Mobile menu toggle

Apple Watch - page 49

watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 can now be installed by everyone

By

watchOS 5
watchOS 5 turns Apple Watch into a walkie-talkie
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple TV and Apple Watch owners received some new software goodies this morning in the form of tvOS 12 and watchOS 5, coinciding with the public launch of iOS 12.

While tvOS 12 only contains a couple of changes with new screensavers and Dolby Atmos support, watchOS 5 packs some big updates that make wearing an Apple Watch even more useful by turning it into a walkie-talkie, letting you compete with friends and more.

Check out some of the new features:

Best bands to pimp out Apple Watch Series 4

By

double tour
OleksynPrannyk's Double Tour in Black.
Photo: OleksynPrannyk

Apple Watch Series 4 orders open midnight September 13 (tonight!) with shipping beginning on September 21.

In the meantime, grab yourself a strap or two befitting Apple’s fourth-generation smartwatch. The 40mm band works with the 38mm straps; the 44mm band works with the 42mm straps. You’re going to love the Series 4 and Cult of Mac’s lineup of best bands to outfit it. 

Apple loses marketshare but still makes the most money

By

Apple profits
Apple can afford to lose some marketshare because of how profitable it is.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

Apple is the headline in two new studies. One seems alarming as it shows Apple’s share in the smartwatch market has declined by 14 percent.

But the second study shows Apple as the biggest money maker in the smartphone market by a long shot. Thanks to iPhone X, Apple held 62 percent of the market share in Q2. Its closest rival, Samsung, has suffered double-digit sales losses and is a distant second at 17 percent.

Trump tariffs are about to hit Apple fans where it hurts

By

tariffs
President Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook don't see eye-to-eye on any of the Trump tarrifs.
Photos: White House/Apple

President Trump reportedly ordered tariffs on $200 billion more Chinese goods yesterday. After these were first proposed several weeks ago, Apple warned that they’ll likely increase the cost of many of its products.

The list of affected devices includes some of Apple’s most popular offerings.

Series 4 vs. Series 3: Which Apple Watch is right for you?

By

Apple Watch Series 4
Apple Watch is one of many products that will be hit.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch Series 4 is now available to preorder ahead of its official launch on September 21. It’s packed with new features, but considerably more expensive than its predecessors, with prices starting at $399.

Last year’s Apple Watch Series 3 is also still available. It’s not quite as impressive as the latest model, but it’s now more affordable at $279.

Which one should you buy? Find out right here in our 2018 Apple Watch comparison.

Apple bumps price of AppleCare+ for Apple Watch Series 4

By

Apple Watch Series 4
It's still worth it.
Photo: Apple

Apple has quietly increased the price of its AppleCare+ warranty plan for Apple Watch Series 4.

It will cost $79 to cover the company’s latest wearable — $30 more than AppleCare+ for an Apple Watch Series 3. However, buyers now have the option to pay for the service monthly.

Apple Watch Series 4’s best new feature won’t work at launch

By

apple watch
The ECG in Apple Wartch Series 4 will be a game changer... when it's actually available.
Photo: Apple

Don’t have a heart attack, but the new electrocardiogram feature in Apple Watch Series 4 won’t work when the wearable launches.

Apple isn’t exactly hiding this fact, but it’s certainly keeping it quiet.

iPhone and Apple Watch refurbs are cheaper after iPhone XS

By

iOS 11 Beta 4
It's a great time to buy older Apple devices.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has discounted its refurbished iPhone and Apple Watch units following yesterday’s big iPhone XS unveiling.

You’ll now pay less for an iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, or older Apple Watch. There are some spectacular deals to be had, like a 38mm Apple Watch Series 1 for a mere $169.

Ogle the beautifully redesigned Apple Watch Series 4 [Gallery]

By

Apple Watch Series 4
The new Fire watch face reacts uniquely with the curved edges.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch Series 4 debuted today in Cupertino with a slew of powerful, new features.

Apple’s fourth-generation smartwatch helps users stay more connected and be more active in significant ways. Featuring a stunning new display, electrocardiogram and fall detection as well as breakthrough communications, Apple Watch Series 4 is a stunner.

Apple Watch Series 4 will come in 40mm and 44mm sizes

By

Save big on the Apple Watch Series 3
Get your Apple Watch for under $200.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch Series 4 will be the biggest Apple Watch to date.

A huge Apple leak has today confirmed all kinds of juicy details about its new products hours before their official unveiling — including the sizes of the new Apple Watch. It’s bad news for those who were big fans of the 38mm model.

Sell your old Apple devices now to get the best price

By

iPhone X
Ready to ditch your iPhone X already? There's still time to get a great price!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

There’s still time to sell your old iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch and get the best price before new devices are unveiled at tomorrow’s big Apple event.

Cult of Mac’s buyback program makes it incredibly easy to turn unwanted gadgets into real cash, and we typically pay more than any other service. What’s more, you can get a quote now and hold onto your device until your upgrade arrives.

Find out how much your Apple devices are really worth today — before the prices drop!

How Apple Watch apps’ death spiral nearly killed my iPhone app

By

Developing watch apps ain't easy
Developing watch apps ain't easy
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Two years ago, my partner and I launched an Apple Watch app to complement our iPhone fitness app. Little did we know that our embrace of Apple’s smartwatch would threaten the very existence of the gym app we’d been developing since 2012.

Each year since we launched Reps & Sets, we updated it to keep up-to-speed with all the cool new features Apple rolled out at its Worldwide Developers Conference. That all changed last year, though. That’s when we discovered that, by adding support for Apple Watch, we had inadvertently taken a poison pill that could effectively kill our iPhone app.

It doesn’t have to be this way. With a few key changes, Apple could turns things around and reinvigorate the Apple Watch app ecosystem.

New chip gives Google smartwatches a battery boost

By

Qualcomm's upcoming processor might make Google's Wear OS more competitive.
Apple Watch doesn't face much real competition, but a new Qualcomm processor will improve one of its rivals.
Photo: Google

After teasing it for months, Qualcomm today unveiled its processor designed for Wear OS smartwatches. The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is intended to put Google’s smartwatch platform on the map, instead of a distant third place.

The highlight of the new chip is improved battery life. Qualcomm is promising 4 to 12 extra hours of use, depending on the tasks the wearable is asked to perform.

Trump tariffs may jack up Apple Watch prices by 20%

By

Yeah, we're pretty incredulous about your ideas, too, Mr. Trump.
Thanks Donald!
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

Trump’s latest round of proposed tariffs will negatively impact Apple’s revenues but according to some numbers crunched by an Apple analyst, investors shouldn’t worry about the company’s profits being hit too hard.

Apple revealed last week that some of the proposed tariffs would hurt the profitability of Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod and Apple Pencil. Price increases would be passed on to consumers, however, it probably won’t be more than a 20% jump.

How Apple Watch Series 4 will raise the bar for wearables [UPDATED]

By

Apple Watch Series 4
Somehow, this official photo of Apple Watch Series 4 leaked out early.
Photo: 9to5Mac

Apple’s biggest keynote of the year is just days away and while the iPhone XS will be the main attraction of the event, Apple Watch Series 4 could steal the show with a bevy of new features.

Rumors about the Apple Watch Series 4 have been heating up leading up to next week’s event. Leaked images of the new wearable have already surfaced online, but there’s still a bit of mystery surrounding the new gadget.

Here’s everything we know about Apple Watch Series 4:

6.1-inch LCD iPhone might be in short supply this fall

By

6.5- and 6.1-inch 2018 iPhone models
Complications could keep us waiting for Apple’s more affordable iPhone.
Photo: OnLeaks

If you’ve been itching to get yours hands on iPhone X but don’t want to spend $1,000 on a phone, Apple’s rumored 6.1-inch LCD handset could be exactly what you’ve been waiting for.

But good luck getting one this fall. A new report, citing sources familiar with Apple’s plans, claims the device will suffer supply shortages at launch as a result of “minor complications” with its new display.

What’s more, some of the other products you we were hoping to see this week may not be announced until later.

Change your Apple Watch crown color with WatchDots [Review]

By

Apple Watch watchdots
Customise your Apple Watch with WatchDots
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

I love my Apple Watch Series 3, but there’s one thing about it that annoys me: that red dot on the Digital Crown.

However, just because Apple thinks you should be stuck with a giant red dot on the side of your wrist, that doesn’t mean you need to put up with it. You can customize Apple Watch with a cool accessory called WatchDots.

Trump’s tariffs would make Apple gear more expensive

By

President Trump: Apple encryption could protect ‘criminal minds’
Trump's trade war with China will hit consumers' wallets the hardest.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

President Trump’s latest list of proposed tariffs on products manufactured in China would have a negative impact on some of Apple’s most popular products.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Trade Representative, Apple says the Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Pencil would be caught in the crossfire of Trump’s escalating trade war with China. And regular consumers stand to lose the most.

What to expect from Apple’s ‘Gather Round’ event next week

By

What to expect from Apple Sept. 12
You should be very, very excited.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The annual Apple event we’ve all been waiting for is right around the corner.

On September 12, the company will host a special keynote from the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, where it will reveal all the hardware it has planned for this fall.

We’re expecting a slew of big announcements, including updates for the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Here’s our roundup of everything Apple is likely to deliver at its “Gather Round” event.

iPhone Max, and the practical processes behind Apple’s creative genius, on The CultCast

By

CultCast MacBook 2018
Are you ready to take your next iPhone to the max?
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: Get ready for the iPhone Max! Plus: Rumors indicate Apple’s new iPhones will receive a serious price cut; Apple is working on the one feature the  Watch desperately needs; and Leander reveals Apple’s secret sauce — the design and creative processes Cupertino developed over the years that help it create some of the world’s most iconic products.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off your first hosting plan or domain.

Apple dominates global wearables sales with only one product

By

What cool new features are hidden inside that slimmer Apple Watch Series 4 frame? [Mockup]
People around the world buy lots of different types of wearable computers. But not enough to outsell the Apple Watch.
Photo illustration: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

We already know that Apple sells more smartwatches than everyone else. But there are other types of wearable computers. Do companies sell enough of these other types to overtake the Apple Watch? In a word…Nope.

But the second largest wearable maker might surprise you. Especially considering how close behind Apple they are.

Celebrate Labor Day with huge savings on Apple Watch bands [Watch Store]

By

labor day
Cult of Mac Watch Store's Labor Day Weekend Sale is on!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Now’s the time to reap some massive savings on all your favorite Apple Watch bands, chargers and accessories. Today through Monday, you’ll save up to 40 percent during Cult of Mac Watch Store’s Labor Day Weekend Sale — our biggest sale to date.

You’ll find deep discounts on some of our most popular brands for Apple Watch accessories including Wiplabs (think WiDuo, BentoStack, Link Bracelets), Nyloon, Ottm, Strapa and Twelve South, just to name a few. Sale ends Monday at midnight, so check out these stellar discounts while they last, and check out our featured brands below.

Apple Watch could get always-on display mode

By

watchOS 4 is great and all, but what's coming in watchOS 5?
A new Apple Watch doesn’t have to break the bank.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is developing an always-on display mode for Apple Watch, a new patent application reveals.

The feature would give users the ability to see the time — and possibly other information — without having to raise their wrist every time. But Apple wants to make sure OLED burn-in doesn’t become a problem.

Apple is wrapping up its heart rate study on Apple Watch

By

heart
Apple teamed up with Stanford Medicine researchers for the study.
Photo: Apple

A large-scale study into heart health among Apple Watch owners is coming to an end, with Apple informing some users who signed up that their contribution is now complete.

The study took the form of an app, previously open to all Apple Watch owners in the U.S., 22-years and older, with a Series 1 or above. Called Apple Heart Study, the initiative was a collaboration between Apple and Stanford Medicine. It launched in November 2017.