Apple may silently have discontinued the HomePod mini. The mini smart speaker is out of stock across several retailers in the US. 

Apple’s own store lists the speaker for next-day delivery or pickup across most pin codes, though. 

HomePod mini 2 to debut soon?

Apple launched the HomePod mini on November 16, 2020. As its fifth anniversary approaches, the company appears to have quietly discontinued it while preparing for its successor.

Some rumors suggested the HomePod mini 2 could go official alongside the iPhone 17 series at Apple’s “Awe Dropping event. While that didn’t happen, the rumor mill believes the speaker could drop this year itself — ahead of the important holiday shopping season.

MacRumors spotted B&H listing the HomePod mini as “No longer available.” While this could have been an error on B&H’s part, other retailers like Adorama, Target and Walmart also have limited or no stocks.

This indicates that a HomePod mini 2 refresh might just be around the corner. It may even go official as soon as this week. 

HomePod mini 2 could fail to impress without smarter Siri

The rumor mill hasn’t revealed much about the HomePod mini 2. But it’s safe to assume it will come with audio upgrades. Apple may even equip the speaker with its in-house N1 wireless chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Thread support.

A faster chip is also a given, especially since the current HomePod mini uses an ancient S5 SoC from 2019.

Don’t expect the HomePod mini 2 to bring a radically smarter experience, though. That will only arrive with iOS 26.4 and the new AI-powered Siri that should arrive in Q1 or early Q2 next year.

It will be odd for Apple to launch the HomePod mini 2 without smarter Siri out of the box since it forms an integral part of the experience. 

Despite all the upgrades, the HomePod mini 2 should retain the same $99 price as the current model.

The Mophie Juice Pack wraps your iPhone in a protective case that’s also a battery that adds hours of use. On Monday, it launched versions specifically for iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max or iPhone Air.

Mophie did more than make the battery cases closely fit Apple’s latest. The updated versions deliver longer battery life, stronger protection, better ergonomics and more.

Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 17: Battery and case in one

Mophie Juice Pack adds hours of extra life to your phone without the hassle of cables, external packs or juggling accessories while you’re on the move. Because the power bank is built right into the case, you get charging that’s always available throughout the day.

Wrap-around cases must be form-fitted to the handset, and that’s what Mophie’s new models do. There are variants for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Note that there is not one for the base model iPhone 17.

The built-in power bank adds up to 60% to the battery life of the handset, depending on the model. That’s especially important for the iPhone Air.

In addition, the battery case completely surrounds the handset to help shield it from everyday drops and bumps. Raised edges help guard against scratched or cracked screens. There’s an integrated lanyard loop port, too.

The Juice Pack takes up the handset’s USB-C port, but offers its own. With the newest models, this includes passthrough USB-C audio.

“Mophie’s mission has always been to give users freedom from the wall outlet,” said Ekshita Kumar, vice president of strategy and growth for Mophie. “With the iPhone 17 Juice Pack lineup, we’re pushing that even further — delivering more power, smarter design, and better protection, all in a more sustainable product.”

Price and availability

Mophie Juice Pack variants for iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max launched Monday, November 10. It costs $99.95, no matter the variant.

Battery and case in one!

Mophie Juice Pack battery case for iPhone 17 Pro Max

$79.99

Get up to more power for your iPhone with the Mophie Juice Pack’s rechargeable battery, so you can text, stream, and navigate without worrying about running out of charge.  It’s also a pocket-friendly charging case that guards against drops, scratches and screen damage.

Pros:

• Protective case that adds hours of use to an iPhone
• Less hassle than an external battery

Buy from Amazon

05/25/2026 03:15 pm GMT

Those with an iPhone 16 should not feel left out. There are also Juice Pack versions for Apple’s 2024 handsets, too.

The second-generation iPhone Air won’t launch next fall, according to an unconfirmed report published Monday. The super-slim new smartphone is apparently such a dud with customers that Apple put the follow-up on hold.

Reports that the iPhone Air hasn’t found an audience have circulated almost since the handset premiered in September.

iPhone Air struggles to find an audience

The iPhone Air launched as part of the iPhone 17 series. Analysts quickly reported that the base-model iPhone 17 was an immediate hit, and iPhone revenue set a new record the quarter the series launched, and the current quarter is predicted to be a gangbuster.

But the iPhone Air is a standout… and not in a good way. Analysts’ talk of weak demand has dogged the device. And Monday brought a serious blow.

“Apple is delaying the release of next year’s version of the iPhone Air, its thinnest smartphone, after the first model sold below expectations,” reported The Information.

Cupertino had been planning to introduce an iPhone Air 2 in fall 2026. It still might put an updated version out in spring 2027, according to the report. But, in the mean time, it has “already sharply scaled back production of the first version.”

Simply not enough iPhone

Many potential buyers feel the iPhone Air doesn’t offer enough for its price. Reviews point out that while its ultra-slim design is visually appealing, key compromises — such as only a single rear camera, weaker battery life compared with other models, and lower-end audio/speaker performance — make it less compelling.

Another strike against it is price. At $999, it costs as much as more capable models, but the feature set is closer to a mid-tier device. It’s clear a slim chassis isn’t enough to overcome that perception.

Another challenge is that Apple makes four other compelling iOS handsets, and a new folding version is expected in autumn 2026. The Air didn’t stand out enough.

Still, the follow-up might be more enticing to buyers. It’ll offer more battery capacity than the original, according to The Information, while actually getting lighter. A separate report pointed to an additional camera.

But at this point, the fate of the iPhone Air 2 is, well, up in the air.

The Mac isn’t carrying its weight. In fact, it’s Apple’s lowest-selling product line, sitting behind even the Apple Watch. And despite macOS being a standout platform, it lags far behind Windows where it matters: worldwide adoption.

Apple needs a fresh angle, and the rumored budget MacBook might be the first real chance to rewrite the Mac’s trajectory.

Mac is Apple’s weakest product category

The Mac used to define Apple. Today, it’s a distant also-ran. The iPhone is Apple’s biggest offering by a wide margin, with about 230 million units sold in 2024. Next is AirPods, with about 66 million of these wireless earbuds going out last year. Roughly 57 million iPads sold in 2024, followed by around 40 million Apple Watches.

Well after all of those comes the Mac, with approximately 23 million units heading to customers last year.

The situation is somewhat different when revenue gets factored in — Mac jumps up to second place. But low unit sales make it clear that Mac isn’t performing nearly as well as it could.

A comparison with Windows PC sales makes that weakness even more obvious. At approximately 23 million units sold in 2024, Mac made up only about 9% of the global personal computing market (by shipments) in 2024.

That low figure might be acceptable if it were part of a strong growth thread, but it’s not. True, Mac sales have increased slightly. A decade ago, macOS made up 7% or 8% of the market, and a decade before that, the figure stood at about 5%. But even the launch of Macs powered by Apple’s powerful M-series processors in 2020 has been insufficient to move the needle much.

iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods are all winning their respective product categories (or close to it). Mac isn’t even close. Change is required.

Apple needs a budget MacBook

Apple computers do as well or better than their Windows rivals in the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index. It’s clear macOS itself isn’t flawed. But Apple’s product strategy for selling the Mac to consumers needs a serious fix.

The majority of computers (laptops and desktops) going to average consumers for everyday use — education and standard home office tasks — are priced at less than $1,000.

The only Mac in this product category is the Mac mini at $599. The problem with that is, notebooks outsell desktops by two to one, and about 90% of all Macs sold are MacBooks. But there’s no budget macOS notebook. The most affordable is the MacBook Air, which starts at $999.

Historically, Apple concentrated on the premium price segment. And in one sense, that’s worked. There are millions of happy MacBook users, and Apple has raked in lots of cash. But there are plenty more potential customers who simply cannot afford a macOS notebook. They are losing out, and so is Apple.

Rumored low-cost MacBook will mark new approach for Apple

That’s about to change. Hopefully. Apple is working on its first low-cost MacBook, according to Bloomberg. The new Mac, code-named J700, is reportedly in testing and early production, with the goal of launching in the first half of 2026.

To keep costs down, the computer will supposedly use an Apple A-series chip — the same type currently going into iPhones. Don’t scoff, as that chip will make it more powerful than high-end Macs sold a few years ago. That’s fast enough for the budget MacBook to “browse the web, work on documents or conduct light media editing,” reports Bloomberg — exactly what consumers need for home use. It’ll have an LCD screen around 13 inches in size and sell for about $600.

The affordable offering will undoubtedly bring in a rush of fresh customers. Anyone currently forced to buy a Windows laptop because they need something cheap can soon get a MacBook instead.

While there’s no exact figure, it’s safe to assume that millions of iPhone users rely on Windows PCs rather than Macs. iPhone holds roughly 60% of the U.S. smartphone market, and Windows still dominates the PC world, so statistically, an iPhone user is far more likely to own a Windows laptop than a Mac. That’s a massive pool of potential customers for a lower-cost MacBook.

Schools and businesses will be interested, as well.

One computer won’t rocket Mac sales into the stratosphere. But it’s going to give Apple a sizable bump in the global market for PCs. The Mac-maker sat perpetually behind HP, Lenovo and Dell while mostly offering computers priced above what most consumers were willing to pay. A competitively priced notebook will change that. And follow-up budget MacBook models will surely keep the momentum going for years to come.

Apple reportedly plans to expand the iPhone‘s satellite connectivity capabilities beyond emergency calling and texting. It is working on a framework to enable third-party apps to use satellite connectivity.

Additionally, the company plans to bring satellite connectivity to Apple Maps to enable navigation in areas without cellular coverage.

More apps could use your iPhone’s satellite connectivity feature

Satellite-powered Emergency SOS connectivity debuted on the iPhone 14 in 2022. Initially, Apple limited the feature to emergency calling in areas with no Wi-Fi or cellular coverage. But since then, the company has added satellite connectivity to the Messages app and a Roadside Assistance feature. And this year, it expanded satellite connectivity to the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported Sunday that Apple has more satellite-related features under development.

In his latest Power On newsletter, he said Apple will allow certain types of third-party apps to use satellite connectivity. The company is reportedly developing the necessary APIs to make this possible.

In addition to adding satellite connectivity to Apple Maps, the company reportedly plans to expand options in other apps as well.

Right now, Apple’s Messages app only allows sending basic text messages via satellite. However, the company wants to change this and allow users to send photos as well.

Another planned major usability upgrade: the ability to use satellite connectivity without a clear view of the sky. Currently, iPhones need open skies to establish a strong satellite link. Apple wants to remove this limitation and make satellite connectivity work reliably even in challenging conditions.

“The company aims to let users stay connected while their iPhone is in a pocket, car or even indoors — eliminating the need to physically point the device toward the sky,” Gurman wrote. He said the industry calls this approach “natural usage.”

To further improve the satellite experience, Apple reportedly will add 5G NTN support to 2026 iPhones. This would enable network towers to use satellites to bolster connectivity.

Apple’s current satellite partner is a big bottleneck in these upgrade plans

Apple has big plans to improve satellite connectivity on iPhones. But this will require a major upgrade from Globalstar, the company Apple partnered with to offer satellite connectivity on its devices.

Apple will supposedly finance some of these infrastructure upgrades.

However, as Gurman wrote, Globalstar is looking to put itself up for sale. Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which owns satellite provider Starlink, could be a potentially interested party. A sale could accelerate the rollout of new features.

When Apple needs to install a security patch onto an iPhone, iPad or Mac, it now does so without requiring the user to do anything — or even be aware of the update. The new Background Security Improvements feature delivers “additional security protections between software updates,” according to Apple.

It’s a feature of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1 and macOS 26.1, but users have the option to deactivate it.

Background Security Improvements protect your Mac, iPhone and iPad

Hackers would love to steal the credit card numbers and other financial information stored on your computer. Fortunately, Apple is very good at keeping them out. But that requires Mac, iPhone and iPad users to install software updates — that’s how security holes get closed.

Too many users don’t update their devices. Either they don’t want to learn to use the new features in fresh OS updates, or they believe the ridiculous conspiracy theories that Apple uses these updates to deliberately muck up and slow down older devices so users are forced to buy new ones.

Apple’s answer to the problem is Background Security Improvements for iOS, iPadOS and macOS. The new feature “delivers lightweight security releases for components such as the Safari browser, WebKit framework stack, and other system libraries that benefit from smaller, ongoing security patches between software updates,” Apple says.

These are installed automatically in the background … hence the name.

“As many iPhones are often running out-of-date iOS versions, automatically installing security patches should help address this issue by placing less responsibility on the user,” said Adam Boynton, senior security strategy manager at computer-management company Jamf.

You can deactivate the security feature

By default, iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1 and macOS 26.1 are set to automatically install Background Security Improvements. However, users have the option to deactivate them. Just understand that by doing so, you make your computer more open to hackers.

To disable the security feature on iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and look for Background Security Improvements. Tap on it, then toggle off Automatically Install.

On Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple reportedly plans to pay a cool $1 billion a year to use Google Gemini to make Siri smarter. How do we feel about that? Honestly, anything that fixes Siri sooner rather than later would be a big win.

Anybody creeped out about iPhones and Macs with Google inside should rest easy, though. Apple plans to keep everything safe and secure. And Cupertino’s still scrambling to get its own AI up to speed.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple plans to build a low-priced laptop that will bring Macs to the masses. We discuss why that has PC makers quaking in their boots.
• The iPhone Air is reportedly a bust. One big reason is that people love their iPhone cameras — and the Air skimped out on that. The next iPhone Air model might add a second lens, but really fix the problem?
• Some automakers plan to pull the plug on CarPlay. We’re already plotting our revolt!
• Griffin runs down the top five features in iOS 26.1 that you should try immediately, including one important toggle that will keep your iPhone from photographing the luxurious insides of your pocket.
• And finally, we wrap up with a new game — Apple Mad Libs!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

The CultCast No. 724: Google Gemini + Siri = AI love

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This week’s top Apple news

On the show this week: Your host, Cult of Mac Publisher and Editor in Chief Leander Kahney (@lkahney), Cult of Mac managing editor Lewis Wallace (@lewiswallace) and Cult of Mac writer D. Griffin Jones (@dgriffinjones).

Here are the headlines we’re talking about on this week’s show:

• Apple’s upcoming budget laptop has PC makers ‘freaking out’
• Upgrading Siri with Google Gemini will be $1 billion quick fix
• Next iPhone Air could fix its camera problem
• How a battle for your dashboard threatens CarPlay’s future
• 5 new features in iOS 26.1 you don’t want to miss
• Apple quietly added this awesome feature in iOS 26.1

Apple’s 2026 iPhone 18 lineup appears set to receive a significant camera upgrade, with all models including the first foldable iPhone expected to feature 24-megapixel front-facing cameras, according to a new report. The rumor of a better selfie camera came up with the iPhone 17 lineup, too, but didn’t materialize.

iPhone 18 lineup 24MP selfie camera: A gradual progression in selfie camera quality

The rumored 24MP upgrade would represent a notable step forward from the 18MP front cameras introduced with the iPhone 17 lineup. Interestingly, multiple sources previously predicted that iPhone 17 models would feature 24MP selfie cameras, but that upgrade never materialized. Now a JPMorgan equity report says the same for the next iPhone series, according to a detailed specs list covering several iPhone series that analyst Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) posted on X.com.

The increase to 24MP would affect the entire flagship range, including the iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Air 2, and Apple’s first foldable iPhone. Users could expect sharper selfies, more detailed images and improved portrait mode accuracy across these devices.

Apple’s iPhone 17 models currently feature a Center Stage front camera, which includes the first square camera sensor ever used in an iPhone. This square sensor design provides a wider field of view and captures more detail, allowing users to take portrait or landscape selfies while holding their phone vertically.

JP Morgan believes the iPhone Air 2 is very much planned

JP Morgan and most bank analysts are VERY good at getting information like this from supply chain https://t.co/JoZfrhG1tr pic.twitter.com/5YHLHQL5jF

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) November 5, 2025

Foldable iPhone gets special treatment

Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone will reportedly feature an industry-first 24MP under-screen camera integrated into the device’s inner display, representing a significant technological advancement.

But not all iPhone models will receive the camera upgrade, however. Both the second-generation iPhone 17e and third-generation iPhone 18e will reportedly continue using 12MP front-facing cameras, maintaining the resolution found on older iPhone models.

Staggered release schedule planned

Starting in 2026, Apple reportedly plans to split its iPhone lineup between fall and spring launches. The second-generation iPhone Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the foldable iPhone will launch in the second half of 2026, while the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e won’t arrive until spring 2027.

Apple updated its device trade-in values Thursday, marking a significant shift in what consumers can expect when exchanging older devices for credit toward new purchases. The changes affect iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches, with the majority of products seeing reduced valuations compared to previous rates.

Check out the new rates below. Luckily, many of the decreases are minimal. 

Apple decreases trade-in values across its product lines

Apple briefly boosted trade-in values a few months ago, but now they’re declining. Reductions in trade-in values tend to reflect the natural depreciation of electronic devices and changing market conditions for used Apple products.

The latest adjustments come as Apple continues to refine its trade-in program. The company allows customers to exchange eligible devices either through the Apple website or at physical Apple Store locations. The credit received can be applied toward new Apple product purchases or placed on an Apple gift card for future use.

Alternatively, you could turn to the Cult of Mac Buyback Program to trade-in your old gear for cash. 

iPhone values drop significantly for older models

The iPhone category experienced the most substantial changes, with some models seeing reductions of up to $160 in maximum trade-in value. The iPhone 15 Pro Max saw its trade-in value drop from $630 to $470, while the iPhone 15 Pro decreased from $500 to $400. Current-generation devices were not spared either, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max declining from $700 to $670.

iPad values show mixed results

The iPad category presented a mixed picture, with the iPad Air being one of the few products to gain value, increasing from $400 to $415. However, other iPad models saw decreases, with the standard iPad dropping from $190 to $175 and the iPad mini falling from $275 to $255. The iPad Pro maintained its $695 maximum value.

 

Mac trade-in values decline, 12-inch MacBook discontinued

The Mac lineup saw modest decreases across most models, with Apple discontinuing trade-ins for the 12-inch MacBook entirely. The Mac Studio experienced the largest reduction, dropping from $1,140 to $1,030, while the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air saw smaller $10 decreases each.

One notable anomaly in the data is the Mac Pro, which shows a dramatic increase from $550 to $2,520. Industry observers suggest this may be an error on Apple’s part that could be corrected soon.

