Earlier this month, WarnerMedia announced the upcoming launch of a new ad-supported tier for HBO Max, which has debuted today. Priced at $9.99 per month, the ad-supported tier is $5 less than the $14.99 monthly cost of the standard HBO Max subscription.
HBO Max is designed to feature the "lightest ad load in the streaming industry" for its ad-supported tier, and it will include access to all HBO Max original programming plus the back catalog of content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC, Turner Classic Movies, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, and more.
The ad-supported tier does not include access to same-day premiere film releases from Warner Bros., which will require a full $14.99 subscription. Content is also limited to 1080p HD instead of 4K, and the ad-supported tier does not allow shows to be downloaded to watch offline.
In addition to monthly pricing options, the ad-supported tier can be purchased for $99.99 per year, dropping the price to $8.30 per month. The $15 per month tier is priced at $149.99 per year, which equates to $13 per month.
Prospective HBO Max customers who want to subscribe to the ad-supported tier can do so on the HBO Max website.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014.
This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Just like all the streaming services I wait until there is a critical mass of things I want to watch, sign up for a month or two and binge watch everything, cancel, move on the the next service, rinse and repeat. No need for an ad supported cheaper tier when you selectively subscribe.
I can’t even imagine the ads happening in hbo shows I’ve already watched. Literally just imagine GoT Red Wedding episode and the last 20 minutes Flo from progressive and the Google Pixel car crash guy bust in with ads lol!
It would be hilarious, though, if they interrupted the Red Wedding with a tampon ad.
