The MacRumors Show

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's newly launched AirTag 2 and Apple Creator Studio.Earlier this week, Apple announced the second-generation ‌AirTag‌, marking the first major update to its item tracker since the product's introduction in 2021, with improvements focused on tracking range, audio output, and device support rather than changes to its physical design.The new ‌AirTag‌ uses a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip that extends Precision Finding range by up to 50%, adds support for Precision Finding on compatible Apple Watch models for the first time, and includes an upgraded Bluetooth specification designed to improve general tracking range. Apple also says the built-in speaker is up to 50% louder, making it easier to locate items in noisy environments.Externally, the ‌AirTag‌ remains visually similar to the original and continues to use a replaceable CR2032 coin battery with more than a year of battery life, while internally Apple has made a significant number of internal changes. The second-generation ‌AirTag‌ is priced the same as before at $29 for a single unit or $99 for a four-pack, is compatible with existing ‌AirTag‌ accessories, and requires devices running iOS 26.2.1 or later.Apple also launched Creator Studio, a new all-in-one subscription aimed at content creators. For $12.99 per month, or $129 per year, Creator Studio provides access to Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage, consolidating tools for video editing, music production, image editing, and live performance. The bundle replaces Apple's long-standing one-time purchase model for these apps with a subscription approach, while keeping standalone versions available for users who do not want access to the full package.Beyond bundling existing apps, Creator Studio introduces a set of AI-powered features that are exclusive to subscribers. These include transcript and visual search in Final Cut Pro, enhanced beat detection and new dynamic titles, AI-assisted session players and harmonic analysis in Logic Pro, and new design and warp tools in Pixelmator Pro, which is now available on iPad for the first time. The subscription also unlocks premium AI features in Apple's free productivity apps, including Keynote, Pages, and Numbers, with Freeform support coming later.Creator Studio is available now via the App Store, with a one-month free trial for all users and a three-month trial for customers who purchase a qualifying new Mac or ‌iPad‌. The subscription supports Family Sharing for up to six people, includes discounted pricing for students and educators.

On this year's first episode of The MacRumors Show, we take a look at CES 2026, Apple Creator Studio, and the confirmation that Google Gemini will power the next-generation version of Siri. Following ‌CES 2026‌, we talk through this year's tech showcase, which saw major announcements related to robotics, AI, and display technology, as well as plenty of new Apple accessories. We discuss some of our favorite products highlighted at the event, such as Strada and the Clicks Power Keyboard.Apple this week announced a new bundle called “Apple Creator Studio" that offers access to six creative apps, as well as exclusive AI features and content, as part of a single subscription. In the U.S., pricing is set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. Six apps are included with the subscription: Final Cut Pro on the Mac and iPad Logic Pro on the Mac and ‌iPad‌ Pixelmator Pro on the Mac and ‌iPad‌ Motion on the Mac Compressor on the Mac MainStage on the Mac For college students, Apple Creator Studio costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. If you set up Family Sharing, you can share an Apple Creator Studio subscription with up to five other family members with a linked Apple Account for free. Pixelmator Pro was previously only available on the Mac, but it is now coming to the iPad. Apple Creator Studio subscribers will receive access to exclusive AI features and premium content across not only the Final Cut Pro and Pixelmator Pro apps, but also the iWork apps Numbers, Pages, and Keynote, and the Freeform app later this year. Apple Creator Studio will be available through the App Store starting on Wednesday, January 28. Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage will each remain available for one-time purchase, and free versions of the Numbers, Pages, Keynote, and Freeform apps will continue to exist, but only Apple Creator Studio subscribers will receive access to some of the premium new AI features and content.In other news, Apple this week released a statement confirming that Google Gemini will power the next-generation version of ‌Siri‌ that is slated to launch later this year, as was widely rumored. After a considerable delay, the new capabilities will deliver better understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls.Apple's decision to lean on Google's artificial intelligence technology should result in the revamped ‌Siri‌ being more capable and advanced than it otherwise would have been, as Gemini's large language model is significantly larger than Apple's own model. Apple and Google added that Gemini will help power not only a more personalized version of Siri, but a range of future Apple Intelligence features.The next-generation version of ‌Siri‌ is expected to be introduced with iOS 26.4, which will likely be officially released to the public in March or April.Save more than fifty percent on term life insurance at https://www.selectquote.com/macrumors and get started today!

