Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

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Wheels aims to be your all-in-one digital skate journal, allowing you (presuming you’re a skater) to track all things skating. It helps track your rides, your skateboards, and offers a clean interface to manage it all.

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Ever since early 2021, Apple has been releasing new Black Unity bands for the Apple Watch. 2025 marks the fifth year of this tradition, giving a number of options to pick from. Among the five bands, Apple has released two sport bands, two sport loops, and one braided solo loop. All of them remain available for purchase on the Apple Store today.

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Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle 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.

Full-time remote work has changed how people approach day-to-day work, but it’s also brought new challenges—like spending hours in Zoom/Google Meet meetings. Wearing AirPods 8 hours a day daily isn’t great for your battery, nor do I find it comfortable. The AISPEECH M6 Conference Speakerphone offers a nice option that I’ve been using day to day: a high-quality, AI-enhanced speakerphone that frees your ears from 8-hour-a-day Bluetooth, saves your AirPods battery, upgrades your audio experience, and includes compatibility with an AI-driven note-taker tool.

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Apple introduced Apple One in 2020, providing an easy way for avid Apple users to subscribe to multiple services at once, and get a nice bundle discount for doing so. It offers three tiers, and its remained that way since it launched. However, I think Apple would benefit greatly from offering a fourth tier, capturing a key demographic.

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Sonos has kicked off its first major sale of 2025, offering up to 25 percent off select home theater audio equipment through February 9. This includes discounts on the Sonos Arc soundbar ($749), as well as various discounted bundles, many of which are deals we haven't tracked since the holidays.

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

This sale includes Sonos product bundles that should help elevate your home theater setup with various soundbars, subwoofers, and speakers. There are also a few products available outside of a bundle, including the Sonos Arc for $749 ($150 off), Ray Soundbar for $179 ($100 off), and Era 100 Smart Speaker for $199 ($50 off).



Sonos very rarely offers discounts this steep on its website, so it'll likely be quite a long time before these deals return after this sale ends on February 9. We've accumulated a few of the devices in the sale below, but be sure to browse this landing page on the Sonos website for everything being discounted.

Sonos Home Theater Sale

• Arc Soundbar - $749, down from $899


• Ray Soundbar - $179, down from $279


• Beam (Gen 2) - $399, down from $499


• Sub 4 - $679, down from $799


• Era 100 Smart Speaker - $199, down from $249


• Sub Mini - $343, down from $429

Bundles

• 2x Era 100 Smart Speakers - $375, down from $498


• Ray Soundbar + 2x Era 100 Smart Speakers - $554, down from $777


• Sonos Ace Headphones + Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar - $848, down from $948


• Sub Mini + 2x Era 100 Smart Speakers - $718, down from $927

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, "Sonos Offers Up to 25% Off Home Theater Audio Equipment Ahead of Super Bowl" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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I was someone who grew up with a Gameboy Color in my hands. I would play games like Pokemon, Ray-Man, and Super Mario until my fingers cramped. So, last year, when Apple opened the gates and allowed emulator apps like Delta into the App Store, I was all over it. It was awesome playing my old games on my iPhone. Although the app does a great job with haptic feed to mimic physical buttons, there is really nothing like the real thing. So when I saw the GAMEBABY at CES this year, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

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January has come to a close, with Apple pushing out iOS 18.3 and related software updates in the final week of the month to deliver some refinements for Apple Intelligence, security fixes, and more.


We're looking ahead to more substantial updates with iOS 18.4, while we also shared news and rumors about AirPods and the upcoming "iPhone 17 Air," so read on below for all the details!

iOS 18.3 Features: Everything New in iOS 18.3

After more than a month of beta testing, Apple this week released iOS 18.3 and related operating system updates across its lineup to the public.


Apple's January operating system updates tend to be on the lighter side and these are no exception, although iOS 18.3 brings some improvements to visual intelligence for iPhone 16 models and some tweaks for notification summaries to help address issues with occasional inaccuracies. There are also a number of security fixes, so be sure to update your devices.

