430 - Apple's Price Shock and the Future of HomeKit

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jill McKinley, Chuck Joiner, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius. Apple surprised everyone this week with unexpected price increases across much of its hardware lineup, and the crew dives into what changed, why it happened, and whether Apple could have handled the announcement better. The panel also discusses the latest developer betas for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27, including Apple's expanding Apple Intelligence features. The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com  Direct Link to Audio  Links to our Show Give us a review on Apple Podcasts! CLICK HERE we would really appreciate it! Click this link Buy me a Coffee to support the show we would really appreciate it. intouchwithios.com/coffee  Another way to support the show is to become a Patreon member patreon.com/intouchwithios Website: In Touch With iOS YouTube Channel In Touch with iOS Magazine on Flipboard Facebook Page BlueSky Mastodon X Instagram Threads Summary Apple surprised everyone this week with unexpected price increases across much of its hardware lineup, and the crew dives into what changed, why it happened, and whether Apple could have handled the announcement better. The panel also discusses the latest developer betas for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27, including Apple's expanding Apple Intelligence features. The Vision Pro discussion covers the new Siri experience, curved app windows, panoramic photos becoming immersive environments, and other interface refinements. The team also examines Apple's upcoming HomeKit overhaul, support for the Matter 1.6 standard, and the latest updates to Wallet, Notes, and AirPods. Other topics include cable standards confusion, an iPhone design issue that may never be fixed, a handy weekly restart tip, Prime Day recommendations, and a return of one of Apple's classic products. Topics and Links Breaking News Apple Price Increases Across Product Lines * Discussion on Apple's unexpected price increases affecting Vision Pro, Macs, iPads, HomePod, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and MacBook models. * The panel debates whether Apple should have provided advance notice and compares the changes to price increases happening across the tech industry. Apple Just Raised the Price of the MacBook Neo Apple Just Increased Prices on MacBooks, iPads, and More Apple's Online Store Is Down Apple Vision Pro Just Got Even More Expensive Apple TV and HomePod Just Went Up in Price Amid Wait for New Models Apple's Stock Has Worst Day in More Than a Year After Price Increases  In Touch With Vision Pro this week.  * New Siri experience with Apple Intelligence integration. * Curved application windows. * Panoramic photos become immersive environments. * Interface refinements and spatial computing enhancements. Apple Seeds Second visionOS 27 Beta to Developers visionOS 27 Beta Release Notes | Apple Developer Documentation Apple Vision Pro's longest immersive concert was harder to film than you'd think Beta this week. iOS 27 Beta 2 was released Second developer betas of iOS 27, macOS 27 are out Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 2 Apple Seeds watchOS 27 Beta 2 to Developers A Small iOS 27 Change Hints at Apple's Long-Rumored Home Hub  iOS 27 Home App: 10+ New HomeKit Features  Apple Releases Updated AirPods Beta Firmware With iOS 27 Features Every New AirPods Feature in iOS 27 AirPods Max 2 are getting harder to resist with iOS 27 upgrades Apple Seemingly Killed Siri AI Waitlist Workaround in macOS 27 Beta 2 iOS 27 Wallet App Gets 7 New Features In Touch With Mac this week Apple also seeded macOS 27 Golden Gate beta 2 to developers. MacRumors highlights Siri AI-related features on the Mac, including a Siri app, Visual Intelligence on Mac, and "Write with Siri" features for writing help and feedback. macOS Golden Gate Beta 2 Now available for Developers Apple Releases Updated AirPods Beta Firmware With iOS 27 Features   macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 and iOS 26.5.2 Updates Coming Soon Can you save money with a USB4 cable over a Thunderbolt 4 one? Cable Tester: https://amzn.to/4oOkThM New macOS security flaw could let hackers disable protection tools, researchers say Older iPhones have an unfixable security flaw - why it can't be patched and the models affected Other Topics iPhone 17 set to break a record no flagship has touched in 15 years Why You Should Restart iPhone Once A Week and How to Automate It News Silo returns next week with three major changes for season 3 This weeks "Things we found" Amazon Prime Days were this week. What deals did we find?  Dave: Apple AirPods Max 2 $399 https://amzn.to/3SHDPmc and UGREEN Mac mini M4 Dock & Stand with NVMe SSD Enclosure   https://amzn.to/3SrWOkK Jill: FLEXISPOT ErgoX Premium Ergonomic Office Chair with Footrest $299 but $ 229 on Prime Day https://amzn.to/4vwPJOr Chuck: Govee Floor Lamp 3 Lite, Smart RGBIC LED Corner Lamp https://amzn.to/4wbeSya   Marty: Shokz Open Run Pro 2  over-the-ear bone conduction headphones 124$ (on sale for Prime week) normally 179$ https://amzn.to/4eKzx4O Eric: 6–AC outlets, 2–USB-A,  2–USB-Chttps://amzn.to/4w84RBD Jeff: You Can Draw in 30 Days by Mark Kistler Announcements Macstock X is here celebrating its 10th anniversary ! Dave, Chuck, Jeff, Marty, and Jill are all speaking this year!. With Three Full Days of expert-led Presentations and Workshops, Macstock's sessions are crammed full of productivity-enhancing content. NEW this year is a partnership with sponsor Ecamm. Ecamm Creator Camp: Mac Edition on July 9, 2026 there are only 100 tickets available for the bundle. There are 2 passes available: Macstock weekend pass July 10,11,12, 2026 or the Macstock Ecamm Bundle starting July 9 (only 100 tickets available)  Come join us. Register HERE and use our offer code INTOUCH to save $50 Our Host Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65, , BlueSky @daveg65  and the show @intouchwithios   Our Regular Contributors Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's managing editor, and Smile's TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @[email protected] and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social‬ Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast  Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgametrecordin Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at [email protected]  https://thepodtalk.net  Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at [email protected], on Mastodon at @[email protected], on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.   Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT A lifelong tech enthusiast, she started her career with Windows but is now an avid Apple fan. Beyond technology, she shares her insights on nature, faith, and personal growth through her podcasts—Buzz Blossom & Squeak, Start with Small Steps, and The Bible in Small Steps. Watch her content on YouTube at @startwithsmallsteps and follow her on X @schmern. Find all her work at http://jillfromthenorthwoods.com  Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group.