Chance Miller

Apple is planning a huge shakeup to its naming scheme for software updates. Bloomberg reports that this year’s iOS update won’t be called iOS 19 after all. Instead, Apple is planning to call it “iOS 26” as part of a new year-based naming strategy.

Here’s exactly what that means for all of Apple’s platforms …

Benjamin and Chance talk about everything Apple in the run-up to WWDC, including news that watchOS and tvOS should also expect major design changes this cycle. Also, Chance used his phone as his ID at the airport, Apple’s smart glasses plans advance and Apple Watch sales are reportedly struggling. 

And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance share their favorite spring TV picks. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Apple Card Savings Account has taken another hit to its interest rate as of today. Apple and Goldman Sachs have dropped the annual percentage yield from 3.75% to 3.65%, marking the second rate cut of 2025.

Last October, 9to5Mac exclusively reported that Apple was developing a dedicated app for video games that would exist separately from the App Store.

Bloomberg has now corroborated that report and says the app will launch as part of iOS 19 later this year.

Update 9:40 am ET: Spotify says the problems are fixed: “We’re aware of some recent issues that should be all clear now! Thanks for your patience, you rock.”

If you’re having problems using Spotify today, you’re not alone. Spotify is down for many users around the world, leaving customers unable to stream their favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

Apple has announced that it is running a limited-time promotion offering boosted trade-in values on iPhones. The promotion will run through June 18 and is available in multiple countries around the world, including the United States and China.

Apple is expediting its plans to compete with Meta’s popular Ray-Ban smart glasses. Bloomberg reports today that Apple is now aiming to release smart glasses “at the end of next year.” Simultaneously, the company has dropped its plans to release an Apple Watch with a built-in camera.

WWDC invites have gone out, and Chance will be there in person. The pair discuss the narrative of indifference that hangs over WWDC at the moment, as the tech industry is currently dominated by daily onslaught of AI news. And while the rumors about the AirPods roadmap are a little bleak, Apple is rumored to be shipping a truly all-screen bezel-less iPhone in a couple of years time — an exciting prospect indeed.

And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin has spilt tea on his Magic Keyboard, which leads into a bigger topic of the pair talking about what sits on their desk. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Spotify was one of the first companies to take advantage of recent changes to the App Store Guidelines. The company swiftly submitted a new version of its app with links that make it easier for users to subscribe to Spotify Premium using external payment methods.

In an amicus brief filed in support of Epic Games this week, Spotify touts that it has already seen a measurable increase in Premium subscription conversions thanks to these changes.

After a nearly five-year hiatus, Fortnite is back on the App Store for iPhone and iPad users in the United States. Epic Games announced the return of the battle royale gaming app this afternoon, and you can head to the App Store now to download it.

Fortnite is also back in the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the European Union.

Apple is rolling out a new firmware version for AirPods Max with USB-C. The update comes with version number 7E108, up from the previous firmware version of 7E101.

After announcing WWDC 2025 in March, Apple has now provided more details on the schedule for the festivities.

Apple says the week will kick off with an Apple Keynote on June 9 at 10 a.m. PDT. The company has also invited members of the press to attend in person.

The season finale of the Apple TV+ hit comedy The Studio is set to release tomorrow. It won’t be long, however, until you’re able to fill that Seth Rogen void in your heart.

Apple TV+ has announced that season two of Platonic, its comedy starring Rogen alongside Rose Byrne, will debut on August 6.

Overcast, the hit podcast app developed by Marco Arment, has been updated today with a vastly improved Apple Watch app. This update follows Overcast’s major revamp last summer, which brought an all-new design in celebration of its tenth anniversary.

Apple’s Sports app has evolved into a powerful way to track your favorite teams and leagues. In a new update this week, the app has added easier access to league standings, a new Sports Newsletter, and more.

Here’s a little bit of positivity on Apple’s race to catch up to the competition in artificial intelligence. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple is testing its own chatbot internally and has made significant progress in catching up with ChatGPT in the last six months.

After three years of anticipation, Apple officially launched next-generation CarPlay this week, dubbed CarPlay Ultra. CarPlay Ultra packs countless new features, updates, and more compared to normal CarPlay.

Here’s everything you need to know about CarPlay Ultra, including whether your favorite automaker will support the platform.

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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Update May 16, 2025, 8:36 a.m. PT: Apple tells Bloomberg that it did not take action to block Epic Games from releasing its Fortnite update in the European Union. Instead, the company asked it to resubmit the EU update without including the US to avoid impacting other regions.

There’s still no word on the status of Epic’s attempt to bring Fortnite back to the App Store in the US.

Last week, Epic Games announced that it had submitted Fortnite to the App Store in the United States. The move followed an injunction in which a federal judge said Apple couldn’t charge a 27% commission on out-of-app purchases initiated through in-app links.

In a new statement today, however, Epic says that Apple has “blocked” this submission…

Benjamin and Chance react to all the new accessibility features Apple previewed for iOS 19, like Magnifier and vehicle motion cues for Mac. This week also saw the surprise debut of next-gen CarPlay, now called CarPlay Ultra, arriving first in partnership with Aston Martin. We’ve also got some more rumors about some software features to expect at WWDC. 

And in Happy Hour Plus, HBO corrects the Max branding mess. Should Apple follow suit? Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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