Moment’s MagSafe holders are a great Black Friday deal.
I own 3 of their different MagSafe holders, and bought 2 more. Their (M)Force technology really provides a better grip than standard MagSafe, and the rubbery pad prevents any scratches.
Huge sale right now and you can get an extra $15 off if you give them your email. Definitely worth it. Currently I have both Wall Mount options and the Tripod Mount, and went for the Strap Anywhere and Dash Car Mounts at 50% off.
Get’em while they’re hot.
I own 3 of their different MagSafe holders, and bought 2 more. Their (M)Force technology really provides a better grip than standard MagSafe, and the rubbery pad prevents any scratches.
Huge sale right now and you can get an extra $15 off if you give them your email. Definitely worth it. Currently I have both Wall Mount options and the Tripod Mount, and went for the Strap Anywhere and Dash Car Mounts at 50% off.
Get’em while they’re hot.
Big Pharma joins Big Tech in the trillion dollar club.
Eli Lilly (LLY.N), opens new tab hit $1 trillion in market value on Friday, making it the first drugmaker to enter the exclusive club dominated by tech giants and underscoring its rise as a weight-loss powerhouse.
A more than 35% rally in the company's stock this year has largely been driven by the explosive growth of the weight-loss drug market.
In the last two years as new, highly effective obesity treatments hit the market, the category has emerged as one of the most lucrative segments in healthcare.
Sales of Lilly's tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for obesity, have also topped Merck's (MRK.N), opens new tab Keytruda as the world's best-selling drug.
I remember women jokingly asking me, when I worked as a retail pharmacist, if there is a magic pill for weight loss? There wasn’t anything available at the time, but now there is. Still not without serious risks, but the market has spoken.
Eli Lilly (LLY.N), opens new tab hit $1 trillion in market value on Friday, making it the first drugmaker to enter the exclusive club dominated by tech giants and underscoring its rise as a weight-loss powerhouse.
A more than 35% rally in the company's stock this year has largely been driven by the explosive growth of the weight-loss drug market.
In the last two years as new, highly effective obesity treatments hit the market, the category has emerged as one of the most lucrative segments in healthcare.
Sales of Lilly's tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for obesity, have also topped Merck's (MRK.N), opens new tab Keytruda as the world's best-selling drug.
I remember women jokingly asking me, when I worked as a retail pharmacist, if there is a magic pill for weight loss? There wasn’t anything available at the time, but now there is. Still not without serious risks, but the market has spoken.
Salacious iPhone Pocket pose.
When Apple released the iPhone Pocket, I had a dream:
One change I would suggest to Apple - swap out the iPhone 17 in this provocative photo to the iPhone Air.
Thinner and sexier.
Well, dreams do come true. 📓
When Apple released the iPhone Pocket, I had a dream:
One change I would suggest to Apple - swap out the iPhone 17 in this provocative photo to the iPhone Air.
Thinner and sexier.
Well, dreams do come true.
Apple’s high quality, high budget model (left), my low budget version (right).
It’s not a perfect one-to-one copy, but it still riles me up 😅. Not sure how Apple got the flap to float, but maybe their iPhone Pocket was sprayed stiff with some sort of hair spray, or it had tungsten inserts a la Vision Pro? My low-budget affair involved a basic phone stand to prop the phone, and a Q-tip to hold the flap in place.
That’s a clean Q-tip by the way.
Will Apple restock the iPhone Pocket?
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released.
iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. It quickly sold out in the United States, but some colors and size options were still available in South Korea and a few other countries until the past few days. [..,]
Given it is a limited-edition accessory, it is unclear if there will ever be additional inventory of the iPhone Pocket now that it is fully sold out worldwide.
I’m glad I snagged one just in time, but I’m confident more will be produced. If you look at the product page, it mentions “Special Edition” for iPhone Pocket, and “Limited Edition” for the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand. Special Edition doesn’t necessarily mean limited, and nowhere in the press release does it say limited production.
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released.
iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. It quickly sold out in the United States, but some colors and size options were still available in South Korea and a few other countries until the past few days. [..,]
Given it is a limited-edition accessory, it is unclear if there will ever be additional inventory of the iPhone Pocket now that it is fully sold out worldwide.
