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Apple’s 20th anniversary iPhone may wrap its display on all four sides

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20th anniversary iPhone concept
The 2027 iPhone could redefine smartphone design once again.
AI concept: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple’s 20th anniversary iPhone may stand out with its “four-sided bending design.” The company reportedly plans to make the phone bezel-less, integrating the camera and Face ID sensors below the display panel.

To help Apple achieve its goal, LG Display is seemingly making heavy investments in the next-generation display technology.

Today in Apple history: iMac Pro packs potent all-in-one punch

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iMac Pro launched in 2017
The iMac Pro made quite splash in 2017, and there are occasional calls to bring it back.
Photo: Apple

December 14: Today in Apple history: Apple buys 'iPhone' web domain iphone.org December 14, 2017: The much-anticipated iMac Pro finally reaches customers many months after Apple’s announced the product. With a built-in 27-inch, 5K display and an Intel Xeon processor, the high-end desktop combines the features of an iMac and a Mac Pro.

It is beautiful and far more powerful than earlier iMacs, but is destined to stay in Apple’s product lineup only a relatively short time.

Join Costco for $65, get an extra-large signup bonus

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Photo of a Costco Wholesale warehouse to illustrate a deal on a Costco membership
You can save on everything from groceries to Apple gear at Costco.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

A Costco Gold Star Membership can help you secure high-quality goods — including iPhones, Macs, Apple Watches and iPads — at bargain-basement prices. You can hop on the savings train now with a Costco membership deal that lets you join the warehouse club for less.

Right now, when you pick up a year-long Costco Gold Star Membership for only $65 you’ll also score an extra-satisfying $40 Digital Costco Shop Card*.

Want even more savings? Bump up to an Executive Gold Star Membership for $130 to earn more perks and receive an even larger $60 Digital Costco Shop Card.

How to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas for free this weekend (no Apple TV needed)

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How to watch ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ for free
A Charlie Brown Christmas is free to watch on Apple TV later this month.
Photo: Apple TV

The Christmas season is starting, and there’s good news for fans of the Peanuts holiday specials. Apple made the holiday classic A Charlie Brown Christmas available for everyone to stream free this weekend, whether they’re an Apple TV subscriber or not.

That gives everyone the opportunity to watch Linus teach his friends what Christmas is all about.

Today in Apple history: AirPods arrive to conquer the audio world

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Product photo of original AirPods outside their case to illustrate a
They looked weird at first, but now it's impossible to remember a world without AirPods.
Photo: Dagny Reese/Unsplash License

December 13: Today in Apple history: Original AirPods launch December 13, 2016: After months of anticipation and delay, Apple finally launches the first-generation AirPods. The tiny wireless earbuds arrive in Apple’s online store just in time for holiday shoppers looking for stocking stuffers.

Like so many Apple products, they aren’t the first wireless earbuds to arrive on the scene. However, AirPods’ rapid success will fuel a wireless listening revolution.

Get a lifetime of guitar lessons with real-time feedback for just $250

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Photo of a person playing a guitar on a couch with the JustinGuitar log
Get a lifetime of guitar lessons for a low one-time payment.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

JustinGuitar has been one of the internet’s most trusted guitar-learning platforms for nearly two decades. And now, Justin Sandercoe — who has taught millions via YouTube, racking up more than 592 million views in the process — has turned his method into a guitar app that actually feels like having a personal coach in your pocket.

It features structured lessons, real-time feedback and thousands of songs. And with this special holiday sale, you can give the guitarist in your life (or yourself) lifetime access to JustinGuitar for just $249.99 (MSRP $299.99).

iOS 26.4 features surface in new internal Apple leak

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iOS 26.4 features leak
iOS 26.4 will apparently come with several handy new features.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

A leaked iOS 26 internal build reveals several new features Apple plans to introduce in iOS 26.4. These include credit card autofill support for third-party apps, folders in whiteboarding app Freeform, and a Sports tier in Apple TV.

The company will supposedly also introduce additional security measures with the update.

Secret trick will stop your iPhone from updating to iOS 26 — forever!

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Image of an iPhone with the words
Wary of Liquid Glass? You can stay on iOS 18 forever.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Not ready to take a gamble on iOS 26? You can stop an iOS update in its tracks if you don’t want to be pushed into the latest version.

There are all kinds of reasons you might not want to upgrade. Maybe you like the speed and stability of iOS 18. Perhaps you don’t want Apple’s divisive new Liquid Glass user interface slowing down your aging iPhone.

While Apple is finally starting to push people to update to iOS 26, you don’t need to go along with the crowd. Obviously, you can disable automatic updates to put on the brakes, but it won’t be long before Apple starts sending push notifications and red badges, encouraging you to update.

Luckily, there’s a secret trick to hide those and make sure your phone stays on iOS 18 for as long as you like.  Here’s how.

