Forthcoming Apple Launches and Anticipations for December

Apple is nearing the conclusion of its most triumphant year yet, and December will usher in a plethora of new software and service-related releases for users. Here’s a comprehensive overview of what Apple has in store for December, as well as what to anticipate.

## iOS 26.2, an iPhone update brimming with new features

iOS 26.2 is set to debut in December, featuring a notably rich set of enhancements for iPhone users.

New functionalities for system applications include:

– Upgraded privacy settings
– Enhanced management of notifications
– Fresh customization choices for the home screen

Additionally, several updates related to Liquid Glass are on the way:

– Strengthened durability enhancements for compatible devices
– Upgraded indicators for water resistance

Several updates focus on systemwide features and CarPlay:

– Revamped interface for CarPlay
– Improved app integration for both navigation and music

Lastly, Apple is introducing three modifications specifically for users outside the US:

– Localized features for apps
– Region-specific suggestions for content
– Improved language capabilities

## iPadOS 26.2 reintroduces drag and drop multitasking

When iPadOS 26 was released in September, Apple’s new window management system provided numerous powerful options but did away with some functionalities that were present in iPadOS 18.

With the recent launch of iPadOS 26.1, one significant feature has made a comeback: Slide Over. In iPadOS 26.2, another multitasking feature will return: drag and drop support for managing Split View and Slide Over.

Similar to iPadOS 18, you can now take apps out of your dock or Spotlight searches and reposition them on-screen to drop them into fullscreen, Split View, or Slide Over configurations.

The app icon will change shape to visually indicate what will occur when you drop the app in a particular location. It operates very much like the feature available last year, but retains the extra capabilities of the new window management system.

## macOS Tahoe 26.2 introduces Edge Light feature

macOS 26.2 includes several features reminiscent of those found in iOS and iPadOS, but adds a distinctive new Edge Light feature for video calls.

Edge Light is Apple’s software solution designed to enhance your facial lighting during video calls. It delivers a similar effect to physical ring lights but without the added expense and setup.

Accessible on all Macs equipped with Apple silicon, this feature utilizes the Mac’s Neural Engine to “detect your face, size, and frame position to deliver optimal lighting.” The Image Signal Processor adjusts the lighting to seamlessly blend with your surroundings.

## The initial iOS 26.3 betas

Over the past few years, Apple has traditionally launched the first beta version of its x.3 iOS updates around mid-December prior to the holiday break.

This year might deviate from that pattern, as Apple could decide to reserve iOS 26.3 beta 1 for January.

However, if the company adheres to its recent trend, we can expect the first betas for iOS 26.3 and its complementary updates to arrive in the upcoming weeks, shortly after the general release of iOS 26.2.

## F1 The Movie debuts on Apple TV, alongside additional new releases

Apple TV is set to feature one of its most significant premieres of the year this December.

F1 The Movie will be available on Apple TV on Friday, December 12.

Whether you caught it in cinemas or not, you’ll be able to enjoy Apple’s high-budget summer blockbuster at home as part of your Apple TV subscription.

Other notable highlights on Apple TV’s December roster include additional episodes of Pluribus and Down Cemetery Road, along with a new holiday special and a docuseries featuring six cute and endangered young animals.

## Apple Arcade adds five new games, including major titles

Apple Arcade is set to unveil an exciting collection of games on Thursday, December 4, joining over 200 existing titles.

Five new games will be released on the same day:

– Game 1
– Game 2
– Game 3
– Game 4
– Game 5

Apple Arcade is offered as a standalone service for $6.99 per month or included in the Apple One bundle.

## Apple Music Replay annual summary

Last year, the Apple Music Replay annual summary was released on December 3, so we are likely just days away from the version for 2025.

Apple Music Replay in iOS 26 has become a fully integrated in-app experience, eliminating the need to access web views or visit a separate site.

While having access to Apple Music Replay throughout the year, featuring monthly statistics, is enjoyable, it’s always exciting to see what special offerings Apple’s team prepares for the yearly recap at the end of the year.

## What’s unlikely to arrive: new hardware

Apple seldom unveils new hardware products in December, making it improbable that we will see any new hardware before 2026.

