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Deals: Get the Apple Pencil 2 for $109.99 ($19 Off) and 512GB M1 MacBook Air for $1,099.99 ($149 Off)
- Deals
Today we're tracking a pair of deals, one on the Apple Pencil 2 and one on the 2020 M1 MacBook Air. These sales include the current best price online for the Apple Pencil 2, and an all-time low price on the MacBook Air.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple Pencil 2
Firstly, Woot has the Apple Pencil 2 for $109.99, down from $129.00. This sale isn't the lowest price we've ever tracked on this accessory, as it's been down to $99.00 in previous sales earlier this year, but it's still a solid second-best deal if you're looking to purchase an Apple Pencil 2 this week.
$19 OFFApple Pencil 2 for $109.99
The Apple Pencil 2 is compatible with the new iPad mini 6, but not the new 10.2-inch iPad. For that tablet, only the original Apple Pencil is supported.
MacBook Air
Amazon today has the 512GB M1 MacBook Air for $1,099.99, down from $1,249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on this model of the 2020 MacBook Air, and it's available in Space Gray and Silver.
You'll see this sale price reflected on the checkout screen, once an automatic coupon is applied to your order. While the Gold option won't be available until around October 1, you can still purchase a Gold MacBook Air today at this discounted price ahead of the delayed shipping date.
$149 OFFM1 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,099.99
The 256GB model is on sale as well, available for $849.99, down from $999.00. All three colors are discounted for this model, but none are in stock today. This is still the lowest price we've ever tracked for the 256GB MacBook Air, so if you're willing to wait a few weeks, it's worth locking in this price while it's available.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Deals: Amazon Takes $149 Off 2020 MacBook Air Models, Starting at $849.99 for 256GB
- Deals
Amazon today is offering the 512GB M1 MacBook Air for $1,099.99, down from $1,249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on this model of the 2020 MacBook Air, and it's available in Gold and Silver.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You'll see this sale price reflected on the checkout screen, once an automatic coupon is applied to your order. Only the Gold color is available to ship today, while the Silver option won't be available until around September 21. You can still purchase a Silver MacBook Air today at this discounted price ahead of the delayed shipping date.
$149 OFFM1 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,099.99
The 256GB model is on sale as well, available for $849.99, down from $999.00. All three colors are discounted for this model, but none are in stock today. This is still the lowest price we've ever tracked for the 256GB MacBook Air, so if you're willing to wait a few weeks, it's worth locking in this price while it's available.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Deals: Amazon Drops Price of 256GB M1 MacBook Air to New Low of $849.99 ($149 Off)
- Deals
Amazon today introduced new low prices on the M1 MacBook Air for both 256GB and 512GB storage options. To start, you can get the 256GB model for $849.99, down from an original price of $999.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Only Silver and Gold are available at this price on Amazon. This sale marks a new all-time low price for Apple's 2020 M1 MacBook Air, providing the cheapest entry price into the lineup since it debuted last year.
$149 OFFM1 MacBook Air (256GB) for $849.99
Likewise, the 512GB version of the M1 MacBook Air is seeing a notable discount to $1,099.99, down from $1,249.00. This is a record low price for the notebook, and it's available in all colors.
$149 OFFM1 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,099.99
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundup: Apple Deals
This article, "Deals: Amazon Drops Price of 256GB M1 MacBook Air to New Low of $849.99 ($149 Off)" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Deals: All-Time Low Prices Return to Apple's M1 MacBook Pro, Starting at $1,099.99 for 256GB
- Deals
- MacBook Pro 13"
Amazon this week has the M1 MacBook Pro on sale in both 256GB and 512GB configurations, including a return to record low prices for both models. Prices start at $1,099.99 for the 256GB MacBook Pro, down from $1,299.00. You'll see the discount after an automatic coupon worth $49.01 is applied at the checkout screen on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This price is a match of the previous all-time low price on the 256GB M1 MacBook Pro. This model of Apple's notebook line includes the same aluminum body with large Force Touch trackpad as previous generations, speakers at the side of the keyboard, and a 13.3-inch display with slim black bezels. Both colors are on sale and available to ship out today.
$199 OFF256GB M1 MacBook Pro for $1,099.99
Secondly, Amazon has the 512GB MacBook Pro for $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00. This sale price is available in both Silver and Space Gray, and it's sold directly from Amazon.
$199 OFF512GB M1 MacBook Pro for $1,299.99
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundup: Apple DealsRelated Forum: MacBook Pro
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Deals: Take Up to $199 Off Apple's M1 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air at Best Buy and Amazon
- Deals
- Featured
Best Buy and Amazon are both offering great deals on numerous models of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air today, including a handful of record low deals on the latest Apple notebooks.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
13-Inch M1 MacBook Air
Starting with the 2020 M1 13-inch MacBook Air, you'll find the 256GB notebook for $899.00 at Amazon and $899.99 at Best Buy, down from $999.00. Amazon stock has dwindled and will "ship soon," but Best Buy has plenty of stock in all three colors.
Additionally, both retailers have the 512GB M1 MacBook Air at $1,099.99, down from $1,249.00. While this is a record low price on the 512GB notebook, the 256GB model's discount is a second-best price.
- M1 MacBook Air, 256GB - $899.99, down from $999.00 at Best Buy / Amazon
- M1 MacBook Air, 512GB - $1,099.99, down from $1,249.00 at Best Buy / Amazon
13-Inch M1 MacBook Pro
For the newest MacBook Pro models, Best Buy and Amazon have lowest ever prices on the new 2020 M1 13-inch MacBook Pro. You can get the 256GB notebook for $1,099.99, down from $1,299.00, in both Silver and Space Gray.
For more storage, the 512GB M1 MacBook Pro is on sale for $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00. This model is also available in both Silver and Space Gray at this price.
- M1 MacBook Pro, 256GB - $1,099.99, down from $1,299.00 at Best Buy / Amazon
- M1 MacBook Pro, 512GB - $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00 at Best Buy / Amazon
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundup: Apple Deals
This article, "Deals: Take Up to $199 Off Apple's M1 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air at Best Buy and Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Deals: Get Apple's 512GB M1 Mac Mini for Record Low of $799 on Amazon ($100 Off)
- Deals
- Mac mini
A record low discount has returned to Apple's 512GB M1 Mac mini today on Amazon. You can get this model for $799.00, down from its original price of $899.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This sale matches the previous all-time low price on the 512GB M1 Mac mini seen on Amazon, and it's available to ship out today. You'll find a matching sale over at B&H Photo, which offers free expedited shipping for orders placed in the United States.
$100 OFFM1 Mac mini (512GB) for $799.99
At this time, the 256GB M1 Mac mini is not seeing a steep discount at any retailer, with Amazon offering the lowest price at $659.00, down from $699.00. The best price on this model has been $599.00, so we recommend waiting for a better deal.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, Mac miniBuyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Neutral)Related Forum: Mac mini
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Deals: Shop Record Low Prices Across Apple's Full MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Lineup (Up to $499 Off)
- Deals
- MacBook Pro 14" & 16"
- MacBook Pro 13"
- MacBook Air 13"
Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineup is seeing all-time low discounts across the board today, including the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro, 2020 13-inch MacBook Air, and 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
13-Inch M1 MacBook Air
Starting with the 2020 M1 13-inch MacBook Air, Amazon has the 256GB notebook for $899.00, down from $999.00. This price is available in all three colors of Gold, Silver, and Space Gray, but stock is dwindling on the latter two options.
$100 OFF13-inch MacBook Air (256GB) for $899.00
Additionally, Amazon is also selling the 512GB M1 MacBook Air at $1,099.00, down from $1,249.00. Both of these discounts represent all-time low prices, and they're shipped and sold directly from Amazon.
$150 OFF13-inch MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,099.00
13-Inch M1 MacBook Pro
For the newest MacBook Pro models, Amazon has lowest ever prices on the new 2020 M1 13-inch MacBook Pro. You can get the 256GB notebook for $1,099.99, down from $1,299.00, in both Silver and Space Gray.
$199 OFF13-inch MacBook Pro (256GB) for $1,099.99
For more storage, the 512GB M1 MacBook Pro is on sale for $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00. This model is also available in both Silver and Space Gray at this price.
$199 OFF13-inch MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,299.99
16-Inch MacBook Pro
Moving to the 16-inch MacBook Pro, we're tracking record low prices on both storage options for this 2019 notebook. You can get the 512GB model for $1,999.99, down from $2,399.00. This sale is available in both Silver and Space Gray color options.
$399 OFF16-inch MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,999.99
The 1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro is on sale for $2,299.99, down from $2,799.00. Like the other model, this is an all-time low price, but it's only available in Silver. Both notebooks are sold by Amazon and are ready to ship today.
$499 OFF16-inch MacBook Pro (1TB) for $2,299.99
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, MacBook Pro, MacBook AirBuyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution), 13" MacBook Air (Neutral)Related Forums: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air
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Deals: Find All-Time Low Prices on M1 MacBook Pro Models in Amazon's Newest Sales ($199 Off)
- Deals
- MacBook Pro 13"
Today we're tracking a pair of deals on the M1 13-inch MacBook Pro from late 2020, with Amazon matching previous record low prices on both storage options for this model.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the 256GB 13-inch MacBook Pro, you can get this model for $1,099.99 in Space Gray on Amazon, down from $1,299.00. At the time of writing, the Silver model is out of stock for this sale.
$199 OFFM1 MacBook Pro (256GB) for $1,099.99
You can also get the 512GB 13-inch MacBook Pro on sale today, priced at $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00. Both Silver and Space Gray colors are available for this model, and they're shipped and sold by Amazon.
$199 OFFM1 MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,299.99
Both of these discounts found today on Amazon match the previous all-time low prices on these M1 MacBook Pro models, making them the best sales online this week. You won't need any coupon code or have to wait for a discount at checkout, as both sales have been directly applied already by Amazon.
You can find the best monthly deals on all new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air notebooks in our "Best Deals" guide. Be sure to visit the guide and bookmark it if you're on the hunt for a new Apple notebook; we'll be updating it weekly as we discover new MacBook offers across the web.Related Roundup: Apple DealsRelated Forum: MacBook Pro
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Deals: Get the M1 MacBook Air for Up to $150 Off, Starting at $899 for 256GB
- Deals
- MacBook Air 13"
Amazon, B&H Photo, and Adorama today are discounting the M1 MacBook Air to match previous record low prices for both 256GB and 512GB storage options. To start, you can get the 256GB model for $899.00 today on Adorama, down from an original price of $999.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Only Silver and Space Gray are available at this price on Adorama. You can also find this sale on Amazon, with a $50 automatic coupon applied at checkout on the Gold and Silver colors. Gold is available to ship in one to two business days, and Silver will be in stock soon, according to Amazon.
$100 OFFM1 MacBook Air (256GB) for $899.00
Likewise, the 512GB version of the M1 MacBook Air is seeing a notable discount to $1,099.00, down from $1,249.00. This is a record low price for the notebook, and it's available in all colors. For Silver and Space Gray, you'll find an automatic coupon that will be applied to your order at the checkout screen. The same sale can be found at B&H Photo on the Gold model.
$150 OFFM1 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,099.00
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, MacBook AirBuyer's Guide: 13" MacBook Air (Neutral)Related Forum: MacBook Air
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Deals: Apple's 512GB M1 MacBook Air Hits New Low Price at $1,099 ($150 Off)
- Deals
- MacBook Air 13"
Amazon today is offering the 512GB M1 MacBook Air for $1,099.00, down from $1,249.00. This is beating the previous sale price by about $50, and represents a new low price for this model of the 2020 MacBook Air.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can get the M1 MacBook Air at this price in both Gold and Silver. For the latter color option, you'll see the price reflected at the checkout screen once a $50 coupon is automatically applied.
$150 OFFM1 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,099.00
The 256GB model is on sale as well, available for $899.00, down from $999.00. This is a sale price that we've been tracking for most of the summer, so it remains a solid deal if you are shopping for the entry level model of the MacBook Air.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, MacBook AirBuyer's Guide: 13" MacBook Air (Neutral)Related Forum: MacBook Air
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Deals: Get $49 Off Apple's New M1 iMacs, Starting at $1,249.99 for 7-Core 256GB
- Deals
- iMac
Amazon this week has a sale on Apple's new 24-inch M1 iMac in two configurations. Sales start with the 7-core GPU with 256GB, priced at $1,249.99, down from $1,299.00. This sale is available in Blue and Silver.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This sale is a match of the previous record low price on this version of the M1 iMac. No other retailers are matching the sale as of writing, so you'll only find this deal on Amazon.
$49 OFFM1 iMac (7-Core GPU, 256GB) for $1,249.99
In another new sale, Amazon is also offering $49 off the M1 iMac with the 8-core GPU and 256GB of storage, priced at $1,449.99, down from $1,499.00. These iMacs are sold directly from Amazon and both are available to ship today.
$49 OFFM1 iMac (8-Core GPU, 256GB) for $1,449.99
You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, iMacBuyer's Guide: iMac (Neutral)Related Forum: iMac
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Deals: Amazon Continuing to Discount M1 MacBook Air Models to All-Time Low Prices (Save Up to $149)
- Deals
In the wake of Prime Day, Amazon is still discounting the M1 MacBook Air to record low prices in both 256GB and 512GB storage options. To start, you can get the 256GB model for $899.99 today on Amazon, down from an original price of $999.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
As of writing, all colors are in stock and ready to ship from Amazon. The sale has also been applied automatically so you won't need to wait until the checkout screen to see the discount price.
$99 OFFM1 MacBook Air (256GB) for $899.99
Likewise, the 512GB version of the M1 MacBook Air is seeing a notable discount to $1,099.99, down from $1,249.00. This is a record low price for the notebook, and you'll see this price at the checkout screen once a coupon worth $50 is applied.
$149 OFFM1 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,099.99
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundup: Apple Deals
This article, "Deals: Amazon Continuing to Discount M1 MacBook Air Models to All-Time Low Prices (Save Up to $149)" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Deals: Amazon Discounts 512GB M1 MacBook Air to Match Record Low Price of $1,149 ($100 Off)
- Deals
- MacBook Air 13"
Apple's 512GB M1 MacBook Air has returned to its all-time low price of $1,149.00, down from $1,249.00. This sale is available on Amazon, and only for the Gold color option. Stock appears to be low, although Amazon sometimes has more in stock than is reflected on the website.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple updated the MacBook Air in November 2020 with the new Apple M1 chip, which has an 8-core CPU, a 7- or 8-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine for machine learning. These updates brought about improved performance, better battery life, and more. There's also a 256GB model, but we aren't seeing any notable discounts this week.
$100 OFFM1 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,149.00
You can find the best monthly deals on all new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air notebooks in our new "Best Deals" guide. Be sure to visit the guide and bookmark it if you're on the hunt for a new Apple notebook; we'll be updating it weekly as we discover new MacBook offers across the web.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, MacBook AirBuyer's Guide: 13" MacBook Air (Neutral)Related Forum: MacBook Air
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Deals: Apple's 512GB M1 MacBook Pro Hits $1,299.99 on Amazon ($199 Off, Lowest Price)
- Deals
- MacBook Pro 13"
At Amazon today you can get Apple's 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00 on Amazon. You'll see this price at the checkout screen after an automatic coupon worth $50 is applied.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This sale is available in both Silver and Space Gray color options, and it's in stock and ready to ship. At a total of $199 off the original price, this is a match of the previous low price on this model of the MacBook Pro.
$199 OFFM1 MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,299.99
If anyone's on the hunt for the entry level version of the M1 MacBook Pro, Amazon does have the 256GB model at its typical sale price of $1,149.99, down from $1,299.00. There's no checkout coupon for this one, and it's also being discounted in both colors.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundup: Apple DealsRelated Forum: MacBook Pro
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Deals: Take $49 Off Apple's M1 iMac With New All-Time Low Prices
- Deals
Amazon today is taking $49 off Apple's new 24-inch M1 iMac in two configurations. Sales start with the 7-core GPU with 256GB, priced at $1,249.99, down from $1,299.00. This sale is available in Blue and Silver.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Amazon previously was discounting this model down to around $1,258.99, making today's sale a new all-time low on this model of the M1 iMac. No other retailers are matching the sale as of writing, so you'll only find this deal on Amazon.
$49 OFFM1 iMac (7-Core GPU, 256GB) for $1,249.99
In another new sale, Amazon is also offering $49 off the M1 iMac with the 8-core GPU and 256GB of storage, priced at $1,449.99, down from $1,499.00. These iMacs are sold directly from Amazon and both are available to ship today.
$49 OFFM1 iMac (8-Core GPU, 256GB) for $1,449.99
You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Deals: Save $100 on Apple's 2020 M1 Mac Mini, Starting at $599.99 for 256GB
- Deals
- Mac mini
Record low discounts have returned to Apple's 2020 M1 Mac mini on Amazon today, in both 256GB and 512GB storage options. For the 256GB model, you won't see the sale price until you reach the checkout screen and receive an automatic coupon on your order.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the 256GB M1 Mac mini, you can get this version for $599.99, down from $699.00. This is beating the previous Amazon low price of $639.00, and it's in stock and ready to ship today.
$99 OFFM1 Mac mini (256GB) for $599.99
You can also save $100 on the 512GB M1 Mac mini, available for $799.00, down from $899.00. This is another all-time low price on the M1 Mac mini, beating the previous record low of $829.00 on Amazon and other retailers.
$100 OFFM1 Mac mini (512GB) for $799.99
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, Mac miniBuyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Neutral)Related Forum: Mac mini
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Deals: Amazon Introduces Pair of Record Low Prices on Apple's 27-Inch iMacs (Save Up to $399)
- Deals
- iMac
Amazon today has introduced another discount on Apple's 512GB 27-inch 5K iMac with 6-core CPU. We've been tracking a discount down to $1,699.99 over the past few weeks, and now you can get this 2020 model for $1,599.99, down from $1,999.00, after an automatic coupon worth $299.01 is applied at checkout.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This is now the best price we've ever tracked for this model of the 27-inch iMac across all retailers. The iMac is ready to ship today with Amazon's typical free shipping for all Prime members.
$399 OFF27-inch iMac (512GB SSD) for $1,599.99
Additionally, the 256GB 27-inch 5K iMac is on sale for $1,499.99, down from $1,699.00. This model hasn't seen a discount in a few weeks, and now Amazon has introduced a sale alongside the 512GB model. You'll see the markdown at checkout after a $199.01 discount is automatically applied.
$299 OFF27-inch iMac (256GB SSD) for $1,499.99
You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, iMacBuyer's Guide: iMac (Neutral)Related Forum: iMac
This article, "Deals: Amazon Introduces Pair of Record Low Prices on Apple's 27-Inch iMacs (Save Up to $399)" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Deals: Amazon Discounts 512GB 27-Inch iMac to Lowest Price of $1,699.99 ($299 Off)
- Deals
- iMac
Today we're tracking an ongoing record low price on Apple's 512GB 27-inch 5K iMac with 6-core CPU from 2020. You can get this model for $1,699.99 on Amazon, down from $1,999.00, after an automatic coupon worth $199.01 is applied at checkout.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This sale was introduced last month on Amazon and it remains the best discount we've ever tracked for this model of the 27-inch Intel iMac. Amazon's discount is so steep it's pricing the 512GB model down to the same level as the 256GB 27-inch iMac.
$299 OFF27-inch iMac (512GB SSD) for $1,699.99
The iMac is in stock and sold by Amazon, ready to ship today with Amazon's typical free shipping for all Prime members. You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide.
There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, iMacBuyer's Guide: iMac (Neutral)Related Forum: iMac
This article, "Deals: Amazon Discounts 512GB 27-Inch iMac to Lowest Price of $1,699.99 ($299 Off)" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Deals: Get Apple's 512GB 27-Inch iMac for Lowest Price of $1,699.99 ($299 Off)
- Deals
- Featured
- iMac
Amazon this week is still hosting a record low deal on Apple's 512GB 27-inch 5K iMac with 6-core CPU. You can get this 2020 model for $1,699.99, down from $1,999.00, after an automatic coupon worth $199.01 is applied at checkout.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This sale is particularly notable because it knocks down the 512GB 27-inch iMac to the same price level as the 256GB model. It's also the best price we've ever tracked across all of the major Apple resellers online. The iMac is ready to ship today with Amazon's typical free shipping for all Prime members.
$299 OFF27-inch iMac (512GB SSD) for $1,699.99
You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, iMacBuyer's Guide: iMac (Neutral)Related Forum: iMac
This article, "Deals: Get Apple's 512GB 27-Inch iMac for Lowest Price of $1,699.99 ($299 Off)" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Deals: Amazon Discounting M1 MacBook Air Models By Up to $149, Starting at $899.99 for 256GB
- Deals
- MacBook Air 13"
Apple's M1 MacBook Air with a 256GB SSD has returned to its all-time low price of $899.99 today on Amazon, down from an original price of $999.00. This sale will be seen after an automatic coupon worth $50 is applied at checkout.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
As of writing, only the Gold color option is in stock and ready to ship from Amazon. Silver is delayed by over a month, but Space Gray will be "in stock soon" according to Amazon's stock estimation.
$99 OFFM1 MacBook Air (256GB) for $899.99
Likewise, the 512GB version of the M1 MacBook Air is seeing a notable discount to $1,099.99, down from $1,249.00. This is a record low price for the notebook, and it's only available at this price in Gold.
$149 OFFM1 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,099.99
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.Related Roundups: Apple Deals, MacBook AirBuyer's Guide: 13" MacBook Air (Neutral)Related Forum: MacBook Air
This article, "Deals: Amazon Discounting M1 MacBook Air Models By Up to $149, Starting at $899.99 for 256GB" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple News & Mac Rumors Breaking All Day
Incogni deletes your family’s private info from the internet – here’s why that matters
- News
In today’s world, everyone needs to have dozens, if not hundreds of different online accounts to keep up with their everyday life. That’s a lot of potentially sensitive data in the hands of tons of different companies – and it’s easy to not think about that. You and your family’s data is incredibly valuable to data brokers, but it isn’t too difficult to put a stop to it – and protect the online privacy of your family.
more…This iMac G3 LEGO idea is as unlikely to get approved as it is awesome
- News
Every once in a while, an Apple-related project gets submitted to LEGO’s Product Ideas page. Just recently, the LEGO Apple Store concept quickly blew past the 10,000-vote threshold needed to enter official review. Now, a new submission is making the rounds, and it is pretty cool.
more…Threads is testing long-form posts with support for formatted text
- News
While Threads already allows up to 500 characters per post (which is more than enough for casual users used to the microblogging format), it is now testing support for long-form posts through “text attachments”. Here’s how it works.
more…Are you hoping for a live iPhone event on September 9? [Poll]
- News
To say that Apple’s pre-recorded events are divisive is an understatement. What initially seemed like a pandemic-fueled stopgap has become the company’s standard way to make announcements, even though its competitors have largely moved back to live presentations.
With the upcoming “Awe Dropping” event, Apple has an opportunity to take a new crack at the live event format. Do you think it’ll take it?
more…Ted Lasso season 4 is coming: Here’s everything we know so far
- News
Apple TV+ has been on a comedy hot streak this year. But the TV+ comedy that will always live on in our hearts and minds—Ted Lasso—is currently preparing a new season. Here’s everything we know about Ted Lasso season 4.
more…Rumor Replay: AirPods Pro 3 launch, new iPhone 17 Pro feature, and more
- News
This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: AirPods Pro 3 launch timing and AirPods 4-inspired changes, a new iPhone 17 Pro feature rumor, Camera Control 2.0, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.
more…Apple Notes in iOS 26 works better than ever with my favorite writing tool
- News
Apple Notes gets upgraded with new features every year, and iOS 26 is no exception. Among the handful of Notes changes in iOS 26, the app now works better than ever with Markdown thanks to import and export support for my go-to writing tool.
more…iPhone 17 event is official, Apple acquisition strategy, TV+ price rise
- News
Benjamin and Chance prepare to have their jaw dropped in the run up to the September 9 Apple event where we expect to see iPhone 17, Apple Watch Series 11 and maybe AirPods Pro 3. There’s an interesting report on Apple’s strategic calculus when it comes to acquiring other companies, and Gemini might become the brain of Siri. Also, Apple TV+ ups its monthly price by a hefty 30%.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we reflect on the last fifteen years of Apple event slogans, and whether there’s a trend of decline. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
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New Xcode beta now available with GPT-5 and Claude support
- News
Apple has released a new beta of Xcode 26 for developers today with a pair of notable changes. There’s now support for ChatGPT 5, as well as built-in integration with Anthropic’s Claude.
more…Apple Watch Ultra 3’s software might be another reason to upgrade from Ultra 1
- News
Two years after its predecessor launched, Apple Watch Ultra 3 is almost here. And in addition to the array of hardware upgrades coming, the Ultra 3 could also push Ultra 1 owners to upgrade with a variety of software features.
more…Apple teases new Powerbeats Fit earbuds launching soon
- News
Apple is working on a new flavor of its popular Powerbeats earbuds, dubbed the Powerbeats Fit. Apple teased the new earbuds in a video on YouTube today, referring to them as “fit for every move.”
Apple says the Powerbeats Fit are “coming fall 2025.”
more…Pixel 10 Pro XL vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Has Google closed the gap? [Video]
- News
From jibes to full-blown homage, the Pixel 10 Pro XL owes a lot to the iPhone and, by extension, the 16 Pro Max. Just how does Apple’s best device of last year stack up against Google’s best of this year? Here’s all you need to know.
more…Deals: 1TB M4 MacBook Air, AirPods 4 now even lower, iPhone 15 Pro Max $725 off, MagSafe stands, more
- News
Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is starting off with our growing collection of Apple gear Labor Day deals you’ll find organized for you right here. We are also highlighting a 1TB M4 MacBook Air configuration with 24GB of RAM at $200 off the list ($600 under the MSRP on the comparable MacBook Pro), price drops on all of Apple’s most affordable current-gen iPad models starting from $299, and an even lower price on AirPods 4 ANC at $139. The 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max has now dropped even lower at over $720 off, and we also spotted one of the best prices yet on Satechi’s metal 15W Trio MagSafe Wireless Charging Pad. All of that and more awaits below.
more…Live Activities keep getting better, and iOS 26 continues that trend
- News
Live Activities have become one of the best iPhone features, and they’re getting even better in iOS 26. Here’s what’s new.
more…Google Photos adds image background removal for custom stickers, only on iOS
- News
Google Photos is rolling out support for making custom stickers from your photos, but it only works on iOS with seemingly no plans to bring it to Android.
more…New iPhone 17 accessory from Apple leaked ahead of event
- News
When leaker Majin Bu showed off clones of alleged TechWoven iPhone 17 case boxes, I noticed the fine print on the box mentioned compatibility with an unannounced accessory called Crossbody Strap. In a new post, Majin Bu has more details about this new iPhone 17 accessory from Apple.
more…iPhone 17 pricing: Here’s the rumored cost for each new model
- News
Apple’s big September event is coming up fast, with the company expected to unveil four new iPhones: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Here are the rumored prices for each new iPhone 17 model, most of which could see a higher cost.
more…iOS 26 fixed the Photos app and it’s more powerful than ever
- News
Last year, with iOS 18, Apple tried to shake up the Photos App by making it more streamlined. They put everything under one view, and for most people, it was a flop. Instead of making it simpler to navigate, it was actually even more tedious to use. It felt like nothing really had its own place, and everything was just on one never-ending page. Apple seemed to have heard us and changed up the look and feel of the Photos App with iOS 26 and I think they nailed it. They took the best parts of the old design, layered in some new looks and features of iOS 26, and now we have the best version of the Photos App that we’ve seen. Here are some of the best features you should know!
more…For our readers, the iPhone 17 Air is more appealing than the Pro
- News
A poll of nearly 3,000 9to5Mac readers revealed the unsurprising news that the most popular model in the upcoming lineup is the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
But what may be a little more surprising is that, based on what we know so far, the iPhone 17 Air is more appealing than the iPhone 17 Pro …
more…Stats suggest Apple’s slow rollout of AI agent capabilities may be wise
- News
One of the many delayed Apple Intelligence features is known as App Intents, and we’re starting to see evidence that taking an extremely cautious approach to the rollout may be no bad thing.
Before the comments catch fire, I should stress that I’m most assuredly not giving Apple a free pass on the slow rollout of new Siri capabilities in general. There are a great many capabilities which should very definitely have been launched years ago. Indeed, I’ve argued that the delay is now so embarrassing that Apple should probably allow us to choose our own chatbot to stand in for Siri, and the majority of you agreed with me. But when it comes to AI agents, taking things slowly may be the right approach …
more…Long-running Apple TV+ comedy to be seen by a new audience on the BBC
- News
Apple’s longest-running original comedy series is getting new life on the BBC in the United Kingdom. The Apple Original Trying, which premiered on Apple’s streaming service in May 2020, will now be available on BBC iPlayer and set for broadcast on the BBC’s linear channels.
The BBC deal was first reported by Deadline, and apparently includes the first three seasons of Trying with the first season debuting on September 8. Meanwhile, Apple TV+ is currently in development of a fifth season of the under-rated British series.
more…Apple suggests UK users may see slower feature rollouts under tighter regulation
- News
Last month, the United Kingdom’s competition regulator designated Apple and Google as having “strategic market status.” As a result, the two companies will be subject to different regulatory rules, some of which are very similar to Europe’s DMA. Tonight, Apple fired back.
more…WhatsApp starts testing AI-powered writing suggestions on iOS [U: launched]
- News
Update, Aug 27: The feature was officially launched today for English-speaking users, according to the official WhatsApp blog. Original post below.
In the latest TestFlight release for its iOS beta testers, WhatsApp rolled out a tool called “Writing Help,” which suggests replies based on the tone set by the user. Here’s how it works.
more…Torrent app unavailable at AltStore PAL following apparent notarization revocation by Apple [Update: Apple statement]
- News
Update, August 28, 11:19 a.m. PT: In a statement to 9to5Mac, an Apple spokesperson said: “Notarization for this app was removed in order to comply with government sanctions-related rules in various jurisdictions. We have communicated this to the developer.”
When Apple was compelled to allow alternative iOS app stores in the EU, it adopted the notarization model familiar to Mac developers. This means that if Apple revokes the notarization of a certain app, its distribution and use get blocked, even though it was installed from outside the App Store. That’s exactly what seems to have happened to iTorrent. Here are the details.
more…IDC nearly doubles worldwide smartphone forecast for 2025, cites ‘accelerated iOS growth’
- News
To say 2025 has been an unpredictable year for the smartphone market would be an understatement. Early in February, IDC had forecast a 2.6% growth, followed by a decrease to just 0.6% in May. Now, the institute has once again adjusted its forecast, thanks in part to “accelerated” iOS growth. Here are the details.
more…Apple TV+: Romantic drama with Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein gets first trailer
- News
Last December, Apple announced a new romantic drama starring Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso, Shrinking), and Imogen Poots (28 Weeks Later, Green Room), marking its third collaboration with the actor/writer. Today, the movie got its first trailer, ahead of its official release next month. Watch it below.
more…9to5Mac Daily: August 27, 2025 – Apple’s ‘Awe dropping’ event
- News
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
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more…Apple to secure nearly half of TSMC’s 2nm production (report)
- News
According to the latest rumors, Apple is slated to use TSMC’s 2nm process for its upcoming A20 chip, expected to power the iPhone 18 series. Now, a new report details the chipmaker’s roadmap for bringing the chip into mass production, and the industry-wide rush to secure an early supply.
more…How to make clear iPhone app icons with iOS 26
- News
iOS 26 includes a system-wide redesign with transparent elements called Liquid Glass. The iPhone update also includes all-new app icons for Apple’s built-in apps. For the most dramatic change to your Home Screen, you can make every iPhone app icon clear for the first time. Here’s how it works.
more…New AirTag 2 is coming very soon with these rumored features
- News
Apple’s biggest event of the year is happening on September 9. New products expected include the iPhone 17 line, AirPods Pro 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. But signs point to another highly anticipated product likely making an appearance: Apple’s new AirTag 2 is coming soon.
more…Colombia joins the list of countries probing Apple over App Store antitrust concerns
- News
From the United States to the United Kingdom, from Brazil to Japan, and in many countries in between, Apple has been facing a series of antitrust probes, particularly over its App Store rules. Now, Colombia is also joining in. Here are the details.
more…Apple just got partial App Store vindication from a very unlikely source
- News
Apple has been under fire from legislators for its App Store practices for years. But while it’s been forced to make iPhone changes in the EU and the US might soon follow, Google is now trending the opposite direction with its Android policies.
more…Pixel 10’s new ‘Head Start’ tool makes it easier for iPhone users to switch [Gallery]
- News
Google is clearly trying to get more people to switch to Pixel 10, as the company has just launched a new “Head Start” tool that walks users through the process of moving into their new phone.
more…iOS 26 vs iOS 18: Five new icons you may not recognize after updating
- News
iOS 26 is launching soon, headlined by a fresh Liquid Glass design that makes your iPhone look brand new. Apple has a ton of new app icons coming with its redesign, but the following five icons might be especially hard to recognize after you update.
more…iPhone 17 set to break a record no flagship has touched in 15 years
- News
When Apple releases the iPhone 17 in a few weeks, the timer will start for the new flagship model breaking a record set 15 years ago. The record will take more than a year to break, but based on current rumors, the iPhone 17 will be the first to steal the crown.
more…Eddy Cue wanted Apple to acquire two big companies, but Tim Cook said no
- News
A report from The Information yesterday offered a variety of interesting details about Apple’s potential acquisition targets in the artificial intelligence category.
One thing I found particularly fascinating in the story was the tidbit that Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, has regularly pushed for Apple to make big acquisitions, only to be shot down by Apple CEO Tim Cook.
more…Deals: Most affordable 24GB M4 Mac mini $100 off, exclusive M2 iPad Air offer at $350 off, metal/glass Find My wallet card $26, more
- News
Amazon’s is now in full swing and we have already collected a growing lineup of big-time deals on Apple’s latest gear and more right here, but today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break has some fresh offers to scope out as well. Firstly we are highlighting one of the more intriguing M4 Mac mini deals – the most affordable 24GB model you can buy at $100 off (or $300 under the price of the least pricey 24GB model on Amazon). But we also have an exclusive discount for 9to5 readers on Apple’s 11-inch 512GB M2 iPad Air with a major $350+ price drop as well as a host of Satechi discounts – the M4 Mac mini Stand & Hub and a new all-time low on its aluminum and tempered glass Find My wallet card. Everything awaits below.
more…Netflix’s new all-time top movie hit at the perfect time for Apple TV+
- News
Netflix has a new all-time most popular movie: as of yesterday, KPop Demon Hunters is the service’s best performer ever. And the timing could be especially great for Apple TV+ and its new series KPOPPED.
more…Mosyle identifies new Mac malware that evades detection through fake PDF conversion tool
- News
Mosyle, a leader in Apple device management and security, has exclusively revealed to 9to5Mac details on a new Mac malware strain, dubbed “JSCoreRunner”. The zero-day threat evaded all detections on VirusTotal at the time of discovery, spreading through a malicious PDF conversion site called fileripple[.]com to trick users into downloading what appears to be a harmless utility.
more…AirPods Pro 3 release date: When to expect the new model’s launch
- News
Three years after AirPods Pro 2 first debuted, Apple is nearly ready to unveil the popular product’s successor. Here’s the expected release date for AirPods Pro 3.
more…iPhone 17 Pro is coming, here’s every rumored new feature
- News
Apple’s iPhone 17 event is set for September 9, and two of the most anticipated products being unveiled are the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Here’s everything new that’s rumored to be coming.
more…New Chipolo Loop and Card trackers offer Find My compatibility and 400-foot range
- News
The proved a popular AirTag competitor when it launched earlier this year, and the company has now added two further Find My compatible trackers.
The new models are the Loop and a new version of the Card, with the former essentially a Pop with an integrated silicon loop for even easier attachment to bags, keys, and so on …
more…Apple Music radio stations are now available outside of Apple Music for the first time
- News
In what appears to be a marketing effort for its subscription service, Apple has partnered with TuneIn to offer the free Apple Music radio stations outside of the Apple Music app for the first time.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, starting today, all six of the Apple live music radio stations will be made available to listen to on TuneIn. TuneIn reports more than 75 million monthly active users, spanning a variety of platforms and devices.
more…14-year prison term sought over theft of trade secrets on iPhone 18 chip process [U]
- News
Six people have been arrested after Apple chipmaker TSMC said that several then-employees tried to steal trade secrets relating to the company’s most advanced chip process. TSMC fired the individuals concerned and is now taking legal action against them.
Update: Three of the six have now been indicted, and prosecutors are seeking a 14-year prison sentence for one of them – see the update at the end …
more…Londoners told to wear headphones on public transit
- News
You would think certain things would be blindingly obvious, among them “if you are listening to music or a video on your phone on public transit, wear headphones.”
But anyone who regularly uses transit services can tell you that this is definitely not the case. London has now decided to take executive action with a PR campaign …
more…What are you most looking forward to on September 9? [Poll]
- News
The iPhone 17 event is finally official with the slogan “Awe dropping,” taking place on Tuesday, September 9.
We’re expecting Apple to announce either six or seven new devices, alongside some possible new iPhone cases and Watch bands too …
more…More great wallpaper in the run-up to two more Apple Stores in India
- News
Apple is doubling its retail footprint in India with the imminent opening of two new stores next week, one in Bengaluru and the other in Pune.
As usual, the company is offering downloadable wallpaper to celebrate the openings, this one with a peacock theme …
more…Security Bite: Viral TikToks promote ‘undetectable’ Find My-enabled GPS trackers for stalking
- News
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TikTok has been found selling GPS trackers through its Shop feature that are being marketed by viral videos explicitly encouraging secretly tracking a romantic partner. What’s most alarming is that these videos have millions of views, and metrics show that over a hundred thousand have been sold.
I usually reserve Security Bite for digital security topics, but this discovery was too riveting to ignore. As first reported by 404 Media, the trackers are being compared to Apple AirTags—but for the wrong reasons…
more…Analyst warns of ‘tempered’ iPhone 17 Air response, but maintains Apple’s stock rating
- News
In a new investor note, Bank of America Research analyst Wamsi Mohani offered his market outlook ahead of the upcoming September 9 event, where the iPhone 17 lineup will be announced. Here’s what he said.
more…9to5Mac Daily: August 26, 2025 – Apple vs Elon Musk, more
- News
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Sponsored by BMX: Check out BMX’s SolidSafe™ power bank, built with cutting-edge solid-state battery technology that eliminates flammable liquid lithium for a safer, more durable charging experience.
more…Apple Invites adds a helpful new iPhone feature
- News
Apple Invites arrived at the start of the year and has seen a number of improvements since. The latest is a helpful new feature that iPhone users should appreciate.
more…OmniFocus update brings Planned Dates, mutually exclusive tags, more
- News
Today, The Omni Group announced OmniFocus 4.7, which brings interesting new productivity and workflow features. However, an optional database migration is needed to enable some of them. Here are the details.
more…macOS Tahoe adds three new apps to your Mac, here’s what’s coming
- News
Apple’s next major software update for the Mac is macOS Tahoe, also known as macOS 26. Alongside the new Liquid Glass design and major Spotlight upgrades, macOS Tahoe will bring three new Apple apps to the Mac. Here’s what’s coming.
more…Five advantages iPhone 17 Pro will have over the iPhone 17 Air
- News
Apple’s iPhone 17 event is officially set for September 9. For eager early adopters, the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air will likely be in consideration alongside iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Here are five advantages the iPhone 17 Pro will have over the flashy new Air model.
more…Seven products Apple will discontinue following iPhone 17 event
- News
Apple’s iPhone 17 event is officially just around the corner. As new hardware arrives, we can expect Apple to discontinue seven products that it currently sells.
more…AI skeptics are running out of rope to argue Apple isn’t desperately behind
- News
Whenever a new story comes out detailing yet another setback with Apple’s AI initiatives and roadmaps, without fail, someone shows up and asks: “What exactly is Apple behind on?,” or “Catch up? Catch up to what?”.
And while this sort of comment tends to come from people who seem to spend quite a lot of time and effort trying to make sure that everyone knows they don’t care about something, this specific hill they’re choosing to die on is getting increasingly steep. Here’s why.
more…Apple is unlikely to announce these products at its September event
- News
Apple is hosting its biggest event of the year on September 9. New iPhone 17 models, Apple Watch Ultra 3, AirPods Pro 3, and more are expected. But there are a variety of soon-to-release Apple products that likely won’t make a September event appearance. Here’s what not to expect from Apple’s ‘Awe dropping’ event.
more…How to watch Apple’s iPhone 17 event live on September 9
- News
It’s official: Apple is holding its big iPhone 17 event on Tuesday, September 9. The ‘Awe dropping’ announcements will be streamed live online. Here’s how to watch the iPhone 17 event.
more…Apple’s September 9 event logo has a fun interactive easter egg
- News
Apple is holding its iPhone 17 launch event, dubbed ‘Awe dropping,’ on Tuesday, September 9. And the event logo on Apple’s website comes with a fun easter egg.
more…Why Apple is fighting legal battles in two countries over 13 cents per iPhone
- News
Apple is engaged in legal battles in both the UK and the US over 4G patents used in its mobile devices. The company has applied for permission to appeal a UK verdict which would cost it an additional 13 cents per iPhone.
While this might sound crazy, the company says that very much more is at stake, not just for its own business, but for companies of every size …
more…Nomad introduces new Apple Watch Band – Tempo
- News
I’ve been using Nomad’s Apple Watch bands for years, and I recommend them to anyone with an Apple Watch. They offer a great mix of premium materials, thoughtful design, and durability. That is true of all of their Apple Watch Band categories, from their leather bands to their titanium bands to their best-selling Sports bands. But now, Nomad is introducing a new Apple Watch Band line called the Tempo Band, built with the athlete in mind. This is what you need to know.
more…Apple officially announces iPhone 17 event: ‘Awe dropping’
- News
Apple has officially announced its next product event where it will announce the new iPhone 17 lineup alongside new Apple Watch hardware. The event will take place on Tuesday, September 9. The tagline for the event reads “Awe dropping” and features an infrared view of the Apple logo.
more…Deals: M4 iPad Pro $200 off, M4 iMac, iPhone 15 Pro Max/16 Pro up to $720 off, MacBook Air, AirPods, more
- News
Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is now ready to roll alongside the ongoing . We have a giant (updated) collection of discounts now at the ready ahead of Labor Day weekend including, but not limited to, M4 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad mini 7, M3 iPad Air, and AirPods 4 at once of the best prices they have sold for online. Today, however, we are also adding $150 in savings on the most affordable M4 iMac, $200 off the least expensive 13-inch M4 iPad Pro, and a massive $720 in savings on iPhone 15 Pro Max. All of that and more awaits below.
more…iPhone 17 announcement imminent as alleged Apple Event ‘hashmoji’ surfaces
- News
Update: 9to5Mac has confirmed this information.
Apple is expected to officially announce its September iPhone 17 event as soon as today. An alleged “hashmoji” on X has appeared, building on that expectation.
more…Apple Wallet in iOS 26 adds a toggle to disable controversial feature
- News
Apple’s Wallet app has a lot of new features coming in iOS 26, including one that’s easy to miss: a toggle that lets you disable an annoying and controversial type of push notifications.
more…New Apple TV+ thriller has Jessica Chastain catfishing potential terrorists, trailer here
- News
Apple TV+ has a packed lineup of new and returning series this fall, including the Jessica Chastain-starring The Savant. Here’s the new trailer and full details.
more…Apple still debating Mistral and Perplexity M&A amid looming Google Search shakeup
- News
Rumors of Apple considering a Perplexity acquisition refuse to cease. Meanwhile, another AI firm continues to be part of the conversation. Both are mentioned in a new report that paints a picture of Eddy Cue as pro-acquisition despite pushback from other Apple executives.
more…Logitech MX Master 4 flagship mouse to offer haptic feedback – report
- News
Earlier this year, we spotted signs of a Logitech MX Master 4 in the works, replacing the 3S, and we subsequently got a closer look at it. Now a new report says it will include haptic feedback …
more…Rumor: AirPods Pro 3 design will borrow two changes from AirPods 4
- News
Earlier this week, Bloomberg offered great news for the AirPods Pro 3 launch timing, and now a new rumor indicates Apple has design changes coming that take inspiration from AirPods 4.
more…Hands-on: Kuxiu debuts tiny smart connector charger for iPad: meet the M30 [Updated]
- News
Kuxiu continues to make some of the best iPad accessories in the game. They were the first to introduce “wireless” charging for the iPad by implementing the smart connector into their products, like the X33 Pro Max. It was the first magnetic iPad stand that also charged your iPad Pro with those smart connectors. They have doubled down on that and made it ultra compact. Today, they unveiled the M30 Magnetic Smart Connector Charger, and I’m so excited about it. Here is what you should know.
more…Level Lock Pro is now shipping with Apple home key, Matter support, and more
- News
Since Apple introduced home key, it has quickly become one of the most important features for smart locks. Basic HomeKit support just doesn’t cut it anymore. Unlocking your front door with just a tap from an iPhone or Apple Watch feels magical, and once you’ve experienced it, it’s hard to imagine going back to keys or even an app. was one of the first companies to embrace home key, and now it’s back with its most advanced product yet: the Level Lock Pro. It’s the smallest smart lock you can buy, it disappears into your door (doesn’t look like a smart lock at all), and it has Matter over Thread built in.
more…Parallels Desktop 26 arrives with macOS 26 support and enterprise IT management tools
- News
For nearly two decades, Parallels has been one of the go to solutions for running Windows on the Mac, and with version 26 the company is doubling down on both sides of that equation while making it easier to deploy at work. Parallels Desktop 26 arrives with day one support for macOS 26 Tahoe and Windows 11 25H2, along with a strong set of IT focused improvements that make it easier to manage virtual machines at scale.
more…The Apple Watch is not actually carbon neutral, says German court
- News
Apple is no longer allowed to advertise the Apple Watch as carbon neutral, a German court ruled following a protest from environmentalists about Apple’s promoted claims.
The Frankfurt court found the company misled consumers for describing the Apple Watch as a CO2-neutral product. Apple first unveiled its first carbon neutral products starting with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in September 2023.
more…Is iOS 26 beta 8 ready for release? [Poll]
- News
Historical precedent suggests that the latest iOS 26 beta may be the final one, and therefore the version that will be released into the wild next month.
But while the stats may favor this, not everyone is convinced that beta 8 is ready to be unleashed. Given that there’s now very little time left before the iPhone 17 launch, is iOS 26 good enough … ?
more…Easily switch from Spotify to Apple Music in the US; Spotify DMs
- News
Earlier this year, we saw an Apple Music tool intended to make it easier to switch from Spotify, and that tool is now available in more countries, including the US.
But wait! Are you sure you really want to do that when Spotify has just rolled out its very latest feature? Direct messages …
more…Reverse wireless charging may not be possible on the iPhone 17 Pro
- News
One feature that has been available for a number of years on Android has long been expected to come to iPhone too: reverse wireless charging. A leaker yesterday suggested that it’s coming to the two iPhone 17 Pro models.
If true, this would be good news for three reasons, but there is reason to suggest that may not be possible – due to MagSafe …
more…Apple @ Work Podcast: Device security vs identity management in the enterprise
- News
Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
In this episode of Apple @ Work, Mike Malone from Smallstep joins the show to discuss the balance of securing devices and managing identities and their new partnership with Jamf.
more…Apple releases public beta 5 for tvOS 26 and more
- News
Apple study shows LLMs also benefit from the oldest productivity trick in the book
- News
In a new study co-authored by Apple researchers, an open-source large language model (LLM) saw big performance improvements after being told to check its own work by using one simple productivity trick. Here are the details.
more…macOS Tahoe 26 public beta 5 rolling out now, install guide
- News
Apple has rolled out the fifth public beta of macOS Tahoe 26, continuing its weekly release schedule for public and developer betas ahead of the official launch next month. Here’s how to install it.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 public beta 5 now available
- News
Following iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 8 earlier today, Apple has released the fifth iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 public betas.
more…9to5Mac Daily: August 25, 2025 – Apple and Gemini rumors
- News
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Sponsored by BMX: Check out BMX’s SolidSafe™ power bank, built with cutting-edge solid-state battery technology that eliminates flammable liquid lithium for a safer, more durable charging experience.
more…Apple TV+ is getting its best fall lineup ever, here’s everything new
- News
Apple TV+ is having a very strong year, and this fall’s lineup will continue that trend. From major returning series like Slow Horses and The Morning Show to compelling new shows like Pluribus, and several high-profile movies, there’s a lot coming. Plus, Apple likely has releases planned it hasn’t yet announced. But as of now, here’s everything new coming to Apple TV+ this fall.
more…Apple’s fall product lineup could have one glaring omission this year
- News
Apple is on the cusp of its major launch season, with new hardware coming in nearly every product category. But rumors indicate there will be one glaring omission from these fall launches: the Mac.
more…iOS 26 is probably complete
- News
Running the latest iOS 26 developer beta or public beta? You’re probably looking at the version of iOS 26 that will be released in September.
more…New Apple TV 4K will get my upgrade for one feature alone
- News
Apple’s big product launch season is almost here, headlined by the iPhone 17 line, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and AirPods Pro 3. There’s a new Apple TV 4K coming too, and I’m planning to upgrade for one rumored feature alone.
more…Apple’s latest TV+ subscription price hike might open the door to this opportunity
- News
Recently, Apple announced yet another price hike for its Apple TV+ service. This time, it’s increasing 30% from $9.99/month to $12.99/month. After the service launched in 2019 at $4.99/month, its received a couple price hikes. This new price hike, though, likely opens the door to something Apple has reportedly been considering for quite a while – an ad-supported plan.
more…MagSafe Monday: Want a no‑nonsense car mount that keeps your air vents clear?
- News
If you want a simple car mount that works with MagSafe and doesn’t take over your air vents, your choices are pretty limited. The is a great choice. It sticks to your dash or windshield, holds tight, and doesn’t budge even on bumpy roads and around corners.
more…watchOS 26 beta 8 available now for Apple Watch [U: Public]
- News
watchOS 26 is the next major Apple Watch software update, and today beta 8 was released to developers ahead of the expected public launch next month.
Update 10/26/25: Apple has also released watchOS 26 public beta 5, one day after the equivalent developer release.
more…visionOS 26 developer beta 8 now available
- News
Alongside the new macOS 26 developer beta 8, Apple is also rolling out the eighth developer beta of visionOS 26, and the rest of the operating systems it announced during WWDC25. Here’s what’s coming.
more…macOS Tahoe 26 beta 8 now available
- News
Apple is rolling out macOS Tahoe 26 developer beta 8, which could be the last release before we see a RC version ahead of the official release next month. Here’s what to expect.
more…tvOS 26 beta 8 rolling out now for Apple TV 4K
- News
tvOS 26 is coming soon for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD users, and today’s beta 8 developer release should be the most stable version yet of the forthcoming software.
more…Apple releases iOS 26 beta 8 for iPhone
- News
Apple has released the eigth developer beta version of iOS 26. We expect the redesigned version of the iPhone software to officially launch in about one month.
more…iPadOS 26 beta 8 now available, launch only weeks away
- News
Apple has released iPadOS 26 beta 8 for developers, likely the final beta before the RC debuts next month. Here’s what to expect.
more…Deals: AirPods 4 $90, iPad mini 7 $100 off, M3 iPad Air $150 off from $449, AirTag from $17.50, more
- News
Labor Day sales are now live at Amazon and Best Buy well head of time, and we have some fresh new Apple gear deals for today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Firstly, we have AirPods 4 down at $90, or within $1 of Prime Day all-time pricing, and next up are the iPads. Amazon has now slashed $100 off just about all iPad mini 7 models with deals from $399 alongside the return of Prime Day lows across the M3 iPad Air lineup at $150 off with pricing from $449. Those offers join discounts on AirTags, charging gear, and much more down below.
more…Elon Musk’s xAI sues Apple and OpenAI over Siri partnership, App Store charts
- News
Elon Musk has surprisingly made good on one of his promises. Earlier this month, Musk accused Apple of rigging the App Store rankings and threatened to sue the company for this “unequivocal antitrust violation.”
“Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store,” Musk posted at the time.
In a Texas court on Monday, Musk’s xAI officially filed a lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI, accusing the two companies of colluding to prevent competition in the AI industry.
more…iPhone 17 Pro might gain unique new battery advantage, per rumor
- News
Apple’s big iPhone unveiling is only weeks away, with the iPhone 17 Pro models and brand new iPhone 17 Air competing for buyers’ upgrades. A new rumor indicates the iPhone 17 Pro line might gain a unique, all-new battery advantage over the ultra-thin Air model: reverse wireless charging.
more…AirPods Pro 3 just got the launch update we were all hoping for: report
- News
Reporting around AirPods Pro 3 launch timing has been all over the place in the last year, but the latest update from Bloomberg offers very good news for those waiting for a new model.
more…Rumor: Apple testing iPhone 4-like case for iPhone 17 Air
- News
Apple is expected to launch a new flavor of its Smart Battery Case alongside the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air next month. As it turns out, that’s not the only forgotten iPhone case the company has up its sleeve.
Mark Gurman reports that Apple has “at least considered/tested” a case for the iPhone 17 Air that “surrounds the edges but doesn’t cover the back.”
more…Apple’s F1 movie tops $600m at worldwide box office, surpassing all expectations
- News
Apple’s big box office bet continues to break records for the company, with F1: The Movie now breaking another milestone this weekend, topping $600 million at the worldwide box office.
This figure beats even the most optimistic expectations ahead of release, which cost Apple about $250 million to make. The film hit buy or rent video on demand on Friday, but a streaming date on Apple TV+ has not yet been announced.
more…AppleInsider News Feed
Best Labor Day Deals: AirPods $89, M4 MacBook Air $799, Disney Plus bundle $29
Labor Day deals start now, with Amazon and B&H slashing prices on Apple devices — and even streaming services like Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN eligible for bundle savings.
Labor Day deals on Apple and streaming services are going on now.
Disney is kicking off a new streaming promotion, giving subscribers the chance to save big on its Disney Bundle. For a limited time, you can grab Disney+ (with ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN Unlimited for $29.99 per month during your first year.
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'Destiny: Rising', series' first foray onto mobile, out now
Players can finally take the Destiny universe on the go, with first-person and third-person battles now playable on iPhone and iPad.
'Destiny: Rising' out now
Players can now experience the Destiny franchise on mobile, bringing best-in-class sci-fi shooting to their iPhone or iPad. Destiny: Rising marks the series' first official experience designed entirely for mobile devices.
The mobile release includes classic campaign missions and six-player co-op strikes, alongside entirely new PVE and PVP modes. Each mode is designed to be replayable and engaging for longtime fans and newbies alike.
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Xcode 26 beta 7 adds GPT-5 & Claude account support
With the seventh developer beta of Xcode 26, users have gained the ability to add Claude accounts and use OpenAI's GPT-5 for vibe coding.
Xcode 26 beta 7 features support for GPT-5 and Claude accounts.
Following the discovery of code-level references pointing towards Claude integration, Apple has officially unveiled the feature with Xcode 26 developer beta 7. Developers now have the option to use Claude Sonnet 4 after adding their existing paid Claude account to Xcode, through a new setting in the app's intelligence panel.
Thursday's Xcode 26 developer beta also includes support for OpenAI's latest model, GPT-5, in addition to the existing GPT-4.1 compatibility. Xcode 26 has offered ChatGPT integration since it was unveiled at WWDC, which allowed users to connect third-party LLMs to Xcode.
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Apple's Powerbeats Fit aim to outmuscle rivals in the gym
Apple's latest teaser skips details, leaving fitness fans to wonder if the new Powerbeats Fit will deliver more than marketing slogans.
Apple teases new Beats headphones on YouTube
The company revealed the new product in a brief teaser video on YouTube, calling them "fit for every move." Apple didn't provide technical details, but the name and timing point to a successor to the Beats Fit Pro launch, which arrived in 2021.
Apple's audio division has spent the past decade juggling its in-house AirPods line with Beats, the brand it acquired in 2014 for $3 billion. While AirPods dominate the mainstream market, Beats has carved out a niche in sports and fitness, where users want a more secure fit and bolder sound profiles.
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iPhone 17 Air rumors: The thinnest iPhone with a potentially 'awe dropping' design
Apple's thinnest-ever iPhone 17 Air could have a truly 'awe dropping' design. But will buyers be willing to compromise on cameras and battery life to get it?
A model of what the iPhone 17 could look like
It's no secret that Apple announces new iPhones every September, and 2025 is no different. The rumor mill has four new iPhones on the horizon; iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, alongside the all-new iPhone 17 Air.
Those rumors point to some design changes that have the potential to make the iPhone 17 Air truly "awe dropping." And with Apple set to hold an event on September 9, the cat will be out of the bag soon enough.
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Inconsistency between TechWoven & iPhone 17 crossbody strap makes everything look fake
Photos claiming to show Apple's Crossbody Strap accessory for the iPhone 17 look pretty good, but they also contradict earlier leaks from the same source.
Photo of alleged iPhone 17 crossbody straps. Image credit: Majin Bu
A new crossbody strap accessory said to be from Apple and promoted by leaker Majin Bu, is supposed to launch with the iPhone 17 in September 2025. But there's a major problem — it literally doesn't work the way it's described.
The photos depict a nylon strap with magnetic ends, but there isn't a visible mounting point on an iPhone case for it to connect. Without an attachment system, the entire concept falls apart.
Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible
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Torrent app removal proves that third-party app stores will not be free of Apple control
Apple has blocked a torrenting app that is on a rival to its own App Store, meaning that the company can still dictate what apps are being sold.
Apple only owns its App Store, but it still has some control over rivafls
Despite all of the noise about rival app stores being better for consumers, they really just benefit some large developers who already have other distribution systems. It's possible to argue, though, that these stores could bring apps that Apple wouldn't allow on its own App Store.
Yet a key reason for Apple not wanting a given app on its store is that it's illegal, or it's malware, or in some way is dangerous to user privacy. Or is dangerous to Apple's reputation for security and privacy.
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Apple TV+ show 'Trying' will be free on the BBC soon
The BBC has picked up the rights to show the Apple TV+ show "Trying" via its traditional TV and iPlayer offerings.
Esther Smith and Rafe Spall in Apple TV+ show "Trying"
The deal will see the first three seasons of the show, starring Rafe Spall and Esther Smith, available for free outside the U.S. The first season will be available September 8, 2025.
Apple is set to premiere the fifth season of "Trying" on its pay-for Apple TV+ service soon. The BBC also has an option to buy season four onwards, according to a Deadline report on the deal.
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'Ted Lasso' star Brett Goldstein returns to Apple TV+ in 'All of You' romance
Apple TV+ has released a trailer for "All of You," a new romantic drama starring Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots, which is going straight to streaming on September 26, 2025.
Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots in "All of You" — image credit: Apple TV+
Before "F1: The Movie" became a hit, it was reported that it could be Apple's last major theatrical release, after a series of flops. Since then, there has been one fairly low-profile theatrical release for "Highest 2 Lowest," but as yet no news of any further releases.
Now Apple TV+ has announced its latest film, and it's going straight to streaming. "All of You" is a romantic drama that follows two college friends who drift apart, but come to regret how they might have been together.
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How to stop iPhone calls and FaceTime alerts from appearing on your iPad
Notifications for iPhone calls and FaceTime can appear on your iPad, and can be quite intrusive. Here's how to turn them off so they don't appear in iPadOS.
Turn off notifications for FaceTime on iPadOS.
Cross-device alerts are a convenient feature on iOS devices. They allow you to get alerts about incoming messages and calls for one device on another that you own.
But if you're using your iPad for, say, reading a book, you might not want to be interrupted by incoming messages from your iPhone.
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Apple threatens UK with delayed features if EU DMA-like regulations introduced
Proposed regulations in the UK mirror the EU's, which could result in the removal and delay of select features for iPhones and other products in Apple's ecosystem.
Apple could face DMA-like regulation in the UK
Apple would rather not ship a feature in a region at all if it meant opening up its operating system to competitors. It has already withheld iPhone mirroring and Mac Live Activities from the EU, and delayed Apple Intelligence in the region.
In July, the UK announced plans for its Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to introduce regulations against Apple and Google. On Wednesday, the BBC shared that Apple and the CMA made new statements on the issue, though the full text of those statements wasn't revealed.
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Aiffro K100 Mini NAS review: Fun project, but there are better options for Apple users
The Aiffro K100 Mini NAS is a very compact mini computer dressed up as network attached storage device, and is very flexible, but that flexibility can be a drawback for Mac-centric users.
Aiffro K100 Mini NAS
The main benefit of a NAS is to have a volume of storage on your network, so you can offload your files onto it. Modern NAS devices also provide other benefits, including fast transfer speeds, more potential server-like use cases, and performance.
The Aiffro K100 is one that leans heavily on this premise. It's a NAS that boasts of having high application performance along with fast transfer speeds.
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Colombia launches antitrust investigation over Apple's App Store policies
Colombia has become the latest country to accuse Apple of anticompetitive practices, alleging that contractual clauses prevent developers from creating or distributing apps outside the App Store.
Colombia has launched an investigation into Apple's App Store policies.
The country's Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) has announced an investigation into practices that purportedly restrict competition in the digital goods market of Colombia. Apple is alleged to have implemented strategies to prevent third-party app marketplaces.
The SIC claims that Apple effectively forces developers to distribute applications only through the App Store, making the company a monopoly in terms of digital distribution. As the Spanish-language publications MobileTime and MacMagazine note, the SIC says Apple, through its policies, restricted third-party access to the app distribution market, potentially violating Decree 2153 of 1992.
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iPhone growth props up global smartphone market in 2025
Apple's iPhone is carrying much of the smartphone industry in 2025, lifting global sales, as rivals struggle with weak demand in China.
iPhone is carrying much of the smartphone industry
IDC's August report forecasts worldwide smartphone shipments will grow just 1% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching 1.24 billion units. That sounds modest, but it's better than the industry expected a few months ago.
The driver for the improvement is Apple, with iPhone shipments climbing 3.9% versus 2024's figures.
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Apple's climate progress faces new pressure from AI's energy appetite
Apple has slashed emissions by more than 60% since 2015, but its Apple Intelligence ambitions may complicate its path to 2030 carbon neutrality.
AI + environment impact
Apple is striving to balance its climate commitments with its technological advancements. The company aims to achieve carbon neutrality in all aspects of its operations by 2030.
Achieving carbon neutrality includes everything from manufacturing facilities to the energy used to charge iPhones. Yet the rise of artificial intelligence inside Apple products brings with it an energy bill that could test that plan.
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Deals: Amazon's $449 M3 iPad Air sale is back, plus save 20% at eBay
Save $150 on Apple's current iPad Air, with sale prices dipping to as low as $449 today. Plus, save 20% on thousands of items on eBay.
Grab the lowest prices of the year on Apple's iPad Air.
You can grab the discounted $449 price on the M3 iPad Air 11-inch, with all four colorways eligible for the savings. The larger 13-inch iPad Air is also $150 off, bringing the cost down to $649. Both models have 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi functionality.
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'Hitman World of Assassination' sneaks onto iPhone and iPad
"Hitman World of Assassination" lands on iOS and iPadOS, bringing full stealth gameplay and redesigned touch controls to mobile devices.
Hitman World of Assassination launches on iOS devices
In Hitman World of Assassination players step into the role of Agent 47, a skilled assassin completing contracts across varied and recognizable locations. Players are tasked with completing missions in a sandbox environment, and the game features every location available at launch.
This entry into the Hitman series has been redesigned for touch-based controls. This includes context-sensitive buttons that will dynamically adapt to what's on screen.
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Apple loyalty softens with carrier switches but still outpaces Android
Apple's iPhone loyalty takes a small hit when customers switch carriers, but it remains stronger than Android even under pressure.
Apple's customer loyalty remains top notch
Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) published new data in August 2025 showing how much Apple's U.S. sales lean on carriers. About three-quarters of iPhone sales go through AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
Those deals are often bundled with financing or promotions. Store staff play a big role in which phone a customer takes home.
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TuneIn is now streaming Apple Music radio stations to 75 million listeners worldwide
In an effort to win back music streaming market share from Spotify, Apple Music is teaming up with TuneIn to put its radio stations in front of 75 million listeners.
Apple's new partnership with TuneIn
In 2020, Apple Music held roughly 30% of the U.S. music streaming market, roughly equivalent to that of Spotify. However, in the years following, Apple's seen that number slip.
By 2024, the number dropped to 25%. Conversely, Spotify's market share grew to 37%.
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Apple taking half of TSMC's 2nm chip capacity when production hits full speed
Apple supplier TSMC is anticipated to start full-scale production of 2-nanometer chips by the end of 2025, with Apple apparently occupying close to half of the total manufacturing capacity.
Dies on wafers - Image credit: TSMC
The move to 2-nanometer processors has been anticipated for a while, with TSMC working to improve the yields of production for quite some time. Now, it appears that TSMC is getting very close to full-scale manufacturing of the chips.
According to DigiTimes on Wednesday, TSMC is going to keep to its schedule of mass-producing 2-nanometer process chips in the fourth quarter of 2025. To match, it has been increasing its production capacity in the Baoshan and Kaohsiung plants, and expects for all of its availability to be fully used until the end of 2026.
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Chipolo's new trackers have Find My compatibility & six-month batteries
With Find My built in, Chipolo's latest rechargeable trackers last longer that before, and are louder when triggered.
Chipolo is rolling out two rechargeable Bluetooth trackers
On August 27, 2025, the company announced its new premium trackers. The new models represent a shift from the company's previous replaceable-battery models.
Chipolo is launching new devices in response to customer complaints and environmental concerns. These devices have a battery life of approximately six months per charge, reducing waste.
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iPhone 20 could be next to get Tandem OLED treatment
Apple's iPhone 20 could get a better screen if supplier LG Display's development of a Tandem OLED panel for the smartphone bears fruit.
Tandem OLED uses multiple OLED layers - Image Credit: Apple
The OLED screen in the iPhone is already bright and high contrast, but it can always be better. If a claim about LG's OLED plans are correct, a change could be arriving as soon as the iPhone 20.
According to industry sources of DealSite, LG Display is working on developing its Tandem OLED technology to work with a future iPhone. The company has reportedly made repeated recommendations to Apple to use Tandem OLED in the smartphone.
Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible
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Fourth Apple Store in India to open on September 4
Two days after India's third Apple Store opens, the country is to get its fourth, this time with Apple Koregaon Park, near Mumbai.
Apple's logo for its Pune, India store — image credit: Apple
This new store continues Apple's reported plan to open four across in 2025. It follows the announcement of Apple Hebbal, in Bengaluru's Phoenix Mall of Asia, which opens on September 2, 2025.
The opening dates for both stores are unusual, being a Tuesday and a Thursday. It's more common for Apple to open a new store on a Friday, ahead of a weekend which it packs with Today at Apple events.
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How to use the iOS 18 iPhone Control Center
The iPhone Control Center is a feature that hadn't changed all that much in recent years, but iOS 18 brought about some big improvements. Here's how to get the most out of it.
iOS 18 updated Control Center with new customization options.
Control Center has long offered iPhone owners a quick and easy way to access and toggle features like Wi-Fi, cellular data, and more. But the number of options available to iPhone owners was previously limited and the layout was cramped with just a single page of buttons available.
That's all changed with iOS 18, with Apple adding multiple groups to separate buttons as well as support for more types of buttons — including support for third-party buttons from many of the apps that you use the most.
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Synology BeeStation Plus review: Simple NAS storage with caveats
The Synology BeeStation Plus is a good starter NAS for iPhone or Mac owners if you just need storage on your network, but most people will probably want something a bit more full-featured.
Synology BeeStation Plus
A network-attached storage (NAS) device offers the benefit of network accessibility over other external storage devices. Having a lump of storage space on your home network means you have a place to store your data that can be accessed by practically anything else on your network, even your iPhone and iPad.
Synology's BeeStation line is intended to be a simple solution to that problem. A NAS drive that can provide the benefits of cloud storage but on your home network, and with far less setup than one would expect.
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Apple Invites gets countdown widget in latest update
The Apple Invites app may not have taken off, but the latest update might make it a go-to for some as it sherlocks countdown widgets.
Apple Invites gets widgets
Apple offers a variety of apps that often act as a showcase for how it believes certain app categories should look or function. One such app is Apple Invites, which arrived without much of a splash in February 2025.
The latest update could help bring it into the spotlight thanks to the addition of a Home Screen widget. The widget shows a countdown to the event with your chosen artwork and the number of people that have RSVP'd as going.
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How to watch Apple's 'Awe Dropping' iPhone 17 launch live
Apple's "Awe Dropping" iPhone 17 event on September 9, 2025 will be streamed around the world with multiple ways to watch live. Here's how to tune in.
How to watch Apple's Awe Dropping' iPhone 17 launch live
Apple is hosting its annual iPhone keynote at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on Tuesday, September 9, starting at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The company will showcase its newest iPhone lineup and other products, with millions expected to tune in.
As far as what's coming, expect the full iPhone 17 lineup, including a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air that replaces the older iPhone Plus model. The phones are expected to get a design refresh with a horizontal camera bar and new color options ranging from pastels to deep blue and burnt orange.
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New Liquid Apple Event logo moves and changes color when swiped
Apple's new iPhone event invitation on the company's home page features a brightly-colored logo that moves like liquid as you touch it.
Press and swipe with the Apple Pencil, a mouse, or your finger, and the new Apple Logo swirls around for you
Just as it did with its Apple Pencil "Let Loose" invitation in May 2024, Apple has produced another interactive version of its logo. Unlike that Apple Pencil one, though, this new "Awe Dropping" one lets you use your finger, and swipe across the logo on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Even before you do this, the static logo looks reminiscent of a thermal camera image, like the ones in TV and what you use to survey your house for air leaks. Then when you swipe, dark blue and orange blobs swirl around inside the logo.
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Cue vs. Federighi: Executives differ on if Apple should buy their way out of AI crisis
An internal clash between Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi about Apple Intelligence captures the company's dilemma over whether to spend big or stick to its culture of caution.
Does Apple Intelligence need outside help?
Apple is weighing acquisitions of Mistral and Perplexity as pressure mounts on its $20 billion Google search deal. Both startups offer Apple a possible lifeline as rivals pour billions into artificial intelligence.
Services chief Eddy Cue has argued that Apple must act quickly by buying Perplexity or Mistral. Federighi has resisted, convinced Apple's engineers can build what's needed internally.
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What to expect from Apple's iPhone 17 'Awe Dropping' event on September 9
Apple's annual iPhone event is being held on September 9, 2025. Here's what you can expect to be announced during the "Awe Dropping" event.
Apple's 'Awe Dropping' iPhone 17 event is on September 9
Every fall, Apple takes the time to launch a wide range of new products aimed at consumers shopping for the holiday season. As one of the company's most profitable times of the year, Apple puts a ton of effort into its fall events.
Invitations were sent out to the press, announcing the event, on August 26. The tagline is "Awe dropping," with a Liquid Glass-style Apple logo at the top.
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Jessica Chastain stars in Apple TV+ thriller 'The Savant', premiering September 26
Jessica Chastain takes on the high-stakes world of domestic terrorism in Apple TV+'s new investigative thriller "The Savant."
Image Credit: Apple TV+
"The Savant" follows an undercover investigator as she embeds herself in online hate groups, hoping to stop extremist acts before they happen. The investigator, known only as "the Savant," is played by Jessica Chastain, known for her roles in films such as "Interstellar" and "The Martian", and series such as "Scenes from a Marriage" and "George & Tammy."
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Exclusive deal: Save $350 on Apple's M4 MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM
This week's MacBook Pro sale delivers a $350 exclusive discount on the current M4 model with 32GB of RAM.
Save $350 on this upgraded MacBook Pro - Image credit: Apple
Exclusive deals continue to roll in at Apple Authorized Reseller B&H this week, with AppleInsider readers eligible for a $350 discount on Apple's M4 14-inch MacBook Pro with 32GB of memory and 512GB of storage.
Buy MacBook Pro 32GB for $1,649
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iPhone 17 accessory makers bet on 'Air' name instead of 'Slim'
Accessory makers have seemingly decided that the new iPhone model will be the iPhone 17 Air, but there's no guarantee that they have got it right.
A model of what the iPhone 17 could look like
Apple's iPhone 17 range will differ from previous years because of a big change to one model. The Plus is being replaced by a similar but much thinner model, which is believed to be called the iPhone 17 Air, or possibly the iPhone 17 Slim.
While there have been many rumors about the device, the general consensus seems to believe "Air" is the right answer. This also apparently extends to products heading to retailers.
Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible
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Rumor claims AirPods Pro 3 charging case may slim down & drop button
Apple's upcoming AirPods Pro 3 may look a little different, with rumors pointing to a smaller charging case and the removal of the pairing button.
AirPods Pro 3 rumor
Leaker Asher Dipprey claimed on X that Apple's next premium earbuds will feature a downsized case. The familiar physical pairing button is allegedly gone too, replaced with tap-based pairing controls on the case itself.
Asher Dipprey is a 3D render artist known for collaborating with Front Page Tech to create visuals for Jon Prosser's leak reports. His work, based on secondhand information, adds color to the conversation but little else.
Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible
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Parallels Desktop revamps branding, adds macOS 26 Tahoe support
Parallels Desktop is now matching Apple's release-year branding, and now has support for macOS Tahoe and Windows 11 25H2.
Parallels Desktop 26 running Windows 11 on macOS Tahoe - Image Credit: Parallels
Introduced on August 26, Parallels Desktop 26 is taking after Apple's OS renumbering initiative with its own jump in version, from the previous version 20 generation.
The main changes this time is support for the inbound operating systems. It is optimized to work on macOS Tahoe 26, complete with some aesthetic changes to match the new appearance of Apple's OS.
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Apple Ring could be microphone & volume control for your iPhone
Apple's almost two decades of research into a smart Apple Ring is now continuing with more details about how such a device could spin on your finger to control your iPhone, and maybe include a microphone.
The outer portion of the Apple Ring could rotate like a volume control — image credit: Apple
We may never know when Apple actually first started considering a smart ring, but the leaks, and the expectations, and finally the patents go back to at least 2007. Since then, it's been reported to be dropped and back on — often by the same leaker.
Now in a pair of newly-revealed patents, Apple has again demonstrated that for a product it hasn't released in two decades, it isn't half trying. The first one, just called "Ring Device," is concerned with the purpose of such a smart ring, suggesting that for a start, it "may include near-field communications circuitry for emulating near-field communications tags based on biometric data and/or for logging health-related actions such as medicine intake."
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Level Lock Pro review: The original invisible smart lock gets even better
The new flagship Level Lock Pro is hugely upgraded from the original, especially for Apple Home users who want to tap to enter their homes.
Level Lock Pro review: The new flagship smart lock for Apple users
The first Level Lock Plus shipped in 2022. The 2025 Level Lock Pro has a few internal upgrades and new features for those looking for the most capable smart lock.
Unlike every other smart lock on the market that hangs on the front or back of your door, the Level Lock Pro is entirely hidden, living inside your door. Instead of a big plate on the front or the back of the door, the Level Lock Pro just... looks like a not-smart lock, in brushed nickel or matte black.
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Apple Music migration tool will finally help U.S. Spotify users switch
The Apple Music migration tool is finally rolling out in the United States to help Spotify users switch music streaming services.
Apple Music
In May, following a period of beta-testing, Apple introduced the Apple Music migration tool in Australia and New Zealand. Months after that initial release, Apple has finally brought it to the United States.
An Apple Support document update spotted by MacRumors says the migration tool is now available in the UK, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, and Mexico, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
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Germany says Apple can't claim Apple Watch is carbon neutral
A German court has put its foot down over Apple's heavily-criticized claim that the Apple Watch is a carbon-neutral product, and the company may need to change its advertising very soon.
Apple Watch Series 9 was the first model to be described as carbon neutral
Apple first made its claim about carbon neutrality with the Apple Watch Series 9 back in 2023. Immediately, European environmental groups called it misleading, while a Chinese research organization described Apple's claim as "climate-washing."
Now according to Reuters, a regional court in Frankfurt, Germany, has ruled that Apple's claim is both unfounded, and in violation of competition law. The issue centers on Apple's offsetting carbon emissions through a Paraguay project where it plans eucalyptus trees on leased land.
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How to enable parental controls on macOS Sequoia
Keeping your kids safe online might seem scary, but it's simple with Mac. Learn how to set up parental controls for your child's Mac in macOS Sequoia.
How to enable parental controls on macOS Sequoia
Raising kids today can be tough, especially when you realize you need to protect them just as much online as you do in the real world. After all, you want to ensure your child is familiar with technology that they'll be expected to use for school, for future jobs, and to participate in society.
However, it's hardly a secret that the internet is often unkind and unsafe, especially for children.
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Elgato 4K S review: An excellent capture card for Mac streamers
The Elgato 4K S is a powerful external peripheral that provides an easy way for Mac users to not just capture video, but also stream gameplay to Twitch, or to just about any place that will allow live video streaming.
Elgato 4K S review: The capture device is really compact.
In this day and age, the odds are very high that you, or someone you know, is livestreaming on one of the major streaming platforms.
From video games to art and crafts, to music and talk shows, streaming is ingrained into modern media. Many use services like Twitch as a way to cultivate communities, bring friends together, and share experiences.
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CalDigit TS5 Plus review: A great & capable Thunderbolt 5 dock for Mac
With 20 ports, plenty of power, and an accommodating design that is well-matched to any modern Mac the CalDigit TS5 Plus is an excellent dock in an already competitive landscape — but there may be heat issues.
CalDigit TS5 Plus review: This may be one of the ultimate Thunderbolt 5 docks
Update August 25, 2025 While we have not personally experienced this to date, there are many reports of the CalDigit TS5 getting very hot, with one outlying report claiming 55C temperatures on the external case. We are talking with CalDigit about it.
With every new Thunderbolt upgrade, we get a new wave of docks. CalDigit has provided be with the CalDigit TS5 Plus, which is the most premium dock that CalDigit now makes.
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Apple seeds developer beta 8 of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26
With the release date looming, Apple has issued the eighth developer beta builds of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.
Apple's hardware getting the 26-generation update - Image Credit: Apple
The eighth round follows after the seventh, which appeared on August 18. The sixth landed on August 11, however Apple did introduce a small update to the build on August 14 for iOS 26.
The eighth generation is close to the end of the testing period for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, visionOS 26, and tvOS 26. The official releases of the new milestone operating systems are expected to occur within weeks, to accompany the usual hardware launches for Apple's September iPhone launch.
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What 'Shark Tank' star Kevin O'Leary learned from Steve Jobs & his harsh advice
Apple founder Steve Jobs once told Kevin O'Leary to "shut up" during a meeting, and the entire story captures his famously abrasive style and obsession with results.
Steve Jobs, famously sitting with an original iMac
On the Diary of a CEO podcast, Kevin O'Leary called Jobs "not a nice guy" while recalling a sharp exchange from the early 1990s. At the time, O'Leary's company was Softkey. In that company, O'Leary made educational software for Apple, so he communicated frequently with Jobs.
"Kevin, I don't give a s**t what the students want," Jobs allegedly told groups. "They don't know what they want till I tell them what they want."
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AirPods Pro 3 rumors: Heart rate sensing, better ANC, and maybe cameras
For two years, a new model of AirPods Pro have repeatedly been rumored to be coming soon. Here's what to expect from the next generation of Apple's flagship earbuds, and when to expect it.
AirPods Pro
After an initial launch of the AirPods Pro in 2019, it took Apple until 2022 to make its first big change to the product. Three years later, in 2025, the rumor mill is eagerly awaiting the release of the next generation along.
While there aren't as many changes to expect from the AirPods Pro 3 compared to something like the iPhone, there are still rumors swirling around. Add in software leaks from Apple itself, and it becomes an inevitability.
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Elon Musk baselessly suing Apple for Grok's position on the App Store
After claiming that his Grok AI was being denied exposure that Elon Musk feels he's entitled to in the App Store, he has followed through and has filed an antitrust lawsuit.
Elon Musk — image credit: Tesla
Musk originally made the claim on Twitter, saying Apple's deal with OpenAI meant the App Store would now never promote any rivals. The claim was then refuted by the facts, by online users, by Apple, and even by Grok AI itself.
Musk's xAI company has filed suit against both Apple and OpenAI. The suit is specifically concerning AI competition, and App Store rankings.
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Inside iOS 26 Genmoji: Tapbacks, smarter AI & deeper customization
Apple is improving Genmoji in iOS 26 with better prompts, expanded customization, and tighter integration with your favorite apps.
Make smarter Genmoji with iOS 26
Genmoji first appeared in iOS 18.2 as part of Apple Intelligence. It lets iPhone users create their own emoji-style stickers using short text descriptions or a mix of emoji.
The stickers look like emoji, but they're actually images generated on the device using Apple's AI model. The new update adds more flexibility.
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Lowest price ever: Apple's 1TB M4 Mac mini falls to $849
AppleInsider readers can grab the lowest price on record for Apple's latest M4 Mac mini with a bump up to 1TB of storage.
Pick up Apple's 1TB M4 Mac mini at an exclusive $150 discount.
The compact Mac mini is equipped with Apple's M4 chip that has a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, along with 16GB of unified memory. The standout feature is the upgrade to 1TB of storage and the exclusive price of $849* when you shop through the special pricing links in this post from a laptop or desktop computer.
Buy 1TB Mac mini for $849
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Apple's iPhone 17 cases promise grip & style, if they're real
Rumors about iPhone 17 accessories are piling up, but the trickle from a leaker known more for volume than accuracy is still questionable.
The latest iPhone 17 case rumor
Apple's next set of cases has allegedly been revealed, courtesy of prolific leaker Majin Bu. He claims the company will release a line of "Liquid Silicone" covers in October 2025, complete with new colors and a built-in lanyard slot.
The leaked lineup includes eight shades: Deep Orange, Pale Orange, Grass Green, Celadon, Fog Purple, Grey Blue, Dark Blue, and Midnight Black. The cases are said to support MagSafe, improve grip, and feature redesigned buttons for durability.
Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible
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Faster charging with Qi2.2, Dreame PM20 air purifier review, and more on HomeKit Insider
On the latest HomeKit Insider Podcast episode, your host talks about the new Qi2.2 update in iOS 26 and how it will speed charging, reviews the Dreame PM20 purifier, and more!
HomeKit Insider Podcast
In the news this week, Homey launched home energy monitoring through its app. Thanks to a tie-in with local power exchanges, this European-only feature allows users to make intelligent decisions on power, based on current rates.
Google took the wraps off its new Pixel devices, and they finally adopted Apple's MagSafe technology, though they call it PixelSnap. It's based on Qi2 and delivers 15W or 25W of power, depending on the model.
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I’m Marco Arment, creator of Overcast, technology podcaster and writer, and coffee enthusiast.
Retreating to Safety
Ten years ago, Apple’s Phil Schiller surprised Apple enthusiasts and developers by walking out on stage at John Gruber’s The Talk Show Live WWDC event and giving an open, human, honest interview to a somewhat jaded community.
Both Apple and Phil Schiller himself took a huge risk in doing this. That they agreed at all is a noteworthy gift to this community of long-time enthusiasts, many of whom have felt under-appreciated as the company has grown.
[…]
Phil’s appearance on the show was warm, genuine, informative, and entertaining.
It was human.
And humanizing the company and its decisions, especially to developers — remember, developer relations is all under Phil — might be worth the PR risk.
This started a ten-year run of interviews by Apple executives on The Talk Show every year at WWDC that proved to be great, surprisingly safe PR for Apple.
No executive ever said something they shouldn’t have (they’re pros), no sensational or negative news stories ever resulted from them, and Apple’s enthusiastic fans and developers felt seen, heard, and appreciated.
* * *
For unspecified reasons, Apple has declined to participate this year, ending what had become a beloved tradition in our community — and I can’t help but suspect that it won’t come back. (A lot has changed in the meantime.)
Maybe Apple has good reasons. Maybe not. We’ll see what their WWDC PR strategy looks like in a couple of weeks.
In the absence of any other information, it’s easy to assume that Apple no longer wants its executives to be interviewed in a human, unscripted, unedited context that may contain hard questions, and that Apple no longer feels it necessary to show their appreciation to our community and developers in this way.
I hope that’s either not the case, or it doesn’t stay the case for long.
This will be the first WWDC I’m not attending since 2009 (excluding the remote 2020 one, of course). Given my realizations about my relationship with Apple and how they view developers, I’ve decided that it’s best for me to take a break this year, gain some perspective, and decide what my future relationship should look like.
Maybe Apple’s leaders are doing that, too.
Ten years of Overcast: A new foundation
Today, on the tenth anniversary of Overcast 1.0, I’m happy to launch a complete rewrite and redesign of most of the iOS app, built to carry Overcast into the next decade — and hopefully beyond.
Like podcasts better than blog posts? Listen to ATP #596 for more!
What’s new- Much faster, more responsive, more reliable, and more accessible.
- Modern design, optimized for easily-reached controls on today’s phone sizes.
- Improvements throughout, such as undoing large seeks, new playlist-priority options, easier navigation, and more.
- Most features. Overcast is still Overcast!
- The audio engine. It’s the best part of Overcast, and still leads the industry in sound quality, silence skipping, and volume normalization. (More soon!)
- The business. I’m still a one-person operation, with no funding or external ownership, serving only my customers.
- My principles. I always want to make the best podcast app, and I’ll never disrespect your time, attention, or privacy.
Streaming. Most big podcasts now use dynamic ad insertion, which causes bugs and problems for streaming playback.1 Downloading episodes completely before they begin playback is much more reliable.
Tapping a non-downloaded episode will now open the playback screen, download it, then start playback. It works similarly to the way streaming did before, but playback begins after the download completes, not after a portion of it is buffered.
On today’s fast networks, this usually only takes a few extra seconds.
And in the near future, I’ll be adding smarter options and more control over selective downloading of episodes to further improve the experience for people who don’t automatically download every episode.
What’s next- The last few missing features from the old app, such as Shortcuts support, storage management, and OPML. These are absent now, but will return soon.
- More options for downloading and deleting episodes.
- Upgrading the Apple Watch app to the new, faster sync engine. (The Watch app is currently unchanged from the previous one.)
And, of course, more features, including some of your most-requested features over the last decade.
Getting this rewrite out the door was a monumental task. Thank you for your patience as I work through this list!
Why?Most of Overcast’s core code was 10 years old, which made it cumbersome or impossible to easily move with the times, adopt new iOS functionality, or add new features, especially as one person.
That’s why there haven’t been many new features or changes in years.
You saw it, and I saw it. I wasn’t able to serve my customers as well as I wanted.
For Overcast to have a future, it needed a modern foundation for its second decade. I’ve spent the past 18 months rebuilding most of the app with Swift, SwiftUI, Blackbird, and modern Swift concurrency.
Now, development is rapidly accelerating. I’m more responsive, iterating more quickly, and ultimately making the app much better.
Thank you all so much for the first decade of Overcast.
Here’s to the next one.
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Dynamic ad insertion (DAI) splices ads into each download, and no two downloads are guaranteed to have the same number or duration of ads. So, for example, if the first half of an episode downloads, then the download fails, and it downloads the second half with another request, the combined audio may jump forward or back at the halfway mark, losing or repeating content. ↩︎
The Overcast Redesign: Part One
Overcast’s latest update (2022.2) brings the largest redesign in its nearly-eight-year history, plus many of the most frequently requested features and lots of under-the-hood improvements. I’m pretty proud of this one.
For this first and largest phase of the redesign, I focused on the home screen, playlist screen, typography, and spacing. (I plan to revamp the now-playing and individual-podcast screens in a later update.)
The home screen is radically different:
Home screen, before (left) and after (right).
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Playlists now have strong visual identities for nicer and easier navigation. Each playlist has a customizable color, and a custom icon can be selected from over 3,000 SF Symbols to match modern iOS design and the other icons within Overcast.
And playlists can be manually reordered with drag-and-drop.
- Recently played and newly published episodes can now be displayed on the home screen for quick access, much like the widget and CarPlay experience.
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Podcasts can now be pinned to the top of the home-screen list.
Pinned podcasts can also be manually reordered with drag-and-drop.
I’ve also rethought the old stacked “Podcasts” and “Played Podcasts” sections to better match people’s needs and expectations. Now, the toggle atop the podcast list switches between three modes: podcasts with current episodes, all followed podcasts, and inactive podcasts (those that you don’t follow and therefore won’t get any more episodes from, or haven’t posted a new episode in a long time).
The playlist screen’s structure remains mostly the same, while refining the design for the modern era:
Playlist screen, before (left) and after (right).
Here, it’s more apparent that I’ve replaced the system San Francisco font with an alternate variant, San Francisco Rounded, to increase legibility and better match the personality of the app.
I’ve also added highly demanded features:
- By far, Overcast’s most-requested feature is a Mark as Played feature. That’s now available as a checkmark button on episode rows, as well as a left-side swipe action.
- The second-most-requested feature is a way to view all starred episodes. Special playlists for Starred, Downloaded, and In Progress can now be created.
The light and dark themes now each have a customizable tint color from the modern iOS UI-color palette, including these favorites from beta testers:
And throughout the app, I’ve made tons of tweaks and bug fixes, including:
- Notifications and background downloads are now much more reliable.
- Episode downloads can now be individually deleted or re-downloaded.
- Links can now be opened in Safari. (under Nitpicky Details)
- Performance is now significantly better with very large playlists and collections.
- Fixed bugs with episode-duration detection, CarPlay lists, Mac-app sharing, and much more. So much is better in this update that I can’t even remember it all.
Thank you so much to everyone who helped me beta-test this massive update.
Ten years after we lost Steve Jobs
Losing Steve affected me more than it probably should have, given that I never met him or had any correspondence with him.
But losing him was devastating — not just to my world, but the world.
He was a sort of virtual father figure: I was always hoping that maybe Steve would notice something I did.
We all wanted his attention and approval, and that drove us to do better work — even those of us who never worked at Apple.
Nobody replaced him in this role. Nobody can.
But as an outsider who had no personal relationship with him to mourn, it has been most depressing to consider how much of his work the world missed out on.
He wasn’t taken from us after a long, complete life — he was taken in his prime.
He had so much more to offer the world.
The future of the App Store
After the dust settles from the developer class-action settlement, the South Korean law, the JFTC announcement, and the Apple v. Epic decision, I think the most likely long-term outcome isn’t very different from the status quo — and that’s a good thing.
Allowing external purchasesHere’s what I think we’ll end up with:
- Apple will still require apps to use their IAP system for any qualifying purchases that occur in the apps themselves.
- All app types will be allowed to link out to a browser for other purchase methods.
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Most apps will be required to also offer IAP side-by-side with any external methods.1
Only “Reader apps” will be exempt from this requirement.2
- Apple will have many rules regarding the display, descriptions, and behavior of external purchases, many of which will be unpublished and ever-changing. App Review will be extremely harsh, inconsistent, capricious, petty, and punitive with their enforcement.3
- Apple won’t require price-matching between IAP and external purchases.
These few but important corrections reduce Apple’s worst behavior and should relieve most regulatory pressure.
The result won’t look much different than the status quo:
Most big media apps (qualifying as “reader” apps) won’t offer IAP, but will finally be allowed to link to their websites from their apps and offer purchases there.
Many games will offer both IAP and external purchases, with the external choice offering a discount, bonus gems, extra loot boxes, or other manipulative tricks to optimize the profitability of casino games for children (commissions from which have been the largest portion of Apple’s “services revenue” to date).
Most importantly, many products, services, and business models will become possible that previously weren’t, leading to more apps, more competition, and more money going to more places.
External purchase methods will evolve to be almost as convenient as IAP (especially if Apple Pay is permitted in this context), and payment processors will reduce the burden of manual credit-card entry with shared credentials available across multiple apps.
The payment-fraud doomsday scenarios argued by Apple and many fans mostly won’t happen, in part because App Review will prevent most obvious cases, but also because parents don’t typically offer their credit cards to untrustworthy children; and for buyers of all ages, most credit cards themselves provide stronger fraud prevention and easier recourse from unwanted charges than the App Store ever has.
No side-loadingI don’t expect side-loading or alternative app stores to become possible, and I’m relieved, because that is not a future I want for iOS.
When evaluating such ideas, I merely ask myself:
“What would Facebook do?”
Facebook owns four of the top ten apps in the world. If side-loading became possible, Facebook could remove Instagram, WhatsApp, the Facebook app, and Messenger from Apple’s App Store, requiring customers to install these extremely popular apps directly from Facebook via side-loading.
And everyone would.
Most people use a Facebook-owned app not because it’s a good app, but because it’s a means to an important end in their life. Social pressure, family pressure, and network lock-in prevent most users from seeking meaningful alternatives. People would jump through a few hoops if they had to.
Facebook would soon have apps that bypassed App Review installed on the majority of iPhones in the world.
Technical limitations of the OS would prevent the most egregious abuses, but there’s a lot they could still do. We don’t need to do much imagining — they already have attempted multiple hacks, workarounds, privacy invasions, and other unscrupulous and technically invasive behavior with their apps over time to surveil user behavior outside of their app and stay running longer in the background than users intend or expect.
The OS could evolve over time to reduce some of these vulnerabilities, but technical measures alone cannot address all of them.
Without the threat of App Review to keep them in check, Facebook’s apps would become even more monstrous than they already are.
As a user and a fan of iOS, I don’t want any part of that.
No alternative app storesAlternative app stores would be even worse. Rather than offering individual apps via side-loading, Facebook could offer just one:
The Facebook App Store.
Instagram, WhatsApp, the Facebook app, and Messenger could all be available exclusively there.
The majority of iOS users in the world would soon install it, and Facebook would start using leverage in other areas — apps’ social accounts, stats packages, app-install ads, ad-attribution requirements — to heavily incentivize (and likely strong-arm) a huge number of developers to offer their apps in the Facebook App Store, likely in addition to Apple’s.
Maybe I’d be required to add the Facebook SDK to my app in order to be in their store, which they would then use to surveil my users.
Maybe I’d need to buy app-install ads to show up in search there at all.
Maybe I’d need to pay Facebook to “promote” each app update to reach more than a tiny percentage of my existing customers.
And Facebook wouldn’t even be the only app store likely to become a large player on iOS.
Amazon would almost certainly bring their garbage “Appstore” to iOS, but at least that one probably wouldn’t go anywhere.
Maybe Google would bring the Play Store to iOS and offer a unified SDK to develop a single codebase for iOS and Android, effectively making every app feel like an Android app and further marginalizing native apps when they’re already hurting.
Media conglomerates that own many big-name properties, like Disney, might each have their own app stores for their high-profile apps. Running your own store means you can promote all of your own apps as much as you want. What giant corporation would resist?
Don’t forget games! Epic and Steam would come to iOS with their own game stores. Maybe Microsoft and Nintendo, too.
Maybe you’d need to install seven different app stores on your iPhone just to get the apps and games you already use — and all without App Review to keep them in check.
Most developers would probably need to start submitting our apps to multiple app stores, each with its own rules, metadata, technical requirements, capabilities, approval delays, payment processing, stats, crash reports, ads, promotion methods, and user reviews.
As a user, a multiple-app-store world sounds like an annoying mess; as a developer, it terrifies me.
Apple’s App Store is the devil we know. The most viable alternatives that would crop up would be far worse.
Course correctionThe way Apple runs its business isn’t perfect, but it’s also not a democracy.
I loved this part of Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ decision in Apple v. Epic, as quoted by Ben Thompson’s excellent article that you should read:
Apple has not offered any justification for the actions other than to argue entitlement. Where its actions harm competition and result in supracompetitive pricing and profits, Apple is wrong.
I interpret “entitlement” without a negative connotation here — Apple is entitled to run their platform mostly as they wish, with governmental interference only warranted to fix market-scale issues that harm large segments of commerce or society.
As a developer, I’d love to see more changes to Apple’s control over iOS. But it’s hard to make larger changes without potentially harming much of what makes iOS great for both users and developers.
Judge Gonzalez Rogers got it right: we needed a minor course correction to address the most egregiously anticompetitive behavior, but most of the way Apple runs iOS is best left to Apple.
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If the South Korean law holds, IAP may not be required — but only in South Korea. With this exception, I expect the rest of these rules to be enforced the same way globally. ↩︎
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Apple defines “reader” apps as “[allowing] a user to access previously purchased content or content subscriptions (specifically: magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, and video).”
This includes many apps that Apple’s services compete with, such as Netflix, Spotify, and Kindle, that raise anticompetitive concerns among regulators and legislators when forced to give Apple 30%. ↩︎
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App Review has higher-level queues for managerial review of controversial rules or edge cases, typically identifiable from the outside by an app stuck with “In Review” status for days or weeks, and often ending in a phone call from “Bill”.
I’d expect any app offering external purchases to have a very high chance of being escalated to a slower, more pain-in-the-ass review process, possibly causing it not to be worthwhile for most small developers to deal with.
I have no plans to add external purchases to Overcast for multiple reasons, including this — but mostly because, for my purposes, I’m satisfied with Apple’s IAP system. ↩︎
Developer relations
Apple’s leaders continue to deny developers of two obvious truths:
- That our apps provide substantial value to iOS beyond the purchase commissions collected by Apple.
- That any portion of our customers came to our apps from our own marketing or reputation, rather than the App Store.
For Apple to continue to deny these is dishonest, factually wrong, and extremely insulting — not only to our efforts, but to the intelligence of all Apple developers and customers.
This isn’t about the 30%, or the 15%, or the prohibition of other payment systems, or the rules against telling our customers about our websites, or Apple’s many other restrictions. (Not today, at least.)
It’s about what Apple’s leadership thinks of us and our work.
* * *
It isn’t the App Store’s responsibility to the rest of Apple to “pay its way” by leveraging hefty fees on certain types of transactions. Modern society has come to rely so heavily on mobile apps that any phone manufacturer must ensure that such a healthy ecosystem exists as table stakes for anyone to buy their phones.
Without our apps, the iPhone has little value to most of its customers today.
If Apple wishes to continue advancing bizarre corporate-accounting arguments, the massive profits from the hardware business are what therefore truly “pay the way” of the App Store, public APIs, developer tools, and other app-development resources, just as the hardware profits must fund the development of Apple’s own hardware, software, and services that make the iPhone appeal to customers.
The forced App Store commissions, annual developer fees, and App Store Search Ads income are all just gravy. The “way” is already paid by the hardware — but Apple uses their position of power to double-dip.
And that’s just business. Apple’s a lot of things, and “generous” isn’t one.
But to bully and gaslight developers into thinking that we need to be kissing Apple’s feet for permitting us to add billions of dollars of value to their platform is not only greedy, stingy, and morally reprehensible, but deeply insulting.
* * *
Apple further extends the value argument, and defends their justification for forced commissions, by claiming responsibility for and ownership of the customer relationship between all iOS users and each app they choose to use.
This argument only makes sense — and even then, only somewhat — when apps are installed by a customer browsing the App Store, finding an app they hadn’t previously heard of, and choosing to install it based on App Store influence alone.
But in the common case — and for most app installations, the much more common case — of searching for a specific app by name or following a link or ad based on its developer’s own marketing or reputation, Apple has served no meaningful role in the customer acquisition and “deserves” nothing more from the transaction than what a CDN and commodity credit-card processor would charge.
The idea that the App Store is responsible for most customers of any reasonably well-known app is a fantasy.
It isn’t the App Store that has enabled all of the commerce on iOS — it’s the entire world of computing and modern society, created by a symbiotic ecosystem in which Apple played one part alongside many others. The world was already moving in this direction, and had Apple not played its part, someone else would’ve. The App Store is merely one platform’s forced distribution gateway, “facilitating” the commerce no more and no less than a web browser, an ISP or cellular carrier, a server-hosting company, or a credit-card processor.
For Apple to continue to claim otherwise is beyond insulting, and borders on delusion.
* * *
At WWDC next week, these same people are going to try to tell us a different story.
They’re going to tell us how amazing we are, how important our work is, and how much they value us. And for thousands of Apple employees who’ve made the great products and platforms that we love, including the hundreds of engineers presenting the sessions and working the labs, it’ll be genuine and true.
But the leaders have already shown us who they really are, what they really think of us, and how much they value our work.
Please forgive some sloppiness in my metaphors or phrasing — my writing skills are pretty rusty — and I’ll return the favor to anyone who responds.In-App Purchase Rules
A summary of today’s changes to 3.1.3 Other Purchase Methods:
Your app must use Apple’s in-app-purchase (IAP) system for all purchases made in the app.
Unless they’re purchases for goods or services that are consumed outside the app, in which case you are prohibited from using IAP.
Unless those goods or services consumed outside the app are magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, or video, in which case, you are required to use IAP.
But if your app only “reads” previously purchased magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, or video, and doesn’t mention the possibility of purchases anywhere in the app, you don’t need to use IAP.
Unless you offer account creation, in which case, you are required to use IAP.
Unless you only offer free account creation, in which case, you don’t need to use IAP.
But if you offer paid upgrades from free accounts within the app, you are required to use IAP.
Except for accounts that were created outside the app, which can offer paid account upgrades and don’t need to use IAP.
If you’re selling “experiences” between people, you don’t need to use IAP.
Unless those “experiences” include three or more people, or aren’t consumed live, in which case, you are required to use only IAP.
If your purchase is for services, features, or game items, you are required to use only IAP.
Unless you operate on multiple platforms, in which case, you can also offer purchasing outside the app. But you can’t tell anyone about it.
Unless you get their contact info somewhere else, in which case, you can tell them about it, but not in the app.
You are required to use IAP even if you sell your app or service directly to other people.
Unless you only sell it to businesses or groups for their employees or students to use, in which case, you still must use IAP, but you can include your own payment method as well.
Unless those groups are families, or unless those employees or students are somehow “consumers”, in which case, you must only use IAP.
Do I have that right?
* * *
How about an alternative that’s clear, fair, reasonable, and consistently enforceable?
Apps may offer other payment mechanisms in their app, as long as terms are clear and customers aren’t misled, and may or may not choose to implement in-app purchase based on its merits.
In one stroke, antitrust and regulatory pressure disappear, developer relations are significantly repaired, and Apple can go back to spending its time, resources, PR, and political capital on making their products better and customers happier.
Introducing Voice Boost 2: Remaster your podcasts
The latest update to Overcast includes a feature that I’m especially proud of that took over a year to build.
Voice Boost 2 is an all-new audio engine that includes professional-grade, mastering-quality loudness normalization.
When I first introduced Overcast in 2014, Voice Boost was one of its headlining features:
Voice Boost is a combination of dynamic compression and equalization that can make many shows more listenable and normalize volume across all shows. This makes amateur-produced podcasts (including many of my favorites) more listenable in loud environments, like cars, where you’d otherwise need to crank the volume so loudly to hear the quiet parts that you’d blow your ears out when the loudest person spoke.
Voice Boost 2 achieves the same goal as the original Voice Boost, but with dramatically more sophisticated methods, leading to more consistent results and much better sound quality.
GoalsWhen I wrote the original Voice Boost with only a rudimentary understanding of audio processing, it was a single configuration of Apple’s AudioUnits that applied a fixed set of parameters to all podcasts, regardless of their audio characteristics. It was an effective but blunt tool, relying on aggressive level compression and a strong EQ to make the compression less noticeable.
Since then, I’ve edited over 500 podcasts, learned a lot more about how to master them properly, and developed a much better understanding of audio signal processing.
I set out to develop a better, smarter, and more refined Voice Boost that took advantage of everything I’d learned, with these audio goals:
- The effect should be much more subtle: mostly just consistent volume, plus slightly smoother tone.
- It should analyze the input audio and apply just enough processing to achieve a consistent volume level, modifying already-good audio as little as possible.
- It should sound good, and consistent, regardless of the volume dynamics of its input.
- Quality should be so good that I can even play high-quality music through it1 and not notice any artifacts.
And these technical goals:
- Like Smart Speed and the original Voice Boost, it had to work as a streaming process, easily toggled on and off at will, without needing to scan the entire file first or look very far ahead.
- The code had to be pure C, with highly optimized and vectorized code, so it wouldn’t be a major power drain on older phones and could potentially run on much lower-power devices as well.
- I had to write every component from scratch, without using AudioUnits, because I wanted to understand and control everything, ensure the highest performance and sound quality, and avoid Apple’s platform-specific API limits.2
- It had to be modular and easily customizable, like a channel strip in an audio editor, so I could adjust the processing during development and testing, offer user customization down the road, and use the same engine to build myself a modular podcast-preproduction tool to save time in my weekly workflow (which I’ve been using for over a year).3
Since Voice Boost is mostly about high-quality volume analysis and loudness normalization, I went straight to the top, implementing the ITU BS.1770–4 standard that gives us the LUFS measurement seen in high-end audio editors.
Overcast now measures and adjusts podcast levels using this broadcast-standard perceptual loudness algorithm, at full quality, with no preprocessing.
Voice Boost 2 normalizes all podcasts to –14 LUFS — a level I chose because it closely matches the volume of Siri and most iOS turn-by-turn navigation voices, so when you’re listening to a podcast while driving, navigation interruptions are less jarring.
Most professionally produced podcasts are already mastered to similar volume levels, so Voice Boost 2 won’t overcompress them with aggressive processing — it’ll only apply as much correction as necessary to make them all the same volume.
A brief tutorial on clipping and distortionThis is about to get nerdier, but bear with me. (Yes, nerdier than ITU broadcast-loudness standards.)
Given a loudness measurement for the incoming audio, quieter podcasts need to be amplified to reach the target. But perceived loudness isn’t the peak of the incoming audio stream — it’s more of an average. Quiet-sounding audio can still have brief moments of loud peaks.
When increasing the volume of digital audio, the biggest challenge is not “clipping” during the peaks — not having any part of the signal pass above the volume ceiling of 0 dB. (It’s a negative scale. This is also why the LUFS value above, which is closely related to the decibel scale used here, is negative.)
Here’s the highest the signal should go, showing the individual audio samples (green dots) that can be processed by a podcast app before the DAC transforms them into audio (smooth green line):
It’ll sound right as long as the audio doesn’t cross above that top line (0 dB). Increase the volume even slightly too far, and some of the samples just slam into it and stay there, losing the tops of their smooth curves:
And that sounds terrible.
But I can’t just cap all the samples right below the limit and call it a day — that’s called a brickwall limiter — because then the shape of the audio line will actually represent different frequencies, telling the DAC to add noise that wasn’t really there.
Here, the bottom of each image shows the frequency breakdown:
The unclipped signal (left) shows only its original frequency of about 2100 Hz, but a basic brickwall limiter (right) results in the unwanted introduction of a bunch of extra frequencies.
That’s distortion. (If this is interesting to you, learn more about audio sampling theory here.)
Lookahead limiterAvoiding audible distortion requires a lookahead limiter, which looks… ahead (😎) at the audio coming down the pipeline, and smoothly ramps the volume amplification down as a loud peak is approaching, then back up again afterward, just enough to avoid clipping and audible distortion, but so quickly that you don’t notice.4
After Voice Boost 2’s complete 32-bit audio processing pipeline, the last stage is a lookahead limiter, configured such that it can’t clip, no matter what audio comes through.
This gives vast flexibility in volume processing without sacrificing quality.
Voice Boost 2 also incorporates a dynamics compressor, but over time, I’ve kept reducing its strength as I’ve found it less necessary. Proper LUFS processing with a great lookahead limiter provides excellent volume normalization with almost no compression needed afterward.
True-peak detectionThere’s one more way to introduce clipping that needs to be guarded against.
Digital audio is represented by samples that represent a point in time (green dots, again) on a sound wave (green line). But the sampled points don’t always land at the exact peaks of those waves:
The most common way to measure the peak of a waveform is to find the greatest absolute sample value. By this method, the top waveform peaks here would measure about –6 dB and –1.5 dB, respectively.
But the actual peak amplitudes of these waves is –1 dB! A simple limiter could still output clipped audio because it’s not seeing the true peaks.
Voice Boost 2’s limiter performs true-peak detection, rather than simply measuring sample peaks, to avoid this type of clipping and further reduce distortion.
Mastering-quality processing for everyoneVoice Boost 2 is a mastering-quality audio-processing pipeline that applies broadcast-standard loudness normalization, light compression and EQ, and a true-peak lookahead limiter to your podcasts, in real time, without sacrificing quality or battery life.
And it runs at less than 1% CPU usage on an iPhone SE.5
I intend to expose some of its customizability to customers in future updates, but I wanted to develop and ship the best default settings first to keep the app simple and usable to everyone. Now that it’s available to everyone, I may still subtly tweak the defaults in response to feedback. But as I’ve refined the settings during the beta period to be more universal, less customization has been necessary.6
Having achieved its goals of being more consistent and less aggressive, Voice Boost 2 is intentionally transparent. It’s not promoted more in the app or even labeled “Voice Boost 2”. It’s still Voice Boost — just better now.
If I did my job well, you’ll hardly notice it at all. You’ll have no idea that your podcasts are being remastered in your pocket.
But I’ll know. And the handful of you who really care will know. And that’s enough for me.
Voice Boost 2 is in today’s update (2020.1), along with these new features:
- AirPlay 2: Overcast can now play to HomePods and other AirPlay 2 devices much more responsively, with full-blown Smart Speed and Voice Boost, on iOS 13.1 and above.7
- Skip intros/outros: There’s a new per-podcast setting to skip a given number of seconds from the start and/or end of its episodes.
- Clip-sharing from private feeds. In retrospect, this restriction was unnecessary, so I lifted it.
- Restored iOS 12 compatibility. Going 13-only so soon was a mistake. Hear why on Under The Radar 181 and 183.
As usual, all of this is free for everyone in Overcast.
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Those awesome Trey Anastasio acoustic shows are pretty quiet. ↩︎
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Apple doesn’t make all of their audio APIs available on all platforms: some are Mac-only and never came to iOS, and watchOS has an even smaller subset than iOS. The more I can accomplish in my own code, the less I depend on Apple’s choices for which APIs they make available to developers. ↩︎
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It’s just a command-line tool for now. You don’t want it. (But if you do… someday, maybe.) ↩︎
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This all happens in milliseconds. ↩︎
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At 1X, with Smart Speed enabled.
Smart Speed was actually entirely rewritten as part of Voice Boost 2, but it’s less interesting. It performs the same job as before, but much more efficiently, and taking advantage of the measured loudness when Voice Boost is also enabled. ↩︎
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For instance, I also built a de-esser into Voice Boost 2, but it slowly became unnecessary as I improved the other processing, so it’s not currently enabled. ↩︎
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Smart Speed is a big deal here, I think — I’m not aware of any other podcast apps with silence-skipping over AirPlay 2.
(Or LUFS normalization, or true-peak lookahead limiters.) ↩︎
Low Power Mode for Mac laptops: making the case again
In light of today’s rumor that a Pro Mode may be coming that seems to offer benefits in the opposite direction,1 I wanted to re-make the case for a Low Power Mode on macOS — and explain why now is the time.
Modern hardware constantly pushes thermal and power limits, trying to strike a balance that minimizes noise and heat while maximizing performance and battery life.
Software also plays a role, trying to keep everything background-updated, content-indexed, and photo-analyzed so it’s ready for us when we want it, but not so aggressively that we notice any cost to performance or battery life.
Apple’s customers don’t usually have control over these balances, and they’re usually fixed at design time with little opportunity to adapt to changing circumstances or customer priorities.
The sole exception, Low Power Mode on iOS, seems to be a huge hit: by offering a single toggle that chooses a different balance, people are able to greatly extend their battery life when they know they’ll need it.2
Mac laptops need Low Power Mode, too. I believe so strongly in its potential because I’ve been using it on my laptops (in a way) for years, and it’s fantastic.
I’ve been disabling Intel Turbo Boost on my laptops with Turbo Boost Switcher Pro most of the time since 2015.
In 2018, I first argued for Low Power Mode on macOS with a list of possible tweaks, concluding that disabling Turbo Boost was still the best bang-for-the-buck tweak to improve battery life without a noticeable performance cost in most tasks.3
Recently, as Intel has crammed more cores and higher clocks into smaller form factors and pushed thermal limits to new extremes, the gains have become even more significant. Here’s some thermal testing from my 8-core 16-inch MacBook Pro:
16-inch MacBook Pro (Late 2019, 2.4 GHz 8-core i9) Power Temp. Geekbench 5 single/multi xcodebuild Normal 82W 90°C 1260/7386 39 sec. No Turbo 31W−62% 65°C 669/5206−46/29% 62 sec.+59%With Turbo Boost disabled, peak CPU power consumption drops by 62%, with a correspondingly huge reduction in temperature. This has two massive benefits:
- The fans never audibly spin up. When Turbo Boost is enabled, the fans annoyingly spin up every time the system is under a heavy sustained load. Disable it, and it’s almost impossible to get them to be audible.
- It runs significantly cooler. Turbo Boost lets laptops get too hot to comfortably hold in your lap, and so much heat radiates out that it can make hands sweaty. Disable it, and the laptop only gets moderately warm, not hot, and hands stay comfortably dry.
I haven’t done formal battery testing on the 16-inch, since it’s so difficult and time-consuming to do in a controlled way that’s actually useful to people, but anecdotally, I’m seeing similar battery gains by disabling Turbo Boost that I’ve seen with previous laptops: significantly longer battery life that I’d estimate to be between 30–50%.
This comes at a cost to performance, but:
- It’s not noticeable on most workloads.
- Parallel workloads are affected far less than single-threaded tasks, and most modern heavy workloads are parallelized.
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This is an 8-core laptop that’s competitive with my iMac Pro! It’s much faster than most people need (myself included) most of the time, so I can spare some performance to get other benefits.
A fast laptop isn’t very useful if your hands are too sweaty to type, the battery dies in the middle of a flight, or the loud fans ruin your audio recording.
- When I really want to maximize performance, Turbo Boost Switcher Pro lets me quickly toggle it in the menu bar, so switching between modes is easy.
The vast majority of the time I’m using it, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is a much better laptop with Turbo Boost disabled.
It’s still fast enough to do everything I need (including significant development with Xcode), while remaining silent and cool, with incredible battery life.
But soon, I bet I won’t be able to do this anymore.
Turbo Boost Switcher Pro relies on a kernel extension that’s grandfathered into Apple’s latest security requirements, but it can never be updated — and when macOS Catalina loads it for the first time, it warns that it’ll be “incompatible with a future version of macOS.” I suspect that this is the last year I’ll get to run the latest OS and be able to turn off Turbo Boost at will, making all of my future laptop usage significantly worse.
Please, Apple, make this feature official: give us a Low Power Mode for macOS that disables Turbo Boost to keep our laptops cool, quiet, and long-lasting at times when those are more important to us than speed.
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My guess is that “Pro Mode” doesn’t raise the peak performance, but instead raises the fan speeds to allow longer sustained operation at high Turbo Boost speeds. ↩︎
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Low Power Mode has been so successful on iOS that Apple also thought it worthwhile to add a Low Data Mode to iOS 13, offering similar control over data usage. (Mac owners can get similar functionality with the excellent TripMode.) ↩︎
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As I wrote back then, disabling discrete GPUs and Photos analysis are other obvious contributors to a good Mac Low Power Mode. ↩︎
The 16-inch MacBook Pro
After my first day with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, I’m very optimistic about it.
🎧 Hear more on today’s Accidental Tech Podcast!
Two years ago, I wrote a wishlist to fix the MacBook Pro, and the 16-inch doesn’t actually deliver most of it. But time and technological progress are slowly getting Apple off the hook:
- The ports are unchanged. We’ll still need dongles. But USB-C is gradually becoming more common, and dongles are slowly — very slowly — getting less shitty.
- The Touch Bar isn’t optional. But a new hardware Esc key removes one of its biggest drawbacks, and accidental input should be reduced by the increased spacing between the Touch Bar and the top row of keys.
- The power brick still lacks its previous conveniences. There’s still no cable management, safety breakaway, or charging LED. But third parties are slowly filling some of these gaps.
- The headphone jack is still on the right (wrong) side, despite most single-sided headphone cables entering the left earcup. But the need for wired headphones is decreasing over time.
Addressing those would be nice, but as I wrote then, they paled in comparison to one huge issue: the butterfly keyboard.
The MacBook Pro must return to scissor keyswitches. If Apple only changes one thing about the next MacBook Pro, it should be this. It’s far more important than anything else on this list. […]
The Magic Keyboard’s scissor switches feel similar, but with a bit more travel, and all of the reliability and resilience of previous keyboard generations. […]
The Magic Keyboard only needs one change to be perfect for the MacBook Pro: returning to the “inverted-T” arrow-key arrangement by making the left- and right-arrow keys half-height again. This arrangement is much more natural and less error-prone because we can align our fingers by feeling the “T” shape, a crucial affordance for such frequently used keys that are so far from the home row.
That’s exactly what they’ve done, and I couldn’t be happier.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is a great computer in most other ways, but so were the MacBook Pros from the last few years. They were fast, powerful, capable workstations… but the butterfly keyboard took away from it all.
Not anymore.
I’m on cloud nine. Look at this glorious keyboard! An Esc key! Inverted-T arrow keys! A millimeter of key travel! Enough spacing between the keys for our fingers to accurately orient themselves! And keystrokes will probably work, 100% of the time, for years!
Five years ago, nobody would’ve considered any of these noteworthy, and readers would’ve suspected you weren’t of sound mind if you included them in a review.
Five years ago, laptop keyboards were fine. Everyone was pretty much satisfied with the ones they had, they worked, and we never had to talk or think about them.
Today, finally, we begin heading back to that world.
The butterfly keyboard was an anomaly — it was a huge departure from everything else we’d ever used, mostly not in good ways.
The new keyboard is very similar to the recent desktop Magic Keyboard, and I expect it to have a wide appeal, just as the Magic Keyboard does. It has slightly less travel and spacing, but the overall feeling is very similar — and it’s nothing at all like the butterfly keyboard.
I absolutely love it — not because it’s the most amazing keyboard in the world, but because it’s completely forgettable in the best possible way. It just feels normal again.
There’s a lot more to love about the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The screen and battery are bigger, but the size and weight barely increased. It’s almost as fast as my iMac Pro, and the new thermals can sustain higher performance. The speakers and microphone got huge, unexpected improvements.
And I didn’t get everything I wanted. But many of my wishlist items fall outside of what Apple is likely to ever do, and all of them are much less important than making the computer’s primary input device functional, acceptable, and reliable. Now we have the luxury of being able to complain about less-urgent wishes.
The biggest change is that I finally don’t feel like it’s constantly fighting me. Its design doesn’t feel spiteful. It’s a computer that doesn’t seem to hate being a computer. I’m not afraid to use it in the world, and I’m not avoiding using it because it’s unpleasant. The butterfly keyboard was the opposite, it never got better, I never got used to it, and good riddance to it.
Following in the footsteps of the fantastic iMac Pro, updated Mac Mini, and upcoming Mac Pro, the release of the 16-inch MacBook Pro ends a painful chapter of neglect and hubristic design of the Mac. Apple has finally turned the ship around.
We haven’t had long enough to fully test it yet. There may be flaws or shortcomings discovered over time — there usually are (and always have been). But frankly, it could catch fire twice a week and it would still be my favorite laptop Apple has made since 2015. Fortunately, upon initial usage, nothing bad really jumps out.
The new MacBook Pro has no massive asterisks or qualifications. It’s a great computer, period, and it feels so good to be able to say that again.
For the first time in years, without any major exceptions, we can see that Apple loves computers as much as we do.
Overcast summer update
Today’s Overcast update (2019.6) brings some great new features.
But first, I need to set low expectations for iOS 13, watchOS 6, and macOS Catalina updates this fall. Halfway through the summer, I’ve made much less progress than expected, having been overwhelmed by the required OS changes, my own technical and design debts, and unusually rough betas.
Rather than shipping a big iOS update, a standalone Watch app, and a Mac app on day one, these will probably come incrementally over the next year.
Fortunately, I haven’t stopped improving the app in the meantime.
Per-podcast customization, longer clipsYou can now set download-vs.-stream and auto-delete behavior per podcast, one of the most frequently requested features over the last few years. (Sorry it took so long — it required a lot of server-side work for uninteresting reasons.)
I’ve also raised the clip-sharing length limit to 90 seconds. When I debuted this feature, I had to guess how it would be used and received, and 60 seconds seemed like a good limit. In practice, that’s sometimes a bit too short to capture a complete thought. 90 seconds should be better — most clips won’t need to be that long, but it’ll be nice to have the headroom when you need it.
“Suggestions for You” replacing TwitterOvercast has had a Twitter-powered social-recommendations feature since version 1.0 in 2014, which made sense at the time: I didn’t have any popularity data to generate recommendations from, and social networks were nicer places to be than they are today.
But after five years, only 10% of active users have connected a Twitter account in Overcast, and only 0.2% of new podcast subscriptions have actually been added via Twitter recommendations.
Not only was the feature not providing much value to the 10% of people who enabled it, but the other 90% of Overcast’s customers haven’t been getting personalized recommendations at all.
In the meantime, I’ve accumulated five years of popularity data, so I tried writing my own recommendation engine. It worked — and it’s better.
Overcast now offers its own data-driven recommendation engine, and I’ve removed Twitter integration entirely.
Podcasts in the new “Suggestions for You” section of the Add Podcast screen are based on the shows you subscribe to, and what else their subscribers subscribe to, which gives much better recommendations without involving any social networks.
Most importantly, it works for all of Overcast’s customers.
* * *
As always, Overcast is free in the App Store. Give it a try.
Apple is Listening
Something big changed at Apple around the beginning of 2017.
They had encountered significant turbulence in the product line over the preceding years, especially Macs. It was a rough time to be a pro Mac user.
The “trash can” 2013 Mac Pro addressed only a fraction of the needs solved by the previous “cheese grater” towers, aged quickly without critical upgrade paths, and suffered from high GPU-failure rates from its cooling solution — all because its design prioritized size and appearance over performance and versatility in the one Mac model that should never make that tradeoff.
Over the next few years, it became clear that the Mac Pro was an embarrassing, outdated flop that Apple seemed to have little intention of ever updating, leaving its customers feeling unheard and abandoned. I think Apple learned a small lesson from it, but they learned a much bigger one a few years later.
The current MacBook Pro generation launched in late 2016, and I think Apple was truly caught completely by surprise when the new Touch Bar, sparse USB-C-only port offerings, high prices, and highly polarizing butterfly keyboard were met with harsh criticism, mixed reviews, and high failure rates. This one really hurt: while the Mac Pro is a niche machine for the highest-end and most-specialized needs, the popular MacBook Pro is the lifeblood of the Mac.
By the end of 2016, in addition to the generally buggy, neglected state macOS seemed to be perpetually stuck in, Apple had replaced its entire “pro” Mac lineup with controversial, limiting products that seemed optimized to flex Apple’s industrial-design muscles rather than actually addressing their customers’ needs.
The only company that can make computers for our OS seemed incapable of making good computers anymore. Each update threatened to remove or break things we needed or loved. Their newest designs felt punitive, rather than feeling like a celebration of computing.
Then, in April 2017, out of nowhere, Apple held a Mac Pro roundtable discussion with the press to announce that they were in the early stages of completely redesigning the Mac Pro.1
The follow-up briefing a year later promised that the new Mac Pro would be released in 2019, and publicized the existence of a “Pro Workflow Team” of real pro users working inside Apple to inform the direction of their pro hardware and software.
It sounded like they’d gone from not listening to their customers at all to an institutionalized process of listening. And the newly designed Macs released since then have been great.2
The late-2017 iMac Pro, which I’m using to write this, is the best Mac I’ve ever owned by far. It’s versatile, incredibly powerful, beautiful, and silent. It’s so good that I’ll probably never really need a Mac Pro again,3 and if this was the only new “Mac Pro”, I’d be mostly fine with that.
The late-2018 Mac Mini replaced a pitiful, punitive, neglected relic with a practical, powerful mini-Mac-Pro. Apple could’ve let it die, or replaced it with a tiny, no-port marvel of uselessness, but instead, they made a computer so good that I started and ended a YouTube mini-career just to review it.
And the 2019 Mac Pro, finally unveiled last week, looks to be absolutely killer — it’s the first true successor to the tower Mac Pro, which saw its last real update almost a decade ago in 2010.4 It’s big, bulky, ludicrously fast, and almost obscenely upgradeable — exactly what a Mac Pro needs to be, and far better than any of us expected.
The new Mac Pro is, truly, a celebration of computing.
Even more importantly than any hardware releases, macOS itself has also seen massive engineering effort recently. For the first time in a decade, the Mac was a major focus of WWDC, with great new APIs poised to usher in a huge wave of fresh software.
To be fair, this story hasn’t ended yet. The Mac Pro isn’t actually out yet (and will be very expensive), they still need to resolve the problematic MacBook Pro with its next generation (rumors are promising), and the lack of standalone Apple displays under six thousand dollars really hurts the Mac Pro story.5
But I’m optimistic for the first time in years.
It’s hard to tell when Apple is listening. They speak concisely, infrequently, and only when they’re ready, saying absolutely nothing in the meantime, even when we’re all screaming about a product line as if it’s on fire. They make great progress, but often with courageous losses that never get reversed, so an extended silence because we’re stuck with a change forever is indistinguishable from an extended silence because the fix isn’t ready yet.
But there has clearly been a major shift in direction for the better since early 2017, and they couldn’t be more clear now:
Apple is listening again, they’ve still got it, and the Mac is back.
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Based on what we’ve learned since, they had likely started the project a very short time before holding the roundtable. ↩︎
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I’m excluding the 2018 MacBook Air because it feels like a stopgap that wasn’t originally planned to exist — the no-Touch-Bar 13” MacBook “Escape” seemed intended to replace it — that was rushed into the 2016-era generation mid-cycle, rather than being the first of a new design. Even so, with the large exception of the butterfly keyboard, it’s quite good. ↩︎
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This doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t buy one. ↩︎
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The 2010/“2012” Mac Pro was so good, and so upgradeable, that it’s still in surprisingly widespread use today for needs that weren’t possible or compelling on the “trashcan” successor. ↩︎
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And the MacBook Pro. A very common setup for developers — Apple’s largest identified segment of pro users — is a 15” MacBook Pro connected to an external monitor, for which a good solution no longer exists. Developers would be much better served by a $1,500-ish standalone version of the iMac’s 5K display than a $6,000 XDR reference monitor for professional video colorists. ↩︎
Clip sharing with Overcast
Sharing podcasts has never been easy, but I’ve always tried to lead the way with Overcast, with publicly shareable episode links and optional recommendations from your Twitter friends since version 1.0 in 2014.
Podcast sharing has been limited to audio and links, but today’s social networks are more reliant on images and video, especially Instagram. Podcasts need video clips to be shared more easily today.
I’ve seen some video clips from tools specific to certain podcast networks or hosts, but they were never available to everyone, or for every show. So people mostly just haven’t shared podcast clips, understandably, because it has been too hard.
Not anymore.
This remark on Unco by Stephen Hackett inspired me to finally solve this problem in a way that worked easily, for all podcasts, for both podcasters and listeners to use.
With today’s 2019.4 update1, you can now share audio or video clips, up to a minute each, from any public podcast. Simply tap the share button in the upper-right corner.
You can generate an audio clip, or portrait, landscape, or square video, using your current Overcast theme setting.
In order to help spread podcasts further, I didn’t want to be heavy-handed in the Overcast branding — not everyone wants to advertise for one specific podcast app when promoting their shows. So the “Shared with Overcast” badge is optional, and if you’d like, you can also add an Apple Podcasts badge.
Finally, I wanted to extend the same app-agnosticism to Overcast’s share links. While this design still needs a lot of modernization, I’ve done a small refresh:
Now, for non-logged-in visitors, Overcast’s public sharing pages display badges for other podcast apps and the RSS feed for any podcast listed in Apple Podcasts.
It’s important for me to promote other apps like this, and to make it easy even for other people’s customers to benefit from Overcast’s sharing features, because there are much bigger threats than letting other open-ecosystem podcast apps get a few more users.
For podcasting to remain open and free, we must not leave major shortcomings for proprietary, locked-down services to exploit.2 Conversely, the more we strengthen the open podcast ecosystem with content, functionality, and ease of use, the larger the barrier becomes that any walled garden must overcome to be compelling.
One of the most common shortcomings we hear is that podcasts are hard to share. Hopefully, Overcast’s new clip-sharing feature changes that, and other apps build similar features soon.
So go get Overcast and start sharing your favorite moments. It’ll help me, of course, but more importantly, it’ll help your favorite shows gain listeners, and it’ll strengthen the amazing, open, standards-based world of podcasting.
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Like Slopes and Castro, I’ve changed to a date-based version-numbering scheme — 2019.4 is the fourth update released in 2019, the next version will be 2019.5, and so on — partly because version numbers don’t really matter anymore, but mostly because I no longer wanted to delay completed features until a major-version change or worry that I didn’t do enough to justify a certain number. ↩︎
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YouTube was able to dominate video because it made everything easy in a medium that (at the time) was very hard to do elsewhere. If a proprietary service takes a very hard aspect of podcasting and makes it very easy, it may rapidly rise to prominence.
Other major shortcomings I’m concerned about: the difficulty of getting sponsorships for small shows (“AdSense for podcasts”), and the complexity of creation and publishing (“Tumblr for podcasts”). This is probably why Spotify bought Anchor. ↩︎
Overcast 5.1 with Instant Search
The first thing someone does in a podcast app is add some podcasts, and most active Overcast users add at least two new podcasts each month.
Over 80% of podcasts are added to Overcast by searching, with the vast majority as searches for a specific podcast by name (rather than searching for generic keywords, such as “business”).
Good search is a critical, differentiating feature of any podcast app.
I’m not satisfied if the podcast you’re looking for is somewhere in the middle of a long list — I want it to be the first one, displayed quickly, after typing the fewest characters possible. I’ve been building toward this by analyzing years of popularity statistics and anonymous search data.
Instant Search is the next step in Overcast’s search evolution. It combines a small local cache with a highly optimized search service to give the most relevant results immediately as you type, even after only a single letter.1
It’s a dramatic, delightful improvement to a critical, frequently used feature. This was a lot of fun to build, and I’m proud of it.
See for yourself! Overcast is free on the App Store.
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If Instant Search isn’t instant right after you update, the cache hasn’t fully downloaded yet. It’s downloaded weekly, only on Wi-Fi, and is less than 5 MB. ↩︎
The 2018 iPad Pro
Watch my video review of the new iPad Pro in both sizes.
Rather than try to be comprehensive, I focused on what matters most to me: size choice between the 11” and 12.9”, the Smart Keyboard Folio from my perspective as a frequent 10.5” Smart Keyboard user, the new Pencil, and why “getting work done” isn’t important to me.
The 2018 Mac Mini
I hardly ever think about my Mac Mini, but it serves a vital role for my family as our home-theater mixer, Plex server, ScanSnap server, Apple Photos backup, and Backblaze host for our NAS.1 Almost every port on the back is in use, and it runs 24/7, reliably, in total silence.
Until last week, I thought it would be the last Mac Mini that Apple ever made.
And when rumors started swirling about an imminent Mac Mini update, I assumed the worst: if it came at all, it would be a tiny box with a slow, ultra-low-power processor and almost zero ports, optimizing for small size instead of versatility.
I don’t think this was an unreasonable fear after the 2014 Mac Mini update, which made many key aspects much worse without making anything much better. It seemed clear then, and for the following four years that it went without an update, that Apple held the Mac Mini and its customers in very low regard.
Not anymore.
The 2018 Mac Mini is real, and it’s spectacular.
It makes almost nothing worse and almost everything better, finally bringing the Mac Mini into the modern age.
Ports! Glorious ports!
Number one — and this is a big one these days, especially for this product — is that it’s not any less useful or versatile than the outgoing Mac Mini, including the generous assortment of ports. If the previous one served a role for you, the new one can probably do it just as well, and probably better and faster, with minimal donglage.2
It’s the same size as the old one, which is the right tradeoff. I know zero Mac Mini owners who really need it to get smaller, and many who don’t want it to get fewer ports or worse performance.
The point of the Mac Mini is to be as versatile as possible, addressing lots of diverse and edge-case needs that the other Macs can’t with their vastly different form factors and more opinionated designs. The Mac Mini needs to be a utility product, not a design statement. (Although, even as someone tired of space-gray everything, I have to admit that the Mini looks fantastic in its new color.)
The base price has increased to $800, and that’s not great. It’s partly justifiable because it’s much higher-end than before — the processors are much better, the architecture is higher-end and includes big advances like the T2, and all-SSD is standard — but it’s still an expensive product in absolute terms.
Apple lent me a high-end configuration for review — 6-core i7, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD — which would cost $2499 (much of which is the SSD). This would’ve sounded crazy to spend on a Mac Mini a few years ago, but when it’s specced up like this, it’s targeting a much higher-end market than the previous model could. Compared to similarly specced iMacs and MacBook Pros, the pricing is generally reasonable.
And this can truly be a pro desktop, with just one exception.
BenchmarksThe big story to me is how incredibly fast this thing is. Granted, I’m testing the fastest CPU offered, but damn.
Geekbench results are very strong. The i7 Mac Mini scored better on single-core performance than every other Mac today (!) at 5912, and its multi-core score of nearly 24,740 beats every Mac to date except the iMac Pro and the old 12-core 2013 Mac Pro.
“Performance-competitive with pro Macs” was not high on my prediction list for a Mac Mini update, but here we are.
As the rate of CPU advancement has slowed dramatically over the last few years, Apple has found other ways to improve performance. The T2 is great for lots of security reasons — I wouldn’t buy a new Mac these days without it — but what you’re seeing here is its strength as a ridiculously fast SSD controller.
This Mac Mini builds my app, Overcast, much faster than my maxed-out 13-inch MacBook Pro, and about as quickly as my 10-core iMac Pro! Obviously, to achieve this result with only 6 cores, it’s not maxing out the CPU 100% of the time — it hits it in bursts while juggling a lot between the SSD and memory — but the result is that it’s incredibly fast as a development machine.
The Blackmagick Disk Speed Test shows that the raw SSD performance is effectively identical to the other T2 Macs shipped to date, and a huge improvement over the four-year-old Mac Mini.
A lot of people use Mac Minis as media or Plex servers, so I ran an H.265 transcoding test with ffmpeg
. This maxes out all CPU cores, so the results predictably scale with the core count: the 6-core Mac Mini was much faster than the 4-core MacBook Pro, but the 10-core iMac Pro beat them both.
But if an app supports the T2’s hardware HEVC encoder,3 it can go much faster. And since every T2 so far performs identically, all T2 machines — from the 2018 MacBook Air to the iMac Pro — encode HEVC this way at the same speed, and all in complete silence because they’re barely touching the CPU.
I wasn’t able to notice any quality differences between the videos encoded with x265
and the T2’s hardware acceleration.
The only spec that lets it down is the Intel GPU. It’s fast enough for common tasks, but if your workload benefits from a strong GPU, you’re better off going for an iMac or a 15-inch MacBook Pro, or considering an eGPU setup.
Many Mac lines rely on Intel’s integrated GPUs to fit their physical and thermal needs, and Intel has been incredibly inconsistent over the last few years in delivering updated CPU-GPU combinations that would be suitable for many Macs.
We often blame Intel’s CPU roadmap (or Apple’s seeming indifference) for the lack of updates to certain Mac lines, but Intel’s GPU offerings are often the bigger issue. This is Intel’s fault, but it’s Apple’s problem — and Apple passes that problem right along to its customers.
But that’s it — aside from price, that’s the only downside. The GPU sucks. Everything else is awesome.
If you don’t need a strong GPU — and honestly, most Mac Mini use-cases don’t — this is a solid pick for a general-purpose Mac, even at the base-level configuration. Spec it up, and it’s more like a mini-Mac Pro.
A few assorted notes, with apologies for stealing Gruber’s format:
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It’s silent at idle. The i7’s fan noise does become clearly audible when it’s under heavy load: it’s in the ballpark of a modern MacBook Pro, but quieter.
Interestingly, I disabled Turbo Boost to simulate the base i3 model’s thermals, and couldn’t get the fan to spin up audibly, no matter what I did. Those who prioritize silence under heavy loads should probably stick with the i3.
- This is the first non-iMac desktop Mac that lets you plug in a 5K display, at full quality, without dual cables or other unreliable hacks. We finally have 5K Retina Mac options beyond the iMac! Unfortunately, we still don’t have any great standalone 5K displays. (The LG UltraFine isn’t.)
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You can upgrade the RAM again! I never would’ve guessed this was coming, and I believe it’s the first time in a long time that an Apple product’s direct successor became more upgradeable and serviceable.
I still recommend getting it with the right amount of RAM from Apple if possible, since third-party RAM has historically been a mess of unreliability and finger-pointing, but if you need that, it’s back. (The security screws inside — TR6? — still need some iFixit tools to get past.)
A new Mac Mini could’ve been so much worse. At many times in its past, it has seemed unloved, neglected, and downright punitive — a similar pattern to Apple’s other headless desktop, the Mac Pro. It seemed for a while that Apple lacked any interest in making Macs anymore, especially desktops.
Last year, with the introduction of the absolutely stellar iMac Pro, Apple showed us a glimpse of a potential new direction. It was downright perfect — a love letter to the Mac and its pro desktop users, and a clear turnaround in the way the company views the Mac for the better.
We didn’t know until now whether the iMac Pro’s greatness was a fluke. But now we have another data point: the last two desktops out of Apple have been incredible. After this, I have faith that they’re going to do the new Mac Pro justice when it finally ships next year.
The new Mac Mini is a great update, out of nowhere, to a product we thought would never be updated again.
Of course, with Apple’s track record on the Mac Mini, it may never be updated after this. This is either the first in a series of regular updates with which Apple proves that they care about the Mac Mini again, or it’s the last Mac Mini that will ever exist and we’ll all be hoarding them in a few years. We can’t know yet.
But today, this is a great update, a wonderful all-arounder for lots of potential needs, and just a fantastic little computer.
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I do this via iSCSI, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It breaks and requires a new $200+ iSCSI initiator with almost every macOS update — which is why my Mac Mini still runs Sierra. In the near future, I’ll just directly attach some giant external hard drives to the Mac Mini and stop using the NAS. ↩︎
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Unless you used optical audio, audio input, or the SD-card reader. (Shit, I use optical in and out.) ↩︎
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ffmpeg
can do it by specifying-c:v hevc_videotoolbox
instead of-c:v x265
. I also needed-vtag hvc1
for the output MP4s with either codec to be playable on macOS.Compressor uses the T2’s HEVC acceleration when encoding 8-bit HEVC, but not 10-bit. ↩︎
Why it’s hard to read the time on Infograph
Quick, what time is it?
If that took you a bit longer than usual to tell the time on the Apple Watch’s new default Infograph face, you’re not alone:
- John Gruber finds it “far too busy”
- Jason Snell finds it “pretty and packed with features”, but misses hour numerals
- Zac Hall removes almost everything to improve legibility
- David Smith wrote his own complications (!) to improve contrast
I’ve configured mine acceptably, but Utility is still far more legible for telling the time at a quick glance:
Infograph, Utility
Infograph suffers from two major issues:
- The center complications reduce the contrast between the dial and hands, often making the hands hard to locate. This is avoidable with customization, although the defaults should be much more conservative.
- It takes too much cognitive effort (and therefore time) to distinguish the current hour. This is simply a flawed design.
It’s faster and easier to read analog time with the 1–12 numerals displayed on a watch, but many people prefer the cleaner look of a watch that uses lines, dots, or other shapes as hour markers instead. (Watch people call these “indices”.)
And it’s absolutely possible to design a highly legible dial with hour indices in many different styles. Here are some classics and modern takes:1
Across a wide variety of brands, styles, and price points, a few key design principles are clear:
- The hour markers for 12 (and often 3/6/9) are more prominent.
- The hour indices are much larger than the minute markings.
- The hour hands nearly touch the hour indices.
These all improve legibility by making it as fast and easy as possible to know which hour is being indicated (and minimize the chance of an off-by-one error), first by orienting your eyes to the current rotation with the 12 marker, then by minimizing the distance between the hour hand and the indices it’s between.
Apple Watch’s analog faces all fail to achieve these principles:2
Color, Simple, Explorer
Color, Simple, and Explorer have easily distinguished hour markers, but Explorer’s are a bit too far from its hour hand.
None of them have distinguished 12 markers to aid in orientation.
While Explorer omits minute markings altogether, Simple bafflingly uses 30-second markings in place of its minute track, making time-telling even harder. I’ve never seen another watch with sub-minute markings identical to its minute markings.
Activity Analog, Utility, and Infograph without most complications
Activity Analog’s hour markers are faint and far from its hour hand, and the central activity rings quickly eliminate the hands’ contrast against the dial as they progress.
Utility (when configured without numbers) improves legibility slightly with its bold hour indices, but they’re still too small and too far from its hour hand, and there’s no differentiation for the 12 index.
Infograph is similar, but even worse: its hour indices are more faint, it uses 30-second markings instead of minute markings, and its default Calendar display wipes out the top three indices. (At least you can tell which way is up.)
Even with almost no complications, the basic essence of the Infograph dial has poor time legibility.
When it’s being used as Apple seems to intend, time-telling at a glance is so difficult that many people have actually suggested setting the digital time as the center complication, at which point the hands are just a nuisance and we should stop pretending it’s an analog face.
It’s great for Apple to offer a wide variety of Apple Watch faces, but most of them are short-lived novelties at best. We’re three years and four generations into the Apple Watch, and almost every Watch owner I know still uses the same handful of “good” faces.
If you want digital time with a good deal of complications, Modular is your only good choice (or Infograph Modular on the Series 4).3 If you want analog time with numerals, Utility is the only good option. If you want indices instead of numerals — probably the most popular analog watch style in the world — I don’t think there is a good option.
By now, we’ve seen Apple’s design range that they’re willing to ship as Watch faces, and while it seems broad at first glance, it’s actually pretty narrow.
And we’re restricted to the handful of good watch faces that Apple makes, because other developers aren’t allowed to make custom Watch faces.
The Apple Watch is an amazing feat of technology. It’s a computer. It can display anything. With no mechanical or physical limitations to hold us back, any watch-face design from anyone could plausibly be built, enabling a range of creativity, style, and usefulness that no single company could ever design on its own.
But they won’t let us. In a time when personal expression and innovation in watch fashion should be booming, they’re instead being eroded, as everyone in the room is increasingly wearing the same watch with the same two faces.
Open this door, Apple.
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You can even see which model the Apple Watch’s hand shape comes from, which is not a coincidence. ↩︎
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For Apple Watch faces offering multiple hour/minute styles, I selected the best one that didn’t have hour numerals, and most complications were disabled. ↩︎
Overcast 5: Watch, Siri, search, and redesign!
I apologize for the low battery level. Busy day.
It all started with the watchOS volume widget.
You see, Overcast’s previous Apple Watch app really sucked. I did my best with the capabilities of watchOS 1–4, but I couldn’t give people what they really wanted:
- Standalone podcast playback on the Apple Watch without an iPhone. I briefly offered it through some bad hacks, but had to remove it.
- Volume control on the Watch, which is increasingly important with the popularity of AirPods.
That’s why I nearly jumped for joy during the watchOS 5 announcement in June, when Apple unveiled most of my list of watchOS changes needed to make good podcast apps.
After a very busy summer, standalone Apple Watch playback is back in Overcast, and it’s actually good this time!
It’s not perfect:
- No cellular. Apple hasn’t released a good way to do cellular audio streaming in watchOS, and the bad ways wouldn’t be very useful.
- Sending podcasts to the Watch is slow. Overcast shrinks them to reduce the transfer time, but when (and how quickly) podcasts transfer is tightly controlled by watchOS to preserve battery life. Transfers still sometimes wait forever or silently fail.
Programmers like me can’t accept that something is just slow, so I’ve decided to make transfer speed irrelevant. Nobody cares how slowly podcasts transfer if it happens while they’re asleep!
Auto-Sync to Watch automatically tries to send your most recent podcasts to your Apple Watch whenever it gets a chance.1 You can still send episodes manually from the queue button on an episode (≡+), but in my testing, I never needed to. Just pick up your Watch and go, and it’ll already have plenty of podcasts for your outing, all without having to manually sync anything or wait for slow transfers.
The Overcast 5.0.1 update, due out in a few days, makes Watch transfers even more reliable. (Sorry. Found a better way after 5.0 was approved.)
And Watch-crown volume control! Finally, the best way to use Overcast from your Apple Watch isn’t to delete it, letting the Now Playing app show up instead.
That’s where the other half of my summer workload began.
The watchOS volume widget offers minimal customization: just the color of the circle. I couldn’t make the line width a little narrower to match the rest of Overcast’s thin-line aesthetic. But that iOS 7-era thin-line aesthetic looked dated, and I’d wanted a design refresh for a while.
I decided to start modernizing the app’s design, screen by screen. I couldn’t do it all in one summer, so I started with the screen that needed the most help: Now Playing.
The previous Now Playing screen in Overcast 4.
The biggest problem of the previous design was the center artwork area, a scrollable set of “pages” that had speed and effects controls offscreen to the left, and the episode notes offscreen to the right.
Nobody ever found them. I’ve been getting emails almost every day from people asking where the speed controls were because they set them once and couldn’t find them again, or saying how they’d really like my app more if it offered speed controls. The only indication in the interface was three “page dots” below the scrollable area, but that wasn’t enough.
The new design maintains the same scrollable pages, but now as obvious, tactile cards. In my testing, everyone figured these out immediately.
Put differently, it’s like you’re navigating this through a phone-shaped window in the middle:
This design is not only more discoverable, but it allows me to fit more controls on screen, and in more reachable areas. Unlike the previous design, I can also fit the same controls on all devices, from the iPhone SE to the iPad Pro.
Designing a good Now Playing screen for a music or podcast app that’s nice, clean, and highly discoverable is incredibly difficult. I think I’ve finally found a good balance.
I’ve given chapters (when present) their own card with durations and inline progress bars. I’ve also finally revamped the sleep timer to ditch the ugly alert sheet, give it a proper UI for fast input, and show the remaining time in more useful ways:
There are lots of other improvements throughout the app as well. Some of the highlights:
- Search your podcasts and current episodes from the main screen, or go into a podcast’s screen to search its entire archive.
- Refreshed the podcast screen a little. (More to come.)
- Siri Shortcuts support, of course.
Plus smaller fixes and improvements:
- CarPlay performance is much better, especially for people with large collections.
- Podcasts now display their estimated release frequency (daily, weekly, etc.) if it can be inferred.
- Tap-to-load on images now loads all images from the same domain at once.
- Tons of bug fixes and performance improvements.
Overcast 5 requires iOS 12 and watchOS 5, and as always, it’s free.
Update your devices, then go get Overcast!
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Up to 20 episodes are auto-synced today. This number will change as I refine the balance of resource usage. Auto-Sync to Watch is on by default and can be turned off in Nitpicky Details. ↩︎
Low Power Mode on the Mac
Laptop battery life is decreasingly relevant to me as more airplanes offer power outlets. But sometimes you lose that lottery, as I did on my latest 8-hour daytime flight.
Apple’s “Up to 10 hours” claim doesn’t apply to my work,1 which is usually a mix of Xcode, web browsing, and social time-wasting, so I knew I’d have to seriously conserve power.
Sometimes, you just need Low Power Mode: the switch added to iOS a few years ago to conserve battery life when you need it, at the expense of full performance and background tasks.
There’s no such feature on Mac laptops, but there should be. It could:
- Disable the discrete GPU on 15-inch models unless required for hardware reasons2
- Pause Photos syncing and analysis
- Pause Spotlight indexing
- Reduce the frequency of Time Machine backups
- Don’t download or install software updates
- Don’t download new content in iTunes
- Auto-dim the screen after a shorter time
- Let third-party apps detect Low Power Mode and reduce their background operations to only essential work
And the big one:
- Reduce the processor’s maximum wattage or disable Turbo Boost
Back in 2015, I experimented with disabling Turbo Boost and discovered that it reduced performance by about a third, but also boosted battery life by almost as much. Since then, I’ve been running Turbo Boost Switcher Pro to automatically disable Turbo Boost when I’m running on battery power, and it has been wonderful: I made it through that 8-hour flight only because Turbo Boost was off.
Over the last few days, I’ve run battery tests on my 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro with the (awesome) 2.7 GHz i7 and my 2015 2.2 GHz 15-inch3 to see how far I could push the battery life using Volta, which can disable Turbo Boost and/or set wattage limits on the CPU.
My test was based on the “Heavy” script from last time, but using xcodebuild
every few minutes with Overcast’s current codebase (which is larger and includes some Swift). Improvements are in green and performance reductions are in red:
It’s impressive how much faster this new 13-inch model is than the best laptop ever made due to significant CPU and SSD improvements.
Dropping the wattage to 6W, the thermal limit of the fanless 12-inch MacBook, interestingly (but not surprisingly) makes it perform effectively identically to the best 12-inch MacBook in Geekbench. This is an extreme option, but one I’d occasionally take if offered. It roughly doubles compilation times, but also doubles the battery life.
This ratio holds for most other configurations: the gain in battery life is about as large as the loss in heavy-workload performance. That’s a trade-off I’d gladly make when I need to maximize runtime.
The best bang-for-the-buck option is still to just disable Turbo Boost. Single-threaded performance hurts more than with wattage-limiting, but it’s able to maintain better multi-threaded performance and more consistent thermals, and gets a larger battery gain relative to its performance loss.
And Volta, which offers both wattage limits and Turbo disabling, requires disabling System Integrity Protection to install an unsigned kernel extension, which I really don’t recommend. Turbo Boost Switcher, which doesn’t offer wattage control, works with SIP using a signed extension and its Pro version has more convenient features for automatic toggling.
For now, I’m going to continue to happily run Turbo Boost Switcher Pro to selectively give myself better battery life, and I recommend it for anyone else with the same need.
But what I ultimately want is for a true Low Power Mode built into macOS that could provide this sort of CPU throttling and software changes, which would ultimately achieve even greater gains.
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Whose work does get 10 hours out of a MacBook Pro? None of the use-cases on the marketing page — Photography, Coding, Video Editing, 3D Graphics, and Gaming — are likely to achieve even half of that in practice. ↩︎
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I’ve heard that 15-inch models are wired such that the discrete GPU is required when external displays are connected. Otherwise, whether it’s used or not is a software decision, and gfxCardStatus can override it in certain conditions. ↩︎
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It’s not brand new, so it’s not a perfect comparison, but the battery only had 90 cycles before this test. ↩︎
Overcast 4.2: The privacy update
Overcast 4.2 is out now. It enhances privacy in two major areas:
Anonymous sync by defaultOvercast has offered anonymous sync accounts since 2014. They’re fully functional, but they lack email addresses or passwords, so they can’t log into the website. A login token is stored in iCloud so the account can be accessed after a restore or upgrade, or from other devices you own.
Previously, the login screen pushed email logins. But with four years of perspective, feedback, and usage data, I now think that’s the wrong move. Only a single-digit percentage of customers use the website, and the iCloud token-sync method solves cross-device logins for almost everyone.
Your personal data isn’t my business — it’s a liability. I want as little as possible. I don’t even log IP addresses anymore.
If I don’t need your email address, I really don’t want it.
68% of Overcast accounts have email addresses today. To reduce that as much as possible, I’ve made major changes to account handling:
The previous login screen (left) and the new one.
In Overcast 4.2, the login screen now prominently encourages anonymous accounts by default.
If you already have an account in iCloud, it’ll pop up a dialog box over this screen asking if you want to use it.
And the first time you launch 4.2, people with email-based accounts will be encouraged to migrate them to anonymous accounts:
The migration prompt that shows on the first run.
Finally, you can now change your account between email-based and anonymous whenever you want.
Blocking ad-tracking imagesIn most podcast apps, podcasts are downloaded automatically in the background. The only data sent to a podcast’s publisher about you or your behavior is your IP address and the app’s name. The IP address lets them derive your approximate region, but not much else.
They don’t know exactly who you are, whether you listened, when you listened, how far you listened, or whether you skipped certain parts.
Some large podcast producers are trying very hard to change that.
I’m not.
Big data ruined the web, and I’m not going to help bring it to podcasts. Publishers already get enough from Apple to inform ad rates and make content decisions — they don’t need more data from my customers. Podcasting has thrived, grown, and made tons of money for tons of people under the current model for over a decade. We already have all the data we need.
One of the ways publishers try to get around the limitations of the current model is by embedding remote images or invisible “tracking pixels” in each episode’s HTML show notes. When displayed in most apps, the images are automatically loaded from an analytics server, which can then record and track more information about you.
In Overcast 4.2, much like Mail (and for the same reason), remote images don’t load by default. A tappable placeholder shows you where each image will load from, and you can decide whether to load it or not.
I believe I’ve done this in the most secure way possible — I’m actually displaying the show notes using a strict Content Security Policy — and I would love to hear from anyone who finds a way to inject auto-loading remote images or execute arbitrary JavaScript in show notes.
Bug fixesOvercast 4.2 also includes a bunch of minor fixes, and two big ones:
- Fixed the major slowdowns and high battery usage that resulted from extremely large podcast artwork.
- Password-protected episodes are now supported on password-protected feeds.
An update on Blood Oxygen for Apple Watch in the U.S.
- UPDATE
Apple will introduce a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature for some Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users.

Apple Arcade exclusive NFL Retro Bowl ’26 launching September 4
- UPDATE
On September 4, NFL Retro Bowl ’26 is launching exclusively on Apple Arcade, and Jeopardy! Daily and My Talking Tom Friends+ also join the service.

Apple increases U.S. commitment to $600 billion, announces ambitious program
- PRESS RELEASE
Apple announced a new $100 billion commitment to America, a significant acceleration of its U.S. commitment that now totals $600 billion over four years.

Apple, Corning to manufacture all iPhone, Apple Watch cover glass in Kentucky
- PRESS RELEASE
Apple and Corning today announced a major expansion of their long-standing partnership to make precision glass for Apple products.

Apple reports third quarter results
- PRESS RELEASE
Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2025 third quarter ended June 28, 2025.
Leagues Cup returns to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV on July 29
- UPDATE
Leagues Cup 2025 begins on July 29, and MLS Season Pass on Apple TV is where fans in over 100 countries and regions can watch every match.

Apple Manufacturing Academy opens in Detroit on August 19
- UPDATE
The Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit opens August 19, with free programming to train and support American businesses, innovators, and manufacturers.

Apple and MLB announce September “Friday Night Baseball” schedule
- UPDATE
Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) today unveiled the September schedule for “Friday Night Baseball.”

Apple introduces AppleCare One, streamlining coverage into a single plan
- PRESS RELEASE
Apple today unveiled AppleCare One, a new way for customers to cover multiple Apple products with one simple plan.

Apple Retail arrives in Saudi Arabia with launch of Apple Store online
- PRESS RELEASE
Apple today announced the expansion of Apple Retail into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the launch of the Apple Store online and Apple Store app.

Apple Arcade launches special crossover events featuring SpongeBob SquarePants
- UPDATE
This month, SpongeBob SquarePants makes a splash in Snake.io+ and Crossy Road Castle with special events available exclusively on Apple Arcade.

Apple News+ introduces Emoji Game
- UPDATE
Today, Apple News+ debuted Emoji Game, an original puzzle that challenges subscribers to use emoji to complete short phrases.

Apple lands record-breaking 81 Emmy Award nominations with Severance leading
- PRESS RELEASE
Apple TV+ today earned a record-breaking 81 Emmy Award nominations across 14 hit Apple Original titles for this year’s 77th Emmy Awards.

Apple expands U.S. supply chain with $500 million commitment
- UPDATE
Today Apple announced a new investment of $500 million with MP Materials.

Apple announces chief operating officer transition
- PRESS RELEASE
Apple today announced Jeff Williams will transition his role as chief operating officer later this month to Sabih Khan.
Apple Arcade launches four new games in August
- UPDATE
Apple Arcade is adding four exclusive games and rolling out fun updates to fan-favorite hits on the service.

Apple and Major League Baseball announce August “Friday Night Baseball” schedule
- UPDATE
Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) today unveiled the August schedule for “Friday Night Baseball.”

Apple Music celebrates 10 years with the launch of a new global hub for artists
- PRESS RELEASE
As Apple Music marks 10 years, Apple unveils a brand-new state-of-the-art space in Los Angeles dedicated to artist-driven content.

Apple Sports serves up tennis, just in time for Wimbledon
- UPDATE
Apple Sports today added tennis to its growing list of supported sports.

Apple expands tools to help parents protect kids and teens online
- UPDATE
Apple today shared an update on new ways to help parents protect kids and teens online when using Apple products.

Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.
Price drop: This addictive app turns learning a language into a game
- Deals
- Cult of Mac Deals
- language apps
Multiple learning modes like matching games, dictation and Q&As immerse you in your language goals with the Qlango language learning app.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Get a sneak peek at new Powerbeats Fit earbuds
- News
- Beats
- Powerbeats
Apple's Powerbeats Fit earbuds are set to launch this fall, with a teaser video promising a secure fit for athletes.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

How to make Siri silence alarms on other Apple devices
- How-To
- HomePod
- iPad
- iPhone
- Pro Tips
- Siri
- Top stories
Learn how to conveniently control your iPhone alarm sound using Siri, even from a different room in your home.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Great budget-friendly, noise-canceling headphones just got even cheaper
- Deals
- ANC wireless headphones
- Beats Studio Pro
- EarFun
- over-ear headphones
Our cans guy loves this EarFun Tune Pro over-ear headphones deal -- just $56 for cans that rival Beats Studio Pro and others.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Why I love this leather notebook case [Review] ★★★★★
- Reviews
- Top Stories
- cases
- leather cases
- MacBook accessories
The Casemade Leather Laptop Case combines elegant design with a protective wool interior. We go hands on… and fall in love.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Today in Apple history: Mac sends first email from space
- Apple history
- NASA
- Today in Apple history
On August 28, 1991, the first email from space came down to Earth thanks to a Macintosh Portable and AppleLink software.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Turn iPad mini into ultraportable notebook with this detachable keyboard case
- News
- iPad accessories
- iPad cases
- Zagg
Unlock productivity with the Zagg Slim Book mini, a case and keyboard that transforms your iPad mini for work and travel.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

This AI speech-to-text tool for Mac and PC hits 99.7% accuracy
- Deals
- AI
- Cult of Mac Deals
This dictation tool for Mac and PCs turns spoken words into text with 99.7 percent accuracy. Save on AI speech-to-text tool VoiceType AI.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Price drop: Surf safe anywhere with a VPN that works on unlimited devices
- Deals
- Cult of Mac Deals
- VPNs
Get a three-year subscription to Surfshark VPN for $67.20 (reg. $430). It covers unlimited devices on macOS, iOS, Windows, Android and more.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Ted Lasso‘s Roy Kent softens up for love in All of You [Apple TV+ trailer]
- News
- Apple TV+
- Ted Lasso
A new trailer for the new "All of You" movie -- from "Ted Lasso" and "Black Mirror" alums -- blends technology and romance.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Colorful event logo might hint at new iPhone or Apple Watch features
- News
- Apple events
- Apple rumors
- iPhone 17
Discover what the hint in Apple’s event invitation graphic might reveal about new iPhone or Apple Watch features.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Today in Apple history: Rainbow Apple logo gets a modern overhaul
- Apple history
- Apple design
- Apple logo
- Steve Jobs
- TIAH: 1990s
- Today in Apple history
On August 27, 1999, Apple Computer replaced its rainbow logo with a single-color version. See the evolution of the Apple logo.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

MacBook Air deals save you a sweet $200
- Deals
- Apple deals
- M4 chip
- Mac
- MacBook Air
The M4 MacBook Air launched in March but a deal already lowers the cost by a sweet $200. That puts the 15-inch variant under $1,000!
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple partners with TuneIn to stream radio stations to 75 million users
- News
- Spotify
In effort to regain ground in the music streaming wars, Apple partners with TuneIn to stream radio stations.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
New rechargeable Chipolo Loop and Card trackers use Find My
- News
- Bluetooth trackers
- Find My
- location trackers
Chipolo's Loop and Card Bluetooth Find My trackers get updated with rechargeable batteries and twice the range.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Inexpensive iPhone game controller also connects to Switch and PC
- News
- game controllers
- iPhone accessories
Enjoy seamless gameplay with the GameSir X5s. Compatible with iPhone, PC, Switch and more, it offers premium features at low cost.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Save hundreds with this Microsoft Office + Adobe Acrobat bundle
- Deals
- Cult of Mac Deals
- Microsoft Office
Get lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and five more Office apps, plus a 3-year sub to Adobe Acrobat Classic PDF reader, for $89.99.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Combine emoji to make your own fun creations in iOS 26
- How-To
- Apple Intelligence
- emoji
- Genmoji
- iOS 26
- iPhone
- iPhone How To
The best Apple Intelligence feature gets even more fun: You can combine two or more emoji into your own custom creation in iOS 26.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac for just $60
- Deals
- Cult of Mac Deals
- Mac apps
- Microsoft Office
Get a Microsoft Office for Mac lifetime license (2021 Home and Business edition), with essential productivity apps Word, Excel and more.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

M3 iPad Air deal lowers tablet back to its lowest-ever price
- Deals
- iPad
- iPad Air
Save a whopping $150 on the 2025 M3 iPad Air with a deal on both 13-inch and 11-inch versions in a range of specs and colors.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

How to find the Easter egg in the new Apple event logo
- How-To
- Apple events
- Easter eggs
Discover the fun Easter egg in the new Apple event invitation. Find out how to interact with the colorful Apple logo.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Jessica Chastain draws killers close in thriller The Savant [Apple TV+ trailer]
- News
- Apple TV+
In the new limited series, Chastain's character infiltrates online hate groups to prevent domestic extremists from carrying out their plans.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple invites the world to ‘Awe dropping’ event
- News
- Top Stories
- Apple events
- iPhone 17
Get ready for the next “Awe dropping” Apple September event, featuring the exciting iPhone 17 series and more new products.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates talk ‘future of the PC’
- Apple history
- Bill Gates
- Steve Jobs
- TIAH: 1990s
- Today in Apple history
- Top stories
On August 26, 1991, "Fortune" published the first joint interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, in which they debated the future of the PC.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Avoid getting hacked while charging with these data-blocking USB-C cables
- News
- Plugable
- USB-C cables
Protect your devices with new USB-C data-blocker cables from Plugable that prevent juice jacking while charging safely.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple Watch Series 11 rumors: Blood pressure detection, 5G connectivity and more
- News
- Top Stories
- Apple rumors
- Apple Watch
Before its September launch, here is what the rumors reveal about the Apple Watch Series 11. It might bring a rush of new features. Or not.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

New tool lets you easily transfer music from Spotify to Apple Music
- News
- Apple Music
- Spotify
Now users in the US and eight other countries can transfer music from Spotify with the Apple Music migration tool.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
This Apple Pencil alternative costs just $29.99
- Deals
- Apple Pencil
- Cult of Mac
Apple Pencil isn't the only precision stylus available for iPads. The Tinymoose Pencil Pro Plus is a high-quality stylus pen for iPads.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Breakthrough audio and cooling tech could optimize Apple’s smart glasses
- News
- prototypes
- smart glasses
- xMEMS Labs
New xMEMS Labs smart glasses prototypes incorporate an incredibly thin silicon micro speaker and active cooling tech. Apple should take note.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Price cut: Upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for less than $13
- Deals
- Cult of Mac Deals
- Microsoft Windows
Why pay list price for Microsoft software? This Windows 11 sale allows you to upgrade your PC to Windows 11 Pro for less than $13.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

iOS 26, macOS Tahoe beta testing marches on [Updated]
- News
- betas
- iOS 26
- macOS 26
The eighth iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26 betas that just went out could be the last before release candidates.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Price drop: Learn up to 25 languages with this lifetime Rosetta Stone sub
- Deals
- Cult of Mac Deals
- language apps
- Rosetta Stone
Save big-time on the app that helps users master foreign languages quickly. This lifetime deal includes all 25 Rosetta Stone languages.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Elon Musk sues Apple and OpenAI over ‘unfair competition’
- News
- Apple legal battles
- artificial intelligence
- ChatGPT
- Elon Musk
- OpenAI
Elon Musk’s xAI filed a lawsuit on Monday against Apple and OpenAI claiming they’re conspiring to stifle competition in AI apps.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Today in Apple history: Meet the ‘world-saving’ PowerBook 5300
- Apple history
- Mac
- Macintosh
- PowerBook
- TIAH: 1990s
- TIAH: Macs
- Today in Apple history
On August 25, 1995, Apple released the PowerBook 5300, the Mac that will save the world from aliens in 1996 film "Independence Day."
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

iPhone 17 rumors: A preview of Apple’s next basic handset
- News
- Top Stories
Get the latest iPhone 17 rumors about the larger screen, enhanced camera and new colors. Stay informed ahead of the release.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

AirPods 4 deal drops Apple earbuds back to lowest price ever
- Deals
- AirPods
- AirPods 4
- Apple deals
Discover incredible AirPods deals with prices as low as $89 for the latest models. Upgrade your audio experience today!
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

iPhone 17 Air could revive Apple’s bumper case
- News
- Apple rumors
- iPhone 17 Air
In a nod to the iPhone 4, Apple experimented with a bumper case for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air that only covered its edges.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
This double-duty power bank fits on your keychain (and costs just $20)
- Deals
- Apple Watch chargers
- Cult of Mac Deals
- iPhone chargers
Measuring just under 4 inches long by 2 inches wide, you can slip this cordless keychain power bank for iPhone and Apple Watch anywhere.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO
- Apple history
- Apple leadership
- Steve Jobs
- TIAH: 2010s
- Tim Cook
- Today in Apple history
On August 24, 2011, Steve Jobs resigned from his role as Apple CEO as his health worsened, with Tim Cook taking over the role.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

AirPods Pro 3 may drop this fall after all — despite 2026 rumors
- News
- AirPods
- Apple rumors
Find out the anticipated AirPods Pro 3 release date this fall and learn about exciting new features coming with the earbuds.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Foldable iPhone might bring back Touch ID
- News
- Apple rumors
- foldable iPhone
- iPhone
- Touch ID
The first foldable iPhone — set to debut in September 2026 — will reportedly feature Touch ID, C2 modem and five cameras.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

iOS 26 unlocks faster 25W Qi2 charging on iPhone 16
- News
- iOS 26
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Pro
- Qi2
Apple will add Qi2 25W wireless charging support on all iPhone 16 models — except for the iPhone 16e — with iOS 26.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Foundation season 3 proves sci-fi saga’s staying power
- News
- Apple TV+
- Foundation
- sci-fi
- sci-fi series
Fans of the Apple TV+ series “Foundation” are coming back in big numbers for season 3, giving new episodes of the show strong ratings.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Block ads and data trackers forever with this top-rated service
- Deals
- ad blockers
- Cult of Mac Deals
Snag a lifetime subscription to the AdGuard family plan. The iOS and Mac ad blocker also protects your privacy on Android and PC.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Can TechWoven reverse the FineWoven curse? [The CultCast 713]
- News
- Anker
- Apple rumors
- Apple Watch
- The CultCast
- Touch ID
This episode of the Cult of Mac podcast covers leaks about TechWoven iPhone 17 cases, plus upgrades for iPhone 17e and Apple Watch.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Today in Apple history: iPad takes to the skies with United Airlines
- Apple history
- iPad
- TIAH: 2010s
- Today in Apple history
- United Airlines
On August 23, 2011, United Airlines said it would hand out 11,000 iPads to its pilots. Apple tablets will replace aircrews' heavy flight bags.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

