Warner Bros says Apple has shown interest in acquiring its TV and film library
Warner Bros. Discovery is formally up for sale, with the company inviting bids on the company as a whole or various slices of its assets. Paramount Skydance has already offered $24 per share for the whole company, but has so far had its proposals rebuffed by the media giant. CEO David Zaslav has financial bonuses attached to executing a sale, so he’s very much motivated in getting a deal done. Bluster or otherwise, Bloomberg reports he told senior executives that Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Comcast had shown interest in acquiring Warner Bros. expansive library of TV shows and films. more…

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Anniversary iPhone 20 rumored to launch months earlier than expected
A new claim from an analyst with an extremely limited track record says that Apple will mark the 20th anniversary of the iPhone with an iPhone 20 that launches in the first half of 2027.Render of a possible iPhone 20, based on previous patent drawingsIt's long been expected that Apple will mark 20 years since the iPhone's launch by making as radical a redesign as it did for the 10th anniversary. Now a new report says that this 2027 model will be launched earlier than expected.According to ET News, Omdia chief researcher Heo Moo-yeol told a conference in Seoul that it would launch in the first half of 2027. If correct, that would bring it more inline with the 20th anniversary of when the original iPhone first shipped. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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20th anniversary MacBook Pro: Everything you need to know about Apple’s touchscreen redesign
Macworld Touchscreen MacBook Pro: In summary The 2026 MacBook Pro could feature a touchscreen display, the first ever in an Apple laptop. The display will reportedly be based on OLED technology, similar to the display in the iPad Pro. The M6 chip will be at the heart of the laptop. The laptop could be released at the end of 2026. 2026 is the 20th anniversary of the MacBook Pro, and Apple could introduce some major changes to its top-of-the-line laptop. The company could introduce a feature we thought we’d never see in a MacBook. Some big things are reportedly happening with the 2026 MacBook Pro, and as its release date approaches, the reports will be coming through. You can keep track of what’s been reported on this page, as well as our perspective on the feasibility of such reports. So, keep your eye on this page for the latest. Touchscreen MacBook Pro: Release date Late 2026 or early 2027 The touchscreen MacBook Pro has been in the rumor mill since Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman first reported on it back in 2023. While it’s always felt more like a fantasy back then, recent reports make it seem like it’s a near-certain reality. When will that reality happen? Several reports (from both analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Gurman) state that the arrival date will be sometime in late 2026. That seems feasible; Apple tends to release its 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models during the last quarter of the year, with the one exception of the M2 Pro/Max MacBook Pro in January 2023 and the upcoming M5 Pro/Max coming next year. Touchscreen MacBook Pro: Display Tandem OLED display Touchscreen interface The display will be the marquee feature of the 2026 MacBook Pro. Several reports have stated that Apple will implement an OLED display. In Apple marketing parlance, that would be similar the Ultra Retina XDR display in the iPad Pro. Currently, Apple uses a mini LED (Liquid Retina XDR) display for its MacBook Pro models. With the M4 iPad Pro, Apple introduced a Tandem OLED display, where two OLED panels are used to produce a high level of brightness. Apple will likely use the same tech in the 2026 MacBook Pro. The iPad Pro has a Tadem OLED display, the type of display that could make its way into the 2026 MacBook Pro.Brady Snyder / Foundry Several reports have also said that Apple will implement a touchscreen interface in the MacBook Pro. Apple’s stance historically is that touchscreens don’t belong on a laptop, but times have changed, and Apple is changing with the times. We haven’t heard anything about macOS 27 yet, but it’s likely to feature subtle design changes to better accommodate the new multitouch interface. Apple’s WWDC takes place in June, and while the company is unlikely to officially announce touch support for macOS, we could see obvious hints of a touchscreen Mac when macOS 27 is previewed. Touchscreen MacBook Pro: Design Thinner than the current MacBook Pro Punch hole for the FaceTime