*Mac Pro value increase might be an error

Apple Watch adjustments remain minimal

Apple Watch trade-in values saw the smallest changes overall, with most models decreasing by just $5 to $15. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 maintained its $335 value, while the Apple Watch Series 10 dropped from $175 to $160.

 

What the changes mean for consumers

Customers considering trading in their Apple devices should act sooner rather than later, as values tend to decrease over time, particularly as newer models are released.

Apple continues to accept trade-ins through its website and retail stores, with the credit applicable toward any new Apple product purchase. The company also updated its trade-in values for select Android smartphones, though specific details on those adjustments were not immediately available.

For consumers looking to maximize the value of their old devices, comparing Apple’s trade-in program with third-party resellers and marketplace platforms could yield better returns. That’s particularly likely for higher-end devices that have retained their value well.

How would it feel to be the last unhappy person on Earth, and the world’s resources are trained on making you happy? You can get progressively bigger tastes of such a world through trailers, below — or you can start tuning in Friday when Apple TV streams Pluribus, from Breaking Bad and X-Files creator Vince Gilligan,

As I said when the official trailer dropped, for my money, the rampant happiness the world’s population apparently feels — aside from the story’s main character — is actually some sort of contagion with dire consequences. And she has immunity. 

Reviews so far are positive. The Guardian calls the “audacity” of the “intrepid” and “blackly comic” show “incredible,” while also revealing a cause of the worldwide happiness that jibes with my theory above. Variety says Rhea Seehorn is “magnificent” on the show. The BBC describes it as “George Orwell meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” And lots of reviews invoke Gilligan’s X-Files while some prefer references to The Twilight Zone. 

New full trailer for Pluribus season 1 brings you deeper into its weird world

October 22, 2025: Watch the first full trailer for Pluribus below and enjoy a few laughs amid the overall creepy feeling. The last line made me LOL. 

Pluribus season 1: Unsettling new teaser trailer is LOL funny

October 10, 2025: I consider it a very good sign when a one-minute trailer for a new show makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, even as I laugh out loud. And that’s exactly what I got from Apple TV+’s new teaser trailer for Pluribus, the upcoming sci-fi show from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan.

Just get a load of this tagline for what looks like both a comedy and a drama: “The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.”

The first teaser trailer for Pluribus amounted to little more than a visual joke. You can watch it below. The second one, however, brings us into the story a little more, giving a strong sense that we’re in for something weird — and possibly wonderfully weird.

In it, the main character Carol (played by Better Call Saul star Rhea Seehorn) takes a call from the White House. She is extremely uncomfortable. It seems the president (or whoever that breezy, blow-dried guy is) leads a burgeoning national effort to cure the unhappiness she alone suffers from. As she says when the president asks if she has any questions, “I guess to start with, what … the … f –”

Catch an odd glimpse of Breaking Bad creator’s new sci-fi, Pluribus

July 26, 2025: It’s hard to tell from the weird little teaser trailer Apple TV+ dropped Friday, but subscribers may get their next must-watch series when Pluribus — the highly anticipated sci-fi drama from Breaking Bad creator Gilligan — debuts on the streaming platform November 7.

The nine-episode series stars Emmy-nominated actress Rhea Seehorn, best known for her critically acclaimed role as Kim Wexler in Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul.

Pluribus presents an intriguing high-concept storyline where “the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness,” according to Apple TV+. This genre-bending, sci-fi-meets-drama approach represents another creative departure for Gilligan. He consistently pushed boundaries throughout his career, from The X-Files to Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

The series has already been renewed for a second season before its premiere, demonstrating Apple TV+’s confidence in the project. This early renewal follows Apple’s strategy of backing prestige content from proven creators, similar to their approach with other original series.

Brief but intriguing look

And all this despite a teaser trailer about 20 seconds in length that tells us almost nothing about the show. In it we see a bored-looking woman in an empty, dark workplace licking the bottom of each donut before putting them back in a box. The camera pans from her down to a hand-written sign that says “Help yourself!” with a smiley face. And that’s it, aside from the somewhat ominous music.

The accompanying dark and red-hued photograph is a bit more helpful. It shows a fraught-looking Seehorn on the phone.

And make what you will of the show title, as well. “Pluribus” is Latin for “many” or “more.” It’s well-known in the U.S. motto “E pluribus unum” (“out of many, one”) that appears on the country’s seal and coins.

Star-studded cast and creative team

Seehorn leads the show’s cast alongside Karolina Wydra (Sneaky Pete) and Carlos Manuel Vesga (The Hijacking of Flight 601). Guest stars include Miriam Shor (American Fiction) and Samba Schutte (Our Flag Means Death), adding depth to the supporting roster.

Behind the camera, Emmy winner Gilligan serves as executive producer alongside WGA Award winner Gordon Smith, with additional executive producers Alison Tatlock, Diane Mercer, Allyce Ozarski and Jeff Frost. Sony Pictures Television produces the series.

Watch the teaser trailer for Pluribus

Watch sci-fi on Apple TV+

Apple TV+ will release the first two episodes of Pluribus on Friday, November 7, 2025, followed by new episodes every Friday through December 26. In the meantime, the streamer offers plenty of other sci-fi to watch. Get Apple TV+ by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. Customers who buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.

After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 580 wins and 2,787 award nominations and counting,” the service said.

More than 200 exclusive movies and TV shows call Apple TV+ home (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso). The service also offers documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.

This post published on July 26, 2025, and republished with updates on October 10, October 22 and November 7, 2025. 

Apple used a giant glass Apple TV logo, colorfully lit and filmed in a studio, to create the new visual branding that will run before the streaming service’s shows.

The translucent logo seems to flip like the pages of a book, with colors changing all the while, in the mesmerizing video snippets.

“Many might assume the visual effects were made digitally, but in fact, it was all done practically using glass and captured in-camera,” Ad Age reported Wednesday.

A short behind-the-scenes video shows the extraordinary lengths the streamer and its storied ad agency went to create the striking visuals.

A new Apple TV logo and branding do away with the ‘+’

At a time when filmmakers often favor CGI to old-school practical effects, and AI can generate elaborate images and videos based on a few words, Apple’s decision to produce the new Apple TV branding using practical effects is earning the company plaudits from creative types.

“Apple recorded the new Apple TV logo with real glass materials,” wrote designer-turned-developer Michal Malewicz on X Thursday. “No CGI. No AI. This is how it should be done.”

A behind-the-scenes video offers a glimpse of how the advertising artists created the mesmerizing effect:

Made by hand. pic.twitter.com/3coAaxbfaJ

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) November 7, 2025

Apple worked with longtime partner TBWA\Media Arts Lab on the Apple TV rebranding. The advertising agency’s previous work with Apple includes some of the most iconic tech marketing of all time, from the 1984 Mac ad to the “Think different” campaign.

For this project, the team created three versions of the new Apple TV logo — a five-second one for Apple TV shows, a one-second “sting” for trailers, and a 12-second clip that will play before Apple Original movies, according to Ad Age.

Apple TV has a new audio logo, too

The new visual branding is the latest in a string of revelations as Apple TV overhauls its marketing materials after simplifying its name.

The rebranding of subscription service Apple TV+ to just plain “Apple TV” began quietly last month. A press release announcing the streaming debut of F1: The Movie mentioned the name change and a switch to a “vibrant new identity.”

Then a cryptic post from Apple TV on X arrived Monday, revealing new audio branding and saying, “This is just the beginning.”

That post identified Finneas as the musician behind the new audio logos. Finneas called the audio snippets “mnemonics” — he produced three, of varying lengths, to coincide with the video versions — in an interview with Variety.

He said the idea was to create a memorable and timeless audio logo that would become instantly recognizable over time.

“The things that I think of as real classic mnemonics are NBC — you can hear that in your head — or HBO has its static,” he said.

This is just the beginning.

Music composed by FINNEAS. pic.twitter.com/DV8d2eK0B3

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) November 3, 2025

The company also updated the Apple TV app icon in iOS 26.1, released Monday, replacing the old monochrome look with a much more colorful one.

What are your thoughts on the new Apple TV logo.

Do you like? pic.twitter.com/Ll7o2cxosB

— Jay’s Tech  (@jaydenstech) October 22, 2025

Soon, Apple TV subscribers will see and hear the new visual and audio branding every time they watch something.

“The new identity will ripple across Apple TV’s ecosystem in the coming months, from app interfaces to marketing campaigns,” wrote Ad Age. “It’s the first phase of a broader Apple TV brand refresh that promises to lean into cinematic design while maintaining the minimalist DNA that’s long defined Apple’s visual world.”

Pebblebee Clip 5 marks a new generation of the Bluetooth tracker tag that’s now louder and brighter. That should help it compete with Apple’s AirTag, as both use the same Find My network.

There’s also an updated wallet-friendly version of the tracker, Pebblebee Card 5.

Pebblebee Clip 5: Louder, brighter and thinner

Bluetooth tracker tags make it easy to keep track of everyday items by creating a simple, low-power link between your phone and your belongings. They can alert you when you leave something behind, help you locate misplaced items on a map, and even guide you with sound or lights when you’re close.

The Pebblebee Clip 5 that launched Thursday brings a louder buzzer and brighter LEDs to the line of trackers. It’s thinner but more durable than its predecessor. It is water-resistant and runs up to twelve months on a rechargeable battery.

The tag capitalizes on limitations in Apple’s rival AirTag. That tracker doesn’t have LEDs and uses removable batteries instead of a rechargeable one. It also lacks a built-in loop.

Both Clip 5 and AirTag use Bluetooth to connect with the Find My application on the user’s iPhone. All you need to locate the tracker is to open the app, and you’ll see the device on a map. If it’s nearby, press a button to set off an audible and visible alarm on the remote device.

“After five generations of Clip & Card and more than a decade of making item finders in every form factor, we’ve learned what people truly want,” said Daniel Daoura, Founder and CEO of Pebblebee. “Our goal for this launch was to ensure our products continue to be engineered for trust and, going forward, designed to shine.”

The standard model comes in a graphite color, but Pebblebee just started Evercolor, a limited edition color program that drops two fresh shades every twelve weeks. The first two are Emerald Storm and Amethyst Purple.

Plus there’s Card 5, a slimmer tracker for wallets, with wireless charging and up to eighteen months of battery life per charge.

Pebblebee Clip 5 and Card 5 are $34.99 each.

Buy it from: Pebblebee

The previous Clip Universal version is still on Amazon for $22.99. Don’t confuse its for the new model.

Apple might address one of the biggest criticisms of its ultra-thin iPhone Air by adding a second camera to the next-generation model, according to a new leak Thursday from a reliable source with knowledge of the company’s supply chain. Unfortunately, it looks like the new addition to the iPhone Air will be a wide-angle camera, not the popular telephoto found in iPhone Pro models.

However, if the dual-camera system materializes, it would make the iPhone Air a more compelling option for users seeking an ultra-thin device without sacrificing essential photography features.

iPhone Air wide-angle camera could come in next generation

The super-slender iPhone Air drew a lot of attention when it launched in September due to its irresistibly sleek design. But sales haven’t lived up to the hype.

In one possible improvement, Apple is “considering adding a new camera lens” to what Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station refers to as the iPhone 18 Air.

The upgraded model would pair a 48MP main camera with a 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens, the leaker said in a Weibo post, noting that “a telephoto lens would be even better,” though current plans apparently don’t include one. Certainly, many users would love to see a telephoto lens, and many would prefer it to a wide-angle lens.

Design and display features remain unchanged

According to the leak, the second-generation iPhone Air will retain the core design elements that define the current model. The new device will probably keep the 6.5-inch high-refresh rate display and Face ID system. And it would also retain the distinctive horizontal “runway” camera plateau that houses multiple technologies to maximize battery space in the device’s ultra-thin chassis.

The post indicates the device is “currently in a normal iteration phase.” That suggests development is proceeding on schedule for a potential 2026 release alongside other iPhone 18 models.

Single camera remains a sticking point

The iPhone Air’s single rear camera helps make the device ultra-portable, but obviously limited its photographic capabilities compared to Pro models. For many users, particularly those who regularly use ultra-wide or telephoto lenses, the single-camera setup has been a dealbreaker despite the appealing form factor.

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously reported that the first-generation iPhone Air hasn’t performed as well as expected in markets outside China. That could explain why Apple is reconsidering the camera configuration for the second generation.

Track record suggests credibility iPhone Air wide-angle camera leak

Digital Chat Station has established a respectable track record for Apple leaks. For example, the leaker accurately predicted camera sensor details for the iPhone 15 lineup and display panel designs for the iPhone 12 well ahead of the devices’ unveilings.

However, as with all early-stage development leaks, Apple’s final plans could change before launch.

Google Chrome is getting a dedicated AI Mode button on iOS and Android. AI Mode is an AI-powered search solution from Google; think of it like the company’s take on ChatGPT.

Google rolled out AI Mode in Chrome for Windows and Mac earlier this year. 

Chrome for iOS gets a smarter AI search shortcut

With AI Mode, Google provides an AI-powered response. This ensures you don’t have to go through several websites to find the information you’re looking for. You can even ask follow-up questions to get more insights into the topic.

AI Mode builds on AI Overviews, which already appear at the top of most Google Search results. 

So far, you could only access AI Mode in Chrome on PC. Google is now changing that by adding a dedicated AI Mode button to Chrome’s new tab page on iOS and Android. Powered by Gemini, AI Mode search will help you get answers to complex queries faster.

The new AI Mode button in Chrome will start appearing for Android and iOS users in the US from today. Google will also expand AI Mode to 160 new countries and add support for more languages, including Hindi, Korean, and Portuguese. 

AI Mode is Google’s ChatGPT alternative

AI Mode in Search features a chat-style interface where you can ask questions and easily follow up for more details. Think of Search’s AI Mode as Google’s take on ChatGPT. Instead of manually browsing the web to find answers to your queries, AI Mode in Google Search will use Gemini to synthesize the results. 

Google will integrate AI into Google Maps to make navigation even better. With Gemini integration in Google Maps, you’ll gain access to a smart co-passenger on your phone that can help you reach your destination easily.

Thanks to Gemini’s AI prowess, Google Maps can now proactively notify you of traffic disruptions. Or help find a fuel stop — all hands-free and through a natural conversation.

Gemini in Google Maps makes multi-step tasks faster

Google is deeply integrating Gemini into Google Maps to make multi-step tasks faster and easier. When driving, if you see an accident or flooding on the road, you can simply tell Google that you “see an accident” or “flooding,” and it will automatically report the disruption. 

Even better, you can ask Gemini with Google Maps open to finalize a place for dinner and add the relevant entry to your calendar.

Google explains this feature with the following example: “Is there a budget-friendly restaurant with vegan options along my route, something within a couple miles? … What’s parking like there?” Followed by, “OK, let’s go there.” You can even ask, “Oh, by the way, can you also add a calendar event for soccer practice tomorrow for 5 p.m.?”

Gemini-powered navigation experience in Google Maps will roll out on Android and iOS in the coming weeks.

Google previously rolled out a handy Gemini-powered feature in Maps that can scan your screenshots and extract location details.

Landmark-assisted navigation directions

Using Gemini, Google Maps will ditch the vague “turn right in 500 feet” instructions with something more useful. It will use traffic lights, stop signs and landmarks like gas stations and buildings as reference. So, expect to hear more useful instructions like “turn right after the Thai Siam Restaurant.”

Google Maps achieves this by enabling Gemini to analyze Street View images and detailed information of about 250 million places. 

Landmark-based navigation in Google Maps is rolling out now on iOS and Android in the US.

Another useful upgrade coming to Google Maps with Gemini integration: proactive traffic alerts. Instead of finding yourself stuck in a terrible jam, Google Maps will automatically give you a heads up about road disruptions ahead.

Google is also bringing Gemini-powered Lens integration to Maps. Tap the camera icon in the Google Maps search bar and point it to a restaurant or bakery. You can then ask Gemini for more information about the place or the popular dishes available, etc.

Lens-powered Gemini integration in Google Maps starts rolling out later this month in the US on Android and iOS. 

The brains behind the upcoming AI-enhanced version of Siri will reportedly be provided by Google, not Apple’s own tech. For a hefty price.

Google’s software will supposedly run on Apple servers, so user data isn’t being handed over to Google.

Apple forced to turn to Google for AI-enhanced Siri

In 2024, Apple promised “the start of a new era for Siri” thanks to a sizable infusion of artificial intelligence. The company laid out a glowing future for the voice assistant, but early this year was forced to admit that the technology wasn’t ready to launch on schedule.

Apple set a new deadline of spring 2026, but even after giving itself another year, it’s reportedly had no choice but to turn to its frenemy, Google. The development process supposedly isn’t going quickly enough to meet the self-imposed deadline to get the much-hyped new version of the Siri voice assistant to customers.

“Apple Inc. is planning to use a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model developed by Alphabet Inc.’s Google to help power its long-promised overhaul of the Siri voice assistant,” Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

This is a possibility Apple has been investigating for months. With the spring 2026 deadline looming, a deal has now allegedly been signed.  

Siri user data will be kept private, away from Google

Apple emphasizes that its implementation of artificial intelligence protects user privacy. That supposedly won’t change with the new Siri, even with an AI model developed by Google providing some of the underlying technology.

“The model will run on Apple’s own Private Cloud Compute servers, ensuring that user data remains walled off from Google’s infrastructure,” reports Bloomberg.

That’s important because Google’s business is gathering user data and selling it to advertisers. If Siri integrated with the standard version of Gemini, every Siri query could be used by Google to track users.

Likely because it’s not getting access to user data, Google is charging a hefty price for its tech: about $1 billion a year. Of course, that can simply be subtracted from the approximately $20 billion Google pays each year to stay Safari’s default search engine.

A temporary arrangement

Apple reportedly has not given up on developing its own artificial intelligence technology.

“Apple still doesn’t want to use Gemini as a long-term solution,” said Bloomberg. “Despite the company bleeding AI talent — including the head of its models team — management intends to keep developing new AI technology and hopes to eventually replace Gemini with an in-house solution.”

Even in the mean time, some Siri functions will be handled by Apple’s own AI. 

But Google’s is supposedly well ahead in artificial intelligence. Compare the 1.2 trillion parameter AI model it’s licensing to Apple to the 150 billion parameter model currently used by Apple Intelligence.

The new AI-empowered Siri will allegedly launch as part of iOS 26.4. For reference, Apple is currently beta testing iOS 26.2.

For millions of iPhone users, Apple’s CarPlay marries basic transportation with a satisfying technology experience for navigation, entertainment and more.

But an expert’s new report points to troubling reasons why CarPlay’s days may be numbered, thanks to a growing automotive industry profit motive. Yes, of course, it’s all about money. 

How the battle for your dashboard threatens CarPlay’s future

CarPlay, which Apple recently updated in iOS 26, transforms driving from a frustrating tech nightmare into something seamless. Since its debut in 2014, CarPlay has become one of Apple’s most beloved features, as it projects your familiar iPhone interface onto your car’s screen, enabling hands-free calls, navigation (with Apple Maps or competing apps) and streaming audio without needing to rely on a car’s clunky built-in system. 

But the golden age of CarPlay may be ending. In a troubling sign for Apple enthusiasts, General Motors recently announced that new vehicles from the automotive giant will no longer support CarPlay or Android Auto.

As Patrick George, editor-in-chief of InsideEVs, wrote in The Atlantic, this isn’t just GM making an odd choice to kill a popular feature. It signals a fundamental shift in how automakers view the relationship between your car and your phone.

The money behind the decision

Why would GM eliminate a feature that about one-third of car buyers consider a requirement for their next vehicle? The answer is straightforward: revenue.

George explained that by cutting out Apple as a middleman, GM creates opportunities to charge for services that CarPlay currently provides for free. GM’s replacement system requires its own data plan — starting at $10 per month — to access the full software suite.

While the company promises eight years of free service for new buyers of electric vehicles, the long-term strategy is clear. Your car’s features will become another subscription on your credit card statement.

“It’s a turf war, and the car is real estate,” as George put it. In other words, automakers realized they can profit from in-car technology beyond the initial sale — whether through subscription fees for features like hands-free cruise control, apps that control your car remotely, or selling data your navigation system collects about your driving habits.

What you’ll lose

GM’s replacement software is admittedly impressive, according to George. It features apps like Spotify and HBO Max, plus Google’s Gemini voice assistant. But it’s not CarPlay. Popular services like Apple Podcasts and Apple Music are missing. More fundamentally, you’ll need to learn an entirely new system rather than using the iPhone interface you already know.

The broader picture should concern Apple fans, too. While overall vehicle satisfaction improved in 2024, infotainment systems remain one of the lowest-scoring categories industry-wide, with satisfaction averaging 805 points. While that’s lower than the 840 points achieved by CarPlay users, automakers seem hell-bent on bringing it up with much-improved systems of their own.

GM isn’t alone in this battle. Tesla and Rivian have never offered CarPlay, betting on their proprietary systems.

Meanwhile, other manufacturers are locking previously standard features behind paywalls. Toyota now charges subscriptions for navigation tools that CarPlay provides free, for instance, and some newer vehicles require subscriptions of up to $200 annually for remote start, a feature that used to work with a simple key fob button press.

CarPlay’s counteroffensive

Apple isn’t surrendering without a fight. It developed CarPlay Ultra, a next-generation system that extends across multiple vehicle displays and controls more car functions — including climate control through Siri. Aston Martin already made CarPlay Ultra available in new U.S. and Canadian models, with Hyundai, Kia and Genesis expected to follow. Other automakers, like Ford, have hesitated due to how invasive the system is. And BMW flatly rejected it. 

Yet some automakers recognize CarPlay’s value. Toyota’s EVs share battery range information with Apple Maps, enabling intelligent charging stop recommendations during road trips. But this cooperative approach represents exactly what concerns automakers. If Apple controls more vehicle functions, car companies risk becoming mere “makers of rolling shells for tech companies,” as George described it.

What Apple users should know about the future of CarPlay

Research shows that only 28% of U.S. consumers would switch to native systems if smartphone integration were unavailable. That shows the challenge automakers face in winning over drivers. Yet the financial incentives driving this shift seem too significant to ignore.

If you’re shopping for a new vehicle and CarPlay matters to you, research carefully. While more than 800 vehicle models currently support CarPlay in the United States, that number may not grow as expected. GM continues offering CarPlay in 34 of its 40 models — primarily its higher-volume, gas-powered vehicles — but the direction is clear.

The uncomfortable truth is that the glory days of seamless, free smartphone integration in your car might be numbered. As George concludes, prepare for a future where your vehicle’s technology expenses become another recurring charge, sitting right alongside your Netflix and Apple Music subscriptions.

For now, if CarPlay is non-negotiable for you, make sure it’s a confirmed feature before you sign that car purchase agreement. Or consider buying an aftermarket rig to add CarPlay to your car.

Nomad launched updated versions of its Stand One and Stand One Max wireless chargers Tuesday, bringing support for the new Qi2.2 standard. It enables 25W fast charging for compatible iPhones. The upgrade matches the charging speeds of Apple’s latest MagSafe chargers and represents a significant improvement over the 15W charging supported by previous Qi2 models.

Nomad Stand One Qi2.2 chargers launched

Along with iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands and other accessories, Nomad makes the sleek and popular device chargers Stand One (2-in-1) and Stand One Max (3-in-1), both now brought up to the speedy Qi2.2 charging standard. Both chargers feature Nomad’s premium construction with solid metal blocks and glass tops, finished with a full rubberized base pad for a sturdy grip. And their approximately 20-degree charging angle works well across various settings, from bedside tables to office desks, Nomad said. 

2-in-1 Stand One charges iPhone and AirPods

So the fourth-generation Stand One, priced at $119, features Nomad’s signature design combining CNC-machined aluminum with glass. At 575 grams (1.2 pounds), the charger provides a stable base that stays firmly in place. The new model adds a second wireless charging pad tucked behind the angled phone support. That lets users charge AirPods or other Qi-compatible wireless earbuds at 5W while simultaneously fast-charging an iPhone at 25W.

Both iPhone charging orientations are supported — portrait and landscape — with landscape mode enabling StandBy functionality. The charger includes a 2-meter braided USB-C cable. But users need to supply their own 40W or higher USB-C power adapter.

3-in-1 Stand One Max powers up iPhone, Airpods and Apple Watch

The Stand One Max, priced at $159, builds on the Stand One’s features by adding an Apple Watch fast charger. This creates a complete three-in-one charging solution for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods.

Weighing 875 grams, the Stand One Max continues the design improvements introduced in the third generation. It relocated the Apple Watch charger to the base. The change resolved previous limitations that prevented simultaneous horizontal iPhone charging and Apple Watch charging.

The wireless earbud charging pad sits in an indent behind the vertically-mounted Apple Watch charger, supporting 5W charging for most Qi-compatible cases.

Design and availability

Fast iPhone charging

Nomad Stand One

The fourth generation of Nomad's popular stand one remains sleek -- but adds 25W Qi2.2 charging for compatible iPhones, plus Airpods charging.

Pros:

• Sleek design and premium build quality
• Fast Qi2.2 iPhone charging (25W)
• Firm-gripping base
• Also charges AirPods

Cons:

• No Apple Watch charging

Buy from Nomad

According to Nomad’s FAQ, the company excludes power adapters to reduce waste, noting that many customers already own compatible chargers. Both stands require a 40W+ adapter. 

Both models are available now through Nomad’s website in silver or carbide color options. The chargers work with iPhone 16 and 17 series devices that support the Qi2.2 standard’s faster charging rates.

3-in-1 with fast iPhone charging

Nomad Stand One Max

Nomad's sleek fourth-generation 3-in-1 charging stand not only juices up compatible iPhones at 25W, it also powers up AirPods and Apple Watch.

Pros:

• Sleek design and premium build quality
• Fast Qi2.2 iPhone charging (25W)
• Firm-gripping base
• Also charges AirPods and Apple Watch

Cons:

• Somewhat pricey

Buy from Nomad

 

 

Apple makes some of the best tech products in the world — beautifully designed, powerful and reliable. But even the best stumble sometimes.

Over the years, I’ve used plenty of Apple devices that looked great on paper but turned out to be frustrating in practice. Here are the ones that made me question Apple’s “it just works” mantra.

These are the worst Apple products I’ve ever used

Apple’s reputation for quality and attention to detail is well-earned. There’s a reason several of the best devices I have used over the years come from Apple. But no company is perfect. Over the years, Apple has released several products that felt rushed or poorly thought out.

Some were buggy and ahead of their time, while others simply made compromises that didn’t make sense. None of them stood the test of time, aging worse than expected within just a few months or years.

1) 2019 MacBook Pro: Hot, loud and out of breath

Apple went all out with the 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2019. It equipped the machine with a beefier cooling system, a Magic Keyboard and faster Intel CPUs. While the machine looked impressive on paper, it aged poorly.

I got the 2019 MacBook Pro soon after its launch in late November. Initially, the machine impressed me with its performance and battery life. But as my workload ramped up, the honeymoon phase ended quickly. Like other Intel Macs before it, the laptop struggled under heavy loads. (Thank goodness the M-series Apple silicon processors came along to fix that.)

When rendering videos or exporting large files, the laptop would get scorching hot, with fans roaring to keep up. Thermal throttling became a regular annoyance, and the performance boost I expected from a “Pro” machine was lacking. More frustratingly, the weak integrated Intel GPU could not drive the laptop’s Retina display smoothly. And that led to a small delay between pressing a key and seeing the text appear on screen.

For someone who writes thousands of words daily for a living, this proved infuriating. It constantly made me feel like I was using a low-end laptop. The experience was nowhere close to using a high-end Apple device. 

Reliability also seemed like an problem with the machine, with Apple replacing the laptop twice for me within a span of 2 to 2.5 years. In both cases, the motherboard developed problems, leading to graphical glitches. I can only assume this happened because I used the laptop extensively for video editing back then. 

Of all the Apple products I’ve owned and used, I kept the 2019 MacBook Pro for the shortest time. I sold it within 2.5 years, upgrading to the M1 Pro MacBook Pro. 

Ironically, that switch turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I ever made. The M1 Pro has been everything the Intel MacBook promised to be but never was — powerful, efficient, whisper-quiet and genuinely “Pro.”

2) Siri and Apple Intelligence: Still dumb after all these years

Siri and Apple Intelligence are not products but services, making them outliers on this list. Both these services are among the worst in their respective segments.

Apple was the first to market with a digital voice assistant with Siri, unveiling it way back in October 2011. Now, some 14 years later, Siri remains in pretty much the same state. It never works reliably, and it continues to fumble on basic commands, even something as simple as calling my dad.

It’s the same with Apple Intelligence. It debuted with iOS 18.1 in October 2024. More than a year later, it remains in the same sorry state. The long delays surrounding the promised AI-powered Siri don’t help.

Even Apple knows how far behind it is in the AI race. No wonder it has considered using third-party AI models from Anthropic or Google to power Siri and future versions of Apple Intelligence.

3) HomePod: Sounds great, does little else

The original HomePod is simultaneously the worst and best Apple product I’ve ever used. It’s a terrible — probably the worst — smart speaker I’ve ever used. Its amazing sound quality is the only saving grace.

Even so many years after launch, Siri on the HomePod fails to understand and execute my commands reliably. On numerous occasions, I’ve asked Siri to play a specific song, and it would end up doing something else altogether. 

The upcoming AI-powered Siri might fix this — assuming the speaker gets access to it and Apple’s voice assistant actually lives up to the hype. That’s a lot of ifs, especially for a product that has been around for more than six years.

If anything, the HomePod experience has convinced me never to buy another Apple smart speaker.

4) iPad (3rd generation): Too many pixels, not enough power

Apple’s third iPad launched in March 2012 and stood out for its Retina display. It was the first tablet back then to feature such a high-resolution LCD panel. When I first got the third-gen iPad, I was stunned by its display clarity. But soon, the honeymoon period wore off, and its shortcomings started to surface.

The A5X chip inside simply wasn’t powerful enough to drive all those pixels efficiently, resulting in sluggish performance and frequent overheating. The tablet also became heavier and thicker to accommodate a larger battery, which still couldn’t deliver great battery life under load.

Coming from the original iPad, the device felt like a downgrade in almost every sense except for the display. 

Even Apple knew the third-gen iPad wasn’t up to par. The company discontinued it just six months after launch, replacing it with the faster, sleeker and far more capable iPad 4.

5) 2016 MacBook Pro: When form killed function

The 2016 MacBook Pro marked a major design shift, debuting a sleek and futuristic design. But in the process, Apple traded functionality for form, ditching all useful ports like HDMI and the SD card slot. It even eliminated MagSafe. 

While Apple’s move to USB-C was a bold one, it arrived a few years too early. If anything, buying the 2016 MacBook Pro forced me to adopt the USB-C life.

Then there was the Touch Bar. On paper, it seemed like a useful addition, replacing the function keys with a small, adaptable touchscreen. In reality, it was slow, buggy and rarely useful beyond adjusting brightness or volume.

The poor reliability of the infamous butterfly keyboard only added insult to injury. A single speck of dust could render keys unusable. I had to get the keyboard on my unit replaced three times within a span of three years. 

Apple might never publicly admit it, but it knows it messed up big-time with the 2016 to 2019 MacBook Pro lineup. No wonder that when the Apple silicon transition began in 2020, it quietly ditched all the problematic elements — the unreliable butterfly keyboard, the buggy Touch Bar and the frustrating all-USB-C port setup — effectively admitting defeat without saying a word.

A day after releasing iOS 26.1 to the public, Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 26.2 to developers on Tuesday. The next major point update to iOS 26 packs several big changes and expands the availability of some features to the European Union. 

Below is everything new in iOS 26.2 beta 1.

iOS 26.2 beta 1: What’s new and changed

After iOS 26 brought the sweeping Liquid Glass user interface overhaul in September, subsequent updates to the new iPhone operating system added tools to customize the glossy, translucent look. Some people love the shiny new look of Liquid Glass, but others find it makes words on the screen difficult to read. Or they just think it looks tacky.

iOS 26.1 and the first iOS 26.2 beta make it possible for users to find their Liquid Glass happy zone.

And, aside from new Liquid Glass customization options, iOS 26.2 beta 1 packs several other minor but useful changes aimed at improving the overall usability of the iPhone operating system.

Changes in Sleep Score

iOS 26.2 beta 1 tweaks how the Sleep Score is calculated on the Apple Watch and Health app. The feature debuted as part of watchOS 26 in September. 

The company is increasing the threshold for each sleep level. It also renamed the “Excellent” Sleep Score to “Very High” to fall in line with other labels. 

The new Sleep Score ratings in watchOS 26.2 and iOS 26.2 are as follows:

• Very low: 0 to 40 points
• Low: 41 to 60 points
• OK: 61 to 80 points
• High: 81 to 95 points
• Very high: 96 to 100 points

AirPods Live Translation expands to the EU

With iOS 26.2, Apple will roll out Live Translation for compatible AirPods models to the European Union. The feature allows AirPods to provide a real-time translation of what the other person is saying in your preferred language.

Live Translation debuted with iOS 26 and works on AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It supports Chinese, English, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and Spanish languages.

Design tweak for Apple News app

Apple made a minor but useful design change to the Apple News app in iOS 26.2. It now displays important categories like Sports, Puzzles, Politics, Business and Food at the top for quick and easy access to relevant topics. 

Trigger alarms for Reminders

iOS 26.2 will make the Reminders app better by allowing you to add alarms or timers as triggers for a reminder. You switch on the Urgent toggle when creating a reminder to use the new feature. 

Any such reminder notification will get a higher notification priority and can even bypass Focus modes to grab your attention.

Enhanced Emergency Alerts

iOS 26.2 beta 1 adds a new Enhanced Alerts section. Located under Settings > Notifications, it will provide more detailed alerts for earthquakes and other imminent threats. There’s also an Improve Alert Delivery toggle, which uses your location to improve the timeliness and reliability of safety alerts.

Liquid Glass Lock Screen slider

Building on the Liquid Glass customization option introduced in iOS 26.1, Apple added a Liquid Glass slider for the iPhone’s Lock Screen in iOS 26.2 beta 1.  

The slider is available for all the Lock Screen font options. You can drag the slider to the right to make the font more tinted to improve readability. Alternatively, you can give the clock an even more glassy look. Compared to the system-wide Liquid Glass toggle in iOS 26.1, which only offers Clear and Tinted options, the new slider provides greater flexibility.

Longer AirDrop duration

While not live, the first iOS 26.2 beta reportedly contains references to a new AirDrop feature for sharing files with other iPhone users. It will supposedly allow you to send a PIN to another contact. This will enable AirDrop sharing with them for the next 30 days — up from the current limit of 10 minutes. 

Enhanced Podcasts app

The first iOS 26.2 beta adds three new features to the Podcasts app. Firstly, it can now automatically create chapters, enabling you to jump to a relevant section easily. Second, you can see and follow other podcasts mentioned in an episode right from the transcript and player itself. 

Lastly, all links shared in a podcast will now be visible on the episode page.

Noticed any other changes in iOS 26.2 beta 1? Drop a comment and let us know!

The M3 Ultra-equipped Mac Studio is among the most powerful Macs you can currently buy. Despite featuring faster cores, Apple indirectly confirmed it will not launch an M4 Ultra chip. 

This won’t be the case with the M5, as the company reportedly plans to launch an M5 Ultra-powered Mac Studio in 2026.

M5 Ultra Mac Studio coming next year

Apple unveiled the M5-powered MacBook Pro and iPad Pro in mid-October. It features the world’s fastest CPU core, beating even the high-end M1 Ultra chip from a few years ago in benchmarks.

Based on Apple’s typical release timeline, the more powerful Pro and Max variants of the M5 chip should debut early next year. They will debut on the MacBook Pro lineup and feature more CPU and GPU cores to deliver even better performance.

Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reiterates in his latest report that the M5 Ultra-equipped Mac Studio is on track for a 2026 launch. It will supposedly feature 32 or more CPU cores and 80+ GPU cores.

The M3 Ultra is 1.8x faster than the M1 Ultra. The M5 Ultra, with its newer CPU architecture and other underlying changes, shall deliver an even bigger performance leap.

With the M3 Max delivering 800GB/s of memory bandwidth, the M5 Ultra will likely breach the 1TB/s mark. It should also be configurable with up to 768GB of system memory and 16TB of space.

Will UltraFusion make a comeback on M5 Ultra?

Apple’s current Ultra chips fuse two Max SoCs using UltraFusion. The tech allows them to talk to each other at ultra-low latency and with a bandwidth of over 2.5TB/s. 

