2025-12-30 17:00:00
2025 was a significant year of advancement for Apple's software, with a noticeable focus on visual design, productivity, and communication.
While Apple introduced and continued to iterate on a wide range of features throughout the year, several additions stood out for their scope and practical impact across multiple devices. As the year comes to an end, these five new features provide a useful lens for weighing up what the company focused on this year and how far its platforms evolved in 2025.
2025-12-30 06:36:10
Ahead of 2026 and associated New Year's resolutions, Apple has started sharing new social media ads focused on the Apple Watch as a motivational tool.
In a series of "quit quitting" spots, Apple Watch owners run away from a bed, a recliner, and a bar stool. Each spot includes a glimpse of the Apple Watch Workout app and messages that the device provides while running. The Apple Watch is able to provide updates on pace and activity segment, as well as alerts when activity rings are closed.
2025-12-30 05:13:52
Over the last few weeks, iRobot has added Matter support to more of its Roomba robot vacuums, allowing them to be integrated with the Home app and used with Siri voice commands.
Matter integration has been available for the Roomba Combo 10 Max since earlier this year, but existing Roomba Plus 500 Combo, Roomba Max 700 Vac, and Roomba Max 700 Combo vacuums can get Matter support through a firmware update. Matter has not yet been re-added for the Roomba Combo J7 and J9.
Matter-enabled Roomba vacuums can be added to the Home app on devices running iOS 18.4 or higher, as long as a Home hub is available (Apple TV or HomePod). The Home app doesn't support the full suite of features available with robot vacuums, but basic commands are available. Vacuums can be set to vacuum and mop an entire home, or a specific room or area with Siri voice commands.
Once added to the Home app, a Roomba vacuum with Matter can be set to clean automatically with automations and can integrate with other HomeKit devices. You could, for example, set the Roomba to vacuum whenever you leave the house, or at a certain time. Automations can be triggered by presence, time, sensors, or when an accessory like a light is activated.
Apple added support for Matter-connected robot vacuums in iOS 18.4 earlier this year. Several companies have since come out with Matter options, including Roborock, Ecovacs, Switchbot, and Roomba.
iRobot's added Matter support comes as the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier in December. iRobot has been sold to Picea Robotics, a Chinese company that already manufactures some of the Roomba devices. The acquisition is expected to be completed by February 2026, and iRobot says there will be no disruption in app functionality, product support, or customer programs.
Going forward, iRobot will remain a private company owned by Picea, and the Roomba brand will continue with new models planned for the future.
(Thanks, Max!)
2025-12-30 03:01:40
Amazon and Best Buy this week have all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. These discounts beat the Black Friday prices we saw last month by about $30.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you'll find three of the 42mm GPS models on sale at this all-time low price, and three of the 46mm GPS models on sale.
2025-12-30 02:55:33
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones.
2025-12-30 00:53:40
Apple has asked the UK Court of Appeal to overturn a £1.5 billion ($1.76 billion) antitrust ruling that found the company overcharged millions of App Store users, escalating one of the most significant competition cases ever brought against the company in the country (via The Guardian).
The application follows a decision in October by the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which concluded that Apple abused its dominant position by charging excessive commissions on App Store purchases between 2015 and 2024. The tribunal found that Apple's control over app distribution on iPhones and iPads allowed it to impose commission rates of up to 30% that were higher than would have prevailed in a competitive market, resulting in consumer harm estimated to be worth £1.5 billion.
The case was raised as a collective action on behalf of approximately 36 million British consumers. Under UK collective proceedings law, eligible consumers are automatically included unless they opt out, meaning that anyone in the UK who made App Store purchases during the relevant period could be entitled to compensation if the ruling stands.
In its judgment, CAT said Apple should have charged lower commissions, estimating that rates of around 17.5% on app sales and 10% on in-app purchases would have been more appropriate. The tribunal acknowledged that this assessment relied on "informed guesswork" based on the evidence presented.
Apple strongly disputes that approach. After the October ruling, the company sought permission from CAT to appeal, but the tribunal refused in November, concluding that Apple had not met the legal threshold to challenge its decision. Apple has now applied directly to the Court of Appeal, which has the authority to grant permission even where CAT has declined.
Apple said it disagrees with the ruling and argues that the tribunal took a flawed view of the app economy. In a previous statement responding to the decision, the company said the App Store operates in a "thriving and competitive app economy" and provides developers and consumers with security, privacy protections, and access to a large marketplace. Apple also noted that most developers now pay a reduced 15% commission and that the App Store facilitated more than $55 billion in sales in the UK last year.
If Apple's appeal is rejected and the ruling is upheld, the £1.5 billion award will be distributed among eligible UK consumers, with individual payouts likely to be relatively small but collectively significant.
