Top Stories: 'iPhone Ultra' Rumors, Mac Mini and Mac Studio Shortages, and More

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0200

It was another busy week of Apple news and rumors, with upcoming Apple product categories like the foldable iPhone and smart glasses featuring prominently in the news. This week also saw continued tightening of supplies of the Mac mini and Mac Studio, while Amazon announced it will be acquiring Apple's satellite partner that supports a variety of Apple services for users off the terrestrial grid, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! Top Stories 'iPhone Ultra' Will Solve Two Key Problems Apple reportedly plans to unveil a foldable iPhone in September, with one leaker on Chinese social media claiming the device will be called the "iPhone Ultra." Now, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the device will have improved screen quality and overall durability compared to competing foldables. "Apple engineers believe they've solved problems with screen quality and overall durability, two long-running flaws with phones in this category," he said. Rumors on launch timing have been all over the place, with some claiming the foldable iPhone will be available in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models while others suggest there could be a delay in availability that might extend even into early 2027. The latest rumor suggests, however, that while production is behind schedule, Apple is still aiming for a fall 2026 launch. For more on the iPhone Ultra, check out last week's episode of The MacRumors Show. Apple Stops Accepting Orders for Some Mac Mini and Mac Studio Models Amid severe global RAM chip shortages and rumors of updated models, some Mac mini and Mac Studio configurations are now completely out of stock on Apple's online store in the U.S. Mac mini configurations with an upgraded 32GB or 64GB of RAM and Mac Studio configurations with an upgraded 128GB or 256GB of RAM are listed as "currently unavailable" on the storefront, meaning they can no longer be ordered at all. Other configurations that remain available continue to face lengthy shipping delays, with estimated delivery time frames ranging from one to three months. Last month, Apple entirely removed the Mac Studio's 512GB of RAM option, but supplies are clearly now tightening even further. Apple Testing Four Smart Glasses Styles Made of High-End Materials Apple is developing at least four different styles of smart glasses, and the company is betting that their superior design will set them apart from rival products, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple's latest designs are made from a high-end acetate material, which is "more durable and luxurious" than the standard plastic used by most existing brands. In Gurman's words, the designs in testing include: A large rectangular frame, reminiscent of Ray-Ban Wayfarers A slimmer rectangular design, similar to the glasses worn by Apple CEO Tim Cook Larger oval or circular frames A smaller, more refined oval or circular option Apple and Amazon Ink Satellite Deal Amid Amazon's Takeover of Globalstar Amazon has announced that it will acquire Globalstar, which currently serves as Apple's exclusive satellite connectivity partner, but it appears Apple satellite services will be preserved and will perhaps expand under the deal. Alongside the acquisition, Amazon and Apple have signed a separate agreement for Amazon's Leo satellite network to power existing iPhone and Apple Watch satellite features, including Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite. Amazon said it will continue supporting iPhone and Apple Watch models that use Globalstar's existing and upcoming low Earth orbit constellation. Amazon also said it will work with Apple on future satellite services running on the expanded Leo network. Check Who's Using Your iPhone Hotspot Data If you regularly share your iPhone's data connection with your laptop or iPad, or let family members piggyback on your device's data, you'll be glad to learn that Apple recently made it a lot easier to keep tabs on who's burning through your monthly allowance. In a welcome change with the release of iOS 26.4, Apple has moved Personal Hotspot data usage info out of its previous hiding spot and put it in a much more convenient location right in the Personal Hotspot menu. Apple Highlights Photos Shot on iPhone During NASA's Mission to Moon Astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft used the iPhone 17 Pro Max to take selfies of themselves with the Earth in the background during the Artemis II mission around the far side of the Moon earlier this month. Now that the crew members have safely returned to Earth, Apple's CEO Tim Cook and marketing chief Greg Joswiak have both turned to social media to congratulate them on their successful mission and highlight the iPhone's involvement. "You captured the wonders of space and our planet beautifully, taking iPhone photography to new heights, and we're grateful you shared it with the world," wrote Cook. "Your work continues to inspire us all to think different. Welcome home!" 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!Tag: Top Stories This article, "Top Stories: 'iPhone Ultra' Rumors, Mac Mini and Mac Studio Shortages, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums