This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: new iPhone Fold specs, rumored Mac launches, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

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Fresh off its Apple TV press day announcements, the company just confirmed the acquisition of the global rights to “The Last First: Winter K2,“ a Sundance Film Festival selection documentary. Here’s what to expect.

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The European Commission today said it found that Apple Maps and Apple Ads should not be designated as "gateways" under the EU's Digital Markets Act.


In a press release, the European Commission said that Apple Maps and Apple Ads are not big enough individually to qualify as "important gateways between business users and end users," and therefore the platforms will not be subject to stricter regulations. This follows an investigation that began in late November.

"This assessment is based on a number of considerations, including that Apple Maps has a relatively low overall usage rate in the EU, and that Apple Ads has very limited scale in the online advertising sector in the EU," the European Commission said.

Apple as a whole is still considered a "gatekeeper" under the Digital Markets Act.

Apple Ads and Apple Maps will have more in common soon, as Apple reportedly plans to start showing ads within Apple Maps search results as soon as this year.
This article, "EU Spares Apple Maps and Apple Ads" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.


"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart sing. It really does. I promise some celebration."

Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, so the company will celebrate its 50th anniversary in a little less than two months from now.

From near-bankruptcy in the late 1990s to becoming the world's most valuable public company in the early 2010s, Apple has been through a series of highs and lows over the past half century. The company just reported an all-time revenue record last quarter, driven by all-time high iPhone sales, so the company has come a long way.

We will be sure to have in-depth coverage of whatever Apple has in store for its 50th.
This article, "Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Tim Cook held an all-hands meeting with Apple staff earlier today, and as reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the CEO hinted at “new categories of products and services” coming that would be enabled by AI. Here’s what he said.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook held an all-hands meeting today, during which he fielded questions from Apple employees and touched on key topics including immigration in the United States.

As reported by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, succession is another topic that came up during the meeting.

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As is tradition with any new Apple product, iFixit has published a teardown of the new AirTag, released last week. Here’s what they found.

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Bloomberg reports that Tim Cook held an all-hands meeting with Apple employees today to address fears about immigration and deportation. Here are the details.

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Benjamin and Chance speculate on Apple’s mysterious acquisition of Q.ai, the company’s second biggest acquisition ever. The iPhone 17 is a veritable smash hit, leading to an all-time quarterly earnings record. And Apple redesigns the order flow for buying a new Mac, with new MacBooks just around the corner. 

And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin realizes he has some overdue spring-cleaning to do on his Desktop folder. 

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In an all-hands meeting with employees today, Apple CEO Tim Cook promised to lobby the U.S. government on immigration, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Cook said he is "deeply distraught" with the U.S. government's current approach to immigration, and he promised to make his voice heard on the matter, the report said.

"For as long as I can remember, we have been a smarter, wiser, more innovative company because we've attracted the best and brightest from all corners of the world," Cook told employees, according to the report. Cook ensured that he would "continue to lobby lawmakers on this issue" going forward, per the report.

Cook said immigration is especially important to Apple because the company has "team members across the U.S. on some form of visa," the report said.

Cook also reiterated his support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.

In a memo last month, Cook said he was "heartbroken" about recent events in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after two people were killed by U.S. federal immigration agents there. The killings stoked public outcry in the country.

"This is a time for deescalation," said Cook, in the memo. "I believe America is strongest when we live up to our highest ideals, when we treat everyone with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where they're from, and when we embrace our shared humanity. This is something Apple has always advocated for."
This article, "Apple CEO Tim Cook Promises to Lobby U.S. Government on Immigration" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In the digital age, memories are the most valuable thing we save and share. This year, pCloud is offering a way to secure those moments forever with a massive Valentine’s Day promotion for their Lifetime Cloud Storage plans.

From February 5 through February 17, 2026, 9to5Mac readers can save over 50% on pCloud’s 1TB, 2TB, and 10TB Lifetime plans. It’s the perfect opportunity to pay once and protect your data for life.

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Peacock is about to air two of the biggest TV events of the year: the Super Bowl and the Olympics. And if you’re an Apple TV subscriber, you can add on Peacock for only $2/month. Here are the details.

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Anthropic has announced its latest AI model with Claude Opus 4.6. The new version arrives just two months after the previous model upgrade.

