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.

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Just two months after updating the trade-in values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, Apple has once again adjusted its maximum payout table for most products, with a few welcome surprises. Here are the details.

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Apple Intelligence first launched in 2024, but it’s increasingly looking like 2026 will be a far more important year for the AI platform. And it all starts with ‘Siri 2.0’ coming this spring.

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Benjamin and Chance discuss the implications for Siri and the wider Apple ecosystem now that the Gemini deal is officially signed, and guess when we’ll start seeing the first new features ship. Also, they weigh up the appeal of the new Apple Creator Studio bundle, and Chance got to watch basketball courtside through his Vision Pro.

And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo discuss the dependability of iCloud as a backup of your data, and what other backup strategies they recommend to use. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26.

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Following regulatory scrutiny, Meta has confirmed that the third-party LLM ban on WhatsApp won’t apply to users in Italy and Brazil. Here are the details.

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Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store.


The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased.

iPhone

iPhone Model	New Values	Old Values
iPhone 16 Pro Max	Up to $650	Up to $670
iPhone 16 Pro	Up to $530	Up to $550
iPhone 16 Plus	Up to $440	Up to $450
iPhone 16	Up to $410	Up to $420
iPhone 15 Pro Max	Up to $450	Up to $470
iPhone 15 Pro	Up to $380	Up to $400
iPhone 15 Plus	Up to $320	Up to $330
iPhone 15	Up to $300	Up to $310
iPhone 14 Pro Max	Up to $350	Up to $370
iPhone 14 Pro	Up to $280	Up to $300
iPhone 14 Plus	Up to $230	Up to $240
iPhone 14	Up to $210	Up to $220
iPhone SE (3rd generation)	Up to $80	Up to $80
iPhone 13 Pro Max	Up to $280	Up to $300
iPhone 13 Pro	Up to $230	Up to $230
iPhone 13	Up to $180	Up to $180
iPhone 13 mini	Up to $140	Up to $150
iPhone 12 Pro Max	Up to $210	Up to $220
iPhone 12 Pro	Up to $160	Up to $160
iPhone 12	Up to $120	Up to $130
iPhone 12 mini	Up to $80	Up to $90
iPhone SE (2nd generation)	Up to $50	Up to $50
iPhone 11 Pro Max	Up to $140	Up to $150
iPhone 11 Pro	Up to $120	Up to $130
iPhone 11	Up to $100	Up to $100
iPhone XS Max	Up to $90	Up to $100
iPhone XS	Up to $70	Up to $70
iPhone XR	Up to $80	Up to $80
iPhone X	Up to $60	Up to $60
iPhone 8 Plus	Up to $50	Up to $50
iPhone 8	Up to $40	Up to $40

iPad

iPad Model	New Values	Old Values
iPad Pro	Up to $685	Up to $695
iPad Air	Up to $400	Up to $415
iPad	Up to $170	Up to $175
iPad mini	Up to $255	Up to $255

Mac

Mac Model	New Values	Old Values
MacBook Pro	Up to $2,515	Up to $760
MacBook Air	Up to $900	Up to $540
iMac	Up to $875	Up to $375
iMac Pro	Up to $325	Up to $240
Mac mini	Up to $340	Up to $380
Mac Studio	Up to $1,030	Up to $1,030
Mac Pro	Up to $3,215	Up to $2,520

It is unclear why many of the previous Mac trade-in values were so low. The current values seem more realistic.

