Across Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Apple unveiled seven new products, including low-cost iPhone and MacBook options, new displays, and refreshes for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iPad Air.


We've rounded up all of our coverage from this week in case you missed any of the product announcements or details.

MacBook Neo

• Apple Announces $599 'MacBook Neo' With A18 Pro Chip


• Hello, MacBook Neo: Apple Showcases All-New $599 MacBook in Videos


• Want Touch ID on the MacBook Neo? It'll Cost You $100 Extra


• MacBook Neo Features Two Different USB-C Ports


• MacBook Neo Starts at Just $499 for Students


• MacBook Neo Has Just 8GB RAM With No Upgrade Option


• MacBook Neo Can Only Drive One External Display at 4K 60Hz


• MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air Buyer's Guide: 40 Differences Compared


• Hands-On With the New MacBook Neo


• 20+ MacBook Neo Compromises: What You Give Up for Apple’s Cheapest Mac

iPhone 17e

• Apple Announces iPhone 17e With A19 Chip, MagSafe, and More


• iPhone 17e Comes in These Three Colors


• iPhone 17e Now Features 256GB Base Storage


• iPhone 17e Solves iPhone 16e's Biggest Limitation


• iPhone 17e: Smaller Details You Might Have Missed


• Get an iPhone 17e at No Cost With First Pre-Order Deals From T-Mobile and Verizon

iPad Air

• Apple Unveils iPad Air With M4 Chip, Increased RAM, Wi-Fi 7, and More


• First M4 iPad Air Benchmarks Surface

Studio Display

• Apple Introduces All-New Studio Display XDR: 120Hz, Mini-LED, and More


• Apple Updates Studio Display With Thunderbolt 5 and More


• Apple Discontinues Pro Display XDR and $999 Stand


• These Macs Can't Run the Studio Display XDR at 120Hz


• New Apple Studio Display and Studio Display XDR Don't Support Intel Macs


• Apple's New Studio Display Boxes Designed to Fit in Your Recycle Bin


• New Studio Display and Studio Display XDR Will Have Day One Firmware Update


• Apple’s Two New Studio Display Models Feature Different Chips

MacBook Pro

• Apple Unveils MacBook Pro Featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips With New Fusion Architecture


• Apple Debuts M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips


• Apple Removes 512GB Storage Option From M5 MacBook Pro, Drops SSD Upgrade Prices

MacBook Air

• Apple Announces MacBook Air With M5 Chip and 512GB Base Storage


• New M5 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Get First Pre-Order Offers From Best Buy

Accessories

• Apple Releases iPhone Cases, Apple Watch Bands, and Crossbody Strap in New Colors

Other News

• Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More


• Apple Opens Pre-Orders for MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro, New Studio Displays and More

More Coverage

Apple CEO Tim Cook shared a wrap-up post on social media, and with pre-orders now live for all of the new products, we're not expecting any additional announcements this week.

Everything Apple announced this week will be launching on Wednesday, March 11, and we'll have more in-depth coverage and reviews of what's new.
This article, "Apple's Biggest Week of 2026: Details on Every New Product Announced" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The new MacBook Neo is Apple's most affordable Mac notebook, and at $599, it's priced the same as the iPhone 17e. For teachers and college students, it's even more affordable at $499.


To offer a Mac at such a low price, Apple had to make some compromises, and there are some features that the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is lacking compared to the next most expensive Mac notebook, the MacBook Air.

Processor

• A18 Pro Chip - Apple is using an A-series chip instead of an M-series chip in the Neo. It has the A18 Pro chip that Apple debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro, but it is a binned version. It has a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, while the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro chip had a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU.


• RAM - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has 8GB RAM with no option to pay for more. All other Macs start with 16GB. It still supports Apple Intelligence, because 8GB is the minimum for it.


• Memory bandwidth - Apple's chips use unified memory that's available to the CPU and GPU. Memory bandwidth in the Neo is 60GB/s, less than half that of the ‌MacBook Air‌.


• Storage - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ starts with 256GB of storage, and there's only a single 512GB upgrade. Other Macs support much higher capacity SSDs.


• Wi-Fi - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has Wi-Fi 6E, but not Wi-Fi 7 because Apple did not include its new N1 networking chip.

