Top Stories: iOS 26.5 Coming Soon, Goodbye $599 Mac Mini, and More
[[{“value”:”With Apple preparing to unveil iOS 27 and related updates at WWDC in just under a month, iOS 26.5 and friends are now right around the corner with some minor tweaks before we get our first look at the next major update.
This week also saw Apple making more changes to its Mac mini and Mac Studio offerings amid product shortages, while the company is weighing how it can meet strong demand for the new MacBook Neo, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
Top Stories
Apple Says iOS 26.5 Adds Three New Features to Your iPhone
iOS 26.5 includes three new features for iPhones, according to Apple’s release notes for the update, which is expected to be released next week.
As discovered during beta testing, iOS 26.5 enables end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging between iOS and Android devices. Apple says this security upgrade is limited to supported carriers around the world and will continue to roll out.
The second new feature added in iOS 26.5 is “Suggested Places” in Apple Maps. This section of the app provides recommendations based on your location and recent searches, and it will start showing ads in the U.S. and Canada later this year.
Third, a new Pride Luminance wallpaper that “dynamically refracts a spectrum of colors” is available to download on iPhones and iPads running iOS 26.5 or iPadOS 26.5. Released alongside a new Pride Edition Sport Loop and Pride Luminance watch face, Apple says the wallpaper celebrates LGBTQ+ communities around the world.
Why You Might Want to Wait to Buy a MacBook Pro
Apple refreshed the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max models in March 2026, but depending on your needs and interests, you might want to skip this generation because there’s something better in the works.
The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models have faster chips, but the same design that Apple has used since 2021. An updated design with new display technology and faster performance is coming in late 2026 or early 2027. Check out our overview of everything rumored for this upcoming “MacBook Ultra.”
Apple Stops Selling Mac Mini With 256GB of Storage, Starting Price Rises to $799
Apple last week stopped offering a 256GB storage option for the Mac mini worldwide. As a result, the desktop computer now has a higher starting price.
In the U.S., for example, the Mac mini now starts at $799 with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, whereas it previously started at $599 with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.
Apple is also continuing to cut other configurations of the Mac mini and Mac Studio as the company has been hit by related issues of memory shortages throughout the industry amid strong demand from customers looking to use these machines for AI-related purposes.
Apple Was Caught Off Guard by MacBook Neo’s ‘Off the Charts’ Demand
Apple’s most affordable MacBook ever appears to be a resounding hit with customers, based on comments shared by CEO Tim Cook last week.
On an earnings call last Thursday, Cook said that customer response to the MacBook Neo has been “off the charts” since the laptop was unveiled in March. “We could not be happier with how things are going at the moment,” he said.
Apple has been struggling to meet customer demand for new laptop, and the company is said to be running out the A18 Pro chips used to power them. With Apple rumored to be considering ordering another run of the chips that will add to the cost, plus rising memory costs, tech columnist Tim Culpan believes Apple could be considering dropping the entry-level $599 configuration of the MacBook Neo and perhaps offering it in some additional colors.
iPhone 18 Pro Rumored to Keep Aluminum Finish Amid Durability Complaints
The iPhone 18 Pro will reportedly carry over the same anodized aluminum finish introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro, despite concerns from some users about its durability.
According to the Weibo leaker known as “Fixed Focus Digital,” surface chipping on the iPhone 17 Pro has become a common complaint, and that users who have sought recourse from Apple have been told they cannot claim it, with the company classifying the issue as an inherent characteristic of the aluminum alloy material and normal wear and tear. Crucially, they added that the iPhone 18 Pro will “continue to utilize this same design approach” despite its weaknesses.
Separately, a fresh leak of a CAD render for the iPhone 18 Pro lends support to circulating rumors of a smaller Dynamic Island.
iPhone 18 Might Look a Lot More Like an ‘e’ Model, Leaker Claims
The standard iPhone 18 and the lower-cost iPhone 18e are said to share components, according to the leaker known as “Fixed Focus Digital,” as further evidence that Apple is narrowing the gap between the two devices.
In recent posts on Weibo, Fixed Focus Digital said that certain parts are interchangeable between the two models, adding that the information originates from a reliable manufacturing source. The leaker described the component overlap as confirmation that the specification convergence between the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e is real and measurable at the supply chain level. “Take it from me: The standard iPhone 18 model has been downgraded and its launch delayed—this decision is final and will not change,” they added.
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