Apple Arcade subscribers will soon get access to one of gaming’s most legendary franchises when Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition arrives on the service February 5, Apple said Wednesday. It’s a first for Apple Arcade, though it joins some other civ- and sim- game options on the App Store.
And other new titles join it at the same time on Apple Arcade: the Retrocade collection of classic arcade games, the whimsical adventure Felicity’s Door and the I Love Hue Too+ puzzle game.
With Google’s Gemini AI working behind the scenes, the next-gen Siri will finally be able to deliver on some of Apple’s promises. The updated voice assistant will be able to answer questions it can’t currently handle, perform everyday tasks like booking travel, and even dabble in the dicey arena of providing emotional support to people during difficult moments.
A new report from The Information sheds additional light on how Apple will use Gemini to improve Siri.
A new leak reiterates Apple’s plan to switch to under-display Face ID on the iPhone 18 Pro models this year. The regular iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 will reportedly stick with displays featuring the Dynamic Island at the top.
The leak also suggests that Apple plans to retain the same display sizes across its 2026 iPhone lineup, mirroring the current-generation models.
Apple made the second betas of iOS 26.3 and macOS 26.3 available to developers on Monday, and then public beta testers on Tuesday. This comes almost a month after the first round, though Apple did test a new security system in early January.
The same goes for iPadOS 26.3 beta 2, watchOS 26.3 beta 2, tvOS 26.3 beta 2 and visionOS 26.3 beta 2.
iPad users will soon have access to a version of the Pixelmator Pro image editing application that previously was a Mac exclusive.
Apple promised that the upcoming tablet version of the application will be a significant step up from the features available in the current basic Pixelmator app for iPad. Plus, it will improve on the Mac version thanks to support for Apple Pencil.
But there’s bad news for users of the current, basic Pixelmator version.
The Mac had a brilliant 2025, with shipments increasing 16.4% year over year. That’s a growth rate none of the computer’s top rivals could match.
It marks the third straight year of annual increases. And the rate could have been higher if Apple didn’t push back the launch of some much-anticipated products.
A new Apple Creator Studio subscription bundles six major professional creative apps into a single monthly or yearly plan. The new bundle, announced Tuesday by Apple, includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage, plus premium artificial intelligence features in other Apple apps.
“There’s never been a more flexible and accessible way to get started with such a powerful collection of creative apps for professionals, emerging artists, entrepreneurs, students and educators to do their best work and explore their creative interests from start to finish,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, in a press release.
OpenAI’s first consumer hardware device could be an AirPods replacement. The AI-powered earbuds, internally called “Sweetpea,” is reportedly the priority focus for former Apple design chief Jony Ive’s team.
OpenAI’s earbuds could debut as early as September, with the company estimating shipments to reach 40 million to 50 million units in the first year.
iPhone took the top spot in global smartphone sales in 2025. Apple outsold all its rivals, including arch-rival Samsung.
iPhone shipments grew 10% year over year, buoyed by strong demand for the new iPhone 17 series.
Not every Apple TV show gets merchandise like T-shirts and hats, but Vince Gilligan’s oddly original sci-fi head-scratcher Pluribus — the most-watched Apple TV show ever — just did. Too bad the merch is on the lame side.
One of the most weirdly refreshing sci-fi dramas in recent history deserves better than what Sony Pictures is peddling.
Google’s Gemini AI is set to power the long-promised overhaul of Apple’s Siri voice assistant, turning months of speculation into confirmation after Apple made the partnership official in a statement released Monday.
Apple worked for years on its own large language models to provide Siri with a much-needed intelligence boost. But in the end, Cupertino had to outsource the AI technology to Google, another tech giant with which it both competes and cooperates.
Apple Music and Apple TV just had their biggest month ever. That strong streaming performance added to a banner year for the collection of products that go under the heading of Apple services.
“2025 was a record-breaking year for Apple Services, marked by remarkable growth, global expansion, and continuous innovation,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, in a press release Monday.
Apple TV celebrated a successful night at the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, taking home three awards Sunday for its hit Hollywood-spoof comedy The Studio and its sci-fi phenom Pluribus. But some of the streamer’s other hit shows came up short in the awards ceremony.
A new iPhone 17e could be right around the corner, and rumors suggest Apple’s next budget model will be a sizable jump over last year’s. Expect it to dump the old screen notch as well as boast other enhancements that bring Apple’s budget handset closer to the more premium options.
In short, those looking for a bargain on a new iPhone should keep their eye out for the 17e.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: Did the world just get its first glimpse at the folding iPhone’s screen? And how the heck does anybody bend glass?!?
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video, embedded below.
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CES 2026 showcased how iPhone accessory makers can innovate while offering deep integration with Apple’s ecosystem. Think slimmer and safer iPhone power banks, smarter MagSafe add-ons, and even an accessory that makes your desk less cluttered.
Plus, Apple’s Find My tech is making its way into everyday carry items, while physical keyboards — typically considered a bulky and impractical iPhone accessory — have become more modular, wireless and easier to live with.
Check out the iPhone accessories from CES 2026 that stood out for all the right reasons.
A cool, colorful Apple Watch concept that borrows the design language of the original iMac is drawing raves on Instagram.
The instantly recognizable design features translucent plastic in the bright shades of the nonconformist computers that saved Apple’s bacon in the late 1990s.
You can soon express your true feelings by sending someone a pickle. A pickle emoji, anyway. It’s one of nine proposed new emoji that will likely come to iPhone in late 2026.
It’ll be joined by a squinting face, a new butterfly, a lighthouse and more.
Apple has spent years and millions of dollars trying to crack one of wearable technology’s biggest health challenges: noninvasive blood glucose monitoring for Apple Watch. Now, a promising new gadget at CES 2026 — the PreEvnt Isaac Non-Invasive Glucose Monitor — might offer a roadmap for how this long-awaited feature could finally arrive.
If you see someone using an iPhone 4, don’t think you’re hallucinating. Members of Gen Z have dusted off the 15-year-old handset and put it back into action.
It’s part of a trend toward retro tech, so it might be time to pull your old gadgets out of storage to see if you can turn them into cash. Or maybe starting using the devices yourself, now that they are cool again.
Only a tiny percentage of iPhone users have installed iOS 26, according to data from a web analytics service. The adoption rate is far less than previous iOS versions at this same point months after their releases.
The data only reveals how few iPhone users run Apple’s latest operating system upgrade, not why they’ve chosen to avoid it. But the most likely candidate is the new Liquid Glass look of the update.
OpenAI is turning ChatGPT into a health companion with ChatGPT Health. This is a dedicated, privacy-focused experience designed to help you better understand your health and wellness data over time.
For iPhone users, ChatGPT Health can pull your health information from Apple Health to help make sense of your medical reports.
Goldman Sachs is out as the bank behind the Apple Card. Apple announced Wednesday that Chase will become the new issuer of the credit card.
The tech giant and the bank promise that features — including up to 3% unlimited Daily Cash back on purchases — will not change, even though Goldman Sachs will no longer issue the Apple Card.
The GameSir x Hyperkin X5 Alteron is the world’s first fully modular mobile game controller. A variety of buttons and sticks in removable modules can be swapped in and out from either side. Plus, the device telescopes to fit around your iPhone, iPad or Android.
It offers innovation that stands out in the market for side-mounted controllers.
Custom buttons, gestures or scrolling tweaks suddenly not working on your Logitech mouse or keyboard on Mac? You’re not alone.
The Logi Options+ app stopped working properly Tuesday, and the failure is taking a large chunk of Logitech’s ecosystem down with it. Luckily, Logitech issued a patch early Wednesday to fix the problem.