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 Narwal:Narwal is officially launching their Black Friday discounts, offering the record-low prices of its entire lineup up to 49% off.

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Heads up, baseball fans. MLB: The Show is officially coming to iPhone. The game is already soft launched in one country and will launch globally in the future.

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Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is kicking off with even lower prices on iPhone – you’ll now find 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max models at up to $580 off via Amazon renewed Premium (among others). We also still have AirPods Pro 4 with ANC down at the wild $99 deal price, but this morning also ushered back in the Cyber Monday deal on AirPods Pro 2 at $114 off alongside a new all-time low on the official Apple Crossbody iPhone Strap and its 2025 model Neon Green Ocean Band. Hit the jump for a closer look. 

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iPhone 17 Pro offers a much-improved camera experience over prior models like the iPhone 16 Pro. But an Apple support document confirms that one previous Camera app feature has been removed: Night mode photos are no longer available in Portrait mode.

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Apple's AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are still available at their record low price of $99.00 on Amazon, down from $179.00. We started tracking this deal last week for Black Friday, and it's one of the few that has stuck around after that event ended.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Free shipping options have somewhat delayed delivery dates, with December 11 provided as of writing. Prime members in select cities should see some same-day delivery times. As of writing, this is the only AirPods model on Amazon matching its record low price.



Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

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This article, "AirPods 4 With ANC Still Available for $99 Low Price" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Rumors about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17e keep coming, with the latest indicating the low-cost model will pack not one, but two changes to its design: a Dynamic Island and thinner bezels.

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Spotify Wrapped has returned for 2025, and it offers three particularly unique features compared to this year's edition of Apple Music Replay.


First, there is a new top song quiz that allows you to guess which track you listened to the most on Spotify this year, before it is revealed.

Second, there is a new Wrapped Party feature on mobile devices that is designed for both group chats in messaging apps and in-person gatherings. This fun and interactive feature lets you compete with up to nine friends, to see who streamed the most minutes of music, who discovered the most new artists, and more throughout the year.


Third, there are now Wrapped Clubs. Spotify will sort you into one of six clubs based on your unique listening history over the past year.

As always, Spotify Wrapped is an end-of-year highlight reel that lets you view the total time you spent listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks on Spotify. You can also view your top five songs and top five artists that you listened to this year, and for the first time, you can now view your top albums of the year as well.

Just like Apple Music Replay, Spotify Wrapped provides you with a playlist of your top songs in 2025, and highlight reel cards that are designed to be shared on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.


Many other new features were added to Spotify Wrapped this year, so make sure to check out Spotify's list if you are interested in learning more.

Spotify also shared year-end charts and more.

2025 Wrapped is prominently featured at the top of the Spotify app.
This article, "2025 Spotify Wrapped is Here With Three Unique Features Compared to Apple Music Replay" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today launched its personalized 2025 Year in Review experience for Apple Books, featuring users' top books and audiobooks of the year.


Starting today, the 2025 Year in Review appears prominently inside the Home tab of the Apple Books app. The feature offers a personalized breakdown of each user's reading activity throughout the year, including total books completed, top genres, most-read authors, and month-by-month engagement.

Apple first introduced the Year in Review several years ago as a parallel to Apple Music Replay and other annual consumption summaries, and the company continues to refine the experience each year. The 2025 Year in Review displays reading trends in a visual timeline, graphs, and category-specific rankings.

Alongside the personalized recap, Apple has published its annual editorial lists highlighting the Best Books of 2025 and Best Audiobooks of 2025. These lists are curated by Apple Books' editorial team, are also featured inside the Home tab and include titles across fiction, nonfiction, memoir, thrillers, and new author debuts.

It's been quite the year for brilliant books, so much so that it's hard to know where to start when it comes to choosing your next read. But our editors are here to help with their carefully curated top picks of 2025. There's something for every taste and mood: revealing memoirs, compelling crime and thrillers, sizzling romances, hotshot new names, trusty old favourites and so much more. To find out why our editors loved these titles, and why they think you will too, click on each one to read their reviews.

This year's Best Books of 2025 list includes titles such as 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin, Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell, Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy, Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow, Arcana Academy by Elise Kova, King Sorrow by Joe Hill, and Motherland by Julia Ioffe.

For audiobooks, Apple highlights 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin, The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig, Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly, Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, Buckeye by Patrick Ryan, and The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher.
This article, "Apple Books Launches 2025 Year in Review Experience" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Strava just shared its 12th Annual Year in Sport Trend Report, and Apple Watch takes the gold medal in an important category.

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Jon Hamm’s Your Friends & Neighbors was one of Apple TV’s biggest hits this year, and Apple has just announced the release date for season 2.

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The saga of a mandatory government security app which Apple and Google had to preinstall on their phones didn’t last long after Apple refused to play ball.

The Indian government had already backed down on preventing iPhone owners from deleting the “security” app, and has now made a complete U-turn in the space of just 48 hours …

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iOS 26 is easily the most significant visual overhaul we’ve seen on the iPhone in years. We got the new Liquid Glass UI, better Files systems, and a complete Camera app change. All the things that Apple showed off and highlighted. However, after using iOS 26 and iOS 26.1 for a few months, it seemed like Apple decided not to inform us about some of the best functional features, such as default audio input, camera enhancements, and even an update to the Alarm, which had remained unchanged for 20 years. So here are the best hidden iOS 26 features that Apple didn’t tell us about.

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It’s the season for year-end recaps. Apple Music Replay debuted yesterday and Apple Books’ Year in Review is now available too, alongside Apple’s picks for best books of 2025.

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Saturday’s Major League Soccer championship match between Inter Miami and the Whitecaps will incorporate footage from four iPhones. Apple previously used iPhones to capture live game footage during two Friday Night Baseball broadcasts.

MLS said that the weekend telecast will involve the league’s largest ever set of cameras, giving fans access to an unprecedented range of angles …

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Most of the major streaming music services now offer their own version of the annual Spotify Wrapped feature, providing insights into our most listened to songs and artists.

Yesterday saw the unveiling of Apple Music Replay 2025, after YouTube Music rolled out its own take, and now Spotify Wrapped 2025 has landed – this year with a new party feature …

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Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to select Audi vehicles in China, based on evidence uncovered by MacRumors on Apple's backend.


Specifically, the car key support relates to Audi's partnership with Chinese company FAW, which manufactures and sells Audi vehicles in the Chinese market. The joint venture produces both combustion engine and all-electric vehicles. The partnership is now on an internal Apple list of vehicles that offer car key integration, but it is not known which models the support pertains to.

Last month, car key support was implemented for models produced by SAIC-Audi, another China-based collaboration that produces Audi EVs in the country. For car key to come to Audi vehicles, the automotive company will need to add the functionality.

Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or ‌iPhone‌ near a compatible vehicle's NFC reader.

A tap on the door handle is enough to initiate an unlock, and while Face ID authentication is a security option, Apple offers an Express Mode that eliminates the need to authenticate for a faster unlocking process.

At WWDC 2025, Apple confirmed that 13 vehicle brands would "soon" add support for digital car keys, and Audi was on the list. Other brands included were Acura, Porsche, GMC, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Rivian, Smart, Lucid Motors, Tata Motors, Hongqi, WEY, Chery, and Voyah.

Vehicles from BMW, Genesis, Kia, Hyundai, Lotus, Mercedes, Volvo, and more offer car keys support, with a list available on MacRumors.com.
This article, "iPhone Car Keys Support Coming to More Audi Vehicles" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has frequently used small variations on the same one-sentence justification when giving in to government demands that conflict with the company’s stated values: “Apple complies with the law in each of the countries in which it operates.”

