Apple’s New Betas Offer Some Clues About the Next iPhones and MacBooks

Source Domain: lifehacker.com

While Apple silicon has changed the game for the company’s product lineup (most notably the Mac), Apple’s overall designs haven’t changed all that much in recent years. Sure, the iPhone 17 Pro looks a bit different than the iPhone 16 Pro, but to most, they might as well be identical. Meanwhile, a MacBook Pro, from 2026 looks exactly like one from 2022—you’d have to use it to know what M-series chip it was running.

That could all change in the next year. The rumor mill is predicting Apple will release two brand-new devices in the near future: a foldable iPhone and a touchscreen MacBook. These products would certainly offer a departure from Apple’s typical lineup, giving users their first chance to buy devices with these features within the Apple ecosystem. Reports suggest these devices will ship within this year’s update cycle—i.e., in the iOS 27 and macOS 27 era. As such, many of us wondered whether Apple would make any allusions to these new products at WWDC last week, when the company formally announced the upcoming updates. It didn’t—but the company might have provided some clues that these devices are indeed on the way.

As reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s first betas for iOS 27 and macOS 27 each contain evidence for the company’s upcoming foldable iPhone and touchscreen MacBook, respectively. While neither OS includes flashing lights that scream “These products are coming soon!” there are some not exactly subtle signs.

Evidence for the iPhone Fold in Apple’s betas

Let’s look first at Apple’s hints about a potential folding iPhone. Gurman says the most obvious piece of evidence here actually comes from macOS 27: The OS’ updated iPhone Mirroring app now lets you stretch the window to display iPad-like window layouts, all while running the same iOS software. While convenient for macOS users, this design suggests Apple is thinking about different-sized windows for iOS, and, likely, integrating wide-formatted windows to a…

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