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My, what a big screen your ‘rugged’ Apple Watch has [The CultCast]

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The CultCast: What, exactly, will the rumored rugged Apple Watch look like?
What, exactly, will the rumored rugged Apple Watch look like?
Image: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: This could be the year Apple Watch goes large … and rugged … and maybe long. Like, long enough to track the kind of intense, multi-hour workouts that “extreme sports athletes” engage in.

So the question is, what will this beefier (and pricier) Apple Watch look like? We can’t help letting our imaginations run a little wild.

Also on The CultCast:

  • iOS 16 features that will keep us all waiting.
  • Apple’s new Lockdown Mode sounds super-serious.
  • The White House honors Steve Jobs with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
  • The dreaded pukerang!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

Our sponsor: Squarespace

Special thanks to this week’s sponsor, Squarespace. Get all the tools you need to set up your very own website and commence selling anything online. Start your free website trial today at squarespace.com/cultcast (no credit card required). Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code cultcast at checkout.

Extra-rugged Apple Watch for athletes will pack biggest screen yet

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A ruggedized Apple Watch for athletes
Just how radically rugged will the Apple Watch for extreme athletes be?
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

The rugged Apple Watch designed for hardcore athletes will come with the smartwatch’s biggest screen yet, according to a new report.

Slated to launch this fall alongside Apple Watch Series 8, the sports-oriented smartwatch will come with a beefier battery to make it through longer workouts. A more shatter-resistant screen and a brawny metal case will round out the package — along with a hefty price bump.

Next Apple Watch might tell when you’re running a fever

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You can get big discounts on Apple Watch 7 and SE at Amazon.
This year's Apple Watch upgrade might put a temperature monitor on your wrist.
Photo: Apple

The upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 could feature a body temperature sensor that will allow the wearable to detect when you are running a fever.

Both the regular Apple Watch Series 8 and the rumored rugged variant aimed at hardcore athletes should feature the new sensor.

Leather rally Apple Watch bands make a racy statement

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If you're wearing that strap, you probably drive a fast car.
If you're wearing that strap, you probably drive a fast car.
Photo: BluShark

Evoking nostalgia for 1960s and 1970s motorsports with their distinctive perforations, leather rally watch bands pair beautifully with rugged chronograph watches and smartwatches alike.

BluShark’s trio of leather rally Apple Watch bands, for example, make quite the racy statement.

Your car may not be all that fast, but if you want to feel like Steve McQueen getting behind the wheel, check out BluShark’s leather rally Apple Watch band collection in the Cult of Mac Store.

Judge rules against Apple in ECG suit calling for Apple Watch import ban

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A judge ruled Apple infringed on AliveCor's ECG-related patents.
A judge ruled Apple infringed on AliveCor's ECG-related patents.
Photo: Apple

Personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology maker AliveCor sued Apple last year, claiming the tech giant infringed on patents when developing the heart-health functionality for Apple Watch. AliveCor called for a ban on U.S. imports of the wearable, as well.

Now a judge from the International Trade Commission has supported the claims in an initial ruling.

Exclusive mockups: Apple Watch Explorer Edition looks rugged and sporty

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A sporty new Apple Watch model could debut this fall
A sporty new Apple Watch model could debut this fall
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Rumors of an Apple Watch Explorer Edition started last year, when Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple was working on ruggedized smartwatch designed specifically for athletes. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, from TF International Securities, added fuel to the fire last December, claiming that an “extreme sports version” could debut in 2022.

This month at WWDC, Apple’s focus on new fitness features for watchOS 9 lent further credence to these rumors. As a fitness-fanatic myself, all this hype has got me pretty excited. It inspired me to create these Photoshop mockups, exclusively for Cult of Mac, to explore exactly what the Explorer Edition might look like.

Last chance: Clear clutter with 4-in-1 iPhone charging stand [20% off]

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SwitchEasy's charger lets you juice up four devices at once.
SwitchEasy's charger lets you juice up four devices at once.
Photo: SwitchEasy

The more gadgets we buy, the more separate chargers we end up with. If you’re sick of plugging in your stuff all over the place, try a multi-device charger like the SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Charging Stand.

The compact stand’s ingenious design lets you easily charge four devices at once. You can power up your iPhone or other smartphone, Apple Watch,  AirPods and another device all at the same time. Three out of those four gadgets power up wirelessly, too, so you can cut some cords.

And through tonight, you can get 20% off the stand in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s a savings of $17 off the regular price.

Why you shouldn’t buy an Apple Watch Series 3

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Apple Watch Music
Apple Watch Series 3 was a great smartwatch in its day. But that day was in 2017.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch Series 3 is still in Apple’s product lineup but you should avoid it. It’s so near the end of its product life that it’s not a good value even at $199.

There’s another Apple wearable that costs just a bit more and isn’t about to ride off into the sunset.

15 amazing Apple Watch accessories at insanely low prices

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Apple Watch accessories at low prices
Each will cost you $40 or less.
Photo: Elago, Laut, Elkson, SwitchEasy

Bored of looking at the same old Apple Watch on your wrist? Give yours a makeover by adding a brand-new band or bumper case. There are a wide range of awesome Apple Watch accessories available at surprisingly affordable prices.

We’ve rounded up some of the best that are currently priced at $40 or less to help you out. Check out all 15 right here!

How to watch Apple’s big WWDC22 keynote [Updated]

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How to watch Apple’s big WWDC22 keynote
Don't miss a thing from WWDC22.
Photo: Cult of Mac
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

One of Apple’s biggest events is right around the corner. This year’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote promises to deliver our first look at the company’s next-generation software updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac and more. And it’s all happening on June 6.

