Two senior Apple executives are leaving the company, Apple announced today. Apple's Senior Vice President and General Counsel Kate Adams and Lisa Jackson, Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, are both retiring in 2026.


Adams will be replaced with Jennifer Newstead, who will join Apple as a senior vice president on January 1, and will become Apple's general counsel on March 1, 2026. Newstead is currently Meta's chief legal officer, and she was previously the Legal Adviser to the United States Department of State.

When Newstead takes over as general counsel, Adams will not immediately leave. She will instead oversee the Government Affairs organization after Jackson retires in late January 2026. Adams will remain at Apple until late 2026, at which point Newstead will take over. Newstead will ultimately oversee both Apple's Legal and Government Affairs organizations as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Government Affairs.

In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that he is pleased to merge Legal and Government Affairs because of increasing overlap between the two teams.

We couldn't be more pleased to have Jennifer join our team," said Cook. "She brings an extraordinary depth of experience and skill to the role, and will advance Apple's important work all over the world. We are also pleased that Jennifer will be overseeing both the Legal and Government Affairs organizations, given the increasing overlap between the work of both teams and her substantial background in international affairs. I know she will be an excellent leader going forward.

Jackson's other responsibilities, which include Environment and Social Initiatives, will be taken over by Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan. Cook said that Jackson played an important role in helping Apple achieve its environmental goals.

I am deeply appreciative of Lisa's contributions. She has been instrumental in helping us reduce our global greenhouse emissions by more than 60 percent compared to 2015 levels," said Cook. "She has also been a critical strategic partner in engaging governments around the world, advocating for the best interests of our users on a myriad of topics, as well as advancing our values, from education and accessibility to privacy and security.

Adams has been with Apple since 2017, and before that, she worked for Honeywell. Jackson joined Apple in 2013 after serving as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and she has been the face of Apple's environmental messaging since then.

Apple's announcement comes shortly after lead interface designer Alan Dye left the company, and after AI chief John Giannandrea's retirement announcement. Earlier this year, Apple lost Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, who is retiring, and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri. There have also been rumors about Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ retiring, with rumors suggesting he is preparing to leave his role as soon as 2026.
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Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with a second release candidate version of tvOS 26.2 and HomePod Software 26.2, which is based on tvOS. The second RC comes one day after the first RC and has a build number of 23K53, up from 23K51.


tvOS 26.2 can be downloaded through the Software Update section of the Apple TV settings app.

With tvOS 26.2, Apple is adding support for creating a profile without an Apple Account, and there is a dedicated ‌Apple TV‌ app kids mode that's available for children's profiles.

Apple doesn't provide beta release notes, so it's not clear what's changed between the first RC and the second RC. Typically, release candidates are updated if there is a major bug discovered during the testing period. RCs represent the final version of the software that will be released to the public.

We're expecting tvOS 26.2 and ‌HomePod‌ Software 26.2 to come out next week.
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Bluetti's Elite 30 V2 that came out earlier this year is a portable power station that's ideal for short trips, plus it works well as a temporary backup for powering small electronics in a power outage.


The Elite 30 V2 is one of many power stations that Bluetti offers, and it is on the smaller, more compact side with a 288-watt-hour capacity. This is the first Bluetti power station that I've reviewed, but I have experience with larger power banks from Jackery, DJI, Anker, and other companies. The Elite 30 V2 has a LiFePO4 battery, which Bluetti says will last for over 3,000 charging cycles and 10 years. There's a five-year warranty, which is solid.


Most power stations are utilitarian, with a black or gray plastic design, but the Elite 30 V2 comes in several fun colors. There's nothing wrong with a simple design for battery equipment, but colors make Bluetti's little power station stand out. The model I tested is green, but it also comes in blue, purple, pink, light gray, and dark gray.

Appearance isn't going to matter to most, but if you're going to have a battery out for people to use at the beach, on a camping trip, at the park, or during some other activity, it might as well have some pizazz. The power station is just about 9.5 pounds, and it measures 9.8 inches long, 7 inches wide and 6.6 inches tall. There's a handle for carrying it, and an LCD display shows you input, output, charge level, and an estimate of how long the power will last based on what's plugged in.