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Apple once had ambitions of building an electric car, and during that period, per a new interview with Elon Musk, the company was “relentlessly” trying to poach Tesla employees.

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Japanese blog Mac Otakara today shared some alleged details about the iPhone 17e and iPad 12, which are both expected to be released within the next few months.


In February 2025, Apple discontinued the iPhone SE and released a new entry-level iPhone 16e. The device features a 6.1-inch OLED display, an A18 chip, Apple Intelligence, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, an Action button, a USB-C port, and more. The iPhone 17e would be the follow-up, spec-bumped model.

According to the report, which cites "reliable sources," the iPhone 17e will have a similar overall design as the iPhone 16e. While some previous rumors indicated that the iPhone 17e would have a Dynamic Island, the report said this information is not true and that the device will continue to have a notch like the iPhone 16e.

The publication expects three key upgrades for the iPhone 17e:

• A19 chip: This one is no big surprise, but the iPhone 17e is expected to be powered by Apple's A19 chip, up from the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e. This upgrade will result in faster performance and power efficiency improvements.


• C1X modem: Apple says its second-generation C1X modem for 5G and LTE is up to twice as fast as its first-generation C1 modem in the iPhone 16e. Apple also says the C1X is the most power-efficient modem in an iPhone to date.


• N1 chip: Like the iPhone Air, the report said the iPhone 17e will be equipped with Apple's N1 chip for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread. In the iPhone Air, the N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and Apple says the chip improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.

As for the iPad 12, the report said that device will likely have a similar design as the iPad 11, but with a newer A18 chip that supports Apple Intelligence. That means the iPad 12 would have 8GB of RAM, up from 6GB in the iPad 11.


A separate report from Macwelt, available in English on Macworld, cites a source who said that Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e with a press release on an unusual date: Thursday, February 19. The publication agreed that the iPhone 17e will not have a Dynamic Island, but they do expect the device to feature MagSafe, as previously rumored.

• MagSafe: Unlike the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e will reportedly feature MagSafe for up to 20W-25W magnetic wireless charging. The iPhone 16e is limited to Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W speeds. You would also be able to magnetically attach accessories like Apple's MagSafe Wallet to the back of the iPhone 17e.

Macwelt added that the iPhone 17e will still have a single rear camera.

Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil new products on a Thursday, but anything is possible.

No other major changes have been rumored so far, so the iPhone 17e's overall design and other specs should be similar to the iPhone 16e. In the U.S., the iPhone 16e starts at $599, but there is no word yet on how much the iPhone 17e will cost.
This article, "iPhone 17e and iPad 12 Features and Release Date Rumors Surface in Two New Reports" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has been forced to make a lot of region-specific changes to the iPhone and iOS in the EU due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). But the company just received good news from the EU commission regarding the DMA’s impact on two key services: Apple Maps and Ads.

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Apple has a brand new Home product—potentially called ‘HomePad’ or ‘HomePod Touch’—that’s reportedly launching this spring. And out of the many products Apple has coming in the next few months, HomePad is easily the one I want most.

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Apple expanded its lead in the global tablet market in late 2025 as overall shipments rebounded, according to new research from Omdia.


Global tablet shipments reportedly reached 162 million units in 2025, representing 9.8% year-over-year growth. The research firm said the strongest momentum occurred during the holiday quarter, when shipments reached 44 million units, also up 9.8% compared to the same quarter a year earlier. Omdia described the annual total as the highest shipment volume recorded since the surge in demand seen in 2020, partly caused by anticipation of memory supply constraints.

Apple was a key contributor to the market's late-year growth. Omdia says that Apple shipped 19.6 million iPads in the fourth quarter of 2025, representing a 16.5% year-over-year increase. The firm said this performance was driven by strong demand for the 11th-generation iPad and the M5 iPad Pro.

The fourth-quarter results increased Apple's market share to 44.9%. This placed Apple well ahead of other tablet vendors during the holiday quarter, with Samsung at 14.7%, Lenovo at 8.8%, Huawei at 6.9%, and Xiaomi at 6.4%. Other manufacturers collectively accounted for the remaining 18.3% of shipments.