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through Apple's plans to refresh the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR. Apple's next-generation Studio Display is widely expected to feature the same 27-inch screen size as the current model, but with mini-LED technology instead of LCD. This upgrade would result in increased brightness and a higher contrast ratio compared to the current model, bringing it in line with the MacBook Pro, which has touted mini-LED since 2021. Leaked Apple code suggests that the new Studio Display will also feature an A19 chip. The Studio Display's chip supports features like Center Stage, Spatial Audio, and "Hey Siri" commands. The current Studio Display contains the A13 Bionic, a chip that started out in the iPhone 11 lineup back in 2019. The new model could also feature ProMotion for a refresh rate up to 120Hz, just like the ‌MacBook Pro‌, along with HDR. Apple released the Studio Display in March 2022, alongside the first Mac Studio. The standalone display features a 27-inch LCD screen with a 5K resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, up to 600 nits brightness, a built-in camera and speakers, a single Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. In the U.S., the monitor starts at $1,599. Reports suggest that the next-generation Studio Display will come out in early 2026, when we're also expecting new Macs with the M5 chip. Apple has been rumored to be working on an updated version of the display since 2022, adding an Apple silicon chip. As a result, the Pro Display XDR is likely to gain speakers, microphones, Hey ‌Siri‌ support, and a camera with Center Stage, just like the Studio Display. Further parity with upcoming Studio Display features such as mini-LED and ProMotion is also possible. At the very least, the new monitor is expected to feature the same quantum-dot display technology adopted by the MacBook Pro. The latest quantum-dot display films have equal to better color gamut support, and offer improved motion performance, compared to the KSF phosphor film that Apple uses for the existing Pro Display XDR and previous ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. This means the new Pro Display XDR should have improved color accuracy and faster response times compared to the current model. This holiday, give your loved ones the only gift that keeps on giving — health. Go to Superpower .com/gift to get a free $49 gift box with your gifted membership.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the latest rumors about Apple's upcoming iPad mini 8.The next-generation version of the ‌iPad mini‌ is expected to feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, followed by the iPhone in 2017 and the iPad Pro in 2024. It now apparently plans to bring the technology to more devices, such as the iPad Air, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, and could start with the ‌iPad mini‌ next year.The current ‌iPad mini‌ has a Liquid Retina LCD display, just like the ‌iPad Air‌. OLED offers higher contrast with true blacks, wider viewing angles, faster response times, better efficiency, and generally better perceived picture quality than LCD.The current ‌iPad mini‌ came out in 2024, with the main upgrade over the previous version being the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence support. The previous generation introduced a complete redesign and the A15 Bionic chip.In August, Apple mistakenly shared code that revealed key information about the next-generation ‌iPad mini‌ with the codename J510/J511: The device features the A19 Pro chip, which is used in the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max.The current ‌iPad mini‌ uses a version of the A17 Pro chip from the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro with a five-core GPU. The A19 Pro used in the ‌iPhone Air‌ also has a five-core GPU, as opposed to the full six-core version in the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models, so it seems likely that this binned version of the chip will be the one used in the next ‌iPad mini‌.Bloomberg claims that Apple is working on a version of the ‌iPad mini‌ that has a more water resistant design, making it the first iPad with a water resistance rating.While the ‌iPhone‌ has IP68 water resistance that allows it to withstand submersion in water up to six meters deep for 30 minutes, it is not yet known what IP rating the ‌iPad mini‌ might feature. The ‌iPad mini‌'s updated casing is expected to offer water resistance similar to the ‌iPhone‌, making it safe for casual use in wet environments like a bath or a pool area.Apple has reportedly developed a new speaker system for the ‌iPad mini‌ that uses vibration-based technology, allowing for the speaker holes in the device to be removed. Removing the speaker holes would cut down on areas where water could get into the crevices of the ‌iPad mini‌.For the ‌iPhone‌, Apple uses adhesive and gaskets to protect the speaker holes and other ingress points from water intrusion, so the ‌iPad mini‌'s design would be radically different. The current ‌iPad mini‌ does not have an official water resistance rating and it is not safe to get it wet.With an OLED display, water resistance, a new speaker system, and a faster chip, the device is expected to be more expensive, and Apple could charge up to $100 more for the device. The ‌iPad mini‌ is currently priced starting at $499. Apple will purportedly launch the ‌iPad mini‌ 8 with OLED display in the third quarter of next year at the earliest.We also discuss further thoughts on the M5 Vision Pro, weighing up its utility for travel and day-to-day use-case, and take a look at the growing differentiation and optionality within Apple's product lineups.This episode is sonsored by uncommon goods and notion. Visit the links below for more details:Visit https://www.uncommongoods.com/mac for 15% offVisit https://www.notion.com/macrumors to try Notion and Notion Agent today!