The Elite 30 V2 supports 600W charging, though it can handle up to 1500W temporarily as part of a Power Lifting mode. The Elite 30 V2 has more ports than you might even need on a power station this size, and it can charge up multiple devices at a time. There's a 140W USB-C port, a 100W USB-C port, two 15W USB-A ports, and two AC outlets. There are also AC and DC inputs for charging, a cigarette lighter port, a grounding terminal, and a pair of 12V/8A barrel ports. Both USB-C ports can be used at full power at the same time.

There's a power button, a button to turn on DC power to the USB-C/USB-A ports, and an AC button to turn on power to the AC outlets. When you plug something in, you have to turn on power to the appropriate port before charging will begin. It's also a good idea to turn it off when you're done to ensure there's no power drain when you're not charging anything. The power stations that I've tested in the past haven't had separate buttons for DC power (just AC power), but that's the way Bluetti's power stations are designed.


I've been using the Elite 30 V2 to charge my Apple devices for the last several weeks to get an idea of what it's useful for. Charging my iPhone 17 Pro Max from 0 to 80 percent drains the power station from 100 percent to 90 percent, and it's about the same for an iPhone 16 Pro Max and an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

I can charge my ‌iPhone‌'s battery between 9 and 10 times, though I do limit my charging to 80 percent. The variation is because the power station's battery level can drop slightly with nothing plugged in unless it's turned off. Over a four-hour period, the battery dropped around 10 percent with DC power on.


It charges my MacBook Air three and a half times. It was able to run my MacBook Pro, Studio Display, and two lights (my desk setup) for half of my work day (12:51 p.m. to right around 5:00 p.m.). It ranged from 60W to 110W depending on workload. Charging takes around an hour and 20 minutes to get to full, though it can get to an 85 percent charge in around 50 minutes. It can charge through a cigarette lighter port in a car, or with solar panels for off-grid connectivity.

The Elite 30 V2 isn't the power station you want to get to run something that's power hungry like an electric heater, but it's good for smaller things like computers, lights, speakers, and consoles. You could run a mini refrigerator for a few hours, a hair dryer or flat iron long enough to do your hair, or a lower power electric kettle or coffee maker. It is able to run my entire computer setup, plus it can power my Wi-Fi for a full work day. Some people use power stations as backups for medical devices. The Elite 30 V2 may be able to run a CPAP machine for a night's sleep, but that will depend on the individual machine. I wouldn't recommend this one for other devices like an oxygen concentrator, which would draw too much power and require a much larger battery for an extended power outage.


You can use the Elite 30 V2 as a backup in case of a power outage, plugging a device into it and then plugging the power station into an outlet. In that situation, the power station will kick on automatically in a power outage with no interruption in function (Bluetti says there's a super fast 10ms response time). It actually supports up to 980W of passthrough power.

Since the Elite 30 V2 is a smaller power station, it runs and charges quietly. It is nearly silent when charging and when powering things like iPhones and Macs. The fan inside will kick on under higher loads, but it's still not unreasonably loud. I can hear it, but it's a noise I could sleep through.


There is a Bluetti app, and you can connect to the power station via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to monitor it remotely. The app tells you what's drawing power and how much, how long the battery will last under the current load, and your energy usage statistics. You can also remotely turn the AC/DC power on or off, choose power modes, and enable the 1500W Power Lifting feature. You should also be able to upgrade the firmware, but it wasn't working properly for me in the app (the button to actually install firmware was blank).

Bottom Line

I'm a fan of the Elite 30 V2. It provides enough power to charge multiple phones, tablets, portable gaming systems, or computers, but it's not too heavy to carry around. For an active use power station that you're using for day or weekend trips where portability is an issue, this is one of the better power stations that you can get.


I am petite and can struggle to haul around some of the bigger power 20lb+ stations that I've tested, but this one is the perfect size. I'm more likely to use a power station that is convenient for me to carry and take places.

This would be ideal as a backup battery if you just wanted to power smaller devices like smartphones and your router in a power outage. For medical devices or appliances that draw a lot of power, a bigger battery would be better.

Some power stations can cost over $1,000, but the Elite 30 V2 is much more affordable. The MSRP is $304, but it's often on sale.

How to Buy

The Bluetti Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station can be purchased from the Bluetti website for $209 at the current time.
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Russia has blocked Apple's FaceTime video calling app in an ongoing effort to eliminate private communication methods, reports Reuters. Russia claims ‌FaceTime‌ is being used for criminal activity, and that blocking the app is a legitimate law enforcement measure. Social network Snapchat and multiplayer gaming platform Roblox were also banned this week.


