Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer who started his career on PC World and has written for dozens of computer and technology magazines, as well as numerous national newspapers, business and in-flight magazines. He has also written several books, and creates occasional videos.
He is old enough to have owned the original Macintosh. He currently owns an M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, an M1 13-inch MacBook Air, an iPad mini, an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and multiple HomePods. He suspects it might be cheaper to have a cocaine habit than his addiction to all things anodised aluminum.
He’s known for his op-ed and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review:
He speaks fluent English but only broken American, so please forgive any Anglicised spelling in his posts.
He gets a lot of emails and can’t possibly reply to them all. If you would like to comment on one of his pieces, please do so in the comments – he does read them all.
While Apple has fallen behind the curve in terms of the AI features the company has actually launched, its researchers continue to work at the cutting edge of what’s out there.
In a new paper, they take issue with claims being made about some of the latest AI models – that they are actually capable of step-by-step reasoning. Apple say its tests show that this simply isn’t true …
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iOS may be about to get a whole new look, but the latest limited-edition official Apple merchandise available to mark WWDC 2025 is getting a very old look.
For a short time, visitors to the Apple Park store can pick up t-shirts, hoodies, and other items featuring not just the original rainbow version of the Apple logo, but even the Garamond typeface …
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![How much control are you willing to hand over to Apple Intelligence? [Poll]](https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/apple-intelligence-devices.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1600)
More than a decade ago, I noted a shift that was taking place in my tech usage, with reader comments indicating I was far from alone. Essentially I started out wanting manual control over lots of processes before later opting for the convenience of allowing Apple apps and services to automate them.
I think we’re approaching another of those inflection points – this time courtesy of AI. Whenever Apple Intelligence evolves into something powerful, we’re going to have to decide exactly how much control we’re willing to hand over …
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I reviewed the original version of the Qwerkywriter way back in 2016, and you can read that review below, as much of it still applies.
But with a 10 year Anniversary Edition just released on Kickstarter, and a new lower price, I’m adding a few thoughts on that. The upgrades are very worthwhile ones, so if you’d been tempted before but not quite enough to press the button on an order, this one might well change your mind …
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OpenAI has found evidence of China covertly using ChatGPT to create propaganda posts on social media, and to conduct digital surveillance. Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, and X were among the platforms targeted …
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If you’ve ever wondered how much faith you can place in those colored rings and other exercise data, a new study of Apple Watch activity accuracy has revealed a mix of good news and bad.
Researchers from the University of Mississippi said the device scores well with two key stats, but can be wildly off on a third …
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Counterpoint has more than halved the smartphone growth rates it was forecasting for this year, and now expects US iPhone sales to fall year-on-year.
It says that it expects Apple to pass on at least some of the tariff costs to consumers, increasing the prices of the iPhone 17 over those of the current models …
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Regulatory filings have revealed what appear to be an upcoming Apple MagSafe charger, which supports charging power of up to 50W.
This may indicate that Apple is planning to double the maximum wireless charging speed of the iPhone 17 from the 25W ceiling of current iPhones …
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Two payment companies have teamed up to let developers sell in-app purchases outside the App Store, offering a single service that works across iOS and web.
Even small businesses can save money on the deal, paying 10% on payments of under $10, and 5% plus $0.50 above that threshold. For users, the experience is almost as seamless as Apple’s own system when you opt to use Apple Pay …
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Reddit has announced the ability to curate your profile, tailoring what is shown to users in different subreddits. You can, for example, choose to display posts and comments from some communities, while hiding those from others.
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While current wireless charging has its benefits, that just moves the visible wire from the device to the charging pad. The long-term dream is long-distance invisible wireless power transmission, and a new video demonstrates that we can take a big step closer to that today.
The setup embeds a large charging loop beneath the desk itself, enabling a keyboard, mouse, speakers – and even a monitor – to be powered without a cable or charging pad in sight …
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If you want to promote the idea of buying refurbished tech rather than new, displaying your message on one of the world’s most iconic Apple Stores is a pretty good way to do it. Back Market projected its message on the exterior wall of London’s Covent Garden Store.
The projected message “Let’s end fast tech” is arguably mis-targeted, as Apple products are generally known for their longevity, but Back Market is calling for more thoughtful purchases and better re-use of discarded tech …
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Tim Cook was recently reported to be determined to bring out an Apple Glasses product ahead of Meta’s version, with one insider going so far as to say the CEO “cares about nothing else.”
A new report suggests that Meta is changing its own headset plans in what may be a move geared to accelerate its moves towards an AR glasses product …
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The legal battle between Apple and the European Union is showing no signs of easing up. A possible consequence of the latest round is that Apple could end up removing AirDrop functionality from iPhones sold in the EU.
Apple has appealed a key part of the Digital Markets Act that would require it to make certain features available to third-party companies, and given its hardline attitude so far, there could be significant consequences if it loses the case …
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T-Mobile Tuesdays have been offering giveaways since 2019, and the carrier is celebrating the 9th anniversary with some ‘thankiversary’ deals.
These include a free drink at 7-Eleven, and a range of food deals, including a free Burger King Whopper Jr …
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The base model iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air are currently expected to get ProMotion displays, but a leaker suggests these reports are only half-right.
They suggest that the non-Pro models will get the higher refresh-rate 120Hz displays, but that these will be lacking two key ProMotion features …
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Bloomberg reports that we can look forward to macOS Lake Tahoe, aka macOS 26, when Apple unveils its new operating systems at next week’s WWDC.
macOS Lake Tahoe will of course include some beautiful new wallpaper, but if you want to get in the mood ahead of time, we’ve rounded up some wallpaper you can use today …
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The leisurely pace of Apple’s AI efforts has come under increasing fire, with the company accused of being behind the curve. But a new study on the dangers of AI chatbots suggests that other companies are not being cautious enough.
OpenAI had to recall a recent ChatGPT update, after it tried too hard to agree with users, resulting in an experience which was both absurd and awkward – but the problem is bigger than that …
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Apple last week announced that iPads have joined the Self Service Repair program, enabling owners and independent repair shops alike to get access to manuals, tools, and parts.
The company said it was excited to expand the program to iPads, but a closer look at the details reveals both good news and bad …
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Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs – founder and president of the Emerson Collective, and Steve’s widow – have acknowledged that the iPhone played a role in the “dark” side of technology.
Ive has also said that his mysterious hardware AI device would not be happening without the support and investment of Powell Jobs …
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Apple has for years been fighting antitrust battles all around the world, most of them concerning the App Store, and most of them coming down to a single issue: having monopoly control over the sale of iPhone apps.
Opinions on both sides of the debate are strongly held, and there’s little sign of that changing anytime soon – but it seems to me that there is one thing we could perhaps all agree on …
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Thousands of ASUS wireless routers have been compromised by a botnet that has also been targeting Cisco, D-Link, and Linksys devices. The way in which routers are infected means that they remain under the control of attackers even if the firmware is updated.
Update: The company has issued a statement, added to the end of the piece.
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One of the bigger leaks from Bloomberg is that what we’ve all been anticipating as iOS 19 will instead be branded as iOS 26 (aka 2026).
In other words, Apple is switching from sequential naming to year-based naming. I think that’s a great idea – but not the silly car-maker business of using next year, for a very practical reason …
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The ongoing saga of potential tariffs on iPhones continues. After Trump threatened Apple with an additional 25% tariff on iPhones, the worst-case scenario could see the cost of the most expensive model in the line-up exceed $4,000.
However, a federal court has ruled that the president doesn’t actually have the legal authority to impose tariffs at all, let alone the most extreme ones he has threatened, and has vacated the executive orders issued so far …
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