines, compared to one in previous chips. The M6 chip has a memory bandwidth of up to 170 GB/s, compared to 153 GB/s for the M5 chip.
Apple said the Mac mini with the M6 chip delivers up to 40% faster processor performance, up to 4x faster performance for AI tasks in particular, up to 2x faster graphics performance, and up to 2x faster storage speeds compared to the previous generation model with the 10-core M4 chip, 32GB of unified memory, and 2TB of storage.
Apple unveils new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips
Alongside the updated Mac mini, Apple also announced new Mac Studio models featuring the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, the latter of which is the company’s most powerful chip ever.
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The new Mac Studio features a next-generation SSD architecture built on PCIe Gen 6 that Apple says is up to twice as fast as before. The machine also benefits from Thunderbolt 5 ports with bandwidth of up to 120 Gbps, as well as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for the first time via Apple’s N1 chip. The new Mac Studio also supports genlock over USB-C and can drive up to eight displays.
The M5 Ultra chip features up to a 36-core processor containing 12 super cores and 24 performance cores. It delivers up to 1.25x better single-threaded performance and up to 1.3x better multi-threaded performance than the previous generation Mac Studio M3 Ultra.
Apple launches new polishing cloth
Apple also updated one of its most memorable products in recent years this week, with a new version of its polishing cloth. It’s maybe just a little softer and thinner, and it’s priced at just $9, half the price of the original.
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Most of Apple’s Magic Keyboards for Mac also received updates for US English versions this week, replacing text labels on side keys such as tab, caps lock, edit, return, and more. by glyphs.
Gurman: iPhone Ultra impresses early testers, except for its camera
Apple’s upcoming foldable “iPhone Ultra” appeals to the few people who have had time with the device, even if the camera setup may leave some users wanting more, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
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In his latest “Power On” newsletter, Gurman says people who have used the device – which will be internally called the iPhone Ultra – like the way it fits in your pocket, as well as the feel and durability of its hinge mechanism. Testers also apparently praised the new iPad-like app layouts that take advantage of the larger internal screen when the phone is unfolded.
Beyond productivity, video and gaming, Gurman says Apple’s foldable device also works well as a camera viewfinder. However, the device does not have a telephoto lens, which could cost Apple some sales given the expected price.
Apple TV streaming service receives price increase
For the fourth time since its launch, Apple has increased the price of its Apple TV streaming service in the United States, increasing the monthly price by $2 and the annual price by $20 starting today. Due to the increase in the price of the Apple TV, the price of the Apple One Individual plan has also increased.
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- Apple TV (monthly): $14.99 per month (was $12.99 per month)
- Apple TV (annually): $119 per year (instead of $99 per year)
- Apple One (individual): $21.95 per month (was $19.95 per month)
Apple TV also received a price increase today in Brazil, Chile and Mexico, according to Apple, but no other countries are affected by this round of increases.
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