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Apple might release iOS 26.2.1 any day now with bug fixes, but the next iPhone update packing new features will be iOS 26.3. Here’s the expected iOS 26.3 release date.

Just two months after updating the trade-in values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, Apple has once again adjusted its maximum payout table for most products, with a few welcome surprises. Here are the details.

Apple Intelligence first launched in 2024, but it’s increasingly looking like 2026 will be a far more important year for the AI platform. And it all starts with ‘Siri 2.0’ coming this spring.

Benjamin and Chance discuss the implications for Siri and the wider Apple ecosystem now that the Gemini deal is officially signed, and guess when we’ll start seeing the first new features ship. Also, they weigh up the appeal of the new Apple Creator Studio bundle, and Chance got to watch basketball courtside through his Vision Pro.

And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo discuss the dependability of iCloud as a backup of your data, and what other backup strategies they recommend to use. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26.

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Following regulatory scrutiny, Meta has confirmed that the third-party LLM ban on WhatsApp won’t apply to users in Italy and Brazil. Here are the details.

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: iPhone 18 display leaks, Siri’s Gemini tidbits, and iPhone Air 2 upgrades. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

A new Apple monitor has reportedly appeared in a Chinese regulatory database. This comes as rumors suggest Apple will update at least one of its external displays, either the Studio Display or Pro Display XDR, at some point in 2026.

Apple’s once dominant position as a TSMC customer is facing fresh challenges as the AI boom raises GPU demand from companies like NVIDIA and AMD, according to a new report.

Over the years, I have tried 100s of iPhone cases, from rugged cases to leather cases, clear cases, and multifunctional wallet cases. And while these cases have their time and place, I always come back to the same type of case as my favorite: thin iPhone cases. There is just something about keeping the iPhone feeling like an iPhone that makes it enjoyable to use long-term. So when I saw Moft was releasing their new Movas Frame case, I had to give it a try. It was designed to be slim, light, and minimal while still adding protection. I’ve been using it for a few weeks, and here is what you should know.

Subway Surfers has been one of the most successful mobile games ever. And now its long-anticipated sequel—Subway Surfers City—is officially coming next month.

Apple Creator Studio was unveiled earlier this week as a new bundle of powerful creative apps. Despite pushback from some users tired of subscriptions, I think this new Apple offering could be exactly what many of us have long asked for. Here’s how.

Yesterday’s widespread Verizon outage has officially been resolved, and the company has announced details for a $20 credit that will be given to those affected. Here’s how to get it.

The long-awaited launch of the new AI-powered Siri now looks much closer thanks to Apple’s partnership with Google. The company this week confirmed reports that many Siri features will be powered by Google’s Gemini models.

We already knew some of the features we could expect from AI Siri thanks to the announcements at WWDC 2024 and a now-deleted iPhone 16 ad – and the launch of Gemini Personal Intelligence has now effectively provided a working preview …

EU antitrust legislation forced Apple to allow third-party app stores for iPhone within the bloc, with MacPaw’s Setapp Mobile one of the first to take advantage of this.

The company has now announced that it is closing its iOS store, citing “still-evolving and complex terms.” Apple would likely argue that the EU is responsible for constantly moving goalposts without clearly specifying how it wants the company to respond …

The US was one of a number of countries to escape recent Spotify price increases, but that is now coming to an end.

The streaming music service increased the price of its premium plans in a large number of other countries late last year, while US pricing remained unchanged. Predictably, that was only a temporary respite …

A new report on Apple’s partnership with Google to have Gemini power the new Siri appears to confirm speculation that the iPhone maker is paying around a billion dollars a year for the deal.

It also claims that ChatGPT provider OpenAI made a conscious decision to decline the opportunity to provide the intelligence behind Siri …

If you’re having problems with your cellular connection today, you’re not alone. Verizon, appears to be experiencing a major outage. The carrier says its teams are “fully deployed and are focused on the issue.”

Verizon has also now promised credits for affected users … here’s the latest.

Update, 10:24pm ET

Verizon says the outage is resolved:

The outage has been resolved. If customers are still having an issue, we encourage them to restart their devices to reconnect to the network. For those affected, we will provide account credits. Details will be shared directly with customers. We sincerely apologize for the disruption.

Hours after a coalition of digital rights, child safety, and women’s rights organizations asked Apple to “take immediate action” against X and Grok AI, xAI confirmed that Grok will no longer edit “images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis,” with significant carve-outs. Here are the details.

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Appfigures’ annual report on the app economy shows that app downloads declined in 2025 compared to 2024, even as estimated gross revenue surged to a record high. Here are the details.