Apple is offering customers up to $200 back in Apple Store gift cards when they buy eligible products this Black Friday. Its four-day shopping event runs from November 26, and you can enjoy in in-store, online, and over the phone.
Find out what you’ll get back on certain products right here.
Those hoping for a major Apple Watch overhaul could again be disappointed next year, with a new report claiming only minor design changes are planned for Apple Watch Series 8 — which could be almost identical to Series 7.
Many fans had expected an Apple Watch revamp this year after months and months of speculation and leaks. But it’s beginning to look like those weren’t just badly timed, but perhaps entirely inaccurate.
watchOS 8.1.1 is out, but it might not be for you. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple Watch Series 7 wearers should install a small “bug fix” update that debuted on Thursday. If you don’t have that model, don’t waste time looking for the new version — watchOS 8.1.1 is apparently only for the recently released Series 7.
The new Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger features a black finish and steel-and-aluminum construction. Photo: Satechi
Satechi rolled out a new 3-in-1 MagSafe-compatible charger on Thursday to help users power up their iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches. The sleek black Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger features a hands-free, adjustable, MagSafe-compatible mount for your phone, plus solid steel-and-aluminum construction.
Beware using Mail on your Apple Watch. Security researchers have found that receiving messages on your wrist compromises Mail Privacy Protection in iOS 15 by revealing your IP address to senders.
Mail Privacy Protection — available across Mac, iPhone and iPad — is designed to prevent this from happening by masking your actual IP address. But it seems that using Mail on Apple Watch completely undermines it.
Redditors show you can make an Apple Watch charging dock out of Lego bricks rather than buying one. Photo: [email protected]
Once you get an Apple Watch, you may be tempted to buy a charging dock for it. But folks on Reddit.com are happy to show off how they saved some money by constructing charging docks out of their beloved Lego building bricks.
All you need is the USB charging cable and puck that came with your Apple Watch and the imagination to make something that hides it while charging the wearable.
The Apple Holiday Gift Guide 2021 is out with plenty of suggestions for hard-to-buy-for people. Image: Apple
The Apple Holiday Gift Guide 2021 is out with suggestions for phones, computers, audio accessories and exercise gear for a variety of people on your shopping list.
As a bonus, Apple is offering downloadable templates to make personalized holiday cards.
The new Twelve South ActionBand is a full-on sweatband. Photo: Twelve South
If you sweat a lot when you work out — and if your Apple Watch bands barely stand up to the torrent — rejoice. Twelve South rolled out its new ActionBand Thursday. The company designed the soft, absorbent, wide band to keep up with the hardest workouts and resulting perspiration.
The aluminum build gives the Zens Magnetic + Watch Wireless Charger a sense of premium quality. Photo: David Snow / Cult of Mac
The Zens Magnetic + Watch Wireless Charger stands in the ranks of MagSafe-compatible chargers designed to be your go-to device for juicing up multiple pieces of Apple gear — and the sleek and compact 4-in-1 device does it in style. But not with a huge amount of charging power.
A puck on a dark metallic stem holds a MagSafe iPhone (12 or 13 series) firmly in place, horizontally or vertically. The surface underneath charges an AirPods case or any Qi-enabled device. A USB-A charging stick lets you top off an Apple Watch in Sleep mode. And a USB-A port on the side powers up something else, like an iPad.
Apple reportedly plans to bring “crash detection” to iPhone and Apple Watch next year, with the ability for both devices to automatically dial 911.
The feature is said to use existing sensors like the accelerometer and gyroscope, already baked into both devices, to measure sudden spikes in movement or force that will allow them to “detect car accidents as they occur.”
Charge up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all at once with Anker's new stand.
Anker expanded its lineup of iPhone 13 accessories Friday with a new version of the PowerWave Magnetic Stand. Now with a 3-in-1 form factor, Anker’s new MagSafe-compatible stand will juice up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch — all at once, if necessary.
SharePlay makes Apple Fitness+ workouts more personal by letting you communicate with friends in real time. Photo: Apple
Apple Fitness+ added group workouts and meditation sessions Monday, letting users communicate in real time with up to 32 other people. The new capability taps FaceTime’s new SharePlay feature, which works on iOS devices now and comes to macOS Monterey later this fall.
“It’s a really fun way to connect with friends and family, even trade some words of encouragement or friendly smack talk, while also making progress toward closing their rings,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of fitness technologies, in a press release.
Blood glucose monitoring could be a major change in Apple Watch Series 8. Photo: Apple
Rumors that Apple Watch 7 would include be able to sense the wearer’s blood glucose didn’t pan out. But Apple is reportedly collaborating with a pair of Asian companies to add non-invasive blood sugar monitoring to the 2022 model.