The report also highlighted changes in how tablets are expected to be positioned in the coming years, including greater emphasis on ecosystem integration and artificial intelligence features:

On the product side, we expect a shift in how tablets are positioned and marketed, with vendors framing them as ecosystem-centric devices in a more controlled demand environment. This includes the introduction of cross-OS functionality and a focus on AI-driven experiences. Recent examples include Lenovo's Qira, which operates across Windows and Android to deliver a more seamless user experience and reduce friction between AI assistants. In addition, the collaboration between Apple and Google to use Gemini for future Apple Intelligence features represents a positive step forward for the generative AI ecosystem across its device portfolio, including iPads.

Regional performance varied across the year. Omdia said Central and Eastern Europe recorded the fastest growth in 2025, followed by Asia Pacific. All regions experienced double-digit growth except North America, where vendor and retail discounting helped offset an otherwise declining trend during the holiday season.
This article, "iPad Demand Surges as Apple Strengthens Grip on Tablet Market" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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You might have noticed that over the last several years, more and more companies have shifted to a subscription model for their products and services, and Apple has slowly begun to follow suit. As Apple hardware continues to improve, customers are keeping their devices for longer. Meaning that Apple is earning less per customer on their hardware purchases. This has pushed Apple to add more products to its services. Today, Apple offers subscriptions like cloud storage, media, productivity tools, AppleCare, and now products like Creator Studio. This suggests the company is willing to expand subscriptions into areas that were traditionally one-time purchases, a trend that we need to keep a close eye on. The easiest way to see how far Apple has leaned into subscriptions is to simply lay out everything the company currently offers.

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We were so busy covering Apple's earnings call last Thursday that iFixit's AirTag 2 teardown video that afternoon went under our radar until now.


For those who have yet to watch the video, iFixit opens up the AirTag 2 and reveals what is new inside, including a redesigned speaker that is up to 50% louder than the one in the previous AirTag, according to Apple. The teardown also provides a look at the AirTag 2's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip and more.

The overall design of the AirTag 2 is similar to the original version of the item tracking accessory.


While a previous teardown showed that it is more difficult to remove the speaker in the AirTag 2, compared to the one in the original AirTag, iFixit was still able to disable the speaker's audible chime with the use of a soldering gun.

For those who are not familiar, the AirTag is a small accessory that you can attach to your backpack, keys, or other items. Then, you can track the location of those items in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com.

Apple released the new AirTag last month. In addition to the louder speaker, Precision Finding works up to 50% farther away from an item compared to the previous-generation model, and the overall Bluetooth tracking range is also improved.

Related Reading: AirTag 2 Hands-On: What's New and Should You Upgrade?
This article, "iFixit Shares AirTag 2 Teardown, Here's What's New" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Alongside the ongoing $100 price drops on all Apple Watch Series 11 models, today we are turning our attention to iPad. The most affordable iPad mini is $100 off in all four colors while we also spotted a chance to land the least pricey M5 iPad Pro you can buy at $230 off the list price. Those deals also join some notable accessory offers, including Apple Solo Bands from $15, a major discount on ZAGG’s Pro Keys 2 for M4/M5 iPad Pro at $65 (57% off), Powerbeats Pro 2 up to $114 off, and more. Scope it all out below.

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While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another seven months or so, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.


It was initially reported that iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that the devices will have only partially under-screen Face ID, which will result in a narrower Dynamic Island area.

Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of February 2026:

1. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras


2. More power-efficient LTPO+ displays


3. A narrower Dynamic Island, resulting from Face ID being partially under the screen


4. Variable aperture for at least one rear camera


5. A20 Pro chip manufactured with TSMC's 2nm process and new packaging technology


6. A simplified Camera Control button with no swipe gestures


7. Design changes to the rear Ceramic Shield for MagSafe charging, potentially including a more frosted glass appearance


8. Apple-designed C1X or C2 modem for 5G/LTE cellular connectivity


9. Apple-designed N1 chip or newer for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread


10. Web browsing via satellite


11. New color options under consideration: burgundy, brown, or purple


12. iPhone 18 Pro Max may be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, perhaps to accommodate a larger battery

Bookmark our iPhone 18 roundup to stay on top of future rumors.
This article, "What to Expect From the iPhone 18 Pro After the Latest Rumor Reversal" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The iOS 26.3 RC debuted yesterday, which means the first iOS 26.4 beta will be dropping soon too. Here is every rumored new feature that iOS 26.4 is expected to bring.

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