Apple has formed a new team to build a ChatGPT-like app, according to according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. This team — reportedly called Answers, Knowledge, and Information — is working to build an “answer engine” that can respond to questions using information from across the web. This could be a standalone app or provide search capabilities in Siri, Safari, and other Apple products. Gurman also notes that Apple is advertising for jobs with this team, specifically looking for applicants who have experience with search algorithms and engine development. While Apple has already integrated ChatGPT into Siri, a more personalized, AI-powered update to the voice assistant has been repeatedly delayed. Apple might also have to alter its search deal with Google as a result of the latter company’s antitrust defeat.
Apple’s Foundation Models Framework gives developers API access to on-device 3-billion-parameter LLM powering 20+ apps including SmartGym, Stoic, and OmniFocus with zero-cost inference, no token limits and offline functionality
Proving Apple Intelligence’s worth, third-party developers are now using it to make apps more personal to users, and users more productive. By using the Foundation Models Framework, developers get an API that means they can pass prompts to Apple Intelligence. It’s done privately, and with specific limitations — but also specific freedoms: No limit on user requests; No tokens or API keys for the user to install; Access to the same Apple Intelligence on device. That last part is significant, because it is both a limitation and a guarantee of privacy. Developers can’t use the full Apple Intelligence LLM in the cloud, nor can they use extensions such as directly making requests of ChatGPT. Nonetheless, developers have been implement Apple Intelligence across a wide range of apps. Apple has now picked out more than 20 to champion, ranging from To Do apps to mental health ones. CellWalk takes users through a 3D journey around molecules. Now it can automatically tailor its explanations to the user’s level of knowledge. More heavyweight To Do apps such as OmniFocus are adopting Apple Intelligence too. It can generate whole projects and suggested tasks to help a user get started. Starting with iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, Apple provides app developers with access to a new Foundation Models framework that allows their apps to tap into the on-device LLM at the core of Apple Intelligence. Apple today highlighted some of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps utilizing the Foundation Models framework to power new features and capabilities. For example, in the fitness app SmartGym, users can now describe a workout and turn it into a structured routine with sets, reps, rest times, and equipment adaptation. SmartGym also generates insightful summaries of workout data, and more. In the journaling app Stoic, users can now receive contextual journaling prompts that are generated from their recent entries, and there are other new features. SwingVision, an app that helps users with their tennis or pickleball skills, uses the framework to generate advice for players to improve their game. Foundation Models powers new Listen Mode and Scan Mode options in the to-do app Stuff. The task management app OmniFocus 4 can now generate projects and next steps on a user’s behalf, such as helping them know what to pack for an upcoming trip.
Apple’s iPad lineup scored record growth in Q2 with 12.7 million units shipped
Apple’s iPad lineup recorded notable growth in the second fiscal quarter of 2025. Data shared by IDC Research shows that Apple shipped 12.7 million units in the second fiscal quarter, a 2.4% year-over-year growth for Apple’s tablet business. The recent update to the 10.9-inch iPad, the first in three years, is said to have helped boost sales to price-conscious buyers. Most notable is Amazon’s tablet sales growth of an incredible 205%. Despite that, it still only accounts for 8% of the market share, whereas Apple holds over 33%. Vendors increased their tablet stocks ahead of the imposition of tariffs, and buyers anticipating price hikes pushed sales growth further than might otherwise have been expected. Additional features, improved performance, and new AI capabilities are also thought to have driven buyers to upgrade. While it hasn’t announced sales volumes by unit in years, for the quarter ending June 28, 2025, Apple sold $6.6 billion worth of tablets compared to $6.4 billion the quarter before. However, the figure represented a fall in sales of 8% year over year. That suggests that buyers are choosing cheaper, more entry-level iPads. Apple CEO Tim Cook posited a potential reason for an uptick in the number of iPads sold during the quarter: that people chose to buy in April specifically because of the threat of price increases brought about by new import tariffs.
Epic Games says Apple’s new install process cuts user drop-offs by 60%; includes only one screen showing users that they might miss some features, such as subscription management
Fortnite maker Epic Games said that Apple’s new installation workflow, implemented in iOS 18.6, has had a positive impact on its user growth, with a 60% decrease in drop-offs. The new process includes only one screen showing users that they might miss some features, such as subscription management offered by the App Store. The screen also informs users that the alternative app store’s developer will handle their data directly. Epic Games said that prior to the iOS 18.6 update, 65% of users attempting to install its game store abandoned the process. However, after the update, that figure dropped to 25%. The company noted that this drop rate is closer to the rate it observes with Windows and macOS users installing its game store. Despite this improvement, the company remains critical of Apple’s policies, including charging a core technology fee, imposing notarization and approval policies, and implementing rules that make it difficult for developers to distribute their apps through alternative app stores.
