Hartley Charlton
Hartley is a Senior Editor at MacRumors and co-host of "The MacRumors Show" podcast; he contributes to daily news coverage and writes a wide range of content for the site. Various publications and aggregators often cite Hartley's articles. Additionally, he occasionally appears as a guest on other media outlets, such as the BBC, Al Jazeera, and CBS News, to share his knowledge of the industry.
Having closely followed Apple news and rumors for almost a decade, Hartley joined MacRumors in early 2020 as a Contributing Writer while completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in History at the University of Nottingham. After graduation, he joined us as a full-time Editor. His work at MacRumors has since expanded into several areas beyond news coverage, including buyer's guides, roundups, and occasional product reviews.
In late 2021, Hartley helped launch The MacRumors Show and now co-hosts the popular podcast on a weekly basis, bringing our coverage to a wider audience, with a flare of personal opinion.
Hartley lives in Hertfordshire, England. Beyond technology, his other interests include travel, music, and tennis. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @ihxrtlxy and on Instagram at @hxrtlxy_.
Having closely followed Apple news and rumors for almost a decade, Hartley joined MacRumors in early 2020 as a Contributing Writer while completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in History at the University of Nottingham. After graduation, he joined us as a full-time Editor. His work at MacRumors has since expanded into several areas beyond news coverage, including buyer's guides, roundups, and occasional product reviews.
In late 2021, Hartley helped launch The MacRumors Show and now co-hosts the popular podcast on a weekly basis, bringing our coverage to a wider audience, with a flare of personal opinion.
Hartley lives in Hertfordshire, England. Beyond technology, his other interests include travel, music, and tennis. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @ihxrtlxy and on Instagram at @hxrtlxy_.
Hartley Charlton's Articles
Threads Usage Overtakes X on Mobile
Meta's Threads has now reportedly surpassed its rival X (formerly Twitter) in daily mobile usage globally.
Market intelligence firm Similarweb (via TechCrunch) reports that Threads recorded 141.5 million daily active users across iOS and Android worldwide as of January 7, 2026, compared with 125 million daily active mobile users for X.
The data indicates that Threads crossed ahead of X on ...
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The MacRumors Show: Apple Creator Studio and Gemini-Powered Siri
On this year's first episode of The MacRumors Show, we take a look at CES 2026, Apple Creator Studio, and the confirmation that Google Gemini will power the next-generation version of Siri.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
Following CES 2026, we talk through this year's tech showcase, which saw major announcements related to robotics, AI, and display...
Apple Now Facing Unprecedented Competition for Chip Supply
Apple increasingly has to compete with other companies for chips made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), as surging demand for artificial intelligence reshapes capacity and customer priority.
According to a detailed report published by semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan on his blog Culpium, Apple is no longer guaranteed preferential access to leading-edge manufacturing capacity...
Spotify Increasing Subscription Prices in the US Again
Spotify today announced a price increase in the United States, Estonia, and Latvia, marking the company's third U.S. price increase in less than three years.
The company revealed the changes in a post published on its website earlier today, stating that Premium subscribers in the affected markets will receive an email over the coming month explaining how the new pricing will apply to their...
Apple's Foldable iPhone Rumored to Be Built With Liquid Metal and Improved Titanium
Apple is planning to use advanced liquid metal and improved titanium alloys for its first foldable iPhone, according to new supply-chain information.
According to the Korean Naver user known as "yeux1122," citing a material company source, the hinge used in Apple's first foldable iPhone will be made from liquid metal, an "amorphous" material Apple has been exploring for over 15 years. The...
Apple Struggling With Key Material Shortage as AI Chips Drain Supply
Apple is confronting a newly intensified supply-chain challenge for future chips as the AI boom has created a global shortage of a key material, Nikkei Asia reports.
Apple is said to be struggling to secure sufficient supplies of high-end glass cloth fiber, a material that plays a critical role in the printed circuit boards and chip substrates used in iPhones and other devices. The most...
