406 - Apple's Shopping Spree: $2B Here, Record Profits There, AirTags Everywhere!

In this packed episode 406 of In Touch With iOS, Dave Ginsburg is joined by Marty Jencius, Chuck Joiner, Jeff Gamet, Jill McKinley, and Eric Bolden to break down a huge week in the Apple ecosystem. The panel dives into Apple’s $2 billion acquisition of Q.ai, record-breaking quarterly earnings, updates to visionOS, the newly released Apple Creative Studio subscription, AirTag 2, major Apple TV+ news including Ted Lasso’s return, and much more.

Apple is clearly firing on all cylinders—hardware, services, AI, accessibility, and entertainment—and this episode covers it all with insight, humor, and a few classic panel tangents.

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com

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Summary of Topics

    Apple acquires Q.ai for nearly $2B

What Apple’s second-largest acquisition ever could mean for AI, accessibility, Vision Pro personas, Face ID, and future wearables

    •    Apple’s record-setting quarterly earnings

iPhone dominance, massive services growth, China’s rebound, and what Tim Cook’s comments reveal about Apple’s long-term strategy

    •    visionOS 26.3 beta

A quieter beta, stability improvements, and speculation on what Apple may be holding back

    •    iOS, watchOS, and legacy device updates

iOS 26.2.1, AirTag 2 support, and Apple’s continued commitment to very old devices (yes, even the iPhone 5s)

    •    Apple Creative Studio subscription

Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor, Pixelmator Pro, and more—pricing, education discounts, real-world experiences, and how it compares to Adobe

    •    AirTag 2 hands-on discussion

Louder speaker, extended Precision Finding range, Apple Watch support, and real-world use cases

    •    Apple TV+ news

Formula 1 programming launches in the Apple TV app, Shrinking renewed, and Ted Lasso officially returning for Season 4

    •    Volvo doubles down on CarPlay

Why CarPlay still matters—and why CarPlay Ultra may be fading away

    •    Apple Fifth Avenue Store maintenance

Why the iconic glass cube is temporarily closing overnight

    •    Halide co-founder joins Apple’s design team

What this means for iPhone photography, Apple’s camera app, and UI design going forward

Links

Breaking News

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats - MacRumors

Apple acquires audio AI startup for $2 billion - Six Colors

Apple acquires audio AI startup for $2 billion- Reuters

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats - MacRumors

Chuck’s related interview. MacVoices #26013: CES Unveiled – Gesture-Based Control with Naqi Logix

Q1 2026 Results 

Apple announces all-time record in revenue, iPhone sales - Six Colors

Apple Reports Record-Setting 1Q 2026 Results: $42.1B Profit on $143.8B Revenue - MacRumors

Specific Notes on results

Apple Was Caught Off Guard by AirPods Pro 3 Popularity - MacRumors

Apple Responds to Fast-Rising RAM and Storage Chip Prices - MacRumors

Apple Reaches 2.5 Billion Active Devices - MacRumors

Apple CEO Tim Cook Says iPhone Sales Were 'Simply Staggering' Towards End of 2025

Related: Microsoft’s $357 Billion Rout Is Worst Since Deepseek Hit Nvidia
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-357-billion-rout-worst-212236721.html 

Topics and Links

In Touch With Vision Pro this week. 

Apple Releases Third watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3 and visionOS 26.3 Betas

visionOS 26.3 Beta 3 Release Notes

Apple shares trailer for new Top Dogs immersive 'doguseries' coming to Vision Pro

Other iOS updates

Here's Everything Apple Released This Week Most links below here. 

Apple Releases iOS 26.2.1 With AirTag 2 Support

Apple Releases iOS 16.7.13 and iOS 15.8.6 for Older Devices

Apple Releases iOS 18.7.4 and iPadOS 18.7.4 - Download Now

iOS 26.2.1 Addresses Emergency Call Problems on Older iPhones in Australia

Apple Releases watchOS 26.2.1, Adding Precision Finding Support for AirTag 2

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch - MacRumors

Apple updates iOS 12 to extend iMessage and FaceTime support on older devices

Beta this week. iOS 26.3 Beta 3 was released this week

Apple Seeds Third Betas of iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 to Public Beta Testers

Apple Seeds Third Betas of iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 to Developers

iOS 26.3 Adds Privacy Setting to Limit Carrier Location Tracking

iOS 26.3 will add three new ways to customize your iPhone - 9to5Mac

iOS 26.3 adds new feature to limit location data shared with your carrier

Warning: These Continuity Features Are Broken on Latest iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 Betas 

In Touch With Mac this week

Third macOS Tahoe 26.3 Beta Now Available for Developers - MacRumors

Apple Releases Third macOS Tahoe 26.3 Public Beta

A decade with Bartender showed me how overdue this macOS feature is 

Other Topics

Apple Creative Suite

Apple's 'Creator Studio' App Bundle Now Available for $12.99 Per Month

Apple Updates Keynote, Numbers, and Pages Apps With New Free and Paid Features 

Hands on with Apple Creator Studio: A bittersweet bundle

Apple’s Creator Studio has a rough App Store roll-out

Apple Creative Suite? Access, comments, experiences? 

New AirTag 2

Apple introduces new AirTag with expanded connectivity range and improved findability

Teardown Reveals AirTag 2 Is Full of Hidden Changes

Dave unboxing of AirTag 2

News

Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch Band - Dave unboxing 

One of Apple TV's Most Popular Shows Gets Renewal

Another automaker vows to continue offering CarPlay

Apple TV launches F1 programming in app ahead of season kickoff

'Ted Lasso' is Returning to Apple TV, Here's When 

Apple's Fifth Avenue Store is Closing Overnight Next Week, Here's Why

'Halide' Co-Founder Sebastiaan de With Joins Apple's Design Team

Announcements

Macstock 9 has wrapped for 2025. Attendees will receive a link for the session recordings when  they’re ready in 30-45 days. If you missed Macstock we missed you! Why not purchase a digital pass to relive all the amazing presentations? Click the link below to purchase the digital pass. Macstock X has already been announced July 10,11,12, 2026 hopeful you all can join us. 

Macstock IX Digital Pass

Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65, , BlueSky @daveg65  and the show @intouchwithios

 

Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @[e-mail] and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social‬ Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast  Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at [e-mail]  https://thepodtalk.net 

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at [e-mail], on Mastodon at @[e-mail], on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

 

Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT A lifelong tech enthusiast, she started her career with Windows but is now an avid Apple fan. Beyond technology, she shares her insights on nature, faith, and personal growth through her podcasts—Buzz Blossom & Squeak, Start with Small Steps, and The Bible in Small Steps. Watch her content on YouTube at @startwithsmallsteps and follow her on X @schmern. Find all her work at http://jillfromthenorthwoods.com 

Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group.