LTA 146: October 2025

Panel:

• Bart Busschots (host) – @bartb.ie

The show starts with a few quick followups on stories from last month before catching up with the month’s regulatory, legal, and HR news. That’s followed by a quick look at Apple’s services news for the month. There are just two main stories, Apple’s Q4 2025 earnings, and Apple’s M5 hardware refreshes. The show wraps up with a few other quick stories that made the news in October.

You’ll find detailed show notes below the fold, and if you enjoy this free show, please consider clicking on the donate button at the top of the left side bar – the show is free for you to listen to, but not for Bart to Produce!

Updates & Followup

Quick updates to long-running stories the show continues to track, and to stories covered in recent shows.

• The ICEBlock story got a little more icky early in the month:

  • ‘Apple Is Better Than This’: Ex-Apple Exec Condemns ICEBlock Removal — www.macobserver.com/… (Wiley Hodges, 20 year veteran)

  • Apple Banned an App That Simply Archived Videos of ICE Abuses — www.404media.co/…

    "Speaking to 404 Media, the app’s administrator, identified only as Mark, said Eyes Up was designed to promote transparency. 'Our goal is government accountability. We aren’t even doing real-time tracking,' he said. Mark asked to be identified by his first name to avoid potential retaliation. He argued that the decision reflected political discomfort rather than legitimate safety concerns. 'I think the administration is just embarrassed by how many incriminating videos we have,' he added." — from TMO's summary (www.macobserver.com/…)

  • Apple also removed DeICER, a civic-reporting app used to log immigration enforcement activity, and their justification was perverse: "[the app's] purpose is to provide location information about law enforcement officers that can be used to harm such officers individually or as a group" — daringfireball.net/…

    "There’s not one story about any of these apps being used to harm ICE agents. And even if such an attack happened, that wouldn’t imply it’s the purpose of these apps. The purpose of these apps is to protect people — citizens and non-citizens alike — from ICE." — John Gruber

• Apple & Tim Cook continue to pander to President Trump, but it seems to be paying off

  • Apple amongst US tech giants backing Trump's White House ballroom reno — appleinsider.com/…

  • Apple CEO Tim Cook dines with Trump in Tokyo — appleinsider.com/…

    • The event was trying to drum up investments in the US
    • At Tokyo event, Trump says Tim Cook has “done more than the entire group” — www.macobserver.com/… (Less pledged at the event than Apple has pledged to spend itself in the US)

  • Presidents Trump Xi agree to reduce tariffs in exchange for more rare earths — appleinsider.com/… & www.cultofmac.com/…

• Rollouts continue for Apple's recently released products and features:

  • Apple Watch Hypertension Alerts Roll Out in Canada and Singapore — www.macobserver.com/… (and Bahrain)
  • iPhone and Apple Watch will soon support Emergency SOS via satellite in Mexico — www.cultofmac.com/…
  • Apple’s sleek iPhone Air finally touches down in China — www.cultofmac.com/…

Regulatory Rundown

• US States continue to roll out age verification laws:

  • Apple sets new Rules for Texas under State’s Age Verification Law — www.macobserver.com/…

    If you create a new Apple account in Texas next year, you’ll have to confirm whether you’re 18 or older. Anyone under 18 must join a Family Sharing group, and parents will need to approve every app download, purchase, and in-app transaction.

    • Note that this law applies to all apps, not just those aimed as adults
    • Apple Warns of Privacy Risks as Texas Age Verification Law Takes Effect — cyberinsider.com/…

  • Apple faces new App Store age-verification rule in California — www.macobserver.com/…

    • Does not have privacy implications because it does not force everyone to send copies of their government IDs to private companies (in the hope they never loose them)
    • Focuses on requiring app store owners to provide parents with the tools they need, and to honour the settings parents set
    • Should be easy for Apple to comply with

• Apple takes EU to court, calling Digital Markets Act “intrusive and unlawful” — www.macobserver.com/…

  “the DMA requires security and protection for consumers. But the enforcement of this law has seen the EU demanding Apple make changes that unquestionably do undermine or even remove such security” — Good summary from appleinsider.com/…

• Apple warns it could disable App Tracking Transparency across Europe — www.macobserver.com/…

  • Opinion: EU ad companies are gaining traction claiming forcing actual consent is anti-competitive, this is the perfect example of some in the EU perverting valuable protections into protectionism)
  • Related: Apple met EU officials 76 times while spending $8M on Lobbying — www.macobserver.com/…

• UK follows EU path, labels Apple and Google as ‘Strategic Market Status’ Firms — www.macobserver.com/… (nothing will happen in the short term)

• Apple has lost a massive $2Bn class action suit in the UK, the
  Competition Appeal Tribunal has ruled that Apple's closed ecosystem artificially inflated prices — appleinsider.com/…

  • Apple has already announced it's intention to appeal — www.macobserver.com/…

    “A separate hearing next month will set the damages method and consider Apple’s request to appeal.”