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's new iPhone Pocket accessory, the future of Apple Fitness+, and the iPhone Air 2's delayed launch.Apple this week announced the ‌iPhone‌ Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory made in collaboration with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, similar to an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile. The ‌iPhone‌ Pocket comes in two versions. There's a short strap design available in eight colors for $149.95, and a long strap design in three colors for $229.95. The ‌iPhone‌ Pocket can be used in a variety of ways – handheld, tied onto bags, or worn directly on the body. The limited-edition release is now available on Apple's online store and at select flagship Apple Store locations worldwide.Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that the future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue, remaining one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." As a result, Fitness+ is now said to be in the process of receiving new management, with Apple health vice president Sumbul Desai taking control of the service. The health division, now including Apple Fitness+, will report directly to services chief Eddy Cue. The reorganization is likely to lead to added pressure to improve the service.In other news, it emerged this week that Apple's second-generation ‌iPhone Air‌ is to be delayed on account of the device's low sales, pushed back from the original target launch of fall 2026. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been a multitude reports of poor sales and significant production cuts. Apple has responded by scaling back shipments and winding down the supply chain, with all production expected to cease by the end of this month.Apple now plans to introduce a more substantially redesigned ‌iPhone Air‌ 2 model in the future, perhaps alongside the ‌iPhone‌ 18e and iPhone 18 in the spring of 2027. The new device could feature an additional rear camera with an ultra-wide lens, vapor-chamber cooling, reduced weight, a larger battery, and a new chip.This episode is sponsored by Shopify — the commerce platform that helps you start, run, and grow your business all in one place. Sign up for your $1-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/mac.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we dive back into the Vision Pro. Apple's new Vision Pro headset features the M5 chip for better performance and efficiency, 10% more rendered pixels, a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, longer battery life, and an all-new counterweighted Dual Knit headband with a focus on improved comfort. Arriving 20 months after the original model, the Vision Pro now runs visionOS 26 and offers widgets, hands-free scrolling, enhanced Mac Virtual Display mode, significantly improved Personas, a broader selection of immersive content, and more. We discuss how much better the new version really is and whether it's finally time to give Apple's spatial computing device another chance. Try Notion, now with Notion Agent, at notion.com/macrumors

On this episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through Apple's all-new M5 chip and the three updated devices it announced containing it this week. Apple this week announced the M5 chip, featuring improved performance and efficiency with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. Apple says the M5 chip offers up to 15% faster CPU performance and up to 45% faster graphics, compared to the M4 chip.It also contains a next-generation GPU architecture optimized for AI tasks, Neural Accelerators for each core, a third-generation ray-tracing engine, enhanced shader cores, and second-generation dynamic caching. There is also a faster 16-core Neural Engine. It has memory bandwidth of 153GB/s and supports up to 32GB of unified memory.The M5 chip comes to the entry-level MacBook Pro, delivering improved performance. It can also now be configured with up to 4TB of storage.The iPad Pro also gains the M5 chip, along with Apple's N1 chip, a new custom-designed wireless networking chip that provides Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Cellular versions of the new ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ feature Apple's C1X modem, which allows up to 50% faster cellular data performance than its predecessor, with much greater efficiency.The new ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ adds the ability to drive external displays at up to 120Hz and now supports Adaptive Sync. The 256GB and 512GB models now start with 12GB of unified memory.The M5 chip is also a key part of a notable update to the Vision Pro. The headset now renders 10% more pixels, can ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate, and offers three hours of battery life.A new Dual Knit Band feature two straps knitted into a single piece, providing a more comfortable fit. The lower strap has tungsten inserts that provide a counterweight. Apple is also now selling the Logitech Muse spatial stylus for the Vision Pro, and it will begin selling the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller starting next month.Apple's new devices are now available to pre-order, with launch on Wednesday, October 22.This episode is sponsored by Shopify — Sign up for your $1-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/mac.