iPhone 17 desperately needs these Pixel 10 AI features
- News
- Top Stories
- AI
- Apple Intelligence
- iOS 26
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17 Pro
With the iPhone 17, Apple needs more than hardware upgrades. It must borrow some of the Pixel 10’s smarter AI features to truly stand out.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Discount code: Customize your Mac to the max with MacPilot
- Deals
- Cult of Mac Deals
- Mac apps
Save on MacPilot, awesome software that lets you easily customize your Mac, offering all sorts of tweaks for just $29.97 (regularly $99).
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Google Gemini might give Siri the AI boost it needs
- News
- AI
- Apple Intelligence
- Apple rumors
- Siri
Add Google Gemini to the list of AIs that might go into the revamped Siri voice assistant if Apple can’t develop the tech itself.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Belkin’s gorgeous new iPhone stands do 25W wireless charging
- News
- Belkin
- chargers
- iPhone accessories
- Qi2
- Qi2 chargers
Belkin took the wraps off a trio of iPhone stands that support the new Qi2 25W standard.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Recover deleted files on Mac and fragmented videos with Disk Drill 6
- News
- data recovery
- Sponsored
Data recovery Mac software Disk Drill 6 now offers incredibly advanced camera recovery to bring back fragmented video.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Invasion season 3: Now the real war starts [Now streaming!]
- News
- Apple TV+
- Apple TV+ trailers
- dramas
- Invasion
- sci-fi series
"Invasion" season 3 has arrived! Watch Apple TV+'s full and previous teases. Looks like the ultimate battle to save humanity looms.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Here’s how much you’ll save with Apple One bundles [Updated]
- News
- Apple Arcade
- Apple Fitness+
- Apple Music
- Apple News+
- Apple One
- Apple TV+
- iCloud
- Services
Find out how much Apple's subscription bundles will save you. See Apple One pricing on three configurations: Individual, Family and Premier.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Try Røde’s studio-worthy wired on-ear headphones for $99 [Review] ★★★★☆
- Reviews
- Røde
Our hands-on Rode NTH-50 headphones review find the on-ear wired cans a great value for pros and casual listeners alike.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Create brilliant infographics without lifting a finger
- Deals
- AI assistants
- Cult of Mac Deals
- graphic design
Transform content into engaging visuals with AI-powered infographics generator InfographsAI. It's like having a freelance designer on call.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Making Sense of Technology
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Macs, Woz, and foldable phones
- Uncategorized
This week, Dave and I discuss the value of getting a new, but previous generation of MacBook instead of a brand new one. We also talk about Steve Wosniak and his views on wealth. Samsung is gaining market share from Apple in the U.S.—could this have anything to do with foldable phones? Follow this podcast Brought to you by: CleanMyMac: Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use my code DALRYMPLE for 20% off at clnmy.com/TheDalrympleReport Show Notes:
- The 15" M3 MacBook Air is on sale for $1199
- Woz
- Highest-grossing sports film of all time
- Morgan Stanley says Apple stock could be ‘turning the corner’
- Samsung taking market share from Apple in U.S. as foldable phones gain momentum
- Apple Wallet app just made Amazon returns easy
Shows and movies we're watching
- Patience, PBS
- Superman
- Black Doves, Netflix
This week, Dave and I discuss the value of getting a new, but previous generation of MacBook instead of a brand new one. We also talk about Steve Wosniak and his views on wealth. Samsung is gaining market share from Apple in the U.S.—could this have anything to do with foldable phones? Follow this podcast Brought to you by: CleanMyMac: Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use my code DALRYMPLE for 20% off at clnmy.com/TheDalrympleReport Show Notes: The 15″ M3 MacBook Air is on sale for $1199 Woz Highest-grossing sports film of all time Morgan Stanley says Apple stock could be ‘turning the corner’ Samsung taking market share from Apple in U.S. as foldable phones gain momentum Apple Wallet app just made Amazon returns easy Shows and movies we’re watching Patience, PBS Superman Black Doves, Netflix
∞ The Dalrymple Report: AI Robots, Siri, new Apple products
- Uncategorized
We've heard about Apple looking at releasing an AI robot in the past. The rumors are back and they also include Apple's foray into home security and smart displays. Apple's rumored revamped Siri will supposedly allow users to take action within an app using only Siri voice commands. MacRumors has a list of Apple's upcoming products that Dave and I talk about. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: Private Internet Access: Go to https://www.piavpn.com/dalrymple to get 83% off Private Internet Access with 4 months free! LinkedIn Jobs: Post your job for free at https://linkedin.com/dalrymple to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes:
- Apple Plots Expansion Into AI Robots, Home Security and Smart Displays
- Apple Testing Revamped Siri With Apps Like Uber and YouTube
- Leaks: Apple’s coming products
- Apple Reportedly Planning to Offer In-Store iPad Repairs
- Amazon announces same day groceries, free for prime members
Shows and movies we're watching
- Dope Thief, Apple TV+
- Titans: The Rise of Hollywood, Netflix
- Sunday Best, Netflix, Ed Sullivan documentary
We’ve heard about Apple looking at releasing an AI robot in the past. The rumors are back and they also include Apple’s foray into home security and smart displays. Apple’s rumored revamped Siri will supposedly allow users to take action within an app using only Siri voice commands. MacRumors has a list of Apple’s upcoming products that Dave and I talk about. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: Private Internet Access: Go to https://www.piavpn.com/dalrymple to get 83% off Private Internet Access with 4 months free! LinkedIn Jobs: Post your job for free at https://linkedin.com/dalrymple to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes: Apple Plots Expansion Into AI Robots, Home Security and Smart Displays Apple Testing Revamped Siri With Apps Like Uber and YouTube Leaks: Apple’s coming products Apple Reportedly Planning to Offer In-Store iPad Repairs Amazon announces same day groceries, free for prime members Shows and movies we’re watching Dope Thief, Apple TV+ Titans: The Rise of Hollywood, Netflix Sunday Best, Netflix, Ed Sullivan documentary
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Apple Pencil, glass, and ESPN
- Uncategorized
Dave's Apple Pencil died, so he replaced it with a new one. He gives us his thoughts on using it. Apple has committed more money to the U.S. as they partner with Corning to make glass for iPhone and Apple Watch in this country. ESPN is launching a new streaming service, but Dave and I are having trouble understanding how it's going to work for them. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- Apple increases U.S. commitment to $600 billion, announces American Manufacturing Program
- Apple and Corning partner to manufacture 100 percent of iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass in Kentucky
- Apple’s new $100B US commitment got it a 100% chip tariff exemption
- Apple chipmaker TSMC says it too is exempt from US tariffs
- ESPN flagship streaming service to launch August 21
Shows and movies we're watching
- The One that Got Away, Acorn TV
- HBO gets some BritBox
Dave’s Apple Pencil died, so he replaced it with a new one. He gives us his thoughts on using it. Apple has committed more money to the U.S. as they partner with Corning to make glass for iPhone and Apple Watch in this country. ESPN is launching a new streaming service, but Dave and I are having trouble understanding how it’s going to work for them. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Apple increases U.S. commitment to $600 billion, announces American Manufacturing Program Apple and Corning partner to manufacture 100 percent of iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass in Kentucky Apple’s new $100B US commitment got it a 100% chip tariff exemption Apple chipmaker TSMC says it too is exempt from US tariffs ESPN flagship streaming service to launch August 21 Shows and movies we’re watching The One that Got Away, Acorn TV HBO gets some BritBox
∞ The Dalrymple Report: MacBook Air, Apple Music, and Manufacturing
- Uncategorized
Apple rarely has sales, but Amazon does. They are offering $200 off a new M4 MacBook Air—Dave and I look through the options of other models and see what the best deal is. Apple Music has a new feature in iOS 26 allowing users to pin items to the top of the page. Apple is starting its Manufacturing Academy in Detroit beginning in August. We look at some of the details of that initiative. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- Amazon Is Selling M4 MacBook Airs for $200 Off
- Apple Manufacturing Academy opens in Detroit on August 19
- iOS 26: How to Use the New Music Pins Feature
- Apple stuff, signed by Steve Jobs, Woz, even Tim Cook
Shows and movies we're watching
- After The Flood, BritBox
- Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Paramount+
- Anora, Hulu
Apple rarely has sales, but Amazon does. They are offering $200 off a new M4 MacBook Air—Dave and I look through the options of other models and see what the best deal is. Apple Music has a new feature in iOS 26 allowing users to pin items to the top of the page. Apple is starting its Manufacturing Academy in Detroit beginning in August. We look at some of the details of that initiative. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Amazon Is Selling M4 MacBook Airs for $200 Off Apple Manufacturing Academy opens in Detroit on August 19 iOS 26: How to Use the New Music Pins Feature Apple stuff, signed by Steve Jobs, Woz, even Tim Cook Shows and movies we’re watching After The Flood, BritBox Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Paramount+ Anora, Hulu
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Ozzy, Captions, and AppleCare One
- Uncategorized
It was a sad week for me and many other music fans around the world, as we learned that Ozzy Osbourne died. Ozzy meant a lot to me and my music. I'll miss him. Dave and I talk about using captions while watching TV, and we take a look at AppleCare One, Apple's new device insurance subscription. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- RIP, Ozzy
- Peter Cohen and Jim at Ozzfest
- Apple TV Captions
- Apple introduces AppleCare One
- Messages on iOS 26 will make it harder to fall for phishing scams
Shows and movies we're watching
- Tucci in Italy, Disney+
- The Bear, Season 4, Hulu
- Billy Joel: And so it goes, HBO
It was a sad week for me and many other music fans around the world, as we learned that Ozzy Osbourne died. Ozzy meant a lot to me and my music. I’ll miss him. Dave and I talk about using captions while watching TV, and we take a look at AppleCare One, Apple’s new device insurance subscription. Follow this podcast Show Notes: RIP, Ozzy Peter Cohen and Jim at Ozzfest Apple TV Captions Apple introduces AppleCare One Messages on iOS 26 will make it harder to fall for phishing scams Shows and movies we’re watching Tucci in Italy, Disney+ The Bear, Season 4, Hulu Billy Joel: And so it goes, HBO
∞ The Dalrymple Report: watchOS Gestures, Emmys, Apple TV Keyboard
- Uncategorized
Dave installed the latest beta of watchOS and found a new gesture that he really likes. I have one that I use a lot as well, so I'm not sure I'll change. Apple TV+ shows recieved an incredible amount of nominations for this year's Emmy Awards. The new tvOS now allows users to switch the keyboard to a grid, which is a welcome change. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- Cal Raleigh, man of the people, The Big Dumper, wins Home Run Derby
- watchOS 26. Flick it
- Apple gets an astonishing 81 Emmy nominations
- Apple TV lets you change your search keyboard from linear (one line, across the screen) to a grid
- ChatGPT and other AI services are basically killing @Iconfactory
Shows and movies we're watching
- Mobland, Paramount+
- Ballard, Prime Video, from the Bosch universe
- Ya Never Know, Tom Selleck autobiography
Dave installed the latest beta of watchOS and found a new gesture that he really likes. I have one that I use a lot as well, so I’m not sure I’ll change. Apple TV+ shows recieved an incredible amount of nominations for this year’s Emmy Awards. The new tvOS now allows users to switch the keyboard to a grid, which is a welcome change. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Cal Raleigh, man of the people, The Big Dumper, wins Home Run Derby watchOS 26. Flick it Apple gets an astonishing 81 Emmy nominations Apple TV lets you change your search keyboard from linear (one line, across the screen) to a grid ChatGPT and other AI services are basically killing @Iconfactory Shows and movies we’re watching Mobland, Paramount+ Ballard, Prime Video, from the Bosch universe Ya Never Know, Tom Selleck autobiography
∞ The Dalrymple Report: AI talent, Meta, and COO
- Uncategorized
The turmoil at Apple is not new, but what is new is how some of the companies top AI engineers are leaving the company. The latest was lured away by Meta, who have just invested $3.5 billion in its artificial intelligence projects. Apple's longtime Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams, has announced he's retiring. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes:
- Apple faces AI talent turmoil as senior Siri researcher departs
- Apple announces chief operating officer transition
- Apple Loses Key AI Executive to Meta's Multimillion-Dollar Hiring Spree
- Meta Invests $3.5 Billion in World’s Largest Eye-Wear Maker
Shows and movies we're watching
- Black Snow, AMC+
- Kleo, Netflix
- MurderBot, Apple TV+
The turmoil at Apple is not new, but what is new is how some of the companies top AI engineers are leaving the company. The latest was lured away by Meta, who have just invested $3.5 billion in its artificial intelligence projects. Apple’s longtime Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams, has announced he’s retiring. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes: Apple faces AI talent turmoil as senior Siri researcher departs Apple announces chief operating officer transition Apple Loses Key AI Executive to Meta’s Multimillion-Dollar Hiring Spree Meta Invests $3.5 Billion in World’s Largest Eye-Wear Maker Shows and movies we’re watching Black Snow, AMC+ Kleo, Netflix MurderBot, Apple TV+
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Alexa+, Charging, and iOS 26
- Uncategorized
Dave got a new speaker assistant for his home... and it's powered by Alexa. We talk about how much better Alexa is than Siri and even throw in some comments about Gemini, Google's AI assistant (spoiler, it's better than Siri too). We also talk about charging one device off of anotherfor instance, charging your AirPods using your phone. And we look at some of the new features of Apple's new OSes. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- Charge AirPods (or Even an iPhone) With Your iPhone
- iOS 26 Brings New Functionality to HomePod
- A few iOS 26 Best and Hidden Features
- iPhone Users Upset About Apple Promoting F1 Movie With Wallet App Notification
Shows and movies we're watching
- Anatomy of a Scandal, Netflix
- Sally, Disney+
Dave got a new speaker assistant for his home… and it’s powered by Alexa. We talk about how much better Alexa is than Siri and even throw in some comments about Gemini, Google’s AI assistant (spoiler, it’s better than Siri too). We also talk about charging one device off of anotherfor instance, charging your AirPods using your phone. And we look at some of the new features of Apple’s new OSes. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Charge AirPods (or Even an iPhone) With Your iPhone iOS 26 Brings New Functionality to HomePod A few iOS 26 Best and Hidden Features iPhone Users Upset About Apple Promoting F1 Movie With Wallet App Notification Shows and movies we’re watching Anatomy of a Scandal, Netflix Sally, Disney+
∞ The Dalrymple Report: ETA, Liquid Glass, and iCloud Storage
- Uncategorized
Have you ever shared your ETA with someone? Most of us have. Dave has a suggestion for how ETA should work in the future. We talk about the Apple's new design, Liquid Glass, and what drove the company to move in that direction for its OSes. We also talk about a new lawsuit that Apple faces over iCloud storage. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes:
- WWDC: The Bento Boxes
- On AR being the driver for Apple's Liquid Glass
- Apple must face consumer lawsuit over iCloud storage, US judge rules
- YouTube's Latest Move Against Ad Blockers: Video Delays
Shows and movies we're watching
- Anatomy of a Scandal, Netflix
- Trailer to upcoming Springsteen biopic
Have you ever shared your ETA with someone? Most of us have. Dave has a suggestion for how ETA should work in the future. We talk about the Apple’s new design, Liquid Glass, and what drove the company to move in that direction for its OSes. We also talk about a new lawsuit that Apple faces over iCloud storage. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes: WWDC: The Bento Boxes On AR being the driver for Apple’s Liquid Glass Apple must face consumer lawsuit over iCloud storage, US judge rules YouTube’s Latest Move Against Ad Blockers: Video Delays Shows and movies we’re watching Anatomy of a Scandal, Netflix Trailer to upcoming Springsteen biopic
∞ The Dalrymple Report: WWDC review
- Uncategorized
Apple's annual WWDC was this week and there is a lot to unpack. We look at reactions from the keynote and dive into some of the announcements, like the new Liquid Glass interface, and of course, all of the new OS releases. There are some other featues that were announced as well, like AirPods translation that we'll talk about, as well. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- MGSeigler on WWDC
- Apple supercharges its tools
- AirPods are more versatile than ever with studio-quality audio recording and camera remote
- visionOS 26
- iPadOS 26
- Apple Intelligence gets even more powerful
- macOS Tahoe 26
- watchOS 26
- iOS 26
- Joanna Stern interviews Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak
Shows and movies we're watching
- Dept. Q, Netflix
- Secrets We Keep, Netflix
- Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself, Hulu
Apple’s annual WWDC was this week and there is a lot to unpack. We look at reactions from the keynote and dive into some of the announcements, like the new Liquid Glass interface, and of course, all of the new OS releases. There are some other featues that were announced as well, like AirPods translation that we’ll talk about, as well. Follow this podcast Show Notes: MGSeigler on WWDC Apple supercharges its tools AirPods are more versatile than ever with studio-quality audio recording and camera remote visionOS 26 iPadOS 26 Apple Intelligence gets even more powerful macOS Tahoe 26 watchOS 26 iOS 26 Joanna Stern interviews Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak Shows and movies we’re watching Dept. Q, Netflix Secrets We Keep, Netflix Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself, Hulu
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Popcorn, WWDC, and OS numbering
- Uncategorized
The podcast takes a little twist this week as Dave and I talk about our love of popcorn and Dave's new gadget to help him get the perfect batch every time. We also talk about some of the rumors surrounding WWDC and what we should expect from the keynote on Monday. One of the things that is supposedly changing is the numbering of all the OSes begining with this year's releases. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
Shows and movies we're watching
- Dept. Q, Netflix
- Stick, Apple TV+
- Fountain of youth, Apple TV+
The podcast takes a little twist this week as Dave and I talk about our love of popcorn and Dave’s new gadget to help him get the perfect batch every time. We also talk about some of the rumors surrounding WWDC and what we should expect from the keynote on Monday. One of the things that is supposedly changing is the numbering of all the OSes begining with this year’s releases. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Popcorn Gadget Apple Denied WWDC: What to expect Sky Apple OS numbering rebrand Apple, says nah Shows and movies we’re watching Dept. Q, Netflix Stick, Apple TV+ Fountain of youth, Apple TV+
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Jony Ive and OpenAI, Epic Games
- Uncategorized
The biggest news this week was the purchase of Jony Ive's company, io, by OpenAI for $6.5 billion dollars. According to the reports, I've's company is a device startup. Sam Altman said he is “excited to try to create a new generation of AI-powered computers.” Epic Games and Apple are continuing to spare, although it seems like the battle is coming to an end. Follow this podcast LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Insta360 X5 Camera: Insta360 X5 Camera. To bag a free invisible selfie stick worth US$24.99 with your purchase, head to store.insta360.com and use the promo code "dalrymple", available for the first 30 standard package purchases only. Show Notes:
- Epic Games v. Apple: the fight for the future of the App Store
- Jony Ive to lead OpenAI’s design work following $6.5B acquisition of his company
- Check out the video of OpenAI's Sam Altman and Jony Ive
- What would you do if Steve Jobs quoted something you wrote?
Shows and movies we're watching
- Better, Hulu
- Netflix saves Sesame Street
The biggest news this week was the purchase of Jony Ive’s company, io, by OpenAI for $6.5 billion dollars. According to the reports, I’ve’s company is a device startup. Sam Altman said he is “excited to try to create a new generation of AI-powered computers.” Epic Games and Apple are continuing to spare, although it seems like the battle is coming to an end. Follow this podcast LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Insta360 X5 Camera: Insta360 X5 Camera. To bag a free invisible selfie stick worth US$24.99 with your purchase, head to store.insta360.com and use the promo code “dalrymple”, available for the first 30 standard package purchases only. Show Notes: Epic Games v. Apple: the fight for the future of the App Store Jony Ive to lead OpenAI’s design work following $6.5B acquisition of his company Check out the video of OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Jony Ive What would you do if Steve Jobs quoted something you wrote? Shows and movies we’re watching Better, Hulu Netflix saves Sesame Street
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Apple Maps, Apple Music, and The Pope
- Uncategorized
Apple has introduced some new features in Apple Maps including a Detailed City Experience for the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco. Maps also now has insights, ratings, and reviews from expert sources, most notably the Michelin Guide. Did you know Pope Leo has his own trading card? Not only that, it set a new sales record, topping LeBron James. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- Pete Rose reinstated
- Pope Leo XIV trading card sets Topps Now sales record, exceeds LeBron and Wemby milestone cards
- Apple Maps brings a custom Detailed City Experience to the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco
- Apple brings insights, ratings, and reviews from expert sources to Apple Maps
- CarPlay Ultra, the next generation of CarPlay, begins rolling out
- Universal Music Group and Apple Music announce Sound Therapy
Shows and movies we're watching
- Bad Sisters, Apple TV+
- It’s not TV. It’s HBO. Max.
- Conan O’Brien the Kennedy Center, Mark Twain prize for American humor, Netflix
Apple has introduced some new features in Apple Maps including a Detailed City Experience for the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco. Maps also now has insights, ratings, and reviews from expert sources, most notably the Michelin Guide. Did you know Pope Leo has his own trading card? Not only that, it set a new sales record, topping LeBron James. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Pete Rose reinstated Pope Leo XIV trading card sets Topps Now sales record, exceeds LeBron and Wemby milestone cards Apple Maps brings a custom Detailed City Experience to the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco Apple brings insights, ratings, and reviews from expert sources to Apple Maps CarPlay Ultra, the next generation of CarPlay, begins rolling out Universal Music Group and Apple Music announce Sound Therapy Shows and movies we’re watching Bad Sisters, Apple TV+ It’s not TV. It’s HBO. Max. Conan O’Brien the Kennedy Center, Mark Twain prize for American humor, Netflix
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Things we love about Apple and cassettes
- Uncategorized
Some people have never used a cassette tape to listen to music, my kids being among them. This week Dave takes a little side route into one of his thoughts on listening to cassettes. We have spent a lot of time talking about things that Apple has done wrong this past year in regards to AI and Siri, so this week we change things up and talk about the things we love about Apple and what they have done right. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- Dan Moren (Six Colors, Host of Inconceivable podcast) was on Jeopardy last night!
- Meta is reportedly working on facial recognition for its AI glasses
- Apple files appeal
- Is LLM memory going to Become the New iMessage Lock-in?
- Apple's new "Hands on with Apple Intelligence" video
- Apple, Google, and possible Gemini deal
Shows and movies we're watching
- Murder is Easy, BritBox
- Black Bag, Peacock
Some people have never used a cassette tape to listen to music, my kids being among them. This week Dave takes a little side route into one of his thoughts on listening to cassettes. We have spent a lot of time talking about things that Apple has done wrong this past year in regards to AI and Siri, so this week we change things up and talk about the things we love about Apple and what they have done right. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Dan Moren (Six Colors, Host of Inconceivable podcast) was on Jeopardy last night! Meta is reportedly working on facial recognition for its AI glasses Apple files appeal Is LLM memory going to Become the New iMessage Lock-in? Apple’s new “Hands on with Apple Intelligence” video Apple, Google, and possible Gemini deal Shows and movies we’re watching Murder is Easy, BritBox Black Bag, Peacock
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Formula 1, Gemini, and Apple’s 30%
- Uncategorized
I'm heading off to Miami this weekend to see the Formula 1 Grand Prix and take a tour of the pit lane. Dave tells us about his Formula 1 experience and his trip to Texas. We also talk about the rumored deal between Apple and Google to have Apple use Gemini in Apple Intelligence—this is probably the best news ever for Apple's AI efforts. If you haven't tried Gemini yet, you should—it's incredible. Apple is being forced to allow developers to get payment for their apps from outside the App Store, which means Apple doesn't get its 30% cut. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix
- Bono immersive movie
- Apple launches ‘Snapshot,’ a new way to discover artists, actors, and athletes
- Apple forced to give developers (almost) free reign to link out and avoid paying Apple’s 30% cut
- Apple Music Gets New Co-Heads in Latest Leadership Shuffle
- Apple, Google, and possible Gemini deal
Shows and movies we're watching
- The Lorenskog Disappearance, Netflix
- Conclave, Prime Video
I’m heading off to Miami this weekend to see the Formula 1 Grand Prix and take a tour of the pit lane. Dave tells us about his Formula 1 experience and his trip to Texas. We also talk about the rumored deal between Apple and Google to have Apple use Gemini in Apple Intelligence—this is probably the best news ever for Apple’s AI efforts. If you haven’t tried Gemini yet, you should—it’s incredible. Apple is being forced to allow developers to get payment for their apps from outside the App Store, which means Apple doesn’t get its 30% cut. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix Bono immersive movie Apple launches ‘Snapshot,’ a new way to discover artists, actors, and athletes Apple forced to give developers (almost) free reign to link out and avoid paying Apple’s 30% cut Apple Music Gets New Co-Heads in Latest Leadership Shuffle Apple, Google, and possible Gemini deal Shows and movies we’re watching The Lorenskog Disappearance, Netflix Conclave, Prime Video
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Available Now and paying for Apple intelligence
- Uncategorized
Dave has a few questions for our listeners about the difference in inexpensive dash cams compared to the more expensive models. Apple dropped the "Available Now" tagline from its Apple Intelligence page because... well, it's not available. A new survey suggests that people would be willing to pay up to $10 a month for Apple Intelligence. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: Insta360 X5: To get a free 45-inch [114cm] invisible selfie stick worth US$24.99 with your Insta360 X5 purchase, head to store.insta360.com and use the promo code "dalrymple", available for the first 30 purchases only. Show Notes:
- Dash cam progress
- Apple drops ‘available now’ from Apple Intelligence page
- 1 in 2 Surveyed Willing to Pay at Least $10/Month for Apple Intelligence
- Siri and iOS 19
- YouTube’s 20th birthday
- Max Cracking Down on Password Sharing With New 'Extra Member' Feature
Shows and movies we're watching
- The Breakthrough, Netflix
- Will Trent, Hulu
- Conclave, Prime Video
Dave has a few questions for our listeners about the difference in inexpensive dash cams compared to the more expensive models. Apple dropped the “Available Now” tagline from its Apple Intelligence page because… well, it’s not available. A new survey suggests that people would be willing to pay up to $10 a month for Apple Intelligence. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: Insta360 X5: To get a free 45-inch [114cm] invisible selfie stick worth US$24.99 with your Insta360 X5 purchase, head to store.insta360.com and use the promo code “dalrymple”, available for the first 30 purchases only. Show Notes: Dash cam progress Apple drops ‘available now’ from Apple Intelligence page 1 in 2 Surveyed Willing to Pay at Least $10/Month for Apple Intelligence Siri and iOS 19 YouTube’s 20th birthday Max Cracking Down on Password Sharing With New ‘Extra Member’ Feature Shows and movies we’re watching The Breakthrough, Netflix Will Trent, Hulu Conclave, Prime Video
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Apple’s marketing change for AI and Siri turmoil
- Uncategorized
Kind of a special episode this week—it's Dave's birthday! This week Dave and I talk about Apple's abrupt changes to its marketing for Apple Intelligence, effectively downplaying the nonexistent technology. We also look at a story describing the internal turmoil of Siri and how badly Apple exectives mismanaged the entire AI revolution. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes:
- Life on other planets
- Apple Abruptly Changes Product Marketing Materials Amid Apple Intelligence Controversy
- Siri turmoil
- CVE security program used by Apple and others has funding removed
- AI generated music flooding online platforms
- Close your rings, get a physical pin
Shows and movies we're watching
- The Snow Girl, Netflix
- Mythic Quest cancelled
- The Residence, Netflix
Kind of a special episode this week—it’s Dave’s birthday! This week Dave and I talk about Apple’s abrupt changes to its marketing for Apple Intelligence, effectively downplaying the nonexistent technology. We also look at a story describing the internal turmoil of Siri and how badly Apple exectives mismanaged the entire AI revolution. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes: Life on other planets Apple Abruptly Changes Product Marketing Materials Amid Apple Intelligence Controversy Siri turmoil CVE security program used by Apple and others has funding removed AI generated music flooding online platforms Close your rings, get a physical pin Shows and movies we’re watching The Snow Girl, Netflix Mythic Quest cancelled The Residence, Netflix
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Teens, iPhones on planes, and Maps
- Uncategorized
The iPhone is as popular as ever among teens, according to a new study. That's important because as they grow up, they are the ones that will be buying new phones. With new tariffs expected to be imposed, Apple is flying planeloads of iPhones into the U.S. to ward off any immediate price increases. Apple Maps is now available as a web page on the iPhone, but is it necessary. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- Teens and Apple
- Apple is racing to fly planes of iPhones into the US ahead of Trump’s tariffs
- How many days of tariff-proof iPhone inventory can Apple build up?
- How Many New iPhones Can Fit on a Freight Plane?
- Apple Dethroned by Microsoft As Top-Valued Company Amid Tariff Fears
- Apple and tariff exemptions?
- Apple and tariff exemptions?
- Apple Maps web page now works on iPhone
Shows and movies we're watching
- Missing You, Netflix
- The Studio, Apple TV+
- Dope Thief, Apple TV+
The iPhone is as popular as ever among teens, according to a new study. That’s important because as they grow up, they are the ones that will be buying new phones. With new tariffs expected to be imposed, Apple is flying planeloads of iPhones into the U.S. to ward off any immediate price increases. Apple Maps is now available as a web page on the iPhone, but is it necessary. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Teens and Apple Apple is racing to fly planes of iPhones into the US ahead of Trump’s tariffs How many days of tariff-proof iPhone inventory can Apple build up? How Many New iPhones Can Fit on a Freight Plane? Apple Dethroned by Microsoft As Top-Valued Company Amid Tariff Fears Apple and tariff exemptions? Apple and tariff exemptions? Apple Maps web page now works on iPhone Shows and movies we’re watching Missing You, Netflix The Studio, Apple TV+ Dope Thief, Apple TV+
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Ireland, Apple’s Birthday, and WWDC
- Uncategorized
Dave spent a week in Ireland and gives us the highlight of his trip, including a really cool time spent with some big birds. Apple celebrated its 49th birthday this week—it's had to believe that the company (and me) are that old. WWDC is happening on June 9, 2025 the company announced, so get ready. Follow this podcast Show Notes:
- Happy 49th birthday, Apple
- Lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio come to AirPods Max
- Apple pulls AirPods Max firmware update that enables lossless over USB-C
- Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference returns the week of June 9
- WWDC Should Again Have Live Demos
- Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design
Shows and movies we're watching
- The Catch, Acorn TV
- Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday night Live
- A Complete Unknown
Dave spent a week in Ireland and gives us the highlight of his trip, including a really cool time spent with some big birds. Apple celebrated its 49th birthday this week—it’s had to believe that the company (and me) are that old. WWDC is happening on June 9, 2025 the company announced, so get ready. Follow this podcast Show Notes: Happy 49th birthday, Apple Lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio come to AirPods Max Apple pulls AirPods Max firmware update that enables lossless over USB-C Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference returns the week of June 9 WWDC Should Again Have Live Demos Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19’s Rumored New Design Shows and movies we’re watching The Catch, Acorn TV Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday night Live A Complete Unknown
∞ The Dalrymple Report: Apple Intelligence blunder and Siri is wrong (again)
- Uncategorized
Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, Siri strikes again. Ask Siri, "what month is it?" on your iPhone and you get the reply, "Sorry, I don't understand." Apple's Siri executive held a meeting about the technology and was pretty brutal about the failings Apple has had until now. Oh yeah, Apple Intelligence is delayed, again. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes:
- AirTag resetting drama
- Apple unveils immersive concert experience with Metallica for Apple Vision Pro
- Apple Siri exec Robby Walker, lays out some reality in Siri all hands meeting
- Should Tim apologize, a la Apple Maps?
- Michael Gartenberg on the Lessons Apple Learned (and Hopefully Has Not Forgotten) From MobileMe
Shows and movies we're watching
- The Are Murders, Netflix
- Celtics City, Max
Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, Siri strikes again. Ask Siri, “what month is it?” on your iPhone and you get the reply, “Sorry, I don’t understand.” Apple’s Siri executive held a meeting about the technology and was pretty brutal about the failings Apple has had until now. Oh yeah, Apple Intelligence is delayed, again. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/DALRYMPLE. Terms and conditions apply. Show Notes: AirTag resetting drama Apple unveils immersive concert experience with Metallica for Apple Vision Pro Apple Siri exec Robby Walker, lays out some reality in Siri all hands meeting Should Tim apologize, a la Apple Maps? Michael Gartenberg on the Lessons Apple Learned (and Hopefully Has Not Forgotten) From MobileMe Shows and movies we’re watching The Are Murders, Netflix Celtics City, Max
Apple news, app reviews, and stories by Federico Viticci and friends.
The Best Labor Day Deals on Amazon Right Now
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It’s almost Labor Day in the U.S., and like most holidays, it’s a time to save money on your favorite gadgets. Before we get to that, though, I want to thank everyone who has followed MacStories Deals on Mastodon and Bluesky. We brought back MacStories Deals after a seven-year hiatus because I wasn’t happy with […]
It’s almost Labor Day in the U.S., and like most holidays, it’s a time to save money on your favorite gadgets. Before we get to that, though, I want to thank everyone who has followed MacStories Deals on Mastodon and Bluesky. We brought back MacStories Deals after a seven-year hiatus because I wasn’t happy with any of the deal sites or social media accounts I was following myself. The volume of posts was too great, and the quality of the deals was often suspect, but in the end it all came down to a case of French’s Yellow Mustard. One day while scrolling through Ivory, I came across a deal for a case of 12 bottles of mustard for $9. That’s a pretty great deal, but it’s not what I wanted. Amazon and Apple’s stores are full of deeply discounted products, but most of them aren’t what I want to see. The websites and social media accounts following those deals aren’t very discriminating, either, because they’re all about getting people to click links at scale. Our bet with MacStories Deals is that we can succeed in a much different way. Our occasional deal roundups here and the media picks and deals on MacStories Unwind showed us that the deals we share are popular with the MacStories community because we’re picky. You can get a firehose of deals anywhere, but what you get from us – and now from MacStories Deals – is an editorial filter that respects your time by eliminating the noise. So instead of sharing as many deals as possible, our approach is to share just a handful of deals each day and supplement MacStories Deals with the occasional post on the site when the deal volume warrants it. In an era when AI is flooding the zone with slop and lowering the common denominator for all content, we believe that experience and editorial constraints will serve the MacStories community better. So thanks again for following MacStories Deals on Mastodon and Bluesky. It’s just one small project of many that are in the works, but I hope you all appreciate the approach and take advantage of a deal here and there while we earn a small commission from your purchases. Now, on to the Labor Day deals. M4 MacBook Airs The 2025 13-inch M4 MacBook Air in Midnight. Students are returning to school, and many will be looking for deals on Mac laptops. Currently, every M4 MacBook Air in both the 13-inch and 15-inch configurations is at an all-time low price on Amazon. The MacBook Air is one of my favorite portable computers of all time, and now is a great time to pick one up. Samsung SSDs Samsung’s 4TB 9100 Pro SSD. Samsung has several excellent deals going on for both internal and external SSD storage. Of course, one person’s internal storage can easily become another’s external drive with the addition of an enclosure, so if you’re looking to pick up SSDs on the cheap, check out the Samsung 990 line of internal storage. The 2TB and 4TB models of the 990 EVO Plus SSD are both on sale for a limited time, as is the 4TB 9100 Pro SSD, which was just released a few months ago. Other Storage Deals Samsung’s T7 SSD. Samsung’s 1TB T7 external SSD is also on sale. I’ve used the company’s T5, T7, and T9 drives for years now for backups and portable storage, and I’ve never had one fail. If you need a little extra storage for your laptop or iPad, I’d go with one of these. I don’t have a NAS, but I wanted to highlight that Seagate’s IronWolf 12TB HDD is on sale on Amazon, too. There has been a lot of talk about Synology’s move toward requiring its own proprietary drives in consumer NAS systems, but if you have an older Synology or one that doesn’t require proprietary drives, Seagate’s IronWolf drives, which are made for NASes, are worth considering. Batteries and Charging The Anker C1000 “Big Battery.” I think most readers know by now that I love a big battery. I’ve been running an Anker C1000 battery as a backup for my desktop setup for about a month, and it’s been great. It just so happens that Amazon has a deep discount on the C1000 for a limited time. Anker’s “big but not huge” C300 battery. If the C1000 is too big for your taste, I’d look at Anker’s SOLIX C300. It’s considerably smaller, which means it has a smaller 288Wh capacity, but it has three standard electrical outlets and four USB ports, making it a good option for powering small appliances or just charging all of your devices at once on your next roadtrip. Anker’s compact power strip. One of my other favorite accessories is Anker’s compact power strip that has two pop-up standard wall outlets and four USB ports. The power strip can deliver 140W of power and has a little LED display showing the wattage each port is supplying. It’s a simple accessory, but it’s been perfect for working on my balcony, where I don’t have many outlets but often need to charge or power multiple devices. Sonos The Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar. Sonos fans can snag some good deals now, too. I have a Sonos Move that I love, and it’s on sale for one of its lowest prices ever. The bargains on Amazon also extend to: the Era 300 smart speaker, the Roam 2 portable speaker, and the Beam Gen 2 soundbar, all of which have great reputations for sound quality. Everything Else Insta360’s Link 2 webcam. Another deal worth mentioning is the Insta360 Link 2 webcam. I haven’t tried this one myself, but I’ve had enough experience with Insta360’s other cameras to say that if I were looking to buy a webcam now, this is the one I’d buy. It’s funny looking, but Federico swears by the ProtoArc Ergonomic Mouse. Also, the ProtoArc Ergonomic Mouse is deeply discounted on Amazon right now. This is the mouse that Federico has been using for quite a while now and loves. It has options for both Bluetooth 5 and 2.4GHz connectivity, plus it can connect with up to three different devices. I’ve been a fan of the Logitech MX Master 3S Mouse for a long time, but ever since I heard about the ProtoArc from Federico, it’s been in the back of my mind as one I’d try if the MX Master 3S ever broke or became uncomfortable. Alright, folks, that’s it for my Labor Day deals roundup. There are lots of good deals out there right now, so check them out when you have a chance, and if you haven’t already, follow MacStories Deals on Mastodon or Bluesky, where you’ll find more deal recommendations like the ones above every day. This story includes Amazon affiliate links. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Relay Launches Its 2025 Fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
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- fundraiser
- podcasts
- Relay
Today, Relay kicked off its annual fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help combat childhood cancer. We’d love it if MacStories readers joined us in supporting this cause. You can make a donation by visiting here. As Stephen Hackett explains on 512 Pixels: [St. Jude] is leading the way the world understands, treats […]
Today, Relay kicked off its annual fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help combat childhood cancer. We’d love it if MacStories readers joined us in supporting this cause. You can make a donation by visiting here. As Stephen Hackett explains on 512 Pixels: [St. Jude] is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. If that sounds expensive, it’s because it is, but the bill isn’t passed to the families of patients. At St. Jude, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay. Relay, which has raised over $4 million for St. Jude over the years, will be raising money through the end of September. Thanks in advance for checking out Relay’s fundraiser for St. Jude and to all who donate. → Source: 512pixels.net
Apple Announces September 9 Awe Dropping Event
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- AirPods
- apple watch
- iPhone
- September 2025 Event
Today, Apple announced that it will host an event entitled “Awe Dropping” on September 9, 2025, at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. The company is expected to announce the iPhone 17 line, including the new iPhone 17 Air, alongside new Apple Watches and potentially AirPods Pro. The event will be streamed live globally on Apple’s Events […]
Today, Apple announced that it will host an event entitled “Awe Dropping” on September 9, 2025, at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. The company is expected to announce the iPhone 17 line, including the new iPhone 17 Air, alongside new Apple Watches and potentially AirPods Pro. The event will be streamed live globally on Apple’s Events page as well as on YouTube and in the Apple TV app. Some members of the media were invited to watch the event in person at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park. The MacStories team will be covering all the details of the event, so stay tuned and get ready for September 9. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Tot 2.0: A Thoughtful Extension of an Already Elegant Note-Taking App
- reviews
- app
- App Watch
- featured
- iPad
- iPhone
- mac
- note-taking
- utility
Late yesterday, The Iconfactory released 2.0 updates to Tot for macOS, Tot Pocket for iOS and iPadOS, and Tot Mini for watchOS. The apps, which The Iconfactory describes as tiny text companions, include a handful of big new features that span all three versions, along with other updates and fixes that are unique to each […]
Late yesterday, The Iconfactory released 2.0 updates to Tot for macOS, Tot Pocket for iOS and iPadOS, and Tot Mini for watchOS. The apps, which The Iconfactory describes as tiny text companions, include a handful of big new features that span all three versions, along with other updates and fixes that are unique to each platform. What hasn’t changed is Tot’s incredible design and reliable performance across all platforms. The app showcases some of The Iconfactory’s best app design work, which Federico described in his review of version 1.0: Tot’s colored dots serve the dual purpose of being spatial navigation tool and context indicators. You can navigate across documents in the app with a quick swipe, and in doing so on modern iPhones you’ll feel a delightful haptic tap; alternatively, you can tap the dots to switch documents. As I mentioned above, each dot carries a color, which becomes the background color of the selected document (vibrancy is also used to let the color shine through the software keyboard – a nice touch). The palette chosen by The Iconfactory for Tot’s seven documents is some of the finest selection of colors I’ve seen in a modern iOS app: it looks great in light mode, and it looks amazing in dark mode thanks to its combination of high contrast and translucency. The combination of that elegant design with reliable sync across multiple OSes and thoughtful Shortcuts integration has understandably made the Tot family of apps integral to a lot of MacStories readers’ workflows. However, if you haven’t tried any of the Tot apps before, it’s worth checking out Federico’s review of version 1.0 for the fundamentals because they haven’t changed, and I’ll be focusing on what’s new. My favorite 2.0 feature is that Tot now supports automatic indenting. If you indent a line using the Tab key, the next line will begin at the same indentation level when you hit Return. That makes creating hierarchical lists a lot faster than before. My only quibble with the feature is that if you’re making a bulleted list, to indent a line, you need to first back up and place your cursor before the bullet, whereas other text editors allow you to indent a line even though the cursor appears after the bullet. Still, it’s an excellent addition that I’m glad to see included in the update. Tot allows you to define pairs of smart bullets. Speaking of bullets, Tot 2.0 also supports customizable smart bullets. From the app’s settings, you can choose from different pairs of symbols and emoji, like empty and filled circles or empty and filled stars. To toggle between the symbols in each pair, all you need to do is click or tap on them. If the eight default pairs aren’t to your taste, there are a bunch of alternatives you can use instead, such as the snowflake and flame emoji. It’s a clever twist on standard checkboxes and radio buttons that I’ve enjoyed because it adds some character and color to the app. Tot adds eight new text dividers, too. From the classic three dashes used in Markdown to asterisks and more, there’s a nice variety of options. Plus, you can easily insert a divider with the keyboard shortcut Control + Minus. The Iconfactory has made other platform-specific changes, too: Settings have been redesigned in the Mac version and include new options, such as floating the Tot window over other windows. The iOS and iPadOS versions include a menu button that offers access to the app’s settings along with a couple of bulk operations like saving, sharing, and exporting notes. The watch app’s design has been refreshed with simplified controls and colorful backgrounds. It’s great to see the Tot apps reach version 2.0. The three tentpole features – automatic indenting, custom smart bullets, and text dividers – are all meaningful improvements that don’t compromise the apps’ simplicity. Those features, along with several quality of life improvements and other bug fixes that you can read about in Tot’s version history, add up to an excellent update that should serve users well for a long time. Tot is available on the Mac App Store, and Tot Pocket is available on the iOS and iPadOS App Store. Each costs $19.99, though existing users can update to Tot Pocket at no extra cost. Tot Mini, the Apple Watch app, is available as a separate $1.99 purchase. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
TESSAN Universal Travel Adapter: The 140W GaN Charger That Will Power All Your Apple Gear [Sponsor]
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If you’ve ever found yourself juggling multiple chargers for your iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and AirPods in a hotel room, you need to check out TESSAN’s 140W GaN Universal Travel Adapter. Its compact design replaces your entire charging setup with a single, intelligently designed adapter that works in over 200 countries, delivering the power you need. […]
If you’ve ever found yourself juggling multiple chargers for your iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and AirPods in a hotel room, you need to check out TESSAN’s 140W GaN Universal Travel Adapter. Its compact design replaces your entire charging setup with a single, intelligently designed adapter that works in over 200 countries, delivering the power you need. The TESSAN adapter leverages GaN technology to deliver 140W of total power through three USB-C ports and one USB-A port, while maintaining a footprint smaller than most laptop chargers. The top USB-C port delivers up to 100W—enough to fast-charge a MacBook Pro while the remaining ports will intelligently distribute power to charge your other devices simultaneously. The universal plug design features slide-out prongs for U.S., UK, EU, and Australian outlets, eliminating the need to pack multiple regional adapters. The TESSAN adapter also includes surge protection, over-current protection, and temperature control. Plus, the GaN semiconductor technology generates less heat than traditional silicon-based chargers, making it safer for extended use in cramped spaces. MacStories readers can get the TESSAN Universal Travel Adapter now on Amazon. Our thanks to TESSAN for sponsoring MacStories this week. This post includes affiliate links.. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
One Month with the Aqara G410 Video Doorbell
- reviews
- accessories
- Aqara
- automation
- Doorbell
- featured
- Home app
- home automation
- HomeKit
- Smart Home
Last month, after an advanced preview at CES back in January, Aqara released an update to its G4 smart video doorbell dubbed the Doorbell Camera Hub G410 Select. I had been keeping my eye out for this release ever since its announcement, and it just so happened to coincide with the passing of my existing […]
Last month, after an advanced preview at CES back in January, Aqara released an update to its G4 smart video doorbell dubbed the Doorbell Camera Hub G410 Select. I had been keeping my eye out for this release ever since its announcement, and it just so happened to coincide with the passing of my existing smart doorbell from Netatmo. That was more than enough reason to purchase the G410, and over a month of daily usage, I’ve been enjoying several of the camera’s excellent new features while also wishing for some improvements in other areas. Aqara is a stellar producer of smart home accessories. While they have many products that work with their own app, you can also use them with Apple’s HomeKit framework, either in parallel or exclusively. Another big draw of Aqara products is their affordable price tags. While I wouldn’t call any of their devices cheap, they are all fairly priced for what they offer. This holds true for the G410 doorbell, which goes for a perfectly sensible $129.99 on Amazon. Features While the design of the G410 isn’t that different from the G4, it boasts several internal upgrades. Available in black or white, the doorbell hub integrates with HomeKit as well as Google Home, Alexa, and SmartThings. While the camera’s HomeKit integration supports streaming and recording with HomeKit Secure Video, Activity Zones, and a limited ability to refine the notifications you receive, the Aqara app provides much more granular customization and additional features, which I’ll get into shortly. The G410 doorbell can also be set up as a hub for you to pair child devices from Aqara to. The hub comes in the form of a square speaker, which also serves as a doorbell chime and features a microSD card slot for video storage. (Recording to a NAS is an option, too.) I appreciate that Aqara cameras can double as hubs, preventing you from having to buy a clunky, single-purpose hub that sits in your home taking up space. Like the G4, the G410 provides on-device facial recognition, and the new mmWave sensor is designed to offer better presence detection when someone approaches your door, rather than relying purely on the video picture it captures. The camera has been upgraded to 2K resolution with an impressive 175° angle lens (up from 162°) and still delivers infrared nighttime images. It should be noted that when used with HomeKit, the camera’s video quality is downgraded to 1200p due to restrictions with Apple’s smart home platform. This is disappointing and something I hope Apple plans to rectify in the near future. The G4 was the first and, until now, only HomeKit-compatible video doorbell able to run solely on batteries; the G410 is the second. Like the G4, the G410 allows you to combine batteries with a hardwired setup to give you that extra peace of mind. Finally, the G410 video doorbell hub includes support for Matter, dual-band WiFi, standard WPA3 security, a three-month trial of Aqara’s cloud storage, and even a voice modulator to contort your voice as it’s heard by people through the doorbell’s speaker. Installation Installing the doorbell was refreshingly quick and easy. After drilling two holes in the wall next to my front door with the template, I screwed in the back plate, attached the optional angle mount, and prepared to mount the doorbell. If you can’t drill outside your front door, you can fix the doorbell to your wall with the provided adhesive pad – ideal for renters. I planned to put the doorbell through its paces with just batteries at first, so I didn’t initially attach the transformer I previously had set up for my Netatmo doorbell. Installation was quick and the G410 fits nicely next to my door. Next, I took the square speaker, which doubles as the repeater unit, inside the house and plugged it into a socket on the other side of the wall from the doorbell. Aqara recommends you keep the repeater within five meters of the doorbell, so my thickness-of-a-brick distance more than fulfilled that obligation. The repeater which doubles as a hub and speaker can also house an microSD card. The last part of the installation was done via the Aqara app, though you can use the Home app and skip Aqara’s altogether. The app took me through a few steps to connect the repeater to my home network. Adding the G410 doorbell to the Aqara app and HomeKit is quick and easy. I must reiterate how quick and easy this was. Once the holes were drilled, the rest of the process took around 20 minutes. The setup itself was straightforward and instructive. After checking that the video angle was correct and adding the camera to the Home app, it was time to dive into the Aqara app, and oh boy, is that an experience, both good and bad. The Aqara App Let’s get this out of the way: the Aqara app is not pretty. Despite recent attempts to create a home tab that is reminiscent of Apple’s Home app, interactions are sometimes slow, and simple iOS gestures like swiping to go back are hit or miss in their implementations. The Aqara app is a disorganised mess of text-based lists. The signal is misplaced in the device settings (middle), and some text hasn’t even been entered properly (right). Finding settings for accessories is often like looking for a needle in a haystack. For instance, you want to know what the signal strength of the doorbell is? That’s in Device Settings, because Device Information would probably be too obvious, right? Once you get accustomed to the app’s… shall we say, “quirks”… there are lots of ways to customize how the doorbell performs for you. I have Doorbell Chime enabled on my HomePods via the Home app so I can hear when someone rings the doorbell wherever I am in my house, which makes me appreciate that Aqara offers specific ring settings. You can turn off the chime or adjust the volume, and if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can upload an MP3 file to use as a custom chime. This might be helpful if you pop out to the shop or go away for the weekend. You could upload a short piece of audio telling a visitor you will be back in a minute or that they should leave any parcels with your neighbor. You can do this with the two-way audio feature as well, but we live in an age where Amazon drivers drop your package at the door, ring the doorbell, and then run off before you can even get to the door. This might help with that. Face detection is nothing new, but having not used it with an Aqara product before, I was impressed. It’s not as good as HomeKit Secure Video, but it works well. Whereas HomeKit uses your entire photo library to recognize faces, I didn’t want to give the Aqara app that amount of access. Instead, what you can do is train the on-device system by naming faces it picks up; simply tap on an unknown face and name it. The system does a decent job of guessing who someone is after you’ve named them (especially since it’s only trained on a handful of images), though occasionally, you need to give it another training top-up. This functionality plays well with a feature called lingerer detection. Until you add the faces of your family and friends to the app (left), you will get a lot of lingerer alerts (right) Lingerer detection is a feature that will alert you when someone the doorbell doesn’t recognize has been, well, lingering around your front door. You can refine the threshold for this based on the length of time and distance from the door, which is one area where the new mmWave sensor (metaphorically) shines. After my doorbell learned who my family and friends were, it alerted me a couple of times when someone was going through my family’s bins. We’ve had a few Amazon thefts in recent months, so I’m hoping this feature might catch who’s doing it and we can give the video to the police. My only criticism of lingerer detection is that it has, on occasion, still considered someone a lingerer even after the doorbell is rung. Maybe Aqara could reduce these instances by allowing integration between a smart door sensor and the doorbell so that if your door is opened, the lingerer alert is canceled. All of these different types of triggers and events have the potential to make for a nightmare when it comes to notifications. Thankfully, you can choose which kinds you would like to receive. I settled on turning all event notifications off except for lingerer alerts, and it’s been relatively peaceful so far. There are several other features in the Aqara app that I won’t go into, like a tamper detection alarm and something called Integrated Events that you need Aqara’s subscription service for, but suffice it to say, the amount of customization is satisfyingly high. The main video interface (left), your album of stored clips (middle), and the video timeline (right). Lastly, it’s worth going over the main video interface. When you open the camera view in the Aqara app, there are quick-action buttons to take a snapshot, start a recording, speak through the doorbell, and pause the streaming video. Below these buttons is a control panel with access to several areas of the app, like a live view of all your Aqara cameras, the albums of your recordings, and an event history timeline for all your Aqara devices. Below that, in the tab bar, there is a button called Playback that switches to a vertical timeline. If you have not set the doorbell to record continuously, which requires it to be hardwired, this looks very much like a HomeKit camera event timeline, only vertical. If you do have your doorbell hardwired, the events appear as little notches on the timeline, and you can scrub up and down to find any recorded moment you wish. After a couple of weeks of flawless connectivity on battery power, I connected my doorbell to the transformer, leaving the batteries in place as a backup. Since then, I’ve been continuously recording to a 512GB microSD card, and the app has been pretty responsive with pulling footage from the card. Is the G410 The Perfect Smart Video Doorbell? In short, no. It isn’t. There’s always going to be room for improvement, especially while Aqara insists on sticking with its horrendous app design. What I will say is that the technology behind the G410 not only is solid but features several innovative ideas. Features like the mmWave sensor to improve detection and the concept of lingerer detection are both clever pieces of functionality that I haven’t seen elsewhere within the smart home marketplace. When it comes to HomeKit integration, there’s not a lot to say, in a good way. The G410 does everything that Apple’s HomeKit API allows. It’s responsive when being viewed within the Home app, delivers ringing alerts to your devices quickly, and – thanks to the mmWave sensor – has triggered fewer recorded events in my camera timeline. The Aqara Doorbell Camera Hub G410 Select is a dependable piece of smart home tech. It’s simple to set up and reasonably priced, it maintains a good connection with your smart home, and it allows for advanced customization if you so wish. It’s hard to ask for more from a video doorbell. The Aqara Doorbell Camera Hub G410 Select is available to buy now for $129.99. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Podcast Rewind: European Software and Smoke
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- Comfort Zone
- Magic Rays of Light
- podcast
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: Comfort Zone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-xqQwJfFX8Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Comfort Zone, Episode 63: Thread do be Like That (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-xqQwJfFX8) Niléane brings some “classic” headphones, Chris is in possession of The Big Ball, and everyone tries to go a little bit more European. Magic Rays of […]
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: Comfort Zone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-xqQwJfFX8 Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Comfort Zone, Episode 63: Thread do be Like That (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-xqQwJfFX8) Niléane brings some “classic” headphones, Chris is in possession of The Big Ball, and everyone tries to go a little bit more European. Magic Rays of Light Sigmund and Devon discuss the latest Apple TV hardware rumors and recap Apple Original drama Smoke. Comfort Zone, Episode 63, ‘Thread do be Like That’ Show Notes Main Topics Meze 99 Classics The Big Ball Other stuff iFi Go Link Qwant Things 3 FAIRTIQ Magic Rays of Light, Episode 181, ‘Where There’s Smoke…’ Show Notes Apple TV 4K with A17 Pro New Apple TV Coming Later This Year With A17 Pro Chip | MacRumors Apple TV News Verdy x Beats I Vear’s Daily Routine | Beats Pill Speaker Highest 2 Lowest Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Vinyl Trailer Shape Island — Season 2 Apple Original News Wonder Pets First Look at Palm Royale Season 2 Releases Invasion Extras Pluribus — Sorry About The Blood Severance — Choreography and Merriment at Cinespia Cycling with Kym featuring Sydney Cole Alexander Another Take with Jason Momoa | Cliff Fight Scene The Studio — Rewatch: Episode 110 with Seth Rogen & Bryan Cranston The Studio — Rewatch: Episode 103 with Seth Rogan & Ron Howard Chief of War Tour: Hawai‘i & New Zealand Jurnee Smollett on The Ebro Show Recap Smoke TV App Highlights Superman The Bad Guys 2 Elio The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox Long Story Short Up Next Familiar Touch Peacemaker MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and NPC: Next Portable Console that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media. If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Philips Hue Adds Flexibility to the Play Line with New Wall Washer Lights
- reviews
- accessories
- automation
- featured
- Home app
- HomeKit
- Smart Home
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been testing a pair of Philips Hue Play wall washer lights along with a Play HDMI sync box 8K that the company sent me to test. The wall washer lights are a new and interesting approach to accent lighting for the Hue Play line that I like a […]
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been testing a pair of Philips Hue Play wall washer lights along with a Play HDMI sync box 8K that the company sent me to test. The wall washer lights are a new and interesting approach to accent lighting for the Hue Play line that I like a lot, but they also come with a premium price tag, so it’s worth taking a close look at what they offer. Philips Hue’s Play wall washer lights. Source: Philips Hue. I’ve been using Philips Hue Play lights for a while. I have two Play gradient light tubes in my office; one sits behind a shelf on my desk, providing a backlight to my work environment, while the other is on the top of a tall bookshelf, illuminating what would otherwise be a dark corner of the room. I typically set them to a natural light color using Adaptive Lighting in Apple’s Home app, but they can do fancy gradient colors, too, which can be a fun way to mix things up. A more traditional Play wall washer setup than mine. Source: Philips Hue. But the downside of tube lights is that they take up a lot of horizontal space. That’s where the new wall washer lights come in. They’re cylindrical with a vertical and angled slice taken out of one side, which is where the LEDs are located. Most notably, though, at around six inches tall by a little more than three inches wide, the wall washers work in a much wider variety of places than tube lights. That compact footprint has been perfect for fitting behind my TV, where I’ve already crammed gaming consoles, a Wi-Fi router, and other gear. Other highlights of the Hue Play wall washers include: ColorCast, Philips Hue’s term for the way the wall washers generate highly saturated multi-colored gradients, 1035 lumens of light, which is impressive for such a small device, and the ability to display white light in a wide 2000–6500 Kelvin range. The Play wall washers require a Hue Bridge and are compatible with HomeKit, allowing you to use either the Hue app or the Home app to turn them on and off, dim them, and change their colors. The Hue Play HDMI sync box 8K. Source: Philips Hue. By combining the wall washers with the Play HDMI sync box 8K, you can add an additional level of automation control. The sync box is an HDMI 2.1 switcher with support for video at 8K 60Hz and 4K 120Hz. The device has four HDMI 2.1 inputs and one output that runs to your TV, which allowed me to connect a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch 2, and Apple TV. With the sync box in the middle, communicating with a Hue Bridge, the colors of whatever you watch or play on your TV can be reproduced with the Play wall washer lights and any other compatible Hue lights you own. Setting up a scene and syncing from the Hue app. Light syncing is controlled from the Sync tab in the Hue app or by using the app’s extensive Shortcuts support, where you have the ability to adjust the effect’s brightness and intensity based on the type of content you’re watching. At first, I found the shifting lights on the wall behind my TV to be a little distracting, but before long, the novelty wore off in a good way. The lights became an enhancement to the viewing experience that I came to expect and missed when I turned them off. Adjusting the the sync effect. As it turns out, my TV setup isn’t ideal for any backlighting because about half of the TV is backed by a window. But that’s where the flexibility of the Play wall washers came in handy. Instead of placing them on the sides of my TV, I took advantage of the corner of the room where my TV sits, pointing one light at the wall behind the TV and the other at the wall next to it, and it has worked out well. I set up the Play wall washer lights in a corner of my living room behind my TV. The Play wall washers work in other contexts too. Although the Play sync box doesn’t work with a Mac Studio Display, you can pair the lights with the Hue Sync Mac app, which works like the tab in Hue’s iOS app, allowing you to mirror the colors on your Mac’s screen as you work. The wall washers can also be used as standalone table lamps or as accent lighting in other environments, controlled by either the Hue or Home app like any other smart lights you may own. Although I’ve only used the Play wall washers for a couple of weeks, another advantage of Hue lighting that I expect they will share over time is durability. I’ve used Hue lights for years and never had one die on me, which is more than I can say for many other smart home gadgets. You can buy single Play wall washer lights, too. Source: Philips Hue. That said, Hue’s Play wall washers and the Play sync box 8K aren’t cheap. A single wall washer light costs $219.99, and a pair costs $384.99, the same price as the Play sync box 8K. Whether it’s worth it for you to pay those prices really depends on your use case. I’ve spent a lot on Hue lighting in my office because I spend a lot of time there and appreciate the control Philips Hue lights give me in that environment. If you feel the same way about your surroundings when sitting on your couch to watch a movie or play a game, the Play wall washers and sync box 8K are a great investment that I expect will last a long time and won’t disappoint. The Hue Play wall washer lights are available in white and black directly from Philips Hue for $219.99 individually and $384.99 as a pair. The Hue Play sync box 8K is likewise available from Philips Hue for $384.99. Singles and pairs of wall washer lights and the sync box 8K are also available from Amazon. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Who Is Liquid Glass For?
- Linked
- design
- iOS 26
The Iconfactory’s Craig Hockenberry had an interesting post over the weekend on Furbo.org that struck a chord with me. The post explores the ‘why’ surrounding Liquid Glass contrasting the upcoming iOS 26 changes with the transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7. That earlier change was driven by a need to make app design accessible […]
The Iconfactory’s Craig Hockenberry had an interesting post over the weekend on Furbo.org that struck a chord with me. The post explores the ‘why’ surrounding Liquid Glass contrasting the upcoming iOS 26 changes with the transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7. That earlier change was driven by a need to make app design accessible to more people, which, as Hockenberry explains, seems different from the motivation behind Liquid Glass: I’m unaware of anyone outside of Apple who’s thinking “we really need to have more fluid glass in our designs”. Of particular note during the introduction is how much time they spend showing off glass blocks and talking about the physical effect itself. While not addressing the most important question: “why do we need this?” And I’m pretty sure the answer is “we don’t”. The answer is “Apple does.” Hockenberry thinks the switch to Liquid Glass is being driven by unreleased hardware very much like the iOS 11 safe areas that were instituted before the iPhone X’s notch and Home indicator debuted. It’s a great theory that could easily have people facepalming in the not-too-distant future. I hope he’s right. → Source: furbo.org
The iOS 26 Features Not Coming to Older iPhones
- news
- iOS 26
Source: Apple. Each fall’s major iOS update and its accompanying set of new features have become a staple of the iPhone user experience. iPhone owners – even those who don’t keep up with all the latest Apple news – expect and anticipate these enhancements every year. However, for those who aren’t on the latest-generation devices, […]
Source: Apple. Each fall’s major iOS update and its accompanying set of new features have become a staple of the iPhone user experience. iPhone owners – even those who don’t keep up with all the latest Apple news – expect and anticipate these enhancements every year. However, for those who aren’t on the latest-generation devices, it may not always be clear which of this year’s new features you’ll have access to. Even if a device supports iOS 26, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be able to run every system feature. To save you from having to comb through a bunch of footnotes on Apple’s website or, worse, wait until this fall to find out which capabilities your device will support, I’ve compiled a list of all the iOS 26 features that are limited to newer iPhones. Here’s what you can expect based on the model you’re using. First off, it’s important to know whether or not your device will be able to run iOS 26 at all. These are the iPhones for which the new version will be available: iPhone 16 line (iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and iPhone 16e) iPhone 15 line (iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max) iPhone 14 line (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max) iPhone 13 line (iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max) iPhone 12 line (iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max) iPhone 11 line (iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max) iPhone SE (2nd generation and 3rd generation) If you’re using an iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max, you won’t be able to update from iOS 18 to iOS 26, as those devices have been dropped from the compatibility list this year. Liquid Glass is coming to all iPhones that run iOS 26. Source: Apple. The good news is that if your device does run iOS 26, then you’ll definitely get to experience the most prominent element of the update: the new Liquid Glass design language. The striking new design – with its translucency, light reflection and refraction, dynamic elements, and more – is coming to older iPhones as well as newer ones. (Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for tvOS 26, which is leaving my beloved first-generation Apple TV 4K on the old design.) Apple Intelligence features are limited to newer iPhone models. Source: Apple. Next up, keep in mind that Apple Intelligence is still only available on the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 line (iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and iPhone 16e). This means that all the new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26 will be limited to those devices. They include the following: visual intelligence in the screenshot UI Apple Intelligence Shortcuts actions (including ‘Use Model’) Live Translation for conversations in Messages, Phone, and FaceTime voicemail summaries poll suggestions in group chats task suggestions when sharing text or a webpage to Reminders via the share sheet auto-categorization of Reminders tasks email-based order tracking in Wallet the ability to mix multiple emoji together into custom Genmoji new Image Playground styles from ChatGPT finer control over Genmoji and Image Playground images based on people Image Playground-generated chat backgrounds That’s a long list of features that older devices won’t have access to. However, there are some new capabilities that sound like they’re powered by Apple Intelligence but aren’t. The new Lyrics Translation feature in Apple Music doesn’t rely on Apple Intelligence and thus will be available on all iPhones running iOS 26. Also available on older devices: excellent new Phone capabilities like Call Screening and Hold Assist. Finally, there are a couple of new photo-related features that won’t be offered on all devices running iOS 26. Spatial scenes, which add depth to your photos so you can simulate looking at them from different angles as you tilt your phone, will only be available on the iPhone 12 and later. And the new system hint that lets you know your camera lens needs cleaning will only be offered on the iPhone 15 and later. And those are the iOS 26 features that won’t be coming to older iPhones. Regardless of which iPhone you’re using, there’s still a lot of new functionality packed into the update, like the new Games app and Visited Places in Maps. So stick around for more of our coverage of iOS 26 and Apple’s other OS updates as we get closer to their release this fall. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Rogue Amoeba: Powerful Audio Tools for Your Mac [Sponsor]
- Sponsored Posts
- sponsorships
The folks at Rogue Amoeba are back to sponsor MacStories this week. If you’re not already familiar with them, they’ve been notable makers of powerful audio tools for your Mac since 2002. From professionals to hobbyists to everyday consumers, they’ve got tools to help you with audio. It’s a cinch to make recordings with the […]
The folks at Rogue Amoeba are back to sponsor MacStories this week. If you’re not already familiar with them, they’ve been notable makers of powerful audio tools for your Mac since 2002. From professionals to hobbyists to everyday consumers, they’ve got tools to help you with audio. It’s a cinch to make recordings with the flagship product Audio Hijack, which can now even transcribe audio. Or, take advantage of SoundSource to gain volume control for each app playing audio on your Mac, as well as the power to apply audio effects and even redirect playback to different devices. If you want to enhance your microphone’s capabilities, Loopback is the perfect tool. With its virtual audio devices, you can combine app audio and your microphone seamlessly, then bring it into Zoom or any other voice chat app. You can even pair Loopback with the Mac’s best soundboard app, Farrago, to add sound effects or background audio to calls and recordings. Rogue Amoeba offers free trials for all their apps, and you can set them up in seconds. And if you’re running Apple’s beta OS, you’ll be happy to know Rogue Amoeba’s apps already work on Tahoe. As a MacStories reader, you can save 20% on any purchase through the end of August by using discount code STORIES2508. Visit their store to get started. Our thanks to the folks at Rogue Amoeba for sponsoring MacStories this week. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Podcast Rewind: A Big Ball and The Buccaneers
- news
- Comfort Zone
- Magic Rays of Light
- podcast
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: Comfort Zone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyeIOHVeXv4&pp=0gcJCa0JAYcqIYzvVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Comfort Zone, Episode 62: I’d Like to Sell You a Big Ball (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyeIOHVeXv4&pp=0gcJCa0JAYcqIYzv) Matt wonders why there are so many face computers, Niléane has an awesome podcast app update, and Chris figures out which of two […]
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: Comfort Zone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyeIOHVeXv4&pp=0gcJCa0JAYcqIYzv Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Comfort Zone, Episode 62: I’d Like to Sell You a Big Ball (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyeIOHVeXv4&pp=0gcJCa0JAYcqIYzv) Matt wonders why there are so many face computers, Niléane has an awesome podcast app update, and Chris figures out which of two compelling pitches he gets to buy. Magic Rays of Light Sigmund and Devon break down the variations in video and audio quality across streaming and recap the second season of The Buccaneers. Comfort Zone, Episode 62, ‘I’d Like to Sell You a Big Ball’ Show Notes Main Topics Meta Ray-Bans Castro Other Stuff Adam’s HTTP, DNS, and SMTP stickers Meta Reality Labs is losing tons of money Eve Flare…aka the big ball Nomad Slim Wallet Nomatic wallet Magic Rays of Light, Episode 180, ‘1870 Something’ Show Notes Pre-Roll Wild Life: Orangutans Main Topic How to Unlock Detailed Streaming Statistics on the Apple TV Apple Original News Mr. Scorsese — First Look Apple Original Films on PVOD CODA The Banker Emancipation Greyhound On The Rocks Spirited The Tragedy of Macbeth Finch Releases F1 in IMAX Discount Tickets Highest 2 Lowest Highest 2 Lowest (Original Soundtrack) Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical Unicorn Girl Extras Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical — “When We Were Light” Lyric Video Chief of War — Inside the Episode 103: “City of Flowers” Recap The Buccaneers TV App Highlights How to Train Your Dragon Jurassic World: Rebirth Fixed Sausage Party: Foodtopia Night Always Comes Superman Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning Up Next Wednesday Eddington MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and NPC: Next Portable Console that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media. If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Apple Announces Redesigned Blood Oxygen Feature for U.S. Watch Market
- news
- apple watch
- litigation
- regulation
Source: Apple. Since 2023, Apple has been locked in a dispute with Masimo over patents related to the Apple Watch’s Blood Oxygen feature. That meant for more than 18 months, Apple Watches in the U.S. were sold without Blood Oxygen monitoring. Today, the company announced that: Apple will introduce a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature for […]
Source: Apple. Since 2023, Apple has been locked in a dispute with Masimo over patents related to the Apple Watch’s Blood Oxygen feature. That meant for more than 18 months, Apple Watches in the U.S. were sold without Blood Oxygen monitoring. Today, the company announced that: Apple will introduce a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature for some Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users through an iPhone and Apple Watch software update coming later today. The update doesn’t affect watches in the U.S. that already had Blood Oxygen feature or watches sold elsewhere in the world. According to Apple, today’s update was enabled by a recent U.S. Customs ruling, and: Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app. It’s good to see the Blood Oxygen feature returning to all Apple Watches, and not just future hardware releases. It will be interesting to see how the redesigned feature, which requires an iPhone, compares to the original feature that is no longer available in new hardware. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Cassette: A Video Time Machine
- reviews
- iOS
- iPadOS
- video
Devin Davies, the developer of Crouton whom Federico and I interviewed after he won an Apple Design Award in 2024, has released a new app called Cassette. It’s an app for browsing videos from the photo library on your iPhone or iPad that has a fun design twist. Leaning heavily into the nostalgia of watching […]
Devin Davies, the developer of Crouton whom Federico and I interviewed after he won an Apple Design Award in 2024, has released a new app called Cassette. It’s an app for browsing videos from the photo library on your iPhone or iPad that has a fun design twist. Leaning heavily into the nostalgia of watching old videos of friends and family, Cassette sorts your videos using a VCR metaphor. Videos are organized by year and by collection, with video cassette art and a label identifying each. At the top of the screen is an old CRT TV with a built-in VCR. Tap a year or collection, and it loads into the TV with satisfying haptic feedback on the iPhone. Videos running full-screen. Tap the virtual TV, and the video goes full-screen with date and location data that’s reminiscent of a VCR’s UI. While watching videos, the app offers standard playback controls along with a shuffle button, buttons to share and favorite videos, and an eject button to return to your video collections. Videos cycle from one to the next and then loop back to the beginning, where playback continues. You can also swipe through videos TikTok-style, skipping over any you don’t want to watch. Finally, there’s a ‘Take Me Somewhere’ button at the bottom that drops you at a random location in your video collection, eliminating the need to pick something yourself. Most of the functionality found in Cassette is available in other video players, but that doesn’t make it any less fun or delightful. What sets the app apart is its focus on design and framing. From the drop, Cassette is designed to transport you to the past with its VCR-inspired UI and singular focus on videos, transforming into a sort of handheld time machine. Cassette is available on the App Store as a free download. Certain features are only available via a $0.99/month or $5.99/year subscription or a $7.99 one-time payment. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Podcast Rewind: The Ideal AI App and Nintendo’s Pricing Changes
- news
- appstories
- NPC
- podcast
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: AppStories This week, Federico and John pick and choose their favorite AI app features to imagine a better AI app future, critiquing the leading LLM apps along the way. And as a bonus, John explains why read-later apps should support Shortcuts and other automation schemes. On […]
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: AppStories This week, Federico and John pick and choose their favorite AI app features to imagine a better AI app future, critiquing the leading LLM apps along the way. And as a bonus, John explains why read-later apps should support Shortcuts and other automation schemes. On AppStories+, the critique continues with a look at how Todoist could be improved. This episode is sponsored by: Factor – Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door. Use code appstories50off NPC: Next Portable Console https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS-sV_-zxVI Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Nintendo Faces Tariffs, But Keeps Switch 2 Pricing Steady | NPC: Next Portable Console | Episode 45 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS-sV_-zxVI) This week, Brendon and John mind the show while Federico is on vacation, covering Nintendo’s pricing changes, the latest on Retroid’s second screen accessory, the TrinketOS Android front end, Manic EMU for iOS, and more. Then, for Patreon members, John and Brendon share what they’d like to see from a Steam Deck 2 and consider the intersection of No Phone Summer and retro handhelds. AppStories, Episode 449, ‘Building a Better AI App’ Show Notes Building a Better AI App Federico and John take a close look at what works and what doesn’t with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, NotebookLM and other AI apps. Read-later apps could learn a thing or two from GoodLinks. Mentioned: Folio Readwise Reader GoodLinks NPC, Episode 45, ‘Nintendo Faces Tariffs, But Keeps Switch 2 Pricing Steady’ Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News Wavelengths 2.0: A Podcast and a Patreon Switch and Switch 2: Tariffs and Pricing Nintendo’s Switch 2 doubles first-month sales of the original – The Verge Nintendo raises the Switch 1 price from $299 to $339 – The Verge Antank has an updated dock. Retroid 2nd Screen Retroid Reveals Real-World Photos of Upcoming Dual Screen Add-On - Retro Handhelds Retroid Adjusts Shipping for Dual Screen Accessory, Offers Coupon - Retro Handhelds Android and iOS Emulation TrinketOS is an extremely weird and cool new Android frontend Manic EMU for iOS Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the “regular” NPC episodes. You can subscribe here. MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and NPC: Next Portable Console that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media. If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Claude’s Chat History and App Integrations as a Form of Lock-In
- Linked
- AI
- Anthropic
- artificial intelligence
- claude
- LLMs
Earlier today, Anthropic announced that, similar to ChatGPT, Claude will be able to search and reference your previous chats with it. From their support document: You can now prompt Claude to search through your previous conversations to find and reference relevant information in new chats. This feature helps you continue discussions seamlessly and retrieve context […]
Earlier today, Anthropic announced that, similar to ChatGPT, Claude will be able to search and reference your previous chats with it. From their support document: You can now prompt Claude to search through your previous conversations to find and reference relevant information in new chats. This feature helps you continue discussions seamlessly and retrieve context from past interactions without re-explaining everything. If you’re wondering what Claude can actually search: You can prompt Claude to search conversations within these boundaries: All chats outside of projects. Individual project conversations (searches are limited to within each specific project). Conversation history is a powerful feature of modern LLMs, and although Anthropic hasn’t announced personalized context based on memory yet (a feature that not everybody likes), it seems like that’s the next shoe to drop. Chat search, memory with personalized context, larger context windows, and performance are the four key aspects I preferred in ChatGPT; Anthropic just addressed one of them, and a second may be launching soon. As I’ve shared on Mastodon, despite the power and speed of GPT-5, I find myself gravitating more and more toward Claude (and specifically Opus 4.1) because of MCP and connectors. Claude works with the apps I already use and allows me to easily turn conversations into actions performed in Notion, Todoist, Spotify, or other apps that have an API that can talk to Claude. This is changing my workflow in two notable ways: I’m only using ChatGPT for “regular” web search queries (mostly via the Safari extension) and less for work because it doesn’t match Claude’s extensive MCP support with tools; and I’m prioritizing web apps that have well-supported web APIs that work with LLMs over local apps that don’t (Spotify vs. Apple Music, Todoist vs. Reminders, Notion vs. Notes, etc.). Chat search (and, again, I hope personalized context based on memory soon) further adds to this change in the apps I use. Let me offer an example. I like combining Claude’s web search abilities with Zapier tools that integrate with Spotify to make Claude create playlists for me based on album reviews or music roundups. A few weeks ago, I started the process of converting this Chorus article into a playlist, but I never finished the task since I was running into Zapier rate limits. This evening, I asked Claude if we ever worked on any playlists, it found the old chats and pointed out that one of them still needed to be completed. From there, it got to work again, picked up where it left off in Chorus’ article, and finished filling the playlist with the most popular songs that best represent the albums picked by Jason Tate and team. So not only could Claude find the chat, but it got back to work with tools based on the state of the old conversation. Resuming a chat that was about creating a Spotify playlist (right). Sadly, Apple Music doesn’t integrate with LLMs like this. Even more impressively, after Claude was done finishing the playlist from an old chat, I asked it to take all the playlists created so far and append their links to my daily note in Notion; that also worked. From my phone, in a conversation that started as a search test for old chats and later grew into an agentic workflow that called tools for web search, Spotify, and Notion. I find these use cases very interesting, and they’re the reason I struggle to incorporate ChatGPT into my everyday workflow beyond web searches. They’re also why I hesitate to use Apple apps right now, and I’m not sure Liquid Glass will be enough to win me back over. → Source: support.anthropic.com
Building Tools with GPT-5
- Linked
- AI
- Anthropic
- artificial intelligence
- claude
- OpenAI
Yesterday, Parker Ortolani wrote about several vibe coding projects he’s been working on and his experience with GPT-5: The good news is that GPT-5 is simply amazing. Not only does it design beautiful user interfaces on its own without even needing guidance, it has also been infinitely more reliable. I couldn’t even count the number […]
Yesterday, Parker Ortolani wrote about several vibe coding projects he’s been working on and his experience with GPT-5: The good news is that GPT-5 is simply amazing. Not only does it design beautiful user interfaces on its own without even needing guidance, it has also been infinitely more reliable. I couldn’t even count the number of times I have needed to work with the older models to troubleshoot errors that they created themselves. Thus far, GPT-5 has not caused a single build error in Xcode. I’ve had a similar initial experience. Leading up to the release of GPT-5, I used Claude Opus 4 and 4.1 to create a Python script that queries the Amazon Product Advertising API to check whether there are any good deals on a long list of products. I got it working, but it typically returned a list of 200-300 deals sorted by discount percentage. Though those results were fine, a percentage discount only roughly correlates to whether something is a good deal. What I wanted was to rank the deals by assigning different weights to several factors and coming up with a composite score for each. Having reached my token limits with Claude, I went to GPT-o3 for help, and it failed, scrambling my script. A couple of days later, GPT-5 launched, so I gave that a try, and it got the script right on the very first try. Now, my script spits out a spreadsheet sorted by rank, making spotting the best deals a little easier than before. In the days since, I’ve used GPT-5 to set up a synced Python environment across two Macs and begun the process of creating a series of Zapier automations to simplify other administrative tasks. These tasks are all very specific to MacStories and the work I do, so I’ve stuck with scripting them instead of building standalone apps. However, it’s great to hear about Ortolani’s experiences with creating interfaces for native and web apps. It opens up the possibility of creating tools for the rest of the MacStories team that would be easier to install and maintain than walking people through what I’ve done in Terminal. This statement from Ortolani also resonated with me: As much as I can understand what code is when I’m looking at it, I just can’t write it. Vibe coding has opened up a whole new world for me. I’ve spent more than a decade designing static concepts, but now I can make those concepts actually work. It changes everything for someone like me. I can’t decide whether this is like being able to read a foreign language without knowing how to speak it or the other way around, but I completely understand where Ortolani is coming from. It’s helped me a lot to have a basic understanding of how code works, how apps are built, and – as Ortolani mentions – how to write a good prompt for the LLM you’re using. What’s remarkable to me is that those few ingredients combined with GPT-5 have gone such a long way to eliminate the upfront time I need to get projects like these off the ground. Instead of spending days on research without knowing whether I could accomplish what I set out to do, I’ve been able to just get started and, like Ortolani, iterate quickly, wasting little time if I reach a dead end and, best of all, shortening the time until I have a result that makes my life a little easier. Federico and I have said many times that LLMs are another form of automation and automation is just another form of coding. GPT-5 and Claude Opus 4.1 are rapidly blurring the lines between both, making automation and coding more accessible than ever. → Source: parkerortolani.blog
Direct Mail 7: Professional Email Marketing Built Just for Mac Users [Sponsor]
- Sponsored Posts
- sponsorships
If you run a business, a side hustle, a podcast, or just want to stay in touch with a community, you know how important great email marketing can be. That’s where Direct Mail comes in — a native macOS app that makes it incredibly easy to design, send, and track email campaigns that get results. […]
If you run a business, a side hustle, a podcast, or just want to stay in touch with a community, you know how important great email marketing can be. That’s where Direct Mail comes in — a native macOS app that makes it incredibly easy to design, send, and track email campaigns that get results. Unlike web-based alternatives, Direct Mail is designed specifically for macOS, with the speed, polish, and Mac-first integration you expect. The brand-new Version 7 is a huge leap forward. This update brings a host of new features, including a reimagined user interface, smarter list management, powerful email signup forms, upgraded reporting, and all-new tools to help your emails stand out. Whether you’re sending to 10 people or 10,000, Direct Mail gives you the tools to do it professionally and painlessly. If you’ve ever been frustrated with clunky, web-based email marketing tools, or just want something that feels right at home on your Mac, check out Direct Mail. It’s free to download and try, with flexible pricing plans to match every budget — including pay-as-you-go options. You can be up and running with your first campaign in just minutes. Our friendly customer support reps are available via live chat to help with any questions, ensuring you’re never stuck. Get started today and expand your reach with powerful, Mac-first email marketing tools. Our thanks to Direct Mail for sponsoring MacStories this week. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Podcast Rewind: The watchOS 26 Public Beta, Audio Experiments, and an Alien Intervention
- news
- Comfort Zone
- Magic Rays of Light
- podcast
- unwind
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: Comfort Zone https://youtu.be/rP7LyQI8jHcVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Comfort Zone, Episode 61: Big Business Boi (https://youtu.be/rP7LyQI8jHc) Chris wants to talk about OS 26 (but Liquid Glass is OFF LIMITS), Matt found a slick new security camera, and Niléane challenges the gang to downgrade their […]
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: Comfort Zone https://youtu.be/rP7LyQI8jHc Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Comfort Zone, Episode 61: Big Business Boi (https://youtu.be/rP7LyQI8jHc) Chris wants to talk about OS 26 (but Liquid Glass is OFF LIMITS), Matt found a slick new security camera, and Niléane challenges the gang to downgrade their audio setups. MacStories Unwind https://youtu.be/MlRfLozx108 Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Workout Buddies, Comedies, Videogame Podcasts, and Godzilla | MacStories Unwind (https://youtu.be/MlRfLozx108) This week, John is joined by Jonathan Reed to recap the watchOS 26 public beta and share a trio of comedies old and new, along with Brendon Bigley’s new project and a classic monster movie deal. Magic Rays of Light Sigmund and Devon highlight the second season premiere of Apple Original comedy series Platonic and the debut of historical drama Chief of War. Comfort Zone, Episode 61, ‘Big Business Boi’ Show Notes Main Topics iOS 26 Synology CC400W security camera Other Stuff The TRMNL creator isn’t a good dude MacStories Unwind, ‘Workout Buddies, Comedies, Videogame Podcasts, and Godzilla’ Show Notes A watchOS 26 Preview watchOS 26 The MacStories Public Beta Preview Picks Jonathan’s Picks: The Naked Gun (original movie) and the new version starring Liam Neeson King of the Hill on Hulu/Disney+ Platonic on Apple TV+ John’s Pick: Wavelengths Announcement Post: Wavelengths 2.0 A Podcast and a Patreon Unwind Deal Godzilla Minus One Minus Color ($9.99 down from $14.99) MacStories Unwind+ We deliver MacStories Unwind+ to Club MacStories subscribers ad-free and early with high bitrate audio every week. To learn more about the benefits of a Club MacStories subscription, visit our Plans page. Magic Rays of Light, Episode 179, ‘Platonic’s Return and Chief of War’ Show Notes Pre-Roll: An Alien Intervention Vision Pros Highlights Platonic Chief of War Trailer Talk What’s Coming in August 2025 | Chief of War, Platonic & More Snoopy Present: A Summer Musical Invasion — Season 3 KPOPPED KPOPPED Episode Highlights Highest 2 Lowest Releases Wild Life: Orangutans Play-Doh World Worms Across Worlds Let’s Go Mightycat! Everybody Shogi CODA (PVOD) Extras Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical — “Best Time Ever” Lyric Video Strength with Kim and Jurnee Smollett | Apple Fitness+ 28 Years Later Director Danny Boyle Innovates with iPhone Chief of War — Opening Title Sequence TV App Highlights Jurassic World: Rebirth The Pickup Wednesday Ebony & Ivory Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore Alien: Earth Up Next Eyes of Wakanda Weapons MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and NPC: Next Portable Console that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media. If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Apple Expands Its U.S. Manufacturing Commitment
