Early leaks about an upcoming Apple computer with an 18- to 20-inch folding display were vague about whether the device will be an iPad or the first Mac with a touchscreen. In the wake of the introduction of iPadOS 26, the answer now seems obvious: Apple’s extra-large folding tablet will be an iPad.
Recent comments by a high-level Apple executive about not merging macOS and iPadOS add weight to the theory.
It’s World Wi-Fi Day, which highlights the ability of wireless internet access to bring people together. But I’d like everyone to instead consider the advantages of an earlier tech: wired networking via good old reliable Ethernet.
Ethernet is easy to overlook now that almost everything has gone wireless, but it still has a role to play: filling in a flaw in Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t build Ethernet ports into MacBooks, but adding one is easy and inexpensive.
★★★★☆
SanDisk designed its Creator Phone SSD specifically for people recording large amounts of 4K ProRes video with a recent iPhone Pro/Pro Max model. The MagSafe drive magnetically attaches to the back of the handset so it’s out of the way during filming.
It holds up to 2TB of data without making the handset difficult to film with. And transferring data to a Mac for editing is a snap.
I tested the SSD with my iPhone and it worked very well. But the cable is bulkier than it should be.
There’s been another big data leak of over 16 billion records, and that’s a great opportunity to do something you’ve probably been procrastinating on: Replace your website passwords that hackers stole because of some lax security. Fortunately, Apple’s new Passwords app makes it easy to find out which of your passwords leaked so you can change passwords right on your iPhone.
Stay one step ahead by fixing a potentially serious problem now, before something bad happens.
Production of the long-awaited iPhone with a folding screen begins in a few months, according to a trusted analyst. But Apple supposedly plans to make only a few million of them, indicating the company expects this to be a niche product.
Previous reports indicate the price for the folding iPhone could be around $2,000 — about what similar Androids with foldable screens cost. High cost keeps this entire class of handsets out of the hands of average users, and so far it doesn’t seem like Apple has a solution.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, turned to a pair of metaphors in a recent interview to explain why macOS will not replace iPadOS on the iPad. Perhaps the most notable: “We don’t want to build sporks.”
Questions about iPad’s future came up after the unveiling at WWDC last week of iPadOS 26, which moves Apple’s tablet closer to the Mac than ever before.
Professionals who need 6K monitors, high-speed connectivity, and a plethora of ports can now purchase the Plugable 11-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 docking station at a competitive price.
It uses the latest version of the Thunderbolt standard to provide data transfers at up to 80 Gbps with a boost up to 120 Gbps.
Refurbished Apple Watch Series 10 units can be purchased directly from Apple starting Tuesday with savings up to $110.
The smartwatch launched only a few months ago, and buying a refurbished unit knocks as much as 15% off the price of a new one.
Adding a high-speed SSD to the Mac mini M4 just got easier with the Satechi USB4 Slim NVMe SSD Enclosure. It can hold up to 8TB drives and transfer data at up to 5 GB per second.
The accessory hit store shelves Tuesday and comes with a 17% launch discount.
The newly released AI-powered Adobe Firefly mobile app allows users to generate images and videos using text prompts on their iPhone or Android. They can also edit images with the new tool.
The application includes access to a range of AI models, including the most popular ones.
★★★★☆
iPad cases that fold into stands are old news, but the Moft Dynamic Folio takes that idea and builds on it. The front flap can be folded into a variety of shapes to support the tablet at a range of angles, in both landscape and portrait orientations. A highlight is one that lifts the iPad up about 3 inches so it’s easier to see.
Plus, the case/stand is lightweight and very easy to attach and remove. There are versions for all recent Apple tablets.
I tested the flexible iPad accessory for several weeks. Here’s what I found out.
Despite all the criticism, mockery and predictions of doom, the fact that Apple is lagging the pack in artificial intelligence isn’t a catastrophe. The AI boom has barely started, and average consumers remain doubtful about the technology.
More importantly, an Apple executive points out that the company doesn’t need to develop its own cutting-edge AI to benefit from the research done by other companies.
Macally designed the new MminiDock with the M4 Mac mini in mind. It sits under the tiny desktop, increasing the selection of available ports with front-facing USB-A, plus 4K HDMI, an audio jack and more without increasing the computer’s footprint. And there’s an SSD enclosure inside for 8TB of additional capacity.
