This secret iPhone gesture will come in handy everywhere [Pro Tip]
A hidden gesture on the iPhone and iPad lets you quickly select a bunch of items in a list — kind of like Command-A (⌘A) on a Mac. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

Mac mini is a tiny step toward Trump's Made-in-USA dream
It's not the iPhone, but Apple has further detailed its latest effort in Houston, Texas to move Mac mini production to the US. On the morning of the State of the Union address, this will make some lawmakers very happy.Apple's AI factory in Houston will soon make the Mac mini - Image Credit: AppleThe Trump administration has long preached about increasing U.S. manufacturing, with President Donald Trump repeatedly demanding iPhone production on U.S. soil. In photos released on Tuesday morning, Apple shows it is making progress, if not necessarily with iPhones.Following the Wall Street Journal's special access to Apple's facilities, the images and video show factory operations at Houston. The facility, which is currently used to assemble AI servers used for Apple's data centers, is being fitted out to make the Mac mini. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Everything we know about the new M5 MacBook Air before its 2026 launch
Macworld The MacBook Air M5 is expected to be a significant update in Apple’s consumer laptop lineup, primarily focusing on a transition to the next-generation M5 silicon. While the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro have already moved to the M5 chip as of late 2025, the MacBook Air currently remains on the M4 platform. It’s long been expected that the new MacBook Air M5 will arrive early in 2026, and with Apple inviting some members of the media to “Special Experiences” at various locations on March 4, 2026, it may be that the new MacBook Air will appear before, or during, that “event”. This article keeps track of what’s being reported and rumored about the upcoming MacBook Air and offers a perspective based on Apple’s current lineup. M5 MacBook Air: Processor and performance expectations CPU Speed: An incremental boost of approximately 15% to 25% in CPU speed compared to the M4. Graphics: Substantial improvements, with Apple claiming the M5’s GPU architecture can deliver up to 45% higher graphics performance than the M4. Memory Bandwidth: A nearly 30% improvement in unified memory bandwidth, reaching 153GB/s compared to the M4’s 120GB/s . AI Capabilities: The M5 chip is being heralded as a “next big leap” for Apple Silicon’s AI performance, specifically designed to power on-device Apple Intelligence features. The M5 MacBook Air is expected to see gains in CPU, GPU and AI performance compared to the M4 MacBook Air. We can get a good picture of what to expect because the M5 chip arrived with the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro in late 2025 and our own review and benchmarking of the M5 MacBook Pro showed consistent gains in both single-core and multi-core processing. In our M5 MacBook Pro review we found that the M5’s single-core and multi-core results were 14 and 22 percent faster than the M4, respectively. The M5’s 10-core GPU architecture includes a new Neural Accelerator in each core, which Apple claims provides over four times the peak GPU compute performance of the M4. In our real-world gaming tests using 3DMark Solar Bay Extreme the M5 maintained approximately 100 fps, a 50% improvement over the M4’s 70 fps. At the time of launch, Apple described the M5 as offering a “big leap” in AI performance, with the chip reportedly delivering up to 3.5 times the AI performance of the previous generation. In practical creative workflows, these improvements translate to tangible time savings. For instance, exporting a complex audio project in GarageBand was roughly 10 seconds faster on the M5 compared to the M4 in our tests. The M5 also offers a new 10-core GPU architecture with a Neural Accelerator in each core, which Apple says means it can provide “over 4x the peak GPU compute performance compared to M4”. M5 MacBook Air: Specs, Storage, RAM Foundry M5 with a 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4 M5 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4 M5 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, 512GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4 The specs of the entry-level MacBook Air are likely to include a GPU with fewer cores, and the mid-range MacBook Air is likely to match the spec of the entry-level MacBook Pro, but with half the storage. That is one specification that we’d like to see change: the 256GB SSD is on the small side, however the M5 MacBook Air is likely to offer the same base storage. There are rumors that the new storage might be faster. The memory options may expand, with higher RAM