Apple news

• Hello Developer: January 2026

  06-01-2026 18:00 via developer.apple.com
  We‘re hitting the ground running in 2026. In this edition:
  A special SwiftUI activity in Cupertino.
  More ways to connect with us about Liquid Glass.
  A snappy video recap of Apple design resources.
  All-new Develop in Swift Tutorials.
  A new article about taking full advantage of foundation models.
  Read the full story
  
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• Your iPhone 15 Pro Can Access Apple's Visual Intelligence. Here's How

  14-01-2026 12:01 via cnet.com
  You don't need an iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 to access this Apple Intelligence feature.
  
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• Thinking About Upgrading to an iPhone? Make Sure You Check Out These Deals to Save Hundreds

  14-01-2026 11:23 via cnet.com
  The right deal can cut hundreds off your next iPhone or even cover the full cost, so we've rounded up the best.
  
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• How to master the Camera app on iPhone Air

  14-01-2026 05:06 via appleinsider.com
  With one camera, it's more important than ever to know every tip and trick to help you get the best photos and videos on iPhone Air. Let's take a look at everything you need to know to master the Camera app.
  The iPhone Air has a single rear-facing camera
  On the iPhone Air, there is a single 48MP rear-facing camera. It's similar to the primary camera on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.Flipping the phone over reveals an additional front-facing camera. This Center Stage camera p
  
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• Increasing AI demands causing supply chain bottleneck for crucial iPhone components

  14-01-2026 04:52 via appleinsider.com
  Apple's supply chain and its efficiency may be the envy of the world, but even it is being constrained thanks to a sole supplier seeing increasing demand from AI companies.
  Future iPhones could see supply constraints thanks to increasing industry-wide component demands
  One of the most important successes of CEO Tim Cook is Apple's supply chain, but some components that meet Apple's quality standards are still hard to get. Its strength was exhibited by Apple's resilience through COVID and recent
  
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• Gemini-trained Apple Intelligence will work like other LLMs, says unsurprising report

  14-01-2026 03:15 via appleinsider.com
  Insider sources have confirmed what everyone already knew — Apple Foundation Models trained by Google Gemini will have LLM features seen in other AI tools.
  Siri's LLM backend will have been trained by a Gemini model
  As artificial intelligence spreads into more available chatbots and software features, consumers have become familiar with what basic features these tools should provide. Even though Apple has already shared what its personalized Siri and Apple Intelligence features would do, o
  
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• GameSir X5s controller review: A bargain basement way ditch touch controls

  14-01-2026 02:01 via appleinsider.com
  The GameSir X5s is one of the cheapest ways to connect a controller to your iPhone, and is worth consideration even with all of the compromises baked in.
  GameSir X5s review: Playing console-quality games on an iPhone never gets old
  When I say that the X5s is one of the cheapest controllers around, I'm not joking. At just $50, it's easily the least costly iPhone controller I've used.With that in mind, I went into my time with the GameSir X5s with low expectations. I was concerned that the gaming
  
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• First Apple Immersive NBA Lakers game available for free viewing on Apple Vision Pro

  14-01-2026 00:50 via appleinsider.com
  The Bucks at Lakers game that took place on January 9 has been released in full for Apple Vision Pro in immersive video format, and all you need is the NBA app.
  Apple Immersive Video comes to live sports
  One of the more clear use cases for Apple Vision Pro near its launch was immersive video sports events. It has taken nearly two years to get there, but the availability of the expensive cameras and a network willing to broadcast the format has finally allowed a live professional sport to broadca
  
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• Pixelmator is dead, long live Pixelmator Pro

  13-01-2026 21:58 via appleinsider.com
  Apple has quietly clarified the future of Pixelmator's decade-old iPad app, confirming that while it still works, its days of active development are over.
  Pixelmator's days are numbered
  On Tuesday, Apple announced that Pixelmator Pro would be coming to iPad. That left many wondering about the fate of Pixelmator Pro's diminutive counterpart, Pixelmator.Scrolling all the way to the bottom of Apple's Pixelmator Pro page gives us a glimpse into the fate of Pixelmator — which it refers to as "P
  
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• AirPods Pro 3 just got a new firmware update

  13-01-2026 21:42 via appleinsider.com
  A new firmware update for the AirPods Pro 3 has been released, though there are currently no details about its contents.
  Apple's AirPods Pro 3 have received another firmware update.
  On Tuesday, following the release of the second iOS 26.3 developer beta, Apple issued a firmware update for the AirPods Pro 3. The firmware update increases the build number to 8B34, up from the previous 8B30.The 8B34 firmware update is available only for AirPods Pro 3 and will not be released for AirPods Max or othe
  
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• Pick up Apple's MacBook Air at up to $600 off, with prices as low as $599

  13-01-2026 20:05 via appleinsider.com
  MacBook Air discounts deliver prices as low as $599, with standard and upgraded models up to $600 off.
  Save up to $600 on MacBook Air laptops this week - Image credit: Apple
  Apple's MacBook Air is a popular choice among consumers due to its budget-friendly price and thin-and-light design — and retailers are discounting current and closeout models by up to $600.Save up to $600 on MacBook Air
  Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
  
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• iOS 26.3 Could Support End-to-End Encrypted RCS Messaging on Your iPhone

  13-01-2026 19:31 via cnet.com
  The upcoming iPhone update could also make it easy to switch from iPhone to an Android device.
  
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• Apple Vision Pro could gain an Apple Pencil-like controller

  13-01-2026 19:03 via appleinsider.com
  Despite Apple emphasizing that the Apple Vision Pro does not require any kind of handheld controller, it is researching how to make an Apple Pencil for it that will have virtual brush tips, seen only by the wearer.
  Either a very chunky Apple Pencil or someone can't draw to scale very well
  The Apple Pencil lineup has been accused of being confusing for consumers to pick from, but at least the whole range is similar. Apple's proposal looks like an oversized, chunky addition - but it's meant to be
  
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• Apple Creator Studio is a boon and a bargain -- but is far from being for everyone

  13-01-2026 18:07 via appleinsider.com
  The forthcoming Apple Creator Studio adds features iPad users have long wished for, and for a certain audience, it also makes using Apple's pro apps more affordable.
  All of the apps in Apple's Creator Studio — image credit: Apple
  Apple Creator Studio is a new subscription bundle that for $12.99 per month, or $129 per year, offers iPad and Mac users one price for a slew of pro creative tools. It's just that you may already have some, or that you may never use all of themIt's complicated, an
  
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• Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple will get serious about AI server chips in 2026

  13-01-2026 17:51 via appleinsider.com
  Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo insists Apple will double down on artificial intelligence, by mass-producing specialized AI server chips in 2026 and filling new AI data centers with it in 2027.
  nside Apple's R&D center in Austin, Texas - |mage credit: Apple
  Artificial Intelligence is a big part of the modern tech landscape, and Apple is no different to others in spending heavily in the field. Part of that expenditure is on servers and infrastructure, and Apple's efforts will be quite visible in the com
  
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• 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' season two release date set for late February

  13-01-2026 17:41 via appleinsider.com
  Season two of "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" will premiere in late February on Apple TV, introducing a new Titan alongside Godzilla and Kong.
  "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters"
  The second season continues Apple TV's expansion of the Monsterverse, a franchise Apple has positioned as a long-term streaming anchor. The series remains one of the platform's few large-scale effects-driven dramas produced exclusively for Apple TV.Season two consists of 10 episodes. The premiere will be on February 27, with we
  
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• Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are still (mostly) free, but we don't like the trend

  13-01-2026 16:55 via appleinsider.com
  Apple's upcoming Creator Studio subscription adds paid features to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, and we can see the future having a bigger shift in how it treats long-time free apps.
  Apple is bringing paid features to its iWork apps
  On Tuesday, Apple announced the launch of Apple Creator Studio, a new monthly subscription that gives users access to a host of creativity and production apps. Priced at $12.99 a month — or $129 a year — users get access to Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Pi
  
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• End-to-end encryption for RCS messages surfaces in iOS 26.3 beta

  13-01-2026 16:26 via appleinsider.com
  Code hints in the latest iOS 26.3 developer beta indicate end-to-end encryption is finally coming to RCS messaging on iOS.
  RCS is already in the Messages app, but end-to-end encryption should join it soon.In March 2025, Apple and the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standards body GSMA announced that there would be end-to-end encryption support for RCS messaging on iOS. Almost a year later, there are signs that it is finally being implemented.A post on X by French developer Tiino-X83 on Monday
  
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• Pixelmator Pro isn't dead, and is coming to iPad

  13-01-2026 15:51 via appleinsider.com
  Pixelmator Pro is being enhanced with an iPad version, Apple has confirmed, with a tablet version of the app coming as part of the Apple Creator Studio.
  Pixelmator Pro on iPad - Image Credit: Apple
  Apple acquired the team behind Pixelmator Pro in late 2024, but aside from some feature updates in June, it seemed like Apple hadn't done much to the art app. On Tuesday, Apple confirmed that big changes are on the way.Forming part of the new Apple Creator Studio, Pixelmator Pro is promoted as a key i
  
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• Apple Creator Studio brings new apps, features, and subscription pricing to Mac and iPad

  13-01-2026 15:39 via appleinsider.com
  The much-anticipated Apple Creator Studio has been revealed, and it is a subscription service that brings Pixelmator Pro to the iPad, in a bundle with Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and more.
  One much wanted feature is that Pixelmator Pro is coming to the iPad — image credit: Apple
  Apple Creator Studio was first rumored in November 2025, but something of the sort has been hoped for since Apple bought Pixelmator Pro in November 2024. The chief hope was that this image editor would finally come t
  
