This digest compiles the latest from Apple Insider.
Today’s Apple Insider Roundup
First Matter camera, tvOS 26.4, & Pawport CEO Martin Diamond on Smart Home Insider
On this week’s episode of the Smart Home Insider podcast, Pawport CEO Martin Diamond stops by to talk about the news of the week, and how intelligent pet doors can be integrated into the smart home.
Our guest host this week is Martin Diamond, founder and CEO of Pawport. Born out of necessity, Pawport is a secure and durable dog door that can help you let your four-legged friends in and out of your house.
Pawport can be mounted in a door, in a wall, or even a sheet of glass. The door can be scheduled, controlled through the Pawport app, or triggered via dog-worn sensors.
The person who could be Apple CEO: Who is John Ternus?
All things considered, John Ternus is the center of speculation as being the best and most likely choice for control of the company. Who is he, and how did he get here?
Apple, like many other massive companies with giant workforces and a decades-long history, have to plan for the future direction of the company. Part of that preparation involves determining who will take control as CEO after the current leader departs, and what to do to prepare for that inevitability.
For Apple and its aging leadership, Apple has to find its replacement for Tim Cook. Even though Cook probably won’t be retiring in 2026, the sheer size and number of moving parts at Apple means it has to prepare now, so there’s enough of a runway for the heir to the position to get ready, as well as the company itself, from 2027 onward.
Folding iPhone rumored to get new glass sandwich screen to prevent damage
Apple’s quest to prevent damage to the iPhone Fold display has led it to a new design that will protect the screen from Apple’s own hinge mechanism.
The development of the iPhone Fold has been dominated by Apple ensuring it doesn’t fall into the same trap as other devices in having screen crease issues. If a Monday claim is true, Apple is also protecting the display from the iPhone Fold’s physical hardware, too.
In a Monday post to Weibo, serial leaker Digital Chat Station claims that the display used in the iPhone Fold will go beyond using “self-healing glass” and a seamless hinge design. The structure of the display panel itself will also play a role.
Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible
Cook praises Chinese developers as government presses for open App Store
Tim Cook has again spoken at the China Development Forum in Beijing, praising Chinese developers, but not quite getting the same praise back.
Cook was in China in part for the concert celebrating Apple’s 50th anniversary, but he also returned to the annual China Development Forum. He’s previously been one of the few American CEOs to attend, and as spotted by Bloomberg, he once more used his speech to talk positively about Apple’s relationship with China.
“Innovation, green development and education are not separate properties, they are deeply connected,” Cook said during his speech. “They represent the vision of progress that we at Apple share, and we are committed to collaborating with our partners across China and with all of you to make that vision a reality.”
What M5 Pro, M5 Max get using vertically-stacked dies for performance
Apple’s chip designs for the M5 Pro and M5 Max stack the dies, using the same UltraFusion architecture that enabled the creation of Apple’s Ultra chips. Here’s how and why that’s faster than before.
The M5 Pro and M5 Max are very powerful chips, but getting that high performance required the engineers to come up with new ways to design the chips in the first place. In the latest releases, Apple actually borrowed an idea from its Ultra line for its M5 chip packing.
Speaking to Heise Online in an article spotted by WCCFTech, Anand Shimpi of Apple’s Hardware Technologies department explained that the UltraFusion architecture of the M2 Ultra and M3 Ultra helped create the M5 Pro and Max.
Elaborate 50th anniversary party to be held at Apple Park
In what’s probably the culmination of Apple’s 50th anniversary celebrations, maybe we’ll get to see Tim Cook dance again at a large-scale party now being planned at Apple Park.
The anniversary celebrations were started by Tim Cook writing an open letter about Apple’s five decades, and since then events have followed in New York, China, South Korea, France, and Thailand. More are expected in the UK, Canada, and Australia, but probably the biggest one will be at Apple Park.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is planning what’s described as “an elaborate 50th birthday party” at its Cupertino, California headquarters. There are no further details in the article, and not even confirmed dates, but there is supposition that John Ternus will be center stage as the most likely next CEO of the company.
Apple wasn't alone in 1976 — these companies helped define an era
1976 wasn’t just the year Apple got its start — it was a moment when experimentation, risk-taking, and small ideas briefly had room to make waves in US business. As Apple turns 50, we look back at other notable companies founded that year, that stood the test of time.
While Apple turns 50 this year, it wasn’t the only company founded in 1976 to push into uncharted territory. From biotechnology and personal computing to craft beer and music hardware, these five companies each helped shape their industries — even if they didn’t survive the test of time.
End of today’s Apple Insider roundup.
