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‘Ted Lasso’ season 4 premiere scores record audience for Apple TV
Despite a less than stellar critical reception, “Ted Lasso” has made a triumphant return. The season 4 premiere drew 296.6 million viewing minutes in the U.S. over its August 4-5 launch window, according to Nielsen data, making it the most-streamed program on August 5th and Apple TV’s biggest premiere ever.
Katie Campione for Deadline:
It remains to be seen whether those numbers will be strong enough to elevate “Ted Lasso” onto Nielsen’s streaming Top 10 for the week of the Season 4 premiere. However, since those rankings don’t separate titles by season, it’s likely the series will make the cut since new seasons also generally drive a decent amount of viewers to revisit old episodes.
This is a positive start for the new season and a good indication that audiences are still excited for more “Ted Lasso,” even returning from a multi-year hiatus after the series supposedly ended in 2023.
Season 3, which at the time was slated to be the final season, drove the series to become the most-watched streaming original of its debut year, despite the fact that Apple TV has the fewest subscribers among the streamers that saw their content ranked in Nielsen’s streaming Top 10. The Jason Sudeikis-fronted series put up 16.9B minutes across all 24 episodes in 2023.
MacDailyNews Take: Never underestimate the pull of nostalgia, even if it’s only been three years since the season three finale streamed.
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Apple opens Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston
Apple on Thursday opened its new Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) in Houston. The center offers free training and educational sessions for small- and medium-sized businesses, giving them direct experience with state-of-the-art equipment, interactive labs, and tools they need to accelerate innovation. The AMC is located within the same Houston facility that builds and ships Apple’s advanced AI servers and will begin manufacturing Mac mini this year.
At the center — the company’s second U.S. manufacturing learning site — experts teach participants many of the same innovative processes used to make Apple products. As part of the center’s kickoff event, Apple proudly host U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, U.S. Representative Christian Menefee, and Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis, along with other officials and community partners. They joined Apple leaders and the AMC’s first cohort of small- and medium-sized business leaders for a full day of hands-on training and programming.
“In less than nine months, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into this Houston facility. We stood up a factory, started production, and shipped the first advanced AI servers off the line. Today, we’re thrilled to open our new Advanced Manufacturing Center, a place where businesses, workers, and students can learn the same innovative processes that we use to make Apple’s most groundbreaking products. And we’re pleased to begin Mac mini production later this year,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s outgoing CEO, in a statement. “We believe in American workers and American ingenuity, and we are moving at an incredible pace because we want to build more than great products. We want to build the future of American manufacturing.”
“This opening is an important step in Apple delivering on its promise to bring its manufacturing back to America,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in a statement. “With this Advanced Manufacturing Center, Apple will equip American workers with the skills they need to lead the next generation of technology.”
At the center — the company’s second U.S. manufacturing learning site — experts teach participants many of the same innovative processes used to make Apple products.
Inside the 20,000-square-foot center, Apple experts will share their knowledge directly with participating businesses and entrepreneurs to help accelerate smart manufacturing across America. Curriculum topics will range from classroom sessions on advanced manufacturing principles for final assembly and design considerations for printed circuit board assembly, to interactive workshops that make use of the site’s representative production facility and equipment. As programming expands, the AMC will offer the same hands-on training to local college students, equipping the next generation of American manufacturing workers with critical skills.
To mark the AMC’s opening, its first cohort of small- and medium-sized business leaders is spending the day immersed in hands-on training led by Apple engineers, covering smart manufacturing techniques like machine-learning-driven quality control and advanced automation. Participants are learning how to identify and adapt to production challenges in real time, engage with the lab’s holographic table and advanced factory-floor equipment, and gain hands-on experience assembling and laser etching a product themselves.
Training at the AMC includes learning to identify and adapt to production challenges in real time, as well as engaging with the lab’s holographic table and advanced factory-floor equipment.
The AMC builds on the work of the Apple Manufacturing Academy, which opened in Detroit in August 2025 and has already helped nearly 1,000 American workers, students, and entrepreneurs learn smart manufacturing techniques and integrate AI into their production processes. The Apple Manufacturing Academy’s virtual programming also offers flexible, on-demand learning covering topics including automation, quality control optimization, and machine learning with vision, as well as professional development training.
Apple announced earlier this year that it will bring Mac mini production to Houston. The company shipped its first advanced AI servers less than a year after identifying a factory site. Since announcing a $600 billion commitment last year, Apple and its American Manufacturing Program partners have invested in designing and producing custom silicon, advanced components, and cover glass in the U.S., demonstrating the company’s long-standing commitment to strengthening the country’s advanced manufacturing sector.
Businesses interested in the Advanced Manufacturing Center can sign up to be notified for future sessions.
MacDailyNews Note: Official statements from the press release:
Texas Governor Greg Abbott:
“Apple’s expansion in Houston underscores Texas as the epicenter of American industry and innovation. This new facility will deliver the skills Texans need to excel in advanced manufacturing. We thank Apple for its confidence in the Lone Star State.”
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz:
“Apple’s new Advanced Manufacturing Center underscores that Texas is the best state in the country to do business. We prioritize innovation, competition, and make it easy for employers to grow and thrive. This new facility will drive job creation and directly benefit our communities by giving small- and mid-sized businesses access to cutting-edge equipment, interactive labs, and operations expertise. This project isn’t just great news for Lone Star State businesses, however. It’s great news for Texas working families.”
