iOS 26.4 isn't the major update with new Siri features that we hoped for, but there are some useful quality of life improvements, and a little bit of fun with an AI playlist generator and new emoji characters.
Playlist Playground - Apple Music has a Playlist Playground option that lets you generate playlists from text-based descriptions. You can include moods, feelings, activities, or make up something entirely nonsensical and let the AI figure out what you mean.
Ambient Music widget - Apple added a widget for the built-in Ambient Music feature in iOS, so it's quicker to play background sounds. You can choose Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing playlists curated by Apple.
Emoji - There are eight new emoji characters including trombone, treasure chest, distorted face, hairy creature, fight cloud, orca, landslide, and ballet dancer.
Reduce Bright Effects - If you dislike Liquid Glass, there's a Reduce Bright Effects setting that cuts down on bright flashes when tapping buttons. Reduce Motion also limits Liquid Glass animations more than it did previously.
Purchase Sharing - Adults in Family Sharing groups no longer have to use the same payment method, and Apple now lets everyone add their own credit or debit card.
CarPlay AI apps - CarPlay users can use third-party chatbots with CarPlay starting in iOS 26.4. Companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google will need to update their apps with CarPlay support, but the framework is in iOS 26.4.
Video Podcasts - The Podcasts app has native video episode support with HLS streaming, along with options to swap between audio and video and offline video downloads.
Average Bedtime - The Sleep feature in the Health app now records average bedtime for the past two weeks to give you a better idea of how your bedtime impacts sleep.
Stolen Device Protection - Stolen Device Protection is now on by default. It thwarts physical theft and access of your iPhone by requiring biometric authentication for things like viewing passwords and turning off Lost Mode on the iPhone. Some features like changing an Apple ID password have a one-hour security delay.
There are other new additions in iOS 26.4, like offline song recognition in Control Center, nearby concert suggestions and full-page album artwork in Apple Music, easier access to subtitle customization options in media apps, and Apple Creator Studio support for Freeform, with details available in our full iOS 26.4 notes article.
Release Date
The iOS 26.4 release candidate is available to developers and public beta testers, and it's likely the update will see an official launch on March 23 or March 24.
Aside from the Nike-focused design, these are the same Powerbeats Pro 2 that were introduced last year, with the signature Powerbeats wraparound earhooks for stability, Active Noise Cancelling with Transparency mode, built-in heart rate monitoring, and up to 45 hours of battery life when tapping into the charging case to recharge.
Powerbeats Pro 2 are essentially a fitness-focused alternative to the AirPods Pro 3.
Nike showed off the headphones in an ad starring NBA superstar LeBron James.
In the U.S., pricing is set at $249.99, in line with the regular Powerbeats Pro 2. Apple is currently showing a March 24 delivery date.
The highlights of this week in Apple deals include the return of an all-time low price on AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and ongoing launch discounts on all of Apple's new products. You'll also find a few early accessory deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale below.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Amazon has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.99 this week, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, which has been rare on Amazon in recent weeks.
Last week was the launch week for all of Apple's new products, and Amazon is already offering good discounts on many models of the M4 iPad Air, although a few of the prices have risen a bit since we first covered the deals earlier this week. We're still seeing up to $80 off both the 11-inch and 13-inch models, however, which is solid for a brand-new product.
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
What's the deal? Take $49 off M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro
Similar to the M4 iPad Air, Amazon is offering multiple discounts across the new M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro this week. You'll find $49 off select models right now, without the need of a coupon code.
This week, there were two sales on Samsung monitors, split between Amazon and Samsung's own website. On Amazon, there was a big accessory sale this week, and the highlights of the event included big savings on monitors from Samsung, LG, Dell, and more. Samsung's newest Smart Monitor M9 hit the all-time low price of $1,299.99 during the sale, and it's still available now.
On Samsung, you can get a free copy of Resident Evil Requiem with the purchase of select monitors. You'll also find big discounts on TVs and Galaxy products this week.
Apple Watch Series 11
What's the deal? Take $100 off Apple Watch Series 11
Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. We first started tracking the return of these deals last month, but this sale has now expanded with many more options on both 42mm and 46mm GPS models.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
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The AirPods Max 2 introduce a range of improvements primarily driven by the addition of Apple's H2 chip, which replaces the H1 chip used in previous models. This new chip underpins most of the upgrades, enabling more advanced computational audio and significantly enhancing the overall listening experience.
