Chance Miller

Apple’s new iPhone is officially available for pre-order. You can head to Apple’s website now to place your pre-order for the iPhone 16e, with the first orders slated to arrive on Friday, February 28. The device will also hit Apple retail stores on that day.

Here’s a brief recap of what to expect from the iPhone 16e.

The iPhone 16e lacks support for MagSafe charging, an omission that has dominated conversations about Apple’s cheapest iPhone model this week. Initially, there was speculation that MagSafe might have been excluded due to interference with Apple’s C1 chip, which is its first-ever cellular modem designed for the iPhone.

Yesterday, Apple confirmed that the C1 has nothing to do with the omission of MagSafe on the iPhone 16e. New testing conducted by an iPhone case accessory manufacturer and shared with 9to5Mac adds more detail to the situation.

The iPhone 16e is powered by the A18 chip, but there’s one difference between its GPU and the version in the chip that powers the iPhone 16. While the iPhone 16 has a 5-core GPU, the iPhone 16E has a 4-core GPU.

New Geekbench results for the iPhone 16e reveal just how much of a performance impact buyers can expect, plus a few other tidbits about the device.

Benjamin and Chance discuss the newly announced iPhone 16e, some peculiarities in feature omissions, and exactly what market a lower-cost iPhone actually serves. There’s also exciting new rumors about a second-generation Studio Display, and more doubts about whether Apple will be able to deliver Siri intelligence features in the short-term.

And in Happy Hour Plus, Humane shuts up shop and sells to HP. We reflect on the failings of the Ai Pin idea. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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The all-new iPhone 16e is here, headlined by an A18 chip, Apple’s first-ever cellular modem, a 48MP Fusion camera, and more.

Here are a few tidbits you might’ve missed …

Apple has officially taken the wraps off of the all-new iPhone 16e. The device features an all-new design paired with the A18 chip inside, a 48MP camera, and full Apple Intelligence support. It also features the first-ever Apple-designed 5G cellular modem, the C1 chip.

The new iPhone 16e starts at $599 for 128GB and will be available to pre-order Friday, with the first orders arriving on February 28.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that Apple will launch a new product today, Wednesday, February 19. The most likely release is the much-anticipated iPhone SE 4, but there are a few other possibilities. Here’s everything you need to know.

Nomad makes some of our favorite Apple accessories across charging solutions, Apple Watch bands, and more. Today, the company has released a new version of one of its most convenient charging accessories: the ChargeKey.

The iPhone SE 4 will pack many changes when it launches this week, including a dramatic redesign, an A18 chip, and full Apple Intelligence support. However, one lingering question in my mind is whether Apple will finally upgrade the iPhone SE’s base storage from the current measly 64GB.

Benjamin and Chance talk about the long-awaited launch of the Apple TV app on Android, Apple partners with Alibaba for AI in China, and Apple adds a better-late-than-never feature for merging Apple Accounts. Also, Chance kicks off the show with a hands-on review of the brand new Powerbeats Pro, with heart rate monitoring.

And in Happy Hour Plus, there’s a grab bag of topics with Benjamin’s follow-up on Announce Notifications in CarPlay, the Sports app adds NASCAR, and the UK takes a bad stance on encryption. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Apple has resumed advertising on Elon Musk’s X social network as of this week. Apple had halted all advertising on X back in November 2023 after Musk agreed with an antisemitic post on the platform.

One of my favorite HomeKit features is HomeKit Secure Video, which lets me view and manage security camera recordings right in the Home app. There are a number of different cameras on the market that support this feature, and here are my favorites as someone who’s tested a lot of HomeKit accessories over the years.

When Powerbeats Pro were first released in 2019, we described them as “the ultimate sport earphones.” They set a new standard for workout-focused headphones with a truly wireless design, an ultra-secure ear-hook fit, and impressive durability.

Now, Beats has officially unveiled Powerbeats Pro 2 — and they’re better in every way. Plus, they have a first-of-its-kind fitness feature: built-in heart rate monitoring.

I’ve been using Powerbeats Pro 2 for the past two weeks, and here’s everything you need to know.

While the iPhone 17 rumors garner most of the attention, Apple also has another new iPhone model in the works. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to be a dramatic update to Apple’s most affordable iPhone, with an all-new design, USB-C for charging, and more.

Here are five things to expect from the iPhone SE 4.

Benjamin and Chance review the newly-launched Apple Invites app and despite how well made the app is, debate whether anyone will actually use it. Also, AltStore makes headlines about hosting the first ‘Apple approved’ NSFW app, Apple reportedly cancels another AR hardware initiative and TikTok spreads fake news about the iOS 18.3 support for T-Mobile Starlink service.

And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance bemoan the lack of advancement in CarPlay in recent years, and suggest a few easy wins Apple could add to the platform. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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When I reviewed the new Beats Pill last year, I lamented its lack of AirPlay support. After all, AirPlay offers some nice benefits and better stability compared to Bluetooth.

Instead of waiting on Beats to make good on its promise from 2017 to make an AirPlay speaker, I decided to take matters into my own hands and turn my HomePod mini into a portable, battery-powered, AirPlay speaker.

Apple Maps is about to get a notable upgrade that will lead to more efficient EV routing suggestions for Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning drivers.

Benjamin and Chance review the 2025 Apple Unity watch band, watch face and wallpaper. They talk about some compelling leaked iOS features currently in internal testing, and Apple reportedly redoubles its AI efforts. Also, T-Mobile and Starlink launch a seemingly better satellite connectivity offering, than Apple’s in-built SOS feature.

And in Happy Hour Plus, the pair debate if it is time for the Apple Watch hardware lineup to expand. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Apple first introduced satellite connectivity features to the iPhone with the release of the iPhone 14 in 2022. The capability allows users to communicate with emergency services when out of range of traditional cellular connectivity. iOS 18 further upgraded the functionality to let users send messages to friends and family using satellite connectivity.

Apple initially partnered with Globalstar to power these satellite connectivity features for iPhone users. Now, Bloomberg reports that Apple has also been “secretly working with SpaceX and T-Mobile” to add Starlink satellite connectivity to the iPhone.

Apple has a CarPlay problem. Actually, Apple has two CarPlay problems. One of those is well-documented: next-generation CarPlay was announced at WWDC 2022 and is still not available in any car, though Apple swears it’s still working with “several automakers” to implement it.

What could be Apple’s bigger problem, however, is its neglect of CarPlay 1.0 – the CarPlay experience that exists in millions of vehicles already on the road today.

As we reported earlier, iOS 18.3 is now available to everyone. While we’ve already gone in-depth on everything new, head below for the full details from Apple on the release notes for iOS 18.3