2026-04-18 04:01:35
Anthropic today launched Claude Design, a new AI product for creating designs, prototypes, slides, and more. Claude Design uses Opus 4.7, a new AI model that was introduced earlier this week.
2026-04-18 02:48:22
Amazon this week announced plans to acquire Globalstar, the satellite company that powers Apple's satellite features on the iPhone 14 and newer and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. In turn, Amazon announced that it has signed an agreement with Apple to provide satellite connectivity for current and future iPhone and Apple Watch features.
The transaction, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close in 2027. At that point, Apple's features will be powered by Amazon Leo satellites.
Apple's current satellite features:
2026-04-18 00:09:16
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through Apple's upcoming overhaul of the iPad mini and iPad Air, looking at the future of the product lineup as a whole.
2026-04-17 23:37:48
Photos have been making the rounds on Chinese social media today showing an Honor-branded advertising truck parked directly in front of Apple Canton Road store in Hong Kong, promoting the company's new Honor 600 series smartphone.
The truck's ad features the slogan "It's our HONOR" alongside the phrase "orange to orange," which appears to be a play on the English idiom "apples to apples" – referring to a like-for-like comparison. The slogan is paired with an image of the Honor phone, in a finish that bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 17 Pro's Cosmic Orange.
It's a brazen stunt for a brand that spun off from Huawei in 2020 before being sold off to another entity to bypass U.S. sanctions. Using Apple's retail store as a backdrop to pitch your rival device with a similar color is one thing, but when the design is arguably a shameless copy, you're definitely out of ideas.
Apple is unlikely to make a big stink about such guerrilla marketing, as it would only amplify it. And as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
2026-04-17 23:03:17
China's smartphone shipments fell 4% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from Counterpoint Research, with Apple delivering the strongest growth among the top six brands.
Counterpoint's Market Monitor Tracker attributed the decline primarily to a high base effect from last year's government subsidy program and rising component costs. Counterpoint noted that February's Lunar New Year promotions provided a slight boost, but said the "magnitude of these discounts was hampered by a sharp increase in memory costs." Rising costs are already driving up retail prices on both new and used devices, and the pressure is expected to continue through the second quarter.
Apple rose to second place in the market with shipments up 20% year over year, driven by strong iPhone 17 series demand, promotional price cuts, and government subsidies. Counterpoint says Apple is best positioned among manufacturers to navigate the ongoing global memory crunch, supported by its premium product portfolio and supply chain management. The firm expects Apple to absorb rising costs internally in the near-to-medium term and expand its market share as a result. The first quarter result extends a strong run for Apple in China; the company reclaimed the top spot in the country in the fourth quarter of 2025 with shipments up 28% year over year, and recorded a 23% sales increase in the first nine weeks of 2026.
Huawei led with a 20% market share, its highest since the fourth quarter of 2020, with shipments up 2% year over year, aided by domestic supplier relationships that cushion the impact of rising memory costs. OPPO ranked third following the reintegration of realme, with OnePlus rising 53% year over year on the Ace 6 and Turbo 6 series, though OPPO's decision to raise prices on older models in March has weighed on demand. vivo grew 2% year over year on mid-to-low-end strength, while Xiaomi was the sharpest decliner, falling 35% year over year as its core models underperformed the previous generation.
Counterpoint warned that manufacturers broadly face a "double hit" of shrinking shipments and thinning margins, and forecast that China smartphone shipments will decline 9% for the full year. Apple, by contrast, is expected to use the cost pressure to its advantage, absorbing memory price increases internally while rivals are forced to raise prices and cede ground.
2026-04-17 22:45:26
Apple plans to release iPad mini and MacBook Pro models with OLED displays this year, according to industry sources who spoke to South Korea's ETNews.
The current iPad mini and MacBook Pro models have LCD displays with either LED or mini-LED backlighting. The move to OLED technology would result in improved image quality, thanks to richer colors and higher contrast ratio with true blacks.
Samsung will supply the OLED displays for both devices, the report said.
All of the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad Pro models that Apple sells today are already equipped with OLED displays, excluding refurbished models.
Other new features rumored for the next iPad mini include an A19 Pro or an A20 Pro chip, a vibration-based speaker system, and a water-resistant design. Apple will likely announce the device in September or October this year.
For the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, other new features rumored include M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. Apple reportedly plans to release the laptops towards the end of 2026, although there is a chance that the launch will not happen until early 2027.
The report said the iPad Air will also receive an OLED display next year.
