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This week’s top stories: iOS 14.5 release, AirPods firmware update, AirTag launch, more

In this weeks top stories: iOS 14.5 is officially released to the public, a firmware update for AirPods and AirPods Pro, Apple’s record-setting earnings, and more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories and more.

iOS 14.5 now available

After a beta testing cycle that spanned nearly three months, iOS 14.5 is now available to everyone alongside iPadOS 14.5. You can update your iPhone or iPad by going to the Settings app, choosing General, then choosing Software Update. Read on for details on everything new in iOS 14.5.

The biggest change in iOS 14.5 is a new feature that allows you to unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch when you’re wearing a face mask. The update also includes Apple’s new privacy-focused App Tracking Transparency feature.

You can find more details about what’s new in iOS 14.5 in our detailed hands-on video right here.

AirPods and AirPods Pro firmware

Apple followed up the release of iOS 14.5 with a small update for AirPods and AirPods Pro users. The new firmware is version 3E751, and it comes seven months after the previous firmware version was released for AirPods and AirPods Pro users

Unfortunately, there are no release notes for AirPods firmware updates. Apple does not have a very robust update mechanism in place for AirPods software, which often leaves users in the dark about changes.

You can learn more about how to update your AirPods in our full guide.

AAPL earnings

On Thursday, Apple reported another record-setting round of earnings. For the second quarter of 2021, Apple reported $89.6 billion in revenue and profit of $23.6 billion. This compares to the revenue of $58.3 billion and profit of $11.25 billion the company posted for the same quarter last year.

  • $47.94 billion: iPhone (Up 65%) 
  • $9.1 billion: Mac (Up 70% YOY)
  • $7.81 billion: iPad (up 79% YOY)
  • $7.84 billion: Wearables, Home, and Accessories (Up 24% YOY)
  • $16.9 billion: Services (Up 26% YOY)

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

iOS |

iPhone |

Apple Watch |

Mac and iPad |

Top Apple stories, retail |

Apps |

Apple TV and AirPods |

AirTag |

AAPL Company |

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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.

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AAPL Q4 earnings 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 Dreametech: Industry-leading smart cleaning products, available now with massive savings. 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 reports record Q4 2024 earnings with nearly $95 billion in revenue Tim Cook: iPhone users adopting iOS 18.1 twice as fast as iOS 17.1 Apple expands iPhone satellite services deal, commits $1.1bn to expand capacity iOS 18.1: All of the features other than Apple Intelligence 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. AAPL Q4 earnings
  2. Apple’s health projects, more
  3. The new MacBook Pro lineup with M4
  4. The all-new Mac mini is here
  5. New M4 iMac announced, iOS 18.1 now available

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.

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.

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New M4 Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac reactions 9to5Mac Happy Hour

Benjamin and Chance react to this week’s trio of Apple announcements, with the exciting launch of the newly redesigned M4 Mac mini, and all the changes in the updated M4 MacBook Pro and iMac lineups.  And in Happy Hour Plus, we consider how successful this three-day event format was for Apple, and whether we’d like them to do it again. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. Sponsored by Shopify: Grow your business no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a $1 per month trial at shopify.com/happyhour. Sponsored by Oracle: Take a free test drive of OCI at oracle.com/HAPPYHOUR Hosts Chance Miller @ChanceHMiller on Twitter @chancehmiller@mastodon.social @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 unveils M4 iMac in new colors, nano-texture display option, 16GB base RAM, more  Apple unveils redesigned Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro, Thunderbolt 5, more Apple launches entry MacBook Pro 14-inch with M4 chip, 16GB RAM, better battery life, more Apple unveils new MacBook Pro line with M4, nano-texture display, Center Stage camera, more Watch: Hands-on with M4 MacBook Pro, iMac and the new Mac mini
  1. New M4 Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac reactions
  2. New Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.2, iPad mini reviews, Apple gaming app
  3. New iPad mini announced, cheaper Vision Pro, more executive departures
  4. M4 MacBook Pro leaks and release date, iOS 18.1 beta 6, more Apple execs retiring
  5. Apple smart display rumors, new Apple products in early 2025, and cheaper Vision Pro details

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.

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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!
  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.

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AirPods Pro 2 and hearing aid technology 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, I talk with Brent Lucas from Envoy Medical about how they view Apple's entry into the hearing aid market with AirPods Pro 2's software update. Connect with Bradley Twitter LinkedIn Listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Pocket Casts Castro RSS Listen to Past Episodes
  1. AirPods Pro 2 and hearing aid technology
  2. MacStadium delivers Citrix enhancements
  3. Hacker Rangers
  4. Surviving System Extensions
  5. Parallels Desktop turns 20!

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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.

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