The accessory launched Monday and comes with a 20% off launch coupon.
Apple now offers tools and parts to repair your own iPad, but the instructions provided by Apple show that working on one of its tablets is not for the faint of heart.
Just removing the screen from an iPad Pro is a 32-step process that requires special tools to detach the glue, tape and screws holding everything together.
Two reliable analysts recently predicted that the AirPods Pro 3 release date won’t come before the end of 2025.
Apple is reportedly loading the next generation of its high-end wireless earbuds up with new features, and that’s apparently taking some extra time. All the way to 2026.
Apple TV+ crime drama Your Friends & Neighbors has held onto a large audience for two months now, appearing yet again on a weekly list of the top 10 most popular series, according to a company that tracks ratings. The show stars Jon Hamm as a very unusual thief.
Plus, the Apple TV+ sci-fi action comedy series Murderbot settled into steady popularity.
We’ll have to stop thinking of the iPhone as a product made in China — nearly all Apple’s handsets for sale in the United States are reportedly now assembled in India.
It’s part of Apple’s effort to reduce paying the tariffs President Donald Trump places on most products imported into the U.S., especially ones that come from China.
iPadOS 26 moves the iPad closer to the Mac than ever before. But don’t take the upcoming operating system as a stepping stone toward an eventual unification between iPadOS and macOS. That’s clearly not going to happen.
The reason can be summed up with a phrase that Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software development, used in an interview at WWDC this week: “iPad’s gonna be iPad.”
The release date for the AI-enhanced version of the Siri voice assistant will likely come in spring 2026, according to information leaking out of Apple. That’s nine months from now, and a year after it was first expected.
The long delay in the launch of smarter Siri was a significant black eye for Apple, clearly demonstrating that it wasn’t keeping up with rivals in AI research.
The PNY Duo Link V3 external SSD includes both a USB-C and a USB-A connector. That means the flash drive that launched Thursday can plug into any modern Mac, or it can go into a smartTV or other accessory that lacks a USB-C port — no adapter needed.
Even better, it offers 1,000MB/s data transfers, and capacities go up to 2 terabytes. The price is very competitive, too.
iOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26 and other upcoming Apple operating systems include new tools intended to help parents protect kids and teens online. These include a system that enables parents to share the age range of their children with third-party applications in a way that doesn’t violate the kids’ privacy.
There are also new protections for teens under 18 as they use their Apple devices, and parental controls on communicating with new phone numbers.
Those who want their iPad to function more like a Mac got their wish: iPadOS 26 includes multitasking features very similar to the ones in macOS. This year’s iPad upgrade also borrows plenty of other things from Apple’s desktop OS.
I loaded the initial iPadOS 26 beta on my iPad Pro. Here’s what it’s like to use it … and why pro users should be excited while non-pro users shouldn’t worry.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software development, finally gave more details on why the AI-enhanced new Siri version got delayed for so very long. He explains why Apple thought it could deliver the new feature this year, but eventually had to push back the launch until possibly 2026.
The intent seems to be to show that Apple was being overly optimistic, not deceptive, when it said at WWDC24 the new Siri version would be out within a year.
The upcoming macOS 26 Tahoe is the last upgrade that will be compatible with Macs running Intel processors, Apple revealed at WWDC on Monday. The company continued to make OS upgrades for computers running those chips many years after the release of the last one, but that’s coming to an end in 2026.
The highlight of Apple’s recent AI efforts is Live Translation, but that’s not the only new Apple Intelligence feature unveiled at WWDC on Monday. There are also improvements to visual intelligence and Image Playground. Plus, third-party app developers can access Apple’s AI models for free.
But the keynote address kicking off the Mac maker’s developers conference was short on big AI-related announcements when compared to what’s coming out of OpenAI or Google. Still, the company did what it could.
“Last year, we took the first steps on a journey to bring users intelligence that’s helpful, relevant, easy to use, and right where users need it, all while protecting their privacy. Now, the models that power Apple Intelligence are becoming more capable and efficient, and we’re integrating features in even more places across each of our operating systems,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.