Battery and Charging

• Battery capacity - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is almost the same size as the ‌MacBook Air‌, but it has a shorter battery life. It lasts for up to 16 hours when streaming video, while the ‌MacBook Air‌ lasts for up to 18 hours. The battery has a 36.5-watt-hour capacity, while the ‌MacBook Air‌ has a 53.8-watt-hour battery.


• Battery size - Since the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is thicker than the ‌MacBook Air‌, it has even more room for a battery, but Apple didn't max out on battery life, which is likely a cost cutting measure. Apple is using older battery technology or a smaller battery. Battery life should theoretically be even longer because the A18 Pro chip doesn't draw as much power as the M5.


• No MagSafe - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is limited to USB-C charging, and it does not include a MagSafe port.


• No fast charging - Apple ships the ‌MacBook Neo‌ with a 20W power adapter, and there is no mention of fast charging support.

Ports

• USB-C - There are two USB-C ports, one that's USB 3 and one that's USB 2. The USB3 port supports DisplayPort 1.4 and up to 10Gb/s transfer speeds, but the USB 2 port is limited to 480Mb/s.


• Display support - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ only supports a single external display at 4K 60Hz, though it may be possible to connect another with a third-party DisplayPort adapter.


• No Thunderbolt - There are no Thunderbolt ports on the ‌MacBook Neo‌ because Thunderbolt is not supported.


• No Studio Display - Since the Neo does not have Thunderbolt and is limited to 4K displays, it is not compatible with the Studio Display.

Design

• Display size - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has a 13-inch display size, so it is Apple's smallest Mac notebook. The ‌MacBook Air‌ has a 13.6-inch display.


• Bezels - There is no notch on the Neo, but it does have thick iPad-style bezels at the top, bottom, and sides of the display. The bezel hides the FaceTime camera.


• Thickness - The Neo is just a little smaller than the ‌MacBook Air‌ when it comes to length and width, but it is thicker at 0.50 inches (vs 0.44 inches for the ‌MacBook Air‌).

Display

• No True Tone - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ does not support True Tone, which is the white balance feature that adjusts the temperature of the display to match the ambient lighting in the room, making it easier on the eyes.


• No P3 Wide color - sRGB is supported, but P3 Wide color is not, so the ‌MacBook Neo‌ won't have colors that are as true to life as other Mac notebooks.


• No ProMotion - Unsurprisingly, the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and it does not support ProMotion.

Trackpad and Keyboard

• Backlighting - There is no backlight for the keyboard.


• Touch ID - Touch ID is not included with the base 256GB model, but you can get it by paying an extra $100 for the 512GB model.


• Trackpad - There isn't a Force Touch trackpad, with Apple instead adopting a less complicated physical Multi-Touch trackpad. The button on the trackpad is an actual button, rather than a virtual button with haptic feedback. There is no pressure-sensing feature, Force clicks, or pressure-sensitive drawing option.

Speakers and Camera

• FaceTime Camera - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has a 1080p ‌FaceTime‌ HD camera like older Macs rather than the newer 12-megapixel Center Stage camera Apple has been adding to its newer models. There is no Center Stage or Desk View.


• Camera light - There's no little light to alert you when the ‌MacBook Neo‌ camera is on, with Apple instead displaying a warning on the menu bar.


• Speakers - The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has a dual-speaker sound system with speakers that are on the outer sides of the device. The ‌MacBook Air‌ has a four-speaker sound system with richer sound, but both the Neo and the Air support spatial audio.


• Microphones - There are only two microphones, but Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum are still supported for better clarity for calls.


• Headphone jack - There's a 3.5mm headphone jack, but it does not have support for high-impedance headphones.

MacBook Neo Pros

Even though the ‌MacBook Neo‌ has a simplified feature set compared to other Mac models, the price can't be beat. $599 for a Mac is an incredible deal, and the A18 Pro chip is more than adequate for daily use and the type of work that students do.

It's not the best choice for 3D rendering, running local AI models, video editing, or similar creative tasks, but it will do those things at a basic level. It's an ideal MacBook for anyone who doesn't need more than a machine for web browsing and other light work, and it will do everything an iPhone can do. These days, that's quite a bit.

For more on the differences between the ‌MacBook Neo‌ and the ‌MacBook Air‌, we have a dedicated comparison guide.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is available for pre-order now, and it is set to launch on Wednesday, March 11.
This article, "20+ MacBook Neo Compromises: What You Give Up for Apple's Cheapest Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released iOS 18.7.6 for older devices, addressing an issue that caused some older iPhones in Australia to be unable to connect to emergency services.


According to Apple's release notes, the update fixes an issue that was preventing the iPhone XS and ‌iPhone‌ XR from properly connecting to emergency networks in Australia.

• This update addresses a mobile network issue for ‌iPhone‌ XS models and ‌iPhone‌ XR when establishing a connection to emergency services in Australia.

Australian mobile network operators have been improving support for emergency calling on their networks, which has led to a host of problems with older iPhones connecting to emergency situations in some situations. Apple has released several updates to address the problem, including iOS 16.7.4 and iOS 26.2.1.

Some of Apple's updates exacerbated the issue, and Apple ended up temporarily pulling iOS 18.7.4, iOS 16.7.13, iOS 15.8.6, and iOS 12.5.8 back in December. Since then, additional updates have been released to further fix the emergency calling bugs, including the new iOS 18.7.6. update.
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Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.3.1, a minor update to the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ operating system that came out last September. ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.3.1 comes three weeks after Apple launched macOS Tahoe 26.3.


Mac users can download the new software by opening up the System Settings app and navigating to the Software Update section.

According to Apple's release notes for the update, it adds support for the new Studio Display and ‌Studio Display‌ XDR. Apple has also released a firmware update for the new displays.

The new monitors are available for pre-order and will launch on Wednesday, March 11.
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Apple today released a new firmware update for the Studio Display and ‌Studio Display‌ XDR, two products that aren't set to launch until March 11.


The ‌Studio Display‌ Firmware 26.3 update is only for the new ‌Studio Display‌ options, and it is not available on the older model.

‌Studio Display‌ firmware can be updated by connecting the display to a Mac and going to System Settings > Software Update.

Pre-orders are available for the ‌Studio Display‌ and ‌Studio Display‌ XDR as of today. Prices start at $1,599.
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Apple today provided public beta testers with the third release of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.4 update for testing purposes. The public beta comes a week after Apple seeded the second beta.


After signing up for beta testing on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section in the settings app for each update.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 includes several new features. The Compact tab layout has been reimplemented in Safari for those who missed having the option in earlier versions of ‌macOS Tahoe‌, and there is a new Charge Limit feature that lets Mac users select a maximum charge level that ranges from 80 percent to 100 percent.

Apple silicon Mac users will see now see warnings about apps that are still using Rosetta 2, because Apple is phasing out Rosetta after macOS 27. ‌macOS Tahoe‌ is also the final version of macOS that will run on Intel-based Macs, and Apple is working to remove all lingering Intel features.

We could see additional features in upcoming versions of ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4, such as new emoji characters. Apple is expected to test the update for the next several weeks, with a launch planned for the spring.
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Apple today released iOS 26.3.1 and iPadOS 26.3.1, minor updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems. The software comes three weeks after Apple released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3.


The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

According to Apple's release notes, the update adds support for the new Studio Display and ‌Studio Display‌ XDR, and it includes unspecified bug fixes.

Apple is also beta testing iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, major updates that are set to come out this spring.
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Apple's new low-cost MacBook Neo is equipped with the A18 Pro chip that Apple first used in the iPhone 16 Pro, and it's the first Mac that has an A-series chip.


Using an iPhone chip in a Mac comes with some downsides, like external display support. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ supports a single external display with a 4K resolution and 60Hz refresh rate.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ will not work with the new Studio Display and ‌Studio Display‌ XDR that Apple announced yesterday because both of those are 5K displays, but it will work with affordable USB-C 4K display options from companies like LG, Dell, and Samsung.

There are two USB-C ports in the ‌MacBook Neo‌, but only one supports DisplayPort 1.4 for an external display. An external monitor will need to be plugged into the appropriate port, which is the USB 3 port closest to the rear of the device. There is no Thunderbolt support, which is what other Macs use for multiple displays, and how the ‌Studio Display‌ options connect.

Adding a second display might be possible using a third-party DisplayLink adapter, as has been the case with other Macs with display limitations, but this has not been tested yet.

While there's official support for just one external display, the ‌MacBook Neo‌ can at least drive the extra display and its own built-in display at full native resolution. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has a 13-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2408 x 1506 at 219 pixels per inch.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is priced starting at $599, and it is available for pre-order today from Apple's website. The new Mac will launch on March 11.
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Apple introduced an all-new affordable Mac today, the MacBook Neo. Members of the media were invited to try the new device and other Apple products at events in New York, Shanghai, and London, and MacRumors' videographer Dan Barbera was in attendance. Dan was able to see the ‌MacBook Neo‌ in person, as well as other devices like the new Studio Display XDR.


The ‌MacBook Neo‌ looks and feels a lot like the MacBook Air, because it's almost the same size and has an aluminum chassis. It's thicker than the ‌MacBook Air‌, but it has a 13-inch display, and it also weighs 2.7 pounds.

Apple designed the ‌MacBook Neo‌ from the ground up, and it comes in some fun colors like Silver, Indigo, Blush, and Citrus. Each of the notebooks has a color matched keyboard and trackpad, but the keyboard has no backlighting and the trackpad isn't the higher-end Force Touch trackpad Apple uses in its other Macs. It's a physical trackpad with an actual click rather than haptic feedback for presses.

There is no notch, with Apple instead adopting an iPad-style design with thicker bezels that house the front-facing camera. Speakers are located on the exterior sides of the device, which is new, and Spatial Audio is supported. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has a bit of a cheaper feel compared to the ‌MacBook Air‌ or MacBook Pro because of the thicker bezels and the changes to the trackpad, but it is still an excellent machine for the price.

Apple used the A18 Pro chip in the ‌MacBook Neo‌, which is technically an iPhone chip. It was first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro, and while it's a powerful chip, it doesn't match the performance of Apple's newer M-series chips. There's only 8GB RAM included, and 60GB/s memory bandwidth, half that of the ‌MacBook Air‌.

Apple says the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is up to 50 percent faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with an Intel Core Ultra 5 chip, which is an apt comparison because this is aimed at people who might instead buy a lower-cost Windows laptop or Chromebook. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is up to two times faster at photo editing, and three times faster when it comes to on-device AI workloads, according to Apple.

You get a Retina quality display, but only 500 nits brightness and no add-on features like True Tone or P3 Wide color. There are two USB-C ports, but only one is USB3 with DisplayPort 1.4 support. You can connect a single 4K 60Hz display to the ‌MacBook Neo‌.

Battery life is a little low for a device the size of a ‌MacBook Air‌ with an A-series chip, and it lasts for up to 16 hours. Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 6E are supported, so it is compatible with 6GHz networks.

We'll have more in-depth hands-on coverage of the ‌MacBook Neo‌ and Apple's other new products next week.
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Apple made some compromises to sell a Mac notebook at $599, including cutting back on RAM. While all other Macs start at 16GB RAM, the MacBook Neo is equipped with 8GB RAM and no option to upgrade to more memory.


With the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro models and 8GB RAM, the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is able to run all Apple Intelligence features, but as AI gets more advanced and Apple adds new capabilities, there's a chance it could fall behind.

8GB RAM ensures the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is affordable, especially with the current memory shortages that are causing prices to soar. It's also the RAM in the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro.

Apple's MacBook Air used to have an 8GB option, but in October 2024, Apple updated it to add 16GB RAM to the entry level machine. Since then, no Mac has shipped with less than 16GB.

Though it only has 8GB RAM, the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is a powerful machine for everyday tasks like writing, web browsing, and schoolwork, and it's more than capable of light photo and video editing.

Pricing on the ‌MacBook Neo‌ starts at $599, and it is available for pre-order.
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Anthropic is aiming to lure customers from ChatGPT and Gemini with a new memory import tool that's available to free users as of today. Conversations and memories from other AI providers can be imported into Claude, so new users will not need to start from scratch.


Users can import preferences and context from an AI service like ChatGPT using a prompt that Anthropic prepared for other chatbots. The prompt instructs the AI to prepare a list of memories and context from past conversations, with formatting that's easily digestible by Claude.

I'm moving to another service and need to export my data. List every memory you have stored about me, as well as any context you've learned about me from past conversations. Output everything in a single code block so I can easily copy it.

Claude has an input box for the exported data, and the information is added to Claude's memory. Claude has supported memory for paid plans since October 2025, but there was no option for free users to take advantage of the feature. With a memory feature now available for switching, users will not need to sign up for a paid plan to move their AI instructions and preferences to Claude. Anthropic says that memory will remain an option on the free plan.

Enabling memory and then importing information into Claude can be done through the Memory section of Claude's settings.

Last month, Anthropic took advantage of ChatGPT's decision to start displaying ads for free users, promising to keep Claude ad-free. Anthropic then added new features for free users, including options for compaction, creating files, using connectors, and accessing skills. Along with memory, those options were previously limited to paid subscribers.

As of now, Claude is the top free iOS app in the App Store, a spot normally held by ChatGPT. Anthropic has been in the news over the last week for its inability to reach an agreement with the U.S. government over AI use, and the subsequent supply chain risk designation it received.
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Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple provided the second beta to developers.


Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update.

iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 add multiple new features to the ‌iPhone‌ and the ‌iPad‌, but the first beta contained no sign of new Siri capabilities.

A Playlist Playground feature in Apple Music lets you generate songs for any idea, mood, emotion, or activity using a text-based prompt. There's also a Concerts Near You feature for finding local shows, and a redesigned look for albums and playlists with full-page artwork.

Apple Podcasts is getting native video podcasting capabilities that will make it easier to create, distribute, and monetize video podcast content through the Podcasts app. Video episodes will integrate with existing Apple podcasts features, like personalized recommendations and editorial suggestions.

Apple is testing end-to-end encryption for RCS, which will eventually bring full encryption to text conversations between Android and ‌iPhone‌ users. Apple is testing ‌RCS‌ with iPhone-to-iPhone conversations and iPhone-to-Android conversations.

The first two betas didn't include new emojis, but we saw signs of them in the code so we might get them in the third beta. The new update is also expected to new emoji characters will include trombone, treasure chest, orca, landslide, and Bigfoot.

Stolen Device Protection is enabled by default, there's a new ambient music widget, new average bedtime metrics in the sleep app, and plenty more. All of the features in iOS 26.4 can be found in our iOS 26.4 beta features guide.
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Apple today provided developers with the third betas of upcoming watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4 betas for testing purposes. The software comes a week after Apple released the second betas.


The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required.

watchOS 26.4 adds a new Average Bedtime metric to the sleep features that sync to the health app, so you can better keep an eye on how bedtime impacts overall sleep quality.

tvOS 26.4 eliminates the iTunes Movies and iTunes TV Shows apps on the Apple TV. These apps haven't worked for some time and have directed users to the ‌Apple TV‌ app for purchases, but Apple is finally phasing them out entirely. Apple also added a Continuous Audio Connection option for HDMI output.

visionOS 26.4 includes support for foveated streaming for apps and games. Foveated streaming allows video to be streamed to the precise area where a user is looking, and peripheral areas are compressed. It allows for higher visual quality and lower latency.

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Some customers are having problems with the App Store, Mac App Store, and iTunes Store, according to Apple's System Status page.


The three services have been experiencing issues since 7:22 p.m. Eastern Time. Not all users are affected, but if you've been having trouble accessing or downloading apps, the outage is the reason why.

We'll update this article when the problems have been resolved.
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Apple is working on a new MacBook Pro that could launch next week ahead of the "Special Experience" planned for March 4, so we thought we'd highlight all of the rumors about the device so far.

Design

There are no rumors of design changes, and we are expecting the upcoming M5 ‌MacBook Pro‌ models to look just like the M4 versions. Apple will continue to offer 14-inch and 16-inch size options, both of which should come in M5 Pro and M5 Max varieties.

M5 Max and M5 Pro Chip

We already got the base model 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with the new M5 chip in October, so what we're expecting are upgraded 14-inch and 16-inch models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.

The M5 family is built on a more advanced N3P 3-nanometer process from TSMC, and it offers speed and efficiency improvements. The M5 chip is up to 20 percent faster in multi-core CPU performance than the M4 chip, and we could see similar improvements for the M5 Pro and M5 Max chip options. GPU performance is up to 30 percent faster.

With the M5, Apple added a Neural Accelerator to each GPU core, improving the speeds of GPU-based AI workloads. The chip also supports third-generation ray-tracing, second-generation dynamic caching, and enhanced shader cores.

The 16-core Neural Engine is more energy efficient than before, and unified memory bandwidth has improved significantly. These are all features that we're likely to see with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as well.

Other Possible Updates

We haven't heard rumors about any other features coming to the ‌MacBook Pro‌ line. Apple did update SSD speeds for the M5 ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, so we could see the same upgrade to the M5 Pro and M5 Max machines.

Why You Shouldn't Buy an M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro

If you're not in serious need of a new ‌MacBook Pro‌ right away, early 2026 is a bad time to upgrade. The next-generation ‌MacBook Pro‌ after the early 2026 models is expected to feature an OLED display and touchscreen capabilities, both of which will mark a major upgrade in display quality. It's expected to include a Dynamic Island instead of a notch, and macOS will be optimized for touch interactions.

Most people shelling out extra money for a ‌MacBook Pro‌ with a higher-end M5 Pro or M5 Max chip need the extra performance or display quality, so it is worth waiting for the huge update that's coming.

The transition to OLED will also likely bring a design update along with M6 Pro and M6 Max chip technology, which is another reason to wait.

Of course, the new features could be limited to higher-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ models or could be significantly more expensive. If you're on a budget, need a Mac now, or don't care about OLED, the M5 Pro and Max models could still be worth considering.

Launch Date

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models could be announced via press release next week ahead of Apple's Special Experience.
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Samsung today announced its newest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra. Samsung's latest devices are focused on AI, and Samsung says they have the most "intuitive, proactive, and adaptive Galaxy AI features" to date.


The 6.3-inch Galaxy S26 is Samsung's smallest and most affordable smartphone, followed by the 6.7-inch Galaxy S26+. The 6.9-inch Galaxy S26 Ultra is the high-end model. All three devices feature OLED displays, but only the Ultra works with the S Pen stylus.


New to the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a built-in "Privacy Display" that makes it harder to view what's on the screen when looking at the phone from a side angle. It's clear when looking at it head on, but someone sitting next to you will have a hard time seeing your phone's display. Privacy Display works at the pixel level, controlling how pixels disperse light. It can be set to activate only for certain apps or situations like entering a PIN, and there are partial and maximum privacy options.


Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra has the best camera lineup, featuring a 200-megapixel wide lens, a 50-megapixel ultra wide lens, and two telephoto lenses. The 10-megapixel telephoto lens has 3x optical zoom, while the 50-megapixel telephoto lens features 5x optical zoom and 10x "optical quality" zoom.

There's a new Nightography feature for clearer video in low lighting conditions, and several AI photo features. Photo Assist lets users describe the change they want to make to a photo, from restoring missing elements to removing objects. It can also change a photo from day to night, or change a person's outfit.

Creative Studio uses sketches, photos, or prompts to create and edit AI-generated visuals like stickers, wallpapers, and invitations.


The smartphones use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, which Samsung says is 19 percent faster than the prior-generation CPU in the Ultra. The GPU is 24 percent faster, and there's a 39 percent improvement in neural processing. The Ultra model also includes an updated vapor chamber with thermal material at the sides of the processor to better dissipate heat. Samsung says the processor also includes a "ProScaler" feature that improves image scaling for photos and videos.

Most models feature 12GB RAM, though the 1TB Ultra model has 16GB. Samsung added faster charging, and the device is able to charge to 75 percent in 30 minutes. Wireless charging at up to 25W is supported.


Along with the previously mentioned photo editing AI features, there are several other AI additions.

• Now Nudge - Now Nudge offers suggestions to help users avoid distractions. If someone asks for photos from a recent event, the Galaxy S26 can automatically suggest them so there's no need to switch apps and search for them.


• Now Brief - Samsung's daily AI-powered briefing is more proactive and more personalized, and it is able to surface reminders for important events based on personal context.


• Circle to Search - Circle to Search supports improved multi-object recognition so it can identify and locate multiple items in an image.


• Call Screening - Call screening detects unknown callers and asks them why they called, summarizing the information.


• Privacy Alerts - Machine learning notifies users when apps with device admin privileges unnecessarily try to access sensitive data.


• Private Album - With private album, users can hide select photos and videos without creating a separate folder or signing into a Samsung account.


• Bixby - Bixby serves as a conversational device agent that can adjust settings or help users with troubleshooting.


• Other chatbots - Galaxy users can choose other chatbots like Gemini and Perplexity, which can be activated with a button press or voice prompt.


• Background processing - The Galaxy S26 series can handle multi-step tasks in the background, which allows AI agents to complete tasks while the user does something else.

Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Buds4 and Buds4 Pro, which are designed to be used with the Galaxy S26 devices. The Galaxy Buds4 earbuds feature an updated fit and improved sound quality. The Buds4 Pro include Active Noise Cancellation, upgraded Adaptive EQ, an option for accepting or declining calls with head gestures, and support for activating AI agents.

Pre-orders for the new Samsung smartphones are available starting today, with a launch to follow on March 11. The Galaxy S26 starts at $899.99, the Galaxy S26+ starts at $1,099.99, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1,299.99. The Galaxy Buds4 are also available for pre-order starting today.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
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Apple is planning to hold an "Experience" on March 4 for select members of the media, and in the days before the event, we're expecting several product refreshes. The iPad Air is one of the new devices that could get an update, so we thought we'd highlight what's coming.

Design and Display

There are no design changes rumored for the ‌iPad Air‌, so we can expect the same 11-inch and 13-inch size options.

The ‌iPad Air‌ is thicker and heavier than the iPad Pro, and it uses a standard LED display instead of OLED technology. The ‌iPad Air‌ will eventually be upgraded to OLED, but for now, the higher-end display technology will remain limited to the ‌iPad Pro‌. The ‌iPad Air‌ also doesn't support ProMotion, and there's no sign that Apple is planning to add it.

The ‌iPad Air‌ will continue to feature USB-C, a Touch ID top button, and the same front and rear cameras.

It's possible there will be a new color option, but it's not guaranteed with a minor refresh. No new accessories are rumored, and it will continue to work with the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil Pro.

M4 Chip

Apple has been updating the ‌iPad Air‌ with an M-series chip that's a generation behind the chip in the ‌iPad Pro‌. Since the ‌iPad Pro‌ was updated in October 2025 with the M5, the ‌iPad Air‌ is set to get the M4 chip.

The M3 in the current ‌iPad Air‌ and the M4 chip are both built on a 3-nanometer process, but the M4 has an updated process that brings speed and efficiency improvements.

There are up to 10 CPU cores instead of 8, the Neural Engine is faster, and there's more memory bandwidth. The GPU is also more power efficient for potential battery gains. The M4 CPU is up to 30 percent faster than the M3 CPU, while the GPU is up to 21 percent faster.

The ‌iPad Air‌ already supports Apple Intelligence, and the next-generation model will continue to do so. Apple increased the RAM in ‌iPad Pro‌ models with higher storage tiers, but there's no word on whether that same change will come to the ‌iPad Air‌. Current models feature 8GB RAM, the minimum for ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

Charging

The ‌iPad Pro‌ gained faster charging with the M5 update, and that's something that could trickle down to the ‌iPad Air‌.

N1 Networking Chip

The ‌iPad Air‌ is likely to adopt the N1 networking chip that Apple first introduced in the iPhone 17 models.

The N1 chip is an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that offers connectivity and efficiency improvements compared to the third-party chips that Apple has used in previous devices. The N1 supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 technology.

The current ‌iPad Air‌ offers Wi-Fi 6E support, so the next-generation model could see faster Wi-Fi speeds on compatible networks with Wi-Fi 7.

Apple Modem

Apple used the C1X in the M5 ‌iPad Pro‌, and the cellular versions of the ‌iPad Air‌ will get that same modem chip. The C1X is an upgraded variant of the C1, Apple's first in-house modem chip.

It offers performance on par with Qualcomm chips, though 5G connectivity is limited to sub-6GHz with no support for mmWave 5G. That's not an issue on the iPad, because the current version of the ‌iPad Air‌ doesn't support mmWave.

Apple's modem chips are much more power efficient than Qualcomm modem chips, and are able to better integrate with other ‌iPad‌ components.

Pricing

There are no rumors of a price increase, so the 11-inch model is expected to continue to start at $599, while the 13-inch model will start at $799.

Launch Date

The ‌iPad Air‌ could come out as soon as next week, ahead of Apple's March 4 Special Experience.
This article, "M4 iPad Air: What's New and When It's Coming" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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YouTube today updated its Premium Lite subscription plan with new features, including background play and downloads. Subscribers will be able to watch most videos ad-free offline and in the background.


