Chance Miller

Apple has updated its website with changes to the checkout flow when buying a new Mac. Previously, the Apple Online Store would show you a range of preconfigured options with specific processors, RAM, and storage configurations, before letting you dive into the granular configurator.

With this week’s revamp, however, this process has been overhauled…

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 AirTag 2, a blockbuster Apple acquisition, and iOS 26.3 beta testing continues. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

A new report from Bloomberg today highlights the ongoing exodus from Apple’s artificial intelligence and Siri teams. Mark Gurman reports that Apple has lost “least four more of its artificial intelligence researchers in recent weeks in addition to a top Siri executive.”

Apple has released its annual Shot on iPhone short film in celebration of Chinese New Year. This year’s film, “Glad I Met You,” tells a heartwarming story of finding family with a stray dog.

Apple is widely expected to bifurcate the launch of the iPhone 18 lineup. Sources including Ming-Chi Kuo, Bloomberg, and The Information  have reported that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold will launch later this year, followed by the base model iPhone 18 next spring.

A new report from Nikkei Asia today corroborates that timeline.

Apple has discontinued the iPhone Upgrade Program in the UK, according to changes made to its website. The company says it is starting a “new chapter for upgrades” and that “the iPhone Upgrade Program is coming to an end.”

Apple also appears to be winding down its partnership with Barclays, which was the bank behind the iPhone Upgrade Program in the UK.

Rivian’s opposition to CarPlay is well-documented, with CEO RJ Scaringe emphasizing the automaker’s focus on creating a native and integrated infotainment experience.

In a new interview with Kara Swisher this week, Scaringe once again reiterated those thoughts, while simultaneously touting a “great working relationship with Apple.”

Benjamin and Chance review the proposition of the Creator Studio bundle now it is finally available, as well as some weirdness in the choices made of the apps in it. Also, Benjamin has been using his new AirTags for the past couple days, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that the new Gemini Siri features may be announced in February, sooner than we previously expected.

And in Happy Hour Plus, there’s more talk about Creator Studio, specifically regarding which other kinds of creative apps we could see get added to the offering in the future. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26. Last call!

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Apple has acquired an Israel-based AI startup called Q.ai, according to a new report from the Financial Times. The report says the deal is valued at close to $2 billion, making it one of Apple’s largest acquisitions ever.

Halide and Lux co-founder and designer Sebastiaan de With announced today that he is joining Apple’s human interface design team.

This marks a return to Apple for de With, who previously worked as a freelancer for the company on projects including Find My, MobileMe, and iCloud.

With iOS 26.3, Apple is rolling out a new feature that lets you limit the information that cellular networks can use to determine your location. The twist, however, is that the feature is only supported on devices powered by Apple’s in-house modem.

I think what’s more interesting than this specific feature itself is what it represents for the future.

A new trial suggests Apple Watch could make a meaningful difference in what happens after atrial fibrillation ablation, not by changing the procedure itself, but by changing what patients and doctors catch afterward.

Researchers found that a simple routine of patient-led ECG check-ins surfaced more recurrences and was linked to fewer unplanned hospitalizations over the follow-up period.

Two weeks ago, Apple announced its brand new Apple Creator Studio bundle, offering its suite of creative apps for a single subscription. Apple Creator Studio is set to launch today, and the first reviews and impressions have hit the web.

Head below for a full roundup. Apple has also published a new press release highlighting how creators are using the new Final Cut Pro features.

Update: As noted by Aaron Perris, Apple has started signing iOS 12.5.8, iOS 15.8.6, and iOS 18.7.4 again. iOS 16.7.13, however, remains unavailable.

Apple this week released an array of iOS updates, including iOS 26.2.1, iOS 18.7.4, and more.

Now, however, it appears that Apple has pulled some of these new updates due to problems with network connectivity in Australia.

Volvo is doubling down on its commitment to CarPlay, according to Anders Bell, the company’s chief engineering and technology officer. In an interview with The Drive this week, Bell promised that Volvo will “absolutely” continue to offer CarPlay and Android Auto in its cars, including EVs.

Apple released the third iOS 26.3 beta this week for iPhone users. The update focuses a lot on interoperability between iPhone and Android devices, as well as support for third-party smartwatches. Here are all of the new iOS 26.3 features so far.

Apple has been hit with a new lawsuit by Reincubate, the company behind the Camo and Camo Studio apps that let you use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac.

Reincubate accuses Apple of copying its technology when it launched Continuity Camera in 2022. Continuity Camera is Apple’s own similar first-party solution for using your iPhone as a webcam with your Mac.

Update: Apple provided the following statement to 9to5Mac:

“We strongly disagree with the allegations and believe the lawsuit is baseless. Apple competes fairly while respecting the intellectual property rights of others, and these camera features were developed internally by Apple engineers.”

Last year, Belkin announced that it would end support for most of its Wemo smart home products in January 2026. That deadline is now approaching, with customers set to lose access to most Wemo smart home accessory functionality on January 31. The exception, however, is if you use Wemo accessories with HomeKit.

TikTok is still broken for many people in the United States. In a new update today, the now-US-backed company says a power outage at one of its data centers “caused a cascading systems failure” that it’s still working to resolve.

It’s been just over four months since Apple released AirPods Pro 3. When I posted my initial review, my takeaway was that AirPods Pro 3 are the “best getting even better.” Four months later, I still stand by that sentiment … but it’s clear I was wrong about at least one big thing.

• Buy AirPods Pro 3: $199 (Reg. $249)
• Buy AirPods 4: $119 (Reg. $179)

Apple today announced its second-generation AirTag, bringing major improvements to the incredible popular item tracker. Here are three things you might have missed.