AppleCare+ became available for the first time 15 years ago today, on October 14, 2011, alongside the iPhone 4S, following its announcement ten days earlier. The previous $69 AppleCare Protection Plan in the United States extended hardware repair coverage and technical support to two years, but excluded accidental damage.
AppleCare+ cost $99, retaining that two-year term while adding coverage for two accidental damage incidents, each with a $49 service fee. It covered damage from drops and liquid contact, but excluded theft and loss.
Apple is reportedly preparing a substantial production run for the standard iPhone 18, following the iPhone 17's success as the world's best-selling smartphone.
In a new Weibo post, the leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital" claimed that production of the standard iPhone 18 is scheduled to start in late November, describing the volume of inventory being prepared as "quite large."
Its predecessor has likely given Apple considerable reason for confidence. Following the iPhone 17's initial pre-order weekend, Apple reportedly instructed two suppliers to increase daily output by at least 30%, according to The Information. Counterpoint Research later reported that the standard iPhone 17 led global smartphone sales in both the first and second quarters of 2026. It accounted for 6% of worldwide smartphone unit sales in each quarter, outselling even the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro.
The iPhone 18 is expected to retain a broadly similar design, with potential upgrades including a smaller Dynamic Island, the A20 chip, and Apple's C2 modem. It is expected to be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2 in spring 2027. A late-November production start would give Apple several months to build inventory ahead of launch.
Apple today added the 12-inch MacBook (2017), iPad (6th generation), and BeatsX headphones to the obsolete products list on its website.
Apple considers a product to be obsolete once seven years have passed since it last distributed the product for sale, including to resellers.
Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers are instructed to discontinue hardware service for obsolete products and generally cannot order parts for these products as a result. However, Apple says MacBooks may remain eligible for battery replacements for up to 10 years after distribution ended, subject to parts availability.
Apple discontinued the Intel-based 12-inch MacBook entirely in 2019, and it has yet to offer a sub-13-inch MacBook model with Apple silicon.
Apple just announced the HomeView yesterday, and Amazon today has introduced the first pre-order discounts on the home hub device. You can get now get all four colors for $289.99, down from $299.00.
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.
Although only a $9 discount, this is the first deal we've seen on the HomeView, and as of writing only Amazon is offering any sort of discount on the device. Amazon is still providing an estimated delivery date for November 13, which is when the HomeView officially launches.
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.
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Today marks the 15th anniversary of the iPhone 4S launch, introducing Siri as a built-in feature of the iPhone for the first time.
The iPhone 4S went on sale on October 14, 2011, ten days after its announcement. It initially launched in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, retaining the iPhone 4's glass and stainless steel design while introducing substantial internal improvements.
The device's defining addition was Siri, which allowed users to make calls, send messages, create reminders, schedule appointments, and ask questions using natural language. Apple highlighted the assistant's ability to interpret requests in context, such as understanding that a question about needing an umbrella was a request for the weather forecast.
Siri initially launched in beta, supporting English localized for the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, alongside French and German. The assistant was exclusive to the iPhone 4S, so owners of older iPhones could not access it simply by installing iOS 5.
Siri had already existed as a standalone iPhone app, which launched in February 2010. Apple acquired the company in April that year before integrating its technology into iOS directly. Following the iPhone 4S announcement, Apple removed the original app from the App Store and notified existing users that its service would stop working on October 15.
Beyond Siri, the iPhone 4S introduced Apple's dual-core A5 chip, which it said delivered up to twice the CPU performance and seven times the graphics performance of the iPhone 4. Its rear camera increased from five to eight megapixels, with an f/2.4 aperture and support for 1080p video recording. A revised antenna system could switch between antennas for transmitting and receiving, while maximum supported HSDPA download speeds doubled to 14.4 Mbps.
The iPhone 4S shipped with iOS 5, which had become available two days earlier alongside iCloud. The software update introduced iMessage, Notification Center, and Reminders, as well as wireless software updates and on-device setup.
Available in black and white, the iPhone 4S came in 16GB, 32GB, and a new 64GB configuration. U.S. prices started at $199, $299, and $399, respectively, with a qualifying two-year carrier contract. Apple subsequently announced that it had sold more than four million units during its first three days of availability, more than double the iPhone 4's opening sales over the same period.
Apple's new HomeView includes temperature and humidity sensing, allowing the smart home hub to monitor indoor conditions and supply readings to the new thermostats developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric.
Apple's technical specifications confirm that both the tabletop and wall-mounted HomeView have a temperature and humidity sensor. The hardware is listed alongside the ambient light sensor and accelerometer.
There are several limitations for the HomeView's readings. Temperature and humidity sensing is optimized for indoor domestic environments with ambient temperatures around 59°F to 86°F, and relative humidity around 30% to 70%.
Accuracy may decrease when HomeView plays audio at high volume for an extended period. The sensors also require time to calibrate immediately after startup before results appear.
According to Apple, the LG and Schneider Electric thermostats in the "Apple Home Collection" can obtain temperature and humidity readings from multiple rooms using sensors built into HomeView, HomePod, and HomePod mini, as well as dedicated sensors from either manufacturer. The thermostats also support Adaptive Temperature in the Home app, which uses on-device intelligence from iPhone to adjust settings based on whether someone is home, winding down for the night, or away.
LG's Temperature Sensor and the Schneider Home Room Sensor will each start at $39.95 in the United States, while the companies' thermostats will each start at $199.95. Both HomeView models cost $299 in the United States and launch on November 13.
Apple yesterday announced the HomePod mini 2, introducing the compact smart speaker's first major hardware update in six years.
The new model retains the original's spherical design, but adds an S10 chip, faster wireless connectivity, Sound Glow lighting, new Mac and home theater capabilities, and support for Siri AI in a future software update.
The HomePod mini 2 costs $149 in the United States, $20 more than its predecessor's last Apple price of $129. While the original launched for $99 in 2020, Apple raised its price in June 2026. With many core features carried over, is the new model worth upgrading to, and should you consider a discounted original instead?
Both generations feature a full-range driver, two passive radiators, and an acoustic waveguide for 360-degree sound. They also share temperature and humidity sensors, Thread networking, Ultra Wideband proximity features, AirPlay multiroom audio, stereo pairing, Intercom, smart home control, and Sound Recognition. Their dimensions remain identical at 3.3 inches tall and 3.9 inches wide, and both include a 20W power adapter.
Here are the differences between the original HomePod mini and HomePod mini 2:
HomePod mini (2020)
HomePod mini 2 (2026)
Backlit touch surface with status and Siri lighting
Backlit touch surface with Sound Glow animations that respond to music, album artwork, and soundscapes
S5 chip (from 2019's Apple Watch Series 5, made with TSMC's N7 7nm process, based on Apple's A12 Bionic chip from iPhone XS)
S10 chip (from 2024's Apple Watch Series 10, made with TSMC's N4 4nm process, based on Apple's A16 Bionic chip from iPhone 14 Pro)
Computational audio
Enhanced computational audio
Four-microphone design
Three-microphone design
Siri
Siri AI support
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 6
Mac audio playback via AirPlay
Can serve as the default speaker for Macs with Wi-Fi 6E or later, individually or in a stereo pair
Four-speaker surround sound with Apple TV 4K (4th generation), including automatic calibration of audio timing and levels
Weighs 0.76 pound (345 grams)
Weighs 0.74 pound (335 grams)
White, midnight, blue, yellow, and orange; previously available in space gray
White, midnight, blue, pink, and green
89% fiber-based packaging
100% fiber-based packaging
Introduced in October 2020
Introduced in October 2026
Discontinued (initially priced at $99, later raised to $129)
$149
Is It Worth Upgrading From HomePod Mini to HomePod Mini 2?
For most existing HomePod mini owners, there is no general-purpose reason to replace a working original HomePod mini immediately. The original retains the main features needed for voice commands, music playback, timers, Intercom, and smart home automations. Sound Glow and the new finishes may appeal to enthusiasts, but they are very small reasons to replace speakers throughout a home.
For buyers primarily interested in sound quality, Apple's specifications provide limited grounds for judging the size of the improvement. The basic driver arrangement remains the same, and the original already used computational audio to tune playback in real time. Apple has not quantified the acoustic gains from the S10 chip.
The clearest upgrade case is using the HomePod mini 2 as a default Mac speaker. If your Mac supports Wi-Fi 6E or later and you want HomePod speakers for games, calls, and everyday computer audio, the new model offers a capability the original's AirPlay connection does not provide.
The four-speaker surround sound system is another notable reason to choose the newer generation. It requires the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K and matching front and rear speaker pairs running the latest software. You can use four HomePod mini 2 speakers, or combine a pair with a pair of full-sized second-generation HomePods. Original HomePod minis are excluded, and the required Apple TV 4K launches on November 13.
Siri AI is perhaps the most consequential improvement, offering more natural conversations, broader general knowledge, improved music discovery, and the ability to act on personal context across supported apps. However, it will not be available at launch, and Apple has not yet announced a release date for the feature.