New Siri will bring voice control to just about all apps — but maybe not banking
Apple’s goal for its Apple Intelligence-based Siri is to give it the ability to control apps through voice commands, but will be limited at launch, and may never control banking apps. It’s claimed that Apple is already testing this functionality across a series of popular third-party apps, such as Uber, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook and others. Apple is also building this into its own apps, plus some selected games. Reportedly, the feature will either exclude or at least limit the control of banking, financial and other sensitive apps, perhaps including health. That’s because the feature has to be entirely and constantly reliable, and Apple will not be rolling it out to all apps at once. The report claims that this use of Siri is enormously significant, and specifically that it is vastly more important than the promised ability to ask Siri the name of someone a user has forgotten. But that promise was a rare demonstration of AI being used for something people would actually do. It would turn the iPhone and Siri into a “Star Trek”-like device, and it could be an impressively fast way of using devices. But Apple needs to show us a reason to want Apple Intelligence, and “what’s the name of the guy I met that time” is what would persuade more people than a quicker way to leave a sarky comment on Facebook. Perhaps an improved search facility would help, too. The latest reports are that Siri may gain ChatGPT-like search powers in the first half of 2026.
Apple is reportedly testing a revamped version of Siri with select third-party apps that uses the App Intents system to let users take action in-app entirely with Siri voice commands
Apple is testing a revamped version of Siri with select third-party apps, including Uber, AllTrails, Threads, Temu, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, and a few games, according to the latest word from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Apple also continues to test the new Siri with its own apps, he said. When it first announced the new-and-improved Siri at WWDC 2024, Apple said it would have better understanding of a user’s personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls, with these features to be powered by Apple Intelligence and an upgraded App Intents system. The features will be available across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and Apple Intelligence has expanded to the Apple Vision Pro too. Gurman said the new App Intents system will let you take action within apps entirely with Siri voice commands: Here’s what the new App Intents will mean: With nothing but your voice, you’ll be able to tell Siri to find a specific photo, edit it and send it off. Or comment on an Instagram post. Or scroll a shopping app and add something to your cart. Or log in to a service without touching the screen. Essentially, Siri could operate your apps like you would — with precision, inside their own interfaces. Gurman said the new Siri is on track to launch in the U.S. in spring 2026. If so, it will likely be released as part of iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, macOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4 next March or April. Apple is considering limiting or disabling some new Siri abilities in banking and health apps, to ensure that Siri does not make the type of critical mistakes that have sometimes occurred during internal testing, according to Gurman.
Apple Card Apple Card slips in satisfaction rankings—outpaced by Hilton AmEx and Costco Visa—as users prioritize high-value rewards and preferences shift beyond no-fee simplicity
The Apple Card isn’t the customer service standout it once was, with new data showing satisfaction slipping as consumers chase richer perks elsewhere. The 2025 study gave Apple Card a satisfaction score of 624 out of 1,000. This was down from 654 in 2024. The drop pushed it behind Hilton Honors American Express, which scored 641. It also fell behind Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi, which scored 629 in the best co-branded credit cards category. Apple Card, issued by Goldman Sachs, had topped the J.D. Power credit card rankings for this segment every year since 2020. J.D. Power’s research evaluates seven factors like account management, customer service, rewards earning and redemption, and terms. The decline suggests Apple Card lost ground in some categories, though the study doesn’t specify which ones. Hilton Honors AmEx and Costco Anywhere Visa are linked to loyalty programs offering travel perks and store benefits to high spenders. The trend shows more consumers are willing to pay fees or change spending habits for better rewards. Searches like “Apple Card vs Hilton Honors AmEx” or “Apple Card vs Costco Anywhere Visa” are now more competitive for potential cardholders comparing benefits. Apple Card is known for its no-fee structure and simplicity, making it a top no-annual-fee credit card in 2025. However, that isn’t good enough in a rewards-focused market. A J.D. Power report highlights a growing divide between financially healthy customers and those under strain. Cardholders without revolving debt reported higher satisfaction, especially with annual-fee rewards cards. Financially challenged customers, who make up over half of U.S. cardholders, rated lower on credit limits, account management, and balance transfers. Apple Card lost its top spot as Goldman Sachs reportedly considered exiting the partnership. Although J.D. Power’s survey doesn’t link issuer stability to satisfaction, uncertainty about the card’s future could affect customer perceptions.
