The 12 free Mac apps in this roundup prove that the best software doesn’t need to cost you anything.
These are the first apps I install on any new Mac, as they either boost my productivity or add essential functionality missing from macOS.
The iconic 2013 “trash can” Mac Pro took its first step towards official retirement, as Apple added it to its vintage product list.
Apple also added several iPads launched in 2018 and the 2019 13-inch MacBook Air to its vintage products list.
Instead of new Macs, Apple will reportedly use the next iPad Pro refresh as the debut device for its M5 chip. The new tablet could launch “as early as October.”
It’s also working on an M4 iPad Air refresh and iPhone 17e for a possible early 2026 launch.
If not the best, Apple’s Studio Display is among the best displays you can get for your Mac. The nano-texture glass makes it an even better monitor, cutting down on unwanted reflections.
But despite its age, Apple wants a steep $1,899 for the Studio Display with nano-texture glass. Amazon’s amazing Prime Day deal makes things a lot more reasonable, by slashing its price down by $399.01.
With ‘Presto,’ Apple devised a way to wirelessly update iPhones without right through their retail packaging. With macOS Tahoe, the company could bring the same technology to Macs.
This change will ensure your new Mac runs the latest available macOS version, no matter how long it’s been sitting in inventory.
PrimOn the fence about buying a pair of AirPods for your iPhone or Mac? Amazon Prime Day sales are the best time to buy Apple’s wireless earbuds, with prices dropping to record lows.
Amazon already frequently discounts AirPods. But for its flagship sale event for the year, it dropped them to new lifetime low prices.
Apple’s AI ambitions take a hit as a key executive leading its AI model efforts departs the company. Meta has successfully managed to poach Ruoming Pang, who managed Apple’s foundation models team.
Meta is forming a new superintelligence team and reportedly offering pay packages of up to $100 million to attract top AI talent.
A new leak provides more details about the upcoming iPhone 17 family’s design changes, including possibly UI changes based on the Dynamic Island. While the base model will feature slight design tweaks, the Pro models will adopt a new “horizontal large matrix design.”
The entire lineup will also supposedly use narrow-bezel LIPO flat screens, a technology that enables even thinner bezels than current solutions.
Despite their sleek designs, Apple products boast impressive durability. And now, for the first time, the company has provided a look into one of its 200 durability labs, where it rigorously torture tests its products.
Apple conducts several types of trials on its devices, including environmental, liquid, drop and vibration stress tests.
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max might pack the biggest battery ever in an iPhone. A leaker indicates the phone could sport a 5,000mAh cell.
If accurate, that would be noticeably bigger than the iPhone 16 Pro and rival the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
FaceTime video calls in iOS 26 will automatically pause if Apple’s software detects nudity or other sensitive content. Apple will provide users with an option to manually resume the video and audio or end the call.
However, the Sensitive Content Warning remains off by default.
Apple accused a former Vision Pro engineer of stealing confidential documents related to the headset. In a lawsuit filed on June 24, Apple alleges Di Liu, a senior design engineer at the company, stole a “massive volume” of trade secrets.
Liu joined Snap soon after leaving Apple in a similar role.
In addition to a Liquid Glass design overhaul, iOS 26 will improve the CarPlay experience by bringing several iPhone features to cars’ infotainment displays.
If you’re a fan of Apple’s in-car software, check out how iOS 26 will upgrade your experience later this year.
Apple acquired the brilliant image-editing app Pixelmator in November 2024. And now, eight months later, it’s updating the app with Apple Intelligence support.
For now, AI integration remains exclusive to Pixelmator Pro on Mac.
Major iOS 26 features will not initially launch in the European Union. Apple will hold back on them due to regulatory concerns in the region.
iPhone and Mac users in Europe already miss out on iPhone Mirroring, one of the best features to debut with iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia last year.
Apple could launch a MacBook next year that’s even more affordable than the current $999 13-inch MacBook Air. The new budget laptop supposedly will use an A18 Pro chip and come in several colors.
The company hopes to boost MacBook shipments to return to the COVID-19 peak of around 25 million next year with this move.
Anker, a renowned accessory maker, has initiated a global “voluntary recall” of its six power banks. While the company says there’s no fire risk, it’s issuing the recall out of an “abundance of caution.”
If your Anker power bank is part of the recall, you’ll receive a replacement or a gift card after the company verifies your claim.
From a long-overdue cooling upgrade to a redesigned camera island, rumors indicate the iPhone 17 lineup will deliver meaningful changes. Here are five rumored iPhone 17 features that have me genuinely excited for Apple’s next devices.
Google Photos’ advanced editing tools will now play better with HDR photos. They preserve both the dynamic range and HDR metadata after edits.
The photo backup tool is also gaining a new “Ultra HDR” tool. It will enable you to control the brightness of HDR images.
To avoid further penalties under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Apple has announced sweeping changes to its App Store guidelines for the EU.
However, it’s not happy with the EU’s additional demands and plans to appeal against this.
With every new iOS and macOS release, Apple deepens the integration between its mobile and desktop operating systems. iOS 26 is no different, building on the iPhone Mirroring feature introduced in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.
Check out all the new cross-device features and integrations that iOS 26 and macOS 26 (aka Tahoe) bring.
Apple’s walled garden approach means you can’t use the Apple Watch with a smartphone other than the iPhone. But with its latest Android foldable, Vivo claims full support for the Apple Watch.
The Vivo X Fold 5 even promises deep iPhone and Mac integration, apparently mirroring your calls, messages, and notifications.
OpenAI and Jony Ive’s io have removed all public details about the latter’s acquisition. The much-hyped video announcing the acquisition is also no longer live on YouTube. Contrary to rumors, this is not due to the deal between the two companies falling apart.
The issue stems from a trademark dispute over the name “io” used by Ive’s firm.
iOS 26 will not just make your iPhone better. It will also add several new features to AirPods, improving the already excellent experience of using Apple’s super-popular earbuds.
The changes will further deepen the AirPods integration with the iPhone. Find out all the ways iOS 26 will improve your AirPods experience.
Apple reportedly held internal discussions to acquire AI startup Perplexity AI. The latter is an AI-powered search engine. It uses a large language model (LLM) to process the answers and presents them in an easier-to-understand format.
The discussions inside Apple are seemingly at an early level, and it may not even officially provide an offer to the young startup.