Forget the old, nearly useless Siri — Apple reportedly plans to upgrade the iPhone’s voice assistant into an AI-powered chatbot with iOS 27. Users will supposedly be able to converse with the new Siri, not just give it orders.
If true, this will let Apple compete directly against Android and Windows computers with built-in AI chatbots.
Apple is prepping a surprising change to the Dynamic Island with the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro, according to a well-known tipster. The screen cutout will supposedly get a lot smaller, and it’ll move to a new location.
If true, it’ll be the most significant revamp to the Dynamic Island since it debuted in 2022.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: It’s finally official — Siri is getting a long-awaited AI brain transplant, courtesy of Google Gemini.
We discuss the pros and cons of the deal, but more importantly, we express our sincere hope that Siri will actually work in the future.
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video stream, embedded below.
After the purported dimensions of the first folding iPhone leaked a few weeks ago, it didn’t take long for mockups to hit MakerWorld, a popular site for people with 3D printers to share their models. I got my hands on one of those models, and I have lots of thoughts. If the rumored folding iPhone looks anything like this, it’ll be weird.
For one thing, it’s almost as short as the original iPhone, but wider than the widest iPhone ever. Lots of design questions remain unanswered, too. Where will the volume buttons go, since there isn’t any room on the left side? Will it only have one speaker, like the iPhone Air? Will the two cameras arranged horizontally across the back mean the camera sensors are in landscape, not portrait?
I’ve been fiddling with a 3D model of the first folding iPhone all week. Here are my thoughts and observations.
A new leak reiterates Apple’s plan to switch to under-display Face ID on the iPhone 18 Pro models this year. The regular iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 will reportedly stick with displays featuring the Dynamic Island at the top.
The leak also suggests that Apple plans to retain the same display sizes across its 2026 iPhone lineup, mirroring the current-generation models.
A new iPhone 17e could be right around the corner, and rumors suggest Apple’s next budget model will be a sizable jump over last year’s. Expect it to dump the old screen notch as well as boast other enhancements that bring Apple’s budget handset closer to the more premium options.
In short, those looking for a bargain on a new iPhone should keep their eye out for the 17e.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: Did the world just get its first glimpse at the folding iPhone’s screen? And how the heck does anybody bend glass?!?
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video, embedded below.
And, as a reminder, you can still hear our friend and colleague Erfon Elijah on The CultCast.
Using an aging iPad? Or maybe you’re thinking about getting your first tablet. Great news! Updated models with significantly more horsepower will hit store shelves soon.
Here’s what to expect from iPad in 2026.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: Apple’s got a fantastic year ahead of it, with a genuinely prodigious pipeline of new products coming in 2026. From a folding iPhone and a low-cost MacBook to entirely new product categories, get ready for 12 months of exciting new Apple hardware.
In our first show under the new Cult of Mac branding, and our final podcast of 2025, we discuss all the great stuff that Apple fans have to look forward to in 2026.
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of Cult of Mac in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
Apple will improve the MacBook line in multiple ways during 2026. We’re not talking the usual “chip and ship” updates — major changes are on the way. Really, there’s never been a better time to be in the market for a macOS laptop.
We can look forward to a complete redesign, possibly including a touchscreen. Plus, the most affordable MacBook ever is also reportedly coming next year.
With more than a dozen new Apple products in the pipeline, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy and important year for the company. Among a plethora of high-profile device launches, we should see the first folding iPhone next year
If all the rumors prove true, Apple’s 2026 product road map looks bold, exciting and ambitious. Check out all the new products Apple likely will launch in 2026.
The first folding iPhone is expected to break iOS out of its years-long rut, and new rumors give us the most complete picture yet of a handset supposedly set to launch in 2026.
These come from a formerly prolific source of often reliable Apple leaks.
December 24, 2009: As rumors of a possible Apple tablet reach the boiling point, word spreads online that the new device will be called the “iSlate.”
The news is based on the fact that Apple quietly acquired the domain name iSlate.com a few years earlier. Since Apple did the same thing for the iPhone back in the late 1990s, years before the iPhone actually debuted, it makes total sense that the company would follow suit with the naming of its tablet.
Of course, that didn’t end up happening.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Leaked code indicates Apple is working on a new iMac Pro, years after the powerful all-in-one faded from the scene.
Does a new iMac Pro make sense in the Apple silicon era? And what price point would make it appealing? We discuss the possibilities.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
December 19, 2007: Apple settles a lawsuit with reporter Nick Ciarelli, resulting in the shuttering of Think Secret, his masssively popular Apple rumors website. Writing under the screen name Nick de Plume, the Harvard University student broke a number of Apple stories on the site, raising Cupertino’s ire.
The terms of Ciarelli’s settlement with Apple remain secret. In a statement, he says he will “be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits.”
Apple’s long-rumored folding iPhone — expected to be one of the most significant new product launches in years — is generating strong buzz, with a respected analyst warning that consumer interest could far outpace Apple’s ability to supply the device when it hits the market.
And a separate report may have revealed the sizes of the two screens coming in the first foldable iOS device. The large internal display is what’s expected to drive demand.
An iMac with an OLED display is in development, according to a fresh supply-chain leak. This would bring a significant upgrade to the look of Apple’s all-in-one desktop computer for the consumer market.
The report comes shortly after a new professional-grade iMac was rumored. Clearly, it’s a big week for Apple desktops.
Apple’s 2026 flagship iPhones — the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max — might feature under-display Face ID sensors, according to a new port. As part of the change, the company will reportedly relocate the devices’ front cameras to their top-left corner.
The report also sheds light on other changes coming to next year’s iPhones, including a new rear camera sensor.
The iMac Pro could be poised for a major return — years after Apple discontinued the power all-in-one computer. This time, the professional desktop will be powered by Apple’s next-generation M5 Max chip, according to information found in internal Apple software.
It would be a change in strategy for Apple, but it seems the company is at least exploring the idea of an updated all-in-one desktop for the pro and prosumer markets.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Fresh rumors about the hybrid device that marries an iPad with a HomePod get us thinking about the future of Apple’s home automation. This could be the start of something big.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
Apple’s 20th anniversary iPhone might stand out due to a “four-sided bending design,” according to a new report. The company reportedly plans to make the phone bezel-less, integrating the camera and Face ID sensors below the display panel.
To help Apple achieve its goal, LG Display is seemingly making heavy investments in the next-generation display technology.
A leaked iOS 26 internal build reveals several new features Apple plans to introduce in iOS 26.4. These include credit card autofill support for third-party apps, folders in whiteboarding app Freeform, and a Sports tier in Apple TV.
The company will supposedly also introduce additional security measures with the update.
AirTag 2 will reportedly include features clearly intended to win over new converts to Apple’s tracking tag. A leak on Thursday of details about the second-generation model reveals that the product will be easier to find in several ways, and easier to set up, too.
The new AirTag is now expected to launch in 2026.
As new details on Apple’s smart home hub leak out, the device is shaping up to be something that’ll attract plenty of customers. On Thursday, it was revealed that the device will have a front-facing camera with Center Stage, making it ideal for making FaceTime calls.
Previous reports indicate that it’s designed to be the centerpiece of a smart home, not only controlling smart accessories but also displaying shared calendars and answering questions, thanks to the improved version of Siri now in development.
This could be a flagship product in a fresh push by Apple into smart home technology.
Apple’s next budget iPad refresh could introduce a big performance boost. It will reportedly use the A19 chip, the same SoC that’s found inside the iPhone 17.
Additionally, the tablet will switch to Apple’s in-house N1 chip to handle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.