Rumors Revisited: iOS 19, iPhone 17 Pro and Air Updates, Future AirPods Max

This is Rumor Replay, a new weekly column on 9to5Mac that gives a quick recap of the latest Apple product rumors with my analysis and commentary. Today: iOS 19 rumors point to delayed launch, plus iPhone 17 Pro and Air spotlight, AirPods Max future, and more.

Here are the Apple rumors this week.

iOS 19 will be backloaded with updates

Believe it or not, Apple will unveil its next major software updates, including iOS 19, in just 6 months—now's the time to start rumors.

Mark Gurman reported this week that “a larger than usual number of features planned for iOS 19 (beyond the new Siri) have already been delayed until spring 2026 (when iOS 19.4 debuts).”

Aside from Siri, no other details were given. It will be interesting, however, to see whether platforms other than iOS 19 will receive priority for major updates this year — though the rumors have not yet hinted at that.

iOS 18 and its subsequent updates, 18.1 and 18.2, were particularly big releases. Perhaps we’ll see more significant updates to macOS and/or iPadOS next year. The former could finally lay the groundwork for a touchscreen Mac, which could be a major engineering effort.

iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Air differences come into focus

A report from The Information this week outlined the features coming to the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Air. The former will boast a larger rectangular camera bump and ditch titanium for aluminum. The latter will require a few compromises to achieve its super-thin form factor.

These new details help flesh out what will be a very tough buying decision next year.

While the iPhone 17 Air's cameras have been reduced to a single rear lens, Apple seems to be leaning decisively in the opposite direction with its Pro line. Assuming both devices have the same main camera (and they should), a big part of buyers' decision will hinge on two nice little touches. You can afford the luxury of a thinner device or a more diverse camera system.

LLM Siri muddies the 'new era' narrative

Apple is in the midst of a muddled transition to a “new era of Siri,” and Mark Gurman's report suggests things are set to get even muddier over the next 18 months.

While Siri updates are rolling out as part of iOS 18, Apple is preparing an even bigger change in iOS 19.4: the first LLM-based Siri.

The potential for a Siri more like ChatGPT is huge, especially as more voice-controlled devices (like the HomePad) become available. At the same time, Apple needs to prove that current Siri can be good enough to truly deserve its “new era” of charging.

No AirPods Max 2 Anytime Soon

Finally, the disappointing AirPods Max update this fall appears to be the last the device will get for the foreseeable future. Gurman says Apple has “no concrete plans” to update the AirPods Max “in a meaningful way.” Which presumably means no H2 chip update or the many features it would bring.

I think Apple is making a mistake by letting the AirPods Max languish. Maybe there’s a good reason the company can’t just shove an H2 chip into a successor and call it a day. I’m skeptical, though. It's a shame that the significantly cheaper AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 boast advantages over the premium Max earbuds.

Anecdotally, I'm seeing more and more AirPods Max in the wild, so hopefully if sales do improve, Apple will take note and show the product some love.

Which rumors do you find most interesting or exciting? Let us know in the comments.