We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.


Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.

iOS 26.3

iPhone to Android Transfer Tool

iOS 26.3 makes it easier for iPhone users to switch to an Android device. A new tool allows you to place your iPhone next to an Android device to wirelessly transfer photos, messages, notes, apps, and more. You can also transfer your phone number.

In the iOS 26.3 beta, the new tool can be found in the Settings app, under General → Transfer or Reset ‌iPhone‌ → Transfer to Android. It is available worldwide.

Notification Forwarding in EU

In the EU, iOS 26.3 introduces both a Notification Forwarding feature and AirPods-like proximity pairing for third-party accessories like earbuds and smartwatches.

Apple was required to make these changes to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act.

End-to-End Encrypted RCS Preparations

As of the second iOS 26.3 beta, Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for carriers to be able to support end-to-end encryption for RCS messages.

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Starting with iOS 26.3, there is a dedicated section for Weather wallpapers, with three preset options available to choose from. To access them, tap and hold on the Lock Screen and tap on the plus sign in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

iOS 26.3 introduces a new "Limit Precise Location" setting that reduces the location data available to mobile networks to increase user privacy.

iOS 26.1 introduced a Background Security Improvement feature that is designed to provide security updates for Safari, WebKit, and some other system items between iOS software updates. Apple has been testing the feature with updates such as "iOS 26.3 (a)" and "iOS 26.3 (b)," but they do not actually contain any security fixes.

iOS 26.4

Personalized Siri

Last month, Apple and Google announced that Google Gemini will help power a more personalized version of Siri coming this year.

The more personalized version of Siri is expected to be introduced with iOS 26.4, following a lengthy delay. The new capabilities will include better understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls, but some of this functionality might not be available until iOS 27 later this year.

For example, all the way back at WWDC 2024, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info retrieved from the Mail and Messages apps.

Looking ahead, Apple is reportedly planning to launch a full-out Siri chatbot on iOS 27, allowing users to have ChatGPT-like conversations with Siri.

New Emoji

Last year, the Unicode Consortium previewed some of the new emoji that are expected to be added to the iPhone with iOS 26.4.

Here are nine of the new emoji:

• Trombone


• Treasure Chest


• Distorted Face


• Hairy Creature (aka Bigfoot or Sasquatch)


• Fight Cloud


• Apple Core


• Orca


• Ballet Dancers


• Landslide

Apple most recently added new emoji to the iPhone with iOS 18.4, an update that came out in March last year. iOS 17.4, iOS 16.4, and iOS 15.4 also introduced new emoji over the years, so the timing has become predictable by this point.

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Macworld's Filipe Espósito leaked some other potential iOS 26.4 features:

• If you have credit card information stored in Apple's Passwords app, you will be able to AutoFill those details in third-party apps.


• You will be able to create folders in the Freeform app.


• Apple is apparently working on a new sports tier for the Apple TV app, but the report did not offer any further details about this.


• There are signs of "a new validation system that will check the integrity of the device before logging into Apple ID and iCloud."


• A new "Precise Outdoor Location" feature for AirPods in the Find My app.

iOS 26.4 should have many other new features, so stay tuned.
This article, "iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

A new ad is out today for the Apple TV streaming service, and it focuses on the humans involved in making the shows and films, ranging from actors to production crews to makeup artists. The video shows a gallery of photos from the sets of various Apple TV shows, including The Studio, Severance, Pluribus, Ted Lasso, and others.


"The humans of Apple TV," says Apple, succinctly.

In a world where AI is increasingly prevalent, it would appear that Apple wants to remind everyone that its original content is still deeply human.
This article, "'Humans of Apple TV'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Apple plans to release a new version of the Studio Display "in the first half of 2026," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In his Power On newsletter on Sunday, Gurman noted that inventory of the current Studio Display is running low on Apple's online store and at its retail stores, although this has generally been the case for a while now. Extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store can sometimes hint at an upcoming product refresh.

Last month, an unreleased Apple monitor with the model number A3350 surfaced in a Chinese regulatory database, and it is likely the Studio Display 2.

Unfortunately, the database entry did not reveal any new details about the Studio Display 2, beyond indicating that it will still have an LCD display instead of an OLED display. However, mini-LED backlighting remains a possibility.