Multiple other apps and services have been blocked in Russia previously. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Discord, and LinkedIn are unavailable and can't be accessed without a VPN. Russia throttles YouTube heavily to make it almost unusable, and since 2022, TikTok has had a Russia-only feed that does not include content from other countries.

Viber and Signal are banned in the country, and Russians are not able to make calls through WhatsApp or Telegram as of earlier this year. Messaging on those apps is also restricted.

In a statement to Reuters, Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor said the following:

According to law enforcement agencies, FaceTime is being used to organise and carry out terrorist attacks in the country, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud and other crimes against Russian citizens.

‌FaceTime‌ is now restricted nationwide, and has likely been blocked at the network level, so it may still be accessible through a VPN. Moscow residents are seeing a "User unavailable" message when attempting to use ‌FaceTime‌, which is the error displayed when a ‌FaceTime‌ call is unable to connect. The app still opens and activates, so Apple hasn't removed it.

Russia claims that the app is used for coordinating illegal activity, with no option for the Federal Security Service (FSB) to monitor calls. Apple has declined to allow the FSB to access ‌FaceTime‌ traffic, and the company has not budged on end-to-end encryption.

‌FaceTime‌ likely wasn't banned earlier because Russia initially focused on more widely used apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. When voice and video calling were banned in those apps, Russians transitioned to ‌FaceTime‌ as an alternative, making it a government target.
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Apple today updated its executive leadership page to remove John Giannandrea, who is set to retire from Apple next spring. Earlier this week, Apple said that Giannandrea would step down from his role as AI chief, serving as an advisor until he leaves the company.


Giannandrea's upcoming retirement was announced on Monday, and Apple wasted no time updating its leadership website. Former Microsoft Corporate VP of AI Amar Subramanya is set to take over as Apple's vice president of AI, but he is not yet listed on the site. Subramanya will report to software engineering chief Craig Federighi.

Some of the teams that Giannandrea led are being shifted to Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue, including AI Infrastructure and Search and Knowledge.

Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 as the company's senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy. He was overseeing Siri, Core ML, and other AI efforts at Apple. Before Apple, Giannandrea worked at Google as a senior vice president of engineering.

After the iOS 18 ‌Siri‌ failure, Giannandrea's retirement comes as no surprise. Apple announced new Apple Intelligence ‌Siri‌ features at WWDC when it unveiled iOS 18, and then used those unreleased features to market the iPhone 16 models. In spring 2025, when we were expecting the launch of the promised functionality, Apple said the smarter version of ‌Siri‌ wasn't ready and announced a year-long delay.

More than half a dozen former employees who worked on Apple's AI team told The Information the issues with ‌Siri‌ stemmed from poor leadership, stringent privacy practices, conflicting personalities, and indecision. Apple hasn't publicly commented on the situation, but stripped Siri from Giannandrea in March and overhauled the Siri team. Apple also removed Giannandrea from its robotics division in April.
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg today announced plans to launch a creative studio that will be led by former Apple UI designer Alan Dye. As we learned earlier today, Dye is leaving his position as Vice President of Human Interface Design at Apple to become Meta's new chief design officer.


In a post on social media site Threads, Zuckerberg said that Meta's creative studio will merge design, fashion, and technology, while also treating intelligence as a "new design material."

The new studio will bring together design, fashion, and technology to define the next generation of our products and experiences. Our idea is to treat intelligence as a new design material and imagine what becomes possible when it is abundant, capable, and human-centered. We plan to elevate design within Meta, and pull together a talented group with a combination of craft, creative vision, systems thinking, and deep experience building iconic products that bridge hardware and software.

We're entering a new era where AI glasses and other devices will change how we connect with technology and each other. The potential is enormous, but what matters most is making these experiences feel natural and truly centered around people. With this new studio, we're focused on making every interaction thoughtful, intuitive, and built to serve people.

Meta is also hiring another Apple designer, Billy Sorrentino, who has been on Apple's human interface design team for the last 10 years. Like Dye, Sorrentino worked on Apple's iOS 26 Liquid Glass redesign.

Along with the two former Apple designers, Meta's studio will include its existing industrial design team and its metaverse design and art teams.

Meta currently sells its Quest VR headsets and AI smart glasses designed in collaboration with Ray-Ban and Oakley. Meta is aiming to expand further into hardware, and it is hard at work on a set of augmented reality glasses.

