Nearly 1 in 4 active smartphones is an Apple iPhone
Eight Smartphone OEMs had an active installed base exceeding 200M devices in 2025 and nearly 1 in 4 active smartphones is an Apple iPhone… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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iOS 26.3 brings these 3 changes to your iPhone
Apple’s iOS 26.3 update is light on features but brings three important improvements that quietly make your iPhone better. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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iOS 26.3 brings these 2 changes to your iPhone
Apple’s iOS 26.3 update is light on features but brings three important improvements that quietly make your iPhone better. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple releases iOS 26.3 for iPhone, here’s what’s new
There’s a new software update available for iPhone. Apple has released iOS 26.3, the third big update to Apple’s redesigned operating system and the last before a major improvement to Siri. more…

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iPadOS 26.3 available now for iPad, here’s what’s new
Apple has released its latest iPad software update: iPadOS 26.3 is available now, here’s what’s new for users. more…

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‘Dear Algo’ lets you tweak your Threads feed for trending moments
The AI-powered feature is rolling out today as beta, letting users in select countries directly steer their feeds (albeit temporarily). Here’s how it works. more…

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Apple’s new 40W dynamic charger is under $30 for the first time
Macworld You might have heard about Apple’s new dynamic charger that can deliver just the right amount of juice to your iPhone or Mac. You also might have heard that it’s pretty pricey at $39. Well, it just got its first discount, so if you’re curious about it, it’s a great time to buy one. The Apple 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W max power is down to a cool $27 at Amazon, the best price we’ve ever seen. We tested this power adapter a while back and were pleasantly surprised by its performance. Basically, this adapter features a unique dynamic power allocation system that’s capable of delivering up to 60W. It can sustain this 60W max power for about 20 minutes or so before getting too hot and backing off to 40W. We didn’t find it to be any faster than other 60W chargers, but the safety features are a nice benefit. And Apple could unlock featurea in future devices that specifically take advantage of the dynamic charging. Either way, this technology allows it to provide a powerful boost in charging speeds while maintaining a compact, pocket-sized form factor. It will generally charge your iPhone at 40W, but it will boost to 60W for your MacBook Air (for a while, at least). The unit features a single USB-C port and foldable prongs, so it’s as travel-ready as it’s gonna get. Go ahead and grab Apple’s new 40W/60W power adapter for $27 while it’s still on sale. Buy now at Amazon