However, there are occasions on which the company has instead chosen to stand up to unreasonable government demands, and we yesterday saw the latest (and highly successful) example …

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Apple's upcoming iPhone 17e is set to feature slimmer display bezels while retaining the iPhone 14–based OLED panel used in the 16e, according to a new report from The Elec.


Citing supply chain sources, the Korean-language report says BOE will again produce most of the panels for the second generation of Apple's more affordable "e" iPhone model, with Samsung Display and LG Display supplying the rest. However, the report does not claim that the iPhone 17e will feature a Dynamic Island, as has previously been rumored.

In August, Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station claimed that the iPhone 17e will gain upgrades including the Dynamic Island and the A19 chip. The current iPhone 16e features a notch at the top of the display, similar to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 14, and an A18 chip. Apple introduced the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models.

As things stand, slimmer bezels are more believable than claims that the device will gain Dynamic Island. Apple could slim down the bezels without changing the display panel itself, since bezel size is largely determined by the frame and how tightly the screen fits into the chassis.

If Apple is reusing the mass-produced OLED panel from the iPhone 14 to keep costs down, it can still refresh the look of the device by tweaking the frame and reducing the border around the display. It's the kind of update that would deliver a noticeable design improvement without adding much to manufacturing costs.

Dynamic Island, however, is harder to implement. Apple can't simply add the feature to an older notch-based display. The pill-shaped cutout requires a reworked TrueDepth camera layout, revised sensor placement, and updated display masking.

Adopting Dynamic Island would mean scrapping several of the components and production efficiencies Apple is reportedly trying to reuse for the 17e. Bringing in new tooling and redesigned sensor modules would therefore seem to defeat the cost-saving strategy that defines Apple's "e" line. Retaining the notch on the second version also differentiates the lower-cost device from Apple's premium flagship iPhone 17 models.

Today's report also backs claims that the iPhone 17e will retain a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. BOE has not yet been able to reliably produce low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels for iPhone 17 models, but it can produce low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT panels, which the iPhone 16e uses. LTPS panels can't support the variable refresh rate that iPhone 17 models tout.

Reliable sources such as Ming-Chi Kuo, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and The Elec agree that the ‌iPhone‌ 17e is on schedule to launch early next year.
This article, "iPhone 17e to Use Same OLED Panel But Feature Slimmer Bezels" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Following pushback from a mandate requiring phones in India to come pre-installed with a state-owned, undeletable app, the government is now saying that the app may be deleted if users choose to do so.

The move, however, is unlikely to change Apple’s refusal to comply with the order. Here are the details.

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You can stop holding your breath. Down the rabbit hole of neat, lesser-known Terminal commands is back! ICYMI, I’ve recently found myself fascinated by all the helpful tricks Terminal can do to improve my productivity and overall make me more proficient behind a Mac as a security practitioner. In previous editions, I covered everything from enabling Touch ID for sudo authentication to cleaning up public Wi-Fi connections. This week, I share even more commands I’ve since discovered.

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A few days ago, we looked into how Apple could one day use brain wave sensors in AirPods to measure sleep quality and even detect seizures.

Now, a new paper shows how the company is exploring deeper cardiac health insights with the help of AI. Here are the details.

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OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic.


Altman said that OpenAI needs to work on personalization for each user, image generation, and model behavior like speed and reliability.

Google debuted Gemini 3 Pro in November, and it outperforms ChatGPT on several benchmarking tests. Google has been luring users with its Nano Banana AI image generator and Anthropic's Claude is popular with business customers.

OpenAI's plan to start showing customers ads leaked earlier this week, but Altman told employees that ads are now on the backburner. Work on advertising, shopping AI agents, and a more proactive and personalized version ChatGPT assistant called Pulse has been delayed. OpenAI has been testing several kinds of ads, including ads that would be shown during online shopping requests, but introducing ads could push users to other chatbots.

Following the employee memo, ChatGPT lead Nick Turley announced that OpenAI would focus on "making ChatGPT more capable, continue growing, and expand access around the world -- while making it feel even more intuitive and personal."

