Show Notes
Benjamin and Chance react to the departure of not one, but two, key Apple executives this week with the news that John Giannandrea is retiring as SVP of AI, and design VP Alan Dye is leaving for a new job at Meta. Also, Apple finally agrees a deal with Tencent over commission for mini apps in WeChat, India tries to pre-install a state security app on iPhones, and the new Apple Music Replay launches.
And in Happy Hour Plus, an analytics report claims baseball games drive more subscribers to Apple TV than its original series. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
Sponsored by Narwal: Narwal is officially launching their Cyber Monday discounts, offering the record-low prices of its entire lineup up to 49% off.
Sponsored by Hydrow: Train smarter, not longer. The Hydrow rowing machine delivers the best results, in just 20 minutes a day. Use code HAPPYHOUR to save up to $600 at hydrow.com.
Sponsored by Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/happyhour.
Sponsored by Aura Frames: The best digital picture frames. Get $35 off the best selling Carver Mat Frames with code HAPPYHOUR at on.auraframes.com/HAPPYHOUR.
Hosts
Chance Miller
@chancemiller.me on Bluesky
@ChanceHMiller on Instagram
@ChanceHMiller on Threads
Benjamin Mayo
@bzamayo on Twitter
@bzamayo on Threads
Subscribe, Rate, and Review
Apple Podcasts
Overcast
Spotify
9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus
Subscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:
Ad-free versions of every episode
Pre- and post-show content
Bonus episodes
Join for $5 per month or $50 a year at 9to5mac.com/join.
Feedback
Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or Threads
Email us feedback and questions to [email protected]
Links
John Giannandrea leaving Apple following AI strategy miss
Apple design boss Alan Dye departing for Meta
Gruber: Apple employees 'giddy' about Alan Dye’s departure
Tencent to apply for Apple's new App Store Mini Apps Partner Program
Apple launches Mini Apps Partner Program for developers
India orders Apple to pre-instal a state security app on iPhones
Apple to refuse Indian government order to pre-install state security app on iPhones
India says users may delete mandatory state-owned ‘security’ app
After Apple refusal, India makes U-turn on mandatory iPhone app
Apple Music Replay 2025 personal listening recap is ready to explore and share
Spotify Wrapped arrives with a new party feature
Pluribus is Apple TV's biggest drama series launch ever
Apple TV’s top 10 list that drove signups reveals big surprises
More from 9to5Mac Happy Hour
Ahead of its official launch, Chance has spent a week with the iPhone Duo and he is here to tell us all about his experiences with Apple’s new foldable phone, including the various poses, state of the software, Touch ID versus Face ID, battery life and more. Also, Apple announces yet another product event, so we preview what the company is preparing to ‘Pro and tell’ us.
Benjamin and Chance react to Apple’s smart home event, with first impressions on the new Apple HomeView smart display, the insanely priced Apple TV 4K (fourth-generation), and the HomePod mini refresh. It remains to be seen whether these new initiatives in the Apple Home Collection can help move the needle on smart home uptake at large, but it’s a good start.
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.
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.
Benjamin and Chance cover the week in Apple news, including hands-on with the new M6 Mac mini and AirPods 5, the first round of bug fixes for the new operating systems, Apple Music Hall, and more.