Chance Miller

Benjamin and Chance talk about this week’s Apple news, ahead of a bevy of product announcements coming later this month. Apple is reportedly partnering with LG on a range of smart home accessories, and changes are coming to Full Disk Access permissions. Note: This episode was recorded before Apple officially announced its ‘Welcome home’ event.

And in Happy Hour Plus, our family members get new phones. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

• Sponsored by Roborock: Fall Prime Day is here—with up to $1,600 off Roborock’s smartest cleaning lineup, plus exclusive limited-time deals and gifts. Find the right cleaner for your home and save starting now.
• Sponsored by Framer: The only free design tool that brings your ideas to the web. Visit framer.com/happyhour for 30% off a Framer Pro annual plan.
• Sponsored by Gusto: The online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at gusto.com/happyhour.
• Sponsored by Keeper: Get 60% off personal and family plans at keepersecurity.com/HAPPYHOUR.

Apple just announced a “Welcome home” special event for next week, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Bloomberg now reports that Apple is set to launch its first touchscreen MacBook Pros, a new iPad mini, and more “on or around Tuesday, October 27.”

The report says the launch will include “an online video presentation and in-person component for the press.”

Tim Cook visited Apple’s Battersea campus in London this week, mingling with King Charles as part of the company’s new partnership with The King’s Trust.

At Apple’s Battersea headquarters, Cook also sat down with The Independent for an in-depth interview on the partnership and his first month as Apple’s executive chairman.

Apple is making more leadership changes as the John Ternus era gets underway. A new Bloomberg report today says Apple has named a new mergers and acquisitions chief and a new vice president of the App Store.

Apple released iOS 27 to everyone a few weeks ago, and it includes several CarPlay changes worth checking out. Here are a few changes I’ve been loving so far.

Apple is widely expected to introduce a new OLED iPad mini as soon as later this month. A sketchy new rumor today once again claims the new iPad mini will switch to OLED but still have a 60Hz refresh rate and lack ProMotion support.

Apple released iOS 27.2 beta 3 to developers yesterday, and it includes a handful of changes and hints at future features. Here’s everything new in the latest beta.

Apple just released a MacBook Pro update in March, but there’s more coming soon. Apple is expected to debut one of its biggest MacBook Pro updates ever as soon as later this year. Here’s everything we know so far … including details on a surprising recent twist.

Apple is widely expected to release a new touchscreen MacBook Pro as soon as this month. This will mark the first-ever touchscreen Mac, and Apple is laying the groundwork in macOS 27.2 to accommodate touch gestures.

Apple released AirPods Pro 3 last year, bringing several big updates to its in-ear headphones. If you’re currently using AirPods Pro 2, there are three key reasons to consider upgrading, based on my experience using them over the past year.

• Buy AirPods Pro 3: $179 (Reg. $249) 

Apple has confirmed an issue causing a “small number” of iPhone 18 Pro Max devices on AT&T to lose cellular service.

Apple released software and carrier updates to prevent the issue from affecting additional users, but the company tells 9to5Mac that devices that have already lost service will require a hardware replacement.

Amid the rapid rise in AI agents requesting “Full Disk Access” to your Mac, Apple says it is making changes to macOS to protect user privacy.

While the company hasn’t shared specifics, Apple says users should understand what it means to give an app such “extraordinary” access to their Mac.

Update, October 2: Many of you have asked for a full vehicle compatibility list for the Twelve South Airfly Drive. Our friends over at 9to5Toys have just published exactly that. Take a look!

• Complete vehicle compatibility list for new Twelve South Airfly Drive CarPlay and Android Auto adapter

Twelve South, the company behind a range of premium Apple accessories, has launched a notable expansion of its Airfly brand. The company today unveiled Airfly Drive, a dongle that turns wired CarPlay into wireless CarPlay. It’s available to order starting today for $39.99. Here’s how it works.

A Texas school district is going all-in on the iPad and MacBook Neo as part of a new $11 million deal. The Beaumont Independent School District is ditching its Chromebook fleet and opting for Apple gear going forward, citing better reliability, lower costs, and performance.

As reported by the Beaumont Enterprise this week, the Beaumont Independent School District’s board has approved an $11.19 million four-year lease to upgrade its technology ecosystem.

iOS 27 continues Apple’s trend of giving you more control over the design of your iPhone’s Lock Screen. This year, there are new customization options, wallpaper settings, and more.

Update 1:50 p.m. PT: More details from Apple are available here:

• Apple confirms iPhone 18 Pro Max AT&T cellular issues, affected devices require hardware replacement

Since the iPhone 18 Pro Max launched, some AT&T customers have complained of various connectivity issues.

In a new text message to customers, AT&T says affected users should update their devices to iOS 26.0.1 to fix the issues … but early reports indicate the update doesn’t actually fix the problem.

Benjamin and Chance discuss the final Apple smart display rumors with a release for the ‘HomePad’ rumored for October 13, although the small square screen form factor remains puzzling. Also, leaked photos of the iPad mini and HomePod mini suggest those long-awaited updates are also imminent, John Ternus apparently wants to make Apple more nimble, and Chance has thoughts on the new Apple Watch Readiness feature.

And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin argues the case for adding Touch ID to the Apple TV remote. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

• Sponsored by Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/happyhour.

• Sponsored by Notion: Learn more about how Notion can support your business, at notion.com/happyhour.

• Sponsored by Framer: The only free design tool that brings your ideas to the web. Visit framer.com/happyhour for 30% off a Framer Pro annual plan.

• Sponsored by Perplexity Computer: Start your free trial of Perplexity Computer today at pplx.ai/happyhour and experience the next phase of AI.

Apple is rolling out a new version of its Apple Invites app for iPhone today. The update taps into new iOS 27 features, including improved photo sharing and Image Playground capabilities.

Apple is less than two weeks away from launching its new smart display, according to a new Bloomberg report. The report also adds details about the design of Apple’s long-awaited smart home hub.