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Rajesh Pandey - page 3

Apple could open iPhone satellite features to third-party apps

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iPhone screenshot showing how to use satellite connection in Messages app
Apple wants to improve the satellite connectivity experience on iPhones.
Image: Apple

Apple reportedly plans to expand the iPhone‘s satellite connectivity capabilities beyond emergency calling and texting. It is working on a framework to enable third-party apps to use satellite connectivity.

Additionally, the company plans to bring satellite connectivity to Apple Maps to enable navigation in areas without cellular coverage.

Google Chrome AI Mode shortcut finally lands on iPhone

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AI Mode in Google Chrome
AI Mode in Google Chrome will change the way you search.
Graphics: Google/Rajesh Pandey

Google Chrome is getting a dedicated AI Mode button on iOS and Android. AI Mode is an AI-powered search solution from Google; think of it like the company’s take on ChatGPT.

Google rolled out AI Mode in Chrome for Windows and Mac earlier this year. 

Google Maps gets a Gemini boost for smarter navigation

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Gemini comes to Google Maps.
Gemini comes to Google Maps.
Photo: Google

Google will integrate AI into Google Maps to make navigation even better. With Gemini integration in Google Maps, you’ll gain access to a smart co-passenger on your phone that can help you reach your destination easily.

Thanks to Gemini’s AI prowess, Google Maps can now proactively notify you of traffic disruptions. Or help find a fuel stop — all hands-free and through a natural conversation.

5 Apple products I wish I never bought

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Image of red Apple logo that's melting
Most times, Apple nails it. But not always.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Apple makes some of the best tech products in the world — beautifully designed, powerful and reliable. But even the best stumble sometimes.

Over the years, I’ve used plenty of Apple devices that looked great on paper but turned out to be frustrating in practice. Here are the ones that made me question Apple’s “it just works” mantra.

Mac Studio to get M5 Ultra power in 2026

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M5 Mac Studio arrives in 2026
M5 Ultra Mac Studio drops in 2026.

The M3 Ultra-equipped Mac Studio is among the most powerful Macs you can currently buy. Despite featuring faster cores, Apple indirectly confirmed it will not launch an M4 Ultra chip. 

This won’t be the case with the M5, as the company reportedly plans to launch an M5 Ultra-powered Mac Studio in 2026.

Apple gives old HomeKit architecture a few more months to live

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iOS 16.2 bring in a new Home architecture upgrade option.
Have you upgraded to the new HomeKit architecture?
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The older Apple Home architecture will live for a few more months. Apple previously planned on phasing out the architecture in late 2025. 

Instead, the HomeKit architecture will stop functioning on February 10, 2026.

Apple reportedly will tap Google Gemini to give Siri a brain boost

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Google Gemini might power next-gen Siri.
Google will help next-gen Siri.
Image: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple’s long-delayed Siri upgrade will reportedly “lean on Google’s Gemini” model to power many of its features. It will also include an AI-powered web search.

However, this Gemini integration will supposedly function differently from how Apple currently integrates ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence.

WhatsApp tests long-awaited Apple Watch app

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WhatsApp on Apple Watch is finally happening
WhatsApp on Apple Watch is finally happening
Mockup: Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

A decade after the first Apple Watch came out, WhatsApp is testing a dedicated app for the smartwatch. This would make replying to messages, viewing existing conversations, and sharing voice notes easier.

Currently, Apple Watch users can only respond to unread WhatsApp messages through the notification center. There’s no way to do anything else.

Apple eases App Store review rules for developers

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App Store Connect logo on a gradient background
Apple loosens App Store rules to give developers more flexibility
Photo: Apple/Rajesh Pandey

Apple is making two developer-focused changes to the App Store. Developers can now upload additional documentation and assets while their app is under review.

Secondly, developers can create up to 70 custom pages — double the previous limit.

Apple could bring iPhone-style water resistance to iPad mini

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iPad mini 6 with control center open
Do you want a water-resistant iPad?
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple could bring the iPhone’s water-resistant design to the iPad. The company has internally tested an iPad mini casing with an IP rating.

Unlike iPhones, iPads typically aren’t exposed to the same environmental challenges. So, Apple never made iPads with an IP rating, but that could eventually change.

Hands-on with new ChatGPT Atlas browser: Safari is falling behind fast

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AI image of a MacBook Pro with the ChatGPT Atlas browser on its screen, in a dimly lit room with UV lights.
ChatGPT Atlas and other AI-enhanced web browsers might eat Safari's lunch.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Going hands-on with the new ChatGPT Atlas browser for Mac makes it crystal clear that Safari risks becoming irrelevant. Our browsing habits are evolving fast, and Apple’s browser just isn’t keeping up

For years, Safari has been my go-to browser on the Mac due to its speed and power efficiency. But with Apple falling behind in the artificial intelligence wars, and a new breed of AI-boosted browsers coming on strong, that could change. I went hands-on with ChatGPT Atlas to see what the future of internet browsing looks like.

Apple’s next budget iPhone may ditch the notch for Dynamic Island

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iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16e laying side by side, showing the difference in the display.
Dynamic Island may trickle down to the iPhone 17e next year.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next budget iPhone — the iPhone 17e — will supposedly feature a Dynamic Island. The iPhone 16e currently sports a notch, the only handset in the company’s lineup to do so. 

Unfortunately, this could be the iPhone 17e’s only display upgrade, as Apple does not plan to update the panel to a 120Hz one.

Apple Maps could soon be dotted with ads

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Apple Maps Visited Places
Get ready for ads in Apple Maps
Photo: Griffin/CultOfMac

Apple will reportedly bring ads to Apple Maps — much like it did with the App Store. Efforts to show advertisements to Apple Maps users have supposedly picked up pace within the company.

Apple will let businesses pay to feature their sponsored listings more prominently in its Maps app.

iOS 26.1 will fix one of iPhone’s biggest photo upload pains

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Close-up photo of iPhone 17 Pro's camera array
Reliable photo uploads to third-party apps is finally coming to the iPhone.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

With iOS 26.1, Apple will finally address one of the most annoying issues iPhone users face when uploading photos to third-party apps. They will no longer need to keep the app open for the upload process to complete.

Right now, only Apple’s Photos app can reliably back up your pictures to the cloud even if the app is not in the foreground.

Get Apple’s sleek and stunning M4 iMac with a sweet discount

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M4 iMac
If you are looking to buy an iMac, there’s no need to pay full price.
Photo: Apple

A new M4 iMac deal knocks 9% off the price of Apple’s 24-inch computer, dropping it to just $1,182.10. The all-in-one desktop machine is right for both families and businesses.

Besides its stellar performance, the machine stands out for its beautiful 4.5K Retina display and sleek design.

OpenAI acquires ex-Apple Shortcuts team to supercharge ChatGPT for Mac

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OpenAI acquires the team behind Sky
The team behind Shortcuts will now work on the ChatGPT app.
Photo: OpenAI

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Inc., a company founded by former Apple employees who worked on Workflow, the software Apple acquired in 2017 and renamed “Shortcuts.”

At Software Applications, the team has been hard at work on Sky, an AI-powered assistant that can perform actions across any app on your Mac. The acquisition should give OpenAI a leg up when it comes to integrating ChatGPT into Macs.

Apple dramatically cuts production of iPhone Air due to weak demand

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iPhone Air rear sitting on a speckled gray carpet.
iPhone Air sales figure are as slim as its profile.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Low demand for the super-slim iPhone Air in markets outside China led Apple to drastically cut its production orders, according to a new report. But the company is increasing assembly for other iPhone 17 models due to high demand.

The report comes after the iPhone Air sold out within minutes of preorders opening in China last week. After the initial buzz faded, demand appears to have dropped off

Apple releases iOS 26.1 beta 4 — here’s what’s new for iPhone and iPad

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iOS 26.1 beta 4 brings two major changes.
iOS 26.1 beta 3 brings some minor enhancements.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

iOS 26.1 beta 4, which Apple released to developers Monday, brings two major new updates — and they both offer ways to turn off existing features. 

Find out what the new toggles do, and everything new we have found in the first four iOS 26.1 betas so far, below.

These are my favorite Apple devices of all time

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A stylized Apple logo with a heart in the middle.
It's easy to fall in love with Apple products. Here are my all-time favorites.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Over the years, Apple has launched hundreds of products — some iconic, others forgettable. I’ve used a fair share of them, with some earning a permanent spot on my “all-time favorites” Apple devices list.

Each of these devices represented Apple at its best, with a sleek design, impressive performance and an experience that few other brands can match. So, here’s my list of Apple devices that have truly stood the test of time.

M4 vs. M5 iPad Pro comparison: What’s different?

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M4 vs. M5 iPad Pro
The M5 iPad Pro offers more than just a faster chip upgrade over the M4.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s newest M5 iPad Pro might look the same as its predecessor, the M4 iPad Pro. But when you compare the two tablets’ internals, you realize a lot has changed. It’s not just a minor processor upgrade.

If you’re on the fence about upgrading or plan to buy a new iPad, here’s how the M5 iPad Pro stacks up against the M4 model.

M5 MacBook Air refresh lands in spring 2026

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M5 MacBook Air render
M5 MacBook Air is just a few months away from launch.
Photo: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

Apple’s M5-powered MacBook Air will launch in spring 2026. The company is also working on refreshed Mac Studio, Mac mini, and new external monitors for next year.

Apple unveiled the first set of M5-powered devices earlier this week, including the 14-inch MacBook Pro, Vision Pro and iPad Pro.

Yes, the EU banished the MacBook charger from the box

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M5 MacBook Pro - No power adpater
No, your new M5 MacBook Pro won't come with a charger in the box.
Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

Apple’s newest M5 MacBook Pro does not ship with a power brick in the box in Europe and the U.K. But this time, don’t blame Apple for the move.

The change stems from new EU regulations around energy efficiency and electronic waste reduction.

Meta steals top Apple AI exec behind ‘answer engine’ project

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Image representing Apple's AI knowledge
The brain drain from Apple's AI team is real (and likely to accelerate).
Photo: Apple

Meta continues poaching high-profile executives from Apple’s AI team for its Superintelligence group. The latest hire is Ke Yang, who Apple recently appointed to lead its Answers, Knowledge and Information team.

Apple’s team is making an “answer engine” that will crawl the web to answer simple search queries. 

14-inch MacBook Pro gets M5 power boost

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14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip goes official.
14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip goes official.
Photo: Apple

Apple unveiled an upgraded 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the new M5 chip on Wednesday. While the laptop looks the same as its predecessor, it sports a faster new Apple silicon processor to deliver even better performance.

“MacBook Pro continues to be the world’s best pro laptop, and today, the 14-inch MacBook Pro gets even better with the arrival of the M5 chip,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release.