
Success of Elon Musk's Starship ‘more important than ever' in light of proposed budget cuts to Nasa
SpaceX's Starship rocket is poised to become one of the most critical assets in US space ambitions, experts have said. The comments come as the White House's proposed budget cuts cast doubt on Nasa projects such as the SLS rocket and Orion capsule, both technologies which would be used to take astronauts to the Moon. Space industry experts told The National that Starship could be the foundation of a new era in exploration, one that relies on powerful rockets, called heavy-lift vehicles, capable of carrying megatons of cargo and astronauts to the Moon and Mars. The Starship rocket, however, is still under development, with test flights being carried out since 2023 from Boca Chica, Texas. The next test flight is potentially scheduled for May 21. 'With the future of Nasa's SLS and Orion uncertain due to rising costs and limited reusability, Starship is increasingly emerging as the de facto backbone of US launch infrastructure,' said Lin Kayser, co-founder of Dubai company Leap 71, which develops artificial-intelligence models to generate rocket engines. 'SpaceX is already the primary launch provider for the US government and with Starship it becomes a near-monopoly at the high end of launch capability. That level of centralisation raises strategic concerns but it also highlights how far ahead SpaceX has pulled.' Nasa had developed the SLS rocket for its Moon programme Artemis but each launch would have reportedly cost $4 billion and the entire programme is behind schedule. Billionaire Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, has said Starship projects would be at a fraction of cost. SpaceX has also made rapid progress through an iterative testing approach, which has helped speed up development compared to traditional government programmes. The company, however, still faces technical challenges before commercial operations of the powerful rocket can begin. Starship's eighth test flight in March ended with the spacecraft destroyed, though the booster was recovered successfully. The test next week will be crucial in proving the vehicle's ability to operate reliably and safely. 'With Nasa's budget cuts looming and SLS and Orion on the chopping block, Starship has become increasingly important,' said Sahith Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of Paris advisory firm Bumi & Space. 'It's ironic to see that what was once a 'back-up' is now carrying the entire weight of the US deep-space ambitions.' The shift comes as the White House proposes slashing Nasa's budget by 24 per cent, from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion, in 2026. The cut could affect major science missions, the International Space Station and planned Moon landings. It could also reshape how the US approaches space exploration, with the private sector playing a more dominant role. Mr Kayser said Starship is also important in enabling a range of new commercial applications in orbit. 'Starship is the enabler for an entire class of orbital infrastructure. Starlink 2.0 cannot launch without it. The upcoming generation of direct-to-device internet, including global smartphone connectivity and real-time voice calls from orbit, will hinge on this vehicle,' said Mr Kayser. He said beyond communications, companies are exploring the use of space for data centres and advanced manufacturing, thanks to Starship's scale and payload capacity. 'AI data centre infrastructure is now migrating to space to take advantage of unlimited solar energy and passive radiative cooling," he said. 'It's about who will dominate the next trillion-dollar layer of the global economy. Anyone who wants to compete in that race needs to be building right now.' Dave Barnhart, chief executive of California-based space infrastructure firm Arkisys, said the proposed cuts could push industry players to step up faster to fill the gaps. 'The ability for Nasa to continue its fundamental mission of science growth in space requires a variety of transport, platform and ground logistics,' he said. 'Starship is important to replace heavy lift loss of SLS, as are smaller launch vehicles to support higher cadence. "Near-term loss of Nasa key infrastructure elements, I believe, will incentivise and tap into fast response by industry to step up, support Nasa goals and accelerate their science goals.' While SpaceX leads the current heavy-lift race, it is not the only private company in the game. Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has also developed its own heavy-lift rocket, called New Glenn. The vehicle was launched successfully for the first time in January. The Federal Aviation Administration recently approved up to 25 Starship launches a year, up from only five previously, giving SpaceX a clearer path to scaling up operations. Mr Musk is set to arrive in the UAE on Thursday, as part of a Gulf visit alongside US President Donald Trump.