- news
- manufacturing
- tariffs
In February, Apple announced plans to invest $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. Today, that commitment was increased to $600 billion. In the company’s press release, Tim Cook said: Today, we’re proud to increase our investments across the United States to $600 billion over four years and launch our new American […]
In February, Apple announced plans to invest $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. Today, that commitment was increased to $600 billion. In the company’s press release, Tim Cook said: Today, we’re proud to increase our investments across the United States to $600 billion over four years and launch our new American Manufacturing Program. This includes new and expanded work with 10 companies across America. They produce components that are used in Apple products sold all over the world, and we’re grateful to the President for his support. One of the first deals announced is an expansion of Apple’s relationship with Corning to make all cover glass for the iPhone and Apple Watch at a Corning plant in Kentucky. That deal is part of what Apple calls its American Manufacturing Program, in which Coherent, GlobalWafers America (GWA), Applied Materials, Texas Instruments (TI), Samsung, GlobalFoundries, Amkor, and Broadcom will also participate. Apple says the program builds on its deal to buy rare earth magnets from MP Materials, a July 2025 deal that was announced shortly after the unusual sale of $400 million of MP Materials’ preferred stock to the U.S. Department of Defense. Apple continues to be under a lot of political pressure to make its devices in the U.S., despite its prior financial commitments to make components in America. Another $100 billion over four years is a lot, but I suspect this won’t be enough. Instead, I expect we’ll see more of this type of announcement, given how quickly the first half a trillion was followed by another $100 billion. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Podcast Rewind: Public Beta Thoughts and an AYANEO Extravaganza
- news
- appstories
- NPC
- podcast
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: AppStories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m02I41Ss1ZsVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The iPadOS and macOS 26 Public Betas | AppStories | Episode 448 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m02I41Ss1Zs) This week, Federico and John share their experiences with iPadOS and macOS 26, which are now available as part of Apple’s public beta program. […]
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: AppStories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m02I41Ss1Zs Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The iPadOS and macOS 26 Public Betas | AppStories | Episode 448 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m02I41Ss1Zs) This week, Federico and John share their experiences with iPadOS and macOS 26, which are now available as part of Apple’s public beta program. On AppStories+, Federico and John discuss the state of engagement bait posting about Apple and how it’s affecting the discourse about the company and its products. This episode is sponsored by: Turbulence Forecast – Know before you go. Get detailed turbulence forecasts for your exact route, now available 5 days in advance. Learn more at turbulenceforecast.com. NPC: Next Portable Console https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fSJQpM3qug Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Brendon’s Bad Fur Day | NPC: Next Portable Console | Episode 44 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fSJQpM3qug) This week, Brendon KONKRs AYANEO’s two-day announcement-fest and is joined by John and Federico for diversions into 3DS repairs, the GPD Win 5, Gamescom, and more. On NPC XL, which was released last week, Brendon, John, and Federico talked about the recent Nintendo Direct and shared a Switch 2 accessory update. AppStories, Episode 448, ‘The iPadOS and macOS 26 Public Betas’ Show Notes Apple’s iPadOS and macOS 26 Public Betas Our Public Beta Previews Thoughts on iPadOS 26 Hello, It’s Good to Be Back macOS Tahoe The MacStories Public Beta Preview Also Mentioned: Federico on Mac Power Users Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case for the 13” M4 iPad Pro AppStories+ Post-Show Federico and John discuss how social media has changed the way Apple and its products are covered by the media. NPC, Episode 44, ‘Brendon’s Bad Fur Day’ Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News US Tariff Exemptions are Ending All of your international packages are about to get more expensive The Verge GPD Win 5 GPD WIN 5, the world’s first Ryzen AI MAX 395+ Strix Halo handheld, to debut on August 1 GPD’s monster Strix Halo handheld requires a battery ‘backpack’ or a 180W charger Gamescom and Silksong Xbox will let you play Silksong at Gamescom in August Xbox handheld consoles ROG Ally and Ally X preorders open during Gamescom, report says It’s AYANEO All the Way Down AYANEO Announces World’s First Android-Based Flip Dualscreen Handheld Retroid and ANBERNIC should be scared of this budget sub-brand AYANEO Launches Konkr A New Lineup of “Budget” Handhelds AYANEO is working on a gaming phone, mini-laptop, and a whole lot more AYANEO Announce Three Android Devices (And A Controller) Lego Game Boy A New Game Boy is Coming and it’s…LEGO! NPC XL Video: Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase 7.31.2025 The Verge’s Recap: Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase July 2025 all the news and trailers Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the “regular” NPC episodes. You can subscribe here. MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and NPC: Next Portable Console that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media. If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
MacStoriesDeals Returns with Hand-Picked Bargains on Gear and Media
- news
- deals
- macstoriesdeals
Today, we’re bringing back MacStoriesDeals, an outlet for sharing deals with the MacStories community. You can follow our curated collections of gadget and media deals here: Mastodon Bluesky Long-time readers may remember the MacStoriesDeals Twitter account, which we stopped posting to almost seven years ago. We used that account as a way to share the […]
Today, we’re bringing back MacStoriesDeals, an outlet for sharing deals with the MacStories community. You can follow our curated collections of gadget and media deals here: Mastodon Bluesky Long-time readers may remember the MacStoriesDeals Twitter account, which we stopped posting to almost seven years ago. We used that account as a way to share the deals that we came across. Over time, though, Apple slowed its app affiliate spending and then ended it altogether in 2017. That’s when MacStoriesDeals went from a useful resource for readers that also made us a little extra money to a chore we couldn’t justify spending the time on any longer. However, times change. Today, affiliate linking is bigger than ever, and MacStories’ coverage has grown to encompass more gadget reviews and stories, our Setups page, and other media coverage on MacStories Unwind and NPC: Next Portable Console. Plus, with the latest automation tools at our disposal, we can do more with MacStoriesDeals than we ever did before with less effort, which is why we’re bringing it back. There are plenty of other social media accounts and websites out there that aggregate deals, but MacStoriesDeals is going to be a little different. As we’ve noted in our Prime Day coverage the past couple of years, we only recommend deals for gear and media we’ve tried and brands we trust. In other words, these aren’t just any deals; they’re deals we think are worth your time and consideration based on over 25 years of collective editorial experience. The links you’ll find on MacStoriesDeals are affiliate links, usually from the U.S.-based Amazon and Apple storefronts, that will earn us roughly 2-7% when you use one and buy something. Of course, that will be disclosed in the posts, as it already is in the MacStories Privacy Policy. Affiliate link revenue is a small part of MacStories’ annual income, but with the changes the Internet and online media are undergoing, every little bit helps us continue to bring you MacStories’ unique perspective on the Apple universe and beyond. Rest assured, our approach to MacStoriesDeals is the same as it is everywhere at MacStories: we aren’t going to promote deals we don’t believe are worth your time and attention. We’re excited to be revitalizing MacStoriesDeals. It was a great resource for readers looking for bargains in the early days of the site, and we aim to make it so again. We’re also working on ways to do more for readers with MacStoriesDeals in the months ahead. Thanks for supporting everything we do at MacStories. We hope MacStoriesDeals adds a little more to the experience and you consider following along with the deals we recommend on Mastodon and Bluesky. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
JSAUX FlipGo: An Award-Winning 16” Dual Touchscreen Monitor For Your Mac [Sponsor]
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- sponsorships
The promise of portable dual monitors has always been compelling, but the execution has consistently fallen short, until now. JSAUX’s FlipGo 16” Dual Touchscreen Monitor breaks new productivity ground for Mac users. Unlike some alternatives, the FlipGo Pro leverages both DisplayLink technology and native connectivity to deliver true dual-screen functionality on Apple silicon Macs with […]
The promise of portable dual monitors has always been compelling, but the execution has consistently fallen short, until now. JSAUX’s FlipGo 16” Dual Touchscreen Monitor breaks new productivity ground for Mac users. Unlike some alternatives, the FlipGo Pro leverages both DisplayLink technology and native connectivity to deliver true dual-screen functionality on Apple silicon Macs with a single USB-C cable. At its core, the FlipGo represents thoughtful engineering applied to everyday workflows. Its two 16-inch IPS panels deliver genuine 2.5K resolution (2560×1600 total resolution), 100% sRGB color accuracy, and 500 nits brightness. The key innovation lies in the FlipGo’s versatility: switch between UltraView mode for a single expansive workspace, DuoViews for independent dual screens, or ABC mode to create a true triple-monitor setup when combined with your MacBook’s display. You can learn more about the benefits of a foldable dual-screen setup in John’s review of the similar non-touch version of the FlipGo Pro here. Build quality of the FlipGo Pro is superb and is a big part of why it won an iF Design Award and Red Dot award in 2024. The aluminum construction feels substantial without being cumbersome at 1.6kg, while the magnetic mounting system secures everything when the screens are attached to their stand. Even the hinge mechanism is made from premium materials, making it perfect for professionals to take on the go daily. For those who value integrated workflows, the FlipGo’s built-in USB hub functionality provides two USB-A 2.0 ports and an additional USB-C port, effectively expanding your MacBook’s connectivity while powering the displays. When connected to external power, it even provides reverse charging to your laptop — a thoughtful touch that eliminates battery drain during extended sessions. Ready to transform your mobile workspace? Order the JSAUX FlipGo 16” Touchscreen today. This post includes affiliate links. Learn more here. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Podcast Rewind: Oasis at Wembley Stadium, Floating Sidebars, and Golf
- news
- Comfort Zone
- Magic Rays of Light
- podcast
- unwind
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: Comfort Zone https://youtu.be/JYpERk6OaJwVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Comfort Zone, Episode 60: And You Just Flick It! (https://youtu.be/JYpERk6OaJw) Niléane has to let loose on Liquid Glass, Chris runs into the arms of the iPad, and Matt challenges the gang to bring their hottest takes. […]
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: Comfort Zone https://youtu.be/JYpERk6OaJw Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Comfort Zone, Episode 60: And You Just Flick It! (https://youtu.be/JYpERk6OaJw) Niléane has to let loose on Liquid Glass, Chris runs into the arms of the iPad, and Matt challenges the gang to bring their hottest takes. An episode full of spice! MacStories Unwind https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_VSzpsL6J8 Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Oasis and Superheroes, MacStories Unwind (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_VSzpsL6J8) This week, Federico recounts his trip to London to see Oasis play Wembley Stadium, and John recommends the new Fantastic Four movie plus a great deal on a classic comedy. Magic Rays of Light Sigmund and Devon preview the public beta of tvOS 26 and recap Apple Original comedy series Stick. Comfort Zone, Episode 60, ‘And You Just Flick It!’ Show Notes How would you have done our challenges? How would you answer the question at the end of the show? Let us know! Main Topics Liquid Glass and iPadOS 26 Other stuff Jason Snell’s macOS Tahoe Preview The Mac-ification of iPadOS MacStories Unwind, ‘Oasis and Superheroes’ Show Notes Picks Federico’s Pick: Oasis Live at Wembley Stadium John’s Pick: Fantastic Four: First Steps Unwind Deal Warm up for Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix with the original: Happy Gilmore, released in 1996, is available in the TV app for just $7.99 MacStories Unwind+ We deliver MacStories Unwind+ to Club MacStories subscribers ad-free and early with high bitrate audio every week. To learn more about the benefits of a Club MacStories subscription, visit our Plans page. Magic Rays of Light, Episode 178, ‘The tvOS 26 Public Beta Preview and Stick’ Show Notes tvOS 26 Public Beta Apple Beta Program Apple TV News Bluey x Fruit Ninja Classic+ Apple Arcade Promotion Apple Original News First Look at The Savant The Lost Bus Trailer First Look at The Last Frontier The Last Frontier — Date Announcement First Look at Down Cemetery Road Pluribus — Date Announcement Pluribus — (202) 808-3981 Releases Chief of War Stillwater Recap Stick The Compassionate Friends Non-Profit Organization for Grief MISS Foundation TV App Highlights The Life of Chuck 28 Years Later Twisted Metal Final Destination Bloodlines Eyes of Wakanda 007: Road To A Million Caught by the Tides Bob Trevino Likes It Sorry, Baby Up Next King of the Hill Project Runway MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and NPC: Next Portable Console that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media. If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Apple Reports Q3 2025 Financial Results
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- earnings
- earnings call
Apple’s third-quarter 2025 earnings are out and Apple reported revenue of $94 billion, a 10% year-over-year gain. The diluted earnings per share was $1.57 an 12% year-over-year gain. Tim Cook had this to say: Today Apple is proud to report a June quarter revenue record with double-digit growth in iPhone, Mac and Services and growth around […]
Apple’s third-quarter 2025 earnings are out and Apple reported revenue of $94 billion, a 10% year-over-year gain. The diluted earnings per share was $1.57 an 12% year-over-year gain. Tim Cook had this to say: Today Apple is proud to report a June quarter revenue record with double-digit growth in iPhone, Mac and Services and growth around the world, in every geographic segment. At WWDC25, we were excited to introduce a beautiful new software design that extends across all of our platforms, and we announced even more great Apple Intelligence features. Going into today’s earnings, Reuters reported that the Wall Street consensus was for 4.2% growth in revenue to $89.34 billion, reflecting ongoing concerns over tariffs and the slow rollout of Apple Intelligence features. Today’s results are substantially better than expected, led by double-digit gains for iPhone, Mac, and Services sales. Apple’s board of directors has authorized a $0.26/share dividend, too. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Thoughts on iPadOS 26: Hello, It’s Good to Be Back
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- featured
- iPad
- ipad mini
- iPad Pro
- iPadOS
- iPadOS 26
iPadOS 26. Apple released the first public betas of iOS and iPadOS 26 last week, and I’m going to cut to the chase with this story: although I’m still wrapping my head around Liquid Glass and trying to understand where this new design language will land, iPadOS 26 has fundamentally revolutionized my workflow in just […]
iPadOS 26. Apple released the first public betas of iOS and iPadOS 26 last week, and I’m going to cut to the chase with this story: although I’m still wrapping my head around Liquid Glass and trying to understand where this new design language will land, iPadOS 26 has fundamentally revolutionized my workflow in just a little over a month. While talking to Craig Federighi at WWDC, I did get the sense that Apple was approaching the iPad platform from a different – perhaps more humble – perspective, with a newfound willingness to listen to power users and find a better balance between the simplicity of the iPad and its flexibility. Actually using iPadOS 26, however, has far exceeded my expectations – which pushed me to completely rethink my desk setup (again) and the apps I use around the iPad Pro and iPadOS 26. Conversely, I’ve been struggling to understand iOS 26 and the role of Liquid Glass. I’ve documented my issues with Apple’s new design with a variety of examples recently, but the truth is that at this point in the beta cycle, I don’t know what to write about Liquid Glass yet. For this reason, despite my many attempts to write this story over the past few weeks, I’ve decided to take a different approach. Today, I only feel comfortable sharing my opinion about iPadOS 26, and I’ve chosen to delay my analysis of iOS 26 until later this year. I’ve found it incredibly challenging to form an opinion on Liquid Glass and iOS 26 when everything is still so in flux and being adjusted on a beta-by-beta basis. I feel like sharing what I think about Liquid Glass right now would be a fruitless exercise, or shortsighted perhaps, one way or another. Instead, since I find iPadOS 26 to be more of a known entity at the moment, I’ve decided to focus on that and how this software update is changing the way I work. The time will come for me to write about Liquid Glass and Apple’s vision for the future of its software design. Today, though, I’m all about the iPad. It’s been an interesting month since WWDC. This year more than ever, I have a feeling that Apple isn’t done tweaking its OSes and much will continue to change between now and September. But for now, as always, let’s dive in. Working with iPadOS 26 I’ve been both very critical of and enthusiastic about the iPad platform over the past year or so. In May 2024, I published a story about all the shortcomings of iPadOS as they related to the ways I needed to get work done on my iPad Pro. From my perspective, that story was the encapsulation of years of pent-up frustration with various limitations of the iPad’s software that had been ignored by Apple in small, iterative iPadOS releases following the contentious launch of Stage Manager in iPadOS 16. Then, at the end of 2024, I wrote about how I overcame those software limitations thanks to external hardware connected to my 11” iPad Pro. That article was, in many ways, bittersweet: I had found ways to get all my work done on the iPad – including recording audio and video podcasts – but, quite literally, at what cost? Over the first half of 2025, I saw myself and other longtime iPad users progressively lose faith in the iPad and Apple’s understanding of what iPad power users wanted from it. This is why I (and others) spent some time getting to know macOS again; if Apple didn’t want to meaningfully improve iPadOS, the only way out seemed to be switching back to a desktop operating system with better multitasking, more native apps, and a greater degree of control over the everyday experience. After a month spent using iPadOS 26, I can say this: while this update doesn’t turn iPadOS into macOS and there continue to be notable advantages to the Mac platform, iPadOS 26 is a monumental release for the iPad that finally shows a vision for what a new breed of modular desktop operating system should be. iPadOS 26 succeeds in the challenging task of preserving the iPad’s intuitive nature while unlocking tremendous functionality for advanced users, who are no longer penalized for attempting to use an iPad as a laptop replacement. In fact, thanks to iPadOS 26, I think the laptop analogy isn’t even that apt anymore. The new iPadOS transforms the device into the hybrid, modular type of computer I’ve long wanted to see Apple formally embrace. iPadOS 26 is a monumental release for the iPad that finally shows a vision for what a new breed of modular desktop operating system should be. It starts with multitasking and windowing, which have been rethought around the familiar macOS model. By default, as Federighi explained in my interview, an iPad running iPadOS 26 can still be used in full-screen mode with one app at a time; it’s the familiar iPad experience that is consistent with the gesture-driven app navigation Apple invented with the iPhone X in 2017. During the setup flow – or at any point in the Settings app – you’ll be able to switch to the new ‘Windowed Apps’ mode, which lets you open a larger number of windows than before and resize or arrange them however you want. The new multitasking settings. I don’t want to rehash all the technicalities that I already explained last month (and which I will cover again in more depth for my final OS review in the fall), so instead, I’ll focus on how it’s felt to use this new mode over the past month on my 13” iPad Pro. iPadOS 26 is a game-changer for those who want to multitask on their iPads. Thanks to a new windowing engine that intelligently allocates resources across the OS and apps, you can now go beyond Stage Manager and open more than four windows at once in the same workspace. In fact, there aren’t multiple “workspaces” in windowed mode; when you click an app in the Dock or open one via Spotlight, it’s simply added as a new window on-screen, just like on the Mac. On my M4 iPad Pro, I was able to consistently use 12 windows at once before the system ran out of memory and ejected a window from the workspace. Performance may vary on less capable iPads, but don’t assume it’s dramatically different. I could also use 7–8 windows simultaneously on the A17 Pro iPad mini, with the only issue there being the physical size of the device. (More on this later.) Apple spent years working on this new windowing engine for iPad apps, and it shows. On so many occasions over the past month, I found myself working with my iPad Pro connected to the external monitor on my desk and realizing that the novelty had already worn off (in a good way!) and I was working with 10 windows at once without even realizing it. The system Apple created is both powerful and intentionally not opinionated. At long last, if you know what you’re doing and want to make an absolute mess of your workspace with a barrage of overlapping windows, you can. If you’re a power user, Apple no longer holds your hand and tries to steer you away from complexity; instead, iPadOS 26 embraces the potential for complexity – because that’s how serious work happens sometimes. That’s not to say iPadOS 26 doesn’t give you the tools to manage its new complex nature – quite the opposite. With the new, Mac-like triangular system pointer, it’s easier to click on small UI elements and precisely press buttons. The pointer no longer magnetically snaps to nearby interface elements, but it still helpfully shows what you’ve hovering over thanks to the delightful animations of Liquid Glass. And in another nice touch, if you’re working between an external monitor and the iPad’s screen or have a wallpaper that makes the pointer hard to find at a glance, you can now quickly “shake” the pointer (again, just like the Mac) to temporarily make it huge and easy to spot. Giant pointer. I’ve spent several days doing intense work on my iPad that involved multiple Safari windows, Obsidian, Notion, Claude, ChatGPT, various PDF documents open at once, and often some Oasis playing in the background. What I’ve appreciated most about iPadOS 26 thus far is the combination of two approaches: the “you’re on your own” philosophy when it comes to desktop-style windowing and the guided assistance of Apple’s multitasking tools. Unlike the old Stage Manager, iPadOS 26 lets you resize and arrange windows however you want. If I want to place a window so that half of it is actually off-screen and only a portion of it is visible, I can. If I want to make Ivory iPhone-sized but take advantage of Notion’s desktop-style layout to its full extent, I can. And when windows are resized, they adjust in real time, with fluid transitions between size classes that are updated frame by frame as you drag in lieu of iPadOS 16’s stuttery, jarring resize animations. If you’ve ever used a traditional desktop OS, all of this quickly becomes second nature and feels like the obvious solution that Apple should have shipped years ago rather than trying to reinvent the multitasking wheel. iPadOS 26 also reveals an underlying narrative that will deserve careful exploration later this year: the same iPad app can now have wildly different layouts or “postures”. This feels like the sort of characteristic that may come in handy for a potential foldable device in the future. With iPadOS 26, there is no longer a single concept of what “a true iPad app” should be like. But back to iPadOS 26’s multitasking. When I don’t want to spend time resizing and rearranging my windows, I love the fact that I can take advantage of tiling to quickly arrange my workspace. While researching this story, I had two LLMs open, plus Notion and YouTube. Rather than carefully arranging those windows on my external monitor, I could just head over to the “traffic light” window controls, right-click, and choose the ‘Quarters’ option to automatically tile those windows to the four quadrants of the screen. Splitting the screen into quarters. Unlike on the Mac, these controls also work with touch: by long-pressing on the window buttons, I can choose to move and resize windows or “fill and arrange” them with a selection of presets that – finally! – includes an option to tile three windows as columns, which is something that I always wanted from the old Split View system, especially when using the iPad Pro in landscape mode. Split View may be gone, but you can replicate it with iPadOS 26’s windowing. For instance, when researching vacation spots for this summer, I had Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity open. Thanks to iPadOS 26, I was able to quickly turn those windows into three columns, ask the same question across three different LLMs, and compare all of their answers at once. Comparing the results of three LLMs easily thanks to iPadOS 26. When I say that iPadOS 26 is a monumental release for the iPad, this is what I mean: there are so many more options now, and all of them are accessible via multiple input methods (touch, pointer, Apple Pencil, and keyboard shortcuts), on a variety of iPad models, with support for external monitors, and with support for different window layouts in different iPad orientations. (iPadOS 26 fully remembers your preferences for landscape and portrait layouts.) The breadth of available configurations and interactions is, frankly, astounding…and even overwhelming at first. There is, for example, a whole menu bar system that is reminiscent of the Mac but also uniquely tuned for touch and pointer access. The iPadOS 26 menu bar. The new menu bar is not always visible on-screen (which is one of my complaints for now, but more on that in a bit), but you can reveal it by swiping down from the top of any window’s title bar or by hitting Globe + M on a Magic Keyboard. The menu bar is the new place for you to discover app-related commands organized into categories as well as their associated keyboard shortcuts, replacing the keyboard “cheat sheet” panel that Apple introduced in iOS 9 and redesigned in iPadOS 15. Not only does the menu bar serve as the new home for discovering and learning app commands (a longstanding limitation of iPad apps), but it can also be used to find and activate system-level windowing commands to move and resize windows. I mean, just take a look at the full glory of commands for managing windows, along with keyboard shortcuts to quickly center windows or move them to a specific half of the screen, and tell me you’re not smiling right now. Glorious. Despite everything I’ve written so far, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of everything iPadOS 26 has to offer for multitasking and windowing alone. Case in point: Stage Manager is now…pretty great? In another instance of taking a page from macOS, Apple has kept Stage Manager alive in iPadOS 26 and turned it into an optional “visual” mode whose sole purpose is to organize your windows, just like on the Mac. Regardless of whether you enable Stage Manager or not (it’s off by default), iPadOS 26’s windowing engine stays the same; you can always open a larger number of windows and freely move them around or resize them however you want. The only thing Stage Manager does now is organize windows into sets of functional workspaces that you can mix and match as you please. Stage Manager no longer dictates how many windows you can open or where they should go on-screen. Stage Manager in iPadOS 26. As a result, I now enjoy working with Stage Manager on my iPad Pro. When I feel like I need to split my windows into separate workspaces – such as one for work and another for social media apps – I can enable Stage Manager and use the familiar strip of window thumbnails on the left side of the screen to group related windows together. I very much agree with this decision. Rather than being the windowing system, Stage Manager is a feature on top of windowing; it’s optional, and I think it fulfills its destiny on the iPad now. I should also mention Apple’s new hybrid design for navigating between windowed and full-screen apps. In this case, Apple took another great lesson from macOS multitasking and elegantly applied it to iPadOS. If you’re in windowed mode, you can hit the green stoplight button to maximize a window and turn it into its own full-screen “space”. Doing so allows you to swipe horizontally on the Home indicator (like on the iPhone) to quickly switch between the current full-screen window and other apps that were previously used in full-screen. If you resize the full-screen window at any point, however, it returns to the original workspace, re-joining the windowed apps as if it never left. Swiping between full-screen windows. This is one of my favorite little touches of iPadOS 26 so far, and it feels like a crossover between the Mac’s classic Spaces feature and a miniaturized version of Stage Manager. When I want to temporarily focus on a particular task, I can enter full-screen mode and even swipe between multiple full-screen apps. I’ve been doing this when writing in Notion and Obsidian by either pressing the green button or hitting Globe + F. With this design, I can alternate between full-screen apps and my windowed workspace, and when I’m ready to jettison the full-screen app back into the workspace alongside other windows, that can be done too. Maybe I’m projecting, but I think this spatial design that gives equal importance to full-screen and windowed spaces may come in handy for a device that, theoretically, should also be able to alternate between single- and multi-window experiences. There is a lot more to say about iPadOS 26 multitasking, but I need to save further thoughts and experiments for my review in the fall. For now, I’ll say this: the increased flexibility of iPad multitasking, inspired by the Mac but still rooted in the iPad’s touch-driven interactions, makes it feel like age-old shackles have been taken off the platform, which is now ready to soar to new heights. Local Capture and Podcasting There are a couple of other aspects of iPadOS 26 I want to cover today beyond multitasking. First up is local capture, another feature I always wanted to have on the iPad, and which I also thought Apple would never build. With local capture, I can now use my iPad Pro to record audio and video podcasts with the setup I’ve been using for the past decade. When I’m on a Zoom call, iPadOS can record my local audio and video tracks from a connected microphone and camera and save them to a single video file. As I and others have widely documented over the years, this has historically been a problem for podcasters: due to the iOS/iPadOS audio and video architecture, as soon as you jumped on a VoIP call, you could no longer record inputs from connected devices. As a result, we’ve long resorted to workarounds that typically involved offloading the recording task to external hardware and then importing those files back into iPadOS and the Files app. It was expensive, time-consuming, and finicky at best. This is all changing with local capture, a feature enabled by a toggle in Control Center that takes care of the entire process end to end. You can activate local capture before starting a call, in which case the recording will start automatically as soon as the call becomes active, or you can start a call and then turn on local capture manually in Control Center. In either case, the end result doesn’t change: you’ll end up with an MP4 video file (saved in your Downloads folder by default) that contains the video track from a connected camera and the audio track from a connected microphone. That’s all there is to it. Starting Local Capture. I tested local capture for episodes of AppStories and Unwind, and it worked as advertised. When I was done, all I had to do was take the file and upload it to Google Drive so John could edit it and mix the podcast episode. I didn’t have to record video and audio separately on my Sony camera or audio interface: iPadOS’ local capture took care of everything and allowed me to stay on our Zoom call at the same time. A file saved with Local Capture. Local capture works, and I know it’ll allow me to dramatically simplify my podcast production pipeline without giving up on the hardware I’m already using. However, I’d like to see Apple iterate on local capture to offer a few more options for creators. I understand that Apple wanted to ship a highly optimized, one-click version of this feature that doesn’t require you to understand anything about file formats, encodings, or folder locations. But I also think that when you’re shipping a functionality specifically targeting podcasters (as called out by Apple at WWDC), you have to meet them halfway with some additional degree of control. For example, I’d like to: Choose whether I want to record a single file with audio and video or separate files for each track, Choose the file extension and encoding used for the recording, Have a page in the Settings app where I can select a destination folder and set basic properties for file naming criteria, and Start local capture with an automation in the Shortcuts app. In the grand scheme of things, I guess I should just be happy that Apple is finally acknowledging the existence of podcasters who want to record their shows on an iPad, and I absolutely am. But as we know, podcasters are a nitpicky bunch, and there’s plenty more that Apple could do to grow local capture beyond a mere toggle in Control Center. Using the iPad mini, Again I want to quickly mention how surprising and refreshing it has been to use iPadOS 26 on an iPad mini. I did not expect the update to be an enjoyable or productive experience on Apple’s most diminutive tablet; and yet, not only does iPadOS 26 with multiple windows run well on it, but it also serves as a strong showcase of iPadOS’ inherent touch-first nature. I’ve been testing iPadOS 26 on Apple’s latest iPad mini, and I haven’t had any issues opening 7–8 windows in the same workspace at once in windowed mode. Obviously, due to the physical constraints of Apple’s 8” tablet, iPadOS 26 does not yield the same expansive windowing experience as, say, a 13” iPad Pro: windows are small, and unless you enlarge them so they overlap with each other, you’re going to end up with a bunch of iPhone-sized windows floating on-screen at once. Windows on an iPad mini. And that’s exactly the point. iPadOS 26 on the iPad mini makes me appreciate touch interactions with iPad multitasking more than the iPad Pro, which I tend to always leave in the Magic Keyboard in laptop mode. As my third place device, the iPad mini is the kind of iPad that is designed to be held, touched, and directly manipulated. For this reason, I keep feeling that the combination of iPadOS 26 and the iPad mini is like a peek into the future of a foldable Apple device that I can hold in my hands while multitasking at the same time. The iPad mini with iPadOS 26 feels fundamentally different than the iPad Pro. It does not replace the productivity powerhouse that is the M4 iPad Pro, but rather complements it at the end of the day when I want to catch up on the news and social media. An iPhone does not let me multitask the same way; an iPad Pro – even the 11” model – does not feel as portable as the iPad mini, either. iPadOS 26 on the iPad mini feels like a separate branch of iPadOS: it unlocks the kind of delight that is often overshadowed by the iPad Pro’s pursuit of laptop features. Indeed, it makes me wonder if I’m witnessing a public preview of what a foldable Apple device may feel like next year. The combination of iPadOS 26 and the iPad mini is like a peek into the future of a foldable Apple device. The performance of iPadOS 26 on the iPad mini is a testament to Apple’s work on iPadOS’ new windowing engine, but it’s also a reminder that iPadOS is not a monolithic operating system. Now more than ever, iPadOS 26 feels like a new beginning for an OS that can be as powerful as a desktop and as portable as a phone, but greater than the sum of those two parts. A Lack of Apps My enthusiasm for iPadOS 26 and the work that has gone into windowing, local capture, and other enhancements like the menu bar and Files improvements should not be confused for an implicit acceptance of the iPad’s other, ongoing limitations. The reality is that despite its dozens of improvements, iPadOS 26 is not a miracle update that suddenly turns iPadOS into a 1:1 match for macOS. The reason is simple: while Apple can control the operating system and change it however they like, they cannot control the third-party app ecosystem and magically ensure that all the apps you can use on a Mac are now available on iPad as well. This is the problem I wrote about a few months ago in my story about the iPad’s sweet solution. Without rehashing that article, the crux of the problem here is that for a variety of technical, political, and financial reasons over the years, the iPadOS app ecosystem simply can’t match the flexibility of the Mac one. There are more indie and power user apps on the Mac than there are on the iPad. And even when the iPad does have a native app equivalent for a particular service, it’s often a glorified version of its iPhone app that cannot match the design and feature set of the desktop version. As a result, whenever I want to work with Notion, LLMs, a terminal, or my email inbox, I often have to use a web app on my iPad instead of a native iPad app. That’s not ideal, and there’s nothing iPadOS 26 can do to suddenly fix that state of affairs. That is, in fact, another lens we should consider iPadOS 26 through: you can have the best multitasking experience for the most powerful modular computer in the world, but there’s very little you can do with it if your favorite app doesn’t have a good iPadOS client…or even one at all. Increasingly, that is the case, and Apple will have to do something completely different from a windowing engine to turn that ship around. Unfortunately, I’m afraid it may be a little late for that. What Else Is Missing from iPadOS 26 Apple has made a lot of progress with iPadOS compared to where we left the company last year. But that does not mean there is nowhere left for the iPad’s software to go. In addition to the missing features I’ve shared above, here’s a grab bag of additional items I’d like to see Apple address in this release cycle and beyond, ideally with iPadOS 27: There is still no real “desktop mode” on external displays. When I connect my iPad Pro to my monitor, the Home Screen and Control Center are only accessible from the iPad Pro’s display. I’d love to be able to set my external monitor as the primary display for the iPad, allowing me to use widgets and access Control Center from there. Clamshell mode is still nowhere to be found. This one is likely related to the aforementioned missing feature: if an external monitor can’t be set as the primary one with access to key iPadOS functionalities, then we can’t expect to use the iPad Pro when closed in clamshell mode. This feels like an obvious next step for iPadOS now. Animations still feel slower compared to macOS. Despite all the multitasking improvements this year, it still feels like everything on iPadOS takes a fraction of a second too long to complete. The Mac feels snappier when it comes to opening windows, invoking Spotlight, and generally navigating the UI. I’d like to see Apple make the entire iPadOS interface a little bit faster with speedier animations. There are no Shortcuts actions for controlling multitasking and windows. We still don’t have any actions in Shortcuts to find and manage windows like we do on macOS. Now that iPadOS 26 has real windowing, power users should have access to equivalent Shortcuts actions to control windows on the iPad. Where is the new Spotlight? I suppose that it’s a good practice to “always leave them wanting more”, but I’m so incredibly jealous of the Spotlight overhaul on macOS this year. A clipboard manager and deeper integration with Shortcuts? I really hope this is in the cards for iPadOS 27. Exposé could be easier to use. I love that I can swipe up with three fingers to see all my currently open windows, but I find the feature slightly difficult to parse from a visual perspective because windows don’t carry any text labels or app icons. This omission is especially strange when you consider the fact that the regular app switcher features, well, app names and icons underneath each window. Let me always show the menu bar and pin some controls in there. I also love the addition of a menu bar, but having to swipe down or press a keyboard shortcut to show it gets annoying quickly. I’d love a setting to always show the menu bar by default. And while we’re at it, why not allow users to pin any control from Control Center to the menu bar? Okay, fine, we can save that one for next year, too. Wrap-Up My iPad Home Screen. There’s always going to be something for iPad users to wish for. In previous years, I would have said, “These features are never going to happen”. But having experienced iPadOS 26 and witnessed Apple’s re-alignment of the platform and the company’s commitment to it, I feel much more optimistic. iPadOS 26 makes me want to work from the iPad again, even when I could have more choice in apps and automations on macOS. That says something about the nature of this operating system, which I continue to see as Apple’s most exciting and unique work in a long time. I don’t know how long this feeling will last, but for now: hello iPad, it’s good to be back. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
macOS Tahoe: The MacStories Public Beta Preview
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- featured
- macOS
- macOS Tahoe
Author’s Note: Apple released the public beta of macOS 26 Tahoe last Thursday, two days after developer beta 4. Instead of rushing a preview of Tahoe to publication at the risk of missing important aspects of the release, I chose to spend the time necessary to thoroughly test Tahoe first. A year ago, the macOS […]
Author’s Note: Apple released the public beta of macOS 26 Tahoe last Thursday, two days after developer beta 4. Instead of rushing a preview of Tahoe to publication at the risk of missing important aspects of the release, I chose to spend the time necessary to thoroughly test Tahoe first. A year ago, the macOS Sequoia public beta debuted with a long list of caveats. Many of the features that had been shown off at WWDC 2024 weren’t in that initial public beta release or even the initial macOS 15.0 release, and some features, like a smarter Siri, still haven’t shipped. That made Sequoia feel incomplete. The release of macOS Tahoe 26 promises to be different. The features highlighted during WWDC 2025 are all in the public beta. Some are more polished than others, but everything is there to try today. With its surprisingly long list of new system apps, changes big and small at the macOS system level, and, of course, Liquid Glass, Tahoe’s public beta release is a fun one for users who like to explore Apple’s latest macOS innovations as early as possible. I’m not sold on every feature, but it’s still early, and this is a beta, so I’ll reserve my final judgment for the fall. However, there’s a lot coming in macOS Tahoe, which makes it worth taking a closer look at today, so let’s dig in. Should You Install macOS Tahoe? It always pays to be careful when installing beta software. Apple’s public betas have historically been stable, but you should back up your data and have a plan in case an app you rely on doesn’t work. I’ve had developer beta 4 running on my Mac Studio for a week, and many of the small bugs and annoyances from the earlier developer betas have been cleaned up. I’ve still had apps like Music and News crash here and there, and Spotlight seems to have lost track of my shortcuts, but overall, the first week with developer beta 4 (which is effectively the same as the public beta) have been fine. So my advice is that you should exercise caution, but don’t worry about Tahoe too much. Even before the public beta, the fun of trying macOS’ upcoming features outweighed the occasional headaches it caused. Design and Customization Liquid Glass Apple’s Icon Composer lets developers create Liquid Glass icons. Source: Apple. Before getting too deep into the many features and new apps Tahoe has to offer, we should consider where things stand with Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language on the Mac. The short answer is that Tahoe’s new design has been a moving target during the developer betas, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to settle down until much further into the summer. In most places, Liquid Glass is applied in a less heavy-handed way on the Mac than it is on the iPhone, where text can be hard to read and features are often tucked away behind an extra tap. UI elements on the Mac emphasize translucency more than in the past, and there are touches of reflection and refraction of light coupled with playful animations, but the effect is more muted than on the iPhone overall. A hallmark of Liquid Glass on the Mac is the way sidebars and toolbar icons sit on a layer above the file list in Finder. In fact, some of the more prominent design choices from the earlier developer betas have been toned down for the public beta. For example, the sidebars in Finder and other apps had a layered look that made it seem as though there were two windows sitting on top of each other with a slight offset. That’s been changed to make the components look like part of a more unified whole. Dramatic drop shadows beneath toolbar controls have been softened in most places, too, which I appreciate. The translucence of Liquid Glass can be distracting when dark text is layered behind something like the Spotlight search bar. I generally like this interpretation of Liquid Glass on the Mac. It feels more vibrant and has a freshness I enjoy that retains the legibility of text in a way iOS 26 doesn’t. There are edge cases where icons and text beneath a translucent window can generate a smudgy effect that doesn’t look nice, but by and large, it’s a workable design. If that were the whole story of Liquid Glass on the Mac, I’d say it accomplishes Apple’s stated goal of focusing on a window’s content by differentiating elements like the toolbar and sidebar. However, there’s more to Liquid Glass than that. The Liquid Glass effect in apps like Games is much closer to iOS and iPadOS than it is to Finder and many other Mac apps. If you look at the newest apps coming to macOS Tahoe, like Games and Journal, you’ll find the same glassier look found in iOS 26. Buttons are transparent and shaped to distort content beneath them, leading to some of the same legibility issues as iOS. Between the two treatments, I greatly prefer the translucent look of Safari and Finder, and I think the more transparent version will look dated quickly. At the same time, I’m left wondering whether Apple simply hasn’t gotten to those existing apps yet, especially since the iOS 26 look extends to the Music app, too. The two designs are so different that it’s impossible to say whether Games, Journal, and Music are the beginning of a trend or apps that need to be Mac-ified. Tahoe’s Lock Screen. Other Liquid Glass highlights include Tahoe’s Lock Screen, where the clock takes on the same sort of transparency found on the iPhone and iPad. There are now multiple font choices for the Lock Screen clock as well. A gradient behind the menu bar makes it more legible against a light wallpaper. Also, by default, Tahoe’s menu bar is transparent. Whether or not you like this will undoubtedly depend on the wallpaper you use. I tend to use macOS’ system wallpapers, and the ones I’ve used all work well with the new menu bar look. Tahoe does put a dark gradient behind the menu bar, which helps with legibility, but if you find it hard to make out the icons in your menu bar against a light wallpaper, you have the option to revert to the Sequoia-style menu bar. Liquid Glass makes an appearance in Tahoe’s Dock, too, where your app icons sit on a translucent, glass-like surface that lets the colors of your wallpaper shine through. The ⌘-Tab UI is similar. And icons for system apps have been updated with a layered glass look that gives them a subtle dimensionality. Once you poke around Tahoe’s UI, I think you’ll see why I’m not sure what to think of Liquid Glass on the Mac yet. The design was a moving target throughout the first four developer betas, and to my eye, it still looks unfinished in the public beta. That likely means that Liquid Glass will undergo further changes between the public beta and its release this fall, so it’s not worth dwelling on the details too much or drawing any conclusions yet. However, if you have a preference for one of the approaches that Apple has taken with Liquid Glass in Tahoe over the other, I’d encourage you to file feedback, so Apple can get a feel for user sentiment on Tahoe’s design. Colors and Folders Theming allows you to colorize large portions of the macOS UI to your tastes. Source: Apple. With Tahoe, macOS will gain additional customization options, too. The system has had an option to pick an accent color since Mojave. With Tahoe, you will be able to take your customization a step further, choosing between Default, Dark, Clear, or Tinted icons and widgets. You can also choose a theme color, which is set to Multicolor by default. Switching your theme changes the text highlight color and folder color by default, but they can be independently changed, too. However, icon and widget tinting follows your theme color and can’t be set independently. That’s a lot of new settings, and they open up a lot of options that I haven’t fully explored yet. I expect I’ll probably land on the macOS default out of familiarity, but all the same, I’m glad Tahoe gives me more choices. Folders are more customizable than before as well. Color tags in Finder aren’t new, but now, when you apply one to a folder, the folder takes on the color of the tag. Right-click on a folder, and you have even more options to set folders apart from one another by choosing from a long, although not comprehensive, list of SF Symbols or emoji to add to the folder’s icon. As someone who manages lots of files every week, I greatly appreciate the added visual cues Tahoe lets me add to folders. System Features I’ve never been a heavy user of Control Center. Also, aside from beta testing every summer, I’ve always used custom launcher apps like Raycast instead of Spotlight. With Tahoe, I can already tell that’s going to change. Both features have a lot more to offer than in the past. Additionally, Tahoe introduces new ways to manage your menu bar, which are more limited than similar third-party apps in some ways but will probably be enough for most users. Control Center The new Control Center offers a lot more customization and support for third-party apps. To start, let’s take a closer look at Control Center. In the past, I’ve primarily used Control Center on my Mac to access the Now Playing widget, set Do Not Disturb, and adjust audio and video settings. Those features have all been useful, but with Tahoe, Control Center will gain iPhone and iPad levels of customization, including third-party controls. Among the new system controls, which share a similar Liquid Glass treatment as Apple’s other devices, are controls to: run a shortcut, take a screenshot, tile windows, set a timer, take a voice memo, access the Calculator app, enable accessibility features, and more. The Controls Gallery is a lot like the Widgets Gallery. New controls are accessed from the Controls Gallery that opens when you click on the ‘Edit Controls’ button at the bottom of the Control Center view. From the Gallery, you can drag new controls into Control Center or the menu bar. Alternatively, if you click on a control, you’ll get a pop-up menu that allows you to choose where to place it. Existing controls can also be resized and reordered when the Gallery is open. In addition to new system controls from Apple, the Controls Gallery will include options from third-party developers, who will be able to offer controls for their apps in the fall. I’ve only tried a few third-party controls so far, but I expect to spotlight my favorites this fall in my full review. Tahoe lets you create multiple Control Center-style panels in the menu bar. Control Center lacks the pagination found on the iPhone and iPad. Instead, when you activate the Controls Gallery, a plus button appears in the menu bar that lets you pick an icon and then add a separate Control Center panel that appears when you click it. It’s a great system that’s been tailored to the Mac, which I love. However, these new panels can only house the new Tahoe-style controls. Existing menu bar items will need to be updated by developers before you can tuck them behind a customized menu. Tahoe gives you control over which apps can put icons in your menu bar. Other Control Center features bleed into the menu bar, too. The controls don’t just live in Control Center; you can drag them out onto your menu bar if you prefer. That’s not new for system controls, but this fall, you’ll be able to do the same for third-party controls, too. From System Settings, Tahoe also lets you hide the menu bar items for any OS feature or third-party app. Menu bar management apps can do more, but I expect this will satisfy the needs of a lot of users, myself included. I like having Live Activities from my iPhone on my Mac, but in their collapsed state, many (like this Flighty Live Activity) aren’t very useful until expanded. Also new among your menu items are your iPhone’s Live Activities. If your iPhone is nearby and a Live Activity – like a timer or food delivery order – is running, it will appear in your menu bar. Click on a Live Activity, and it will expand from what you’d see in your iPhone’s Dynamic Island to full size, which is a good thing because I’ve found that text in the shrunken menu bar-height version is often too small to read at a desktop distance. Spotlight Spotlight has a lot of new productivity tricks up its sleeve. Spotlight gets tweaked at the margins with most macOS updates, but Tahoe goes much further. It turns Spotlight into an app and shortcut launcher, system-wide file and search tool, clipboard manager, and action launcher. Whereas some recent additions to Spotlight made it feel like a front end for content sources like Wikipedia, IMDb, and other repositories of web information, Tahoe’s Spotlight updates take a decidedly productivity-oriented approach. The top row of Spotlight’s App section offers suggested apps, followed by all of your other apps, including iPhone apps if you’d like. Triggering Spotlight brings up the same familiar text field you’re used to, but with a lot more options, many of which are keyboard-driven. Hit the Up Arrow key, and you’ll move through past searches in reverse chronological order. Use the Right Arrow key or move the pointer with your mouse or trackpad after Spotlight is invoked, and four buttons will appear to the right of the text field for Apps, Files, Actions, and Clipboard. Alternatively, once Spotlight is activated, you can jump between the four categories with ⌘ + 1 – ⌘ + 4. Spotlight’s Files section makes suggestions followed by recents, which are in line with what I’ve been working on today. The keyboard goodness doesn’t stop there. Search for an app, and you can open it by pressing Return, or hit the Tab key to search within that app. Alternatively, if you search for a keyword first, you can limit the search to a particular app by clicking on one of the app names that appear just below Spotlight’s text field. Plus, Shortcuts you create, App Shortcuts, and actions can all be assigned ‘quick keys,’ custom key combinations that serve as aliases for launching them with the press of a couple of keys. There are even slash commands for limiting your file searches to certain folders. Actions include an app’s menu items and App Shortcuts. Of the four categories accessible from Spotlight, Actions is the most interesting because it’s one of the first places that Apple’s App Intents system is on display. If you scroll through the actions available in Spotlight, you’ll find many of the one-off system and third-party actions that you’ll also find in the Shortcuts app’s action library. The difference, of course, is that they can be quickly accessed from Spotlight using quick keys without opening Shortcuts or setting up a shortcut first. Using Spotlight to open the iPhone app Shop with iPhone Mirroring. Spotlight also has access to every menu command for the active app. I’ve found this incredibly useful for tiling windows on my screen and sharing documents and URLs using the Share menu. Other enhancements to Spotlight include: The addition of cloud-based file services that are Mac file providers like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box to Spotlight’s file index, The option to search for content and apps on your iPhone from your Mac and launch them via iPhone Mirroring, and A clipboard history that appears to save items you’ve copied in the last eight hours. My first month with the new Spotlight has been a good one. It doesn’t offer the same depth of features that many third-party launcher apps and clipboard managers do, but it covers the core feature set well and in a flexible, keyboard-driven way that I appreciate. In the past, my Spotlight use didn’t last long after I published my annual macOS review. This year is shaping up to be different. System Apps macOS Tahoe isn’t all about design and system features. It’s also an app-rich update, which is my favorite kind of macOS update. Shortcuts Finally. Shortcuts automations on the Mac. With all of Apple’s focus on App Intents and integrating them with Siri, I was concerned going into WWDC that Shortcuts would sit untouched on a shelf. So I was very pleasantly surprised to find that Shortcuts will get some important updates with Tahoe. There is still a lot more that can be done to make it better, but this year’s updates are nonetheless big ones. First, Tahoe will introduce automations, allowing shortcuts to be triggered automatically when: a time of day occurs, an alarm goes off, files and folders are updated, an external drive or display is connected or disconnected, an email message with certain metadata is received, a message is received from a certain sender or with specified content in the Messages app, a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection is made, an app is opened or closed, Stage Manager is started or closed, a Focus mode is activated or turned off, or a Mac laptop’s battery level is reached. I can think of other triggers I’d like to see added in the future, but this is an excellent start. Since installing the Tahoe beta, I’ve used the time of day trigger to generate a templated series of tasks for myself every week, and I’m happy to report that it has worked flawlessly. I feel seen. The other big addition to Shortcuts, which is also available on other OSes, is a set of Apple Intelligence actions. Apple’s Writing Tools are included, as are actions for Image Playground. However, the action with the most wide-ranging potential is the ‘Use Model’ action that allows users to access the local and Private Cloud Compute versions of Apple’s foundation models or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The availability of all three models allows users to pick one based on considerations like speed, privacy, and context window size, and with natural language prompts, the action greatly simplifies many formerly complex shortcuts that required multiple conditional statements. Phone The Phone app. macOS Tahoe now has a Phone app of its own. A lot of iOS’ phone functionality was already embedded in macOS and apps like Contacts and FaceTime, but the combination of a standalone app and Apple’s Continuity features allows the Mac’s Phone app to work seamlessly with the iPhone version. I don’t use the Phone app a lot, but I’ve already found its presence on macOS useful when I’m at my desk. It’s great for making and receiving the kind of everyday calls that would be a bigger interruption if you had to reach for your iPhone. I’ve used it to make appointments and, even better, to screen calls. If you have call screening turned on and a call comes in, the notification on your Mac provides a play-by-play so you can see the caller being asked for their name and whether they leave one. At any time, you can intervene and answer the call yourself or hang it up. Screening a call from an unknown number. Another feature I recommend trying is Hold Assist. If you get stuck on a long hold, it saves your spot in the queue and lets you hang up. When a person comes on the line, you’re reconnected to the call in the Phone app, and the other person on the line is told you’ll be available in a moment. I’m also a fan of the voicemail summaries and the Unknown Callers list, which stays out of the way until you have time to review it and move any callers whom you actually know but aren’t in the Contacts app to your Known list. The design of the Phone app is nice too. I’ve never used Contacts’ favorites feature, but now that favorites appear at the top of the Phone app, I’m taking advantage of the option because it makes it so much easier to place a quick call to one of my family members. Another feature coming to Phone, Messages, and FaceTime in the fall is Live Translation, a feature that allows users to communicate in multiple languages using an on-device AI model for privacy. I’ll have more to say about Live Translation in my fall review, after I’ve had more time to test it. Reminders Reminders. With Reminders, Tahoe tiptoes into the sort of contextual use of AI that I hope we see a lot more of from Apple in the future. Reminders’ share extension has been infused with Apple Intelligence, allowing the extension to suggest tasks based on email messages, webpages, notes, and more. In my testing so far, it doesn’t always come up with a suggestion, but when it does, it feels like magic. I just wish I had more control over how Apple Intelligence suggestions work. I’d like to be able to supplement whatever prompt Apple is using to tailor suggestions to what I’m viewing. For example, that would allow me to generate a short summary along with a link for URLs I save for link posts. Suggested reminders from a Game Boy modding how-to guide on Reddit. Reminders has a couple of other fun tricks up its productivity sleeve, too. First, you can add tasks directly from Spotlight. As I discussed in its section above, Spotlight’s new app action approach has transformed it from a file and information retrieval tool to a lightweight automation helper, and Reminders is a great example of that, offering a way to add a task quickly without getting distracted from whatever else you’re doing. Second, the automatic categorization found in grocery lists has migrated to other lists. Under the hood, Reminders is using Apple Intelligence to organize long lists of tasks into neat and tidy sections when you want it to. I just wish section creation and organization actions were built into Shortcuts as well. Safari Safari’s Liquid Glass treatment is much more subtle than some other apps. The biggest change coming to Safari this fall is its Liquid Glass design. Buttons and the sidebar sit on a layer above webpage content. Tabs have been rounded into button-like elements, and the selected tab is more prominent than before. As in other apps, webpage content bleeds through the translucency of the toolbar, but the effect is less pronounced than on iOS or iPadOS. As for substantive features, Apple is bringing Advanced Fingerprinting Protection, which previously only applied to Private Browsing, to all tabs. Video Picture-in-Picture mode is easier to engage with a command in the Page menu that appears on the left side of the address bar. You’ll also be able to skip forward and back in a PiP video; however, despite the presence of a scrubbing bar at the bottom of a PiP video, you cannot drag the playhead forward and back in a video as of the public beta. You may also start seeing more Safari extensions this fall because developers will no longer need to have a Mac to develop and distribute them. Developers of Chrome and other extensions who work on Windows and Linux will be able to package their extensions for sale on the App Store without a Mac and a copy of Xcode to compile them. It’s a good move that I wish had been made long ago. Games I love Alto’s Odyssey, but this screenshot is a good example of how the Liquid Glass UI can be unreadable at times. That’s a Home tab on the far left. When rumors of an Apple Games app were first reported, many people assumed games were being moved out of the App Store and into their own storefront. As it turns out, Games isn’t that at all. It’s something much more ambitious. Games is Apple’s attempt to consolidate everything about gaming that happens after a game is first downloaded. First and foremost, Games is a way for Apple to showcase content, whether it’s on the App Store or Apple Arcade. The app also surfaces what you’ve recently played, making it easy to jump back into a game. As someone with a collection of dozens of games downloaded over the course of more than a decade, I also appreciate Games’ Library tab, where I can search and scroll through my games, although I’d like a genre filter to go along with the name and date sorting that the app currently offers. There’s definitely overlap between Games and the App Store, but I don’t think that’s a problem. In Games, the lists and editorial content have more room to breathe, which makes browsing and discovery easier, and additional details are always available via a button that takes you to a game’s App Store page. For developers, Games is a way to connect with fans without sending them to the App Store. Games are good candidates for the App Store’s events feature, which debuted with macOS Monterey, but it’s never made much sense to me that I had to go back to the store to find out about an event after I’d already downloaded a game. Now, those events appear in Games, where they can be part of the calculus for what to play next. Games encourages you to challenge your friends. Games is also an attempt to build a sense of community around its offerings. Game Center’s features like leaderboards are here, plus there’s a new Challenge system that aims to make single-player games competitive asynchronously. Setting up a challenge is as easy as picking a game, inviting a friend, and setting up a custom set of rules. The process is low friction, which I like, and incorporates Messages and FaceTime for getting in touch with whomever you’ve challenged. Whether people will use challenges, though, is another story that will depend on whether the Games app becomes the kind of hub for mobile gaming that Apple hopes it will be. I like the idea of Games and plan to spend more time with it this summer. The mix of game discovery and rediscovery with a touch of community has potential, but I’m not yet sure whether it will stick. Journal It always struck me as odd that Journal debuted on the iPhone, which is the hardest platform to type on after the Apple Watch. I get that Apple was emphasizing the media angle of Journal and the iPhone is where we are most likely to take pictures and enjoy media – not to mention that it travels with us. However, for a lot of people, a physical keyboard is a must-have when journaling, so it’s good to see the app is on both the iPad and Mac now. There’s not a lot more to say about Journal. It’s the same app available elsewhere, but that doesn’t make it any less important that it’s now on the Mac. Journaling is a habit that isn’t always easy to keep up with. The significance of Journal on the Mac is that it will help make it that much easier to form a journaling habit in the first place. Maybe 2025 will be the year I start journaling, but probably not. In a lot of ways, MacStories and the podcasts I co-host are my very public journal, and I already write a lot. So I don’t really expect to become a Journal user any more than I’ve been a user of any third-party journaling app. Still, every time I try Journal, I’m impressed by how easy it is to jot down a few thoughts and add a photo or other media in a way that’s fun to revisit. Notes Exporting a note as Markdown-formatted plain text. Notes hasn’t added a lot this year, but what it has added is something very important to the way I evaluate apps. No matter how good an app is, it gets a lot of side-eye from me if it’s hard to get your data out of it in an easy-to-use format. That was one of Notes’ perennial problems. It’s become a powerful note-taking app, but I always knew that using it was signing up for a lot of cleanup work if I wanted to move a highly formatted and structured note to another note-taking app or text editor. Tahoe’s Notes update resolves a lot of those issues by allowing notes to be exported and imported as Markdown, which is highly portable and easy to convert to other formats. Apple even has a solution for notes that include images: they get bundled with the exported note and file path references where they appear in the note. Messages I have yet to find a Messages background that isn’t distracting. The public beta of Messages includes a surprisingly large collection of small but meaningful features. A lot of MacStories’ planning happens in Messages, so I’m most excited about the improvements to search. The results look the same as in the past, divided into categories like Messages, Links, and Photos, but they are generally easier to navigate. Another useful addition coming to group threads in the fall is an indicator of who is typing a response. In addition to the three-dot typing indicator of the past, the profile picture of the typist is shown, too. I didn’t know how much I wanted this feature until I had it, and now that I have it, I love it. The redesigned conversation details sidebar is an improvement too. The profile picture of the person or group you’re texting with appears at the top of the window, making it harder to send a message to the wrong person. Then, when you click on the profile, the details sidebar opens, where you’ll find settings for the conversation, a list of participants, a new button for adding someone’s phone number to the Contacts app from a group thread, and tabs for links, documents, photos, and other content. A lot of what you’ll find in the sidebar was here before, but it’s better organized, making it easier to navigate. One new feature you’ll find in that sidebar is the option to set a background for your conversation. You can pick from a suggested list of built-in backgrounds, generate one using Image Playground’s tools, or choose one of your photos. I thought backgrounds might offer a nice way to distinguish one Messages thread from another, which they do, but I don’t really like the backgrounds Apple has added, and I find any background – my photos included – too distracting. As a result, I’m no longer using backgrounds and don’t have plans to use them again, except for further Tahoe testing purposes. Texts from unknown senders are more tucked away in Messages on Tahoe. So far, these have ranged from confirmation texts for doctor’s appointments to discount codes from a local pizzeria. What I appreciate most is that the texts are easily accessible but less disruptive. Of course, you can always approve a sender so they appear in your main Messages list. According to Apple, they are also actively screening spam messages. I’ve still seen a few, but the overall number has been low so far this summer. Finally, you can send polls in Messages, watch as people vote on your choices, and revise the choices. I need to spend more time with this feature, but I could see it coming in handy for deciding on things like where to go out for dinner with a group of friends. Music I wish Music’s playback controls hadn’t been moved to the bottom of the window. I wanted to touch on Music because it moves playback controls to the bottom of the window over the window’s content. The controls also use the iOS and iPadOS 26 flavor of Liquid Glass. I’m not a fan of this variety of Liquid Glass on the Mac, but I like the placement of Music’s controls even less. I may get used to the playback controls being at the bottom of the Music window eventually. However, even though I understand why Apple has moved controls like search bars to the bottom of apps’ views on iOS, there doesn’t seem to be any inherent logic to moving playback controls to the bottom of a window on the Mac. On the more functional side of things, Music now allows you to pin albums and playlists to the top of the app’s sidebar. There’s also a new AutoMix feature that’s supposed to blend one song into the next, but my experience with the effect has been underwhelming during the betas. Genmoji and Image Playground Genmoji have been added to Image Playground. I’m not a fan of generative image creation regardless of whether it’s pitched as lighthearted and fun, so Genmoji and Image Playground are not for me. However, both will be expanded with macOS Tahoe in notable ways. First, two Unicode emoji can be combined to create a hybrid Genmoji. This feature is a way to fill gaps in the official set of emoji by creating your own that look similar to their component parts. In my beta testing, the results have run the gamut from exactly what I was going for to weird and creepy. ChatGPT adds style options like Anime. Image Playground has been expanded as well to include access to ChatGPT image creation. You won’t find the full range of image generation tools available from OpenAI’s image models directly. Instead, you’ll have to choose between oil painting, watercolor, vector, anime, print, and ‘any style,’ which I believe picks one of the other styles at random. Using ChatGPT takes much longer than the local models offered by Apple, but the feature gives users more style options. Unlike Apple’s models, ChatGPT doesn’t let you view multiple outputs based on your prompt, which is undoubtedly due to the time it takes to generate each image, but you can always redo an image from scratch with the same prompt if you’d like. As of the public beta, it’s also worth noting that Image Playground remains labeled as a beta app. Other Themes in Terminal. There are other changes and new features coming to macOS Tahoe that I’ll explore in more detail in the fall, including: new parental controls, additional accessibility features, facial expression and personal attribute options in Genmoji, Game Overlay, low power mode while gaming, and enhanced controller support, Pinned Collections and new UI elements and customizations in the Photos app, support for 24-bit color and themes in Terminal, a new look for FaceTime that incorporates Contact Posters, a timeline of your password changes in Passwords, a sprinkling of Apple Intelligence throughout other parts of the system, such as Phone and Messages, and more. That’s all I have for now. I’m sure the design and other aspects of macOS will continue to evolve over the remainder of the summer, but for those interested in diving into the changes today, the public beta, which is available here, is the most stable version that I’ve tried so far. If you install Tahoe, be sure to have a backup plan in case something goes wrong, but enjoy the sneak peek at what is shaping up to be a good release overall, and I’ll see you in the fall with more details and a closer look at how Tahoe evolves between now and then. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. 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Podcast Rewind: Videogame Companion Apps and Handheld Homework
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Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: AppStories This week, John is joined by Brendon Bigley to explore the wide world of videogame companion apps from media trackers to game-specific companion apps. On AppStories+, John and Brendon dig into 16 years of App Store history to compile a list of games that have […]
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts: AppStories This week, John is joined by Brendon Bigley to explore the wide world of videogame companion apps from media trackers to game-specific companion apps. On AppStories+, John and Brendon dig into 16 years of App Store history to compile a list of games that have defined gaming on the iPhone. NPC: Next Portable Console https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JA5UwAaW-Y Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The Multitool of Handhelds | NPC: Next Portable Console | Episode 43 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JA5UwAaW-Y) This week, Brendon and John cover the ONEXSUGAR Sugar 1 dual-screen handheld, Sony’s power-saving and controller updates, and the latest ES-DE update for Android. Then, John reports back on the MagicX Zero 40 homework that Brendon gave him last week. On NPC XL, Brendon and John revisit two handhelds from the past year. Brendon explains why he loves the Ayn Odin 2 Mini even more than ever, and John rediscovers the AYANEO Pocket Micro in all of its overpowered glory. AppStories, Episode 47, ‘Gaming Sidekicks: Videogame Companion Apps with Brendon Bigley’ Show Notes Gaming Companion Apps Game Trackers Backloggd GameTrack GamingBuddy and SwitchBuddy GamePal Game and Franchise Companion Apps ACNH Travel Guide TotK Travel Guide MK World Travel Guide Ketchup General Media Trackers Sofa Sequel Letterboxd StoryGraph Other Ally Pro Quick Reviews Also mentioned: Brendon’s Animal Crossing video Animal Crossing City Folk Deluxe Bloons Severed Domino Drop Follow Brendon’s work at: Wavelengths.online Into the Aether NPC: Next Portable Console NPC, Episode 43, ‘The Multitool of Handhelds’ Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News ONEXSUGAR Sugar 1 goes up for preorder OneXSugar Playing with the first dual-screen transforming handheld ONEXSUGAR Sugar 1 handheld game console hits Indiegogo for $599 (Dual-screen Android handheld game console with a convertible design) The Kickstarter for this weird little transforming handheld just went live OneXSugar Officially Launches, and It Sure is Something Crazy New Take on Dual-Screen Gaming Sony’s beta controller update - power settings and multi-pairing controllers Sony’s new PS5 Power Saver mode sounds ideal for a PlayStation handheld The Verge New PS5 system update beta previews DualSense wireless controller pairing across multiple devices – PlayStation.Blog Sony DualSense Edge ES-DE Launches Version 3.3 and Adds New Fucntionality Also mentioned: Forgotten City The MagicX Zero 40 MagicX Zero 40 website Subscribe to NPC XL NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the “regular” NPC episodes. You can subscribe here. MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and NPC: Next Portable Console that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media. If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
watchOS 26: The MacStories Public Beta Preview
- stories
- featured
- watchOS
- watchOS 26
Author’s Note: Apple released the public beta of watchOS 26 last Thursday, two days after developer beta 4. Instead of immediately publishing a preview of watchOS 26, I took the time to review the OS again to ensure my preview accurately reflected the version released as a public beta. Last year, watchOS 11 emerged from […]
Author’s Note: Apple released the public beta of watchOS 26 last Thursday, two days after developer beta 4. Instead of immediately publishing a preview of watchOS 26, I took the time to review the OS again to ensure my preview accurately reflected the version released as a public beta. Last year, watchOS 11 emerged from the bumpy launch of Apple Intelligence completely unscathed due to the fact that it included precisely zero AI features. Instead, what Apple Watch users got was a fully formed OS update that took some big swings in addition to refining many areas of the Apple Watch experience. It was a good year with notable updates across the system, particularly when it came to the Smart Stack and health and fitness features. It’s unfortunate, though perhaps not surprising, that this year’s new watchOS release – dubbed version 26, like its OS brethren – is what might be considered a quiet year. However, after living with the beta for over a month, I’m happy to report that while there aren’t any substantial new features, there are still clever flourishes here and there that make my daily use of the Apple Watch more enjoyable. Here’s a preview of what you can expect from watchOS 26. Liquid Glass Comparing the design of watchOS 11 (on the left side of each pair) to watchOS 26 (on the right side of each pair). First, the big news from WWDC: the redesign. Liquid Glass, as Apple made very clear, is a cross-platform design language that aligns each OS with the same visual style. While watchOS is indeed receiving a Liquid Glass makeover, it’s fair to say that, for the most part, it’s just a visual re-skinning of the UI. That’s not a criticism, though. While iOS features numerous animations and transitions in its UI, watchOS is primarily composed of static buttons. There are elements of motion in places like the Smart Stack and when scrolling stats in the Activity app, but Apple has wisely decided not to mess with them. Instead, buttons adopt Liquid Glass’ transparency with highlights around their edges. Control Center is more transparent, as is the Smart Stack, which adds a modicum of transparency to its widgets. It’s all subtle. Out of the box, the design works well, and it doesn’t have any readability issues, unlike iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. One of the best ways to experience the fresh look is to create a new Photos watch face and observe the translucent time as it stretches and shrinks to fit behind the people and pets in your images, just like on the iOS 26 Lock Screen. Workout Buddy The banner feature in watchOS 26 is Workout Buddy. It’s relatively easy to explain, and I guarantee you’ll know very quickly if it’s for you. Essentially, Workout Buddy is an AI-generated voice that provides you with periodic updates on your workout statistics as you exercise, along with motivational quotes that encourage you to “crush it”. I’ve turned it off because, while the comparative statistics can be of interest, the enthusiasm level of the voice is not for me. Yet, I know many who love it; as I said, you will know very quickly which way you fall. You can hear an example of the Workout Buddy voice in the WWDC Keynote here. Either way, Workout Buddy’s implementation is intriguing. The voices (you can choose from three) are generated by a model that utilizes voice data from Fitness+ trainers, although no special recordings were made for this purpose. As someone who uses Fitness+ regularly, I’ve found that the voices have this bizarre familiarity to them that I can never quite put my finger on. They sound like generic Fitness+ trainers, which I guess is the intention. Another intriguing feature of Workout Buddy is the way it will – in an attempt to seem like a real trainer – occasionally make reference to what you’re listening to. For example, it might say, “Enjoy your AppStories,” or, “Here’s a podcast about AI.” It’s weird, but again, I know several people who love it. There is a major limitation to Workout Buddy that’s worth noting: you need to have your Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone with you to do the processing. This makes me wonder if we’ll see an AI-capable chip in the Apple Watch Series 11 this fall. Other Workout Features Scrolling through the list of workouts. To me, the best new feature in the Workout app is the ability to customize workouts. For every exercise type, you are now presented with four buttons, each in a corner of the screen: Metrics and Views Experiences Workout Buddy and Alerts Media What this allows you to do is customize these settings for every single workout, and I love it. Settings for workout views and goals. In Metrics and Views, you can select the different metric views that are available to scroll through during your workout. Experiences will enable you to kick off a workout with a preset target in mind, such as a 5 km run. Workout Buddy and Alerts offers options for enabling or disabling Workout Buddy, selecting a voice, and receiving alerts for your heart rate, time, and splits. If Workout Buddy is turned on, these alerts will come from your “trainer”; if not, they will come from your Siri voice. Workout Buddy settings. Finally, the Media button reveals some new ways to autoplay media when you start a workout. When toggled on, you can select ‘Picked For You’ or ‘Choose Media’. Picked For You chooses music from your Apple Music library based on the type of workout you’re doing. When I did a walking workout, my Apple Watch played my Motivated playlist; when I did a cycling workout, it played my Energy playlist; a yoga workout triggered my Chill Music playlist. You get the idea. Choosing default media for a workout. If you don’t want to leave it to Apple’s playlists to provide the soundtrack for your workouts, you can choose a playlist from Apple Music or a podcast from Apple Podcasts. Third-party apps can also get in on the fun by updating their apps to support the InPlayMediaIntent API. Since the settings for each workout persist across multiple sessions, you could spend a considerable amount of time crafting the perfect setup for each type of workout that you do, and I think that’s fantastic. Apple appears increasingly keen on making the Apple Watch a tap-and-go device in various aspects of your life, and this is just another example. Great stuff. Smart Stack and Control Center Last year, the Smart Stack got some excellent upgrades in the form of Live Activities, interactive widgets, and suggested widgets. In watchOS 26, Apple is continuing to improve the Smart Stack by building on widgets. The animation of scrolling to expand a Smart Stack hint is lovely. Smart Stack hints are the most noticeable additions, and they’re nicely done. Using a new relevancy algorithm, the Smart Stack can draw from data such as the date and time, your sleep schedule, your location, and more to suggest a widget for your Smart Stack. You’ll see this suggestion first as a small circular icon at the bottom of your watch face. Tapping on it or scrolling up to reveal the Smart Stack will show the suggested widget at the top. I’ve run into a few situations where Smart Stack hints were useful to me. The first was when I arrived at my gym and got a suggestion to start a strength workout. Another was when a hint to activate Do Not Disturb appeared just as I was about to start a meeting. The last use case is also the easiest way you can trigger this feature: I opened the camera on my iPhone, and my Apple Watch displayed a hint to launch the Camera Remote app. It’s great to know this hint will appear each time I open my camera in case I need to control it with my watch. Developers can also take advantage of this new relevancy algorithm to have their apps suggest hints and add multiple widgets to the Smart Stack simultaneously. For example, you can include more than one widget for upcoming events in the Smart Stack if they are close enough together. Configurable widgets for the Weather app. Finally, in the Smart Stack, any app can now offer configurable widgets. This is an expansion of the single configurable widget that was available previously, allowing you to place three complications side by side. This way, developers don’t have to spend time creating numerous combinations of data widgets; they can simply allow the user to manually fill each complication-like slot with an option from their app. With hints and customizable widgets, Apple is doubling down on the personalization and, thus, the usefulness of the Smart Stack. If you haven’t fully configured your Smart Stack yet, now is the ideal time to begin. Control Center, as I mentioned last year, has remained unchanged for more than seven years and is still showing its age. Nevertheless, Apple has given it a little more utility this year with the addition of custom controls, similar to the controls you can add to Control Center on iOS. These controls can launch apps or perform actions within them straight from Control Center. Adding new controls to Control Center. Even though I think Control Center is well past due for a rethink, these custom controls put quick tasks like adjusting a home accessory, creating a new note (more on that later), or kicking off a shortcut just a button press away. I already run a couple of key HomeKit scenes regularly via Control Center, negating the need to pull out my iPhone or trust the unreliability of Siri. Again, as with all these new custom features, developers can make controls for their own apps as well. Even though the primary focus of the Apple Watch for most people is fitness, the ever-increasing utility and convenience of the Smart Stack and now Control Center are slowly but surely empowering the Apple Watch to serve as a useful dashboard of sorts, easily accessible on the wrist. Gestures In a column for Club MacStories at the start of the year, I wished for more gestures to come to the Apple Watch, adding to the already useful double tap feature. Thankfully, my wishes were granted with the arrival of a new wrist flick gesture. While looking at your watch (the feature is limited to Series 9 and 10 as well as the Ultra 2), if you swiftly rotate your wrist outwards and back again, the content on your screen will essentially be dismissed. Apple demoed the feature by using it to dismiss a notification and silence an alarm, but its usefulness goes beyond that. The best way to think of the wrist flick gesture is as a ‘back’ button. For example, if you’re in an app, flick your wrist to return to the list of apps. If you have the Smart Stack open, do the same gesture to return to your watch face. It seems simple, but after a month of use, I’ve found myself performing this gesture a lot. It has the satisfying effect of allowing you to back out of something without needing to tap away on your watch or squeeze the Digital Crown. My only criticism of this feature is that there is no API available for developers, unlike the one provided for double tap. I see why Apple hasn’t done this for now, as a wrist flick in an app will clear the app from the screen. However, I think it would be possible to string together some useful gesture combinations between wrist flick and double tap. Notes App Reminders has been on the Apple Watch since watchOS 3, so it’s pretty shocking it’s taken Apple this long to bring the Notes app along for the ride. The app itself is, unfortunately, very limited. In terms of content, you can only view your notes and check off list items; you can’t edit the text of notes themselves. You can pin or delete a note, though. And you can create new notes in the app, too. You can also create a note by asking Siri to “take a new note” and then dictating the contents or by tapping the Control Center control, which will also give you the option to type your thoughts out. I figured this would be a great way to capture thoughts both short and long, but unfortunately, during my month of usage, the Notes app has felt extremely restricted. The inability to edit notes sorely hampers it because every new idea needs to be recorded in a new note, which I find inefficient. The length of a note is also restricted by system dictation limits - two minutes for on-device languages, one minute for languages not on-device. When this limit is hit, watchOS will cut you off and open the incomplete note it’s just created, which is very frustrating. Other Notable Additions Series 10 owners who love the seconds hand, rejoice! Almost every watch face now updates every second when dimmed, taking advantage of the device’s 1Hz refresh rate. If you’re one of those people who have sounds on for your alerts, automatic volume adjustment is for you. This new feature automatically raises and lowers the volume of notifications, timers, Siri, and more based on the current ambient sound level. Messages gains many of the features of its OS counterparts, like chat backgrounds and Live Translation. Additionally, smart actions prompt you to take action based on the context of a message; for example, if someone asks where you are, Messages will show a button for you to share your location. You can even vote in polls! Messages on watchOS has often lagged behind other platforms in previous years, so it’s good to see these new additions come to the Apple Watch at the same time as the iPhone. Conversations in Messages now have custom backgrounds synced across platforms, and watch faces are now organised into categories in the gallery. The Face Gallery has been redesigned in watchOS 26, with faces organized into categories. We’re also losing a couple of watch faces this year, including, to my dismay, the Toy Story face. The Mickey and Minnie faces are still available, so I’m assuming this is due to the license for the popular franchise expiring rather than any problem between Apple and Disney. The Phone app gains Call Screening and Hold Assist, new features that also arrive this year on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. These are great additions that are easy to keep an eye on via a widget that appears in your Smart Stack. As I covered earlier this year, Live Listen controls are coming to the Apple Watch, along with additional accessibility features like Live Captions. Simply place your iPhone near the sound source, and your watch will show a readout of the words picked up by the phone’s microphone. I’m not going to pretend this isn’t a quiet year for watchOS; it undoubtedly is. Following last year’s significant updates, I’d hoped to see further developments in areas like the Vitals app and Training Load, as well as improvements to sleep tracking. I’m disappointed that hasn’t happened with watchOS 26. That said, there are some clever touches throughout this update that make it clear Apple is still committed to enhancing the Apple Watch’s utility for users. The wrist flick gesture, the level of customization in the Workouts app, and the context-aware features in the Smart Stack and Messages are all small but very welcome additions to Apple’s smallest OS. Even Workout Buddy, though not ideal for me and a bit limited in functionality, will appeal to many. Just don’t ask me to start “crushing my goals”. If you want to test out these new features before they’re released this fall, you can do so now by enrolling in the watchOS 26 public beta. watchOS 26 is compatible with Apple Watch Series 6 and above, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch SE (2nd generation). Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now
Folio: A Promising Read-Later App with a Strong Foundation
- reviews
- android
- featured
- iOS
- iPad
- read-later
- web
I’ve been using read-it-later apps since before I had an iPhone. For those of us who were Wi-Fi-only iPod touch users before owning iPhones, apps like Instapaper were great for reading on the go. Like in those early days, the read-later universe is once again hyper-competitive, with a lot of relatively new entrants such as […]
I’ve been using read-it-later apps since before I had an iPhone. For those of us who were Wi-Fi-only iPod touch users before owning iPhones, apps like Instapaper were great for reading on the go. Like in those early days, the read-later universe is once again hyper-competitive, with a lot of relatively new entrants such as Matter and Readwise Reader. That’s led to other apps shutting down. ElevenLabs bought and closed Omnivore, and most recently, Pocket, which debuted ages ago as Read It Later and was eventually acquired by Mozilla, shuttered. In the wake of Pocket’s demise, Nick Chapman, who used to work on Pocket, and the team at Less is Better debuted Folio, a new read-later app for the iPhone, the iPad, Android, and the web that they say is designed to capture the essence of Pocket. I used Pocket on and off over the years but always considered it a step behind alternatives, so my expectations for Folio weren’t high. Still, I was curious to see what Folio had to offer, especially because it must have been put together very quickly in order to be launched as Pocket shut down. Despite my initial reservations and some gaps in the app’s functionality, the Folio team has laid a great foundation with an excellent reading experience that’s worth keeping an eye on. Currently, there are four ways to get articles into Folio: a plus button in the app’s main UI for pasting URLs, a share extension for sending URLs to Folio from browsers and other apps, browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox (with a Safari extension coming soon, according to the developers), and import functionality in Folio’s settings that works with CSV files generated by Pocket (which you can alternatively sign into directly), Instapaper, Matter, Raindrop, and Readwise Reader. What’s missing, besides a Safari extension, is any Shortcuts support, which is disappointing since automations are some of the key ways I integrate my RSS reading with read-it-later apps. I’d also like to see Shortcuts support for finding saved articles and accessing their URLs along with other metadata. The iPad layout would probably work better divided into multiple columns when it’s filling the full screen. Where Folio shines is in its main reading list view, where your saved articles appear as a list that includes: the article’s title, the source publication, how long it will take to read, a thumbnail of the story’s hero image, an automatically generated tag that can be changed later, and Favorite and More buttons. Along the top of the article list is a sorting button to arrange stories from oldest to newest or newest to oldest, plus filters for favorited, tagged, highlighted, short, long, and archived articles. This view is also where you’ll find a button for full-text search and the plus button for adding new articles. The UI for reading is Folio’s greatest strength. The layout is simple and readable, which I appreciate. However, the touch target for the More button – which reveals Share, Favorite, Edit Tags, Archive, and Delete buttons – is so small that it’s easy to miss and open one of your articles instead. The menu of options is also something that I’d like to see in a popover when an article is long-pressed. Article swipe gestures with assignable shortcuts to any of these same actions would be a great addition, too. When you open a story, the app automatically scrolls to where you left off in the article, which is great. There are also options to listen to the article and open it in a Safari View Controller as well as another More button, which adds options for Display Settings and Open in Browser (your default external browser) along with the actions described above. There are multiple voices for listening to articles that can be played back at various speeds, and all of them are very good. However, the voices play back randomly; I’d like to be able to choose a voice myself. The display settings include a strong selection of over a dozen font choices and options to adjust font size, line spacing, content width, and justification. Together, it’s an excellent set of core settings that should let just about anyone dial in a comfortable reading experience. Less ideal is how aggressively Folio removes images from articles. The app’s text parsing on the sites I’ve visited is very good, but most articles are reduced to having an image or two no matter how many images the original article contained. Another significant limitation of Folio is that there’s no way to get your articles out of it, which is a shame given the emphasis the developers place on importing from other services. In addition to the ability to export a CSV file of everything, I’d love to see a Shortcuts action that includes filtering to allow for control over what is exported, for those situations when users simply want to use a URL in a multi-step workflow instead of exporting in bulk. Reading suggestions. It’s also worth mentioning that Folio includes a tab of reading suggestions, similar to the kinds of mainstream news stories you’d find in Apple News. I haven’t used this tab much because I typically find articles via RSS, but it has a wide variety of stories if you need something to read. Currently, Folio is free to download and try. Eventually, the team behind the app plans to charge for text-to-speech, highlighting, full-text search, and customizable fonts and spacing, along with other features that are in the works. I like that these features are free to try while the app is still being actively developed, but I’ve never seen it go well when an app takes away features and puts them behind a subscription, even if it’s stated up front as it is here. Still, it’s good to see that there’s a business plan for Folio, and although the pricing hasn’t been announced yet, I hope it will be set at an affordable level that also sustains the app long-term. At the end of the day, there are a lot of features I’d like to see refined and a lot of functionalities that I’d like to see added to Folio. That said, the core reading experience is excellent, and the app’s availability across Apple devices, the web, and Android covers everything from e-ink readers to desktop systems to smartphones and iPads. That’s a great start for an app that hasn’t been around for very long. Whether Folio can find a niche for itself among its many read-it-later competitors remains to be seen, but its prospects look good so far. Folio is available on the App Store for the iPhone and iPad as a free download. Certain features are slated to become paid in the future. Access Extra Content and Perks Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade. What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan. Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more; Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts; Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio. Learn more here and from our Club FAQs. Join Now

