Top stories: AirPods Max 2, iOS 26.4 RC, and more

Chance Miller | Mar 21 2026 - 4:00 am PT

Welcome to 9to5Mac’s top stories of the week, where we recap the biggest news in the Apple world every Saturday. This week, we have the launch of AirPods Max 2, new iPhone Fold rumors, and the MacBook Neo is a hit. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

This week’s top stories

AAPL
iOS
iOS 26
iOS 27
macOS 26
watchOS 26
iPhone
iPhone Fold
Mac
MacBook Air
Apple Watch
Apple TV
Apps
Podcast

AAPL

Tim Cook says the Mac just set a new launch record for Apple

Computer History Museum continues Apple’s 50th anniversary celebrations with TechFest

Google reveals another exploit chain affecting outdated iPhones

Report: Apple made roughly $900M from generative AI apps in 2025

Apple saw 23% jump in iPhone sales in China in early 2026

Trademark application suggests AppleCare One could soon be coming to Europe

Brazil’s competition watchdog inquires Apple over iPhone NFC restrictions

Liquid Glass and long-standing bugs push Apple’s grades down in visual accessibility report card

Apple’s 50th anniversary celebrations in China marred by government pressure

Streaming app Musi loses App Store case as judge rules Apple can delist apps at any time

Apple executive overseeing home devices joins Oura

Apple’s 50th anniversary celebrations move from New York to China

Mimms Museum to celebrate Apple’s 50th anniversary with immersive exhibition

Apple acquires MotionVFX, maker of popular Final Cut Pro plugins and more

Here’s Alicia Keys at Apple Grand Central for 50th anniversary experience [Gallery]

The average iPad sold for $583 last quarter: report

iOS

Apple’s Gemini-powered Siri upgrade could still arrive this month

Apple says customers should ‘update iOS to protect your iPhone from web attacks’

iOS 26.4 fixes iPhone keyboard accuracy, here’s how

Apple highlights 13 enhancements coming to iPhone with iOS 26.4

Apple releases iOS 26.4 RC for iPhone with upcoming features

Perplexity AI ‘Comet’ browser for iPhone now available

Apple pushing back on ‘vibe coding’ iPhone apps, developers say [U]

Apple releases Background Security Improvement for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iOS 27 might include a Liquid Glass slider, but should it?

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 adds brand new widgets for your iPhone’s Home Screen

iOS 26’s new Apple Maps feature has quickly become a favorite

AirPods Pro now have 10+ hidden controls in iOS 26, here’s the full list

Hands-on: This iPhone case adds a rear touchscreen for selfies and expandable storage [Video]

iOS 26 made one of iPhone’s wildest, most unique features a lot better

iOS 26.4 to finally let Family Sharing members use their own payment methods

iOS 26.4 release date: Here’s when new iPhone features are coming

iOS 26.4 upgrades one of my most-used Control Center features in a big way

iOS 26’s new Phone app has a feature I don’t ever want to go without

iOS 27

iOS 27: New features, release date, and more

Apple prepares for WWDC 2026 and iOS 27 by expanding its reach

iOS 27 likely won’t include any major changes to Liquid Glass: report

macOS 26

macOS 26.4 release notes: Apple details six new features for Mac

macOS 26.4 RC now available for developers

watchOS 26

watchOS 26.4 fixes a major Apple Watch Workout app complaint

iPhone

Amazon developing Fire Phone successor to take on iPhone with Alexa AI focus

Rumor: iPhone Fold may launch months after iPhone 18 Pro

Apple Sports enhanced with March Madness brackets and league expansion

iPhone 18 rumors say Pro models will get exclusive camera upgrade

iPhone 18 Pro: Three new design updates are coming this year

Apple adds two iPhone models to its ‘obsolete products’ list

iPhone Fold looks like two of my all-time favorite products in one

Apple unveils AirPods Max 2 with H2 chip, upgraded noise canceling, and more

iPhone Fold

The Oppo Find N6 gives us a preview of the iPhone Fold, with a 600k fold life

Mac

Apple explains why M5 chips have three different core types in new interview

Apple hasn’t caught up to MacBook Neo demand yet

Bloomberg: Google begins testing dedicated Gemini app for Mac

Benchmarks show MacBook Neo rivaling more powerful cloud servers in database workloads

Meta’s Manus launches ‘My Computer’ to turn your Mac into an AI agent

Four new Macs are launching later this year, here’s what’s coming

YouTuber upgrades MacBook Neo to 1TB, posts ASMR video of the process

MacBook Air adding touchscreen isn’t yet planned, says report

MacBook Air

Why Apple hasn’t gone all-in on keyboard glyphs in the new MacBooks

Apple has announced 8 new products this month

Apple Watch

ITC judge says Apple Watch’s redesigned blood oxygen feature doesn’t infringe Masimo patents

Hermès made a $5K leather MagSafe Duo charging case for iPhone and Apple Watch

Apple partnering with London Marathon: ‘Apple’s technologies support runners at every level’

Apple TV

Apple TV’s new top three shows hit on what the streamer does best

Apple TV reveals major new film with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence

Apple’s TV app just added autoplaying video to more parts of the app

Apple TV: Grey’s Anatomy alum joins The Morning Show’s season 5

Imperfect Women’s first two episodes are now available on Apple TV

Apple TV announces new animated series from Academy Award-winning studio Cartoon Saloon

tvOS 26.4 adds powerful new ‘Genius’ feature for Apple TV 4K

Apple TV’s new Keanu Reeves comedy looks hilarious, here’s the trailer

F1: The Movie wins Apple its first Academy Award in three years

Apple TV: Every Academy Award winner and nominee to date

Apple TV is about to kick off five weeks straight of big premieres

Apps

Indie App Spotlight: ‘Kiosk 27’ makes your iPhone camera feel like film

Podcast

9to5Mac Daily: March 19, 2026 – Apple acquisition, iOS 26.4 features

9to5Mac Daily: March 18, 2026 – App Store vibe coding, more

9to5Mac Daily: March 17, 2026 – MacBook Neo teardown, more on AirPods Max 2

9to5Mac Daily: March 16, 2026 – AirPods Max 2 are here

My favorite iPhone accessories:

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Author

Chance Miller chancehmiller

Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations. He also hosts the 9to5Mac Daily and 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcasts.

You can send tips, questions, and typos to chance@9to5mac.com.