The Apple rumor mill never stops, and this week MacRumors was able to break the news of details on several upcoming products.


We're also still learning more about the just-released iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max plus the upcoming iPhone Duo, while this week saw the debut of new Beats 360 headphones and the start of claim acceptance for the class action lawsuit over Siri AI delays, so read on below for all of the details on these stories and more!

Top Stories

iPad Mini With A20 Pro, New HomePod Mini Colors, and New Apple TV 4K All Just Leaked

MacRumors this week leaked the next iPad mini, HomePod mini, and Apple TV 4K models, all of which are likely to be announced this October as part of another wave of product launches including an all-new operating system to accompany some of the new hardware.


The most notable iPad mini details revealed in the leaks include an A20 Pro chip, a new speaker design, and a landscape front camera, while images have revealed that the next HomePod mini will be available in new colors like green and pink. There is also evidence of an upcoming "Apple TV 4K (4th generation)" model, so it appears that a new Apple TV is finally coming soon after a four-year wait.

A separate Apple code leak has confirmed some rumored details for the 12th-generation iPad, although we're not expecting that to launch until early next year.

Siri AI Settlement Website Now Live: Apple to Pay Some iPhone Owners

In May, Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit over Siri AI's delayed launch, and the settlement website is now live.


Apple will pay an estimated $25 per eligible iPhone to eligible customers, who can submit a claim via the settlement website between September 21 and December 21 of this year. The exact payment may be higher or lower than $25 depending on the total number of valid claims submitted and other factors, with the maximum amount set at $95.

Apple denies all of the allegations made in the lawsuit, but agreed to the settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial.

iPhone 18 Pro Max Requires 'Prepare to Ship' Battery Drain Before Shipping

The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a single-cell battery capacity over 20 watt-hours, which means there are additional shipping requirements. If an ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max needs to be shipped somewhere, its maximum battery capacity has to be limited through firmware.


According to Apple, the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max uses an "innovative battery-firmware solution" that limits battery capacity to below 20Wh between when the iPhone is manufactured and its delivery to a customer. Activating the iPhone removes the limit to make the battery's full charging capacity available.

Customers who need to ship the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max for repair, trade-in, or other purposes have to use a new Prepare to Ship feature. Prepare to Ship discharges the battery to below 20Wh and sets a charge limit so the iPhone stays below the threshold during the shipping process.

Apple Exec Says 'Hold Us Accountable' on iPhone Duo Crease

Apple hardware engineering VP Tom Marieb recently spoke with TechRadar and shared some candid thoughts about Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo.


The ‌iPhone Duo‌ uses a matte nano-texture display, which is meant to cut down on glare and minimize the visibility of the crease. When asked if the ‌iPhone Duo‌'s crease would be more visible over time, as that's what tends to happen on other foldables, Marieb said the nano-texture display would help. He asked people to hold the company "accountable" on crease visibility.

Marieb also discussed the Duo's innovative hinge, the use of Ceramic Shield 2 on the front display, and more.

Beats 360 Deliver Customizability and a Revamped Over-Ear Headphone Design

After months of teases and leaks, Apple's Beats brand officially announced its new Beats 360 headphone this week. Priced at $349.99, Beats 360 represents a rethinking of the Beats over-ear headphone design, with an emphasis on sound quality, comfort, and customizability.


Beats 360 is not a replacement for the brand's Studio Pro over-ear headphone, as the Studio Pro will remain part of the Beats lineup at a reduced price point of $299.99, down from the previous $349.99. Compared to Studio Pro, Beats 360 features a completely new acoustic architecture that delivers up to 1.75× more active noise cancellation and a 12dB increase in output while maintaining clarity across all frequencies with low distortion.

Swappable ear and headband cushions let you customize your look by mixing and matching colors and materials, with Beats offering extra cushion kits at heavily discounted prices as part of a launch promo.

iPhone 20 Pro Display Sizes Leak Ahead of 2027 Launch

Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone lineup coming next year could feature slightly larger displays than the iPhone 18 Pro models, if a recent leak shared on Weibo is accurate.


