I wasn’t expecting much, but there are some worthy changes in the second developer beta of iOS 27.
In years past, Apple has tended to save some of the biggest changes for the public beta, so more is yet to come.
But for now, there’s some nice updates. The HomeKit camera upgrades are pretty clever.
One thing’s clear: Siri Ai is front and center in the new OS.
I just got approved to use the new Siri AI this morning. I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet, but I’m very much looking forward to it.
I’m also hoping the new beta is a bit more stable than the first. This year has been particularly glitchy for me. In years past, it seemed that subsequent betas got less stable, rather than more. At least, that was my experience. Hopefully this year that trend will change.
Here are the new features and changes in iOS 27 beta 2.
Also in today’s newsletter:
Bad news, good news: The bad news is the Mac hack to jump the Siri AI waitlist no longer works. The good news is there may be a better way. If you get this to work, please let us know. See the post for details.
Amazon’s big Prime Day sale just kicked off, and we’ve rounded up some the best deals on Apple gear we actually use. The savings are a mixed bag, tbh, with AirPods, Apple Watch, and select Beats headphones offering the best deals so far. Note: Tim Cook warned that Apple will be raising prices soon to offset chip costs, so now might a good time to snag a new MacBook before Tim marks it up.
Here’s a new way you might be exposed to scams and spam: AI chatbots are now giving out real people’s phone numbers. Incogni hunts down your data and deletes it. Save 55% today with code CULTOFMAC.
This is surprising: Eddie Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services and health, got a prestigious gong at Cannes. It marks the increasing cultural impact of Apple TV.
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: I used the percentage discount slider on Amazon to find a deal with the maximum markdown, and this Blink Mini 2 security camera stood out — it’s just $12!
I doubt this will happen to the folding iPhone, but other foldables depreciate faster than the Cybertruck.
Hey, Stephen King’s a fan — what greater recommendation could you need to watch Apple TV’s Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
A message from Incogni
AI chatbots are revealing real people’s phone numbers
Google’s AI can surface your personal contact info in seconds — and once it’s out there, it spreads fast.
Incogni finds and removes your data from brokers and the open web, then continuously scans for new exposures before they gain traction.
Don’t wait for your information to circulate. Take control now.
Save 55% with code CULTOFMAC.
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
Cult of Mac’s buyback program
A message from tldr.tech
Keep up with tech in 5 minutes. TLDR is the free daily email of the most interesting stories in startups, tech, and programming, curated by ex-Google and Anthropic engineers.
Tweets of the day
Wallpaper of the day
One more thing ...
In the annals of innovation, new ideas are only part of the equation. Execution is just as important.
Today’s poll
Is Eddie Cue really Entertainment Person of the Year?
Results from yesterday’s poll:

Best reader comments

Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.