One of the most notable improvements is Active Noise Cancellation, which Apple says is up to 1.5x more effective than before, making the headphones better suited to noisy environments such as travel. Transparency mode is also refined, with more natural-sounding ambient audio and improved clarity when hearing voices and surroundings.
The H2 chip also facilitates a suite of new adaptive listening features. Adaptive Audio dynamically adjusts the balance between noise cancellation and environmental sound depending on your surroundings, while Conversation Awareness automatically lowers playback and enhances nearby voices when you begin speaking. Personalized Volume builds on this by learning your listening preferences over time and adjusting volume levels accordingly. In addition, Voice Isolation has been improved, helping to prioritize your voice during calls and reduce background noise more effectively.
Audio quality is enhanced with a new high dynamic range amplifier and updated signal processing. These changes should result in more consistent bass, clearer midrange, more natural vocals, and improved separation of instruments. Spatial Audio has also been refined, offering more accurate sound placement and a more coherent soundstage.
Wireless performance sees an upgrade with support for Bluetooth 5.3, which reduces latency compared to the previous generation. Alongside audio improvements, several new features have been added, including Live Translation powered by Apple Intelligence, the ability to use the Digital Crown as a camera remote for taking photos or controlling video recording, and expanded Siri interactions, including hands-free activation without "Hey Siri" and gesture-based responses.
Despite these updates, several core aspects remain unchanged. The design, materials, and overall form factor are identical to earlier versions, battery life remains at up to 20 hours with noise cancellation enabled, and the headphones continue to use the same Smart Case. Pricing is also unchanged at $549.
AirPods Max 2 will be available to order on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app starting Wednesday, March 25 in the U.S. and more than 30 other countries, and they launch on an unspecified day in early April. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.
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Both the MacBook Air and entry-level MacBook Pro now feature the M5 chip, so how do the latest models compare?
While the 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,099 and the 15-inch model at $1,299, moving to the 14-inch MacBook Pro requires spending at least $300 more. For some buyers, the extra cost is unnecessary; for others, the Pro's ability to sustain performance, along with its more advanced display and expanded I/O, meaningfully change the experience in ways the Air cannot match even with higher configurations.
With the introduction of the MacBook Neo as a new entry-level option, the Mac lineup now spans three distinct tiers. As a result, the MacBook Air no longer represents the default choice for most buyers, but instead occupies a middle position between affordability and performance. If you've already ruled out the MacBook Neo, this guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of Apple's other two popular laptops is best for you. The key differences are as follows:
Silver, Sky Blue, Starlight, or Midnight color options
Silver or Space Black color options
13-Inch: Starts at $1,099 15-Inch: Starts at $1,299
Starts at $1,599
Dimensions are also a key area of difference between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro is noticeably thicker and heavier than both MacBook Air models:
MacBook Air (13-Inch)
MacBook Air (15-Inch)
MacBook Pro (14-Inch)
Height
0.44 inches (1.13 cm)
0.45 inch (1.15 cm)
0.61 inches (1.55 cm)
Width
11.97 inches (30.41 cm)
13.40 inches (34.04 cm)
12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
Depth
8.46 inches (21.5 cm)
9.35 inches (23.76 cm)
8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
Weight
2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)
3.3 pounds (1.51 kg)
3.4 pounds (1.55 kg)
Taken as a whole, the MacBook Air now occupies a more clearly defined middle position in Apple's laptop lineup. With the introduction of the MacBook Neo as a lower-cost entry point, the Air no longer represents the default choice for most buyers, but instead serves those who want a meaningful step up in performance, features, and long-term usability without moving into the MacBook Pro tier.
The MacBook Air offers excellent performance with the M5 chip, capable memory and storage options, a good all-round display, and key features like a backlit keyboard, 18 hours of battery life, and a 12MP Center Stage camera. For everyday tasks, performance remains effectively indistinguishable from more expensive models, but the Air is far less likely to feel constrained after several years of use compared to the MacBook Neo. Its thinner chassis, lower weight, silent fanless design, and broader range of color options also remain important advantages.
