Apple and Google today announced that Google Gemini will help power not only a more personalized version of Siri, but a range of future Apple Intelligence features.
"Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," the companies said, in a statement. "These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year."
Apple is "excited about the innovative new experiences" that the partnership will unlock, but the statement did not provide any details about specific features.
It is unclear if Gemini will help power any existing Apple Intelligence features, such as Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Notification Summaries.
Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, with Apple promising industry-leading privacy standards.
The more personalized version of Siri is expected to be introduced with iOS 26.4 in March or April, 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. For example, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.
Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized…
— News from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) January 12, 2026
iOS 26.3 will likely be released to the public later this month, but it appears that Apple is preparing to push out another software update in the interim.
Apple's software engineers have started testing iOS 26.2.1, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The update will likely be released at some point this week or next week.
iOS 26.2.1 should be a minor update with bug fixes and/or security patches.
iOS 26.3 is expected to follow in late January, with key new features in that update so far including a new iPhone-to-Android transfer tool, Notification Forwarding for third-party smartwatches in the EU, and more.
Satechi announced a few products at CES last week, and to mark the launch it's providing a 20 percent discount on these devices for early adopters. You can use the code CES2026 at checkout to get 20 percent off all five of Satechi's newest products.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Satechi. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Satechi's new CES 2026 products include two wireless keyboards, a wireless mouse, Thunderbolt 5 cable, and Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock with SSD Enclosure. All items in this sale are available to purchase and ship now, with the exception of the Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock, which is up for pre-order with an estimated shipping date of late March.
Additionally, Satechi is hosting a "last chance" sale this week, with up to 30 percent off accessories with a limited supply remaining. In this sale you'll find discounts on MagSafe-compatible wireless charging pads, Thunderbolt docks, and more.
CES 2026 Sale
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"After careful evaluation, we determined that Google's technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we're excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users," the statement said.
The report explicitly mentioned that Google Gemini will power Siri, as was expected. Apple's decision to lean on Google's artificial intelligence technology should result in the revamped Siri being more capable and advanced than it otherwise would have been, as Gemini's large language model is significantly larger than Apple's own model.
Apple first announced the personalized Siri features during its WWDC 2024 keynote, but last year it announced that they were delayed. The new capabilities will include better understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. For example, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.
Update: Apple and Google today announced that Gemini will help power not only a more personalized version of Siri, but a range of future Apple Intelligence features.
Amazon today has a few models of Apple's M4 Mac mini on sale at low prices, starting at $499.99 for the model with 16GB RAM/256GB SSD, down from $599.00. Discounts reach up to $129 off in these sales, and this time around there is also a discount on the M4 Pro model.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In terms of the 16GB/256GB SSD model, this is a solid second-best price. You can also get the M4 Mac mini with 16GB RAM/512GB SSD for $689.99, down from $799.00, and the model with 24GB RAM/512GB SSD for $889.99, down from $999.00.
Apple last updated the Mac mini in late 2024, introducing a redesigned computer that's smaller than the previous generation and featuring the M4 and M4 Pro chips. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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A detailed new report from SemiAnalysis argues that while Apple's partnership with TSMC created the modern leading-edge foundry model, the rapid rise of AI computing is changing who pays for new chip technologies and how much influence Apple holds over each new manufacturing node.
The report traces how Apple became the single most important customer in the global semiconductor industry by committing early and at scale to new manufacturing processes at TSMC, beginning with the A8 chip in 2014. It argues that Apple's willingness to absorb early costs, fund yield improvements, and align its annual product cycle with TSMC's roadmap allowed the foundry to outpace rivals and cement its dominance at the leading edge.
Apple's annual spending at TSMC grew from roughly $2 billion in 2014 to about $24 billion in 2025, while Apple's share of TSMC revenue rose from single digits to as much as 25% at its peak. For much of the past decade, Apple accounted for more than half of initial production at each new node, and in some cases nearly all of it, effectively underwriting the financing of advanced manufacturing when no other customer could do so at scale.
However, the rise of AI accelerators has created a second class of customers, such as NVIDIA, who are capable of consuming large amounts of advanced manufacturing capacity. TSMC's revenue mix has shifted significantly as a result.
Smartphones once represented nearly half of TSMC's revenue, but that share has fallen as high-performance computing demands, including AI, have grown to become the largest segment. This means Apple is no longer the only customer capable of funding new capacity, even though it remains the largest single customer by revenue.
This change is said to already be visible with upcoming manufacturing nodes. Apple's share of early production for TSMC's N2 and A16 nodes is expected to be lower than previous generations, the latter of which is designed for high-performance computing workloads rather than mobile devices.
