Welcome to 9to5Mac’s top stories of the week, where we recap the biggest news in the Apple world every Saturday. This week, we have Apple’s new Creator Studio subscription, Apple’s deal with Google for Gemini, and iPhone Fold specs. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

With a new tool called Mobile Apps by Replit, users can describe their idea, let Replit do its thing, and then scan a QR code to test the app on their iPhones. Here are the details.

Apple celebrated today the reopening of its Sainte-Catherine store, where it more than doubled its footprint after being relocated to a revived historic building in downtown Montreal. Here’s a closer look.

Apple is gearing up for one of the most anticipated halftime performances in a while, for a wide variety of reasons. Watch the trailer below.

Apple and New Jersey consumer protection officials have settled a state investigation that found repeated pricing and refund policy violations in Apple stores. Here are the details.

Apple is testing a new design for App Store search ads on iPhone. Some users on iOS 26.3 are noticing that the blue background around sponsored results is no longer shown, blurring the line between what paid ad results look like and the real search results that follow.

This means the only differentiator between organic results and the promoted ad is the presence of the small ‘Ad’ banner next to the app icon. Right now, it appears to be in some kind of A/B test phase.

The VSCO app is adding yet another AI-based feature to help photographers with their workflows: prompt-based image editing. Here’s how it works.

After a tumultuous relationship with Goldman Sachs, Apple reached a deal with JPMorgan Chase to take over Apple Card.

I have a lot of questions about what this means for Apple Card. I’ve laid some of them out below so we can speculate together…

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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OpenAI has announced several important changes to ChatGPT. First, the company says it is rolling out its more affordable ChatGPT Go plan in the United States for $8 per month. OpenAI also confirmed it will soon start testing ads in ChatGPT …

Our Friday edition 9to5Toys Lunch Break is ready and waiting below starting off with a giant $699 price drop on this M4 iPad Pro model over at Amazon. We have also highlighted up to $200 in savings on Apple’s most affordable current-generation Mac releases for folks looking towards a less pricey upgrade for 2026 starting at $499. From there, the black Apple Watch Ultra 2 with Milanese Loop is live with hundreds in savings, AirPods Max is nearly $100 off, select Apple Studio Displays are up to $237 off, we have loads of charging gear deals, and more waiting below. 

The first rumors about what to expect from this year’s iOS 27 update are here. The update will reportedly bring a focus on stability improvements and bug fixes, with some big new Apple Intelligence features sprinkled in. Here’s everything we know so far about new iOS 27 features, the update’s release date, and more.

Apple’s Always On Display has been fairly consistent since it debuted on iPhone 14 Pro. With iOS 26, Apple quietly changed how it works in a way that may not be obvious.

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In this episode, I sit down with Jaron Bradley, author and Director at Jamf Threat Labs, to briefly explore the evolution of Apple security and threats over the last decade. In particular we discuss, the reason for infostealer’s historic breakout as one of the most popular forms of malware and how AI is being used in the hands of attackers (and defenders too). Jaron also shares his 2026 threat outlook.

Apple is widely expected to release a major overhaul of the MacBook Pro later this year or in early 2027. Among the many changes expected with this refresh is new OLED display technology.

A new rumor today indicates that Apple’s partner Samsung Display has kicked off mass production of the OLED screen destined for the new MacBook Pro ahead of schedule.

In the space of one week, we have seen the transformation of our expectations for the new Siri. Instead of having to wait for Apple to catch up with OpenAI and Google, we now need only to wait for the company to tweak the existing Gemini models.

While that is indeed a dramatic turnaround, we still shouldn’t expect overnight miracles from the new Siri whenever it does now launch …

In a new investor note, analyst Jeff Pu reiterated that the upcoming iPhone Fold will rely on Touch ID rather than Face ID, and listed hardware details for all iPhone 18 models expected in 2026. Here are the details.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has reportedly given Apple a final warning after more than a year of delayed responses in an ongoing antitrust investigation. Here are the details.

New campaign gives Shohei Ohtani’s larger-than-life status a whole new meaning. Here are the details.

Untitled Apple TV project will also see Dakota Fanning (All Her Fault) serve as executive producer alongside her sister, Elle Fanning (A Rainy Day in New York). Here’s what it’s about.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Stuff: Stuff helps you get everything out of your head and into a simple, elegant system—closing open loops and reducing mental stress. Use code 9TO5 at checkout for 50% off your first year.

SmallRig isn’t a new name for creators; we’ve featured a few of their products across the 9to5 network. But at CES 2026, SmallRig has released something that, in my opinion, will elevate them even further in the creator space. Let’s take a look at the SmallRig S70 mic kit.

The South Korean government has officially denied Elon Musk’s request for documents from the Kakao super app in xAI’s lawsuit against Apple. Here are the details.

Apple might release iOS 26.2.1 any day now with bug fixes, but the next iPhone update packing new features will be iOS 26.3. Here’s the expected iOS 26.3 release date.