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This week’s top stories: iOS 13.7 released, new Apple Watch rumors, the return of the 12″ MacBook, more

In this week’s top stories: iOS 13.7 released with new COVID-19 Exposure Notification features, Apple’s stock split, Apple Watch and Apple TV rumors, and more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

On Tuesday, Apple officially released iOS 13.7 to the public, bringing a new Exposure Notifications Express platform for COVID-19. This is phase two of the efforts between Apple and Google to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 tracking platform for iPhone and Android users.

Apple and Google are taking much more of the responsibility of the COVID-19 Exposure Notifications Express system than the API and third-party app solution. The companies say that they will use the information provided by the public health authorities to offer a fully operational Exposure Notification Systems on behalf of the public health authority directly integrated into iOS 13.7.

Learn more about the new Exposure Notification Express platform in our full coverage right here.

In other news this week, a supply chain report suggested that the 12-inch MacBook will make a return this year in the form of an Apple Silicon machine. The Intel-powered 12-inch MacBook was discontinued just over a year ago. What’s notable here is the claim that the A14X Bionic-powered machine could feature a battery life of between 15 and 20 hours.

Furthermore, a Bloomberg report this week indicated that Apple could release a new Apple TV and Siri remote before the end of the year. The Apple TV is said to feature a faster processor for improved gaming performance, while the Siri remote could feature Find My support for locating it when lost.

Bloomberg also said that Apple has two new Apple Watch models in store for this year: a high-end upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 5 and a new Apple Watch Series 3 successor targeting the lower-end. The cheaper model would likely adopt some of the features seen in Series 4 and Series 5, while the higher-end Series 6 is expected to feature blood oxygen sensor among other changes.

Finally, Apple’s stock officially split 4 for 1 this week. While historically AAPL has seen on average a 10.4% increase 12 months after its stock splits, there are a couple of factors that could hint at stronger than average gains for Apple shares this time around. You can learn more here.

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This week’s top videos |

9to5Mac Daily |

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 ALOGIC: Get the 10-in-1 Super Dock 50% off retail on Indiegogo for a limited time. Enter the MacBook Air giveaway.

Apple’s recent acquisitions 9to5Mac Daily

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 Stuff: Stuff helps you get everything out of your head and into a simple, elegant system—closing open loops and reducing mental stress. Use code 9TO5 at checkout for 50% off your first year. New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they’re available. Stories discussed in this episode: iPhone battery life test shows just how much power 5G drains compared to WiFi Kuzu database company joins Apple's list of recent acquisitions iPhone 18 Pro 5G via satellite rumor gets new support iPhone 18 Pro pricing rumors offer surprisingly good news Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS Spotify TuneIn Google Podcasts Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock: Ad-free versions of every episode Bonus content Catch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes! Don’t miss out on our other daily podcasts: Quick Charge 9to5Toys Daily Share your thoughts! Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.
  1. Apple’s recent acquisitions
  2. App Store changes, MacBook rumors
  3. New CarPlay feature coming soon, iOS 26.4 rumors
  4. Tim Cook’s all-hands meeting, more
  5. The latest iPhone Fold specs and rumors

9to5Mac Watch Time Season 3 Coming Soon |

9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how the Apple Watch is affecting their lives. 9to5Mac Watch Time is available on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and your favorite podcast player through RSS.

Sponsored by Pillow: Pillow is an all-in-one sleep tracking solution to help you get a better night’s sleep. Download it from the App Store today.

This week on Watch Time join 9to5Mac's Zac Hall and Tempo developer Rahul Matta in the final episode of this podcast "season". 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives. Subscribe now to catch up with each episode and automatically hear new episodes as soon as they’re released every two weeks: 🟣 Apple Podcasts | 🟠 Overcast | 🟢 Spotify Follow Zac Instagram @apollozac Twitter @apollozac SpaceExplored.com Follow Rahul Matta Twitter @rmatta Twitter @TempoLog Blog indie.sh Follow 9to5Mac Instagram @9to5mac Twitter @9to5mac Facebook YouTube.com/9to5Mac Listen & Subscribe Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast RSS Read More Toning down the Apple Watch: Tips and feature requests to avoid being overwhelmed Apple releases watchOS 7.4.1 with security improvements Apple Watch blood sugar and blood pressure measurement could be a step closer watchOS 7.4 brings iPhone mask unlock feature for Apple Watch Enjoy the podcast? Shop Apple at Amazon to support 9to5Mac Watch Time!
  1. Week 6
  2. With guest Sigmund Judge
  3. Week 5
  4. Week 4
  5. Week 3

9to5Mac Happy Hour Podcast |

9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by PillowPillow is an all-in-one sleep tracking solution to help you get a better night’s sleep. Download it from the App Store today.

