iOS 27 is almost here
The public beta is days away, plus three deals and a Spotlight trick
👋 HEY, IT'S RAJA
Welcome to the first Useful Five — five quick, useful things to end your week. And this is a big weekend to be an Apple user: the iOS 27 public beta is expected to land in the next few days. Here's everything worth your attention.
1️⃣ The iOS 27 public beta is days away
Apple shipped developer beta 3 on Monday, and history says the first public beta follows about a week later — so expect it around July 13–14. If you want to try it, the golden rule stands: install it on a spare device, not your daily driver, and back up first. It's free at beta.apple.com. I'll have a proper "should you install it" guide once it's live.
2️⃣ A deal worth grabbing
A few gems are still hanging on after the July 4th sales: the AirTag 2 four-pack is at an all-time low of $89 (down from $99), AirPods 4 are $99 (from $129), and AirPods Pro 3 just hit a new all-time low of $179 (from $249). If any of these were on your list, this is the moment.
3️⃣ A tip you can use today
On macOS Tahoe, open Spotlight (⌘ + Space), type a website name like Amazon or YouTube, press Tab, then type your search — Spotlight searches inside that site directly, no browser needed. Want the full set of new Spotlight tricks? That was Wednesday's deep dive — reply if you missed it and I'll send the link.
4️⃣ Something worth knowing
Two quiet but useful bits: Apple Pay now lets you check out using American Express points, and Apple's Back to School promo is expected to land any day now — up to $199 in free accessories with an eligible Mac or iPad. That matters more than usual this year, because Apple raised prices across the Mac and iPad lineup in late June. If a student in your family needs a machine, the education route is suddenly the smart one.
5️⃣ What I published this week
- 📘 Wednesday's deep dive: Delete your launcher app — the Tahoe Spotlight setup https://newsletter.theusefultech.com/p/the-deep-dive-001-delete-your-launcher-app
- 📰 On Medium: https://medium.com/the-useful-tech/8-reasons-why-apple-notes-is-one-of-the-best-apps-on-your-mac-6d00d714ae3d
Have a great weekend. See you Monday with a new find.
Keep it useful,
Raja · The Useful Tech
P.S. Enjoyed this? Forward it to a friend who loves their Apple gear a little too much.