2026-04-02 06:21:35
For its 50th anniversary celebration, Apple invited The Wall Street Journal's Ben Cohen to Apple Park to meet up with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
We were using that generation's smart phone, and it was such an awful experience. And I love the fact that all of a sudden you had this touch interface, and it worked like your mind worked.
Today officially marks Apple's 50th anniversary. And as we've celebrated that milestone this month, I've been reflecting on some powerful words from Steve.
"When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is," he said. "But life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. You can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."
This is the ethos that brought Apple into the world in 1976--and for fifty years, it's what has drawn the smartest, most passionate, most creative and most committed people to this company.
We come here to do the best work of our lives, and to reach beyond what any of us could do alone. To be part of a culture that asks us to stay curious, to collaborate deeply, to demand excellence of ourselves and the people around us, and to believe--genuinely believe--that we can do the impossible.
Across our teams and across generations, we've been united by a simple belief: the future isn't something you wait for. It's something you build. And it is staggering to think of everything we've built together.
Fifty years ago, there was a single computer prototype in a garage. Today, there are 2.5 billion active Apple devices in the hands of people in every corner of the earth - helping them create, communicate, learn and connect in ways that would have seemed unimaginable then.
It's impossible to fully quantify the profound impact this company and its people have had on the world. And it's a truly special thing to do what we do every day, knowing that our work is squarely focused on empowering people and enriching their lives.
Whether you joined this year or have been here for dozens of years, I hope you take a minute to reflect on how much your work means. Thank you.
Thank you for pushing yourselves further than you thought you could go. Thank you for believing in our mission and holding fast to our values. Thank you for dedicating yourself to something so much bigger than any one of us.
As extraordinary as it is to reflect on the past fifty years, what excites me most is what comes next. The opportunities ahead of us are among the greatest we have ever seen - and there's no team in the world better positioned to meet them.
Thank you for everything and here's to the next fifty years.
2026-04-02 05:43:41
Apple today updated the Sports app for iPhone to add more 2026 FIFA World Cup content. Soccer fans are now able to view complete tournament groupings and follow their favorite national teams in the app. This is the first 48-team World Cup and a departure from the traditional 32-team format.
Following teams allows Apple Sports users to get real-time score updates and stats, plus there is support for Live Activities for tracking games. Apple says that it's easier than ever for fans to stay up to date on the tournament action when it begins on June 11.
The Apple Sports app lets users follow their favorite teams, tournaments, and leagues, with tools for navigating between scores and upcoming games, viewing play-by-play and lineup details, and tapping into the Apple TV app to watch live events.
Apple Sports includes support for more than 30 of the top soccer leagues and tournaments across North America, Latin America, and Europe.
The Apple Sports app is free to download from the App Store.
2026-04-02 05:02:15
Apple's CEO Tim Cook has maintained a working relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, and he touched on that in a recent interview.
Cook sat down with Esquire's Ryan D'Agostino to discuss Apple's 50th anniversary, but he was also asked about how he navigates the Trump administration.
Cook responded by saying that "the Trump administration is very accessible."
"So you can talk with them about your point of view on things," said Cook. "They may not agree, but you can engage. You can be heard. You may not, in the end, be able to convince. But engagement for me, not just in the U.S. but around the world, is so important because it is very complex, working through local laws, local customs, local culture, local regulations. Every country is its own story. Everybody's looks at things differently."
"The only way you get a feel for that is to sit before someone and communicate and engage," he added. "If you went in my conference room, you would see the Teddy Roosevelt quote 'It is not the critic who counts.' I've never believed that just yelling from the sideline about plus or minus was a good strategy. Your voice just goes into the wind."
Cook went on to say that it is important to have "values that are consistent," and he assured that Apple's values and his own have not changed.
He emphasized Apple's focus on user privacy, the environment, accessibility, and education.
"So you'll see me everywhere, and you'll wonder 'oh, he's meeting with somebody that has a different view than him,'" Cook concluded. "I think that's good. I think it's good. I think a problem in the world right now is that it's so polarized and different views aren't shared or discussed. They just become hardened. And I don't think that's good."
In an interview last month, Cook said he is "not a political person."
"I interact on policy, not politics," he said.
2026-04-02 05:01:58
Apple's final product in (PRODUCT)RED is no longer available, as the iPhone 14 Silicone Case in that color was marked as sold out on its online store last month.
Since 2006, Apple has partnered with the (RED) brand to raise money for The Global Fund, an organization that aims to combat diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Africa. Through this partnership, Apple had long offered a (PRODUCT)RED option for some products, but the color is no longer available at all.
While the (PRODUCT)RED era is over for now, the color could always make a return one day. The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will reportedly be available in a "deep red" finish, but this might look more like burgundy than bright red, so it remains to be seen if Apple revives the (PRODUCT)RED brand for that.
(RED) was co-founded by U2 singer Bono, and Apple's partnership with the brand goes back to the Steve Jobs days. Apple continues to support The Global Fund through its annual Apple Pay donation program, which raised $3 million last year. So, PRODUCT(RED) is over for now, but Apple's partnership with (RED) remains alive.
Apple offered a variety of iPod, iPhone, and Apple Watch models in (PRODUCT)RED over the years, with some of the most recent products available in the color being the iPhone SE 3, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 9. A variety of iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, and other accessories also came in the color.
2026-04-02 04:50:03
Apple has tested an updated iPhone keyboard with autocorrect enhancements, according to a report this week from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The report said the keyboard "expands autocorrect by offering alternative words," similar to tools like Grammarly. "It suggests alternative words in addition to word fixes like today's autocorrect," said Gurman, in a follow-up social media post.
Grammarly evolved to use AI in recent years, so perhaps the iPhone keyboard's expanded autocorrect system would be powered by Apple Intelligence. The report did not provide any further details, so we will have to wait and see.
Gurman briefly touched on the keyboard plans in a report focused on how Siri may be able to handle multiple requests in a single query on iOS 27.
Apple has not made a final decision on whether to release the updated keyboard, according to Gurman, but it would presumably debut as part of iOS 27 as well if it does materialize. The first developer beta of iOS 27 is expected to be released in June, and the software update should be widely released in September.
iOS 26.4 already "improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly," according to Apple's release notes for that update, released last week.
2026-04-02 03:37:01
Apple today updated its vintage and obsolete product page to add the Wi-Fi version of the third-generation iPad Air. Cellular iPad Air 3 models were already on the list, but the Wi-Fi models were sold for a longer period of time, and are now just appearing.
The iPad Air 3 was released in March 2019, five years after the prior-generation iPad Air 2. It was a new iPad in Apple's tablet lineup, featuring the same design as the 2017 iPad Pro with 10.5-inch display, A12 Bionic chip, and support for the first-generation Apple Pencil.
It was one of the last iPads to feature a Lightning port and Home button before Apple transitioned to USB-C, an all-display design, and a Touch ID power button. It's also the last version of the iPad Air that featured white bezels around the display.
Apple discontinued the iPad Air 3 in September 2020 with the launch of the iPad Air 4. Some devices had an issue with screen flickering flashing, or dying, leading to a recall program where Apple replaced affected models for up to two years from the purchase date.
Apple adds a product to its "vintage" list when it has been five years since it was last distributed for sale, and then it becomes "obsolete" at the seven-year mark. With vintage products, Apple retail locations and Apple Authorized Service Providers can do repairs if the required parts are available.
Devices that are obsolete are generally not eligible for repair and Apple stops providing repair components.
Earlier this week, Apple added the 13-inch 2017 MacBook Air to its vintage list, and moved the iPad mini 4 and the 32GB Apple TV HD to its obsolete product list.