Bloomberg tips a three‑year iPhone redesign: slim “Air” now, foldable with reduced‑crease display in 2026, and all‑around curved glass for the 20th‑anniversary model in 2027
Apple made a big splash in 2017 by introducing an all-screen iPhone with a notch and no physical home button for the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. The company is now preparing to introduce another major overhaul for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary, featuring a new curved glass design. The iPhone 20, set to be launched in 2027, will have curved glass edges all around, likely to suit the new “Liquid Glass” design philosophy of iOS. The publication’s report also noted that before the 20th anniversary iPhone’s release, Apple will launch its first foldable phone in 2026. It said that Apple is in the process of switching screen technology for its upcoming foldable, which might result in a display that hides the crease well.
Apple’s first foldable reportedly adopts a book‑style form with less crease visibility, four cameras and replaces Face ID with Touch ID on the power button
A new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman details some of the features of the upcoming Apple’s foldable iPhone, likely to launch in the fall of 2026. Apple’s first foldable phone will reportedly be a book-style foldable, opening vertically into a small tablet. It will have a total of four cameras – two on the back, one on the inside, and one on the front. It will not have Face ID; instead, it will have Touch ID built into the power button, similar to what we’ve seen on some of the company’s iPads. Other features of note include new screen tech that should make the crease in the unfolded display less visible. The foldable iPhone will come with Apple’s own C2 modem, which is the same chip that will be used by the iPhone 18 Pro line of products. And it won’t have a physical SIM-card slot, claims Gurman. The specs line up with Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s report earlier this year, which also said that the foldable iPhone will have a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, and just 9 to 9.5mm of thickness when folded. It’s all a part of Apple’s big plan to shake up its lineup for three years straight; starting with the new iPhone 17 Air this September, followed by the foldable iPhone next year, and, in 2027, the “iPhone 20,” a sort of an anniversary model that will have curved glass edges all around.
iPadOS’ new update – Mac‑style windowing and menu system turns iPad multitasking into desktop‑class control with resizable windows
The lines between iPad and Mac have never been blurrier – with iPadOS 26. The update brings a suite of powerful new features that elevate the iPad’s utility, bridging the gap between touch-first tablet and full-fledged desktop machine: Menu Bar: Within any active app, swipe down from the top of the screen and you will see a new, fully functioning macOS-style menu bar. With the foremost dropdown menu being the app’s name (where app settings are typically accessed), other standard menus can include File, Edit, Format, View, Window, and Help. The menu bar is dynamic, and will display menus specific to the app. Windowed Apps: A new Windowed Apps mode allows users to arrange and resize multiple app windows in a single space, similar to how it works on a Mac. This mode can also be activated from the Control Center using a new button, which supports long press to switch between Windowed Apps and Stage Manager. Users can move and stack multiple windows by dragging them from the top, resize them by dragging the bottom-right corner, and quickly snap them to half the screen by dragging to a corner. Tapping a space on the Home Screen scatters all open windows to the sides, creating room to open other apps. Traffic Lights: Tapping the three familiar traffic lights symbol, straight out of macOS expands it into red, amber, and green buttons for closing, minimizing, and expanding the window to fullscreen. Long-pressing the buttons also reveals the Mac-style Move & Resize and Fill & Arrange options, as well as an option to park the app off-screen to Add a New Window App Exposé: In the new Windowed Apps mode, iPadOS 26 also includes an App Exposé-style view that’s similar to the App Switcher. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to invoke the view, which shows all the open apps in the current space. You can also scroll the new interface to see your other open apps, whether they’re sharing spaces or open in full-screen mode. Preview: The iPad finally includes the Mac’s long-standing Preview app, only now with Apple Pencil support, enabling you to easily open, edit, and mark up a range of images, documents, and file types. The Preview app’s browsing menu is a lot like the Files interface, where you can browse your files and check out recent and shared items. You can also scan documents from right within the app. Trackpad Pointer: If you have a Magic Keyboard trackpad or a Bluetooth mouse connected to your iPad, the cursor is now a Mac-like pointer rather than a circle. And if you shake it, the pointer will get bigger so that you can easily locate it on the screen. Advanced File Management: The iPad’s Files app is enhanced with a new List view that features resizable columns and collapsible folders, and new filters, allowing users to see more document details at a glance and organize their files. To help you identify folders more easily, the app now supports folder customization with custom colors, icons, and emoji, all of which sync across devices. Folders in Dock: In the Files app, long press on a folder and you’ll see a new Add to Dock option in the contextual dropdown menu. So you can now park any folder in your Dock, and if you long press on its icon, you’ll see Mac-style display options to view the content as a Grid or a Fan, as well as the typical sorting preferences. In iPadOS 26, you can now fit up to 23 icons in the Dock, so there’s nothing stopping you from adding multiple folders. In Settings ➝ Multitasking & Gestures, there’s also a new option to Automatically Show and Hide the Dock, just like in macOS.