Apple Finally Explains How to Install New Firmware on Your AirPods

While Apple occasionally releases firmware updates for AirPods, the company has never been publicly explicit about how to ensure your earphones get the new firmware installed, until now.


In an updated support document, Apple has added more specific step-by-step instructions about updating. While the steps were generally known, Apple has removed ambiguity from the process by noting that the AirPods case should be plugged in and users should wait at least 30 minutes for the firmware to update.

When Will Apple Release the iOS 18.4 Beta?

With iOS 18.3 out the door, attention will soon turn to iOS 18.4, which is expected to be a more substantial upgrade, particularly when it comes to Apple Intelligence.


While the initial beta of an iOS update frequently arrives within just a few days after the public release of the previous version, the gaps can sometimes be as long as several weeks. We haven't yet seen the first beta of iOS 18.4, and given the substantial Apple Intelligence updates coming in the update, it's possible we may have to wait a bit longer than usual for Apple to begin pushing it out for testing.

Save 7GB Storage Per Device by Disabling Apple Intelligence

Apple this week released iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, software updates that enable Apple Intelligence on supported devices by default.


Whether you own an iPhone, iPad, Mac – or indeed all three – regardless of what you think about Apple Intelligence, there's one reason why you may want to disable Apple's AI features at the earliest opportunity: To reclaim storage.

Check out our how-to for full details on how to turn off Apple Intelligence and what you'll miss out on by doing so.

Apple Still 'Exploring' New AirPods With Tiny Cameras

Apple has been rumored to be trying to embed tiny cameras in future AirPods models, and the company is still "exploring" the idea, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


The function of these potential cameras isn't entirely known, though analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said these would be infrared cameras that could enhance the spatial audio experience and could potentially support "in-air gesture control."

In other product rumor news, Gurman says Apple remains on track to launch its smart home hub with 7-inch display at some point in 2025, calling it "Apple's most significant release of the year."

iPhone 17 Air Design, Specs, and More: All the Rumors So Far

This year, Apple is expected to discontinue the iPhone "Plus" device in its iPhone 17 lineup to make way for an iPhone "Air," so-called because of its thin profile.


There have been numerous rumors about what to expect from this all-new device, so we've put together a compilation of every rumor and leak we have registered from reputable sources thus far about Apple's new entry in its flagship smartphone lineup.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, "Top Stories: iOS 18.3 Released, AirPods News, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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OpenAI today released o3-mini, a new, more cost efficient model that's available for both ChatGPT and the OpenAI API starting today. OpenAI previewed o3-mini in December, but it is ready at a time when OpenAI is aiming to keep up with Chinese company DeepSeek.


According to OpenAI, o3-mini "advances the boundaries" of what's possible with smaller, more efficient models. o3-mini is designed for STEM capabilities, and OpenAI says that it has particular strength in science, math, and coding. o3-mini is search capable, and it can locate up-to-date answers with links to relevant web sources.

o3-mini is OpenAI's first small reasoning model that supports features like function calling, Structured Outputs, and developer messages. There are three reasoning effort options, including low, medium, and high, to optimize for different use cases that prioritize processing power for complex challenges or speed.

OpenAI is keeping o1 as its standard general knowledge reasoning model, but o3-mini is available for technical domains that require precision and speed. When used with ChatGPT, o3-mini uses medium reasoning effort for a balance between speed and accuracy, but o3-mini high is an option in the model picker.

ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro users are able to use o3-mini starting today, and it will replace o1-mini in the model picker. The rate limit for Plus and Team users is now 150 messages per day, up from 50.

o3-mini is the first reasoning model that OpenAI is making available to free users. Those with the free plan can try o3-mini by selecting the "Reason" option in the message composer.
This article, "OpenAI Launches o3-mini, a Cost-Efficient Reasoning Model Rivaling DeepSeek" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In this jam packed launch episode, Sophia Tung and Zac Hall dive deep into DeepSeek’s arrival to the AI race, how NVIDIA and OpenAI are responding, and the state of current AI tools; this week’s biggest tech surprises, what has us excited and what has us concerned, and much more. 

