# Waymo picks Toronto, iPhone Duo orders slip to January, and EV sales hit a 2026 high

> Waymo's 2028 Toronto plan, Canadian iPhone Duo pricing and delays, Apple Watch hypertension alerts, Nintendo's Toronto store and EV sales.

- Published: 2026-10-19T11:00:00.000Z
- By: The Circuit Staff
- Type: Daily Briefing
- Topics: Daily Briefing, AI, Devices, Gaming
- URL: https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-19-briefing/

Here's what happened since Friday.

## 1. Waymo is coming to Toronto

Waymo will start testing its driverless ride-hailing service in Toronto, its first Canadian city, with a public launch planned for 2028. It will map the city first, then test with safety drivers. [Read the full story](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-16-waymo-toronto-2028/)

**Why it matters:** Toronto's snow, streetcars and cyclists are a serious test for driverless cars.

## 2. iPhone Duo pre-orders open, and ship dates slip to January

Apple's first foldable starts at $2,999 in Canada, and carrier financing ranges from $77.12 a month at Bell to $128.52 at Fido, [MobileSyrup reports](https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/10/16/heres-iphone-duo-canadian-carrier-pricing/). Within hours of pre-orders opening, Apple's Canadian site was showing [ship dates of January 26](https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/10/16/canadian-iphone-duo-pre-order-shipping-times-slip-to-2027/) for every model.

**Why it matters:** If you didn't order on day one, expect to wait, or try your luck in stores when it launches Friday.

## 3. Apple Watch hypertension alerts arrive for the Series 12

Health Canada updated Apple's licence in September, and Series 12 owners are starting to see hypertension notifications switch on. [Read the full story](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-17-apple-watch-hypertension-canada/)

**Why it matters:** High blood pressure often goes unnoticed. A passive alert could prompt a checkup.

## 4. Nintendo opens its first North American shop-in-shop in Toronto

A 1,500-square-foot Nintendo space opened Saturday inside the EB Games flagship on Yonge Street. [Read the full story](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-16-nintendo-store-toronto/)

**Why it matters:** Nintendo testing a retail concept in Canada first says something about its fan base here.

## 5. EV sales reach a 2026 high

Canadians bought 22,716 EVs in August, the most this year and up 55% from a year earlier, [MobileSyrup reports](https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/10/16/canadian-ev-sales-are-growing-but-experts-arent-sure-its-enough/), citing Statistics Canada and Global News. EVs are now about 7% of the market, according to J.D. Power, and more than a quarter of new cars sold in B.C.

**Why it matters:** Cheaper models and the federal rebate are helping, but sales are still well short of the 2035 target.