Author

Avatar for Michael Burkhardt

Michael Burkhardt

mbrkhrdt

Michael is 9to5Mac’s Associate Editor, leading all of our Apple news coverage on Saturday and Sunday, and contributing to reporting from Monday to Wednesday. He got started in the world of Apple news during the pandemic, and it became a growing hobby. He’s also an indie iOS developer in his free time, and started the weekly Indie App Spotlight series, which has covered dozens of indie apps since it launched.

Connect with Michael

Connect with Michael Burkhardt

AirPods Pro 3 will be available in under a week, but don’t rush into buying them

On Tuesday, Apple held its ‘Awe dropping’ September event – where it announced new iPhone and Apple Watch models, as per usual. It also dropped a new pair of AirPods Pro 3 – which do look quite exciting. That said, if you are going to buy them – you should make sure you’re buying them for the right reasons. Let’s explain.

Expand Expanding Close

This is the new iPhone lineup following today’s iPhone 17 launch event: details

Today, Apple announced its new iPhone 17 lineup, including iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. This year’s star of the show is the iPhone Air, replacing last year’s Plus model. With these four new iPhones, Apple has also discontinued a number of older models. This is the new iPhone lineup.

Expand Expanding Close

Review: Anker’s new MagSafe battery bank truly delivers in its ultra-slim package

Earlier this summer, Anker announced a trio of new products – one of them being an incredibly thin MagSafe/Qi2 battery for iPhones, and now even Google Pixel 10. I’ve spent my fair share of time with it, and the new Anker Nano Power Bank is honestly everything you’d want out of a MagSafe battery bank.

With Apple no longer making their own MagSafe batteries, and the upcoming iPhone 17 Air having relatively weak battery life – this could be a great purchase to make ahead of Apple’s ‘Awe dropping’ iPhone 17 launch event.

Expand Expanding Close

Apple Watch SE 3 announcement this week looks quite likely thanks to last-minute leak

apple watch se 2

Thanks to a new last-minute leak from an anonymous X account, it now seems all but certain that Apple’s next generation Apple Watch SE will be launching in a number of days. Rumors for this new model have been faint, leading to some skepticism around whether or not it’s truly launching this year – but now things seem solid.

Expand Expanding Close

Indie App Spotlight: ‘MinuteTick’ is a Menu Bar app that helps keep you on task

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.


Getting distracted on your Mac can be quite easy at times. MinuteTick is a nifty app that aims to make you more mindful of what you’re doing on your computer – keeping you on task. It also includes little mini games for when you’re in between events, and it all lives in your Mac’s menu bar.

Expand Expanding Close

Apple could reintroduce iPhone mini thanks to this recent lineup change, here’s how

iPhone 15 hugely popular in South Korea – while Japanese buyers seek out used iPhone 13 minis (latter shown)

In 2020, Apple surprised a lot of people by re-entering a neglected segment of the smartphone market: small phones. With iPhone 12 mini, Apple did something fairly special, by squeezing all of the same technologies of the iPhone 12 into a 5.4-inch form factor. Unfortunately, it didn’t live for too long, but thanks to a recent lineup change, a new window might’ve opened for its resurgence.

Expand Expanding Close

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Which one makes the most sense to buy right now?

MacBooks are great computers, but there’s a number of different varieties to think about. Between last gen hardware and all of the current models available now, it can feel like there’s a lot of options. Today, we’ll be breaking down which MacBook is right for you, depending on your budget and what you need it for.

Expand Expanding Close

Reflecting on Apple’s attempts at a fourth flagship iPhone: Will the 17 Air do better?

For our readers, the iPhone 17 Air is more appealing than the Pro

At next week’s ‘Awe Dropping’ Apple Event, Apple will release the iPhone 17 lineup. One of the most noteworthy models this year will be an entirely new one: the iPhone 17 Air. It’s going to be an ultra-thin iPhone, and it’s set to replace the iPhone 16 Plus entirely. That being said, will this third attempt at making a fourth iPhone model actually pan out this time?

Expand Expanding Close

Here’s why Apple’s cheapest iPad is actually the most practical model

As a techie, it’s easy to get caught up in the trap of buying the most expensive devices with the most features. And, for the most part, it’s still a problem. That said, I recently made the decision to switch to Apple’s cheapest iPad, the budget model with an A16 chip. I’m pleasantly surprised with how incredibly useful it truly is – while costing less than a third of an iPad Pro.

Expand Expanding Close

Now’s a great time for Apple to bring back this long-removed iMac feature

M4 iMac

A while ago, Apple used to include a software feature with macOS on older iMac models. It was called Target Display Mode, and it allowed you to turn an iMac into an external display once your iMac was too dated to be a usable computer. The company got rid of it with the introduction of the 5K iMac due to technical limitations at the time – though said limitations no longer pose a challenge.

Expand Expanding Close