An unofficial community about Apple and all of its devices and software.
Daily Advice Thread - August 28, 2025
- apple
Welcome to the Daily Advice Thread for /r/Apple. This thread can be used to ask for technical advice regarding Apple software and hardware, to ask questions regarding the buying or selling of Apple products or to post other short questions. Have a question you need answered? Ask away! Please remember to adhere to our rules, which can be found in the sidebar. Join our Discord and IRC chat rooms for support: Discord IRC Note: Comments are sorted by /new for your convenience. Here is an archive of all previous Daily Advice Threads. This is best viewed on a browser. If on mobile, type in the search bar [author:"AutoModerator" title:"Daily Advice Thread" or title:"Daily Tech Support Thread"] (without the brackets, and including the quotation marks around the titles and author.) The Daily Advice Thread is posted each day at 06:00 AM EST (Click HERE for other timezones) and then the old one is archived. It is advised to wait for the new thread to post your question if this time is nearing for quickest answer time. submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]
Apple Special Event Announced for September 9: 'Awe dropping.'
- apple
submitted by /u/ReverseSweep [link] [comments]
iPhone 17's 'Crossbody Strap' Accessory to Feature Magnetic Design
- apple
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Apple Releases Xcode 26 Beta 7 With GPT-5 Support and Claude Integration
- apple
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iMac G3 | LEGO® Ideas
- apple
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Apple Teases New Powerbeats Fit Earbuds
- apple
submitted by /u/iMacmatician [link] [comments]

