Macworld picks Apple’s biggest hits and misses of 2025
Macworld As 2025 comes to a close, Macworld is proud to present our Apple awards, a look back at the best and worst of everything released over the past 12 months. It was a busy year for Apple, with new products across its entire range of products, including iPhone, iPad, AirPods, Mac, and even Vision Pro. So join us as we recognize the products that made the most impact in 2025: iPhone/iOS Emma Rowley / Foundry iPhone of the Year:  iPhone 17 The iPhone 17 isn’t just the best iPhone of 2025; it’s the best iPhone of the last five years. Apple finally stopped holding back features that should be table stakes for an $800 phone. You get double the storage, 120Hz ProMotion, 50 percent higher peak brightness, always-on display, better cameras, and speed and battery life that both exceed last year’s Pro model. All without raising the price. There’s never been a better year not to go Pro. — Jason Cross Apple iOS feature of the year:  Tackling Spam Call Screening will silently answer unknown numbers and ask them to say why they’re calling, and you can see it all right on screen. It’s a great way to eliminate spam calls without missing legit calls from numbers that just aren’t in your contacts. Couple that with new spam filtering in Messages, as well as in the Phone app and FaceTime, and Apple is finally doing something about one of the biggest pain points of using a smartphone. There’s still a long way to go, but since upgrading to iOS 26 and enabling these features, I’ve noticed a big drop in the number of times a day I pick up my phone only to immediately hang up on a solicitation message. — Jason Cross Britta O’Boyle Color of the Year: Cosmic Orange For the company that ostracized beige as the default color in computing when it launched the out-there Bondi Blue iMac in 1998, Apple has been rather tame in terms of its recent color choices. The iPhone 17 Pro’s Cosmic Orange is therefore a refreshing shock to the system and a vibrant return to form. Orange is no longer restricted to traffic cones and dodgy Seventies furniture. The Apple Store should hand out sunglasses for the crowds picking up the vibrant new iPhone and ignoring the dark blue one. There’s even a growing range of orange accessories available for the new phone. — Simon Jary Apple Oddity of the Year: iPhone Pocket Readers of a certain vintage who still fondly remember when Apple released a pair of socks for its iPod back in 2004, were rocked once again with the unexpected—and indeed unasked-for—iPhone Pocket, which the company described as “a singular 3D-knitted construction designed to fully enclose iPhone, while expanding to fit your everyday items”. Designed in conjunction with the Issey Miyake design studio famous for Steve Jobs’ trademark turtleneck, the iPhone Pocket comes in eight crazy colors, including Peacock, Sapphire, and Cinnamon. We all laughed until it sold out in mere minutes. — Simon Jary Foundry Flop of the Year: Liquid Glass Liquid Glass was Apple’s bold new, all-encompassing design language that radically changed the look of Apple’s software across all of the OS 26 software updates. Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of Human Interface Design, tried to channel his inner Jony Ive by describing it as making “even the simplest of interactions more fun and magical.” We didn’t get that. Instead, Liquid Glass is the worst example of flamboyance over function, the opposite of Ive’s philosophy. — Simon Jary Mac/macOS Foundry Mac of the Year: M3 Ultra Mac Studio Overall, 2025 was a quiet year for Mac hardware, but one Mac made a sizable impact on Apple’s lineup. The Mac Studio was a bit of a surprise because its M3 Ultra chip was released out of sequence with  Apple’s usual cadence. Still, in the Mac Studio, it’s the fastest Mac available, leaving the M2 Ultra Mac Pro behind—way behind. At thousands less, it basically renders the Mac Pro irrelevant to everyone who doesn’t really need an expansion card. With its exhilarating CPU speed, powerful GPU performance, and robust expandability, the Mac Studio became King of the Macs in 2025. — Roman Loyola Apple Chip of the Year: M5 To say, “Apple is on a roll,” undercuts how much momentum the company has with its chips. Apple silicon is downright killing it, and the M5 chip exemplifies why. Making its debut in the MacBook Pro, the M5 provides an ideal and unprecedented combination of processing speed, graphics power, and energy efficiency in a consumer-level chip. The M5 is so good that Apple felt that it could wait until next year to release the M5 Pro and Max variants. — Roman Loyola Foundry Disappointment of the Year: Mac Pro While every other Mac has some version of the M4 and the 14-inch MacBook Pro has an M5, Apple’s most expensive Mac still has the same M2 Ultra chip it got back in June 2023. Meanwhile, the Mac Studio with a superior M3 Ultra costs a couple of thousand dollars less, and I’m left to wonder: How can Apple charge upwards of $10,000 for a Mac with a two-plus-generation-old chip? There were plenty of opportunities to update the Mac Pro in 2025, but instead, Apple let it languish another year with the same aging processor. — Roman Loyola iPad/iPadOS Foundry iPad of the Year: iPad Pro M5 Apple updated three of its four iPads in 2025 (sorry iPad mini), but the M5 iPad Pro is really the only one that could be considered for this distinction. All three updates were essentially chip refreshes (A14 to A16 (iPad); M2 to M3 (iPad Air); M4 to M5 (iPad Pro), but only the iPad Pro delivered a noticeable boost over its predecessor. Add in 50 percent more entry-level RAM, faster Wi-Fi, and fast charging, and you’ve got an upgrade worthy of a pro. — Michael Simon Apple Update of the year: iPadOS 26 This year’s WWDC keynote was jam-packed with features, from Liquid Glass to Live Translation and revamped app designs. But the star of the show was iPadOS 26, which introduced a new interface that incorporated many of the visual and productivity elements users have wanted for years, with resizable windows, macOS-like multitasking, and a new lease on life. — Michael Simon Apple Watch David Price / Foundry Watch of the year: Apple Watch SE 3 Strictly speaking, the Series 11 was the best Apple Watch to come out this year (I find the Ultra models too bulky for everyday wear), but the SE 3 was without a doubt the one I’d recommend to a friend. It’s nearly as good and far better value. As part of the 2025 refresh, the SE gained an always-on display, a bigger and longer-lasting battery, improved scratch resistance, new health features and gestures, on-device Siri, and the option of 5G. And all that for $249! Forget the Series 11; this has everything you need from a smartwatch at an excellent price. — David Price Services Apple Apple TV show of the year: ‘Pluribus’ There’s something nerve-wracking about recommending a TV show in the middle of a run–particularly one as unpredictable as Pluribus. Who knows where it will go from here? But just six episodes into the debut season of this frequently funny, occasionally harrowing sci-fi drama, and even against strong competition from the second season of Severance, I feel (reasonably) confident naming this as the Apple TV show of the year. As you’d expect from a Vince Gilligan production, Pluribus flips seamlessly between slow-burn beauty and sudden shocking action, between grief and humor and mystery. And Rhea Seehorn is superb as the last unhappy woman in the world. Maybe it’ll go downhill at some point, but let’s enjoy the ride while it lasts. — David Price Foundry Service of the year: News + Apple TV and Music may get all the attention, but Apple News+ came into its own in 2025. Apple’s daily puzzles had long revolved around somewhat pedestrian offerings, such as crosswords and Sudoku, but a completely original concept, Emoji Game, quickly became a unique and highly entertaining option for users seeking original concepts. And for those of us who have grown sick of the fluff and intrusive ads we come across when Googling recipes, Apple News+ added a new search function that lets you find recipes and view the ingredients and directions in a clutter-free interface. Neat, right? It gets better. You can directly set timers based on the stated durations and add the listed ingredients to your Reminders app. — Mahmoud Itani

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iOS 26 lets you customize Liquid Glass on your iPhone, here’s how
iOS 26 launched in the fall, but with 26.1 and 26.2 updates it added more tools for customizing the new Liquid Glass design. And now that a new wave of users is upgrading to iOS 26 for the first time, here’s an overview of two ways to personalize your iPhone’s Liquid Glass style. more…

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American economy grows at fastest pace in years with much-better-than-expected 4.3% GDP gain
The American economy grew at its fastest pace in two years during the third quarter, with inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP)… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple and Google Asking Some Employees With H-1B Visas To Avoid International Travel
Tech giants Google and Apple are asking some employees with H-1B visas to reconsider international travel, as their legal teams warned that visa processing delays could keep employees abroad for months, according to Business Insider. From a report: Law firms representing the tech giants sent memos advising staff who require visa stamps for reentry to stay in the U.S., warning that international travel could entangle them in visa screening delays following the introduction of a new social media screening requirement, according to the news agency. The policy subjects H-1B workers and their dependents to reviews of their social media histories. "Please be aware that some US Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months," BAL Immigration Law, which represents Google, said in a memo obtained by Business Insider. The law firm said the delays were affecting H-1B, H-4, F, J and M visas. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Today in Apple history: Apple invents ‘slide to unlock’
On December 23, 2005, Apple filed a patent application for its iconic "slide to unlock" gesture for the iPhone. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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iOS 26.2 adds new features in six iPhone apps, details here
iOS 26.2 is available now, and it’s packed with a bunch of new features. Many of those features are additions to Apple’s built-in iPhone apps. Here’s everything new across six Apple apps in iOS 26.2. more…

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iPhone 18 Pro: Six new features are coming next year
Next year’s iPhone 18 lineup will bring a brand new foldable option, but the most popular models will no doubt be the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Here are six new features rumored for iPhone 18 Pro. more…

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Apple TV series ‘Bad Monkey,’ set in the Florida Keys, lured by $20.6 million tax credit to film in California
“Bad Monkey” embodies Florida through and through — set in the Keys, adapted from Carl Hiaasen’s novel, and with its first season fully… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple Fined $116 Million Over App Privacy Prompts
Apple has been fined $116 million by Italy's antitrust regulator over the "excessively burdensome" privacy rules it imposes on third-party apps. From a report: The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) says that Apple abused its dominant app store market position by burdening developers with "disproportionate" terms around data collection that exceed privacy law requirements, compared to rules for native iOS apps. The fine specifically targets the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy Apple launched in 2021, which requires third-party developers to ask users for consent twice to track their data across other apps and websites. Apple's own apps can obtain this permission in a single tap. AGCM says that the burden of consenting twice led to a reduction in user consent rates for advertising profiling, thus harming developers whose business models depend upon revenue generated by personalized ads. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Apple's AI team is bigger than reported & strategy reinforced with latest restructure
The slow restructure of the Apple Intelligence team across 2025 reflects changes in internal strategy around AI rather than an individual failure. Here's how it all comes together for the 2026 relaunch.Apple Intelligence is about to relaunch with an LLM-backed SiriJohn Giannandrea's retirement didn't come as a surprise to many, as they view him as the central problem with Apple's AI strategy. However, even as he's leaving, Apple's strategy doesn't seem to be shifting, and the AI teams continue producing research.There have been about a dozen reports of various AI-adjacent team members and managers departing Apple in the past year. These reports do little to explain why these individuals leave, with the exception of a few being offered millions to do so, and they all lack context as to how Apple handles these departures. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Wondershare Filmora V15: Smarter editing powered by AI and built for real creators
Macworld Video editing today sits at a crossroads. Creators want professional results, but few have the time—or patience—for overly complex tools and fragmented workflows. Wondershare Filmora V15 is designed precisely for this moment, combining advanced AI-powered automation with professional-grade controls that remain approachable, intuitive, and fast. At its core, Filmora V15, from innovative creative solutions provider Wondershare, addresses two long-standing pain points: editing that feels slow and labor-intensive, and pro-level tools that are often inaccessible to non-experts. The solution is a smarter, more connected creative experience—one where AI handles the heavy lifting, while creators stay firmly in control. Wondershare AI Mate: your all-in-one creative editing partner The headline feature of Filmora V15 is AI Mate, an integrated AI assistant that fundamentally changes how users interact with the software. AI Mate offers four precise operating modes. AIGC Mode focuses on generating content assets—such as scripts and videos. Action Mode automatically break down multi-step tasks and execute the corresponding editing actions with a single click. In guide mode, instead of hunting through menus or tutorials, creators can simply ask for what they need using natural language. Auto Mode allows AI Mate to interpret the user’s intent and intelligently select and activate the most suitable mode from the above. For beginners, this feature dramatically lowers the learning curve. For experienced editors, it accelerates workflows and keeps creative momentum flowing. AI Mate turns Filmora into a collaborative editing partner—one that helps ideas move from concept to timeline without friction. Wondershare Foundational Algorithm Optimization: a new AI engine under the hood Filmora V15 also delivers major upgrades to its AI generation backbone through foundational algorithm optimization. The integration of Nano Banana Pro brings faster image generation, native lossless output, flexible aspect ratios, and significantly improved detail and text rendering for AI images. For AI video generation, Filmora V15 integrates Sora 2 and Veo 3.1, pushing text-to-video and image-to-video creation to a new level. These models deliver smoother motion, stronger multimodal understanding, more complete audio, and coherent long-form storytelling—all generated from a single prompt. The result is AI content that feels less mechanical and more cinematic. AI Extend and Smart Cutout: fix problems before they break flow Two standout AI editing tools focus on solving real-world editing frustrations. AI Extend allows creators to extend clips with text prompts—up to five seconds forward or eight seconds backward—making it easy to smooth transitions or fix timing issues without reshoots. Meanwhile, Smart Cutout has been upgraded for more precise subject detection and cleaner edge refinement. With minimal manual input, users can isolate subjects, remove backgrounds, or even apply outlines to highlight key elements—perfect for social, marketing, and educational content. Wondershare Audio made professional, instantly Sound quality is often the difference between amateur and professional content, and Filmora V15 makes audio control far more accessible. Loudness Normalization automatically adjusts audio to meet platform-specific LUFS/LKFS standards with one click, ensuring consistent volume across YouTube, podcasts, and social platforms. Audio Gain complements this by allowing batch gain adjustments across multiple clips, with flexible modes for fixed gain, relative changes, or peak normalization. Together, these tools remove guesswork from audio mixing and help creators sound polished without technical headaches. Precision tools that feel effortless Filmora V15 doesn’t rely on AI alone. It introduces professional tools designed to feel natural and visual rather than intimidating. The new Pen Tool lets editors draw motion paths directly in the frame, shaping curves, controlling speed, and designing custom transitions with precision. For data-driven storytelling, Animated Charts transform raw numbers into clear, animated visuals with one-click imports and customizable styles—ideal for business videos, explainers, and presentations. Wondershare A professional workflow without the complexity Underneath the surface, Filmora V15 supports advanced workflows with features like dual timelines, source and timeline previews, subprojects, and multi-track audio exports. Yet everything remains anchored in Filmora’s signature ease of use, supported by millions of built-in creative assets and AI-powered automation. Editing that moves with you Wondershare Filmora V15 represents a clear evolution in video editing: AI that accelerates creativity, professional tools that don’t overwhelm, and workflows designed around how creators actually work. The Premium version of Wondershare Filmora Video Editor costs just $6.67 a month or $79.99 a year, including 2,000 AI Credits, 100GB of Filmora Cloud Storage and much more. It’s not about replacing creativity with automation—it’s about removing friction, so ideas can move faster, stories can flow naturally, and professional results feel within reach for everyone. Watch how you can create engaging content with minimal effort on the Wondershare Filmora Video Editor YouTube channel. Wondershare

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Apple agrees to third-party App Store alternatives in Brazil
Apple is going to allow iPhone users in Brazil to pay for apps and services outside of the App Store itself, all to settle an investigation into supposed anti-competitive practices in the country.The App Store is still under threat in Brazil. Apple has had to deal with regulatory pressure to open up the iPhone to third-party app storefronts in a number of countries. Following an agreement with a regulator, it's doing the same in Brazil.On Tuesday, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) in Brazil approved a cessation commitment term proposed by Apple, to put a stop to an investigation into anti-competitive practices. The deal, reported by Tecnoblog will last for three years, with Apple implementing changes under the agreement within 105 days. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The Lowfree Flow84 is the mechanical keyboard Apple would make today [U: New model]
The Lowfree Flow84 is the latest episode in my on-again, off-again love affair with mechanical keyboards. I describe it as the mechanical keyboard Apple would make for a mix of good and bad reasons, but we’ll get to that! Update: There is a new version with touch sliders for volume and brightness – see the Pricing & conclusions section at the end. It’s one of a relatively new breed of low-profile mechanical keyboards, something that would have seemed a contradiction in terms just a few years earlier … more…

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Apple 2025 Review of the Year
Benjamin and Chance reflect on another year in Apple news. We cover all the big headlines from across the months, including the fallout of the Siri delays, the early iOS 26 redesign leaks, and the launch of all the new 2025 hardware like the iPhone 17 series. And in Happy Hour Plus, the pair check in on who won their annual prediction picks. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. Sponsored by Copilot Money: The personal finance app to make your money yours. For a limited time, get 26% off your first year at try.copilot.money/9to5mac. Sponsored by Gusto: The online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at gusto.com/happyhour. Sponsored by Shopify: In 2026, stop waiting and start selling with Shopify. Sign up for a $1 per month trial at shopify.com/happyhour. more…

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Apple Wallet’s iOS 26 boarding passes now offered by Southwest Airlines, joining United and Delta
Apple's iOS 26 update has brought significant enhancements to boarding passes in the Wallet app, introducing features like shareable… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple Vision Pro (M5) review three-months later: A flawed wonder
The M5 refresh makes the new Apple Vision Pro faster and improves some features, but it doesn't change the fact that the headset still doesn't have a long-term place in most people's homes.Apple Vision Pro three-month review: This might be the most reflective headset ever soldThe M5 Apple Vision Pro was released in October 2025 and is the first refresh of Apple's spatial computer. The new chip is the only real upgrade, although Apple does ship it with the new Dual Knit band.In truth, the new band might be the biggest upgrade Apple has made here. And, thankfully, you don't need to buy a new headset to get one — Apple will sell you one separately for $100. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Remembering Apple pioneers: In memoriam 2025
Our Apple in memoriam 2025 feature honors figures associated with the company -- Bill Atkinson, Michael Scott, Steve Hayden and Jane Goodall. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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What would you think of these iPhone Fold aspect ratios? [Poll]
We’ve so far been assuming that the iPhone Fold would have a familiar aspect ratio on the exterior display, opening out into an interior screen which is taller than it is wide. However, a recent report suggested that the interior screen will be wider than it is tall, and some physical mockups give us an indication of how this might look … more…

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