Top Stories: iOS 26 Beta 5, Apple Watch Ultra 3 Rumors, and More

The official unveiling of the iPhone 17 lineup and new Apple Watch models plus potentially a few more announcements is just a month away now, and the rumor cycle is in full swing for these final weeks.

iOS 26 is also well into its beta testing cycle, with Apple putting the final touches on things over the next few weeks to be able to install it on the new iPhones before they ship, so read on below for all the details!

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 5

Apple is continuing to make progress on refining iOS 26 and related major operating system updates that should see their official releases in September, pushing out the fifth developer betas and second public betas this week with some fresh changes in store.

The new Liquid Glass design seems to be firming up after several revisions in previous betas, while beta 5 introduces some new “bounciness” for transitions in places like Lock Screen passcode entry and switching between Control Center pages. There are other functional and visual tweaks for Camera, Mail, AirDrop, Wallet and more.

iOS 26 Beta Reveals Apple Watch Ultra 3 Display Size

It looks like the display on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 might be just a hint larger than on previous Ultra models, based on imagery discovered by MacRumors in the latest iOS 26 beta.

It’s likely the slight increase in display size will be accommodated by shrinking the bezels around the display rather than increasing the casing size, but we’ll have to see once the next-generation Apple Watch Ultra is unveiled. The first substantial upgrade for the model in two years is likely to come next month alongside the iPhone 17 lineup.

iPhone 17 Air Battery Allegedly 2.49mm – Half the Thickness of 17 Pro’s

Over the weekend, photos surfaced of what was originally claimed to be the metal-encased battery for the upcoming ultra-thin “iPhone 17 Air,” although the original report was later corrected to note that the battery is for the iPhone 17 Pro.

It didn’t take long for photos of the actual iPhone 17 Air battery to surface, however, and they reveal that it measures just 2.49 mm thick, roughly half as thick as the iPhone 17 Pro battery. The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly have a battery capacity of 3,000 mAh or less, which will hamper battery life compared to thicker models. But between software optimizations and a rumored battery case, the majority of users will hopefully still be able to get a full day’s use out of a single charge.

AirPods Pro 3 Could Be Just Weeks Away – Here’s What We Know

Apple’s high-end AirPods Pro earbuds are due for an update, and it could be arriving as soon as September alongside the new iPhone and Apple Watch models.

We’re expecting some design tweaks for the earbuds and the case, performance upgrades in audio processing and active noise cancellation, in-ear heart-rate tracking, and perhaps some other improvements.

New Apple TV Still Launching This Year

The current Apple TV 4K model is coming up on three years old, but Apple is apparently on track to release an updated model later this year, according to a source speaking to MacRumors.

We’re expecting a chip upgrade from the A15 Bionic found in the current model, Wi-Fi 7 support via a new Apple-designed Bluetooth/Wi-Fi chip, and additional enhancements.

Google Makes Fun of Apple Intelligence Siri Delay in Ad Promoting Pixel 10

Google this week used Apple’s Siri failure to attempt to lure customers to the upcoming Pixel 10 series, sharing an ad that calls out the delayed Apple Intelligence ‌Siri‌ functionality.

“If you buy a new phone because of a feature that’s coming soon, but it’s been coming soon for a full year,” the teaser video begins, “you could change your definition of soon. Or you could just change your phone.”

In an all-hands meeting for Apple employees late last week, Tim Cook defended the company’s AI efforts, noting that “we’ve rarely been first” to new technologies but that AI is “ours to grab” and the company “will make the investment to do it.”

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