U.S. Representative Christian D. Menefee:
“I’m excited about the opportunity Apple is bringing to Houston — partnering with small businesses, keeping manufacturing in the U.S., and creating jobs so folks in our community can build a future right here at home. This is a good day for Houston.”
Houston Mayor John Whitmire:
“Houston is grateful to Apple for this significant investment in our city. The Advanced Manufacturing Center will create local jobs and will continue improving the quality of life of Houston residents. The AMC also recognizes our city as a growing technology hub and solidifies Houston’s leadership in the manufacturing sector of the United States.”
Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis:
“I am proud that Apple chose Harris County for this investment. My office has consistently fought to bring good jobs within reach of working people and ensure small businesses — especially those historically shut out — have a fair opportunity to compete and grow. At a time when rising costs are squeezing families here and across the country, this new center can help create pathways to greater economic security. I want every young person growing up in our neighborhoods, every student at a university or community college, and every small business owner working to grow their business to know there is a place for them in the future being built here. Investments like these expand opportunity to ensure that no one is left behind.”
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Apple officially rolls out ads in Apple Maps
Apple has officially begun allowing businesses in the United States and Canada to purchase advertising placements in Apple Maps, marking the long-anticipated commercial launch of “Ads on Maps.”
The rollout, which started Friday, August 14, 2026, fulfills the company’s March announcement that paid ads would arrive in the navigation app “this summer.” Businesses can now buy media through the Apple Business platform or the broader Apple Ads system, with no minimum spend required,” MediaPost reports.
How the Apple Maps ads work
Sponsored results will appear in two places:
• At the top of relevant search results (for example, when a user searches for “coffee shop” or “hardware store”).
• In the “Suggested Places” section, which surfaces recommendations based on nearby trends, recent searches, and other contextual signals.
Apple will show only one ad per search result set. Advertised locations are clearly labeled as ads and marked on the map with a subtle blue halo around the pin, similar to the treatment of search ads in the App Store. Users can take immediate actions from an ad, such as calling the business or getting directions.
Pricing follows an auction model standard in digital advertising. Advertisers pay based on outcomes such as views or taps. Small businesses with five or fewer locations can create and manage campaigns with automated tools inside Apple Business; larger multi-location advertisers and existing Apple Ads customers are directed to the full Apple Ads platform. APIs are available for campaign management and reporting.
Privacy remains central
Apple has repeatedly emphasized that Maps ads maintain the same privacy protections users already experience in the app. A user’s location and the ads they see or interact with are not associated with their Apple Account. Personal data stays on-device, is not collected or stored by Apple, and is not shared with advertisers or third parties. Targeting relies on contextual signals—approximate location, current search terms, or the visible map area—rather than personal profiles, precise location history, age, or gender.
Restrictions and incentives
Not every business category is eligible. Apple’s Advertising Services policy, updated in July, prohibits ads for home services (including plumbing, electrical, locksmith, HVAC, pest control, roofing, and general contracting), bail bonds, and cryptocurrency ATMs. Medical services are reviewed case by case, and broader prohibitions cover categories such as weapons, drugs, and certain financial or adult content. The company is limiting ads primarily to places with a physical address that customers can visit.
To encourage early adoption, eligible businesses that purchase Maps ads with a credit card by October 11, 2026, will receive a 15% monthly credit (up to $1,000 per month) applicable to the following month’s spend for the first year.
Apple cited strong engagement metrics to support the product: more than one billion relevant business searches occur monthly on Maps, and roughly one in two business searches leads to a user action. Gen Z and millennials account for a majority of the app’s users. The move expands Apple’s advertising business beyond the App Store and Apple News while competing more directly with Google Maps for local advertising dollars.
Ads on Maps forms part of the larger Apple Business platform that launched in April, consolidating earlier tools for device management, business listings, and related services.
MacDailyNews Note: While the Apple Ads website still lists the product as “coming soon” in some places, the ability for businesses to begin buying inventory signals the official start of the program. Users in the U.S. and Canada can expect to begin seeing the labeled sponsored results in the Maps app in the near term.
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Apple trains proprietary AI model for China alongside Alibaba
In a significant strategic shift, Apple has trained its own large language model tailored specifically for the Chinese market, working closely with Alibaba, Reuters reports citing sources familiar with the matter. The move marks a departure from the company’s previous approach of relying primarily on third-party Chinese models to power generative AI features on devices sold in the country.
The China-specific model was developed with Alibaba’s technical support, the sources said. This gives Apple greater control over the AI experience on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Vision Pro devices in its most important overseas market, where it has faced intensifying competition from local rivals like Huawei that have aggressively rolled out AI-powered handsets.
Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of AI tools, is expected to launch in China in the coming months following an iOS update. The self-trained model would operate alongside third-party systems, including Alibaba’s Qwen, which is set to be incorporated into the China version of Apple Intelligence. Technology from Baidu is also expected to play a role.
This dual-track approach is highly unusual for a foreign company operating in China. It allows Apple to navigate the country’s strict regulatory environment while offering a proprietary AI model—the first such approval for a foreign firm by Beijing, according to the reporting. The Cyberspace Administration of China registered Apple’s generative AI service last month, clearing a key hurdle after a lengthy review process.