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• You can't read much into Mac sales shipment data, but IDC keeps trying

  13-01-2026 15:10 via appleinsider.com
  In a comparison between 2024 and 2025, IDC claims that Apple's Mac had the least sales growth of all PC vendors. While that may be true, the report lacks context.
  14-inch MacBook Pro
  Market research firm IDC has now been running for over 60 years, yet at times its reports are more like guesswork. In all fairness, they practically have to be since it's now just over seven years since Apple reported sales volumes by unit.Prior to that, Apple reported actual sales while most firms revealed the numb
  
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• 'Are You Dead?' iOS app helps lonely people stay safe in China

  13-01-2026 14:38 via appleinsider.com
  The morbidly-named "Are You Dead?" has topped the App Store in China, as a way for people living alone to get some help if they don't check in every day. Here's how it works.
  Are You Dead/Demumu is in the App Store
  The continuing advancement of technology has made it simultaneously easier to make contact with people and to become lonelier than ever. One app in China has attempted to combat the worst elements of solitude by giving families minimal reassurance about their loved ones.Demumu, also k
  
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• Apple Santa Rosa Plaza to move to larger location -- again

  13-01-2026 13:13 via appleinsider.com
  Continuing Apple's program of relocating stores to larger premises, Apple Santa Rosa Plaza is moving to nearby Montgomery Village.
  The current Apple Santa Rosa Plaza — image credit: Apple
  As part of its four-year plan of opening or renovating stores around the world, Apple has been moving ones in the US, the UK, and Japan, to larger premises. Now its Santa Rosa Plaza store in California is the latest to move, with a new and larger site opening on January 23, 2026.It's the second such move
  
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• How to import and export Markdown with Apple Notes in iOS 26

  13-01-2026 05:01 via appleinsider.com
  Apple Notes iOS 26 iPhones can import and export Markdown-formatted documents, offering an easy way to move plain text to other apps and services.
  Getting Markdown in and out of Notes is incredibly easy with iOS 26
  The Notes app has come preinstalled on all iPhones since the first one launched in 2007. But in recent years, it's received some significant updates, and the release of iOS 26 was no different.One of the key updates means that people who write in Markdown can now more easily import an
  
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• No, Google Gemini will not be taking over your iPhone, Apple Intelligence, or Siri

  13-01-2026 00:01 via appleinsider.com
  A lot of Apple faithful are angry about Google AI slop invading their devices, claiming that Siri will be run by Gemini, and Google will get a boatload of user data — and none of that is true. Here's what's really going on.
  Google Gemini will be used as a new foundation for Apple's AI strategy
  Apple's original launch of a more personal Siri and Apple Intelligence powered by app intents was delayed due to an admitted problem with their initial approach. Doom and gloom headlines persisted si
  
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• Forget M1, M4 is the dominant Apple Silicon chip on Steam

  12-01-2026 22:45 via appleinsider.com
  Nearly one in five Mac gamers on Steam are using systems powered by Apple's M4 chip, according to actual user data provided by Valve.
  The M4 is the most popular Apple Silicon chip among Mac gamers with Steam.
  The M4 chip debuted in the iPad Pro back in May 2024, before eventually expanding to nearly the entire Mac lineup. Though it has since been replaced by the M5 chip in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, the M4 remains the most popular Apple Silicon chip among Steam gamers.According to Steam's monthly
  
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• Protect Your iPhone From Potential Attacks by Downloading iOS 26.2 Now

  12-01-2026 21:20 via cnet.com
  The update also upgrades the music, podcast and news apps, and it gives your iPhone more Liquid Glass options.
  
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• iOS 26 adoption isn't record-breaking, but reports of extremely low rates are flawed

  12-01-2026 20:59 via appleinsider.com
  Recent reports about low iOS 26 adoption failed to pick up on a crucial mistake with the source data. It's a reminder to be careful about third-party sources for Apple statistics.
  Safari user agent data caused inaccuracies in iOS 26 adoption reports
  An early January report claimed that Apple is struggling to get people to upgrade their devices to iOS 26. It's a story that seemed to have come from a reputable source of data, and it quickly spread across the Apple news sites.However, it seems that
  
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• Apple's Mac mini dips to $499, plus save $150 on M4 Pro desktop with coupon

  12-01-2026 20:41 via appleinsider.com
  Today's top Mac mini deals include online prices from $499, along with a hidden discount on Apple's M4 Pro model.
  Grab a Mac mini for as low as $499.99 today.
  If you're looking for the lowest online M4 Mac mini price, Amazon has the standard 10-core M4/16GB/256GB spec on sale for $499.99 today, reflecting a $100 discount off retail.Buy M4 Mac mini for $499.99
  Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
  
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• Don't Delete Old Photos to Free Up Space on Your iPhone. Change These Settings Instead

  12-01-2026 20:15 via cnet.com
  Tweaking these settings can deliver storage space on your iPhone without deleting photos or videos.
  
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