Chance Miller

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.

• Sponsored by Roborock: Roborock takes care of the cleaning, so you can do more of what you love. This February, save $200 on the Saros10 and Saros10R vacuums during the Open Sale—12.5% OFF from February 10th to 16th. Don’t miss out!
• Sponsored by HelloFresh: America’s #1 meal kit! Get up to 10 FREE meals and a free high protein item for life at HelloFresh.com/happyhour10fm.
• 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 1Password: Secure every app, device, and identity – even the unmanaged ones – at 1password.com/happyhour.

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.

• Sponsored by Oracle: Learn how to cut your cloud bill in half at oracle.com/HAPPYHOUR.
• Sponsored by Indeed: Get a $75 sponsored job credit and give your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/9to5mac.

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.

Over the years, Apple has vastly expanded the Health app on iPhone with ways to track weight, fitness, and much more. Earlier this year, we broke down the best smart scales for syncing weight with an iPhone. And with iPadOS 17 last year, the Health app is also now on iPad.

Another measurement that can integrate with Apple’s Health app is blood pressure. Here are some of the current options on the market for syncing blood pressure with the Health app on your iPhone.

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.

• 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.

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.

One of my favorite iPhone features StandBy, which turns your iPhone into a smart display when it’s in landscape orientation and charging. One of the best ways to take full advantage of StandBy is with an upright wireless charger.

Head below for a closer look at some of my favorite MagSafe stands for iPhone, perfect for StandBy.

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

After one month of beta testing, Apple has now released iOS 18.3 for all iPhone users. The update includes changes to two key Apple Intelligence features, as well as a handful of big fixes and other enhancements.

Head below for a deep dive into everything new with iOS 18.3…

iOS 18.3 isn’t a groundbreaking update for iPhone users, but it does include several key changes. Here’s when to expect Apple to release iOS 18.3…

Apple has shared the first details on user adoption of iOS 18 so far. The company says that iOS 18 is currently installed on 68% of all iPhones and on 76% of iPhones introduced in the last four years.

These numbers show that iOS 18 adoption is on the same trajectory as iOS 17 adoption last year.

One rumored change for the iPhone 17 might not come to fruition after all. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today says that the size of the Dynamic Island across the iPhone 17 lineup will be “largely unchanged” compared to the iPhone 16 models.

Benjamin and Chance give their thoughts on Apple’s attempts to placate the BBC’s complaints about notification summaries with iOS 18.3. Also, the rumored iPhone 17 Air design has a divisive camera bar on the back, and this week also saw an intriguing leak showing apparent design changes for the iOS 19 Camera app. 

And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance struggles to find new things to watch and — much to Benjamin’s delight — brings his own Apple TV app complaints to the table. 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.

Over the last year, we’ve seen multiple long-term holdouts finally cave to the pressure and adopt Apple Pay. At this point, the largest holdout in the United States is Walmart, and the company today indicated that it has absolutely zero plans to change its stance.