Apple Watch

Apple Watch Model	New Values	Old Values
Apple Watch Series 10	Up to $150	Up to $160
Apple Watch Ultra 2	Up to $335	Up to $335
Apple Watch Series 9	Up to $115	Up to $125
Apple Watch Ultra	Up to $225	Up to $245
Apple Watch Series 8	Up to $85	Up to $95
Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)	Up to $55	Up to $60
Apple Watch Series 7	Up to $60	Up to $65
Apple Watch Series 6	Up to $45	Up to $50
Apple Watch SE (1st generation)	Up to $30	Up to $30
Apple Watch Series 5	Up to $25	Up to $25

Apple also adjusted its trade-in values for select Android smartphones.
This article, "Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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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: iPhone 18 display leaks, Siri’s Gemini tidbits, and iPhone Air 2 upgrades. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

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


Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 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. Under-screen Face ID (rumored by multiple sources)


3. Front camera in top-left corner of 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

Apple will likely release the iPhone 18 Pro models in September. Bookmark our iPhone 18 roundup to stay on top of future rumors.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Air France today announced that passengers can now watch select Apple TV shows for free during its long-haul flights, with more than 45 hours of content available. This is referring to the streaming service known as Apple TV+ until last year.


The complimentary in-flight selection includes the first three episodes of Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Severance, Prehistoric Planet, The Snoopy Show, and more. The shows are accessible on each passenger's individual screen, in French and English.

Air France has also started offering one week of free access to Apple TV content via its new high-speed Wi-Fi portal, for streaming on your own devices. The airline will roll out this new Wi-Fi portal across its entire fleet by the end of the year.

American Airlines, United, and Air Canada are among the other airlines that offer free Apple TV streaming.

Air France's announcement was earlier reported by the French blog Consomac.
This article, "Air France Announces New Apple TV Perks" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A new Apple monitor has reportedly appeared in a Chinese regulatory database. This comes as rumors suggest Apple will update at least one of its external displays, either the Studio Display or Pro Display XDR, at some point in 2026.

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Apple’s once dominant position as a TSMC customer is facing fresh challenges as the AI boom raises GPU demand from companies like NVIDIA and AMD, according to a new report.

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An unreleased Apple monitor with the model number A3350 surfaced in a Chinese regulatory database today, according to a filing viewed by MacRumors.


The filing is likely for Apple's next-generation Studio Display or Pro Display XDR, but there is not enough information to determine which one it will be.

The listing does reveal that the new model will be equipped with a high-performance LCD display. The existing Studio Display and Pro Display XDR both have an LCD panel, so unfortunately this information does not help to pinpoint things. However, it does seemingly rule out an OLED display for this new model in particular.

There have been reports about a new Studio Display being in the works, with rumored features including ProMotion support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR support, and either an A19 or A19 Pro chip. A new Studio Display with mini-LED backlighting would still have an LCD panel, so the filing does not rule out that possibility.

The current Studio Display was filed in the same database around three months before it launched in March 2022, so perhaps the next Studio Display will be released around March or April this year, if that is what the filing is for. It would make sense for Apple to unveil a new Studio Display alongside the next Mac Studio with M5 chips.

There have been fewer rumors about a new Pro Display XDR, but that model was released in December 2019, so it is certainly due for an update.

If the next Studio Display receives mini-LED backlighting and HDR support, its maximum brightness and contrast ratio would be higher than the current model. And a newer A19 or A19 Pro chip — up from the A13 Bionic currently — should contribute to performance improvements, camera-related enhancements, and more.

The current Studio Display features a 27-inch LCD screen with 5K resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, up to 600 nits brightness, a built-in camera and speakers, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and a trio of USB-C ports. In the U.S., it starts at $1,599.

Thanks, Aaron!
This article, "New Studio Display or Pro Display XDR Spotted in Regulatory Database" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Spotify today announced a price increase in the United States, Estonia, and Latvia, marking the company's third U.S. price increase in less than three years.


The company revealed the changes in a post published on its website earlier today, stating that Premium subscribers in the affected markets will receive an email over the coming month explaining how the new pricing will apply to their accounts. Spotify said that the revised prices will take effect on subscribers' next billing date, while new customers will see the updated pricing immediately when signing up on spotify.com/premium.