Sponsored by Fundrise: Welcome to the future of real estate investing.

iPhone 17 leads Apple earnings record, new MacBooks near, and a mysterious $2B acquisition  9to5Mac Happy Hour

Benjamin and Chance speculate on Apple’s mysterious acquisition of Q.ai, the company’s second biggest acquisition ever. The iPhone 17 is a veritable smash hit, leading to an all-time quarterly earnings record. And Apple redesigns the order flow for buying a new Mac, with new MacBooks just around the corner.  And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin realizes he has some overdue spring-cleaning to do on his Desktop folder.  Sponsored by Gusto: The online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at gusto.com/happyhour. Sponsored by Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/happyhour. Sponsored by HelloFresh: America’s #1 meal kit! Get 10 free meals + a FREE Zwilling Knife (a $144.99 value) on your third box at HelloFresh.com/happyhour10fm. Hosts Chance Miller @ChanceHMiller on Twitter @ChanceHMiller on Instagram @ChanceHMiller on Threads Benjamin Mayo @bzamayo on Twitter @bzamayo@mastodon.social @bzamayo on Threads Subscribe, Rate, and Review Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus Subscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:  Ad-free versions of every episode  Pre- and post-show content Bonus episodes Join for $5 per month or $50 a year at 9to5mac.com/join.  Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or Threads Email us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com Links Apple acquires secretive Q․ai startup for $2 billion Apple reports record-breaking Q1 2026 earnings Apple revamps how you buy a Mac online New MacBook Pro release date: Here's when M5 Pro and M5 Max might debut Latest macOS 26.3 beta adds to signs that new Macs are imminent Will the Studio Display 2 have this key upgrade? Studio Display refresh looms with three key upgrades Apple announces agentic coding in Xcode with Claude Agent and Codex integration CarPlay Ultra coming to at least one new car later this year, per report Tesla still working on CarPlay support, here's what we know
  1. iPhone 17 leads Apple earnings record, new MacBooks near, and a mysterious $2B acquisition 
  2. Creator Studio bundle, AirTag 2, new Siri features coming soon
  3. iOS 27 chatbot, Apple AI pin, iPhone 18 Dynamic Island rumors 
  4. Gemini Siri deal official, Apple Creator Studio, Vision Pro basketball 
  5. Apple Card Chase transition is official, NBA on Vision Pro, Fitness+ in 2026

Stacktrace Podcast |

Stacktrace by 9to5Mac is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Stacktrace has moved! Stacktrace

As we've mentioned in the last episode, the Stacktrace podcast is no longer a part of the 9to5Mac network. If you're seeing this entry in your podcast player, then you probably need to unfollow Stacktrace and follow the podcast again. Start by unfollowing the show in your podcast player, then just search for "Stacktrace" and follow the show again. You'll notice that the updated show has a new artwork and that episode 179 has already been released there. To learn more about how to listen to Stacktrace, check out our new website. Thanks for listening!
  1. Stacktrace has moved!
  2. 178: “Let’s try something new”
  3. 177: “The stand is included!”
  4. 176: “Extra Keynote Poker”
  5. 175: “A Bluetooth fanboy”

Apple @ Work Podcast |

Apple @ Work by 9to5Mac is available on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and via RSS for other podcast players.

Sponsored by iMazing: The popular iOS device manager which gives you unparalleled control over iOS and iPadOS data. Request your free trial now.

Apple @ Work Podcast: Zero Trust is really a little trust Apple @ Work

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, Avery Pennarun joins the show to discuss zero trust in the age of AI, building for technologies that don't yet exist, and more. Links TailscaleUp 2026 Cribl Case Study Listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Pocket Casts Castro RSS Listen to Past Episodes
  1. Apple @ Work Podcast: Zero Trust is really a little trust
  2. The reality of macOS malware in the enterprise
  3. Vendor collaboration will be required in the AI era
  4. The state of AI and networking
  5. Assesing the most exciting features for IT with Apple's recent software ugprades

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations. He also hosts the 9to5Mac Daily and 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcasts.

You can send tips, questions, and typos to chance@9to5mac.com.