A weekly podcast discussing the latest in Apple and technology.
9to5Mac’s Happy Hour podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Castro, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed.
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Benjamin and Chance discuss why Apple is so keen on ditching Qualcomm and using its own modems in the iPhone, why the natural progression for the Apple Watch Ultra is satellite connectivity and get excited over rumors that the upcoming OLED MacBook Pro will replace the notch with a hole-punch cutout screen design. Also, Apple is rumored to be partnering with Sony to bring VR controller support to Vision Pro.
And in Happy Hour Plus, iOS 18.2 has a lot of cool non-AI features to highlight as Apple’s latest operating system updates finally roll out to the public. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
From now through December 31, save 20% on all 9to5Mac Daily Plus, 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus, and 9to5Mac Pro annual subscriptions with promo code HOLIDAY! Visit 9to5mac.com/join to sign up.
Benjamin and Chance reflect on their tech support anecdotes during Thanksgiving, and also praise the new Apple ‘Heartstrings’ holiday ad. Meanwhile, Apple quietly dropped a few little features on the floor as we await the iOS 18.2 release candidate. In other news, Apple is rumored to be negotiating for rights to stream immersive content from the seat of a football stadium, in its latest Vision Pro content efforts.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin gets an 11-inch iPad Pro to review. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
From now through December 31, save 20% on all 9to5Mac Daily Plus, 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus, and 9to5Mac Pro annual subscriptions with promo code HOLIDAY! Visit 9to5mac.com/join to sign up.
Benjamin and Chance debate the appeal of the iPhone 17 Air as more details about the redesigned phone leak out. And Siri is set for more LLM-powered updates, but maybe not until spring 2026. Is that too late for Apple to ever catch up to the state of the art?
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin gives his opinion on all the Apple Intelligence features available so far, and Chance is impressed by the nano-texture display on the new MacBook Pro. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance discuss the merits of Apple returning to the long-gestating idea of an Apple television set, in the context of its refocusing on smart home devices. Also, the second-generation AirTag is rumored to arrive in 2025 with some nice enhancements, and Apple’s original film division continues to waver on strategy.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance bemoans Apple’s abandonment of accessories like the MagSafe Battery Pack, and gives his thoughts on the new Belkin strap for Vision Pro. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance debate the curious report from Bloomberg about what the upcoming Apple smart display will look like, and how it will work. Ming-Chi Kuo also says Apple is working on a new smart home camera. iOS 18.2 beta 3 changes the narrative about the Camera Control, and the rumored ‘iPhone 17 Slim’ may not be so slim after all.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin talks about getting a car for the first time … and an iPhone 16 Plus. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance discuss Apple’s surprise acquisition of Pixelmator, all the new features and changes in the latest OS betas, and the rumors around Apple’s indecision for the future of wearables on your face.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we speculate on what we’d like to see from the rumored 2026 MacBook Pro redesign. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
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.
Benjamin and Chance discuss all the new Apple Intelligence features available in the first iOS 18.2 beta, including Genmoji, Image Playground, and ChatGPT integration. Also, the new iPad mini receives mixed reviews and there are signs Apple is planning a dedicated Games app for iOS.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance fills Mayo in on his failed iPhone 15 trade-in horror story. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance react to the surprise announcement of the new iPad mini this week, and some new branded company logo features coming to iOS soon. Apple’s Chief People Officer Carole Surface departs after less than two years, plus we have more visibility into the Vision Pro product roadmap.
And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo discuss the pros and cons of bigger screened Apple Watches and iPhones, with Chance trying the 16 Pro for a few weeks after being used to the Pro Max. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance get excited for Apple’s upcoming product launches, which we are now expecting for the end of the month. The base model M4 MacBook Pro might even have fully leaked on the web. iOS 18.1 beta 6 brings some nice refinements, and more high-profile Apple execs are retiring from their posts.
And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo discuss Apple’s decision to put TV+ as a channel inside Amazon Prime Video. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance discuss the latest Apple leaks of the week, headlined by details about Apple’s upcoming smart home display product, expected to launch in 2025. The iPhone SE and iPad Air are also getting refreshes early next year, and component leaks perhaps give us insight into what Apple is planning for its cheaper Apple Vision Pro headset.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin struggles with the trials and tribulations of choosing a new Wi-Fi router to buy. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance share their hands-on reviews with Apple’s latest products, from the impressive noise cancellation in AirPods 4 to the useful — if fiddly — Camera Control on the iPhone 16 Pro, and the redesigned Apple Watch Series 10. The latest iOS 18.1 beta also includes some useful enhancements to Control Center and iPhone Mirroring.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Meta impresses with its Orion prototype, but shipping the AR glasses form factor is another thing entirely. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11 and tvOS 18 are finally out for public consumption. Benjamin and Chance go through some of their favorite features from this OS cycle, and initial impressions on how the changes are being received. Plus, they react to the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 10 reviews that dropped this week.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we anticipate how the average consumer will vote with their wallets this fall, amid some reports that claim the iPhone 16 is underperforming. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance react to Apple’s September event, with full coverage of all the announcements from the keynote, including thoughts on the new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. We try to forget the AirPods Max.
