Apple News
Apple preps new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio models
2026 is shaping up to be a blockbuster year for Apple’s Mac lineup, with numerous significant updates, fresh designs, innovative features, and new market approaches on the way.
The refreshed range will feature updated MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models; a major overhaul of the MacBook Pro incorporating an OLED display and touchscreen support; refreshed Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops; an all-new affordable MacBook powered by an iPhone-class chip; plus the first notable refresh to the Apple Studio Display in years.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
We’re going to see things kicking off here in the not-too-distant future. Versions of the MacBook Pros, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio with bumped-up specifications — as well as the new display — are planned for the first half of the year. The revamped MacBook Pro should be hitting toward the end of 2026.
One wrinkle: I think the M6 chip is potentially coming sooner than people anticipate. Not necessarily in these next laptops, but still in the near future in some configurations. Apple released the M5 processor in October in three devices. Though it might seem soon for an M6, there was only a five-month gap between the M3 and M4.
MacDailyNews Take: We’re very interested to see the new MacBook Air as we hope they’ll become our new road Macs later this year!
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JPMorgan boosts Apple price target to $315 ahead of earnings, citing strong iPhone 17 demand
JPMorgan has raised its price target on Apple stock to $315 from $305, maintaining its overweight rating, as the bank expresses optimism about the company’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter earnings report.
The new target implies about 27% upside potential from recent trading levels. Analyst Samik Chatterjee highlighted strong demand for the iPhone 17 as a key driver, expecting Apple to deliver an earnings and revenue beat when it reports results for the quarter ending December later this week.
Chatterjee pointed out that positive indicators around robust iPhone 17 sales have been somewhat overshadowed by investor worries, including potential gross margin pressure from sharply higher memory costs, questions about price elasticity for iPhone demand, and softer trends in App Store Services growth.
“We believe that positive data points in relation to robust iPhone 17 demand have been overshadowed by investor concerns in relation to gross margin impact from the unprecedented rise in memory costs, potential price elasticity concerns for iPhone demand, as well as modest concerns from softer intra-quarter data points in relation to App Store Services growth,” Chatterjee wrote in a note to clients.
However, he anticipates that margin headwinds from elevated memory pricing will prove limited, while operating expenses are likely to come in below guidance. This setup, combined with Apple’s current valuation, creates an attractive opportunity.
“We see a positive set up for the shares heading into F1Q26 (Dec-end) earnings print as AAPL shares are trading at 30x NTM P/E, below the peak multiple that is typical for the shares heading into a key iPhone product cycle (previous peak of ~32x into 5G cycle), in combination with the modest upsides in relation to both F1Q26 print and the F2Q26 outlook,” the analyst added.
JPMorgan also forecasts a solid outlook for the subsequent quarter ending in March, projecting revenue growth in the 10% to 12% range year-over-year, reaching around $106.2 billion, again supported by sustained iPhone 17 momentum.
On the Services side, the firm expects 7% year-over-year growth — below Apple’s own 14% guidance — but Chatterjee emphasized that the company has “multiple levers” beyond the App Store to potentially accelerate expansion over time.
Apple shares have gained 11% over the past 12 months, trailing the S&P 500’s 13.4% advance during the same period. The bank views this relative underperformance as offering a compelling entry point ahead of the earnings release.
MacDailyNews Note: As usual, we’ll bring you Apple’s results as soon as they are released, right around 1:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 29, 2026 and then follow with live notes from Apple’s conference call at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET.
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Apple unveils new Black Unity Apple Watch band, honoring Black History Month
Apple today revealed the new Apple Watch Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop, which the company says “honors Black History Month” and “celebrates the power of connection.” This special-edition band is now available for order via the Apple Store online.
Apple Inc.:
Aligned with this theme, Apple is proud to support organizations that inspire connection and promote creativity through impactful programs in under-resourced communities around the world. This includes grants to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Urban Arts in New York City, Youth Music in London, Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, and Enactus México in Mexico City. These new grants build upon Apple’s long-standing commitment to advancing economic, educational, and creative opportunities in communities globally.
