According to new code uncovered in the iOS 27 Release Candidate, there will be a new way to redeem Apple gift cards by tapping them on the back of a compatible iPhone.

Apple's gift cards will have a security chip that the iPhone will scan to verify that the card is authentic and unspent, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. He said the redeem flow will have "this card has been blocked" or "cancelled" screens, seemingly to reduce attempted scams.
This article, "iOS 27 Will Let You Redeem Apple Gift Cards on the Back of Your iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple has been phasing out the SIM card tray on iPhones, with the latest models relying solely on eSIM technology in select countries.


According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max support eSIMs only in these countries and regions:

• Bahrain


• Canada


• Guam


• Japan


• Kuwait


• Mexico


• Oman


• Qatar


• Saudi Arabia


• United Arab Emirates


• United States


• U.S. Virgin Islands

iPhone 17 Pro models are eSIM-only in the same countries, so there is no change this year.

iPhone 18 Pro models continue to have a tray for a physical SIM card in all other countries around the world, including in the U.K. and the rest of Europe.

If you are unaware, an eSIM is essentially a digital version of a SIM card.

Apple says eSIM-only iPhone models are equipped with a larger battery that fills the space formerly occupied by the physical SIM card tray. Earlier today, we reported on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max battery capacities listed on EU regulatory labels, but note that these figures are for models that still have a SIM card tray.

Apple started phasing out SIM cards starting with the iPhone 14 series, in the U.S. only at first.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models sold in European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and elsewhere still have nano-SIM card trays alongside eSIM support. In China, the devices support one of the following combinations: two nano-SIM cards, one nano-SIM card and one eSIM, or two eSIMs.

iPhone Duo features an eSIM-only design worldwide.

When the iPhone 14 series launched in 2022, Apple promoted eSIMs as being more secure than physical SIM cards, as they cannot be removed from an iPhone that is lost or stolen. In addition, at least eight eSIMs can be managed on an iPhone at once, eliminating the need to obtain, carry, and swap SIM cards while traveling.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro is eSIM-Only in These Countries" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple has confirmed the battery capacities for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models that the company announced earlier today.


Apple is required to publish energy labels on its iPhone product pages in the EU, and they reveal the official mAh battery capacities for the devices.

Here are the battery capacities for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models that still have a SIM card tray, according to Apple:

• iPhone 18 Pro: 4,056 mAh (+1.7% vs. iPhone 17 Pro's 3,988 mAh)


• iPhone 18 Pro Max: 5,391 mAh (+11.7% vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max's 4,823 mAh)

Notably, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has received a much larger battery life increase than the iPhone 18 Pro did compared to the previous generation.

eSIM-only models of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be available in Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the U.S., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The devices have a SIM card tray in all other countries around the world, including in the U.K. and the rest of Europe.

eSIM-only iPhone models are equipped with a slightly larger battery that fills the space occupied by the physical SIM card tray.

eSIM-only battery capacities for the iPhone 18 Pro models have yet to be confirmed.
This article, "Apple Reveals iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max Battery Capacities" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

While the long-awaited foldable iPhone has often been referred to as the iPhone Ultra or the iPhone Fold in rumors, another name making the rounds is iPhone Duo.


There is no actual evidence that Apple will use the iPhone Duo name, but it is certainly a possibility. Apple has used Duo branding in the past, for its PowerBook Duo line of laptops in the 1990s and for its MagSafe Duo Charger in the early 2020s.

In this case, Duo would refer to the foldable iPhone's dual screens.

Microsoft released a dual-screen Android smartphone called the Surface Duo in 2020 that has since been discontinued, and Intel had its popular lines of Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors in the 2000s, so perhaps Apple will want to avoid using Duo branding due to that history. However, competing companies have devices with Ultra and Fold branding too, such as Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8.

In April, former Macworld reporter Filipe Espósito cited a source familiar with Apple's plans who said the foldable iPhone will be named iPhone Ultra. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said many Apple employees refer to the device as the iPhone Ultra within the company, but he has never firmly reported that it will be the official name.

Apple has used Ultra branding for the Apple Watch Ultra, CarPlay Ultra, and its M1 Ultra, M2 Ultra, M3 Ultra, and M5 Ultra chips.

Apple is expected to unveil its foldable iPhone during its event next week, so we will soon find out whether the device is named iPhone Ultra, iPhone Fold, iPhone Duo, or something else. Share your own guesses in the comments section.
This article, "iPhone Duo?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

As noted by MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci, TestFlight now shows recent betas by default again for all users.

In July, Apple updated TestFlight with a search field for quickly finding apps that you are beta testing, but some users started to see their apps presented in alphabetical order. It is not entirely clear if this was a bug or an intentional change, but many users did not like it, and TestFlight version 4.3.1 reverses course. The update with the fix is available in the App Store now. The search field remains.
This article, "Apple Just Fixed TestFlight" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple has been testing a new full-sized HomePod with Siri AI support, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Unfortunately, in his report outlining upcoming Apple products today, Gurman said the new full-sized HomePod "doesn't appear to be imminent," so do not expect the speaker to be updated soon. The current HomePod was unveiled in January 2023.
This article, "Apple Testing New HomePod With Siri AI" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple plans to release a special 20th-anniversary iPhone next year with the biggest design changes since the iPhone X, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Unveiled by Steve Jobs in 2007, the iPhone turns 20 next year. To mark the occasion, the report said Apple plans to release a 20th-anniversary iPhone with "curved glass around all corners and edges" and thinner bezels around the screen.

"It will be the biggest overhaul to what is now the iPhone Pro line since the iPhone X," the report said, but no further details were provided.

Released in 2017, the iPhone X was the first iPhone with Face ID. The removal of the Touch ID button allowed for the iPhone X's screen to extend more towards the edges of the device compared to previous models. It seems like the 20th-anniversary iPhone would go a step further than this by truly having the screen wrap around the corners and edges of the device, for a seemingly all-glass appearance.

Rumors about the 20th-anniversary iPhone have gone back and forth, but based on Gurman's latest reporting today, the device seems to be in the works still. However, it remains to be seen if Apple can fully achieve the ambitious design changes that are apparently in development, or if plans for the device will ultimately be scaled back.
This article, "iPhone 20 Rumored to Have Biggest Revamp Since iPhone X" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums