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 …

iOS 19 will be unveiled next month, but plenty of iPhone users still haven’t discovered all the new features of the last major update. Apple Maps, for example, scored a great addition inspired by the Notes app in iOS 18, but it’s completely hidden by default. Here are the details.

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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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.

Earlier this week, news broke that Apple Music was getting new leadership within Apple, including a major new outside hire. That leadership could very well infuse some TikTok-style innovation into Apple Music before long. Here’s why.

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If you’re reading this week’s Security Bite on your desktop, look closely at your browser’s address bar. Notice how the main (root) domain is darker or black, while the rest of the URL is a lighter grey? This is not an accident — it’s actually a subtle psychological trick called salience bias. This little design choice has protected users from phishing attacks for over a decade.

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.

Apple has officially approved the first app with links to external payment options in the United States. After submitting its update to Apple yesterday afternoon, Spotify says that Apple has approved a new version of the app that takes advantage of the latest changes to the App Store Guidelines.

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.

Apple has officially updated the App Store Guidelines to comply with the injunction handed down yesterday in its legal case with Epic Games. According to the new App Store rules, “there is no prohibition on an app including buttons, external links, or other calls to action” in the United States.

After teasing last month, Google today unveiled the design of the native NotebookLM app for Android and iPhone users. 

During Apple’s tariff-heavy earnings call today, CEO Tim Cook addressed concerns about how trade policy could impact product pricing — but his careful wording may have said more than he intended.

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.

During today’s earnings call with analysts, Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed the company’s delay of its more personal Siri features that were announced as part of Apple Intelligence last year. Cook assured analysts that the company is “making progress” on shipping these features to consumers…

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.

Apple just reported its latest quarterly earnings, and as expected, CEO Tim Cook came prepared to discuss the US tariff situation. In a new CNBC article, Cook explains why Apple isn’t worried about potential tariff impacts on the iPhone and its other products.

Apple has released its earnings report for fiscal Q2 2025. The company reports $95.4 billion in revenue during the three-month period. That compares to $90.75 billion during the same quarter a year ago. Wall Street expected $94.68 billion in revenue. Profit from revenue includes $24.78 billion.

Yesterday’s big court ruling against Apple is opening the floodgates for developers to offer their own in-app payment options with no Apple fees. As a result, unsurprisingly major companies like Spotify, Patreon, and more have confirmed they’re hard at work preparing updates to bypass Apple’s payment system and 30% fee.

This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: iPhone 17 and 18 AI upgrades, ‘Apple Vision Air’ release timing, and iOS 18.5’s upcoming hidden features. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

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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Yesterday Apple TV+ premiered a brand new series, Carême, and it’s yet another recent debut to earn a strong critical reception. Here are the details.

Despite Apple reversing its stance on console emulators in the App Store a year ago, GameCube and Wii emulators have largely remained absent from the iPhone and iPad — until now, perhaps.

Apple will unveil iOS 19 next month, bringing a big redesign, Siri with AI, an AirPods upgrade, and more. Rumors point to another key feature coming to iOS and iPadOS 19 that will be a perfect fit for next year’s new foldable iPhone and iPad: multitasking via ‘Stage Manager 2.0.’

Payments processor Stripe has published new documentation for developers looking to accept out-of-app payments for digital goods and subscriptions on iPhone and iPad.

The move follows a court ruling that bars Apple from preventing developers from directing users to web-based payment options from within their apps.

Less than 24 hours after Apple’s legal defeat over its App Store model, Epic Games is wasting no time. For starters, Fortnite is set to return to the iOS App Store in the U.S. next week. Under the court’s order, Apple can no longer block apps from directing users to the web to purchase digital content. I’s also barred from collecting a 27% commission on those web-based sales that originate from App Store apps.

Meanwhile, Epic Games has announced two new business moves — one of which takes direct aim at Apple’s in-app purchase revenue model.

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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This morning we have up to $250 in savings on M4 iPad Pro configs joined by the ongoing all-time lows on the new iPad (A16) from just $299 and the M3 iPad Air lineup at $100 off across the board. We also have ongoing offers on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, as well as the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, but today we are featuring some notable deals on the Eve smart gear – one of the best prices to date on its Siri-ready smart weather station, its HomeKit Secure Video smart cam, and its Siri-controlled HomeKit wireless smart lamp. All of that and and a deal on the new Powerbeats Pro 2 are waiting below.

Not long ago, Siri couldn’t seem to catch a break. After Apple officially delayed the assistant’s big AI upgrades, several internal leaks highlighted just how bad things were behind the scenes. But now, the tides have seemingly turned, and Siri’s good news season is in full swing ahead of iOS 19’s big reveal.

Apple’s developer relations are a major point of controversy at the moment following the court ruling related to Epic Games. Earlier this week, Mark Zuckerberg discussed Meta’s relationship with Apple in an interview that was just published at Stratechery. Here’s what he said.

Apple has been ordered to pay Optis $502M for the use of standards-essential 4G patents in both iPhones and cellular iPads. Interest also has to be paid, bringing the total due to over $700M.

The court ruled in favor of the patent troll, despite an unconvincing attempt by Apple’s lawyer to claim that the company might withdraw the iPhone from sale in the UK if it was forced to pay …

Apple might not really be able to sell you a Lumon terminal, but we noted earlier this month that you will be able to buy a Severance-inspired keyboard. The good news is that you now have a chance to have your say on the specs for the device (as well as see video demos) – the bad news is that it will cost up to $699 …

When the US Supreme Court upheld the court ruling in the Apple vs Epic Games case, I said that the iPhone maker’s response was clearly made in bad faith, and was effectively giving the middle finger to the judge in the case.

The judge has now officially confirmed this view. She has not only directly called out Apple for ignoring her ruling, but said that a senior Apple exec lied under oath, and referred the matter for prosecution …

Apple has notified iPhone users in 100 countries that their devices have been infected with spyware, implying that it may be NSO’s Pegasus.

The company has warned victims to take it seriously, and to immediately take a number of security actions in response. One of the recipients has shared almost the entire message, the first time I can recall seeing more than a brief excerpt …

Apple may be planning to release three new Apple Watch models later this year. This is what we know so far about Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3.

Apple has just been handed perhaps the most bullet-proof injunction ever, affecting the App Store in the United States, as a result of the ongoing dispute between Apple and Epic Games.

Apple has said it will appeal, but comply in the meantime — and the judgement explicitly spells out how to do so, with seemingly little wiggle room. There’s one small concession that app developers must conform to, but otherwise they get free reign …

Apple has dropped the price of MLS Season Pass by 30% for the remainder of the 2025 season, reflecting that about a third of the season is now over.

The new pricing means you can now subscribe for just $69 for the 2025 season, further discounted to $59 for Apple TV+ subscribers.

Derick Gant from Ohio relied on his to call for help after he had a stroke while exercising outside. The incident shows how even the most active people can experience a medical emergency and benefit from being connected to emergency services through the Apple Watch.

Apple has responded to the court’s latest injunction decision in its ongoing legal battle with Epic Games over App Store policies.

In a statement to 9to5Mac, an Apple spokesperson said the company disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal—but will comply with the court’s order in the meantime:

Apple has lost its latest legal battle with Epic Games over App Store commissions. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store next week. And with Apple set to report quarterly earnings tomorrow, the timing couldn’t be more pointed. So, what happens now? We’ll share Apple’s official response as soon as one exists. In the meantime, three possible paths lie ahead.