Beats and Nike are teaming up for their first-ever hardware collaboration. The new “Powerbeats Pro 2 – Nike Special Edition” blend Beats and Nike design as part of a first-of-its-kind collaboration for Apple’s Beats subsidiary.

Apple made a surprise announcement this morning for AirPods Max 2. This is the first real update to Apple’s over-ear headphones since they launched in 2020, with the new H2 chip enabling some much-needed new features.

There are, however, plenty of things that haven’t changed with AirPods Max 2.

Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is one of very few cars with support for Apple Maps EV Routing in CarPlay. The feature helps you plan EV trips by automatically inserting necessary charging stops along your route.

One limitation of Apple Maps EV Routing, however, is that it doesn’t support battery preconditioning. According to Ford, however, this is changing.

Apple has acquired MotionVFX, the company behind popular templates and plugins for Final Cut Pro. MotionVFX announced the acquisition on its website, saying it is “joining the Apple team to continue to empower creators and editors to do their best work.”

Apple named Steve Lemay its Vice President of Human Interface Design last December, following the departure of Alan Dye to Meta. At the time, this led to speculation that Apple might walk back its Liquid Glass design language under Lemay’s leadership.

In yesterday’s edition of his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman said this isn’t in the cards. Apple is, however, revisiting a setting that could let some anti-Liquid Glass iPhone users scale back the design.

Chance and Zac talk through changes to Apple’s leadership website and what they signal for the future. There’s also a pair of new Bloomberg reports focused on Apple’s delayed Siri smart display product, plus the looming iPhone Fold’s software interface. Finally, they go in-depth on MacBook Neo, discussing Chance’s review and answering some Ask9to5Mac questions.  

And in Happy Hour Plus, the pair do a check-in on Apple Vision Pro and whether there’s about to a big boom in gaming. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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The first reviews of Apple’s new Studio Display XDR were published yesterday, providing our first in-depth look at the mini-LED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, and more.

In a review for The Verge, John Higgins spotted that there’s still one Studio Display XDR feature still to come: support for full calibration.

I bought my first Mac in 2007: a black polycarbonate MacBook. To this day, I think it’s the most consequential purchase I’ve made in my life.

Last week, Apple introduced MacBook Neo. It’s a fascinating Mac, and not just because of the price. After using it for the past six days, I think it’s set to drive a new wave of people to the Mac ecosystem. Here’s why.

Limited time: Pre-order MacBook Neo at Best Buy and score a $25 gift card.

Apple celebrates its 50th birthday this year, having originally been founded on April 1, 1976. Coinciding with that anniversary, veteran technology reporter “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent David Pogue is out with a new book that goes in-depth on the company’s history, Apple: The First 50 Years.

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 all of Apple’s announcements, including the MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, and more. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

iOS 26.4 is currently in beta testing with developers and public beta users. The update adds a range of new features to iPhone, including upgrades to Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Messages, and more.

Here are all of the new iPhone features in iOS 26.4, plus everything else you need to know.

Chance and Zac break down Apple’s Mac announcements of the week. There’s the M5 MacBook Air and more powerful MacBook Pro models with an intriguing new chip architecture and naming scheme. Plus, the new Studio Display “family” is here with good and bad news. Finally, Chance recounts his trip to NYC where he saw the launch of the all-new MacBook Neo. 

And in Happy Hour Plus, Zac gives us a rundown of his current Apple gear. And a small philosophy lesson. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. 

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Apple has released iOS 26.3.1 for iPhone users today. The update likely includes bug fixes and performance improvements.

Apple today unveiled the new MacBook Neo, which starts at an impressive $599. I’m in New York City for Apple’s corresponding press “experience,” and just spent some time checking out the MacBook Neo in person.

Apple announced the all-new Studio Display XDR today, and it has several key upgrades over the basic Studio Display, including a 120Hz refresh rate.

However, you’ll need a newer Mac to take advantage of that higher refresh rate. Here’s everything you need to know.

The Pro Display XDR has officially been discontinued. Apple’s high-end external display was first introduced in 2019 alongside a new Mac Pro, but has now been replaced by the cheaper (but better in many ways) Studio Display XDR.

Apple has officially announced the Studio Display XDR, which it says “delivers the most advanced display technology and a robust set of features for pro users who need the ultimate front-of-screen performance.”

The new Studio Display XDR features a 27-inch 5K Retina XDR display with 5120-by-2880 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and more. Head below for the details.

Benjamin and Chance discuss the just-announced iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air, as Apple begins its week of product launches. As well as bit of speculation about what is to come on Tuesday and Wednesday, the duo also respond to a report about the dysfunctional nature of Apple’s cloud infrastructure division, and look forward to the start of F1 on Apple TV this weekend.

And in Happy Hour Plus, it’s time for Chance to make his house a (smart) home. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Apple has released visionOS 26.3.1 for Apple Vision Pro users today. The update fixes a flickering problem in the Apple TV app, according to the release notes.

Benjamin and Chance are back, with a news-packed episode just before an exciting week of Apple hardware launches. But first, iOS 26.4 beta is here, a deep red color is rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro, and Bloomberg details some of the software affordances coming to macOS to support the touch screen MacBook Pro. Also, Samsung surprises with a clever dynamic privacy display on their new flagship phones.

And in Happy Hour Plus, the creators of Dark Sky have left Apple to form a new weather app for enthusiasts, Acme Weather. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. 

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