9to5Mac

Anthropic reveals new Opus 4.6 model with more autonomy and better focus

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 7:03am on 9to5Mac

Anthropic has announced its latest AI model with Claude Opus 4.6. The new version arrives just two months after the previous model upgrade.

Apple was once ‘carpet bombing’ Tesla with recruiting calls, per Elon Musk

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 6:47am on 9to5Mac

Apple once had ambitions of building an electric car, and during that period, per a new interview with Elon Musk, the company was “relentlessly” trying to poach Tesla employees.

9to5Mac Daily: February 5, 2026 – The latest iPhone Fold specs and rumors

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 6:30am on 9to5Mac

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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Apple gets win from EU over Apple Maps and Ads services

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 5:59am on 9to5Mac

Apple has been forced to make a lot of region-specific changes to the iPhone and iOS in the EU due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). But the company just received good news from the EU commission regarding the DMA’s impact on two key services: Apple Maps and Ads.

Apple’s new ‘HomePad’ is my most wanted product that’s coming soon

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 5:17am on 9to5Mac

Apple has a brand new Home product—potentially called ‘HomePad’ or ‘HomePod Touch’—that’s reportedly launching this spring. And out of the many products Apple has coming in the next few months, HomePad is easily the one I want most.

What Apple’s subscription model tells us about its future

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 5:13am on 9to5Mac

You might have noticed that over the last several years, more and more companies have shifted to a subscription model for their products and services, and Apple has slowly begun to follow suit. As Apple hardware continues to improve, customers are keeping their devices for longer. Meaning that Apple is earning less per customer on their hardware purchases. This has pushed Apple to add more products to its services. Today, Apple offers subscriptions like cloud storage, media, productivity tools, AppleCare, and now products like Creator Studio. This suggests the company is willing to expand subscriptions into areas that were traditionally one-time purchases, a trend that we need to keep a close eye on. The easiest way to see how far Apple has leaned into subscriptions is to simply lay out everything the company currently offers.

Deals: iPad mini $100 off, M5 iPad Pro $230 off, Powerbeats Pro 2, Apple Watch bands $15, more

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 4:41am on 9to5Mac

Alongside the ongoing $100 price drops on all Apple Watch Series 11 models, today we are turning our attention to iPad. The most affordable iPad mini is $100 off in all four colors while we also spotted a chance to land the least pricey M5 iPad Pro you can buy at $230 off the list price. Those deals also join some notable accessory offers, including Apple Solo Bands from $15, a major discount on ZAGG’s Pro Keys 2 for M4/M5 iPad Pro at $65 (57% off), Powerbeats Pro 2 up to $114 off, and more. Scope it all out below.

iOS 26.4 is coming: Here are the rumored new features

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 3:56am on 9to5Mac

The iOS 26.3 RC debuted yesterday, which means the first iOS 26.4 beta will be dropping soon too. Here is every rumored new feature that iOS 26.4 is expected to bring.

IKEA acknowledges connectivity problems with budget Matter-over-Thread devices

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 2:00am on 9to5Mac

Swedish self-assembly furniture giant IKEA has made an additional name for itself through its growing range of budget-priced smart home devices. But if you were thinking of picking up some of its new Matter-over-Thread products, you may want to wait a little while.

There have been a number of frustrated posts from people experiencing connectivity problems with Apple Home and other smart home ecosystems, and IKEA has acknowledged the issues …

Here’s how Apple may protect the display of the iPhone Fold

Published: Feb 5nd 2026 1:27am on 9to5Mac

Apple appears to be working hard to ensure it doesn’t repeat Samsung’s mistakes when it launches the iPhone Fold. A new report says the company is considering the use of a new built-in screen protector with exceptional surface hardness and scratch resistance.

It follows an earlier report on another move Apple is said to be making in order to maximize the robustness of the upcoming model …