Just like past WWDC keynotes, this year’s will be streaming online, so you’ll be able to watch it in its entirety as it all unfolds. Here’s how.

Update: The WWDC22 keynote is behind us, but if you want to get caught up you can watch the whole presentation on YouTube. Or check Cult of Mac‘s in-depth coverage.

Apple Watch dominates growing smartwatch market

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Apple Watch sales increasingly dominate globally.
Apple Watch sales increasingly dominate globally.
Photo: Apple

Global sales of smartwatches grew 13% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to last year, with Apple Watch gobbling the largest slice of the pie by far, new research indicates.

Apple’s wearable led in 2021, but new numbers show its lead continues to grow.

Best Buy’s Memorial Day Sale offers massive discounts on iPad Air, Apple Watch and MacBook Air

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Apple Watch and MacBook
Don't miss these amazing Memorial Day deals on Apple products from Best Buy.
Photo: Naipo.de/Unsplash

Best Buy’s Memorial Day sale is live, and you can save hundreds of dollars on the Apple Watch Series 7, iPad Air 4 and M1 MacBook Air.

The retailer is selling the iPad Air 4 with a whopping $150 discount, MacBook Air with a $100 discount, and up to $70 off on select Apple Watch models.

iPhone 14 Pro models could feature an always-on display

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iPhone 14 Pro models may get an always-on display, finally.
iPhone 14 Pro models may get an always-on display, finally.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 14 Pro models could feature always-on displays because of the handsets’ ProMotion technology, which allows for variable refresh rates, a well-known analyst said Tuesday.

Essentially, an inactive iPhone 14 Pro handset may be able to drop all the down to a 1Hz refresh rate, similar to recent Apple Watch models.

Here comes that Apple Watch redesign we’ve been waiting for [The CultCast]

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The CultCast podcast: Will Apple Watch Series 8 bring the redesign we've been waiting for?
Will Apple Watch Series 8 bring the redesign we've been waiting for?
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: That big, flat Apple Watch redesign we expected in 2021 might arrive this year to soothe our lingering disappointment. The latest renders by Ian Zelbo, spurred by a tweet from leaker ShrimpApplePro, make Apple Watch Series 8 look quite appealing.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Is Cupertino about to “fix” Apple TV’s biggest problem?
  • The AR/VR headset Apple’s been working on for so long sounds like it’s almost ready for prime time.
  • Apple employees, like many other tech workers these days, just don’t want to report to the office. Who can blame ’em?

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

This week’s show is sponsored by Jamf Now and Squarespace. See below for special offers.

Withings smartwatch sports long battery life and Apple Health integration

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The Withings ScanWatch Horizon looks like a classic dive watch but it's quite tech-savvy.
The Withings ScanWatch Horizon looks like a classic dive watch but it's quite tech-savvy.
Photo: Withings

Withings, maker of health devices and smartwatches, launched its new ScanWatch Horizon wearable on Tuesday. It looks like a classic dive watch but packs modern health and activity tracking, 30-day battery life and Apple Health integration.

It’s not cheap, but there are reasons for that.

Sound familiar? Apple Watch 8 display might be flat.

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Ian Zelbo's render shows how Apple Watch 8 might look.
Ian Zelbo's render shows how Apple Watch 8 might look.
Photo: Ian Zelbo

Remember last year when rumors flew that Apple Watch 7 would feature a flat display and squared edges? Not true, of course. But a new leak suggests those traits might define the upcoming Apple Watch 8.

Or maybe the characteristics apply to the rumored “rugged” Apple Watch that could be coming soon. Either way, there’s reason to believe those changes have been in the pipeline.

Google Pixel Watch is coming for Apple Watch’s crown

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After lots of rumors and leaks, it turns out the Pixel Watch is only months away from release.
After lots of rumors and leaks, it turns out the Pixel Watch is only months away from release.
Photo: Google

After ongoing rumors and leaks, Google finally confirmed Wednesday at its I/O 2022 developer conference that the Pixel Watch exists. And the round-cased smart watch will be released in fall 2022 alongside the Pixel 7 smartphone.

The Pixel Watch will duke it out with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, which it resembles. But it will also look to knock market leader Apple Watch off its pedestal.

Aura Strap 2 for Apple Watch slims down, adds subscription service

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Aura Strap 2 lets you track your fat, muscle and water levels with an app and a fitness-oriented subscription service.
Aura Strap 2 lets you track your fat, muscle and water levels with an app and a fitness-oriented subscription service.
Photo: Aura Devices

Aura Devices updated its health-metrics-focused smart band for Apple Watch Wednesday by slimming it down and adding a fitness-oriented subscription service.

The second-generation Aura Strap 2 records metrics like body fat percentage, muscle density and water levels.

Why you’re wrong about Apple Watch Series 7

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Have you been too hard on Apple Watch Series 7?
Have you been too hard on Apple Watch Series 7?
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Six months after its launch, people are still griping about Apple Watch Series 7. Even our own Lewis and Erfon recently agreed on The CultCast that Series 7 wasn’t worth the upgrade.

Many have moaned that it lacks new features, with some even suggesting it was a last-minute rush-job on Cupertino’s part. Personally, I don’t believe a word of it. I love my Series 7 and I think the haters have got it all wrong. Here’s why.

There’s still hope for body temp sensor in Apple Watch Series 8

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There's still hope for body temperature sensor in Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Watch Series 8 will have a body temp sensor if Apple can get it right.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple developers are trying to enable the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 to sense the wearer’s body temperature, according to a trusted analyst. But it’s not a done deal. Cupertino also hoped to make sensing body temp part of Series 7 but couldn’t work out the bugs.

This is just one of the health-related sensors that are proving to be a challenge for the Apple Watch team.