camera In case you haven’t been paying attention, Apple is very much into making thin devices. So naturally, Apple wants to make the 2026 MacBook Pro thinner, too, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The 2024 14-inch MacBook Pro measures 0.61 in (1.55 cm) when closed, and Apple plans to make the 2026 model thinner. The 15-inch MacBook Air is 0.45 in (1.15 cm), so we expect the 2026 MacBook Pro to still be a little thicker than the Air. A report by Omdia seemed to indicate that the 2026 MacBook Pro will no longer have a notch that houses the FaceTime camera, but instead will have a punch hole for the camera. Gurman also reported that the notch will be dropped in favor of “a hole-punch design that leaves a display area around the sensor.” Touchscreen MacBook Pro: Processor M6 series chip Apple is expected to use the M6 chip series with the MacBook Pro. Early reports state that the M6 could be manufactured using a 2nm process that allows for better power efficiency and better performance. If Apple makes the touchscreen Mac available with M6 Pro or Max chips, those chips could feature a new design. According to a report in October 2025, Apple is taking a new approach with the upcoming M5 Pro and Max chips by placing the CPU and GPU in separate blocks, thus allowing for more customization with core allocations. For example, a customer can choose a base CPU configuration and max out the GPU. This new design will certainly make its way to the M6 Pro and Max, but it’s unclear exactly how high-end the touchscreen MacBook Pro will be. If Apple decides to offer only the base M6 chip in the touchscreen Mac, then it will likely have the same fixed CPU and GPU options as with the M4 and other previous chips. Touchscreen MacBook Pro: Features 5G connectivity with C-series modem Apple N1-series chip for W-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread networking Besides the touchscreen OLED, thinner design, and punch hole FaceTime camera, reports of other features of the 2026 MacBook Pro have been scarce, but should pick up as the release date approaches. The C1X is now available, but the C2 modem could be ready for the 2026 MacBook Pro.Apple One new feature that is likely coming is 5G connectivity. Apple’s production of its own mobile modem is in full swing, with the C1X introduced in the iPhone Air. Reports have stated that Apple plans to include 5G connectivity in the MacBook Pro, but it’s not clear as to when it will happen. In August, Macworld contributor Filipe Esposito reported that Apple has tested an M5 MacBook Pro with a 5G modem, which seems to indicate that Apple is working on 5G connectivity for its laptops. The recently released M5 MacBook Pro doesn’t have 5G, but it’s possible the M5 Pro and M5 Max models will. Apple also introduced the N1 wireless networking chip with the iPhone 17 and M5 iPad Pro, which is used for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread networking. Apple could use an updated N chip in the 2026 MacBook Pro, but like the C1X modem, it could first arrive in the M5 MacBook Pro. Touchscreen MacBook Pro: Price Here are the prices for the current standard configurations of the M4 MacBook Pro These prices are provided here as reference points. 14-inch MacBook Pro $1,599/£1,599: M4 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 512GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4 $1,799/£1,799: M4 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 1TB SSD, Thunderbolt 4 $1,999/£1,999: M4 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, 1GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4 $1,999/£1,999: M4 Pro with a 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, 512GB SSD, Thunderbolt 5 $2,399/£2,399: M4 Pro with a 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, 512TB SSD, Thunderbolt 5 $3,199/£3,199: M4 Max with a 14-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB unified memory, 1TB SSD, Thunderbolt 5 16-inch MacBook Pro $2,499/£2,499: M4 Pro with a 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, 512GB SSD, Thunderbolt 5 $2,899/£2,899: M4 Pro with a 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 48GB unified memory, 512TB SSD, Thunderbolt 5 $3,499/£3,499: M4 Max with a 14-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB unified memory, 1TB SSD, Thunderbolt 5 $3,999/£3,999: M4 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB unified memory, 1TB SSD, Thunderbolt 5 Apple will likely offer similar configurations, but it’s unclear how much of a premium a touchscreen OLED display will command. Apple upped the price of the iPad Pro by $200 when it got a tandem OLED, so it’s likely the touchscreen MacBook Pro will have a higher starting price.