In the United States, Spotify is increasing the cost of every major Premium tier. The Individual Premium plan will rise from $11.99 to $12.99 per month. The Student plan will increase from $5.99 to $6.99 per month. Multi-user plans are seeing larger increases, with the Duo plan, which supports two accounts, moving from $16.99 to $18.99 per month, and the Family plan increasing from $19.99 to $21.99 per month. Spotify attributed the changes to what it described as periodic adjustments across its markets:

Occasional updates to pricing across our markets reflect the value that Spotify delivers, enabling us to continue offering the best possible experience and benefit artists.

This latest increase is the third time Spotify has raised U.S. subscription prices since mid-2023. In July 2023, Spotify implemented its first U.S. price hike since launching in the country in 2011, increasing the Individual Premium plan from its long-standing $9.99 monthly price. A second increase followed in June 2024, bringing the Individual plan to $11.99 per month. The January 2026 change moves that price another dollar higher, continuing a pattern of more frequent adjustments after more than a decade of unchanged pricing.

Outside the United States, Spotify has also raised prices in recent years. The company increased subscription costs in multiple international markets in August 2025, and previously raised prices in regions including the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
This article, "Spotify Increasing Subscription Prices in the US Again" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Over the years, I have tried 100s of iPhone cases, from rugged cases to leather cases, clear cases, and multifunctional wallet cases. And while these cases have their time and place, I always come back to the same type of case as my favorite: thin iPhone cases. There is just something about keeping the iPhone feeling like an iPhone that makes it enjoyable to use long-term. So when I saw Moft was releasing their new Movas Frame case, I had to give it a try. It was designed to be slim, light, and minimal while still adding protection. I’ve been using it for a few weeks, and here is what you should know.

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Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is now ready for you below starting off with the return of $200 price drops on the 13-inch M5 iPad Pro and a chance to land the black Apple Watch Ultra 3 at up to $117 off the list price. Those offers join ongoing Ultra 2 deals at up to $369 off as well as some accessory offers – USB-C Magic Mouse at more than 25% off, Nomad leather iPhone 17 Pro/Max cases at 20% off with a FREE screen protector, and Anker’s white model 25W Qi2 MagSafe Charging station with the onboard display at 30% off. All of the details and everything else awaits below. 

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Subway Surfers has been one of the most successful mobile games ever. And now its long-anticipated sequel—Subway Surfers City—is officially coming next month.

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Opera has updated its flagship browser, introducing a rebuilt AI engine and expanded multitasking features, as well as an animated UI theme that reacts to music playing in the browser.


The browser's AI assistant now uses architecture borrowed from Opera's experimental Neon browser, which the company says delivers 20% faster responses. Notably, the AI can now operate within the context of specific tabs or tab groups, so it doesn't mix up information across different browsing sessions. There's also a new YouTube integration that lets the AI analyze videos to find specific moments or summarize content.

Meanwhile, split-screen mode has been expanded from two tabs to four, with horizontal and grid layout options for users with larger displays.

Elsewhere, Opera's Tab Islands feature, which automatically groups related tabs, can now be color-coded and named for easier identification. The sidebar has also gained Gmail and Google Calendar integration alongside existing support for messaging apps and music services.

The company is also retiring its separate beta browser build in favor of an "early bird mode" toggle within the main browser.

Lastly, there are three new animated themes in this release, including one developed with Spotify that reacts to music playing in Opera's built-in player. Opera One R3 is available now as a free update and can be downloaded from the company's website.
This article, "Opera One R3 Gains Music-Reactive UI Theme and 4-Way Split Screen" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Creator Studio was unveiled earlier this week as a new bundle of powerful creative apps. Despite pushback from some users tired of subscriptions, I think this new Apple offering could be exactly what many of us have long asked for. Here’s how.

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Yesterday’s widespread Verizon outage has officially been resolved, and the company has announced details for a $20 credit that will be given to those affected. Here’s how to get it.

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Verizon today announced it will be offering customers a $20 account credit after a major outage on Wednesday, and action is required to receive it.


The carrier said affected customers can accept the credit by logging into the My Verizon app, but it might take some time before this option shows up in the app. Affected customers will receive a text message when the credit is available.

On average, Verizon says the $20 credit covers multiple days of service.