The absence of UltraFusion in the M4 Max is also why Apple never released an M4 Ultra chip. 

Alongside the M5 Ultra, Apple will also launch an M5 Max-powered variant of the machine.

Apple’s nifty new feature that lets AirPods translate speech in real time will reportedly become available to EU residents while they’re in Europe next month.

That will put an end to an odd situation: Currently, non-Europeans can use the AirPods Live Translation feature while in Europe, and EU residents can use it when traveling outside the European Union but not within the EU.

EU residents can soon use Live Translation with AirPods

Live Translation with AirPods is a signature feature of the new AirPods Pro 3 (and also works with some earlier Apple earbuds). It enables the user to hear a real-time translation of spoken communication.

However, Europeans are currently blocked from using the translation feature at home. A note on Apple’s website says, “Live Translation with AirPods is not available for EU residents whose device is in the EU and whose Apple Account country or region is also in the EU.”

Fortunately, the limitation looks temporary. On Tuesday, German-language news site Macerkopf wrote, “Apple has officially confirmed a few moments ago that Live Translation with AirPods will come to the EU and thus to Germany next month,” according to a machine translation.

Why the EU-only delay

Apple delayed making the feature available in the European Union due to the region’s Digital Markets Act, sweeping legislation intended to put curbs on Big Tech.

“Apple once again confirms that Live Translation with AirPods for users in the EU has been delayed due to the significant additional development effort required to meet the requirements of the Digital Markets Act,” reports Macerkopf.

This situation mostly concerns Europeans. As the iPhone maker notes, “Apple Intelligence users based in other regions can continue to use Live Translation with AirPods anywhere they travel.”

Still, the change means that an American traveling to the European Union will soon be able to speak English to an EU resident, and the resident can use their AirPods and iPhone as a translator.

iOS 26.1 arrived on Monday, but Apple always keeps pushing ahead. As a result, iOS 26.2 beta 1 reached developers Tuesday.

The same goes for iPadOS 26.2 beta 1, watchOS 26.2 beta 1, tvOS 26.2 beta 1 and visionOS 26.2 beta 1. However, macOS Tahoe 26.2 beta 1 did not arrive with the rest.

iOS 26.2 beta 1 treads on the heels of iOS 26.1

Apple is very forward-thinking. Even before a new operating system ships, development begins on its successor. That’s why iOS 26.1 can launch on Monday, and then iOS 26.2 beta 1 can show up the next day.

iOS 26.1 is packed with features for iPhone users, as well as loads of bug fixes. Read our guide to all the changes in iOS 26.1. In addition, macOS Tahoe 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1 and visionOS 26.1 also went out Monday with tweaks and bug fixes galore. And iPad users have an extra reason to celebrate: the return of Slide Over.

Then, the very next day, Apple seeded the next round of betas to developers, giving them their first look at the next OS updates for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and more.

What to expect in iOS 26.2, etc.

iOS 26.2 beta 1 is so new there’s been no time yet to see what has changed. Apple doesn’t make it as easy as it should to identify modifications and enhancements.  Some years, Cupertino lays out a roadmap of features coming to its devices in OS upgrades. This is not one of those years. No juicy details have leaked out yet, either.

“I’m not expecting major new features in that initial seed,” is all Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman could say about it, and he has some of the best sources inside Apple.

Which doesn’t mean Apple isn’t busy. It’s very hard at work finishing up work on the AI-enhanced version of Siri that is still scheduled to launch in spring 2026.

Also, the upcoming iOS version needs to be ready for the iPhone 17e when it arrives. And that’s true for macOS Tahoe 26.2 and the M5 MacBook Air as well. Further ahead, future MacBook variants with the Apple M5 Pro and Max processors are supposed to debut with macOS 26.3.

Just for developers

iOS 26.2 beta 1, iPadOS 26.2 beta 1, watchOS 26.2 beta 1, tvOS 26.2 beta 1 and visionOS 26.2 beta 1 can be downloaded starting Tuesday by registered members of Apple’s developer program. The next round of betas isn’t expected for two weeks.

Non-developers in the Apple Beta Software Program have to wait before they can test these prerelease versions. Based on Apple’s previous habits, the wait will also be two weeks.

Apple is working on its first low-cost laptop, a strategic departure from its traditional premium approach that could shake up the education and entry-level PC markets, according to a new report. And some responses on social media suggest the PC industry is, indeed, “freaking out” over it.

Apple develops a low-cost laptop to rival Chromebooks and PC laptops

The new Mac, code-named J700, is currently in testing and early production, with the goal of launching in the first half of next year, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported Tuesday. Apple plans to price it well under $1,000 by using cost-saving components while maintaining the design quality and ecosystem integration Mac users expect.

Delivering an Apple design at a budget price could shake up things in laptop land, as noted by Ben Bajarin, CEO and principal analyst at Creative Strategies. After all, Windows PCs dominate the budget laptop space.

“The share of Windows in MSRP <$800 is 100%,” Bajarin wrote Tuesday on X in response to the Bloomberg report. “This is why the entire PC ecosystem is freaking out over what’s coming from Apple next year.”

A new approach to affordable computing

Apple’s budget laptop will target students, businesses and casual users “primarily browse the web, work on documents or conduct light media editing,” according to Bloomberg‘s anonymous sources. It’s also aimed at iPad customers who might prefer a traditional laptop form factor with an integrated keyboard.

To keep costs down, Apple is making some notable hardware choices. The device will feature an iPhone processor rather than a Mac-specific chip, marking the first time Apple has used a smartphone processor in a Mac. However, internal testing shows this chip can outperform the M1 processor used in recent MacBooks.

The laptop will also use a lower-end LCD display that’s slightly smaller than the 13.6-inch screen on the MacBook Air, making it the smallest display on any current Mac.

Taking on Chromebooks and Windows PCs

The move positions Apple to directly compete with Chromebooks, which dominate the education market at price points as low as a few hundred dollars, and entry-level Windows laptops. Apple currently holds just 9% of the global PC market, ranking fourth behind Lenovo, HP and Dell.

For schools, the new Mac would offer an alternative to Apple’s current entry-level option: an iPad paired with the Magic Keyboard Folio, which costs around $600 combined. The laptop would fall in a similar price range but provide better battery life and the full capabilities of macOS.

Part of a broader Mac refresh

The budget laptop is just one piece of Apple’s extensive Mac roadmap for the coming years. The company has completed work on an M5 MacBook Air for early 2026, along with M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros. New Mac mini and Mac Studio models are also planned, as well as a redesigned MacBook Pro with an M6 chip and OLED touchscreen for late 2026 or early 2027.

Apple’s Mac business has been performing strongly, growing 13% to $8.73 billion last quarter — the fastest growth rate among the company’s hardware categories.

A decade after Apple Watch launched, WhatsApp finally launched a dedicated app for the smartwatch Tuesday — ending years of frustration for users who could only respond to notifications from their wrist. The messaging service brings full chat functionality to your wrist with support for messages, voice notes and calls, Meta said. 

At long last, here’s the Whatsapp Apple Watch messaging app

The new WhatsApp for Apple Watch app transforms how users interact with the world’s most popular messaging platform, known for its end-to-end encryption, Meta said in a blog post Tuesday. With over a billion daily active users globally and more than 100 million monthly users in the United States alone, the absence of a proper Apple Watch app had been a notable gap in WhatsApp’s ecosystem. Now, after news broke Friday of testing in progress, it’s finally here. 

What you can do with WhatsApp on Apple Watch

The new app brings comprehensive functionality that goes far beyond the limited notification responses previously available. Users can now read entire conversations directly on their watch, including long messages that previously required pulling out an iPhone.

Key features include the ability to write and send new messages using voice dictation or the watch’s input methods. You can also record and send voice messages and send emoji reactions. In addition, the app can displays call notifications. That lets users see who’s calling without checking their phone.

Media viewing has been enhanced as well. That will make clearer images and stickers visible on the watch’s display. Users can also access more of their chat history directly on screen when browsing conversations.

Privacy and compatibility

WhatsApp emphasized that all messages and calls remain protected with end-to-end encryption, maintaining the same privacy standards users expect from the platform.

The app works with any Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 10 or above. The watch must be paired with an iPhone.

Whatsapp for Apple Watch: Better late than never

The launch marks a significant catch-up moment for WhatsApp. It already offers a dedicated app for WearOS devices, of course. And the company acknowledged this is just the beginning, promising continued improvements based on user feedback.

For the millions of WhatsApp users limited to basic notification responses on their Apple Watches, the new app represents a major upgrade in functionality and convenience. It brings the full messaging experience to their wrists.

The SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive packs up to a terabyte of storage, but is tiny enough that you can leave it plugged into your MacBook. SanDisk touts it as “the world’s smallest 1TB USB-C flash drive.”

Outgrown the storage capacity of your older MacBook? This drive could be just the boost you’re looking for.

The mini SSD can even be used with an iPhone, as well as an iPad.

Add a terabyte of stay-in MacBook storage with SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive

A typical way to add storage capacity to a computer is with SD cards, but Apple avoids putting built-in readers for these into most of its products. The SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive is an alternative that works with every Mac desktop, MacBook, iPad, and iPhone. Simply plug the SSD into the device’s USB-C port.

SanDisk calls it a plug-and-stay accessory. The drive is small enough that it can remain connected to your MacBook even when you are carrying it around. That makes your photos, videos, documents, etc., always accessible.

Expand your iPhone storage by 1TB without a bulky SSD

Any USB-C drive can plug into an iPhone, but most are too bulky for this to be very practical. In contrast, the SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive is tiny enough to really serve as an SSD for a handset.

iPhone users should note, however, that the drive offers USB 3.2 Gen 1 for up to 400 MBps speeds in the 128GB to 1TB variants. That’s not fast enough for 4K120 ProRes video recording.

Still, wide compatibility means the same drive can be used to store and easily share files meant to be used on a desktop, tablet and handset. Or a group of such computers.

Price and availability

The SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive launched Tuesday. Capacities range from 64GB to 1TB, while prices go from $19.99 to $119.99.

World’s smallest

SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive (1TB)

$219.99

The SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive is the world’s smallest 1TB USB-C flash drive. Designed for professionals, students, and everyday users, this new drive is perfect for high-capacity storage without compromising mobility.

Pros:

• “Plug-and-stay” storage
• Compatible with Mac desktop, MacBook, iPad and iPhone

Buy from Amazon

05/24/2026 02:15 pm GMT

The older Apple Home architecture will live for a few more months. Apple previously planned on phasing out the architecture in late 2025. 

Instead, the HomeKit architecture will stop functioning on February 10, 2026.

Apple’s old HomeKit setup gets an extended lease

After unveiling HomeKit at WWDC 2014 and pitching the new framework as a way to bring cohesiveness to the fragmented home-automation landscape, Apple failed to dominate the smart home scene.

Initially, some third-party accessory makers balked at HomeKit’s requirement to add a bespoke chip to their devices. Apple later relaxed that requirement, hoping to boost the number of smart home devices compatible with HomeKit.

More recently, the company’s rumored plans to release its own new home security devices as well as an iPad-like home hub got put on the back burner. Those setbacks reportedly came due to the delayed rollout of a smarter, AI-enhanced Siri. The smarter Siri — and possibly new Apple smart-home devices — should come next year.

Before Apple’s renewed push into smart home products, the company will force users to upgrade to the latest version of HomeKit.

Apple initially rolled out the new HomeKit architecture with iOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1 in late 2022. But it quickly pulled the change after user complaints.

The company reintroduced the upgraded Home architecture with iOS 16.4 in March 2023.

Users were greeted with the opt-in upgrade when they opened the Home app after installing iOS 16.4. Since then, Apple has supported both architectures simultaneously. 

As noted in an Apple Support document updated Monday, that will change in February 2026, when the company will stop supporting the older architecture. 

Support for the previous version of Apple Home will end on February 10, 2026.

Apple has not extensively detailed what’s included in the upgrade. It only mentions that the new architecture promises improved performance and reliability for controlling your HomeKit-compatible devices. Plus, it adds support for more features and smart home devices, such as robot vacuum cleaners, guest support, etc.

It also removes the ability to use an iPad as a home hub. Only an Apple TV or HomePod will work as a home hub in the new version.

Upgrade to the new Home architecture

 If you haven’t already, you can upgrade to the new Home architecture from the Home app. Just tap the More button → Home Settings → select your Home → Software Update → and then tap Update Now.

Even if you don’t use HomeKit, you should upgrade to the new version as Apple will drop support for the older version by February 2026. If you have devices linked to your Home app, you must upgrade. Otherwise, those devices will stop working.

 The new Home architecture is only compatible with iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 macOS 13.1 and later.

iOS 26.1, which Apple released Monday, brings five features you should check out immediately after you install the update.

The biggest change gives you a way to customize the legibility of Liquid Glass, the major user interface overhaul Apple delivered to all its software platforms this year. But there’s plenty of other cool stuff you don’t want to miss.

Other key upgrades come to Apple Music and the iPhone’s alarm clock interface. Plus, there’s a setting that can keep your iPhone battery from draining in your pocket. And for iPad owners, there’s the celebrated return of Slide Over on iPad.

5 new features in iOS 26.1 you don’t want to miss

The first “point update” of a major software release is often filled with much-needed bug fixes. This year is no exception. iOS 26 proved particularly buggy during its summer-long beta testing period.

While Apple releases its new iOS updates in September and ships them on that year’s new iPhones, the company (wisely) doesn’t push the masses to update on day one. The company makes the new versions available for people who are plugged into the news to install if they want. Only after the .1 or .2 updates in the next few months does Apple start pushing everyone to install.

After a major update like iOS 26, which gave the iPhone a whole new Liquid Glass look, the first update typically brings extra design changes or new features. If you’ve been rocking iOS 26 for the last month, read our post to see all the new features in iOS 26.1 (there’s a video version as well).

Anyone with an iPhone 11 or newer can install the update now from Settings > General > Software Update.

Table of contents: 5 new features in the iOS 26.1 update you don’t want to miss

1. Customize the look of Liquid Glass
2. New gestures to skip and rewind music
3. New iPhone alarm interface
4. Disable the Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera feature
5. Learn how to use the new Slide Over on iPad

1. Customize the look of Liquid Glass

In iOS 26.1, Apple introduces a new translucency setting for Liquid Glass. The option is in Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass. You can choose between a Clear and Tinted appearance.

This setting affects all the Liquid Glass user interface elements — floating buttons, toolbars, context menus, sheets and more. Tinted adds contrast and legibility. In Light mode, all the UI gets whiter; in Dark mode, all the UI gets blacker.

The Tinted appearance doesn’t totally remove the translucent effects. You can still see the background warping through the interface if it’s colorful enough. However, the increased opacity makes sure the toolbars are never hard to read.

This setting also differs from the Reduce Transparency setting, which you can find in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. This setting takes it to the extreme. There’s no Liquid Glass to speak of; the user interface is completely opaque.

2. New gestures to skip and rewind music

In the iOS 26.1 update, a new gesture in Apple Music makes it easy to skip and rewind tracks.

When your phone is unlocked, you can swipe your finger on the track title to skip or rewind. This works on the mini player at the bottom of the screen, and on the song title from the fullscreen Now Playing view. Swipe left to skip forward; swipe right to rewind.

This can be handy if you’re jumping through a playlist in Apple Music while driving if you don’t have CarPlay. You no longer have to precisely tap the skip-forward or rewind buttons; you can quickly swipe on the title.

3. New iPhone alarm interface

You’ll want to get ready for this feature before it catches you off guard tomorrow morning: There’s a new interface on the iPhone’s Lock Screen when an alarm or timer goes off.

In iOS 26.1, the Snooze button looks big and orange; the Stop button is a slider that you must swipe to turn off.

In previous versions of iOS, the Snooze button was really big and orange and the Stop button was really tiny. This design made sure you had to be a bit more conscious to be able to turn off an alarm.

iOS 26.0 made both buttons the same size, raising concerns that turning off the alarm was too easy to do accidentally. The updated design in iOS 26.1 adds friction. It once again ensures you must be properly awake to turn off your alarm.

4. Disable the Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera in the iOS 26.1 update

If you ever pull your phone out of your front pants pocket to find the Camera has been running accidentally, this new feature in iOS 26.1 is for you.

In Settings > Camera, scroll to the bottom and disable Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera. This disables the feature where you swipe left on your Lock Screen to open the Camera app.

Of course, there are always loads of other ways to open the camera. The fastest is if you have an iPhone 16 or 17 with a Camera Control. You can click it twice to open the camera as you’re taking it out of your pocket. You can also use the Camera button on the Lock Screen in the lower right (although you can swap that out, too). And, of course, you can add a Camera icon to your Home Screen.

All of these other methods are far less likely to be triggered from inside your front pocket. I turned this setting off right away in the iOS 26.1 update, and I hope to never again pull out my phone, burning hot and battery-drained, with an hour-long video of my pants.

5. Learn how to use the new Slide Over on iPad

In the iOS 26.1 update, Apple reimagined the iPad’s Slide Over multitasking feature, fitting in with iOS 26’s new Mac-style freeform app windowing.

To use the new Slide Over, just tap on the three window controls, tap and hold on the green button, and tap Enter Slide Over. The window will move to the side and float on top of everything else. It’s like picture-in-picture for your apps. The Liquid Glass bubble around it is a visual cue that the window is in Slide Over.

Just like the old system, you can flick it offscreen to hide it for a moment, and swipe in from the edge to bring it back.

But now, the Slide Over window isn’t limited to being all tall and skinny. You can resize it as big or as small as you want. Maybe you only want it in the top corner; maybe you want it to fill most of the screen.

Unlike the old system, you can only have one app in Slide Over. The new Slide Over feature in iOS 26.1 doesn’t have its own weird, separate app switcher.

This is perfectly in tune with the overall philosophy of the iPad’s new windowing mode. Apple simplified the rules of the game in order to make something easier to understand — and created something more versatile and empowering as a result.

More new iOS 26 features

For a complete list of changes, check out the 15 other tweaks in the iOS 26.1 update. And if you’re a bit behind, read up on the 70-plus changes iOS 26 brings from iOS 18.

The iPhone App Store is now accessible on a Mac. And iPad users can research what macOS applications are available. Anyone can see what Apple Watch apps are available. All of these are possible now that Apple finally put the App Store on the web Monday.

It’s long overdue, and still missing a feature many users would like.

