Upgrade

This week we discuss how the global pandemic has affected Apple, from retail to TV shows to Apple Park workers, and potentially even product launches. Your hosts, experts at working at home, offer some advice to new homebound workers. And to lend a little normalcy to the proceedings, we leave a little time for speculation about some future Apple product releases.

The COVID-19 virus continues to upend tech industry conference plans, product roll-outs, and supply chains, but we've still got news about new displays on future Apple hardware and a series of major stories from 9to5 Mac about the future of iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Is the iPad finally getting full-on cursor support for external pointing devices? Myke and Jason are decidedly enthusiastic, while also wondering if this is just an elaborate practical joke.

So is Apple really releasing a Smart Keyboard with a built-in trackpad? That's the latest report, and Jason and Myke have a lot of questions about it. Is iPadOS 13 good enough to support a trackpad? Would a trackpad only for text editing and gestures make sense? Are we going to have to wait for iPadOS 14 for everything to make sense? And in Upstream, Disney+ gets its "expensive NBC" moment on Instagram.

This week begins with us clearing up controversies about pockets and malware. The spread of the coronavirus is affecting Apple's business, and making us wonder if WWDC in June could be affected. Ming-Chi Kuo drops a bombshell about ARM Macs, and Mark Gurman reports that Apple might be opening the door to default apps on iOS.

Myke met the people for whom the Mac Pro was made, and reports back with details. Jason tries to combat confusion about whether the Mac is really being attacked by malware and explains what Apple is doing to stop it. And we address some five-year-old follow-up regarding text input on the Apple Watch.

Why did Apple surprise developers with beta releases with intriguing new features this month? What does it mean for the future of Mac app development? Is a new keyboard going to be a major feature of new iPad Pro models? Would Apple really build Macs with processors made by AMD? And can someone get Taika Waititi a 16-inch MacBook Pro?

It's time for our annual dive into the Six Colors Apple Report Card, as Jason and Myke interpret the scores and comments of 65 Apple-watchers and add their own views on where the company is succeeding--and where it's not.

It's the 10th anniversary of the announcement of the iPad! Myke and Jason discuss why the seeds of the iPad's success were visible on day one, the changes in the iPad's life cycle over time, and how the iPad fits in our daily lives today.

We close the book on the 2010s with a special draft of Apple keynotes and media events from the past decade, joined by special guest Stephen Hackett. And in Upstream news, it's a busy season of announcements for both Apple TV+ and Peacock.

With Myke reporting live from Hollywood, we discuss Netflix's record Oscar nominations, and Apple's first TV award and TV critic press tour. Jason makes a chart that explains why Apple execs can't stop talking about Services and Wearables. Then we both give updates on our home-office upgrades, Jason abandons his solar dream, and Myke turns to mechanical keyboards for solace.

With a new year come Jason's predictions for Apple in 2020. How varied can the iPhone product line get? Will Apple make its most interesting laptop yet--and will it run macOS or iPadOS? And how can Apple double down on the success of AirPods? We also discuss the new Brydge Pro+ iPad keyboard with trackpad, there's a bumper crop of Upstream news, and we dream about a future where smart home devices are all compatible with one another.

As the year comes to an end, it's time for the Sixth Annual Upgradies! Myke and Jason discuss their favorites of 2019, take the input of 1500 Upgradians, and hand out awards in numerous categories! Only the finest will walk away with the most coveted of titles: Upgradies Winner.

This week we try to solve a technology mystery. What if there was a murder, but no body? What if there were victims, but no crime? We all want answers: Who killed the butterfly keyboard, and why?

How is Apple TV+ like a bicycle? Is the Mac Pro made in the USA? Why can you play Apple Podcasts from the Amazon Echo? This week Jason and Myke answer these questions, and ponder the negative reaction from some pro users to the price of the Mac Pro.

Rumors of a forthcoming iPhone without any lightning or USB ports make us ponder why Apple would consider such a move and what its ramifications would be. Also, Apple basks in Golden Globe nominations and steps into movie-industry controversy and Jason explains why most people don't need a Mac Pro.

This week we get caught up on Apple services (Apple Pay, Apple News+, Apple Arcade), Jason gives Myke a tour of CarPlay in iOS 13, and we feed the tech podcast ecosystem with discussions of office lighting and weather stations.

This week we discuss Tim Cook's political high-wire act, Apple's attempts to reduce bugs in future iOS releases, and Jason's wishes for iOS 14. Finally, just in time for the holidays, Myke at the Movies returns with 1988's "Die Hard."