"This credit isn't meant to make up for what happened," it said. "But it's a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us."

Verizon once again apologized for the outage.

"We are sorry for what you experienced and will continue to work hard day and night to provide the outstanding network and service that you expect from Verizon," it said.



Verizon said that customers who are still experiencing issues should restart their device, as a quick way of reconnecting to the network following the outage.

The outage began mid-day on Wednesday, and Verizon was finally able to fully resolve it around 10 p.m. Eastern Time. The downtime affected the ability to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and use mobile data.

AT&T offered customers a lower $5 credit after it experienced a major outage in February 2024.
This article, "Verizon Offering $20 Credit After Major Outage, Here's How to Get It" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's AirTag 4-Pack has dropped to $64.98 this week on Amazon, down from the original price of $99.00. Free shipping options have a delivery estimate around January 20, while Prime members should be able to get it delivered a few days sooner.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Overall, this is a solid second-best price on the AirTag 4-pack that's within $2 of the Amazon all-time low price, which we last tracked during the holiday season. We're not tracking any notable deals on the AirTag single pack right now.



If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Get an AirTag 4-Pack for Just $64.98 on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's newly announced partnership with Google to use Gemini models for Siri and Apple Intelligence could be worth as much as $5 billion, according to one analyst's estimate.


The deal is structured as a cloud computing contract that will see Apple pay "several billion dollars to Google over time," according to the Financial Times (paywalled), citing a person familiar with the agreement. Gene Munster at Deepwater Asset Management puts the value at $5 billion for Google.

The arrangement is reminiscent of a deal made two decades ago that made Google's search engine the default on Apple devices, which grew to be worth about $20 billion annually to Apple.

Apple said it determined that Google's technology provides the "most capable foundation" for its Apple Foundation Models. However, the Gemini partnership raises questions about the future of Apple's existing ChatGPT integration, which has been part of Apple Intelligence since 2024. Apple said the Google deal does not affect the ChatGPT integration, but Munster expressed skepticism about its long-term prospects.

"I think that the ChatGPT integration is going to die on the vine... having two large models, given the economies of scale, wouldn't make a ton of sense for Apple," he told FT.

A person close to OpenAI told the newspaper that the company had taken "a conscious decision to not become the custom model provider for Apple" last autumn to focus on building its own AI device. That hardware effort is being led by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, who was hired by OpenAI in May 2024 – a move Munster suggested may have soured Apple on a deeper OpenAI partnership.

Despite the $5 billion figure, Apple's Gemini deal is comparatively conservative compared to other companies' AI infrastructure spending. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta have all committed hundreds of billions of dollars to new AI data centers since ChatGPT launched in 2022, but Apple has kept its investment in physical infrastructure at roughly 3 percent of revenue, according to FT's analysis.

For fiscal 2025, Apple's spending on property, plant, and equipment was $12.7 billion. Compare that to the roughly $90 billion Google is expected to spend this year. One former Apple executive told the FT that the Google deal was "a necessary byproduct of Apple's decision not to 'go big' on its AI investments like its competitors."

The next-generation version of Siri is expected to be introduced with iOS 26.4, which will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
This article, "Apple's Google Gemini Deal Could Be Worth $5 Billion" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The long-awaited launch of the new AI-powered Siri now looks much closer thanks to Apple’s partnership with Google. The company this week confirmed reports that many Siri features will be powered by Google’s Gemini models.

We already knew some of the features we could expect from AI Siri thanks to the announcements at WWDC 2024 and a now-deleted iPhone 16 ad – and the launch of Gemini Personal Intelligence has now effectively provided a working preview …

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EU antitrust legislation forced Apple to allow third-party app stores for iPhone within the bloc, with MacPaw’s Setapp Mobile one of the first to take advantage of this.

The company has now announced that it is closing its iOS store, citing “still-evolving and complex terms.” Apple would likely argue that the EU is responsible for constantly moving goalposts without clearly specifying how it wants the company to respond …

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