China remains a critical revenue market for Apple. The absence of advanced AI features on Chinese iPhones has been cited as a factor weighing on sales, as consumers have increasingly favored domestic brands offering built-in AI assistants. Apple first publicly confirmed its partnership with Alibaba in early 2025, when Alibaba’s chairman Joe Tsai noted that Apple had evaluated multiple Chinese companies before selecting Alibaba. The rollout faced delays as Apple adapted its features to meet local regulations.
Last week, Apple briefly published a Chinese-language guide explaining how Mac users in mainland China could connect Alibaba’s Qwen to Siri and Writing Tools, before later removing the document without explanation. The partnership has already drawn investor interest: Alibaba’s U.S.-listed shares rose notably after news of the regulatory registration in July.
While details remain limited on exactly how Apple’s own model will interact with Qwen and other systems, the development underscores Apple’s determination to close the AI gap in China. In an era of heightened U.S.-China tech tensions, the collaboration stands out as a rare example of cross-border cooperation in the highly sensitive field of artificial intelligence.
MacDailyNews Take: Details on exactly how Apple’s proprietary model will play with Qwen and the rest are still scarce, but, Apple is methodically closing the AI gap in China the only way that matters: by taking control. This is Apple doing what Apple does best: quietly outmaneuvering everyone, owning the experience on its devices, and positioning itself to leave Huawei and the rest sucking Cupertino dust. Wait until Wall Street finally figures it out.
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Apple declares iPhone X and 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro obsolete
Apple has updated its lists of vintage and obsolete products, moving the iPhone X and the 15-inch 2018 MacBook Pro into the obsolete category. The change means the company will no longer provide any hardware service for these devices, and authorized service providers can no longer order parts for them.
Apple classifies products as obsolete more than seven years after it stops selling them, though the exact timing is at the company’s discretion. Devices on the vintage list (typically those discontinued between five and seven years earlier) can still receive service as long as parts remain available.
The iPhone X, released in 2017, already lost major operating system support with the arrival of iOS 17 and is limited to iOS 16.7.16. The 15-inch 2018 MacBook Pro is restricted to macOS Sequoia (currently up to version 15.7.7).
Owners of these models who need repairs will now have to rely on third-party services or used/refurbished parts. Apple maintains a public support page detailing its full vintage and obsolete product policies, including limited cases where service may continue for up to 10 years.
MacDailyNews Note: More info about Apple’s vintage and obsolete products here.
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Amy Sedaris joins Ben Stiller, Benicio Del Toro in Apple TV comedy series ‘Protective Custody’
Amy Sedaris is the latest addition to the Apple TV comedy series “Protective Custody,” Variety reports. Sedaris will star alongside previously announced series lead Ben Stiller as well as fellow cast member Benicio Del Toro.
The logline for the show states that it will follow “a disgraced financier (Stiller) accused of massive fraud who is thrown into protective custody, where he must navigate prison politics, salvage his reputation, and confront the consequences of his actions while awaiting trial.”
Sedaris is perhaps best known for starring in the cult hit comedy “Strangers with Candy,” which she co-created. Her other TV credits include “At Home with Amy Sedaris” and “BoJack Horseman,” while she has also starred in films such as “Jennifer’s Body,” “Puss in Boots,” and “Elf.”
Mike Judge is co-writing “Protective Custody” along with Steve Hely and Dave King. All three are executive producers and co-showrunners, with Judge also attached to direct.
MacDailyNews Take: With Mike Judge writing and directing, wwe have high hopes for “Protective Custody.”
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Apple TV expands collection of classic movies for subscribers to stream at no extra cost
Apple TV has expanded its streaming catalog with a selection of popular classic and mainstream Hollywood movies, available to subscribers at no additional charge. The move complements the service’s library of original programming and gives users more familiar titles to watch without renting or buying separately.
The additions appear under a new “Great Movies Available Now on Apple TV” (or similar) carousel in the Apple TV app. Availability varies by region, with the titles confirmed in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom; other countries may see a smaller selection. Apple has not indicated whether the movies are permanent additions or a limited-time promotion. The company previously offered temporary batches of licensed films in earlier years that later rotated out.
Movies Now Available (U.S. list)
U.S. subscribers can currently stream titles including:
• 21 Jump Street
• Arrival
• The Aviator
• A Beautiful Mind
• The Bourne Identity
• Charlie’s Angels
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall
• Gone Girl
• I, Robot
• Looper
• The Martian
• Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
• The Proposal
• The Rookie
• The Sixth Sense
• Titanic
• Zodiac
• Zoolander
These join Apple TV’s existing library of more than 300 originals. Subscribers can find the collection by opening the Apple TV app, selecting the Home section, and looking for the “Great Movies Available Now on Apple TV” row. The films stream on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV hardware, supported smart TVs, the web at tv.apple.com, and other platforms.
Apple TV (the streaming service formerly known as Apple TV+) is priced at $12.99 per month in the U.S. after a free trial for new users and is also included with Apple One plans.
MacDailyNews Take: Viewers interested in the new classics are encouraged to check them soon, given the possibility that the licensed titles is likely to be temporary.
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Leaked screen protectors for foldable ‘iPhone Ultra’ confirm asymmetric design and off-center camera cutout
Leaked screen protectors for Apple’s rumored foldable “iPhone Ultra” have surfaced, offering one of the clearest looks yet at the device’s distinctive front design. Shared this week by the leaker known as Ice Universe, the accessories and accompanying hands-on video highlight asymmetric corners and a single punch-hole camera placement that align with earlier rumors about the upcoming foldable iPhone.