  • Opinion: John Gruber — daringfireball.net/…

    Apple has approached all this regulatory conflict from a perspective that they’re right, and the regulators are wrong … But even if Apple is correct about that, at some point, after being handed loss after loss in rulings from courts and regulatory bodies around the globe, shouldn’t they change their strategy and start trying to offer their own concessions, rather than wait for bureaucrat-designed concessions to be forced upon them?

Legal Latest

• Apple -v- John Prosser: things get interesting!

  • Apple pushes court to rule against Jon Prosser after missed deadline — www.macobserver.com/… (No formal reply to the suit)
  • The court agrees: Apple's leaker lawsuit marches on after Jon Prosser misses deadlines — appleinsider.com/…
  • Jon Prosser says he’s been in ‘active communication’ with Apple over lawsuit — www.theverge.com/… (A short and very vague statement that suggests Apple is not being honest, but doesn't actually contradict Apple's court filings)
  • Apple clarified that Prossser had contacted them, but not replied to the actual suit as required — appleinsider.com/…
  • Apple iOS 26 leaker's court filing rolls Jon Prosser under the bus — appleinsider.com/… (Michael Ramacciotti did file his reply properly, and he's denying he colluded with Prosser)

• Apple -v- Epic: oral Arguments were held in the federal appeals court in Apple's case seeking the reversal of the recent contempt runing that forced it to allow linkouts for payment in the US — appleinsider.com/…](https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/10/23/judges-seems-sympathetic-to-apple-in-app-store-appeal-hearing)

  The panel of judges didn't immediately rule on the matter. A decision is expected in the coming months, but probably not in 2025.

• It was a good month from Apple in US courts, as lots of cases agree with the company and reject cases:

  • Apple, Amazon Lawsuit Over iPhone and iPad Prices Dismissed — www.macobserver.com/…

    The case unraveled when Floyd decided to withdraw from the lawsuit. Instead of informing the court, his attorneys told U.S. District Judge Kymberly Evanson that Floyd had become “difficult to reach” while they searched for new plaintiffs. This misrepresentation prompted the judge to revisit earlier rulings.

  • 'Alarming errors' lead to App Store class action decertification — appleinsider.com/…

  • Apple fends off part of AirPods Pro defect lawsuit, judge narrows scope — appleinsider.com/…

    Judge Wise dropped the claim that Apple made unfair profits but let the rest of the case move forward.

• Siri's voice recording scandal lives on in new French probe — appleinsider.com/…

  • French prosecutors have launched a formal investigation
  • This dates back to 2019 before Apple tweaked their policies around human review of Siri interactions

Apple HR & Acquisition News

• Meta steals top Apple AI exec behind ‘answer engine’ project — www.cultofmac.com/… (Ke Yang)

• NPR’s Podcasting Lead Leaves for Reported Role at Apple — www.macobserver.com/… (Collin Campbell, was NPR SVP of Podcasting Strategy & Franchise Development)

• Apple reshapes health, fitness and Apple Watch leadership as Jeff Williams nears retirement — www.cultofmac.com/…

  As part of the rejig, Eddy Cue will oversee the health and fitness team … the watchOS division will come under Craig Federighi, the current head of software engineering.

Apple Services & Original Content Highlights

• Apple's gaming efforts continue apace:

  • Build dynasties in Football Manager 26 Touch, arriving November 4 on Apple Arcade — Apple PR (November 4th)
  • NBA 2K26 brings breathtaking basketball action to Apple Arcade — www.cultofmac.com/… (I'm picking up a sports theme!)
  • EA resurrects nearly 20-year-old 'MySims' games for Apple Arcade this November — appleinsider.com/…
  • Apple joins advisory board for 'The Game Awards' — appleinsider.com/…

• Apple TV:

  • Apple TV+ Rebranded to Just Apple TV — tidbits.com/…

    • As well as the new name there is also a more colourful new logo — sixcolors.com/…
    • Opinion: John Gruber — daringfireball.net/… (good insights I agree with)
    • Opinion: Jason Snell suggests re-naming the Apple TV devices to HomePods — sixcolors.com/…

  • 'F1 The Movie' crosses the finish line, hits Apple TV December 12 — appleinsider.com/…

    • Related: Apple Is the Exclusive New Broadcast Partner for Formula 1 in the U.S. — daringfireball.net/…

  • MLS playoff matches free to all Apple TV subscribers — appleinsider.com/…

  • Apple TV and Peacock bundle starts at $15/month, available on Oct. 20 — arstechnica.com/…