Under SemiAnalysis's modeling, Apple's position strengthens again at later nodes such as A14, which are being designed from the start to support both mobile and high-performance products. In that scenario, Apple's share of early capacity rises again as its iPhone and Mac chips return to being the primary drivers of volume.
While Apple continues to rely on TSMC for its most advanced chips, SemiAnalysis says the company is exploring alternatives for lower-risk components and certain categories to diversify its supply chain. Intel's upcoming 18A-P process is a potential option for some Apple silicon without disrupting flagship products.
See SemiAnalysis's full report for more information.
Google has confirmed that its Chrome 150 browser update coming later this year will be the last version to support macOS Monterey. Going forward, Chrome 151 and later versions will no longer support macOS 12, which Apple released in October 2021.
In a platform status update, Google says that on Macs running Monterey, Chrome 150 will continue to work, but the browser will display a warning infobar and will not update any further. For new installations of Chrome 151+, macOS 13 or newer will be required.
Google has not announced an exact release date for Chrome 150. But based on the current stable channel being at version 143 and that Google typically releases major new Chrome versions roughly every four weeks, Chrome 150 is likely to be rolled out sometime around mid-2026.
To stay up-to-date with the latest browsing standards and to maintain online security, users on Monterey should update their macOS version, or choose another third-party browser like Firefox that is still receiving updates for their version of macOS.
Apple emerged as the global smartphone market leader in 2025, capturing a 20% market share with 10% year-over-year shipment growth – the highest among the top five brands, according to data released today by Counterpoint Research.
Global smartphone shipments grew 2% year-over-year in 2025, marking the second consecutive year of growth. Counterpoint said the market was driven by more consumers taking advantage of financing options to upgrade to premium devices, as well as increasing adoption of 5G devices in emerging markets.
Samsung ranked second behind Apple with a 19% market share and modest 5% shipment growth, while Xiaomi retained third place with 13% share.
"Apple's growth in 2025 was driven by its expanding presence and rising demand across emerging and mid-size markets, supported by a stronger product mix," said Counterpoint senior analyst Varun Mishra.
"The iPhone 17 series gained significant traction in Q4 following its successful launch, while the iPhone 16 continued to perform exceptionally well in Japan, India and Southeast Asia."
Apple's performance was said to have been amplified by the pandemic-era upgrade cycle reaching an inflection point, with millions of users due for device replacement. In Q4 2025, Apple accounted for one-quarter of global shipments, its highest-ever quarterly share, according to the report.
While U.S. tariff concerns prompted manufacturers to front-load shipments in the first half of the year, the impact actually proved milder than anticipated, and the effects on second-half volumes were limited.
However, Counterpoint's outlook for 2026 is more conservative. "The global smartphone market is set to soften in 2026 amid DRAM/NAND shortages and rising component costs, as chipmakers prioritize AI data centers over smartphones," said Counterpoint research director Tarun Pathak. The firm has subsequently revised its 2026 forecast downward by 3%, although Apple and Samsung are expected to remain resilient thanks to their stronger supply chain capabilities.
Apple and other smartphone manufacturers are resisting an Indian government proposal that would require them to hand over source code for security review, reports Reuters.
The proposal is included in a package of 83 security standards that India is considering as legal requirements, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to boost security of user data following increases in online fraud and data breaches in the country.
Beyond routine measures like notifying the government of major updates and storing security audit logs, the standards would force manufacturers to hand over source code to government-designated labs to check for vulnerabilities.
Apple, Google, Samsung, Xiaomi, and industry group MAIT have all reportedly objected, citing a lack of global precedent and concerns about revealing proprietary details.
The standards were originally drafted in 2023 but are only now under government consideration. Tech company executives are expected to meet Tuesday to discuss the matter.
IT secretary S. Krishnan told Reuters the government will address legitimate concerns "with an open mind," adding it was "premature to read more" into the proposals.
The country's IT ministry also said it "refutes the statement" that it is considering seeking source code from smartphone makers, despite the requirement appearing in the government documents reviewed by Reuters.
A ministry spokesperson told the news organization it could not comment further due to ongoing consultation with tech companies on the proposals.
Apple in December resisted an Indian government directive that would require all iPhones sold in the country to ship with a preinstalled state-run security app. The government ultimately decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for manufacturers after protests from privacy advocates, political opposition, and industry pushback.
Amazon and Best Buy this weekend have all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you'll find four of the 42mm GPS models on sale at this all-time low price, and three of the 46mm GPS models on sale.
