This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: Apple’s upcoming Siri unveiling, iPhone 18 Pro’s Dynamic Island, ‘HomePad’ update, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.
iPhone 18 Pro‘s Dynamic Island size
Following several conflicting reports around what’s happening with the iPhone 18 Pro’s Dynamic Island, there now seems to be a consensus.
The previously rumored hole-punch cutout in the top-left corner isn’t happening. Instead, iPhone 18 Pro will retain the existing pill-shaped Dynamic Island design—but shrink it.
Per leaker Ice Universe, the new Dynamic Island will be roughly 35% smaller than the current design.
My takeaways
I was always intrigued by the idea of a left-aligned cutout for the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera, but the idea of a smaller Dynamic Island makes a lot more sense. Mockups of the smaller size look great too.
On a related note though, if Apple isn’t going to ship a hole-punch design in the iPhone yet, I’m skeptical it will be able to debut the rumored cutout-free, all-glass design for next year’s 20th anniversary model.
HomePad launch timing update
The Information reported recently that Apple was developing a wearable AI pin device. Inside that report though, there was an update given on other AI-centric products.
The report mentions Apple’s rumored HomePod with display (commonly called ‘HomePad’ or ‘HomePod Touch.’). We haven’t gotten a HomePad update in a while, but per The Information the product is scheduled to launch this spring.
My takeaways
Spring is generally the timeline we were already expecting based on Bloomberg’s reporting. However, it’s been a while since there’s been an update, so having that spring date reaffirmed is great news. It also aligns with the expected launch of iOS 26.4 and the new and improved Siri.
New Siri unveiling expected in February
In his first Power On newsletter of 2026, Mark Gurman reported that Apple plans to unveil its new and improved AI Siri in “the second half of February.”
Gurman isn’t sure whether this reveal will take place at a major media event or smaller press briefings, but he says the company wants to “give demonstrations of the functionality” that Siri will be gaining in iOS 26.4.
For later on, Gurman added that Apple plans to integrate iOS 27’s more chatbot-like Siri deeply into core system apps like Safari, TV, Health, Music, and Podcasts.
My takeaways
All signs point to a huge year ahead for Siri, starting very soon. The rumored two-stage rollout of Siri upgrades does mean, however, that I’m tempering my expectations slightly for what Apple will unveil next month. Hopefully at minimum we get the upgrades we were first promised in iOS 18—along with greater reliability and intelligence overall.
Rumored Mac roadmap for 2026
In Power On, Mark Gurman also published a roadmap of new Macs to expect in the year ahead. He writes:
Versions of the MacBook Pros, MacBook Air and Mac Studio with bumped-up specifications — as well as the new display — are planned for the first half of the year. The revamped MacBook Pro should be hitting toward the end of 2026.
A new Mac mini and low-cost MacBook are mentioned too, but without specific timelines given.
Curiously, Gurman ends by hinting that the M6 chip could launch sooner than most expect. He says the M5 to M6 gap might be similar to the shortened half-year window we saw between M3 and M4.
My takeaways
The most interesting tidbit for me involves the M6 hint.
When Apple surprised everyone by shipping the M4 chip just six months after the M3 launched, it did so in the iPad Pro—not a Mac. There are no rumors about a new iPad Pro coming any time soon, since the M5 model is just a few months old.
Gurman doesn’t believe Apple’s MacBooks will be the first M6 devices. That might make the Mac mini the best candidate. But it would be pretty odd for Apple’s least expensive Mac to get the most cutting-edge chip first.
What are your takeaways from this week’s Apple rumors? Let us know in the comments.
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