This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: iPhone 17e design changes, Intel producing M-class chips, and ChatGPT integrating with Apple Health. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

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Rivian’s Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid confirmed today that the .46 OTA update will bring Digital Key support to the second-generation R1S and R1T. Here’s what that means.

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With Alan Dye departing for Meta and leaving a hollowed-out design division behind him, his replacement, Stephen Lemay, will have a rare opportunity to rebuild the company’s design culture from the inside out.

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Russia has blocked Apple's FaceTime video calling app in an ongoing effort to eliminate private communication methods, reports Reuters. Russia claims ‌FaceTime‌ is being used for criminal activity, and that blocking the app is a legitimate law enforcement measure. Social network Snapchat and multiplayer gaming platform Roblox were also banned this week.


Multiple other apps and services have been blocked in Russia previously. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Discord, and LinkedIn are unavailable and can't be accessed without a VPN. Russia throttles YouTube heavily to make it almost unusable, and since 2022, TikTok has had a Russia-only feed that does not include content from other countries.

Viber and Signal are banned in the country, and Russians are not able to make calls through WhatsApp or Telegram as of earlier this year. Messaging on those apps is also restricted.

In a statement to Reuters, Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor said the following:

According to law enforcement agencies, FaceTime is being used to organise and carry out terrorist attacks in the country, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud and other crimes against Russian citizens.

‌FaceTime‌ is now restricted nationwide, and has likely been blocked at the network level, so it may still be accessible through a VPN. Moscow residents are seeing a "User unavailable" message when attempting to use ‌FaceTime‌, which is the error displayed when a ‌FaceTime‌ call is unable to connect. The app still opens and activates, so Apple hasn't removed it.

Russia claims that the app is used for coordinating illegal activity, with no option for the Federal Security Service (FSB) to monitor calls. Apple has declined to allow the FSB to access ‌FaceTime‌ traffic, and the company has not budged on end-to-end encryption.

‌FaceTime‌ likely wasn't banned earlier because Russia initially focused on more widely used apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. When voice and video calling were banned in those apps, Russians transitioned to ‌FaceTime‌ as an alternative, making it a government target.
This article, "Russia Blocks Apple's FaceTime Amid Crackdown on Encrypted Apps" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Podcasts has announced its 2025 Show of the Year, the UK-based The Rest Is History. Here are the details.

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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. 

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In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999.


Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs.

On his blog Daring Fireball, longtime Apple commentator John Gruber has since reacted to the news with some scathing commentary about Dye.

Foremost, Gruber said Dye does not care about design.

"If you care about design, there's nowhere to go but down after leaving Apple," said Gruber, in a lengthy post citing conversations with Apple employees. "What people overlooked is the obvious: Alan Dye doesn't actually care about design."

Gruber said that everyone he spoke to inside and outside of Apple was "happy" — if not downright "giddy" — to learn that Lemay is replacing Dye.

"Lemay is well-liked personally and deeply respected talent-wise," he said.

"He has always set an extraordinarily high bar for excellence and embodies Apple's culture of collaboration and creativity," Apple CEO Tim Cook said of Lemay, in his statement to Bloomberg that confirmed Dye is leaving the company.

Dye was promoted to Vice President of Human Interface Design at Apple in 2015, at the same time as Jony Ive became Chief Design Officer at the company. Gruber said this was a "big mistake," as Dye had no background in user interface design.

Lemay, on the other hand, is described as being a "career" interface designer with a particular "attention to detail and craftsmanship."

The move from Dye to Lemay could be the best thing to happen to Apple's human interface design "in the entire stretch since Steve Jobs's passing and Scott Forstall's ouster," according to Gruber. At the very least, he expects the move to "stop the bleeding" at Apple, both in terms of quality of work and talent retention.

Dye is expected to begin his role at Meta at the end of December.

Gruber's full post on Daring Fireball: "Bad Dye Job"
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A new report from Reuters says Russia has blocked FaceTime access in the country, with users unable to connect via Apple’s platform as of today. Here are the details.

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Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is loaded with some notable accessory deals alongside the ongoing AirPods 4 all-time low at 45% off – but you can also now land that same deal with a discounted 2-year of AppleCare+ as well. The entire slate of Apple’s iPhone 17 Silicone cases are down at $25 right now (49% off) and we also spotted the first chance to save on the 2025 edition black Alpine Loop. Ongoing lows on Apple Watch Series 11, the Find My SmartLock, and more are also waiting for you below. 

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be over, but you can still find up to 65 percent off Anker and Jackery's best portable power stations this week. Each retailer is hosting a last call sale for its most popular charging accessories, with major savings on these high-priced power stations.

Jackery

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Jackery and Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Jackery's "Black Friday Encore" event has up to 65 percent off select portable power stations this week. This includes everything from the smaller Explorer 500 to Jackery's line of HomePower Solar Generators that can power essential home electronics for as long as 30 days.

• Explorer 500 - $359.00, down from $499.00


• Explorer 2000 v2 - $749.00, down from $1,499.00


• Battery Pack 2000 Plus - $799.00, down from $1,399.00


• Battery Pack 3600 - $999.00, down from $2,099.00


• HomePower 3000 Solar Generator - $1,199.00, down from $2,499.00


• Explorer 2000 v2 + Dual 200W Solar Panels - $1,299.00, down from $2,499.00


• HomePower 3000 Solar Generator + Dual 200W Solar Panels - $1,499.00, down from $2,999.00


• HomePower 3600 Plus Solar Generator - $1,899.00, down from $3,699.00


• Explorer 5000 Plus - $3,999.00, down from $5,699.00

Anker SOLIX

Similar to Jackery, Anker SOLIX is hosting a "Cyber Monday Last Call" sale that has up to 65 percent off select portable power stations. Overall, Anker SOLIX has a few more affordable options coming in under $500, as well as numerous high-end stations with various accessories like solar panels and expandable batteries.

• Anker 521 PowerHouse (300W) - $149.99, down from $249.99


• Anker 535 PowerHouse (500W) - $249.00, down from $649.99


• SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $429.00, down from $799.00


• SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 + Solar Panel - $609.00, down from $1,298.00


• SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $739.00, down from $1,498.00


• SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station - $1,199.00, down from $2,599.00


• SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station - $1,999.00, down from $3,999.00


• SOLIX F3000 + Expansion Battery + Solar Panel - $2,299.00, down from $5,397.00


• SOLIX F3800 Plus Smart Home Power Kit - $4,599.00, down from $8,897.00

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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The recent hit season of Severance has been landing on lots of ‘Best TV of 2025’ lists, and today a big update has arrived for release timing of Apple’s upcoming season 3.

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Apple today announced that The Rest Is History has received the 2025 Apple Podcasts Award for Show of the Year for its high quality and cultural impact.


Launched in 2020, The Rest Is History is a history podcast hosted by witty British historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. It explores historical events, ranging from the rise and fall of the Roman Empire to the sinking of the Titanic.

"The Rest Is History does a phenomenal job in taking a subject as vast as human history and captivating a global audience," said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Podcasts, Apple Music, Apple Sports, and Beats. "Tom and Dominic have created something special that represents the very best of what's possible with podcasting — it's educational, it's hilarious, and it has fostered a true sense of community."

"We don't moralize, we don't judge the past, and we approach it in a spirit of real enthusiasm," said Sandbrook. "We don't look down on people in the past. We just try to enjoy it, to relish the madness, the bonkers-ness of people."


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When Apple introduced true windowing multitasking and extended display support with iPadOS 26, pairing my iPad Pro with a portable monitor suddenly became a lot more interesting. I’ve used numerous portable displays over the years, primarily with my MacBook Air, and they’ve ranged from inexpensive plastic options to higher-end models that focus on the screen itself. Some were decent, but the Sotsu FlipAction lineup just hits different. It looks like someone took a 16-inch iPad and attached it to a modular, magnetic Studio Display stand. I’ve been using this monitor for well over a year now, and I wanted to share my in-depth thoughts on whether or not it is worth the price. Let’s break it down.

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Apple Arcade received five more games today, including endless runner Subway Surfers, the world's most downloaded mobile game. Since its launch in 2012, the game has received billions of downloads across all platforms.


The premium Subway Surfers+ edition on Apple Arcade offers the same run as the classic game, but without in-app purchases and ads. As a result, there are new ways to revive your character, collect items, and progress.

A spin-off game Subway Surfers Tag was already released on Apple Arcade in 2022.

The other four games added to Apple Arcade today:

• SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit 2, a sequel to the popular side-scrolling game


• PowerWash Simulator, which involves pressure washing dirty vehicles, homes, and more


• Cult of the Lamb Arcade Edition, a mobile version of the award-winning roguelite dungeon crawler


• NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM+, a 3D fighting game based on the popular manga and anime series

Apple Arcade is a subscription service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. All of the games are free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month, and it is also bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.

Apple Arcade can be accessed through the App Store and Apple Games apps.
This article, "Apple Arcade Just Got the Most Downloaded Mobile Game Ever and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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One of my favorite recent accessory launches is Elevation Lab’s TimeCapsule for AirTag, which promises to extend AirTag battery life to 10 years. And today, the company has debuted its follow-up, which offers 5 years of AirTag battery in a much more compact form factor.

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Amazon this week has big discounts across Apple's Clear, Silicone, and TechWoven Cases for the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup. Items on sale include Clear, Silicone, and TechWoven Cases for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. We're also tracking a few discounts on other accessories like the FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe and Beats cases.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple's official cases are reaching up to 50 percent off in this sale, with many priced at $25.00, down from their original $49.00 price tags. In terms of the Beats deals, you'll find steep markdowns on the Beats Woven Charging Cables during this event, as well as Beats Cases for the iPhone 17 lineup.


iPhone Air

• Clear Case - $25.00, down from $49.00

iPhone 17

• Clear Case - $25.00, down from $49.00


• Silicone Case - $25.00, down from $49.00

iPhone 17 Pro

• Clear Case - $25.00, down from $49.00


• Silicone Case - $25.00, down from $49.00


• TechWoven Case - $44.00, down from $59.00

iPhone 17 Pro Max

• Clear Case - $25.00, down from $49.00


• Silicone Case - $37.99, down from $49.00


• TechWoven Case - $49.99, down from $59.00

More Sales

• FineWoven Wallet - $39.99, down from $59.00


• Beats USB-C to USB-C Woven Cable - $8.54, down from $18.99


• Beats USB-A to USB-C Woven Cable - $9.88, down from $18.99


• Beats iPhone 17 Case - $19.97, down from $45.00


• Beats iPhone 17 Pro Case - $22.45, down from $45.00


• Beats iPhone 17 Pro Max Case - $29.99, down from $45.00

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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Apple today unveiled the winners of its 2025 App Store Awards, including task planning app Tiimo, which was named iPhone App of the Year.


17 winning apps and games were selected by Apple's team of App Store editors, for showing exceptional innovation, user experience, and design. The developers of each app and game will receive a physical App Store Award.

"Every year, we're inspired by the ways developers turn their best ideas into innovative experiences that enrich people's lives," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "This year's winners represent the creativity and excellence that define the App Store, and they demonstrate the meaningful impact that world-class apps and games have on people everywhere."

A complete list of this year's winners:

Apps

• Tiimo (iPhone App of the Year)


• Detail (iPad App of the Year)


• Essayist (Mac App of the Year)


• Explore POV (Apple Vision Pro App of the Year)


• Strava (Apple Watch App of the Year)


• HBO Max (Apple TV App of the Year)

Games

• Pokémon TCG Pocket (iPhone Game of the Year)


• DREDGE (iPad Game of the Year)


• Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (Mac Game of the Year)


• Porta Nubi (Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year)


• WHAT THE CLASH? (Apple Arcade Game of the Year)

Cultural Impact

• Art of Fauna


• Chants of Sennaar


• despelote


• Be My Eyes


• Focus Friend


• StoryGraph

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Tehran is one of Apple TV’s longest running thriller series, but you may have never heard of it because for years, the new season’s release has been delayed. Today though, Apple announced that Tehran season 3 is finally premiering next month, and there’s even a season 4 on the way.

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After announcing the finalists last month, Apple today officially announced the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards. This year, the App Store Awards recognize 17 apps and games for their “technical ingenuity and lasting cultural impact.”

The winners were selected by App Store Editors for “demonstrating exceptional innovation, user experience, and design.”

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The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch.


According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the ‌iPhone Air‌. SellCell examined real-time trade-in pricing from more than 40 U.S. buyback companies, comparing average values across weeks since launch against each model's original MSRP. All devices in the study were assessed in good condition for consistent comparisons.

The data shows that the ‌iPhone 17‌ series has averaged 34.6% depreciation after ten weeks, outperforming the iPhone 16 range at the same point last year, which saw a 39% decline. The ‌iPhone‌ 15 series remains the strongest performer over the past several cycles, retaining more value at the ten-week mark with an average depreciation of 31.9%. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 range sits at 36.6% over the same period.

By contrast, the ‌iPhone Air‌ shows significantly weaker retention, averaging 44.3% depreciation across all storage configurations. The Air's declines range from 40.3% to 47.7%, making it the weakest-performing ‌iPhone‌ range since the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus and certain ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini configurations registered similar drops in 2022. The steepest fall is attributed to the 1TB ‌iPhone Air‌ model, which SellCell identifies as the worst performer in the entire dataset.

SellCell's model-level breakdown shows a sharp divergence between the Pro segment and the Air. The best-performing model, the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro Max, has declined 26.1% after ten weeks, while the 512GB ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max has fallen 30.3%. All Pro and Pro Max configurations remain below 40% depreciation, which points to sustained demand in the secondary market. The standard ‌iPhone 17‌ fell between 32.9% and 40.8%, placing it roughly in line with the performance of recent non-Pro tiers. The ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup as a whole collectively retains 9.7% more value than the Air after ten weeks.

The ‌iPhone Air‌ occupies the entire bottom of the ten-week rankings. Depreciation among the ‌iPhone 17‌ models appears to stabilize by week ten, mirroring patterns observed for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone 16‌ generations. The ‌iPhone Air‌, on the other hand, continued to decline through week ten, which SellCell suggests could indicate longer-term uncertainty in the secondary market. The comparisons underscore how unusual the ‌iPhone Air‌'s trajectory is relative to other ‌iPhone‌ models.
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iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020.


If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to simulate a low-light environment. The Night mode crescent moon symbol should appear in the top-right corner of the UI, and if you tap the six-dots icon in the same corner, you should see the Night mode button in the options panel.

Now choose Portrait in the carousel and perform the same low-light simulation with your hand – no crescent symbol will appear, and you won't see any Night mode toggle in the options panel when you open it.

Owners of iPhone 16 Pro and other recent Pro models who perform this test won't see Night mode disappear in Portrait mode, and apparently this is all by design, according to Apple's own iOS 26 iPhone User Guide. As spotted by Macworld, the support document says you can only take portraits when Night mode is engaged on the following models:

• iPhone 12 Pro


• iPhone 12 Pro Max


• iPhone 13 Pro


• iPhone 13 Pro Max


• iPhone 14 Pro


• iPhone 14 Pro Max


• iPhone 15 Pro


• iPhone 15 Pro Max


• iPhone 16 Pro


• iPhone 16 Pro Max

Users on Reddit and Apple's own discussion forums noticed the omission on iPhone 17 Pro models at least a couple of months ago, but it seems that the change was not widely known (though a DXOMARK Camera test conducted in September does appear to reference the limitation).


The omission is puzzling, since the iPhone 17 Pro's camera hardware should be capable of combining the two modes. It could be that photos taken with Night mode are limited to 12 megapixels, whereas Portrait photos can be captured at 24 megapixels.

Still, Apple has not officially explained why the feature is not available on its latest premium models, nor has it said whether the feature will arrive later as part of a coming software update. Either way, we expect Apple will provide some commentary soon.

Until then, for users who relied on Night Mode portraits on earlier Pro models, it probably feels like a downgrade.
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Yesterday, Bloomberg broke the surprise news that Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of Human Interface Design since 2015, is departing the company to lead a new design studio at Meta. Apple confirmed the departure in a statement attributed to Tim Cook, adding that 26-year Apple design veteran Steve Lemay will take over Dye’s role.

In a new post on Daring Fireball, John Gruber has some inside info on the reaction inside Apple to this news.

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Proton today announced the launch of Proton Sheets, its end-to-end encrypted spreadsheet web application designed to offer a privacy-focused alternative to Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel.


Unlike traditional spreadsheet tools, Proton Sheets encrypts all user data by default, including filenames and metadata. That means no one, not even Proton, can access the contents of users' spreadsheets. The company says the new tool is a response to growing concerns about Big Tech's data collection practices and the integration of AI features that may use proprietary business information for training purposes.

Proton Sheets supports commonly used formulas, data visualization through charts and graphs, and real-time collaboration features. Users can import existing CSV and XLS files, which are then protected with encryption. The application includes access controls that let users manage who can view or edit files.

"With the launch of Proton Sheets, we are not just closing the productivity gap – we are reclaiming data sovereignty for businesses and individuals alike," said Anant Vijay Singh, head of product at Proton Drive. "The reality today is that most spreadsheet tools come from Big Tech giants whose entire business models are built on exploiting user data. Now, with AI woven deeply into these platforms, the risks have escalated exponentially. Every keystroke, every formula you enter can feed into their AI training pipelines. This is an unacceptable trade-off. Users deserve a future free from hidden surveillance and invasive data mining. That's why we built Proton Sheets: a robust, privacy-first alternative that puts control, security, and trust back where they belong – firmly in users hands."

The spreadsheet tool is available through web browsers and within the Proton Drive app. Following the release, Proton Drive now offers a range of productivity tools that includes email, calendar, documents, and spreadsheets, all with built-in encryption.

More information about Proton Sheets is available on the Proton website.
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Apple is today celebrating the winners of Your Tree on Battersea, its festive UK competition that invited people to design digital Christmas trees on iPad.


The 24 winning submissions are set to be projected onto Battersea Power Station beginning today, from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day until 24 December.

The winning submissions will be featured on the building's chimneys alongside trees drawn by established artists and notable figures such as Kylie Minogue, Sir Stephen Fry, Maro Itoje, Oliver Jeffers, David Shrigley OBE, and Chawawa.

Apple says the competition carries on the company's tradition of celebrating festive creativity, and it's the first time it has opened the opportunity to the public.

In 2023, artist David Hockney created Bigger Christmas Trees on iPad Pro, and last year, Aardman – creator of Wallace & Gromit – used iPhone 16 Pro Max to create a short animation. Both installations transformed the iconic 101-metre-high chimneys and wash towers that soar above the River Thames.
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