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The National
33 minutes ago
- The National
Trump-Musk dispute exposes US space programme's reliance on SpaceX
A dispute between US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk that had escalated last week demonstrated a vulnerability of America's space programme and the consequences of its reliance on one private company. While the tension between President and billionaire has eased, the clash has exposed the risks of Nasa and the Department of Defence relying so much on SpaceX, Mr Musk's aerospace company, to carry out critical missions from taking astronauts into orbit to developing battlefield communications. The dispute unfolded on June 3, when Mr Musk criticised Mr Trump's proposed economic policy on X, calling it a 'disgusting abomination.' Mr Trump responded on Truth Social, threatening to withdraw 'billions and billions of dollars' in government contracts awarded to his companies. 'The clash between President Trump and Elon Musk exposes both the vulnerability of SpaceX and the reliance of the US government on SpaceX's capabilities,' said Laura Forczyk, founder of space consulting firm Astralytical. 'A healthy ecosystem needs multiple competitors to provide a variety of options for the space industry to choose from.' A public fallout Mr Musk escalated the situation by tweeting that SpaceX would begin 'decommissioning Dragon,' referring to the spacecraft that carries Nasa astronauts to the International Space Station. 'Cancelling government contracts over social media spats could be a real-world consequence to escalating rhetoric in cyberspace,' said Evan Nierman, chief executive of crisis communications company Red Banyan. 'But there is no reason for that to happen, especially since all sides will lose.' The Dragon capsule remains the only operational American spacecraft capable of transporting crew to and from the ISS, and its only rival, Boeing's Starliner, has only just completed its first crewed test flight after extensive delays. Before SpaceX, Nasa relied on Russian rockets and spacecraft for more than 10 years to ferry their astronauts to the station. Strategic reliance SpaceX launches most of the Pentagon's military satellites, delivers cargo and astronauts to the ISS, and is developing the Starship vehicle that will serve as Nasa's lunar lander for the Artemis programme. Its Starlink satellite internet system is also being used by the US military and allied forces for secure communications, including in war zones and disaster areas. 'Nasa has already invested $4 billion in SpaceX to develop the Human Landing System, and at present, there are no near-term alternatives, so SpaceX is secure for now,' said Dimitra Atri, a planetary scientist at NYU Abu Dhabi. Dr Atri said that the public dispute between Mr Trump and Mr Musk could prove useful in the long run. 'The feud essentially serves as a catalyst for diversification efforts that were likely needed regardless of political dynamics, given the strategic risks of single-source dependency,' he said. During a press briefing on June 9, Mr Trump acknowledged the importance of Starlink despite his criticisms of Mr Musk, saying: 'I may move the Tesla around a little bit, but I don't think we'll be doing that with Starlink. It's a good service.' Legal and political limits While Mr Trump has hinted at punishing SpaceX, any serious attempt to cancel or redirect federal contracts are likely to lead to legal challenges. Ms Forczyk said such actions would break procurement laws. 'Contracts by Nasa and the US Department of Defence are won by competition. In many cases, SpaceX is the best competitor,' she said. 'In a few cases, SpaceX is the only company capable of doing what the US government needs, such as launching astronauts to the International Space Station. 'Companies that feel they are treated unfairly can legally protest contract awards, as SpaceX did in 2014 and 2019. 'Political biases should not play a part in contracting decisions, and contracts under suspicion of political bias could be challenged in court. It would be illegal for President Trump to cancel a federal contract with SpaceX and give that same contract to a competitor company.' Tough times at Nasa The Trump–Musk dispute comes at a time when Nasa is under heavy funding pressure. A proposed budget cut of nearly 25 per cent for the 2026 fiscal year could jeopardise dozens of scientific missions. 'I don't think it's too far off to say that Nasa is facing its worst-ever crisis,' said Gordon Osinski, a planetary scientist at Western University in Canada. 'The Artemis programme to return humans to the Moon seemed to be safe but given the crucial role of SpaceX in this endeavour, even that could now be in jeopardy.' The face of SpaceX While SpaceX has consistently delivered on launch services and human space flight, its image is closely tied to Mr Musk's unpredictable behaviour and political views. 'The SpaceX brand is so deeply tied to Elon Musk that it is seen as an extension of him,' said Mr Nierman. 'That makes the political risk of the Trump–Musk feud harder to contain. The company's best move right now is to maintain institutional calm, keep its head down publicly, and double down on performance behind the scenes.' He said that the firm's long-term reputation would benefit from separating its operational excellence from Mr Musk's personal identity. A push for competition The argument may serve as a catalyst for Nasa and the Department of Defence to broaden their portfolio of providers, by increasing investment in Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman and emerging launch firms. Dr Atri said that while SpaceX currently leads in terms of capability and cost-efficiency, building a diversified and resilient space economy is in the national interest. Blue Origin was awarded a second Human Landing System contract by Nasa, but its lander is not expected to be ready until after the 2030s. 'That company is rapidly building the capabilities needed to challenge SpaceX in rocket launches,' said Dr Atri.


