In this week’s top stories: Apple Music Replay and Spotify Wrapped go viral, 2021 rumors about mini LED, the App Store Small Business Program, and more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.
Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay
As the calendar turned to December, Apple Music and Spotify users started looking for their annual year-in-review retrospectives. Here’s everything you need to know about Spotify Wrapped 2020 and Apple Music Replay 2020:
- Spotify Wrapped 2020: How to find your top songs, artists, albums, and more
- Apple Music Replay 2020: How to find your top songs, artists, albums, and more
App Store Small Business Program
Apple officially opened enrollment for its App Store Small Business Program this week. This program allows developers to qualify for a commission rate of 15% if they earn up to $1 million.
Apple says that you must submit your enrollment by December 18, 2020, at 10 a.m. PST to receive program benefits by January 1, 2021. You can sign up on the Apple developer website right here and learn more in a detailed frequently asked questions section here.
New mini LED rumors
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported this week that Apple will have two new MacBook Pros with mini LED displays next year. The new MacBook Pros will feature an all-new form factor design as well.
Apple will also introduce a “more affordable new MacBook Air” in 2022 that features mini LED, Kuo predicted. The current MacBook Air starts at $999, so it’s unclear how Apple might get that price lower.
Finally, Kuo also reported that Apple will likely launch “2 or 3 new chargers in 2021.” It’s not clear what this could mean, but it could come in the form of more powerful wall chargers with faster charging using GaN technology. It could also relate to the continued expansion of the MagSafe line of accessories.
MagSafe Duo now available
Nearly two months after its announcement during Apple’s October event, the new MagSafe Duo charger is now available for purchase from Apple.
The new charger lets users charge both the iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. It retails for $129 and the first orders have already started to arrive to customers, and same-day pick up is also available at Apple Stores.
Holiday buying guides
Finally, we continue to offer holiday gift guides and buying guides at 9to5Mac. So far we’ve offered detailed advice on Apple Watch gifts, AirPods vs AirPods Pro, and more.
- Apple Watch Series 6 vs Apple Watch SE: Which should you buy this holiday season?
- 9to5Mac Gift Guide: AirPods vs AirPods Pro buying guide and the best accessories
- 9to5Mac Gift Guide: Gadget gifts for all budgets
- 9to5Mac Gift Guide: The best HomeKit gifts in 2020 for safety and security
- Apple Watch Series 3 vs Apple Watch SE: Which should you buy this holiday season?
These and the rest of this week’s top stories below.
iOS | tvOS |
- iPhone 8 and later now support 1080p FaceTime calls with iOS 14.2
- Apple releases iOS 14.3 beta 3 to developers with ProRAW support and more
iPhone |
- You can now order the new MagSafe Duo charger at Apple
- Massive security fail by Apple allowed total remote control of iPhones via WiFi
- Apple will be forced to sell iPhones with included power adapter in Brazil
- iPhone 12 Pro Max loses to OnePlus 8T in MKBHD’s blind smartphone camera test
- iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 12 Pro: Which should you buy this holiday season?
- Apple fined $12M for unfair claims about iPhone water resistance
- iPhone 12 unexpectedly dropping LTE and 5G service for some users
- Video: iPhone 12 put through ‘extreme water test’ with mixed results
- Apple launches repair program for iPhone 11 display with touch issues
Apple Watch |
- Apple Watch user credits high heart rate monitoring feature with detecting irregularity
- Apple Fitness+ instructors tease upcoming service as ‘late 2020’ launch nears
Mac and iPad |
- Video details ARM Windows virtualization on M1 Macs, nearly 2x faster performance than Surface Pro X
- Kuo: Two redesigned MacBook Pros with mini LED in 2021, more affordable MacBook Air in 2022
Top Apple stories, retail |
- Online Today at Apple sessions are perfect activities for a virtual classroom
- How to shop at an Apple Store this holiday season
- COVID-19: Which Apple Stores have reopened?
Apps |
- Spotify Wrapped 2020: How to find your top songs, artists, albums, and more
- Apple Music Replay 2020: How to find your top songs, artists, albums, and more
- Apple announces best App Store apps and games of 2020
- WhatsApp iOS update brings custom wallpapers for individual chats, sticker search, more
- Apple Music subscribers once again criticize ‘Replay’ retrospective feature
- HomePass for HomeKit now available on Mac App Store as a universal app
- Microsoft Teams adding CarPlay integration, new recording features, more
Top Apple stories, company |
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This week’s top videos |
9to5Mac Daily |
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iOS 16.4 features, SiriGPT, Apple TV+ theatrical ambitions – 9to5Mac Happy Hour
- iOS 16.4 features, SiriGPT, Apple TV+ theatrical ambitions
- HomePod with screen rumored, Apple exec turnover, AR/VR headset market fit
- Apple Music Classical announced, iPhone 15 mute switch, M3 Mac schedule
- iOS 16.4 beta 2, 2018 iPad Pro in hindsight, MLS Season Pass experience
- iPhone 15 Pro design leaks, iOS 16.4 new features, non-invasive glucose monitoring progress
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