2026-03-27 03:56:25
Netflix is increasing its prices, with all plans set to get $1 to $2 more expensive. The ad-supported plan is now $8.99 per month, up from $7.99/month, while the Standard plan is $19.99 per month, up from $17.99 per month. Netflix's most expensive Premium plan is $26.99 per month, up from $24.99 per month. Extra member add-on pricing is also increasing by $1.
Prices are increasing for both new and existing Netflix subscribers as of March 26. New members will see the higher prices today, with the pricing rolling out to existing subscribers in the coming weeks. Subscribers will be alerted a month before the new prices are applied to them.
In a statement to Variety, Netflix said that it is updating its pricing because it delivers more value to customers.
Our approach remains the same: We continue offering a range of prices and plans to meet a variety of needs, and as we deliver more value to our members we are updating our prices to enable us to reinvest in quality entertainment and improve their experience by updating our prices.
2026-03-27 03:13:18
Apple plans to allow third-party AI chatbots to integrate with Siri in iOS 27, reports Bloomberg. Apple already has a partnership with OpenAI that lets Siri hand questions off to ChatGPT, but Apple will expand that integration to other companies like Google and Anthropic.
An iPhone user with the Claude or Gemini app installed will be able to send questions to those chatbots, like how the current ChatGPT feature works. Right now, if a user has a question that Siri cannot handle, Siri suggests sending it to ChatGPT. Users can also ask Siri to query ChatGPT.
iPhone users will be able to select which services they want to use inside Siri through "Extensions" options coming to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The options will be available in the Apple Intelligence and Siri section of the Settings app, with Apple providing download links for chatbot apps.
AI apps installed through the App Store will be able to work with Siri, including with Apple's planned Siri app and other Apple Intelligence features. Bloomberg suggests that expanding Siri integration to other chatbots will allow Apple to generate more money from third-party AI subscriptions made through the App Store. AI companies will need to enable support for the new feature in iOS 27.
Apple is still planning for a full Siri overhaul, and it will release its own chatbot version of Siri based on Google's Gemini models. Extensions will simply give users the option to direct requests to their favorite chatbot instead of Siri.
OpenAI will no longer have an exclusive partnership with Apple when the change is made in iOS 27. While most AI companies have not complained about the Siri ChatGPT integration, Elon Musk's xAI startup sued Apple and OpenAI, accusing the two companies of conspiring to "ensure their continued dominance" in the AI market. Musk has been vocal about wanting Grok to be available on the iPhone alongside ChatGPT.
Apple has been considering allowing other companies to integrate with Siri for some time, and it was previously working on a deal that would allow Siri to hand queries to Gemini.
Apple plans to announce the new Siri and the third-party integration option when it unveils iOS 27 at the June 8 WWDC 2026 keynote.
2026-03-27 03:02:23
Apple today began notifying students who won the WWDC 2026 Swift Student Challenge, held from February 6 to February 28. Students who entered the challenge can sign into the website to see their status.
Apple did not say how many winners it chose this year, but in prior years, the company selected a total of 350 winners. Those who win the Swift Student Challenge are eligible to enter Apple's lottery for the WWDC 2026 special event that will take place at Apple Park on Monday, June 8. Apple is also gifting winners an achievement certificate, AirPods Max 2 and a free one-year Apple Developer membership.
Apple is inviting students and developers to enter to attend the Apple Park event, but space is limited, so attendees are selected through a lottery process. There is no fee associated with the event, but attendees must pay for their own travel and accommodations.
Some of the Swift Student Challenge entrants will be named Distinguished Winners, and will be invited to Cupertino, California for three-day Apple Park experience. Students will attend the keynote meetup and will have additional opportunities to interface with Apple engineers and employees. Distinguished Winners do not need to enter the lottery to visit Apple Park.
Swift Student Challenge winners unable to attend the Apple Park event can follow along with Apple's WWDC announcements through the Apple Developer website and the Apple Developer app.
Apple holds the Swift Student Challenge annually, tasking students with developing an innovative coding project using Xcode or Swift Playground. Apple said it was selecting winners that demonstrate "excellence in innovation, creativity, social impact, or inclusivity."
WWDC 2026 will take place from Monday, June 8 to Friday, June 12.
2026-03-27 02:21:11
In addition to indicating that a new full-sized HomePod is in the works, and that the foldable iPhone will likely ship later than the iPhone 18 Pro models this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said he does not expect any major design changes for the next-generation Apple Watch models coming later this year.
Gurman revealed all of this information in a live Q&A call today on the Bloomberg website, where listeners were invited to ask him anything about Apple.
Over the years, there were rumors about everything from a radically redesigned "Apple Watch X" to a new style of watch band that attaches magnetically, but nothing like that has ever materialized. And based on Gurman's latest commentary, it sounds like the next Apple Watch will continue to look more or less the same this year.
Of course, the Apple Watch Ultra did usher in an all-new design when it launched in 2022, but that model has only received iterative design changes since.
A redesign is not necessary just for the sake of change, but users who are looking forward to something new might have to be patient, as it was recently rumored that a major Apple Watch redesign will not arrive for at least two more years.
2026-03-27 02:05:40
The new foldable iPhone won't ship to customers in the same September timeframe as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said today in a Q&A session.
Apple will likely ship the iPhone Fold to customers after the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max come out in September, but Gurman did not provide a specific availability timeline.
Earlier this month, Barclays analyst Tim Long suggested that the foldable iPhone won't ship until December, suggesting a roughly three-month delay between the iPhone Fold and the iPhone 18 Pro models. Apple has done a split launch before, shipping one model later than another. When the iPhone X launched in 2017, it shipped out in November, while the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus introduced alongside it came out in September as usual.
It is entirely possible Apple will ship the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September and then follow it with the iPhone Fold sometime between September and the end of the year. Back in December, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone Fold would be in short supply, suggesting manufacturing difficulties. Kuo expects supply constraints into 2027, and supply problems or manufacturing issues could explain why Apple would delay the iPhone Fold's shipment date.
Even if Apple does plan to ship the iPhone Fold after September, we can still expect to see it introduced during the annual iPhone event that will feature the iPhone 18 Pro models. Apple will likely announce all three phones at once, and then bring them to customers when they're ready.
2026-03-27 00:30:50
On a live Q&A call today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is planning to release a new full-sized HomePod alongside new HomePod mini and Apple TV models.
Gurman reiterated that updates to all three products are on hold until Apple releases its more personalized version of Siri later this year. The revamped assistant is expected to debut in iOS 27, which will be available in beta starting in June and should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September.
Accordingly, new HomePod, HomePod mini, and Apple TV models should be released this year.
In his Power On newsletter last weekend, Gurman said new versions of the Apple TV and HomePod mini at a minimum have been "ready" since last year, and on the call today he explicitly said "yes" to a new full-sized HomePod coming as well.
Inventory of the Apple TV, HomePod mini, and full-sized HomePod is once again "running low" at Apple's retail stores around the world.
Earlier rumors claimed the next Apple TV would be equipped with the A17 Pro chip, which is the oldest chip that supports Apple Intelligence. The device is also expected to feature Apple's N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.
As for the HomePod mini, it is expected to use an Apple Watch's S9 chip or newer, but it is not entirely clear how that chip would be capable enough to support the revamped Siri powered by Apple Intelligence. Other rumored features include the N1 chip, improved sound quality, a newer Ultra Wideband chip, and a red color option.
The current Apple TV 4K debuted in October 2022, and the HomePod mini was introduced in October 2020, so both devices are due for upgrades.
The full-sized HomePod was last updated in January 2023. There have been no rumored upgrades for it yet beyond support for the revamped Siri.
