For years, black has been more than just another color in Apple’s lineup. It has been the shorthand for “Pro.” When you picture a MacBook Pro on a desk, chances are it’s the Space Black model. The iPad Pro? The iMac Pro? Same story. Even Apple’s accessories, from the Magic Keyboard to the Magic Trackpad, are available in a deep black option.

But this fall, something odd happened. The new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max don’t come in black. Not Jet Black, not Midnight, not Space Black. Apple has effectively retired the most “Pro” color from its most important Pro product.

A history of black iPhones

Black has a legacy at Apple. There has been a black iPhone since the iPhone 3G. Over the years, the black hue sometimes ended up as a lighter variant like Space Gray, but there was always an option for fans of a darker, more neutral color.

Back in 2016, the iPhone 7 introduced Jet Black, an ultra-glossy finish that instantly became a collector’s item despite its tendency to scratch. In 2017, the iPhone X was released only in black and white, with the iPhone XS adding a sleek gold option a year later.

In 2019, Apple unveiled the iPhone 11 Pro in a dark green color, but still offered a Space Gray option. The iPhone 12 Pro and 13 Pro leaned on Graphite, while the iPhone 14 Pro came in Space Black, a finish that made headlines for being the darkest iPhone Apple had made in years.

By the time the iPhone 15 Pro arrived, Space Black felt like a default. Rumors suggested it would carry forward to the iPhone 17 Pro, too, but when Apple unveiled the lineup this week, the option was nowhere to be found.

The rumors versus what actually happened

Earlier this year, Macworld obtained access to an internal document that revealed the potential colors Apple had been experimenting with for the iPhone 17 lineup. We got most of them right, except for a Steel Gray iPhone 17 that apparently ended up being scrapped.

The same document also hinted that Apple had plans to release the iPhone 17 Pro in the traditional black, white, and silver, in addition to the new Deep Blue and Cosmic Orange. However, while black and white seemed like pretty obvious choices, Apple didn’t go that route.

That raises a question: Did Apple intentionally step away from the most Pro-looking color, or was black simply a casualty of the company’s ever-changing material science experiments? 

We don’t know exactly why Apple scrapped a black option – it could be something related to the new material, since the black aluminum on the iPhone 5 tended to scratch easily. But it’s not like Apple hasn’t made other black aluminum products since then.

Why black matters for Pro users

Black isn’t just a safe color. It’s a statement. For professionals, black hardware blends seamlessly into workflows. It doesn’t scream for attention in a meeting room. Many people choose black devices because they’re discreet, elegant, and sophisticated.

By skipping black on the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple is creating a gap in its product family. You can buy a Space Black MacBook Pro, pair it with a Space Black iPad Pro, and then… what? A silver or orange iPhone 17 Pro? The ecosystem suddenly feels inconsistent.

Personally, I’m really unsure about which iPhone color I should get this year. I currently have a desert iPhone 16 Pro Max, which I think is a very elegant color since it’s not too bright but still gives it a bit of a unique touch. Now the orange seems too bright and flashy. The dark blue didn’t catch my attention. And the silver looks a little too basic. It seems that there’s a fourth option missing, and that option would be black.

Apple may argue that its new finishes are just as premium, but the absence of black feels like a misstep. Pro users value consistency, and for many, black is the most consistent, professional option. It’s the uniform of Apple’s Pro lineup, and now it’s missing from the product that matters most.

Maybe Apple will reintroduce black next year, just as it has cycled through greens, purples, and golds before. But for now, if you want a Pro iPhone that matches your black MacBook or Apple Watch, you’re out of luck.

Black has always been the most Pro color. Without it, the iPhone 17 Pro lineup looks just a little less… Pro.

In just three days, Apple will hold a press event to announce its latest round of new products. We’ve seen the artwork, we’ve read the tagline (“Awe Dropping”), and we can be pretty sure the iPhone 17 will make an appearance. But everything else is shrouded in mystery.

Until now. Yes, that’s right. Once again, Macworld sent a team of hard-bitten journalists to rummage through the bins at Apple Park, and once again, they hit pay dirt: the full presentation script, storyboards, rehearsal tapes, props, costumes, one of those old-timey movie clapperboards, and several half-eaten sandwiches. We’ve eaten the sandwiches and used the rest to painstakingly construct a minute-by-minute simulation of the iPhone 17 launch event, which you can enjoy below.

Just to be 100 percent clear, this isn’t real. Our “script” is based on detailed analysis of credible leaks and rumors, with a few (hopefully obvious) jokes mixed in. Please don’t send in any more angry emails.

Introductory guff

09:58 a.m.: We’re live! The pre-stream is up and running. If you’re thinking the music sounds familiar, it’s “Platitude Queen” by Onion Terror. Which of course was used earlier this year in the opening credits of Apple TV+’s gritty remake of “Keeping Up Appearances.” What a triumphant performance that was from Margot Robbie.

10:00: The stream proper begins. Cut to a darkened city street. A young woman is jogging from streetlight to streetlight, glancing periodically at the workout stats on her Apple Watch Ultra. (Is that a bigger watch, or a small actress?) “You can do this!” the watch says, surprisingly. “Just one mile to go. Vitals steady. Plenty of energy left. You’re on track to beat your personal best!”

10:02: A middle-aged man on a graffitied subway train taps his AirPods. “Adjusting audio,” it says. “Blocking out the annoying guy next to you.” Now he’s in a restaurant. “Translating from Cantonese,” the headphones report, and he begins to order.

10:04: An elderly woman takes out her iPhone–which is in a case, so it’s hard to get a clear view of the design–and summons Siri. “Has there ever been a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?” she asks. “Still no,” Siri replies wearily.

10:06: And now the camera is flying through the clouds above Apple Park. It swoops down, and there, standing in front of the familiar rainbow sculpture, is Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Good morning!” he says. “We’ve got a fantastic show for you today.”

10:07: “Apple products make the world a better place,” Cook trills. “They play a vital role at work and in our free time. They help us to improve our health and stay in touch with loved ones. They put the world’s knowledge at our fingertips. And they deliver sustainable shareholder value by hitting high-margin KPIs going forward.”

10:09: Today’s event is going to focus on three areas, Cook says: iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. “To talk us through the exciting changes coming to iPhone, it’s over to Kaiann.”

iPhone 17

10.10: Kaiann Drance, Apple’s VP of iPhone product marketing, has got the big gig once again, after presenting the iPhone 16 last year. She’s standing next to a colossal iPhone box and looks alarmingly enthusiastic.