Apple's big iPhone launch is coming on September 9. What to expect
- apple
submitted by /u/A-Dog22 [link] [comments]

Apple and Samsung make (separate) legal call against Xiaomi (over their ads)
- apple
From The Article: “Apple and Samsung have taken legal action against Xiaomi in India. The dispute involves advertisements where Xiaomi compared its phones unfavorably to Apple and Samsung models. These companies aim to protect their brand value in the competitive Indian market. Xiaomi's ads targeted the iPhone and some Samsung models. Experts say this is ambush marketing.” submitted by /u/Fer65432_Plays [link] [comments]
iPhone 17 Air is Launching Soon, Here Are All the Rumors
- apple
submitted by /u/iMacmatician [link] [comments]

Evercore reiterates ‘Outperform’ rating on Apple stock with $250 target price
- apple
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Sonos vs HomePod – as an Apple user, am I losing anything technically?
- apple
Hey everyone, I’m pretty deep into the Apple ecosystem – iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, basically all the main categories. Now I’m looking into expanding my home audio setup and I’m torn between going with HomePods or Sonos (probably Era 300). This isn’t really about sound quality – I assume Sonos might have an edge there – but more about the technical side of things when paired with Apple devices. For example, if I go with Sonos: Am I losing anything in terms of integration with iOS/macOS/tvOS? Is the connection via AirPlay slower / less stable? Are there limitations compared to HomePod (e.g. Siri, Handoff, Apple Watch controls, etc.)? Does it all work just as “magically,” or is there a noticeable difference in convenience? I’d really appreciate some insights from people who’ve used both – I just want to make the decision based on Apple ecosystem functionality, not just sound. submitted by /u/GroundbreakingClue58 [link] [comments]
The SwiftUI creators made a way to develop iPhone apps from your iPhone with a chat prompt
- apple
submitted by /u/Austin_Aaron_Conlon [link] [comments]
14-year prison term sought over theft of trade secrets on iPhone 18 chip process
- apple
submitted by /u/Fer65432_Plays [link] [comments]

Apple taking half of TSMC's 2nm chip capacity when production hits full speed
- apple
submitted by /u/Fer65432_Plays [link] [comments]
Apple warns UK against introducing tougher tech regulation
- apple
submitted by /u/swap_019 [link] [comments]

Apple just got partial App Store vindication from a very unlikely source (Google is about to enforce stricter Android app verification requirements)
- apple
submitted by /u/Fer65432_Plays [link] [comments]

Apple Revokes EU Distribution Rights for Torrent Client, Developer Left in the Dark
- apple
submitted by /u/FollowingFeisty5321 [link] [comments]
Apple Music radio stations are now available outside of Apple Music for the first time
- apple
submitted by /u/HenriqueCiccone [link] [comments]

Colombia joins the list of countries probing Apple over App Store antitrust concerns
- apple
submitted by /u/Fer65432_Plays [link] [comments]

Mosyle identifies new Mac malware that evades detection through fake PDF conversion tool
- apple
submitted by /u/Fer65432_Plays [link] [comments]

Musk’s Boasts About Grok Undercut Claims in Suit Against Apple, OpenAI
- apple
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New Chipolo Loop and Card trackers offer Find My compatibility and 400-foot range
- apple
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Apple Weighs Premium iPad Pro Display Tech for 2028 iPhone Models (Tandem OLED)
- apple
submitted by /u/Fer65432_Plays [link] [comments]

Apple Designed Interactive Logo for September 9 Event
- apple
submitted by /u/AWildDragon [link] [comments]

Apple Wallet in iOS 26 adds a toggle to disable controversial feature (Promotional Wallet notifications from Apple can be turned off in iOS 26)
- apple
submitted by /u/Fer65432_Plays [link] [comments]

iPhone 17 announcement imminent as alleged Apple Event ‘hashmoji’ surfaces
- apple
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Apple Invites gets countdown widget in latest update
- apple
submitted by /u/Fer65432_Plays [link] [comments]
Reddit’s little corner for iPhone lovers (and some people who just mildly enjoy it…)
Weekly 'What Should I Buy' and Order/Shipping Thread
- iphone
Welcome to the weekly stickied WSIB thread. Have any questions about buying, selling, trading, or giveaways? Ask away! Please remember to adhere to our rules, which can be found in the sidebar. As usual, if you have a serious issue with the subreddit, please contact the moderators directly. This thread is also for questions about preorders and shipments of devices Note: Comments are sorted by /new for your convenience. Here is an archive of all previous "What Should I Buy" threads. This is best viewed on a browser. If on mobile, type on the searchbar [title:"What Should I Buy" author:"AutoModerator"] (without the brackets, and including the quotation marks around the title and author.) submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]
Weekly iOS Battery Support Megathread
- iphone
General advice for those concerned about their battery from the Support FAQ Wiki: Battery health Battery health depends on usage and a variety of other factors. It is normal to see a decrease in battery health by 7-10% per year, resulting in a battery health of 80-85% after 2 years. This number can fluctuate, remain the same, or decrease quickly over a small period and should not cause undue concern. Apple recommend battery replacement when your device falls below 80% battery health if you notice reduced battery life. If it falls below 80% within the first year you may be eligable for a free battery replacement. It fails after your warranty, it's a $69-$89 USD replacement cost for a battery. Contact Apple Support here. You can find more information about battery health and performance from Apple here. You can check the cycles count with Coconut Battery for Mac or iCopyBot for Windows. Battery life Issues relating to battery life can be categorised in three ways: Normal battery life that is to be expected due to use Reduced battery life caused by a recent update, iOS indexing, an iOS bug, or a third-party application Reduced battery life, or other abnormalities such as overheating or sudden power-off, caused by device or battery aging If you experience issues with your battery: Check your battery health. If it is below 80% or you are experiencing issues you suspect are related to device or battery age, see Apple Support. If you have a new or recently updated/restored device, wait a number of days for background process to complete. If you continue to have issues, wait for a further iOS update. If you are on iOS Beta, you can expect to have a decreased battery life. Review the advice below on maximising battery life Consider restoring your device. If issues persist, contact Apple Support. Maximising battery life - the amount of time your device runs before it needs to be recharged. Use low power mode (This reduces mail fetch, turns off background app refresh and increases the auto lock timer) Remove apps from background app refresh Ensure auto lock is on Turn off auto brightness and manually reduce brightness Use dark mode if your device has an OLED display Clearing background apps from the app switcher does not improve battery life Maximising battery lifespan - the amount of time your battery lasts until it needs to be replaced. Avoid extreme temperatures If you notice that your iPhone gets hot when charging, remove it from its case Store your iPhone in a cool place, switched off, and half-charged if not using it for long periods - and charge it every 6 months when in storage submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]
Tim Cook says they released 20 Apple Intelligence Features. I only know like 3, what are the 20?
- iphone
Is there a list? submitted by /u/Vocabulist [link] [comments]

Top right not displaying
- iphone
I don't know if it has been dropped or anything, but the top right next to the bezels isn't displaying, it seems too aligned to be a screen problem but I might be wrong. It's an iphone 12 pro max if that's important submitted by /u/Palestinewin [link] [comments]

Green line on the left side of my iPhone 13
- iphone
Hello folks, I've got a green line on my iPhone 13. Tried rebooting the device to no avail. Please advise on the steps to resolve the issue. submitted by /u/PrasenjitDebroy [link] [comments]

After 8 years of use. 2 years ago, had my FaceID die out, then a year ago had my charging port die on me and now this green-white line appears out of nowhere! Is it time?
- iphone
submitted by /u/The_Silent_Guardian1 [link] [comments]

Best iPhone Screen Protector With Lifetime Warranty?
- iphone
I’m planning to upgrade to the iPhone 17 Pro Max in about two weeks and want to make sure I get the best screen protector for iPhone. Since it’s such an expensive phone, I don’t mind paying extra for a high quality tempered glass screen protector that actually lasts and has good support. I’ve had some bad experiences in the past with brands that advertise a lifetime warranty but make the process a nightmare asking for endless proof or taking forever to respond. Even in the Apple Store, it felt like too much hassle. At the end of the day, we all know a screen protector isn’t forever one bad drop and it can crack so for me it’s more about how the company stands behind their warranty. What’s been your experience with the best iPhone screen protectors? Have you found a brand that actually honors their lifetime warranty quickly and without the runaround? Looking for recommendations on the best screen protector for iPhone that balances quality, durability, and good support. submitted by /u/Ok-Advisor-5359 [link] [comments]
I love find my so much
- iphone
Whilst on the beach earlier my case fell out of my pocket in an area with a few billion case shaped rocks in the pitch black, genuinely would’ve been gone forever if it weren’t for findmy submitted by /u/GetMrBeaned [link] [comments]

Why even keep it around?
- iphone
The iTunes Store is exactly the same as it is in iOS 18. Even the keyboard is the same. The only thing they “updated” in iOS 26 is those icons. And I don’t even think they did. I think it’s automatic. submitted by /u/Weird_Decision7090 [link] [comments]

Safari tabs just magically went back in time 3-4 years…
- iphone
So I have a 16 Pro MAX bouncing off the storage cap which is probably why this happened but it’s super weird… I have a bunch of tabs open, stuff about motorcycles, fishing gear etc… I clicked on a Castify ad I think on reddit and opened it in Safari and was browsing… when I closed the tab and when back to the tabbs menus (bottom right button) I’m now in like 2021… What crazy is there are MORE tabs than I had before, it didn’t just close all the tabs back to this point, it literally picked a place in time… and opened 400 tabbs to how they were then… everything recent is gone… did I have something important open? No idea it’s all gone… like I said tho it’s crazy cuz it pulled in old information it didn’t just erase back to this point… it did this in half a second in my hand… I’m really confused lol Those top 3 links are things from years ago, history is the same only the opened tabs went back in time. submitted by /u/ScaryfatkidGT [link] [comments]

8 months ago my CTO died and took his MFA with him.
- iphone
2.5 years before he died he set the CEO’s kids (6, 8, and 10 at the time) up on an iCloud account of their own. At the time, Apple did not offer enough storage for the CEO and her children to be on the same account. So a new AppleID was created as the parent account. Flash forward to today: the 2TB plan is out of space. Backups are paused, nothing is syncing, in a word, ‘panic’. We have the AppleID and password for the parent account. It appears however, that the phone number he used for MFA was his Google Voice number. Google Voice numbers have a nasty habit of expiring if you don’t use them. That appears to have happened here. I’m going to try Apple’s account recovery to disconnect that number from the account. Unfortunately, some of that information may have been lost with my boss’s passing. If I am unsuccessful, what options are there for emancipating the effectively orphaned child account? submitted by /u/SomeConfection6330 [link] [comments]
AirPods showing they’re charging for an entire day?
- iphone
Is this an issue with the AirPods or is this by design to protect battery? submitted by /u/DooDeeDoo3 [link] [comments]

These spam texts are ridiculous.
- iphone
Does the Report Junk button even do anything? I get these almost daily. submitted by /u/CrippleSlap [link] [comments]

iPhone shipments will help the smartphone market grow this year, IDC predicts
- iphone
submitted by /u/nimicdoareu [link] [comments]

iPhone charging port cleaners
- iphone
These worked amazing, when searching for ways to clean out the charging port, people suggested wooden toothpicks only, not metal so it won’t damage the charging port, these are very bendy and have bristles to grab the dirt, highly recommend submitted by /u/FlashyStruggle4378 [link] [comments]

How do I stop my iPhone from saving two copies of WhatsApp photos from Samsung?
- iphone
Since August, my iPhone Photos app has decided I need twice the love from my partner’s Samsung Galaxy. Whenever he sends me a photo he took with his phone via WhatsApp, I get: - Copy 1: normal, like always. - Copy 2: exact same shot… but with a mysterious “wide” icon in the corner and next to JPEG in info. - The icon copy even has more megapixels than the normal one. - In WhatsApp it’s sent only once. - Only happens with fresh camera shots, not forwarded/saved pics. I’ve had HD upload/download on forever, but this new duplicate thing is messy, clutters my Photos, and eats storage for breakfast. So: How do I get my iPhone to chill and only keep ONE copy, preferably the high-res one? Greetings from Europe, where everyone rather sends everything via WhatsApp instead of SMS/MMS. submitted by /u/flolibri [link] [comments]

How can I have more screen time than hours I’ve been awake?
- iphone
I got up around 7:00 this morning. It’s now almost 2:00 and somehow I’ve managed to cram over 9 hours of screen time into the less than 7 hours I’ve been awake? Something isn’t adding up here 😂 how is this meant to be read? submitted by /u/Beneficial_Fun_1818 [link] [comments]

Shortcuts Automation - How to run without user interaction?
- iphone
Hey everyone, I'm trying to set up an automation on my iPhone, specifically one that sends a message automatically when I arrive at work. I've followed all the steps, but every time I arrive, I get a notification saying "Running Your Automation." I have to tap it to send the message, which defeats the purpose of an automation. Is there a way to make this truly automatic? I want the message to be sent without any user interaction at all. Is there a setting I'm missing, or a different way to set this up? Any advice or workarounds would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! submitted by /u/Dontlookforus [link] [comments]
Hows the even possible 😭
- iphone
submitted by /u/Educational_Pie_4727 [link] [comments]

What's the best MagSafe phone grip that still works with additional MagSafe accessories?
- iphone
I went from an iPhone 13 Mini to an iPhone 16 Pro a year ago and it's been a year and I still find the size cumbersome. I actually don't even use MagSafe anymore, come to think of it. My battery life is good enough that I just plug it in once before bed and have an all day battery. No need for convenient MagSafe chargers around. I also got a new car with wireless Apple CarPlay so I no longer use a MagSafe mount for GPS. But, I'd like the option just in case I'm using my wife's car which has the MagSafe mount or something. Plus, I want something that's thin and doesn't make my phone feel bulkier. Being able to be used as a stand would be a bonus. Any recs? submitted by /u/O0OO00O0OO0 [link] [comments]
Help. Screen time old “family” plan member appearing
- iphone
To give some context, quite some time ago I was added to the family plan of my ex with her family. I was listed as an organizer I believe, which gave me access to parental control stuff. I was just going through my settings, and I found that the youngest child that they had is still here . Even though I have an entire new iCloud plus subscription with an entire different family now is there anyway for me to remove this? submitted by /u/Natorgamer77 [link] [comments]

Can Anyone explain to me why i don’t get any Notifcation showing up on my Phone even everything is turned On ??
- iphone
submitted by /u/FastSky33 [link] [comments]

OTA Updates Broken After Using Nugget for Apple Intelligence Spoof
- iphone
Hi everyone, I used Nugget to spoof my iPhone model so I could enable Apple Intelligence on an unsupported device. It worked at first, but here’s what happened: •I spoofed the model → enabled Apple Intelligence. •Later, I reverted the model back to normal. •Since then, Software Update always shows “Unable to check for update.” Details: •My IMEI and modem firmware are fine (not blank). •I already tried factory reset and iTunes restore, even DFU restore, but OTA is still broken. •Seems like it’s related to leftover Apple Intelligence flags or a mismatch with my device ID. Has anyone else run into this specific Nugget issue? Is there a way to fully undo the Apple Intelligence spoof, or to spoof back temporarily and disable it cleanly? Or do I just have to give up on OTA and only update via IPSW/iTunes now? Thanks in advance 🙏 submitted by /u/GeneElectronic9007 [link] [comments]
Hotspot not working at all
- iphone
I have and iphone xr (fully updated) and a acer laptop. The laptop connects to the hotspot for a second at time and then immediately disconnects. This has been happening for exactly two weeks now and I don’t know why. I feel like I’ve tried everything that the internet suggested… please help :) submitted by /u/Jocker_333 [link] [comments]
Audio call routing
- iphone
Why tf is the regular phone receiver not an option? I have multiple devices that are connected to different devices (airpods, speakers, computers,…) I frequently receive phone call and EVERY single time the phone shoots the call on another device than the phone itself. How can I fix that? Has anyone found a fix around that, because every forum on it say im SOL submitted by /u/V1AND3 [link] [comments]

I’m trying to transfer data from android (oppo) to Ios
- iphone
I follow the process normally until the prompt “select data to transfer” appears at which i should be given a window were i should choose what to transfer, but said window isn’t showing up, is there a fix to this? submitted by /u/OBSCURE25 [link] [comments]
Auto reply for my Tattoo Shop
- iphone
So, I run a tattoo shop, and we just switched to using an iPhone as our shop phone. When we had an android, we used an app called Smarter to send auto texts to ALL missed calls not just our contact list. We need this for when we are working on a client and cannot answer due to sanitization. The iPhone does only seem to work with anything but focus or driving but that's only people in the contacts list or just plain rejects he calls to voicemail which we do not want. Is there a similar 3rd party app to do auto reply's I can preset? submitted by /u/InnovatorofInsane [link] [comments]
Apple Event — September 9
Get ready. Awe dropping September 9 at 10 a.m. PT. Click "Notify Me" and we'll send you a reminder before showtime.

No Frame Missed | Apple
The simple act of filming can be challenging for people with Parkinson’s. Often they are unable to capture their own memories. For Brett, Bette, and Ellen, every moment matters. With Action mode on iPhone, they can capture smooth hand-held videos and reclaim the joy of filming their favorite moments — supported by accessibility features like Voice Control, which help them operate the camera and navigate their iPhone with ease. “For someone like me, who’s been using cameras for 30 years, it being an option again is kind of life-changing.” — Brett Learn how people with Parkinson’s can use Action mode: https://youtube.com/shorts/X7Y262xvV94?feature=share Learn more about how to use Voice Control on iPhone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg22JaZWAgs Learn more about how to use Touch Accommodations on iPhone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TTOhANVkrA Learn how to track medications on iPhone: https://apple.co/474st0R Audio Descriptions: https://youtu.be/gR71flmTSrw #ShotOniPhone #Apple #Parkinsons #ActionMode Welcome to the official Apple YouTube channel. Here you’ll find news about product launches, tutorials, and other great content. Apple’s more than 160,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

No Frame Missed | Apple #Shorts
Filming with Parkinson’s. Audio Descriptions: https://youtube.com/shorts/SFURX93HVq4?feature=share #ShotOniPhone #Apple #Parkinsons #ActionMode

How to shoot stable videos with hand tremors #Shorts
Easy ways to use Action mode. Learn more: https://apple.co/3VdRMpS Audio Descriptions: https://youtube.com/shorts/F2gmiw53O7Q #ShotOniPhone #Apple #Parkinsons #ActionMode

Apple Intelligence | Clean Up Photos: Cat | iPhone 16
With Apple Intelligence, you can now remove distracting objects from your photos with the Clean Up tool. Learn more about iPhone 16: https://apple.co/407Tyfl Learn more about Apple Intelligence: https://apple.co/4eGwlad Audio Description: https://youtu.be/1UOS4Tft3Xw “KATOOSSA” by Yacine Boularès #AppleIntelligence #iPhone16 #iphone16pro Welcome to the official Apple YouTube channel. Here you’ll find news about product launches, tutorials, and other great content. Our more than 160,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Shot on iPhone 16 Pro | Big Man - Behind The Scenes | Apple
The cast and crew take us behind the scenes of Big Man for a look at how the film was brought to life with iPhone 16 Pro. Using Cinematic mode, 4K 120 fps slow motion and the ability to shoot in Apple Log. Director Aneil Karia and Director of Photography Stuart Bentley BSC explain how filmmaking becomes more accessible than ever with iPhone 16 Pro. Watch Big Man in full: https://youtu.be/AUrLMJQf2Bw Learn more about iPhone 16 Pro: https://apple.co/3G296dA Audio Descriptions: https://youtu.be/zQwsabVWzoY #ShotOniPhone #iPhone16Pro #Stormzy #MerkyFilms Welcome to the official Apple YouTube channel. Here you’ll find news about product launches, tutorials, and other great content. Our more than 160,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Shot on iPhone 16 Pro | Big Man - Starring Stormzy | Apple
Big Man tells the fictional story of Tenzman, a world-weary musician, and the two bright, joyful kids who come into his life by chance. Soon the trio find themselves on a journey together — one that will reveal a better way forward for them all. A new film shot on iPhone 16 Pro by director Aneil Karia. Learn more about iPhone 16 Pro: https://apple.co/3G296dA Audio Descriptions: https://youtu.be/AFivb-EzYIs #ShotOniPhone #iPhone16Pro #Stormzy #MerkyFilms Welcome to the official Apple YouTube channel. Here you’ll find news about product launches, tutorials, and other great content. Our more than 160,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Screenshots become events. Just like that. #Shorts
This fall, visual intelligence will turn all those screenshots into events in your calendar that you actually show up to. Learn more at www.apple.com/os. Audio Descriptions: https://apple.co/4mTvN4p “Only You” by Ginger Root #Apple #WWDC25 #visualintelligence #iOS26 #macOS26 #calendar

Translate your convos live. Yes, live. #Shorts
This fall, Apple Intelligence will translate your conversations live on FaceTime, in text messages, and on calls. Learn more at www.apple.com/os. Audio Descriptions: https://apple.co/4kJOPsg “Only You” by Ginger Root #iPadOS26 #WWDC25 #Apple #iOS26 #macOS26 #AppleIntelligence #LiveTranslation

See ya later to spam texts and calls. #Shorts
See you never. This fall, iOS26 will automatically throw those sketchy unwanted messages into a junk drawer for you. Learn more at www.apple.com/os. Audio Descriptions: https://apple.co/43U1dyO #Apple #WWDC25 #MessagesScreening #iOS26 #macOS26

Take a poll, split the bill in Messages. #Shorts
No friendship breakups over here. This fall, you’ll be able to take polls in your group chats in Messages and split bills with your friends with Apple Cash. Learn more at www.apple.com/os/ Audio Descriptions: https://apple.co/43Yxh4R “Only You” by Ginger Root #Apple #WWDC25 #Messages #iOS26 #macOS26 #AppleCash

Introducing Liquid Glass | Apple
Meet our next chapter in software design, built with the sleek and expressive material Liquid Glass. This universal design puts greater focus on your content, creating a more personal experience that brings joy and delight across all our platforms while still feeling instantly familiar. Learn more at https://www.apple.com/os/ Audio Descriptions: https://youtu.be/ae9l-WL88mw #Apple #WWDC25 #LiquidGlass Welcome to the official Apple YouTube channel. Here you’ll find news about product launches, tutorials, and other great content. Our more than 160,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Big things coming to iPad. #Shorts
This fall, you’ll be able to multitask with a ton of windows, access files from your Dock, navigate with a menu bar, and do so much more on your iPad. Learn more at www.apple.com/os/. “Only You” by Ginger Root #iPadOS26 #WWDC25 #Apple

Wanna see something gorgeous? #Shorts
Apple’s new look is coming soon. Learn more at www.apple.com/os. Audio Descriptions: https://apple.co/45MsrtK “Only You” by Ginger Root #LiquidGlass #WWDC25 #Apple #iOS26 #macOS26 #iPadOS26 #watchOS26

New things on the way from Apple
Woah. Here’s your guide to some of the big announcements from this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference. Watch the full keynote here: https://youtu.be/0_DjDdfqtUE Learn more at https://www.apple.com/os/ Audio Descriptions: https://youtu.be/xvEOwgprayg “Only You” by Ginger Root https://apple.co/Ginger-Root-Only-You #Apple #WWDC25 #LiquidGlass #AppleEvent Welcome to the official Apple YouTube channel. Here you’ll find news about product launches, tutorials, and other great content. Our more than 160,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ iPhone Event is Official – iPhone 17, Apple Watch, AirPods & More!
Discover the future of earbuds with viaim OpenNote — AI-powered, open-ear wireless earbuds that record calls, transcribe conversations in real time, and deliver premium sound with all-day comfort. Stay productive, stay connected, and experience the smartest earbuds yet. 👉 Check them out here: https://amzn.to/41QcWOF Use code: RUMORS10 for an extra 10% off valid through September 30th! Apple officially announced its September 9, 2025 iPhone Event at Apple Park. Here’s what to expect: 📱 iPhone 17 Lineup – iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air with a 5.5mm design, 48MP camera, and A19 Pro chip. Pro models bring a new aluminum frame, full-width camera bump, copper/orange color, 24MP selfie cam, triple 48MP cameras with 8x zoom, and improved cooling. ⌚ Apple Watch Updates – Series 11, Ultra 3 (larger display, LTPO3 OLED, satellite messaging), and SE 3 all launching together. Blood pressure alerts and new S11 chip rumored. 🎧 Other Possible Announcements – AirPods Pro 3, HomePod mini refresh, Apple TV 4K. 📲 Read more: [WEBSITE LINKS HERE] 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

New iPads Coming Soon? – M5 iPad Pro, iPad Mini & More!
Apple’s next wave of iPads is on the horizon, and here’s what to expect: ✅ iPad Pro (M5) – Dual front-facing cameras (portrait + landscape), M5 chip, smaller refinements after last year’s OLED redesign. ✅ iPad mini (A19) – Upcoming refresh with Apple’s latest chip, possibly OLED in 2026+. ✅ 12th-gen iPad (A18) – Affordable upgrade with Apple Intelligence support. ✅ iPadOS 26 – Liquid Glass UI + powerful multitasking features. If you’re thinking of buying an iPad right now, you may want to wait for these updates. #iPadProM5 #iPadMiniA19 #iPad12thGen #iPadRumors #iPadOS26 #AppleEvent 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

📱 iPhone 16 Pro Max – One Year Later Review
After nearly a year with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I wanted to share my long-term thoughts before shifting focus to the iPhone 17 lineup. ✅ Battery Life – Shockingly still at 99% health after one year ✅ Performance – A17 Pro chip + iOS 26 runs smoothly ✅ Durability – Strong titanium frame, but scratch-prone display ✅ Camera Control Button – Useful for quick launch, but needs refinement ✅ Heat Issues – Runs hot outdoors, especially at max brightness ✅ Camera System – Consistently great photos & videos If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 14 or older, the 16 Pro Max is still a fantastic buy — but with the iPhone 17 launch just weeks away, it might be worth waiting. #iPhone16ProMax #iPhone16Review #iPhoneLongTermReview 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

Apple’s MASSIVE Hardware Leak – 7 Unannounced Products Revealed!
Apple accidentally leaked hardware identifiers in new code — confirming 7 upcoming products across multiple categories. Here’s what’s coming: ✅ Apple Studio Display 2 – Codename J427, possible mini-LED ✅ Mystery J527 Display – Could be another Studio Display or Pro Display XDR refresh ✅ HomePod mini 2 – New chip (S9/S10/S11-class), Wi-Fi 6E ✅ Apple TV – A17 Pro chip + Apple-designed Wi-Fi/Bluetooth ✅ iPad mini – A19 Pro chip, Budget iPad – A18 chip ✅ Apple Vision Pro 2 – M5 chip upgrade, possible new strap 📲 Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/14/every-apple-secret-that-leaked-yesterday/ 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

Apple Watch Series 11 & Ultra 3 – New Features You Need to Know!
⌚ Apple Watch Series 11 & Ultra 3 – What to Expect at Apple’s Fall Event We’re just weeks away from Apple’s September 2025 event, and alongside the new iPhone lineup, we’re expecting two major Apple Watch updates: the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Here’s everything we know so far. ✅ Series 11 Rumors • Possible blood pressure alerts (hypertension detection, not full readings) • New S11 chip for better performance & battery life • 5G RedCap modem for faster, more efficient wearable connectivity • Focus on health & internal upgrades ✅ Ultra 3 Rumors • Slightly larger display thanks to slimmer bezels • LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina Display with faster refresh in always-on mode • Potential satellite messaging support for off-grid texting • New 5G cellular modem • Likely to gain blood pressure monitoring if Series 11 does ✅ watchOS 26 Features • Workout Buddy – motivation during workouts • Potential new sleep score feature, similar to Oura ring The Ultra 3 might also bring durability refinements and enhanced outdoor features, while Series 11 seems poised to be a solid health and performance update. 🔔 Subscribe for full Apple Event coverage, hands-on reviews, and watchOS 26 deep dives. #AppleWatch #AppleWatchSeries11 #AppleWatchUltra3 #AppleEvent2025 📲 Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/08/apple-watch-series-11-rumor-recap/ https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/06/apple-watch-ultra-3-what-to-expect/ 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 - Intro 00:17 - Apple Watch Series 11 Rumor 02:28 - Apple Watch Ultra 3 Rumors The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

iPhone 16e Long-Term Review – Still Worth It 5 Months Later?
After using the iPhone 16e for over 4 months as both a main and secondary phone, I can confidently say: this is still one of the best bang-for-your-buck iPhones you can buy. At $599 MSRP (often cheaper with deals), it nails the essentials — and then some. ✅ Minimalist design – Clean look with a single 48MP camera ✅ Great performance – Powered by Apple’s A18 chip + Apple Intelligence ✅ Excellent battery life – Thanks to the new C1 modem & no ProMotion ✅ Reliable display – 6.1" panel without Dynamic Island or 120Hz, but solid ✅ Build quality – No case? Still barely any scratches ✅ Camera system – 48MP main sensor with solid 2x zoom crop ✅ No MagSafe? – Workarounds exist with magnetic cases ✅ C1 Modem – Better thermal management and strong cellular performance ✅ Downsides? – No telephoto lens, no MagSafe, no ProMotion If you’re coming from an iPhone 12 or older and want to save money without sacrificing too much, the iPhone 16e is a top-tier choice — especially with Apple Intelligence on board. Buy iPhone 16e - https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-16e 🔔 Subscribe for more Apple reviews, iPhone 17 news, and all things iOS 26 and beyond. #iPhone16e #iPhone16eReview #iPhoneBudget #iPhone16Review #AppleIntelligence #iPhone16Camera #C1Modem #iOS26 #AppleReview #iPhoneComparison #BudgetiPhone #iPhoneBatteryLife 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

iPhone 17 Pro & Pro Max – 17 NEW Features You Need to Know!
Join the Eney closed beta to experience a new category of AI companions —where your Mac tasks become simple conversations with an intelligent companion that truly understands your needs. https://macpaw.com/eney?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=eney_beta_macrumors Apple’s next flagship phones — the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max — are just around the corner, and in this video we’re breaking down 17 of the biggest leaks, rumors, and upgrades expected at the iPhone 17 event next month! ✅ New aluminum frame + hybrid glass/metal back ✅ Anti-reflective display (matte finish?) ✅ Redesigned Dynamic Island (UI & hardware changes) ✅ Wider camera bump with LiDAR & flash repositioning ✅ New iPhone 17 Pro colors – Copper/Orange and Dark Blue ✅ Performance upgrades – 5000mAh battery, 12GB RAM, Wi-Fi 7, 25W Qi 2.2 wireless charging ✅ 48MP triple camera setup + 24MP selfie cam ✅ 8K and dual video recording support ✅ Vapor chamber cooling for better thermals ✅ MagSafe redesign & lower Apple logo 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications** for full coverage of the iPhone 17 launch, iOS 26, Apple Intelligence, and more Apple news as it happens. #iPhone17 #iPhone17Pro #iPhone17ProMax #AppleEvent2025 #iPhoneLeaks #iOS26 #AppleRumors #iPhoneCameraUpgrade #WiFi7 #iPhone17Colors #DynamicIsland 📲 Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/05/iphone-17-pro-launching-next-month/ 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 - Intro 00:13 - Aluminum frame + hybrid glass/metal back? 01:03 - Nano-texture iPhone? 01:31 - Sponsor: Eney 02:40 - Dynamic Island changes 03:43 - New camera bump spotted in wild? 04:27 - New orange and blue colors 05:17 - Rumored specs 05:58 - Camera rumors and improvements 07:32 - Vapor chamber cooling system? 08:08 - New logo placement The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

macOS Tahoe Review: Best Update to macOS in Years?
Go to https://surfshark.com/macrumors or use code MACRUMORS at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! macOS 26 is now available in public beta, and after a month of testing, I’m ready to share my early review of macOS 26. From a complete redesign of Spotlight Search to the new Liquid Glass UI, this update feels like a big leap forward for Mac users. ✅ Liquid Glass Design – Translucent UI, customizable icons, and widgets ✅ Spotlight Search Revamped – New clipboard manager, file search, and macOS actions ✅ Control Center Overhaul – More like iOS/iPadOS, fully customizable ✅ Phone App on Mac – Make calls, screen calls, and manage voicemail ✅ Reminders with Apple Intelligence – Auto-categorize your tasks ✅ Notes Markdown Export, Messages polls & typing indicators, Photos app updates ✅ New Apps – Games app, Journal app, and more ✅ macOS 26 Stability – Surprisingly solid for a beta Apple’s making macOS feel more intelligent, integrated, and fluid than ever before. If you’re on the fence about installing the beta, I’ll walk you through what works, what’s promising, and whether it’s stable enough for daily use. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications for more Apple beta coverage, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Sequoia, and more. #macOS26 #macOSTahoe #macOS26Features 📲 Read more: [WEBSITE LINKS HERE] 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 - Liquid Glass on Mac 01:34 - Sponsor: Surfshark 03:14 - Spotlight 05:44 - Control Center 06:20 - Phone App 07:02 - Reminders, Messages, Notes 07:46 - Photos App 08:01 - New Journal and Games App 09:01 - Overall thoughts The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

2025 Apple TV 4K: All Upcoming Rumored New Features!
Apple is expected to release a brand-new Apple TV later this year, and it’s shaping up to be the biggest update yet. In this video, we break down the most exciting features and upgrades you can expect — from improved connectivity and performance to tvOS 26 enhancements and even a possible built-in camera for FaceTime and gestures! ✅ Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 support ✅ Faster chip (A18/A19?) for better performance & Apple Intelligence ✅ Rumored built-in camera for FaceTime & hand gestures ✅ tvOS 26 upgrades – Contact Posters, Live Captions, vertical content cards, and more ✅ Apple Music Sing App turns your iPhone into a wireless mic ✅ Liquid Glass UI makes its way to the big screen ✅ Potential sub-$100 price point 👀 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

iPadOS 26 Review: It FINALLY Feels Like a Mac?
🚨 iPadOS 26 Public Beta is HERE! 🚨 Apple just dropped the public beta for iPadOS 26, and it’s a game-changer for iPad users. In this video, I walk you through all the iPad-specific features that make this update feel more like macOS for iPad—from redesigned multitasking and windowing to the all-new menu bar, exposé, and cursor changes. ✅ Multitasking Overhaul – Resize, reposition, and layer windows with full freedom using the updated Stage Manager ✅ Menu Bar + Traffic Light Controls – Just like on Mac, now on iPad ✅ New Files App Features – Colored folders, collapsible columns, default apps, and docked folders ✅ Preview App Now on iPad – Edit PDFs and images with your Apple Pencil ✅ Background Tasks – Export or transfer without stopping your workflow ✅ Plus: New cursor, Live Translation, and that slick Liquid Glass design 📲 Ready to try iPadOS 26 for yourself? Grab the public beta here: beta.apple.com 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

iPhone 17 Pro Could Come in New "Liquid Glass" & Orange Colors!?

iOS 26 Review (So Far): Try It Now!
Join the Eney closed beta to experience a new category of AI companions —where your Mac tasks become simple conversations with an intelligent companion that truly understands your needs. https://macpaw.com/eney?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=eney_beta_macrumors iOS 26 isn't quite ready to launch yet, but we're far enough along in the testing process that Apple is seeding the update out to millions of public beta testers today. iOS 26 is also now refined enough that we're able to share more detail on what this update will really mean for iPhone users when it comes in September. Try Public Beta --- https://beta.apple.com 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

New iPhone 17 & 17 Pro Leaks: Is Apple Making an Orange iPhone? 🍊
Join the Eney closed beta to experience a new category of AI companions —where your Mac tasks become simple conversations with an intelligent companion that truly understands your needs. https://macpaw.com/eney?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=eney_beta_macrumors Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely dates. In a social media post today, Dickson shared images of alleged lens covers for the rear cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models, with the following five color labels: black, gray, silver, dark blue, and orange. 📲 Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/14/iphone-17-pro-all-new-color-rumored/ https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/05/iphone-17-pro-max-vs-pro/https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/14/iphone-17-dynamic-island-changes/ https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/16/all-new-iphone-17-and-17-pro-colors-leaked/ 🌐 Connect with Dan: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/danbarbera Instagram: https://instagram.com/danbarbera1 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@macrumors Dan's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/danbarbera1 🎙️ Follow The MacRumors Show Podcast: https://youtube.com/@TheMacRumorsShow ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 - iPhone 17 Event Date 00:40 - A New Orange iPhone 17 Pro?? 02:16 - Sponsor: Eney 03:39 - ALL 15 iPhone 17 Colors 04:41 - Dynamic Island Changes 05:37 - New Design Changes The most popular Apple News & Rumors site on the Internet. Welcome to MacRumors, your ultimate destination for in-depth and insightful Mac reviews, where we go beyond the surface to bring you a comprehensive look at everything Apple & Mac! 🍎✨ 🖥️💻Thorough Reviews: We meticulously test and evaluate each product, exploring the features, performance, and understanding its capabilities. 🔍 In-Depth Analysis: Dive deep into the intricacies of Apple's latest technologies and innovations. 🌐 Mac News & Rumors: Stay up-to-date with our coverage of the latest tech news, and be the first to know about upcoming new Apple product releases, updates, and developments. 🔧 Apple Accessories: Enhance your Mac experience with our reviews and recommendations for must-have accessories. 💡 Tips & Tricks: Unlock the full potential of your Mac with our tips and tricks that make your user experience easy. Subscribe now and join our community of Mac enthusiasts!

