It was another jam-packed week of Apple news this week, with fresh rumors on the touchscreen "MacBook Ultra" and the foldable "iPhone Ultra," as well as Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone coming next year.
This week also saw more word that Apple is shifting focus away from the Vision Pro, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
Top Stories
Apple to Launch 'MacBook Ultra' With These Six New Features
While the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro were just updated with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips last month, bigger changes are reportedly around the corner.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the higher-end MacBook Pro models will be receiving a major redesign by early 2027, and he said that Apple might use "MacBook Ultra" branding for them. If so, the MacBook Ultra would likely be a higher-priced model at the top of the MacBook lineup, sitting above the MacBook Pro entirely.
Up to six new features have been rumored so far, including an OLED display, touch capabilities, a Dynamic Island, M6 Pro and M6 Max chips manufactured with TSMC's advanced 2nm process, a thinner design, and built-in cellular connectivity.
Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop
Apple has all but given up on the Vision Pro after the M5 model failed to revitalize interest in the device, MacRumors has learned. Apple updated the Vision Pro with a faster M5 chip and a more comfortable band in October 2025, but there were no other hardware changes, and consumers still weren't interested.
Apple has apparently stopped work on the Vision Pro and the Vision Pro team has been redistributed to other teams within Apple. Some former Vision Pro team members are working on Siri, which is not a surprise as Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell has been leading the Siri team since March 2025.
Foldable 'iPhone Ultra' Could Be Missing These 5 Key Features Despite $2,000 Price Tag
Apple's first foldable iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Ultra," could be missing at least five key features present on the iPhone 18 Pro models despite its $2,000 price point.
Image via Vadim YuryevRecent images of dummy models shared by Sonny Dickson and Vadim Yuryev seem to reveal two previously undiscussed missing features of the iPhone Ultra: MagSafe and the Action Button. That's in addition to several other features like Face ID and a Telephoto camera lens that have already been rumored for some time to be lacking on the foldable iPhone.
Apple Introduces App Store Monthly Subscriptions With 12-Month Commitment
Apple this week announced the launch of a new subscription option for App Store developers: monthly subscriptions with a 12-month commitment. The new option allows developers to offer subscribers discounted pricing typically associated with an annual subscription but paid on a monthly basis to keep payments more affordable.
This new payment option allows you to offer subscribers more affordable options. People can cancel their subscription at any time, which will prevent the subscription from renewing after they've completed their agreed-to payments to fulfill their commitment.
Notably, the new subscription type will be worldwide except for the United States and Singapore, at least for now.
20th Anniversary iPhone to Feature Custom 'Micro-Curved' OLED Panel
For its 20th-anniversary iPhone, Apple is tapping Samsung to produce a custom micro-curved OLED display that is brighter and thinner than existing panels, according to new supply chain information out of China.
Apple is reportedly considering a radical redesign for the 20th-anniversary iPhone that could feature a completely bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device.
To that end, Apple is said to be seeking from Samsung an equal-depth quad-curved panel design that uses "micro-curves" to keep the curve very shallow, as opposed to the aggressively curved "waterfall" edges of some existing Samsung panels.
Apple Shares 'Ted Lasso' Season Four Streaming Date and Teaser Trailer
Apple this week announced that its hit comedy-drama series "Ted Lasso" is returning for a fourth season with a first episode on Wednesday, August 5. One new episode will follow every Wednesday thereafter through October 7.
"Ted Lasso" is one of the most popular shows ever released on the Apple TV streaming service. The eponymous character Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, starts off as a small-time football coach from Kansas who is hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer.
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