9to5Mac

New Mac configurator may point to separate CPU and GPU options

Published: Feb 2nd 2026 12:02am on 9to5Mac

Apple last week changed the way you buy a Mac online, removing the previous lineup of customizable pre-configured options and instead putting you straight into configuring your spec from scratch.

While at first glance this seems a somewhat strange thing to do, arguably making it a little more complicated for a non-tech buyer to choose their Mac, the change could provide support for a theory that Apple will allow you to separate CPU and GPU options when buying an M5 Pro or Max Mac …

Expect more upsells and subscription bundles from Apple, Creator Studio was just the start

Published: Feb 1nd 2026 7:24am on 9to5Mac

In the future, Apple users should expect more paid upgrades and subscription bundles just like what the company launched with Apple Creator Studio last month. As said by Mark Gurman in this week’s Power On newsletter, “I believe Apple is looking at all areas of its software and services” for further services monetization opportunities.

Obviously, the appeal of more subscription bundles depends on the particulars. For instance, Apple One has been very popular and seems relatively consumer friendly. But, while Creator Studio is a reasonable deal for hardcore users of Final Cut and Logic Pro, it also introduced exclusive paid features and upsell banners into Apple’s previously free-with-no-asterisks iWork suite of Pages, Keynote and Numbers.

Studio Display refresh looms with three key upgrades

Published: Feb 1nd 2026 7:14am on 9to5Mac

Apple’s long-awaited Studio Display refresh might be happening soon. As noted by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, shipping times for Apple’s Studio Display are slipped to late February and Early March in some configurations…

Report: Apple ‘exploring’ clamshell foldable iPhone as potential follow-up model

Published: Feb 1nd 2026 5:10am on 9to5Mac

In today’s Power On newsletter from Mark Gurman, an interesting new possibility was shared for the iPhone lineup: a smaller, clamshell foldable iPhone. This model is far from fruition, though Apple is currently considering it.

CarPlay Ultra coming to at least one new car later this year, per report

Published: Feb 1nd 2026 5:02am on 9to5Mac

Apple officially launched CarPlay Ultra last year, but only for Aston Martin vehicles. It’s the next-generation version of CarPlay that the company first teased at WWDC 2022 with a revamped design and deeper integration with the car itself.

Today, a new report from Bloomberg reveals that CarPlay Ultra will come to at least one major new car later this year …

New MacBook Pro release date: Here’s when M5 Pro and M5 Max might debut

Published: Feb 1nd 2026 2:49am on 9to5Mac

In a snippet of the Power On newsletter released today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman provided an updated release timeline for the new MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max, which are expected to launch before the spring.

Security Bite: X going open-source is bad news for anonymous alt accounts

Published: Jan 31nd 2026 10:48am on 9to5Mac

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Amid the heap of an EU fine levied on X earlier this month, Elon Musk announced that the platform’s entire recommendation algorithm would go open source. Seemingly to help cool the regulatory waters by providing greater transparency into how the social media giant organizes users’ timelines.

Usually, IT professionals would see news around something going open source, smile, and move on with their lives. But last week, I came across an interesting thread on none other than X that explains how this move can actually expose anonymous alt accounts through “behavioral fingerprints”…for better or worse.

Indie App Spotlight: ‘Within Reach’ helps you track your weight loss journey

Published: Jan 31nd 2026 8:30am on 9to5Mac

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

Obesity remains a rampant concern in America, with 2 in 5 adults struggling with obesity. GLP-1 medications have become popular in recent years to help people manage their weight – and Within Reach is a companion app to help you track everything related to the journey.

Apple revamps how you buy a Mac online, removes preconfigured options

Published: Jan 31nd 2026 6:46am on 9to5Mac

Apple has updated its website with changes to the checkout flow when buying a new Mac. Previously, the Apple Online Store would show you a range of preconfigured options with specific processors, RAM, and storage configurations, before letting you dive into the granular configurator.

With this week’s revamp, however, those preconfigured options have been removed…

Here’s my one Apple Watch feature request for watchOS 27

Published: Jan 31nd 2026 4:58am on 9to5Mac

Apple Watch certainly feels like a rather mature platform at this point. Software wise, there isn’t usually a ton I’d like to see – though there probably is a lot of potential for the Apple Watch to serve as an AI wearable. Nonetheless, there is one nifty software upgrade I’d really like to see them add to the Apple Watch.