According to a new report today, Apple’s next iPhone is launching very soon. Macwelt reports that the iPhone 17e is set to launch on February 19 — one year to the day following the launch of the iPhone 16e.

more…

Bloomberg reports that Apple has recently scaled back its plans for the Project Mulberry initiative following a leadership shakeup at the company’s health organization. Here are the details.

more…

iOS 27 will no longer include a long-rumored feature known as Apple Health+ inside Apple, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Apple Health+ was supposed to be a virtual health coach that could give users AI-powered health recommendations in the Apple Health app, based on their personal health data, the report said. The feature would have provided users with detailed health reports, videos that explained medical conditions and offered wellness tips, and more.

"The major new service would have combined new surveys and health assessments with data from Apple Watches and external lab reports," the report added.

It is unclear if Apple Health+ would have been a paid subscription service.

The feature is being scaled back instead of outright canceled. The report said some of the components of Apple Health+, such as suggestions based on existing Health app data, will be "repurposed and introduced as early as this year."

Apple Health+ was initially rumored to be an iOS 26 feature, so it was seemingly in development for a long time. But now, only bits and pieces of it will launch.

Apple's services chief Eddy Cue is apparently "considering changes" to Apple Fitness+ as well, but the report did not provide any specific details.
This article, "Apple Reportedly Scaling Back This Long-Rumored iOS 27 Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is rolling out a system update for Apple Watches that haven’t upgraded to watchOS 26, but may be experiencing a very specific connectivity issue. Here are the details.

more…

Apple today released watchOS 11.6.2 for the Apple Watch Series 6 through Series 10, Apple Watch SE 2, and Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2.


"This update provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all users," says Apple.

watchOS 11.6.2 will only appear on Apple Watch models that have not already been updated to watchOS 26 or later. There are no specific details available yet beyond Apple's vague release notes, so it is unclear what exactly the update includes.

Update: Apple says watchOS 11.6.2 "addresses a cellular network issue for Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, Series 9, Series 10, SE 2, Ultra, and Ultra 2 when establishing a connection to emergency services in Australia."
This article, "Apple Releases watchOS 11.6.2 With an Important Fix" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

With the release of macOS Sonoma back in 2023, Apple introduced a new High Performance screen sharing feature for the Mac’s native Screen Sharing application. This mode dramatically increases the usefulness of screen sharing. Responsiveness is improved, stereo sound output from the native Mac is enabled, and HDR is available, among other features.

Users working with professional apps like Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro will find that High Performance screen sharing significantly enhances the experience using those apps via a Screen Sharing connection with few downsides. Watch my hands-on video walkthrough to learn more, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5mac on YouTube for more videos.

more…

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.

more…

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.

more…

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

Discuss this article in our forums

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

Discuss this article in our forums

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.

more…

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.

more…

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.

more…

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.

more…

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. 

• Sponsored by Gusto: The online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at gusto.com/happyhour.
• Sponsored by Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/happyhour.
• Sponsored by HelloFresh: America’s #1 meal kit! Get 10 free meals + a FREE Zwilling Knife (a $144.99 value) on your third box at HelloFresh.com/happyhour10fm.

more…

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

Discuss this article in our forums

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.

more…

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.

more…

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

more…

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.

more…

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

Discuss this article in our forums

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.

more…

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.

more…

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.

more…