Alan Dye was one of Apple's few remaining designers that worked alongside Jony Ive. He originally joined Apple in 2006, transitioning to Ive's team in 2012 to work on iOS 7. He has been leading Apple's user interface design team since 2015, and will now start at Meta on December 31.
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Just before Apple updated the iPad Pro with a next-generation M5 chip, Samsung refreshed its tablet lineup and debuted the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. We thought we'd pit Apple's latest ‌iPad Pro‌ against Samsung's newest tablet to see how they compare to one another.


While the ‌iPad Pro‌ measures in at 13 inches, the S11 Ultra is much larger at 14.6 inches. They both have OLED displays, but the bigger screen makes an impact. Samsung's screen is bright, colorful, and has excellent contrast, plus you don't have to pay extra for a matte coating to cut down on glare.

The M5 ‌iPad Pro‌ and the S11 Ultra are both 5.1mm, so they're incredibly thin and light. That's especially apparent with the bigger screen.

Apple doesn't let you upgrade ‌iPad Pro‌ storage on your own, but the S11 Ultra has a microSD card slot that accommodates up to 2TB of storage. RAM is up to 16GB, the same as the ‌iPad Pro‌.

Both tablets have a stylus accessory, but Samsung includes its S Pen in the box while Apple sells the Apple Pencil Pro separately. This year's S Pen has a pencil like feel and a new tip that provides a better writing experience, but the ‌Apple Pencil‌ is still better.

Samsung's tablets have a DeX mode that allows them to connect to a display or a TV for a desktop-like usage experience. DeX transforms the UI and optimizes it for a larger screen so you can do more on your tablet with dual-screen support. You can connect a second display to your iPad, but the experience is nothing like DeX, and you're limited to the ‌iPad‌ multitasking features. Samsung's S11 Ultra is much better at transitioning from a tablet to something more closely resembling a computer.

Samsung devices run Android, which is an immediate dealbreaker for a lot of Apple users. Android has the benefit of deep AI integration that Apple currently can't match, so the S11 Ultra has features like Drawing Assist, Writing Assist, camera-supported Gemini Live, and full Gemini support.

The ‌iPad Pro‌ has no water resistance, but the S11 Ultra offers IP68 protection, which means it can hold up to submersion in water. The ‌iPad Pro‌ wins in sheer performance thanks to the M5 chip. Samsung has a 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chip, but the ‌iPad‌ is almost twice as fast in most benchmarking tests.

Apple's App Store is still more robust with a better selection of apps optimized for a tablet-sized screen, and there are many pro-level apps that aren't available on Samsung's platform. Both Apple and Samsung make keyboard cases for their tablets, but Samsung's S11 Ultra keyboard doesn't have a trackpad, which is a major downgrade compared to the ‌iPad Pro‌'s Magic Keyboard.

Would you get a Samsung tablet? Let us know in the comments below.
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Apple UI design head Alan Dye is leaving the company and transitioning to Meta, reports Bloomberg. Dye took over Apple's user interface design team in 2015 when former Apple designer Jony Ive transitioned to Chief Design Officer, and he's held that position since then.


Dye has been at Apple since 2006, joining the marketing and communication team as a creative director. He transitioned to Jony Ive's user interface team in 2012 to work on iOS 7, and he worked on subsequent iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS design updates. Most recently, he helped develop the Vision Pro interface, and he oversaw the rollout of the iOS 26 and macOS 26 Liquid Glass design revamp.

Apple plans to replace Dye with Stephen Lemay, a longtime Apple designer who joined the company over 25 years ago. In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook praised Lemay.

Steve Lemay has played a key role in the design of every major Apple interface since 1999. He has always set an extraordinarily high bar for excellence and embodies Apple's culture of collaboration and creativity.

Design is fundamental to who we are at Apple, and today, we have an extraordinary design team working on the most innovative product lineup in our history.

Dye is joining Meta as chief design officer on December 31, and he will help Meta in its efforts to further break into consumer hardware. Dye will head up Meta's new design studio, overseeing hardware design and software design with a focus on improving Meta devices like headsets and glasses with AI features.
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Apple is expanding AirPods and Apple Watch health features to additional countries starting today.


Hypertension notifications from the Apple Watch are now available in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam. Hearing Test and Hearing Aid functionality has expanded to Bahrain, Costa Rica, and Paraguay, while Sleep Apnea notifications are available in Colombia.

