Opinion pieces & commentary

A new ChatGPT voice update has made interacting with the chatbot far more flexible than it used to be, and I think is an example of one of the key things we can eventually expect from the new Siri.

While OpenAI’s change might seem like a relatively small one on the surface, I’m already finding that it completely transforms the experience of using ChatGPT …

A Bloomberg report suggests that next year could be a Snow Leopard-style update for each of Apple’s operating systems. In other words, the company will prioritize working on bug fixes and reliability over new features.

The timing of this claim seems dubious to me: as Gurman himself acknowledges, Apple absolutely has to introduce a lot of AI improvements next year, so I don’t see how it can possibly qualify as a bug-fix year. Timing aside, however, this is something I would love to see …

Apple announced the redesigned Mac mini with M4 chip last October. It’s by no means a new product at this point, and it’s nearly a year old. However, I think it may be one of Apple’s greatest gifts to up and coming creators, developers, and all sorts of creative professionals.

Back in the Intel days, the Mac Pro was the computer many of us lusted over even if we had no possible justification for actually buying one. It was by far the most powerful Mac and the easiest to upgrade – not to mention one of the most beautiful machines the company ever made.

The 2023 Mac Pro was even more gorgeous than its predecessor, but with the radical new architecture of Apple Silicon, the writing was already on the wall …

There’s long been speculation about when Apple CEO Tim Cook might retire and who is likely to replace him. That intensified earlier this month when he turned 65.

Cook himself has made only two on-the-record statements, but a new report over the weekend suggests that the company is now ramping up preparations to replace him “as soon as next year” …

When AirPods Pro 3 initially debuted, I was a little bit hesitant about upgrading. I felt that AirPods Pro 2 were still excellent. On top of that, one of the key features of AirPods Pro 3, Live Translation, was also coming to AirPods Pro 2. However, now that I’ve actually given them a shot – I can genuinely say I was wrong about my pessimism.

My colleague Ryan last week expressed concern that Apple’s upcoming HomePod Touch device might be making the same mistake as the original speaker.

But while I do suspect it may be something of a slow burn, I think the device will eventually achieve a much larger market even at the same price …

I said only recently that it’s getting harder and harder to believe Apple can deliver on the new Siri. The company’s backtracking on announcements coupled to very vague statements on revised timings were certainly not making it easy to imagine that the new intelligent assistant will deliver.

I’m not yet ready to do my own U-turn on this, and my skepticism still very much remains, but there have at least been a couple of encouraging signs in the last few days …

With the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup this fall, Apple debuted a new accessory – the crossbody strap. It certainly received lukewarm reception, but after trying one out, I actually think it’s a rather nifty concept. At least, if you’re the right person for it.

We learned back at WWDC25 that US passport support would be coming to Apple Wallet. It hasn’t yet arrived in iOS 26, but the company yesterday confirmed that it is on the way.

An update to the Apple website last month told us to expect it by the end of the year, and Apple’s VP of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, Jennifer Bailey, confirmed in a conference keynote that it is still happening …

I recently shared my top ten list of Apple and non-Apple tech. This time I’m following up with some of my favorite third-party apps for iPhone and Mac.

In putting this piece together, I realized that I don’t often use apps for entertainment. On iPhone and Mac alike, the vast majority of my choices perform a useful function …

I’d really like the concept of an iPhone Fold. I love the idea of carrying something that’s an iPhone in my pocket but an iPad mini in use.

We’re of course expecting the device to be very expensive, but I could see it being worth the cost. There are, however, two (or three, depending on how you count them) reasons why it might not be the right phone for me after all …

The latest version of the Oura smart ring app provides an improved and simplified view of key health information.

I’ve argued before that Apple could learn some lessons from Oura, and I think this is even more true today – here’s why …

For a very long time, I urged patience with Apple’s efforts to turn Siri into a truly intelligent assistant. Back in 2023, I argued that the stakes were higher for Siri than for primarily text-based AI systems like ChatGPT.

I’ve also said that Apple’s commitment to privacy poses a far greater challenge for the company’s AI efforts, and that the payoff would be worth it. But it’s gotten harder and harder to maintain this position, and the latest report certainly doesn’t help …

When it comes to favorite technology, Apple gets a double win from me. My MacBook Pro is my single most important piece of tech, and the Apple ecosystem is absolutely core to my approach to a whole range of things, across both work and leisure.

But I also have a number of non-Apple devices that either serve as important accessories or standalone devices in their own right …

We’ve for some time been expecting a cheaper and lighter version of Vision Pro, possibly branded as Vision Air. Potential launch dates have been variously reported as 2025, 2026, and 2027.

But a report yesterday suggested we may have even longer to wait for this as Apple shifts resources to accelerate work on an Apple Glasses product …

Once upon a time, there was just a single iPhone. Today, things are rather more complicated, with a choice of four new models plus two older ones remaining on sale directly from Apple.

Next year may see the most fragmented iPhone lineup we have ever seen in the company’s history – and that could be bad news for some of us …

While Apple first started supporting eSIMs back in 2018, it’s only this year that it has taken full advantage of the technology.

For the first time, Apple is using the space previously occupied by an insertable SIM card slot for additional battery capacity …

Ming-Ching Kuo today suggested that we can expect a touchscreen MacBook Pro to go into production in late 2026. This is the latest in a years-long string of rumors that Apple is working on such a device.

The company has been testing prototypes since at least 2008, but has consistently dismissed the idea of launching one. However, I do tend to believe the latest report …

If you’ve just installed iOS 26, the first thing you will, of course, have noticed is the new Liquid Glass user interface. This has proved a somewhat polarizing feature, with some developers arguing it’s not yet ready for primetime.

It certainly takes some getting used to, but overall I’m a fan, and I particularly like some of the small but notable changes …

Apple is sometimes accused of deliberately withholding new features from older devices for no good reason. For example, eyebrows were raised when dual capture video recording was restricted to the iPhone 17 when the same feature has been supported by third-party apps all the way back to the iPhone 11, so is clearly nothing to do with hardware capabilities.

When it comes to the latest health features, however, the company is wisely taking a far more inclusive approach …