This is the screen protector for the iPhone Ultra. You can see, the iPhone Ultra actually has an irregular screen with one side square and the other round. Oh my God, can you even handle that? pic.twitter.com/qpQHZHiqcD
— Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) August 11, 2026
The protectors feature square corners along the edge that would sit next to the hinge and rounded corners on the opposite side. This irregular shape matches months of reports describing a book-style foldable with the hinge on one side. Ice Universe noted that the film covers the full glass panel rather than matching the active display area precisely. The actual screen is still expected to maintain symmetrical rounded corners and even bezels all around.
The accessories also reinforce the device’s shorter, wider proportions compared to traditional smartphones. A single circular cutout for the front-facing camera appears on the right side of the panel instead of the center. Earlier speculation had left open the possibility of a centered cutout, but these protectors provide stronger evidence for the offset placement.
Because the iPhone Ultra is widely expected to rely on Touch ID rather than Face ID, it does not require the larger TrueDepth sensor array found on recent iPhones. This opens the door to a simple hole-punch selfie camera — the first of its kind on an iPhone.
These details follow recent leaks of protective covers for the device’s rear camera module, shown in silver and dark blue finishes. Broader rumors surrounding the iPhone Ultra point to a 5.5-inch outer cover display paired with a 7.8-inch inner screen, an A20 Pro chip, a roughly 5,000mAh battery, a 48-megapixel dual rear camera system, and 18-megapixel selfie cameras on both displays. The foldable is anticipated to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup in mid-September at a starting price of at least $2,000.
MacDailyNews Note: While accessory leaks can sometimes reflect manufacturing variations or early prototypes, the consistency with prior reports makes these screen protectors a notable data point in the ongoing iPhone Ultra rumor cycle. As always with unreleased products, official confirmation will come only when Apple unveils the device.
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Formlabs names former Apple Hardware Chief Dan Riccio strategic advisor amid board reshuffle
Formlabs, the world’s largest supplier of professional SLA and SLS 3D printing systems, announced on August 12, 2026, that Dan Riccio, 62, Apple’s former Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, has joined the company as a strategic advisor and personal investor.
Riccio, who spent more than two decades at Apple, will advise Formlabs’ leadership on product development, design rigor, and operational scaling as the company expands in industrial and professional 3D printing.
“Dan spent a career building some of the most beloved hardware products in the world, at an enormous scale, and he did it by obsessing over details most executives don’t care about,” said Maxim Lobovsky, Formlabs co-founder and CEO, in a statement. “As we scale Formlabs into the next generation of manufacturing hardware, learning from Dan is going to make our team stronger and our products better. We’re thrilled to have him as an advisor and as an investor in what we’re building.”
The announcement coincides with significant board changes. Lobovsky has assumed the role of Chairman of the Board, succeeding co-founder Natan Linder. Linder is stepping down from the board after 15 years of service and will remain a strategic advisor to the company.
In addition, Chief Product Officer Dávid Lakatos has been named President and appointed to the Board of Directors.
Sitting board member Rob Willett, former CEO of Cognex Corporation, is also increasing his stake in Formlabs alongside Riccio’s personal investment.
“I said when I joined the board that Formlabs was uniquely positioned to lead the next era of digital manufacturing,” Willett said in a statement. “Everything I’ve seen since has convinced me to lean in further.”
Headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, with global offices, Formlabs is the largest professional 3D printing company founded since the 1980s, with annual revenues exceeding $250 million. The SoftBank-backed firm positions these leadership and advisory moves as preparation for a new phase of growth and technology leadership in additive manufacturing.
MacDailyNews Note: Riccio, who oversaw Apple’s push into mixed-reality headsets and previously served as its hardware engineering chief, retired from Apple in November 2024 after a 26-years with the company.
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watchOS 27 brings dedicated Siri app and unified Find My experience to Apple Watch
Apple’s next major Apple Watch software update, watchOS 27, will introduce two brand-new apps that expand how users interact with Siri and locate people, devices, and items directly from their wrist.
A Dedicated Home for the New Siri AI
Siri is receiving a significant artificial intelligence upgrade across Apple’s ecosystem this year, and watchOS 27 brings that overhaul to the Apple Watch in the form of a standalone Siri app.
The new app will appear alongside versions on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. While users can still activate Siri by pressing the Digital Crown, the dedicated app offers a more persistent interface for starting conversations and, crucially, reviewing past ones.
Thanks to the more conversational nature of the updated Siri AI, the system will maintain a continuous record of queries and interactions. On the Watch, the Siri app will surface conversation history not only from the wearable itself, but also from a user’s iPhone, Mac, and other linked devices. This creates a unified chat log that travels with the user across Apple’s platforms.
Availability of the full Siri AI experience will depend on hardware; only newer Apple Watch models support the enhanced features.
Apple Watch models that support watchOS 27:
• Apple Watch SE (3rd generation)
• Apple Watch Series 9
• Apple Watch Series 10
• Apple Watch Series 11
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Apple Watch Ultra 3
One Find My App to Rule Them All
Apple is also consolidating its location tools. In watchOS 26, finding capabilities were split across three separate apps — Find Devices, Find Items, and Find People. watchOS 27 replaces those with a single, streamlined Find My app.
The new app delivers all the previous functionality in a more compact, map-focused interface. Users can switch between people, devices, and items using a simple menu in the top-left corner while viewing locations on a consistent map-centric layout. The result is a cleaner, faster experience for locating anything or anyone without jumping between multiple apps.