Finding iPhone apps gets easier with App Store jumping onto the web

The iPhone App Store launched way back in 2008, and immediately changed the way consumers shopped for software. And for all the years since then, it’s been accessible only via an app running on the iPhone. The same held true for the iPad version (and later the Mac App Store).

At long last, that changed Monday when Apple opened a slick new web version of the App Store. It’s accessible via apps.apple.com.

Take note: On a Mac or iPad, clicking on that link in the Safari browser automatically opens the App Store application installed on the computer. Cut and paste “apps.apple.com” into the browser to open the website version. Or use Chrome.

In the upper-left corner of the new App Store website is a drop-down box letting users choose whether to look at iPhone software, iPad Software, Apple Watch software, etc.

Logically enough, the website is organized the same way Apple’s App Store app is, including a Today screen. The left column includes a list of application categories, like Productivity and Health & Fitness.

It’s about damn time!

“[FILL IN THE BLANK] is now accessible on the web!” was a common headline decades ago. Whether it was pizza delivery or banking or whatever, moving services onto the web was a huge deal. But that sort of news dried up long ago because everything was already on the web.  Well, not everything.  There were some holdouts — we’re looking at you, Apple.

It’s ridiculous that Apple held off putting the App Store on the web until 2025. Absolutely ridiculous. Apple has been shooting itself in the foot for decades.

Suppose you’re an Android user considering switching to iPhone. Naturally, you’d like to do some research on whether your favorite applications are also available for iOS. Too bad, because you couldn’t see what’s in the App Store without an iPhone.

Easily the biggest advantage iPad has over rivals is the enormous selection of software for Apple’s tablet compared to the relative pittance of Android apps that can take full advantage of a large screen. But you couldn’t see that unless you already owned an iPad.

Windows users also couldn’t research what‘s available in the Mac App Store, though many popular Mac apps aren’t listed there anyway.

Basic functionality still missing

A feature still absent from the new web version of the App Store is the ability to use a Mac to install software on an iPhone. Users should be able to sign into the website with their Apple account, then use the large screen of a Mac to find interesting/fun new iPhone applications, then press a button to have the app sent to their handset.

Maybe in the next version. Hopefully, Apple will get around to it before 2035.

Apple’s long-delayed Siri upgrade will reportedly “lean on Google’s Gemini” model to power many of its features. It will also include an AI-powered web search.

However, this Gemini integration will supposedly function differently from how Apple currently integrates ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence.

Using Gemini for Siri makes the most business sense for Apple

While Apple’s Siri voice assistant was a prime mover when it launched on the iPhone 4s in 2011, it’s an also-ran now that the tech world’s embraced artificial intelligence. Increasingly capable chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Gemini run circles around Siri.

As a result, Apple’s scrambling to release the AI-powered Siri upgrade it promised in 2024. (See also: 7 exciting features to expect from Siri’s 2026 AI upgrade.)

If everything goes as planned, Apple’s next big Siri update should land in spring 2026. The company’s struggles with developing its own large language models have delayed the release of the next-gen voice assistant. And recently, Apple’s AI division has been hit with many high-profile exits. 

The search for a better LLM

Besides developing its own LLMs, Apple also held talks with Anthropic and Google to power the next big Siri upgrade. The company reportedly created two versions of Siri — one built on its in-house models, and another powered by third-party LLMs.

As part of this process, Apple tested models from both Anthropic and Google, even requesting the latter to develop a custom training model that could run on Apple’s servers.

Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, in the November 2 edition of his Power On newsletter, says Apple will use Google’s Gemini model to power Siri. Despite Anthropic having a better model, the company went with Google as it “made more sense financially.” The already strong search relationship between the two companies further helped. (Google pays Apple $26 billion a year for prime placement as the default search on iPhones, iPads and Macs.)

Siri’s Gemini upgrade won’t work the way ChatGPT does

There will be one major difference between Gemini’s integration and Siri’s current ChatGPT setup. Right now, Apple clearly hands off complex queries to ChatGPT; you can tell when the switch happens.

That won’t be the case with Gemini. Instead of passing queries off, Apple will use Gemini as the underlying model powering Siri itself, according to Gurman. Think of it as Apple quietly tapping into Google’s AI smarts to make its assistant more capable. However, this also means that you should not expect next-gen Siri to mirror Gemini’s feature set on Android.

Although Wi-Fi 7 is theoretically more than four times faster than Wi-Fi 6E, tests of wireless performance on newer iPhone models that support the upgraded standard show no real improvement in speed. This is reportedly because Apple did not implement the Wi-Fi 7 changes that would boost performance over iPhones with Wi-Fi 6E.

In Apple’s defense, it did implement the portion of Wi-Fi 7 intended to make wireless connections more reliable. That’s arguably the part of the standard that benefits average users the most.

Wi-Fi 7 on iPhone feels more like Wi-Fi 6E+

Wi-Fi debuted decades ago with data transfers topping out at a mere 2 Mbps. The standard might have faded into history if Apple didn’t build the wireless tech into the iBook in 1999. Today, virtually every computer includes Wi-Fi — certainly every smartphone and tablet does. It provides fast, wireless internet access without the need for physical cables.

The Wi-Fi Alliance keeps improving the standard to increase speed and reliability. The latest iteration, Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be), can deliver theoretical maximum speeds of up to 46 Gbps under ideal conditions. It’s available on the iPhone 16 series and iPhone 17 series as well as the M5 iPad Pro.

But don’t expect to achieve anything close to the theoretical max using an iPhone 16 or iPhone 17, even though both come with a Wi-Fi 7 certification. Understanding why requires getting somewhat technical.

Wi-Fi uses a variety of frequency bands. The latest version provides a 240 MHz channel width on the 5 GHz band, and up to 320 MHz channel width on the 6 GHz band. But Apple’s implementation restricts both to 160 MHz on iPhone 16 and iPhone 17. Think of channel width like a highway — a wider channel allows more room for data to travel, increasing potential speed. By restricting the channel, Apple cut the top speed.

Wi-Fi 6/6E has a maximum 160 MHz-wide channels, so Apple’s implementation of Wi-Fi 7 isn’t faster. This shows up in testing — the iPhone 16 Pro is no faster than a phone with Wi-Fi 6/6E, and the same goes for the new iPhone 17 Pro Max.

A reasonable limitation

Apple has not commented on why its Wi-Fi 7 implementation restricts the channel width. But there are multiple reasons why it could have done so.

It saves on battery drain. Wider channel widths require more complex signal processing. That makes the wireless chip work harder and pull more power.

Also, the wider the channel width, the more likely the Wi-Fi signal is to interfere with other wireless devices. Narrower channels are less prone to interference in crowded environments, from corporate offices to college dorms.

In short, Apple’s Wi-Fi implementation isn’t as fast as it potentially could be, but it’s possibly more reliable with less impact on battery life.

And does 46 Gbps Wi-Fi really matter?

While one might argue that higher data transfer speeds are always better, it’s questionable how many people would see any real-world benefit from Apple fully implementing Wi-Fi 7. That’s because a typical home router connects to the internet at below 300 Mbps. Ignoring the Wi-Fi 6E theoretical maximums, in real-world performance, most users typically see speeds between 1 Gbps and 2 Gbps, depending on the router, device and network congestion. Wi-Fi 6E is already much faster than is needed. 

Small businesses generally don’t provide employees with dramatically faster internet access than homes, either. Those who work at large corporations might enjoy 1 Gbps or more, but Wi-Fi 7 isn’t needed to extend that connection speed to the iPhone.

That said, anyone moving files around on their network would see a potential speed benefit. In real-world conditions, most users can expect Wi-Fi 7 to deliver speeds between 2 Gbps and 5 Gbps on high-end devices with compatible routers.

The iPad Wi-Fi question

The iPhone 17 series uses Apple’s new N1 wireless chip, and so does the recently released M5 iPad Pro. Therefore, it’s possible the tablet has the same Wi-Fi 7 slowdown because of 160 MHz-wide channels.

At this point, it’s not known. Apple hasn’t updated its support document that gives detailed Wi-Fi specifications on its devices to include the new M5 iPad Pro. But the limitation might be built into the N1 chip.

The new M5 MacBook Pro does not include Wi-Fi 7. It sticks with Wi-Fi 6E.

But improved Wi-Fi reliability benefits everyone

Apple can call recent iPhone and iPad models compatible with Wi-Fi 7 because they meet the requirements for Multi-Link Operation. That’s a technical way of saying the computers can connect to multiple Wi-Fi bands at once.

Earlier versions of Wi-Fi operated on 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and later 6 GHz, but devices could use only one band at a time. An iPad might connect to a hotspot over the 5 GHz band, for example.

The MLO feature in Wi-Fi 7 improves reliability by creating multiple links between the device and the router. That means, for instance, that an iPhone 17 can connect to a hotspot over 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz simultaneously and use whichever one delivers better performance.

Virtually everyone should be familiar with Wi-Fi dead zones — places in a home or office where wireless connectivity is cut off. Given the challenges that walls, floors, furniture, etc., present to Wi-Fi, Apple’s implementation of Wi-Fi 7’s MLO tech for improved reliability should benefit virtually all iPhone and iPad users.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest rumor about the 20th anniversary iPhone whets our appetite for this glorious device. It’s just over the horizon, and it sounds like an absolute stunner.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple reportedly plans to bring a gorgeous OLED screen to almost every iPad.
• A horrifying AirPods Pro 3 problem strikes when you need it least — while flying! Thankfully, it seems like the glitch is not that widespread. Still, we’ve got some tips on preparing for the worst.
• Griffin serves up his M5 Vision Pro review, and Leander talks up Apple Watch Series 11.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

The CultCast video: The incredible buttonless iPhone!

Our sponsor: NordStellar

Most companies only act after a breach. Be the one that’s prepared. Defend your business with NordStellar. Get an exclusive offer: Unlock your 10% discount on NordStellar with the coupon code cultcast-10 at NordStellar.com/CultCast. Just mention it to NordStellar!

This week’s top Apple news

On the show this week: Your host, Cult of Mac Publisher and Editor in Chief Leander Kahney (@lkahney), Cult of Mac managing editor Lewis Wallace (@lewiswallace) and Cult of Mac writer D. Griffin Jones (@dgriffinjones).

Here are the headlines we’re talking about on this week’s show:

• iPhone 20 could make buttons a thing of the past
• Here’s when every iPad gets a beautiful OLED screen
• Weird AirPods Pro 3 glitch proves unbearable at 30,000 feet
• The M5 Vision Pro is still the ultimate entertainment device [Review]

Record numbers of customers upgrading their gear helped push up Apple’s revenue into record territory last quarter, and that’s boosting AAPL’s stock price.

Here are the products that the company says are the most popular with upgraders in Q4 2025. Some you might be able to guess, but there’s a very conspicuous absence from the list.

iPhone gets record number of upgraders in Q4 2025

Just like every other company, Apple loves new customers. Someone buying their first Mac is probably starting a lifetime as an Apple customer, with a stream of money flowing into the company’s coffers over the decades.

But returning customers — “upgraders” as Apple calls them — are any company’s bread and butter. Without loyal customers, Apple wouldn’t exist. Still, Kevan Parekh, Apple’s CFO, highlighted some products especially strong with upgraders during a call with analysts on Thursday.

“The iPhone active install base grew to an all-time high, and we set a September quarter record for upgraders,” Parekh said.

For much of Q4 2025, they were buying the iPhone 16 series. Then the iPhone 17 series launched near the end of the quarter — and Apple fans couldn’t get enough.

“On the iPhone 17 family, the demand is very strong,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said during Thursday‘s call.

Those two things combined produced a very lucrative result: iPhone just set a new September quarter revenue record.

iPad draws in upgraders, too

While iPhone is Apple’s largest category, other products also brought in billions and were quite successful with upgraders.

“On the iPad, the install base reached an all-time high with a September quarter record for upgraders,” said Apple CFO Parekh.

But it’s not just returning customers driving tablet sales.

“Over half of the customers who purchased an iPad during the quarter were new to the product,” Parekh said.

iPad had a surprisingly strong quarter, considering the last new models were the budget iPad 11 and M3 iPad Air from spring. New products generally spur sales.

Apple Watch sets new record for upgraders … and AirPods Pro 3 are a hit

Plenty of repeat customers came in for a new smartwatch in Q4 2025, as well.

“We also set a September record for upgraders on Apple Watch,” said Parekh.

The new Apple Watch Ultra, Series 11 and Apple Watch SE 3 all launched near the end of last quarter.

Another product refresh that came during Apple’s last financial quarter was AirPods Pro 3. Unlike iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, these apparently didn’t set a record for upgraders.

However, the upgraded earbuds are selling well enough for Apple’s CEO to say, “AirPods Pro 3 have been a huge hit.”

What’s missing?

What didn’t get a call-out from Apple executives on Thursday during the earnings call, which triggered a spike in the APPL stock price? The Mac. There was no mention of MacBooks or Mac desktops setting records with upgraders. That’s surprising, considering Mac revenue last quarter grew a whopping 13% versus the same quarter a year ago.

Parekh did say much of the Mac revenue growth was “driven by MacBook Air.” So it seems like plenty of new customers were getting their first macOS laptop … perhaps to take to university, as last quarter was the back-to-school buying season.

The base model M5 MacBook Pro that launched in October might attract more upgraders next quarter. And the variants with the M5 Pro and M5 Max processors expected in early 2026 certainly will. 

Apple’s long-delayed AI-powered Siri upgrade remains on track for a 2026 debut, CEO Tim Cook said Thursday. That offers some reassurance to users after multiple setbacks pushed the originally planned 2024 release back by more than a year.

So, what can we expect from a smarter Siri voice assistant when it finally arrives? 

7 exciting features to expect from Siri’s 2026 AI upgrade

As the public face of Apple’s AI efforts, Siri needs to work seamlessly, produce reliable results and keep up with the competition. Unfortunately, the voice assistant we know and love (or maybe don’t anymore) currently pales in comparison to popular know-it-all chatbots like ChatGPT.

But Apple has a plan to fix that. Speaking during Apple’s earnings call on Thursday, Cook talked up Apple Intelligence — the banner for all company’s AI efforts — and addressed the Siri situation.

“We’re also excited for a more personalized Siri,” Cook said. “We’re making good progress on it and, as we’ve shared, we expect to release it next year.”

Previous rumors indicated the AI-enhanced Siri would launch in spring 2026, likely with an iOS 26.4 update. This will serve as a milestone for Apple’s AI ambitions after the company delayed the Siri upgrade, first announced at WWDC 2024, in March 2025. 

At the time, Apple said, “It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features” after internal testing revealed quality problems.

After the long wait, here are seven game-changing capabilities we expect you’ll enjoy when you interact with the AI-boosted Siri:

1. Personal context awareness

The new Siri will gain awareness of your personal context. That means it should better understand information stored across your apps, including Calendar, Files, Mail, Messages, Notes and Photos.

Imagine asking Siri for “that recipe my friend sent me” without remembering whether it arrived via text, email or a note. Siri will find it regardless of where it’s stored.

Need your passport number while booking a flight? Siri will be able to locate this information across your devices, all while processing data on-device to maintain privacy.

2. On-screen awareness

Siri will understand and interact with the content currently displayed on your screen. If a friend shares their new address via text, you can simply say, “Add this address to their contact card,” and Siri will process the information directly from your screen.

This capability extends beyond contacts. Siri will be able to reference anything visible on your display, from restaurant recommendations in a message to details in an open webpage.

3. Deep app integration in Siri 2026 AI upgrade thanks to App Intents

Perhaps the most transformative upgrade is a massive expansion of Apple’s App Intents framework that will let developers build apps in such a way that Siri can perform actions within them. Commands like, “Make this photo black and white and send it to my wife” should be able to perform the necessary actions in Photos and Messages without your intervention.

Apple is releasing 12 new domains in iOS 18 and beyond, including Mail, Photos, Books, Camera and Spreadsheets, with more than 100 different possible actions across them. Apple currently tests the new capabilities with popular apps including Uber, AllTrails, Threads, Temu, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp.

4. Cross-app task execution

After the AI upgrade, Siri will seamlessly take actions across multiple apps. After asking Siri to enhance a photo by saying, “Make this photo pop,” you can follow up with, “drop it in a specific note in the Notes app” without lifting a finger.

This multistep, cross-app functionality represents a leap forward from Siri’s current capabilities to handle single, isolated tasks.

5. Enhanced conversational abilities

The upgrade includes improved natural language processing that makes Siri’s voice more expressive, natural and clear, all processed on-device. Better error handling will allow Siri to understand and adapt when you stumble over words, while conversational context retention will make follow-up requests faster and more intuitive.

The voice assistant will maintain the thread of conversation more naturally, understanding references to previous queries without requiring you to repeat context.

6. Multiple AI model integration with Siri 2026 AI upgrade

Cook also confirmed Thursday that Apple plans to expand its Apple Intelligence suite by partnering with additional third-party AI providers beyond the current ChatGPT integration. Reports indicate Apple may leverage external AI engines from partners such as OpenAI and Anthropic for complex, multi-application tasks, with Google’s Gemini widely expected to join the platform.

This multimodel approach will allow Siri to tap into specialized capabilities from different AI providers while maintaining Apple’s privacy-first architecture.

7. Privacy-first design maintained

Apple’s approach to AI sets the company apart with its privacy-first design. Apple Intelligence is integrated into the core of your iPhone, iPad and Mac through on-device processing. So it’s aware of your personal information without collecting it.

For more complex requests, Apple Intelligence can draw on larger server-based models running on Apple silicon through Private Cloud Compute to handle tasks while protecting privacy.

A decade after the first Apple Watch came out, WhatsApp is testing a dedicated app for the smartwatch. This would make replying to messages, viewing existing conversations, and sharing voice notes easier.

Currently, Apple Watch users can only respond to unread WhatsApp messages through the notification center. There’s no way to do anything else.

WhatsApp directly from your wrist

WhatsApp’s user base has rapidly expanded in the US in recent years. In July 2024, the messaging service reported surpassing 100 million monthly active users in the country.

Globally, WhatsApp is by far the most popular messaging app, with over a billion people using it daily to send billions of messages. 

Given its popularity, the lack of a dedicated WhatsApp app for Apple Watch always felt restrictive. This meant you couldn’t use the watch to directly send voice notes, reactions, or send new messages.

This will finally change, with WhatsApp testing a dedicated Apple Watch app. It seeded the app’s first build to users on its TestFlight program.

