Apple has introduced Apple Upgrade, a new program that lets customers pay a small monthly leasing fee for select Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch models. It replaces the iPhone Upgrade Program, but doesn’t include AppleCare like its predecessor. Revenue from Apple Upgrade will factor into the company’s next earnings report, but even without it, Apple reported record revenue in Q3 2026. Adam Engst uses the earnings report as an opportunity to comment—with a bit more snark than usual—on Apple’s current state in the industry. Finally, Adam takes a close look at SuperDuper 4’s innovative “narrative” interface, which informs the user of what will happen and what has happened. Notable Mac app releases this week include 4K Video Downloader Plus 26.2, BusyCal 2026.3.1 and BusyContacts 2026.3.1, EagleFiler 1.9.21, Keyboard Maestro 11.1.1, Mellel 6.7.1, Mimestream 1.10.6, and Typinator 10.2.
Apple’s new Apple Upgrade program, run through Klarna, lets US customers lease iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs for monthly fees. It replaces the iPhone Upgrade Program, but unlike that program, it doesn’t include AppleCare, which must be purchased separately. Be sure to read the FAQ and fine print for all the details!
In Tim Cook’s final earnings call as CEO, Apple posted a record $109.4 billion quarter, but behind Apple’s AI hype and “phenomenal” reviews lie supply constraints driven by poor predictions, skyrocketing memory costs, and a Siri AI that’s still finding its feet.
SuperDuper 4 might be the first backup app that tells you in plain English exactly what it’s going to do and what it has done. Developer Dave Nanian’s new “narrative” interface embeds documentation directly into the interaction model.
Brings better file organization and smarter YouTube channel subscriptions to the video downloading utility. (Free with paid license options, free update, 271.6 MB, macOS 12+)
Calendar and contacts management apps updated with user interface improvements and bug fixes. ($49.99 new for each, free update, various sizes, macOS 12.4+)
Adds support for the beta versions of macOS 27 Golden Gate. ($49.99 new, free update, 34.2 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Automation and clipboard utility brings Apple Text Recognition OCR support to additional languages. ($36 new, free update, 36.6 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Deals with several crashes and improves display of multi-cell table selection. ($69.99 new, free update, 106.7 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Gmail-specific email app updated with important compatibility fix for macOS 26.6 Tahoe. ($49.99 annual subscription, free update, 12.9 MB, macOS 12+)
Text expansion utility adds support for importing snippets from more apps. ($29.99 annual subscription, free update, 48.2 MB, macOS 13+)
