Apple rumors, launches and hands-on verdicts from Brian Tong
Brian Tong follows Apple's rumors, launches and business moves, from rumored iPhone 18 Pro colors and WWDC26 to record earnings and Amazon's deal for Globalstar. When new hardware arrives, he reports from his own testing. He praised the MacBook Neo for smooth video editing but flagged its 8GB memory ceiling and missing backlit keyboard.
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Apple Bitz XL is Brian Tong's running commentary on Apple, and its range runs from paint-color rumors to quarterly revenue. Tong does most of the talking, sometimes with a guest, as when the Mac Pro was declared dead. Rumors come with hedges. When he passes along new iPhone 18 Pro colors, he calls them confirmed only in air quotes. Hardware he has actually handled gets the most specific treatment. He came back from Apple's event in New York with hands-on impressions of the MacBook Neo, and he reviewed it alongside the new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iPhone 17E. His notes are practical. The A18 Pro chip handled multi-layer video projects in Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere well enough that he compared it to using his M1 Macs, though exports took far longer. He flagged tab reloads and an 8GB memory ceiling. He also noted the missing backlit keyboard, which may not bother most buyers but matters when typing on a plane. Apple's calendar supplies another thread: a March event in New York, WWDC26, an iOS 26.4 beta, and another delay for the new version of Apple Intelligence. He speculates about rumored hardware too, hoping a 27-inch mini LED display could double as a streaming screen for people short on living space. The business side gets real airtime. He goes through a record-setting earnings report segment by segment, from Mac and iPad to services, and points to MLS and F1 on Apple TV. He called Amazon's agreement to buy Globalstar the most interesting story of the week, because Apple's satellite features, including Emergency SOS and roadside assistance, run on that network. A conversation with a guest moves past specs to strategy. It asks whether a cheaper MacBook Neo could bring students who might otherwise get Chromebooks into Apple's ecosystem early. A response from Tim Cook to retirement rumors comes up as well. The tone is casual and excitable. The MacBook Neo is 'going bonkers', and editing on it was 'smooth as butter'. His personal life is part of the show. He kept recording through a break after the birth of a baby girl and through travel, and he tells listeners roughly when he will be back. The closing minutes point to his YouTube channel and to Patreon, where supporters get ad-free episodes and early access. Sometimes he reads out supporters' names. The sign-off ends on a single word: peace.
Made for: Suits a listener who follows Apple closely and wants leak and event news alongside a reviewer's first-hand take on new Macs, iPhones and accessories. It also covers the earnings and deals behind them.
What sets it apart: It puts rumor coverage next to Tong's own testing, so iPhone color leaks share the show with a report on editing video on a MacBook Neo. It also treats business stories like Amazon's Globalstar deal as part of the Apple story, explaining how they affect features such as satellite Emergency SOS.
Apple Bitz XL is everything good and bad inside the world of Apple from tech host Brian Tong. He brings on special guests and gives his raw honest take while having fun after covering and working for Apple for over 20 years. Support the show! www.patreon.com/briantong
Brian Tong weighs the MacBook Neo's missing keyboard light before your bargain reflex takes over.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A brisk Apple rumor roundup lands best when it follows the satellite deals beneath the feature story.
Apple's latest rumor cycle gets a more useful shape when the episode moves from possible iPhone 18 Pro colors and MacBook Neo momentum into the satellite infrastructure behind familiar features.
Apple's Mac Pro exit opens a smart look at the company's cheaper, younger, more connected ecosystem.
The Mac Pro's official end gives Apple Bits XL a clear way into Apple's hardware strategy: what it means when a flagship desktop leaves the lineup while the MacBook Neo is finding traction.
Brian Tong tests the MacBook Neo in real editing work and finds a capable new starting point.
Apple's surprise product week gives the episode a clean focus as Brian Tong works through the MacBook Neo, with AirPods Max 2 and the wider announcements in view.
Brian Tong sizes up the MacBook Neo's $599 appeal against its keyboard, storage, and memory limits.
The MacBook Neo lands as Brian Tong's look at whether a $599 Mac can still feel meaningfully like a Mac. Fresh from Apple's New York experience event, he places it among what he sees as six product drops, then shifts quickly from launch energy to the details that will shape…
A clear, expectation-driven look at Apple's March 4 event, likely hardware, and the Apple Intelligence absence.
Apple's first 2026 event gives Brian Tong a strong throughline. He looks ahead to the March 4 showcase across New York, London, and Shanghai, then folds in iOS 26.4's first beta and the Apple Intelligence update that will sit outside the event.
A grounded AirTags review broadens into Apple's record quarter and a still-developing Siri outlook.
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Big game excitement, pointed questions, familiar banter.
Global tech with real-world consequences.
Brian Tong previews WWDC 25, discussing expected announcements and Apple Intelligence.
Brian Tong recaps Apple's M5 product releases and discusses future Apple devices.
["Apple Bitz XL episode 373 covers rumored iPhone 18 Pro colors, MacBook Neo demand, Apple satellite plans, Apple glasses, and the foldable iPhone leak.", "Brian Tong cites a Macworld report for four iPhone 18 Pro colors, a CellCell survey showing 96.4% iPhone loyalty, and MacBook Neo wait times of two to four weeks.", "He argues that the $599 MacBook Neo works because Apple is using binned A18 Pro chips, while Microsoft has raised Surface prices to as high as $1,499.", "Tong ends with foldable iPhone details that include a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, Touch ID, and a possible $2,000 to $2,500 price."]
Apple Bitz XL episode 372 centers on Apple confirming that the Mac Pro is discontinued, while Brian Tong and Ray Wong argue that the Mac Studio already took its place.
Brian Tong covers Apple's surprise AirPods Max 2 refresh, the MacBook Neo, the M5 MacBook Air, the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro, the Studio Display XDR, and the iPhone 17E in one Apple-heavy episode.
AppleBits XL episode 370 centers on Brian Tong's hands-on take on the MacBook Neo after Apple's New York event, with the machine starting at $599 and dropping to $499 for education.
Apple has officially scheduled a March 4 event in New York, London, and Shanghai, and Brian Tong says the invitation’s glass-slice Apple logo points to a product-heavy presentation.
Brian Tong reviews the second-generation Apple AirTag, highlighting its new ultra-wideband chip, 45-to-150-foot precision-finding range, louder chime, and Apple Watch support.
Brian Tong analyzes Apple's confirmation that Google Gemini will power the next generation of Siri and future Apple Intelligence features in 2026.
Brian Tong and Rich DeMuro debate Apple’s 2026 prospects, focusing on Apple Intelligence, smart-home devices, foldable iPhones, and a redesigned MacBook Pro.
Apple Bitz XL host Brian Tong and recurring guest Ray Wong compare their separate lists of Apple’s good and bad developments from 2025.
Brian Tong and Joel Federer of The Drive examine why GM removed CarPlay from its electric vehicles while adding native Apple Music with Dolby Atmos support.
Brian Tong previews WWDC 25, discussing expected Apple software announcements and the potential role of Apple Intelligence.
Brian Tong discusses Apple's ADQ suggesting iPhones may become obsolete, ongoing Epic vs.
The host discusses hands-on impressions of Apple's new M4 MacBook Air, M4 Max/M3 Ultra Mac Studio, M3 iPad Air, and the iPhone 16e release in Japan, along with Alexa Plus.