As WABetaInfo notes, your watch must be paired with the iPhone for the app to work. Once the initial setup, you can view all your existing conversations and even start a new one through WhatsApp on your Apple Watch. All your pinned conversations appear right at the top, like on the phone itself.

A better WhatsApp experience incoming

The app also makes replying to incoming messages easier. Plus, you even get a preview of shared media right on your wrist. Other features include being able to send voice notes, using voice dictation to write texts, send emojis as reactions, etc.

A companion watchOS app will go a long way in improving the experience of using WhatsApp on iPhone. Meta already offers a dedicated WearOS WhatsApp app, so a watchOS app was long overdue. 

Meta has only just started testing the WhatsApp Apple Watch app, so a public release might still be a few weeks or months away.

Apple set a new record for iPhone revenue in its most recent financial quarter. Total company revenue reached $102.5 billion, an 8% increase over the same quarter of last year. And earnings per share hit $1.85, a rise of 13%, the company said Thursday.

Plus, Apple CEO Tim Cook predicted the current quarter will be “the best ever in the history of the company” — and AAPL’s stock price shot up in after-hours trading.

Apple beats analysts’ predictions, and AAPL stock price rises

Apple’s acclaimed consumer electronics devices, and the services that run on them, power a shockingly efficient money-making machine. With quarterly revenues in the billions, the company’s market capitalization currently hovers above $4.027 trillion, ranking second only to AI chipmaking juggernaut Nvidia.

Before today’s earnings announcement, Wall Street predicted that Apple’s revenue in the July-through-September quarter would reach $102 billion, a 7% rise. Analysts expected Apple’s earnings per share to hit $1.77. Apple surpassed those analysts’ expectations, as it does so often, especially in EPS.

“Apple is very proud to report a September quarter revenue record of $102.5 billion, including a September quarter revenue record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record for Services,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a press release announcing the quarterly results.

The iPhone is Apple’s most lucrative product, so its performance is always closely watched. Last quarter, Apple brought in $49 billion from handsets, a 6% year-over-year increase. Mac revenue totaled $8.8 billion, a 13% annual increase, while quarterly iPad revenue was flat at $7 billion. 

In its services sector, Apple took in $28.8 billion from the App Store, Apple Music, etc. That’s a 15% increase YOY, which is why Cook highlighted the category in his comment. 

Tim Cook sees the ‘best ever’ Apple quarter ahead

While these quarterly results were good, Cook predicted the holiday quarter that runs through December will be even better.

“We expect total company revenue to grow by 10% to 12% year over year, we expect iPhone revenue to grow double digits, year over year, and we expect that that will make the December quarter the best ever in the history of the company,” Cook told CNBC.

Soon after this very optimistic prediction, Apple’s stock price rose about 3% in after-hours trading. That pushed the company’s market capitalization back above the $4 trillion mark, a milestone the company reached earlier this week.

Apple is also optimistic about China

China is Apple’s third-largest market, so the 4% year-over-year drop in revenue from the country last quarter is a cause for concern for investors. But Apple’s CEO predicts the results in China will be better in the current quarter.

“I was just there. It’s incredibly vibrant and dynamic,” said Cook during a conference call with analysts Thursday. “The store traffic is up significantly year over year. The iPhone 17 has been very well received there. We do believe that we’ll return to growth in Q1 [the current quarter], and that is largely based on the reception of the iPhone there, and so I couldn’t be more pleased with how things are going there in the early going.”

Trump tariff costs on the rise, though

Tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on products imported into the United States will cost Apple $1.4 trillion in the current quarter, according to a prediction made Thursday by Kevan Parekh, Apple’s CFO.

That‘s a rise from the $1.1 billion in import taxes Apple had to pay in the current quarter. And it could have been worse — Parekh’s prediction takes into account the 50% drop in tariffs on products assembled in China that Trump announced Thursday.

More than one good quarter

The September quarter marks the end of Apple’s financial year, and it was a strong one in Cupertino.

“Our September quarter results capped off a record fiscal year, with revenue reaching $416 billion, as well as double-digit EPS growth,” said Parekh. “And thanks to our very high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, our installed base of active devices also reached a new all-time high across all product categories and geographic segments.”

iFixit did its traditional teardown of the M5 iPad Pro on Thursday and gave Apple’s newest tablet a much better reparability score than previous models. That doesn’t mean the computer is easy to fix, though.

Watch the teardown to take a deep dive into the guts of the M5 iPad Pro.

M5 iPad Pro teardown finds lots of glue

iPads are difficult to repair mainly because of how tightly integrated and compact their design is. Apple prioritizes thinness, durability and a seamless look, which means many components are glued together. The screen, for example, is glued to the body with strong adhesive, making it risky to remove without cracking it. Inside, parts like the battery, logic board and speakers are layered and connected with delicate flex cables, so reaching one component often requires removing several others first.

As iFixit’s teardown video for the M5 iPad Pro demonstrates, the latest and greatest from Apple is no different. The video starts by showing the very careful process needed to pry the screen from the rest of the computer, the first steps necessary to do any repair.

The video then continues to the steps necessary to remove the dual batteries, which are also held in with adhesives.

“It’s on to the 10 pull tabs securing the battery in place,” said iFixit. “Pull taps are fine when they work, but these ones were a bit of a pain to get to because of how thin the battery is and how short the end of the pull taps are.”

The challenges in getting access to the batteries are important because that’s one of the most frequent repairs needed on any electronic device, given that lithium-ion batteries inevitably wear out. (Check your iPad’s battery health now.)

That said, once the screen has been removed, taking out the M5 iPad Pro’s USB-C port is easy. And that’s another frequent repair.

Apple’s latest tablet is actually kind of repairable

The difficulties in opening an iPad, then accessing the various components, mean Apple tablets typically get a repairability score of 2 or 3 out of a possible 10 from iFixit. In contrast, the M5 iPad Pro gets a 5. While not a very high score, it’s a definite upswing.

However, the change isn’t a result of Apple redesigning the computer to make it simpler to fix. But the company did make it easier to work on. iPad joined Apple’s Self Service Repair program in spring 2025, which means customers have access to parts and tools they need to fix their own devices.

“Despite the underwhelming repairability, Apple is making an effort to help people service these things,” noted iFixit. “They’ve done this by releasing guides, with parts expected to arrive soon, and even renting out the tools their own technicians use at the Apple Service centers.”

iFixit offers its own tools and repair guide for a wide variety of iPad models.

The tariff Apple must pay to import iPhones and other products assembled in China will be cut in half — down to 10%. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the change after a meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

It’s a change that could save Apple billions of dollars.

Trump cuts tariff on iPhone imports to 10%

Starting shortly after his election, Trump imposed tariffs on Apple products assembled in China, India and elsewhere and then brought into the United States. The import tax was 20% on devices coming from China — a move intended to punish China for allowing fentanyl precursor drugs to be shipped to the United States.

Apple has been paying the cost of the import tax, with the cost totaling about $1 billion each quarter.

On Thursday, Trump told reporters that Xi promised to “very hard to stop the flow” of fentanyl-related chemicals, according to Reuters. In response, he cut the tariffs to 10%.

In 2023, about 75,000 Americans died after overdosing on synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl). U.S. authorities view China as a principal source of fentanyl precursor chemicals.

Good news on rare earths, too

At the Trump/Xi meeting, the Chinese president also agreed to halt the export limitations imposed on rare earths earlier this month. China is by far the dominant global source of rare earths, both in mining and processing.

Rare earths are needed for a variety of components used in iPhones, Macs, iPads, and more. They’re part of the strongest permanent magnets known for making headphones and MagSafe. Plus, they go into LCD screens.

And there’s more good news coming out of the meeting between the leaders of the U.S. and China.

“Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi agreed to a one-year truce, extending a pause they had put in place after tit-for-tat escalations drove up tariffs on each other’s imports to more than 100 percent,” The New York Times reported.

The ongoing trade war between the countries has caused uncertainties for American companies, including Apple. They couldn’t know what tariffs or export controls they’d be facing on any given day.

Apple is making two developer-focused changes to the App Store. Developers can now upload additional documentation and assets while their app is under review.

Secondly, developers can create up to 70 custom pages — double the previous limit.

More custom pages, more flexible App Store review process

Previously, Apple required developers to upload all their materials at once when submitting an app for review. That restriction is easing now, with the company allowing additional uploads during the review process.

Apple cites a few examples for better clarity:

• One or more In-App Events in a separate submission if you have an app version under review.
• An app version to address a critical bug that’s separate from any existing custom product pages under review.
• One or more Game Center features — including achievements, leaderboards, challenges, and more — in a submission that’s separate from an app version under review.

Apple’s also doubling down on flexibility with custom product pages. It is expanding the limit from 35 to 70. Each page can even have its own keywords to boost App Store visibility. 

Apple notes that “custom product pages with keywords assigned to them can appear in search results for those selected keywords instead of your default product page.”

Both these changes are already live, and developers can take advantage of them from today itself. 

Offer code expands to support more transactions

Besides the above, Apple has enabled offer code support to include all types of in-app purchases. This includes consumable, non-consumable and non-renewing subscriptions.

Offer codes allow developers to offer users a free or discounted in-app purchase for a limited time. As part of this change, Apple will phase out support for promo codes for IAPs in App Store Connect starting March 26, 2026.

Going forward, Apple only wants developers to use promo codes to offer free app downloads. 

As Slow Horses season 5 wraps up with its sixth episode Wednesday, Apple TV cues up a second thriller, Down Cemetery Road, in collaboration with novelist Mick Herron. You can watch its first trailer below, or jump right into the first two episodes. The new series stars Academy Award winner Emma Thompson and Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson. It’s based on Herron’s “Zöe Boehm” book series.

Reviews of Down Cemetery Road so far seem thrilled with the show. “If you like Slow Horses, you’ll love conspiracy thriller Down Cemetery Road,” raves Time magazine. It “hits the sweet spot of thrills and odd-couple comedy,” adds AV Club. Critics call Thompson’s performance “magnificent” and “superb,” among other superlatives.

Star-studded cast leads complex conspiracy thriller series Down Cemetery Road on Apple TV

July 29, 2025: Apple TV subscribers will have a new thriller with a promising pedigree to add to their watchlist this fall. The streaming service unveiled its first look at Down Cemetery Road, starring Academy Award winner Emma Thompson and Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson. The show marks another collaboration between Apple TV and acclaimed crime novelist Mick Herron, whose work previously brought viewers the Emmy Award-winning spy drama Slow Horses.

Down Cemetery Road is adapted from Herron’s novel of the same name, part of his “Zöe Boehm” book series. It promises to deliver the same intricate plotting and character development that made Slow Horses a critical and audience favorite.

The eight-episode series premieres Wednesday, October 29. The first two episodes stream immediately, followed by weekly releases through December 10.

Watch the Down Cemetery Road trailer

In the new series Down Cemetery Road, Thompson takes on the role of private investigator Zoë Boehm. Wilson plays Sarah Tucker, a neighbor who becomes obsessed with finding a missing girl after a house explosion rocks their quiet Oxford suburb. The unlikely partnership between these two women launches them into what Apple describes as “a complex conspiracy that reveals people long believed dead are still among the living, while the living are fast joining the dead.”

Thompson, known for her versatility in films like Sense and Sensibility and recent television work, also serves as executive producer on the project. Her involvement signals Apple TV’s continued commitment to attracting top-tier talent both in front of and behind the camera. Wilson, whose previous work includes the BBC’s Luther and HBO’s The Affair, brings her proven ability to portray complex, driven characters to the role of Sarah Tucker.

Creative team brings proven expertise

The series comes from 60Forty Films, with writing duties handled by Morwenna Banks, who previously worked on Slow Horses. Banks’ familiarity with Herron’s work and Apple TV’s production standards should help maintain the quality storytelling that Apple subscribers have come to expect from the platform’s original content.

Executive producers include Thompson, Banks, Herron himself and the 60Forty Films team of Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta and Tom Nash. Natalie Bailey, known for her work on Bay of Fires, serves as lead director, bringing her experience with character-driven thrillers to guide the series’ visual storytelling.

Expanding Apple TV’s thriller catalog

Down Cemetery Road joins an impressive lineup of thriller and mystery content on Apple TV, most notably Herron’s Slow Horses, which was recently renewed for a seventh season. The Gary Oldman-led series will return for its fifth season on September 24, 2025, giving Apple subscribers a double dose of the author’s compelling crime narratives.

This strategic expansion of thriller content reflects Apple TV’s broader push to diversify its original programming while maintaining the high production values that have earned the platform critical acclaim and industry recognition. The success of Slow Horses, including its Emmy win, likely influenced the decision to adapt more of Herron’s work.

For Apple TV subscribers, Down Cemetery Road represents another reason to maintain their subscription through the fall season, particularly for fans of British crime drama and character-driven mysteries. The weekly release schedule, rather than a full-season drop, should help maintain subscriber engagement throughout the final months of 2025.

Watch thrillers on Apple TV

You can stream Slow Horses, Down Cemetery Road and other thrillers on Apple TV now. Get it by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. Customers who buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 580 wins and 2,787 award nominations and counting,” the service said.

More than 200 exclusive movies and TV shows call Apple TV home (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso). The service also offers documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.

This post first published on July 29, 2025. We republished it with new information on September 29, 2025 and October 29, 2025.

Imagine being on a long plane flight and one of your new AirPods Pro 3 earbuds keeps whistling in your ear. Infuriating, eh? That’s what some users of Apple’s latest wireless earbuds say happens while flying.

It certainly doesn’t happen to every user. But there’s no easy solution for those experiencing the problem. Still, there are a few things you’ll need to be ready in case you’re unlucky.

Flights cause problems for some AirPods Pro 3 users

Active noise cancellation was invented in the 1950s to improve aircraft voice communication. Pilots often had trouble hearing in noisy aircraft cockpits. ANC was developed to cancel out the constant drone of engines, making it easier for pilots to hear radio communications.

AirPods Pro 3 feature an advanced active noise cancellation system. This relies on improved microphones and algorithms that monitor external and internal noise. These combine with a tighter acoustic seal from improved eartips to block low-frequency rumble caused by things like airplane engines, traffic or HVAC systems.

The results can be outstanding. The Verge’s reviewer tested the new earbuds on a flight and reported, “The dull hum of the plane was completely eliminated, though I could still hear announcements if I didn’t have audio playing.”

Cnet’s reviewer did the same test and got essentially identical results, “with the Pro 3s tamping down the cabin noise to a faint hum.”

AirPods Pro 3 ANC can cause whistling when flying

Unfortunately, not every AirPods Pro 3 user gets that same smooth experience when flying.

“Testing ANC mode on a flight, it’s very apparent that the new ones have a noticeable wind ‘whooshing’ noise; occasionally it gets worse and becomes an intermittent, high-pitched ‘whistle’ noise,” says a post on Reddit.

Many of the comments responding to the post concur. One said, “That’s exactly the higher pitched sound I got with ANC on the flight today.”

Another said, “The high pitch ringing that came in/out during the flight was sometimes ear piercing and they had to be removed or ANC switched off which defeated the purpose of me wearing them in flight.”

BasicAppleGuy, an Apple fan known for making beautiful wallpapers for Mac, iPad and iPhone, weighed in on the issue on his blog Monday.

“My trouble came at 39,000 feet when I first noticed a high-pitched whine coming from my left AirPod,” BasicAppleGuy wrote. “The issue was that the AirPod’s ear seal kept loosening, leading to a noise-cancellation feedback loop and a painfully loud piercing screech from the AirPod.”

BasicAppleGuy and many of the others made it clear that the problem occurs only when flying. At all other times, their earbuds function correctly.

Remedies and possible solutions

There are enough similar posts complaining about AirPods Pro 3 whistling in the ears during flights that this is undeniably a problem for some people. However, plenty of other users don’t experience the strange whistling glitch. The problem seems to afflict a small minority of people, and only under special circumstances. This helps explain why Apple didn’t discover it during testing.

Still, anyone about to take a long flight who is depending on AirPods Pro 3 to keep them entertained should feel nervous. You can take some steps to prepare. But unfortunately, as the source of the problem remains unknown, there’s not one single solution if it crops up.

First off, bring all the eartips for your wireless earbuds. It’s possible you picked a size that’s not exactly right. It could be fine in your daily life, but in the extreme conditions of an airplane’s cabin, where 85 dB is normal and takeoffs can reach 105 dB, just enough noise could be creeping in past the seal to set up a feedback loop.

If that doesn’t fix the problem, maybe turn off ANC. This system appears to be the source of the feedback loop. 

Also, bring a pair of foam earplugs on your trip. Many people who experience the AirPods Pro 3 whistle hear it in only one ear. If this is you, take that one out. AirPods work fine alone, and you can put an earplug in the other ear to block the airplane engine rumble.

If you own a pair of AirPods Pro 2, tuck those in your baggage, too. Unsurprisingly, it seems the people least irritated when dealing with this problem were ones who could easily switch to other earbuds.

It probably won’t happen to you

Most of these solutions are less than ideal, as they involve not using the expensive earbuds you bought to wear on long flights. The real hope is that Apple will figure out what’s causing the AirPods Pro 3 feedback loop and release a firmware update that permanently prevents it.

In the meantime, remind yourself that the odds that you’ll be affected are low. But it makes sense to be prepared if you get unlucky.

Apple could bring the iPhone’s water-resistant design to the iPad. The company has internally tested an iPad mini casing with an IP rating.

Unlike iPhones, iPads typically aren’t exposed to the same environmental challenges. So, Apple never made iPads with an IP rating, but that could eventually change.

iPads and water resistance: nice to have, not need to have

Apple first added water resistance to the iPhone in 2016 with the iPhone 7. Since then, it has been a stable feature on all iPhones, protecting against water and dust ingress. 

All Apple Watch models are also water-resistant. In fact, the Ultra lineup boasts an even higher level of protection than iPhones, capable of withstanding greater depths and pressure. Again, that’s needed since the watches are exposed to more challenging and varying conditions. 

That’s not the case with iPads, though, as they are mostly used for content consumption at home or the office. Or as a laptop replacement. In any scenario, they are not exposed to liquid or other such challenging conditions. And that explains why Apple has never bothered to add an IP rating to iPads. 

However, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman claims in a post on X that Apple tested a redesigned iPad mini case that’s water-resistant. In another separate report, he says the next iPad mini refresh due to arrive in 2027 could feature an OLED display and water-resistant design.