configurations. All models will start with the 16GB RAM configuration, as has been the case since Apple introduced it mid-way through the M3 cycle (October 2024). There will continue to be the option to add 32GB memory. It’s not known if the 4TB SSD option that is now available on the M5 MacBook Pro will be available, we don’t expect it to be though. With the M4 MacBook Air, Apple upgraded the built-in camera to a 12MP Center Stage camera and the ports from Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 4. We don’t expect any change here, however, in the U.K. and Europe Apple has left the power adapter out of the box, so it is likely that this will be the case for the MacBook Air when it launches. M5 MacBook Air: Design Apple introduced Sky Blue as a color option with the M4 MacBook Air.Eugen Wegmann The current design for the MacBook Air was introduced in 2022. Since it’s only a few years old, we don’t expect it to change with the M5 release. The M5 MacBook Air is expected to retain the same thin chassis that it is famous for. With the M4 MacBook Air, Apple introduced a Sky Blue color to replace Space Gray, but it is unlikely that we will see any new colors for this generation. M5 MacBook Air: Display Comparing the MacBook Pro with Nano-text and MacBook Air with glossy display.Foundry No changes are expected for the M5 MacBook Air display. As before it will have a standard Liquid Retina display. ProMotion technology, as found on the MacBook Pro, is not expected to arrive on the M5 MacBook Air. It’s also likely Apple will continue to offer the standard Liquid Retina display to keep the pro lines separate, as with the iPhone and iPad. The rumor mill has reported on plans for the company to implement OLED displays in its MacBooks, however this is unlikely to happen until 2027, with the MacBook Pro getting OLED first, perhaps before the end of 2026 in the rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro. M5 MacBook Air: Thermal performance The increased power of the M5 chip has been found to have an impact on thermals – which is likely to impact on the MacBook Air due to the lack of fan for internal cooling. As noted in The M5 MacBook Pro runs hotter than the M4 it replaces: “During more intensive tasks, such as during Cinebench’s 3D rendering test, the M5 has to throttle its performance to manage its temperature. The fan–both laptops have only one fan– runs much faster on the M5, too.” If the peak performance of the M5 is limited by the single-fan cooling system, it will be limited even more in the MacBook Air. M5 MacBook Air: Release date By March 4, 2026 Apple has confirmed a spring product event (or Experience) on March 4, 2026 and it’s expected that the MacBook Air M5 will launch in that timeframe. The MacBook Air typically follows a different release cycle than the MacBook Pro, usually arriving in the first half of the year following the Pro’s update. Current expectations point toward a launch in spring 2026. This timeline aligns with Apple’s established cadence, where the MacBook Pro is often update in November, followed by the MacBook Air in March. A gap of a few months between the launch of the M5 MacBook Pro and M5 MacBook Air is likely, so we anticipate that we will see the M5 MacBook Air in the first half of 2026. On October 16, Gurman reported that the M5 MacBook Air is scheduled for a spring 2026 release. On February 8, Gurman reported that the M5 MacBook Air is “coming shortly.” And, on February 22, Gurman again suggested the MacBook will be one of “at least five new products” arriving by March 4. M5 MacBook Air: Price Most supply-chain and analyst reports expect prices to stay similar to the current M4 Air lineup. Apple could keep the M4 around as a lower-cost alternative, but rumors suggest that the company may be preparing to launch a low-cost MacBook alongside the MacBook Air, which could mean that the entry-level price of $999 is raised. Apple could start the M5 Airs at $1,099 as was the case a few years ago. The threat of tariffs by the U.S. government is also a looming issue, which could affect prices. However, we don’t expect the pricing to change, as the MacBook Pro pricing hasn’t changed. Here are the prices for the current standard configurations of the M4 MacBook Air. MacBook Air modelU.S.U.K.CanadaAustralia13in, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD$999£999$1,399$1,69913in, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD$1,199£1,199$1,699$1,99913in, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD$1,399£1,399$1,999$2,29915in, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD$1,199£1,199$1,699$2,09915in, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD$1,399£1,399$1,999$2,39915in, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD$1,599£1,599$2,299$2,699

