Transcription
[Music] What's good? Brian Tong here. Apple releases the fourth developer beta of iOS 26. We'll talk about the changes. CarPlay's biggest hidden secret is revealed. This year's M5 iPad Pro is expected to get two cameras and the new Apple Care 1 plan. We're going to talk all about it, but let's start with the iOS 26 beta 4.
Apple released it this week along with the fourth betas for iPad OS 26 and watch OS 26 and Mac OS Tahoe TV OS and Vision OS. You got all of them. But I'm going to focus on iOS 26 because once again Apple has been tweaking with liquid glass and has reversed being so strong on the frosted glass look. And going back to more liquid glass, they are finding more of a middle ground to be glassy while still being legible enough. It might be hard to tell with these images from Mac Rumors. Beta 4 is on the left and beta 3 is on the right. But the music app is a really good example of how it's subtle but more glassy and less frosty. Control center, the lock screen, and home screen look pretty much the same. So, it looks like the shift is happening more with app navigation bars and buttons.
The other significant change, notification summaries are back. They're available for news and entertainment apps again. And there's a warning that the summarization may change the meaning and verify the information. We saw this feature taken down because of issues it had with grossly summarizing some news headlines incorrectly. And there's also summaries for communication and social apps and all other apps. The camera app has a new icon you might have missed. And the animation swiping between modes in the camera app moves freely in both directions.
But let's talk CarPlay because we don't talk enough about CarPlay. Cosmetically, it gets 12 new wallpapers with that iOS 26 wallpaper aesthetic in different colors. Each version has a light and dark variant for a total of 12 with color options of blue, brown, gray, green, purple, and red. You'll see them transitioning between the colors here, but there are a total of 12 of them based on Apple's new liquid glass design. But Apple has actually hidden CarPlay's biggest new feature from us. iPhone users will soon be able to wirelessly stream videos using AirPlay to a CarPlay screen in supported vehicles. It's probably the biggest CarPlay feature upgrade in years, and it's expected to come with the iOS 26 update later this year. The car has to be parked in place and not in motion for safety reasons, just like other cars have done. It was never mentioned during the keynote, and instead it was buried on Apple's developer website. The catch? It will only work once an automaker enables the feature themselves. So, Apple has no control when and if they will do it. That's a total boner killer. And I say that because automakers are slow to do things like this. And there is just CarPlay right now. We all know about CarPlay Ultra, which is the next generation of CarPlay. But remember, up to this point, only one car manufacturer has it on their vehicle, and it's Aston Martin, the luxury car brand. And an even more worrying sign of what's to come, BMW has confirmed it has no plans to offer CarPlay Ultra in the future in any of its upcoming vehicles. BMW has been featured in previous Apple keynotes and their new iDrive X platform that's set to launch later this year and will be their new foundation. So, this is a big deal and a sign of the times where some of the higher-end brands want the car experience to belong only to them and not to Apple. Others like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Pollster, and Renault have all opted to not use CarPlay. And we know Riven, and Tesla have their own systems. There are plenty others who say they're planning to offer CarPlay Ultra, like Porsche, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, and more. But none of them have committed to any concrete timing of when. It was previewed in 2022. We're halfway through 2025, and we have one and only one car manufacturer using CarPlay Ultra today. So, I don't want to be skeptical because I'm an optimistic person, but can we really expect every automaker to just flip the switch for AirPlay videos for CarPlay right when it's available this fall? We'll see.
All right. In other things revealed from iOS 26 4th beta release, Mac Rumors discovered what they described as curious wording around the HomePod hinting at Apple's rumored smart home hub. In a location related setting, it says your HomePod won't be able to show you the local weather, time, or respond to Siri requests about your area. And they make it a point that it's curious because Apple uses the word show. The HomePod does not have a true display that can show you any kind of information. And could this be a reach? Maybe. But I think there's something actually here. We've talked about reports that the Apple Smartome Hub, which was reportedly planned to launch in the first half of this year, has now been pushed out to the first half of 2026. And that's due to issues that Apple had with getting Apple intelligence and its Siri features ready on time, which it reportedly heavily relies on. So, we will wait and see.
All right, let's talk about a device that is still expected to launch this year, the new M5 iPad Pro. Bloomberg's Mark German reports the nextG iPad Pro will have two front-facing cameras instead of one. In his Power newsletter, German says this year's iPad Pro will be upgraded with a new M5 chip, but will also have portrait and landscape cameras, so you can get on those video calls and not worry about the orientation of the iPad. Now, Face ID already works no matter what direction you hold it. And having two cameras won't change the design. You probably won't even really notice because they can still hide it in the iPad Pro's bezel. And I like this move because sometimes the camera would be awkwardly too far off to the side.
All right, a new report from Taiwan's research firm Trend Force has echoed what a few others have been saying and claims Apple's first foldable will have a 7.8 in any display and a 5.5 in Audi display. We still haven't heard any confirmation about its actual thickness with reports ranging somewhere around 4.5 to 4.8 mm thin. Samsung's Zfold 7 is 4.2 mm at its thinnest point. German also reports that Apple will be starting development of iOS 27 soon and that there will be a shift in its emphasis to prepare for Apple's first foldable iPhone. According to his report, iOS 27 will prioritize software features tailored specifically for the Apple Foldable. That's expected sometime in late 2026. And don't worry, they won't be ignoring iOS 26. And this is the part where someone goes into the comments and says, "Guess what? They've already been ignoring iOS. We know who you are." But Apple will and should have a stronger focus with the Foldable coming out next year. And I've said it before, since it can't be as sleek as what Samsung and other Chinese manufacturers have on the market, and it's entering the space 7 plus years later, it's got to be their software and some unique features that helps it stand out instead of just being another foldable with an Apple logo on it. We already have heard that its hinge and a nearly crease-free display design are two of the key features it hopes to set itself apart from others while leaning on the Apple ecosystem as well.
All right, let's wrap things up and talk the new Apple Care 1 subscription plan. In somewhat of a surprise announcement, Apple announced a new subscription plan that covers multiple devices. Another subscription, you say? Yeah, take my money, Apple. Okay, of course I'm messing around, but there are people who, you know, where this plan does make sense. Apple Care 1 starts at $19.99 per month to cover up to three Apple products and you can add more for 5.99 per month for each additional device. It includes all the Apple Care Plus benefits like unlimited repairs for accidents, battery coverage, and priority support and more. You can freely move devices in and out of the plan at any time. And you can add products that you already own that are up to four years old as long as they're in good condition. Apple Care 1 also brings theft and loss prevention coverage to the iPad and Apple Watch. Before it was only available for the iPhone. Now, the pricing will be the same regardless of the product covered, which includes everything from the Apple Vision Pro down to AirPods. And check this out. Apple Care Plus, which is the individual device plan for just the iPhone, is $9.99 a month. And something like the Vision Pro is $24.99 a month. So, it might make sense for you. Customers in the US can sign up for Apple Care 1 right now on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac or by going to an Apple store. So, when you first heard another subscription, you might have said, "Hell no." You know, there are some of you who have never purchased Apple Care on your products, and this plan probably won't change your mind. I purchased Apple Care on my big purchases that are over $1,000. So, that's my phone, laptop, and iPad. I didn't always use it, but when it sure came in handy, yeah, when I needed to, I did use it. So, $19.99 for a month for Apple Care 1 is not a bad deal. If you are worried about your products, and I'm not saying everyone should do this, but if you're the type of person that covers your products, it's not really a bad idea. I remember it used to be, I think, $349 for Apple Care for my MacBook Pro back in the day and it covered it for three years and nothing else, right? That flat fee. So, I think there is value there, but like any insurance plan, it's good when you use it and for Apple, it's even better when you don't. So, this will be another revenue generator for them that didn't exist before. I will say Apple silicon has changed everything even from a service side because these devices aren't overheating and potentially causing damage internally. My devices have had an amazing track record since everything shifted over and I know service issues internally have been down due to how good Apple's own chips are. It's a fact. So Apple Care 1, it's a good fair plan when I evaluate it from the outside, but I'm not telling you you have to get it. That's up to you.
All right. And a small note, separately outside of this Apple Care 1 plan, Apple Care Plus with theft and loss plans will also be available for iPad and Apple Watch again separately. So, this covers up to two incidents of theft or loss in a one-year period. Plus, you'll get unlimited repairs for accidental damage. This was previously limited to just the iPhone with regular Apple Care Plus being available for iPad and Apple Watch until now. So, that's a good thing.
All right, that's going to do it for this video. If you like what you see, give me that thumbs up, subs up, and hit that notification bell thing to get all my latest videos when they drop. And if you want more of that Apple goodness, you can check out my weekly Apple Bits XL audio podcast with the latest stories and special guests. Plus, you can support all my content with an adree version of the podcast, early access to my content, and exclusive content at patreon.com/briantong. Thanks so much for watching, and we'll see youall in the next video. Peace and love. [Music]