This band, along with previously released Black Unity bands, was designed by Black creatives and allies at Apple. Showcasing the colors of the Pan-African flag, the Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop is created by weaving recycled polyester yarn filaments around ultrathin silicone threads using advanced precision-braiding machinery. Soft with a textured feel, it is also sweat and water resistant. On closer look, the band reveals multiple shades of red, green, and black — giving it added depth and vibrancy.
Pricing and Availability
• The Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop is available for order on the Apple Store online and in the Apple Store app starting today, and will be available in Apple Store locations starting later this week for $99 (U.S.).
• The Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop is available in 42mm and 46mm case sizes, in band sizes 0-12, and is compatible with Apple Watch Series 4 or later, Apple Watch SE, and all Apple Watch Ultra models (46mm band only).
MacDailyNews Note: More info about the Apple Watch Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop here.
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Apple unveils new AirTag with expanded finding range, louder speaker, and Apple Watch integration
Apple today unveiled a new generation of AirTag, the popular item tracker, featuring expanded range, enhanced Precision Finding capabilities, and a significantly louder speaker to make lost belongings easier to locate.
The updated AirTag builds on the original model launched in 2021, leveraging Apple’s vast Find My network to help users track everyday items like keys, wallets, backpacks, luggage, and more. Since its debut, AirTag has enabled countless reunions, from lost luggage containing critical medication to misplaced instruments that allowed musicians to perform on schedule.
The device is powered by Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip — the same one used in the iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch Series 11. This enables more powerful Precision Finding, which guides users to items using haptic, visual, and audio feedback from up to 50 percent farther away than the previous generation. An upgraded Bluetooth chip further extends the overall range for locating items. For the first time, Precision Finding is available directly on Apple Watch Series 9 or later, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later.The new AirTag’s internal design makes it 50 percent louder than before, allowing users to hear its sound — including a distinctive new chime — from up to twice as far. This combination of improvements helps in scenarios like locating keys buried in couch cushions or a wallet while heading out the door.
Precision Finding guides users through haptic, visual, and audio feedback to their lost items from up to 50 percent farther away than the previous generation, and an updated Bluetooth chip expands the range at which items can be located.
The Find My network remains central, using crowdsourced Bluetooth signals from nearby Apple devices to anonymously report an item’s approximate location when out of direct range. The new model integrates seamlessly with Share Item Location, an iOS feature that lets users temporarily and securely share an item’s location with trusted third parties, such as airlines for recovering delayed luggage. Apple has partnered with more than 50 airlines, and according to SITA, a leading IT provider for airlines, carriers using Share Item Location have reduced baggage delays by 26 percent and truly lost or unrecoverable luggage by 90 percent. Shared access is tightly controlled, expires automatically after seven days, and can be revoked anytime.
Privacy and security remain priorities: AirTag stores no location data on the device itself, uses end-to-end encryption for Find My communications, and includes industry-leading anti-stalking features like cross-platform alerts and frequently changing Bluetooth identifiers. It is designed exclusively for tracking objects, not people or pets.
The new AirTag maintains the same form factor for full compatibility with existing accessories, including the FineWoven Key Ring (made from 68 percent recycled content and available in five colors). It incorporates eco-friendly materials aligned with Apple’s 2030 carbon-neutral goals, such as 85 percent recycled plastic in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in magnets, and 100 percent recycled gold plating in circuit boards. Packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and recyclable.
Pricing remains unchanged at $29 for a single AirTag and $99 for a four-pack, with free personalized engraving available on apple.com and in the Apple Store app. The new AirTag is available to order today on apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with in-store availability at Apple locations later this week and through authorized resellers. It requires a compatible iPhone or iPad running iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later, with certain features like watch-based Precision Finding needing watchOS 26.2.1 on supported models.
MacDailyNews Note: More info via Apple here.