Apple also expanded Hearing Aid functionality with automatic Conversation Boost to a long list of European countries, including the UK, Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Ireland, and Denmark.

Apple introduced Hypertension notifications in watchOS 26, and the feature uses heart data collected by the Apple Watch to alert users if signs of chronic high blood pressure are detected. Hypertension notifications work after collecting 30 days of heart rate data, and the feature can be set up in the Apple Health app on the iPhone.

Hypertension alerts are available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later.

Sleep apnea detection is a feature that Apple first started rolling out with watchOS 11. It uses the accelerometer to monitor subtle wrist movements that are associated with interruptions in normal breathing patterns, alerting users if breathing disturbances are detected. Sleep apnea detection also requires 30 days of data, with information available in the Breathing Disturbances section of the Health app.

Hearing Test and Hearing Aid functionality first rolled out last year, allowing the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 to be used in lieu of hearing aids for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss. The hearing test uses tones at different frequencies to detect hearing loss, and if issues are detected, users can turn on hearing assistance. The feature also includes Loud Sound Reduction to protect hearing health.

Conversation Boost has long been an AirPods Pro feature, but the auto-on option paired with Hearing Aid functionality automatically enhances sound volume when someone speaks. Hearing Aid functionality with Conversation Boost works on the AirPods Pro 2 and later, with a list of supported countries available on Apple's website.
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Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2, and visionOS 26.2 updates for testing purposes. The software comes two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The RCs are the final versions of the watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS 26.2 updates that will be provided to the public next week as long as no other bugs are found.


The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device.

watchOS 26.2 features updated Sleep Score ranges that better match how people might be feeling after a night's rest.

In tvOS 26.2, Apple added support for creating a profile without an Apple Account, plus there is a dedicated Apple TV app kids mode for profiles created for kids.
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Apple today provided the release candidate of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.2 update to developers and public beta testers, with the update coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third beta. The RC represents the final version of macOS Tahoe 26.2 that will be provided to the public as long as no bugs are found in the software.


Testers can download the macOS Tahoe 26.2 update by opening up the System Settings app, selecting the General category, and then choosing Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled.

macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a new feature for video calls. Edge Light adds a border of soft light around the edges of the Mac's display to illuminate your face in darkened rooms. Edge Light is meant to mimic the look of a physical ring light.

Edge Light uses the Neural Engine for positioning, so it is optimally placed around your face in the video frame. Light color can be adjusted from warm to cool, and intensity varies based on ambient lighting. Edge Light is available in video conferencing apps like FaceTime and Webex alongside other options like backgrounds, Portrait mode, and Voice Isolation. It works on Macs that support Apple silicon.

Along with Edge Light, the Reminders app is getting an option to have an alarm go off when a reminder is due, the News app has some design updates, and Apple is adding new features to the Podcasts app.
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Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing.


Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update.

iOS 26.2 has a Liquid Glass slider on the Lock Screen to adjust the transparency of the clock, plus it brings AirPods Live Translation to the European Union. The Reminders app now supports alarms for when tasks are due, and there are updates to the Podcasts and Apple News apps. Menu animations have been revamped, and CarPlay supports disabling pinned messages in the Messages app.

We have a full list of all the features available in iOS 26.2 in our guide.

iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 will likely see a launch next week.
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Apple is offering a new Apple Pay promotion for the holidays, teaming up with Etsy to provide a $15 discount off of a purchase of $75 or more.


Etsy users can get the $15 discount when making a purchase using ‌Apple Pay‌ as the payment method in the Etsy app and entering the promo code APPLEPAY at checkout.

One discount is available per person, and it excludes shipping and handling, gift cards, and taxes. It is also not available for use on the Etsy website. The deal is available through December 10, 2025 at 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

Fandango is also offering another "‌Apple Pay‌ Wednesday" promotion that discounts movie tickets by $5 when making a purchase with ‌Apple Pay‌ in the Fandango app or on the Fandango website. Customers will need to use the promo code APPLEPAYWED when checking out to get the deal.


The discount can be used for tickets at any theater that supports Fandango, and at any date and time, so purchases do not have to be for same-day tickets.
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OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic.


Altman said that OpenAI needs to work on personalization for each user, image generation, and model behavior like speed and reliability.

Google debuted Gemini 3 Pro in November, and it outperforms ChatGPT on several benchmarking tests. Google has been luring users with its Nano Banana AI image generator and Anthropic's Claude is popular with business customers.