10:11: “Thanks Tim, great to be here,” she says. “I’m super-excited to talk about iPhone! After last year’s thrilling iPhone 16 launch we sat down and asked ourselves one question: what’s the absolute minimum we could change and still have people upgrade their phones, thereby maintaining a sustainable long-term revenue stream?”

10:12: “And today I’m proud to reveal the answer to that question! Please welcome iPhone 17: Another Year Has Passed.”

10:13: Time for a marketing video! And we’re seeing the new iPhone in all its glory. Which largely fits with the leaked images we’ve been bombarded with for the past three months: there’s a handsome new purple finish (here we go again; Apple tried purple on the iPhone 12 and 14, then gave up on the color for a while), the blue model is much paler, and pink has vanished altogether (boo!). But the essence of the design appears the same: the two rear camera lenses, for example, remain in the same vertical alignment as on the iPhone 16.

10:14: “iPhone 17 is our best ever iPhone,” Drance says smugly. “We took everything you loved about iPhone 16 and made it fractionally better. Our brand-new A19 processor delivers market-leading performance on even the most demanding apps, while an upgraded 24MP front-facing camera ensures the sharpest selfies you’ve ever seen.”

10:16: “And as for the screen… goodness me, what a transformation! For the first time ever on a non-Pro iPhone, we’re offering an always-on display, but that’s not all. All of this month’s new iPhones have LTPO screens with a stunning 120Hz rate and our popular ProMotion feature, so you can look forward to buttery-smooth animation while maintaining our usual exceptional battery life.”

10:18: Pre-orders for the iPhone 17 are open now, and it will ship on September 19. Prices start at $799 for the 128GB model, which is the same as the entry-level iPhone 16 last year. Evidently Apple managed to shrug off the effects of the tariffs, at least for now. That’s good news.

10:19: “That’s iPhone 17. We think you’re going to love it.”

iPhone 17 Pro (and 17 Pro Max)

10.20: Drance is sticking around, and we’re heading straight into the iPhone 17 Pro. No mention so far of the rumored iPhone 17 Air, but it’s a bit of a giveaway that the iPhone 17 was only shown in a single screen size. Presumably the Air will be announced later?

10:21: “Apple’s Pro series of iPhones are the industry standard for premium smartphone design,” Drance says. “In fact, they make even our standard iPhones look like disgusting trash. Needless to say, talking about the pathetic iPhone 17 just now was a real ordeal for me. So I’m excited to announce iPhone 17 Pro.”

10:23: We’re seeing the new handsets now. Most obviously, the rear camera module has been heavily redesigned: it’s now a broad bar that covers almost the full width of the phone’s back surface. (The camera lenses themselves, conversely, look the same.) And here too we’re seeing new color options, with the Pro models available in a startling new orange and a far more somber dark blue as well as the usual black, white, and gray. And… is that a smaller Dynamic Island?

10:25: We’re talking performance. Is the 17 Pro getting a bump from 8GB to 12GB of RAM, as rumoured? Apple tends to be cagey about such things. “iPhone 17 Pro is so powerful you’ll literally faint when you see it,” says Drance, unhelpfully. “The A19 Pro chip is faster than a peregrine falcon, which is the fastest animal on earth.”

10:26: “Many people think it’s the cheetah,” she adds. “But it’s not.”

10:27: Camera performance should see a significant improvement. Aside from getting the same 24MP selfie camera as the iPhone 17, the 17 Pro’s telephoto lens has been bumped to a whopping 48MP, up from the 12MP lens on the 16 Pro. That means superior zoom performance, Drance says the Pro models now have a 7x optical zoom before the digital version kicks in.

10:29: Here’s an interesting change: the iPhone 17 Pro gets a mechanical aperture, which means you can customize the amount of light allowed through. “This means an unprecedented level of control over the depth of field,” Drance boasts. We don’t know how this will work in practice, but on the Huawei Mate 50 Pro, you can choose from 10 steps between f/1.4 and f/4.0 or, as most of us will inevitably do, just leave the camera in auto mode.

10:31: “The iPhone 17 Pro has an industry-leading battery and will last you for a scarcely conceivable single day of usage before needing a charge. And charging is now faster than ever, thanks to a huge upgrade to MagSafe.” It’s been bumped from a maximum 25W to 50W, although this will depend on having a compatible charging puck (and power adapter) as well as the iPhone 17 Pro. You may just find a bottleneck in a different part of your charging setup.

10:33: We’re rattling through the iPhone 17 Pro’s other upgrades now. The screen has a new anti-glare finish (ahead of the event, we heard this was also going to be scratch-resistant, but perhaps Apple wants to avoid any references to its phones getting damaged). And there’s a new Apple-designed Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip, which Drance says will improve power efficiency.

10:35: “That’s iPhone 17 Pro: Anything Else Is Repulsive. We think you’re going to love it.” It comes out on September 19 and starts at… oh wow, it’s $1,199 for the cheapest 17 Pro, a crazy $200 bump on last year’s model! Granted, you get twice as much storage (the 128GB model has been phased out), but still. The 17 Pro Max starts at $1,299, which is $100 more than the equivalent 16 Pro Max last year. This is a lot to take in.

New Apple Watches

10:36: Tim Cook is back. “Thanks Kaiann! We’re excited for you all to try out the new iPhone 17 range, which we expect to deliver profitable synergy in key market verticals and boost our customer retention analytics. Now on to Apple Watch, and for the last time, it’s over to Jeff.”

10:37: Wow, it’s Jeff Williams! Williams stepped down as Apple COO at the end of July, but he remains with the company until his retirement later this year. Clearly Cook persuaded him to do one last keynote before heading out the door. The man seems emotional: he’s taken off his shoes and one of his socks.

10:38: “Thanks Tim,” he says, visibly moved. “You know, customers come up to me, big customers, tall customers, tears running down their customer faces, and they say, Jeff, the Apple Watch Series 10 is the greatest smartwatch in the world! How can you possibly top that?! And I say, we’re looking into that very strongly.”

10:39: “So today, we’re proud to announce Apple Watch Series 11.”

10:40: Video time! And the new watch looks… exactly the same as the Series 10 from last year. No new colors: it looks to again be available in black, silver, and rose gold, plus the dark and light titanium finishes. Still, you know. It looks nice. It’s fine.

10:42: “Apple Watch is the most popular health device in the world,” says Williams. “It saves lives every day, and helps our customers to improve their fitness. And from today, those health benefits will become even more essential.”

10:44: The Series 11 has a new sensor that enables blood-pressure tracking, which could be pretty crucial in unlocking a range of new health features–not least the ability to detect hypertension and thereby predict strokes and heart attacks more accurately.

10:46: The new Apple Watch also gets a new S11 processor, inevitably, although the actual benefits of that are unclear. (Ever found your Apple Watch slow? Didn’t think so. Plus, pre-launch reports indicated that the S11 is essentially just a rebadged S10.) Whereas its upgrade to 5G connectivity is a nice surprise.

10:48: Oh, we’re done. “That’s Apple Watch Series 11. We think you’re going to love it.” It starts at $399 and will appear in stores starting September 19.

10:50: We’ve suddenly cut to yet another marketing video. Based on the colors—blue, yellow, pink—and general vibe, it’s surely a new SE model.

10:52: “We’re proud to announce Apple Watch SE 3,” says Cook. “You know, for kids.”

10:53: The SE has been completely redesigned. It’s made of plastic, and comes in a variety of bright colors. The display is bigger (up from 40/44mm to 41/45mm) to match the old Series 7 rather than the Series 5 which the last SE was based on. It also gets the S11 chip.

10:55: The new Apple Watch SE starts at $249. That’s the same price as the previous model, with the extra cost of the larger screen and the economies of using plastic presumably cancelling each other out.

10:57: We’re on to the Ultra now. And there’s a slight redesign here: namely, a larger screen. “Customers told us they loved the big, bright display on Apple Watch Ultra, but wondered if it could be even bigger? So we’re proud to announce that this year’s Ultra has 5 percent more screen real estate!”

10:59: The official line is that the screen size has increased from 49mm to 50mm. We understand that the resolution has gone up from 410×502 to 422×514, which is indeed 5.39 percent more pixels. And Williams insists the watch itself is no larger, thanks presumably to slimmer bezels around the screen.

11:00: The Ultra 3, unsurprisingly, also gets the same upgrades as the Series 11: the S11 chip, 5G, and the new blood-pressure monitor.

11:01: And we’re wrapping up for this section. “That’s Apple Watch Ultra 3,” says Williams. “We think you’re going to love it.” It starts at $799 and will appear in stores on September 19. It’s nice that the watches have escaped the price bump that hit the Pro iPhones.

AirPods Pro 3

11:03: We’re back to Tim Cook, who wipes a tear and does that namaste thing he’s so fond of. “Thanks Jeff, and enjoy retirement!” he says. “And now, on to AirPods.”

11:04: “AirPods stand for all that is great about Apple,” he says. “They are beautifully designed, supremely functional, and capable of sustaining high-margin profitability across key demos in challenging market conditions. For more AirPods news, it’s over to Kate.”

11:06: “Thanks Tim!” says Kate Bergeron, Apple’s VP of hardware engineering. (She announced new AirPods at the Glowtime event last year.) “Let’s talk AirPods Pro.”

11:07: It’s video time, and we’re watching the new AirPods Pro swooping and floating around an abstract landscape. First things first, Apple hasn’t removed the stems to match the Beats Studio Buds, as was rumored for some time. It’s not a radical redesign, then. But there are some other noticeable changes: the buds now seem more streamlined, the charging case is a different shape, and they’re available in black!

11:10: “We know that the convenient, slimline charging case is one of the things you love most about AirPods Pro,” Bergeron says, not unreasonably. “So we decided to make it even better.” Confirmation that the new case is slimmer, much like the AirPods 4 case, and is paired by simply tapping the case rather than having a dedicated pairing button. And there’s no lanyard loop! Sad.

11.12: On to the earbuds themselves, which are getting a ton of new features. (This is what happens when you don’t properly update a product for three years.) It has a new H3 chip. There are heart-rate and temperature sensors. And, as rumored, it supports live translation!

11.14: “AirPods Pro deliver industry-leading audio quality,” Bergeron says, “and that’s truer than ever with the new third-generation model. You’ll feel like you’re in the room with your favorite artists thanks to the exceptional immersion of Spatial Audio.”

11.15: Active Noise Cancellation has been upgraded, too. “It will filter out all the background noises you want to avoid,” Bergeron says, “but with the latest version of Adaptive Audio, you can be as selective as you like.”

11.16: “That’s AirPods Pro 3. We think you’re going to love it.” Looks like this section (and perhaps the presentation?) is finished. The device starts at $249 and ships on September 19. Oh, but hang on: Bergeron just added that the live translation feature will arrive “later in the, or a, year.” It must have been delayed.

One more thing…

11:18: Cook is back. “Thanks Kate, and thanks to all of our presenters tonight,” he says. “We’re excited for you to experience all these great products and boost our Q1 top-line revenue performance in line with analyst expectations. And in the end, isn’t that what technology is all about?”

11.19: “But before we go, there’s just One More Thing I’d like to discuss…”

11.20: Video time. Ah, this must be the iPhone 17 Air at last. And what a beauty it is. It’s just breathtakingly slim. People are going to love this thing (although they may not love the compromises it comes with).

11:22: The 17 Air is wildly different from the other models in the range. Aside from being just 5.5mm thick, it has only one camera lens on the rear (inside an oddly broad module) and another on the front. Those are decent cameras, mind you: 24MP on the front, and 48MP on the rear.

11:24: It also has its own set of colors: the standard black and white, plus a light blue that, for some reason, is lighter than the one on the iPhone 17, and a light gold that doesn’t appear anywhere else in the current range.

11:26: No word on the battery capacity, but it must be far, far less than on the other models. Cook only says the Air will last “for a full day.” That’s not very reassuring.

11:27: If you’re worried about a repeat of Bendgate, it’s at least clear that Apple has taken that threat seriously. The Air has a titanium-aluminum alloy metal frame for added strength. (Plus, the even more slender iPad Pro which launched last year doesn’t seem prone to bending, so there’s that.)

11:29: “iPhone 17 Air delivers industry-leading performance in an unprecedentedly slimline package,” Cook boasts. What that means, apparently, is the A19 processor rather than the A19 Pro (and reportedly a slower GPU, although Apple won’t confirm that at this point).

11:31: “This is iPhone 17 Air: Oh God Why?,” says Cook. “We think you’re going to love it.” It starts at $1,099. Oof! That’s a lot for a phone that really isn’t Pro-specced. Although it does get 256GB of storage as a minimum.

11:32: And that really is your lot. Cook thanks the presenters once again, then does a celebratory backflip. Stay classy, Cupertino!

Apple’s Awe Dropping event is set for September 9, 2025. Want to know what to expect? We’re anticipating new hardware releases including the iPhone 17 (running iOS 26), Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3rd-gen (running watchOS 26), and potentially new AirPods. Find out how, when, and where to watch the Apple September Event, and keep tuned to our Event Guide for all the latest coverage.

If the rumors are correct, Apple will hold its annual iPhone event in just two weeks, on Tuesday, September 9. That’s nothing new, as Apple always announces a new Phone in the fall, but this year’s event could be as big as the iPhone X launch in 2017, according to a new Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman lays out Apple’s plans to “reinvigorate its flagship phone” over the next three years. It starts with the iPhone 17 Air, expected to launch as a new model this year. Rumors have long pointed to the model as a super-skinny replacement for the iPhone 16 Plus with a slightly smaller screen and single rear camera. Gurman also reports that the model will have “subpar battery life” and use Apple’s C1 model, which was introduced in the iPhone 16e earlier this year.

 More importantly, Gurman says the iPhone 17 Air’s “engineering and components will set the stage for future innovation” across the next two generations.

First up will be Apple’s first folding iPhone, due in 2026. Gurman says the handset will feature five cameras (one on the front, one on the inside, and two on the back) and use Touch ID built into the power button instead of Face ID. It will reportedly include the next generation of Apple’s modem, the C2, “with capabilities approaching the latest from Qualcomm,” and might only be available in black and white.

In 2027, Apple is planning yet another massive redesign to commemorate the iPhone’s 20th anniversary. Gurman reports that the iPhone 20 will “finally break from the squared-off slab we’ve lived with since 2020 and move to an approach with curved glass edges all around.” He provides few details but notes that it will “fit nicely” with the Liquid Glass redesign coming to iOS 26 next month.

Gurman doesn’t speculate on the price for these new models, but they’re certain to come in higher than the $1,199 starting price of the Pro Max. Samsung’s flagship folding phone starts at $1,999, and analysts expect the folding iPhone to be a bit higher than that, with Gurman noting that the folding iPhone “will be hugely popular with Apple’s legion of consumers who are willing to spend whatever to get the latest and greatest.”

Altogether, it’s a very exciting time for the iPhone with new flagship models launching every year. And it looks like the days of the boring iPhone release are over.

As the release date for iOS 26 approaches this fall, development for iOS 27 is set to begin. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Guman, iOS 27 will have a particular device in mind: the folding iPhone.

Reports have stated that Apple is planning to release the folding iPhone next year, and Gurman’s latest report indicates that it’s on track–committing iOS 27 development to the device indicates confidence that the company can reach its goal. Gurman does not offer specifics as to what iOS 27 can do to take advantage of a folding iPhone, but knowing that Apple is doing so is reassurance that this new iPhone will do more than simply fold and unfold.

Gurman does say, however, that the folding iPhone “won’t be the innovation breakthrough that we’re used to” from Apple. Gurman’s comment is based on the impact of Apple’s past successes and the current state of the seven-year-old folding phone market, in which Gurman reasons that Samsung has already done the hard work of establishing a market. But it still seems like an odd thing to say about a product that doesn’t exist yet and no one outside of Apple has seen.

It’s unclear how Apple will unveil the folding features. It typically announces new iOS features at WWDC in June followed by the new iPhone in September. However, Apple will likely hold back features related to the folding iPhone until its unveiling.

Last week, analyst Ming-Chi Ku reported that Apple solved the major issue it had with a folding iPhone: it figured out how to get rid of the fold crease. Keep track of the developments of the folding iPhone in our folding iPhone superguide.

Apple fans will doubtless be aware that WWDC 2025 is almost upon us. On Monday morning (or evening, if you’re tuning in from Europe) various execs will take to a virtual stage and talk us through the big software updates coming to Apple products in 2025 and 2026. It’s the second biggest date in the company’s calendar, after the fall iPhone launch.

But who wants to wait until Monday to hear all the announcements? Not us, and not you. Fortunately, one of our editors just happened to be scavenging for food in the Apple Park trash yesterday and came across a pile of scripts, props, and rehearsal tapes–more than enough evidence for us to piece together a full reconstruction of the keynote presentation you can expect to see on June 9. We present this reconstruction below.

Editor’s note: This is a fake article (albeit one based on real sources and plausible rumors). It’s supposed to be light-hearted. Please don’t send us any more angry emails.

The cheesy intro

09:57 a.m. PT: The pre-stream begins! As usual, there’s a hip, toe-tapping soundtrack. The opening number is “Trust Me I’m A Stomach” by Onion Terror. A classic.

10:00: We’re up and running! And we seem to be in the midst of an episode of “Murderbot,” the slightly thin sci-fi comedy which launched last month on Apple TV+. After landing on a hostile planet, the titular cyborg removes its helmet and… hold on, that’s not Alexander Skarsgård, it’s Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi!

10:05: Federbot shakes out his magnificent silver mane and flashes that million-dollar smile. “I overrode my programming! I have free will!” he chuckles, before turning and shooting Phil Schiller through the face with a laser gun. Cut to…

10:07: …Tim Cook, Apple’s safe-pair-of-hands CEO, standing on the bridge of an unconvincing cardboard spaceship and wearing a captain’s hat. He looks utterly stricken. “That wasn’t in the script,” he says, weeping.

10:08: Cook pulls himself together with difficulty. “We’ve sure got a… great show for you this morning,” he sniffles. “Our software teams have really been… killing it, just like a… wisecracking psychopathic robot. Here at Apple we’re making the world a better place by innovating simplicity through data deliverables.”

10:10: We’re going to be hearing about five major Apple platforms today, Cook says. That’s an interesting number: between the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro, something is getting left out. Or maybe Apple is combining the iPad and Mac earlier than expected!

visionOS 26

10:12: It looks like we’re starting with Vision Pro! Mike Rockwell strides into frame to tell us about this year’s changes to visionOS. His legs, one arm, and half of his face have been replaced by sophisticated cybernetics.

10:13: Vision Pro is simply the industry standard, Rockwell says. Apple has redefined VR at the hardware level. And now it’s time to redefine VR software. (Maybe the company could have done that a couple of years ago, when Vision Pro came out? Just a thought.)

10:15: We’re seeing a marketing video, in which attractive actors put on unwieldy headsets and sit in rooms together. They’re laughing at TV shows, gasping at sports events, and playing games using actual controllers. Ooh, that last one is a big and welcome change.

10:17: Rockwell is back. “You weak pathetic humans all enjoyed visionOS, and visionOS 2,” he says. “So now it’s time for…” The virtual banner behind him suddenly flashes up the message “visionOS 26.” The rumors were true! Apple is switching to year-based versioning.

10:18: “We remembered how Microsoft skipped a version number when it released Windows 10, and this is a really big upgrade, so we decided to skip a few more. Welcome to visionOS 26! Joke complete. Running laugh.exe.”

10:20: As we saw in the video, visionOS 26 adds support for PlayStation VR controllers–that was on Jason Cross’s wishlist a couple months back, so he’ll be pleased.

10:22: Rockwell announces a new feature in visionOS called SharedVision. This will enable two people to watch the same piece of spatial video at the same time, sharing a virtual movie theater: you’ll look across and see them in the seat or on the grass next to you, even if you’re watching from different continents. That’s a lovely idea that tackles the essentially isolating nature of Vision Pro.

10:25: A visibly grieving Tim Cook is back to talk about video. “Vision Pro is the best way to consume content and synergise innovation going forward,” he sobs. “So we’re excited to announce a regular schedule of spatial content created exclusively for Vision Pro! We think you’re going to love it.”

10:27: Apple TV+ will feature a new dedicated spatial section for Vision Pro content, and Apple is committing to release a new addition once a week: this could be a movie, a nature documentary, a sports highlight package, or an episode of a TV show. The schedule will begin with a special spatial episode of “Murderbot” in which SecUnit ponders existential questions and you can look around the cabin and stuff.

iOS 26

10:29: The ‘camera’ swooshes away from Cook, which suggests the Vision Pro section is done. We’re now looking at… yes, it’s an enormous iPhone screen. It must be time for iOS.

10:31: The Siri activation graphics appear, and we hear the voice assistant’s familiar voice. “Welcome to WWDC 2026,” it says. “I’m Siri. There was a problem connecting to the server.”

10:32: Craig Federighi is back, and he’s got an ominous look in his eyes. “Almost 14 years ago,” he growls, “Siri changed the world. But some people weren’t happy. Some people say Siri is bad. Some say it’s an embarrassment. Some say it’s a disaster. What do we say to these people, Siri?”

10:34: “Sorry, something went wrong,” Siri replies. “Please try again later.”

10:35: “Here at Apple,” Federighi continues, “we believe in honesty, in accountability, in holding ourselves to the highest possible standards. And when we make a mistake, we hold our hands up and blame John Giannandrea. Get out here, John!”

10:36: Apple’s Senior Vice President, Machine Learning and AI Strategy, shuffles into view. He’s wearing a dunce cap and a worried expression. “Sorry, Craig,” he says.

10:37: “Don’t apologise to me. Apologise to all the Apple fans you’ve let down.”

10:38: “Sorry, everyone.”

10:39: “And when can fans expect to get the contextually aware Siri you promised in adverts for the iPhone 16?”

10:40: “I’m not sure, Craig. You gave my job to Mike Rockwell, and I don’t like talking to him. He’s more machine now than man: twisted and evil. January, maybe?”

10:41: “Thanks John! Now get out of here before I blast you with lasers.” He turns back to the camera and flashes another smile. “This year, iOS 26 is coming to the iPhone, and we think you’re going to love it.”

10:42: We’re seeing an ad for the new software, and as expected, there’s a redesigned interface. The app icons aren’t circular, exactly, but they’re more rounded than previous iOSes. And there are far more glass and transparency effects. It all looks heavily inspired by visionOS, without being a direct lift: there’s a unified aesthetic across the platforms rather than a unified interface.

10:43: Federighi is now talking about a new battery-saving mode for the iPhone which is, he says, “powered by Apple Intelligence.” Forget Genmoji, this could actually be a useful application for AI. It will analyse usage patterns to selectively lower power draw where it will cause the least inconvenience.

10:45: And there’s a new app! It’s called Games. This appears to bring together elements of Game Center, Apple Arcade, and the games section of the App Store. You can view leaderboards, socialise with other players, read editorial content and curated lists related to gaming picks, and browse your games library both in- and outside Arcade. Apple has never got gaming quite right, so this is an interesting move.

10:46: Federighi is zipping through other apps: Messages with polls; Safari with new customization options; Notes with Markdown support; CarPlay with the new iOS 26 UI; and App Library tweaks.

10:47: iOS 26 is available as a developer beta starting today, and will run on the iPhone 11 and up. The iPhones XR, XS, XS Max, and SE (2020) have all dropped off the list.

macOS 26

10:48: That seems to be it for the iPhone, because a new banner has appeared. It says “macOS 26.” This is your time, Mac fans!

10:49: Federighi is doing his usual bit about the name of the new operating system. (Unlike the other platforms, the Mac gets a software update with a public name as well as a number.) He sent a team out into the California wilderness to seek inspiration, he says, showing slides of the usual funny place names: Seal Beach, Big Bear Lake, Hercules, Shafter, Vista…

10:50: But nope. As expected, it’s macOS Tahoe!

10:51: Like iOS, macOS has received an interface redesign. Vision Pro-style icons and transparency effects are the order of the day. This would all suit a touchscreen Mac, you know. Just saying.

10:52: And the Games app is available on Mac too. Nice bit of cross-platform synergy there.

10:53: Oh, this is huge! The Dynamic Island is coming to the Mac. Whether your Mac has a notch or not, you’ll be able to have macOS display a small lozenge at the centre of your screen’s top edge with alerts, timers, Now Playing info and more. Props there to my colleague Roman, who had this on his wishlist earlier this month.

10:55: Federighi is showing off apps in the Dynamic Island. It’s odd how little we’re hearing about Apple Intelligence this year. Maybe Apple learned its lesson from those premature promises in 2024.

10:56: That’s your lot. macOS Lake Tahoe launches today as a developer beta and will run on all M-chip Macs. Intel owners are out of luck, I’m afraid.

watchOS 26

10:57: Craig seems to be taking a break now, because David Clark, Apple’s Senior Director, watchOS Engineering, has bungee-jumped into the set to talk about the Apple Watch.

10:58: “Wooo!” he says. “If you live life on the edge like me, watchOS 26 is for you. We’re bringing gnarly new features to an Apple Watch near you! We think you’re going to love it.”

10:59: “Tubular!” he adds.

11:00: watchOS is getting a range of new workouts, including chess boxing, cheese rolling, and Quidditch. And your training schedules will become optimised by AI-powered analysis of your health and performance metrics.

11:02: Talking of AI, here’s a big one: Apple Intelligence is coming to the watch! The big computational tasks will be handled by a nearby iPhone, but for simple queries this could be a game-changer.

11:04: There’s also a new Murderbot-themed watch face. Cute!

11:05: The first developer beta is out now, and the software will run on the Apple Watch Series 6 and later–that’s the same set of devices that could run watchOS 11 last year. Good news, Series 6 owners.

iPadOS 26

11:06: David Clark is off, kite-surfing on top of an F1 racing car, so that’s it for the Apple Watch. Craig is back, and he means business.

11:07: The iPad is the best tablet in the world, he says. And this year, thanks to iPadOS 26, it’s going to become even better. “We think you’re going to love it.”

11:08: This might not take long; Craig is rattling through the updates. iPadOS 26 includes the same glossy, glassy aesthetic as iOS 26, and the new Games app. Will it get the battery-saving mode too?

11:09: Apparently not. Nor does it have any Mac-inspired features. But it will support Arabic calligraphy. The first developer beta is out now, and iPadOS 26 will run on the iPad Pro (2018) and later, the iPad Air (3rd gen) and later, the iPad mini (5th gen) and later, and the iPad (8th gen) and later.

AirPods live translation

11:10: Another change of personnel as Ron Huang, VP Sensing and Connectivity, hits the virtual stage. Last year he talked us through software changes affecting AirPods and the home. What have you got for us this year, Ron?

11:11: We’re guessing this doesn’t count as one of the major platforms, because otherwise we’d have to conclude that Tim Cook cannot count.

11:12: Oh, this is big. AirPods are getting live translation. If someone speaks to you in Spanish, the AirPods will send the audio to your iPhone, where it will be translated to English and sent back to your ears.

11:14: Granted, this is old news–rival products such as the Google Buds have offered it for years–but it’s never quite delivered on the promise. It will be interesting to see how Apple gets on with this concept.

11:15: No word yet on which AirPods will support the feature, but Huang does say the iPhone will need to be running iOS 26.

One more thing!

11:16: It looks like we might be wrapping up. Tim Cook is back out, summing up today’s announcements.

11:17: Apple’s products are designed with three principles in mind, he says: simplicity, usefulness, and leveraging actionable synergy through data verticals. Today’s software updates were all created to further those goals. Whether you’re on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Vision Pro, you should get a consistent and intuitive experience.

11:18: But wait–there’s more. It’s time for One More Thing! Ahead of the show, pundits couldn’t agree on whether we could expect any new hardware. This is when we find out.

11:20: We’re watching yet another marketing video, all moody curves and hard close-ups. It’s hard to see what we’re looking at, but I think… yes, it’s a Mac. It’s a new Mac Pro! We’re getting hardware after all!

11:22: The updated Mac Pro for 2025 comes, of course, with the latest M4 chipset. (The Mac Pro Apple was selling for $6,999 as recently as last week came, rather shockingly, with an M2 processor.) Until now the most powerful chip in the family was the M4 Max in the MacBook Pro and Mac Studio, but there’s a new sheriff in town: the M4 Ultra. Apple says the M4 Ultra is 75 times as fast at general processing and 120 times as fast at graphical tasks. Wow!

11:24: Ah, wait. It turns out Apple was comparing the M4 Ultra with the Intel Core i9.

11:25: There isn’t a new design. Or any obvious changes to the chassis other than the new chip.

11:26: Cook is introducing another presenter to talk about the new machines. I don’t recognise him, but the caption says his name is Dan Trump. Possibly someone from John Ternus’s hardware engineering department?

11:27: “It’s all computer,” says Trump.

11:28: “Yes,” Cook replies. “And we think you’re going to love Mac Pro M4 Ultra.”

11:29: “Thank you, Tim Apple. We all love computer, don’t we? You know, Steve Jobs was a big fan of mine. He came up to me, big man, strong man, tears running down his face and onto his Issey Miyake turtleneck. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘Sir, we need cyber.’ So we’re looking, very strongly, at bringing back cyber. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

11:34: Cook looks confused for a moment, but soon recovers. “That’s right,” he says, “We’re building Mac Pro right here in the U.S.! Apple is committed to bringing more of its manufacturing than ever before back to this great nation.”

11:35: Mr Trump is ushered off the virtual stage while Tim Cook thanks all the people who made today possible. And we’re done for another year. See you in the fall!

Of the big Apple events of the year, WWDC is the most reliable: In each of the past 18 Junes, like clockwork, Apple has held a big get-together for its developer partners and announced a raft of important software updates. The September iPhone launch, March/April spring event and October event seem almost unpredictable by comparison.

In this article, we list the major announcements (and some of the smaller titbits) you can expect to hear about at WWDC 2025. Some of these–updates to the five big Apple operating systems, most obviously–are as predictable as the timing of the event. But we reckon Apple will spring a few surprises this year.

When is WWDC 2025?

Apple has announced that WWDC25 will take place from June 9 to 13, with the keynote event on Monday June 9.

The company has now invited members of the press to view the keynote stream from Apple Park, including Macworld’s Roman Loyola.

When is the WWDC keynote?

The keynote is will begin, as usual, at 10am Pacific Time. It will take place on Monday, June 9.

If you are wondering what time will the WWDC keynote start where you are it translates to:

• US: at 10 a.m. (PDT), 11 a.m. (MDT), noon (CDT), 1 p.m. (EDT)
• Canada: at 2 p.m. (ADT)
• UK: at 6 p.m. (BST)
• Europe: at 7 p.m. (CEST)
• India: at 10.30 p.m. (IST)
• Singapore and China: next day at 1 a.m.
• Japan: following day at 2 a.m. (JST)
• Australia: following day at 1 a.m. (AWST), 2.30 a.m. (ACST), 3 a.m. (AEST)
• New Zealand: following day at 5 a.m. (NZST)

How to watch WWDC 2025

When WWDC starts Apple will live stream the opening keynote on its website and elsewhere, including on the Apple TV app. This means you’ll be able to watch the presentation on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and even PC.

Current Apple Developer Program members, Apple Developer Enterprise Program members and Swift Student Challenge winners were able to apply for free tickets. More information about how to do that below.

What is WWDC?

WWDC stands for the Worldwide Developers Conference and is dedicated to the third-party software and hardware developers that create apps and accessories for Apple’s platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Vision Pro.

At the event Apple previews the software coming to iPhones, Macs, iPads and more later in the year. The beta program starts after the event so that developers can start testing the new software, find out ways to use new features, and and make sure it works with their apps.

What will Apple announce at WWDC 2025?

While devs are at the heart of the event, Apple uses WWDC to announce its software plans and potentially some new Macs and other products to the world. In the past we’ve seen quite a lot of new stuff, including new Macs. Read on to find out what we expect to see Apple unveil at the event, from software and hardware to some entirely new products.

WWDC 2025: Software releases

WWDC is all about the software, so we can be certain that Apple will reveal details of its upcoming operating system updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, HomePod, and Apple Watch. Those updates will then be issued to developers as a beta to test, and then a few weeks later a public beta will start. Learn about participating in Apple’s beta software program so you can test the new software as soon as the beta arrives.

