By news@appleinsider.com (Andrew O’Hara) On the latest episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, more rumors swirl about delays for Apple’s smart display, Google narrows the Nest brand, and your host reviews the Knog Scout luggage tag with Find My.HomeKit Insider PodcastThis week, a new report yet again points to delays in Apple’s upcoming smart display. Now, 2026 seems more likely as the company waits for more Apple Intelligence and next-gen Siri features to launch.The news comes on the heels of the launch of iOS 18.4 which contained a number of new features, including robotic vacuum cleaner support for Apple Home. We talk through the availability of this feature and which models currently support it, and what models will be arriving soon. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (William Gallagher) Sam Altman’s OpenAI has discussed acquiring Altman and Jony Ive’s startup firm that is designing at least one household AI device.Jony IveJony Ive left Apple in 2019 to found his own design company, LoveFrom, and has since hired many ex-Apple staff, including his own replacement, Evans Hankey. Ive also hired ex-Apple design lead Tang Tan specifically to work on the AI startup collaboration with Sam Altman.Now according to The Information, this startup is called “io Projects,” and OpenAI has discussed buying it outright for at least $500 million. If this happens, OpenAI would acquire the AI designs plus the engineers who are working on it. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Andrew Orr) With up to 20 ports, the CalDigit TS5 and TS5 Plus docks are ready to deliver a big boost in connectivity to not Thunderbolt 5 ports, but any Mac Apple has made for the last nine years.News docks from CalDigitCalDigit has officially unveiled the TS5 and TS5 Plus, its next-generation Thunderbolt docking stations designed to push the limits of desktop connectivity for Mac and PC users.The two new docks leverage Thunderbolt 5 technology, Intel’s latest high-speed connection standard that doubles the bandwidth of previous generations. The increased throughput offers an array of high-speed ports, extensive data transfer capabilities, and robust charging support for today’s power-hungry devices. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (William Gallagher) Analysts at Wedbush say that Apple’s iPhone is the piece of technology hit the hardest by Trump’s tariffs, and has lowered its price target by a whopping $75 as a result.Wedbush says Apple is hit worst by tariffs because 90% of its iPhones are assembled in ChinaWedbush has been raising its Apple stock price target on the expectation of growth because of Apple Intelligence. In December 2024, the price was raised to $325, but it has now been cut back to $250.In a note to investors seen by AppleInsider, Wedbush analysts described the current situation facing Apple as a “tariff economic Armageddon,” and “a complete disaster.” It bases this on how 90% of iPhones are assembled in China, which Wedbush says means Apple is more affected by the tariffs than any other comparable firm. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Mike Wuerthele) After a legal challenge by Apple, the hearing about blowing open Apple’s iCloud encryption in the UK for the sake of national security won’t be kept secret, but it’s not clear when the details will be made public.iCloud security is on the lineAfter the hearing about a mandated back door happened behind closed doors, Apple very nearly immediately filed an appeal, with the backing of most of the world’s governments, privacy advocates, and journalism organizations. That appeal has been heard, and at some point, the results of the hearing will be made clear.The Investigatory Powers Tribunal rejected claims from the UK government that national security would be hurt by revealing the results of the hearing, or exposing who attended the hearing. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (William Gallagher) Investment bank Morgan Stanley believes that the CEOs of US big tech were unprepared for how steep Trump’s tariffs ended up being, and will now — probably unsuccessfully — try to persuade him to make changes.An Apple Store logoMorgan Stanley previously estimated that Apple will take a $33 billion hit to its bottom line because of Trump’s tariffs. In a note to investors seen by AppleInsider, Morgan Stanley’s analysts confirm that Apple has it bad — but its analysts now predict that for Dell and HP, the loss will be close to the entirety of their expected net income in 2025.The analysts further believe that technology hardware executives didn’t anticipate that the tariffs would be as ruinous as they are. Consequently, the industry’s most influential business leaders like Tim Cook, Satya Nadella, and Mark Zuckerberg will surely attempt to lobby and negotiate with the current administration. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Charles Martin) Apple has been told it is allowed to keep the TikTok app in the App Store, following a US government assurance that no action should be taken for another 75 days.A US-based version of social network TikTok appears to be eminent.US Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Apple and Google on Friday, April 4, requesting that the company follow the new executive order from President Trump. That executive order further extended a previous reprieve from a threatened US ban of TikTok.President Trump initially gave the Chinese-owned ByteDance until April 5 to sell the service to an American company, or be banned from use in the US. The new extension sets a new deadline for compliance to June 18. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Charles Martin) National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has blamed his iPhone for accidentally inviting a journalist into a secret discussion of a strategic military strike.The Signal app promises secure and encrypted chats between users.Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic magazine, accepted a March 13 invitation from Waltz that was intended for National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes. Goldberg then reported on the chat, revealing that the administration used the Signal app for what should be considered classified information.A report published in the UK by The Guardian explained exactly how the error in inviting Goldberg occurred. The journalist was accidentally included because Waltz accepted an iPhone-suggested updated contact number in Hughes’ original missive, thinking it was an updated number for Hughes — when in fact it was the number for Goldberg. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Charles Martin) In the face of crippling tariffs, Apple will have to raise prices of popular items like the iPhone in the US and elsewhere — but is trying to delay increases until the next set of hardware upgrades.The iPhone and other Apple products will be getting more expensive due to tariffs.A new report suggests that Apple is pursuing several different initiatives in an effort to mitigate the cost increases of tariffs imposed by the United States and other countries on its flagship products. That said, US consumers should expect to see the price go up in the near future on iPhones, Macs, and other hardware products.While Apple has spent years diversifying its production facilities away from China, almost all of the countries it has set up shop in — such as Brazil, India, and Vietnam — also face withering import tariffs. According to Bloomberg, the company is said to be pursuing a diverse range of strategies to soften the blow as much as possible. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Wesley Hilliard) A report suggests that Apple will wait until a revamped Siri with contextual app data access launches to reveal its Home Hub project — likely in 2026.Apple’s Home Hub won’t be a HomePod with a speaker, but a separate displayThe so-called Home Hub has been rumored for almost as long as the HomePod has existed. Users are interested in a “HomePod with an interactive display” similar to Google’s and Amazon’s products.It seemed as if Apple would launch such a product line sometime soon, but according to the Power On newsletter, that launch will now occur in 2026. The Home Hub product is inherently tied to the contextual Siri and Apple Intelligence features that rely on app intents, which were delayed into the next year. Rumor Score: Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums