2026-04-28 03:52:02
Apple today announced the launch of a new subscription option for App Store developers: monthly subscriptions with a 12-month commitment. The new option allows developers to offer subscribers discounted pricing typically associated with an annual subscription but paid on a monthly basis to keep payments more affordable.
This new payment option allows you to offer subscribers more affordable options. People can cancel their subscription at any time, which will prevent the subscription from renewing after they've completed their agreed-to payments to fulfill their commitment.Apple says that the new feature provides transparency to users by allowing them to easily view the number of completed and remaining payments they've made toward their annual commitment. Apple will also send email and optional push notifications ahead of renewals.
2026-04-28 02:05:57
Spotify today launched a new Fitness hub, bringing over 1,400 on-demand Peloton workout classes to Premium subscribers alongside a range of free content from independent wellness creators.
The Peloton classes span strength, cardio, yoga, pilates, barre, meditation, stretching, and outdoor run and walk, and require no specialist equipment. Peloton's bike workouts are not included. The catalog is available in the U.S., UK, Australia, Germany, Austria, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, and Spain, with Spotify saying it will expand to more countries over time.
Both free and Premium subscribers can access curated playlists and content from a range of established wellness creators, including Yoga With Kassandra, Caitlin K'eli Yoga, Sweaty Studio, Chloe Ting, Pilates Body by Raven, Abi Mills Wellness, and Sophiereidfit. The Peloton partnership content, featuring instructors such as Rebecca Kennedy, Ally Love, and Rad Lopez, is available to Premium subscribers only, ad-free.
The Fitness hub includes an onboarding questionnaire that asks users what type of movement they want, how hard they want to push, and their experience level, then generates a personalized starter pack. Classes are primarily in English, with select options in Spanish and German. Offline downloads are supported, and users can switch between watching a class on TV and listening on a phone or smart speaker in audio-only mode.
Nearly 70% of Premium subscribers apparently work out monthly, and there are more than 150 million fitness playlists active on the platform. Fitness and workout content also ranks among the top use cases for the company's recently launched AI-powered Prompted Playlist feature.
The Fitness hub is accessible by searching "fitness" in the Spotify app's Search tab, or via the "Browse all" menu.
2026-04-28 01:07:18
Apple today provided the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after the third beta.
Developers can download the macOS Tahoe 26.5 update by opening up the System Settings app, selecting the General category, and then choosing Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required.
No new features were found in the first three macOS Tahoe 26.5 betas, and it's likely the update primarily focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements.
Update 1:05 pm: The update is now also available to public beta testers.
2026-04-28 01:03:01
Apple today seeded the fourth betas of upcoming iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the third betas.
Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update.
iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 do not include new Siri capabilities, suggesting any Siri updates are being held until iOS 27. The Maps app has a Suggested Places feature for recommending locations to visit nearby based on trends and recent searches, plus Apple is laying the groundwork for ads in the Apple Maps app.
Apple is continuing to test end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users. Apple included the feature in the iOS 26.4 beta, but removed it before the update launched to the public.
In the European Union, Apple is testing proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third-party wearables like earbuds and smartwatches. The functionality will allow third-party wearables to have many of the same features as the Apple Watch and AirPods.
More detail on what's new in iOS 26.5 can be found in our iOS 26.5 beta features guide.
Update 1:05 pm: The update is now also available to public beta testers.
2026-04-28 01:01:00
Apple today provided developers with the fourth betas of upcoming watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5, and visionOS 26.5 betas for testing purposes. The software comes a week after Apple released the third betas for each platform.
The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required.
There's no word on what's in the software as of yet. watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS often get few features in each new beta, with updates primarily focusing on bug fixes and performance improvements. Nothing new was found in the first three betas.
2026-04-28 00:56:26
The IAM Union representing Apple employees in Towson, Maryland today said that it is filing an Unfair Labor Practice charge [PDF] against Apple with the National Labor Relations Board. The union is accusing Apple of unlawful discrimination against unionized workers.
Earlier this month, Apple announced plans to close the Towson Apple Store alongside two other Apple locations in Connecticut and California. The Towson store was the first Apple retail location to unionize in the U.S. back in 2022.
With most store closures, employees are relocated automatically to nearby stores, but Apple said the union rules at the Towson location prevented it from moving the workers to other stores. Apple instead said that Towson employees are "eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement."
The IAM Union said at the time that it was "outraged" by Apple's decision, and that there was nothing in the agreement that prevented employees from being relocated. IAM said Apple's claim was false, and that it raised "serious concerns" that the closure was a "cynical attempt to bust the union."
In today's filing, the IAM Union complained that Apple allowed employees at two non-union stores to transfer to other locations, but forced Towson employees to reapply for positions through the same process as external candidates.
"This is about whether workers are treated fairly under the law or punished for exercising their rights," said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. "Apple is denying union-represented workers the same opportunities it is giving to others -- and doing so because these workers chose to organize. That is discrimination, and it is exactly what federal labor law is designed to prevent."
We strongly disagree with the claims made, and we will continue to abide by the agreement that was negotiated and agreed with the union. We look forward to presenting all of the facts to the NLRB.
