This week’s top stories: AAPL earnings, Apple Watch Series 7 rumors, iOS 14.4, and more

In this week’s top stories: iOS 14.4 released, Apple Watch Series 7 rumors, ‘Time to Walk’ feature now available, AAPL’s record-breaking Q1 earnings, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top Apple Stories.

Time to Walk

Apple this week officially launched its new Time to Walk feature for Apple Watch and Fitness+ subscribers. . Time to Walk offers “an inspiring new audio walking experience on Apple Watch for Fitness+ subscribers,” Apple announced.

Time to Walk is launching with four episodes with guests including Country music star Dolly Parton, NBA player Draymond Green, Musician Shawn Mendes, and Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba. New episodes will be released with a different guest each Monday through the end of April.

iOS 14.4

After beta testing with developers and public beta users, Apple this week officially released iOS 14.4 to the public.

Apple says that iOS 14.4 includes support for recognizing smaller QR codes in the Camera app, as well as the option to classify Bluetooth device types in Settings. Notably, the update also adds new notifications for when your iPhone can’t verify if you’re using a “genuine Apple camera.”

iOS 14.4 also includes a handful of bug fixes related to HDR photography, the Messages app, and more. There is a fix for keyboard lag, which is an issue that has been plaguing many iPhone users since iOS 14 was first released.

In addition to the new features, iOS 14.4 also brings a trio of notable security improvements. In a new Support document, Apple said that iOS 14.4 fixes a kernel vulnerability and two WebKit vulnerabilities, all three of which “may have been actively exploited.”

iOS 14.4 is available to users via an over-the-air update in the Settings app. Simply open the Settings app, choose General, then choose Software Update. With these major security improvements included, we highly recommend updating as soon as possible.

HomePod Software 14.4

Alongside iOS 14.4, Apple also released HomePod Software 14.4 with new features for HomePod mini users this week.

The leading change with HomePod Software Version 14.4 is an all-new Handoff experience powered by the Ultra Wideband, or U1 chip, in the iPhone. Now, when you bring an iPhone near the HomePod mini to use Handoff, you’ll feel physical feedback from the iPhone’s Taptic Engine, as well as a card on the iPhone’s display and a visual indicator on the top of the HomePod mini.

You can learn more in our full coverage right here.

Limited-edition Apple Watch

Apple published a new press release this week detailing the multiple ways it will be celebrating Black History Month in February. The company is launching new editorial collections, Apple Maps Guides, limited-edition Apple Watch hardware, and more.

Apple is introducing the Black Unity Collection for the Apple Watch. This collection includes a limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6 as well as a Black Unity Sport Band. Through this collection, Apple is supporting global organizations to help advance their missions in promoting and achieving equality and civil rights.

The Black Unity Sport Band uses colors inspired by the Pan-African flag with the words “Truth. Power. Solidarity.” laser-engraved onto the closure. Meanwhile, the limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6 features “Black Unity” laser-etched onto the back crystal.

Apple Watch Series 6 Black Unity and the Black Unity Sport Band will be available starting February 1. The Watch starts at $399 for the GPS and the cellular model starts at $499. The Black Unity Sport Band is $49.

AAPL Earnings

Apple (AAPL) has officially reported its earnings for Q1 2021, covering the lucrative holiday shopping season. For the first fiscal quarter of 2021, Apple reported a record-breaking $111.44 billion in revenue and profit of $28.76 billion.

For comparison’s sake, Apple reported revenue of $91.8 billion and profit of $22.2 billion during Q1 2020 last year. This time around, there are a handful of different factors. For instance, the Mac and iPad businesses have seen major growth because of the work-from-home trend driven by the pandemic.

Learn more in our full coverage

These and the rest of this week’s top stories below.

iPhone |

• iOS 14.4 now available with Apple Watch Unity face support, bug fixes, and more
• Apple adopts new ‘BlastDoor’ security system on iOS 14 to reinforce iMessage integrity
• Apple says iOS 14.4 patches 3 security flaws that ‘may have been actively exploited’
• iOS 14.4: How to label Bluetooth devices as a speaker, headphones, hearing aids, more
• Apple releases HomePod Software Version 14.4 with new Handoff experience, more
• Apple support document adds new details on how iPhone 12 and MagSafe can impact pacemakers

