9to5Mac

Update: A security researcher on Mastodon has cracked the case on this, proving that it has nothing to do with iPhones secretly communicating with each other.

A new report from 404 Media says that law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan believe that iOS 18 includes a “new security feature that tells nearby iPhones to reboot if they have been disconnected from a cellular network for some time.”

Apple has been accelerating its focus on gaming in recent years, fueled by the era of M-class Mac chips, booming App Store subscription revenue, and Apple Arcade. But there’s another area of gaming effort you may have missed, and it’s continuing to grow at a steady pace: Apple News Puzzles.

Apple’s key holiday extended return policy has officially started. Apple says that most products received between November 8, 2024 and December 25, 2024 may be returned through January 8, 2025.

Along with the dramatic external design, the new M4 Mac mini also features multiple internal changes. According to early teardowns and user reports, the new Mac mini features a removable SSD. This doesn’t mean, however, that you can buy a new Mac mini and upgrade the storage after the fact.

Apple Intelligence officially launched just weeks ago, and its more exciting new features are coming next month with iOS 18.2—all available cost-free. While many analysts and investors are anxious to see how AI might fuel an uptick of iPhone 16 purchases, this week’s beta release showed another way for Apple to monetize its AI offerings.

The new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini powered by M4 are officially here. After being announced last week with pre-order availability, Apple’s new M4 Mac lineup can is now available for purchase at Apple Stores around the world.

Here’s everything you need to know about M4 Mac launch day…

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on a significant camera upgrade for the iPhone 18 coming in 2026. The analyst says the iPhone 18’s main rear camera will be upgraded to a variable aperture lens for the first time.

9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

This week, I want to share a fascinating talk I came across on social media about an Apple service that doesn’t seem to get as much attention in the community: CarPlay. While Apple has not publicly disclosed the exact number of CarPlay users, I’d venture to say it’s one of its most used services. And one of the biggest concerns is anything that could compromise driver safety or privacy. So, how secure is CarPlay?

Pretty much every video streaming platform has DRM-protected content, which aims to prevent users from distributing copyrighted material. Unfortunately, this also means that users can’t easily share screenshots of specific moments of something they’re watching with others – but Netflix is introducing a new feature that will change that.

As previously covered here on 9to5Mac, Denim is a powerful app that provides tools for creating and customizing cover artwork for playlist. Following an update in August that added many new options to the app, Denim is now getting another update – this time with Spotify integration.

Ahead of Black Friday officially kicking off later this month, our friends at GRID are running a huge sale on their popular disassembled tech frames. There are options for Apple and non-Apple fans both.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by CardPointers: The best way to maximize your credit card rewards. Save 30% and get a $100 Savings Card today. 

Following the launch of the Belkin Head Strap earlier this week, Belkin today is further expanding its accessory lineup for Apple Vision Pro. The company has unveiled its new Belkin Travel Bag as a “compact and lightweight” alternative to Apple’s own Travel Case.

The first reviews of Apple’s new M4 Mac lineup dropped today, including the Mac mini, iMac, and MacBook Pro.

One interesting tidbit that emerged via Ars Technica’s review is that Apple has expanded the “High Power Mode” in macOS to the M4 Pro configurations of the Mac mini and MacBook Pro.

The latest macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta upgrades the experience of using AirPlay to share content from your Mac to your Apple TV. Now, there’s a new option to only share a specific window or app when using AirPlay from your Mac to Apple TV.

Welcome to Rumor Replay, a new weekly column at 9to5Mac that provides a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with my analysis and commentary. Today: two future MacBook Pro models and a big redesign, the Vision roadmap at Apple, 90Hz displays, and more.

Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

Apple introduced the “Hey Siri” command with iOS 8 to let users easily interact with the virtual assistant without having to press any buttons. However, over the years, this has resulted in Siri being mistakenly triggered when the command is spoken on a TV ad. But Apple is finally working on a fix for this.

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.

• Sponsored by Zocdoc: Go to Zocdoc.com/happyhour and download the Zocdoc app to sign up for free and book a top-rated doctor. Many are available as soon as today.
• Sponsored by LegalZoom: Launch, run, and protect your business to make it official at Legalzoom.com. Use promo code HAPPYHR to save 10%.

Apple is just getting started with building AI into its various software platforms. However, one of its chief competitors, Microsoft, just learned an important lesson the company could take to heart: most consumers aren’t willing to pay very much for AI features.