The MacRumors Show

This episode of the MacRumors Show is sponsored by: Magic Lasso Ad Block- Visit https://www.magiclasso.co/macrumors for a free month trial! Notion - Visit www.notion.com/macrumors to try the powerful, easy-to-use Notion AI today! Masterclass - Give one Annual Membership and get one FREE by visiting www.masterclass.com/mac. Offer terms apply! On this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the recent controversy around Android apps that seek to enable iMessage functionality.Several companies have been vying to offer solutions for Android users who wish to send and receive iMessages for some time. Most recently, “Beeper Mini” offered a way to do so with no need to sign in with an Apple ID. The app’s developers used reverse-engineered iMessage protocols to register Android phone numbers with Apple’s servers, allowing Android users to send blue bubble messages to iPhoneusers with support for all iMessage functionality, including read receipts, typing indicators, and reactions.Apple ended up blocking Beeper Mini last week, with the company confirming that it took steps to shut down the app since it apparently posed risks to the security and privacy of iMessage users.In a blog post, the Beeper Mini team said that the app had the “fastest growing paid Android application in history,” with more than 100,000 downloads. This was said to be evidence that Android and ‌iPhone‌ customers “desperately want to be able to chat together” with all of the features available on iMessage. Earlier this week, the app’s functionality returned, but now with the requirement to sign in with an ‌Apple ID‌ and receive messages via an email address rather than a phone number. Beeper Mini’s developers say that despite reaching out to Apple, they have not heard back. It is unlikely that Apple will give in and allow Beeper Mini to function as it did, and Apple may shut down further functionality as well if it can. Apple does have plans to bring a range of iMessage-like features to chats between ‌iPhone‌ users and Android users through RCS, a protocol that Apple will add to iPhones next year. ‌RCS‌ will bring support for high quality video and images, emoji reactions, typing indicators, read receipts, and more, all features that Beeper Mini says that Android and ‌iPhone‌ users are desperate to have in cross-platform chats. What do you think about Android apps that enable iMessage functionality? Let us know in the comments.

15 Dec 202352min

Following the recent Apple One price hike, on this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show we take a closer look at Apple’s subscription bundle and each of the services within it. Apple One is a bundle of Apple subscription services available at a lower overall price. The “Individual” plan includes iCloud+ (50GB), Apple TV+, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade. The “Family” plan adds 150GB of iCloud storage and the ability to share with up to five people, while the “Premier” plan adds Apple Fitness+ and Apple News+. We discuss our feelings about each of the individual services included in the bundle, looking at our personal experiences, what we like about each of them, and where they could improve. We ultimately weigh up whether Apple One is worth it and ponder what new Apple services could be on the horizon, such as Apple Books+, Apple Podcasts+, and Apple Health+. Follow us on Twitter @danbarbera and @HartleyCharlton.

8 Dec 202352min

This episode is sponsored by Notion! Visit www.notion.com/macrumors to try the powerful, easy-to-use Notion AI today! Exclusive! Grab the NordVPN deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/macrumors and get extra subscription time. Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring our show. YouTuber Kevin Nether, also known as “Kevin the Tech Ninja,” joins us on this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show to take a closer look at the rumors surrounding the iPhone 16 lineup for the first time.While the devices are still likely around ten months away, there are already a multitude of rumors about what to expect from 2024's iPhone 16 and ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models. Using information from reputable sources, we take a deep dive into some of the devices’ key features, including larger 6.3- and 6.9-inch display sizes, a new "Capture" button, and a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera. Let us know what you think about the ‌iPhone 16‌’s rumored features in the comments and see more of Kevin’s work over on his YouTube channel.

24 Nov 202359min

This episode is sponsored by Masterclass. Give one Annual Membership and get one FREE by visiting www.masterclass.com/mac. Offer terms apply! This episode is sponsored by Factor. Visit https://www.factormeals.com/mac50 for 50% off! On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the widely rumored array of AI features heading for iOS 18 and other's other major software updates in 2024. Supply chain checks suggest that Apple is building servers to deliver cloud-based AI in late 2024, as well as locally-processed "edge-AI." The company is reportedly planning to debut a "smarter" version of Siri based on its own large language model (LLM) next year that can understand complex questions and auto-complete sentences more effectively, as well as integrate with the Shortcuts app for complex multi-step tasks. Apple is said to be working on adding AI to as many apps as possible, including features in Apple Music, such as auto-generated playlists, and productivity apps like Pages and Keynote, where AI could assist with writing or creating slide decks. The iPhone 16 lineup is also rumored to feature exclusive AI capabilities, and the company is even rumored to be looking into how generative AI could be used to aid AppleCare.

17 Nov 202341min

TouchArcade’s Jared Nelson and Eli Hodapp join us on this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show to talk through the current state of gaming in Apple’s ecosystem. TouchArcade is MacRumors’ sister site that focuses on iOS gaming. Jared is the website’s Editor-in-Chief and host of The TouchArcade Show podcast, while Eli is Jared’s predecessor, the founder of iOS gaming subscription service GameClub, and director of mobile publishing at GameMill Entertainment.We discuss Apple’s recent gaming push prompted by the A17 Pro and M3 chip’s hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, as well as the arrival of console-level games on Apple platforms like “Resident Evil Village.” We look at where Apple has made progress with gaming in recent years and where it still faces limitations, what the company should address to bolster gaming experiences on its devices, and the direction of Apple Arcade. We also consider the gaming potential of Apple’s Vision Pro headset and how the new product line could evolve over time. Listen to more of Jared and Eli over on The TouchArcade Show podcast. The MacRumors Show is now on its own YouTube channel, so head over and subscribe to keep up with new episodes and clips going forward

10 Nov 20231h 6min

On this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple’s "Scary Fast" event and the new Macs it introduced. We talk through our candid feelings about the unusual Apple event and the way in which the company presented its latest devices. We look at the all-new M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips, and weigh up the new MacBook Pro and iMac, who should consider upgrading to the next-generation machines, and more.

3 Nov 202346min

This episode is sponsored by Masterclass. Be sure to visit https://www.masterclass.com/mac for 15% off an annual membership! Exclusive! Grab the NordVPN deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/macrumors and get extra subscription time. Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring our show. On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss our expectations about Apple's upcoming "Scary Fast" event, which is widely rumored to see the announcement of new Mac models. We talk through the unusual nature of the event, with Apple announcing it less than one week in advance, opting for an unorthodox 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time start, and even offering an explicit nod to the arrival of new Macs with a Finder easter egg. The event is expected to see the debut of the M3 chip and some of its more powerful variants. Two Mac models are currently in the running to be announced, with the iMac and high-end MacBook Pro rumored to be on the table. We also discuss our feelings about the AirPods Max as we approach three years since their introduction and more. The MacRumors Show is now on X @macrumorsshow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast! You can also view this week's episode on our NEW YouTube channel!

27 Okt 202349min

This episode is sponsored by Factor. Visit https://www.factormeals.com/mac50 for 50% off! This episode is sponsored by Zbiotics. Visit https://www.zbiotics.com/MAC and use promo code MAC for 15% Off! YouTuber Luke Miani joins us on this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show to discuss the new Apple Pencil with USB-C, the direction of the iPad lineup, and Vision Pro.We talk through our immediate thoughts on Apple’s newly announced ‌Apple Pencil‌ model featuring a USB-C port for pairing and charging, leading us to contemplate how to clean up the ‌iPad‌ lineup as a whole. We compare Apple’s Vision Pro headset to the ‌iPad‌ and consider whether it is destined for similar criticisms or if it truly offers more potential in the long-term. We also discuss the latest rumors about a foldable iPad, which a recent report suggested could be announced as soon as next year, and whether such a device could breathe new life into the ‌iPad‌ lineup. See more of Luke’s work over on his YouTube channel or follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @LukeMiani. The MacRumors Show is now on X @macrumorsshow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast!

20 Okt 202349min