2026-04-23 20:27:06
Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook has named the botched 2012 launch of Apple Maps as his "first really big mistake" in the role, according to a Bloomberg report covering the town hall meeting that was held Tuesday with his recently announced successor, John Ternus.
The Maps app launched with mislabeled landmarks, faulty directions, and a user experience that fell well short of Google Maps at the time. "The product wasn't ready, and we thought it was because we were testing more of local kind of stuff," Cook told staff.
Reflecting on the debacle, Cook said it was "valuable," noting that he expressed regret to users at the time and suggested they use competing navigation apps instead.
From the report:
"We apologized for it, and we said, 'Go use these other apps. They're better than ours.' And that was some humble pie," Cook said. "But it was the right thing for our users. And so it's an example of keeping the user at the center of the decisions that we made."The fallout led to the first major management shake-up of Cook's tenure, with software chief Scott Forstall – a close Steve Jobs collaborator – pushed out in the aftermath. (Fun fact: Forstall was recently invited back to Apple Park to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary.)
Cook added: "Now we've got the best map app on the planet. We learned about persistence, and we did exactly the right thing having made the mistake."
2026-04-23 20:04:05
Apple is expected to bring several camera enhancements to the iPhone 18 Pro models this year, but there have been no fixed rumors suggesting these upgrades will require measurable, visible changes to the device's rear camera plateau. And yet a new series of dummies suggests exactly that.
2026-04-23 19:20:28
Apple Maps has updated its "2026 Formula 1 Tracks Around the World" guide with a dedicated experience for the Miami F1 Gran Prix, which takes place on May 3 and will be streamed exclusively on Apple TV in the United States.
The guide offers an immersive way to explore F1 circuits. It began with Albert Park in Australia, with more 3D circuit experiences to be added as the season progresses.
The Miami experience adds detailed features at key locations in Miami International Autodrome circuit. As spotted by 9to5Mac, there are 3D landmarks for things like grandstands, The Marina, the Pit Building, the Finish Line, and more. The area also includes technical information about the circuit, along with local gates, race entrances, bridges, restrooms, and water stations.
There are also some guides for fans attending the race, such as "A Local's Guide to Miami F1 Race Week" for dining and shopping recommendations, and "Hyperlocal F1 Miami Race Week Spots," for identifying prime viewing locations close to the track.
The 2026 F1 season kicked off in Australia on March 8. Last October, Apple and Formula 1 announced a five-year partnership including exclusive streaming rights in the U.S. The partnership allows Apple TV to provide comprehensive coverage of Formula 1, including all practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix.
2026-04-23 18:39:11
With dummy models of Apple's rumored foldable iPhone now circulating, YouTube channel Max Tech's Vadim Yuryev has shared images and video of the book-style form factor compared to existing Apple devices, giving us a better idea of what to expect when it launches later this year.
The foldable iPhone's inner display is said to have a 4:3 aspect ratio like an iPad, and it will have an iPad mini-sized OLED display when it's opened up. Most rumors say it will be 5.5 inches when closed, and 7.8 inches when open, making it a bit smaller than the 8.3-inch iPad mini (shown behind the dummy in the image above).
Compared to an iPhone 17 Pro Max in landscape orientation, Yurydev says the width of the foldable is basically the same, but it has a 56.9 percent taller display (71 mm vs. 111.5 mm). Yurydev suggests this will provide a more immersive video experience at 16:9 and will be "awesome" for gaming using onscreen controls.
— Vadim Yuryev (@VadimYuryev) April 22, 2026
2026-04-23 05:59:44
Apple appears to be sold out of the base Mac mini, and the machine is listed as “Currently Unavailable” from the Apple Online Store.
The base Mac mini is the model with an M4 chip, 256GB of storage, and 16GB RAM. M4 Mac mini models with upgraded storage are still in stock, as are Mac mini models that are equipped with the M4 Pro chip. Configurations with 24GB RAM are also still available, but some models that use 32GB RAM or higher are out of stock.
When an Apple device goes out of stock, it can be an indication of an imminent refresh, but it’s not clear if that’s the case with the Mac mini. The Mac mini has been in high demand because people are purchasing it to use as a machine to run AI models locally, so it’s possible the shortage is related to demand rather than a sign that an update is coming soon.
Apple is also dealing with RAM shortages caused by a surge in global memory demand that has led to increased RAM pricing. The memory shortages previously caused some higher tier Mac mini and Mac Studio models to go out of stock. Apple removed the 512GB Mac Studio from its online store entirely earlier this year.
Apple is working on M5 and M5 Pro versions of the Mac mini for 2026, but the update may not come until later in the year due to the RAM supply issues.
(Thanks, Max!)
2026-04-23 05:34:00
Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro, which could come as soon as this year. The AirPods are expected to be a variant of the current AirPods Pro, which suggests they won't be called the AirPods Pro 4.