Tahawul Tech
39 minutes ago
- Tahawul Tech
Apple boosts iPhone experience with iOS 26
The release delivers a stunning new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, new ways to stay connected in the Phone and Messages apps, and exciting updates to CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet. CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — Apple previewed iOS 26 on Monday, a major update that brings a beautiful new design, intelligent experiences, and improvements to the apps users rely on every day. The new design provides a more expressive and delightful experience across the system while maintaining the instant familiarity of iOS. Integrated throughout the system and built with privacy from the ground up, Apple Intelligence gets even more capable. Updates to the Phone and Messages apps help users stay connected while eliminating distractions like unwanted calls. iOS 26 also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games. 'iOS 26 shines with the gorgeous new design and meaningful improvements to the features users rely on every day, making iPhone even more helpful,' said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. 'Experiences are more expressive and personal, from the Lock Screen and Home Screen, to new capabilities across Phone and Messages that help users focus on the connections that matter most. And with powerful new Apple Intelligence capabilities integrated across the system, users can get things done easier than ever.' A Beautiful New Look The new design makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, while keeping iOS instantly familiar. It's crafted with Liquid Glass — a new translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, bringing greater focus to content, and delivering a new level of vitality across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more. The new design extends to the Home Screen and Lock Screen, making them more personal and expressive than ever. Liquid Glass also brings new customisation options to app icons and widgets, including a stunning clear look. On the Lock Screen, the time fluidly adapts to the available space in an image, and spatial scenes bring wallpapers to life with a 3D effect when users move iPhone. Updated design elements also deliver fresh experiences in apps. A simplified, streamlined Camera layout helps users keep their attention on the moment they're capturing, and the Photos app is updated to feature separate tabs for Library and Collections views. In Safari, web pages flow from the top edge to the bottom of the screen, enabling users to see more of the page while maintaining access to frequently used actions like refresh and search. In Apple Music, News, and Podcasts, the tab bar is redesigned to float above users' content, dynamically shrink when users are browsing to put content front and center, and then expand when they scroll back up. An updated set of APIs provides developers with access to Liquid Glass materials and components so they can make their apps appear just as dynamic and delightful. New Capabilities Powered by Apple Intelligence Apple Intelligence elevates the iPhone experience and helps users get things done easier than ever, while unlocking new ways to communicate and do more with what's on their screen. Live Translation is integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone to help users communicate across languages, translating text and audio on the fly.1 Live Translation is enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so users' personal conversations stay personal. Building on Apple Intelligence, visual intelligence extends to a user's iPhone screen so they can search and take action on anything they're viewing across apps. Users can ask ChatGPT questions about what they're looking at onscreen to learn more, as well as search Google, Etsy, or other supported apps to find similar images and products. Visual intelligence also recognises when a user is looking at an event and suggests adding it to their calendar, repopulating key details like date, time, and location.2 Genmoji and Image Playground provide users with even more ways to express themselves, including mixing their favorite emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions together to create something new.3 Shortcuts are now more powerful and intelligent than ever. Users can tap into intelligent actions, a whole new set of shortcuts enabled by Apple Intelligence, and will see dedicated actions for features like Writing Tools and Image Playground. Apple Intelligence can now automatically identify and summarise order tracking details from emails sent from merchants and delivery carriers, giving users the ability to see their full order details and progress notifications all in one place — even for purchases not made with Apple Pay. Additionally, a new Foundation Models framework opens up access for any app to tap directly into the on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence, giving developers direct access to powerful intelligence that's fast, built with privacy at its core, and available offline, using AI inference that is free of cost. Features for Staying Connected and Eliminating Interruptions Fundamental to the iPhone experience, the Phone app now offers a unified layout that combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails all in one place. Call Screening builds on Live Voicemail and helps eliminate interruptions by gathering information