If you're shopping for cellular models, you can find record low prices on multiple models this week on Amazon. The 42mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 has hit $399.00, down from $499.00, and the 46mm cellular model has hit $429.00, down from $529.00.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
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Even without any announcements from Apple, CES dominated tech news this week with a host of upcoming products and technologies being demonstrated at the annual expo in Las Vegas.
Other news in the Apple world this week included official word that the Apple Card will shift from Goldman Sachs to Chase, while iOS 26 appears to be showing extremely slow adoption rates amid the controversial Liquid Glass redesign, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
Top Stories
CES 2026 Hub: Highlights From the Show
The annual consumer electronics show CES was once again held this week in Las Vegas. AI and robots were some of the high-profile areas of focus this year, and even though Apple itself doesn't officially attend the show, we still saw a variety of more traditional products that are always popular with Apple fans.
One of the products shown at the show that appears to be more directly relevant to Apple came from Samsung, which briefly showed off its new crease-less foldable OLED display panel. The panel is rumored to be destined for Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone expected to debut later this year.
Another item at CES that has proven popular is the Clicks Communicator, a new Android smartphone intended to be carried as a second phone for focus on communication rather than consumption, with Clicks calling it akin to a Kindle's relationship to the iPad.
Usage data published by StatCounter for January 2026 indicates that only around 15 to 16% of active iPhones worldwide are running any version of iOS 26. Historical comparisons highlight how atypical this adoption curve appears. StatCounter data from January 2025 shows that roughly 63% of iPhones were running some version of iOS 18 about four months after its release. In January 2024, iOS 17 had reached approximately 54% adoption over a similar timeframe, while iOS 16 surpassed 60% adoption by January 2023.
Logitech Blames 'Inexcusable Mistake' After Certificate Expiry Breaks macOS Apps
Logitech devices like the MX Master series mice and MX Keys keyboards stopped working properly as a result of the oversight, with users unable to access their custom scrolling setup, button mappings, and gestures. It wasn't long before the Logitech subreddit was awash with frustrated reports as people discovered their configured peripherals had suddenly reverted to default settings.
Logitech quickly issued updates to address the issue, but they require a manual update as the problem left the auto-updating feature unusable since the apps were unable to open.
OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Health With Apple Health Integration
OpenAI this week announced the launch of ChatGPT Health, a dedicated section of ChatGPT where users can ask health-related questions completely separated from their main ChatGPT experience.
For more personalized responses, users can connect various health data services such as Apple Health, Function, MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, AllTrails, Instacart, and Peloton. Once connected to Apple Health, ChatGPT will be able to access your health and fitness data, including movement, sleep, and activity patterns.
Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. The Taiwanese research firm says this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing."
TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more affordable MacBook, which is expected to be equipped with a version of the iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip. Apple is expected to release the laptop by March or April of this year.
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the MacBook Pro, unveiled by Steve Jobs as a "One More Thing" segment at the end of his Macworld San Francisco keynote on January 10, 2006.
The MacBook Pro was an evolution of the previous PowerBook as the professional-level laptop in Apple's lineup, but with the shift from PowerPC chips to Intel Core chips, Apple decided to launch a rebrand. The MacBook Pro was initially available only in a 15-inch size, with a 17-inch model following a few months later. A 13-inch aluminum MacBook debuted in October 2008, and after just one generation it was folded into the MacBook Pro lineup in 2009.
The original MacBook Pro came in two configurations, both with 15.4-inch widescreen displays at a resolution of 1,440 × 900 pixels. As announced, the entry-level model priced at $1,999 featured a 1.67GHz Core Duo processor, 512MB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM, and an 80GB hard drive, while the higher-end model priced at $2,499 offered a faster 1.83GHz Core Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 100GB hard drive.
By the time the MacBook Pro started shipping a month later, however, Apple had already upgraded the available Core Duo chips to 1.83GHz in the base model and 2.0GHz in the high-end configuration, while also introducing an even higher-end 2.16GHz build-to-order option.
With its lengthy 20-year history, the MacBook Pro has gone through a lot of changes over its lifetime, adopting key features like a built-in webcam, MagSafe power connector, aluminum unibody construction, high-resolution Retina displays, and more.
Other features were not so well received, including the revolutionary Touch Bar in place of traditional function keys and the butterfly-mechanism keyboard that proved prone to failures and resulted in an extended repair program and multiple class action lawsuits.
In 2020, the 13-inch MacBook Pro was one of three Apple products, alongside the MacBook Air and the Mac mini, to receive the M1 chip, marking a generational shift for Apple away from Intel processors and into its own custom Apple silicon. The move freed Apple up from having to follow the cadence of Intel chip releases, and it allowed Apple to further tighten the integration between hardware and software, leading to significant leaps in performance and efficiency.
