This digest compiles the latest from Apple Insider.
Today’s Apple Insider Roundup
Don't believe all the rumors you hear about Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone
A new leak is throwing some cold water about how the Apple’s 20th-anniversary iPhone won’t be as revolutionary as previous rumors have suggested.
Rumors have suggested that Apple will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original iPhone’s release with another iPhone X moment. As most of you reading this are aware, the iPhone X ushered in a new iPhone design that Apple has mostly stuck to for the better part of a decade.
To do that, previous rumors suggested that Apple will release an iPhone with zero bezels, creating a new, futuristic design. But a new leak claims Apple will create that effect by using curved glass, avoiding the pitfalls that can come from using a curved OLED panel.
Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible
Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone on this day in 2007
On January 9, 2007, in the shadow of the CES, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone. You know that it was an extraordinary and flawless demo from the outside, but what you don’t remember is everything else that was launched — nor how part of the keynote went wrong.
Context is everything. Just before the iPhone launch, on Sunday, January 7, 2007, Bill Gates gave the keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Hammering home Microsoft’s then buzz phrase of the ‘Digital Decade,’ he talked about how great hardware wasn’t enough, that we needed connected experiences. “Where people are being productive, doing new creative things, where they’re mobile… that is the key element that is missing.”
CES 2026, Apple Card's bank shift and more, on the AppleInsider Podcast
It’s the week of the annual CES, but not as we’ve known it before. Plus Apple Card is moving banks, and you really should not let ChatGPT into your Apple Health data, all on the AppleInsider Podcast.
Back in 1992, Apple’s then CEO John Sculley announced the Newton at CES. Apple didn’t come back again until 2020, and even then it wasn’t exhibiting.
For more than three decades, then, the Consumer Electronics Show has thrived without Apple. And it’s thrived with many companies making accessories for Apple.
Inside Preview in iOS 26 – how to edit PDFs, sign documents, and scan files
Preview in iOS 26 turns your iPhone into a quick workspace when a document needs attention. Here’s how to edit your PDFs with the app.
The new Preview app fixes a long-standing gap on the iPhone. Document tools scattered across Files, Mail, and third-party apps never felt consistent or easy to manage. Preview brings everything together, which makes common tasks feel easier to handle.
The app supports PDFs, images, and scans without pushing you through separate workflows. You can correct small issues on a page, add a signature, or clean up a document before sending it back. Many routine jobs finally feel manageable on a smaller screen.
iPhone Air 2 could get thinner & brighter screen because of iPhone Fold tech
A new report claims that thin display technology for the iPhone Fold may also be used for the single screen in an iPhone Air 2 in 2027.
The first iPhone Air in 2025 may have been a hint at the iPhone fold, as that forthcoming model will need displays that are as thin. But a new report claims that the use of display technology may also go the other way, with the iPhone Fold’s screen being used to improve the iPhone Air.
Specifically, The Elec claims that Apple is considering the use of Color Filter on Encap (CoE) technology. It’s previously been reported to be considering this for the 20th anniversary iPhone.
Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible
Pickle, lighthouse, and meteor among 19 new emoji previewed for 2026
We’re expecting the pickle to be the stand-out favorite when the new crop of 19 emoji arrive on the iPhone.
The new emoji, published by the Unicode Consortium and shared by Emojipedia, are currently only in draft, so they won’t be made official for a while yet. It’s likely the draft list will be finalized in September 2026, with Apple adding the emoji in a future software update.
Among the 19 emoji are a green pickle that is sure to prove popular, as well as a meteor burning up as it breaks through the atmosphere. Dinosaurs the world over will want to give that one a wide berth.
Apple's chip partner TSMC revenue driven to new heights by iPhone & AI
TSMC has reported a higher than predicted Q4 revenue increase, chiefly because of demand for AI processors such as those in the iPhone.
Two years after TSMC had a dramatic drop in revenue, its latest report says that AI demand has proven to be a huge boost. According to Reuters the company saw a 20.45% year over year increase in fourth-quarter revenue.
TSMC will not publish its full earnings report until January 15, 2025, when it is also to provide guidance for both the current quarter and the full year. That guidance will include capital expenditure plans and revenue forecasts.
Evercore raises its Apple price target to $330 on iPhone 17 demand
Investment firm Evercore has upgraded its price target for Apple, again because of the continued success of the iPhone 17 family.
Back in September 2025, Evercore raised its target price twice, going from $250 to $290, expressly because of the iPhone 17 and then the iPhone Air. In late October, the price went to $300, again because of the strong sales of the new models.
But then in December 2025, it was the expectation that an overhauled Siri would drive sales in 2026 that prompted a target rise to $325.
Apple's 2026 annual shareholder meeting is on February 24
Apple will hold its annual shareholder meeting on February 24 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, which is when participants will be able to vote and ask questions.
Annual shareholder meetings are held to vote on matters presented by shareholders and to discuss how future goals are being met. During these meetings, the company’s performance during the previous year is also discussed.
As part of Apple’s meeting on February 24, participants will vote on the election of its Board of Directors and will ratify the appointment of Apple’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2026. Participants will also vote on Apple’s Non-Employee Director Stock Plan, executive compensation, and a shareholder proposal related to Apple’s manufacturing efforts in China.
Future AirPods may gain finer and faster gesture recognition
New research shows that Apple is looking to improve gestures on AirPods by dropping the separate detection circuitry of AirPods, and instead using the RF antenna to sense the gesture.
In the surprisingly long history of AirPods — the first known patent for them was back in 2011 — there have been many plans for gesture control. Some have yet to appear, such as camera-based systems.
Now in a newly-revealed patent application called “Gesture Detection Based on Antenna Impedance Measurements,” Apple has detailed another gesture approach entirely. Where the current AirPods have a touch surface, it’s a separate system from the rest of the earbud and Apple doesn’t think that’s good enough.
How to bring back Launchpad on macOS Tahoe
Launchpad has been dropped in macOS Tahoe and it is either greatly missed, or dismissed with a shrug. If you’re the former, there are things you can do to get it (mostly) back.
Just in case you either have no idea what Launchpad was, it did once seem like it was going to be an essential Mac tool. In 2021, AppleInsider even answered readers’ questions with a guide to how to set it up and make the most of it.
As that guide explained, Launchpad was an icon in your Dock and clicking on it brought up an overlay on your screen. In front of whatever you were working on, you now had this whole screen full of very large app icons and a very small search bar at the top.
Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station review: A modular setup for creative pros
Lexar’s customizable docking station is an easy way to expand your photo or video production workflow with added Thunderbolt flexibility in the studio or on the go.
The Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station is a unique Thunderbolt dock that can be quite powerful, depending on your setup. Unlike most docks that typically offer up an array of ports, this pairs extra ports with customizable modules.
Users can swap out modules as needed, substituting card readers and storage as required, based on their specific requirements.
End of today’s Apple Insider roundup.