from the caller and giving users the details they need to decide if they want to pick up or ignore the call.4 And for the times when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist notifies the user when a live agent is available.5 In Messages, users can now screen messages from unknown senders, giving them more control over who appears in their conversation list. Messages from unknown senders will appear in a dedicated folder where users can then mark the number as known, ask for more information, or delete. These messages will remain silenced until a user accepts them. iOS 26 also offers enhancements to conversations, including custom backgrounds and the ability to create polls. With Apple Intelligence, Messages can detect when a poll might come in handy and suggest one, and users can generate unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground. Additionally, in group chats, users can now see typing indicators, and request, send, and receive Apple Cash.6 Enhancements to CarPlay CarPlay — the smarter, safer way to use iPhone while driving — is used over 600 million times per day, and now with iOS 26, it receives updates that make it even more beautiful and easy to use. The stunning design includes a new compact view for incoming calls, allowing users to see who's calling without missing key information like upcoming directions. iOS 26 also brings Tapbacks and pinned conversations to Messages in CarPlay, and with widgets and Live Activities, users can stay in the loop without losing focus on the road. These updates also come to CarPlay Ultra, which brings the best of iPhone and the best of the car together for a deeply integrated, unified experience across every screen. Updates to Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet In Apple Music, Lyrics Translation helps users understand the words to their favorite songs, while Lyrics Pronunciation allows everyone to sing along, regardless of language. AutoMix uses intelligence to transition from one song to the next like a DJ, using time stretching and beat matching to seamlessly move from one song to the next. In Apple Maps, Visited Places help users remember the places they've been. Users can choose to have iPhone detect when they're at a place like a restaurant or shop, and view all of their Visited Places in Maps. Visited Places are protected with end-to-end encryption and cannot be accessed by Apple. Additionally, iPhone can now use on-device intelligence to better understand a user's daily route, presenting them with their preferred route when they're headed home or to the office, along with notifying them of delays and offering alternate routes. Updates in Apple Wallet help make everyday interactions with the physical world easier than ever. Users can choose to pay with installments or rewards when they make in-store purchases with Apple Pay using iPhone. Refreshed boarding passes in Wallet offer the ability to see and share Live Activities for real-time updates on a flight. They also provide convenient access to a traveler's most relevant information, such as Maps to navigate airports, Find My to track important items and report missing bags, and more. Additional features in iOS 26: Apple Games is a new app that gives players an all-in-one destination for their games. It helps players jump back into titles they love, find their next favorite, and have even more fun with friends. They'll find out what's happening across all their games, including major events and updates, so they never miss a moment. The Games app is also the best way to experience Apple Arcade, Apple's game subscription service with more than 200 award-winning and highly rated games for the whole family. AirPods are more versatile than ever with new features for AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2. Building on the benefits of Voice Isolation, studio-quality audio recording allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to record their content with great sound quality and enjoy even clearer calls. With camera remote, users can press and hold the AirPods stem to take a photo or start and stop a video recording on iPhone or iPad. Parents can now create or move kids into Child Accounts even more easily, taking advantage of a wide set of parental controls designed to keep children safe. Enhancements across Communication Limits, Communication Safety, and the App Store include parental approvals for contact requests from kids, blurring out sensitive content in FaceTime calls and photos in Shared Albums, and enabling parents to grant an exception for their child to download an app with an age rating that exceeds the app content restriction they set. Browsing in Safari gets even more private with advanced fingerprinting protection extending to all browsing by default. Powerful accessibility features include Accessibility Reader, which provides a customised systemwide reading experience, and Braille Access, an all-new interface for iPhone devices with connected braille displays. Updates to Live Listen, Background Sounds, Personal Voice, and more bring a new level of accessibility across the Apple ecosystem. Availability All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone 11 and later. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit


Tahawul Tech
an hour ago
- Tahawul Tech
iPadOS 26 introduces powerful features pushing capabilities and versatility
iPadOS 26 brings a new design, an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system; new features powered by Apple Intelligence, major enhancements to working with files, audio, and video; and more CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — Apple previewed iPadOS 26 on Monday, the biggest iPadOS release ever, taking a huge leap forward and pushing the unique capabilities and versatility of iPad even further. A beautiful design brings a new look to iPad, making the experience even more expressive and delightful. While maintaining the simplicity of iPad, iPadOS 26 introduces an entirely new, powerful, and intuitive windowing system with new features that help users control, organise, and switch between apps. Apple Intelligence becomes even more capable and integrated across iPadOS 26, with new features that help users communicate, express themselves, and get things done, including Live Translation, new ways to create with Genmoji and Image Playground,1 and intelligent actions with Shortcuts. The supercharged Files app offers new ways to organize files and customize folders. And with Folders in the dock, users can conveniently access downloads, documents, and more from anywhere. The Preview app comes to iPad giving users a dedicated app to view and edit PDFs, with powerful features like Apple Pencil Markup and AutoFill built in. And with Background Tasks, audio input selection, and Local capture, iPadOS 26 unlocks new capabilities for creative pros working with audio and video. 'iPadOS 26 is our biggest iPadOS release ever, with powerful features that take the experience to the next level and transform what users can do on iPad,' said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. 'With a beautiful new design, an entirely new, powerful, and intuitive windowing system, even more features powered by Apple Intelligence, huge improvements to working with files, and new capabilities for creatives to power their workflows, iPadOS 26 makes our most versatile device even more capable.' A Beautiful New Design The beautiful new design brings more expressive and delightful experiences to iPad users, while maintaining the familiarity of iPadOS. It's crafted with Liquid Glass — a translucent new material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, while reacting to user input and dynamically transforming to bring greater focus to the content they care about most. It enables a new level of vitality across experiences like the Lock Screen and Control Center, and gives users new ways to personalise their Home Screen with updated app icons that come to life in light or dark appearances, colorful new light and dark tints, as well as an elegant new clear look. And updated controls and navigation extend to apps including Mail, Safari, Apple TV, Apple Music, and more. An Entirely New Powerful and Intuitive Windowing System iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that help users work with, control, organise, and switch between app windows — all while maintaining the immediacy and simplicity that iPad users expect. The new windowing system lets users fluidly resize app windows, place them exactly where they want, and open even more windows at once. Familiar window controls allow users to seamlessly close, minimise, resize, or tile their windows. Window tiling is designed for the unique capabilities of iPad, and enables users to arrange their windows with a simple flick. If a user previously resized an app, it opens back in the exact same size and position when they open it again. With Exposé, users can quickly see all their open windows spread out, helping them easily switch to the one they need. The new windowing system works great with Stage Manager for those who want to group their windows into distinct stages, and with an external display for those who want even more space to work across their apps.2 With a new menu bar, users can access the features available in an app with a simple swipe down from the top of the display, or by moving their cursor to the top. Users can quickly find a specific feature or related tips in an app by using search in the menu bar. Additionally, developers can now customise the menu bar in their own apps. New Features Powered by Apple Intelligence Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence while taking an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI, becomes even more capable and even more integrated across iPadOS 26. Live Translation in Phone, FaceTime, and Messages enables iPad users to communicate seamlessly across languages. In Messages, incoming texts — including group messages — are automatically translated into the user's preferred language.3 On FaceTime, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker's voice. And when on a phone call, the translation is spoken aloud throughout the conversation.4 iPadOS 26 brings users new ways to create Genmoji, giving them the ability to start with existing emoji and descriptions, modify personal attributes like hair length or accessories, and select expressions. Users will also have more control of personal attributes and expressions in Image Playground, and can tap into brand-new styles with ChatGPT, like an oil painting style for a friend's Contact Poster. For moments when users have a specific idea in mind, they can tap Any Style and describe exactly what they want. And Image Playground can now send a user's description or photo to ChatGPT and create a unique image. Shortcuts features new intelligent actions that allow users to create shortcuts