MacRumors

For a limited time, the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be limited to customers with a pickup reservation at Apple Stores in Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates, according to notices posted on Apple's localized websites for those countries.

The notices suggest that the iPhone Duo will not be available for walk-in customers at Apple's retail locations in Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates when the device launches on Friday, October 23, likely due to a mix of supply constraints and Apple's usual anti-scalping measures in Asia and the Middle East.

It is unclear if this policy will extend to any other countries.

iPhone Duo pre-orders began on Friday, with shipping estimates on Apple's online store for newly-placed orders getting pushed back to January 25 within the first 30 minutes of pre-orders starting. In a statement issued later on Friday, Apple said demand for the iPhone Duo was "nothing short of extraordinary" and that it was "working hard" to fulfill orders "as quickly as possible." Apple did not disclose any specific sales figures.

Apple's online store says customers interested in reserving the iPhone Duo for Apple Store pickup should check back on Saturday, October 24 for more information.

iPhone Duo should be on display at Apple Stores around the world starting on Friday, October 23, but it is still not entirely clear if the device will be available for walk-in customers in the U.S. or any other countries. Our own Hartley Charlton reported that some Apple Store managers advised employees to warn customers against attempting to purchase the iPhone Duo on a walk-in basis at launch, but this was not companywide communication and Apple has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

It seems safe to say that even if some Apple Stores do have the iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers, inventory will be extremely limited at first.

Apple is testing the next macOS Golden Gate update, and developers can download the ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ 27.2 release candidate. The RC comes a week after Apple released the fourth beta.

Registered developers can download ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ 27.2 by opening up the System Settings app, clicking on General, selecting Software Update, and opting into ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ betas.

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ 27.2 introduces Siri AI in new languages and includes new brightness and volume sliders.

We're expecting ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ 27.2 to launch toward the end of October.

Apple today seeded the release candidate of an upcoming iOS 27.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after Apple released the fourth iOS 27.2 beta. Apple also seeded the iPadOS 27.2 RC.

Registered developers can download the beta updates by opting in under Settings > General > Software Update and selecting the iOS 27 developer beta.

The beta was used to test the new ‌iOS 27‌ Health app, but the features have since been removed and will be coming in a later update. It expands Siri AI to new languages including French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

There are now profiles for the Apple TV app, Call Context supports anniversary alerts, and Apple Music has a new icon. The update also supports an alternative expanded prompt for App Tracking Transparency in the European Union.

Apple previously said the new ‌Siri‌ AI languages in iOS 27.2 would be available in October, so we are expecting iOS 27.2 to see a public launch before the end of the month. With the RC out, the update could come next week.

Alongside new betas of iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, and macOS Golden Gate 27.2, Apple has seeded the release candidate versions of watchOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2 and visionOS 27.2. The RCs come a week after Apple released the fourth betas.

Registered developers can download the betas through the Settings app on each device.

There's no word on what's being added in visionOS 27.2 and tvOS 27.2, but Apple is bringing Siri AI to the Apple TV, so the update could include new ‌Siri‌ features. Apple has also released HomePod Software 27.2, including for the new HomePod mini 2.

Samsung has kicked off a new discount event, which it's calling "Samsung Week," with big discounts across multiple product categories, including its most popular monitors and TVs.

TVs

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

In regards to TVs, there are quite a few models of The Frame TV on sale, including low prices on the latest 2026 models. You can get the 2026 65-inch The Frame TV for $1,199.99 ($300 off), which is a solid second-best price, as well as the 75-inch Frame Pro for $2,199.99 ($600 off), a record low price. For even steeper discounts, check out the 2025 models on sale.

• 55-inch QLED Q7F Smart TV - $399.99, down from $529.99
• 50-inch The Frame (2025) - $849.99, down from $1,099.99
• 65-inch The Frame (2025) - $1,099.99, down from $1,799.99
• 65-inch The Frame (2026) - $1,199.99, down from $1,499.99
• 75-inch The Frame Pro (2025) - $1,799.99, down from $3,199.99
• 75-inch The Frame Pro (2026) - $2,199.99, down from $2,799.99
• 85-inch The Frame Pro (2025) - $3,299.99, down from $4,299.99
• 85-inch Neo QLED QN90F Smart TV - $2,499.99, down from $4,499.99

Monitors

• 27-inch Odyssey G8 5K Monitor - $599.99 ($350 off)
• 43-inch Movingstyle Essential - $699.99 ($200 off)
• 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 4K Monitor - $999.99 ($300 off)
• 49-inch Odyssey OLED G95SD Monitor - $1,199.99, down from $2,039.98

Galaxy Products

• Galaxy Z Fold8 - Up to $1,400 in total savings
• Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra - Up to $1,200 in savings
• Galaxy Z Flip8 - Up to $800 in total savings

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name.

