Top Stories

This week’s top stories: Apple Car news, iPhone 13 rumors begin, Apple AR headset, more

Chance Miller | Jan 10 2021 - 6:58 am PT

In this week’s top stories: Even more details on Apple Car, rumors about what to expect from the iPad in 2021, WhatsApp tightens its integration Facebook, and more. Read on for all of this week’s top Apple Stories.

Apple Car

A new report from Bloomberg this week offered new details on what to expect from Apple Car. The report indicated that Apple has continued to poach more ex-Tesla executives, but that a release is at least 5-7 years away.

But perhaps more notably on Thursday evening, Hyundai Motor confirmed that it’s having early discussions with Apple about producing its new car. A spokesperson for the company told CNBC that Apple is in discussions “with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motor.”

WhatsApp changes

WhatsApp will soon start sharing your data with Facebook whether you like it or not. WhatsApp began sharing data with Facebook by default in 2016, but the company provided a way to opt-out. That will change soon, however, as WhatsApp is making changes to its privacy to remove the opt-out option completely, at least outside of Europe.

If you’re looking to ditch Facebook completely, you can find details on the best WhatsApp alternatives in our full coverage right here.

2021 16-inch MacBook Pro

A new supply chain report this week echoed claims that we can expect a 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro with a miniLED screen. It’s of course a no-brainer that the next 16-inch MacBook Pro will be powered by Apple Silicon, whether that’s an M1 chip or a later variant. It’s also a near-certainty that we can expect slimmer bezels.

Apple AR headset

Finally, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a new investor note this week focused on what to expect from Apple in 2021. The analyst says that Apple will release its first augmented reality device in 2021, alongside AirTag item trackers and much more.

Details on the augmented reality device are still unclear. Kuo has previously said that Apple’s first generation of AR glasses will be heavily dependent on the iPhone. Kuo has reported in the past that the AR glasses will essentially act as a display only with the actual computing, rendering, internet connectivity, and location services coming from the iPhone in the user’s pocket.

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

iPhone |

Apple Watch |

Mac and iPad |

Apps |

Apple Car |

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.

MacBook Neo production rumors, more – 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 Bitwarden: Make your life easier with Bitwarden, featuring a secure, open source password manager with end-to-end encryption and seamless autofill across all your devices. 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: OpenAI’s new phone being fast-tracked to launch next year, per report Report: Apple kicks off new run of A18 Pro chips as MacBook Neo demand exceeds expectations Apple says watchOS 26.5 fixes two key Apple Watch bugs Here’s the next Apple Watch face coming in watchOS 26.5 and how to customize it 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! 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.

9to5Mac Watch Time |

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!

9to5Mac Happy Hour Podcast |

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New Pride wallpapers, $599 Mac mini goes away, Apple earnings call tidbits – 9to5Mac Happy Hour

Benjamin and Chance give their opinions on the new Pride wallpaper and watch band lineup for 2026, as well as talk about a new watch face supposedly coming with watchOS 27. Also, in our seemingly-recurring segment on Mac desktop supply constraints, Apple stopped selling the $599 Mac mini altogether this week. Also, the company shares some curious tidbits about its future strategy in its first quarterly earnings call to feature incoming CEO John Ternus. And in Happy Hour Plus, Apple loves to talk about the customer satisfaction numbers for its products, but we give our personal takes on how the product lines stack up. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. Sponsored by Bartender: Organize and control your Mac’s menu bar so it stays clean and uncluttered. Visit macbartender.com/happyhour and use code HAPPYHOUR to save 10% on Bartender 6. Sponsored by Shopify: See less carts go abandoned and more sales. Sign up for a $1 per month trial at shopify.com/happyhour. Sponsored by IM8: Go to IM8HEALTH.com/happyhour and use code happyhour to get a free welcome kit, five free travel sachets, and 10% off your order. 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 iOS 26.5’s new Pride wallpaper revealed, plus Apple Watch face Apple unveils Pride Edition Sport Loop for Apple Watch, order today iOS 26.5 adds beautiful wallpapers for your iPhone, here’s what’s new Here’s the next Apple Watch face coming in watchOS 26.5 and how to customize it How Will John Ternus Run Apple as CEO? With More Investments, Fewer Buybacks – Bloomberg Apple discontinues base Mac mini, now starts at $799 with 512GB storage Apple's most powerful Mac Studio loses its last remaining RAM upgrade option John Ternus joins Apple’s Q2 2026 earnings call, touts ‘incredible roadmap ahead’ Apple says iPhone 17 lineup is officially the ‘most popular’ in its history Tim Cook says iPhone 17 demand is 'off the charts', but supply constraints impacted sales Apple’s R&D spending hits new record as AI investment ramps up Apple considers Intel and Samsung to diversify chip manufacturing away from TSMC iOS 27 will let you choose between Gemini, Claude, and more for AI features: report

Stacktrace Podcast |

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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!

Apple @ Work Podcast |

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

This is why you can't delay macOS updates – 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, Ray Canzanese from Netskope joins the show to talk about the latest news around the macOS ClickFix campaign. Listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Pocket Casts Castro RSS Listen to Past Episodes