MacDailyNews Take: These two additions sit among a broader set of watchOS 27 improvements aimed at making the Apple Watch more intelligent and useful in daily life. As the update rolls out later this year, the new Siri and Find My apps should give users quicker access to AI assistance and location tools right from their wrist.
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Apple’s 5% post-earnings slide looks familiar; history points to a rebound
Apple shares fell roughly 5% after the company reported fiscal third-quarter 2026 results on July 30, even though the numbers themselves were solid. Revenue rose 16% year over year to $109.4 billion and earnings per share jumped 29% to $2.02. The pullback stemmed mainly from weaker-than-expected guidance for the current quarter, driven by ongoing supply constraints.
This kind of sharp post-earnings reaction is not new for Apple, The Motley Fool‘s Prosper Junior Bakiny points out. Over the past five years, the stock has experienced several drops of 3% or more right after quarterly reports. Notable examples include an approximately 4% decline on April 28, 2022 (strong results but cautious supply-related guidance), a nearly 5% drop on August 3, 2023 (weak iPhone performance), and a 4% fall on May 1, 2025 (soft results plus a warning about upcoming tariff impacts).
In each of those cases, the stock did not extend the losses into a multi-month or multi-year decline. Charts of the subsequent performance show recoveries rather than prolonged downturns.That historical pattern raises the question of whether investors should buy the latest dip. The past is no guarantee of the future. Near-term risks include the CEO leadership transition (Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO to become executive chairman, with hardware engineering SVP John Ternus taking the top job) which could create uncertainty and volatility. Of course, with a product-focused CEO finally at the helm once again, it could also deliver significant benefits after fifteen long years of Cook-era iterative tedium.
Broader economic worries, including a soft U.S. jobs report, recession fears, inflation, and geopolitical tensions, add to the caution.
Still, longer-term fundamentals remain supportive. Apple has historically held up relatively well during recessions thanks to a highly loyal, well-heeled customer base. The company generates substantial free cash flow, supporting dividends and share buybacks even in tougher times. Cupertino benefits from an installed base of more than 2.5 billion active devices, ongoing opportunities to expand high-margin services (aided by AI features), and potential new products such as a foldable iPhone.
While the stock could face further pressure in the short term, history and Apple’s underlying strengths suggest that any post-earnings weakness has often proved temporary for patient investors focused on multi-year returns.
MacDailyNews Take: We see Apple as laughably undervalued. Mom-and-pop panics and manufactured crises that drive down the price of Apple shares are buying opportunities. As Warren Buffett said so compellingly, “Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.”
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Apple taps American Airlines veteran Nate Gatten to head government affairs
Apple has hired Nate Gatten, a longtime American Airlines Group executive, as its new vice president of government affairs, according to a Bloomberg News report.
Gatten will start in the role on August 31st, Apple Senior Vice President and General Counsel Jennifer Newstead said in an internal memo viewed by Bloomberg News. Kate Adams, the previous legal chief who had been serving as senior vice president of government affairs, will stay on in an advisory capacity until October 1st.
The hire comes as Apple navigates complex regulatory, antitrust, trade, and policy challenges. Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the company specifically sought someone who could align with the Trump administration. Gatten, a Republican, is expected to work closely with Tim Cook in the position.
Gatten joined American Airlines in 2017 as senior vice president of global government affairs and more recently served as executive vice president overseeing American Eagle, corporate real estate, and government affairs. He previously led global government relations at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where he represented the bank before Congress, the White House, and international bodies. Earlier roles included positions at Fannie Mae focused on Republican members of Congress and work for Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) and the Senate Banking Committee.
His real estate experience may also prove useful as Apple continues expanding its retail presence and other operations. American Airlines announced his departure around the same time as the Apple news.
The appointment occurs amid broader leadership changes at Apple. Cook is scheduled to step down as CEO on September 1st, with hardware chief John Ternus taking over; Cook will remain as executive chairman and is expected to continue engaging with policymakers worldwide.
Until last year, Lisa Jackson had led government affairs alongside environmental, policy, and social initiatives after joining from the Obama administration’s EPA.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s decision to bring in a seasoned government-affairs professional with deep experience navigating complex regulatory environments and bipartisan Washington relationships marks a thoughtful evolution of the role. Versus previous leadership, the current appointment prioritizes specialized expertise tailored to today’s multifaceted challenges in trade, antitrust, and international relations. By hiring Gatten, Apple has taken a measured and strategic step forward.
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iPhone 18 Pro: Apple locks in steep OLED price cuts as memory costs climb
Apple is intensifying pressure on Samsung Display and LG Display to slash prices for OLED panels destined for the iPhone 18 series, forcing the Korean suppliers into a sharper contest over manufacturing costs even as technical requirements rise.
According to industry sources, Apple has demanded significantly lower supply prices for iPhone 18 OLED panels compared with the previous generation. Panels for last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max were priced in the range of about $110–120. For the equivalent model this year, the figure has fallen to roughly $68 — nearly half the prior level.
The push for lower display costs stems from surging memory-semiconductor prices. Strong demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and server DRAM driven by AI data centers has lifted prices for mobile memory as well. Smartphone makers find it difficult to pass the full increase through to finished-device prices, so they are seeking offsets in other components such as displays and camera modules.
Samsung Display and LG Display must therefore meet Apple’s lower price targets while trying to protect their own margins. Although iPhone OLED panels incorporate increasingly advanced technology, selling prices are declining, shifting competition beyond pure technical capability toward the ability to cut production costs.