This would add to the already lengthy list of health-monitoring features available in Apple’s current wearable.
Wouldn’t this be great? Too bad it’s only a dream. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
People around the world are receiving their new Apple Watch Series 7, and every single one of them includes a band whether the buyer wants it or not. Over successive versions, many Watch wearers have built a collection of bands and don’t need another. But Apple doesn’t give them a choice when it comes to buying a new Watch.
At a time when Apple says it’s trying to fight waste, it really should offer the Apple Watch without requiring a new band.
Florida could be the ninth state to offer digital driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet. Photo: Apple
Many Floridians will soon be able to leave home with just their iPhone… no wallet necessary. Florida is working with Apple to display its residents’ digital driver’s licenses in the Wallet app.
When the feature becomes available, residents of the Sunshine State plus eight other states will be able to store and display digital versions of their driver’s licenses on their iPhone and Apple Watch.
The first round of Apple Watch Series 7 reviews are in. Photo: Apple
The larger screen in the Apple Watch Series 7 is the highlight of the upcoming wearable, according to the first reviews out today. And reviewers praise faster charging, too.
Even so, the consensus is that the new model will be a welcome upgrade for those with an older Watch but not a significant jump for those with Series 6.
A decade after Steve Jobs' death, we take stock of his legacy. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac, with photo by Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We reminisce about Steve Jobs and his lasting impact on Apple, a decade after his death. Plus, M1X MacBook Pros might be coming soon. And the Apple Watch Series 7 launch looks quite weird indeed.
Also on The CultCast:
Jony Ive pens a tribute to his friend, Steve Jobs.
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.
Shipping dates for some Apple Watch Series 7 models slipped into November less than an hour after the device went up for preorder.
While some seemingly less-popular configurations remain available for launch day delivery on October 15, many will have customers waiting several weeks.
How much does the 45mm Apple Watch Series 7 cost? No one but Apple knows for sure. Photo: Apple
Apple Watch Series 7 launches Friday but pricing information for most configurations remains a mystery less than a day from the debut. All Apple has revealed so far is that the base model is $399.
If buyers don’t have this information until preorders begin, those who spend extra time deciding on a configuration might have to wait additional weeks to get their device.
How to be ready to order an Apple Watch Series 7 early on Friday morning. Photo: Cult of Mac
The time when you can preorder the next generation of Apple Watch is drawing close. Apple will start taking people’s money at exactly 5 a.m. PDT this Friday, Oct. 8.
If demand is as heavy (and supply is as light) as expected, the company might quickly run short of Apple Watch Series 7 available on launch day. That means that if you delay your order, you might have to wait extra days or even weeks to get your new device.
If you want in on day one, there’s more you should do to get ready than simply setting an alarm. Here’s how to get completely ready to put in an Apple Watch Series 7 preorder.
Find out how much your old Apple Watch is really worth today. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple confirmed on Monday that Apple Watch Series 7 will finally be available to preorder on Friday, October 8. Desperately want to bag your own? Sell your old Apple Watch to Cult of Mac today to raise some quick upgrade cash.
Cult of Mac’s buyback program makes it easy to sell your old Apple devices, and we typically pay more than other buyback services. What’s more, we cough up real cash. Get a quote for your old Apple Watch today.
This wireless charger is the perfect match for your Apple watch. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Get yourself an Apple Watch charger that you can forget about right up until you really need it. Apple Watch Wireless Charger Keychains are on sale for $16.99 for one, $33.14 for two and $65.44 for four if you use the code VIP15 during our VIP Sale.
iOS 15 got its very first update: iOS 15.0.1. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple on Friday released an update for iOS 15 that takes care of a bug that disabled Unlock with Apple Watch on the iPhone 13 series. This patch — dubbed iOS 15.0.1 — has other bug fixes too, including one that incorrectly told users their storage was nearly full.
The new version is accompanied by iPadOS 15.0.1 with its own bug fixes.
Apple Watch Series 7 will finally be available to preorder on October 8, according to one of Cupertino’s official partners. Hermès is telling customers via email that’s the date they’ll be able to secure their new smartwatches.
Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech, who has a decent track record when it comes to Apple rumors, also claims that Apple Watch Series 7 will be available to preorder “as early as next week,” with shipping to begin in mid-October.
The very first Apple Watch was added to Apple’s list of vintage products on Thursday. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
The first Apple Watch released back in 2015 has been classified by Apple as vintage. That might sound like a compliment, but it really means that getting the wearable repaired is a bit more difficult than it used to be.
Note that this is not Apple Watch Series 1. That’s a different model.