The company has long been speculated to announce several new products soon

ESR 3-in-1 Charging Stand Provides 25W MagSafe Charging at a Budget-Friendly Price

### The Ascendancy of Qi2.2 and the ESR 3-in-1 Charger: A Transformative Solution for Apple Owners

In the previous year, Apple took a bold step by opening its MagSafe standard to the Wireless Power Consortium, permitting third-party firms to officially leverage MagSafe technology, which facilitates charging rates of up to 15W. This year, the standard has seen further enhancement with the launch of Qi2.2, allowing third-party creators to provide 25W MagSafe charging options. This progression has resulted in a proliferation of innovative chargers on the market, including the ESR 3-in-1 charger, which distinguishes itself with its cost-effectiveness and functionality.

#### The ESR 3-in-1 Charger

The ESR 3-in-1 charger is crafted to power an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously, making it a perfect choice for users owning multiple Apple gadgets. Unlike several other 3-in-1 chargers that adopt a side-by-side configuration, the ESR variant integrates a low-profile design where the Apple Watch charger is situated behind the MagSafe ring. This layout not only conserves space but also improves the visual charm of your desk or nightstand.

A highlight of the ESR 3-in-1 charger is its adaptability. The Apple Watch charger is removable, enabling users to connect it to a MacBook or other devices for quick charging, enhancing its practicality.

#### Included Accessories

The ESR 3-in-1 charger includes a 50W charging brick and a USB-C cable within the package, which is a considerable benefit since many chargers omit these vital accessories. This comprehensive approach guarantees that users possess everything necessary to commence charging their devices immediately.

#### Advanced Cooling Technology

A particularly striking aspect of the ESR 3-in-1 charger is its integrated cooling mechanism, known as CryoBoost. Wireless charging can frequently result in overheating, especially when functioning at maximum rates of 25W. The CryoBoost technology features a fan that aids in sustaining ideal temperatures, ensuring effective charging without overheating concerns.

#### Conclusion

For individuals seeking a dependable and proficient MagSafe charger, the ESR 3-in-1 charger represents a superb choice. It provides swift 25W charging capabilities, a space-efficient design, and essential accessories, all at a compelling price of $89.99, particularly during Black Friday promotions. However, it’s crucial to understand that to fully exploit Qi2.2, users will need an iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 model.

In conclusion, the ESR 3-in-1 charger not only fulfills the charging demands of Apple users but does so with elegance and efficiency, making it a valuable addition to any tech arrangement.

Apple Research Indicates Potential Future AirPods Could Interpret Neural Signals

A recent study conducted by Apple researchers introduces a technique that enables an AI model to understand one element of the configuration of brain electrical activity without needing any annotated data. Here’s the breakdown.

## PAirwise Relative Shift

In a fresh study titled “Learning the relative composition of EEG signals using pairwise relative shift pretraining,” Apple presents PARS, an acronym for PAirwise Relative Shift.

Existing models are heavily dependent on data annotated by humans for brain activity, clarifying which segments align with Wake, REM, Non-REM1, Non-REM2, and Non-REM3 sleep stages, along with the initiation and conclusion points of seizure occurrences, and more.

Apple’s approach was essentially to enable a model to autonomously predict the temporal distances between different segments of brain activity using raw, unlabeled data.

From the study:

> “Self-supervised learning (SSL) provides a compelling strategy for deriving electroencephalography (EEG) representations from unlabeled data, significantly diminishing the reliance on costly annotations for clinical purposes like sleep staging and seizure identification. While current EEG SSL techniques mainly apply masked reconstruction methods such as masked autoencoders (MAE) that capture local temporal patterns, the potential of position prediction pretraining to understand long-range dependencies in neural signals has been underutilized. We introduce PAirwise Relative Shift or PARS pretraining, an innovative pretext task that estimates relative temporal shifts between randomly selected EEG window pairs. Differing from reconstruction-based techniques that target local pattern recovery, PARS promotes encoders to grasp relative temporal composition and long-range dependencies present in neural signals. Through extensive assessment on a variety of EEG decoding tasks, we demonstrate that transformers pretrained with PARS consistently surpass existing pretraining methods in label-efficient and transfer learning contexts, establishing a new framework for self-supervised EEG representation learning.”