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Apple said to unveil new Google Gemini-powered Siri in mid-late February
Apple is reportedly just weeks away from revealing the outcome of its expanded collaboration with Google’s Gemini team, which will power key aspects of Apple Intelligence and the revamped Siri. According to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman, the company has been preparing to unveil the upgraded Siri in the second half of February, complete with live demonstrations of its new capabilities.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
Whether that takes the form of a major event or a smaller, tightly controlled briefing — perhaps at Apple’s New York media loft — remains unclear. Either way, Apple is just weeks away from finally delivering on the Siri promises made at its Worldwide Developers Conference back in June 2024. At long last, the assistant should be able to tap into personal data and on-screen content to fulfill tasks.
To introduce those features in iOS 26.4 — scheduled to enter beta testing next month and roll out publicly in March or early April — Apple needed Gemini. Internally, the company has labeled the technology Apple Foundation Models version 10, making it seem entirely homegrown. It runs at roughly 1.2 trillion parameters — a measure of AI complexity — and is hosted on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers.
But that’s only the first phase. As I reported last week, Apple plans to unveil a fully reimagined Siri at this year’s WWDC. Code-named Campos, the new system is a fresh architecture and interface designed from the ground up for the chatbot era. It will debut in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27, which arrive in beta form this summer.
This Siri will be conversational, aware of relevant context and capable of sustained back-and-forth dialogue. Essentially, it matches what users already expect from ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Corp.’s Copilot. It, too, will rely on Gemini, but a far more advanced version internally known as Apple Foundation Models version 11. The model is expected to be competitive with Gemini 3 and significantly more capable than one supporting the iOS 26.4 Siri.
To improve accuracy and responsiveness, the two companies are discussing running this version of Siri directly on Google’s cloud infrastructure and its high-powered tensor processing units, or TPUs, rather than Apple’s own servers.
The shift to Gemini represents a fundamental reset of Apple’s AI strategy under Federighi, who effectively assumed control of the company’s AI direction early last year — around the time I reported that Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook had lost confidence in Giannandrea. Federighi concluded that, at least for now, Apple would be better served partnering with Google than relying solely on its internal models. It wasn’t an ideal outcome, but it was the only viable one.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple Intelligence. Powered by Google.
We don’t want to use or be dependent on fscking Google, Apple. We want to be able to choose our LLMs. We don’t use Google Gemini for myriad reasons: privacy; security; we’d rather use the best LLMs for each job. If you are incapable of creating your own, which Apple clearly is, then give users choice.
Apple would not be in this position if it wasn’t for far too long handicapped with an operations manager masquerading as a CEO, but instead was led by a visionary CEO who wasn’t chasing fads (VR goggles) and failing at moonshots (EVs), but was instead skating to where the puck was going.
Tim Cook criminally neglected Siri for his entire iterative, beige, boring, seemingly unending tenure.
Now, Tim Cook’s “solution” is for Apple to stoop to paying Google, of all companies, to fix it.
Google Gemini? Why not just get a Samsung Galaxy phone which already integrates Google’s Gemini AI as a core component of their AI-powered features?
Google Gemini on an iPhone offers precious little differentiation from Samsung, the chief iPhone knockoff peddler.
If you’re going to with an external AI partner, why not choose the smartest one? We find xAI’s Grok to be more accurate and useful than Google’s Gemini, ChatGPT, and the rest. – MacDailyNews, July 21, 2025
Apple would likely need a CEO who is more open to thinking outside the box than the one with which it’s currently saddled.
Google Gemini. Puleeze. OpenAI’s ChapGPT or Anthropic’s Claude would be better choices. Even better would be for Apple to allow users to choose – gasp! – which AI model they’d like to underpin Siri.
Regardless of what Apple chooses, they will at least be safely behind Apple’s privacy wall.
The issues are: Google’s Gemini is not the best and everyone knows it, Google has a poor reputation for privacy that will tarnish Apple’s, and Google, hello, ripped off the iPhone with Android. Enough with the Google, Apple!
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