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Not just Liquid Glass: 6 times Apple backtracked on a major design decision
Macworld Apple’s new Liquid Glass interface has been somewhat controversial since it was introduced in June at WWDC 2025. While some users like the bold new look, others are not fans of how the exaggerated transparencies and fluid interactions. In response, Apple is finally letting users choose whether they want Liquid Glass or not in iOS 26.1. Apple is known for following through on certain decisions, so when the company reverses a major decision, it’s quite shocking, although this is not the first time Apple has done so. Even a company like Apple acknowledges that not everyone embraces radical shifts. Read on as we revisit some other decisions Apple made that were later reconsidered. Liquid Glass Let’s start with the most recent change that ended up being reversed in some ways, which is also one of the boldest changes in Apple’s design language in recent years.  Liquid Glass is what Apple calls the new interface in iOS 26, macOS 26, and its other operating 2026 systems. It was created as a “new material” to breathe new life into Apple software, which had otherwise been virtually unchanged since 2013, when iOS 7 introduced its polarizing “flat” interface. Apple added a toggle to essentially turn off Liquid Glass in iOS 26.1.Foundry Back in 2013, many people criticized the new look of iOS 7. Although the company has made a lot of tweaks since the first release, there has never been an option to go back to the skeuomorphic design of iOS 6 and earlier versions. Apple made it clear that flat design was here to stay. With Liquid Glass, Apple has seemingly given in to the negative opinions about Liquid Glass and has decided to give users a choice. Starting with the latest iOS 26.1 beta, users can choose the intensity of Liquid Glass with a new toggle available in Settings. The “Clear” option is the default Liquid Glass that Apple wants you to use, but there’s also a “Tinted” option that increases contrast and reduces transparency, making everything look like older versions of iOS. While letting users choose how they want their phone to look is a nice thing (especially considering accessibility), it’s really intriguing to think that Apple spent months highlighting the new Liquid Glass look only to give users the option to turn it off just a few weeks after release. Butterfly keyboard Apple’s “butterfly” keyboard mechanism was introduced in 2015 on MacBooks, with the purpose of making laptops thinner. However, due to the ultra-thin design of the keys, they ended up being more susceptible to failure as dust accumulated under the mechanisms.  At the same time, many users criticized the butterfly keyboard for its low key “travel,” which is the level of softness or hardness when you press the keys. Since the keyboard was super thin, typing on the butterfly keyboard became uncomfortable for some users after a while. The butterfly keyboard was such a headache, Apple implemented a repair program.Foundry Apple stuck with the butterfly keyboard for many years, but the problems only got worse. It got so bad that it had to launch a replacement program for faulty keyboards, and it also faced many class action lawsuits because of this. In 2019, Apple released a new 16-inch MacBook Pro that had a more conventional keyboard without the butterfly mechanism. All other MacBooks released since then have also abandoned the problematic ultra-thin keyboard. Touch Bar The Touch Bar is another design choice that has divided opinion among Apple users. Introduced with the bold redesign of the MacBook Pro in 2016, the Touch Bar replaced the row of function keys on the keyboard. Instead, users were given a thin touch display that displayed different buttons depending on the app being used. For example, if you opened the Photos app, it let you scroll through all your images. If you were watching a video, you could fast-forward or rewind just by swiping your finger on the Touch Bar, just like on an iPhone or iPad. The idea was really promising. The Touch Bar was probably ahead of its time.Foundry To this day, Apple still argues against having full touchscreens on the Mac (although rumors suggest that this will change soon), so the Touch Bar aimed to bring touch to the Mac in a different way. To be honest, the Touch Bar seemed really cool at the time, and it was probably way ahead of its time. However, not everyone liked the Touch Bar. Since it had no tactile feedback, some people claimed they constantly pressed the wrong keys when trying to use the Touch Bar without looking directly at it. Also, since the Touch Bar had its own software, it was prone to becoming unresponsive from time to time, making it impossible to press the Esc key. Apple kept the Touch Bar in many generations of MacBook Pro, but it also never expanded the feature to other Macs. In 2021, with the introduction of a redesigned MacBook Pro built with Apple Silicon, the Touch Bar was gone and replaced by the good old row of function keys. During the keynote to launch the laptop, Apple said it brought back the “familiar, tactile feel of mechanical keys that pro users love” without directly acknowledging that the Touch Bar was gone. Photos With iOS 18, Apple completely redesigned the Photos app on iPhone and iPad. While the idea was to make the app more customizable, many users didn’t like the changes and argued that the app had become too complicated to use. The Photos app in iOS 26 has somewhat reverted to its former interface.Foundry Instead of splitting the app into different tabs (Library, Albums, etc.), everything was shown on a single screen divided into multiple sections. The app also gained a large carousel to display featured photos and albums, but the feature ended up being removed from the betas even before iOS 18 was released to the public. A large number of users complained about the Photos app on social media, but Apple never publicly acknowledged the overall disapproval of the new interface. Still, with iOS 26, the app was redesigned again to look more like the old version, now organized into two different tabs: Library and Collections. Safari Speaking of apps, Safari also had its moment of being disliked after a major redesign. With iOS 15, Apple introduced a new interface to Safari that moved the URL bar to the bottom of the screen. More than that, the bar became extremely minimalist, showing only the buttons to share and show all open tabs. After receiving negative feedback, the company has tweaked the address bar again to bring back the navigation and bookmark buttons. Then it added the option to revert to the old Safari design, which is still present in the latest version of iOS. Interestingly, iOS 26 brought back the “Compact” Safari interface from the early iOS 15 betas, so perhaps the world just wasn’t ready for such a drastic change at the time. But it’s still not fully committed and offers the option to keep things working like before. MagSafe on the Mac Another Apple design decision that was eventually reversed years later is the end of MagSafe on the Mac. The iconic magnetic cable charging solution was introduced with the first MacBook Pro in 2006, and it became one of the standout features of owning a MacBook. Users no longer had to worry about someone tripping over the charging cable when it was plugged into their Mac. Thanks to magnets, the cable would simply detach from the laptop without causing any damage. MagSafe on the Mac disappeared for a while before it came back.Foundry However, in the effort to make MacBooks thinner and more portable, MagSafe was phased out in 2015 with the 12-inch MacBook. The redesigned MacBook Pro and MacBook Air that followed soon after also ditched MagSafe in favor of USB-C charging. It took years for Apple to bring MagSafe back to Macs, actually arriving on the iPhone first. It was finally added back to the 2021 MacBook Pro and is now back on the MacBook Air as well. For longtime users, these rollbacks are a reminder that Apple really does listen, even if it takes years to act. Sometimes the company’s best innovations don’t come from introducing something new, but from knowing when to bring something back.