Read more »

iPhone 18 Pro ‘leak’ claims everything is going well
Macworld We’re in the dying days of February, and Apple’s flagship phone launches are still more than six months away. But according to a new report, the company is making solid progress towards the iPhone 18 Pro’s launch, with the device having just entered test production. The leaker Fixed Focus Digital, who has a mixed record but a few solid predictions under their belt, claims in a Weibo post this week (spotted by MacRumors) that the 18-series handsets are “already in mass production testing,” adding that the “iPhone 18 Pro production line has also started operation.” (Both quotes via Google Translate.) The leaker does not specify a source for these claims, referring only and vaguely to “current information.” One would assume they have access to sources in Apple’s supply chain, which is so large and complex that a few leaks are almost inevitable. But it also wouldn’t be impossible to guess and have a fair chance of being right. Because, while this might seem early (after all, we haven’t even got the iPhone 17e yet), this is pretty standard timing. Apple’s road to a shipped hardware product has numerous stops along the way, going through Engineering Validation Test (EVT), Design Validation Test (DVT), and Production Validation Test (PVT) before actual mass production begins. February is roughly when we would expect DVT to transition into PVT. A more interesting question is how the standard iPhone 18 fits into all of this. Fixed Focus’s initial reference to the “iPhone 18 series,” rather than the iPhone 18 Pro specifically, as it does in the second part, appears to imply that the iPhone 18 is included in the mass production testing. Indeed, every Apple news site I’ve seen covering this story has taken that to be the leaker’s meaning, which would leave us in a situation where Apple is already production-testing the iPhone 18 even though it isn’t expected to come out until spring 2027. That’s not impossible–the iPhone 18 could be in an earlier validation stage, such as EVT–but the vagueness of the prediction, combined with potential for confusion introduced by having to translate the post from Chinese, makes me wonder if that might not be what is meant. Could it be that Fixed Focus is instead including the iPhone Fold in the “18 series” of iPhones, given that it’ll launch alongside them and is effectively part of that generation? Is it even possible that the leaker thinks the device will be called the iPhone 18 Fold? Regardless, we’ll get plenty more opportunities to observe the new phones’ progress as we head towards the big launch. For all the latest news and rumors, bookmark our regularly updated iPhone 18 superguide. And of course, if you can’t wait until September, check our roundup of the best iPhone deals to make sure you’re paying the lowest possible price on the current range. Just wait until we’ve seen the iPhone 17e before making that purchase.

Read more »

Reddit and Discord are both in trouble over controversial age verification service
Both Reddit and Discord have got themselves into trouble over the use of a controversial third-party age verification service. Reddit has been fined £14.5 ($19.5M) million for the unlawful use of children’s personal information, while Discord has experienced a user backlash … more…

Read more »

WhatsApp prepares to add this useful iMessage feature
WhatsApp's latest beta hints at the messaging app gaining a long-overdue iMessage feature: the ability to schedule messages. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

Data Centers in Space: Pi in the Sky or AI Hallucination?
As AI energy demands grow, technologists are eyeing orbital data centers powered by solar energy — but analysts say major technical and economic hurdles remain. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.

Read more »

Remembering Steve Jobs on his 71st birthday
Fifteen years after his death, Steve Jobs is still continually quoted, sometimes criticized, but always seen as creating the ethos of Apple. On what would have been his 71st birthday, this is how he shaped Apple — and the world.Steve JobsApple co-founder Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, and brought up by his adoptive parents, Paul and Clara Jobs. While he would later dismiss the idea that the circumstances of his adoption had any influence on him, he was born straight into a dispute over a deal, and startling signs of his later strengths and weaknesses were there from his early years. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Tim Cook ‘slept with one eye open’ after classified CIA briefing on Taiwan
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly told officials that he slept “with one eye open” after he attended a classified CIA briefing on Taiwan, home to the company’s chipmaker TSMC. US intelligence agencies have been worried for years that China may plan to invade the island, and the briefing warned that this could happen as early as next year … more…

Read more »

If iPhone Fold is truly coming in 2026, expect big leaks very soon
Apple's supply chain is big, so new product launches get leaked in their entirety as they enter mass production. If the iPhone Fold is coming, we should get our first peek at it soon.iPhone Fold should be leaked in its final form. Any day now.I'm on the record as being an iPhone Fold skeptic. Even as the iPhone 18 Pro has begun leaking components, nothing of the sort has happened for the upcoming foldable iPhone.There's something odd about that. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

