The next iPhone launch is also just two months away now, and we’re continuing to hear rumors about what to expect from the next-generation models, while we’ve heard more this week about a rumored iPhone SE 4 and an upcoming external Mac monitor that could double as a smart home display.

Finally, Meta this week launched its Twitter competitor known as Threads, and it’s seen rapid uptake thanks to its integration with Instagram. Read on for all the details on this week’s biggest stories!

Everything New in iOS 17 Beta 3

Apple this week seeded the third beta of iOS 17 to developers for testing. The latest beta includes a few smaller changes for the iPhone, so be sure to check out our recap of everything new.

The first public beta of iOS 17 will be available later this month, according to Apple, and the software update will be released for all users with an iPhone XS and newer in September. Read our in-depth iOS 17 roundup to learn more about the update and new features.

Apple also released the third developer betas of iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17 this week.

iPhone 15 Pro Expected to Come in Blue

The iPhone 15 Pro models set to be introduced this September will be available in a unique dark blue color that has a gray tone, according to leaker Unknownz21.

Available in a new titanium material, the blue shade will have a brushed finish that is unlike the stainless steel Apple has used in the past. The color is similar to the blue Apple used for the iPhone 12 Pro models, but it appears to be darker and with more gray to better complement the titanium finish. Check out our article for renderings we created to demonstrate the new color.

iPhone 15 Pro Max Predicted to Be More Expensive Than Previous Model

The high-end iPhone 15 Pro Max will be more expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which starts at $1,099, according to tech analyst Jeff Pu.

One reason the Pro Max might be more expensive this year is the device’s rumored periscope lens, which is expected to enable up to 5-6x optical zoom, compared to the current limit of 3x. The regular 15 Pro is not expected to have a periscope lens.

Meta’s Twitter Alternative ‘Threads’ Now Available

Facebook’s parent company Meta this week launched a new iPhone app called Threads that competes with Twitter. Thanks to Instagram integration, the app amassed over 30 million users as of Thursday morning, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

MacRumors is on Threads, as are several of our staff members, so be sure to follow us to keep up with the latest Apple news and rumors.

Apple Reportedly Working on Mac Monitor That Becomes a Smart Home Display When Idle

Apple is working on a new external monitor for Macs that also functions as a smart home display while not in use, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple is developing multiple new monitor offerings, some of which are likely to be successors to its Studio Display and Pro Display XDR, and one that could have smart standby features powered by an onboard iOS chip.

iPhone SE 4: Here’s What the Latest Rumors Say

Rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE have been circulating since just months after the current model launched in 2022. This week, we recapped rumors about the device and potential launch timing.

The latest word about the fourth-generation iPhone SE comes from UBI Research analyst Dae-Jeong Yoon, who this week said that mass production of the device has been delayed until some point in 2025.

Top Five New Features in iPadOS 17

While iPadOS 17 has adopted almost all of the features that are available in iOS 17, there are also several additions designed specifically for the larger display of the iPad. In a recent video on our YouTube channel, we highlighted the best new features available for the ‌iPad‌ in the ‌iPadOS 17‌ update.

For more details about the update and new features, read our in-depth iPadOS 17 roundup.

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: iOS 17 Beta 3, Meta Launches Twitter Rival, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is widely expected to expand OLED display technology to the iPad as soon as next year. A new report from researchers at Omdia, however, says that Apple’s to release MacBook Pros with OLED displays has been pushed to 2027 at the earliest.

more…

The post Rumor: First OLED iPad Pro on track for next year, MacBook Pro delayed appeared first on 9to5Mac.

The latest word comes from UBI Research analyst Dae-Jeong Yoon, who this week said that mass production of the fourth-generation iPhone SE has been delayed until 2025, according to Korean publication The Elec. Other sources agree the device will launch in 2025 at the earliest, including analysts Ming-Chi Kuo, Jeff Pu, and Blayne Curtis.

In April, Kuo claimed that the next iPhone SE would be equipped with an Apple-designed 5G modem and have a similar design as the standard iPhone 14, suggesting that the device would have a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, and flat edges. However, since the device’s launch has reportedly been pushed back, Apple’s plans could change.

Apple has reportedly been planning its own modem since at least 2018, and acquired the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business in 2019 to bolster these efforts. At this point, it is looking like the modem will not be ready until 2025 at the earliest, with all iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models expected to stick with Qualcomm modems.

The current iPhone SE was released in March 2022 and has a 4.7-inch LCD display, Touch ID, 5G, a 12-megapixel rear camera, and the A15 Bionic chip. Priced starting at $429 in the U.S., it is the most affordable iPhone model in Apple’s lineup.

This article, "iPhone SE 4: Here's What the Latest Rumors Say" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Previous iPhone SE models

The rumored iPhone SE 4 has been on, off, and back on again in various forms including as a not-for-sale engineering test. Now The Elec says that the low-cost iPhone is coming, but that it has been delayed.

Read more…

Information shared in April by display analyst Ross Young suggested that an Apple Watch Ultra with microLED display would launch in the second half of 2025 at the earliest, rather than late 2024 as was originally rumored.

Now, Trendforce believes it has been postponed for a second time and is unlikely to emerge before the first quarter of 2026, because of problems relating to high manufacturing costs which need to be solved before Apple can proceed to mass production.

Apple has reportedly invested more than $1 billion on in-house microLED development over the past decade to reduce its dependence on Samsung Display and tighten control over the supply of key components in the display panel sector.

The ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ is expected to be the first Apple device to adopt a microLED display. The current ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ uses standard OLED technology, whereas MicroLED offers many of the benefits of OLED along with some improvements.

Compared to LED displays, microLED is much more energy efficient and it would likely notably increase battery life on the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ and other devices that adopt the technology in the future. Unlike OLED, there’s much less risk of screen burn-in, and microLEDs have a longer potential lifetime.

MicroLED displays also provide contrast improvements and faster response times because of the pixel-level individual lights, plus the color is better and brighter. In a nutshell, it’s a next-generation technology superior to OLED and miniLED.

Apple is already testing microLED displays for the Apple Watch, and the displays are said to feature brighter, more vibrant colors and a look like content is “painted on top of the glass.” Apple is planning to bring the technology to the iPhone and other devices in the future.

As with all early rumors about devices that are a year or two or more out, they can be unreliable in terms of launch timing, as Apple often has to push back its release dates due to delays in design, component sourcing, manufacturing, and more.

This article, "MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra Now Rumored to Launch in 2026, Not 2025" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Vision Pro

Apple will of course not confirm any orders or volumes of manufacturing for any of its devices. But a previous report about Sony as an exclusive supplier of the Vision Pro’s screens said that company’s maximum was 900,000 displays in the first year.

Read more…

The Financial Times is reporting this morning that Apple has significantly cut its targets for Apple Vision Pro unit shipments. Down from an expected million units per year, Apple will now only make around 400,000 Vision Pro headsets in 2024.

This is due to manufacturing issues arising from the headset’s complex design. Plans for a more affordable second-generation headset have also been delayed, according to the report.

more…

The post Apple reportedly slashes Vision Pro headset shipment targets appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Construction work on TSMC’s Arizona chip plant, which is set to make chips for some older Apple devices, has run over budget and behind schedule – leading to plans to send over hundreds of additional workers from Taiwan to try to address the problems.

The news follows concerns about safety at the plant, after multiple accidents, and a claim that an active shooter drill was used to disguise the need to evacuate the plant after a gas leak …

more…

The post TSMC Arizona chip plant over budget and behind schedule; US workers blamed appeared first on 9to5Mac.