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Apple Readies New Framework To Let iPhone Users Migrate App Data To Android
An anonymous reader quotes a report from 9to5Mac: Apple has been working on a new framework called AppMigrationKit, which will be compatible with devices running iOS 26.1 and later, as well as iPadOS 26.1 and later. Like iOS and iPadOS 26.1, the framework is currently in beta and will allow developers to include their app's data during the migration process between Apple and non-Apple devices (which, for now, essentially means Android). Interestingly, Apple notes that this framework is not intended for data migration between iOS and iPadOS, but rather exclusively to and from non-Apple devices: "AppMigrationKit only supports migration to and from non-Apple platforms, such as Android. The system doesn't use the framework for migration between iOS or iPadOS devices. The framework also has no functionality in iOS apps running in visionOS or in macOS on Apple silicon. The framework ignores calls from Mac apps built with Mac Catalyst." The AppMigrationKit documentation can be found here. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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M5-based MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro become available in retail locations
Apple on Wednesday released its trio of new M5-equipped products in the fom of the MacBook Pro, the iPad Pro, and the Vision Pro. Following pre-orders last week, Apple’s new M5 products are shipping to customers today and are available in Apple Stores worldwide. These latest Apple products include: The M5 chip represents a significant […] Source

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Rumor: Apple to cut iPhone Air production by 80 percent following disappointing sales
Apple’s iPhone Air experiment may not have turned out the way the company wanted it to. Per noted supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new handset failed to meet Apple’s expectations. As such, the company’s supply chain is scaling back shipments and production.Suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80 percent between now […] Source

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Two affordable iPhone 17 Pro accessories worth trying
While my preferred way to use an iPhone is with no case or screen protector, I’m actually enjoying both on iPhone 17 Pro and can recommend them. They’re inexpensive enough to try without committing for a year or more. more…

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Qi 2 25W is here: Is the new iPhone wireless charging better than MagSafe?
Macworld Not having to find the right cable or carry one around with you makes wireless charging a convenient way of charging your mobile devices—iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods and many third-party gadgets. There are multiple wireless charging standards and technologies. Here we will explain the major ones—Qi, MagSafe, Qi2 and the latest Qi2 25W. Knowing which is which will help you to make your charging life more efficient. Here we look at Qi2 vs MagSafe and Qi2 25W vs Qi2 and Apple’s updated 2024 version of MagSafe. In short, iPhones 16 and 17 should now charge wirelessly at up to 25W with supporting certified Qi 2.2 chargers. Older iPhones are limited to the 15W maximum if they support certified Apple MagSafe or Qi2. Chargers that are merely “MagSafe Compatible” are usually limited to 7.5W wireless charging. Note that the iPhone Air is limited to 20W wireless. What is Qi2? Qi2, supported by the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 families at launch and the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 as of iOS 17.2, speeds up wireless charging from 7.5W to 15W and makes chargers cheaper as well as more efficient. It is very like MagSafe, which is unsurprising as Apple allowed the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) to use MagSafe as the basis of Qi2. In short, Qi2 brings the magnetic benefits of MagSafe, but also make third-party iPhone chargers faster and potentially cheaper. Manufacturers are more likely to create new products when the market is larger (iPhone and Android) and costs should come down, too. In September 2024, however, Apple announced that the new version of its iPhone MagSafe Charger can wirelessly charge the iPhone 16 series at 25W. Older iPhones can use this charger but at a 15W maximum as before. Qi2 took its time catching up, but it has now: keep reading. We have tested Qi2 chargers vs chargers certified as MagSafe by Apple, and can confirm that 15W Qi2 charges supporting devices at an equivalent speed to 15W MagSafe, and much faster than merely MagSafe-compatible 7.5W chargers. More details of our wireless charging speed tests below. Belkin announced two Qi2 charging devices in September 2023.Belkin What is Qi2 25W? We have start seeing chargers based on the new Qi2 25W standard (officially Qi 2.2) that matches Apple’s 25W wireless charging speed. The first officially certified Qi2 25W device was the