And in Happy Hour Plus, of all the new products, hear what Benjamin and Chance are excited to order for day one delivery. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance get hyped for Apple’s upcoming ‘Glowtime’ September event, discussing some last-minute rumors and leaks about the products on deck. They discuss the market for the rumored plastic body Apple Watch SE, the latest on the M4 Mac mini redesign, and the iOS 18 Sports app gets a feature it should have had from the beginning.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin checks in with Chance’s Vision Pro usage and rallies against the narrative that “AI” has somehow supplanted “AR”.
The September iPhone event is official! Benjamin and Chance break down what they expect to see on September 9. Also, Apple releases iOS 18.1 beta 3 with the new AI photos Clean Up feature, an expansion of notification summaries, and Apple SVP Luca Maestri announces he is transitioning out of the CFO role.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance marvels at how Homebridge is more reliable than the official Matter integration for HomeKit. And Ted Lasso season 4 is all but confirmed.
Benjamin and Chance answer some Ask9to5Mac questions to celebrate Happy Hour’s 500th episode, with commentary on upcoming Apple products, as well as some meta questions about the podcast itself. They also chat about the fact that Apple Podcasts is now available on the web, and how the rumored brown iPhone 16 is actually be in vogue.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Ask9to5Mac continues with questions about Benjamin and Chance’s career, and what could we imagine we’d be doing if 9to5Mac hadn’t panned out.
Benjamin and Chance get excited about the news of an enticing Mac mini redesign coming this fall, talk about the changes in the latest iOS 18 betas, and question the appeal of the rumored $1000 table-top HomePod device. Plus, Apple tries to appease regulators with new policies for iPhone NFC and external link outs in the EU.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we debate Apple TV+ movie performance in light of the news that Wolfs is no longer getting a wide theatrical release. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance give their feedback on the new features unveiled in iOS 18 beta 5, including Distraction Control and significant Photos app design changes. Apple oversteps the mark with screen recording permission dialogs in macOS Sequoia, the DOJ wins their antitrust case against Google, game developers report frustrations with Apple Arcade, and more.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we speculate on which model M4 Mac will be getting a big overhaul this generation. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance spend most of the episode discussing iOS 18.1 with the debut of the first Apple Intelligence beta. That includes the new Writing Tools, notification summaries and Reduce Interruptions focus mode. It also features a new design for Siri, but lacks most of the new Siri functionality set to come later, which seems like an unenforced error.
And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo reflect on their favorite podcast player apps, in light of the recently overhauled Overcast launch. Join at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance talk about the week’s Apple’s news and rumors, including some wild details about the direction of the new ‘Slim’ model coming in the iPhone 17 next year, iOS 18 beta 4, Apple Maps launches on the web, and there’s some new Vision Pro content announcements. Apple TV+ is also in focus as Apple reportedly looks to license more catalog content, while reining in budgets for some of its originals.
And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo reflect on their favorite podcast player apps, in light of the recently overhauled Overcast launch. Join at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance give their thoughts on their favorite iOS 18 features, the ongoing debate about the redesigned Photos app, and more changes, as the OS hits public beta. There’s also been some focus on the data used to train Apple Intelligence, and Apple even released a ‘new’ HomePod this week.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance explains why Matter has just made everything worse, when it comes to the smart home experience. Join at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin finally gets a chance to try a Vision Pro for himself. iOS 18 beta 3 includes some welcome changes to the Photos app and the emoji keyboard, and tvOS beta adds InSight for the first time. There’s also rumors of a rigid plastic Apple Watch, and Ming-Chi Kuo lays out a roadmap for the iPhone’s telephoto zoom lens.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin talks about visiting the Battersea Apple Store, and camping at Silverstone this past weekend, as Apple simultaneously christened its ‘F1’ movie. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance reflect on all the week’s Apple news in this July holiday episode. Apple has released a new whitepaper on Apple device longevity, as right-to-repair regulation takes hold. The Apple Watch Series 10 this year might not be the drastic Series X redesign we’d all been hoping for, and Kuo expects AirPods Pro with infrared cameras to launch in 2026.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin is still annoyed by iOS 18 Game Mode, and Chance has a change of opinion about the iPad Pro nano-texture display. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
