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This week, Apple launched Apple Upgrade, its new leasing program for most Apple products. It replaces the iPhone Upgrade Program entirely, and for the most part, it’s an incredible deal.

The deal is so good that largely, there isn’t a great reason to use Apple Card Monthly Installments (ACMI) anymore. You still get 3% cash back using Apple Upgrade, similar to ACMI – and the leasing terms are a lot more generous than ACMI. You also don’t have to lease forever. At the end, you can purchase the device by paying the difference between the leasing cost and the MSRP.

So, it’s left me wondering – will Apple Card Monthly Installments go away?

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Apple’s latest earnings call included some K12 sales numbers around the MacBook Neo that are super interesting, considering how pricing is progressing in electronics. MacBook Neo is beginning to displace Windows and Chromebooks in K-12 in a rapid fashion.

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

If you’re an aviation geek, Overflight is a fun new app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV that shows you exactly what planes are flying above you, where they’re headed to, and everything else you’d like to know.

Next year, the iPhone will be turning 20 – and Apple is heavily rumored to be working on a radical new design to celebrate. Many have expected this to come in the form of iPhone 19 Pro (more likely to be called iPhone 20 to align with the anniversary), but I think there’s one solid reason that it may not be delivered in that form.

Later this fall, Apple will be updating the Mac Studio for the first time since early 2025. That may be just over a year ago, but it’s significant for one main reason: the highest end Mac Studio is still M3 based, as Apple never made an Ultra version of the M4 chipset. Here’s what to expect with the next generation Mac Studio, as well as in the future.

Since iOS 5 in 2011, the iPhone and iPad have included Notification Center, a central place to find alerts from various apps in chronological order.

Starting with iOS 27, Apple is making a major change to how users open Notification Center on iPhone and iPad.

iOS 27 is currently in beta, and the behavior has changed slightly between the first two releases. However, the four developer beta and second public beta show this change will ship this fall.

Your weekend edition of 9to5Toys Lunch Break is here with ongoing deals on AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Max 2 at $100 off, AirTag 2, and a bunch more. 

This weekend we are highlighting some banger deals on the official Apple refurb store, from up to $540 off Apple Studio displays, to the lowest prices around on M5 MacBook Air and M5 MacBook Pro at $300 off. 

Those offers sit alongside Apple Watch Series 11 at $100 off and some notable official Apple accessories discounts from under $8. Scope it all out below. 

Fernando and Jeff discuss Apple Upgrade in depth, including Apple’s motivation, the major players involved, how it may affect the used and refurbished market, and how it might open up the company’s upcoming foldable iPhone to a much wider audience.

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9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

Apple TV’s YouTube channel has shared the full panels for Matchbox The Movie, Widow’s Bay, Dark Matter, Mayday, and Silo, from its first-ever Hall H takeover at San Diego Comic-Con 2026. Watch them below.

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple captured nearly half of global smartphone revenue during the second quarter, despite a market-wide decline in shipments. Here are the details.

When iPhone 17 Pro launched, Apple touted the device’s improved durability. One user just put that claim to the test—unintentionally—and came away shocked after her iPhone 17 Pro survived an airplane fall unscathed.

Apple TV offers exclusive original TV shows and movies in 4K HDR quality. You can watch across all of your screens and pick up where you left off on any device. Apple TV costs $12.99 per month. You can get a seven-day free trial for new accounts here. Here’s every Apple original television show and movie available now on Apple TV, as well as the latest trailers …

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A few weeks ago, JP Morgan set a $345 price target for Apple’s stock through December 2027. Following yesterday’s quarterly results, the investment bank has slightly lowered its outlook. Here are the details.

Ted Lasso is almost back (watch on Apple TV), with season 4 premiering this Tuesday, August 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. Here are two major changes to expect from the new season of Ted Lasso.

Apple is expected to release the iPhone Air 2 in early 2027, with several key improvements over the first model. In a new investor note seen today by 9to5Mac, analyst Jeff Pu has the full rundown on what features and changes to expect from the iPhone Air 2 …

Spotify is rolling out a new feature that lets users add short notes to individual tracks on their playlists. Here are the details.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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Apple has a lot of new products launching this fall, including five that have been many years in the making. Here’s what’s coming.

Vibes around Meta’s AI glasses are off lately. So much so that one of the top three paid iPhone apps today is dedicated to detecting when someone nearby may be using smart glasses.

iOS 27 includes lots of hints that the iPhone Ultra is coming, and one such hint—expanded landscape support—offers a new reason to upgrade your iPhone screen size, even if you’re not getting the foldable.

Apple made a big change to iPhone purchasing options this week. Not only did it launch the Apple Upgrade leasing program, but it also killed the iPhone Upgrade Program.

With the iPhone 18 lineup just over a month away, I’m curious: how do you plan to buy your next iPhone?

Apple’s Mail app in iOS 27 promises to offer the feature upgrade that’s been at the top of my wishlist for years: search that “just works.”