OpenAI's plan to start showing customers ads leaked earlier this week, but Altman told employees that ads are now on the backburner. Work on advertising, shopping AI agents, and a more proactive and personalized version ChatGPT assistant called Pulse has been delayed. OpenAI has been testing several kinds of ads, including ads that would be shown during online shopping requests, but introducing ads could push users to other chatbots.

Following the employee memo, ChatGPT lead Nick Turley announced that OpenAI would focus on "making ChatGPT more capable, continue growing, and expand access around the world -- while making it feel even more intuitive and personal."

OpenAI is not profitable, and it has to rely on its user numbers for investments. If it loses a significant number of users to Google, it could run into financial trouble.

OpenAI will ship a new reasoning model next week, which Altman said is ahead of Gemini 3 in internal evaluations.
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Germany is evaluating Apple's proposed changes to address antitrust concerns over App Tracking Transparency (ATT), reports Reuters. Apple plans to tweak the text and formatting of the ATT consent prompt, while aiming to preserve the main privacy benefits of the feature.


Apple will add neutral consent prompts for its own services and for third-party apps, aligning the wording, content, and visual design of the messages. Apple also plans to simplify the consent process to make it easier for developers to get user permission for ad-related data processing.

Germany is asking for feedback from publishers, media groups, and regulators to determine if Apple's changes will address complaints about the limited amount of user data available to app publishers.

Earlier this year, Apple said that it might have to remove ATT from the EU. "Intense lobbying efforts in Germany, Italy and other countries in Europe may force us to withdraw this feature to the detriment of European consumers," Apple said.

Germany first launched a probe into App Tracking Transparency in 2022 after complaints from advertisers, and in February 2025, the German Federal Cartel Office preliminarily decided that Apple abused its market power, giving itself preferential treatment. According to German regulators, Apple's restrictions made it "far more difficult" for developers to access user data relevant for advertising.

Introduced in 2021, App Tracking Transparency lets iPhone and iPad users decide whether to allow apps to track their activity across other apps and websites for advertising purposes. Users can choose to allow apps to ask for permission, or turn off tracking entirely.

ATT prevents apps from accessing the advertising identifier of Apple devices without express consumer permission, so apps can't track what users do and use that data for ad targeting. ATT has been unpopular with advertisers and data brokers, but Apple has pledged to work to convince Germany and other EU countries to allow it to continue to offer ATT to consumers.
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Apple is not going to be able to escape a class-action antitrust lawsuit over anticompetitive App Store fees in the Netherlands, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) said today. The decision could see Apple facing millions of euros in damages, and it sets a precedent for similar lawsuits in other European countries (via Reuters).


Apple could ultimately have to pay up to an estimated 637 million euros to address the damage suffered by 14 million iPhone and iPad users in the Netherlands.

The lawsuit dates back to 2022, when two Dutch consumer foundations (Right to Consumer Justice and ‌App Store‌ Claims) accused Apple of abusing its dominant market position and charging developers excessive fees. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Dutch ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ users, and it claimed that Apple's 30 percent commission inflated prices for apps and in-app purchases.

Apple argued that the Dutch court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case because the EU ‌App Store‌ is run from Ireland, and therefore the claims should be litigated in Ireland. Apple said that if the Dutch court was able to hear the case, it could lead to fragmentation with multiple similar cases across the EU, plus it argued that customers in the Netherlands could have downloaded apps while in other EU member states.

The District Court of Amsterdam ended up asking the CJEU if it had the jurisdiction to hear the case, and the CJEU said yes. The court decided that the ‌App Store‌ in question was designed for the Dutch market, and it offers Dutch apps for sale to people with an Apple ID associated with the Netherlands, giving Dutch courts jurisdiction.

Apple told Reuters that it disagrees with the court's ruling, and that it will continue to vigorously defend itself. The District Court of Amsterdam expects to hear the case toward the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The civil ‌App Store‌ fee case that Apple is now facing in the Netherlands is separate from the dating app case that was levied against Apple by ACM, the Dutch competition authority. That case involved regulatory action that led to new alternative purchase options for Dutch dating apps. Apple has also been fighting that antitrust case, and racked up fines of 50 million euros.
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Apple today released new firmware for the iPhone Air's MagSafe battery accessory. The firmware has a version number of 8B25, up from the prior 8A351 version. In the Settings app, the new firmware is listed as 99.0 while the prior firmware is 91.0.


This is the second firmware update that Apple has provided to ‌iPhone Air‌ users since the battery was released in September. Apple does not provide details on what's included in firmware updates for accessories, but the new firmware likely provides efficiency and performance updates.

Accessory firmware updates are done quietly without the user knowing about them, so Apple does not offer installation instructions. ‌MagSafe‌ Battery firmware should update when the battery is connected to the ‌iPhone Air‌, but you can also force an update by connecting the battery pack to a Mac.

You can check the version number of the ‌MagSafe‌ Battery's firmware by attaching it to an ‌iPhone Air‌, then going to Settings > General > About > ‌iPhone Air‌ ‌MagSafe‌ Battery.

The ‌MagSafe‌ Battery is exclusive to the ‌iPhone Air‌, and it provides ‌iPhone Air‌ users with up to an additional 65 percent charge. The Battery Pack is thin and light because it actually incorporates the exact same battery that Apple used in the ‌iPhone Air‌.
This article, "Apple Releases Firmware Update for iPhone Air MagSafe Battery" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the ‌iOS 26‌ software upgrade option more prominent.


Since ‌iOS 26‌ launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18 updates front and center.

Starting today, that's changing. iOS 18 users who have not upgraded to ‌iOS 26‌ will now see iOS 26.1 as the recommended iOS update in the Settings app. iOS 18 updates are still an option, but are now displayed at the bottom of the app.

Apple isn't forcing users to upgrade to ‌iOS 26‌, but it is pushing the update more heavily than it was before in an effort to increase installation numbers. Some users may be hesitant to upgrade to ‌iOS 26‌ because of the Liquid Glass design overhaul that makes major changes to the ‌iPhone‌ interface.

Allowing users to stay on the prior-generation version of iOS is an option that Apple has provided since iOS 15, but it doesn't last forever. Right now, Apple is providing iOS 18 security updates to those who choose to stay on that operating system, but that may stop in the coming months.

After pushing people to upgrade to ‌iOS 26‌ by making the option more prominent, Apple will likely remove the option to stay on iOS 18, providing ‌iOS 26‌ as the only upgrade available on devices that support the newer software. Eventually, customers who want to stay up to date on security fixes will need to transition to ‌iOS 26‌, though Apple will continue to provide iOS 18 updates for devices that do not support ‌iOS 26‌.

Apple hasn't released ‌iOS 26‌ adoption numbers, so it is unclear how many people have decided to upgrade. Apple typically updates its iOS numbers several months after a new version of iOS launches, so we could get details in January or February.

Upgrading to ‌iOS 26‌ from iOS 18 is irreversible, and Apple does not provide a way to downgrade back to the prior version of iOS.

(Thanks, Nicolás!)
This article, "Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC.


Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to ‌iPhone 17‌ demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple.

Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to grow 1.5 percent, primarily because of the success of the iPhone.

In China, Apple's largest market, massive demand for iPhone 17 has significantly accelerated Apple's performance. It ranked first in October and November per IDC's China Monthly Sales data with more than 20% share, miles ahead of the competition, leading IDC to revise Apple's Q4 forecast in China from 9% to 17% YoY. This turns a previously projected 1% decline in China for 2025 into a positive 3% growth, that's a phenomenal turnaround. The success story is replicated across all regions, including the US and Western Europe that had previously slowed down. This calendar year will not only be a record period for Apple in terms of shipments but also in value, which is forecast to exceed $261 billion, with 7.2% YoY growth in 2025.

Back in October, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple is expecting to set a new all-time revenue record in the December quarter, and a best-ever revenue record for the ‌iPhone‌. Apple believes overall revenue will grow 10 to 12 percent year-over-year.


Apple has seen strong interest in the standard ‌iPhone 17‌ and the iPhone 17 Pro models, even though the iPhone Air hasn't performed as expected.

Next year, Apple plans to change its ‌iPhone‌ release timelines. The high-end ‌iPhone‌ Fold and the iPhone 18 Pro models will come out in September 2026 as usual, but the lower-priced ‌iPhone 18‌ will be held until spring 2027.

IDC predicts that the decision will drop iOS shipments by 4.2 percent in 2026, while a global memory shortage will lead to supply constraints and price increases across the smartphone market. Total global smartphone shipments could decline 0.9 percent in 2026 due to the supply issues and Apple's lineup changes.
This article, "iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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