  • Apple TV Apprenticeships: A Gateway to Production Careers — www.macobserver.com/… (partnership with the UK National Film and Television School AKA the NFTS)

  • Related: A surprisingly frank long-form interview with Eddie Cue: The Town with Matthew Belloni: Apple’s True Intentions in Hollywood — overcast.fm/…

• West Virginia becomes latest state to allow driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet — www.cultofmac.com/…

Main Stories

1. Apple's Q4 2025 Earnings — Apple PR

   • Charts: Apple caps off high-flying fiscal year with Q4 record — sixcolors.com/…
   • This is Tim: Complete transcript of Apple’s Q4 2025 financial call — sixcolors.com/…
   • All the records Apple said it broke in Q4 2025 — appleinsider.com/…
   • An excellent short summary with some important context: Apple Reports Strong Q4 2025 Results — daringfireball.net/…
   • Services, Mac, and iPhone Drive Apple’s Q4 2025 Quarterly Revenue Record — tidbits.com/…
   • iPhone revenue falls short of Wall Street expectations, but it doesn't matter — appleinsider.com/… (Wall St. expectations, not actual guidance from Apple or internal targets that have leaked)
   • Apple posts record revenues — and predicts the best is yet to come — www.cultofmac.com/…
   • Hits from tariffs continue, Apple to pay $1.4 billion more in 2025 holiday quarter — appleinsider.com/…
   • Cook: More partnerships coming soon to enhance Apple Intelligence — appleinsider.com/…
   • Apple Intelligence-enhanced Siri is on track for a 2026 debut — appleinsider.com/…

2. M5 Hardware Refreshes (now shipping — Apple PR)

   1. Apple unleashes M5, the next big leap in AI performance for Apple silicon — Apple PR

      • Apple’s new M5 chip lands with 4× AI GPU boost, faster Neural Engine, and higher memory bandwidth — www.macobserver.com/…
      • Apple’s new M5 Chip Makes Mac Gaming a Reality with Ray Tracing — www.macobserver.com/…

   2. Apple unveils new 14‑inch MacBook Pro powered by the M5 chip, delivering the next big leap in AI for the Mac — Apple PR

      • Apple Quietly Made the Best Laptop Speakers Even Better — www.macobserver.com/…

      • New 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 ships without a charger across Europe — www.macobserver.com/…

        • Analysis: A lot of the reporting on the charger thing is missing important nuance — www.macobserver.com/…

          Legal language does not forbid multiple charging methods on the device itself, which explains why MacBook Pro supports both MagSafe and USB-C. Legal language also does not forbid bundling a charger for free, as long as buyers can pick the version without it. The core requirement is choice at the point of sale, not a penalty for including an adapter.

      • iFixit teardown shows small repair wins in M5 MacBook Pro — www.macobserver.com/…

      • Review Roundup: First reviews call M5 MacBook Pro a beast — but M4 owners can skip this upgrade — www.cultofmac.com/…

   3. Apple introduces the powerful new iPad Pro with the M5 chip — Apple PR

      • New iPad Pro arrives with M5 speed, Wi-Fi 7, and Apple's C1X modem — appleinsider.com/…
      • M5 iPad Pro Display gets 1 Nit Minimum Brightness — www.macobserver.com/…
      • M5 iPad Pro is Apple's most repairable yet, but roadblocks remain — appleinsider.com/…
      • Review roundup: The best tablet gets better — appleinsider.com/…

   4. Apple launches M5 powered Vision Pro with new Dual Knit Band — sixcolors.com/…

      • Apple Vision Pro Dual Knit Band and more accessories hit Apple Store — appleinsider.com/…
      • Tariff Fallout: M5 Apple Vision Pro production moved to Vietnam amid supply chain shift — appleinsider.com/…
      • Review roundup: faster, comfier, still not for everyone — appleinsider.com/…
      • Related: Apple releases new Vision Pro Developer Strap for faster Mac connections — www.macobserver.com/… ("delivers data transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbps when connected to a Mac")

   5. Related: Apple adds a black Magic Keyboard option for the iPad Air — appleinsider.com/…

Quick Stories

• Apple Clips social video app killed after eight years — appleinsider.com/…

  • Apple's support article for users: Save your Clips videos — support.apple.com/…

• Beats Solo 4 and Solo Buds both gain Walmart-exclusive color options — appleinsider.com/… ('Drenched Gray')

• Apple expands renewable energy projects across Europe — Apple PR

  • Some insightful analysis from Apple Insider — appleinsider.com/…

Legend

Note: When the textual description of a link is part of the link it is the title of the page being linked to, when the text describing a link is not part of the link it is a description written by Bart.