TMO Weekly #13: Apple News Roundup, Dec 29 – Jan 04

The final week of the year didn’t slow Apple down. Between iOS 26 frustrations, fresh AI questions, and early signals about Apple’s 2026 hardware plans, the news cycle stayed busy through the holidays. Here’s a clear rundown of everything that mattered between December 29 and January 4.



Apple Music, Spotify, and Listening Habits




Spotify Wins at Discovery, Even Among Apple Music Subscribers



Apple Music Power Tips You Won’t Find in the App



Apple Music Users Say ‘Sound Check’ Makes Everything Too Quiet



Apple Music Still Lacks this One Spotify Feature Console Users Want



Apple Music for Mac Still Lags Behind, and Users Are Losing Patience



Best Apple Music Equalizer: How to Get the Best Sound on iPhone




iOS 26 Friction, iPhone Bugs, and Everyday Fixes




iOS 26 is Forcing Apps to Reload Every Time, and Users Are Not Happy



Apple Wallet Storage Bug Is Filling Up iPhone Space for Some Users



iPhone ‘Low Power Mode’ Feels Laggy After Recent iOS Updates



iMessage Lacks One Feature People Texting Abroad Really Need



iPhone 17 Pro Owners Notice Static Noise From Speakers While Charging



iPhone Users Report Battery Swelling During Flights That Disappears After Landing



Smart New Year Resolution for Apple Users: Back Up Photos Properly



iOS 26 Apple Intelligence Tricks to Actually Stick to Your 2026 Resolutions




2026 Roadmap, Launch Calendars, and Buyer Confusion




Apple Plans a Busy 2026 With These 7 Major Product Launches



Everything Apple Is Expected to Launch and Update in January 2026



Apple’s iPhone 18 Lineup Could Create a Mess for Buyers This Year



Apple Reportedly Won’t Launch the Base iPhone 18 in 2026



Apple’s first Foldable iPhone to Use Side Touch ID Instead of Face ID



Apple Could Offer These 7 MacBook Variants at Once in Early 2026



Apple Faces Fewer Risks From Rising RAM Prices in 2026, Reports Say




AI, Search, Siri, and Privacy Pressure




Apple’s Gemini Deal Points to a New Kind of ‘Search’ on iPhone in 2026



If Siri ‘Leans’ on Google Gemini, What Happens to Apple’s “On-Device Privacy”



Report Suggests Apple’s AI Strategy Could Pay Off Next Year



Duolingo Accused of Using iOS Live Activities for Dynamic Island Ads



Apple’s A20 Chip Could Become the Most Expensive iPhone Processor Ever




Apple TV, Fitness+, Vision, and Consumer Services




Apple TV Releases Trailer for ‘Shrinking Season 3’ Ahead of January Premiere



Apple TV to Stream Elizabeth Olsen Film ‘Eternity’ in February



Apple Fitness+ Teases “Something Big” Coming in 2026



Apple Fitness+ Introduces Habit-Building Workout Plans for the New Year



Apple’s M5 Vision Pro Update Reportedly Failed to Revive Sales



No Apple Vision ‘Air’ in 2026? Why First-Gen Owners May Benefit



Apple Patent Suggests visionOS Personas Could React to Virtual Environments



Ukrainian Soldier Shows MacBook Air That Stopped Shell Shrapnel




Regulation, Platforms, Payments, and Market Moves




Why You Cannot Turn On Advanced Data Protection in the UK



Apple Appeals £1.5 Billion UK App Store Antitrust Ruling



Apple Pay Purchases Raise $3 Million for Global Fund This Holiday Season



Digital Euro Could Push Apple Pay to the Margins in EU



Ford Confirms Apple CarPlay Support Will Continue



Tesla App Code Points to Native Digital Car Keys and Possible Apple Wallet Support



Apple Adds Final Intel MacBook Air, Watch Series 5 to Vintage List



Apple Supplier Hit by Cyberattack, Manufacturing Data at Risk



Google Starts Rolling Out an Option to Change Your Gmail Address



Apple’s Japan New Year Sale Returns With a Special Daruma AirTag



Apple Could Introduce These New Smart Home Devices in 2026



Apple’s Smart Glasses in 2026: Everything We Know Right Now



Watch Out Apple, Lenovo ‘Smart Glasses’ Are Coming



Apple and Rivals May Launch Their First 2nm Chips in the Same Month



Apple and Huawei Reportedly Test Smaller 3D Face Sensors Under Display



Apple Highlights 8x Optical Zoom in New Shot on iPhone Ad



New iPhones Look ‘Logo-Less’, With the Camera Doing the Branding



iOS 26.3 Release Date: Apple’s First iPhone Update of 2026



Apple’s iPhone 18 Lineup Could Create a Mess for Buyers This Year




As 2026 begins, Apple’s direction is coming into focus. Software pain points are getting louder, AI decisions are edging closer to the surface, and next year’s hardware lineup already looks crowded. We’ll be tracking how these early signals turn into real products, fixes, and strategy shifts in the weeks ahead.