Apple Watch |

• watchOS 7.3 now available with new Unity watch faces, ECG in more countries, more
• Apple Watch blood sugar measurement coming in Series 7, claims report
• Apple Watch credited with helping police locate kidnapped Texas woman
• Apple officially launches new ‘Time to Walk’ feature for Apple Watch and Fitness+
• Apple Watch credited with helping cyclist call for help after being swept into flooded river
• A look at the iconic watches which inspired five Apple Watch faces
• Apple unveils limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6 and more for Black History Month
• Here’s how Apple Watch blood glucose monitoring could work, with a skin tag
• Apple airing fun new Apple Watch Series 6 ad showing ECG use in everyday life

Mac and iPad |

• Video: Microsoft takes shots at Apple’s MacBook Pro in new ad for Surface Pro 7
• macOS Big Sur 11.2 RC 2 now available as a public release nears
• M1 Mac mini power consumption and thermal output figures highlight Apple Silicon efficiency

Top Apple stories, retail |

• Apple Pioneer Place mural donated to nonprofit Don’t Shoot PDX
• COVID-19: Which Apple Stores have reopened?

AirPods |

• How to use Apple’s ‘Find My AirPods’ feature to locate your lost headphones
• AirPods in 2021: What to expect from the rumored AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 updates

Apps |

• Developer modifies 4th-gen iPod with built-in Wi-Fi and Spotify
• Facebook says a ‘configuration change’ mistakenly logged iPhone users out of their accounts
• Robinhood users petition Apple to remove it from the App Store after blocking trades of GME
• Signal is the most private messaging app, but staff say it has no plans to prevent misuse
• Robinhood app controversy grows, with likely motive now revealed [U]
• GameStop and Elon Musk send Reddit and Robinhood to the top of the App Store charts
• Carrot Weather receives major overhaul with new design and customization, now free to download

AAPL Company |

• Apple (AAPL) reports record-breaking Q1 2021 earnings with $111.4 billion in revenue
• Tim Cook condemns Facebook business model, says valuing engagement over privacy leads to ‘polarization’ and ‘violence’
• Report: Facebook building antitrust lawsuit against Apple over iOS 14 privacy features

Subscribe to 9to5Mac’s YouTube channel for more videos.

This week’s top videos |

• iPad Air 4: Three Months Later – Was I wrong..?
• iOS 14.4 Changes and Features! What’s new?

9to5Mac Daily |

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Apple’s F1 announcements, more – 9to5Mac Daily

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by BenQ: Check out BenQ's smarter displays made for how Mac users actually work. Sign up for the giveaway here. New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they’re available. Stories discussed in this episode: New Apple product launch week starts Monday, Tim Cook confirms iPhone and iPad approved to handle classified NATO information without any third-party add-on solutions Apple TV partners with IMAX to show Formula 1 races live in theaters Apple Maps adds detailed F1 experience ahead of 2026 season Here's how Apple will showcase F1 across Apple TV, Apple Music and more New ‘F1: Drive to Survive’ season is coming to Apple TV Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS Spotify TuneIn Google Podcasts Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock: Ad-free versions of every episode Bonus content Catch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes! Don’t miss out on our other daily podcasts: Quick Charge 9to5Toys Daily Share your thoughts! Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.

1. Apple’s F1 announcements, more 07:40
2. A18 MacBook rumors, more 07:50
3. Touchscreen MacBook Pro rumors, Apple Card latest 07:50
4. Apple US manufacturing, iOS 26.4 beta 2 07:46
5. iPhone 18 Pro colors, more 08:43

9to5Mac Watch Time |

Jeff Benjamin joins Zac Hall to give Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 5 an exit interview before new models are announced. 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives.

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Week 6 – 9to5Mac Watch Time

This week on Watch Time join 9to5Mac's Zac Hall and Tempo developer Rahul Matta in the final episode of this podcast "season". 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives. Subscribe now to catch up with each episode and automatically hear new episodes as soon as they’re released every two weeks: 🟣 Apple Podcasts | 🟠 Overcast | 🟢 Spotify Follow Zac Instagram @apollozac Twitter @apollozac SpaceExplored.com Follow Rahul Matta Twitter @rmatta Twitter @TempoLog Blog indie.sh Follow 9to5Mac Instagram @9to5mac Twitter @9to5mac Facebook YouTube.com/9to5Mac Listen & Subscribe Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast RSS Read More Toning down the Apple Watch: Tips and feature requests to avoid being overwhelmed Apple releases watchOS 7.4.1 with security improvements Apple Watch blood sugar and blood pressure measurement could be a step closer watchOS 7.4 brings iPhone mask unlock feature for Apple Watch Enjoy the podcast? Shop Apple at Amazon to support 9to5Mac Watch Time!

1. Week 6 46:48
2. With guest Sigmund Judge 42:59
3. Week 5 52:45
4. Week 4 57:20
5. Week 3 56:40

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Touchscreen MacBook Pro details, deep red iPhone 18, US Mac mini production  – 9to5Mac Happy Hour

Benjamin and Chance are back, with a news-packed episode just before an exciting week of Apple hardware launches. But first, iOS 26.4 beta is here, a deep red color is rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro, and Bloomberg details some of the software affordances coming to macOS to support the touch screen MacBook Pro. Also, Samsung surprises with a clever dynamic privacy display on their new flagship phones. And in Happy Hour Plus, the creators of Dark Sky have left Apple to form a new weather app for enthusiasts, Acme Weather. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.  Sponsored by Things: The award-winning to-do app, with a fresh look for OS 26, new features, and more. Sponsored by Shopify: See less carts go abandoned and more sales. Sign up for a $1 per month trial at shopify.com/happyhour. Sponsored by Stamps.com: Send from your computer or phone 24/7. Try Stamps.com risk-free for sixty days with code happyhour. Sponsored by NordStellar: Defend your business with NordStellar. Unlock a 10% discount with coupon code nordhappyhour-10 at nordstellar.com/happyhour. Hosts Chance Miller @ChanceHMiller on Twitter @ChanceHMiller on Instagram @ChanceHMiller on Threads Benjamin Mayo @bzamayo on Twitter @bzamayo@mastodon.social @bzamayo on Threads Subscribe, Rate, and Review Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus Subscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:  Ad-free versions of every episode  Pre- and post-show content Bonus episodes Join for $5 per month or $50 a year at 9to5mac.com/join.  Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or Threads Email us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com Links New Apple product launch starts Monday, Tim Cook confirms Galaxy S26 Ultra's Privacy Display is the best new feature in years iOS 26.4 beta 2: Here's what's new iOS 26.4 beta 2 adds support for testing encrypted RCS between iPhone and Android Apple testing 'deep red' color for iPhone 18 Pro, but iPhone Fold may skip the fun: report iPhone 18 Pro design could include an exciting first New M6 MacBook Pro details revealed, including Dynamic Island, touch, more Apple announces plans to manufacture some new Macs in the United States this year Apple shares more details, photos, and video of US Mac mini plant Apple’s low-cost MacBook might lack these features Apple battling rising component costs in low-cost MacBook production New ‘Acme Weather’ app from Dark Sky creators wants to fix weather apps’ biggest problem

1. Touchscreen MacBook Pro details, deep red iPhone 18, US Mac mini production  53:44
2. Apple event confirmed, iOS 26.4 features, Apple AI devices  01:07:07
3. More Siri delays, imminent new hardware, and Apple’s upcoming 50th birthday  01:03:17
4. iPhone 17 leads Apple earnings record, new MacBooks near, and a mysterious $2B acquisition  01:01:45
5. Creator Studio bundle, AirTag 2, new Siri features coming soon 01:10:05

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Stacktrace has moved! – Stacktrace

As we've mentioned in the last episode, the Stacktrace podcast is no longer a part of the 9to5Mac network. If you're seeing this entry in your podcast player, then you probably need to unfollow Stacktrace and follow the podcast again. Start by unfollowing the show in your podcast player, then just search for "Stacktrace" and follow the show again. You'll notice that the updated show has a new artwork and that episode 179 has already been released there. To learn more about how to listen to Stacktrace, check out our new website. Thanks for listening!

1. Stacktrace has moved! 01:00
2. 178: “Let’s try something new” 01:03:25
3. 177: “The stand is included!” 01:09:24
4. 176: “Extra Keynote Poker” 01:19:00
5. 175: “A Bluetooth fanboy” 54:35

Apple @ Work Podcast |

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Apple @ Work Podcast: The rise of the autonomous AI SOC – Apple @ Work

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. Crogl Hosts First Ever AI SOC Summit to Bring Real World Clarity to AI in Security Operations AI SOC Summit 2026 Listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Pocket Casts Castro RSS Listen to Past Episodes

1. Apple @ Work Podcast: The rise of the autonomous AI SOC 16:51
2. SaaS sprawl is a real problem for Apple IT admins 21:28
3. Apple @ Work Podcast: Zero Trust is really a little trust 21:06
4. The reality of macOS malware in the enterprise 19:53
5. Vendor collaboration will be required in the AI era 14:48

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