Prolific Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station claims that early iPhone 20 Pro display specifications include a 6.41-inch screen with a resolution of approximately 2,686 × 1,236 pixels, while the iPhone 20 Pro Max is said to have a 6.96-inch display with a resolution of around 2,912 × 1,340 pixels.

For comparison, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max feature 6.27 inches (rounded to 6.3 inches) and 6.86 inches (rounded to 6.9 inches) respectively. Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max resolutions are 2,622 × 1,206 pixels and 2,868 × 1,320 pixels, respectively.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

This article, "Top Stories: Apple Leaks, Siri AI Settlement, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

After years of rumors, the highly anticipated foldable iPhone is almost here, but that's not all we're expecting to see at next week's big event, and we've got full coverage of expectations for the "Surprise and Shine" event.


Beyond the event, this week also saw John Ternus take over from Tim Cook as Apple CEO, while we learned a bit more about what's coming in iOS 27 and how Apple has been trying to respond to massive demand for its desktop Macs amid the surge in AI computing, so read on below for all of the details!

Top Stories

iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18 Pro, and More: Apple's September 9 Event Preview

Apple's September event will take place on Wednesday, September 9, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. At the event, Apple will announce its 2026 iPhone lineup, and this year is a big one. Along with the slab-style iPhones we've been using for years, Apple is going to debut its first foldable device. We'll also get new Apple Watches, a new set of AirPods, and possibly some other surprises.


Everything we expect to see at the "Surprise and Shine" event is recapped in our event guide and overview video, so make sure to check it out.

Read John Ternus' First Memo to Apple Employees as CEO

This week marked the end of an era, with Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO after 15 years and hardware engineering chief John Ternus taking over the reins. Cook will remain active with Apple as Executive Chair.


In his first memo to employees as CEO, Ternus thanked employees for a warm welcome, expressed thanks to Cook for his contributions to Apple and assisting with the transition, and shared excitement about the future including "a huge launch" next week.

iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders May Start at an Unusual Time

Following next Wednesday's event, pre-orders for the new iPhone hardware may start at an unusual time. Pre-orders for the new iPhone models typically start at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on the Friday immediately following the event, but this year that falls on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.


As it did back in 2015 when pre-orders would also have fallen on the 11th, Apple will reportedly push things back this year and begin accepting pre-orders at midnight Pacific Time on Saturday, September 12.

iOS 27 Introduces New 'iPhone Handoff' Feature

Back at WWDC in June, Apple made the briefest of mentions about iOS 27 offering the ability to share a phone number between devices, and now we know how that feature will work.


MacRumors forum member pdfu this week shared a video showing how users will set up the feature, dubbed iPhone Handoff, from the Cellular section of the Settings app. iPhone Handoff will require carrier support, with the user's main eSIM remaining on their primary phone and a companion eSIM being sent to another iPhone. Once activated, a single phone number will be used across both devices, with the phone number automatically switching back and forth to whichever device is unlocked at the moment.

Foldable iPhone Ultra Likely Has MagSafe Charging

In addition to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, next week's event will also see the long-awaited introduction of Apple's first foldable iPhone. The device will sacrifice a few features in order to enable its ultra-thin profile, and until recently it was thought that MagSafe charging might be one of those things.


In a recent interview with Tom's Guide, however, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says "all indications" point toward MagSafe support being included on the phone.

Apple Caught Off Guard by AI Demand for Mac Mini and Mac Studio

Apple's unusually timed announcement of new Mac mini and Mac Studio models last week was driven by unexpectedly strong enterprise appetite for AI hardware, according to The Information. Apple normally releases new Mac models in the fall, closer to October or November, but Apple pulled Mac announcements ahead of the anticipated arrival of new iPhone models as it has sought to meet strong demand for its desktop Macs.


Apple highlighted the ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌'s shift toward business buyers back in June, with a "Business at the Park" event involving executives from major companies Ford, Disney, and Anthropic. The ‌Mac mini‌ was said to be the "darling" of the event.

A surge in demand for Mac hardware to run AI models has coincided with the global memory shortage, leaving many ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌ configurations out of stock for months and making the new models a priority to allow Apple to offer improved performance and higher production volumes.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, "Top Stories: 'Surprise and Shine' Apple Event Preview, John Ternus Takes Over, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums