The Apple Watch celebrated its first birthday on Sunday and, while Apple has yet to publicly disclose sales figures, it seems that the company’s debut wearable device had quite the impressive debut year!
According to analysts, Apple likely sold around 12 million Apple Watches over the past year: around twice the number of iPhones it sold in the first twelve months of Apple’s breakthrough smartphone.
Most fitness apps seem obsessed with calories. Go for a run, and your Apple Watch tells you how many calories you burned. Scan a barcode and MyFitnessPal tells you how many calories are in the food you are about to eat.
So what exactly are calories, and does counting them really help you achieve your fitness goals?
Cupertino is about to crack down on non-native Apple Watch apps.
The company posted a new requirement on its developer site that says that in the near future, all new apps must run natively on the device and originate in the watchOS 2 development kit. This new policy could finally get us some Apple Watch apps that work as well as we’d like them to.
You know, instead of some of the ones we have no, which kind of don’t.
Apple’s most recent keynotes have been a little… boring. Even die-hard fans have been left disappointed by the lack of action and surprises, but with WWDC 2016 right around the corner, many have high hopes that Apple’s about to buck that trend.
Apple’s keynote will offer our first sneak peeks at iOS 10 and the next big upgrades to OS X, watchOS, and tvOS — plus possible refreshes for Apple Watch and various Macs. Will these things make up for the lack of excitement?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we talk about (argue over) all things WWDC!
The Apple Watch doesn’t need to prove itself to you. And contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t need a “killer app” to make it indispensable.
In fact, the Apple Watch is an awesome device all on its own, with a ton of tricks up its sleeve, like controlling your big screen TV and finding your iPhone, even in the dark.
Here are 13 killer things you can do with an Apple Watch that prove it’s worthy of a place on your wrist.
Members of Apple’s public beta testing program can now get their hands on all the new software updates Apple dropped on developers yesterday.
New betas for iOS, tvOS, watchOS and OS X have been seeded to the public, bringing a bunch of bug fixes for every Apple platform, as well as some new features on iPhone.
I’m willing to bet that you’ve misplaced your iPhone around the house before. I know I have; almost once a week I’m wondering where I set down that magical device. Is it in the bedroom? The kitchen? The (gasp) bathroom?
If you’ve got an Apple Watch, though, you can use its ping feature to find your iPhone with an audible sound, and even a flashing LED if you need it.
Here’s how.
A fresh new batch of Apple beta software is now available for developers two weeks after the company dropped its last big set of new software.
New beta builds of iOS 9.3.2, watchOS 2.2.1, tvOS 9.2.1 and OS X 10.11.5 can be found in the Apple developer center, bringing a bunch of new bug fixes, and hopefully some feature improvements as well.
No need to let those new MacBooks hog all of the attention today — now, you can buy one of those super-luxe Hermès Apple Watch bands separately from the device.
This is, of course, assuming you already have an Apple Watch and enough scratch to bring home one of these things, which are as fabulous as they are ridiculously expensive. But along with their newfound independent retail status, the straps are premiering some new colors so that you can coordinate appropriately.
Here’s how the pricing and options break down.
This tip won’t help everyone, but it should be a huge timesaver for multilingual users: You can change your Apple Watch language for Messages with just a couple quick taps. And you can do it directly on the device without having to go into the companion app on your phone.
Here’s how to make it happen.
How many years do you use your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac before shutting it down for the last time and sending it to the big Apple Store in the sky?
While Apple products are typically far more solid and long-lasting than those made by rivals, the company offers a clue in a newly released document concerning Apple and its commitment to the environment.
A Michigan woman is suing Apple and Nike for a combined $5 billion over claims that the two companies stole her concept for a device called a “Detachable Beeper Disc Digital Gym Shoe with Sensor.” She states that she filed a patent for her invention 20 years ago, well before the companies came up with their own, similar products — namely, the Apple Watch and the Nike+ smart running system.
While she’s seeking $3 billion from Nike, she’s only looking for $2 billion from Apple, so Cupertino’s getting off relatively light on this one.
Apple Watch shipments may fall by more than one-quarter this year as compared to 2015, claims well-connected KGI Securities Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In an investment note to clients, Kuo writes that he thinks Apple Watch shipments will top out at fewer than 7.5 million units this year. That’s a significant drop from the 10.6 million units he estimates made up last year’s total shipments of the device.
A newly launched Kickstarter campaign features an Apple Watch mount that looks really strange but might actually solve some problems.
The imaginatively named “It” comes from Wear Differently, and it boldly suggests that the top of your wrist is not the best place to wear your smartwatch. Instead, designer Bridger Bell says, you should be carrying it in a small nook between the base of your thumb and radius bone.
You can see It in action in the proof of concept video below.
Apple is 40 years old today. In that time, the Cupertino company has delivered some incredible products and services, and revolutionized smartphones, tablets, and music players. But is it boring now?
Some say Apple’s innovation has stalled in recent years, and it has become too predictable. The surprises we used to see during its big keynotes no longer show up, and despite its secrecy, you can almost predict its product roadmap for the next year.
Are those claims harsh? Is Apple really past its best, or will it deliver groundbreaking new products again that can shake up the consumer technology industry?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we fight over Apple at 40.
This week on The CultCast: Apple’s new iPhone SE is an insane value; the significant differences between the big and small iPad Pros; new rumors point to major MacBook Pro redesigns in June; future keynotes need more yak; and the cool features in the new tvOS 9.2 update.
Our thanks to Casper for supporting this episode. Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and save $50 off your order at casper.com/cultcast
Once again, Apple has refreshed its iPhone and iPad line with some better (albeit smaller) iOS devices, the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
If you’re looking for all the details on these two new gadgets, or just want to know which is the right iPad or iPhone for you, be sure to grab this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine, which also includes all the cool things you can do with iOS 9.3, a look at Cupertino’s new Apple Watch pivot, and a deeper dive on the keynote itself.
Here are this week’s top stories.
We got our first look at a new line of straps for the Apple Watch this week. But if you’re a little bit handy and want a cool weekend project, you can make your own nylon Apple Watch band for about a tenth of the cost of buying one directly.
The new series of Woven Nylon bands that Apple showed off at its event on Monday were nice and all, but what if you didn’t see a color that struck you? One enterprising YouTuber posted a tutorial that shows how to get one in just about any style you want by repurposing some cheap, existing watch straps.
Check it out below.
Apple is making it cheaper to repair broken Apple Watch Sport units that are no longer under warranty.
In an updated support document covering Apple Watch warranty services and pricing, the company revealed the out-of-warranty service fee on the Sport model has dropped $30.
The official Apple Watch microsite has gained a new power this week: Now, you can check out every combination of faces, cases, and straps to get exactly the look you want.
An eagle-eyed reader tipped us off to the new feature, which has only been live since yesterday. It replaces the more basic and tedious Gallery that used to inhabit that page. And we’re glad; it was way overdue for a refresh for several reasons.
At this week’s “Let us loop you in” keynote, Apple revealed a major shift in its smartwatch strategy. Tim Cook tried to dress it up by announcing new Apple Watch bands and a price drop, but the most significant aspect was what he did not say: There was no mention of third-party Watch apps.
After Monday’s keynote, Apple updated its website with a new marketing proposition that represents a tacit acknowledgment that, right now, Apple Watch is only good for three things: notifications, fitness and health.
What happened to the idea that there is an app for everything?
Along with the iPhone SE and new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, Apple unleashed a slew of new software updates this week, bringing all-new features to your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.
Find out what’s awaiting you in the new Apple updates, as well as how to update all your Apple devices, in a series of Cult of Mac videos you can watch below.
Apple’s iPhone SE keynote was one of the company’s shortest events ever. Apple struggled to cram enough interesting stuff to keep us awake during the 64-minute snoozefest that was just as much about recycling, renewable energy and protecting Chinese yaks as it was about the new 4-inch iPhone, a smaller iPad Pro and nylon Apple Watch bands.
We’ve boiled the event down to just the highlights so you can watch the entire keynote in a mere 90 seconds.
Enjoy:
One of Apple’s biggest reveals at its low-key “Let us loop you in” event today was the premiere of a new set of bands for the Apple Watch. And woven nylon was the star of the show.
These colorful, zig-zaggy straps look like they’re the “fun” options for the wearable, like if you’re going to an ’80s throwback party but you still want to know when you get texts. They’re bright, boast “a comfortable, fabric-like feel” (according to the listing on the Apple Store website), and the best news is that they aren’t super-expensive.
Check out all seven varieties below:
Now that Apple’s little keynote is over, the tech company from Cupertino is pulling the switch on a ton of new OS updates, including watchOS, the system that powers your Apple Watch.
If you want to upgrade to the latest OS now, watchOS 2.2, here’s what you need to do.