iPadOS 26 windowing system

iPadOS is getting macOS features

Apple, iPhone, iPad, Mac News and Rumors
iOS 26: What's New With the Podcasts App
- Featured
- iOS 26
The Podcasts app didn't get as many iOS 26 updates as some of Apple's other apps, but there are some design changes and feature tweaks that are worth knowing about.
Liquid Glass
Like all of Apple's apps, the Podcasts app adopts the new Liquid Glass design language. UI elements have a glass-like, translucent look that let the background art shine through.
Buttons have a more rounded design and the navigation bar no longer takes up the entire bottom of the app. The Browse tab is now the New tab, and the Search tab has the search bar at the bottom of the display.
There's also an updated Liquid Glass icon that looks like several stacked layers of glass.
Updated Speed Controls
iOS 26 includes options to change the playback speed of a podcast. When you're playing a show, tap on the "1x" button in the corner and you'll be able to change the speed. Apple offers multiple playback speeds ranging from 0.5x to 3x. In iOS 18, you could only select from four fixed speed options: 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75, and 2x.
To change the playback speed, tap one of the preset options or drag a finger over one of the options to bring up a dial that allows for more granular 0.1x adjustments.
Enhance Dialogue
The Podcasts app includes an Enhance Dialogue feature that is designed to isolate voices so they sound clearer amid any background noise.
To use Enhance Dialogue, play a show in the Podcasts app. From there, open up the fullscreen playback controls, tap the "1x" playback speed button, and choose the Enhance Dialogue option.
Per-Show Settings
The Podcasts app will remember your Enhance Dialogue and playback speed preference for each individual podcast, so it doesn't need to be turned on every time you listen and settings won't affect other podcasts.
Read More
More on the features that are available in iOS 26 can be found in our iOS 26 roundup.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26
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Get a Free Month of Apple Arcade From Halfbrick
- Apple Arcade
Halfbrick, the developer behind popular titles like Fruit Ninja, teamed up with Apple to offer free Apple Arcade promo codes, and there's still time to take advantage of the deal.
Both new and returning subscribers can sign up on the Halfbrick website to get a free one-month Apple Arcade trial. New subscribers can pair the free month with Apple's 30-day trial option, for a total of two free months. As long as it's been more than 30 days since you last tried Apple Arcade, returning subscribers can also get a free month.
The Apple Arcade promo codes are available in the United States, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany, Japan, Philippines, Brazil, and Mexico.
Apple Arcade is normally $6.99 per month for the whole family, and there are hundreds of Apple Arcade titles you can try. Apple Arcade games have no in-app purchases or ads, which is ideal for kids.
Halfbrick is offering the free Apple Arcade codes to promote a Bluey-themed Fruit Ninja crossover event that's been going on this summer. Fruit Ninja Classic+ users can get special in-game prizes like Bluey wands, power ups, and dojos, with the last Bluey event wrapping up this week.Tag: Apple Arcade
This article, "Get a Free Month of Apple Arcade From Halfbrick" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple Releases Xcode 26 Beta 7 With GPT-5 Support and Claude Integration
- Xcode
Apple today released the latest version of Xcode 26, introducing several new features that developers can take advantage of.
ChatGPT in Xcode now supports GPT-5, so developers can choose to start new conversations with GPT-5 or GPT-4.1. GPT-5 is the new default option, with two models to select from. GPT-5 is optimized for quick, high-quality results that Apple says will work for most coding tasks.
For more difficult tasks, developers can select GPT-5 (Reasoning), which spends more time thinking before providing a response.
Claude in Xcode is now available in the Intelligence settings panel in the Xcode app, so users can add their existing paid Claude account and use Claude Sonnet 4 for coding tasks.
When Xcode 26 officially launches, the app will support coding help from either ChatGPT or Claude, providing users with the option to use their favorite chatbot. Developers are also able to bring API keys from other providers or run local models on Apple silicon Macs.Tag: Xcode
This article, "Apple Releases Xcode 26 Beta 7 With GPT-5 Support and Claude Integration" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Anthropic Will Now Train Claude on Your Chats, Here's How to Opt Out
- Anthropic
Anthropic announced today that it is changing its Consumer Terms and Privacy Policy, with plans to train its AI chatbot Claude with user data.
New users will be able to opt out at signup. Existing users will receive a popup that allows them to opt out of Anthropic using their data for AI training purposes.
The popup is labeled "Updates to Consumer Terms and Policies," and when it shows up, unchecking the "You can help improve Claude" toggle will disallow the use of chats. Choosing to accept the policy now will allow all new or resumed chats to be used by Anthropic. Users will need to opt in or opt out by September 28, 2025, to continue using Claude.
Opting out can also be done by going to Claude's Settings, selecting the Privacy option, and toggling off "Help improve Claude."
Anthropic says that the new training policy will allow it to deliver "even more capable, useful AI models" and strengthen safeguards against harmful usage like scams and abuse. The updated terms apply to all users on Claude Free, Pro, and Max plans, but not to services under commercial terms like Claude for Work or Claude for Education.
In addition to using chat transcripts to train Claude, Anthropic is extending data retention to five years. So if you opt in to allowing Claude to be trained with your data, Anthropic will keep your information for a five year period. Deleted conversations will not be used for future model training, and for those that do not opt in to sharing data for training, Anthropic will continue keeping information for 30 days as it does now.
Anthropic says that a "combination of tools and automated processes" will be used to filter sensitive data, with no information provided to third-parties.
Prior to today, Anthropic did not use conversations and data from users to train or improve Claude, unless users submitted feedback.Tag: Anthropic
This article, "Anthropic Will Now Train Claude on Your Chats, Here's How to Opt Out" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple Teases New Powerbeats Fit Earbuds
- Beats
Apple is working on a new version of the Powerbeats earbuds called the Powerbeats Fit, and the company shared a teaser video of the upcoming earbuds on its YouTube channel.
The Powerbeats Fit look similar to the Beats Fit Pro, featuring a small in-ear earbud with a silicone wingtip that secures them in the ear. "Fit for every move," reads the tagline of Apple's video.
The Powerbeats Fit could have some of the same features as the Powerbeats Pro 2, such as heart rate sensing and Active Noise Cancellation.
Little is known about the Powerbeats Fit right now, but Apple says they are coming in fall 2025. Fall 2025 technically begins on September 22, so we could see them sometime after Apple's September 9 iPhone-centric event.Tag: Beats
This article, "Apple Teases New Powerbeats Fit Earbuds" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple Labor Day Sales Include Year's Best Prices on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More
- Deals
- Featured
It's almost Labor Day weekend and a number of retailers have introduced deals that should be advantageous for anyone shopping around for Apple products and related accessories. In this article we've rounded up some of the best Labor Day deals for Apple devices, also including discounts on charging accessories, headphones, speakers, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Disney+
Disney has introduced a new promotion on its streaming service this month, offering a bundle of Disney+ (with ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN Unlimited for $29.99 per month for your first year. This offer represents a savings of over 39 percent on the bundle, and after your first year ends it will return to the then-current monthly price unless cancelled.
39% OFFDisney+/Hulu/ESPN Bundle for $29.99/Month
Additionally, you can save on the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN Unlimited Premium Bundle, which is the ad-free option for Disney+ and Hulu. This is priced at $38.99 per month for your first year, down from $44.99 per month.
AirPods
You can get the AirPods 4 for $89.99 (matched at Best Buy), down from $129.00, which is a match of the all-time low price on this model. This is the base model without Active Noise Cancellation, but that model is also on sale for about $40 off for Labor Day.
$39 OFFAirPods 4 for $89.99
$40 OFFAirPods 4 (ANC) for $138.99Sonos
Sonos kicked off an end-of-summer sale this week, providing up to 20 percent off select audio accessories. This includes discounts on popular products like the Sonos Ace headphones, Move 2 speaker, Beam soundbar, Roam 2 Bluetooth speaker, and more. This sale is set to last through September 6.
UP TO 20% OFFSonos Labor Day SaleMacBook Air
Amazon is hosting massive discounts across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup for Labor Day, with deals that represent all-time lows across every model of the computer. In total, you'll find $200 off the M4 MacBook Air notebook right now, with both 13-inch and 15-inch models on sale.
Prices start at $799.00 for the 13-inch 256GB model, down from $999.00. If you're looking for the larger model, you can get the 15-inch 256GB computer for $999.00, down from $1,199.00.
$200 OFF13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $799.00
$200 OFF15-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $999.00iPad Mini
Amazon this week is providing low prices on multiple models of the iPad mini 7, starting at $399.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $499.00. Colors on sale at this price include Purple, Space Gray, and Blue.
Compared to past sales, this is about $20 higher than the all-time low price and a solid second-best option, considering we haven't seen that record low price return since Prime Day. You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $499.00, which is another $100 discount and available in multiple colors.
$100 OFF128GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $399.00
$100 OFF256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $499.00
$100 OFF512GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $699.00iPad Air
We're tracking record low prices across the entire M3 iPad Air lineup for Labor Day, with discounts available at both Amazon and Best Buy. This sale includes savings on both Wi-Fi and cellular models of the tablet.
Prices start at $449.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M3 iPad Air, down from $599.00. Across the board these are all $150 discounts on the M3 iPad Air, and each one is a best-ever price for the tablet.
$150 OFF11-inch M3 iPad Air (128GB Wi-Fi) for $449.00
$150 OFF13-inch M3 iPad Air (128GB Wi-Fi) for $649.00
You'll also find many cellular models on sale at $150 off right now. The 128GB cellular 11-inch iPad Air is available for $599.00 and the 128GB cellular 13-inch iPad Air is available for $799.00, both representing record low prices.
MacBook Pro
Amazon and Best Buy are both discounting Apple's 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro to record low prices this week, offering $300 off select models of the computer.
Starting with the 10-core 16GB RAM/512GB 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, you can get this model for $1,299.00 [Amazon/Best Buy], down from $1,599.00. This is the entry-level model of the M4 MacBook Pro, and it's never dropped below this price.
$300 OFFM4 14-inch MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,299.00
You can also get both 1TB 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro on sale this week. The 10-core 16GB RAM/1TB model is available for $1,499.00 [Amazon/Best Buy] and the 10-core 24GB RAM/1TB model is available for $1,699.00 [Amazon/Best Buy]. Both of these are also $300 discounts and record low prices on each computer.
$300 OFFM4 14-inch MacBook Pro (16GB/1TB) for $1,499.00
$300 OFFM4 14-inch MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB) for $1,699.00AirTag
You can get the AirTag 4-Pack for $69.99 on Amazon, down from $99.00. This is one of the lowest prices we've seen on the accessory since July, and you can find the 1-Pack on sale as well on Amazon, available for $22.99, down from $29.00.
$29 OFFAirTag 4-Pack for $69.99
Apple Pencil Pro
Amazon has the Apple Pencil Pro on sale for $99.00, down from $129.00. This is a match for the record low price on the Apple Pencil Pro.
$30 OFFApple Pencil Pro for $99.00
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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iPhone 17's 'Crossbody Strap' Accessory to Feature Magnetic Design
- Featured
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17 Pro
- Majin Bu
Apple's cases for the iPhone 17 lineup will be accompanied by a new Crossbody Strap accessory with a unique magnetic design, according to the leaker known as "Majin Bu."
Apple's Crossbody Strap reportedly features an unusual magnetic design; it likely has a "flexible metal core" that makes it magnetic along its entire length. At the ends, "rings polarized oppositely to the strap close the system." The design eliminates the need for conventional hooks or loops.
Samples of the Crossbody Strap are apparently made from a woven nylon material similar to the Apple Watch's Sport Loop bands. Apple may also introduce a silicone variant.
Production is said to have already begun ahead of immediate availability alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. While it is designed primarily for Apple's iPhone 17 cases, the strap may also be compatible with the AirPods Pro 3.Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 ProTag: Majin BuRelated Forum: iPhone
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What Not to Expect at Apple's 'Awe Dropping' September 9 Event
- Featured
Apple's annual fall event takes place on Tuesday, September 9, when it is expected to unveil the new iPhone 17 lineup, an Apple Watch Series 11, a third-generation Apple Watch Ultra, and potentially AirPods Pro 3. It may also make some additional new products available, but there are a handful of rumored upcoming devices that we don't expect to make an appearance this month.
To help set expectations ahead of Apple's "Awe Dropping" event, we've compiled a list of products that Apple is unlikely to announce in September, but rather later on in the year or in 2026 and beyond.
M5-Powered Macs
Apple is developing new Macs powered by the company's next-generation M5 chip, which is expected to feature an enhanced ARM architecture manufactured using TSMC's advanced 3-nanometer process technology.
The last time Apple refreshed the MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac was late October 2024, when the machines received M4 chips. The previous year, Apple dropped the M3 Macbook Pro in October. Does that mean we will see new Macs arriving later in 2025?
It's unlikely. Rumors suggest Apple won't refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips this year. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Apple is also expected to refresh the iMac and Mac mini with M5 series chips – but again, not until sometime next year.
New iPad Air and iPad 12
Apple in March 2025 updated the iPad Air with two seventh-generation models, adding updated M3 chips to the lineup. It released an 11th-generation mainstream iPad with an A16 chip the same month. Given Apple's recent trend of updating the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models annually, don't expect Apple to drop a surprise refresh in September. Indeed, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says updated iPad Airs and new low-end iPads aren't going to be ready until next year.
New Studio Display
Apple is working on a new version of the Studio Display with the same 27-inch screen size. According to display analyst Ross Young, it could be upgraded to mini-LED technology instead of LCD, which would bring improved contrast and HDR, increased brightness, and better color accuracy.
Apple's next-generation Studio Display will contain an "A19 Pro" chip, based on Apple code reviewed by MacRumors. The A19 Pro is almost certain to debut in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max next month. Apple is said to be planning to unveil the new Studio Display in early 2026 alongside new M5 Macs, according to Gurman.
iPhone 17e
Introduced in February 2025, the iPhone 16e is the next-generation version of the iPhone SE, and it is the most affordable iPhone that Apple sells at the current time, starting at $599.
Apple plans to continue with the "e" iPhone line, and there is an iPhone 17e in development for launch in the first half of 2026, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The next-generation iPhone 17e could feature a new industrial design, an updated Dynamic Island, and a faster A19 chip. While the current iPhone 16e has a notch at the top of the display, the iPhone 17e could transition to the Dynamic Island.
AirPods Max 2
Apple introduced the AirPods Max in December 2020, so it's been nearly five years since the original launched. Last year, Apple updated the headphones with USB-C charging to comply with EU regulations, as well as some new color options, but no other meaningful improvements were made.
AirPods Max fans hoping for a second-generation version of Apple's over-ear headphones shouldn't hold their breath, though. Gurman recently said they were stuck in a commercial limbo – "too popular for Apple to stop selling them, and not popular enough for the company to invest a ton of time and money into creating a new version." Earlier this year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said AirPods Max 2 could enter mass production in 2027.
"HomePad" – HomePod With a Screen
Apple is rumored to be working on a smart home hub that has been nicknamed the "HomePad." The device is expected to have a square iPad-like screen that can be attached to a HomePod-like speaker base, or it can be mounted on a wall.
Siri integration is expected, with Siri able to answer questions similar to how the HomePod works. In fact, after originally aiming for a release earlier this year, Apple has reportedly delayed the launch of the home hub due to the issues that it has had developing the Apple Intelligence version of Siri. Bloomberg now reports that the device will be introduced early next year.
Possibly, Maybe
In addition to the iPhone 17 series, new Apple Watch models and AirPods Pro 3, Apple is expected to prepare other products for release this year. Still, the company is unlikely to draw too much attention away from its flagship smartphones, and may choose to save the following products for a separate event or launch them via press release in October or November:
What are you looking forward to most from Apple this year? Let us know in the comments.
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Apple's App Store Under Investigation in Colombia
- Apple Antitrust
- App Store
- Colombia
Colombia's competition authority has opened a formal antitrust investigation into Apple, alleging that the company has abused its dominant position in the distribution of apps and purchases on iOS and iPadOS.
The Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) announced the probe yesterday (via MobileTime), stating that its Delegation for the Protection of Competition had reached a preliminary conclusion that Apple may have engaged in exclusionary practices that restrict free competition in the Colombian market.
The SIC case is focused on two primary concerns. First, the agency alleges that Apple contractually prevents developers from creating or operating alternative app stores on iPhones and iPads, ensuring that all software distribution takes place exclusively through the App Store. This restriction, regulators say, is designed to exclude potential competitors and preserve Apple's market dominance. The SIC noted that such clauses may amount to an abuse of a dominant position under Colombian law.
The second issue involves Apple's handling of in-app purchases. The SIC said developers are compelled to use Apple's proprietary In-App Purchase system, which applies commissions of 15% to 30% on each transaction. Apple also allegedly prohibits developers from informing users of cheaper alternatives outside the app, a practice known as anti-steering. In its announcement, the agency said these restrictions may result in "unjustified excessive costs" for Colombian consumers and create "artificial barriers" that deter new developers from entering the market.
The investigation will now proceed with evidence collection and analysis of Apple's conduct in Colombia. If the SIC determines that Apple has violated antitrust rules, the company could face sanctions of up to 10% of its turnover in the country, in addition to possible orders to amend its practices.
The Colombian probe reflects the growing international scrutiny of Apple's App Store. Earlier this year, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million under the Digital Markets Act for preventing developers from directing consumers to alternative payment methods. In the United States, a federal court recently found Apple in contempt of a previous antitrust ruling and prohibited the company from collecting commission on certain web-based purchases. Regulators in Brazil, Japan, and South Korea have also pressed the company on similar issues.Tags: Apple Antitrust, App Store, Colombia
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AirPods Pro 3 Coming Soon With Smaller Case and Capacitive Button
- AirPods Pro
- AirPods Pro 3
- Majin Bu
The AirPods Pro 3 will feature a slightly smaller charging case and a capacitive pairing button, according to the leaker known as Majin Bu.
Citing discussions with a prominent accessory manufacturer, the leaker says that the charging case of the AirPods Pro 3 could be slightly smaller than that of the current model, but will otherwise will be "almost identical" with no major changes. Other reports similarly indicate that the charging case may be marginally smaller.
The rear pairing button is to be removed and replaced with a capacitive button on the front of the case, just like the AirPods 4. As a result, accessory makers no longer need to make allowances for the physical rear pairing button. Additional functionality for the new capacitive button, such as playback controls, is also possible. The lanyard loop continues to be present.
Majin By says that the launch of the AirPods Pro 3 is imminent, with announcement likely at Apple's September "Awe Dropping" event. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reiterated that the AirPods Pro 3 are still expected to launch this year.Related Roundup: AirPods ProTags: AirPods Pro 3, Majin BuBuyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Don't Buy)Related Forum: AirPods
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iOS 26: Remotely Control iPhone Camera With Your AirPods
- AirPods
- AirPods Pro
- Featured
Apple's iOS 26 update brings an unexpected camera trick to AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 – the ability to control iPhone photo and video capture using AirPods stem gestures. The new Camera Remote feature essentially turns your wireless earbuds into a handy hands-free photography tool. Keep reading to learn how it works.
New in iOS 26, Apple's Camera Remote feature for AirPods offers a neat solution in scenarios where standard phone photography might fall short. If you've ever used the Camera Remote app for Apple Watch, it offers similar benefits. When taking group photos, you can position your iPhone at the perfect angle, step into the frame, and trigger the shot with a simple press of your AirPods. It can also help capture steadier footage when shooting video, since you're not handling the camera and don't need to work with on-screen controls.
Getting the Beta Software
Before you can access the Camera Remote feature, you'll need to have the appropriate beta software on your devices. First, install iOS 26 beta or iPadOS 26 beta on your iPhone/iPad by following these instructions.
Once you have your device running the iOS 26/iPadOS 26 beta, you need to give Apple permission to install beta firmware on your AirPods.
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone or iPad, then open Settings ➝ [Your Name]'s AirPods.
- Scroll to the bottom of the menu and select AirPods Beta Updates.
- Toggle the switch next to AirPods Beta Updates to the green ON position.
After you've completed these steps, the firmware update will be installed automatically when your AirPods are in their charging case and near to your iPhone/iPad/Mac. This could take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, so be patient.
Enabling Camera Remote
After updating the firmware of your AirPods 4 or AirPods Pro 2, you can enable and configure the Camera Remote feature:
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone, then open Settings.
- Tap your AirPods name under the Apple Account banner.
- Scroll down to "Camera Control", then tap Camera Remote.
- Choose your preferred gesture: Press Once or Press and Hold.
The "Press Once" option responds to a single tap on your AirPods stem, while "Press and Hold" requires you to maintain pressure on the stem to activate the camera.
Using Camera Remote
Once enabled, the feature works seamlessly with the built-in Camera app. Wearing at least one paired AirPod, simply open the Camera app and select either Photo or Video mode, then frame your shot as you normally would. When you're ready to capture, use your chosen AirPods gesture to trigger the camera remotely.
When taking photos, your selected gesture triggers a 3-second countdown, after which the camera captures a burst of 10 photos. This gives you multiple shots to choose from, increasing your chances of getting the perfect image. When shooting video, the gesture starts and stops video recording, functioning much like a wireless record button.
The Camera Remote feature works at any distance within your AirPods' Bluetooth range, making it handy for wide-angle shots and creative photography where you need to be some distance away from your device.
And that's it. iOS 26 also brings additional AirPods features and improvements like auto-pause audio when asleep and improved call quality. A general release of iOS 26 is expected around mid-September.Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods ProBuyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral), AirPods Pro (Don't Buy)Related Forum: AirPods
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iPhone Lifts Smartphone Market Shipments as Rivals Stall
- CIRP
- IDC
Apple's iPhone shipments are expected to grow nearly 4% in 2025, lifting the entire smartphone industry as rivals face slower demand and regional setbacks, according to new data from IDC.
IDC has raised its 2025 worldwide smartphone forecast, projecting 1% year-over-year growth to 1.24 billion units, compared with its earlier May forecast of just 0.6%. The iPhone is the main driver behind the increase, which is now expected to expand 3.9% this year. IDC noted that without Apple, the global smartphone market would be flat or in decline.
The resilience of the iPhone stands in contrast to weakening Android sales, particularly in China. IDC emphasized that trade-in offers, installment plans, and customer loyalty have enabled Apple to sustain upgrades in an environment where many users now keep smartphones for four years or more. The firm said most iPhone customers remain committed to iOS, a factor that has helped Apple expand its share even as other manufacturers pursue lower-cost volume.
Average selling prices in the smartphone industry are forecast to increase 5% in 2025, with overall value rising 6%. IDC attributed this to a vendor focus on premiumization, supported by promotions and interest-free financing. Apple has leaned heavily on this approach, doubling down on its premium lineup while making devices more attainable through trade-in programs and carrier partnerships. IDC also highlighted the growing importance of on-device generative AI features.
While Apple continues to dominate the premium sector, its performance is closely tied to U.S. carriers. A separate report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) covering June 2024 to June 2025 found that about three-quarters of iPhone sales in the United States occur through AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
CIRP said overall iPhone loyalty is 89%, climbing to 92% among customers who remain with their carrier but dropping to 79% when users switch providers. The report noted that promotions and in-store staff influence remain significant in determining whether buyers choose iPhone or switch to Android alternatives. Tags: CIRP, IDC
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iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect
- Featured
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17 Air
- iPhone 17 Pro
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and high-end iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models.
Going on previous years, here's when we expect the new devices to be available for pre-order and when they will be officially released:
- Pre-orders: Friday, September 12
- Release date: Friday, September 19
iPhone 17: What to Expect
The iPhone 17 series is anticipated to bring a host of new features and enhancements. Here are just a few of the changes that we are expecting:
- Display size for the regular iPhone 17 will be 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches.
- 120 Hz ProMotion displays for all models.
- Introduction of a super‑thin "Air" variant, replacing Plus model.
- Pro models will adopt a half‑glass, half‑aluminum chassis and a redesigned horizontal camera bump.
- Apple will roll out its first in‑house 5G modem chip in the iPhone 17 Air, while all models will include Wi‑Fi 7 support.
- Camera improvements: 24MP front selfie camera across the lineup, while the Pro models could get three 48MP rear cameras, 8× optical zoom, and potentially 8K video support.
- Higher memory: Pro and Air variants to include 12GB RAM, while the standard model remains at 8GB.
- Battery updates supporting up to 35W wired and Qi2 25W wireless charging support.
- Thermal system upgrade in Pro models for more sustained performance.
Apart from the iPhone 17 series, Apple's fall event this year is also expected to see the announcement of the Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
For in-depth information on everything we know about the iPhone 17 series so far, follow the links to our dedicated iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro roundups.Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 ProRelated Forum: iPhone
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Apple Secures Half of TSMC's 2nm Production Capacity for iPhone 18
- iPhone 18
- 2nm
- DigiTimes
- TSMC
Apple has ordered almost half of TSMC's initial 2nm production capacity for the iPhone 18 as the pure foundry begins mass production of its next-generation chip process.
According to DigiTimes, TSMC's 2nm process went into production in the fourth quarter of 2025 as planned, with the foundry setting substrate pricing at a premium $30,000 per unit. Despite the steep costs, chip manufacturers are said to be scrambling to secure production slots, with Apple leading the charge alongside Qualcomm for the largest allocations.
The Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturer expects to produce between 45,000 to 50,000 wafers monthly across its Baoshan and Kaohsiung facilities by the end of 2025, with capacity scaling to over 100,000 wafers per month in 2026.
TSMC's 2nm process promises a major leap forward from current 3nm technology, with up to 15% faster performance and 30% better power efficiency compared to the A19 chips expected in iPhone 17 models. The advanced node allows for higher transistor density, which should translate to improved processing capabilities and battery life for Apple's A20 chips. Industry analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu have said the A20 chip in iPhone 18 models will be manufactured with TSMC's first-generation 2nm (N2) process, so it seems all but confirmed that Apple will adopt the more advanced silicon wafer technology.
Beyond Apple and Qualcomm, TSMC's 2nm customer list will expand in 2027 to include NVIDIA, Amazon's Annapurna, Google, and more than ten other major clients. TSMC is accelerating capacity expansion plans as a result, with full utilization expected in 2026.
In a change to Apple's usual iPhone launch cycle, iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to launch in fall 2026, with the base iPhone 18 and entry-level iPhone 18e scheduled for release the following March.Related Roundup: iPhone 18Tags: 2nm, DigiTimes, TSMCRelated Forum: iPhone
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Apple Warns UK Risks Feature Delays Under Proposed Competition Rules
- Apple Antitrust
- United Kingdom
Apple has warned that UK users could face delayed product features if the country's regulators proceed with "EU-style rules" that seek to make it easier for smaller firms to compete with big tech companies.
Apple told the BBC that proposed regulations from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) "are bad for users and bad for developers," and pointed to the European Union's Digital Markets Act, which it says has already caused feature delays for European users, as evidence of regulatory overreach.
Apple Intelligence, which was announced at WWDC 2024, was initially scheduled to launch globally in September 2024, but it was withheld from EU users that year while Apple figured out how to make the new functionality compatible with the DMA's rules. Apple Intelligence eventually launched in the EU in March 2025.
The warning comes as the CMA prepares its final decision on whether to force Apple and Google to open their mobile platforms. The regulator has already established that the companies control "around 90-100% of UK mobile devices," creating an "effective duopoly."
The proposed changes would require Apple to allow app developers to steer users toward alternative payment systems outside the App Store, undercutting Apple's 30% commission model. The CMA also wants improved interoperability for digital wallets and smartwatches.
Apple argues these measures "undermine privacy and security protections" and force it to "give away technology for free to foreign competitors." The company claims it has received over 100 data access requests from rivals under similar EU rules.
The CMA has already rejected Apple's characterization, insisting that UK regulations differ from EU laws and instead focus on specific interoperability aspects rather than broad platform access. The regulator says its approach will help UK developers innovate without compromising security.
The CMA has until October to finalize its strategic market status designations. In the meantime, it has invited stakeholders to submit feedback on the proposed intervention roadmap.Tags: Apple Antitrust, United Kingdom
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iPhone 17 Air is Launching Soon, Here Are All the Rumors
- Featured
- iPhone 17 Air
The iPhone 17 Air that's coming in just under two weeks will feature the biggest design update we've seen to the iPhone since the iPhone X back in 2017. It's the most exciting iPhone release in years, and it'll be the highlight of Apple's "Awe Dropping" event.
Here's everything we know about the iPhone 17 Air.
Size and Design
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be 5.5mm thick at its thinnest point, with a thicker pill-shaped horizontal bump for the camera. It will be the thinnest iPhone to date, and over 2mm thinner than the 7.80mm iPhone 16.
The iPhone 17 Air will measure in at 6.6 inches, so it'll have a slightly smaller display than the iPhone 16 Plus that it is replacing. Since it's so thin, the iPhone 17 Air will also be much lighter to hold than standard iPhones.
Apple is supposedly using a hybrid titanium-aluminum frame, and the weight could come in at around 145 grams. At 145 grams, the iPhone 17 Air would be just a little heavier than the iPhone 13 mini.
Like the iPhone 17 Pro models, the iPhone 17 Air will supposedly have a frame that uses less glass than current models, so it could be able to better withstand damage from drops.
There are a few design compromises that Apple made for such a thin iPhone. The USB-C port isn't centered front to back at the bottom, and the speaker grilles have been simplified with fewer cutouts.
As for colors, the iPhone 17 Air will be available in black, white, light gold, and a light blue shade that's similar to the blue that Apple used for the MacBook Air.
Display
The 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air display will use the same Samsung LTPO OLED panels as the iPhone 16 Pro models, offering 30 percent better brightness compared to the iPhone 16 display.
The updated panel supports 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates, so that could be a feature coming to the iPhone 17 Air models. ProMotion refresh rates have always been a Pro iPhone feature in the past, but rumors suggest the entire iPhone 17 lineup will feature the technology. LTPO also enables always-on display because it supports refresh rates as low as 1Hz in the iPhone 16 Pro models, but it's not yet clear if the iPhone 17 Air will offer an always-on display.
One rumor says that the LTPO displays for the iPhone 17 Air will support 120Hz, but not 1Hz, which would not allow for an always-on display.
There have been some mixed rumors about a slimmer Dynamic Island, so it's not known if there will be changes there.
A-Series Chip
The iPhone 17 Air will feature either an A19 chip or an A19 Pro with one fewer GPU core than the A19 Pro chip used in the iPhone 17 Pro. Apple is planning to use vapor chamber heatsinks for the iPhone 17 lineup to improve thermal performance by spreading heat more evenly across a large area.
The iPhone 17 Air will have 12GB RAM like the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Battery
Since the iPhone 17 Air is only expected to be 5.5mm thick, it's going to have less room for a battery. Apple is optimizing battery life with the C1 modem, processor improvements, and high-density battery technology, but the iPhone 17 Air could have notably worse battery life than the other iPhone 17 models.
Rumors suggest it will feature a 2,800mAh battery, which would be around the same size as the battery that Apple used in the iPhone 12. A leaked battery suggests that it's half as thick as the battery in the iPhone 17 Pro.
Wireless Charging
The iPhone 17 Air will support the Qi 2.2 wireless charging standard, so it will be able to charge at up to 25W with compatible Qi 2.2 chargers. 25W matches MagSafe charging speeds.
Camera
There is limited internal space in the iPhone 17 Air, so it will have a single-lens rear camera like the iPhone 16e. Apple plans to use the 48-megapixel Wide camera, and with just a single camera, the iPhone 17 Air may not support spatial videos or spatial photos.
All of the iPhone 17 models will have an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera with better image quality than the 12-megapixel camera in the current iPhone 16 models.
Connectivity
The iPhone 17 Air will use the same C1 modem chip that Apple debuted in the iPhone 16e, which means it won't support faster mmWave 5G speeds. All iPhone 17 models will use a new Apple-designed Wi-Fi chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, and Apple's own hardware could bring efficiency and connectivity improvements.
Other iPhone 17 Air Features
- Camera Control
- MagSafe Charging
- Action Button
- No SIM tray in more countries
- Launches with iOS 26
Pricing
The iPhone 17 Air could be priced at $899, which is the same price as the current iPhone 16 Plus. There have been rumors of tariff-related price hikes, so it is possible that the price will be higher.
Read More
We have additional information on the iPhone 17 Air in our dedicated iPhone 17 Air roundup.Related Roundup: iPhone 17 AirRelated Forum: iPhone
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Apple Blocks iTorrent App From EU Alternative App Marketplace [Updated]
- European Union
Apple is no longer allowing torrenting app iTorrent to be distributed via the AltStore Pal alternative app marketplace in the European Union, according to TorrentFreak.
Torrent apps like iTorrent and qBitControl have been available for download from AltStore PAL since July of last year. Torrent apps are not allowed in the official App Store, but Apple has fewer controls over the alternative app marketplaces in the European Union due to the Digital Markets Act. In countries where alternative app marketplaces are available, iPhone and iPad users are able to download apps outside of the App Store.
Starting in July 2025, some iTorrent users became unable to download the app, and the app's developer said that Apple had revoked its alternative distribution rights. While there are far fewer restrictions on apps distributed outside of the App Store, Apple has implemented a Notarization process that gives it some control over non-App Store apps.
Notarization includes a baseline review that ensures apps are free from known malware, viruses, or other security threats. Apple says that it also makes sure that apps function as promised and do not expose users to egregious fraud.
Daniil Vinogradov, the developer behind iTorrent, claims that Apple did not provide a reason when iTorrent's distribution rights were revoked. After asking for more information, Apple provided a generic response and later said that the escalation team is investigating the issue. "I still have no idea if it was my fault or Apple's, and their responses make no sense," Vinogradov told TorrentFreak.
Because Apple has provided no details on the iTorrent app situation, it is not clear if there was some known security threat or fraud issue that caused the app's distribution rights to be revoked.
AltStore PAL has also requested more information from Apple, and was told that Apple is "looking into it." AltStore PAL has not received any warnings about torrent apps or other app categories, so there doesn't seem to be a blanket ban on torrenting apps.
Update: Apple said in a statement that the app was removed to comply with government sanctions. "Notarization for this app was removed in order to comply with government sanctions-related rules in various jurisdictions. We have communicated this to the developer."
Tag: European Union
This article, "Apple Blocks iTorrent App From EU Alternative App Marketplace [Updated]" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Take $200 Off Every M4 MacBook Air on Amazon
- Deals
- Featured
Amazon today is hosting massive discounts across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, with deals that represent all-time lows across every model of the computer. In total, you'll find $200 off the M4 MacBook Air notebook right now, with both 13-inch and 15-inch models on sale.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Prices start at $799.00 for the 13-inch 256GB model, down from $999.00. If you're looking for the larger model, you can get the 15-inch 256GB computer for $999.00, down from $1,199.00.
$200 OFF13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $799.00
$200 OFF15-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $999.00
Of course, you'll also find all of the 512GB models of the 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week. If you prefer shopping at Best Buy, the retailer is matching these deals as well, and you won't need any membership to see the final deal prices.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
This article, "Take $200 Off Every M4 MacBook Air on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple Event Logo Hints at Two iPhone 17 Pro Features
- iPhone 17 Pro
- September 2025 Apple Event
Apple's logo for its upcoming September 9 event hints at two rumored iPhone 17 Pro features, including new color options and a vapor chamber cooling system.
Of course, this is all just speculation for fun, as we count down the final days until the event.
New Colors
Last month, Macworld's Filipe Espósito reported that orange and dark blue would be two out of the five color options available for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Fittingly, the event's logo contains orange and dark blue hues, which could be a hint.
Here are all five color options rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:
- Black
- White
- Gray
- Dark Blue
- Orange
Vapor Chamber Cooling System
Second, it is rumored that all of the iPhone 17 models will feature internal design changes for improved heat dissipation, with the iPhone 17 Pro models in particular rumored to feature a vapor chamber cooling system. The event logo looks like an infrared heat map outputted by a thermal camera, which could be a hint.
A vapor chamber would help to prevent the iPhone 17 Pro models from overheating during intensive, sustained tasks like gaming. It would consist of a thin, sealed metal chamber containing a small amount of liquid. When the iPhone heats up, the liquid would turn to vapor and dissipate across the chamber's surface area. Eventually, the vapor would cool down and condense, allowing for the process to repeat. This system would help to move heat away from the A19 Pro chip that is expected to power the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra and select other Android smartphones have a vapor chamber cooling system, but the iPhone has yet to offer such a feature.Related Roundup: iPhone 17 ProTag: September 2025 Apple EventRelated Forum: iPhone
This article, "Apple Event Logo Hints at Two iPhone 17 Pro Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Music Radio Stations Now Available via TuneIn
- Apple Music
- Wall Street Journal
Apple Music's six radio stations will be available outside the Apple Music app for the first time via TuneIn, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Starting today, Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, Apple Music Country, Apple Música Uno, Apple Music Club, and Apple Music Chill will be available to TuneIn's 75 million monthly active users. The stations continue to feature no commercials. A link inside the TuneIn app and on its website directs users to Apple Music.
TuneIn is a cross-platform internet-based radio service that lets users stream live radio stations, music channels, news, sports, and podcasts from around the world through a single app or its website. Apple reportedly approached TuneIn about the partnership toward the end of last year.
Your soundtrack on TuneIn just got bigger. Apple Music Radio is here! Hear Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, Apple Music Country, Apple Música Uno, and more. All stations free & ad-free, no Premium subscription required.
: https://t.co/0ZI4H8uZij pic.twitter.com/DcOeVte8vv
— TuneIn (@tunein) August 27, 2025
In an effort to combat Spotify, Apple apparently aims to convert Apple Music radio listeners into paying subscribers. Unlike Spotify, Apple Music has no ad-supported function, leaving it with few methods to entice users beyond free trials.
Apple Music's share of digital music subscribers in the United States reportedly fell from 30% in 2020 to 25% at the end of 2024. Meanwhile, Spotify's share increased from 31% to 37% over the same period. Apple Music's global marketshare has fallen from 16% to 12%.
Back in 2019, TuneIn announced a collaboration with Apple to bring TuneIn's more than 100,000 global radio stations to Apple Music. Tags: Apple Music, Wall Street Journal
This article, "Apple Music Radio Stations Now Available via TuneIn" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Your soundtrack on TuneIn just got bigger. Apple Music Radio is here! Hear Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, Apple Music Country, Apple Música Uno, and more. All stations free & ad-free, no Premium subscription required.
: https://t.co/0ZI4H8uZij pic.twitter.com/DcOeVte8vv

News, tips, software, reviews, and more for Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad
How to Downgrade Safari Beta to Safari Stable on Mac
- Mac OS
- Tips & Tricks
- Troubleshooting
- beta
- downgrade
- Mac
- macOS
- safari
- Safari beta
- Safari Technology Preview
- tips
- tricks
If you’re a Mac user who installed a Safari beta version on a stable version of MacOS to experiment with beta Safari features, it’s possible that you might want to downgrade the Safari beta back to a Safari stable version. This can be tricky because if you install a beta version of Safari onto MacOS, ... Read More
Deals: AirPods 4 from $89, Apple Watch 10 for $299, M3 iPad Air for $449, M4 MacBook Air for $799, & More
- Deals
- deals
AirPods 4 feature the iconic earbud design, and have many great features like gesture support, spatial audio, voice isolation, water and sweat resistance, Siri support, and USB-C charging. Get AirPods 4 for $89 (down 30% from $129) Apple Watch from $299 Apple has returned Blood Oyxgen monitoring to Apple Watch making it a great time ... Read More
Apple Event Set for September 9, New iPhone Expected
- News
- Rumor
- Apple event
- apple events
- iPhone 17
Cancel your vacations, tell your boss you can’t come in that day, reschedule your wedding, whatever it takes, because Apple has announced that a special event is scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, in the year 2025. They are calling the event “Awe Dropping”, and while it’s a theoretical possibility that we could shift into an ... Read More
Public Beta 5 of iOS 26, MacOS Tahoe 26, iPadOS 26 Available (Matches Dev Beta 8)
- iPad
- iPhone
- Mac OS
- News
- beta
- iOS 26 beta
- iOS 26 public beta
- iPadOS 26 beta
- iPadOS 26 Public Beta
- macos tahoe 26 beta
- MacOS Tahoe Beta
- macos tahoe public beta
- public beta
- tvOS 26 beta
- watchOS 26 beta
Apple has released the fifth public beta versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. The new builds match the just released 8th beta versions aimed at developers. The primary focus of the entire OS 26 suite is the introduction of the new Liquid Glass interface appearance ... Read More
Deals: M3 iPad Air from $449
- Deals
- deals
The M3 iPad Air is continuing to be offered at a $150 discount by Amazon, with the 13″ version being available for just $649 (down from $799) and the 11″ version being offered at $449 (down from $599). These prices are available for a limited time of unknown duration, so if you’re in the market ... Read More
iOS 26 Beta 8 Download Available for iPhone & iPad
- iPad
- iPhone
- News
- beta
- iOS
- iOS 26
- iOS 26 beta
- iPadOS
- iPadOS 26
- iPadOS 26 beta
Apple has released iOS 26 beta 8 for iPhone and iPadOS 26 beta 8 for iPad. The new beta build has arrived to developers first, and a public beta version is likely soon to follow. Separately, Apple released MacOS Tahoe 26 beta 8 along with beta 8 for the rest of the OS 26 suite. ... Read More
MacOS Tahoe Beta 8 Download Available Now for Mac
- Mac OS
- News
- beta
- Mac
- macOS
- MacOS Tahoe
- MacOS Tahoe 26
- macos tahoe 26 beta
- MacOS Tahoe Beta
MacOS Tahoe 26 beta 8 has been released by Apple, the new beta build arrives for users enrolled in the beta testing program first, and is typically soon followed by the same build being made available to public beta testers (update: public beta 5 is out). Apple also issued iOS 26 beta 8 for iPhone ... Read More
Enjoy a Peacock Feather Apple Wallpaper to Celebrate India Store Opening
- Customize
- wallpaper
- wallpapers
Apple has a routine of opening new stores and celebrating those store openings with custom wallpapers, and they’re back at it again. This time around, Apple is opening a new store in Hebbal, India, and has released a nifty peacock feather Apple logo wallpaper to go along for the ride. Click the image below to ... Read More
How to Run gpt-oss (ChatGPT) Locally on Mac with LM Studio
- Mac OS
- Tips & Tricks
- ChatGPT
- GPT
- gpt-oss
- LLM
- LM Studio
- Mac
- macOS
- tips
- tricks
Running a Large Language Model (LLM) like ChatGPT’s gpt-oss locally can have multiple benefits, including providing offline access to an AI language model tool like GPT. If you’re a fan of LLMs, AI tools, and ChatGPT, you might be interested in running a local instance of gpt-oss, but even if you’re fairly new to AI ... Read More
Deals: Up to $446 Off 16″ M4 Max MacBook Pro
- Deals
- deals
Amazon is offering some really great deals on the pro model Mac laptops, with the M4 Max MacBook Pro and M4 Pro MacBook Pro models both deeply discounted in 16″ and 14″ display sizes, with the top-end models offering the biggest discounts. 16″ M4 MacBook Pro 16″ M4 Pro MacBook Pro, 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU, ... Read More
iOS 18.6.2 Security Update Released for iPhone & iPad to Patch Image File Exploit
- iPad
- iPhone
- News
- Security
- iOS
- iOS 18
- iOS 18.6.2
- iPadOS
- iPadOS 18
- iPadOS 18.6.2
- security update
- software update
Apple has issued important security updates for iPhone and iPad, versioned as iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2. The security update addresses an actively exploited security hole pertaining to malicious image files, and given the huge number of people who share and receive funny pictures, memes, gifs, and other image files online, it’s a good idea ... Read More
MacOS Sequoia 15.6.1 Security Update Released for Mac to Patch Image File Exploit
- Mac OS
- News
- Security
- Mac
- macOS
- macos seqouia
- macOS Sequoia 15.6.1
- MacOS Sonoma
- MacOS Ventura
- security update
- software update
Apple has issued macOS Sequoia 15.6.1 as a security update for Mac users running the Sequoia operating system. Apple says the update contains “important security fixes” and is therefore recommended for all users. The particular exploit that has been patched pertains to malicious image files, and given that a huge number of people regularly encounter ... Read More
How to Downgrade from iOS 26 Beta to iOS 18
- iPad
- iPhone
- Tips & Tricks
- Troubleshooting
- beta
- downgrade
- downgrade iOS
- downgrade iOS 26
- downgrade iPadOS
- downgrade iPadOS 26
- iOS 26
- iOS 26 beta
- iPadOS 26
- iPadOS 26 beta
- tips
- tricks
If you’ve installed the iOS 26 beta on your iPhone or iPadOS 26 beta onto iPad, and found it a little too buggy, unstable, or you’re simply not interested in iOS 26 any longer, you’re certainly not alone. While many adventurous Apple users jump onto the beta train to explore the new operating systems, it’s ... Read More
Deals: MacBook Air from $799
- Deals
- deals
Amazon remains the best possible place to get a new MacBook Air, as they continue to cut $200 off the Apple retail price. The M4 MacBook Air series is available at the whopper discount in a variety of color, storage, and RAM configurations, in both the 13″ and 15″ display sizes. These powerful Macs feature ... Read More
MacOS Tahoe 26 Beta 7 Download Available Now for Mac (& Public Beta 4 Too)
- Mac OS
- News
- Mac
- macOS
- MacOS Tahoe
- MacOS Tahoe 26
- macos tahoe 26 beta
- MacOS Tahoe 26 Public Beta
- MacOS Tahoe Beta
Apple has released MacOS Tahoe 26 beta 7 to users participating in the developer beta testing program, and the same build has been released as MacOS Tahoe public beta 4 as well. The beta release schedule is accelerating as the OS 26 operating systems are finalizing towards their inevitable fall release timeline. The primary major ... Read More
More news and rumors, more help and how-tos, more app and accessory reviews, more iPhone and iPad and iPod touch. More of everything you love. iMore.
One more thing… Goodbye from iMore
- Apple
Time to power down for good.



iFi GO bar Kensei review: Stunning sound, fabulous features, premium price
- Music, Movies and TV
One of the best mobile DACs I've reviewed, the iFi GO bar Kensei is a masterclass in build quality, and quality features, with audiophile-grade pricing



Fiio KA11 review: One of the best ways to enjoy Apple Lossless, right now!
- Music, Movies and TV
Have audiophile aspirations and a "beer wallet?" Fiio's KA11 delivers without breaking the bank if you have a solid pair of headphones or IEMs.



Tapo TC73 pan/tilt AI camera is a vision of perfection
- Homekit
- Smart Home
A wealth of features, a speedy pan and tilt motor, and smart security features make the Tapo TC73 the best on the market right now.



Aqara Smart Video Doorbell G4 review: fast notifications, needs more height
- Homekit
- Smart Home
Aqara gets a lot right with their Smart Video Doorbell G4, including pricing and features. However, if your porch is tight, its aspect ratio may leave you a bit in the blind.



Aqara Camera E1 review: A smart camera with excellent privacy features
- Homekit
- Smart Home
Smart privacy features, Wi-Fi 6, f/2.0 lens, and wallet-friendly pricing make the Aqara Camera E1 tough to beat.



iFi GO blu review: The best Bluetooth mobile DAC right now
- Music, Movies and TV
This mobile Bluetooth DAC has it all! Beautiful design, highly functional features, and excellent sound quality make this my top pick right now.



The Aqara Camera Hub G3 puts the "fun" in highly "functional"
- Homekit
- Smart Home
Who says your indoor security camera needs to be all business to be effective? The Aqara Camera Hub G3 is long on features and fun!



Attain desktop audio Nirvana with the iFi Zen DAC 3
- Music, Movies and TV
This smooth DAC from iFi is a solid performer for those wanting to level up their desktop audio experience.



Enjoy great Hi-Res Audio for just $60 with the Fosi Audio DS2 DAC
- Music, Movies and TV
Paying just $60 for this high-quality DAC means you can spend your money where it counts most, high-quality headphones.



The Qudelix-5K DAC is an inexpensive EQ tinkerer's dream
- Music, Movies and TV
What you get for $100 with the Qudelix-5K is quite impressive, but that's just the beginning. Wait until you crack open the app! It's PEQ heaven.



Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro gives you a lot for your money!
- Homekit
- Smart Home
Combining a great indoor PT camera, Zigbee hub, and a huge list of accessories to connect to makes the Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro a HomeKit standout!



Jony Ive’s OpenAI hardware device could be his next world-changing design
- iPhone
The former design lead at Apple has teamed up with Sam Altman’s artificial intelligence company.



This new 4K projector is tempting me to replace my LG C2 TV, just so I can watch Slow Horses on a 200-inch display
- Accessories
Nebula's newest projector has already replaced my 4K television — but it comes with a price.



Anker launches its new MagGo range — and its 3-in-1 charger could be my new favorite
- Accessories
Anker has announced its updated MagGo range for 2024, which includes new power banks, stands, and more.



Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: Pro-level Mac gaming
- Macs
The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless is a mechanical keyboard that you can make (almost) entirely your own, even without macOS support for its Synapse customisation app.



These are the 7 accessories I'm buying for my iPhone 16 Pro upgrade
- Accessories
With my iPhone 16 Pro arriving on September 20, I'm already planning to buy these accessories for it.



These 4 accessories have supercharged my Mac now that macOS Sequoia is here
- Accessories
With macOS Sequoia now available, I've bought these three accessories to help me multitask to the next level.



These are the best iPhone apps getting a major iOS 18 update so far
- iOS 18
- iOS
Now that iOS 18 is out, we’ve rounded up the best apps for your iPhone's newest update!



visionOS 2 is the first major software update for Apple Vision Pro, and now it's available
- Vision Pro
visionOS 2 is the first major software update for Apple Vision Pro, and now it's available for everyone to install after months of beta updates.



macOS Sequoia (version 15) is now available for your Mac with some big upgrades
- Macs
The latest software update for Macs is now available. You can install macOS Sequoia (version 15) on your device for some big upgrades.


watchOS 11 is now rolling out to all Apple Watch users with the Series 6 or newer
- Apple Watch
- Health and Fitness
After months of beta releases, Apple is finally rolling out the watchOS 11 update to all Apple Watch users with the Series 6 or newer.



iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 are finally available for everyone – without any Apple Intelligence features
- iPhone
Apple is officially rolling out iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to all users, after months of beta releases. But, it launches without any Apple Intelligence features.



iOS 18 features a new tool to help repair your iPhone
- iOS 18
- iOS
iOS 18 will feature a 'Repair Assistant', to help indicate what parts will work with your broken iPhone.



Apple Watch SE 3 is still in development — and is set to come in plastic
- Apple Watch SE
- Health and Fitness
- Apple Watch
A plastic version of the Apple Watch SE 3 is still in development, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.



Netflix is ending support for millions of iPhones with latest update - are you affected?
- Music, Movies and TV
Netflix's app update is ending support for iOS 16, affecting older iPhones that can't run iOS 17 onward.



Apple has discontinued the iPhone 15 Pro, so you'll need an iPhone 16 for Apple Intelligence
- iPhone
Apple Intelligence is now only available on iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models, unless you buy a used iPhone 15 Pro.



Early iPhone 16 Pro benchmarks show it could be more powerful than your MacBook
- iPhone
Geekbench results for iPhone 16 Pro suggest it'll be a powerhouse that could outperform your MacBook.



Apple finally ditches classic stickers in the iPhone 16 box
- iPhone
Your new iPhone won't include Apple Stickers, reports suggest, but you can ask for them if you feel nostalgic.



Apple chip boss finally confirms how much RAM is in iPhone 16 and 16 Pro
- iPhone
Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, Johny Srouji, has confirmed all new iPhone 16 models have 8GB of RAM.



iPad users in the EU can sideload apps starting tomorrow
- iPad
Apple has confirmed third-party app stores will be available on the iPad from tomorrow, September 16.



iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro preorders are now live — as well as Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, and more
- iPhone 16
- iPhone
You can now preorder iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro directly from Apple's site as well as select carriers!


Apple Store down ahead of iPhone 16 pre-orders
- iPhone
The Apple Store is down in advance of iPhone 16 pre-orders.



AirPods Pro 2 got their FDA clearance to be used as a hearing aid
- Airpods
Apple has received FDA clearance for its new hearing aids feature for the AirPods Pro 2.



iPhone 16 has a secret charging upgrade Apple didn't even mention
- iPhone 16
- iPhone
Apple's iPhone 16 features up to 45W wired charging across the board.



Apple hints that the iPhone SE 4 is closer than ever
- iPhone SE
- iPhone
With Apple allowing apps updated for iOS 18 to be submitted to the App Store, developers have noticed one less requirement.


AT&T reveals its iPhone 16 deals — get up to $1,000 off with an eligible trade-in
- iPhone 16
- iPhone
AT&T has revealed its iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro deals ahead of next week's launch.


Don't worry, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3 are both coming next year
- Apple Watch
- Health and Fitness
According to leaker Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is waiting until 2025 to release the next generation of Apple Watch Ultra and SE.



Apple releases new firmware for AirPods Pro 2 with features for iOS 18
- Airpods
Apple has released a new firmware update for AirPods Pro 2, bringing iOS 18 features to the wireless earbuds.



I might downgrade from my AirPods Pro 2 to the AirPods 4
- Airpods
After seeing Apple roll out the AirPods 4 with noise cancellation, I might leave my AirPods Pro 2 behind.


A surprising new Beats product launched at Apple's latest event: iPhone 16 cases
- iPhone 16
- iPhone
After the iPhone 16 event, Apple quietly revealed that Beats is now making hardshell polycarbonate iPhone 16 cases in a surprising move.


iPhone 16 battery life stats reveal that you'll get hours extra from the latest iPhones
- iPhone
In the iPhone 16 keynote, Apple said the new devices have bigger batteries, but didn't go into the specifics. Now, we can see the battery life stats offer hours of extra battery.


The new Apple Watch Series 10 bands will work with older Apple Watch models
- Apple Watch
- Health and Fitness
Apple just released the Apple Watch Series 10 and a new option for the Ultra 2, which comes with new bands. But, they'll work with older models.


Apple loses $14bn Irish tax case against the EU
- Apple
Apple must pay back 13 billion euros to Ireland following a ruling in its unpaid taxes case.



iPhone 16 models still come with a SIM card tray everywhere outside the US
- iPhone
While the new iPhone 16 models are eSIM only in the US, they still come with a SIM card tray everywhere else, while lacking 5G mmWave support.



I'm downgrading from my iPhone 15 Pro to the iPhone 16 - here's why
- iPhone
After seeing Apple announce the iPhone 16, I think it's time to admit that I'm not a "Pro" user anymore.


How to re-watch Apple's iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4 event
- Apple
If you missed the special event or just want to watch everything again, here's how you can re-watch Apple's "It's Glowtime" event.



iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4 impressions: my early thoughts on Apple's newest devices
- iPhone
Apple just released the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, and more. Here are my early thoughts on Apple's impressive new devices.



Apple launches preapproval process for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro preorders
- iPhone
Apple has launched its pre-approval process for customers who wish to purchase an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro.


Every Apple product discontinued after the iPhone 16 event
- Apple
While the iPhone 16 event was all about new iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, it also marked the end for all of these Apple products.

