Welcome to 9to5Mac’s top stories of the week, where we recap the biggest news in the Apple world every Saturday. This week, we have AirTag 2, a blockbuster Apple acquisition, and iOS 26.3 beta testing continues. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

A new website takes Apple’s most persistent software bugs and reframes them as a hilarious scoreboard, using intentionally over-the-top math to estimate how many collective human hours they’ve supposedly wasted over the years.

From time to time, OpenAI removes older models from ChatGPT’s model picker, as users become accustomed to newer ones. Here are the models being retired on February 13.

Apple is apparently pushing to turn its newly launched creative bundle into a brand of its own. Here are the details.

Over the last few days, UpScrolled went from a relatively unknown app to the top of the App Store, as users flocked away from TikTok. Here are the details.

Just days after setting a $315 price target for Apple’s stock, JP Morgan is out with a revised outlook following the company’s Q1 2026 earnings. Here are the details.

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The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is out with a new campaign that presses tech companies to move faster to protect user data through end-to-end encryption, and stronger defaults and privacy settings. Here are the details.

Apple’s Wallet app received a variety of great features in iOS 26, but one of my favorites is a convenient new way to manage and access credit cards. Here’s how to use it.

I love the smell of candles, but I hate the anxiety that comes with an open flame. There have been multiple times I’ve had to turn around after leaving to double-check that I’ve blown out a candle. That is why the SwitchBot Candle Warmer Lamp caught my eye. It promises all the ambiance and smells of a candle with zero risk of burning the house down. Best of all, it supports Matter right out of the box, making it a native citizen in your HomeKit/Apple Home environment.

A new report from Bloomberg today highlights the ongoing exodus from Apple’s artificial intelligence and Siri teams. Mark Gurman reports that Apple has lost “least four more of its artificial intelligence researchers in recent weeks in addition to a top Siri executive.”

This fall Apple has three flagship iPhones rumored to launch: iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Fold. Per the latest reporting, there are two rumored camera advantages Apple’s Pro line will have over the foldable.

Music lovers with Apple kit have long been forced to choose between the sound quality available from the established audio players and the slickness of the AirPods approach to connectivity – but the Technics EAH-AZ100 in-ear headphones have mostly resolved this dilemma.

They not only deliver the best sound quality I’ve ever experienced with in-ear headphones, but also an Apple-like Just Works experience when switching between devices …

Alongside the ongoing Amazon low on AirPods Pro 3 and deep deal on AirPods 4 with ANC, today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is kicking off a near unheard of 52% price drop on Apple’s latest Trail Loop in blue with the black finish. Those offers also join a new low on the latest black model Trail Loop as well as a chance to save $100 on the most affordable M4 Mac mini with 24GB of RAM again and this giant Elevation Lab AirTag 2 mount/case sale from $8. You’ll also find some notable deals on MacBook Air, up to $620 off iPhone 16 Pro, and even more waiting below. 

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is well known for having numerous sources inside of Apple, and in a new interview he shared some interesting comments about the company’s reliance on Anthropic.

Apple has released its annual Shot on iPhone short film in celebration of Chinese New Year. This year’s film, “Glad I Met You,” tells a heartwarming story of finding family with a stray dog.

Apple TV’s hit neo-noir detective series Sugar is back for season 2 this year, with Colin Farrell returning. Here’s the just announced release date.

Apple celebrated its best quarter ever yesterday, but in the company earnings call, CEO Tim Cook teased that the company has even bigger things ahead with new innovations later this year.

Apple is widely expected to bifurcate the launch of the iPhone 18 lineup. Sources including Ming-Chi Kuo, Bloomberg, and The Information  have reported that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold will launch later this year, followed by the base model iPhone 18 next spring.

A new report from Nikkei Asia today corroborates that timeline.

Apple has discontinued the iPhone Upgrade Program in the UK, according to changes made to its website. The company says it is starting a “new chapter for upgrades” and that “the iPhone Upgrade Program is coming to an end.”

Apple also appears to be winding down its partnership with Barclays, which was the bank behind the iPhone Upgrade Program in the UK.