Kuo: Apple's AI Deal With Google Is Temporary and Buys It Time
Apple is preparing to mass-produce its own AI-focused server chips in the second half of 2026 amid reliance on a short-term partnership with Google to meet immediate AI expectations, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a new post on X, Kuo said that Apple is facing mounting short-term pressure in artificial intelligence that is shaping its current strategy, even as it continues to pursue...
Mac Shipments Were Flat at the End of 2025 as Rival PC Brands Surged
Apple's Mac business ended 2025 with flat year-over-year shipments in the holiday quarter despite a broader rebound in the global PC market, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).
The findings suggest that global PC shipments rose 9.6% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 76.4 million units, exceeding expectations as brands accelerated purchases ahead of...
Apple's Patent Grants Declined in 2025 as Innovation Slows
Apple's U.S. patent activity declined sharply in 2025 amid a broader slowdown in patent filings, according to newly released data from IFI CLAIMS Patent Services.
The data shows that Apple was granted 2,722 U.S. patents in 2025, down from 3,082 in 2024, a year-over-year decline of roughly 12% that pushed the company down two positions to sixth place in IFI's annual ranking of the top 50...
Report: Rise of AI Is Corroding Apple's Influence Over TSMC
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...
iOS 26 Shows Unusually Slow Adoption Months After Release [Updated]
Update: As noted by Nick Heer on his Pixel Envy blog, analytics data is unreliable because Safari on iOS 26 is reporting a different operating system version in the user agent string that analytics services rely on for data. For example, devices on several versions of iOS 26 are reporting themselves as being on iOS 18.7 when using Safari. The relatively low number of mobile devices correctly...
Apple Loses Safari Lead Designer to The Browser Company
Apple has lost another senior figure from its Safari team as a lead designer departs for The Browser Company, extending a pattern of high-profile exits from Apple's browser team amid intensifying competition around AI-driven browsing.
Marco Triverio was a lead designer for Safari and has now joined The Browser Company, the developer of the Arc and Dia browsers. The move was confirmed by The...
CES 2026: Twelve South Unveils Valet Tray With Qi2 and Modular Design
Twelve South today announced a new Valet tray with Qi2-certified wireless charging that combines 15W magnetic charging with a leather-lined catch-all for everyday items.
The Valet features Qi2 wireless charging, delivering up to 15W of power to compatible iPhone models and other Qi2 devices. It also includes a USB-C port capable of supplying up to 15W of power to a second device. It is...
CES 2026: Pioneer Announces First Aftermarket CarPlay Unit With Spatial Audio
Pioneer today announced a new in-dash receiver that supports Dolby Atmos audio playback within Apple CarPlay, extending the feature into the aftermarket category for the first time.
Apple has supported Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio across much of its ecosystem since 2021, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, AirPods, HomePod, and Apple Music. In vehicles, however, Dolby Atmos playback ...
CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users.
UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring
The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch.
The key announcements include:
New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January.
"Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Report: Apple Vision Pro Is Still Failing to Catch On
Apple's Vision Pro headset is still failing to see appeal among consumers, according to a new report from the Financial Times.
Data from IDC claims that Apple shipped 390,000 Vision Pro units in 2024. IDC expected Apple to ship just 45,000 new Vision Pro units in the latest quarter of 2025. The Financial Times stressed that this compares to millions of iPhones, iPads and MacBooks sold each...
No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle.
Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues.
The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
Apple to Give Away Free Limited-Edition AirTag in Japan
Apple this week revealed its annual New Year Sale in Japan, offering Apple Gift Cards worth up to ¥38,000 alongside a free limited-edition AirTag for qualifying iPhone purchases.
The AirTag features a special engraving of a Daruma, a traditional Japanese talisman commonly associated with perseverance, good fortune, and the achievement of goals. The AirTag offer is limited to 65,000 units in ...
