Jason Snell and Myke Hurley debate Apple's product roadmap, leadership, and rumors weekly.
Upgrade follows Apple, the Mac, consumer tech, and the wider industry with the patience to parse rumors and the appetite for a good tangent. Its recurring rhythm mixes Snell Talk questions, follow-up, product-news analysis, and occasional special episodes on Apple history or draft episodes.
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Upgrade is a co-hosted, conversational show produced by Relay FM, built around a weekly back-and-forth between Jason Snell and Myke Hurley rather than a traditional interview or rotating-guest format. Most episodes open with brief personal check-ins or listener follow-up before moving into an extended discussion of current Apple news. Recurring subject matter includes Mac hardware transitions (the Mac Pro's discontinuation, Mac Studio and Mac mini supply patterns and rumored M5 refreshes), iPhone rumors (the iPhone Fold, naming conventions like iPhone Ultra), and forward-looking product speculation such as Apple smart glasses. The hosts regularly reference and weigh reporting from outside journalists, particularly Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, treating leaks and analyst notes as material to debate rather than repeat uncritically. Apple's corporate and design leadership is a recurring thread, covering departures such as Alan Dye's move to Meta and speculation about Tim Cook's eventual succession and board governance. Some episodes depart from current-events coverage entirely, offering narrative retrospectives on Apple's founding history, including Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs's early collaboration and the Homebrew Computer Club scene. Recurring segments include an Apple TV content draft, an annual 'Upgradies' awards discussion, and lighter personal asides about hobbies, travel, and game-show appearances. The show assumes listeners already follow Apple as a company rather than needing product basics explained. No outside guests recur across the sampled episodes; the two hosts carry the entire conversation, occasionally citing other journalists and authors (Mark Gurman, Walter Isaacson, David Pogue) as sources rather than interviewees.
Made for: Apple enthusiasts and industry watchers who want ongoing analysis of hardware rumors, executive moves, and product strategy rather than beginner-level explainers.
What sets it apart: Unlike single-host Apple news roundups, Upgrade pairs two long-running tech journalists in an unscripted weekly debate that mixes rumor analysis with narrative history episodes on Apple's founding.
Upgrade looks at how technology shapes our lives, from the devices in our hands and pockets to the streaming services that keep us entertained. Hosted by Jason Snell and Myke Hurley.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Upgrade brings memory, practical scrutiny, and lively disagreement to Apple's products, strategy, and history.
Upgrade turns Apple news into a sustained conversation about the decisions behind the products. Jason Snell and Myke Hurley move from smart glasses and Mac hardware to executive departures, interface design, product naming, and streaming television, testing each subject against…
Apple's product matrix becomes a two-person courtroom, with you happily seated in the jury box.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A sharp Apple hardware postmortem on how the Mac Pro lingered past the strategy that once justified it.
Upgrade frames Apple's high-end Mac story as a messy correction that kept correcting itself. Mike Hurley and Jason Snell focus on the Mac Pro's strange afterlife, tracing the line from the trash can model through the iMac Pro and toward the Mac Studio, while arguing that Apple…
Upgrade makes Apple's origin feel like a story of keyboards, televisions, hobbyist clubs, and Woz's circuit-board leap.
Upgrade treats Apple's origin less as polished company myth than as a series of practical engineering moves. Mike Hurley opens with the familiar Steve Jobs aura, quoting Pirates of Silicon Valley as the show begins its Apple at 50 run, but Jason Snell quickly grounds the story…
A candid Apple-coverage episode about embargo timing, new hardware, and what reviewers can say before reviews publish.
Upgrade turns a late episode into a clear look at the machinery around Apple coverage. Mike Hurley and Jason Snell explain why release timing can shift after product announcements: review embargoes can leave hosts with real hands-on time they are not yet free to discuss.
Upgrade turns Alan Dye's departure chatter into a pointed conversation about taste, software design, and why aesthetics still matter at Apple.
Upgrade uses Alan Dye's reported move to Meta as a way into a familiar Apple argument: whether design is just surface polish, or part of how the product works.
A grounded Apple-watchers' episode on AI triage, Health ambitions, and the limits of vague roadmaps.
Upgrade treats Apple's AI reset as cleanup, not conquest. Mike Hurley and Jason Snell sound less interested in a sweeping roadmap than in what Apple can ship after a messy public push: fix what is in front of it, avoid another oversized AI milestone, and let new management work…
A relaxed Apple TV draft that turns favorite-picking into a useful tour through the service's catalog.