A week later, we're pondering the 16-inch MacBook Pro and what it means about how Apple listens to customers and criticism. We also look into the future to wonder where Apple will take touchscreen devices and whether we're uncomfortable about Apple's interest in augmented reality.

The butterfly keyboard era is over! Apple is releasing a new 16-inch MacBook Pro this week, featuring a Magic Keyboard, upgraded audio, the biggest battery allowed by law, and a lot more. Jason has an exclusive interview with Apple’s MacBook Pro product manager, Shruti Haldea. Then Jason and Myke break down the new laptop's features and feature omissions, while reserving a little bit of time for the launch of Disney+.

Apple TV+ has finally arrived, and we discuss Apple's first round of new shows--as well as an unimpressive performance from the TV app itself. We've also got reviews of the new AirPods Pro, and Apple's latest financial results reveal that for the iPhone, sometimes down is up.

This week Jason has no power or Internet, so Myke gives him the details about the new AirPods Pro, the first reviews of Apple TV+ shows, iOS 13.2 and a perplexing HomePod software update, and Apple’s rumored reboot of its smart-home initiative. In exchange, Jason fashions a story out of a UPS, a floor lamp, and a cassette player from the 1980s.

Everything old is new for Myke, as he tries out his "new" Mac (released in 2017) running a "new" version of macOS (it's Mojave). With Apple TV+ launching late next week, there's an enormous collection of Upstream news. And we ponder what products Apple might release this fall, with or without a special event.

James Thomson joins Jason to discuss converting an app from iOS to Mac via Catalyst, the prospects for using Catalyst on his most profitable app, and the end of an era as his app DragThing and all other 32-bit Mac apps fade away. We also sort out Apple and China, because that's not a complicated topic at all.

macOS Catalina has arrived and Jason's got his full review, plus we dig into the new multi-screened mobile device announcements from Microsoft (and what they might mean for Apple), and put on our sweaters to talk about Deep Fusion photography.

Jason finished his iPhone 11 review nearly two weeks after the fact, Myke is back in the Apple Watch game with a new Series 5 model, and we hear from a bunch of Apple Store employees.

We've got the new iPhones and it's time for our first hands-on impressions. How has Apple improved the upgrade experience? Could the Apple Store pick-up experience use a little more attention? Are the battery and camera improvements worth the upgrade? How much do we miss 3D Touch? Also Jason has a new Apple Watch, and Myke is sorely tempted by the ceramic Series 5.

This week Upgrade turns five and we're waiting for our new Apple hardware to arrive. But there's still time to reflect on last week's announcements, deal with a flood of Apple TV+ news, ponder Apple's fragmented OS release schedule, carefully examine expensive Apple Watch materials, and prepare for the arrival of iOS 13.

Jason has returned from Cupertino, where he watched Apple unveil the new iPhone 11 models, a new Apple Watch that adds a feature we had given up hope of ever seeing, and details about when we'll see Apple Arcade and Apple TV+. We break down the product marketing, new camera features, surprises, and the shocking results of the 2019 Apple iPhone Event Draft.

It’s time for Jason and Myke to reveal their picks for what will happen on stage at the Steve Jobs Theater next week! They draft 10 different things they expect will happen--or not happen--next Tuesday. Has Jason’s recent run of success gone to his head? Will Myke play it too safe? Will a Spın̈al Tap pick be made? All will be revealed!

There's a lot that separates the U.S. and the UK, like the definition of "lemonade" and the launch date for the new Disney+ streaming service. But nothing can separate our hosts this week, as they convene in Jason's office to discuss the impending iPhone event and to reflect on nearly five years of their status as independent workers and of Upgrade itself.

Special guest Stephen Hackett joins us to discuss the current state of the Mac in both hardware and software. We also ponder Apple's choices in naming the new iPhones, Jason muses about whether the Apple Watch even needs an upgrade this fall, and we wrap things up with a Mac-themed #askupgrade.

With Apple's new operating-system releases due next month, Jason and Myke check in on how their beta experiences are going so far, especially the ups and downs of iPadOS 13. We also discuss Disney's aggressive streaming-service bundling and how Apple might respond next month. And does Samsung's announcement of an ARM laptop with 23-hour battery life serve as the perfect reason why an ARM MacBook is inevitable?

Commerce is in the air as Apple reports more money for wearables and services and less money for the iPhone, and begins to roll out the Apple Card. How does Apple react strategically as a company to financial incentives, and does Apple's success in the category formerly called "Other" suggest a new emphasis on wearables? We also follow up on Siri surveillance and Catalina security and then make a bet to be settled in 2031, assuming money will still exist in the future.

