According to a tweet from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will be performing some “merchandise/floor marketing updates” at its retail stores next week. While specific details aren’t confirmed, Apple is likely launching the new Black Unity Apple Watch band for 2025.

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.

Inscreen taps into Apple’s Screen Time API, and aims to help users be more mindful about the time they’re spending on their devices. Rather than forcefully blocking app access, Inscreen takes a different approach, and keeps you aware of how much time you’re spending on each app.

Apple Watch saves lives—the latest example is a dramatic rescue caught on video in Washington state. Rescuers credit the Apple Watch SOS feature for alerting and helping them locate a skier who fell 1,000 feet, preventing them from freezing to death.

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With so many organizations looking to deploy the Mac, they might want to know the best path for migration. Apple’s Mac Adoption Blueprint answers that question with data-backed information and easy-to-follow steps for IT technicians and internal IT decision-makers. This guide also highlights how significant cost savings are made by switching. The included research from Forrester claims that companies can save $843 per computer over three years compared to Windows. These savings are gained from lower software costs, reduced IT support needs, and higher Mac trade in value (the latter is absolutely critical). Let’s look deeper at the report.

Apple released the release candidate builds of iOS 18.3 earlier this week, meaning that we’re just days away from seeing that update ship to the public. That also means iOS 18.4 beta is just around the corner, which is widely expected to include some of the big Siri improvements with Apple Intelligence. Here’s what we’re expecting with Siri in iOS 18.4.

If you have read or watched any of my content over the last few years, you might have realized that my Pro is my main computer. Yes, I have a Mac Mini, but when it comes to getting actual work done, I always gravitate towards my iPad (I am currently writing this on my iPad). Something about the combination of gorgeous hardware and single app optimization nature of the software really makes the iPad a joy to use. With the release of iPadOS 18 we got an abundance of new features that has helped me double and triple down on this sentiment. We all know the headlining features, but I want to share a few other features that not many people know about. Lets get into it!

Apple has officially agreed to content quota obligations as set out in a 2021 France decree, via Deadline, which means it must invest 20% of Apple TV+ revenues in France to create French and European content.

This effectively commits Apple to create French originals for Apple TV+ on an ongoing basis. Recent French-language releases on the service include La Maison and Drops of God; the latter of which was a hit for TV+ and is returning for a second season.

Apple Intelligence launched just a few months ago, but a lot more additions are expected soon in iOS 18.4 and beyond. Now, a new memo leak has given us insight into Apple’s two main internal priorities for its AI efforts this year.

iOS 18.3 is launching next week. It’s not particularly feature-packed, but the update will offer a significant moment for Apple Intelligence thanks to a bold Apple choice.

Temperature sensors are an important yet often overlooked part of a HomeKit setup. Even working as a passive tracking device, I want to add them to every room to understand more about what’s happening in the air. The is a great option for HomeKit fans with its compact size and detailed monitoring options. Let’s have a look.

Do you remember the days when new iOS versions might introduce major redesigns? iOS 7, I’m looking at you. Despite annual whispers predicting another big iOS revamp, I feel very confident in saying those days are over. And one recent app debacle shows why.

Meta has officially started testing ads on its Threads micro-blogging social network. The company says this is a “small test” for the time being with a handful of different brands across the United States and Japan.

Apple has shared the first details on user adoption of iOS 18 so far. The company says that iOS 18 is currently installed on 68% of all iPhones and on 76% of iPhones introduced in the last four years.

These numbers show that iOS 18 adoption is on the same trajectory as iOS 17 adoption last year.

One rumored change for the iPhone 17 might not come to fruition after all. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today says that the size of the Dynamic Island across the iPhone 17 lineup to be “largely unchanged” compared to the iPhone 16 models.

Apple Intelligence has arrived, but Siri and Apple’s AI suite of features are nowhere near the level of rivals OpenAI, Anthropic, and others — especially with the absence of an Apple chatbot. For that reason, the company has recruited an internal software veteran to help course correct the path for Apple’s AI efforts. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has the report:

The is one of the most advanced smartphone gimbals on the market. We’ve had a chance to play with it for a few weeks, and these are five things we really love about the new gimbal.

Immersive Video on the Vision Pro is one of the product’s must-try experiences, and Apple’s first new release of the year—Man Vs. Beast—arrives next week to take you on a bull-riding adventure.

Friday has arrived and so has a surprisingly extensive list of fresh new Apple gear deals along with it. First up, and perhaps most notable of all, Apple’s 16GB M4 MacBook Pro in Space Black or Silver has now fallen back to the $1,399 all-time low at $200 off – this is the most affordable model in the M4 lineup. From there we move over to the latest Apple Watch lineup – all of the GPS-only Series 10 configurations have now dropped back to Black Friday prices with deals starting from $329 – and the M2 iPad Air configurations with just about all of the most affordable models now seeing straight up $99 drops on Amazon. All of that and more awaits down below. 

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On this day 41 years ago, Apple’s first Macintosh went on sale, just two days after being introduced to the world during a commercial break in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. Although “1984” became a cultural phenomenon and a watershed moment for product launches, Apple’s Board of Directors was against it from the start. Here’s how the legendary ad almost didn’t air…