Looking toward the future, the next big revolution for the MacBook Pro appears to be coming fairly soon, with rumors indicating we should see a major redesign for the higher-end models with OLED displays, touchscreen support, and perhaps an iPhone-like Dynamic Island cutout in the display in either late 2026 or early 2027. Apple is said to also be planning for thinner and lighter designs, making Apple's most powerful laptops even more portable.
Three years later, Apple is now on the verge of ending support for the old version of the Home architecture, which may result in access to the entire Home platform being blocked for some users if they do not or cannot update. The deadline for updating was originally announced as fall 2025, but in early November, Apple announced that it was pushing back the deadline to February 10, 2026.
It appears Apple will be sticking with that deadline, as the company is sending out fresh reminder emails today to users who have yet to upgrade to the new version of Apple Home.
This email serves as your second reminder that support for the earlier version of Apple Home will end next month on February 10, 2026.
If you do not update to this new version of Apple Home, your access to your home within the Home app might be blocked, accessories and automations might not work as expected, and you will not receive important security fixes and performance improvements. Updating to the new version of Apple Home can also enable new features, such as guest access, support for robot vacuum cleaners, Activity History, and more.
Users can update to the new version of Apple Home within the Software Update section of Home Settings in the Home app. If you have already completed these steps, or "This home and all accessories are up to date" is shown in Software Update, then you are already on the current version and there is nothing more you need to do.
Notably, the new version of Apple Home requires a minimum of iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, tvOS 16.2, and watchOS 9.2, and older devices that have not been or cannot be updated will lose access to the Apple Home after updating. This requirement has not sat well with some users who may use older devices as dedicated Home control devices, so many of these users have put off upgrading their Home architecture for as long as possible, but it now appears the reprieve is coming to an end.
In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan, and Edward Markey have requested that Apple and Google remove X Corp's X and Grok apps from their app stores over recent incidents of "mass generation of nonconsensual sexualized images of women and children."
X has come under fire over the past week amid reports of Grok's AI image generation capabilities being used to create images depicting women and children in bikinis or underwear. In response, X appears to have scaled back the ability for Grok to generate images in response to X posts by non-paying users, but The Verge notes that the tools remain available to paying subscribers and through the dedicated Grok tab in the X and in the standalone Grok app.
The senators argue that the "harmful and likely illegal depictions" are in violation of Apple's and Google's app store terms and that the two companies must remove the apps until the policy violations are addressed.
. . . Apple's terms of service bar apps from including "offensive" or "just plain creepy" content, which under any definition must include nonconsensually-generated sexualized images of children and women. Further, Apple's terms explicitly bar apps from including content that is "[o]vertly sexual or pornographic material" including material "intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings."
Turning a blind eye to X's egregious behavior would make a mockery of your moderation practices. Indeed, not taking action would undermine your claims in public and in court that your app stores offer a safer user experience than letting users download apps directly to their phones. This principle has been core to your advocacy against legislative reforms to increase app store competition and your defenses to claims that your app stores abuse their market power through their payment systems.
The senators request a written response to their letter by January 23.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple this week secured another victory in its ongoing legal dispute with heart monitoring company AliveCor, after a federal appeals court upheld a 2024 ruling that found Apple's changes to the Apple Watch were lawful product improvements rather than anticompetitive behavior.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court decision that rejected AliveCor's antitrust claims. AliveCor had argued that Apple illegally monopolized the market for heart rate analysis apps on watchOS when it replaced its Heart Rate during Physical Observation (HRPO) algorithm with its heart rate neural network (HRNN) algorithm in watchOS 5.
AliveCor claimed that Apple changed the algorithm so that its ECG KardiaBand could no longer identify irregular heart rhythms – as part of an alleged effort to "eliminate opposition" in the heart rate analysis space – and requested that it reinstate the old algorithm.
Apple argued that AliveCor did not have the right to dictate Apple's design decisions, and that the request to support the older heart rate technology would require the court to be a day-to-day enforcer of how Apple engineers its products. The court ultimately agreed with Apple.
The Ninth Circuit has now affirmed Apple's victory. "The undisputed evidence shows as a matter of law that Apple's refusal to share HRPO data was not anticompetitive," the court wrote. It added that even if some form of heart rate data access were essential for competing in the market, AliveCor's claim would still fail because Apple provides app developers with access to the same Tachogram API data that Apple's Irregular Rhythm Notification feature uses.
The appeals court also rejected AliveCor's argument that Apple had a duty to share its proprietary data with competitors. The ruling said that antitrust laws generally impose no obligation for companies to deal with their rivals. It also noted that such a requirement "would implicate the same concerns regarding incentives to innovate and judicial competency that the Supreme Court has articulated."
