Apple wrapped up the second week of December with one of its busiest stretches of the year. Major OS updates rolled out to everyone, security fixes piled up, and regulators across the U.S. and Europe turned up the pressure. At the same time, Apple kept pushing ahead on services, streaming, and hardware plans for 2026.
From iOS 26.2 landing worldwide to fresh legal fights over the App Store, this week showed how Apple now juggles software stability, policy battles, and long-term bets all at once. There was also no shortage of user frustration, with complaints around updates, animations, storage, and small design choices that keep adding up.
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Here’s everything that mattered from December 08–14, broken down by what actually moved the needle.
Software updates, RC builds, and developer tools
- Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 233 With New Fixes
- Apple Releases Updated iPadOS 26.2 RC Build to All Beta Users
- Apple Releases New iOS 26.2 RC Build to All Beta Users
- Xcode 26.2 Is Now Available With Updated SDKs and Swift 6.2.3
- iOS 18.7.3 and iPadOS 18.7.3 now available for all supported devices
- macOS 15.7.3 and macOS 14.8.3 released with security-focused changes
- iOS 26.2 is Out Now for iPhone: Everything You Need to Know
- visionOS 26.2 Now Available for Apple Vision Pro Users
- Apple rolls out tvOS 26.2 to all Apple TV users
- watchOS 26.2 released with Sleep improvements and Music app fix
- macOS 26.2 is now available for everyone with new features
- iPadOS 26.2 is now available with multitasking improvements
- Apple releases iOS 26.2 for iPhone users worldwide
- iOS 26.2 Shows a Huge Download Size for Some Users, and They Are Not Happy
Security, privacy, courts, and regulation
- ICEBlock Developer Sues US Officials After App Store Removal
- Apple Wins Key Court Ruling on Commissions but Must Set a Fair New Rate
- Epic CEO Says Apple’s ‘Junk Fee’ Theory Is ‘Shut Down for All Time’
- Apple Faces New Claims Over Hosting Apps From Sanctioned Groups
- Apple’s iMessage Setup Makes Government Bans Almost Impossible
- New Spyware Alerts Make iOS 26.2 the Most Important Update This Month
- Apple Releases Full Security Fixes List for iOS 26.2 and all Others
- Apple Faces New Antitrust in Switzerland Over NFC Restrictions
- Tim Cook Confronts Lawmakers Over Flawed App Store Age Bill
- Apple Shares Tools to Help Apps Enforce Australia’s Age Rules
- State Attorneys General Warn Apple Over Harmful AI Outputs
- EU Uses Apple’s App Store Changes as Reference in Google Play Probe
Apple TV, streaming, and entertainment
- Apple TV Shows Lead Major Categories at the Golden Globes
- Apple Shows F1 Channel Preview and Confirms Onboard Camera Support
- Apple TV Sets Release Date for ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’
- Netflix co-CEO Confirms Warner Will Keep Supplying Apple TV
- Brad Pitt’s ‘F1: The Movie’ Now Streaming on Apple TV for Free
- Apple TV Drops Hijack Season 2 Trailer Ahead of January Premiere
- Silo Season 3: Release Window, Season 4 Filming, and Everything We Know
- Severance Season 3: Filming Start Date, Ben Stiller’s Reduced Role, and Release Window
- The Savant on Apple TV+: Release Date, Delays, and Everything We Know
- Disney Brings Its Characters to OpenAI’s Sora in a New Three Year Deal
- YouTube TV Plans Will Launch With Cheaper Genre-Based Packages
- Spotify Adds Music Videos for Premium Users in US and Canada
Hardware, chips, leaks, and what’s next
- Apple’s Chip Chief Tells His Team He Isn’t Leaving “Anytime Soon”
- New Leak Shows Apple Advancing Under-Display Face ID for iPhone 18
