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Apple delays plan to bring Face ID to iMac

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Apple plans the 2021 iMac redesign we’ve been dreaming of
The new iMac refresh is going to be great. But don't expect Face ID just yet.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

People have been using Face ID to unlock their iPhones since 2017, and their iPads since 2018. But don’t expect to unlock your iMac using facial recognition just yet.

According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple has been developing Touch ID for Mac. However, while it was originally planned for the 2021 iMac redesign, it’s now been pushed back to a later update.

MagSafe charger could make triumphant return to MacBook Pro this year

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MagSafe
MagSafe was a great Apple innovation.
Photo: Gordon Mei/Flickr CC

Apple’s MagSafe branding technically made a return last year with the iPhone 12. But the MagSafe fans most fondly recall — the neat magnetic charging system for the MacBook — is also gearing up to make a comeback.

According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple is bringing back MagSafe for this year’s MacBook Pro refresh. The connector will reportedly be similar in design to the “elongated pill-shape” original MagSafe. It will provide faster charging for the MacBook.

Expect exciting new MacBooks, iPad, Apple Watch and more in 2021

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Expect Apple 2021 to bring exciting new MacBooks, iPads, Apple Watch features.
There are outstanding improvements coming to many Apple product in 2021.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple broke new ground in 2020, and will build on that in many ways in 2021. It should be a really significant year for Mac. And iPad and Apple Watch are expected to get important new features as well.

Plus, this could be the year a product Apple has been quietly developing finally breaks out.

Apple Fitness+ review: First impressions from a fitness fanatic

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Apple Fitness+ review: With 10 types of workouts, there's something for nearly everyone.
I let Apple Fitness+ test me to the limit, so I could test it to the limit.
Photo: Apple

Apple Fitness+ only came online yesterday, but I’ve already logged 10 workouts with it. I let Cupertino’s new subscription service put me through my paces, so I could put it through its paces to bring you this review.

I’m a qualified personal trainer and a fitness fanatic who trains hard every day. So I was curious to find out if Apple Fitness+ could give me a challenging workout.

Water-resistance, U1 chip, swappable bands are just a few things MIA from AirPods Max

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Internal components of AirPods Max spaced out horizontally.
AirPods Max pack in plenty of impressive tech, but some stuff didn't make it.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s U1 chip, allowing for devices to more accurately connect to others nearby using ultra-wideband technology, is MIA in Apple’s pricey new $549 AirPods Max headphones.

The chip, which Apple introduced in 2019 with the iPhone 11, was rumored to show up in the AirPods Max. But according to a tweet by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple had to scrap a number of big features it planned to include in the high-end headphones it launched Tuesday.

New playlists reveal what Apple Music subscribers were listening to in 2020

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2020 in Apple Music
How your tastes compare?
Photo: Apple Music

Do “certified freak, seven days a week” or “Pour up the whole damn seal, I’ma get lazy” mean anything to you?

If you’re anything like other Apple Music listeners around the world, they certainly do. That’s because they’re from Cardi B’s “WAP” and Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” two of the songs atop the newly released “Most-Read Lyrics of 2020” list on Apple’s streaming music service. And there’s more data where that came from!

iPhone 12 mini is the ultimate one-handed phone [Review]

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iPhone 12 mini
The iPhone 12 mini is a hot little number.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Buying a compact smartphone used to mean making some big sacrifices. You either had to settle for an older model, or you had to opt for an Android handset (ugh!). That’s no longer the case, thanks to iPhone 12 mini.

iPhone 12 mini makes no compromises. It’s not a watered-down version of the larger iPhone 12; it is an iPhone 12 that’s squeezed into a smaller body. It has a gorgeous Super Retina XDR display, a blazing-fast A14 Bionic processor, great cameras, 5G and Face ID.

What’s missing? Absolutely nothing! If you want a small smartphone that has it all, iPhone 12 mini is the only option.

We learned way more than ‘One More Thing’ at Apple’s big M1 launch

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6 more things we learned at Apple’s One More Thing M1 Mac event
Apple’s “One More Thing” event showed us far more than one thing about its plans.
Composite: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple took a huge step in switching Macs from Intel processors to Apple Silicon on Tuesday. The M1 processor will bring big performance boosts to a trio of new Macs.

Here’s a rundown of not only what Apple CEO Tim Cook and Co. said during the “One More Thing” event, but what the announcements mean for the future of the Mac — and the company.

iPhone 12 and 12 Pro first impressions: Apple does it again

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iPhone 12 Pro in Pacific blue
Coming soon to a pocket near you.
Photo: Apple

The first reviews of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro landed online Tuesday, and the devices’ marquee feature — 5G wireless connectivity — largely went unnoticed.

Most reviewers said they could not properly take advantage of the next-gen networking, which Apple heavily promoted during last week’s iPhone 12 launch event. This makes 5G more of a hypothetical selling point than something the reviewers could personally recommend. (That’s not surprising, considering the current state of 5G in the United States.)

That said, the first impressions focus on both phones’ impressive new designs — and pay special attention to the premium feel of the iPhone 12 Pro. The reviewers also highlight MagSafe, the new magnetic connection system for cases, chargers and other accessories that Apple added to this year’s iPhones.

Here’s a look at the first iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 reviews.

iPhone 12 Pro dazzles with new design, 5G, improved cameras

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iPhone 12 Pro in Pacific blue
iPhone 12 Pro is "the photographer's iPhone."
Photo: Apple

The wait for iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max is over. During its big “Hi, Speed” keynote on Tuesday, Apple showcased its latest flagships with a dazzling new design inspired by iPad Pro, super-fast 5G connectivity, and the latest A14 Bionic chipset.