Ugreen MagFlow Power Bank, announced in July 2025. Baseus has also announced a range of Qi2 25W chargers and power banks (we have reviewed the 25W Baseus PicoGo Power Bank), and Belkin announced that its upcoming wireless chargers have officially received Qi2 25W certification. We tested and loved Belkin’s 25W UltraCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Dock and also ESR’s 25W CryoBoost 3-in-1 Charging Station. Samsung will finally be jumping on the magnetic wireless charging bandwagon with Qi2 25W, and Google is first out of the Android blocks with Qi2 25W compatibility with its Pixel 10 Pro XL. The lesser Google Pixel 10 Pro is pegged back at 15W Qi2. Google calls its version of Qi2 “PixelSnap”. How does wireless charging work? Wireless charging uses electromagnetic induction to power your devices. The charging pad and your phone both include copper wire coils. Plug the pad into a power source and the charger’s coil generates a magnetic field. When you place your phone onto the charging pad, the phone’s coil converts that magnetic field into an electric current, thus charging the phone. First, let’s look at the original Qi, which all iPhones post iPhone 8 support. Foundry What is Qi wireless charging? Qi is a Chinese word that means “energy flow”. Pronounced “chee”, Qi is the basic and most popular wireless charging standard, launched in 2008 but not seen on an iPhone until 2017’s iPhone 8. Apple continues to support the Qi wireless charging standard with its most recent iPhones—and the iPhone 13 and later models are compatible with Qi2, more on which later. This means that iPhones from the iPhone 8 onwards can be placed on a Qi-compatible charger to start charging without a cable. (Of course, the Qi charging pad or stand itself has to be connected via a cable to a power charger.) While wireless charging means less wear and tear to your devices, it is not as efficient as charging via a cable (wired charging) as some of the energy is lost between the charging pad and the device placed on it. Qi users will know that you have to ensure your device is placed in exactly the right alignment for fast wireless charging to take place. Place the iPhone on the pad incorrectly and you end up either charging much more slowly or not at all. Many of us have dropped a phone on a Qi charger only to find out later that it wasn’t in the right place and so annoyingly never started charging—a problem largely solved by Apple’s MagSafe. While Qi’s maximum wireless charge is 15W, Apple’s iPhone supports only 7.5W via Qi. Which iPhones use Qi? Qi charging is built into the iPhone 8, X, XR, XS, SE, 11, 12, 13, and 14 families. The iPhone 15/16/17 work with Qi but are rated as Qi2; see later. Foundry What is MagSafe wireless charging? Apple’s magnetic MagSafe iPhones contain a ring of magnets built around its Qi charging coil. As a result, you can magnetically clamp charging accessories onto the iPhone. In fact, you can magnetically attach non-charging accessories, such as wallets and mounts, too. MagSafe—from 2020’s iPhone 12 on—makes missing the charging pad’s coils much less likely with its ring of magnets quickly finding the charging alignment sweet spot—on a compatible charger—so you will always connect and less energy is wasted. Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) technology uses magnets to perfectly align the coils of the wireless charging transmitter and receiver before transferring power. iPhones can work with wireless chargers that are either MagSafe certified by Apple (“made for MagSafe”) or are compatible with MagSafe—plus less sophisticated Qi chargers. Certified MagSafe chargers can supply up to 25W to the iPhone, while merely MagSafe compatible chargers are limited to 7.5W, but compatible chargers are usually cheaper. That 25W charging speed is currently limited to the iPhone 16 and 17 ranges and Apple’s own MagSafe Charger. iPhones 12/13/14/15 max out at 15W using MagSafe. The iPhone Air won’t charge faster than 20W wirelessly. (Note that the iPhone 12 mini only charges at 12W with MagSafe.) We have tested the best MagSafe chargers for iPhones and the best MagSafe power banks for iPhones. This reviews roundup now also includes Qi2 chargers as they arrive to market. Some thicker cases get in the way of MagSafe wireless charging so make sure your iPhone’s case is MagSafe compatible—see our roundup of the best iPhone 15 Cases and best iPhone 16 cases. Wireless charging is great, but it’s not as fast as wired charging. For truly fast iPhone charging, use a cable connected to at least a 20W USB-C charger. For the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 that means a USB-C to USB-C cable; for older iPhones you’ll need a USB-C to Lightning cable. A USB-A to Lightning cable won’t offer iPhone fast charging. Click here for more iPhone fast-charging tips. Somewhat confusingly, MagSafe is also the name for Apple’s wired-charging standard for its MacBooks—connecting the charging cable to the MacBook’s MagSafe port via magnets, meaning it is not only easy to connect but, if