The decision is Apple's second major win against AliveCor within the last year. In March, the Federal Circuit confirmed the invalidation of three AliveCor patents related to heart rate monitoring, vacating an International Trade Commission ruling that could have led to an Apple Watch import ban.
AliveCor said at the time of the court's original ruling that it was "deeply disappointed" by the decision and would continue to explore all available legal options, including potential appeals.
We tracked big discounts during the first full week of 2026, including a new record low price on the Apple Pencil Pro and pre-order discounts on Anker's just-announced collection of Nano chargers. Below you'll also find solid discounts on iPad mini 7, AirPods 4, and M5 MacBook Pro.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Anker
What's the deal? Save on Anker's newest Nano chargers and more
Anker announced a new series of products at CES this week, and most of them will begin rolling out to customers later in January. A few of these devices, including the Nano Docking Station and 45W Nano Charger, have pre-order discounts on Anker's website, and we're also tracking big discounts in Anker's New Year's sale.
Apple Pencil Pro is available for its all-time low price of $92.97 this week on Amazon, down from $129.00. This beats the price we tracked over the holiday season by about $2, and right now it's only available on Amazon.
Amazon and Best Buy have a few discounts on the iPad mini 7 for the New Year, starting at $389.99 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $499.00. You'll also find a few deals on cellular models during this sale.
AirPods 4
What's the deal? Take up to $99 off AirPods Max and AirPods 4
This week we tracked a few AirPods deals, including $29 off AirPods 4 and $99 off AirPods Max. Both of these are solid second-best prices on each model, and we haven't seen best-ever prices on these yet in 2026.
M5 MacBook Pro
What's the deal? Take up to $199 of M5 MacBook Pro
Amazon this week dropped the price of the new M5 MacBook Pro to $1,449.00, down from $1,599.00. This is the 10-Core model with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD, and it's a solid second-best price on the M5 MacBook Pro.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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The Unicode Consortium has published a draft list of emoji that could come to smartphones and other devices in the future. The list shared by Emojipedia outlines 19 emoji candidates under consideration for Emoji 18.0, which is expected to be finalized in September 2026.
Among the proposed additions are a squinting face emoji, left- and right-pointing thumb gestures, a pickle, a lighthouse, a meteor, an eraser, and a net with a handle. The draft list also includes a monarch butterfly emoji, providing a more specific alternative to the existing generic butterfly.
Along with the 9 new emoji concepts, Emoji 18.0 would (if approved as currently proposed) add 10 additional skin tone variants tied to two of the base emoji. This would bring the total number of recommended emoji characters close to 4,000.
Emojipedia has shared sample artwork for many of the candidates, but Apple designers will need to create their own version of each character in the Apple style if the emoji are ultimately approved. As with previous draft lists, the proposed lineup is not final and may change during Unicode's review process.
Apple will need to roll out its own versions of the new emoji through software updates, so the new characters would likely arrive on iPhone in late 2026 or early 2027, as part of iOS 27.
Apple has consistently adopted new Unicode emoji in past software releases, and previously announced Unicode 17 additions are expected to come to Apple devices with the release of iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, macOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4 in March or April this year.
The iPhone Fold will be the first Apple device to adopt a Samsung-made OLED technology called CoE (Color Filter on Encapsulation), which could make the display brighter and thinner than previous panels, reports The Elec.
In a traditional OLED panel, a polarizing film sits above the display to cut reflections and improve contrast. The drawback is that this film also absorbs some of the OLED's own light, reducing brightness and efficiency. With CoE, Apple would remove the polarizer entirely and instead apply the color filter directly onto the OLED's protective encapsulation layer.
The result would be a thinner display stack that lets more light through, delivering higher brightness without requiring more power. Removing layers would also mean less thickness overall, potentially contributing to a slimmer iPhone design.
According to The Elec, Apple plans to debut CoE with its foldable iPhone, which could launch as soon as late 2026, before expanding the technology to the iPhone Air 2 in 2027. The latter's release has reportedly been pushed back following weaker-than-expected sales of the original iPhone Air.
Whether CoE will be applied and whether the iPhone Air 2 will be released will be decided by the third quarter of this year, according to industry sources cited by the Korean-language report.
Samsung, meanwhile, plans to apply CoE not only to its foldable Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip models, but also to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, expected in the first quarter of this year. The S26 Ultra will be Samsung's first non-foldable smartphone to use the technology, which the company refers to internally as OCF (On-Cell Film).
Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a ~5.5-inch outer display and a ~7.8-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.
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Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
