Apple is in the middle of trickling out a variety of announcements including Powerbeats Pro 2 and an Apple TV+ app for Android phones this week, and based on a tease from Tim Cook it looks like there's at least one bigger announcement in store for next Wednesday.
While a new iPhone SE is the odds-on favorite for Wednesday's announcement, there are a few other products we're expecting to see launch in the relatively near future, so we'll have to hang tight to see just how Apple plans to roll them out. Read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories!
Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday
In a bit of an unusual move, Apple CEO Tim Cook has teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19.
"Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said in a social media post, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag.
Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so his post is a bit of a mystery. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes the post is a teaser for Apple announcing a new iPhone SE.
iPhone SE 4 Launch is Imminent - What to Expect
If next week's launch is indeed the next-generation iPhone SE, we're expecting a host of upgrades to modernize Apple's low-end iPhone, including Face ID, an A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support, and more.
Timing for a launch has been a bit unclear, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claiming it would be arriving this week and a generic listing for it popping up on a French reseller's website, but it now looks like things are lining up for a slightly later debut.
M4 MacBook Air Release Continues to Appear Imminent
There continue to be signs of a new MacBook Air with an M4 chip, indicating that we could see the machine launch in the not too distant future. A reliable source this week shared the identifiers that the MacBook Air will use, and those identifiers correspond to the M4 chip.
Rumors have suggested that the M4 MacBook Air has been in production for months already, and Apple itself leaked references to it in macOS Sequoia 15.2 back in December, but Apple has yet to officially announce it.
Powerbeats Pro 2 Debut With Heart Rate Monitoring, H2 Chip, Active Noise Cancellation, and More
Apple's Beats brand officially introduced the Powerbeats Pro 2 this week, bringing significant updates to the wireless earphones aimed at active users.
Among the upgrades for Powerbeats Pro 2 are Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) with Transparency mode, Personalized Spatial Audio, an H2 chip for improved power efficiency and Apple ecosystem integration, and for the first time in an Apple audio product, Heart Rate Monitoring.
Apple TV+ App Now Available on Android
Apple has debuted a new Android smartphone app on the Google Play store that will allow users on that platform to more easily subscribe to and watch Apple TV+ content, including MLS Season Pass.
Android users can access Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass by signing into their Apple Account, or subscribe directly through Google Play's billing system.
Apple Releases iOS 18.3.1 With Bug Fixes
Apple this week released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, which offer bug fixes and security improvements including a fix for a vulnerability that "may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals."
On devices that support Apple Intelligence, some users who previously turned off the feature have found it automatically turned back on after updating, so be sure to double check your settings if you don't wish to use Apple Intelligence.
World's Thinnest Foldable Phone Launches Next Week
Apple has yet to enter the foldable smartphone market, but other manufacturers continue to press forward with their efforts and push the boundaries of what's physically possible.
Oppo has confirmed it will debut its Find N5 or OnePlus Open 2 foldable phone on February 20, with the device reportedly measuring just 4mm thick when open.
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