Score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac for just $50

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A lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac.
Enjoy lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Stuck using an older version of Microsoft Office? This offer gets you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac for just $49.97. With a low one-time payment, you can bid farewell to Microsoft 365’s pesky recurring subscription fees. You’ll never need to pay again for Microsoft’s widely used software for work and school.

And if you need Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows, you can secure a lifetime license for even less: just $34.97.

iPadOS 26.2 delivers major Split View improvement — here’s how to use it

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iPadOS 26.2 delivers major Split View improvement — here’s how to use it
Rejoice, iPad fans! Apple restored the best feature of Split View in iPadOS 26.2.
Screenshot: Apple

iPad users once again gain access to classic Split View multitasking in iPadOS 26.2. It’s back to being the best way to use two applications side-by-side on your iPad.

Apple nerfed Split View in iPadOS 26, but the latest OS update walks that mistake back — it’s as good as it’s ever been. Here’s how to use the revised version.

Everything new in iOS 26.2: Great new features (and plenty of bug fixes)

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iOS 26.2 features
iOS 26.2 could be the one everyone is pushed to update to.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

In addition to hundreds of bug fixes, iOS 26.2 brings much-needed refinement to the iPhone’s operating system — along with more than 20 new features.

iOS 26.2, which Apple released Friday, lets you turn your reminders into alarms, so they’re impossible to ignore. Apple Podcasts gains automatic chapters and links. And the controversial Liquid Glass user interface continues to be refined and tweaked.

There are subtle improvements everywhere. Here’s the complete list of exciting changes in iOS 26.2. Keep reading or watch our video.

When to expect iOS 26.2 release in your time zone [It’s out now!]

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When to expect iOS 26.2 release in your time zone
iOS 26.2 is out!
Image: Cult of Mac

The wait for iOS 26.2 is over! Apple’s latest update to the iPhone operating system includes a useful change to AirDrop file sharing, a prominent tweak to Liquid Glass and more. We expected it all week, and it’s finally out.

The update is joined by macOS Tahoe 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2 and visionOS 26.2, all at the same time.

Brad Pitt’s record-breaking F1 movie now streaming free on Apple TV

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F1: The Movie stars Brad Pitt
Drivers, fire up your Apple TV. F1 is finally here.
Photo: Apple Original Films

After earning more than $629 million at the global box office this summer, the racing flick F1: The Movie finally zoomed from theaters to living rooms, reaching the Apple TV streaming service on Friday.

The film blends blazing-fast cars on the racetrack with clashing personalities off the track. Brad Pitt stars as an aging racer trying to prove he still has what it takes to be a Formula One driver, with the action playing out at 230 mph.

Apple’s iOS 26 push draws cheers from some, frustration from others

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Apple’s iOS 26 push draws cheers from some, frustration from others
iPhone users are divided on iOS 26 and Liquid Glass. But general opinion might not be what you think.
Image: ChatGPT

Apple has begun actively encouraging iPhone users to move from iOS 18 to iOS 26, and social media is filling up with people complaining about Liquid Glass, with the occasional compliment for the new look.

Trying to find out what most people really think about the new version, Cult of Mac polled its readers, and their answers might surprise you.

Today in Apple history: Apple IPO mints instant millionaires

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Apple is worth more than the entire US energy sector combined
December 12, 1980, was an incredibly important day for Apple.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac/401Calculator

December 12: Today in Apple history: Apple goes public at $22 per share, minting instant millionaires December 12, 1980: Apple goes public, floating 4.6 million shares on the stock market at $22 per share. The Apple IPO becomes the biggest tech public offering of its day. And more than 40 out of 1,000 Apple employees become instant millionaires.

As Apple’s biggest shareholder, 25-year-old Steve Jobs ends the day with a net worth of $217 million. However, the big payday triggers internal tensions as it highlights Cupertino’s class divide.

This app lets you download videos directly from major streamers

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Photo of Keeprix streaming downloader open on a laptop on a desk.
All-in-one streaming video downloader Keeprix makes it easy to watch offline.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Streaming is great until you want to watch something offline, save a show before it disappears, or avoid the limits most platforms put on downloads — that’s when you need a streaming downloader like Keeprix.

It works with Netflix, YouTube and other major streaming services, letting you save the videos you care about so you can watch them whenever you want. That means no dealing with ads, expiration timers or unreliable Wi-Fi.

A lifetime subscription to Keeprix just went on sale for $95.99 (regularly $159.99).

Apple pushes new AirPods Pro firmware update with bug fixes and improvements

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How to update AirPods
There’s new firmware for multiple AirPods Pro models. Get it today.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple released new firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 on Thursday that offers bug fixes for a major recent firmware upgrade. Version 8B28 and 8B30 merely tweak the wireless earbuds, but every AirPods update is worth installing.

