A weekly podcast discussing the latest in Apple and technology.
9to5Mac’s Happy Hour podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Castro, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year to get ad-free episodes every week.
Hosts:
Benjamin and Chance get excited for Apple’s upcoming product launches, which we are now expecting for the end of the month. The base model M4 MacBook Pro might even have fully leaked on the web. iOS 18.1 beta 6 brings some nice refinements, and more high-profile Apple execs are retiring from their posts.
And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo discuss Apple’s decision to put TV+ as a channel inside Amazon Prime Video. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance discuss the latest Apple leaks of the week, headlined by details about Apple’s upcoming smart home display product, expected to launch in 2025. The iPhone SE and iPad Air are also getting refreshes early next year, and component leaks perhaps give us insight into what Apple is planning for its cheaper Apple Vision Pro headset.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin struggles with the trials and tribulations of choosing a new Wi-Fi router to buy. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance share their hands-on reviews with Apple’s latest products, from the impressive noise cancellation in AirPods 4 to the useful — if fiddly — Camera Control on the iPhone 16 Pro, and the redesigned Apple Watch Series 10. The latest iOS 18.1 beta also includes some useful enhancements to Control Center and iPhone Mirroring.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Meta impresses with its Orion prototype, but shipping the AR glasses form factor is another thing entirely. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11 and tvOS 18 are finally out for public consumption. Benjamin and Chance go through some of their favorite features from this OS cycle, and initial impressions on how the changes are being received. Plus, they react to the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 10 reviews that dropped this week.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we anticipate how the average consumer will vote with their wallets this fall, amid some reports that claim the iPhone 16 is underperforming. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance react to Apple’s September event, with full coverage of all the announcements from the keynote, including thoughts on the new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. We try to forget the AirPods Max.
And in Happy Hour Plus, of all the new products, hear what Benjamin and Chance are excited to order for day one delivery. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance get hyped for Apple’s upcoming ‘Glowtime’ September event, discussing some last-minute rumors and leaks about the products on deck. They discuss the market for the rumored plastic body Apple Watch SE, the latest on the M4 Mac mini redesign, and the iOS 18 Sports app gets a feature it should have had from the beginning.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin checks in with Chance’s Vision Pro usage and rallies against the narrative that “AI” has somehow supplanted “AR”.
The September iPhone event is official! Benjamin and Chance break down what they expect to see on September 9. Also, Apple releases iOS 18.1 beta 3 with the new AI photos Clean Up feature, an expansion of notification summaries, and Apple SVP Luca Maestri announces he is transitioning out of the CFO role.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance marvels at how Homebridge is more reliable than the official Matter integration for HomeKit. And Ted Lasso season 4 is all but confirmed.
Benjamin and Chance answer some Ask9to5Mac questions to celebrate Happy Hour’s 500th episode, with commentary on upcoming Apple products, as well as some meta questions about the podcast itself. They also chat about the fact that Apple Podcasts is now available on the web, and how the rumored brown iPhone 16 is actually be in vogue.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Ask9to5Mac continues with questions about Benjamin and Chance’s career, and what could we imagine we’d be doing if 9to5Mac hadn’t panned out.
Benjamin and Chance get excited about the news of an enticing Mac mini redesign coming this fall, talk about the changes in the latest iOS 18 betas, and question the appeal of the rumored $1000 table-top HomePod device. Plus, Apple tries to appease regulators with new policies for iPhone NFC and external link outs in the EU.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we debate Apple TV+ movie performance in light of the news that Wolfs is no longer getting a wide theatrical release. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance give their feedback on the new features unveiled in iOS 18 beta 5, including Distraction Control and significant Photos app design changes. Apple oversteps the mark with screen recording permission dialogs in macOS Sequoia, the DOJ wins their antitrust case against Google, game developers report frustrations with Apple Arcade, and more.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we speculate on which model M4 Mac will be getting a big overhaul this generation. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance spend most of the episode discussing iOS 18.1 with the debut of the first Apple Intelligence beta. That includes the new Writing Tools, notification summaries and Reduce Interruptions focus mode. It also features a new design for Siri, but lacks most of the new Siri functionality set to come later, which seems like an unenforced error.
And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo reflect on their favorite podcast player apps, in light of the recently overhauled Overcast launch. Join at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance talk about the week’s Apple’s news and rumors, including some wild details about the direction of the new ‘Slim’ model coming in the iPhone 17 next year, iOS 18 beta 4, Apple Maps launches on the web, and there’s some new Vision Pro content announcements. Apple TV+ is also in focus as Apple reportedly looks to license more catalog content, while reining in budgets for some of its originals.
And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo reflect on their favorite podcast player apps, in light of the recently overhauled Overcast launch. Join at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance give their thoughts on their favorite iOS 18 features, the ongoing debate about the redesigned Photos app, and more changes, as the OS hits public beta. There’s also been some focus on the data used to train Apple Intelligence, and Apple even released a ‘new’ HomePod this week.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance explains why Matter has just made everything worse, when it comes to the smart home experience. Join at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin finally gets a chance to try a Vision Pro for himself. iOS 18 beta 3 includes some welcome changes to the Photos app and the emoji keyboard, and tvOS beta adds InSight for the first time. There’s also rumors of a rigid plastic Apple Watch, and Ming-Chi Kuo lays out a roadmap for the iPhone’s telephoto zoom lens.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin talks about visiting the Battersea Apple Store, and camping at Silverstone this past weekend, as Apple simultaneously christened its ‘F1’ movie. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance reflect on all the week’s Apple news in this July holiday episode. Apple has released a new whitepaper on Apple device longevity, as right-to-repair regulation takes hold. The Apple Watch Series 10 this year might not be the drastic Series X redesign we’d all been hoping for, and Kuo expects AirPods Pro with infrared cameras to launch in 2026.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin is still annoyed by iOS 18 Game Mode, and Chance has a change of opinion about the iPad Pro nano-texture display. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance react to all the new features in iOS 18 beta 2, and the fact that most of those features won’t be available in the European Union as Apple worries about DMA compliance concerns. In other EU legal news, the commission threatens fines for Apple’s anti-steering policies, and is officially investigating the Core Technology Fee. Also, Chance reviews the new Beats Solo Buds and relaunched Beats Pill portable speaker.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance’s Mac low storage bug returns, and Benjamin tries the Connected Cards feature in the Apple Wallet app. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance are back with a review of this week’s Apple news, including thoughts on the rumored bigger watch sizes coming this fall, Apple’s plans to design thinner iPhone and MacBook Pro models, and the abrupt cancellation of Apple Pay Later. We also have unearthed even more interesting changes found in the first iOS 18 beta.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we predict what iOS 18 features will have the most impact, positive or negative, on the public at large when the software update lands on customer iPhones later this year. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
In this bumper edition, Benjamin and Chance react to everything Apple announced at WWDC 2024, including all the new features in iOS 18, visionOS 2, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11 and tvOS 18, and the suite of announcements under the banner of Apple Intelligence, as Apple sets its AI strategy.
And in Happy Hour Plus, we have even more thoughts on WWDC and some of the surrounding press interviews taking place this week. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance run down the WWDC expectations, and debate whether reality will match the hype. There’s certainly a lot expected, with major new features for the iOS 18 home screen, Control Center, and a veritable AI infusion across Apple’s platforms. We give our thoughts on what we are most excited to see announced. Plus, Apple accidentally miscounted the number of GPU cores in the M2 iPad Air, and the Apple TV app may finally be coming to Android.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance embarked on a 3,500-mile road EV trip to his new house, and loves CarPlay more than ever before. He also updates us on how good the Vision Pro is as a travel holiday computer, and his smart home plans. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Zac discuss the curious rumors about a 20-inch foldable iPad/MacBook, and the latest Vision Pro content developments. iOS 18 may let users change the icons of the apps on their home screen, but how exactly? We also have more insight into Apple’s AI plans and its approach to handling user data privacy while remaining feature competitive.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Zac talk more about the genuine utility of ChatGPT in daily life.
Benjamin and Chance react to the surprise reports of a major form-factor change coming to the iPhone in 2025, with the addition of a new redesigned ‘Ultra’ model priced above the current Pro Max. The Plus is also expected to go away next year. iOS 17.5.1 includes a fix for the deleted photos bug but Apple yet again neglects to explain what happened. And, Apple Music causes a stir with their Best 100 albums list.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance discuss the appeal of the newly announced Peacock, Apple, and Netflix Comcast ‘StreamSaver’ bundle.
Benjamin gives his thoughts on his brief experience using the new M4 iPad Pro hardware, while Chance ponders a purchase. Apple previews some exciting new iOS 18 accessibility features, and we gist more insight into Apple’s AI plans with reports that the company is already hosting Apple Silicon chips in its server farms.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance react to the increasing likelihood that John Ternus becomes Apple’s next CEO, in the fullness of time. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance react to all the announcements out of the spring ‘Let Loose’ event, including the radically thin new iPad Pro, the new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air lineup, what to expect from the M4 chip, and how the event compared to their expectations going in overall.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance reflect on how they feel the video event format is performing for Apple, and whether it makes sense for the company to return to the live keynote style, sometimes. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Benjamin and Chance assess the final iPad rumors ahead of next week’s ‘Let Loose’ event. Beats launches an incredibly compelling new addition to their headphones lineup, the Beats Solo Buds. At the same time, Apple fails to acknowledge what happened with people getting locked out of their Apple IDs over the weekend, in the same week as it releases a statement promising to fix an issue with iPhone alarms.
And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance discuss what podcast client they currently use and why, and how their listening habits reflect their app preferences. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