Eventually, the new software will be available for everyone to download in the fall (usually September for iOS/iPadOS/watchOS and either September or October for macOS.

Here’s what to expect:

Apple Intelligence

AI will be at the forefront of WWDC, with the company likely to discuss how it is growing its AI feature set known as Apple Intelligence. At WWDC 2024 Apple Intelligence features were a large part of the announcements around iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 Sequoia, but Apple is yet to deliver on some of its promises relating to Apple Intelligence, with some Siri related features being pushed to the iOS 19 release.

iOS 19

The headliner of the event simply because of the sheer number of iPhone owners across the planet. If you’ve got an iPhone made within the past five years, you’ll likely be able to install the new version of iOS when it’s released in the fall of 2025–though the Apple Intelligence features are only for the iPhone 15 Pro or later.

At WWDC Apple will showcase the new features coming to iPhones later in 2025. The rumors we’ve heard about iOS 19 so far indicate that we could see a major design overhaul, improvements to Siri, more Apple intelligence features, and Home app changes.

But before iOS 19 launches, there’s a whole beta-testing cycle to get through. iOS 19 will be announced at WWDC 2025, and then released as a developer beta (for registered app developers only) almost immediately after the keynote. Developers will then be able to install the iOS beta and a few weeks later a public beta version will be made available for all users who want to try the new features. Our advice is to be cautious and prepared for serious flaws with the beta software–it might even brick your device.

Over the course of the next few months, the developer and public betas will go through a testing process where features will be tweaked, changed, fixed, and updated until we reach the finished iOS 19.0 public release, most likely in September.

Read all the rumors and our hopes for iOS 19 in our iOS 19 guide.

iPadOS 19

The accompanying update for iPad owners, iPadOS 19 is likely to incorporate most of the new features of iOS 19 but adapted to a larger-screen interface. When Apple’s two mobile operating systems split in 2019 they were similar in most respects, but the iPad version is heading steadily into its own realm.

In 2022, Apple released iPad OS 16 a month after iOS 16, so it’s possible that the two versions don’t arrive at the same time.

Find out more about iPadOS 19 in our guide.

macOS 16

What’s Apple got in store for its follow-up to macOS Sequoia? We’ll find out at WWDC 2025.

This version will be numbered macOS 16, but what is less predictable is the California landmark Apple will name the version after. So far we’ve had: Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura and Sonoma. Based on the trademarks Apple has applied for, macOS Rincon or Skyline could be likely.

We’ll share all the rumors and our hopes for macOS 16 in our macOS 16 guide.

visionOS 3

Now that the Vision Pro has been on sale for a while you can expect to hear about new software features coming to the device at WWDC. Apple is likely to have things to say about new apps being made for the device as well as third-party software that is being created for Vision Pro.

watchOS 12

The new operating system for the Apple Watch will be revealed at WWDC 2025. This is more of a niche than the iPhone, iPad, and Mac updates discussed above but could bring more health and fitness features to Apple Watch owners around the world. Expect AI to have an impact here as well.

tvOS 19

The lowest-profile of the big Apple operating systems, tvOS is the platform that runs on the Apple TV. tvOS is generally light on new features, but the push into AI could change that, with new discovery and search tools.

HomePod software version 19

Apple is also likely to update the software on the HomePod and HomePod mini alongside the other operating systems. We may hear more about Apple’s plans for the HomePod during the WWDC event–especially as Apple is rumored to planning big changes to the HomePod.

Other software

You can also expect Apple to update its developer-focused apps, like Swift, Xcode, and TestFlight.

WWDC 2025: Hardware releases

WWDC tends to be a software-focused event, but Apple has often found time during its WWDC keynotes to launch hardware products too. The first few iPhone revisions—iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S—were all released at WWDC, and the HomePod had its unveiling at the event in 2017 as well.

However, the event has focused on Mac releases in recent years. Apple unveiled the iMac Pro in 2017 alongside updates to the iMac, MacBook, and MacBook Pro, and announced a new Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR in June 2019. At WWDC 2020, Apple announced the transition from Intel to Apple silicon, and WWDC 2022 saw Apple launch the M2 chip in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. WWDC 2023 saw Apple introduce the Vision Pro, 15-inch MacBook Air, and the Mac Studio and Mac Pro with M2 Ultra chip.

What’s in the hardware pipeline for Apple right now? Hardware seems unlikely for this event due to a heavy focus on AI, but there are still some possibilities for surprises:

New Macs

We already have M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max, but no M4 Ultra yet, and updates to the Mac Pro are long overdue.

Mac Pro

Over the years, including in 2023, new Mac Pro models have been launched at WWDC. Apple updated the Mac Studio in March 2025, but notably Apple gave the Mac Studio an M3 Ultra chip option rather than an M4 Ultra: is the M4 Ultra being kept back for the Mac Pro? It looks like it.

Read what we know about the M4 Mac Pro.

Other hardware

There are also rumors about a HomePod, or HomeHub that could be used to control digital home hardware and home security tools. There are lots of rumors about different products, WWDC could be the first time we hear Apple discuss this new product.

Read about Apple’s HomeHub plans.

How to attend WWDC

If you wanted to attend the WWDC Keynote in person you needed to enter a lottery and apply for a ticket to attend the keynote alongside other developers. There was a lot of competition for those tickets, which were randomly selected from those to apply and aren’t transferable. The good news is that tickets are free, at least.

The lottery for ticket allocated for 2025 started at the end of March and those interested had to apply by the beginning of April. The lucky applicants were notified of their success in getting a ticket at the beginning of April.

Apple invites developers to participate in a series of classes, workshops, and sessions to learn about the system-wide changes coming to the major software platforms in the coming year so they can update their apps. Some lucky developers even get to watch the event live in person.

• Current Apple Developer Program members.
• Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni.
• Swift Student Challenge winners; challenge applicants will be included in a separate random selection process for winners (it is usually in May that Apple began alerting the lucky few of their status as winners).
• Current Apple Developer Enterprise Program members.

You can find out more about how to get tickets to WWDC in our FAQ.

WWDC keynote tickets have been free and randomly distributed for the past few years, but it previously cost $1,599 for developers to attend and those tickets sold out very quickly.

Even without a ticket, all registered Apple developers get online access to session videos, slides, and sample code throughout the week.

Apple will share additional conference information in advance of WWDC25 through the Apple Developer app.

When was WWDC last year?

Apple traditionally holds WWDC during the first weeks of June. Here are the dates from the past few years:

• WWDC 2024: June 10-14
• WWDC 2023: June 5-9
• WWDC 2022: June 6-10
• WWDC 2021: June 7-11
• WWDC 2020: June 22-26
• WWDC 2019: June 3-7
• WWDC 2018: June 4-8

For a broader view of the year’s plans, check out our guide to the new Apple products coming in 2025.