Apple recently explained exactly how to update your AirPods firmware. The process can happen automatically, in the background, but there is a way to speed things up. It’s a good idea to manually check that you’re running the latest version, which brings bug fixes and sometimes great new features.

Read on for more details, and find all current AirPods firmware versions, along with instructions for getting the AirPods update as quickly as possible.

AirPods Pro 3 drop below $200 for the very first time

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Photo of AirPods Pro 3 with the words
Save now on Apple's best earbuds.
Image: Apple

If you waited for an AirPods Pro 3 deal that beats Black Friday and Cyber Monday, your moment has arrived. Apple’s excellent noise-canceling earbuds are way down to just $199. That’s a 20% discount off the newly upgraded earbuds — and $20 less than Black Friday.

AirPods Pro 3 bring new features, including a heart rate monitor, revved-up audio quality and redesigned ear tips for better active noise cancellation. Plus, like the previous model, they can even function as clinical-grade hearing aids.

Make no mistake: These are the best wireless earbuds you can buy for your iPhone, Mac and other Apple gear. Nothing can match how seamlessly AirPods integrate with Apple devices. 

All the ways Apple will improve AirTag 2

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All the ways Apple will improve AirTag 2
The improvments in AirTag 2 should be internal, and not visible from the outside,
Photo: Apple

AirTag 2 will reportedly include features clearly intended to win over new converts to Apple’s tracking tag. A leak on Thursday of details about the second-generation model reveals that the product will be easier to find in several ways, and easier to set up, too.

The new AirTag is now expected to launch in 2026.

Make home automation affordable with last-minute Aqara smart-home deals

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Aqara smart home deals
You can get an Aqara Smart Lock U100 for 37% off and use it with iPhone or Apple Watch. And that's just the start of the home automation savings in Aqara's holiday sale.
Photo: Aqara

With the holiday season in full swing and gift-giving deadlines approaching, Aqara has a fantastic sale with huge discounts on a bunch of the company’s smart home devices. These devices work with Apple HomeKit and the Home app, so you can easily integrate them into your existing setup (or start a whole new thing).

It’s the perfect time for last-minute shoppers looking to spruce up their living spaces before the holidays or surprise tech-savvy friends with a cool gift.

The sale runs through December 22 and offers savings of up to 48% on everything from smart locks to security cameras. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to upgrade your smart home for less.

Today in Apple history: iPhone factory deaths spark investigation

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Foxconn
Tim Cook visits one of Apple's factories in China.
Photo: Apple

December 11: Today in Apple history: Deaths at Pegatron iPhone factory spark investigation December 11, 2013: A Chinese labor rights group calls on Apple to investigate the deaths of several workers at a Shanghai factory run by iPhone manufacturer Pegatron.

Most controversially, one of the dead workers is just 15 years old. The underage worker reportedly succumbed to pneumonia after working extremely long hours on the iPhone 5c production line.

Why you’ll want Apple’s ‘HomePad’ smart home hub

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Why you'll want Apple’s ‘HomePad’ smart home hub
The Apple HomePad smart home hub might look something like this concept image.
AI image: Google Gemini

As new details on Apple’s smart home hub leak out, the device is shaping up to be something that’ll attract plenty of customers.  On Thursday, it was revealed that the device will have a front-facing camera with Center Stage, making it ideal for making FaceTime calls.

Previous reports indicate that it’s designed to be the centerpiece of a smart home, not only controlling smart accessories but also displaying shared calendars and answering questions, thanks to the improved version of Siri now in development.

This could be a flagship product in a fresh push by Apple into smart home technology.

AI creative suite Creatiyo lets you do it all (for one low price)

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Photo of Creatiyo AI creative suite running on an iMac
Save 60% on lifetime access to Creatiyo, an all-in-one AI creation platform.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

AI creative suite Creatiyo can streamline everything from writing to coding to audio, video and image creation — all in one place.

That’s exactly why this all-in-one AI creation platform feels like the right kind of upgrade for anyone who already lives in a tech-centric workflow.

Creatiyo reduces the chaos of switching between multiple AI apps, copy-pasting content, and juggling too many tools. And now, lifetime access to Creatiyo is on sale for just $79 (MSRP $199).

Cuktech’s 10,000mAh magnetic power bank keeps charging simple, reliable and cheap [Review] ★★★★☆

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Photo of Cuktech 10,000mAh magnetic power bank sitting on a table★★★★☆
The Cuktech magnetic power bank is a great everyday companion.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Cuktech’s 10,000mAh magnetic power bank offers the best of both worlds: wireless charging and fast wired charging. Its lightweight design makes it easy to carry — and its tiny price tag makes it a bargain and a half.

This little wonder even packs a built-in USB-C cable, making it the only power bank you need to toss in your bag.

As you’ll see from our review, if you’re looking for a convenient and reliable iPhone charger at an affordable price, Cuktech’s 10,000mAh magnetic power bank is worth buying.