We"re back with another issue of our "Apple Rewind" monthly roundup series on Apple Inc., talking about all the new launches, speculations, and cool rumors you may want to hear. In February, Apple teased its upcoming devices, partnered with a chocolate company, and improved the podcasting experience.
Get over AI chatbots
The tech world is obsessed with AI, but Apple is busy backstage, building features that will help power such technologies. A reliable Weibo leaker said Apple is working to up its satellite connectivity game for iPhone. Apple"s C2 modem is expected to support NR-NTN (New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks), allowing future iPhones to access 5G internet via satellite in areas without cell towers.
iPhone mini x iPad mini
It"s been forever since Apple"s foldable iPhone is on the way. Multiple fingers point to 2026 as the year of the foldable iPhone. A reliable Chinese leaker shared design details for the device earlier in February, suggesting that Apple will put the volume buttons at the top of the device, taking cues from the iPad mini.
That"s mostly due to the motherboard"s placement, which will also put the Touch ID and Camera Control buttons on the right side of the device. Overall, the device could look like an iPhone mini that unfolds into an iPad mini.
Big week ahead
Apple CEO Tim Cook reached out on his X handle to tease upcoming Apple launches, stating that it"s a "big week ahead" starting Monday. Several products are on the table for Apple"s spring launch, and the company will also have offline special events in multiple cities.
A big week ahead. It all starts Monday morning! #AppleLaunch pic.twitter.com/PQ9gM2Gl2r
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 26, 2026
You can read our detailed roundup to know about the six different devices Apple is expected to launch next week, including a low-cost MacBook priced around $750 and the new budget iPhone.
Apple Music chocolate
No, Apple is not getting into the confectionery business. But it has partnered with the German brand Ritter Sport to launch a unique promotion from March 2. Ritter Sport will showcase five albums with a special place in German music history by printing QR codes on the back of its 100g square chocolate bars.
Scanning the code will take you to the album"s page on Apple Music and offer a free trial subscription. These branded chocolates will be available at grocery stores in Germany until supplies last.
Living on the Edge
Microsoft dropped an important message for Mac users who surf the web with its browser. The company will pull the plug on Edge for macOS 12 Monterey in the near future, starting with Edge 150. This shouldn"t come as a surprise, as Microsoft keeps dropping support for older macOS versions, time and again. macOS 11 Big Sur supports Microsoft Edge until version 138, and you should upgrade to macOS 13 Ventura to continue using the web browser.
In other news, Microsoft released Edge Stable version 144.0.3719.115 to fix a 100% CPU usage bug on macOS that caused one core to fully saturate during normal browsing. Several Mac users reported overheating and degraded performance because of the issue. Interestingly, the bug was discovered two months ago during testing, but Microsoft failed to fix it.
If you want to read more interesting news from Microsoft, check out Taras" latest Microsoft Weekly roundup.
Spilling the tea
It"s already official that Apple will launch new products next month, but no one knows exactly what they are. The macOS 26.3 update included references to new products Apple could announce, identified by the codenames J700, J427, and J527. Based on previous rumors, these devices could be the rumored low-cost MacBook and new Studio Display models.
It was reported last month that the A18 Pro-powered MacBook will launch in multiple colors to target students and first-time buyers, with an expected price well under $1,000. You can read Hamid"s detailed roundup to know what"s expected from the low-cost MacBook.
Meanwhile, there are two versions of the Studio Display 2 on the radar (J427 and J527). Someone dug into Apple"s internal code and found that the monitors will feature different speakers and slightly varying connectivity options to justify the price gap.
Apple "reinvents" video podcasts
That"s just a reference to Apple"s old marketing material, where the company used to flaunt that it "reinvented" the things it launched. iOS 26.4 is giving Apple Podcasts a chance to match Spotify in the podcast game; its beta versions released in February introduced meaningful features, such as video support in podcasts and the ability to switch between audio and video on the go.
Speaking of Apple updates, iOS 26.3 was also released to the public last month. The update introduces a new privacy feature that prevents telecom carriers from tracking your exact location. Meanwhile, Xcode 26.3 "unlocks the power of agentic coding" by supporting AI agents from OpenAI and Anthropic.
Made in America
Ramping up its manufacturing efforts in the US, Apple announced that it will expand factory operations in Houston. What this means is Apple will start manufacturing Mac mini in the US for the first time, expand advanced AI server manufacturing, and provide hands-on training at its Advanced Manufacturing Center later this year.
See around you
Another rumor fueled hopes of seeing an upgraded AirPods Pro that can "see around you." And that could happen as early as this year on the upgraded AirPods Pro 3, according to a leaker. This corroborates previous speculation that AirPods Pro with built-in infrared cameras will arrive in 2026. An IR camera can unlock new features such as air gestures.
Goodbye Apple Home
Apple pulled the plug on Apple Home this month (the old one), giving users the deadline until February 10 to upgrade to the new Apple HomeKit architecture. The company sent multiple reminders over the last few months and warned that your smart home devices would stop working if you don"t update.
Better late than never
It took two years, but YouTube finally explored the ultra-premium side of Apple and launched a native app for the Vision Pro headset. You can watch standard rectangular videos, Shorts, and 3D 360-degree and VR180 videos on a giant virtual screen. That said, Vision Pro users are still limited to their web browsers for Netflix and Spotify.
It burns on both sides
While end users may be afraid that the memory crisis will make tech expensive for them, device makers aren"t spared either. Even giants like Apple are paying a premium to secure memory for the iPhone.
It was reported that Apple agreed to a 100% hike on memory chips from Samsung to keep the iPhone 17 production lines moving. However, some believe it should be taken with a grain of salt, as senior executives attend such meetings, making it harder for such information to leak to a media outlet like that.
It"s classified
Apple patted its own back and announced that iPhones and iPads (running iOS 26/iPadOS 26) have become the first consumer devices to meet the information assurance requirements from the NATO alliance, reaching the "NATO Restricted" level. These devices don"t require special software or settings to handle classified information.
Year of the horse
Apple marked the Chinese Lunar Year 2026 (or the Year of the Horse) on February 17 with a set of custom wallpapers for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. The wallpapers are available in high-quality and optimized for the respective device. For instance, the iPad wallpaper has a landscape orientation.
New game for Apple Sports
Apple Sports app, which tells real-time scores, stats, and other data, got support for a new sport this time. Golf fans can get live scores for all official PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events and track their favorite players through each event with hole-by-hole results. For other sports, the app added support for some popular European football cups, including Copa Del Rey, Coppa Italia, Coupe de France, and DFB-Pokal.
Set sail in Oceanhorn 3
Apple announced several new titles for Apple Arcade. Coming on March 5, Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea is set almost 1,000 years after Oceanhorn 2, where you can "explore lost islands, battle titans, and unlock the secrets of a world on the brink of rebirth." Other titles joining Apple"s gaming service are Pocket Love!+, Flow Free+, and Doraemon Dorayaki Shop Story+.
So, these were some of the biggest updates around Apple from the month of February. There will be more issues of the Apple Rewind series in the following months.
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