One industry source noted that semiconductor price rises appear to be tempering production-volume growth among smartphone makers, including Apple, and that customers under cost pressure are in turn demanding lower prices from their suppliers.
Reports indicate both Korean panel makers have already reduced prices. LG Display’s panels had typically commanded a $1–2 premium over Samsung Display’s; the two companies are now said to be supplying at similar levels.
Adding to the strain is the rising technical complexity of the panels themselves. The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to adopt an improved “LTPO Plus” technology that offers better power efficiency than conventional low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) backplanes. Higher manufacturing difficulty and costs coincide with customer demands for lower selling prices, leaving suppliers with little choice but to accept the reductions.
“Panel prices have already fallen so far that further cuts are difficult,” one source told Korean language DealSite. “As the technology level rises, panel makers would normally expect higher prices, but in practice they have no option but to accommodate Apple’s requests.”
Industry observers say the ability to reduce costs is becoming an even more decisive factor in profitability. An equipment-industry executive observed that while Samsung Display and LG Display continue to develop new technologies, cost competition has grown more important. Advances in OLED make meaningful differentiation harder for consumers to notice, yet customers’ price-reduction demands keep intensifying.
The result is a market in which technological progress and relentless cost pressure now run in parallel for Apple’s two main OLED suppliers.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple make be able to keep iPhone prices in a decent range for the iPhone 18 cycle, despite RAMageddon.
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Apple TV unveils trailer for season five of award-winning series ‘Stillwater’
Apple TV debuted the official trailer for the fifth season of the beloved animated kids and family series “Stillwater.” The Peabody and Daytime Emmy Award-winning series returns with five episodes on Friday, August 21, 2026. Based on the bestselling Scholastic “Zen” book series by Jon J Muth, “Stillwater” follows a wise panda who teaches three young siblings about the world and each other. The series centers on siblings Karl (Judah Mackey), Addy (Eva Ariel Binder) and Michael (Tucker Chandler), who encounter everyday challenges — big and small — which sometimes feel insurmountable. Fortunately for the three siblings, they have Stillwater (James Sie), a wise panda, as their next-door neighbor. Through his example, stories and gentle humor, Stillwater teaches the children the concept of mindfulness while offering them a deeper understanding of their feelings and tools to help them face their own day-to-day challenges. “Stillwater” is produced for Apple TV by Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment.
Take a deep breath and embrace your inner peace by embarking on a fun adventure with the first four seasons of “Stillwater,” available on Apple TV. Through breathing exercises, mindful moments and simple everyday practices, this uplifting series invites you and your family to discover your own zen through each episode. “Stillwater” is produced through Apple TV’s changemakers initiative in collaboration with awareness and intention expert Mallika Chopra, author of “Buddha and the Rose” and the “Just Be” series for kids.
Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment produce, with Sidonie Dumas, Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Iole Lucchese, Caitlin Friedman, Jef Kaminsky, Jun Falkenstein and Rob Hoegee serving as executive producers.
The first four seasons of “Stillwater” are available to stream now on Apple TV.
The exciting slate of recent offerings for kids and families on Apple TV also features “My Brother the Minotaur,” from Academy Award-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon and award-winning children’s media company Dog Ears; “Wonder Pets: In the City,” from Emmy Award winner Jennifer Oxley and produced by Nickelodeon Animation; animated adventure trilogy “WondLa,” based on the New York Times bestselling book series “The Search for WondLa” by Tony DiTerlizzi; highly anticipated kids and family series “Yo Gabba GabbaLand!” inspired by the hit, Emmy Award-nominated cultural phenomenon “Yo Gabba Gabba!”; season two of Emmy Award-winning “Shape Island,” based on the internationally bestselling picture books from Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen; animated fantasy adventure series “The Sisters Grimm,” based on Michael Buckley’s New York Times bestselling book series; the music-driven animated comedy series “BE@RBRICK” from DreamWorks Animation; “Goldie,” inspired by Emily Brundige’s award-winning 2019 short film of the same name, and many more.
Award-winning all-ages offerings now streaming globally on Apple TV also include the BAFTA Award and Emmy Award-winning live-action animated hybrid special “The Velveteen Rabbit,” BAFTA Award and Humanitas Prize-winning “El Deafo,” BAFTA Award-winning “Lovely Little Farm,” “Duck & Goose,” “Get Rolling With Otis,” Spin Master Entertainment’s “Sago Mini Friends,” Emmy Award-winning “Frog and Toad,” based on the Caldecott and Newbery Honor-winning books, Annie Award-nominated “Not a Box,” GLAAD Media Award-nominated “Pinecone & Pony,” The Jim Henson Company’s Emmy Award-winning “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” “Harriet the Spy” and “Slumberkins,” Sesame Workshop’s “Helpsters,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Entertainment’s “Wolfboy and the Everything Factory,” Jack McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero’s Emmy Award-nominated “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show.” Live-action offerings include “Me,” an elevated, cinematic coming-of-age story from Barry L. Levy, Bonnie Hunt’s DGA and WGA Award-nominated “Amber Brown,” DGA Award-winning “Best Foot Forward,” “Surfside Girls,” WGA Award-winning “Life by Ella,” Sesame Workshop and Sinking Ship’s Emmy Award-winning “Ghostwriter,” Emmy Award and Environmental Media Association Award-winning “Jane,” and Scholastic’s “Puppy Place.” “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth,” the Emmy Award-winning television event based on the New York Times bestselling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers, is also featured.
Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 859 wins and 3,816 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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iPhone 18 could get Pro-level upgrades including more memory and Dynamic Island changes
While tech enthusiasts are gearing up for Apple’s annual September launch event featuring the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra, consumers waiting for the entry-level flagships will have to hold out a bit longer. According to a research note by tech analyst Jeff Pu, the standard iPhone 18 isn’t expected to arrive until early 2027, but when it does, it could bring two major hardware enhancements previously earmarked for high-end models.
1. A Jump to 12GB Memory for On-Device Intelligence
One of the most notable specs highlighted in Pu’s report is a bump in system memory. The base iPhone 18 is expected to feature 12GB of memory, up from the 8GB found in the iPhone 17 series.
Why it matters: Extra memory is critical for supporting memory-heavy Apple Intelligence capabilities and running larger local AI models smoothly.
Lineup differentiation: While analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously suggested the non-Pro lineup might cap at 9GB, Pu clarifies that 9GB is slated for the budget iPhone 18e, while the standard iPhone 18 gets the full 12GB upgrade—despite both sharing the next-generation A20 chip.
2. Fast-Tracked Dynamic Island Redesign
Apple usually reserves display redesigns for its Pro tier before letting them trickledown a generation or two later. When the Dynamic Island originally launched on the iPhone 14 Pro, standard models had to wait until the iPhone 15 to receive it.
This time, Apple appears to be accelerating the transition. The smaller, refined Dynamic Island expected to debut on the iPhone 18 Pro in September 2026 is projected to land on the base iPhone 18 just months later in early 2027.
Release Timeline
Apple’s staggered hardware strategy means the lineup will roll out across two distinct phases:
• Fall 2026: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra.
• Early 2027: Base iPhone 18, entry-level iPhone 18e, and the second-generation iPhone Air 2.
By closing the performance gap with 12GB memory and matching the fresh screen layout, Apple aims to keep the standard iPhone 18 highly competitive for buyers who don’t need the advanced camera setups of the Pro lineup.
MacDailyNews Note: The information comes from Jeff Pu’s supply-chain insights, as reported by 9to5Mac. As with most early rumors, the details remain unconfirmed and subject to change.
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Apple’s foldable iPhone referred to as ‘Ultra’ internally – Mark Gurman
Apple employees widely call the company’s upcoming foldable iPhone the “Ultra” internally, according to Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Gurman responded to ongoing debate about the device’s eventual marketing name: “Everyone calls it the Ultra internally. We’ll see what happens.”
Everyone calls it the Ultra internally. We’ll see what happens.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 11, 2026
The comment came amid speculation that Apple could brand its first foldable smartphone the iPhone Ultra rather than the more descriptive “iPhone Fold” that has dominated early coverage. Rumors of an Ultra designation have circulated for months, aligning with Apple’s existing use of the name for premium products such as the Apple Watch Ultra.
Of course, Gurman’s remark does not confirm the final public name. Apple is highly secretive, and internal shorthand does not always match the branding chosen by marketing teams. Some observers have questioned whether “Ultra” fits a device that, according to earlier reports, may forgo Face ID in favor of Touch ID and carry fewer rear cameras than the top Pro models.
The foldable is widely expected to debut at Apple’s September event alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. According to Gurman’s recent Power On newsletter, the company is preparing to show roughly eight new products at the event, with the foldable among the highlights. The book-style device is rumored to feature a large inner display (around 7.8 inches) and a cover screen (around 5.5 inches), with a price expected to start at or above $2,000.
Apple has already begun planning follow-on versions, including a second-generation model for 2027 and a third with slightly larger displays as early as 2028, underscoring the company’s confidence in the category.
MacDailyNews Take: Whether “Ultra” sticks as the official name remains to be seen when Apple takes the stage next month. For now, Gurman’s update reinforces that the moniker is already common parlance inside Cupertino.
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Apple assembler Foxconn reports 35% rise in second-quarter profit
Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, reported a sharp rise in second-quarter profit on Wednesday, driven by robust demand for artificial intelligence hardware. The results surpassed analyst forecasts and reinforced the company’s outlook for continued growth this year.
Net profit for the April–June period climbed 35% to NT$59.97 billion (about US$1.86 billion). That figure beat the LSEG consensus estimate of NT$58.8 billion and compared with NT$44.4 billion in the same quarter a year earlier. Foxconn is Nvidia’s largest server maker and Apple’s primary iPhone assembler.
In its earnings release, the company — formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry — reaffirmed its earlier guidance of “strong” revenue growth for the full year. It highlighted sustained AI demand as a key driver throughout 2026. Foxconn does not provide specific numerical forecasts.
The profit surge follows a July report showing second-quarter revenue jumped 40% year-on-year. Most iPhones destined for the U.S. market are now assembled in India rather than China, while Foxconn continues to expand manufacturing capacity for AI servers, including new facilities in Mexico and Texas for Nvidia. The company is also pursuing opportunities in electric vehicles.
Foxconn shares have gained about 17% so far this year, trailing the broader Taiwan stock index’s 57% advance. The stock closed 2.7% higher on Wednesday ahead of the results announcement.
MacDailyNews Take: AI-related demand continues to reshape the fortunes of major electronics contract manufacturers, even as traditional consumer electronics face more mixed conditions.