The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple would expand its lineup of "Ultra" products this year was off the mark.

Apple's Greg Joswiak today hinted at new product announcements coming next week, sharing a social media post that says "Can't wait to pro and tell next week."

Rumors suggest Apple is planning to debut the new MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen display, an M6 entry-level ‌MacBook Pro‌, an M6 iMac, an iPad mini with an ‌OLED‌ display.

Can't wait to pro and tell next week. https://t.co/3wUkxwq35i

— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) October 19, 2026

Apple is expected to announce the new devices on Wednesday, October 28. Members of the media have been invited to an in-person "experience" in Los Angeles, California that starts at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, so we could see press releases for the new products at that time. As with the HomeView, HomePod, and Apple TV, we are not expecting a standard event, but media will get hands-on time with the Macs and the ‌iPad mini‌ and will be able to share their first impressions.

Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ and other devices could launch on Friday, November 6.

In a late September press release that we just discovered now, GM announced that it has started rolling out Apple Wallet car key support in select Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC vehicle models, with additional models to follow over time.

Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet will also be supported, with a related Samsung press release mentioning availability in the U.S. and Canada.

GM said the rollout will occur as follows, with model years listed in parentheses.

September–October 2026

• Cadillac Vistiq (2027)
• Cadillac Optiq (2026–2027)
• Cadillac Lyriq (2025–2027)

December 2026

• Cadillac Escalade (2027)
• Cadillac Escalade IQ/IQL (2027)
• Chevrolet Suburban (2026–2027)
• Chevrolet Tahoe (2026–2027)
• GMC Yukon (2026–2027)
• GMC Yukon XL (2026–2027)

GM said customers will see a notification in the "What's New" section of their vehicle's mobile app when digital key support is available.

Apple Wallet's car key feature allows you to use a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch as a vehicle's car key. GM said supported vehicles will automatically unlock as you approach and lock when you walk away. You can also open the vehicle's trunk and turn the climate control system on or off right from the Apple Wallet app.

GM's digital keys use ultra-wideband technology to enable secure, proximity-based authentication, along with Bluetooth. They work with the iPhone 11 or later (excluding iPhone SE 2, iPhone SE 3, and iPhone 16e) or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later.

To set up a digital car key, GM said to first download and sign in to your vehicle's mobile app. Then, while in your OnStar-connected GM vehicle with its physical key fob nearby, follow the prompts on the app to add a digital key to your compatible digital wallet of choice. More details are available in Apple's support document.

MacBook Pro deals have been getting steeper and steeper over the past few weeks, and today Amazon has introduced the biggest discount yet on one model of the 16-inch MacBook Pro. You can get the M5 Max model with 36GB RAM and a 2TB SSD for $3,499.00, down from $4,399.00.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This is a massive $900 markdown on the 2026 16-inch MacBook Pro, and the best price we've ever seen on this model of the computer. On Amazon, it's only available in Space Black, but you can find a matching deal at Best Buy in both color options.

Many of the best Mac-related deals have disappeared since Prime Day ended earlier in the month, but there are still some notable sales available online. The high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro with 48GB RAM and a 2TB SSD is still available for $4,499.00 ($500 off), and many of the Mac mini and Mac Studio deals remain live.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Amazon has Apple's brand new Mac mini for up to $149 off this weekend, with deals focused on the M6 Mac mini this time around. You'll also find $200 off the M5 Max Mac Studio below.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

One of the best deals is on the M5 Max Mac Studio with 36GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, on sale for $2,299.00, down from $2,499.00. Regarding the Mac mini, you can get the 16GB RAM/256GB SSD Mac mini for $779.99 ($119 off), and the 16GB RAM/512GB SSD model for $949.99 ($149 off).

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Apple likely plans to release MacBook Pro models with OLED displays, 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac models with M6 chips, and/or an iPad mini 8 with an OLED display on Friday, November 6, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The devices are expected to be announced on Tuesday, October 27 or Wednesday, October 28.

If this timeframe proves to be accurate, then Apple will be releasing new products for the next four Fridays, with the other dates already announced.

• Friday, October 23: iPhone Duo
• Friday, October 30: HomePod mini 2
• Friday, November 6: MacBook Pro models with OLED displays, 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac models with M6 chips, and/or an iPad mini 8
• Friday, November 13: HomeView and Apple TV 4K (4th generation)

Apple on Friday published an EU energy label for the iPhone Duo that reveals the device has a total battery capacity of 4,883 mAh.

The document appears to confirm a previous leak that showed the iPhone Duo has 2,962 mAh and 1,921 mAh battery cells totaling 4,883 mAh. iPhone Duo is an eSIM-only device, so this battery capacity figure should apply worldwide, as there is no version of the device with a physical SIM card tray that would have a slightly smaller battery.