accidentally disconnected, it pops out rather than dragging your laptop to the floor. This version of MagSafe is magnetic and safe and has a charging connection for MacBooks but is not wireless. We explain the difference between MagSafe on Mac and MagSafe on iPhones in our Complete guide to Apple MagSafe: What is MagSafe? Which iPhones use MagSafe? MagSafe wireless charging is built into the iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 families. Foundry What is Qi2 wireless charging? Qi2 (“chee too”) is the latest version of the Qi “energy flow” wireless charging standard. Famed for its “Not Invented Here” strategy, Apple can be quite precious about adopting other technical standards. It has a long history of rejecting any idea that didn’t originate within Apple itself. However, thankfully Apple has cooperated with the creation of Qi2 to the extent that in effect it gave the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) MagSafe to use as the basis for Qi2’s Magnetic Power Profile that defines how the new generation Qi works. Apple is a WPC “steering member” and chair of the board of directors. So what is Qi2 and why is it so great? Think of Qi2 as not just MagSafe for Android, but MagSafe benefits for all compatible wireless charging products. Qi2 will mean chargers won’t have to be certified by Apple to support 15W charging. They should, however, meet the technical demands of the WPC. In short, a Qi2 charger will deliver twice as fast charging as MagSafe-compatible chargers. As MagSafe certification costs manufacturers a fee to Apple, removing this should result in cheaper chargers that match Apple-certified chargers in terms of speed. Qi2 could eventually overtake MagSafe in terms of charging speed, exceeding its 15W maximum. Which iPhones use Qi2? Qi2 wireless charging is built into the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 families. As of iOS 17.2, Apple brought the technology to all iPhone 13 and 14 models as well. While Apple hasn’t stated that Qi2 support will reach the iPhone 12, the first iPhone to support MagSafe, Macworld readers have contacted us to say that Qi2 does indeed work with the iPhone 12 following the release of iOS 17.4. Tested with the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Pad with Qi2, an iPhone 12 charged up to 15W with the on-screen animation also displayed. We will verify this development and update as soon as we have proved the same. Simon Jary / Foundry What is Qi2 25W wireless charging? Qi2 25W is the forthcoming version of the Qi “energy flow” wireless charging standard. It started rolling out in wireless charging products from the mid-2025. So what is Qi2 25W and why is it so great? Qi2 25W will mean chargers can support up to 25W wireless charging. They have to meet the technical demands of the WPC. In short, a Qi2 25W charger will deliver 10W more power than Qi2 and 3.3 times as fast charging as MagSafe-compatible chargers. The use of a Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) provides better alignment but also reduces magnetic field leakage caused by misalignment. This minimizes the build-up of heat and ensures optimal charging efficiency. A ±0.5mm magnetic alignment precision improves charging efficiency by “up to 40%”, according to manufacturer Baseus. Qi2 25W products also feature next-generation thermal regulation with stricter 40°C surface limits and enhanced coil layouts. This ensures that less energy is wasted and provides 15% better charging efficiency—even in motion or with slight misalignment. Which iPhones use Qi2 25W? Qi2 25W wireless charging will work with the iPhone 16 family and later, and may in the future work with earlier iPhone models. The iPhone Air supports Qi2 25W but only up to 20W, which is likely caused by the super-thin phone’s thermal management. For Qi2 25W to work at full 25W supporting iPhones must have installed at least iOS 26 or later. Which is best MagSafe, Qi2 or Qi2 25W? First, MagSafe, Qi2 and Qi2 25W are all better than plain Qi. Owing in large part to their magnetic connection, they are more efficient and definitely offer faster wireless charging than Qi. For all extents and purposes, Qi2 looks pretty identical to MagSafe so iPhone 13/14/15 users can choose between MagSafe or Qi2 without fear. iPhone 16 and 17 owners, however, should look to MagSafe or Qi2 25W, as Apple’s own MagSafe Charger and soon Qi2 25W chargers can reach charging speeds of up to 25W when paired with the latest range of iPhones. The fact that the iPhone 12 isn’t certified as Qi2 compatible demonstrates that Qi2 and MagSafe are not identical. All should clamp chargers magnetically to the iPhone in the same way and allow for between 15W and 25W wireless charging. Will Qi2 chargers work with MagSafe? Although technically very similar, Apple is likely to still require MagSafe certification for non-Qi2 products to reach 15W wireless charging. Both the charger and the device must be certified for Qi2 for it to work at 15W, in the same way as MagSafe. However, it is likely that future MagSafe-certified