We are stepping into 2026 with a new monthly "Apple Rewind" roundup series on Apple Inc., the company behind the $19 Polishing Cloth, the $999 monitor stand, and the robust ecosystem that keeps Apple fans loyal for years. Not to mention, it"s inspired by our Microsoft Weekly series, which rounds up major updates from the Redmond giant, and TWIRL, which brings you a weekly scoop of all the cool space tech news.
In January, Apple doubled down on its subscription business and reported strong results during the latest earnings call. After numerous ups and downs, the Cupertino giant has partnered with Google to power its upcoming Siri upgrade.
Apple Creator Studio and Pixelmator"s fate
As the hardware segment inches towards saturation, most device makers are exploring digital offerings. Apple"s case is no different; it launched a new subscription bundle, Apple Creator Studio, priced at $12.99/mo ($129/year). It will give Adobe a tough fight, as Adobe is the top player in this space and sells the Creative Cloud bundle.
Apple Creator Studio brings together creative apps, including Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, and more. The company continues to sell these apps as standalone versions, but Apple Creator Studio subscribers will get exclusive AI features and access to premium content. It"s iWork apps, including Keynote, Pages, and Numbers, are also part of Apple Creator Studio.
Apple launched the new Pixelmator Pro app for iPad and discontinued the old Pixelmator app, which it said "is no longer being updated." However, the Photomator app will continue to serve as an up-to-date image-editing solution for iPhone.
The first Apple check sells for $2.4 million
Old Apple artifacts hold significant value, which is probably why they sell for high prices at auctions. In January, the first check from the pre-Apple era, signed by both co-founders, was sold for $2.4 million, alongside Apple"s first "Celebration" board designed for the Apple-1.
The entire collection of items related to Apple and its late co-founder Steve Jobs raked in over $8.1 million.
AirTag 2 arrives with several internal upgrades
Apple"s second-generation AirTag (or AirTag 2) arrived in January, featuring several new upgrades and improvements. However, most of them are under the hood, as both generations of AirTags are virtually identical in appearance.
To name a few, the AirTag 2 features Apple"s second-generation Ultra Wideband (U2) chip and updated Bluetooth hardware for an extended range and up to 1.5x better Precision Finding. The internal speakers are now considerably louder with a new chime.
Apple released iOS 26.2.1 to add support for its first hardware product of 2026. You can read our recent Specs Appeal feature to get an idea of all the differences between AirTag 2 and AirTag 1.
Gemini to power the upgraded Siri
You might remember those Pixel commercials where Google mocked Apple for its AI struggles. But it"s established that Google and Apple are frenemies. After Apple"s long effort to develop an upgraded Siri, the two tech giants have joined forces to use Gemini to make Siri more personal.
Apple and Google announced that the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google"s Gemini models and cloud technology, powering Siri and other Apple Intelligence features. An earlier joint statement confirmed that Apple Intelligence "will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple"s industry-leading privacy standards."
This was echoed by CEO Tim Cook during the Q1 2026 earnings calls. However, Cook also said Apple will continue to develop its own AI technology alongside the partnership, but those efforts will remain separate from Google"s role in personalized Siri.
Apple hits record $143.8B revenue, iPhone hits $1,000 ASP
Apple patted itself on the back after reporting a strong quarterly revenue in January. Its Q1 FY2026 quarter ended on December 27, 2025, with revenue reaching a record $143.8 billion and net income increasing to a record $42.09 billion.
During the earnings call, Apple reported that it now has more than 2.5 billion monthly active devices worldwide. Citing data from 451 Research, Apple said that customer satisfaction remains high, with 99% for the iPhone 17 series.
Apple"s strong quarter propelled global sales and market share. Counterpoint Research and SAG reported that iPhone crossed the $1,000 average selling price milestone, driven by the premiumization trend. Apple captured 59% of global smartphone revenue and a 25% share of smartphone shipments in Q4 2025.
Not so happy story for iOS 26
Apple"s iOS 26 update, which included the new Liquid Glass design language, didn"t match the heights of its predecessors. Third-party analytics data showed that iOS 26 captured less than 20% market share four months after release, a slowdown not observed with previous iOS versions.
Still, Apple hasn"t yet released its official data on iOS and iPadOS usage, which would give us a clearer picture.
Apple acquired a new startup for $2 billion
Apple acquired an Israel-based startup, q.ai, in a deal valued at nearly $2 billion. It was reported as Apple"s second-largest acquisition to date, after the company spent $3 billion in 2014 to buy Beats Electronics.
While the world knows little about q.ai and what Apple plans to do after the purchase, it reportedly develops silent speech recognition technology that analyzes micro-movements on the facial skin to interpret whispered speech and detect biometric indicators such as heart rate.
The last Intel-powered MacBook Air is now vintage
Everything comes to an end at some point. So is the case with the Intel-powered Macs, which are slowly finding a place in Apple"s graveyard. The MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) was among the latest set of devices Apple added to its vintage and obsolete lists. It"s the last MacBook Air fitted with an Intel chip, released in March 2020, months before Apple launched the M1 MacBook Air.
Turn your MacBook into a touchscreen laptop
At CES 2026, a startup named Intricuit previewed its MacBook plug-and-play accessory called Magic Screen. It is designed to turn the MacBook into a touchscreen device that supports a pressure-sensitive stylus.
Apple justifies wearing the Apple Watch
Apple transformed the Apple Watch into a health tracking device over its decade-long existence. The company periodically conducts research to support its claims about why you should wear your Apple Watch at all times. The Apple Heart and Movement Study found that consistent Apple Watch use can help users reach fitness goals and overcome Quitter"s Day.
Apple Card gets a new issuer
Apple announced it has partnered with JPMorgan Chase as the issuer of Apple Card, ending its partnership with Goldman Sachs. In 2023, it was reported that Goldman Sachs was in talks with American Express to transfer the Apple Card as it sought to scale back its customer-facing business.
The transition will take place in about two years following the announcement, giving Chase access to a credit card portfolio estimated at over $20 billion in balances.
New privacy feature for iPhone
Apple released iOS 26.3 Beta 3 in January, and a new privacy feature prevents cellular companies from tracking your exact location. However, the update introduces issues, including broken Continuity features on the iPhone 17 series.
What"s in from the rumor mill
We heard some new information about unreleased Apple products. For starters, the crease-free display of the foldable iPhone was reportedly spotted at CES 2026. An early January post from the Weibo-based leaker Smart Pikachu stated that Apple is set to begin mass production of the iPhone 17e, featuring the Dynamic Island.
The iPhone 18 series is expected to feature an under-display Face ID in its flagship models, according to leaked display specifications. Smart Pikachu said in another post that Apple is working on a major zoom upgrade for the iPhone 18 Pro models. Moreover, Apple analyst Jeff Pu summarized some of the expected tech specs for the upcoming iPhones.
So, these were some of the biggest updates around Apple from the month of January. There will be more issues of the Apple Rewind series in the following months. You can also support Neowin by registering for a free member account or subscribing to extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option.