Top News: Apple’s 50th Anniversary, New and Upcoming Products, and More

After a big week of Apple announcements, this week all the new products are officially available, so reviewers and regular users are now catching up and fixing it.

Apple also started putting together plans to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary on April 1, with Tim Cook sharing a book about the milestone and the company even hosting a short concert by Alicia Keys at its Grand Central Terminal store in New York City, so read on below for all the news and more!

Top Stories

Apple Announces 50th Anniversary Plans

Apple this week announced that it plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary, which is on April 1. Before the big day, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared the book “50 Years of Different Thinking”.

“While Apple is known for looking forward, this historic event provides a special moment to reflect on the journey that brought the company here, to celebrate the people and communities who have thought differently than us, and to honor the enduring values ​​that continue to guide our work,” said Apple, in a press release.

Apple also launched a new account “Hello Apple” on Instagram where it will share company news, news, product marketing, and more, while journalist David Pogue has just released a new book that chronicles the history of Apple in its first 50 years. And on Friday, Apple hosted a surprise musical appearance by Alicia Keys at its Grand Central Terminal store as part of its anniversary celebration.

Apple Released Seven New Products This Week

As of Wednesday, the seven new Apple products that were announced last week are now available at Apple stores and started arriving to customers.

The colorful MacBook Neo and all the other new products are on display at many Apple Store locations around the world. Apple Stores have an inventory of new products for both walk-in customers and Apple Store pickup, but availability varies, so be sure to see if your local store has it in stock via Apple’s online store.

Apple May Launch Three New ‘Ultra’ Devices This Year

Apple plans to launch at least three “Ultra”-class devices this year, according to Bloombergby Mark Gurman.

While it’s not clear whether the new products will carry the “Ultra” designation, Apple plans to launch at least three such devices this year: Apple’s first foldable iPhone with an expected price tag of at least $2,000, high-end AirPods Pro equipped with infrared cameras, and a premium MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen display that may outlast current MacBook Pro models.

Everything New in iOS 26.4 Beta 4

Apple continues to beta test iOS 26.4, and the latest update was made available to developers and public beta testers earlier this week.

As testing continues, there are a few new features in each beta, but this week’s release adds new emoji characters and support for the new iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air, and makes a few changes.

Apple ‘HomePad’ to offer Magnetic Snap-to-Wall feature and more

Apple’s upcoming “HomePad” will offer a magnetic wall entry feature and more, according to a leak collector and prototype collector known as “Kosutami.”

In a post on X this week, Kosutami said one of the HomePad prototypes includes a MagSafe-like snap-to-wall capability, as well as doorbell integration. It is said to rely heavily on Apple Intelligence.

With Apple’s continued delays to the improved Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, it appears that the HomePad may not launch until this fall. Updated Apple TV and HomePod models may also be waiting for an improved Siri.

iPhone Fold to Include Many iPad-Style Functions and Layouts

While Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone will run iOS and not iPadOS, it will work as a hybrid device, according to the report. Bloombergby Mark Gurman.

The iPhone Fold will reportedly be able to run two iPhone apps alongside a large internal display, which will be roughly the size of a smaller iPad display. Apple is also modifying its apps to support this mode’s sidebars, and third-party developers will be able to modify their apps to use them. The iPhone Fold, however, will lack much of the multitasking capabilities of iPadOS and won’t be able to directly run iPad-optimized apps.

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