Apple's requirements specify that the owner of the home in the Home app must have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad with Siri AI enabled. Personal context requests require the individual user's compatible paired device, although other household members can use conversational and general knowledge features once Siri AI is enabled. Initial availability is planned in English in the United States, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
Should You Buy HomePod Mini or HomePod Mini 2?
The HomePod mini 2 should be the default choice for most new buyers when the price difference is small. If remaining original stock costs $129, paying another $20 provides the new Mac and surround sound capabilities, faster connectivity, Sound Glow, and eligibility for the forthcoming Siri AI update.
A substantially discounted original HomePod mini remains worth considering for straightforward music playback or adding smart home control to another room. Its value is strongest when you will use the shared features and have little interest in the new features.
Buying another original also makes sense if you already own one and want to create a stereo pair. Apple requires matching models for stereo pairing, so an original HomePod mini and a HomePod mini 2 cannot form a stereo pair.
HomePod mini 2 pre-orders are now open, with availability beginning October 30.
Apple today launched sleep apnea notifications in mainland China, following approval from the country's National Medical Products Administration. The feature is supported on the Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2, SE 3, and newer.
The Apple Watch uses its accelerometer to monitor breathing disturbances during sleep, analyzing the data every 30 days for signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea. Users who receive a notification can export a PDF report to discuss potential diagnosis and treatment with their doctor.
Other clock and widget layouts appear in Apple's promotional images, but have not yet been named. Apple says that selected faces change throughout the day, with different appearances for mornings and evenings.
The Photos face turns the HomeView into a digital picture frame, displaying a single image or rotating through a collection. It uses Portrait-style depth effects to keep the subject sharp while blurring the foreground and background. Shared albums also allow friends and family to contribute pictures remotely.
For an animated display, the Flow face responds to physical presence and movement, changing its colors and light as people move nearby. The Snoopy face features animations that reflect the time of day, weather, sporting events, and holidays.
Other faces provide direct access to smart home information. Home Modular offers quick access to favorite accessories, while Home Camera can livestream up to nine camera feeds simultaneously.
The HomeView's interface adjusts to the user's distance, presenting simpler information that can be read from across the room and more detail as they move closer. Its 7-inch Liquid Retina display also automatically adjusts brightness, ranging from 500 nits down to 0.3 nits for use at night.
Both the tabletop and wall-mounted HomeView models launch on November 13 and cost $299 in the U.S.
If you damage Apple's new HomeView smart home hub, here is what the repair fees are set at: $39 with AppleCare+ coverage and $279 without. These fees apply to any type of damage to either the tabletop or wall-mounted HomeView models.
In the U.S., AppleCare+ coverage for the HomeView is priced at $2.49 per month or $24.99 per year until canceled, or you can opt to add the device to the AppleCare One bundle, which starts at $19.99 per month.
Apple debuted three new home products today, but the October announcements aren't over yet. Rumors suggest there will be another "event" on October 27, plus we're still waiting on the iPhone Duo.
Here's everything we're expecting to see launch or be announced in October.
October 30 or before - iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS 27.2, and other 27.2 updates launch.
October 30 - HomePod mini 2 launch, iPhone Duo launches in more countries.
Late October - Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM comes out.
Apple is rumored to be holding content creator sessions in Los Angeles on October 27 and October 28 to show off the new Macs and OLED iPad mini. As with the "Welcome Home" announcement, we may hear about the new devices via press release, with an in-person event for content creators and members of the media to get some hands-on time with the new products.
The new Macs will debut in October, but won't ship to customers until November. With an October 27 announcement, pre-orders could happen that same day and a launch could follow as soon as November 6.
Apple's OLED MacBook Pro is the product to watch because it will be Apple's first touchscreen Mac and the first redesign of the MacBook Pro since 2021. The new MacBook Pro will be lighter than the current version, and it will use M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
Apple didn't hold an event today, but it did refresh its lineup of smart home products with the Apple HomeView, HomePod mini 2, and fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. The $299 HomeView is an all-new device that serves as a central home hub, offering apps, widgets, and personalized content for up to six people.
The $299 Apple TV 4K now has microphones for Siri, more internal storage, a faster A19 chip, and Wi-Fi 7, while the $149 HomePod mini has a faster chip and new colors. All three home devices will support for Siri AI. More detail on all of the announcements is available in our coverage linked below.
You can pre-order the Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini, and HomeView right now. The HomePod mini launches on October 30, while the HomeView and Apple TV 4K are coming out on November 13.
Apple today introduced the HomePod mini 2, but the full-sized HomePod was not updated. Nevertheless, the alt text for Apple's full-sized HomePod image shown at the bottom of the HomePod order page now mentions a "multi-colored Siri AI glow on top," suggesting that the larger HomePod might eventually gain support for Siri AI.
Of course, it is also possible that Apple simply made an error.
The new HomePod mini 2 will feature Siri AI, but not right away, with support set to arrive in a "future software update." Apple did not provide a timeframe for the update. Siri AI on the HomePod mini 2 will require a paired iPhone or iPad model that supports Apple Intelligence for requests that involve a user's personal context.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple planned to update the full-sized HomePod "eventually." Siri AI support might end up being limited to a new model of the speaker, but Apple's plans are unknown at this time.
Apple today seeded the third betas of iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. The software comes a few hours after Apple provided the betas to developers.
To get the new betas, you can sign up on Apple's beta testing website. After you're signed up, the betas can be installed through the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.
iOS 27.2 includes the redesigned Health app that Apple introduced at its September iPhone event. It features new Insights and Longevity tabs with more insight into health and fitness data. There's also a Health Age feature that uses your metrics to determine your fitness age vs. your actual age.
In the Apple TV app, there are new profile options, and Siri AI is now available in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.
In the fourth beta of iOS 27.2, Apple updated the Apple Music icon. The new icon is black and white, replacing the prior icon.
In light mode, the logo is black on a white background, and in dark mode, it's white on a black background.
The refreshed Music app icon comes after Apple debuted a new Apple Music logo in an earlier version of iOS 27.2 and in marketing materials for its recent Apple Music Hall announcement.
Along with a new icon, the Apple Music app in iOS 27.2 beta 4 has blue highlights for the selected navigation bar icon rather than red, and text in the Music app's settings also swaps red for blue. Apple Music widgets also have a black background instead of a red background, suggesting Apple is phasing out much of the red branding for the music service.
The previous-generation HomePod mini can also be used as a Mac's speaker via AirPlay, but it cannot be set as the default audio output. AirPlay can also introduce audio latency.
Earlier this year, Elevation Lab announced the launch of a "Silencer" for AirTag meant to pierce the speaker on the device to disable the sound.
Elevation Lab explained that it created the Silencer to keep thieves from detecting an AirTag on valuable products like bikes, but the company didn't think easy speaker removal would be problematic.
The AirTag plays a sound when it is away from its owner to alert users that a tracker might be following them. AirTags have been criticized for making stalking simple, and Apple has improved safety features multiple times since the trackers launched in 2021. The latest AirTag 2 even has a louder speaker and more adhesive to make the speaker harder to remove.
We did not cover the launch of the Elevation Lab Silencer because we didn't want to publicize an accessory that does away with the AirTag's anti-stalking feature, and Elevation Lab must have heard several complaints. Six Colors' Glenn Fleishman, for example, said the device was "appalling." When he asked Elevation Lab about it, Casey Hopkins, the company's CEO, explained that users can already silence AirTags themselves, and people will still get smartphone notifications if an unknown AirTag is traveling with them.
Elevation Lab reversed course and sent out emails today letting customers know that the Silencer is no longer available for purchase.
We launched an AirTag silencing tool recently. We've always made products we want for ourselves, and this was no different - we wanted it for AirTags on our bikes. (Some of us have bikes more valuable than our cars.)
In retrospect though, this also has the side effect of aiding someone with bad intentions to track someone that wouldn't get phone notifications.
We have removed the product and will use our patent on it to prevent anyone else from making one in the future.
The Silencer had a pin located where the AirTag speaker is. The device description instructed users to remove the AirTag battery, apply the Silencer, and hit it with a hammer to cause the pin to pierce the AirTag's plastic cover and the speaker below.
AirTag alerts do make the trackers less useful for locating items stolen deliberately, but audible sound is an essential safeguard that exists to protect people from stalkers. Elevation Lab plans to use its patent to make sure other companies do not design and release a similar accessory.
After upgrading to the fourth beta, the Health app has a popup that says the new app features will come in a future update. Data collected during the beta remains available in the Settings app.
Apple is planning to release iOS 27.2 later in October, and the removal of the Health app suggests a launch is getting closer. The HomePod mini 2 that launches on October 30 uses HomePod software 27.2, so the updates will need to come out before that date.
AppleCare+ became available for the first time 15 years ago today, on October 14, 2011, alongside the iPhone 4S, following its announcement ten days earlier. The previous $69 AppleCare Protection Plan in the United States extended hardware repair coverage and technical support to two years, but excluded accidental damage.
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.
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