Earlier this month, a pair of Bloomberg reports indicated Apple will partner with Google to power its highly anticipated Siri upgrades. I was initially hopeful this would prove a smart solution, but now following the rollout of Gemini 3 last week, I’m more excited than ever for the new Siri in iOS 26.4.

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We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.

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.

Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN

Disney recently introduced a new promotion on its streaming service, offering a bundle of Disney+ (with ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN Unlimited for $29.99 per month for your first year. This offer represents a savings of over 44 percent on the bundle, and after your first year ends it will return to the then-current monthly price unless cancelled.



To get the deal, head to the promotion landing page on the Disney+ website and click on the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN Unlimited bundle option. This offer is valid only for new and eligible returning subscribers.

Additionally, you can save on the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN Unlimited Premium Bundle, which is the ad-free option for Disney+ and Hulu. This is priced at $38.99 per month for your first year, down from $44.99 per month.

Apple TV

Apple is offering an Apple TV promotion for new and returning subscribers for Black Friday this year. Eligible customers can get six months of Apple TV for just $5.99 per month.



After the six-month period, the subscription price will increase to $12.99, which is the regular price for the Apple TV service.

At $5.99 per month, Apple is discounting Apple TV by over 50 percent. The deal will be available through December 1 on the Apple TV website.

Existing subscribers are not eligible for the discount, nor are customers who have subscriptions billed through a third-party service.

It's also worth noting that you can get a bundle of Apple TV and Peacock Premium/Premium Plus at a discounted rate this season.

Audible

Audible's holiday deal takes the service down to only $0.99 per month for your first three months, plus $20 in Audible credit. This is more than 90 percent off the regular $14.95 monthly price of the service.



After the end of your first three months, the service will auto-renew at the then-current price, unless you cancel. This offer will end on December 1.

Amazon Music Unlimited

In another Amazon-related deal, the retailer is offering three months of its Amazon Music Unlimted streaming service for free. After the end of your first three months, the service will auto-renew at $11.99/month unless you cancel.



Amazon Music Unlimited offers 100 million songs ad-free, podcasts, Audible audiobooks, spatial audio, and more.

Paramount+

Paramount+ isn't directly offering any Black Friday discounts yet this year, but you can find a nice discount tied into Walmart+ and its rewards system. If you sign up for Walmart+ at its new discounted rate of $49.00 for your first year (regular $98/year), you'll find multiple streaming service discounts at your disposal.



One of these includes the option to activate a subscription to the Paramount+ Essential plan at no extra cost, so long as you have an active Walmart+ account. This is Paramount's ad-supported tier, and you can upgrade to Paramount+ Premium for an additional monthly or yearly fee.

Peacock

Similar to Paramount+, the best Peacock discount you can find this Black Friday season is bundled with Walmart+. If you take advantage of the 50 percent off Walmart+ offer, you'll gain access to Peacock Premium at no extra cost.



Peacock Premium is the ad-supported tier of the streaming service, and this does not include access to Peacock Premium Plus. It's also worth noting that Walmart+ members have the option to switch between Peacock and Paramount+ once every 90 days.

If you're interested in both Apple TV and Peacock, you can get a bundle of Apple TV and Peacock Premium/Premium Plus at a discounted rate this season.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports.


CNN quietly removed its stories from ‌Apple News‌ over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's content could return if a new deal is reached.

CNN recently launched a paid subscription service and began placing more of its reporting behind a paywall. The network now offers a $29.99-per-year articles-only tier and a $69.99-per-year "All Access" plan that combines written stories with its streaming service.

Major news firms including People and Condé Nast brands have leaned into ‌Apple News‌, but other media companies have been cautious about adopting the platform since its debut. CNN was present from the launch of the app in 2015.
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It’s Thanksgiving week in the United States, and Apple TV is giving viewers around the world one more reason to be thankful.

Apple has confirmed that the fifth episode of Pluribus will arrive earlier than expected this week.

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Amazon this week is discounting Apple Watch Series 11 GPS and cellular models, with $50 off select devices. These deals join the abundance of early Black Friday deals on Apple Watches, also including great discounts on Apple Watch SE 2 and SE 3.

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

You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $349.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $379.00, down from $429.00. You'll find three of the 42mm GPS models on sale at this all-time low price, and four of the 46mm GPS models discounted by $50 in this sale.




If you're shopping for cellular models, you can also find new record low prices on multiple models this week on Amazon. The 42mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 has hit $449.00, down from $499.00, and the 46mm cellular model has hit $479.00, down from $529.00.




In addition to Series 11 deals, Amazon has big deals on multiple Apple Watch models this week. This includes $89 off Apple Watch SE 2 and $49 off Apple Watch SE 3.

Apple Watch SE 2

• Apple Watch SE 2 (40mm GPS) - $159.99 ($89 off)


• Apple Watch SE 2 (44mm GPS) - $177.08 ($102 off)

Apple Watch SE 3

• Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm GPS) - $199.99 ($49 off)


• Apple Watch SE 3 (44mm GPS) - $229.99 ($49 off)

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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After years in development, Apple’s first foldable iPhone is coming next year as a high-end new model. Today an analyst has shared a very high expected price for the new foldable that might, in my opinion, push Apple to call it ‘iPhone Ultra.’

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Apple News readers will see one less source in the app starting today. A major media partner has pulled its content from Apple’s News app after a decade.

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The Black Friday deals have arrived for Apple’s latest and greatest lineup of Macs. We’re tracking solid deals across the board on the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. Whether you’re tempted by the ultra-slim and cute design of the Mac mini, the portability of the MacBook Air, or the sheer power of the MacBook Pro, there’s something for everyone in this lineup of Mac Black Friday sales.

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A Bloomberg report suggests that next year could be a Snow Leopard-style update for each of Apple’s operating systems. In other words, the company will prioritize working on bug fixes and reliability over new features.

The timing of this claim seems dubious to me: as Gurman himself acknowledges, Apple absolutely has to introduce a lot of AI improvements next year, so I don’t see how it can possibly qualify as a bug-fix year. Timing aside, however, this is something I would love to see …

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While Apple is moving toward a multi-model AI strategy for Siri, Samsung appears to be following a similar path by integrating Perplexity's AI into its Bixby assistant for the upcoming Galaxy S26.


According to the well-regarded tipster @chunvn8888 on X (Twitter), the arrangement would see Samsung's Bixby continuing to handle basic on-device requests such as toggling settings and activating system features, while Perplexity's models would take on queries that involve complex reasoning and generative tasks.

Currently, Apple Intelligence blends on-device models for relatively simple tasks with OpenAI's ChatGPT for more complex reasoning and generation. A Samsung-Perplexity pairing would replicate this split. However, Samsung already maintains a deep AI partnership with Google, and newer Galaxy devices ship with Gemini-powered features embedded directly into its custom One UI interface. Choosing Perplexity suggests Samsung is widening its model pool rather than consolidating around Google's ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Apple is preparing a broader expansion of its own multi-model strategy. A recent Bloomberg report claims the more capable version of Siri under development will rely on Google's Gemini for advanced tasks such as summarisation and multi-step planning, with Apple's own models continuing to power select features.

The more advanced Siri was originally meant to arrive with iOS 18, but Apple is said to have recognized the need to rework the assistant's core architecture, which has pushed the release to a software update expected early next year.


Despite Apple's reliance on external partners, Apple is said to be continuing to invest heavily in its internal LLM roadmap. Apple is reportedly developing a cloud-based complex reasoning model that could be ready as soon as 2026.

As a result of the update, ‌Siri‌ will be able to answer more complex queries and complete more complicated tasks in and between apps. It will be closer in function to Claude and ChatGPT, however Apple is not planning a dedicated chatbot app.
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A large retail chain offered 13-inch iPad Air models to loyalty card holders for $17, with both online orders and in-store collection sales processed and the iPads handed over to their new owners.

It took the company 11 days to realize it had made a mistake, and it is now asking customers who bought the iPads to either return them or pay almost full price for them. Unfortunately for the retailer, the terms and conditions attached to the order did not exclude pricing errors …

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Hackers have obtained customer data from a third-party company used by major Wall Street banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Citi. The disclosure comes just days after a Doordash data breach exposed names, addresses, phone numbers, and more.

SitmusAMC helps banks process mortgage applications and other real estate loans, and says that accounting records and legal agreements have been impacted by the hack …

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One of the new features of the iPhone 17 Pro is a liquid cooling system known as a vapor chamber. Apple has today highlighted the benefits of this in a new video on its YouTube channel, called Peak Performance.

The minute-long video opens with a man running in a desert and a drop of water falling from the sky to land on his forehead with a sizzle …

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Apple's online store has sold out of the limited-edition Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand accessibility accessory it debuted late last week. However, two new color options in production are set to be released in early December and can be pre-ordered directly from Hikawa's website.


Hikawa is offering the MagSafe-compatible Grip and Stand in Cobalt and Blurple Swirl, following the rapid sellout of its Chartreuse and Crater colors. The accessories cost £55 each (about $72 USD) and international shipping is available – but stock is extremely limited, so move quickly if you're interested.

Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Hikawa says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing angles, in both vertical and horizontal orientations.

Inspired by modern sculpture, the Hikawa's design process involved direct input from individuals with disabilities affecting muscle strength, dexterity, and hand control.

The Hikawa website also sells a range of unconventional high-end iPhone cases, as well as a selection of eye-catching toilet seats.
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Apple has published a new ad for the iPhone 17 Pro on its YouTube channel, highlighting the device's vapor chamber cooling and A19 Pro chip.


Titled "Peak Performance," the minute-long ad opens with a man running through an arid desert landscape when storm clouds coalesce above him. A drop of water falls from the sky and evaporates on his forehead, providing him with super-human performance and multitasking ability. A voiceover says:

The Apple A19 Pro chip is vapor cooled. Because when you run cool, you can push your limits. And juggle over 35 trillion complex tasks a second. Just imagine if we were that powerful...

As the man continues to run, he plays the keys on an elongated piano while solving a Rubik's cube with one hand, then breaks through a wall and dashes through a room of singers, before smashing through another wall and eclipsing the camera view.

Apple overhauled the thermal design of the iPhone 17 Pro models, adopting a vapor chamber cooling system. With the vapor chamber system, a small amount of deionized water moves heat away from the A19 Pro chip and distributes it throughout the iPhone's aluminum unibody frame. Apple says the design allows for 40 percent better sustained performance for demanding tasks.

Starting at $1,099 for the Pro and $1,199 for the Pro Max, the iPhone 17 Pro models are more expensive than the $999 iPhone Air and the $799 iPhone 17, but they have the most advanced feature set available in the iPhone line.
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With iPhone Air, Apple reintroduced the MagSafe battery pack. It’s $99, and optimized specifically for iPhone Air. It’s rather slim, though it’s rather weak in capacity – making Qi2 alternatives all the more interesting. We’ll be delving into the top options on the market, just in case you want a MagSafe battery for your iPhone without spending $99, or aren’t buying the iPhone Air.

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Next year, Apple will be introducing an even more affordable MacBook model to better compete with Chromebooks. It’s expected to come in around $699, offer an A18 Pro chip, and a 13-inch LCD display. While that’s likely going to be an excellent offering, there’s the simple fact that a lot of people buying Chromebooks are targeting even cheaper price points than that.

Luckily, Apple already has an excellent solution for some of these potential: the iPad, in pairing with a keyboard setup of your choosing.

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Apple updated its entire lineup of Apple Watch models this year, introducing the Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Ultra 3. If you’re shopping for someone or buying for yourself this holiday season, here’s what you need to know about Apple Watch SE 3 vs Apple Watch Series 11.

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iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features.


In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features.

Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects there to be new AI features. He said that iOS 27 will extend artificial intelligence to additional Apple apps, and he reiterated that there will be an Apple Health+ subscription service that offers personalized health recommendations and more.

He said this focus on improved quality over new features also applies to macOS 27.

The first betas of iOS 27, macOS 27, and other corresponding updates should be released shortly after Apple's annual developers conference WWDC next June.


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Earlier this month, the Financial Times reported that Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year."


While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to explain that an announcement early in the year would allow for a smooth leadership transition, ahead of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC in June and iPhone event in September.

However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he would be "shocked" if Cook steps down between late January and June next year.

"Based on everything I've learned in recent weeks, I don't believe a departure by the middle of next year is likely," said Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "In fact, I would be shocked if Cook steps down in the time frame outlined by the FT."

There have been "few signs internally" that Cook is about to step down, he added.

Gurman described the Financial Times report as "premature" and "simply false."

Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus, is widely viewed as Cook's most likely successor whenever the time comes.

Cook, who turned 65 this year, has been Apple's CEO since August 2011.


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Amazon this week is taking $70 off Wi-Fi models of Apple's 11th generation iPad. Prices start at $279.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00, matching the all-time low price on this model.

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

Additionally, Amazon has the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad for $379.00 ($70 off) and the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad for $579.00 ($70 off). Free delivery estimates are placed around November 29 for most of these iPad models, but Prime members should be able to get same-day delivery in many locations.





You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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Black Friday deals have begun, and Amazon is one of the best places you can find steep discounts on numerous products this week. We've already collected all of the best Apple-related deals you'll find at Amazon (and other retailers) in our Apple Black Friday Deals post, so below you'll find other discounts on devices like Anker accessories, Beats headphones, video games, TVs, and more.

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.

Anker

Highlights of Anker's Black Friday sale on Amazon include the 10,000 mAh Magnetic Power Bank for $29.99 ($19 off) and the popular 60,000mAh Power Station with Smart Digital Display and Retractable Light for $79.98, down from $149.99.

• Nano USB-C 30W Foldable Charger - $11.19, down from $19.99


• 10,000 mAh Magnetic Power Bank - $29.99, down from $49.99


• Soundcore V40i Open-Ear Headphones - $39.99, down from $79.99


• MagGo UFO 3-in-1 Charger - $57.49, down from $89.99


• 10,000 mAh MagGo Qi2 Power Bank - $54.99, down from $89.99


• 140W 4-Port USB-C Charger - $59.99, down from $99.99


• Power Station with Lantern - $79.98, down from $149.99

Beats

Amazon this week is discounting a collection of Beats headphones and speakers, including a low price on the Powerbeats Pro 2. You can get this new 2025 model for $199.95 in four colors, down from $249.99. This deal on the Powerbeats Pro 2 is being matched at Best Buy, along with a few other Beats deals.



This sale also includes major discounts on products like the Beats Pill, which has hit $99.95 on Amazon, down from $149.95. This discount is available in five colors of the Bluetooth speaker.

Additionally, Amazon has the Beats Studio Buds+ for $149.95, down from $169.95. These have up to 9 hours of playback (up to 36 hours with charging case), USB-C, active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance.

You'll also find a few steep discounts on over-ear headphones, like the Beats Studio Pro at $169.95, down from $349.99. This is another all-time low price on this pair of Beats headphones.

• Beats Studio Buds+ - $149.95, down from $169.95


• Beats Pill - $99.95, down from $149.95


• Beats Solo 4 - $129.99, down from $199.95


• Beats Studio Pro - $169.95, down from $349.99


• Powerbeats Pro 2 - $199.95, down from $249.99

TVs

Amazon's Black Friday TV deals are abundant, with most sales focusing on Smart Fire TV models with big discounts. You'll find brands like Insignia, Hisense, and Panasonic at solid low prices this season.

• 50-inch Insignia LED 4K Smart Fire TV - $169.99, down from $299.99


• 55-inch Hisense QLED 4K Smart Fire TV - $239.99, down from $429.99


• 65-inch Hisense QLED 4K Smart Fire TV - $349.99, down from $549.99


• 65-inch Samsung QLED Smart TV - $697.99, down from $897.99


• 75-inch LG Mini LED 4K Smart TV - $896.99, down from $1,096.99


• 65-inch Sony Bravia Mini LED 4K Smart Google TV - $998.00, down from $1,499.00


• 85-inch Sony Bravia Mini LED 4K Smart Google TV - $3,798.00, down from $4,799.00

Jackery

• Explorer 1000 V2 Portable Power Station - $349.00, down from $499.00


• Explorer 2000 Plus Solar Generator - $1,999.00, down from $4,399.00


• Explorer 2000 Plus Kit - $2,998.00, down from $6,499.00

Ecovacs

• Deebot N30 Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop - $349.99, down from $699.99


• Deebot T30S Pro Robot Vacuum - $399.99, down from $1,099.99


• Deebot T50 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum - $499.99, down from $699.99


• Deebot X9 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum - $699.99, down from $1,299.99

Video Games

• Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 - $109.99, down from $149.99


• PlayStation Portal - $179.00, down from $199.99


• PlayStation 5 (Slim) - $449.99, down from $549.99


• PlayStation DualSense Controller - $54.99, down from $74.99


• PlayStation DualSense Edge - $169.00, down from $199.99


• Meta Quest 3S - $249.99, down from $299.99


• PlayStation VR2 Horizon Bundle - $299.00, down from $399.99

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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Recently, the Financial Times reported that efforts to set up a succession plan for Apple CEO Tim Cook have ‘recently intensified’, and that the transition could happen as ‘early as next year,’ potentially even happening sometime in the spring.

Today, in his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed this story to likely be “simply false,” and that the moment is “not at hand.”

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This past year, Apple overhauled its design language across all of its major software platforms with the introduction of Liquid Glass. That dramatic redesign, coupled with a number of jam-packed feature releases over the past couple years, has resulted in many Apple users complaining about the overall quality of Apple software.

According to today’s Power On newsletter, Apple might be stepping back from new features, and instead focusing on underlying performance improvements. Let’s discuss.

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