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Apple eyes screenless wearable to challenge Whoop and Oura
As screenless fitness trackers surge in popularity, Apple is reportedly exploring its own version—potentially a display-free band or ring-style device — to expand beyond the traditional Apple Watch. With rivals like Whoop, Fitbit Air, and Garmin Cirqa gaining traction, and Apple execs noting the competitive edge of recovery-focused wearables, the company may finally branch into new form factors while still planning modest Watch upgrades this September.
Alex Lee for The Independent:
The company is reportedly looking at developing new wearable devices without a screen, as well as experimenting with different types of displays and various sizes. This could mean the development of fitness trackers similar to Whoop, as well as smart rings like the Oura ring.
Bloomberg also reports that Apple is even looking at producing premium models beyond the Apple Watch Ultra, as well as cheaper models that could sit below the Apple Watch SE.
Eddy Cue, who took over supervision of Apple’s health and fitness software divisions last year, is apparently a big fan of Whoop and Oura, with Cue reportedly telling colleagues that Apple needs to move faster and be more competitive in health, with Oura and Whoop offering more compelling. Useful features.
Still, the Apple Watch is still as popular as ever. Sales of the Apple Watch reportedly jumped 21 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, and the company is set to launch an Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 in September…
MacDailyNews Take: Whoop, especially, makes a very nice product.
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Apple sued for fraud over iCloud Private Relay flaw that leaks users’ real IP addresses
Apple is facing a new class action lawsuit alleging fraud, false advertising, and misrepresentation related to a recently disclosed vulnerability in its iCloud Private Relay feature.
According to 9to5Mac, security researchers revealed last week that iCloud Private Relay — a privacy tool meant to hide users’ real IP addresses from websites when browsing in Safari — often fails to do so. The feature routes traffic through two relays so that a user’s internet service provider sees only a connection to an Apple server, while the destination website sees only a temporary IP address generated by a third-party relay.
The flaw stems from how passkeys work. When a website supports (or even pretends to support) passkeys, the user’s device makes a web request outside the browser. That request bypasses Private Relay and can expose the real IP address. Researchers noted that simply claiming passkey support is enough to trigger the leak.
The lawsuit, filed by Clarkson Law Firm (the same firm that previously secured a $250 million settlement related to Apple Intelligence and Siri delays) claims Apple “knew, or should have known” that its marketing representations about Private Relay were “false, misleading, deceptive, and unlawful” when it sold iCloud+ subscriptions.
Tim Giordano, a partner at the firm, described the situation as “an outrageous betrayal of consumer trust,” stating that Apple built its brand on protecting user privacy and that subscribers paid a premium for protection that did not work as advertised, leaving them exposed to the tracking Apple had warned against.
iCloud Private Relay remains available to iCloud+ subscribers as a Safari privacy feature.
MacDailyNews Take: Wholly expected. Get ready for a settlement, eligible iCloud+ subscribers.
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Apple TV debuts trailer for new thriller ‘Last Seen’ starring Patrick Brammall
Apple TV on Tuesday released the trailer for “Last Seen,” a new Australian thriller starring Gotham Award winner Patrick Brammall. Produced by 60Forty Films, the gripping drama is adapted by acclaimed writer and executive producer Kris Mrksa from CWA John Creasey Dagger Award-winning author Ryan David Jahn’s book, “The Dispatcher.” Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Christian Schwochow directs and executive produces the series, which is entirely set and filmed in Victoria, Australia. “Last Seen” will make its global debut on Wednesday, September 9 with two episodes, followed by a new episode every Wednesday until October 7, 2026.
Police detective Ian Ridley’s (Brammall) life fell apart 11 years ago when his young daughter, Maggie, disappeared without a trace. Now working as a police dispatcher, the only thing that has kept him going is his implacable refusal to accept that she might be gone forever. When he receives a distress call from a teenage girl he is certain is Maggie, he will stop at nothing to find her and reunite his broken family, whatever the cost.
In addition to Brammall (“Colin from Accounts,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “Evil”), the series also stars Maxine Peake (“Say Nothing,” “Black Mirror”), Brendan Cowell (“Dune: Prophecy,” “Plum”), Daniel Henshall (“Mickey 17,” “How to Make Gravy”), Zahra Newman (“Thirteen Lives,” “Addition”), Jessica Wren (“Mr Inbetween,” “Devil’s Playground”), Tobias Muhafidin (“Bali 2002”) and newcomer Chloe Jean Lourdes.
The series is executive produced by Jamie Laurenson and Hakan Kousetta at 60Forty Films (“Hijack,” “Slow Horses,” “Down Cemetery Road”), with executive producers Schwochow (“The Crown,” “Bad Banks,” “Munich: The Edge of War”), Mrksa (“Requiem,” “No Escape,” “The Murders at White House Farm”) and Joanna Werner (“The Newsreader,” “Riot,” “Clickbait”) at Werner Film Productions.
“Last Seen” joins a slate of acclaimed, thrilling dramas on Apple TV, including the high-octane hit “Hijack,” starring and executive produced by SAG and Golden Globe Award winner Idris Elba; beloved multi-BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning “Slow Horses,” led by Academy Award winner Gary Oldman; and the BAFTA Award-nominated “Down Cemetery Road,” starring Academy Award winner Emma Thompson and Golden Globe Award winner Ruth Wilson, among many others.
Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 857 wins and 3,816 award nominations and counting including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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