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2025 is set to be a big year for Apple hardware launches, and that will even be true for a variety of rarely-updated products. Here are six new products coming that will have waited about three years (or more) between hardware updates.

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iOS 18 introduced a major redesign to Control Center across iPhone and iPad. Here are the three controls that have made a big difference for me over several months of use.

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From time to time, I see some nostalgic posts about the good old days when iPods were everywhere. Personally, the iPod was responsible for getting me to like Apple products. But years after the iPod was discontinued, I don’t think people really want the iPod back even though they claim they do – and here’s why.

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This fall, the iPhone lineup is getting a brand new model: the iPhone 17 Air. Apple plans to drop its Plus model in favor of an iPhone with a fresh form factor that could tempt a lot of Pro users. Here are seven features coming to the iPhone 17 Air.

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Apple is no longer developing augmented reality glasses designed to pair with the Mac, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple wanted to create smart glasses that looked like regular glasses, but had augmented reality capabilities.


Apple was developing AR glasses that connect to a Mac for power, because a chip powerful enough for AR applications would not fit in a device that's the size of standard glasses. Apple engineers determined that the AR glasses would need to provide the performance of an iPhone with a tenth of the power consumption, otherwise the chip would simply run too hot. Adding a battery to the glasses would also be problematic because of the weight.

At first, Apple wanted the glasses to connect to the ‌iPhone‌, but the ‌iPhone‌ didn't have the power or battery life to support them. Apple then transitioned to using the Mac as a power source, but Apple executives weren't convinced a Mac-connected device was a good solution, leading to the shutdown of the project.

The AR glasses that Apple worked on were lighter than the Vision Pro and did not require a head strap, nor was there a front-facing screen showing the wearer's eyes. Apple reportedly created lenses that could change tint based on what the wearer was doing, such as doing work, as a signal to people around them.

There have been rumors about Apple's work on AR glasses for almost 10 years now, and the Vision Pro headset is what Apple built because the technology doesn't yet exist for the kind of augmented reality glasses that Apple is aiming for.

Back in 2023, Gurman said that the AR glasses were a running joke on the AR/VR team because it was a "hopeless" device they worked on to keep Apple CEO Tim Cook happy. Back in 2017, Cook himself said that the technology to make AR smart glasses "in a quality way" simply didn't exist, and it appears that's still the case.

While Apple's work on augmented reality glasses has been paused, the company is still developing new versions of the Vision Pro, and when the technology exists, Apple executives want to revisit the possibility of a set of AR glasses.

Apple's smart glasses featured projectors able to display information like images and video to the wearer, and Apple is continuing to work on custom microLED displays that could one day be used in AR glasses.

Apple competitor Meta has already demonstrated its "Orion" augmented reality glasses that are in development, but the glasses are in a prototyping stage and cost over $10,000 to make. Meta is aiming to release the glasses by 2027, which is also when Apple was originally planning to debut its now-canceled smart glasses.
This article, "Apple Cancels Mac-Connected AR Smart Glasses" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Bad news for fans of bad products. Apple won’t be shipping a pair of augmented reality glasses that require a tethered connection to the Mac after all. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has the exclusive development, including a thorough description of how the product would have worked. Based on Mark’s reporting, this project was buried in compromises that ultimately made it undesirable.

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Severance season 2 just released its third episode, but that’s not the only new debut related to the Apple TV+ hit. The You You Are, the book from Dr. Ricken in the show, is now available in a free extended excerpt in Apple Books.

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Smart locks have made our homes more secure and easy to access in recent years. For a long time, the market felt stagnant, but in the past few years, we’ve seen a few vendors hop on board in a major way. is a great option with Apple HomeKit integration, built-in Wi-Fi, and versatile ways to lock and unlock your door. Whether you’re looking for advanced features like fingerprint ID or simple convenience with Siri voice control, the Ultraloq Bolt delivers it all (almost).

