There’s some serious competition happening right now between music streaming services to make transitions between songs sound better. Spotify’s new Smart Reorder feature continues that push.

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Although it lacked the much-anticipated new Google Gemini-powered Siri features, the initial iOS 26.4 beta release was still jam-packed with new changes. As a result, we showcased over 40 new updates in our iOS 26.4 Beta 1 walkthrough.

The second iOS 26.4 Beta doesn’t include nearly as many changes, but there are still several new additions and updates to consider. There’s also some interesting under-the-hood stuff that hasn’t been discussed yet. This includes an upcoming redesign of the permissions prompt, a new NSPredicateValidating protocol, and more clues about Apple’s upcoming Studio Display refresh.

In this latest episode of iOS Decoded, we explore 10 new features and changes in iOS 26.4 beta 2. Watch the full walkthrough, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac for more.

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California-based accessory maker Sandmarc has launched a new Tetraprism 72mm Lens for iPhone that adds 3x optical magnification on top of the iPhone 17 Pro's built-in tetraprism telephoto camera.


The iPhone 17 Pro's 48 MP Fusion Telephoto offers a true 4× optical zoom at a 100mm equivalent focal length. When combined with Sandmarc's 72mm lens, which adds genuine optical magnification on top, it can extend effective zoom up to 24x on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. According to Sandmarc, users get 12x optical zoom at full 48MP resolution, or up to 24x at 24MP.

Sandmarc claims the multi-element, multi-coated glass construction preserves sharpness and color accuracy at a distance while reducing flare. The company also says the optical compression effect is perfect for landscapes, cityscapes, and wildlife, or the sort of tight, layered look you'd normally need a dedicated camera to achieve.

The 72mm lens sits alongside Sandmarc's existing 48mm model, which offers 2x magnification. Both mount directly to the tetraprism camera, but they do require a third-party pro camera app like Halide or Blackmagic Camera, since Apple's stock Camera app may automatically switch lenses.

The lens is also compatible with the iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, with zoom reach topping out at 15x on those models. The lens itself weighs 180 grams and integrates with Sandmarc's case and filter mount system. The 72mm lens costs $299, while the 48mm model is priced at $249. Both can be ordered from Sandmarc's website.
This article, "iPhone 17 Pro Gets 24x Zoom With Sandmarc's New Tetraprism Lens" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In October 2025, Apple notified the European Commission that it would be acquiring invrs.io LLC's sole employee, and certain assets from the company. Following a four-month waiting period, the European Commission published this information this week.


That sole employee appears to be Martin Schubert, according to his LinkedIn profile. Schubert founded invrs.io in 2023 to advance AI-guided design, initially focusing on optical and photonics technologies for AR/VR, data centers, and more.

"Invrs develops open-source frameworks for photonics research, providing standardized simulation challenges and a public leaderboard for benchmarking and comparing design results," reads a notice on the European Commission's website.

Schubert's systems could be useful for future Apple Vision Pro development, but it is unclear exactly what he was hired to work on at this point. He previously worked at Alphabet's X, on AI-powered photonic design, and at Meta.

More details about invrs.io are available on GitHub.

Last month, Apple announced that it acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup working on AI technology for audio. That was reportedly Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, with the deal valued at nearly $2 billion. Apple's largest acquisition was the headphone brand Beats, which it bought for $3 billion in 2014. Apple Music launched a year later, and it was built on the foundation of the former Beats Music streaming service.
This article, "EU Reveals Apple Made a Tiny Acquisition Last Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is holding a hardware launch event next week on March 4, and rumors indicate several new products will debut in the days beforehand too. Here’s everything Apple is rumored to launch next week.

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Apple is expected to unveil up to five new products next week, including a lower-cost MacBook, and a few more details about the laptop surfaced today.


According to supply chain sources who spoke to DigiTimes, the entry-level MacBook will indeed be launching in March. The report said volume shipments of the laptop to Apple are projected to begin next month. Quanta Computer is expected to be the primary assembler of this new model, and Foxconn is expected to join in later.

Mass production was originally slated to begin in late 2025, but the timeframe was pushed back to the first quarter of 2026, the report said.