OpenAI is not profitable, and it has to rely on its user numbers for investments. If it loses a significant number of users to Google, it could run into financial trouble.

OpenAI will ship a new reasoning model next week, which Altman said is ahead of Gemini 3 in internal evaluations.
This article, "Sam Altman Declares 'Code Red' for ChatGPT, Delays OpenAI Advertising Plans" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Germany is evaluating Apple's proposed changes to address antitrust concerns over App Tracking Transparency (ATT), reports Reuters. Apple plans to tweak the text and formatting of the ATT consent prompt, while aiming to preserve the main privacy benefits of the feature.


Apple will add neutral consent prompts for its own services and for third-party apps, aligning the wording, content, and visual design of the messages. Apple also plans to simplify the consent process to make it easier for developers to get user permission for ad-related data processing.

Germany is asking for feedback from publishers, media groups, and regulators to determine if Apple's changes will address complaints about the limited amount of user data available to app publishers.

Earlier this year, Apple said that it might have to remove ATT from the EU. "Intense lobbying efforts in Germany, Italy and other countries in Europe may force us to withdraw this feature to the detriment of European consumers," Apple said.

Germany first launched a probe into App Tracking Transparency in 2022 after complaints from advertisers, and in February 2025, the German Federal Cartel Office preliminarily decided that Apple abused its market power, giving itself preferential treatment. According to German regulators, Apple's restrictions made it "far more difficult" for developers to access user data relevant for advertising.

Introduced in 2021, App Tracking Transparency lets iPhone and iPad users decide whether to allow apps to track their activity across other apps and websites for advertising purposes. Users can choose to allow apps to ask for permission, or turn off tracking entirely.

ATT prevents apps from accessing the advertising identifier of Apple devices without express consumer permission, so apps can't track what users do and use that data for ad targeting. ATT has been unpopular with advertisers and data brokers, but Apple has pledged to work to convince Germany and other EU countries to allow it to continue to offer ATT to consumers.
This article, "Germany Considering Apple's App Tracking Transparency Changes" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is not going to be able to escape a class-action antitrust lawsuit over anticompetitive App Store fees in the Netherlands, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) said today. The decision could see Apple facing millions of euros in damages, and it sets a precedent for similar lawsuits in other European countries (via Reuters).


Apple could ultimately have to pay up to an estimated 637 million euros to address the damage suffered by 14 million iPhone and iPad users in the Netherlands.

The lawsuit dates back to 2022, when two Dutch consumer foundations (Right to Consumer Justice and ‌App Store‌ Claims) accused Apple of abusing its dominant market position and charging developers excessive fees. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Dutch ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ users, and it claimed that Apple's 30 percent commission inflated prices for apps and in-app purchases.

Apple argued that the Dutch court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case because the EU ‌App Store‌ is run from Ireland, and therefore the claims should be litigated in Ireland. Apple said that if the Dutch court was able to hear the case, it could lead to fragmentation with multiple similar cases across the EU, plus it argued that customers in the Netherlands could have downloaded apps while in other EU member states.

The District Court of Amsterdam ended up asking the CJEU if it had the jurisdiction to hear the case, and the CJEU said yes. The court decided that the ‌App Store‌ in question was designed for the Dutch market, and it offers Dutch apps for sale to people with an Apple ID associated with the Netherlands, giving Dutch courts jurisdiction.

Apple told Reuters that it disagrees with the court's ruling, and that it will continue to vigorously defend itself. The District Court of Amsterdam expects to hear the case toward the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The civil ‌App Store‌ fee case that Apple is now facing in the Netherlands is separate from the dating app case that was levied against Apple by ACM, the Dutch competition authority. That case involved regulatory action that led to new alternative purchase options for Dutch dating apps. Apple has also been fighting that antitrust case, and racked up fines of 50 million euros.
This article, "Apple Can't Escape Dutch App Store Antitrust Lawsuit, EU Court Rules" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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