Apple is preparing several product launches for early 2025, including new iPads, a very popular Mac, a new iPhone, and more. Here’s a look at what’s coming, and why now may be either the best or worst time to buy Apple’s existing products.

The excellent smart home brand Aqara is making it more affordable than ever to give the gift of HomeKit this holiday season — even if the gift is for yourself. 9to5Mac readers can save big on smart home products from Aqara that work with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Home Assistant. From connected door locks to doorbell cameras and sensors that power automation, now is the time to take advantage of these great prices from Aqara.

Apple’s Wallet app on iPhone has offered built-in order tracking since iOS 16. But there’s a good chance you’ve never seen it before. Here’s everything you should know about how order tracking works, and why it’s so rare to see.

Our master collection of Black Friday deals has now been updated for your cash-saving pleasure, but we have some new deals and additional highlights to put front and center for today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break as well. Firstly, we are now tracking up to $300 off M4 iPad Pro configurations alongside the most affordable models at new Black Friday all-time lows. The official Black Friday M4 Mac mini deals have arrived with options starting from $500, Amazon is giving out $15 in FREE credit with Apple Gift Card purchases, and Twelve South’s fantastic MagSafe charger, MacBook stands, and more are now at some of the best prices of the year. All of that joins a whole lot more down below too. 

There are so many streaming services these days, the cost really adds up if you subscribe to more than a few at once. But for Black Friday weekend, almost every streamer is offering huge discounts that make it possible to go on a subscription frenzy without hurting your wallet. You can get Max, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, and Paramount+ for a fraction of their normal cost.

With Christmas shopping hitting its peak, time’s running out to get those online orders in before the rush pushes you into the last-minute store scramble. HomeKit accessories make great gifts for any Apple fans—they’re always in demand and add value to any smart home setup. For this week’s HomeKit Weekly, I’ve compiled a 2024 HomeKit gift guide to help you find the perfect addition for your favorite Apple fan.

With Black Friday officially here, Apple has launched its annual shopping event with savings on some of its most popular products.

However, you can save more by heading to Apple’s retail partners. Our friends over at 9to5Toys have been corralling the best Apple deals all week.

A law enforcement agency has said that both Instagram and TikTok are increasingly being used to recruit money mules, who are either knowingly or unknowingly helping criminal gangs to launder money.

Those caught face prison sentences of up to 14 years, and are also likely to be banned from holding or opening a bank account …

Apple has increased its iPad trade-in values, with iPad Pro models seeing a $35 increase in the maximum value possible.

However, all other models have seen the upper limit on their trade-in values increased by just $5 …

Things haven’t exactly been going to plan with TSMC’s Arizona chip plants, but the company is claiming that the second plant could be making 2nm chips in the US as early as 2028. Previously announced plans talked only of 3nm chips by this date.

However, the Taiwanese government acknowledges that 2nm chip production in Arizona could be delayed to 2029 or 2030 …

A mistake saw British iPhone users yesterday receive a range of severe weather alerts, one of them citing “severe high temperatures” of 39F (4C). Some of the alerts warned of a “significant threat to life” …

Note: This report contains links to reports about teenage suicides

Australia has followed France in imposing a social media ban for kids, and other countries are expected to follow. The French government is now pushing for an EU-wide ban.

Social media platforms are of course pushing back as they face losing a demographic seen as key to their future, and questions are being raised about how the ban will be enforced …

Following pre-Black Friday sales, GRID – the company known for transforming gadgets into wall art – has unveiled its Black Friday 2024 deals. This year’s Black Friday deals feature significant discounts on some of GRID’s most popular frames, giving tech enthusiasts and nostalgia lovers the perfect opportunity to add a touch of tech history to your home or office decor.

Our friends over at 9to5Toys have all the latest details on the best Black Friday deals.

Black Friday 2024 is here, and it’s a great time to buy new gadgets like headphones, which are indispensable for many people. And if you’re considering buying new headphones or earbuds this Black Friday, there are two great options with special discounts: AirPods Pro 2 and Beats Studio Pro.

Our friends over at 9to5Toys have all the latest details on the best Black Friday deals.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

: Check out Roborock’s incredible Black Friday Deals now.

The streaming era has certainly changed the way we listen to music. There are curated playlists, algorithms and many other influences. With this in mind, the developers behind NowPlaying are now launching an Apple TV app, which aims to encourage people to listen to entire albums like in the old days.

With Apple Intelligence requiring an M1 chip or newer, it’s never been a better time to buy your first MacBook, or upgrade an older MacBook you’re still holding on to. MacBooks are more affordable than ever in the Apple Silicon era, with the cheapest options starting below $600. Black Friday deals make it a better time than ever to buy a new MacBook without blowing your bank account.

Our friends over at 9to5Toys have all the latest details on the best Black Friday deals.

TORRAS is excited to announce that its popular next-generation Ostand 360 spin stand case for the iPhone 16 series is now available in brand new colors!

Don’t miss out on TORRAS’ 15% Black Friday discount on the new iPhone 16 Ostand 360 case.

We already rounded up all of the most notable price drops now live on Apple gear and accessories this morning, but there’s new deals and some serious showcase offers we want to highlight for today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break. You can now score up to $400 off the M4 Max MacBook Pro configs, delivering the lowest prices ever alongside the more affordable models from $1,399. We also spotted the Natural Titanium Apple Watch Ultra 2 at a sizable $179 off the going rate – the lowest price ever outside of a recent YMMV offer. Those deals join some of the best prices of the year on our favorite Apple Watch bands and iPhone 16 cases, an Apple Pencil offer from just $37.50, and more. Scope it all out below. 

Space Black has been the hot new Apple color lately, coming to products like the and iPad Pro. However, Apple never released Space Black for the new , and stuck to just silver. Luckily, one Apple enthusiast decided to paint his Mac mini in black, and it looks pretty good…

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will now be going after more scammers after it closed a significant loophole in the law.

The agency says the expanded scope of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) will be of particular benefit to seniors, who disproportionately fall victim to fake tech support calls …

The popular Apple sci-fi drama Severance is getting an official companion podcast, alongside the release of season two. The podcast will be hosted by the show’s director Ben Stiller, and star Adam Scott (Mark). It will include appearances from other cast members like Britt Lower (Helly), Zach Cherry, as well as the show’s creator Dan Erickson.

The podcast will debut on January 7th, with daily episodes covering each episode of Severance season one. The podcast will continue in weekly instalments alongside the premiere of every new episode of season two of the show. As a reminder, Severance season two commences January 17, with new episodes each Friday.