Apple dedicated its website homepage to Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, as it has done on his national holiday each year since 2015. This year a free book of the slain Civil Rights movement icon’s essential works and a Time to Walk podcast with King’s daughter, Bernice A. King, are included.
“We honor Dr. King and reflect upon his life and legacy,” Apple said in print alongside a pixellated, constellation-like image of a smiling MLK against a black background filled with stars.
Apple likely will struggle to acquire a critical component for all its products this year. In fact, the whole electronics industry will face the same problem, and the competition will drive up prices, according to analysts.
What’s the missing product? RAM. Why is it so hard to get? AI. But the full story is more complex than those two basic facts.
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.
OpenAI is rolling out its more affordable ChatGPT Go plan to nearly every region where ChatGPT operates. In the US, the new tier starts at just $8 per month — a full $12 cheaper than ChatGPT Plus.
Additionally, OpenAI confirmed that it will start testing ads in ChatGPT’s free and Go tiers in the US soon.
Following the launch of the Apple Creator Studio bundle on January 13, 2026, Apple has discontinued the individual free trial for its professional creative apps. This means you can no longer individually download Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro on their own to try them out for free.
Instead, Apple now wants you to use the Creator Studio Bundle. It bundles access to all of the company’s pro creative tools in a single subscription.
Spotify is once again raising prices in the United States. This is the streaming service’s third price bump in four years. By comparison, Apple Music hasn’t raised its price since 2022.
The fact that Google Gemini will power the revamped Siri is drawing criticism from people convinced that Apple should have developed its own AI in-house to bring the voice assistant up to speed.
Some of the critics seem to think Apple always made its own software before now. Therefore they regard the deal with Google as a major policy shift — and a sign of weakness that would horrify Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
No. Just … no. These critics will be shocked to learn that many Apple products are built on top of tech developed outside the company … and often, it was Steve Jobs who did it!
Setapp Mobile, MacPaw’s ambitious alternative iOS app store for European Union users, will close its doors in February after just over a year of operation, the service said Thursday.
On a support page, MacPaw cited Apple’s “still-evolving and complex business terms that don’t fit Setapp’s current business model” as the reason.
Retro tech is back, and it doesn’t get much more nostalgic than transforming a new M4 Mac mini into a Macintosh straight out of the 1980s. Better yet, the process is simple: Just pop the Mac mini into the Wokyis M5 dock and you’re done.
Don’t mistake this for simple cosmetic trickery. The add-on includes a functional 5-inch screen. Plus, it’s a hub that adds a variety of ports to the Mac as well as a slot for an internal SSD.
Apple Arcade subscribers will soon get access to one of gaming’s most legendary franchises when Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition arrives on the service February 5, Apple said Wednesday. It’s a first for Apple Arcade, though it joins some other civ- and sim- game options on the App Store.
And other new titles join it at the same time on Apple Arcade: the Retrocade collection of classic arcade games, the whimsical adventure Felicity’s Door and the I Love Hue Too+ puzzle game.
With Google’s Gemini AI working behind the scenes, the next-gen Siri will finally be able to deliver on some of Apple’s promises. The updated voice assistant will be able to answer questions it can’t currently handle, perform everyday tasks like booking travel, and even dabble in the dicey arena of providing emotional support to people during difficult moments.
A new report from The Information sheds additional light on how Apple will use Gemini to improve Siri.
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.
iPad users will soon have access to a version of the Pixelmator Pro image editing application that previously was a Mac exclusive.
Apple promised that the upcoming tablet version of the application will be a significant step up from the features available in the current basic Pixelmator app for iPad. Plus, it will improve on the Mac version thanks to support for Apple Pencil.
But there’s bad news for users of the current, basic Pixelmator version.
The Mac had a brilliant 2025, with shipments increasing 16.4% year over year. That’s a growth rate none of the computer’s top rivals could match.
It marks the third straight year of annual increases. And the rate could have been higher if Apple didn’t push back the launch of some much-anticipated products.
A new Apple Creator Studio subscription bundles six major professional creative apps into a single monthly or yearly plan. The new bundle, announced Tuesday by Apple, includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage, plus premium artificial intelligence features in other Apple apps.
“There’s never been a more flexible and accessible way to get started with such a powerful collection of creative apps for professionals, emerging artists, entrepreneurs, students and educators to do their best work and explore their creative interests from start to finish,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, in a press release.
OpenAI’s first consumer hardware device could be an AirPods replacement. The AI-powered earbuds, internally called “Sweetpea,” is reportedly the priority focus for former Apple design chief Jony Ive’s team.
OpenAI’s earbuds could debut as early as September, with the company estimating shipments to reach 40 million to 50 million units in the first year.
iPhone took the top spot in global smartphone sales in 2025. Apple outsold all its rivals, including arch-rival Samsung.
iPhone shipments grew 10% year over year, buoyed by strong demand for the new iPhone 17 series.
Not every Apple TV show gets merchandise like T-shirts and hats, but Vince Gilligan’s oddly original sci-fi head-scratcher Pluribus — the most-watched Apple TV show ever — just did. Too bad the merch is on the lame side.
One of the most weirdly refreshing sci-fi dramas in recent history deserves better than what Sony Pictures is peddling.
Google’s Gemini AI is set to power the long-promised overhaul of Apple’s Siri voice assistant, turning months of speculation into confirmation after Apple made the partnership official in a statement released Monday.
Apple worked for years on its own large language models to provide Siri with a much-needed intelligence boost. But in the end, Cupertino had to outsource the AI technology to Google, another tech giant with which it both competes and cooperates.
Apple Music and Apple TV just had their biggest month ever. That strong streaming performance added to a banner year for the collection of products that go under the heading of Apple services.
“2025 was a record-breaking year for Apple Services, marked by remarkable growth, global expansion, and continuous innovation,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, in a press release Monday.
Apple TV celebrated a successful night at the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, taking home three awards Sunday for its hit Hollywood-spoof comedy The Studio and its sci-fi phenom Pluribus. But some of the streamer’s other hit shows came up short in the awards ceremony.
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.
CES 2026 showcased how iPhone accessory makers can innovate while offering deep integration with Apple’s ecosystem. Think slimmer and safer iPhone power banks, smarter MagSafe add-ons, and even an accessory that makes your desk less cluttered.
Plus, Apple’s Find My tech is making its way into everyday carry items, while physical keyboards — typically considered a bulky and impractical iPhone accessory — have become more modular, wireless and easier to live with.
Check out the iPhone accessories from CES 2026 that stood out for all the right reasons.
A cool, colorful Apple Watch concept that borrows the design language of the original iMac is drawing raves on Instagram.
The instantly recognizable design features translucent plastic in the bright shades of the nonconformist computers that saved Apple’s bacon in the late 1990s.