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You may not need AppleCare+ in 2026 (unless you own these models)
The question of who needs AppleCare+ in 2026 comes down to risk tolerance, plus which devices users own and how they use them. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Mega Deal Zone: 1TB M4 Pro MacBook Pro laptops plunge to as low as $1,799
B&H is blowing out M4 Pro MacBook Pro inventory during its Mega Deal Zone event, with savings of up to $400 off multiple models.Save $400 on M4 Pro MacBook Pro laptops during Mega Deal Zone.Now through Feb. 12, B&H is hosting a Mega Deal Zone savings event, with MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models up to $400 off.Save up to $400 during Mac Deal Zone Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Today in Apple history: iPad fails to impress Bill Gates
On February 11, 2010, as iPad excitement reached fever pitch, Steve Jobs' frenemy Bill Gates waded in with his own opinion about the tablet. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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ExpressVPN review: Fast, simple VPN with new tiered pricing
Macworld At a GlanceExpert's Rating Pros Simple to use on all platforms Big focus on privacy and transparency 105 countries Cons Pricing changes offer tiered services at the cost of flexible contract lengths Our Verdict ExpressVPN is fast and simple to get to grips with, offering a great way to get around geoblocking at a reasonable price. While the Mac app is a little basic, that’s arguably part of its charm – you open it, click, and go, but you will miss out on additional features like antivirus tools offered by some rivals. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price ExpressVPN (Monthly) $3.49 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When ReviewedBasic: $3.49 a month for 2 years + 4 free months; Advanced: $4.49 a month for 2 years + 4 free months; Pro: $7.49 a month for 2 years + 4 free months Best Prices Today: Retailer Price ExpressVPN (Monthly) $3.49 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Basic Plan$3.49 a monthAdvanced Plan$4.49 a monthPro Plan$7.49 a month In our time appraising VPNs, we’ve found that ExpressVPN is also held up in the community. As one of the biggest names in the game, alongside NordVPN, we were always going to review it, but could it really be that much more impressive than so many of its rivals to earn such a glowing reputation? As it happens, the answer is yes. While ExpressVPN isn’t without its quirks, as so many VPNs are, it’s remarkably easy to use, stripped bare of additional features on the Mac to be boiled down into the simplest way to connect to servers in over a hundred countries. To roll it back, though, why would you want a Virtual Private Network? Reasons to use a VPN are threefold at the basest level. For one, you can circumnavigate geoblocking, letting you watch whatever’s on Netflix in the UK while you remain comfy on your sofa in California, for example. It’s also a great way to protect your data while browsing the web from a network that’s public or unfamiliar. Heading to the coffee shop? A VPN can encrypt your connection to minimize the risk of prying eyes. Finally, even when you’re browsing at home, they can minimize the chances of your internet provider or just about anyone else seeing what you’re doing. What I love about ExpressVPN is you can do just about all of this with two or three clicks at most. It even does well to mitigate some of the speed lost from pinging your data off to distant lands, dropping less than 13% of download speed in our testing. Combine that with a relatively decent price for a one-year membership and you’ve got an ideal first stop for VPN newcomers. ExpressVPN features in our round-up of the Best VPNs for Mac. It’s also included in our Best VPN for iPhone and Best VPNs for iPad articles. Features & Apps Server Choice: There are over 100 countries with ExpressVPN servers.Foundry As you’d expect from a household name, ExpressVPN has native VPN apps on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android, Windows, and just about anything else. If you’ve got a smart device, there’s a good chance ExpressVPN can run on it, and that’s handled through an account-specific Activation Code that’s easy to set up. You can use it on eight devices at once, which is a step up from the five that it used to offer – although disappointingly you won’t be able to get unlimited devices like something like Surfshark. It’s worth noting that, outside of encrypting your connection to minimize the presence of “bad actors”, you get Advanced Protection on the Advanced plan and above. Both ExpressVPN and its password manager have browser plugin support, too, so you can use either from within your browser of choice. Outside of that, though, ExpressVPN is refreshingly simple. There are no subscription tiers, no convoluted add-ons, and you can open the app or use the menu bar item on a Mac to get browsing safely and securely in seconds. With that said, if you do want that sort of safety net for malware, something like NordVPN might be worth a look instead. Or take a look at our round-up of the Best Antivirus for Mac. Opening up ExpressVPN is much faster than some competitors we’ve tested (I found SurfShark rather gunked up my system on Mac when I tried to uninstall it), with a slick animation when you hit the “on” button to connect to your chosen server. It’ll add a series of shortcuts to apps and sites you use often, too, letting you quickly hop to them when you’re connected, and there are Advanced Protection features, too – more on those in a moment. I’ve also had great experiences with the 24-hour live chat. Within minutes I can be connected to a real human (no chatbots, hooray!) and able to discuss any issues. Performance Speed Tests: You can run speed tests on any server in the world.Foundry To set expectations – NordVPN remains faster than ExpressVPN. Its loss of around 12% of download speed is pretty hard to beat, but 13% on ExpressVPN’s part is still better than many. ExpressVPN offers no fewer than six different choices for protocol (including the automatic option). Lightway, the company’s own option, is rapid. That’s going to net you the best speeds, but for compatibility, you can switch to another version of Lightway or OpenVPN – although we lost 24% of speed using the latter. It’s worth noting that Advanced Protection features will disable OpenVPN and IKEv2. The tradeoff is that these features can block trackers, malicious sites, ads, and adult sites. That’s great for families using Express for all of their browsing activity, adding additional peace of mind. In my testing, I’ve not found much that Lightway couldn’t handle, too, so it may end up being much simpler to just leave the automatic setting on. You can also run speedtests within the app on multiple server locations to get an idea of what to expect when connecting, and that’s handy for countries with multiple server locations. On iPhone and iPad, things are much more baked into the operating systems. Siri voice control, a Home Screen widget, and even Shortcuts integration have been added in recent months. Privacy & Security IP Address Checker: The IP address checker opens in a browser window, rather than in the app.Foundry Circumnavigating geoblocks is great and all, but it means little if your VPN doesn’t offer some degree of privacy. The company is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, meaning it’s free from the majority of intelligence-sharing agencies’ jurisdiction, while it also operates a no-log policy. It doesn’t have anything like the PureVPN “always-on” audit process, but it undergoes regular audits each year. There’s a sizeable section of the ExpressVPN site with a focus on security, transparency, audits, and more, too, called the Trust Centre. The company also operates a “bug bounty” program to reward anyone capable of finding vulnerabilities in its apps, servers, website or anything else. It’s worth noting, however, that using something like the IP address checker or DNS leak test within the app takes you to a separate webpage, which is a shame – but maybe that’s the price you pay for a faster native macOS experience. Pricing and plans In a previous version of this review, we noted that ExpressVPN was offering great deals to users who didn’t want to lock in to a two-year plan – but that’s no longer the case. Instead, you can still pay on a monthly basis, but ExpressVPN now has a tiered system. The basic plan is just $3.49 per month (across two years), and gets you what the company calls its ‘core features’ – the Lightway protocol, no-logs, and plenty of server locations across 10 devices. Next up is Advanced, which adds additional protection and a Password Manager, alongside identity monitoring and even credit monitoring. It costs $4.49 (again, on a two-year plan) and covers 12 devices. Finally, the Pro plan gets you unlimited eSIM data for 5 days, monthly credit reports, data removal services, and covers 14 devices for $7.49 a month. That flexibility of features is great, and you get dedicated IP options in the Pro package or as a paid extra for other tiers, but it’s still substantially pricier than some rivals – particularly if you opt to pay monthly. Verdict ExpressVPN is an easy-to-use, fast VPN service with plenty of protection from prying eyes and dodgy coffee shop Wi-Fi, as well as near-limitless potential for enjoying streaming services in any of its server locations across 105 countries. It’s very easy to recommend ExpressVPN for its no-nonsense approach to a VPN.

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Deals: AirPods Pro 3, Apple Sport Bands up to 41% off, Anker 25W MagSafe Charging Stand $100 off, iPad, more
Kicking off today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break deals, Amazon now officially launched its 2026 President’s Day sale with price drops on Apple Watch Series 11 at $100 off, AirTag, AirPods, and more. We also have some rare price drops on Apple Sport Bands and Loops at up to 41% off and a new Amazon low on Apple’s 11-inch 1TB M5 iPad Pro. Just be sure to also scope out the $100 price drop now delivering Anker’s impressive Qi2 25W 3-in-1 Prime MagSafe Charger with the onboard Smart Display at its best price yet. Everything awaits below in detail.  more…

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Bad Bunny’s Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show sees 39% household viewership drop vs. last year, Samba TV data shows
Bad Bunny's Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show performance drew 26.5 million U.S. households, marking a sharp 39% decline from… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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TikTok has a brand new feed rolling out just for US users
TikTok is officially under US ownership for American users, and after a rocky first week plagued by issues, the new owners have just announced a brand new TikTok feature exclusive to the US: the Local Feed. more…

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There’s a new best all-around iPhone game controller [Review] ★★★★★
The Ohsnap Mcon uses an innovative design that makes the iPhone game controller portable and flexible. We go hands-on for our review. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Jerry Bruckheimer is working on a “F1: The Movie” sequel, but there are no guarantees
In what is the least surprising headline you'll read today, Jerry Bruckheimer is working on a sequel to Apple TV's smash hit "F1." Reports claiming that this is absolute confirmation that it's coming are premature.Brad Pitt in "F1"Face it, there's going to be a sequel to "F1: The Movie." Eventually.Hollywood, and Apple like money, after all. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Here are three of my favorite CarPlay features right now
Like many people, Apple CarPlay is a must-have feature for me. Having quick access to key iPhone apps via my car’s screen is incredibly convenient. Here are three of my favorite recent CarPlay features. more…

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Apple News boosts left-leaning news outlets, shuts out conservative media – watchdog
A study by the Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog group, has found that Apple News featured a significant number… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Forget the iPhone, Apple might be bringing under-screen Touch ID to the Mac
Macworld It’s been rumored for years that Apple is researching ways to install biometric sensors under the iPhone’s screen, thereby saving itself the need to put Face ID sensors in the Dynamic Island or Touch ID fingerprint readers in one of the buttons. What very few people expected was for Apple to focus on developing such a feature for the Mac-but a newly granted patent offers an intriguing hint of precisely that. In U.S. patent 12,548,534, filed in January 2025 and granted this week (and promptly spotted by AppleInsider), Apple reveals its work on a project called, perhaps misleadingly, “Display with localized brightness adjustment capabilities.” But the real purpose of the concept is given away in the abstract, which discusses “an array of light sensors for capturing fingerprints of a user through an array of corresponding transparent windows in the display.” So far, so unsurprising: Apple has been granted patents for what sound suspiciously like under-screen Touch ID on multiple occasions in the past. But what’s different from U.S. patent 10,824,837, for example, is the noticeable lack of anything to tie the research to the iPhone. Not in the wording: Apple is always as vague as it can get away with in that respect, referring consistently to electronic devices rather than smartphones, or giving long lists of possible applications. (In this latest patent Apple cites “a tablet computer, laptop computer, a desktop computer, a display, a cellular telephone, a media player, a wristwatch device or other wearable electronic equipment, or other suitable electronic device.”) But in the artwork. Apple is exploring the possibility of adding Touch ID to displays.Apple The drawing for patent 10,824,837 is quite transparently a handheld device of some sort. Again, Apple keeps things vague: it could be a smartphone or a small tablet. But there’s no way in the world that’s a Mac. Compare this to 12,548,534, which is illustrated by a series of nondescript almost-square rectangles (with, notably, no human finger to give clues of scale) that could be taken as a representation of almost any Apple display, from the iPhone to the Studio Display. And AppleInsider takes this as a possible hint that the patent might be intended for non-iPhone applications such as the iPad (which would probably be the closest fit for the screen proportions) or even the Mac. Macs aren’t an obvious use case for under-screen Touch ID. Whereas screen space is at a premium for the iPhone and iPad, Macs don’t have to give up any screen real estate for biometrics; their keyboards have built-in Touch ID sensors, and these don’t bring any obvious drawbacks. Putting sensors under their screens could lower the screen output quality, raise costs, or bring any number of other complications. However, there are rumors that Apple will release its first touch-screen MacBook later this year, so it’s not completely outlandish. Of course, this is just a patent. Patent activity is no guarantee of future plans: sometimes projects are delayed or cancelled entirely, and it’s not unknown for companies to file patents to obstruct or mislead their rivals. Still, it’s an interesting idea. Watch this space and we’ll let you know if anything comes of it.

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Apple’s most affordable products are about to get a lot more exciting
Apple has a lot of new products rumored to launch soon, and among them, the most affordable iPhone, iPad, and MacBook models will get a lot more exciting. Here’s what’s coming. more…

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