There have been many reports about a new Studio Display being in the works, with rumored features including mini-LED backlighting, ProMotion support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR support, and an A19 chip or A19 Pro chip.

The current Studio Display was filed in the same Chinese database around three months before it launched, so perhaps the next Studio Display will be released around March or April, but Apple has until the end of June if we go by Gurman's timeframe. It would make sense for Apple to unveil a new Studio Display alongside the next Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, or perhaps a new Mac mini, but it is not strictly necessary.

If the next Studio Display receives mini-LED backlighting and HDR support, its maximum brightness and contrast ratio would be higher than the current model. And a newer A19 or A19 Pro chip — up from the A13 Bionic currently — should contribute to performance improvements, camera-related enhancements, and more.

The current Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K screen, a 60Hz refresh rate, up to 600 nits brightness, a built-in camera and speakers, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. In the U.S., pricing starts at $1,599.
This article, "Apple's Studio Display 2 Reportedly on Track to Launch This Year With These New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's impressive Passeig de Gràcia store in the heart of Barcelona, Spain will be temporarily closed for unspecified improvements starting Saturday, February 14 at 8 p.m. local time, according to the store's official page.


The extent of renovations that will be completed remains to be seen, and Apple has not indicated when the store will reopen to the public.

Apple Passeig de Gràcia first opened in 2012, and it is one of the company's flagship retail locations. The store is on one of the most popular avenues in Barcelona, inside a historic former bank building with a stunning stone facade.

Apple has another store in Barcelona at the Westfield La Maquinista shopping mall.

Thanks, Filip Chudzinski!
This article, "Apple's Beautiful Store in Barcelona Will Be Temporarily Closed Soon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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There has been a lot of discussion lately about skyrocketing memory chip prices, and how that might impact the iPhone and other Apple devices.


For those who are not caught up to speed, prices for both DRAM and NAND storage chips have been surging lately due to increased demand from companies building out AI servers. Nvidia has reportedly surpassed Apple as chipmaker TSMC's biggest customer as a result of this boom, despite record-breaking iPhone sales last quarter.

The demand for memory chips for AI servers is so high right now that reports have indicated that chipmakers such as TSMC, Samsung, and SK Hynix cannot keep up with supply despite operating at or near full capacity. This supply-demand imbalance is allowing for chipmakers to raise prices for memory chips, with Taiwanese research firm TrendForce today estimating that conventional DRAM and NAND contract prices could rise up to 90–95% and up to 55-60% this quarter, respectively, compared to last quarter.

Apple surely still has plenty of leverage as one of the world's largest consumer electronics makers, but it is not entirely immune to the pricing situation.

On an earnings call last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that the rising chip prices will have a "bit more of an impact" on the company's gross margin in the current quarter. Nevertheless, Apple forecasted that its revenue will rise 13% to 16% in the quarter on a year-over-year basis, so the company still expects growth.

Cook said Apple "will look at a range of options to deal with" the rising prices, if necessary, but he did not mention any specific plans.

While the situation is rapidly evolving, it seems unlikely for now that one of those measures would be raising iPhone prices, for a few reasons.

First, Apple forecasted that its overall gross margin will remain strong at 48% to 49% in the current quarter, so the company is managing for now.

Second, Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes today reported that some suppliers expect Apple to intensify its cost-cutting demands going forward. It is unclear if this refers to DRAM and NAND chip suppliers, or if Apple will try to negotiate more favorable deals with suppliers of other components to offset the impact.

Apple has historically been extremely sensitive about passing on price increases to customers, and it is known to have excellent supply chain management.

In line with that, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said that Apple's current plan for the iPhone 18 Pro models later this year is to "avoid raising prices as much as possible." He predicted that Apple will "at least keep the starting price flat," suggesting that iPhone 18 Pro models will not cost more than iPhone 17 Pro models.

Kuo was specifically commenting on starting prices, so it remains to be seen if Apple increases the prices of its already-overpriced storage upgrade options.

Related Reading: Apple May Break a 10-Year Chip Strategy
This article, "Will Apple Raise iPhone Prices Due to Skyrocketing Memory Chip Prices?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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