Apple’s March Madness: Tim Cook teases a ‘big week ahead’ starting Monday
Apple's CEO took to X on Thursday, to drop a hint about what's coming down the pipeline. "A big week ahead. It all starts Monday morning!" The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple’s 2026 Mac Studio M5: Everything we know so far
Macworld The Mac Studio was originally released in 2022 and has been updated twice since then. A report in late 2025 claimed that Apple had “largely written off” the Mac Pro and considers the Mac Studio to be its flagship desktop Mac. That means big things could be in store for the future of the Mac Studio. The current Mac Studio was released in March 2025, and reports indicate that we could see the next update between March and June 2026. This article keeps track of those reports, so for information on what the upgrade will include and when it could be released, refer to this page. 2026 Mac Studio: Release date Possible release in March 2026 Other reports suggest mid-2026 The Mac Studio comes with M-series Max and Ultra chips, and we can use the release of the base M-series chip to get an idea of when the Mac Studio will be updated. Apple releases the base M-series chip first (usually in the MacBook Pro) and then follows with the M-series Max and Ultra Mac Studio a few months later. The most recent base M-series chip is the M5, which was released in the MacBook Pro in October 2025. So that generation of chip will likely make its appearance in the new Mac Studio in the first half of 2026. According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the M5 Max and M5 Ultra Mac Studio are on Apple’s release schedule for 2026. Two of the three Mac Studio releases since it was introduced occurred in March, with the 2023 M2 Max/Ultra Mac Studio released in June at WWDC. So look for an M5 Mac Studio release in the March to June timeframe. With Apple inviting media to “Special Experiences” at three locations on March 4, there is a possibility that the new Mac Studio is one of the new products being showcased at this Apple March event, however, on February 8, Gurman reported that the new Mac Studio “shouldn’t arrive too long after the spring Mac refresh,” indicating that it may not happen in conjunction with the March 4 Experiences. 2026 Mac Studio: Processor Expected to have M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips Apple The 2025 Mac Studio was a complete surprise. It was introduced with an M4 Max chip, which was expected, but the highest-end version shipped with an M3 Ultra rather than an M4 Ultra. The M3 Ultra is technically faster than the M4 Max, but it’s an older chip. Apple has not explained the reasoning for this. The next Mac Studio will not have this staggered chip configuration, according to reports. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that Apple will offer M5 Max and M5 Ultra for the next Mac Studio. MacRumors reported in December 2025 that references to the M5 Max and M5 Ultra Mac Studio appeared in a set of leaked Apple files. The M5 Ultra is expected to significantly outperform the M3 Ultra chips, with major boosts in CPU and GPU performance. 2026 Mac Studio: Specs New separate CPU and GPU blocks for customization Standard configurations of 36GB and 96GB of RAM Thunderbolt 5 The major change with the Mac Studio’s specs is going to be with the chip itself. Apple is completely redesigning how it works, according to an October 2025 report by MaxTech’s Vadim Yuryev. The M5 Pro and M5 Max will feature the CPU and GPU on separate blocks, which would allow customers more options to configure these components. For example, one could set up a base CPU configuration with a maxed-out GPU. While Yuryev did not specifically mention the M5 Ultra, it stands to reason that the Ultra chip will also feature this new block configuration. The rest of the specifications are not expected to change. It will likely start with 36GB of RAM for the M5 Max, and 96GB of RAM for the M5 Ultra, and SSDs up to 8TB or 16TB. The current Mac Studio comes with Thunderbolt 5, and this should continue with the new model. 2026 Mac Studio: Design No design changes expected The Mac Studio made its debut in 2022, so it’s only three years old. Apple is expected to stick with the same design, which is also reflected in the M4 Mac mini, as no reports have been made about the design. Also said to be coming is a new Studio Display monitor which will probably launch in the same time-frame. Foundry The port offerings are also expected to remain the same. The Mac Studio has: M-series Max model: 2 front USB-C ports (supporting USB 3 at 10Gbps) M-series Ultra model: 2 front Thunderbolt 5 ports front SDHX Card slot rear 3.5mm audio jack 4 rear Thunderbolt 5 ports 2 rear USB-A ports HDMI port 10Gb ethernet port 2026 Mac Studio: Price Here are the prices for the current standard base configurations of the 2025 Mac Studio for reference: $1,999/£2,099/CA$2,699/AU$3,499 M4 Max, 36GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD $3,999/£4,199/CA$5,499/AU$6,999 M3 Ultra, 96GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD Pricing for the new Mac Studio has not been reported, though pricing could go up because of the U.S. tariffs situation–the components are made overseas. The prices may be adapted to more recent exchange rates elsewhere.

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Apple TV reveals new space-race thriller series is coming soon
Apple TV’s space drama For All Mankind returns next month, but the streamer just revealed that its spinoff—Star City—will premiere soon too. Here are the details. more…

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Apple TV reveals new space-race thriller series is coming soon
Apple TV’s space drama For All Mankind returns next month, but the streamer just revealed that its spinoff—Star City—will premiere soon too. Here are the details. more…

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Tim Cook promises ‘big week’ of product launches — what to expect
Get ready for new Apple products in early March — next week! Expect three new MacBooks, iPhone 17e and more. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple teases ‘big week ahead’ starting Monday
Macworld Tim Cook today announced what he describes as a “big week” for Apple, starting on Monday. “A big week ahead,” he said in a brief post on Twitter/X (using his personal account rather than the main company one, which is very rarely used). “It all starts Monday morning!” A big week ahead. It all starts Monday morning! #AppleLaunch pic.twitter.com/PQ9gM2Gl2r— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 26, 2026 Apple had previously sent out invitations to “special experiences” in New York, London, and Shanghai on March 4, which falls in the middle of next week. This post appears to confirm that, rather than being a one-off event, March 4 will form the centerpiece of several days of releases. Other sources have predicted that we’ll see at least five new products across multiple announcements. The phrase “a big week” implies, at least to me, a full five days of announcements, but that might not be what we get. Based on a previous “exciting week,” back in October 2024, new Mac announcements were made on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday only. So the week might be finished by March 4. In his tweet, the Apple CEO also uses the company’s usual hashtag #AppleLaunch, which now shows up with a tiny version of the artwork from those recent invitations: a yellowy green version of the Apple logo. This is known as a Hashflag or Hashmoji, a system where companies pay Twitter to attach a specific emoji to a particular hashtag for promotional purposes. Historically, it was turned into an animated emoji that appears when you like a tweet with the hashtag on the event day. The final element of the tweet is a short looped video. It shows what is initially a blank flat metal surface, on which a hand creates the Apple logo through a series of gestures: waving to place the approximate shape, pinching in the top and bottom, thumb-swiping the leaf, and flicking away the bite. It ends up as the reflective Apple logo seen on the backs of numerous products, including the iPhone. The scale of this one hints at a Mac, although it could also be an iPad. Which makes sense, because both MacBooks and iPads are expected to be announced next week. We’re hoping to get a new entry-level iPad and iPad Air, and there’s huge anticipation for a budget MacBook based around a mobile processor. We’ll probably hear about the iPhone 17e too. But the tweet doesn’t hint at that product, so perhaps it’ll be given a bit less attention than the new MacBook.

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App Store gaming revenue bulletproof, as mobile gaming slows overall
Mobile gaming downloads are falling worldwide, but higher player spending is making the App Store more profitable anyway.Apple ArcadeMobile game downloads declined worldwide in 2025, but in-app spending remained strong. Rising player spending is reinforcing Apple's App Store revenue model.Mobile games raked in $82 billion from in-app purchases in 2025, with an average of $1.62 per download, even though total downloads dropped. Developers are now focusing more on keeping players and boosting subscriptions rather than quickly gaining new ones. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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One more iPhone 17 model launches next week: Here’s every new feature
Apple is launching new products next week, as confirmed this morning by CEO Tim Cook. iPhone 17e will be one of those launches, here are the new features to expect. more…

