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This week’s top stories: M1 Mac details, iOS 14.2.1, App Store changes, and more

Chance Miller | Nov 22 2020 - 6:51 am PT

In this week’s top stories: The first M1 Macs have officially arrived, Apple shakes up its App Store commission structure, iOS 14.2.1 released for iPhone 12 users, and more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

M1 Macs

The first M1-powered MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini orders have officially arrived to customers. The first reviews were also published this week, and they were overwhelmingly positive.

For the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the consensus among early reviewers was that the new M1 chip truly lives up to Apple’s expectations. The machines are powerful and efficient, offering notable improvements in battery life and performance compared to their Intel predecessors. Furthermore, things will only get better as more Intel applications are optimized for the M1 Mac.

9to5Mac’s Stephen Hall also went hands-on with the entry-level MacBook Air, and he was equally as impressed. You can read his full thoughts right here.

App Store changes

In other news, Apple this week introduced the App Store Small Business Program, which will lower the App Store commission to 15% for developers who earned up to $1 million in proceeds during the previous calendar year.

The $1 million number is figured based on post-commission profit. This means developers are eligible for the program until their proceeds, after Apple takes its cut, exceed $1 million. Get the full details in our coverage.

iOS 14.2.1

Apple also released iOS 14.2.1 to the public this week, bringing notable bug fixes for MMS messages, hearing devices, and lock screen responsiveness on the iPhone 12 mini. In fact, iOS 14.2.1 is only available to the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Here are the release notes for iOS 14.2.1 on iPhone. Again, this update is available only for iPhone 12 users, not users of older iPhone models.

Some MMS messages may not be received
Made for iPhone hearing devices could have sound quality issues when listening to audio from iPhone
Lock Screen could become unresponsive on iPhone 12 mini

These and the rest of this week’s top stories below.

iOS | tvOS |

iPhone |

Apple Watch |

MagSafe Duo charger costs $180, not $129, to charge at full speed

M1 Macs |

Apps |

AirPods and HomePod |

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9to5Mac Daily |

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App Store ads, OLED MacBook Pro – 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: Apple testing new App Store design that blurs the line between ads and search results OpenAI launches cheaper ChatGPT subscription, says ads are coming next Apple’s new OLED MacBook Pro might be ahead of schedule, per rumor 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.

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Jeff Benjamin joins Zac Hall to give Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 5 an exit interview before new models are announced. 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.

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Week 6 – 9to5Mac Watch Time

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!

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Benjamin and Chance discuss the implications for Siri and the wider Apple ecosystem now that the Gemini deal is officially signed, and guess when we’ll start seeing the first new features ship. Also, they weigh up the appeal of the new Apple Creator Studio bundle, and Chance got to watch basketball courtside through his Vision Pro. And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo discuss the dependability of iCloud as a backup of your data, and what other backup strategies they recommend to use. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26. Sponsored by Copilot Money: The personal finance app to make your money yours. Until January 20, get 26% off your first year at try.copilot.money/9to5mac. Sponsored by Stamps.com: Send from your computer or phone 24/7. Try Stamps.com risk-free for sixty days with code happyhour. Sponsored by 1Password: Take the first step to better security by securing your team’s credentials. Find out more at 1password.com/happyhour and start securing every login. 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. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26 until February 1. Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or Threads Email us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com Links Apple confirms Google's Gemini will power new Siri features Apple to fine-tune Gemini independently, no Google branding on Siri, more Apple will pay billions for Gemini after OpenAI declined Will Apple-Google AI deal impact user privacy? Here’s what Apple says Eddy Cue touts ‘record-breaking year’ for Apple services, including TV, Music, more Apple debuts 'Apple Creator Studio' subscription, here's what you get Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and Freeform becoming freemium apps Apple announces Pixelmator Pro is coming to iPad Apple Creator Studio Icon History What it’s like to watch an NBA game courtside in Apple Vision Pro Apple gift card safety questioned after terrifying account lockout

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Stacktrace has moved! – Stacktrace

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