Due to rising component costs, including skyrocketing DRAM and NAND storage chip prices, DigiTimes believes that higher pricing may be unavoidable. Early estimates placed this MacBook's starting price as low as $599 in the U.S., but it is possible that the laptop will start at $699 or $799 instead. In any case, college students should receive $100 off the regular price through Apple's education store on the web.

The media will likely receive hands-on time with the lower-cost MacBook at the "Apple Experience" gatherings being held in New York, London, and Shanghai on Wednesday, March 4 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. There is no Apple Event live stream for this launch, with the new MacBook expected to be announced in a press release.

The lower-cost MacBook will likely look more or less like a MacBook Air, but it will have some reduced specs. The laptop is expected to be powered by the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro, rather than an M-series chip, and it will reportedly have a slightly smaller 12.9-inch display. Based on the A18 Pro chip's specs, this MacBook will likely have just 8GB of RAM, as well as regular USB-C ports instead of faster Thunderbolt ports.

Like the iBook from the early 2000s, it has been rumored that this MacBook will come in fun color options, like yellow, green, blue, and/or pink.

Apple previously used the "MacBook" name (without "Air" or "Pro" branding) from 2006 to 2012, and again from 2015 to 2019, but all of those models used Intel processors. This would be the first time that there is an entry-level "MacBook" with Apple silicon, and we should finally learn all about it in less than a week.
This article, "More Lower-Cost MacBook Details Surface Ahead of 'Apple Experience' Next Week" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Carrot Weather is one of the most robust and versatile weather apps for iPhone, and it’s getting even better. With a new update today, Carrot Weather is adding support for The Weather Channel as a data source, plus new discussions from the National Weather Service and a new dynamic interface.

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The latest beta of iOS 26.4 has an extra step for iPhone owners based in the UK. Once installed, the Settings app will prompt you to confirm that you are 18+.

If Apple isn’t sure how old you are, you may need to scan a credit card or photo ID to confirm that you’re an adult. In my case, it was completely automatic and took less than 30 seconds …

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Amazon this week is back with a notable discount on the USB-C AirPods Max, available for $449.99 in all five colors, down from $549.00. This is one of the first times in a few weeks that we've tracked every color of the AirPods Max on sale at $99 off.

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

Compared to past deals, this is the best price we've tracked so far in 2026 on the AirPods Max, and an overall second-best price on the headphones. Current delivery estimates sit around March 3 for most colors, but the Midnight option is seeing delays by a few months.



Additionally, on Amazon you can get the AirPods 4 for $99.00, down from $129.00. This is a second-best price on the AirPods 4, which is the base model without Active Noise Cancellation.



Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

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This article, "Get AirPods Max for $99 Off on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Leaker Fixed Focus Digital took to Weibo once again to spill some extra details on what to expect from Apple’s first foldable iPhone. Here’s what he said.

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We know from Steve Jobs that Apple’s experiments with touchscreen Macs date back to at least 2008. At the time he said it was a “terrible” idea.

A lot has changed since then, and reports that we are finally going to see a touchscreen Mac have grown in credibility to the point where it now seems more likely than not. I’ve so far been a little concerned about the idea, but the latest report gives me confidence …

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Adobe is rolling out Quick Cut in beta today, a new Firefly feature that uses AI to automatically assemble multiple uploaded or generated clips into a structured first edit. Here are the details.

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Apple is expected to make multiple product announcements next week, culminating in a special “Apple Experience” for the press on Wednesday. A new low-cost MacBook is rumored to be among the new products.

A new report today from Digitimes reaffirms Apple’s work on a more affordable MacBook, and how the company is battling increasing component costs.

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Apple has submitted production line orders for its upcoming foldable iPhone, effectively confirming that the device will launch this year, claims a Chinese leaker.


According to the Weibo account "Fixed Focus Digital," assembly lines recently received the orders from Apple, which has apparently allowed the leaker to learn the crease measurements for the device's 7.8-inch inner display.

The crease depth is said to have been controlled to under 0.15 mm. Crease depth refers to how deep the groove or indentation at the fold is. A smaller number means the crease is shallower and less noticeable to the eye and to the touch.

The crease angle is said to be under 2.5 degrees. Crease angle describes how sharp the fold line appears when the display is unfolded, which is measured as the angle formed at the crease area. A smaller angle indicates a smoother, flatter transition across the fold, rather than a sharp ridge or valley.

Unfortunately, competing foldable brands don't publish such crease measurements, so it's not easy to compare the figures against anything on the market. However, Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to feature a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product, and which has been described variously as being "virtually crease free" and having "no crease at all."

Separately, Chinese site UDN last year reported that Apple had solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the foldable ‌iPhone‌ will be the first crease-free foldable on the market.

Reports suggest Apple's foldable iPhone will feature a 7.8-inch main display when unfolded and a 5.5-inch cover display. The device is expected to adopt a book-style design similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold, rather than a clamshell form factor.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's first foldable will include two rear cameras, a single front-facing camera, a single selfie camera on the inner display, and Touch ID integrated into the power button. The device could measure just 4.5mm thick when unfolded, and between 9mm and 9.5mm when closed.

Apple is expected unveil the foldable alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September, representing the biggest form factor change since the original iPhone in 2007.
This article, "iPhone Fold Crease Measurements Revealed as Device Hits Production" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A password manager used to be one of the most important third-party apps anyone could have. It was the thing that made it practical to have strong, unique passwords for every app, website and online service we used.

Once Apple Passwords launched, however, the writing was on the wall for paid apps and subscriptions. The price hike just announced by 1Password looks set to persuade many more people to make the switch – and it’s very easy to do …

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Martin Scorsese’s “What Happens At Night” has reportedly added yet another big name to what was already a stellar cast. Here are the details.

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Jason Snell’s annual Apple report card is out, rating the company’s performance according to 56 influential commenters, including 9to5Mac’s editor-in-chief Chance Miller.

The results show a dramatic difference in perception of Apple’s hardware and software across the board, but most notably with regard to the Mac …

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Consumer protection authorities in the Brazilian state of Alagoas have fined Apple R$101,627.50 (roughly $20,000) for selling iPhones without what they described as “an indispensable item for the regular use of the product.” Here are the details.

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Apple has previewed Apple Borivali, its sixth store to open in India, and the company's second store in Mumbai. The store opens on Thursday, February 26, at 1 p.m. IST.


The store is in Sky City Mall, a large new shopping and entertainment complex in Borivali East, located off the Western Express Highway near the Devipada Metro Station in the Khande Rao Dongari area of the city.

"We're thrilled to open Apple Borivali, and bring the best of Apple to life for even more customers in India," said Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of Retail and People. "We're so inspired by the creativity and enthusiasm of communities across India, and our dedicated team members are excited to welcome and connect with customers in this extraordinary new store, our second in Mumbai."

The store will have more than 70 team members to provide guidance and support for Apple customers, as well as providing retail services like Apple Trade In, flexible financing, safe data transfer, and Personal Setup. Like all Apple facilities, Apple Borivali operates on 100 percent renewable energy and is carbon neutral.

Apple has created a special Apple Music playlist to celebrate the new store, as well as special decorative wallpapers for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Apple's new Borivali store is the latest addition to its retail presence in India. The company opened its first two Indian stores in 2023 in Mumbai (BKC) and Delhi (Saket), then expanded to Bengaluru (Hebbal) and Pune (Koregaon Park), with a Noida location opening in 2025.

In the past, CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives have remarked on the importance of India, which is home to the world's second biggest smartphone market. In 2020 Apple opened its online store in India, offering Indian customers a way to purchase products directly from Apple without having to go through an authorized premium reseller.
This article, "Apple's Second Retail Store in Mumbai Opens This Thursday" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple’s major MacBook Pro refresh is coming this year, and it’s shaping up to be exactly what I wanted. Here’s why I’m optimistic about the biggest changes coming later this year.

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Sponsored by BenQ: Check out BenQ’s smarter displays made for how Mac users actually work and sign up for the giveaway here.

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Apple is planning to hold an "Experience" on March 4 for select members of the media, and in the days before the event, we're expecting several product refreshes. The iPad Air is one of the new devices that could get an update, so we thought we'd highlight what's coming.