By contrast, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is differentiated less by baseline performance and more by its ability to sustain it, as well as by a collection of hardware features that materially change the experience. Active cooling allows the M5 chip to operate at higher levels for prolonged periods, avoiding the thermal limitations inherent to the Air's passive design. This becomes noticeable in extended workloads such as video editing, 3D rendering, compiling large codebases, or running intensive AI-driven tasks. If your workload regularly involves sustained performance, such as long video exports, large code builds, or intensive multitasking, the MacBook Air's fanless design may become a limiting factor.
Alongside this, MacBook Pro's mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion offers substantially higher brightness, contrast, and motion fluidity, while the inclusion of HDMI, SDXC, and an additional Thunderbolt port expands its versatility in professional environments. It also delivers consistently better speakers, higher-quality microphones, and longer battery life. For users planning to keep their machine for several years, this sustained performance headroom and broader feature set can make the MacBook Pro a more resilient long-term investment.
The most consequential trade-off emerges at the upper end of the MacBook Air's pricing. At $1,299, the 15-inch MacBook Air sits close enough to the 14-inch MacBook Pro's $1,599 starting price that the decision becomes less about affordability and more about priorities. For an additional $300, the Pro offers a significantly more advanced display, active cooling for sustained performance, longer battery life, additional I/O, and overall greater versatility. Once you are already considering spending over $1,000 on a laptop, these advantages become disproportionately impactful, particularly for users intending to keep their machine for several years.
As a result, the MacBook Air is best understood as the balanced option within the lineup: Meaningfully more capable and longer-lasting than the MacBook Neo, but somewhat constrained compared to the MacBook Pro. The right choice depends less on basic specifications and more on where your needs sit across three distinct tiers, with basic computing at the low end, sustained performance and advanced features at the high end, and the MacBook Air positioned squarely between them.
In the video below, ChargerLAB shows that the MacBook Neo reaches a peak charging speed of 18W with the included 20W charger, but this rises to 30W with Apple's 35W adapter, which is available in two sizes for $59 on Apple's online store.
ChargerLAB did not show exactly how much time you can save by using the 35W charger over the 20W charger, but it is probably up to 20-30 minutes for a full charge.
Of course, a variety of 30W-and-higher chargers sold by Apple and other companies can charge the MacBook Neo at peak speeds of 28W to 30W, so look beyond Apple if you want to save money. If you stick with Apple, just know this: its 35W adapter is faster than the included 20W adapter, but its expensive 96W and 140W chargers do not charge the MacBook Neo any faster than the 35W adapter despite costing more.
OpenAI has a Mac "superapp" in development that unifies its ChatGPT app, Codex coding platform, and Atlas browser, reports The Wall Street Journal ($).
The idea behind the all-in-one app is to simplify the user experience, following the launch of several standalone products, some of which haven't resonated with OpenAI's customers. The company is also trying to bounce back after the recent successes of its main rival, Anthropic.
OpenAI executives are said to be looking at areas it can deprioritize while it focuses on creating agentic AI capabilities within the new superapp that can work autonomously on a user's computer to carry out various tasks like writing code and analyzing data.
In an all-hands meeting last week, OpenAI's chief of applications Fidji Simo reportedly told employees they couldn't afford to be distracted by "side quests" given Anthropic's rapid success winning over enterprise and coding customers. From the report:
An OpenAI spokeswoman said the new "superapp" will enable teams inside OpenAI to work more closely together, and help the research division focus its efforts around improving one central product. Over the coming months, the company expects to add new "agentic" capabilities within its Codex app so it can help with productivity-related tasks beyond coding before merging ChatGPT and the Atlas browser into the superapp as well.
OpenAI unveiled a series of major initiatives last year, like its Sora video app and the acquisition of Jony Ive's AI hardware venture. Since then, however, Anthropic has gained strong momentum with the success of its Code Claude and Cowork offerings.
The WSJ report gave no timeline for the launch of OpenAI's so-called superapp, but it said the company's mobile ChatGPT app will remain unchanged.
Apple and the Sydney Opera House in Australia recently announced a collaboration, and it turns out this will tie into Apple's 50th-anniversary celebrations.
On his Instagram page earlier this week, Australian composer Bailey Pickles said Apple asked him to compose and perform music for its upcoming 50th-anniversary celebration at the Opera House, where Apple will soon be illuminating artwork.
