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Top Stories: 'iPhone Ultra' and Apple TV Rumors, iOS 27 Beta 3, and More
Apple's annual iPhone event is just two months away, but we're still not quite clear on when and in what quantities the new foldable "iPhone Ultra" will be available. It sounds like we could end up in a situation similar to that of the iPhone X where it was introduced at the September event but didn't become available for pre-orders until around six weeks later.
Other news this week included a third round of developer betas for iOS 27 and related updates, some fresh iPhone 18 Pro rumors, a recap on where things stand with the next-generation Apple TV, and more, so read on below for all of the details!
Top Stories
'iPhone Ultra' Likely to 'Repeat the iPhone X Story' With Delayed Launch
Apple will likely "repeat the iPhone X story" by unveiling its foldable iPhone at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but starting foldable iPhone pre-orders at a later date, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo this week said manufacturing challenges have limited early production of the foldable iPhone, which will reportedly be named iPhone Ultra. As a result, he believes the device may launch at some point after the iPhone 18 Pro models.
In 2017, Apple unveiled the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X on September 12. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders began just three days later, while iPhone X pre-orders began six weeks later on Friday, October 27. Likewise, Kuo believes the foldable iPhone may not be available to pre-order until the fourth quarter of 2026.
Everything Coming in the 2026 Apple TV 4K
The Apple TV 4K hasn't been updated since 2022, and it's due for a refresh. An update is planned for 2026, but Apple is likely going to wait to launch it until Siri AI launches in iOS 27.
Check out our recap of everything we're expecting for the next iteration of Apple's set-top box, from specs and feature support to pricing and a launch date.
Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 3
Apple is continuing to refine iOS 27 ahead of its planned September launch, and the third developer beta released this week includes several new features. Siri is more customizable, there's a fun new wallpaper action, and there are some useful improvements to Photos and Shortcuts.
On the Mac side, the new macOS beta includes gorgeous new Golden Gate-themed wallpapers that can also serve as screen savers.
Public betas of the upcoming releases will be available sometime this month.
Apple Intelligence Home Features Require 2TB iCloud+ Plan in iOS 27
Using Apple Intelligence camera features in the Home app will require an iCloud+ plan starting at 2TB, according to Apple.
In iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate, the Home app is able to generate written summaries for motion alerts from HomeKit Secure Video cameras. It's also able to group footage from separate cameras for an overview of activity and pull out noteworthy recordings, plus it supports natural language search.
Apple said at WWDC that some Apple Intelligence features would require an iCloud+ plan, but it hadn't specified which tier users would need to subscribe to. For the Home features, users will need the $9.99/month 2TB iCloud+ plan or better.
iPhone 18 Pro Battery Capacities Revealed by Regulatory Filings
New Chinese regulatory certification filings appear to confirm the battery capacities of Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models.
According to filings in China's C3 database, spotted earlier this week by the leaker known as "Digital Chat Station" on Weibo, the iPhone 18 Pro is seemingly rated for 4,056mAh in China and 4,288mAh in the U.S., up modestly from the iPhone 17 Pro's 3,988mAh and 4,252mAh. The iPhone 18 Pro Max shows a bigger jump, rated for 5,391mAh in China and 5,567mAh in the U.S., compared with 4,823mAh and 5,088mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, an increase of nearly 500mAh.
The foldable "iPhone Ultra" will reportedly include two battery cells registering at 1,921mAh and 2,962mAh, for a combined minimum rated capacity of 4,883mAh.
When is Apple's 2026 Back to School Offer?
It is now July and we are still waiting for Apple to begin its annual Back to School offer in countries like the U.S. and Canada — if it is still coming. In the U.S., Apple launched its Back to School offer in June from 2020 through 2025, but it has waited until July in the more distant past.
Last year, college students and educational staff could receive a free accessory like AirPods 4 or an Apple Pencil Pro with the purchase of a qualifying Mac or iPad model. It is unclear what Apple plans to offer this year, but given the company recently raised prices on all Macs and iPads, this year's promotion would be rather bittersweet.
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So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!Tag: Top StoriesThis article, "Top Stories: 'iPhone Ultra' and Apple TV Rumors, iOS 27 Beta 3, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
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