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Today in Apple history: iTunes becomes No. 2 music retailer in US
On February 26, 2008, the iTunes Music Store became the second-largest U.S. seller. It proves Apple transformed the music industry. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple TV unveils first look at ‘Star City,’ the new space-race drama from the creators of ‘For All Mankind’
Apple TV on Thursday unveiled a first look at “Star City,” the new, highly anticipated drama from award-winning creators Ben Nedivi… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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How to move and delete apps on Apple CarPlay
Ever wish you could rearrange or delete apps from CarPlay? It turns out you can, although it works differently than rearranging your iPhone Home screen. The trick is in the Settings app on iPhone. Just don’t try to do this while driving. You don’t even need to be connected to CarPlay for it to work. more…

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Tim Cook takes to X to tease a big week of launches
Tim Cook has posted to X a tantalizingly brief message about the start of March, saying that at long last, there will be multiple products debuting.Tim Cook at Apple ParkEver since selected people were sent invitations to an "Apple Experience" taking place on March 4, 2026, it has been presumed that the company is about to make at least five announcements. Now Tim Cook appears to have confirmed this, with a post to X using the hashtag #AppleLaunch.A big week ahead. It all starts Monday morning! #AppleLaunch pic.twitter.com/PQ9gM2Gl2r— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 26, 2026 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Hive AI’s collaborative tools handle writing, research and more, all in one place
Hive AI is part workspace, part AI-integrated project manager, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $79. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Ever heard of a concrete keyboard for Mac? Well, now you have.
New Keychron K2 HE concrete or resin keyboards should turn a few heads. Yes, one's housing is concrete. And the resin one might top it. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple in talks with banks to bring Apple Pay to India
Apple is currently in talks with major Indian banks and international card networks to introduce Apple Pay in India, with a potential launch… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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New Apple product launch starts Monday, Tim Cook confirms
Apple CEO Tim Cook just confirmed that the company will announce new products starting “Monday morning.” This will be the start of a release cycle that includes a hands-on “experience” on Wednesday. 9to5Mac’s Chance Miller will be in attendance in New York City. more…

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Samsung’s equivalent of Apple Intelligence in the Galaxy S26 seems very underwhelming
Samsung loves to launch new features before Apple, and it has partly done so with the new AI capabilities in the Galaxy S26. The latest version of Galaxy AI seeks to perform many of the same functions as Apple Intelligence. As our sister site 9to5Google notes, however, the experience seems set to prove very underwhelming … more…

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Samsung’s Privacy Display is the best iPhone feature Apple never made
Macworld At a time when our smartphones store banking apps, passwords, personal messages, and other sensitive data, privacy screen protectors have become a must for many users. These third-party add-ons rely on micro-louver technology to restrict the viewing angle of the display, limiting visibility from the sides. This makes it difficult for bystanders to see on-screen content at an angle, as the light emits in a controlled, forward-facing direction. During its Unpacked event earlier this week, Samsung revealed its Galaxy S26 line. As you’d expect from phone manufacturers at this point, the keynote heavily revolved around performance gains and AI features. Perhaps the most jaw-dropping highlight, however, was the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s new Privacy Display, which mimics the aforementioned screen protectors natively. If Apple truly cares about iPhone users’ privacy, it needs to steal this ingenious invention as soon as possible. How Privacy Display works So, did Samsung just pre-install a privacy screen protector on the Galaxy S26 Ultra to save its customers $20? Far from it. Privacy Display does not rely on an external layer or filter to achieve the intended goal. It has been engineered on the pixel level, dictating how the screen emits light in the first place.  Smartphone displays are typically made up of wide pixels, which emit light outward in multiple directions. This enables you to view on-screen content even when you’re not strictly facing the device. Here’s where Samsung applied its magic. Samsung’s Privacy Display limits the field of view for sensitive content on your phone.Samsung The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the first smartphone to feature what Samsung calls the Black Matrix. Marketing lingo aside, the technology essentially narrows a pixel’s light path using a ring, directing more of the light forward—rather than allowing it to scatter outward. This produces a narrow pixel that behaves in a restricted manner. To make the feature dynamic, Samsung had to incorporate both wide and narrow pixels in its latest flagship phone. When Privacy Display is on, narrow pixels become the primary source of light, reducing visibility from an angle. Toggling it off enables both pixel types to work in tandem, restoring regular light emission. To see it in action is truly mind-blowing. Why Privacy Display wins Now, you may be wondering why iPhone users should care about Privacy Display when screen protectors can seemingly achieve similar results for just a few bucks. Mainly, Samsung’s implementation is neither permanent nor universal. You can toggle the feature on or off using the Quick Panel (Samsung’s Control Center) or tie it to daily schedules or routines. For example, the screen can behave normally when you’re at home and switch to private mode when you’re out and about. More importantly, you can have Privacy Display conceal specific portions of the screen, such as incoming notifications, banking apps, password fields, etc. This maintains your phone’s proper illumination while still blocking others from viewing private content of your choosing. The S26 Ultra can customize when Privacy Display appears.Samsung It is also worth noting that privacy screen protectors come with a few caveats. For starters, they make the screen a little thicker and tend to dim the brightness and alter the colors’ accuracy. They can also make the screen less responsive to touch input and interfere with some features. Samsung’s implementation achieves similar results while maintaining the image quality and the phone’s functionality. Once it becomes a default on all smartphones in the coming years, no one will want to look back. The innovation race Apple’s unwillingness to take risks is slowing down its innovation. Even as an iPhone enthusiast, I can’t help but acknowledge how mundane Apple’s product launches have generally become. Despite maintaining its status as a trendsetter, Apple has been lagging behind its competitors in terms of breakthrough technology and features. Sure, it is doing wonders with its silicon, but performance means little when the rest of the device is so tediously uninspiring. Privacy Display is objectively an actual, transformative screen innovation in a way the iPhone 18 Pro’s smaller Dynamic Island won’t be.