From March 25 to March 27, the Opera House's eastern sails will be illuminated with artwork created in the Procreate app on the iPad by a group of 10 emerging Australian artists. Through free Today at Apple sessions earlier this month, the public also had the opportunity to create and submit artwork for potential illumination.
Apple said selected artworks from both commissioned artists and public submissions will be curated and projected onto the Opera House's eastern sails on March 25 at 8:30 p.m. local time, and on March 26 and March 27 at 8 p.m. local time. Pickles did not say exactly when he will be performing at the world-famous venue, but it is clear that the 50th-anniversary celebration will involve a mix of artwork and music.
It is unclear if Apple's CEO Tim Cook or any other company executives will attend this celebration, but it is worth noting that Cook is currently in China, so he is a lot closer to Australia right now than he would ordinarily be. Perhaps he will make a surprise appearance at the Opera House at some point, but only time will tell.
Apple collected nearly $900 million in App Store fees from generative AI apps in 2025, according to data from analysis firm AppMagic, covered by The Wall Street Journal ($).
The overwhelming majority of Apple's AI app commission revenue came courtesy of ChatGPT downloads leading to subsequent subscriptions, which alone accounted for around 75 percent of the above total. Elon Musk's Grok app came a distant second, making up just 5 percent of the revenue.
Apple is now said to be on course to earn $1 billion in generative app revenue this year. Given how behind the company is in the AI race, highlighted by the sluggish progress of its enhanced Siri rollout, it's a tidy sum indeed.
Of course, the reason Apple benefits from the popularity of AI apps built by other companies is that the iPhone remains the smartphone market leader. Most AI apps still have to go through its App Store, where Apple takes a commission of up to 30 percent on subscriptions. As the report notes:
"Its Siri chatbot is still weak by modern AI standards. What Apple does have that the other AI players don't is a dominant position making devices. However fancy OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and xAI make their chatbots, iPhones are still a primary way to deliver them to consumers."
The revenue stands in contrast to Apple's relatively modest AI spending compared to rivals like Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, all of whom have poured tens of billions into AI infrastructure, with little to no profit yet to show for it. Meanwhile, Apple's capital expenditures have remained comparatively flat, thanks to its prioritization of investment in on-device AI over large data centers filled with GPU processors.
The strategy won't enable a more capable Siri, but Apple appears to be happy to lean on Google to provide the necessary AI infrastructure for that. The two companies announced in January that Gemini will power a revamped version of Apple's virtual assistant, coming later this year. The financial terms of the partnership haven't been disclosed, but Bloomberg reported last year that the deal would be around $1 billion annually. That will give Apple access to a 1.2 trillion parameter model that dwarfs its in-house capabilities.
Perhaps the deeper irony is that Google already pays Apple around $20 billion per year to remain the default search engine on iPhones, so now money is flowing in the other direction too, albeit at a drastically lower rate.
Still, some investors see the App Store approach as a more viable long-term strategy. Charles Rinehart, chief investment officer of Johnson Asset Management, told WSJ that if Apple "can act as a toll road for providers of AI, then they'll probably end up looking good long-term."
Apple's CEO Tim Cook today said the Mac just had its "best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers," which suggests that the new MacBook Neo has been a hit with customers buying their first laptops or switching from Windows.
Apple released the MacBook Neo last Wednesday, March 11. In the U.S., pricing starts at just $599 for the general public and an even lower $499 for college students. The laptop is powered by a version of the iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip, and it is available in colorful finishes like Citrus, Blush, and Indigo, alongside traditional Silver.
Apple also released MacBook Air models with the M5 chip and MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips last week, so it was a big week for new Macs, but the affordable MacBook Neo is likely driving the record number of first-time Mac buyers.
If you want a MacBook Neo, you may have to wait. In the U.S., MacBook Neo orders placed through Apple's online store today are estimated to be delivered between April 6 and April 13. However, it may be possible to find a MacBook Neo sooner at one of Apple's retail stores, or through authorized resellers such as Amazon and Walmart.
Mac just had its best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers. We love seeing the enthusiasm!
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 20, 2026
Perplexity suggests that the feature is useful for aggregating health data from across different portals, apps, and devices. It is able to track metrics and trends over time across biomarkers, with information shown on a personalized dashboard.
When asked a health-related question, Perplexity Health can answer based on medical records, lab results, and wearable data. With Perplexity Computer (Perplexity's AI agent tool), AI agents can use health information to build personalized fitness plans, nutrition plans, and more. Perplexity Health on Computer is rolling out to Pro and Max users in the U.S. first.
Perplexity says that Perplexity Health draws from "premium medical literature" like clinical guidelines and peer-reviewed journals. Perplexity has established a Perplexity Health Advisory Board with physicians, researchers, and health tech experts who will "pressure-test" product decisions, content quality, and clinical safeguards against evidence-based medicine standards.
Perplexity Health is able to connect to Apple Health, so it can integrate data collected by the Apple Watch and added to the Apple Health app. It also supports Fitbit, Ultrahuman, and Withings, along with electronic health records from more than 1.7 million care providers. Oura and Function integrations are coming soon. Health data is encrypted, and Perplexity says there are strict access controls and tools to manage or delete information at any time. Health information is not used to train AI models or sold to third parties.
Perplexity is the second AI company to integrate with Apple Health. OpenAI introduced a ChatGPT Health feature with Apple Health support in early 2026.
Luxury brand Hermès has a new series of MagSafe-compatible chargers for the iPhone and Apple Watch, with prices that are higher than the cost of an iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The $1,250 Paddock Solo Charger is a magnetic charger that works with a single device, while the $1,750 Paddock Duo can charge an Apple Watch and iPhone at the same time. The $1,750 Paddock Yoyo is also a dual charger, but it has a USB-C cable that wraps around the charger for travel purposes.
Hermès also has bundles that pair the chargers with a Grand Paddock or Petit Paddock case, with prices ranging from $3,725 to $5,150.
Each of the charging products has an H logo over the magnetic charging spot for alignment purposes, and they've been "meticulously encased in Swift calfskin" with saddle stitching.
While these chargers cost thousands of dollars, Hermès took a cue from Apple and did not bundle them with a power adapter. Each charger requires a 20W or higher power adapter, but the company does throw in a free 3.3-foot USB-C cable. Apple stopped offering power adapters starting in 2020.
Hermès is a longtime Apple partner, and has designed Apple Watch bands to be sold with the Hermès-branded Apple Watch models since 2015.
Apple sells Hermès Apple Watch models and bands, but it is not offering the new Hermès chargers.
Apple's current blood oxygen sensing implementation in the U.S. does not infringe on patents owned by Masimo and Apple will not face a revived import ban, a U.S. International Trade Commission judge said this week (via Reuters).
After Apple was found to have violated Masimo's patents related to blood oxygen sensing, the Apple Watch faced a U.S. import ban that caused Apple to briefly pause sales of the device in December 2023 before Apple earned a temporary stay. Apple disabled blood oxygen sensing in January 2024, and was able to resume selling the Apple Watch without the functionality.
In August 2025, Apple found a workaround and was able to bring blood oxygen sensing back to U.S. Apple Watch owners. Data is collected by the blood oxygen sensor on the Apple Watch, but it is processed on a paired iPhone rather than the watch itself, and the resulting information can only be viewed on the iPhone. Apple said the updated process did not violate the ITC ban, or infringe on Masimo's patents, and it was cleared by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Masimo did not agree with the decision and it quickly filed a lawsuit against CBP, accusing the agency of acting unlawfully and exceeding its authority. Masimo also pushed the ITC to look into whether Apple's solution violated the original import ban.
The ITC ended up siding with Apple, and said that Apple's workaround does not violate Masimo patents. Since today's decision is preliminary, the full commission will need to affirm the ruling.
Though Apple scored a win with the ITC, Masimo came out ahead in a separate appeals ruling today. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the original 2023 ITC decision that led to the Apple Watch import ban. The appeals court said that the Apple Watch did indeed infringe on Masimo's patents, and it declined to overturn the ban.
Apple said that it would continue to investigate "all avenues for further review" in light of the appeals court decision.
In November 2025, Apple also lost the patent infringement lawsuit that Masimo filed against it. A federal jury awarded Masimo $634 million, which Apple is appealing.
Google is developing a native Gemini app for the Mac, reports Bloomberg. Right now, Mac users who want to use Google's Gemini AI have to use a web browser, but that will change with a dedicated Mac app.