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The Apple Watch Series 10 returned to its all-time low price at $70 off this week on Amazon, marking the highlight of this week's deals. You can also find ongoing discounts on Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S25 smartphones, M2 MacBook Air, and AirTag.

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

Galaxy S25

• What's the deal? Save up to $1,250 when pre-ordering the new Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones


• Where can I get it? Samsung


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Samsung recently announced its new lineup of Galaxy S25 smartphones, and you can find multiple pre-order discounts and offers on Samsung's website. This includes up to $1,250 in trade-in credits and Samsung credits when pre-ordering the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Students can save an extra 5 percent on the new smartphones as well.

The high-end Galaxy S25 Ultra is priced starting at $1,299.99 for 256GB, and you can save up to $1,250 on this model with trade-in credits and Samsung credits. If you trade in a Galaxy S24 Ultra, Z Fold6, or Z Fold5, you can get as much as $900 off the new S25 Ultra.

Additionally, if you select the 256GB Galaxy S25 Ultra, you can get the Galaxy Buds3 Pro for free, and if you select the 512GB Galaxy S25 Ultra, you can get the Galaxy Buds3 Pro for only $20. You'll find these offers if you scroll down on the Galaxy S25 Ultra page, under the "Start building healthy habits with Galaxy" section.

Apple Watch

• What's the deal? Take $70 off Apple Watch Series 10


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon began the week with the return of all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 10, with $70 off both 42mm and 46mm GPS models.

MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Take $200 off M2 MacBook Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The best overall MacBook deal of the week is on the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air (16GB RAM/256GB), available for $799.00 on Amazon, down from $999.00.

Samsung TVs

• What's the deal? Get sitewide discounts on Samsung TVs, monitors, and more


• Where can I get it? Samsung


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

In addition to the ongoing Galaxy smartphone deals, Samsung also kicked off a Super Bowl sale this week, with huge savings on TVs and more. The highlight of the sale is up to $1,300 off The Frame TV, while there are also big savings on an array of monitors such as $700 off the 55" Odyssey Ark 2nd Gen curved gaming display.

AirTag

• What's the deal? Take $29 off AirTag 4-Pack


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Early in the week, Amazon discounted the AirTag 4-Pack to $69.99, and this all-time low price is still available today.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Apple Watch Series 10 Hits Record Low $329 Price, Plus Savings on MacBook Air, Samsung, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple wants to defend its multi-billion dollar search engine deal with Google, which is in danger because Google has been found guilty of violating antitrust law. Apple has asked the court handling Google's lawsuit with the U.S. government for an emergency stay [PDF], so that Apple has time to intervene and plead its case before a remedy is decided on.


The U.S. Department of Justice sued Google for anti-competitve behavior in the search market way back in 2020, and after a lengthy legal battle, the DoJ won. A main component of the lawsuit was Google's deal with Apple, which sees Google pay billions annually to be the default search engine for Safari. The court decided that the agreement between Apple and Google violated antitrust law, and is a major reason Google has been able to maintain its search engine monopoly.

The U.S. government asked the court to bar Google from entering into contracts with Apple, among other restrictions, and that will cost Apple a lot of money. In 2022, for example, Google paid Apple $20 billion. Apple already asked the court to allow it to be more involved in the case as remedies are decided on, and the court denied the request due to timing. Apple appealed the decision, and is asking for a stay while the appeal plays out.

Apple says that because its deal with Google is at stake, it deserves a right to participate, and without a stay, it will "suffer clear and substantial irreparable harm."

Apple will be unable to participate in discovery and develop evidence in the targeted fashion it has proposed as this litigation progresses toward a final judgment. If Apple's appeal is not resolved until during or after the remedies trial, Apple may well be forced to stand mute at trial, as a mere spectator, while the government pursues an extreme remedy that targets Apple by name and would prohibit any commercial arrangement between Apple and Google for a decade.

In addition to prohibiting deals between Apple and Google, the U.S. Department of Justice also has more extreme remedies in mind, including forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser and uncoupling Android from other products like Google Search and the Google Play Store. Google has a lot to defend against, and will prioritize Chrome over its deal with Apple.

When initially asking to take a larger role in the case, Apple said that Google "can no longer adequately represent Apple's interests" because of the wide scope of the case. Unsurprisingly, the DoJ does not want Apple involved in the remedies portion of the trial, which is set to start in April.

If the court decides that Google can't pay Apple to be the default search engine on Safari, Apple would still have to offer Google Search as an option in some capacity, but would not be able to continue to collect money for doing so.
This article, "Apple Wants to Help Google Defend Search Engine Deal Worth Billions" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple TV+ kicked off 2025 with two big returning series—Severance and Mythic Quest—that will continue airing new episodes throughout February. But the streamer also has a varied lineup of fresh debuts coming in the month ahead. Highlights include the Anya Taylor-Joy movie The Gorge, medical drama Berlin ER, a new season of Surface, a sports docu-series, new children’s show, and more. Here’s everything coming to Apple TV+ in February.

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Fans of the hit Apple TV+ show Severance are aware of the important role that self-help book "The You You Are" from Ricken Hale plays in the TV show, and now Apple has made a version of the book available to read or listen to.


The You You Are is available as a 39-page book or an hour-long audio book that's narrated by Michael Chernus, the actor who plays Ricken Hale on the show. In the foreword, Ricken Hale says that this is the first eight chapters of the book and the "first steps on the journey," suggesting Apple might debut additional chapters in the future.

Severance viewers who like to theorize about what's going on in the show will undoubtedly want to take a deep dive into the new book, which Apple is using to promote the show.

The second season of Severance debuted earlier this month, with Apple releasing new episodes on a weekly basis.
This article, "You Can Now Read 'The You You Are' Book From Apple TV+ Show Severance" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Google’s $20 billion per year search deal with Apple was ruled last summer to violate antitrust law. Though Apple isn’t a defendant in the case, its outcome could have a big impact on the company. As a result, Apple has just asked for a stay on proceedings.

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Your Friday edition of 9to5Toys Lunch Break is now ready to go with a fresh batch of discounts to save you some cash. Firstly, we just caught the very best Amazon price ever on the Jet Black and silver Apple Watch Series 10 GPS + Cell models at $80 off, alongside ongoing Black Friday pricing on the rest of them from $329. From there, we move over to the new M4 Pro MacBook Pro – the 16-inchers with 24GB of RAM are now $250 off the going rate – as well as some official Apple iPad cases – a rare return low on the M2 iPad Air Folio and the M4 iPad Magic Keyboard. We also have some rare Valentine’s Day deals on the super popular metal Arc Pulse Bumper iPhone cases. All of that and more awaits down below. 

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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the latest rumors about the iPhone SE 4 as it nears launch.


The fourth-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ is widely rumored to feature an iPhone 14-style all-screen design with a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, and USB-C. Images of dummy models showcasing the new design were recently shared online.

Recent reports suggest that the fourth-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ is expected to support Apple Intelligence thanks to the A18 chip and 8GB of memory. Both the main and front-facing cameras are expected to receive major upgrades to 48- and 12-megapixel sensors, respectively. Contrary to earlier rumors, the device is no longer expected to feature the Camera Control, Action Button, or Dynamic Island.

The fourth-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ is highly likely to be the first to feature Apple's custom 5G modem. While it won't feature mmWave connectivity and may be slower than the Qualcomm components currently used in iPhones, it is expected to offer lower power consumption, improved cellular network scanning, and satellite connectivity enhancements.

The ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 is due to be released before iOS 18.4, sometime around March or April. It is expected to be slightly more expensive than the current model with a price point of about $470.

We also look ahead to the Apple Watch SE 3, which is expected to debut later this year. With an all-new plastic casing that evokes the ‌iPhone‌ 5C, we reflect on the direction of Apple's entry-level devices. The MacRumors Show also has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about how Samsung's latest announcements challenge Apple.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kevin Nether, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Latest iPhone SE 4 Rumors" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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