For comparison, iFixit found the eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro has a 4,288 mAh battery capacity, and the eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 5,567 mAh battery.

Apple plans to release a higher-end version of its new HomeView smart home hub with a larger 9-inch screen that can swivel a full 360 degrees on a robotic arm, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He expects the device to launch in 2027 or 2028.

Gurman floated the names HomeView Max, HomeView Ultra, or HomeView 360 for the device, but these are just speculative names for now. The current tabletop version of the HomeView has a fixed 7-inch screen.

Despite knowing that the iPhone Duo would face "severe supply constraints" due to manufacturing challenges, Apple chose to begin iPhone Duo pre-orders on Friday instead of waiting until it had more inventory ready, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he called this decision a "major mistake."

"Let me cut to the chase: Apple made a major mistake here," he said. "The company knew there would be severe supply constraints but went ahead with the launch anyway, apparently prioritizing a desire to get the device on the market early in its fiscal first quarter over satisfying demand. That will disappoint many of the early adopters most eager to buy it."

Apple originally planned to launch the iPhone Duo in the U.S. and China only before expanding the device to other countries later, according to Gurman, but the company ultimately decided to start pre-orders in more than 70 countries simultaneously.

Less than 30 minutes after pre-orders began, Apple's estimated shipping dates for the iPhone Duo slipped to around January 25 in most countries. Apple typically underpromises and overdelivers with its delivery dates, though, so hopefully some customers will end up having their shipping estimates bumped up at least slightly.

Some Apple retail employees have been told to warn customers against visiting to purchase an iPhone Duo without a pre-order on Friday, October 23.

Apple Store employees told MacRumors that they have been advised that there will likely be no ‌iPhone Duo‌ stock available for walk-in purchases on launch day. Staff have been instructed to discourage customers without pre-orders from coming in expecting to buy the device, warning that they will be disappointed.

Apple's online store tells customers to check back on Saturday, October 24 for pickup availability. Pickup reservations were briefly available when pre-orders opened before the option was disabled.

The October 24 message does not guarantee stock will be available that day, and it remains unclear how firm the warning shared with employees is and whether it applies worldwide. If the guidance is firm and widely perpetuated, it closes off a potential route for customers hoping to bypass the device's lengthy online wait times, at least at the stores concerned.

Warnings about a constrained launch began well before Apple announced the ‌iPhone Duo‌. In early September, Nikkei Asia reported that production had reached only a few hundred devices per day in late August. Further production problems emerged in late September.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple had at one point believed production constraints could push the start of sales into November. The company subsequently assembled enough inventory to proceed with the October 23 launch, although supply remained very limited.

The extent of the shortage became apparent when pre-orders opened earlier this week. Delivery estimates moved beyond launch day within minutes, and within 30 minutes, all configurations in Apple's U.S. online store showed January 25 shipping estimates. The device is now effectively sold out for Christmas through Apple's online store.

Apple subsequently described demand as "nothing short of extraordinary" in a statement to the Financial Times, adding that it was working to get devices to customers as quickly as possible. Apple has not publicly specified whether any stores will have stock for launch-day walk-in purchases.

The ‌iPhone Duo‌ starts at $1,999 in the United States, with the first pre-order deliveries scheduled for October 23.

Apple has hired former Meta lawyer Scott Tucker to lead its litigation team, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Tucker will become Apple's vice president of global litigation and financial services, a new position overseeing commercial lawsuits, patent disputes, and legal matters involving its financial products. He previously led litigation at Meta and held a senior legal role at Morgan Stanley.

The move brings Tucker back together with Jennifer Newstead, Apple's general counsel. Newstead joined Apple's leadership in March after six years as Meta's top lawyer.

Heather Grenier, who currently oversees Apple's commercial and competition litigation, will report to Tucker instead of Newstead. She will remain on Newstead's leadership team. Apple is also expanding legal executive Kyle Andeer's responsibilities to include international legal matters, child safety, cybersecurity, and law enforcement.

The changes are part of a wider overhaul under Newstead, who now oversees both legal and government affairs. Apple announced plans to combine the teams alongside the retirements of Kate Adams and Lisa Jackson.

According to Gurman, some Apple executives believe the company should have performed better in court, particularly in App Store disputes. Its battle with Epic Games has forced changes to the rules for links to outside payment options and the fees Apple can charge.

Apple also faces the U.S. government's antitrust lawsuit and privacy cases. Separately, it agreed to a $250 million settlement over delayed Siri features, with a final approval hearing scheduled for February 2027.