It’s also important to note that despite carrying an IP certification, Apple’s standard warranty doesn’t cover liquid damage.

A waterproof iPad might not make much sense

For most iPad users, the addition of water resistance would likely bring minimal benefits compared to the added costs. In most cases, an IP rating would help against accidental liquid spills, but that’s about it.

Samsung offers an Active range of tablets that are water-resistant. Its recent flagship tablets, such as the Galaxy Tab S11 and S11 Ultra, are also IP68 water-resistant. But that’s not their main selling point.

Likewise, even if Apple eventually adds water resistance to iPads, it won’t be a major highlight due to the limited benefit it brings. 

The next-generation iPad mini will be upgraded with a gorgeous OLED display, according to a generally reliable source of Apple insider info. It’s apparently part of a drive that will eventually see an OLED screen coming to the iPad Air, too. But there’s bad news about the budget iPad.

The move comes as the oft-predicted OLED MacBook Pro moves closer to release.

An OLED iPad mini is now on Apple’s agenda

Apple is a big fan of OLED technology (short for organic light-emitting diode), in which each screen pixel glows on its own. The result is a bright, even image with strong contrast. This type of screen looks so fantastic, it’s already used for iPhone and Apple Watch, and even the M4 and the M5 iPad Pro.

The next device making the jump is the iPad mini, according to an unconfirmed report from Bloomberg on Tuesday, with “an OLED-equipped model arriving as early as next year.” It’ll apparently be part of a redesign that might also result in the device becoming waterproof.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the prediction. An OLED iPad mini in 2026 has been rumored several times going back to May 2024. Still, Tuesday’s report indicates that Apple’s plan hasn’t changed over the intervening months.

OLED screens here, there and (almost) everywhere

As for the rest of Apple’s tablets, the next iPad Air coming in spring 2026 will stick with a traditional LCD, but a follow-up model will use OLED, according to Bloomberg. Apple has apparently settled into a pattern of updating the iPad Air every spring.

And the budget model is getting an OLED … probably never.

“Apple doesn’t have active plans to move its entry-level iPad to OLED,” said Bloomberg.

OLED screens cost more to manufacture than traditional LCDs, making the component too pricey for a tablet that’s frequently available for less than $300. When the iPad Pro got an OLED screen in 2024, Apple increased the cost of the high-end tablet by $200. The Bloomberg report indicates upgrading the screen in the iPad mini could add $100 to its cost, which is already comparatively high at $500. A similar price jump is possible for the OLED iPad Air.

OLED MacBook Pro in 2026

Bloomberg’s report on Tuesday repeats an earlier leak that a MacBook Pro with an OLED display is on Apple’s docket for late 2026. And that’ll be only one of the major changes. This will supposedly be the first touchscreen MacBook. And the notebook is getting a slimmer chassis, too.

If this report pans out, the day isn’t too far away when the only Apple computer without an OLED screen will be the budget iPad. Even the relatively low-cost iPhone 16e already uses the more advanced display tech.

Apple seeded the release candidates of iOS 26.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.1 to developers and the public on Tuesday. This is usually the final step before new versions launch — which should happen next week. The highlight is a new setting that makes the controversial Liquid Glass UI less transparent.

Release candidates for iPadOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1 and visionOS 26.1 also went out to on Tuesday.

iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26 release candidates wrap up beta testing

Release candidates are the last step in beta testing, giving third-party software developers and other beta testers one more opportunity to look over the final versions of operating systems before they’re introduced to average users. By introducing these for the full range of its devices — iPhone, Mac, iPad and more — Apple is signaling that the next major upgrades are right around the corner.

Based on years of previous Apple OS releases, the RCs come a week before the full versions go out to users around the world. So the iOS 26.1 launch day could be November 3 or perhaps November 4. The same holds true for macOS Tahoe 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1 and so on.

Toggle off Liquid Glass in iOS 26.1

Liquid Glass is a translucent and fluid new interface in iOS 26 and the latest operating system upgrades for Apple’s other devices. Many elements of the UI go semi-transparent, while clever effects make it seem like users are looking through glass at objects shown on the screen behind the Dock, Control Center and pop-up windows.

While Liquid Glass has plenty of fans, it also has detractors. Those who don’t like it can already turn off Liquid Glass via a change to Accessibility settings.

iOS 26.1 beta 4 made it even simpler, and the change is going into the final version. It’s as easy as going into the Settings app, opening Display & Brightness, tapping on Liquid Glass, and choosing between the Clear or Tinted options.

As Apple says on that screen, “Choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. Clear is more transparent, revealing the content beneath. Tinted increases opacity and adds more contrast.”

This is separate from the “Reduce Transparency” accessibility setting, which makes more dramatic changes to the appearance across the system.

Check our list of what is new in iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 beta 4 for the other major change. It also archives the modifications made in previous betas, including an update to the way alarms are silenced and the return of Slide Over to iPad.

iPhone and Mac release candidates are just for devs

iOS 26.1 RC, macOS Tahoe 26.1 RC, iPadOS 26.1 RC, and so on can be downloaded starting on Monday by registered members of Apple’s developer program.

And those in the Apple Beta Software Program don’t have to wait. They can also test these pre-release versions now as well.

Apple hit a major stock market milestone Tuesday, with its market capitalization surpassing the staggering $4 trillion mark for the first time. Its valuation shot up recently after reports that the new iPhone 17 models are selling well.

But Apple isn’t the first in the $4T club.

Strong iPhone sales boost Apple to $4 trillion market cap

The total value of all Apple shares grew to make it the world’s most valuable publicly traded company for the first time in 2010. Back then, the company’s market cap was roughly $300 billion. Fast forward to today, and Apple’s market capitalization passed $4 trillion, and that only makes it the third most valuable company worldwide.

It’s beaten out by Nvidia (currently $4.7 trillion) and Microsoft ($4.02 trillion). Nvidia makes the chips powering the artificial intelligence revolution, while Microsoft partnered with OpenAI, the company at the forefront of AI software.

In contrast, enthusiasm about artificial intelligence is absolutely not what’s fueling Apple’s recent stock rise. The company’s famously struggling with AI. Instead, Apple’s share price started to surge last week after analysts at Counterpoint Research reported that handset sales after the launch of the iPhone 17 series in the U.S. and China beat the iPhone 16 launch by 14%.

What goes up can come down

The recent run-up of Apple’s share price could be the result of investors realizing they’ve been pessimistic about the company. Alternatively, it could be overoptimism based on an unconfirmed report about iPhone 17 sales coming from analysts.

Apple is scheduled to announce the results of its most recent financial quarter this Thursday. That’ll bring investors’ first official look at how well the latest iPhone is selling. Also, Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Kevan Parekh will hold a conference call with analysts after the results are announced, and a highlight will be a prediction on how strong the company’s revenue will be for the current quarter.

Whether Apple’s market capitalization is above or below $4 trillion on Friday will depend heavily on what company executives say during Thursday’s earnings call.

After years of speculation and false starts, Apple’s ambitious plan to eliminate mechanical buttons from the iPhone may finally become reality in 2027 with the 20th anniversary handset, according to a new report Tuesday. This may be a bit of an adjustment for button lovers, but haptics have their benefits. 

iPhone 20 might replace buttons with haptics

Apple completed functional verification of its solid-state haptics button system and is preparing for mass production on the iPhone 20 (or maybe “XX”) — the device that will mark the 20th anniversary of the revolutionary smartphone — according to Chinese blog Instant Digital. Expectations for iPhone 20 also include a new OLED display. 

The revamp would affect every button on the device. The power button, volume controls, Action button and Camera Control would all transition to solid-state alternatives featuring localized haptic feedback.

Rather than physically moving when pressed, these buttons would simulate the sensation of clicking by producing precise vibrations. That creates a tactile response that mimics traditional buttons while eliminating mechanical components.

A long time coming

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Apple’s button-free ambitions. The project, reportedly code-named “Project Bongo,” was originally slated for the iPhone 15 Pro in 2023 before being canceled late in development. The feature was subsequently rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro before being shelved indefinitely.

However, Instant Digital maintained throughout 2024 that Apple continues actively developing haptic button technology not just for the iPhone, but across its entire product line, including iPad and Apple Watch.

The advantages of solid-state buttons are significant. By eliminating moving parts, Apple can reduce mechanical wear and improve device durability and water resistance.

The technology also enables more sophisticated interactions. Users could differentiate between light and firm presses to trigger different functions, opening new possibilities for gesture-based controls.

Gradual transition

The transition will begin gradually with next year’s iPhone 18, according to Instant Digital. First, Apple will simplify the Camera Control, removing the button’s capacitive sensing layer while retaining pressure sensitivity. Subsequent iterations will incorporate piezoelectric ceramic components to deliver the localized vibration feedback.

The timing aligns with separate rumors suggesting the 20th anniversary iPhone could feature Apple’s most dramatic design overhaul since the iPhone X.

Reports indicate Apple is developing a borderless display that curves around all four edges of the device, creating an uninterrupted glass surface. In such a design, traditional mechanical buttons — which require physical openings in the chassis — would indeed become design liabilities. Solid-state haptic buttons could integrate seamlessly into the frame, preserving the visual continuity Apple appears to pursue.

While the prospect is intriguing, it remains unconfirmed by Apple.

Going hands-on with the new ChatGPT Atlas browser for Mac makes it crystal clear that Safari risks becoming irrelevant. Our browsing habits are evolving fast, and Apple’s browser just isn’t keeping up

For years, Safari has been my go-to browser on the Mac due to its speed and power efficiency. But with Apple falling behind in the artificial intelligence wars, and a new breed of AI-boosted browsers coming on strong, that could change. I went hands-on with ChatGPT Atlas to see what the future of internet browsing looks like.

ChatGPT Atlas hands-on: The browser that actually thinks

Remember the “browser wars,” when Internet Explorer knocked out Netscape Navigator, then went on to battle Firefox and Chrome? Something similar is going on now, with ChatGPT Atlas, Perplexity’s Comet and other AI-enhanced browsers pointing toward a new way of navigating the web.

It’s important to understand that ChatGPT Atlas, released last week by OpenAI, is based on Chromium. That’s the same engine Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge use. And thanks to the common engine, you can install all your favorite Chrome extensions on Atlas. In comparison, Apple uses WebKit for Safari, which offers far fewer extensions.

Since it runs on the same underlying code, OpenAI’s new browser does not aim to stand out due to its speed or efficiency. It aims for something far more impactful — to reshape your browsing experience altogether. Atlas shines thanks to its deep ChatGPT integration, smart page understanding, and seamless links to other GPT tools and browser memories.

While it’s not perfect at this point, it’s definitely impressive. And it undoubtedly offers a glimpse of the AI-augmented web browsing future.

First impressions count

Once you install ChatGPT Atlas and launch it after granting the necessary permissions, you’ll see a tab with the ChatGPT search bar and some search recommendations below it.

If you are a heavy ChatGPT user, Atlas’ deep ChatGPT integration will make you happy. Expanding the sidebar on the left will bring up your past conversations, Codex, GPTs, Library and other controls.

You don’t need to rely on ChatGPT Search for every query. Just like Google, it offers tabs at the top that let you switch between Search, Images, Videos and News results. And within the Search tab, there’s even a handy shortcut at the top that opens your query directly in Google Search.

To start, I asked ChatGPT for gift ideas for a 5-year-old, and it quickly came up with a list of suggestions. Next, I opened Amazon India in another tab and pulled up the ChatGPT sidebar.

When I asked it to remind me of the gift ideas it shared earlier, it did so instantly. Then, instead of manually searching for those items on Amazon, I simply asked ChatGPT to find and link them for me.

Clicking on any link opens it in the same tab, so you can cycle through multiple links quickly. For one Amazon product link, I asked Atlas to summarize all the available reviews, helping me decide if the gift would be worth giving.

And it only gets smarter

The ChatGPT integration in Atlas brings several practical benefits. While working in Google Docs or composing an email, I can summon ChatGPT directly to adjust tone and grammar. Apple Intelligence in Safari already offers similar features, and with Atlas, ChatGPT is joining the club.

But that’s not all — I can also ask Atlas to summarize lengthy documents, draft email replies, and handle everyday writing tasks without switching tabs.

If you are familiar with Safari’s Look Up feature, ChatGPT Atlas offers similar functionality — and it’s more capable. You can highlight any text, right-click on it, and then select Ask ChatGPT. This brings up the sidebar on the right, from where you can ask any contextual question related to the text.

Since Atlas understands context, you can ask ChatGPT anything related to the page currently open, and it will understand everything. Thankfully, you can prevent ChatGPT from seeing certain websites through a toggle in the address bar.

If ChatGPT is already part of your daily workflow, its deep integration into Atlas will help you avoid a lot of unnecessary app switching. 

Atlas browser memories make 

Atlas’ helpful browser memories feature makes mincemeat of competitors’ browsing history functionality. In Safari or Chrome, you can go through your browsing history. But it’s not always possible to remember the exact URL or keyword of a page that you want to recall.

With Atlas, that’s no longer a problem. I simply asked ChatGPT to list all the Amazon product links I had opened while searching for baby gifts, and it pulled them up instantly. And that happened a day or two after my initial search.

With agentic support, I can even ask ChatGPT to place an Amazon order for me. This did not work reliably during my hands-on time with Atlas, but OpenAI will likely iron out the kinks over time. (Note: This feature is only available for ChatGPT Plus, Pro and Business users. The browser itself is available to download and use for free.)

Compared to Atlas, the Agent mode in Perplexity’s Comet browser is faster, smarter and noticeably more reliable. I’ve already made it a part of my routine for handling repetitive tasks.

Where ChatGPT Atlas browser falls short

Hallucination is a big problem with large language models, and ChatGPT is no different. Since Atlas relies on the same LLMs, it suffers from similar problems.

Remember the toy recommendation example above, where I asked ChatGPT to give me Amazon links for some of them? Well, many of those links either led to 404 pages or pointed to completely unrelated products. One of them — the supposed link for Magna-Tiles — actually took me to a makeup remover!

These are all teething troubles, though. As AI and LLMs improve, the experience of using ChatGPT Atlas will only get better.

Custom GPT integration in Atlas is another highlight. However, OpenAI falls short with its execution. You can only use custom GPTs inside a particular tab. Plus, you can’t summon them from the sidebar.

In its current state, ChatGPT Atlas gives us a sneak peek into the future of browsing and how AI will change it.

A question of privacy

There’s one area where I don’t think ChatGPT Atlas can match — or even come close to — Safari: privacy.

For all of Atlas’ impressive functionality, I’m hesitant to log into my personal inbox or other sensitive accounts while using OpenAI’s browser.

Also, given that large language models are trained on massive datasets, I can’t help but worry about how much of my browsing activity might be accessible to OpenAI (even if indirectly, in the name of improving Atlas). OpenAI says that, by default, it won’t “use the content you browse to train our model.”

In contrast, Apple’s long-standing focus on privacy gives me confidence that Safari doesn’t come with the same risks or uncertainty. I might eventually cave in and switch to ChatGPT Atlas as it improves, but for now, I’ll stick to Safari.

Hands-on with ChatGPT Atlas shows Safari is missing the boat on AI browsing

At this point, Apple’s struggles with AI are well-documented. Apple Intelligence hasn’t lived up to the hype, and much now depends on the long-delayed, revamped Siri that Apple plans to launch next year. But with several high-profile executives recently leaving Apple’s AI team, I’m not too optimistic about the company delivering anything groundbreaking.

Safari’s stagnation reflects those same sorts of struggles. As AI begins to reshape how we browse and interact with the web, Apple’s default browser feels increasingly out of step with the times.

Even in the brief hands-on time I’ve had with ChatGPT Atlas, the software shows what the future of browsing could look like: intelligent, context-aware and seamlessly integrated into everyday tasks.

Thankfully, Apple still has time on its hands — but the clock is ticking. It needs to deliver big time with the revamped Siri and Apple Intelligence next year to ensure it does not fall too far behind.

ChatGPT Atlas is available for free download now. It’s currently exclusive to the Mac, although OpenAI said it plans to release iOS, Windows and Android versions soon.

Download: ChatGPT Atlas

Apple’s next budget iPhone — the iPhone 17e — will supposedly feature a Dynamic Island. The iPhone 16e currently sports a notch, the only handset in the company’s lineup to do so. 

Unfortunately, this could be the iPhone 17e’s only display upgrade, as Apple does not plan to update the panel to a 120Hz one.

iPhone 17e should jump on the Dynamic Island bandwagon

Apple ditched the notch in favor of the Dynamic Island, a pill-shaped cutout near the top of the screen that changes its shape and functionality depending on what apps are being used, with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022. The next year, it expanded the display technology to its non-Pro iPhones. This year, it shipped all its iPhones with a 120Hz OLED panel, including the regular iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. 

Reliable Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station now claims in a Weibo post that Apple will bring the Dynamic Island to iPhone 17e next year. But it won’t get a 120Hz panel, like its other siblings. Instead, it will still sport a 6.1-inch 60Hz OLED panel. 

The leaker made a similar claim in August.

Apple typically reuses older components from its iPhones on its budget devices. So, it makes sense for the iPhone 17e to finally get Dynamic Island, as Apple can reuse the same display panels used on the iPhone 15. 

The iPhone 16e debuted in mid-February 2025. All rumors point to the iPhone 17e also arriving around the same time in the first quarter of 2026. Besides a display with Dynamic Island, it should feature an A19 chip. The only other notable upgrade could be the switch to Apple’s in-house C1x modem, which promises faster 5G speeds.

iPhone 18 Pro to keep the same rear camera design

The leaker also thinks the iPhone 18 Pro will feature the same rear camera plateau as seen on the iPhone 17 Pro. That’s hardly surprising — Apple rarely makes major design changes in back-to-back iPhone generations.

Digital Chat Station also claims that the iPhone 18 Pro will get a DSLR-like variable aperture for the primary camera. 

The internet is going crazy over the Apple Vision Pro’s new Dual Knit Band, with AI users creating increasingly fantastical mutant versions of the distinctive-looking strap.

The craze started with people turning the white knit headband into a head-covering hat, but kicked into overdrive after X.com user John Dagdelen posted an image Sunday of a samurai warrior dressed head-to-toe in Vision Pro-inspired armor.

“We are not thinking big enough,” Dagdelen said in his X.com post. Dagdelen, founder of the Fluid operating system for VR headsets, who said he used ChatGPT to create the Vision Pro samurai image.