products will also be certified for Qi2, and post iOS 17.2 all iPhones 13/14/15/16/17 will work natively with Qi2 chargers. For consumers it’s a win-win as Qi2 and Qi2 25W means faster wireless charging will be brought to more devices and people. For product marketers it may be a bit of a labelling nightmare until all the chargeable devices catch up with the technology: expect MagSafe Compatible (7.5W), MagSafe (15W or 25W), Qi2 15W (15W) and Qi2 25W (25W). Is Qi2 as fast at wireless charging as MagSafe? As the Wireless Power Consortium used Apple technology to build the Qi2 specification, it is true that Qi2 matches MagSafe for speed. Both can charge at up to 15W and use the largely same magnetic attachment tech. Note the 25W charging potential of the Apple MagSafe Charger and iPhone 16/17, plus the same charging speed from Qi2 25W. The first Qi2 charger we tested and reviewed at Macworld was the Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station. We tested its Qi2 wireless charging speed by charging an iPhone 15 Pro all the way to a 100% full charge, and taking timings at 30%, 50% and 80%. We did the same using a Apple’s own MagSafe Charger and also via a straight wired USB-C connection. The fastest way to charge an iPhone is via a wired connection: USB-C to Lightning for iPhones older than the iPhone 15, and USB-C to USB-C for the iPhone 15 and later. The average wired-charging time in our tests was 25 minutes to 50%, 55 minutes to 80% and 70 minutes to 100%. Our wireless charging tests for officially Apple-certified MagSafe chargers (using Apple’s own Wireless Charger) and for Qi2 magnetic wireless charging (using the Anker MagGo) had remarkably similar timings. There was some variance either way but also small differences using the same charger so we are confident that using these two magentic wireless charging technologies came up with the same basic results on average: 45 minutes to 50%, 90 minutes to 80% and 115 minutes to 100%. In summary, then, MagSafe and Qi2 charging at 15W results in the same times and so can be considered equal—except for the 25W MagSafe potential of the iPhone 16/17–and the same from Qi2 25W now it is released. And, again as expected, merely MagSafe-compatible chargers took twice as long as the 15W chargers: 45 minutes to 30%, and 90 minutes to 50%. Our tests demonstate that Qi2 25W will charges an iPhone 16 Pro from 0–50% in just over 30 minutes—manufacturers often claim 25 minutes but that is under clinical conditions. In Macworld’s real-world tests 32-34 minutes is the average. In comparison, a Qi2 15W charger generally takes about 45 minutes to reach the same level—this would work out as the 25W option being around 45% faster than the 15W chargers. Wireless charging depends on many factors, such as device settings, usage during charging, and ambient temperature. Why does phone charging speed slow down as the battery gets fuller? Batteries charge slower the fuller they get, especially in the last 10–20% of charging. The fuller the battery is, the slower it absorbs energy. To start with, a Lithium-Ion battery accepts whatever current it can, but as the battery gets closer to being full it accepts less current, and so the power being transferred tapers off. Imagine you were filling up a glass with water. You can start with the faucet or tap at full blast, but as the glass gets fuller, you have to slow the flow down to avoid the water spilling over, until eventually just a trickle of water goes in as you try to get it right up to the brim. If the battery didn’t charge this way and instead filled up at full blast till reaching 100%, it would get very hot and you’d risk damaging it to the point it might explode! Slowing down the charge when the battery is getting closer to full also increases the number of charge cycles a battery can go through before it permanently loses capacity. Taking advantage of this, if you need to charge quickly, stop at 80%, use the device for a while and then top back up to 80% before the charging speed starts to slow. Ugreen When will Qi2 25W chargers be released? Devices supporting Qi2 25W started being launched in mid-2025. Baseus

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Create clean PDFs, run OCR in 20+ languages, and e-sign on mobile with iScanner for $25
Macworld TL;DR: Grab a lifetime subscription to iScanner for $24.99 with code SCAN by November 2 and handle scanning, OCR, editing, and e-signing from your phone. Docs, receipts, and IDs tend to show up when you’re nowhere near a scanner, but your phone is always in reach. That’s why iScanner turns your phone or tablet into a full document studio — snap, clean up, export, and move on. It automatically finds edges, fixes skew, and OCRs text in 20+ languages, so your scans look intentional, not improvised. The iScanner App lifetime subscription is $24.99 with promo code SCAN until November 2 for new users on iPhone, iPad, and Android. Once your pages are captured, finish the job without switching apps. Mark up, redact, add text, drop in a signature, and merge or split PDFs. Export to PDF, JPG, DOC, XLS, PPT, or TXT, then share via links or email. A built-in file manager helps you sort by folders with drag-and-drop, and you can lock sensitive docs with a PIN. There are handy specialty modes too: scan IDs and passports, solve math, measure areas, auto-count similar objects, and read QR codes. It’s ad-free, straightforward, and built for people who work on the move — students, field teams, freelancers, anyone who needs clean PDFs without a desktop. Skip the scanner queue and make better PDFs in minutes. Get lifetime access to iScanner for $24.99 with code SCAN before November 2. iScanner App: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Apple Facing Trouble In China Regarding Their App Store