It was another crazy busy week for Apple, headlined by Tuesday seeing the company take the wraps off of several home-related products as part of a "Welcome home" launch wave.

And as if that wasn't enough, Friday saw the start of iPhone Duo pre-orders with delivery estimates quickly slipping by months amid its popularity and apparent product shortages, while we're looking forward to even more products launches later this month, so read on below for all of the details!

Top Stories

Apple Announces 'HomeView' Smart Home Hub

Apple's long-rumored smart home hub is finally official, with Apple debuting the $299 HomeView as part of its "Welcome home" product launch this week.

Apple HomeView features a 7-inch Liquid Retina display and Siri AI support, and it's available in both tabletop and wall mounted versions. The device is able to recognize multiple users and adjust its presentation of information depending on how far the user is from the screen, and it supports Photos faces, Apple Music playlists, FaceTime calls, and more.

Pre-orders are underway now with a launch coming on November 13.

New Apple TV 4K Announced With A19 Chip, Updated Siri Remote, More

While the Apple HomeView was the headline attraction of this week's introductions, the Apple TV box also got its first update in four years with the unveiling of the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.

The new box gets a big upgrade to the A19 chip, which provides Siri AI support and improved performance. A new Siri Remote (also available separately for older boxes) includes Find My support with Precision Finding and a speaker to allow it to make itself heard when lost. And for times when you want to use Siri without the remote, the box itself also now includes microphones for hands-free Siri AI.

The new box comes with a significant price hike to $299, and it's available for pre-order now ahead of a November 13 launch.

Apple Announces $149 HomePod Mini 2 With Siri AI, 'Sound Glow', and Four-Speaker Surround Sound

Apple's third home-related product announcement for the week was a new HomePod mini equipped with Siri AI, new colors, and improved audio experiences. The ‌HomePod‌ mini 2 has an S10 chip that supports advanced computational audio, and Apple says it optimizes dynamic range, loudness, and acoustic performance in real-time.

A Sound Glow feature turns the ‌HomePod‌ mini's top into a "visual canvas" that glows and animates in sync with music, reacting to bass and treble. It uses colors generated from the song's album artwork for a unique experience for each song.

The HomePod mini 2 is priced at $149 and is available for pre-order now ahead of an October 30 launch. Siri AI won't be available at launch, however, as it will come in a future software update.

iPhone Duo is Sold Out for Christmas as Shipping Estimates Slip to 2027

Apple began accepting iPhone Duo pre-orders in a number of countries at 5 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, with delivery estimates starting to slip within minutes if not seconds. Within half an hour, delivery estimates in the U.S. ultimately stabilized at late January 2027, a three-month delay.

In remains to be seen how much, if any, stock Apple will have at its retail stores for walk-in purchases on the October 23 launch date, and scalpers are already selling off early pre-orders for as much as $5,000.

Apple Inviting Media to October 28 'Launch Experience'

After previously reporting that Apple was planning a two-day product showcase in Los Angeles on October 27 and 28 for select content creators and members of the media to experience even more upcoming Apple products, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman now says Apple has begun explicitly inviting members of the media to the event for October 28.

We're expecting to see several more products launch on either October 27 or 28, including new high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook models with touchscreen OLED displays, new iMac and entry-level MacBook Pro models based around the M6 chip, and a new iPad mini with an OLED display.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Verizon plans to charge customers $10 per month for the iPhone Handoff feature that Apple added in iOS 27. iPhone Handoff allows one phone number to be shared across two separate iPhones.

Pricing was included in Verizon's iPhone Duo announcement today, with the carrier confirming iPhone Handoff will work with the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro models.

Verizon will support iPhone Handoff, giving customers the flexibility to use a single Verizon phone number seamlessly across two compatible iPhone models. Whether using the pocketable iPhone Duo on the go or iPhone 18 Pro for work, customers can switch active status between devices at any time while keeping full access to Verizon's 5G network. iPhone Handoff will be available from Verizon for $10/month on compatible iPhones models running iOS 27.

With iPhone Handoff, users can switch between a main iPhone and a companion iPhone at will, though a phone number can only be active on one iPhone at a time. Verizon says support is "coming soon," and Apple previously said Verizon would adopt the feature before the end of the year.

U.S. carrier T-Mobile already supports iPhone Handoff, but charges just $5 per month for the feature. AT&T, the third major U.S. carrier, recently suggested it has no imminent plans to support iPhone Handoff.

U.K. carrier EE also said this week that it will soon support iPhone Handoff. Customers who have EE's Full Works Plus plan will get iPhone Handoff free, while other EE users can get it for £5 per month.

Deutsche Telekom in Germany is the only other carrier that's added iPhone Handoff support so far. It costs €6.95 per month, but the carrier includes it for free in the MagentaMobil L and XL plans.