Prior to now, downloads and background play were features that were limited to the more expensive Premium plan. YouTube Premium Lite is priced at $7.99 per month in the U.S., while YouTube Premium is priced at $13.99 per month.

YouTube Premium Lite removes ads from most, but not all videos, and it does not include ad-free access to the YouTube Music app. Most non-music content is ad-free with YouTube Premium Lite, though Shorts still have ads.

YouTube Premium removes ads from all videos, including music content, plus it has extra features like jump ahead, queuing, and continue watching.

YouTube says that background play and downloads are rolling out to Premium Lite subscribers starting today, but it may take a few weeks for everyone to get access to the new features.
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The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will have a smaller Dynamic Island, according to Bloomberg. Over the past year, there have been mixed rumors about whether the ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro models will continue to feature a ‌Dynamic Island‌ or have a hole punch camera with under screen Face ID and no ‌Dynamic Island‌, but the latest information suggests we're not getting rid of the ‌Dynamic Island‌ just yet.


Along with Bloomberg, several prominent leakers on Weibo and other social media sites have said Apple will make the Dynamic Island smaller, but won't eliminate it.

We heard the same rumors about a smaller iPhone 17 Pro ‌Dynamic Island‌ last year, but the ‌Dynamic Island‌ ultimately ended up being the same size. Rumors about the ‌Dynamic Island‌ have picked up in late 2025 and early 2026, and when we see a deluge of differently-sourced rumors about the same feature in the months leading up to a new iPhone's launch, those rumors are typically accurate.

Most of the ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro rumors about under-display Face ID and no ‌Dynamic Island‌ circulated earlier in 2025, so Apple either considered the feature for the 18 Pro lineup and pushed it back, or those rumors were just guessing. There also may have been confusion over what's moving under the display and what's not.

To implement a smaller ‌Dynamic Island‌, Apple is rumored to be putting the ‌Face ID‌ dot illuminator under the display, and rumors suggest the company is also implementing new camera miniaturization technology that could cut down on the size of the front-facing camera. The front-facing camera, ‌Face ID‌ dot projector, and infrared camera are expected to be housed in the ‌Dynamic Island‌, and won't be under the display.

Apple does eventually want to create an ‌iPhone‌ that's a slab of glass with no cutouts, and we may see that for the 20th anniversary iPhone planned for 2027, but it won't happen in fall 2026 with the ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro models.
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The rumored touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro that Apple has in development will adopt the iPhone's Dynamic Island and a hole-punch camera, reports Bloomberg.


The ‌Dynamic Island‌ will replace the notch, leaving more available screen space for content. As with the ‌iPhone‌'s ‌Dynamic Island‌, the Mac ‌Dynamic Island‌ will be interactive and it will contextually expand based on the app or Mac feature in use.

Apple is updating macOS to make it more touch friendly. Users will be able to tap or click on-screen elements, and controls will change based on input method. If a user taps on a menu bar item, for example, it will display a larger set of controls optimized for touch. Touch-based options will be integrated throughout macOS, and it will support iPad features like pinch gestures for zooming in or out and fast scrolling.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ will be the first Mac that supports touch gestures on the display, despite Apple's insistence over the years that it would not bring touch-based technology to the Mac. Apple did experiment with an OLED Touch Bar in prior ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, but ultimately removed it after it proved to be unpopular. Apple apparently is not going to advertise the ‌MacBook Pro‌ as a touch-first device like the ‌iPad‌, and will let customers use touch and mouse gestures interchangeably for all functions.

Along with a touchscreen and OLED display technology, the ‌MacBook Pro‌ could have an updated design with a slimmed-down chassis, but it will look a lot like the current ‌MacBook Pro‌. Apple is not removing the keyboard or the trackpad, and sizes aren't expected to change. Apple is planning for OLED versions of both the 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models.

Apple plans to update the ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips this spring, but the OLED ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will adopt the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, built on Apple's new 2-nanometer process. The OLED ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are expected to launch toward the end of 2026, so Apple is planning for two ‌MacBook Pro‌ refreshes in 2026.
This article, "Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro Coming in 2026 With Dynamic Island and Redesigned macOS Controls" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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