I’m glad I snagged one just in time, but I’m confident more will be produced. If you look at the product page, it mentions “Special Edition” for iPhone Pocket, and “Limited Edition” for the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand. Special Edition doesn’t necessarily mean limited, and nowhere in the press release does it say limited production.
TSMC investigates former Executive who retired and went to Intel.
Bloomberg (paywalled):
Intel Corp. Chief Executive Officer Lip-Bu Tan dismissed reports about a new hire taking trade secrets from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to his company, saying the US chipmaker respects other firms’ intellectual property.
Taiwanese newspapers spent the week reporting on the transition of Lo Wen-jen, 75, from his retirement from TSMC earlier this year to joining Intel in recent weeks. The executive is alleged to have taken proprietary knowhow from his former employer just before his departure.
“It’s rumor and speculation. There’s nothing to it. We respect IP,” Tan told Bloomberg News on the sidelines of the Semiconductor Industry Association Awards in San Jose on Thursday. […]
TSMC has opened an internal investigation about whether Lo has taken trade secrets without its consent, according to a person familiar with the matter. It is unclear whether TSMC has reached a conclusion about any potential damage to the company, the person added, asking not to be identified since the information is private.
Lo Wen-jen’s role at TSMC:
Lo was responsible for corporate strategy before his retirement from TSMC in July. He was at one point in charge of research and technology development at TSMC and played a key role in facilitating the mass production at TSMC of cutting-edge chips, including those used to make AI accelerators. He is also a laureate of Taiwan’s prestigious Industrial Technology Research Institute.
He also was part of Intel before he joined TSMC:
Before he joined TSMC in 2004, Lo spent some time at Intel focusing on advanced technology development, including running a chip factory in Santa Clara, California. He has a doctorate degree in solid state physics and surface chemistry from UC Berkeley.
Many companies have this issue, but things get more sensitive when TSMC gets involved, being the low-key hub of the world’s economy.
Bloomberg (paywalled):
Intel Corp. Chief Executive Officer Lip-Bu Tan dismissed reports about a new hire taking trade secrets from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to his company, saying the US chipmaker respects other firms’ intellectual property.
Taiwanese newspapers spent the week reporting on the transition of Lo Wen-jen, 75, from his retirement from TSMC earlier this year to joining Intel in recent weeks. The executive is alleged to have taken proprietary knowhow from his former employer just before his departure.
“It’s rumor and speculation. There’s nothing to it. We respect IP,” Tan told Bloomberg News on the sidelines of the Semiconductor Industry Association Awards in San Jose on Thursday. […]
TSMC has opened an internal investigation about whether Lo has taken trade secrets without its consent, according to a person familiar with the matter. It is unclear whether TSMC has reached a conclusion about any potential damage to the company, the person added, asking not to be identified since the information is private.
Lo Wen-jen’s role at TSMC:
Lo was responsible for corporate strategy before his retirement from TSMC in July. He was at one point in charge of research and technology development at TSMC and played a key role in facilitating the mass production at TSMC of cutting-edge chips, including those used to make AI accelerators. He is also a laureate of Taiwan’s prestigious Industrial Technology Research Institute.
He also was part of Intel before he joined TSMC:
Before he joined TSMC in 2004, Lo spent some time at Intel focusing on advanced technology development, including running a chip factory in Santa Clara, California. He has a doctorate degree in solid state physics and surface chemistry from UC Berkeley.
Many companies have this issue, but things get more sensitive when TSMC gets involved, being the low-key hub of the world’s economy.
Putting an iPhone 17 Pro under a microscope.
If you love macro photography and videography, this one’s for you. Also informative for those who didn’t know it is normal to have some extremely tiny dust inside the camera lenses because you can’t get a perfect dust-free enclosure.
If you love macro photography and videography, this one’s for you. Also informative for those who didn’t know it is normal to have some extremely tiny dust inside the camera lenses because you can’t get a perfect dust-free enclosure.
Where does Apple stand in the mix of AI deals?
A nice infographic from Bloomberg showing all the AI dealings that are happening. Who's missing from this Infographic?
Apple.
Not a huge surprise since Apple is struggling from an AI perspective to not only release useful features, but also to retain key figures who are defecting left and right. On the flip side, what is almost certain is Google Gemini will be the backbone of the new improved version of Siri that will eventually launch, so you can kinda throw Apple piggybacking on the Alphabet bubble.
A nice infographic from Bloomberg showing all the AI dealings that are happening. Who's missing from this Infographic?
Apple.
Not a huge surprise since Apple is struggling from an AI perspective to not only release useful features, but also to retain key figures who are defecting left and right. On the flip side, what is almost certain is Google Gemini will be the backbone of the new improved version of Siri that will eventually launch, so you can kinda throw Apple piggybacking on the Alphabet bubble.
Apple doesn’t restock the iPhone Pocket, but releases the limited edition Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand.
Not what we were expecting on Friday, but it’s nice to see these partnerships from Apple with other, lesser known companies.
The Product overview from Apple:
The Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand is a MagSafe compatible adaptive accessory for iPhone designed by Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple. Designed with direct input from individuals with disabilities affecting muscle strength, dexterity, and hand control, this ergonomic grip was designed with accessibility in mind from the ground up. The grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe, can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand to support iPhone at two different viewing angles, both vertically and horizontally. Inspired by modern sculpture, each Hikawa product is an art object unto itself. The limited edition Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand is available in two colors, a bold, high-visibility Chartreuse and recycled Crater, exclusive to Apple.
Of course it’s already sold out, but you can still pre-order additional colors and get it directly from the Bailey Hikawa website. Not egregious at $69.95, but it looks to be even more low stock than iPhone Pocket.
P.S. It works with iPhone mini, but without a case.
Not what we were expecting on Friday, but it’s nice to see these partnerships from Apple with other, lesser known companies.
The Product overview from Apple:
The Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand is a MagSafe compatible adaptive accessory for iPhone designed by Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple. Designed with direct input from individuals with disabilities affecting muscle strength, dexterity, and hand control, this ergonomic grip was designed with accessibility in mind from the ground up. The grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe, can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand to support iPhone at two different viewing angles, both vertically and horizontally. Inspired by modern sculpture, each Hikawa product is an art object unto itself. The limited edition Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand is available in two colors, a bold, high-visibility Chartreuse and recycled Crater, exclusive to Apple.
Of course it’s already sold out, but you can still pre-order additional colors and get it directly from the Bailey Hikawa website. Not egregious at $69.95, but it looks to be even more low stock than iPhone Pocket.
P.S. It works with iPhone mini, but without a case.
Car makers going all in on touchscreens is a bad idea.
Kirk Kreifels does a mini rant/analysis why touchscreens and physical controls need to coexist in cars, and why voice assistants and touchscreens shouldn’t replace physical buttons.
Either way you fall on this spectrum, it’s getting to the point where the safety features in cars are almost a self-fulfilling prophecy:
Make the cars safer with more sensors and cameras, because of more distractions while driving, caused by poor driver controls.
Kirk Kreifels does a mini rant/analysis why touchscreens and physical controls need to coexist in cars, and why voice assistants and touchscreens shouldn’t replace physical buttons.
Either way you fall on this spectrum, it’s getting to the point where the safety features in cars are almost a self-fulfilling prophecy:
Make the cars safer with more sensors and cameras, because of more distractions while driving, caused by poor driver controls.
iPhone Pocket is still sold out, after launching a week ago.
Will we get another opportunity to get this extremely limited product? We can only hope that Apple drops some more stock today?
Will we get another opportunity to get this extremely limited product? We can only hope that Apple drops some more stock today?
Apple shows off its 3D printing capabilities for Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Titanium Apple Watch Series 11.
Nothing short of visual ASMR for the nerdy.
I’ll be rewatching the clips from Apple’s post when I leave my current location - my current, bluish-gray tinted monitor with its 1024 x 768 resolution isn’t doing it justice.
Nothing short of visual ASMR for the nerdy.
I’ll be rewatching the clips from Apple’s post when I leave my current location - my current, bluish-gray tinted monitor with its 1024 x 768 resolution isn’t doing it justice.
My kids like my 2013 MacBook Pro for one reason…
The glowing light.
Simple, elegant, and no longer an “in your face” flex. Times have changed, along with Mac security, meaning the glowing Apple logo is no longer a theft target on your back. It would be nice if it made a return in the next generation of MacBook Pro devices, but in Apple’s new (more justified) quest for thinness and possible touch-screen capabilities, don’t expect it to make a comeback.
The glowing light.
Simple, elegant, and no longer an “in your face” flex. Times have changed, along with Mac security, meaning the glowing Apple logo is no longer a theft target on your back. It would be nice if it made a return in the next generation of MacBook Pro devices, but in Apple’s new (more justified) quest for thinness and possible touch-screen capabilities, don’t expect it to make a comeback.
The perfect midlife crisis watch face for Apple Watch Ultra.
You’re backpacking in the Alps, trying to get some fresh air and a fresh perspective on life. In your mind, you’re trying to prove your self-worth and let yourself know that you still, “got it.”
“I’m not getting old,” you say to yourself.
I’m still young, strong, and have the stamina to keep up with life’s challenges.
You delude yourself and start thinking, “I’m not getting old, I’m getting optimized.”
You’ve built up some wealth, are able to stay in shape, started a family, got a good calcium score, all with God’s blessings, and are wondering:
What is the next path in my life?
But before you get too existential, you realize that you’re way too deep into the cavernous mountains, and need some assistance getting back to base. Fortunately, you have the latest and greatest Apple Watch Ultra, and you’re using your favorite watch face: 📓
You’re backpacking in the Alps, trying to get some fresh air and a fresh perspective on life. In your mind, you’re trying to prove your self-worth and let yourself know that you still, “got it.”
“I’m not getting old,” you say to yourself.
I’m still young, strong, and have the stamina to keep up with life’s challenges.
You delude yourself and start thinking, “I’m not getting old, I’m getting optimized.”
You’ve built up some wealth, are able to stay in shape, started a family, got a good calcium score, all with God’s blessings, and are wondering:
What is the next path in my life?
But before you get too existential, you realize that you’re way too deep into the cavernous mountains, and need some assistance getting back to base. Fortunately, you have the latest and greatest Apple Watch Ultra, and you’re using your favorite watch face:
Waypoint.
It’s the perfect watch face because it provides a nice big digital clock for your bifocal-ready eyes, surrounded by a compass pointing to your waypoints and other places of interest for your shrinking brain. The watch face and compass are also flanked by 3 corner complications that you struggle a bit to focus on, but there’s a plus-sized complication that comes to the rescue.
No bifocals required.
This (officially named as “circular”) complication, combined with other convenient and larger features of the watch face, makes Waypoint the perfect transition to Senior Citizenship. It’s got a conflicting vibe, just like the mid-life crisis, where you have regular and large complications, and an adventurous vibe all mashed into one. This wasn’t Apple’s intent because the bigger complication by default is a smaller compass, making it worse for people with poor vision, but if you change the complication to anything else, it an accessibility feature.
From small compass, to accessibility text bubble.
1x, 2x, and 4x, sized text bubbles (from my crude measurements).
Much easier to read your unread message count with the larger circular complication, whether it’s Waypoint or X-Large.
Whether it is battery life, health, communication, or prayer, you can use the larger complication to focus (pun intended) on what matters most to you.
Hopefully more developers start taking advantage of this new complication.
Tesla to support CarPlay in future software update.
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg:
Tesla Inc. is developing support for Apple Inc.’s CarPlay system in its vehicles, according to people with knowledge of the matter, working to add one of the most highly requested features by customers.
The carmaker has started testing the capability internally, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort is still private. The CarPlay platform — long supported by other automakers — shows users a version of the iPhone’s software that’s optimized for vehicle infotainment systems. It’s considered a must-have option by many drivers.
It will be the standard version of CarPlay with wireless support, not CarPlay Ultra. How will CarPlay integrate with Tesla’s infotainment system? The article continues:
Tesla plans to feature CarPlay within a window inside its broader interface, the people said. That means the Apple software won’t fully replace the Tesla operating system as it does in many other vehicles.
CarPlay also won’t tap into Tesla features like FSD, or full self-driving mode. Drivers will need to rely on Tesla’s own navigation app for that.
It would be interesting to see how this, “window inside its broader interface” pans out. I spent a decent amount of time in the latest Model Y in a buddy’s car that had all of the self-driving features, and it would be weird to have two maps side-by-side in certain situations (one for self-driving and one with Apple Maps). You can bet your bottom dollar that other car manufacturers are going to watch this integration closely, as Tesla pioneered big-screen integration and a software oriented car UI before anyone else.
This is obviously great news for Apple customers and a strategic, aka desperate move from Tesla to get those sales going since the end of the EV tax credit. It’s not their only move on the chessboard, with a rental program that starts at $60/day:
The rental duration is a minimum of three and a maximum of seven days, starting at $60 per day and increasing depending on the model.
Tesla appears to be using this to show potential buyers how convenient it is to own a Tesla vehicle, since it also includes Supercharging and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for free with every rental.
If a rental customer decides to order a vehicle within a week of having rented one, Tesla gives them a $250 credit toward the purchase.
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg:
Tesla Inc. is developing support for Apple Inc.’s CarPlay system in its vehicles, according to people with knowledge of the matter, working to add one of the most highly requested features by customers.
The carmaker has started testing the capability internally, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort is still private. The CarPlay platform — long supported by other automakers — shows users a version of the iPhone’s software that’s optimized for vehicle infotainment systems. It’s considered a must-have option by many drivers.
It will be the standard version of CarPlay with wireless support, not CarPlay Ultra. How will CarPlay integrate with Tesla’s infotainment system? The article continues:
Tesla plans to feature CarPlay within a window inside its broader interface, the people said. That means the Apple software won’t fully replace the Tesla operating system as it does in many other vehicles.
CarPlay also won’t tap into Tesla features like FSD, or full self-driving mode. Drivers will need to rely on Tesla’s own navigation app for that.
It would be interesting to see how this, “window inside its broader interface” pans out. I spent a decent amount of time in the latest Model Y in a buddy’s car that had all of the self-driving features, and it would be weird to have two maps side-by-side in certain situations (one for self-driving and one with Apple Maps). You can bet your bottom dollar that other car manufacturers are going to watch this integration closely, as Tesla pioneered big-screen integration and a software oriented car UI before anyone else.
This is obviously great news for Apple customers and a strategic, aka desperate move from Tesla to get those sales going since the end of the EV tax credit. It’s not their only move on the chessboard, with a rental program that starts at $60/day:
The rental duration is a minimum of three and a maximum of seven days, starting at $60 per day and increasing depending on the model.
Tesla appears to be using this to show potential buyers how convenient it is to own a Tesla vehicle, since it also includes Supercharging and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for free with every rental.
If a rental customer decides to order a vehicle within a week of having rented one, Tesla gives them a $250 credit toward the purchase.
You can buy a MacBook sleeve that looks like a macOS folder.
The Untitled Folder Purse is the Untitled Folder Wallet grown up to laptop size, this time as genuine leather instead of vegan (fake) leather. A great gift for any Apple fan, and more practical than the iPhone Pocket.
For a genuine leather product, the $120 (14-inch) and $140 (16-inch) price tags seem reasonable.
The Untitled Folder Purse is the Untitled Folder Wallet grown up to laptop size, this time as genuine leather instead of vegan (fake) leather. A great gift for any Apple fan, and more practical than the iPhone Pocket.
For a genuine leather product, the $120 (14-inch) and $140 (16-inch) price tags seem reasonable.
BasicAppleGuy releases his famous iPhone 17 Pro internal wallpapers.
A no-brainer purchase for iPhone 17 Pro users. He leaves a bit of a cliffhanger for iPhone 17 and Air users:
Right now, the plan is to start work on the iPhone Air internals wallpaper, aiming for an early December 2025 release. I’m still on the fence about doing one for the iPhone 17—it’s tough to know if the time and effort will really pay off. Still weighing my options…
Sounds like good news for iPhone Air users, but is that really the best option? Passion wise it is, but realistically, iPhone 17 sales are higher, meaning higher demand (and purchases) for a wallpaper set. Then again, iPhone Air users have extra cash to spend and are more likely to be enthusiasts, so is that the better option? It is quite the pickle.
For all you Pro users, go ahead and buy the 17 Pro wallpapers.
A no-brainer purchase for iPhone 17 Pro users. He leaves a bit of a cliffhanger for iPhone 17 and Air users:
Right now, the plan is to start work on the iPhone Air internals wallpaper, aiming for an early December 2025 release. I’m still on the fence about doing one for the iPhone 17—it’s tough to know if the time and effort will really pay off. Still weighing my options…
Sounds like good news for iPhone Air users, but is that really the best option? Passion wise it is, but realistically, iPhone 17 sales are higher, meaning higher demand (and purchases) for a wallpaper set. Then again, iPhone Air users have extra cash to spend and are more likely to be enthusiasts, so is that the better option? It is quite the pickle.
For all you Pro users, go ahead and buy the 17 Pro wallpapers.
Apple releases iPhone Pocket.
I thought this was a prank on X when I first saw it. If this wasn’t a collaboration with a design brand, I would assume the prices would be half the real price of $149 (short version) and $229 (long version).
One change I would suggest to Apple - swap out the iPhone 17 in this provocative photo to the iPhone Air.
Thinner and sexier.
I thought this was a prank on X when I first saw it. If this wasn’t a collaboration with a design brand, I would assume the prices would be half the real price of $149 (short version) and $229 (long version).
One change I would suggest to Apple - swap out the iPhone 17 in this provocative photo to the iPhone Air.
Thinner and sexier.
Will Apple’s “Can’t Decide Guide,” video for the 2025 iPhones become its most popular YouTube video?
It’s been out for 2 months, already has 50 million views, and only 1 million views away from being the number 2 video behind the glorified MacBook security features video that has 79 million views.
For context let’s look at the video release dates of Apple’s top 4 videos along with view count to really see the impact of this year’s iPhones:
The Underdogs: Swiped Mac | Apple at Work - 79 million views, released 7/19/23
Heartstrings | Apple Holiday | Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 - 51 million views, released 11/28/24
Someday, by Spike Jonze | AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation - 44 million views, released 3/18/25
The Can’t Decide Guide: A Guided Tour of the New iPhone Family | Apple - 50 million views, released 9/9/25
I’ve been checking it every few days, and it keeps going up by a few million each time. My assumption is it will continue to gain tons of views for the holiday season, and then drastically taper off. It’s still slotted as the fourth most popular video even though it has the 3rd highest view count. (Even YouTube can’t keep up?)
Will it pass the 79 million views mark before then? Whether that happens or not, there’s no denying that the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup is going to be a super-cycle upgrade year for Apple with 3 amazing choices.
It genuinely is tough to decide this year. You have the base iPhone 17, which has the best value in any smartphone today and even feels more premium than the 17 Pro. The iPhone Air is a glimpse of the future, with the most durable and slimmest chassis ever to be offered by Apple. Finally, the 17 Pro is chock full of features that most people will never use, but are still glad they have. It’s the soccer mom’s off road SUV that never touches grass.
It’s been out for 2 months, already has 50 million views, and only 1 million views away from being the number 2 video behind the glorified MacBook security features video that has 79 million views.
For context let’s look at the video release dates of Apple’s top 4 videos along with view count to really see the impact of this year’s iPhones:
The Underdogs: Swiped Mac | Apple at Work - 79 million views, released 7/19/23
Heartstrings | Apple Holiday | Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 - 51 million views, released 11/28/24
Someday, by Spike Jonze | AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation - 44 million views, released 3/18/25
The Can’t Decide Guide: A Guided Tour of the New iPhone Family | Apple - 50 million views, released 9/9/25
I’ve been checking it every few days, and it keeps going up by a few million each time. My assumption is it will continue to gain tons of views for the holiday season, and then drastically taper off. It’s still slotted as the fourth most popular video even though it has the 3rd highest view count. (Even YouTube can’t keep up?)
Will it pass the 79 million views mark before then? Whether that happens or not, there’s no denying that the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup is going to be a super-cycle upgrade year for Apple with 3 amazing choices.
It genuinely is tough to decide this year. You have the base iPhone 17, which has the best value in any smartphone today and even feels more premium than the 17 Pro. The iPhone Air is a glimpse of the future, with the most durable and slimmest chassis ever to be offered by Apple. Finally, the 17 Pro is chock full of features that most people will never use, but are still glad they have. It’s the soccer mom’s off road SUV that never touches grass.
The Modular Ultra watch face is reason enough to buy an Apple Watch Ultra.
Ryan Christoffel from 9to5Mac, describing why he loves Apple Watch Ultra:
But overall, my favorite Apple Watch Ultra 3 feature is something not exclusive to the Ultra 3 at all: it’s the Modular Ultra watch face.
After years spent using the standard ‘Modular’ face on my previous Apple Watch models, Modular Ultra has been the single biggest upgrade in going ‘Ultra’ this year.
And in a way, that spotlights what I’d call the Ultra line’s unfair advantage.
Despite Apple Watch Series 11 and Series 10 having very “Ultra-like” screen sizes in their 46mm models, Modular Ultra is exclusive to the more pricey Ultra line.
Is there a hardware reason for this limitation? No, it’s entirely a software decision by Apple.
To be honest though, I have a hard time faulting Apple for this move.
Modular Ultra and the other Ultra-exclusive faces are fantastic differentiators for the Ultra line.
Since the watch face is the primary interface for Apple Watch, getting the ideal face for your needs could itself make upgrading to an Ultra model worthwhile.
I think it has been for me.
I agree wholeheartedly. All the other upgrades are nice year over year, but the exclusive watch faces for the Ultra are worth it, something I can’t say about the exclusive Hermès watch faces. I currently have 3 different Modular Ultra watch faces that I use daily with 3 different layouts, and a 4th one setup for testing purposes to see if Apple (hopefully) allows complications to update every second in always off mode.
Ryan Christoffel from 9to5Mac, describing why he loves Apple Watch Ultra:
But overall, my favorite Apple Watch Ultra 3 feature is something not exclusive to the Ultra 3 at all: it’s the Modular Ultra watch face.
After years spent using the standard ‘Modular’ face on my previous Apple Watch models, Modular Ultra has been the single biggest upgrade in going ‘Ultra’ this year.
And in a way, that spotlights what I’d call the Ultra line’s unfair advantage.
Despite Apple Watch Series 11 and Series 10 having very “Ultra-like” screen sizes in their 46mm models, Modular Ultra is exclusive to the more pricey Ultra line.
Is there a hardware reason for this limitation? No, it’s entirely a software decision by Apple.
To be honest though, I have a hard time faulting Apple for this move.
Modular Ultra and the other Ultra-exclusive faces are fantastic differentiators for the Ultra line.
Since the watch face is the primary interface for Apple Watch, getting the ideal face for your needs could itself make upgrading to an Ultra model worthwhile.
I think it has been for me.
I agree wholeheartedly. All the other upgrades are nice year over year, but the exclusive watch faces for the Ultra are worth it, something I can’t say about the exclusive Hermès watch faces. I currently have 3 different Modular Ultra watch faces that I use daily with 3 different layouts, and a 4th one setup for testing purposes to see if Apple (hopefully) allows complications to update every second in always off mode.
Doing my hearing test on AirPods Pro 3.
While I was testing the AirPods Pro 3, I figured it was the right time to do a hearing test, now that the Noise Cancellation is twice as good as AirPods Pro 2. I’m happy with the results, especially since I disabled headphone safety notifications. I would say the 6 dBHL for my left ear was due to the air conditioner being on, which I couldn’t tell since the AirPods go into Noise Cancellation mode during the test. I only noticed it after the left ear was done, it was totally silent, and then I heard the AC cycle off. Then the right ear test started. I didn’t feel like doing another one, but I’m sure the results would have been a lot closer to the 1 dBHL.
Still, I don’t have the robust ears of someone in their 20s. I’m reminded of this fact every time my younger brother (17 years younger!) tells me to unplug my charger since he can hear the coil whine.
For more official numbers, check out ASHA’s website.
While I was testing the AirPods Pro 3, I figured it was the right time to do a hearing test, now that the Noise Cancellation is twice as good as AirPods Pro 2. I’m happy with the results, especially since I disabled headphone safety notifications. I would say the 6 dBHL for my left ear was due to the air conditioner being on, which I couldn’t tell since the AirPods go into Noise Cancellation mode during the test. I only noticed it after the left ear was done, it was totally silent, and then I heard the AC cycle off. Then the right ear test started. I didn’t feel like doing another one, but I’m sure the results would have been a lot closer to the 1 dBHL.
Still, I don’t have the robust ears of someone in their 20s. I’m reminded of this fact every time my younger brother (17 years younger!) tells me to unplug my charger since he can hear the coil whine.
For more official numbers, check out ASHA’s website.