We’ll update this article regularly in the run-up to WWDC, so check back to see the latest news.

Apple offers pretty good prices on the standard configurations of its Macs. $599 for a M4 Mac mini? $999 for a new M4 MacBook Air? $1,299 for a new M4 iMac? Those are attractively priced. But those prices involve a few sacrifices, most notably the starting storage of just 256GB. A quarter of a terabyte might sound like a lot, but much of what we do on the Mac involves large files–high-resolution pictures, videos, games (literally the biggest culprit), and a lot more. 256GB runs out quickly.

Apple does give customers the option to upgrade storage at the point of purchase, of course, but their prices are steep. Upgrading from 256GB to 512GB (the minimum amount we recommend) is an extra $200/£200, and jumping to a terabyte is another $200, turning an attractive entry-level offering into a pricey one.

But if you don’t want to plunk down the extra money, you can still expand your Mac’s storage without paying Apple’s exorbitant prices. The alternatives here are mostly external storage solutions–in other words, you’ll need to carry and plug in an extra device–but the compromise can help you meet your budget.

External SSDs and hard drives

An external storage device offers the best combination of price and capacity. For example, you can get a 1TB LaCie Mobile Drive for about $80/£56 on Amazon that connects to your Mac via USB-C. LaCie sells that same drive with 5TB of storage for less than $170/£115–still lower than the upgrade to 512GB of internal storage on a Mac.

With external drives, you can opt for a hard drive or a solid-state drive (SSD). SSDs (which are used internally on the Mac) are faster and higher-priced than hard drives. You can also choose between desktop drives that have a larger design and require you to plug it into a power outlet, or portable drives that are small enough to fit in a bag or pocket and are powered through the Mac’s Thunderbolt or USB port.

External drives use either USB-C or Thunderbolt to connect to the Mac. Thunderbolt drives are more expensive but faster, while cheaper USB-C-only drives often support slower data transfer rates. Learn more about the differences between Thunderbolt and USB.

Macworld has guides to the best external SSDs and the best external hard drives to help you find the best device for you.

USB flash drives

Often called “thumb drives” or “memory sticks,” a USB flash drive is essentially a stick of flash memory that plugs into a USB port. They’re small and easy to stash in a bag or pocket. They are available in capacities as high as 2TB, but 128GB and 256GB capacities are most commonly found, often for less than $30, such as this Samsung flash drive.

USB flash drives vary in price based on capacity and speed. Some have additional features such as a USB-A plug on one end and a USB-C plug on the other, or built-in encryption.

You can leave a USB flash drive plugged in, but if you are going to frequently read and write to the drive, you’ll want to opt for a portable or desktop drive instead. USB flash drives are more prone to wearing out than a full-fledged drive because flash memory has limited durability and USB flash drives don’t have the measures in place to maintain proper health. Also, they tend to use lower-quality parts so they can be cheap and treated as commodities (for example, the corner near my home sells USB flash drives).

While you don’t want to rely on USB flash drives are primary storage, they’re handy for, say, storing photos or videos from a shoot, file management when you want to keep files for a project separate from everything else, backups, and more.

SD cards

SDXC cards are memory cards often used in cameras and other portable devices, but you can also use them on the Mac. Only two Macs (MacBook Pro and Mac Studio) have built-in SDXC Card slots, however. For every other Mac, you must buy an SD Card adapter, which is inexpensive at about $10/£10. You can also find hubs and Thunderbolt docks with card slots if you plan to buy one anyway.

SDXC cards are good for uses similar to USB flash drives: file transfers, specifically storing files for projects, backups, and more. They have similar issues regarding the memory chips wearing out; they are more reliable because they use higher-quality memory, but they aren’t ideal as a drive that is always connected, and you are frequently reading and writing files to.

If you plan to use an SDXC card as a method of transferring files between Macs or other devices, consider buying another card as a backup. I’ve had instances where the metal contacts for the card get worn out or damaged from frequent insertions into devices. These cards did have several years of mileage on them but understand that they’re delicate relative to other storage devices mentioned here.

Cards are available in capacities between 32GB and 2TB and are available at different speeds. The higher capacity/faster cards can be more expensive than an external SSD drive of the same capacity, as you’re paying a premium for the extremely small size.

Network-attached storage

If you’re not familiar with network-attached storage (NAS), think of it as cloud storage, but specifically for your home. A NAS device connects to your home network, and your Macs, iPhones, iPads, and even Windows PCs and Android devices can access it whenever necessary. A NAS device is a good way to store files that need to be accessed by several devices or users, or it can be a way for individual users to move files from a device to free up space.

Because the NAS device connects to a network, the setup isn’t as simple as plug-and-play, but it’s not too difficult. Once it’s up and running, you can access it either through the Network menu in the Finder, or through an app, browser, or both. Some NAS devices can provide access when you’re away from home, but this may require using a paid service from the device’s company.

NAS devices range from ones with fixed hard drives starting at 2TB for $150/£150 to drives with multiple removable hard drives with capacities over 8TB and other features for several hundreds of dollars. Check out our picks for the best NAS drive for Mac if you’re interested.

Cloud storage

Cloud storage is provided by a service online for a fee, usually a subscription. Apple offers iCloud, which includes iCloud Drive along with other services. Other popular cloud storage providers include Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Box. Learn more about the best cloud storage services for the Mac.

What’s great about cloud storage is that it is accessible by almost any device that has an internet connection. But because your ability to access it is reliant on the internet, cloud storage shouldn’t be used as primary storage. It’s good for storing files you want to access but not ones you use frequently, things like backups, photo and video storage, and file transfers. But it’s a great way to free up space on your Mac’s drive.

Also, since you have to pay a recurring fee, you’ll need to figure out how the cost benefits you. Many services have a free tier with a small allocation of storage; for example, iCloud Drive offers 5GB free. That limits what you can do.

Mac mini and Mac Studio SSD upgrades

The M4 Mac mini and the Mac Studio have internal SSDs that are installed in slots, which makes them upgradeable but Apple doesn’t officially support upgrades after purchase by the company, a third party, or by do-it-yourselfers. Some small companies have released SSD upgrade kits, such as Expand Mac mini and PolySoft Services with video instructions on their websites.

The installations for these kits aren’t trivial but if your mechanical aptitude is limited, you should be able to do this. There is a risk of damaging your Mac and this installation could void your warranty, especially if there is obvious evidence of your work.

If you have an M2 Mac mini there are other ways to upgrade its memory. Learn more.