In simpler terms, the researchers identified that current methods chiefly instruct models to bridge small gaps in the signal. Consequently, they investigated if an AI could directly learn the broader composition of EEG signals from raw, unlabeled data.

It turns out, it can.

In the paper, they unveil a self-supervised learning method that predicts how small segments of an EEG signal are temporally related, which might enhance performance across various EEG analysis tasks, ranging from sleep stages to seizure detection.

The outcomes were encouraging, as the PARS-pretrained model either outperformed or equaled previous methods on three out of four distinct EEG benchmarks tested.

## But what does it have to do with AirPods?

The four datasets employed by the PARS-pretrained model were:

1. Wearable Sleep Staging (EESM17)
2. Abnormal EEG Detection (TUAB)
3. Seizure Detection (TUSZ)
4. Motor Imagery (PhysioNet-MI).

The first dataset, EESM17, stands for Ear-EEG Sleep Monitoring 2017, which consists of “overnight recordings from 9 subjects with a 12-channel wearable ear-EEG system and a 6-channel scalp-EEG system.”

Though the ear-EEG utilizes different electrodes than a standard scalp system, it can still independently capture numerous clinically significant brain signals, such as sleep stages and specific seizure-related patterns.

Because the EESM17 dataset was employed in a study conducted by Apple, which has integrated several health sensors into its wearables in recent years, it’s easy to envision a future where AirPods are equipped with EEG sensors, similar to how the AirPods Pro 3 recently incorporated a photoplethysmograph (PPG) sensor for heart rate monitoring.

And here’s the twist: in 2023, Apple submitted a patent application for “a wearable electronic device for measuring biosignals of a user.”

The patent explicitly mentions ear-EEG devices as an alternative to a scalp system, while also outlining their limitations:

> “Brain activity can be monitored using electrodes affixed to the scalp of a user. The electrodes may, at times, be situated inside or around the outer ear of the user. Monitoring brain activity using electrodes positioned in or around the outer ear may be advantageous due to factors such as decreased device mobility and lesser visibility of the electrodes compared to other devices that necessitate electrodes to be placed on visible areas around the user’s scalp. However, to obtain precise measurements of brain activity using an ear-electroencephalography (EEG) device, the ear-EEG device might need to be tailored to the user’s ear (e.g., potentially customized for the user’s concha, ear canal, tragus, etc.), and may require customization for different users so that the electrodes on the ear-EEG device can maintain continuous contact with the user’s body. Given that an ear’s dimensions and shape vary from individual to individual, and that a single user’s ear dimensions and the size and shape of components such as the user’s ear canal,

Black Friday Offers: Save $99 on Apple Watch Ultra 3, $250 on M5 MacBook Pro, $300 on M4 MacBook Air, and Additional Discounts

**Black Friday 2025: Incredible Offers on Apple Gadgets**

Black Friday 2025 is here, bringing some of the year’s most attractive prices on Apple’s newest gadgets. This year, shoppers can enjoy substantial reductions on a variety of Apple devices, such as AirPods, Apple Watches, MacBooks, and iPads. Here’s an in-depth overview of the key offers available this Black Friday.

### AirPods Offers

This Black Friday, Apple’s AirPods are experiencing exceptional discounts. The **AirPods 4** and **AirPods Pro 3** are up for grabs at their lowest ever prices, making them a fantastic choice for gifts. The **AirPods 4** are offered at a competitive price, while the **AirPods Pro 3** can be acquired for as little as **$170** shipped through Amazon Resale. Plus, the **AirPods Max** are part of the promotion, delivering premium sound at a lowered cost.

### Apple Watch Offers

The **Apple Watch Ultra 3** has undergone a notable price decrease, now starting at **$699.99**, reduced from its usual price of **$799**. This reflects a **$99 discount**, making it a very enticing option for anyone wanting to upgrade their smartwatch. The **Apple Watch Series 11** is also discounted, with the **42mm model** available for **$339** and the **46mm model** at **$369**, both showing considerable savings from their original prices.

### MacBook Discounts

For those seeking a new laptop, the **M5 MacBook Pro** is currently offered at an all-time low of **$250 off**. This is a prime moment to invest in a powerful device for work or leisure. The **M4 MacBook Air** is also witnessing price reductions, starting at **$749**, which is the best price for the year. Certain configurations are available at even more significant savings, especially through authorized retailers like B&H.