His AI creation clearly inspired others to think bigger … or at least weirder.

A wild array of AI creations followed, including some that animated Dagdelen’s samurai. The jokesters envisioned all sorts of bizarre designs and uses, from Star Wars characters to high-fashion gowns and handbags. There’s even an automotive design where the lenses make up a car’s front grill and headlights.

“There are some pretty creative ones,” Dagdelen told Cult of Mac.

Apple Vision Pro’s Dual Knit Band goes wild in AI creations

Apple’s pricey Vision Pro headset is once again making cultural waves — but for all the wrong reasons. Rather than gushing reviews about the headset’s technical prowess and innovative user interface, people are teeing off on the Dual Knit Band’s eye-catching design.

The new strap looks like the previous model’s Solo Knit Band, a pleated, off-white headband that looks like something out of a sci-fi flick. The Dual Knit Band adds a second strap that arches over the wearer’s head, making the device more comfortable for many folks who use the heavy headset — and triggering some people who seem appalled by just how much of the wearer’s head it now covers.

The updated Vision Pro, which Apple unveiled earlier this month, runs on an M5 chip, but the Dual Knit Band is the real upgrade. However, the online reaction is reminiscent of when people ridiculed the Vision Pro’s ghostly EyeSight feature after the original headset launched early last year.

As you can see below, onlookers seem to find the improved headband rather amusing. They take the Dual Knit Band to new and surprising places — and always “bigger,” as Dagdelen proposed in his samurai post. (One response simply shows the headset strapped over planet Earth.)

‘We are not thinking big enough’

We are not thinking big enough. https://t.co/9RSdU8q0uL pic.twitter.com/PzSc3yOf5A

— johnd (@jmdagdelen) October 27, 2025

Variations on the warrior theme

Loads of people took Dagdelen’s original samurai theme and ran with it. Animated versions brought it to life. (I guess the sumo version isn’t exactly a riff on the samurai, but hey — Japan!)

 

Hard Look pic.twitter.com/lhEDltIr4E

— Red Dream (@RedDreamSnaps) October 27, 2025

Yes pic.twitter.com/fLbQN2By1R

— Greg Dziemidowicz | MarineVerse (@dziemid) October 27, 2025

Introducing the Apple Vision Pro (Sumo Edition) now with full-body fabric integration pic.twitter.com/HFq3rbzeVU

— James Smythe (@jstjs_) October 27, 2025

pic.twitter.com/JUM4Q2jlQh

— Kabir Sharma (@KabirSharma09) October 27, 2025

Time/Space displacement physicists pic.twitter.com/hLONP2MfmP

— bidth (@bidth44) October 27, 2025

Fashion statements: Vision Pro hat and more

Christian Selig dreamed up the Vision Pro Hat on the day the M5 model debuted. The high-fashion gown, purse and sneakers might actually make it to the runway!

With the Vision Pro getting the dual headband now I just wish they’d fully commit and make a Vision Pro Hat pic.twitter.com/R4QxmBD32M

— Christian Selig (@ChristianSelig) October 15, 2025

This is replaces my previous fave! pic.twitter.com/8gprQDSqmL

— Josh (@jalphonzee) October 27, 2025

Why not?https://t.co/ymNXeT82lM

— Ege (@egeberkina) October 27, 2025

The world is not enough

Now that’s big.

Is this big enough ( 一一) pic.twitter.com/LF79afHIdG

— mayank parnami (@HighBarbarian) October 27, 2025

Star Wars and Halo characters

The Dual Knit Band’s sci-fi look seems like a natural fit for these creations.

Big enough? pic.twitter.com/MIlJsiDHmc

— Arjun (@the_work_of_art) October 27, 2025

so are you. pic.twitter.com/VyNjkgGqIR

— ToolFolio (@toolfolio) October 27, 2025

Michelin man

Giving the classic tire mascot a Vision Pro vibe is genius.

Michelin pic.twitter.com/sr4cFYbd0x

— Emil (@LongDstRunner) October 27, 2025

Spooky …

Is it a mummy or the invisible man? Either way, this look would be just in time for Halloween!

pic.twitter.com/SpP1dAnQ41

— Bushman♡ (@Bushman_01) October 27, 2025

The Vision Pro car

It’s the Apple car we never got.

pic.twitter.com/h8psKdmvsB

— Naveen Krishnareddy (@naveenrajak) October 27, 2025

Vision Pro: Making its mark on culture at last

Ever since Apple released the Vision Pro, we’ve had mixed feelings about the headset. It’s an undeniably magic device — and yet it’s hard to recommend it, due to its high price and its isolating nature.

Perhaps AI-generated craziness like the images inspired by Dagdelen’s provocative post will make the Vision Pro more relatable. After all, there was a time when we couldn’t imagine AirPods not looking ridiculous jammed in people’s ears.

Read more about Vision Pro on Cult of Mac

• M5 Vision Pro is still the ultimate entertainment device [Review]
• M5 Vision Pro’s killer feature is … [The CultCast]
• Spatial computing gets more powerful (and comfortable) with M5 Vision Pro
• Cult of Mac Superguide: Apple Vision Pro

Those clamoring for more professional-grade iPad applications could soon get a quartet of them. An analyst found evidence on Monday that Pixelmator Pro and three more Mac apps for graphics professionals are getting ported to iPadOS.

If true, the move should help quiet the critics who complain that the iPad Pro isn’t very “pro.”

Pixelmator Pro and other pro apps could be headed for iPad

Although the hardware in recent iPad Pro models is very powerful, many say the limiting factor is the software. The new iPadOS 26 lets the tablet look and act much more Mac-like, which should help. But there is undeniably a lack of pro-grade applications for the iPad.

The challenge for graphics professionals is that there are some of the tools they need. The tablet and Apple Pencil make a great combination, to start. Apple released Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad in 2023, while many artists heavily depend on the iPad version of the third-party app Procreate. There are other examples, but the list is far shorter than what’s available for Mac.

Apple could be taking a big step in the right direction by introducing iPadOS versions for four of its Mac applications for creatives.

“I uncovered 4 App Store IDs which I believe are related to upcoming iPad apps for Pixelmator Pro, Compressor, Motion, MainStage,” Aaron Perris posted on X on Monday.

Pixelmator Pro is a powerful image editor that’s currently a Mac exclusive, though iPad users can turn to the scaled-back Pixelmator. Compressor is a tool for Final Cut Pro to help with video conversions,
while MainStage is a tool for Final Cut Pro when handling live performances. Motion lets users create cinematic 2D and 3D titles, fluid transitions and other effects.

While Perris doesn’t have a timeline for when these applications might hit the App Store, he did say, “With the M5 iPads out now and iPadOS 26.1 right around the corner, the timing couldn’t be better for a release.”

Much more progress is possible … and needed

If Perris’ prediction pans out, these four applications should make getting work done easier for graphics professionals who prefer iPad. But that’s a subset of tablet users, of course.

There have been calls for years for Apple to port Xcode to iPadOS, allowing developers to write applications on their tablets. An iPad with an M5 chip packs more than enough power to compile and run apps. Perhaps that should be Apple’s follow-up to the four new pro-grade iPad apps for creatives.

New EarFun Air Pro 4+ noise-canceling earbuds are the world’s first Hi-Res certified dual-driver wireless buds with adaptive noise cancellation under $100, EarFun said Monday. So they offer Apple users a potentially compelling alternative to AirPods Pro at less than half the price.

And a launch discount makes the price even harder to resist. See below. 

EarFun Air Pro 4+ earbuds launch with dual drivers

Air Pro 4+ earbuds, with a list price of $99.99 and a launch price of $74.99 after discounts, combine a 10mm dynamic driver with an ultra-light FeatherBA balanced armature driver. EarFun, known for earbuds as well as over-ear headphones, said driver combo delivers “thunderous bass, crystal-clear highs and balanced mids.”

A dual-driver configuration is typically found in more expensive headphones. That helps make EarFun’s price point notable for iPhone users seeking premium sound quality without AirPods pricing.

Advanced audio architecture designed for clarity

EarFun’s proprietary Nano Side-Fitted Acoustic Architecture (NSAA) positions the two drivers at a precise 11-degree angle to minimize magnetic interference and optimize sound resonance.

According to Rocky Deng, EarFun’s CTO, extensive testing revealed the specific angle reduces high-frequency attenuation. So that results in clearer, more natural treble response while keeping the earbuds lightweight and comfortable.

“This innovation delivers clearer, more natural highs, redefining what’s possible for earbuds under $100,” Deng said in press materials.

Premium codec support for Apple devices

Qualcomm’s QCC3091 chip powers the buds, supporting aptX Lossless and LDAC high-resolution audio codecs, along with Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity. While Apple devices don’t natively support these codecs, the earbuds will still function with standard AAC codec on iPhones and iPads. But Android users may benefit more from the advanced codec support.

The earbuds feature QuietSmart 3.0 adaptive active noise cancellation that suppresses up to 50dB of ambient noise. That’s comparable to Apple’s AirPods Pro. A six-microphone AI-enhanced system handles call quality. And Google Fast Pair — though primarily an Android feature — suggests these earbuds are positioned as cross-platform devices.

Battery life that outpaces AirPods

Battery performance looks excellent, with EarFun claiming up to 54 hours of total playback time with the charging case (36 hours with ANC enabled). This significantly exceeds AirPods Pro’s 30-hour total battery life.

And the case supports wireless charging. It includes fast-charging capability that provides three hours of playback from just 10 minutes of charging.

Award-winning design meets practical durability

Air Pro 4+ has already earned recognition with a 2025 Red Dot Design Award and IFA Innovation Award Honoree status. Several tech publications named the earbuds among the best products at IFA 2025.

EarFun designed the earbuds using data from 10,000 ear models to create what it calls a “3-point ergonomic fit” for extended wear comfort. The IP55 rating provides dust and water resistance suitable for workouts and outdoor use. But that falls slightly short of AirPods Pro’s IP54 rating.

Additional features include ultra-low latency Gaming Mode, Auracast broadcasting and LE Audio connectivity.

You can buy Air Pro 4+ through EarFun’s website and Amazon store. With a 20% off coupon on the product page, and a 5% off extra code — AP4PPR01 — you can pay just $99.99 $74.99. 

Hi-res sound

EarFun Air Pro 4+ Adaptive Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds, Qualcomm aptX Lossless, Snapdragon Sound, Dual Drivers, 6 Mics AI Clear Calls, Hi-Res Sound, LDAC, Bluetooth 6.0 Earbuds, 54H Playtime

$79.99

These adaptive noise cancelling wireless earbuds feature dual drivers, Qualcomm aptX Lossless, Snapdragon Sound, six microphones with AI for clear calls, certified Hi-Res sound, LDAC codec, Bluetooth 6.0 and 54 hours of playtime.

Pros:

• Dual drivers for big sound
• Hi-Res Audio certified
• Long battery life
• Outstanding value

Cons:

• Plasticky build quality
• LDAC codec is only for Android
• No heart rate monitoring

Buy from Amazon

05/24/2026 06:00 am GMT

Buy from: Amazon

The next-generation iPad Pro will almost certainly get an Apple M6 processor for better performance, but Apple will go beyond a new chip to make its next premium tablet even faster: it’ll build in a vapor chamber cooling system, according to a reliable source of insider information.

The change will especially benefit graphic designers who push the GPU in current iPads to its limits.

M6 iPad Pro could sport vapor chamber cooling

There’s more than one way to increase the performance of a computer beyond putting in a faster processor. Processors can get so hot they need to slow down and throttle themselves to prevent meltdown. A cooling system is required.

High-end Macs include a cooling fan, but a fan in a phone or tablet is just silly. The answer Apple turned to instead with the new iPhone 17 Pro models is a vapor chamber heat spreader. This involves a vacuum-sealed enclosure holding a fluid. When the processor generates excessive heat, the liquid inside the chamber vaporizes, moves to cooler areas, and then condenses back into liquid, cooling the chip by moving the heat around.

iPads can run also hot, especially for graphic designers using powerful creativity applications.

“I know some artists have been using external cooling solutions for their iPad Pro for a while now. Procreate, and similar apps, run the GPU hot, and you do get screen dimming and temperature warnings,” noted developer Steve Troughton-Smith on Mastodon.

The problem hasn’t escaped Apple’s attention, and it’s reportedly bringing a familiar cooling solution to its high-end tablet.

“A vapor chamber in the iPad Pro — which is even thinner than the iPad Air — is on the company’s roadmap. Apple is now working on the feature, with plans to integrate it as soon as the next round of updates,” said Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Sunday.

Expect M6 iPad Pro in 2027

The 2025 iPad Pro just launched, bringing a significant performance boost from the Apple M5 processor… but no advanced cooling system.

That’ll apparently wait on the next iteration, which is probably about a year and a half away. The last several iPad Pro upgrades have all launched roughly 18 months after the previous models. That’s a long way away, but graphic designers already dealing with an overheating iPad Pro might nevertheless consider holding off until the M6.    

Apple will reportedly bring ads to Apple Maps — much like it did with the App Store. Efforts to show advertisements to Apple Maps users have supposedly picked up pace within the company.

Apple will let businesses pay to feature their sponsored listings more prominently in its Maps app.

Get ready for ads in Apple Maps

Apple introduced App Store search ads in 2016. This enabled developers to pay a fee to prominently show their listings in App Store search results and on the product page for a specific app.

A report from 2022 also mentioned that Apple plans to show ads inside Apple Maps by 2023. Thankfully, that did not happen, with the company seemingly giving up on the idea temporarily.

But Apple’s plans to bring ads to its Maps app appear to be back on track. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reports in his Power On newsletter that “effort(s) is gaining traction — with a plan to start the ads as early as next year.”

Google already shows similar ads within Maps, enabling businesses to promote their storefronts. Apple’s implementation will seemingly have an edge, as it will supposedly “have a better interface than what Google and other companies offer inside of mapping services.” And the company even plans to use AI to display relevant and useful results.

Apple’s slow slide into ad territory

Longtime Apple fans often criticize Google and Android phones for showing ads in system apps and services. Over the years, though, Apple has taken the same path.

It now aggressively promotes its own services through push notifications and intrusive banners in the Settings app. Ads in Apple Maps will just be an extension of that.

This is despite company executives themselves being at odds over App Store ads, as it was against Apple’s messaging.

The upcoming iOS 26.1 makes it easy to disable Liquid Glass, the translucent, glasslike user interface recently added to the iPhone (and Apple’s other devices). But judging from the results of a poll of Cult of Mac newsletter readers, a large majority of users are quite happy with Liquid Glass.

There’ve been plenty of complaints about the new look, but it seems these are coming from a vocal minority.

Liquid Glass: Apple’s controversial iPhone UI revamp

Liquid Glass is a translucent and fluid new interface in iOS 26 and the latest operating system upgrades for Apple’s other devices. Many elements of the UI go semi-transparent, while clever effects make it seem like users are looking through glass at objects shown on the screen behind the Dock, Control Center and pop-up windows.

Expressive. Delightful. But still instantly familiar.

Introducing our new software design with Liquid Glass. pic.twitter.com/8hA0q2aCTf

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 9, 2025

The new look generated plenty of controversy and very negative posts on social media. Here are just a few examples.

“The glossy bubbles with highlights and shadows bouncing around all over my screen at every touch is not only nauseating to look at, but also impossible to use intuitively,” reads a post on Reddit.

“The new Liquid Glass looks abysmal and is a perfect example of focusing on form/prettiness/design over of functionality/readability/practicality,” said an X user.

And another X user wrote, “Just updated to Liquid Glass and it is genuinely 100x worse than I imagined.”

Apple’s Liquid Glass gets plenty love from Cult of Mac readers

Judging from a recent poll of Cult of Mac Today readers, the criticism isn’t indicative of widespread dislike of Liquid Glass. After the latest iOS 26.1 beta added an option to easily toggle off the new look, the Cult of Mac daily newsletter asked its readers a simple question: “Will you be turning off Liquid Glass?”

The winner with 74.3% of the vote was, “Heck no, I love it !”

In contrast, a mere 10.9% of respondents checked, “Yes, it’s an abomination.”

Obviously, this isn’t a scientific poll, and therefore can’t indicate exactly how iPhone users feel about Liquid Glass. But it does indicate that there’s plenty of love for the new look out there.

Criticism gets overrepresented

Reading about iOS 26 on Reddit, X and other social media platforms, one might get the impression that almost everyone hates Liquid Glass. There is certainly plenty of criticism of it. But that actually says more about human nature than Apple’s user interface.

Negative experiences trigger stronger emotional reactions than positive ones, motivating people to seek an outlet for their frustration. So people who don’t like Liquid Glass go online and vent.

In contrast, satisfied customers often take their positive experiences for granted. Apple designed a beautiful new iOS version, which is exactly what many people expected, so fans of Liquid Glass feel no urgency to share their feelings.

Apple isn’t ignoring the critics

While those who can’t stand Liquid Glass are apparently a minority, Apple isn’t ignoring their opinion. As mentioned, iOS 26.1 will soon let users turn off the new look with a single toggle.

And it’s already possible to deactivate it in the current iOS 26 version. The switch isn’t quite as easy to find, but we can walk you through the process. 

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Griffin gets his hands on the new M5 Vision Pro, and he’s all too happy to share his first impressions about the upgraded headset.

Also on The CultCast:

• The latest iOS beta offers a strange option for people who dislike Liquid Glass.
• New rumors about Apple’s folding iPhone and iPad make both projects sound a bit shaky. And the prices we might pay when these devices finally arrive? Outrageous!
• The Mac mini is one smokin’ machine, and it powers some pretty sweet setups.
• And finally, we field a question from a listener about our Cult of Mac workflows.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

The CultCast No. 722 video

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This week’s top Apple news

On the show this week: Your host, Cult of Mac Publisher and Editor in Chief Leander Kahney (@lkahney), Cult of Mac managing editor Lewis Wallace (@lewiswallace) and Cult of Mac writer D. Griffin Jones (@dgriffinjones).

Here are the headlines we’re talking about on this week’s show:

• Latest iOS 26.1 beta lets users toggle off Liquid Glass
• New rumor details foldable iPhone screen size — and possible delay
• Even Apple realizes a $3,000 foldable iPad is sheer lunacy
• Top 10 mighty Mac mini workstations [Setups]
• Vision Pro owners can get its biggest upgrade for just $99