Google competitors like Anthropic and OpenAI have dedicated Mac apps for their chatbots, potentially making Claude and ChatGPT more convenient to use than Gemini.
Google shared an early version of the Gemini app with beta testers this week to get feedback, but it's not clear when it might launch. Google has not provided release date information for the Gemini Mac app, and testers were told that the app only has "critical features," suggesting there's more to come before release. The app apparently looks similar to the Gemini apps designed for iPhone and iPad.
The app is able to search the web, analyze uploaded documents, and maintain a conversation history. Google is asking users to test content generation tools for images, tables and charts, video, music, and more, plus provide feedback on mathematical questions and information analysis.
Gemini for Mac will be able to integrate with other Mac apps through a Desktop Intelligence feature, mirroring functionality available with tools like Claude Cowork. Gemini will be able to read the Mac's display, using the content to personalize Gemini and allow the AI to complete tasks.
Bloomberg says the Mac Gemini app includes wording about how Desktop Intelligence works. "When you enable apps for Desktop Intelligence you are enabling Gemini to see what you see (such as screen context) and pull content directly from these apps to improve and personalize your experience only when Gemini is in use," reads app code.
With iOS 27 and macOS 27, Apple plans to introduce its own Siri chatbot that will rival Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT. Apple has partnered with Google, and the Siri chatbot will use an AI model developed by Google.
In a research note for investment bank Barclays earlier this month, Apple analyst Tim Long said his supply chain sources mentioned the possibility of the iPhone 18 base model being announced in March next year, rather than in September this year. This split launch has been widely rumored by multiplesources in recent months.
More interestingly, Long dropped two unique pieces of information.
First, he said shipments of the rumored foldable iPhone will likely begin in December this year, a few months after the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max launch in the usual September timeframe. A similar situation occurred in 2017, with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus launching in September, and the iPhone X launching in November.
Second, Long said that Apple plans to release two other devices alongside the iPhone 18 base model in March next year, including a lower-end iPhone 18e and either an iPhone 18 Plus or an iPhone Air 2. Long mentioning the possibility of an iPhone 18 Plus is notable, as we have not heard any other rumors about such a device.
It is unclear if Long mentioning the possibility of an iPhone 18 Plus is simply spitballing, or if it is information that he received from his supply chain contacts. There have been multiple reports about a revamped iPhone Air being in the works for next year, so an iPhone 18 Plus seems quite unlikely for now, but we shall see what happens.
Apple offered an iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 15 Plus, and an iPhone 16 Plus, but it opted to release the iPhone Air instead of an iPhone 17 Plus last year.
Apple does not break down its iPhone sales on a model-by-model basis, but various reports and research firms have indicated that both the Plus and Air have been unpopular relative to other iPhone models over the years. The return of a Plus model does not seem entirely out of the realm of possibility, if the Air has sold even worse than the Plus, and there is still a chance that the Air model was a one-off release. But, if an iPhone 18 Plus was truly coming next March, we probably would have heard more rumors about it by now.
This is the first time we have heard these claims, so treat them with some skepticism for now.
Apple today urged iPhone users who are running iOS 13 or iOS 14 to upgrade to iOS 15 to protect themselves from being hacked through malicious web content.
In a support document, Apple highlights recent reports about hacking tools that are effective against older versions of iOS. Hackers are using iOS exploit kits known as "Coruna" and "DarkSword," which can take advantage of vulnerabilities in iOS 13 through iOS 17.2.1.
"If your iPhone doesn't have the latest software, update iOS to protect your data," Apple says.
Apple has patched the vulnerabilities as they have come to light over the last several months, so users who have already upgraded to the newest version of iOS available for their iPhone are protected from the malicious websites and links that are circulating right now. Users running updated versions of iOS 15 through iOS 26 are safe.
Apple released new iOS 15 and iOS 16 updates on March 11 to address the security issue, and Apple says that devices still on iOS 13 or iOS 14 need to upgrade to iOS 15 for protection from the hacking tool. iPhone users running an outdated version of iOS will get an additional alert to install a Critical Security Update in the next few days.
All iPhones with iOS 13 or iOS 14 can be upgraded to iOS 15, and there are no iPhones that have those two older updates as a final software version.
