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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Hosts:
Benjamin and Chance react to the disappointing news that Apple officially delayed the ambitious AI Siri features indefinitely, and what the ramifications are on Apple’s product line in the near term. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports Apple is preparing the biggest redesign to iOS since iOS 7, and Kuo has some details about Apple’s first foldable iPhone coming in 2026.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance experiments with Benjamin’s external monitor arrangement, and we discuss the popularity of Safari’s “Compact” tab layout option. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance recap the newly announced lineup of iPads and Macs. The new iPad Air and base iPad offer even better value for money, while Apple pushes the performance edge with the surprising launch of the M3 Ultra in the Mac Studio, and makes the best MacBook yet with the new M4 MacBook Air. Also, iOS 18.4 beta 2 brings even more new features to discuss.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Apple takes a swing at a home run with a trio of baseball content announcements. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance wrap up the iPhone 16e reviews that dropped this week, and bemoan the UK forcing Apple to remove Advanced Data Protection in the region, before turning their attention to the fun news of the week that is the new beta season. iOS 18.4 and visionOS 2.4 include a bunch of features, from new Apple Intelligence updates to an entirely Food section in News+.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin finally has a new standing desk set up. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Benjamin and Chance react to Mark Zuckerberg’s recent comments about Apple having not done anything good recently … as we also look forward to everything Apple is set to announce this year. Apple gets in hot water about ‘Enhanced Visual Search’, and the iOS 18.3 beta cycle continues, if a little bare.
And in Happy Hour Plus, as Apple ramps up its marketing effort for Severance, Benjamin tries to convince Chance to give the show another chance. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance talk about the current ongoing controversies with Apple Intelligence notification summaries and the reaction to the settlement of the Siri privacy lawsuit, and how Apple is managing the negative PR. LG announces a new 6K display, but does it actually exist? And Benjamin is thrilled to hear that Apple News+ Puzzles may finally be coming to the UK.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we appreciate the seamless integration of iPhone, AirPods and Watch in the current cold winter months. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance kick off the new year with a catch-up on Apple missing its deadline for next-gen CarPlay to be released in an actual vehicle, and assess the response to picking the Vision Pro as 9to5Mac’s Product of the Year. There’s also rumors of an Apple-branded smart doorbell to discuss, and TV+ tries a new marketing gimmick with a free weekend promotion.
And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo make some fun predictions about Apple-related news headlines that could happen sometime this year.
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 Apple’s 2024 products, focused on all the product announcements from the past twelve months. From the lows of AirPods Max to the highs of M4 iPad Pro, and the mixed reception to Apple Vision Pro. We break it all down in our last episode of the year.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we talk about what we are most excited for in 2025 as rumors swirl for the iPhone 17 lineup and Apple’s deeper foray into the smart home. 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 react to the recent controversy around AI notification summaries, and how Apple could improve the situation. Also, Benjamin is frustrated with the lack of Apple Music Radio improvements, and the pair discuss the latest rumors about the company’s foldable plans.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we debate what is Apple’s 9to5Mac product of the year for 2024. 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 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.