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Feature Request: Apple should offer instant access to overseas eSIMs when traveling

Apple should offer instant access to overseas eSIMs when traveling | Splash screen confirming an eSIM plan is active

If there’s one thing likely to put the damper on any overseas trip, it’s racking up a huge data roaming bill on your iPhone. I once managed to notch up a bill of about $40 in the 15 minutes between switching on my phone after the plane landed and organizing a local data plan while inside the airport terminal.

These days, I have a simple solution to instantly acquiring a local eSIM at a competitive price, but using this on a recent trip made me think how sensible it would be for Apple to make this a standard iPhone feature …

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Deals: iPad Air $250 off, Apple Pencil Pro 38% off, rare USB-C Magic Mouse offer, Magic Keyboard $160 off, more

Alongside the ongoing all-time lows on Apple Watch Series 10 configurations at up to $150 off, today we are starting things off with iPad – M3 iPad Air models are still sitting at the best prices to date while M2 models are up to $250 off. From there it’s the return of one of the best deals yet on Apple Pencil Pro, a rare all-time low on the new USB-C Magic Mouse at $68, and Apple’s previous-gen Magic Keyboard at $160 off – this deal likely won’t last much longer. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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9to5Mac Daily: May 2, 2025 – AAPL earnings, big App Store changes

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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.

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Finding any movie & where to watch it just got easier with new Kernel update

Last year, YouTuber and Apple enthusiast Nikias Molina released an app called Kernel. This app was created primarily to help people discover which streaming service hosts certain TV shows and movies. I use this app a ton as someone with six different streaming providers. If I ever needed to find out where a movie was, I would search it, and it was correct 100% of the time! I love how simple and elegant it was to use. Its newest update now adds Kernel AI, recommendations, and more.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook thanks Trump for focus on US chip manufacturing

Apple CEO Tim Cook appeared virtually at a gathering of business executives this week to celebrate President Trump’s first 100 days in office. “I wanna take a moment to recognize President Trump’s focus on domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and we will continue to work with the administration as we invest in these areas,” Cook said during his pre-recorded comments.

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Apple gross margin on services rises to a new record high

Apple posted its quarterly earnings last night, with generally strong performance. One standout point was the company’s ability to continue to expand its gross margin on the ever-growing services division.

In fact, Apple recorded a new all-time high for gross margin on services this quarter, at 75.7%. That figure is based on costs of $6.46 billion on sales of $26.64 billion.

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Spotify has just submitted its app update including links out to the web for payment, here’s how it will change the experience

Following the Apple vs Epic ruling this week, developers are racing to take advantage of their new ability to link out to their own website to collect payments from user, with Apple no longer able to force them to use its in-app purchase system.

Spotify has just announced that it has submitted its app update to Apple for approval, including these changes. In a blog post, it details how it has been able to make the user experience better for users upgrading from free to paid memberships.

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Apple says Trump import tariffs will increase its costs by $900 million this quarter

On the quarterly earnings call today, Apple gave some color on the impact of tariffs on its business. Most notably Apple CEO Tim Cook said that in the current quarter, April through June, the company will see costs of about $900 million assuming the current tariff policy remains for the whole quarter.

Apple warned the figure could change — higher or lower — if administration changes tariff policy unexpectedly over the course of the quarter. It also said that costs in future quarters could be higher, still.

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Epic win against Apple, iPhone 17 Air dummy models, iOS 19 rumors

9to5mac happy hour

Benjamin and Chance react to the huge developments in the Epic vs. Apple case, with Apple now compelled to allow free rein links out to the web, with no commission. Also this week, we get our best look yet at the super-slim iPhone 17 Air, there are intriguing rumors about iOS 19 and iPadOS 19, and Apple quietly launches a bizarre new microsite on its website. 

And in Happy Hour Plus, understandably, Chance gives up on Mac support for HomePod audio output. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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