Apple Daily Digest: Prime Day Steals, Foldable iPhone Progress, and iOS 27 Features — 2026-06-24#

Highlights#

Today’s news is dominated by aggressive Amazon Prime Day discounts across Apple’s hardware lineup, presenting some of the best buying opportunities of the year before anticipated price hikes. Beyond the sales, significant supply chain reports point to Apple resolving hinge durability issues for its upcoming foldable “iPhone Ultra” ahead of a September launch. Meanwhile, developers are digging into major new Siri AI and HomeKit capabilities in the latest iOS 27 betas.

Top Stories#

• Foldable iPhone ‘Ultra’ Set for Production in July Despite Hinge Issues: Apple’s highly anticipated foldable device is reportedly on track for a September release as supply chain sources indicate recent 3D-printed hinge durability tests have been successful. Mass production for the $2,000 device is slated to begin in late July, utilizing a 7.8-inch inner OLED panel and a 5.5-inch cover display. Most assembly tolerance and noise issues have been officially resolved, setting the stage for Apple’s biggest launch of the year.
• Best Prime Day Apple deals 2026: Big savings on iPad, AirPods, Macs, Apple Watch: Amazon Prime Day has brought all-time low prices across the ecosystem, notably dropping the recently released AirPods Max 2 to just $399. Shoppers can also find the M5 MacBook Air for $949, the Apple Watch SE 3 for an unprecedented $199, and steep discounts on the iPad mini and M5 MacBook Pro line.
• iOS 27 gives the Camera app on iPhone a brand new mode: The iOS 27 Camera app introduces a new “Siri” mode that centralizes visual intelligence features. This allows users to simply point their iPhone at objects like restaurant storefronts or event flyers to instantly pull up reviews, translate text, or add calendar events directly from the viewfinder.
• Apple Seemingly Killed Siri AI Waitlist Workaround in macOS 27 Beta 2: Apple has closed a loophole in the second developer beta of macOS 27 Golden Gate that previously allowed users to bypass the Siri AI waitlist via a Terminal command. Users who utilized the trick in beta 1 are reporting being kicked back to the waitlist upon updating, likely as Apple continues to build out server capacity for the enhanced chatbot.
• Google Lowering Play Store Fees and Allowing Alternative Payments Worldwide: In a move that could indirectly impact Apple’s ongoing legal battles, Google is implementing major worldwide changes to its Play Store, including allowing alternative payment systems and reducing developer fees to between 10% and 25%. These changes, rolling out initially in the US, UK, and EEA, are a direct result of Google’s settlement with Epic Games.

Articles Worth Reading#

MacBook Ultra is coming: Six new features launching this fall Rumors are heating up regarding a brand-new tier of Apple laptops dubbed the “MacBook Ultra,” which could debut this fall to expand the lineup to four distinct models. Expected to feature the upcoming M6 chip family, this premium device might introduce Apple’s first Mac touchscreen, an OLED display, and a Dynamic Island in place of the traditional notch. It promises a total redesign that is both thinner and lighter than the current MacBook Pro, potentially pushing the boundaries of Apple’s portable computing.

iOS 27 Home App: 10+ New HomeKit Features The Home app is receiving a significant Apple Intelligence overhaul in iOS 27, making it a must-read for smart home enthusiasts. The update brings AI-generated written summaries for HomeKit Secure Video alerts, allowing the app to intelligently recognize and summarize grouped footage of people, animals, and packages across multiple cameras. Additionally, the update enables 4K video recording for supported cameras, remote Apple TV updates, and improved connectivity via Thread 1.4.

AirPods Max 2 review: Too little, too late Despite the excitement surrounding its $399 Prime Day price tag, this critical review highlights the missed opportunities in the newly released AirPods Max 2. While the integration of the H2 chip finally brings essential modern features like Adaptive Audio and Voice Isolation, Apple completely ignored the hardware flaws of the first generation. The headphones remain unusually heavy, lack a proper power-off function resulting in battery drain, and are still hobbled by the widely criticized origami-style “Smart Case”.