- New Leak Shows Apple’s Abandoned Dark ‘Vision Air’ Hardware
- Internal Code Confirms AirTag 2 and Faster HomePod mini for 2026
- Internal Code Confirms Next Studio Display Will Support 120Hz and HDR
- Internal Code Hints A19 Chip Coming to Apple’s Next Cheapest iPad
- iPhone 17e: All the Rumors and Everything We Know So Far
- iPhone Fold to Launch With Nearly One Third of Foldable Market Value
- Apple Sets Huge Production Target for First Foldable iPhone [Updated]
- Counterpoint Says Apple Will “Reignite” Foldable Phone Demand in 2026
- Apple Buys Two More Cupertino Office Buildings for $216 Million
Services, payments, retail, and reliability
- Apple Releases New ‘Outrun’ Ad to Highlight Apple Pay
- Apple Enables Tap to Pay on iPhone Across Hong Kong Retailers
- Apple Enables Messages via Satellite for iPhone Users in Japan
- Apple Uses AI Dubbing to Bring Fitness Plus to 28 New Countries
- Apple Offers 3 Months of Free Apple Arcade with Gift Card Purchase
- Apple Arcade Adds Four New Games in January, Here’s what you get
- Apple Cash Gets New Animated Stickers in Messages App
- Shazam Launches ‘Popular Segments’ to Show the Most Played Moments in Songs
- Apple Reveals the Most Downloaded Apps and Games of 2025
- Apple Services Face Multiple Outages, Then Return to Normal
- Apple Opens New Store at The Shops at Blackstone Valley
- Apple Opens Its Fifth Retail Store in India at DLF Mall, Noida
- Apple Digital Key Expands as Porsche Activates Support for New EVs
How-tos, explainers, and user complaints
- Does Fast Charging Actually Ruin Your Battery?
- Understanding Privacy Settings in iPhone Apps
- Windows 11 Apps Keep Eating Your RAM, MacBooks Avoid This Mess
- Mac Users Wants To Delete Apple Intelligence To Save Space
- iPhone Users Complain That iOS 26.1 Broke Their Bluetooth Experience
- Users Say iOS 26 Animations Feel “Stuttery” Compared to Android Rivals
- How To Remove the New White Icon Borders in iOS 26.1
- New Shortcuts Actions Arrive in iOS 26 With Big Improvements
- Google Brings a Redesigned Video Editor to iOS
- iPhones Sometimes Charge to 100 Even When You Set a Charge Limit
- Many iPhone Users Push Back on New Shine Effect in iOS 26.1
- Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Pro 2
- “Block Caller” Option Missing in iOS 26? Here’s Where It Moved and How to Fix It
- Kindle Paperwhite (2025) vs. iPad mini 7: Which Is the Ultimate Reading Device?
- Chrome on iPhone Shows New Gemini Cards for First-Time Users
- iOS 26 “Preview” Screen Glitch is Confusing a Lot of iPhone Users
- iPhone Users Can’t Find iOS 18.7.3 and Are Being Pushed to iOS 26.2
- iOS 26.2 Turned On Automatic Updates by Default and Users Are Upset
- iOS 26.4 Leaks Offer Early Look at iOS 27 and iOS 28 Features
- iPhone Owners Report ‘Broken Grid Icons’ Glitch With White Placeholders
- iOS 26.1 Users Say Typing Is Worse Than Ever, Turning Off This Feature Helps
- IShowSpeed Takes on Kung Fu in New Beats Ad for Powerbeats Pro 2
- App of the Week: A Free Tool That Gives Your Mouse Desktop-Level Shortcuts
- Headway App Review: The Micro-Learning App That Wants You To Grow
- Best iMovie Alternatives for macOS in 2026: Why Movavi Deserves a Closer Look
With iOS 26.2 now in the wild and early leaks already pointing toward iOS 27 and beyond, the next few weeks will likely focus on fixes, follow-ups, and reactions. As always, we’ll be watching what changes next and what Apple chooses to ignore.
That’s it for TMO Weekly #11. Let us know which story stood out to you most, and what you want us to dig into next week.
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