An antitrust complaint has been filed in China claiming that Apple is abusing their control over payments and app distribution on iOS. The complaint was filed and passed onto the SAMR or the State Admiration for Market Regulations on behalf of 55 users of iPads and iPhones in China. The complaint accuses Apple of having […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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All-Time High For Apple Stock Prices Has Been Achieved
Yahoo Finance reports that the stock prices of Apple have reached an all-time high on intraday market at about $264.38. The last highest intraday record of Apple was set during the previous year on December 26th at $260.10. The record was achieved due to the strong demand for the new iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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OpenAI Bolstering Sora Content Protections After Concerns Regarding Deepfakes
OpenAI will be bolstering their protections on Sora. The AI video app will no longer let users make videos featuring voices or appearances of celebrities.  Bryan Cranston, Creative Artists Agency, SAG-AFTRA, OpenAI, Association of Talent Agents, and the United Talent Agency have shared a statement regarding productive collaboration to make sure likeness and voice protections […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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How going viral made one Apple Store employee change his name
A viral Reddit post about his Apple business card turned Sam Sung into an internet joke — and eventually led him to change his name.Image Credit: Business Insider courtesy Sam Straun 36-year-old Sam Struan is a pretty average guy. He lives in Glasgow, Scotland, and works as a consultant and resume writer.But he wasn't always Sam Struan. And, for a brief moment in 2012, he experienced an anything-but-average rise to fame. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Judges seems sympathetic to Apple in App Store appeal hearing
Apple is back in court, appealing a contempt finding tied to a judge's order mandating alternative payment options in the App Store.Apple challenges contempt ruling on App Store paymentsApple returned to a federal appeals court on Tuesday to seek the reversal of a recent contempt ruling issued by US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The judge found Apple "willfully ignored" a previous injunction.That earlier order required Apple to open the App Store to alternative payment methods. Now, Apple argues the lower court went too far and misinterpreted the scope of the original injunction. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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iOS 26 tweaks iPhone Always On Display in a way you might not like
Apple’s Always On Display has been fairly consistent since it debuted on iPhone 14 Pro. With iOS 26, Apple has quietly changed how it works in a way that may not be obvious. more…

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Shrinking’s Jason Segel to star in yet another Apple TV project
Apple confirmed today that it has acquired the global rights to “Sponsor,” a psychological thriller starring Jason Segel (Freaks and Geeks, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and directed by James Ponsoldt. Here’s what to expect. more…

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Why rent cloud storage? Own 2TB for life for just $70.
This user-friendly platform makes it simple for anyone to manage their digital assets. Save on a 2TB lifetime FileJump cloud storage plan. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Appeals court receptive to Apple’s arguments in latest Epic Games hearing
On Tuesday, Apple went back to court to make its case against Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ injunctions in the Epic Games case, and found a receptive bench. Here’s how the hearing went. more…

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Apple Original Films lands ‘Sponsor,’ starring and co-written by Jason Segel
Apple Original Films announced it has landed the global rights to “Sponsor.” Starring Jason Segel, Apple Studios will produce the new… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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