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We’re likely less than two weeks away from the launch of the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models. Performance estimates based on extrapolating from the difference between the base M4 and the more powerful variants suggests that the M5 Max MacBook Pro could deliver “astounding” Geekbench scores.

The analysis suggests that the M5 Max chip may be the first Apple GPU ever to break 250,000 on the Geekbench 6 compute test …

A new market intelligence report suggests that Threads is now more popular than X on iPhone and Android, although X still has a strong overall lead when web usage is taken into account.

Separately, the controversy over Grok generating non-consensual explicit images – including CSAM – has intensified, as xAI is now being sued by the mother of one of Elon Musk’s children …

At WWDC25, Apple introduced a few new capabilities to the Photos app for iOS 26. Most notably, it reintroduces a tab bar layout after last year’s controversial single-page redesign. It also allows you to create spatial scenes from existing photos.

On top of those headlining features, there’s another underlying feature in the Photos app for iOS 26 that a lot of users might appreciate, and thats event details. Let’s explain.

The year is 2026 and Walmart still doesn’t accept Apple Pay at any of its stores in the United States. This makes it one of the last remaining major retailers to not support Apple’s contactless payment platform. It’s a limitation that’s once again going viral on social media.

Here are a few reasons why Walmart doesn’t support Apple Pay …

Apple Intelligence-powered Siri is very late, to say the least. That’s largely been because Apple has struggled to keep up with developing their own AI models. I’d say its largely played out this way because Apple has been hesitant to wanting to spend a lot of money, not to mention that Apple’s stance on privacy makes it hard to train a model – Apple just doesn’t have much data.

Nonetheless though, this delay actually comes with a bit of upside.

At CES 2026, Anker unveiled a handful of new accessories for Apple users. One of them is this new 13-in-1 docking station, and it has an interesting new feature that’ll make it particularly useful for MacBook and iPad Pro users.

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

If you’re looking for a fresh set of wallpapers for your iPhone or iPad, Radiance is a great app to check out. It has a nice feeling interface, and it’s completely free of ads.

Water leaks and water damage are one of my biggest fears as a homeowner. With hardwood floors throughout my house, even a small water leak could turn into a massive repair bill and a huge inconvenience to get them repaired. A slow drip from a sink can quickly cause thousands of dollars (or tens of thousands) in damage to your floors and cabinets. If I had to choose one smart home category that actually gives me peace of mind, it would be the ones that prevent disasters. In 2026, the water leak sensor is still the most critical piece of hardware in my HomeKit setup.

Apple surprised us all on Tuesday with an all new subscription offering for creative professionals, with the launch of Apple Creator Studio. In all honesty, it seems like a great value. After reading through all of the details though, I can already think of some easy improvements Apple could make.

I have been an Apple Watch Ultra user since its release in September 2022. Over the years, I have owned the regular Ultra and currently own the Ultra 2 in Black Titanium, and I have worn it nearly every single day. I wanted the Ultra for the little things: a better battery, a larger display, and better build materials. I just wanted to see what Apple could do with its “best” Apple Watch. After using it for nearly four years, I can confidently say that this is the best Apple Watch Apple has ever made, but it’s also an Apple Watch that I just don’t need. Let me explain.

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If you have managed Macs with remote work for any length of time, you know the specific sense of issue that comes with having to restart. You have a long wait for the screen-sharing part to come back online. The problem isn’t the network. The problem boils down to FileVault. When a modern Mac reboots, it shows a pre-boot macOS login screen that is not yet fully connected to the network or has not yet loaded the full OS. It is encrypted, secure, and completely unreachable until someone physically types a password. For IT folks managing a fleet of devices in various locations, this is a nightmare. Twocanoes Software has a tool called Password Utility that finally fixes this annoyance, and for $10 a year, it belongs on every Apple Silicon Mac you manage remotely. I found this tool because I recently had this issue with a Mac I manage so I went searching for a solution.

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 Apple’s new Creator Studio subscription, Apple’s deal with Google for Gemini, and iPhone Fold specs. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

With a new tool called Mobile Apps by Replit, users can describe their idea, let Replit do its thing, and then scan a QR code to test the app on their iPhones. Here are the details.

Apple celebrated today the reopening of its Sainte-Catherine store, where it more than doubled its footprint after being relocated to a revived historic building in downtown Montreal. Here’s a closer look.

Apple and New Jersey consumer protection officials have settled a state investigation that found repeated pricing and refund policy violations in Apple stores. Here are the details.

Apple is testing a new design for App Store search ads on iPhone. Some users on iOS 26.3 are noticing that the blue background around sponsored results is no longer shown, blurring the line between what paid ad results look like and the real search results that follow.

This means the only differentiator between organic results and the promoted ad is the presence of the small ‘Ad’ banner next to the app icon. Right now, it appears to be in some kind of A/B test phase.

After a tumultuous relationship with Goldman Sachs, Apple reached a deal with JPMorgan Chase to take over Apple Card.

I have a lot of questions about what this means for Apple Card. I’ve laid some of them out below so we can speculate together…

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.

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OpenAI has announced several important changes to ChatGPT. First, the company says it is rolling out its more affordable ChatGPT Go plan in the United States for $8 per month. OpenAI also confirmed it will soon start testing ads in ChatGPT …