iPhone set all-time European sale record in 2025, even as market declines
Analytics firm Omdia claims that in 2025, Apple set an all-time sales record for the iPhone in Europe, with a 6% year over year growth.The iPhone 16e helped Apple to a record year in EuropeBack in June 2025, Apple's lower-cost iPhone 16e was reportedly selling well in Europe but not as well as the even lower-cost iPhone SE that preceded it. Now, however, figures for the whole of 2025 show that altogether, the whole iPhone range scored Apple a record year in the region.According to analytics firm Omdia, Apple's 6% year-over-year growth means it shipped 36.9 million iPhones. That gave it a record 27% share of Europe's smartphone market. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Drab Fold, bright Pro predicted for fall iPhone event
Macworld For reasons known only to itself, Apple has historically followed a strategy of releasing inexpensive smartphones in bright and vibrant colors, while limiting its premium handsets to a more muted palette. But this changed last year with the launch of the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, and Apple was promptly rewarded with huge commercial success driven especially by the popularity of that color in China. With this in mind, all eyes will be on Apple’s color selections this coming September, when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold are unveiled. It’s highly unlikely that we’ll get exactly the same choices for the second year in a row; Apple loves to add a new color with each generation (while usually removing one or more that might not have sold so well), so buyers can advertise the fact they’ve got a new model. But surely Apple will have learned the lesson and make sure it includes at least one bright finish. One analyst who agrees is Mark Gurman, who discusses the likely colors in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. He isn’t 100 percent certain about what we’ll see in September–which isn’t unreasonable when predicting a cosmetic detail nearly seven months from launch–but he thinks this year’s new finish will be red. It’s worth noting that this probably won’t be as conspicuous as Cosmic Orange: Gurman describes it as a “deep red”, and the Deep Blue option for the iPhone 17 Pro is a dark navy that’s closer to black than to the oceanic mid-blue that was available for the iPhone 13. (A non-Pro phone, of course.) So we’ll probably be looking at a rich burgundy rather than the bright scarlet of Apple’s many (Product) Red devices. That’s Deep Blue on the right.Apple But that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be any bright colors at all, because Gurman thinks one option that’s currently on the table is to offer both Cosmic Orange and Deep Red. “Given the success of orange, I wouldn’t be surprised if the company keeps that option around and just adds the red as an additional choice,” Gurman explains. “But red and orange might be a little too close on the color wheel to have both. We’ll see how this plays out.” Whereas the structural and internal details of Apple’s yearly phone refreshes need to be decided long in advance (and then ideally, but not always, kept secret), colors are tested and pondered until quite close to launch. As Gurman notes, there have been rumors that we might see purple and/or brown iPhones in late 2026, and he believes these might just be variants of the same red tone Apple has been testing. In conclusion, then, it looks like the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro will be sold in three or four color finishes: Silver, Deep Blue, Deep Red, and possibly Cosmic Orange. We just won’t know the exact shade of red until nearer the time because Apple probably hasn’t decided yet. As for the iPhone Fold, Gurman thinks Apple will return to its earlier philosophy and punish wealthy customers for buying its most expensive handset. The Fold may cost $2,399, but it won’t come in either orange or red. Just “some sort of dark gray or black and a variation of a white or light silver,” similar to how Apple delivered the iPhone X. For all the latest news and rumors leading up to the launches in September, bookmark our regularly updated iPhone 18 superguide.

Read more »

Apple shares more details, photos, and video of US Mac mini plant
Apple yesterday announced plans to start manufacturing the Mac mini in the US and has now shared more details of the initiative, alongside photos and video footage. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company is also accelerating production of AI servers made in the Houston plant where the Mac mini models will be assembled … more…

Read more »

Apple’s AI products are all doomed. Wanna guess why?
Macworld It is time for another edition of Old Man Macalope Explains How Things Used to Be Better. No, don’t get up. Back in the early 2000s, there were three big Apple rumors: the tablet, the set-top box, and the phone. We speculated about them endlessly. Mostly because, since we didn’t have smartphones to look at, we had so little to do. But the point is, we were excited about them. These days, getting excited about Apple rumors is not as much of a given, and the reason is two simple letters: AI. Let’s look at some rumors that are going around right now. The first is the rumor that Apple is working on a series of home products. As the Macalope has noted, this is an area he’s wanted the company to get into because it’s a real mixed bag of reliability and privacy, things that Apple generally–not always, but most times–is pretty good at. The rumored product the horny one is most excited for is a doorbell camera that uses Face ID. Compare that to Ring, which recently had to walk back (again) its cozy relationship with law enforcement, and you can see the benefit of Apple entering this market. This is a place where Apple can solve real problems that people have and make things work better with more privacy. And then there’s… whatever this is: Apple is working on AI smartglasses, an AI pendant, and AirPods. All of these are AI wearable devices that will depend on the supposedly smarter Siri that seems to be taking longer than expected. You know, Apple, we went to a lot of trouble to mock Google Glass into the dust bin of technology so it seems a little rude to expect us to turn around and get excited about these things. “Glassholes”? That was some quality work. C’mon. If you’d like to receive regular news and updates to your inbox, sign up for our newsletters, including The Macalope and Apple Breakfast, David Price’s weekly, bite-sized roundup of all the latest Apple news and rumors.Foundry Turn out that AI is causing a lot of heavy sighing about the future The New York Times notes that people aren’t so much into the AI boom. Silicon Valley executives promise that artificial intelligence is going to radically change everyone’s life for the better, starting just a few minutes from now. The New Tork TImes, Feb. 21, 2026 Hey, hey, Elon Musk patented saying an AI feature is just months away for years on end. Any other executives saying that have to give him a quarter. He doesn’t need it, of course, it’s just the principle of the thing. In a YouGov survey last year, more than a third of respondents said they were concerned that A.I. would end human life on earth. Okay, so, yeah, AI has a bit of a public relations problem. Just a global extermination-level public relations problem. That’s… you can get over… that. Even those with a more hopeful attitude overwhelmingly said in another poll that they would not pay extra to put A.I. on their devices. Is paying extra to get it out of our devices on the table? Why can’t people see the utility? …80 percent of firms reported that A.I. was having no impact on their productivity or employment. Other than that, the Macalope means. (He is going to drop in the standard caveat, however: AI does have utility in various applications, it’s just that Silicon Valley executives are trying to jam it into everything, whether it’s warranted or not, and instead of giving it to employees to boost their productivity, they’re cutting staff based on assumed productivity gains that don’t materialize.) The real tragedy of all this is that by not being 100 percent jazzed about AI, we’re hurting the feelings of the billionaire CEO of Nvidia. “It’s extremely hurtful, frankly,” Mr. [Jensen] Huang said… Word is he can barely muster up the excitement to buy more black jackets made of increasingly bizarre types of leather. “Ant leather? Handmade from 10 million ants? I didn’t know that was a thing. Sigh. Okay. I’ll take twenty.” Huang’s fee-fees notwithstanding, when AI is routinely used as an excuse to make layoffs, who can blame people for not being super enthused about the technology? All of this before we even ask the question: will it work? Apple has, to date, struggled to deliver on its AI promises. And maybe that’s a good thing? Because other companies seem content to ship AI products that just don’t work right, often with some catastrophic, if hilarious, results: Meta Director of AI Safety Allows AI Agent to Accidentally Delete Her Inbox An AI coding bot took down Amazon Web Services Microsoft says bug causes Copilot to summarize confidential emails And all of that before we ask the question, what impact does it have on the environment? Apple used to be good at avoiding tech trends and focusing on making products people really wanted. Maybe these devices aren’t exactly what the rumors make them out to be, chatbot-enable wearables that’ll annoy you and everyone else in the waiting room at your doctor’s office. Maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised. In the mean time, the Macalope’s going to look forward to the more concrete products Apple might ship.

