Christmas week did not slow Apple down. Between December 22 and 28, the company found itself dealing with software frustrations, regulatory pressure, and early signs of what its next hardware cycle may look like.
From foldable iPhone experiments and iOS 26.2 bugs to App Store rulings across multiple countries, this week revealed where Apple is pushing ahead and where cracks are starting to show. Here’s a clear look at everything that mattered.
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iPhone Roadmap, Leaks, and Hardware Futures
- Apple Tests Uneven Thickness Glass to Hide Foldable iPhone Crease
- Apple’s Foldable iPhone Could Look a Lot Like Google’s First Pixel Fold
- iPhone 18 Trial Production Reportedly Starts After Lunar New Year
- iPhone 18 Pro Leaks And Rumors So Far: What Changes after iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone RAM Prices Are Surging, and Apple Is Leaning on Samsung
- Samsung to Make iPhone 18 Camera Sensors in USA, Ending Sony’s Exclusive Run
- iPhone Air 2 May Not Be Delayed After All, New Claim Suggests
- Apple Starts Early Work on an OLED iMac, But the Wait will be Long
iOS 26.2 Pain Points, Bugs, and Everyday Fixes
- Why So Many iPhone Users Are Angry About AutoCorrect Right Now
- iOS 26.2 Brings Keyboard Display Issues to Many iPhones
- iOS Bug Makes the Status Bar Blurry and Hides the Clock
- iOS 26.2 Bug Makes Lock Screen Icons Look Smaller After Setup
- iOS 26.2 Makes ProMotion iPhones Feel Less Smooth Than Before
- iOS 18.7.3 disappears for newer iPhones, leaving iOS 26.2 the only update
- iPhone Users Keep Complaining About the Home Screen Dock
- iPhone Hotspot Still Can’t Share Wi Fi, and It’s Getting Hard to Defend
- iPhone Wallpaper Shows Different Colors on Lock Screen and Home Screen
- iMessage “Back” Button Missing on iOS 26.2: How You Can Fix It
- iPhone Settings Search Not Working? Here’s What You Can Do
- iPhone Alarm Alerts for Holidays Are Quietly Very Useful
- Apple Mail Just Saved Me From Sending an Email Without an Attachment
App Store, Antitrust, and Global Regulation
- Italy Fines Apple $115 Million over App Store Rules that Hurt Rivals
- Texas Judge Blocks App Store Age Verification Law, Giving Apple a Major Win
- Brazil Forces Apple to Allow Alternative App Stores on iPhone
- Apple Accepts New App Store Rules to End Brazil Antitrust Probe
- Epic CEO Says Apple Shows “Gross Disrespect” With Japan App Store Rules
- EU Says iOS 26.3 Changes Prove Digital Markets Act Is Working
Apple Intelligence, AI Politics, and the ChatGPT Angle
- China Demands Apple Intelligence Refuse to Answer 2,000 Censored Questions
- OpenAI Launches “Your Year with ChatGPT” for Select Countries
- How to Set Up the Apple Music App on ChatGPT
Apple Music, Streaming Choices, and Interface Debates
- Apple Music’s Hidden Control Shows How Far “Simple” Interfaces Have Gone
- Apple Music How to Use on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Apple Music vs YouTube Music: Which Streaming Service Is Better?
- Apple Music vs Pandora: Which Streaming Service Is Better in 2025?
Services, Apps, Deals, and Business Moves
- Apple Wallet Plans Driver’s License Support in 7 Additional States
- WhatsApp Beta Adds Apple Watch Pairing Alerts on iPhone
- Apple Pay Users Can Get 20 Percent off Adidas Purchases
- Apple Offers Free Two-Hour Delivery for Last-Minute Holiday Shoppers
- Apple Stays in the Top Three Most Popular Internet Services in 2025
- Apple Warn H-1B Visa Holders to Stay in the US Due to Long Delays
- Apple COO Sabih Khan meets China’s Top Trade Official in Beijing
- US Delays New China Chip Tariffs Until June 2027, Relief for Apple
- Tim Cook Buys $3 Million in Nike Stock as Shares Rebound After Earnings Drop
- Apple’s $20K Coding Course Faces Accountability Questions
- Apple’s Weather App Can Feel Inaccurate, Especially for Snow
- Apple’s Lockdown Mode Protects Against Serious Attacks, But at a Cost
- Apple Maps Still Does Not Show Driving Speed, and Users Are Mad
- These Underrated iPhone Apps Make Daily Life Easier on iOS
- Apple Glasses Launching Next Year: What Apple’s Smart Glasses May Offer
- Just Got an iPhone 17 for Christmas? Start With These Features
- Apple Tested Colorful AirPods Years Ago, New Prototype Images Reveal
- App of the Week: This Tool Turns Your Mac’s Notch Into a Productivity Hub
- User Tried iOS 26 Live Translation With His Girlfriend’s Family and Regretted It
- “Made on MacBook Pro” is Not the Flex Apple Thinks It is
As 2025 winds down, Apple ends the year in a familiar position. Big plans are forming quietly, while current users wrestle with rough edges that refuse to disappear. Foldables, AI controls, and global regulation will shape 2026, but trust in day-to-day software still matters just as much. We’ll be watching how Apple balances ambition with reliability as the calendar flips.
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