It’s been a low key and somehow still busy few days in the world of Apple news. Apple made some waves with the announcement of Creator Studio, a suite of AI powered creative apps. But outside of their own press releases, we’ve been hearing a lot more about their AI strategy through sources like Bloomberg. We’ve also had a bit more insight into their plans for some of their creator focused products like the MacBook Pro. And today we saw the first product drop of the year with the 2nd generation of AirTag.
Apple Creator Studio
First up Apple Creator Studio for Mac and iPad includes:
- Final Cut Pro
- Logic Pro
- Pixelmator Pro
- Pages
- Numbers
- Keynote
- Freeform
- Compressor (Mac only)
- MainStage (Mac only)
- Motion (Mac only)
There wasn’t an event, the announcement was via press release (though there is an event for content creators coming up in two days). And in some ways this feels a bit less like a product launch and more a statement. Cupertino wants creators paying monthly, staying within the Apple ecosystem and to divorce Adobe.
Creator Studio will presumably receive much more regular updates than the legacy versions of these apps. Apple will need to dedicate resources to doing so if they hope to siphon away Adobe’s iron grip of the creative professional workflow. And one way to do that is to fund development with recurring revenue. That said Apple will continue to offer free versions of apps that were already free like Pages, Numbers, Keynote and Freeform. And they’ll continue to sell one time purchase versions of Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage for the Mac (sorry iPad users).
Apple promises that Creator Studio versions of these apps will include premium content such as the ‘content hub’, a repository of high end stock footage and media. But not only that, many new features will be powered by Apple Intelligence and exclusive to Creator Studio. Some features will also be available in one time purchase versions also. But free versions and iPad versions won’t include all Apple Intelligence features without a subscription. I sort of ‘freemium’ model.
I think the value proposition is actually pretty good. £12.99 a month or £129 for a year with family sharing for up to 6 users. But for students and educators at £2.99 a month or £29 a year, it’s a steal. Considering the full retail price of some of the paid apps like Final Cut Pro, it’s a much more accessible entry point to Apple’s creative software. That said subscription fatigue is real and this news won’t be welcomed by everyone. I’m on the fence and I’ll reserve judgement until I can try out the new versions and see how regularly Apple updates them and adds new content.
AI strategy revamp
In the middle of last week, Apple’s AI revamp started to sharpen. Bloomberg claims that Apple’s working on not only the delayed Siri upgrade (supposedly launching with iOS 26.4), but a complete overhaul. Less voice assistant, more built in chatbot. Yes Siri will be aware of personal context, have on screen awareness and be able to take action in apps. But Apple wants Siri to have deep system access with cross device context too. They plan to use Gemini not just as the foundation model for existing Apple Intelligence features and the new Siri, but also to power many new experiences.
Apple is also quietly continuing work on its own models. But Apple also isn’t afraid to partner where necessary. I think this approach is the right call. People care about benefits and what features can actually do for them, less how it works. They don’t care for instance that their iPhone’s display is made by Samsung. They just see an amazing screen. On the flip side they also don’t care that Apple Silicon powers their iPhone, but they do care about it feeling fast and offering solid battery life.
My take is that who owns the model that underpins Apple’s AI features isn’t that important. At least not right now. I also don’t see AI in of itself as a product category in the way we think about say….an iPhone or iPad. I see it as a collection of features, sometimes presented in a shiny app wrapper. I also don’t see AI as a primary technology. Apple’s decision to use Google models might hint towards that line of thought too. They like to own and build primary technologies for themselves. But then again if they are still working on in house models, perhaps it’s Apple’s way of taking out an insurance policy. Just incase.
A new MacBook Pro is imminent
Apple may be about to drop a new MacBook Pro, powered by the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The 14 inch model was updated toward the end of 2025 with the base M5, but the higher-end chips still haven’t appeared in any Apple device.
With Creator Studio launching on January 28, it would make a lot of sense for Apple to pair that announcement with refreshed MacBook Pro models aimed squarely at creators.
I wouldn’t expect a big redesign this time around. This feels like a spec bump only. A very good spec bump, but not the long rumoured overhaul with OLED, touch support, and a thinner chassis. According to reports from MacRumors, that larger redesign is still coming and could land as early as the end of the year with M6 chips. I just don’t think that’s what we’re getting this week.
First product drops of the year
Today Apple announced the 2nd generation AirTag. Key updates include 50% greater range for precision finding, precision finding support on Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, greater bluetooth range for general finding and a speaker that is 50% louder.
The new AirTag is using Apple’s second generation Ultra Wideband chip (UWB) as found in recent iPhone and Apple Watch models. And together with upcoming iOS and watchOS updates, you’ll be able to locate them from up to 50% further away in prevision finding mode. They also retain the same IP67 dust and water resistance rating. And more important, the price remains the same at $29/£29 for one or $99/£99 for a four pack.
Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip — the same chip found in the iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch Series 11 — powers the new AirTag, making it easier to locate than ever before. Using haptic, visual, and audio feedback, Precision Finding guides users to their lost items from up to 50 percent farther away than the previous generation.1 And an upgraded Bluetooth chip expands the range at which items can be located. For the first time, users can use Precision Finding on Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, to find their AirTag, bringing a powerful experience to the wrist.
Apple also shared that a new Black Unity Apple Watch band for 2026 is on the way. Apple is calling it the ‘Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop’.
This band, along with previously released Black Unity bands, was designed by Black creatives and allies at Apple. Showcasing the colors of the Pan-African flag, the Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop is created by weaving recycled polyester yarn filaments around ultrathin silicone threads using advanced precision-braiding machinery. Soft with a textured feel, it is also sweat and water resistant. On closer look, the band reveals multiple shades of red, green, and black — giving it added depth and vibrancy.
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