Upgrade uses Thanksgiving week as an excuse for a low-stakes Apple TV draft, with Mike Hurley and Jason Snell picking through a catalog they say now runs to more than 200 TV titles, plus movies.
David Sparks and Stephen Robles dig into Keyboard Maestro, Shortcuts, and Mac automation weekly.
Federico Viticci, Stephen Hackett, and Myke Hurley work through the week's Apple news and their own gear problems.
Long-form Apple talk with sharp product judgment and deep tech history.
Paul Thurrott and Richard Campbell break down Microsoft's week in Windows, Xbox, and AI.
Today is moon day.
Noah Wiley's Jobs monologue opens the room.
Jason Snell says he is appearing on Thursday's Jeopardy, and he names the other contestants, including a returning champion and Jordan from Edmonton.
This episode discusses the delayed release of a MacBook Neo review due to embargo timing and the humorous story behind the 'photogenic lemon' shopping list item related to artwork for the review.
The hosts discuss a listener question about Jason's preferred jelly for PB&J sandwiches, revealing he uses blackberry or strawberry preserves rather than traditional jelly.
The hosts discuss a listener's question about making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, sharing humorous opinions and personal anecdotes.
The hosts discuss Olympic sports they are watching, particularly curling, and how they use streaming services to catch up on events.
Hosts discuss Myke's recent vacation to Hawaii and the distance/time zone differences.
This episode of Upgrade features hosts Mike Hurley and Jason Snell discussing personal topics like birthdays and age, along with a listener question about overnight Amtrak trips.
The hosts celebrate episode 600 of Upgrade with a discussion about Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza's emotional game-winning performance and subsequent transfer to Indiana.
The hosts discuss the significance of episode 599, tease a future predictions segment, and explore Jason's fascination with Zeppelins as a symbol of parallel universes in sci-fi.
The hosts discuss listener feedback about the popular '20 Macs for 2020' series and Jason Snow's potential future projects related to Apple history content.
The hosts discuss their favorite snacks, including Doritos, Skittles, and honey mustard pretzel pieces, in a lighthearted conversation.
Departures are the bit that keeps giving.
December lands with a thud.
Episode 591 starts with Thanksgiving-week gratitude, then Mike Hurley and Jason Snell slide into a playful Apple TV content draft.
Hosts Jason Snell and Myke Hurley discuss their recording setup and answer a listener question about using an Apple Watch as an alarm clock.
Hosts Jason Snell and Myke Hurley discuss Jason's visit to London, touching on public transport and free museums, with a tech culture angle.
The hosts discuss changing Mac passwords when reviewing units and share personal anecdotes about tech habits.
Jason Snell and Stephen Hackett discuss Apple-related news, including Jason's recent time off and listener questions about falling asleep with AirPods.
Jason Snell and Myke Hurley discuss Apple product reviews and iMessage wallpaper backgrounds.
Hosts discuss Apple-related news and play custom jingles, including a segment called Snell Talk.
Hosts Jason Snell and Myke Hurley discuss technology's impact on daily life, with a listener question about Renaissance Faires.
Jason and Myke discuss their immediate reactions to the WWDC keynote, focusing on Apple's platform updates and Apple Intelligence.
The hosts discuss a listener's question about whether to use title case or sentence case for calendar events, leading to a broader conversation about style guides and personal preferences.
Jason and Mike discuss an e-ink monitor and Jason's views on e-ink devices.
The hosts discuss Waymo self-driving taxis in San Francisco and listener experiences.
Jason Snell and Myke Hurley discuss technology's role in daily life, with a lighthearted segment on chocolate preferences.
Jason Snell hosts a tech podcast with a guest discussing e-readers and their evolving interest in technology.
Jason Snell and guest David Smith discuss tech news, including baseball caps and opening day, in a tech-focused podcast episode.
Jason Snell and Dan Morin discuss tech news, including a listener question about Star Trek memorabilia, in this episode of Upgrade.
Jason Snell and guest Stephen Hackett discuss listener questions about privacy and location disclosure, along with tech news.
Jason Snell and guest Myke Hurley discuss the unusual circumstances of recording an out-of-time episode due to vacation and paternity leave.
Jason Snell hosts a special episode of Upgrade with guest Casey Liss, announcing the birth of co-host Myke Hurley's baby and discussing tech topics.