The trouble with Apple sending Siri audio to human beings, macOS Catalina's overly aggressive approach to app security, and the possibility of Apple introducing a $3000 laptop cast a little bit of a pall on the Summer of Fun this week. But cheer up--we've also got some interesting Upstream news about Disney and Amazon, and a summer-themed version of Ask Upgrade!

There's a lot of streaming media news in the mix this week, as Apple is rumored to be pondering premium podcasts and Netflix loses subscribers just at the moment its stiffest competition yet is about to arrive. But that's all just a prelude to our special Summer of Fun segment, as Myke and Jason draft the most appealing video streaming services of 2020.

We answer a lot of your #askupgrade questions, then break down how Apple's changing its laptop line and retail stores. Also, Warner Media makes a big bet on the HBO brand name, and Apple News+ is unsurprisingly not succeeding. Then we start the show with #snelltalk! This week with Jason and Myke.

Guest Marco Arment joins Jason and Myke to discuss the possibility of new Apple laptop keyboards at last, his Overcast priorities over the next year, and the future of podcasting. There are also some mild opinions about Jony Ive, the streaming-video wars, and cappuccino.

This week the Summer of Fun goes old school, as two of Jason's colleagues from back in the 1990s compare Apple's many transitions over the years to the ones Apple and its developers and users face today. Also, we wonder what happens to the movies and TV shows that aren't available via streaming, and if that means that important cultural works are in danger of fading away.

It's Public Beta season, and Jason's spent the last week reviewing macOS Catalina. Are the Catalyst apps better this year? And what features were pleasant surprises? We also discuss JJ Abrams's big new streaming deal, share our own iPhone home screens, and Myke at the Movies calls on "Kiki's Delivery Service."

After a brief commentary about Twitterrific 6 and the difficult world of App Store pricing, we kick off the The Upgrade Summer of Fun by building the official Upgrade iPhone home screen. 28 apps will be picked! Four will win coveted spaces in the dock! Rules will be invented on the fly! Also, we explain what a draft is.

Myke and Jason get over their WWDC hangover with a discussion of our favorite new iPadOS 13 features. Then we take a look at the future of Apple's platforms with a discussion of Catalyst and SwiftUI and an exclusive interview with Apple's Wiley Hodges and Josh Shaffer.

The WWDC 2019 keynote was packed full with new announcements. Now, live from San Jose, Jason and Myke come together to talk about iOS 13, macOS Catalina, the introduction of iPadOS, and the new Mac Pro.

It’s time for our fourth annual competition regarding what will happen on stage next week at WWDC! Will there be new hardware? What will macOS be called? How many times will we see Tim Cook? This week we guess, but next week reality will be our judge.

With the WWDC draft a week away, Jason and Myke engage in a flight of fancy, discussing all their wishes for iOS and macOS developments that probably won't happen. Also, Jason has to retrieve his iPad.

It's a busy week for Myke as Jason as they discuss hanging on to old software, how third-party apps react to Apple's app updates, the Supreme Court's ruling on an App Store antitrust case, the struggles of Apple Retail, and new reports about this fall's iPhone models. After all that, it's time to discuss the Brydge Pro and Logitech Slim Folio Pro and whether either of them can replace Apple's own Smart Keyboard Folio as our iPad Pro keyboard of choice.

Apple's financial results lead us to discuss the company bringing a new focus to iPhone sales and throwing Intel under the bus. Then Mark Gurman of Bloomberg swoops in with a huge collection of new and slightly used macOS, iOS, and watchOS rumors for us to dissect.

Jason struggles between the Mac's insistence on file management and iOS's lack of it, Podcasts take a step toward going viral with some help from Overcast, and we prepare for the Upgrade Summer of Fun with a new arrival from Dongletown.

What's next for macOS and iOS? This week we discuss all of last week's reporting by Guilherme Rambo about the future of Apple's platforms, from Find My Friends to support for external displays and pointing devices, to the complicated future of automation on macOS. Jason also extolls the virtues of the Kindle, Apple and Qualcomm come to terms, and YouTube goes back to basics.

Disney finally unveils its streaming service at a price that makes us wonder just what game Apple thinks it's playing; we get a sneak peek at some possible new iPad features for iOS 13; and Jason and Myke ponder the major changes due for the Mac this fall with the departure of iTunes and the arrival of Marzipan.

John Siracusa joins Jason to discuss how 2019 is potentially an enormous year for the Mac in both hardware and software. Also, we make time to swap TiVo stories and generate John's Hierarchy of Mac Pro Needs.