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Apple continues to casually dominate gaming
Macworld Apple might not always seem to understand PC gamers, but it remains a hugely dominant force in that market. Newly published research shows that in 2025, the App Store made significantly more money from games than the other two major platforms combined. According to SensorTower’s State of Gaming 2026 report, which recounts key findings from the previous year and predicts what we can expect in this one, the App Store made gross revenue of $52.5 billion in 2025, compared to just $30 billion for Google’s Play Store and $11.7 billion for Valve’s Steam platform. Steam is doing its best to catch up–its revenue was up 13 percent on the previous year, whereas Google and Apple saw growth of just 2.8 percent and 0.6 percent respectively—but Apple retains its massive lead in the market. (Just as a note on methodology: SensorTower says its revenue figures for the App Store and Google Play are based on IAPs within games rather than the cost of the games themselves, presumably because the vast majority of apps sold are free. They include both the money made by the games publisher and the percentage skimmed off by the platform holder.) Interestingly, while Apple is ahead on revenue, it’s a long way behind on volume. SensorTower reports that a whopping 81 percent of downloads in 2025 were on Google Play (that’s all games, not just mobile), compared to 15 percent for Apple’s App Store. The difference is that iPhone owners are far more likely to spend money. Services, the category of revenue which includes the App Store along with subscription services such as Apple Music and, relevantly to this discussion, Apple Arcade, is a cherished source of income for Apple because it scales so efficiently. There aren’t supply issues when the product is purely digital, and as such, Services is the company’s second-largest revenue generator after the iPhone, and topped S30 billion in the last quarter. All of which should explain why Apple is so reluctant to allow developers to direct users through their own payment systems in order to reduce or avoid the App Store revenue cut. A few years back a court ordered the company to allow “buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to [external] purchasing mechanisms,” but its response was to place a fee on purchases made outside the App Store as well as on those made within. This policy, which calls to mind an old Onion article about American Airlines charging non-passengers, did not go down well with the judge. But you can kind of see why they were tempted to try.

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RAM supply is so tight, Samsung may be charging Apple double
Apple has reportedly agreed to pay Samsung double what it used to for DRAM chips, the memory used in iPhones and Macs — even though it may not have needed to just yet.Examples of older DRAM modules — image credit: SamungMassive worldwide demand for AI servers has meant all manufacturers having a hard time securing what they need in memory, storage, and processors. It's also meant Apple losing its previous ability to negotiate low prices and long-term deals.The latest example of the pressures Apple and others are under concerns buying DRAM supplies from Samsung. DRAM is used as RAM in the iPhone and Apple Silicon Macs, and according to Dealsite, a South Korea financial news publication, Apple has just agreed to pay double what it has before. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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