Apple also protects users via the Apple Safe Browsing feature in Safari, which is turned on by default. It blocks the malicious URL domains that have been identified in the attacks.
Users who are unable to update their devices can alternatively turn on Lockdown Mode, which will offer protection from the attacks on out-of-date software. Lockdown Mode is available in iOS 16 or later, and it works by blocking hacking vectors like images in Messages and malicious websites.
Lockdown Mode is designed for people who are at risk of a state sponsored attack, and it is not for the everyday iOS user. There is no evidence so far that the hacking tools have been used to target people in the U.S., but they have been used in Ukraine, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Malaysia, and they are effective against anyone running an out-of-date older version of iOS.
Vivaldi this week released version 7.9 of its desktop browser, which includes a new UI Auto-hide feature that clears the entire browser interface from view while you read, watch, or work.
When enabled, UI Auto-hide removes the tab bar, address bar, toolbars, and status indicators from the screen entirely, and moving the cursor to any edge of the window brings everything back instantly.
The feature can be configured to hide only specific elements like the tab bar, the address bar, or the full set of chrome all at once. UI Auto-hide can be toggled via the keyboard shortcut Command-F10, or through a new icon in the status bar. All available options live under Settings ➝ Appearance ➝ UI Auto-hide.
This update also introduces Follower Tab, which is designed to let users explore links without losing their place on the current page.
Right-clicking a link gives you the option to open it as a tiled Follower Tab, which loads the linked page side by side with the original. Subsequent links clicked in the original tab continue opening in the follower pane, while the source page stays pinned in place.
Vivaldi's built-in email client also gains several improvements in the v7.9. The mail composer can now be popped out into its own independent window, making it easier to draft messages alongside the inbox or on a second monitor.
Meanwhile, a new toggle lets you switch between rich text and plain text within the composer. Vivaldi says memory usage in the mail list has also been reduced, which should help performance on larger inboxes. Mailing list reply routing has apparently been improved as well, and users can now save selected messages directly to disk.
Vivaldi 7.9 is a free download for Mac, Windows, and Linux from the Vivaldi website. As with previous versions, the browser ships with built-in ad and tracker blocking, extensive tab management tools, and support for Chrome extensions.
Apple kicked off its 50th anniversary celebrations with a surprise Alicia Keys performance at its Grand Central store in New York last week, and it has since hosted similar events in China and South Korea. Next up, we have discovered that Apple is planning to host additional celebrations in Canada, France, and Thailand.
On its Canadian website, Apple says it will be hosting a talk with professional figure skater Elladj Baldé, as part of its free Today at Apple program. The session will take place at Apple's Pacific Centre store in Vancouver on Thursday, March 26.
"Join us to celebrate 50 years of thinking different at Apple with professional figure skater Elladj Baldé," says Apple. "Discover how he uses ice as a catalyst for creativity and change — inspiring a new generation of athletes to be fearlessly authentic."
Alicia Keys performs at Apple Grand Central in New York
On his Instagram page, Baldé can be seen skating on a frozen lake in Canada's Banff National Park. He recorded a video of himself with the iPhone 17 Pro's Dual Capture mode, which captures footage from the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
In France, there will be four Today at Apple sessions tied to the company's 50th anniversary at Apple's Champs-Élysées store in Paris. Two of the sessions take place on Wednesday, March 25, and another two follow on Thursday, March 26.
South Korean boy band CORTIS performs at Apple Myeongdong in Seoul
The sessions will feature DJ and producer Myd, graphic designer So Me, fictional radio station SOPORI FM, and musician and producer Boombass.
In Thailand, there will be a Today at Apple session at Apple's Iconsiam store in Bangkok, on Saturday, March 21. The session is already full.
Li Yuchun performs at Apple Taikoo Li in Chengdu, China
"Discover your creative power and celebrate '50 Years of Thinking Different' with Apple in a session where Molly, the artist behind Crybaby, will guide you in thinking differently to express yourself through art," says Apple. "She'll share her inspirations and work techniques, showing you how to transform emotions into dreamy characters and then create unique stickers using Procreate on iPad and Apple Pencil."
Alicia Keys performs at Apple Grand Central in New York
South Korean boy band CORTIS performs at Apple Myeongdong in Seoul
Li Yuchun performs at Apple Taikoo Li in Chengdu, China