Read more »

Apple published a new Press Release
Apple just published a new Press Release:Apple accelerates U.S. manufacturing with Mac mini production

Read more »

Apple @ Work Podcast: The rise of the autonomous AI SOC
Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. In this episode of Apple @ Work, Monzy Merza from Crogl joins the show to talk about how AI is going to evolve the work that security analysts do. more…

Read more »

MagSafe fans need to see this foldable charging station
Macworld TL;DR: The $86.99 Mag 3 Ultra Qi2 25W 3-in-1 Foldable Charger powers your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously with faster Qi2 charging (MSRP $109). When you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem, your nightstand tells the story: MagSafe puck, Watch charger, and a stray cable for your AirPods that just won’t stay put. It’s not pretty, and things get even more horrific when you’re on the move or—*gasp*—traveling. That’s why every Apple fanatic needs the Mag 3 Ultra. Three devices, one charger The design folds flat while in use on your nightstand or desk, and into a stack while in your bag. But the standout here is next-gen 25W Qi2 charging, which delivers up to 70% faster charging than previous generations, taking your iPhone from 0 to 50% in about 30 minutes. For anyone with a recent iPhone who cares about minimizing downtime before heading out, that’s a meaningful jump. A dedicated watch charger obviously supports Apple Watch (and even Galaxy Watch), and the base wirelessly powers AirPods with a MagSafe case. Built-in protections like foreign object detection and over-current safeguards add peace of mind to overnight charging. Order yourself one of these foldable Mag 3 Ultra chargers at $86.99 to simplify your Apple lifestyle even more (MSRP $109). Mag 3 Ultra Qi2 25W 3-in-1 Foldable ChargerSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

Read more »

Apple is bringing Mac mini production home
Apple is begin limited Mac mini assembly in the US later in 2026 to meet local demand, expanding its manufacturing footprint beyond Asia. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

Take a peek into Apple's efforts to bring Mac mini assembly and chip fabrication stateside
Apple is working to bring more manufacturing to the United States, including chip fabrication and Mac mini assembly, but it's a slow-moving project.TSMC is building several fabs near Phoenix, ArizonaThere is increasing pressure to bring more of Apple's manufacturing and assembly stateside. However, even with $600 billion in investments, what can be done in the US is insignificant compared to the global supply chain.The Wall Street Journal got special access to various facilities in the United States to examine how Apple is repatriating its supply chain. Executives like COO Sabih Khan joined tours of the TSMC Arizona plant, the Foxconn Houston facility, and others. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Apple announces plans to manufacture some new Macs in the United States this year
Apple has announced that it plans to start manufacturing one of its Mac computers, the Mac mini, in the United States starting this year. more…

Read more »