The lineup also brings new color options, improved cameras, and MagSafe — but not as you know it. You can preorder yours this Friday, October 16, before the new handsets make their official debut one week later on October 23.

AirPods Studio headphones may not arrive until possible ‘November event’

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AirPods Studio will apparently look much like this.
Apple’s is prepping a pair of over-the-ear headphones, possibly as part of phasing out its Beats brand.
Render: Jon Prosser/cconceptcreator

Mass production on Apple’s over-the-ear AirPods Studio headphones won’t be completed until October 20, claims Apple tipster Jon Prosser. That would mean that, if they’re unveiled at Apple’s October 13 “Hi, Speed” event, they may not be available until the end of the month or the beginning of November.

According to Prosser, this timeline means it’s questionable whether Apple will announce the new headphones next month. He suggests that Apple might instead announce them via press release or at an as-yet-unannounced “November event.”

iOS 14.2 adds more evidence iPhone 12 won’t come with EarPods

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Apple's new EarPods brought big improvements over previous versions.
This could be the end of the road for EarPods coming packaged with the iPhone.
Photo: Juanibb/Wikipedia CC

A “minor code tweak” discovered in iOS 14.2 appears to confirm previous reports that Apple will not package EarPods with the iPhone 12.

The rumor was originally suggested by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo back in May. This change in language, hidden in iOS 14.2, seems to lend credence to that idea.

Best iOS 14 custom Home screens (so far …)

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iOS 14 Home screen modification
Give your iPhone a bespoke overhaul.
Photo: Pogpals

Thanks to iOS 14’s new widgets, seemingly everyone is redesigning their iPhone Home screens right now. Some of these look amazing. Others evoke the eyeball-abusing tragedy of late-stage MySpace, serving as painful reminders of why most of us didn’t become professional graphic designers.

Here are some of the better iOS 14 custom Home screens we’ve seen. (Want to make your own? We’ve got a guide for you: How to give your iPhone Home screen a new look with custom icons).

5 big takeaways from Apple’s September ‘Time Flies’ event

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The Apple September event had everything you could want
Important new products and services were all highlights of the Apple “Time Flies” September event.
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac/Apple

Apple executives took to virtual stages on Tuesday to unveil a parade of important new products at its “Time Flies” event. The much-anticipated Apple Watch made its debut, and a cheaper version too. And the iPad Air got a massive upgrade. Plus, there are new services and more.

Here’s why you shouldn’t overlook anything Apple just announced.

Report claims only a single iPhone 12 variant will offer fastest 5G

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iPhone 12 might mix iPhone 11 and iPad Pro designs
And only in select markets.
Concept: Ben Geskin

Those who plan to upgrade to iPhone 12 for its 5G connectivity may need to be careful about which variant they choose this fall. A new report claims only one will offer the fastest 5G technology.

While all iPhone 12 units are said to feature Sub-6 5G capabilities, one source claims you’ll need to opt for the largest, most expensive model to also enjoy faster mmWave 5G.

Leaked iPad Air 4 images suggest it will get an iPad Pro-style makeover

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2020 iPad Air Concept with Apple Pencil 2
This proposed 2020 iPad Air concept is mostly a scaled-down iPad Pro.
Photo: svetapple.sk

Images that appear to show training manuals or marketing images for the forthcoming iPad Air 4 were posted by an Apple leaker posted Wednesday.

The images, posted by Twitter user DuanRi, show off a design similar to the iPad Pro. If the images are real, the iPad Air 4 will be the first in this series without a Home key. And there’ll be a single rear-mounted camera.

Interestingly, the images also suggest Apple will stick with Touch ID, rather than adopting Face ID for the next-gen iPad Air. The Touch ID sensor will be incorporated into the power button, not under the display (as some previous rumors suggested).

Apple at $2 trillion is amazing for investors, but boring for fans [Opinion]

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Tim Cook WWDC
Are Apple's days as a game-changing innovator behind it?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s surge past a $2 trillion market cap this week underlines just how well CEO Tim Cook’s vision works for shareholders. But is this good news for Apple fans?

The first publicly traded U.S. company to hit this milestone, Apple has transformed from one of the world’s dynamic companies into one that can be, well, kind of boring. The strategy that fueled this unprecedented success makes it far less likely that we’ll seen an insanely innovative product coming out of Cupertino in the future.

Apple expels Fortnite from the App Store; Epic Games sues

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The Epic Games office in Berlin.— Fortnite App Store
Epic Games has sued Apple for allegedly monopolizing iOS app distribution.
Photo: Sergey Galyonkin/Flickr CC

The hugely popular game Fortnite was removed from the iPhone App Store on Thursday. This move came in response to Epic Games instituting a direct payments system for in-app purchases in violation of App Store guidelines.

And Epic Games responded with a civil lawsuit that accuses the App Store of being a monopoly. And a video that harks back to the famous “1984” ad.

How to fix Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interference on a Mac

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Fix Wi-Fi interference on a Mac
Don't settle for a slow and unstable connection.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

If your Mac is struggling to maintain a stable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection, it could be because of wireless interference. The good thing is that there are many different things you can do to eliminate this problem.

In this guide, we’ll detail how you can identify wireless interference, and some of steps you can take to prevent it from causing problems in the future. The tips also can prove useful for iOS devices.

Year’s finest iPhone photos look absolutely stunning

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Shot on iPhone 2020 winner 1
So, that's what's possible with an iPhone camera and a bit of imagination.
Photo: Dimpy Bhalotia

The iPhone has transformed photography by giving everyone (well, everyone with an iPhone) a passably professional camera that they carry with them every moment of the day.

To celebrate all things iPhone photographic, the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA) showcase the best snaps taken each year on an Apple handset. Here are some of the newly announced winners of the 2020 contest. They’re stunners.