Design and Display

There are no design changes rumored for the ‌iPad Air‌, so we can expect the same 11-inch and 13-inch size options.

The ‌iPad Air‌ is thicker and heavier than the iPad Pro, and it uses a standard LED display instead of OLED technology. The ‌iPad Air‌ will eventually be upgraded to OLED, but for now, the higher-end display technology will remain limited to the ‌iPad Pro‌. The ‌iPad Air‌ also doesn't support ProMotion, and there's no sign that Apple is planning to add it.

The ‌iPad Air‌ will continue to feature USB-C, a Touch ID top button, and the same front and rear cameras.

It's possible there will be a new color option, but it's not guaranteed with a minor refresh. No new accessories are rumored, and it will continue to work with the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil Pro.

M4 Chip

Apple has been updating the ‌iPad Air‌ with an M-series chip that's a generation behind the chip in the ‌iPad Pro‌. Since the ‌iPad Pro‌ was updated in October 2025 with the M5, the ‌iPad Air‌ is set to get the M4 chip.

The M3 in the current ‌iPad Air‌ and the M4 chip are both built on a 3-nanometer process, but the M4 has an updated process that brings speed and efficiency improvements.

There are up to 10 CPU cores instead of 8, the Neural Engine is faster, and there's more memory bandwidth. The GPU is also more power efficient for potential battery gains. The M4 CPU is up to 30 percent faster than the M3 CPU, while the GPU is up to 21 percent faster.

The ‌iPad Air‌ already supports Apple Intelligence, and the next-generation model will continue to do so. Apple increased the RAM in ‌iPad Pro‌ models with higher storage tiers, but there's no word on whether that same change will come to the ‌iPad Air‌. Current models feature 8GB RAM, the minimum for ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

Charging

The ‌iPad Pro‌ gained faster charging with the M5 update, and that's something that could trickle down to the ‌iPad Air‌.

N1 Networking Chip

The ‌iPad Air‌ is likely to adopt the N1 networking chip that Apple first introduced in the iPhone 17 models.

The N1 chip is an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that offers connectivity and efficiency improvements compared to the third-party chips that Apple has used in previous devices. The N1 supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 technology.

The current ‌iPad Air‌ offers Wi-Fi 6E support, so the next-generation model could see faster Wi-Fi speeds on compatible networks with Wi-Fi 7.

Apple Modem

Apple used the C1X in the M5 ‌iPad Pro‌, and the cellular versions of the ‌iPad Air‌ will get that same modem chip. The C1X is an upgraded variant of the C1, Apple's first in-house modem chip.

It offers performance on par with Qualcomm chips, though 5G connectivity is limited to sub-6GHz with no support for mmWave 5G. That's not an issue on the iPad, because the current version of the ‌iPad Air‌ doesn't support mmWave.

Apple's modem chips are much more power efficient than Qualcomm modem chips, and are able to better integrate with other ‌iPad‌ components.

Pricing

There are no rumors of a price increase, so the 11-inch model is expected to continue to start at $599, while the 13-inch model will start at $799.

Launch Date

The ‌iPad Air‌ could come out as soon as next week, ahead of Apple's March 4 Special Experience.
This article, "M4 iPad Air: What's New and When It's Coming" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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YouTube today updated its Premium Lite subscription plan with new features, including background play and downloads. Subscribers will be able to watch most videos ad-free offline and in the background.


Prior to now, downloads and background play were features that were limited to the more expensive Premium plan. YouTube Premium Lite is priced at $7.99 per month in the U.S., while YouTube Premium is priced at $13.99 per month.

YouTube Premium Lite removes ads from most, but not all videos, and it does not include ad-free access to the YouTube Music app. Most non-music content is ad-free with YouTube Premium Lite, though Shorts still have ads.

YouTube Premium removes ads from all videos, including music content, plus it has extra features like jump ahead, queuing, and continue watching.

YouTube says that background play and downloads are rolling out to Premium Lite subscribers starting today, but it may take a few weeks for everyone to get access to the new features.
This article, "YouTube's More Affordable Premium Lite Plan Gets New Perks" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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According to a new filing with the European Union, Apple has acquired the assets of invrs.io and hired its founder, who is the only employee. Here are the details.

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