that are more powerful than ever, including summarising text with Writing Tools and creating images with Image Playground. Users can also tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to provide responses that feed into the rest of their shortcuts. For example, a student can build a shortcut that uses Apple Intelligence models to compare an audio transcription of a class lecture to the notes they took, and add any key points they may have missed. Powerful New Ways to Work with Files iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new ways to manage, access, and edit files. An enhanced Files app with an updated List view allows users to see more of their document details in resizable columns and collapsible folders. To make folders easier to identify at a glance, Files also offers folder customisation options that include custom colors, icons, and emoji that sync across devices. For quicker access, users can now drag any folder from the Files app right into the Dock. Additionally, users can set a default app for opening specific files or file types. The Preview App Comes to iPad Preview comes to iPad, giving users a dedicated app for creating a quick sketch, as well as viewing, editing, and marking up PDFs and images with Apple Pencil or by touch. Users can access all of their PDFs and images in the Files app right from Preview, create an empty page, use Apple Pencil to draw and write on it, and use AutoFill to quickly fill out PDF forms. New Ways to Work with Apps Taking advantage of the incredible power of Apple silicon, iPadOS 26 unlocks the ability to perform computationally intensive Background Tasks. When users start a long-running process in an app, Background Tasks will show up with Live Activities, giving users complete control and a clear sense of what is running. And developers can use an updated Background Tasks API that allows users to perform long-running tasks from their apps, too. iPadOS 26 also brings new audio features that offer more flexible input and streamlined recording. Users now have better control over their audio input, with the ability to choose different microphones for each app, as well as individual websites. Recorded audio will be made even better with the availability of Voice Isolation, which blocks ambient noise, and allows clear and crisp recordings. And with AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2, studio-quality audio recording allows users to record their content with great sound quality and enjoy clear calls. With Local capture, users can produce high-quality recordings right from iPad with any video conferencing app, and easily share audio and video files once the call is over. Echo cancellation of other participants' audio keeps the user's voice front and center, allowing for a clear recording of their side of the call. New Apps, Plus More Ways to Communicate With iPadOS 26, Journal comes to iPad, making it easy for users to capture and write about the details of everyday moments or special events. Using Apple Pencil or touch, users can incorporate drawings and handwriting, along with photos, videos, audio recordings, places, their state of mind, and more. Users can keep multiple journals for various aspects of life, and now have access to a beautiful map view that organises entries by location. The all-new Apple Games app brings users a new home for gaming, and iPadOS 26 introduces Game Overlay, which allows users to quickly see new events and updates, adjust settings, call or invite a friend mid-game, and more. The Messages app brings conversation Backgrounds, which lets a user personalise their chats with stunning designs and create unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground. Messages also brings Polls and a redesigned details view that helps users easily navigate what has been shared in a conversation, and supercharges group chats with typing indicators, as well as the ability to request and receive Apple Cash. Additionally, the Phone app comes to iPad, and includes updates like Hold Assist5 and Call Screening.6 Additional iPadOS 26 updates: Available in the tool palette, the new reed pen uses stroke-angle presets to enable a traditional calligraphy experience with Apple Pencil or touch in apps like Notes, Preview, Freeform, and Journal; when using Markup; and in third-party apps using the PencilKit API. Calculator introduces new 3D graphing capabilities in Math Notes, allowing users to write an equation with three variables and create a graph in three dimensions. Notes adds the ability to import and export a note into a markdown file, along with support for capturing conversations in the Phone app as audio recordings with transcriptions. Accessibility features include Accessibility Reader, a new systemwide reading mode designed to make text easier to read for users who are blind, have low vision, or have other disabilities affecting reading; an all-new Braille Access experience that offers a user-friendly interface for users with a connected braille display; Share Accessibility Settings to temporarily use accessibility settings on another person's device; and more. Availability All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPad Pro (M4), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (A16), iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad mini (5th generation and later). The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit and Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit