Upgrade

Jason and Myke tell the story of Apple's origin. It emerged from the unique environment of the Santa Clara valley suburbs of the '70s thanks to the particular genius of its two co-founders and some surprising help they got along the way.

Myke talks to Jason about his "Jeopardy!" experience, and Jason interviews David Pogue about his book, "Apple: The First 50 Years."

Myke has MacBook Neo FOMO and we have reviews of both Studio Display models. Also: Apple starts celebrating 50; App Store fees are lowered in China; Somehow, AirPods Max returned; Apple's AI crisistunity; and Jason in Jeopardy!?

This week, Jason reviews the MacBook Neo! Plus: Draft results, Jason is (back) in print, and new MacBook Pros and Studio Displays. But it's mostly about MacBook Neo!

Jason and Myke try to predict what Apple will be announcing this week, except for the stuff that was announced Monday. But they discuss the new iPad Air and iPhone 17e too! Also: Apple's F1 plans and some Report Card follow-up.

We discuss the results of the Six Colors Apple Report Card for 2025 in depth, with our added opinions on every category. Jason chooses to be a rascal, and Myke tries to give ten out of five.

We discuss Apple's struggles to ship an upgraded Apple Intelligence, prepare for a March 4 product announcement, and explain Apple TV going all in on "Severance." Also, Jason answers your (many!) curling questions!

Eddy Cue comes down hard on a would-be Apple service; we try to figure out what the new low-end Mac laptop might be, Tim Cook calls an important meeting to say a lot of words, and we tackle all aspects of the Super Bowl plus some curling!

We break down Apple's latest financial results (including the potential supply-chain storm brewing on the horizon) and then discuss the difficult roll-out of Apple's new Creator Studio bundle.

Episode 600 prompts us to revisit predictions from episode 500 and make some new ones for episode 700. We also cover new AirTags and Apple's plans to fix Apple Intelligence.

This week we're following up on what the Apple-Google AI hookup means and reacting to Apple's announcement of an oddly shaped creative apps bundle.

Google and Apple join forces to corner the market on smartphone AI models, John Ternus gets a profile in the New York Times, live NBA basketball comes to the Vision Pro, and Apple inconsistently refuses to stop bad App Store behavior.

Happy New Year! In this episode, we share some of the things we hope we'll see from Apple in 2026. Also, Jason attacks an emoji.

It's time for the 12th Annual Upgradies! Myke and Jason discuss their favorites of 2025, take the input of many Upgradians, and hand out awards in numerous categories! Only the finest will walk away with the most coveted of titles: Upgradies Winner.

After whipping through a bunch of segments in order to play as many jingles as possible, Myke and Jason celebrate the festive season by aesthetically judging the new icons of macOS Tahoe. Happy holidays to all who celebrate!

We discuss what laptops Apple is expected to release in 2026, Apple's AI parsing of podcasts, that time Jason didn't really almost work for Apple, and weird snacks.

The week everybody left Apple.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it... Snow Leopard? We discuss Apple's '27 OS priorities, a decorative holiday app, how Apple might have approached engineering the folding iPhone, and a surprise return to Intel (sort of).

It's Thanksgiving week, and Myke and Jason are using the occasion to draft their favorite Apple TV shows. There's also some drama at the Rumor Roundup corral involving Apple's succession planning, and Google engineers AirDrop for Android.

Tim Cook's succession planning hits another gear, Tesla may be embracing CarPlay, Apple shifts its iPhone release plans, and Jason considers the place of the iPad Pro today after traveling with it for a week.

Jason and Myke are together in London to discuss five years of Apple silicon, Apple's new friendly partner for AI models, and much more!

We react to Apple's latest financial results and the promise of grand iPhone sales to come, break down some juicy rumors about new OLED Apple devices, and consider Apple's latest reported AI strategies.

Stephen Hackett joins Jason to discuss modem quirks, new iPhone rumors, cutting-edge immersive video production, and the boring march of Apple silicon.

Jason has spent a little while with the new M5 iPad Pro, M5 MacBook Pro, and M5 Vision Pro (with accessories!) and we review them all. Also, Apple's deal with F1 crosses the finish line.

It's a new and vibrant era for Upgrade, as we discuss Apple TV changes, iPad software updates, and immersive NBA games. Myke reviews Apple's F1 TV strategy, while Jason comes up with a winning TV series idea and reviews the iPhone Air.

Myke tries Tahoe, ICEBlock gets blocked, and Apple toggles from Vision Pro to glasses.

Jason's spent a week with the iPhone Air and Myke's been using his iPhone 17 Pro, so it's time to discuss deeper thoughts about this year's models. Also: internal chatbot chat, Intel investments, and miniature Macs!

Reunited in Memphis, Jason and Myke discuss iPhone and AirPods Pro first impressions, phone transfer troubles, MacBook rumors, and St. Jude shenanigans.

Apple's new operating systems have arrived and we've got thoughts about iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and more. We also catch up on what we've learned since last week's Apple Event.

From the iPhone Air to the iPhone 17 models, from AirPods Pro 3 to the new Apple Watches, we break down all the announcements from the September Apple Media Event!

Jason and Myke preview what will happen at next week's Apple event. What form might a thinner iPhone Air take? Will the AirPods Pro come roaring back? Is the Apple Watch Ultra in store for an upgrade? To the winner goes the glory.

After an era of stability, Apple may be about to mix things up with the iPhone, including a bunch of new models and even a change to the traditional fall roll-out cycle. And we end the Summer of Fun with a summery Ask Upgrade!

We imagine how Apple would tier list its own products, and discuss what kind of personality might work for a tabletop "robot" from Apple.

Blind ranking bad Apple products, hope for a cheaper MacBook, the perils of Siri automation, and apparently Tim Cook took a trip to Washington D.C. for some sort of meeting?

What's that jingling sound? It might be the cash in Apple's pockets after its record financial quarter. Also: Apple responds to the DoJ, and Tim Cook gives an AI pep talk.

It's Public Beta season and we've got thoughts about the good and bad in macOS Tahoe. Then Jason forces Myke to listen to some sounds of the summer, but probably not the ones you're thinking of.

Apple casts a chill over its employees (and the media?) by alleging a theft of trade secrets, the first folding iPhone really might only be a year away, and Myke forces Jason to rank some classic Apple products.

We discuss Apple's iOS design conundrum, why Apple and F1 are wrong for each other, why it's probably time for a changing of the guard at Apple, and some new and exciting Apple AI contretemps.

Fueled by charts, we compile our wish list for a new, low-cost Mac laptop. Will it be a recycled M1 Air or something new? And how disappointingly high will the price be? Also, Apple tries to balance product priorities with its internal teams.

Why the macOS Tahoe Menu Bar is the start of something big, Apple may lower the bar when it comes to an entry-level Mac laptop, and we try to parse the reasoning behind Apple's latest set of EU App Store rules and regulations.