After a flurry of Apple releases in September in October, the calendar has now turned to November, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Apple is done making news for 2025.
Beyond those nearer-term software and hardware update expectations, this week saw fresh rumors about the iPhone 18 lineup, several future Mac and iPad models, and more, so read on below for all the details!
Top Stories
Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates
The public releases of iOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, and related updates appear to be right around the corner, with Apple seeding release candidate versions of all of the updates this week.
iOS 26.1 brings several new features and changes, including a toggle to adjust the opaqueness of the new Liquid Glass design. We took a look at whether using the Clear or Tinted design, as well as trying several other accessibility adjustments that can affect the Liquid Glass look, has any impact on battery life, but didn’t find anything significant.
iPhone 18 Pro Rumored to Support Full 5G Satellite Internet
While Apple has been gradually building out satellite-related features for its lineup of iPhone and more recently Apple Watch models, all of the features have so far been limited to low-bandwidth applications like messaging.
That may change next year, however, with a new report claiming that Apple is working on adding support for full 5G satellite internet access as soon as next year in the iPhone 18 Pro models.
In other iPhone 18 rumors this week, we heard about potential for a simpler Camera Control design in next year’s phones, as well as a DSLR-style variable aperture for the Main camera on iPhone 18 Pro models. The base iPhone 18 may also see a 50% bump in memory to 12GB, matching the higher-end models.
Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We’re not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple’s set-top box.
We’ve rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors in a recent article and accompanying video, so be sure to check it out for an overview of everything we may see in the forthcoming update.
Apple Reportedly Moving Ahead With Ads in Maps App
Apple Maps could feature integrated ads as soon as next year, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reports.
In his latest “Power On” newsletter, Gurman said that Apple’s plan to bring more ads to iOS is “gaining traction,” with the Maps app being next in line. The project will apparently give restaurants and other businesses the option to pay to have their details featured more prominently in search.
Apple Expanding OLED Displays to iPad Mini, iPad Air, and MacBook Models
We’ve known for some time that Apple has been working to bring OLED displays to the MacBook Pro, but a new report from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reveals Apple’s OLED plans are much broader than that.
Gurman says the iPad mini will gain an OLED display as early as next year, while the iPad Air will be updated with OLED no sooner than 2027. The iPad Pro was updated with OLED last year.
On the Mac side, following the MacBook Pro in late 2026 or early 2027, the MacBook Air should also eventually be upgraded to OLED, but probably not until 2028 at the earliest.
M4 MacBook Air vs. M5 MacBook Pro Buyer’s Guide
Apple has now refreshed both tiers of its MacBook lineup in 2025, first updating the MacBook Air with the M4 chip and just this month introducing the MacBook Pro with the new M5 chip, so how do the latest models compare?
While the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air continue to start at $999 and $1,199 respectively, moving to the 14-inch MacBook Pro requires spending at least $400 more. For some buyers, the extra cost is unnecessary; for others, the Pro’s hardware advantages meaningfully change the experience in ways the Air cannot match even with higher configurations. Our latest guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two popular laptops is best for you.
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