Apple CEO Tim Cook is touring Shanghai, China this week, meeting with retail employees, suppliers, developers, the film industry, and others. He has been sharing photos from his trip on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
Cook's visit is timed with the upcoming grand opening of Apple's new Jing'an store in Shanghai on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. local time.
"Located next to the landmark Jing'an Temple, Apple Jing'an is a must-see destination in Shanghai," said Apple. "Approaching the store through a grove of maple trees that line the upper plaza, visitors are treated to a stunning view of the temple. As customers descend down the stairs, they pass by terracing, double-curved walls that extend forward in a circle to form amphitheater seating that will host Today at Apple sessions specially created for Apple Jing'an to celebrate the community and its creators."
A custom wallpaper with a flower-like Apple logo is available for download for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the store's page.
Those who attend the grand opening of Apple Jing'an will receive a custom tote bag, pin, and Apple logo sticker, according to Michael Steeber's weekly newsletter about Apple's retail stores. His newsletter provides a closer look at the store's design.
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch.
Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More
Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by Juli Clover
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released.
iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available.
Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.
A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
Thursday January 29, 2026 2:40 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
On an earnings call with equity analysts today, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to fast-rising RAM and SSD storage chip prices in the supply chain.
Prices for RAM and NAND storage chips are surging lately due to high demand from companies building out AI servers, resulting in supply constraints.
Cook said that rising memory chip prices had a "minimal impact" on Apple's gross margin in the...
In 2018, Apple moved its iCloud operations and encryption keys to China. In 2020, Apple opened its first cyber security-based data center in Guizhou, which hosted iCloud services to comply with a new ruling requiring companies to store data in China. The data center is owned and operated by the Chinese government, and state employees manage it and have direct access to the data. They also censor apps to please the government.
In 2018, Apple moved its iCloud operations and encryption keys to China. In 2020, Apple opened its first cyber security-based data center in Guizhou, which hosted iCloud services to comply with a new ruling requiring companies to store data in China. The data center is owned and operated by the Chinese government, and state employees manage it and have direct access to the data. They also censor apps to please the government.
Much privacy, Mr. Cook.
I don't get it. So basically Chinese asked to control their own data. What's wrong with that? I can imagine some Chinese politicians love apple but don't want their icloud backup accessible by CIA. I am pretty sure it's just for Chinese icloud accounts