### iPad Discounts

Apple’s latest iPads are included in the Black Friday promotions. The **M3 iPad Air** series is seeing a **$150 discount**, while the **M5 iPad Pro** models have at least **$100 off**. The **iPad mini 7** starts at **$399**, and the **iPad 11** can be acquired for just **$274**. These offers make it a perfect time to upgrade or buy a new tablet.

### Highlighted Offers on Additional Products

In addition to Apple’s products, a variety of other tech items are also enjoying major markdowns. Roborock robotic vacuums are available with discounts up to **$1,300**, and Aqara smart home gadgets are up to **48% off**. Moreover, accessories and charging equipment from companies like Anker and Bose are discounted too, providing more opportunities for savings.

### Final Thoughts

Black Friday 2025 offers an outstanding chance for shoppers to buy Apple products and other tech items at significantly lower prices. With discounts across an extensive range of devices, consumers can find perfect gifts for themselves or their loved ones. Make sure to browse the deals early, as stock may be limited, and prices could fluctuate.

Analysis of Belkin’s Newest MagSafe Stands, Charging Gadgets, Power Banks, and Additional Products

**Belkin’s Cyber Monday Sales on MagSafe and Qi2 Accessories**

Belkin has positioned itself as a top accessory provider for iPhone users, especially with its MagSafe and Qi2 offerings. This Cyber Monday, the brand is providing substantial price cuts on several of its most sought-after charging gadgets, presenting a great chance for shoppers to enhance their charging setups.

### Overview of Qi2 Technology

It’s essential to clarify that the accessories highlighted are Qi2, not the latest Qi2.2 standard. Although Qi2 accessories are typically less expensive, they might not offer the fastest charging speeds compatible with newer iPhone models, including the iPhone 16 or 17. Nonetheless, they still present a dependable and economical charging option.

### Featured Items

#### 3-in-1 Charging Stand
Belkin’s 3-in-1 charging stand serves as a flexible choice, currently priced at $77, reflecting a 30% reduction. It comes equipped with a braided non-removable charging cable and a 36W power brick. The compact build is perfect for limited spaces, and the adjustable MagSafe charging ring facilitates easy placement of the iPhone. Available in black and white, it’s a chic present for anyone in need of a multi-device charging solution.

#### 8K MagSafe Power Bank
For those in need of a portable charging choice, the Belkin 8K BoostCharge power bank is listed at $55, also showcasing a 30% price cut. This power bank features a kickstand for convenient video viewing while charging. With LED indicators and a capacity of up to 28 hours of battery life, it’s an efficient option for users on the move.

#### 3-in-1 Charging Pad
The Belkin 3-in-1 charging pad, which echoes Apple’s AirPower design, is available for $65 this Cyber Monday. It enables the simultaneous charging of three devices on a flat surface. The detachable Apple Watch charger provides added versatility, allowing users to power other devices if they don’t own an Apple Watch. Offered in black and white, it’s a stylish enhancement for any workspace.

#### Magnetic Foldable Charger
At $25, the magnetic foldable charger offers a compact and portable solution for frequent travelers. It supports 15W MagSafe charging and includes a USB-C charging brick and cable. Its foldable construction ensures easy transportation, making it perfect for users who work in various settings.

#### 10K Traditional Power Bank
The 10,000mAh battery bank is a non-MagSafe option priced at just $15. It features an integrated USB-C cable and a sleek design for portability. With LED charge status lights and fast charging capabilities of up to 20W, it’s a trustworthy selection for users requiring extra power on the go.

#### 4-port 108W GaN Charger
This comprehensive charger is tailored for users wanting to reduce clutter. Available at a 40% discount, it includes two USB-C ports capable of delivering up to 96W and two USB-A ports. Even though the USB-A ports may not be the most sought after, they remain useful for replenishing older gadgets.

### Conclusion

Belkin’s Cyber Monday event presents a fantastic chance for iPhone users to procure premium charging accessories at lowered prices. Whether you’re after a multi-device charging stand, a portable power bank, or a versatile charging pad, Belkin has a variety of offerings to cater to different needs and preferences.