Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
Here's another chance at getting the AirPods Pro 2 at their Black Friday price. Source: Unsplash
Amazon is once again running an insane deal on the AirPods Pro 2, dropping them to their Black Friday price. You can get the earbuds for $189.99, a whopping $59 off their $249 MSRP.
With no AirPods Pro successor coming anytime soon, Apple’s 2nd gen earbuds are the best earphones you can get for your iPhone.
These are the App Store Award winners of 2023. Photo: Apple
Apple has announced the 2023 App Store Awards winner after highlighting the 37 finalists earlier this month. The iPhone App of the Year went to AllTrails, while Prêt-à-Makeup won the iPad App of the Year.
Photomator was crowned as the Mac App of the Year. Unsurprisingly, generative AI was the Trend of the Year, with App Store Editors highlighting some apps that used it to deliver an innovative app experience.
Apple might have to find a new banking partner for Apple Card. Photo: Apple
Apple’s partnership with Goldman Sachs for the Apple Card is reportedly coming to an end. The Wall Street Journal says Apple sent a proposal to the bank to exit from the agreement in the next 12 to 15 months.
At the moment, it remains unclear if Apple has zeroed in on another banking partner for Apple Card.
These Black Friday Apple deals are still live! Image: Rajesh/Cult of Mac
Black Friday and Cyber Monday provide an excellent opportunity to buy a new MacBook, iPad and other Apple products at heavily discounted prices. This year, we saw some hefty discounts on Apple gear during the shopping marathon.
But what if you missed buying the MacBook or Apple Watch you wanted? While Black Friday and Cyber Monday might be over, the deals are not all gone. Check out the five best Apple deals that are still live below.
Check out these amazing Cyber Monday discounts on some popular Apple products. Photo: Rajesh
Did you miss buying your favorite Apple gear or accessory during Black Friday? Do not worry, as Cyber Monday is here. This is probably your last chance to get a new MacBook, iPad, or Apple Watch at its lowest price before the holidays.
You can get the recently launched M3 MacBook Pro with a 10-core GPU for just $1,449 ($150 off). You can score even bigger discounts of up to $250 on the 15-inch MacBook Air. The Apple Pencil 2 is also down to its new lifetime low price of $79.99 after a massive $49 off.
While Apple is running its own shopping event for Cyber Monday, you should look at deals from third-party retailers, as they are offering bigger discounts. However, as always, these prices could change at any time and/or the products could sell out.
The Apple Store Shopping Event runs through Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Photo: Apple
Apple’s own Black Friday/Cyber Monday special offers bundle gift cards of up to $200 with selected products. There are bargains on these devices available from other retailers but some prefer to buy straight from Apple.
The Apple Store Shopping Event started on November 24 (Black Friday) and runs through November 27 (Cyber Monday).
CleanMyMac X is heavily discounted this Black Friday. Photo: MacPaw
CleanMyMax X is a must-have app for your Mac to keep it running in its best condition. The app has over 30 tools to help manage your Mac’s performance and disk space by removing unwanted junk and large files, uninstalling old apps, and more.
EU's strong right to repair legislation bans parts pairing. Photo: Apple
The European Parliament voted Tuesday to approve a strong right-to-repair proposal. It aims to make consumer electronic goods more repairable, with companies required to prioritize repairability over replacement.
The draft legislation still needs to go through negotiations between the Parliament and the Council before it can go into effect.
iPhone 16 Pro's battery could use a metal backplate. Graphic: Rajesh
If leaked images prove correct, Apple will adopt a new design for the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery featuring a metal shell on top. This could help with heat dissipation.
Like current iPhones, the purported iPhone 16 Pro battery has an L-shaped design. However, it has a capacity of 3,355mAh. For comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro uses a 3,274mAh capacity cell.
Apple won't meet its initial Vision Pro launch target. Photo: Apple
Apple is reportedly still working on the Vision Pro’s distribution plan and final testing. Due to this, the mixed-reality headset will launch around March 2024.
This is a couple of months later than the company’s initial target of a January launch. At the “Wonderlust” event on September 12, Apple CEO Tim Cook claimed the Vision Pro is “on track to ship early next year.”
The top two new MacBook Pro models now come in a space black aluminum finish. Photo: Apple
Apple’s M3 Pro MacBook Pros are available with up to $200 off in Amazon’s pre-Black Friday deal. This drops Apple’s latest laptops down to their lowest price within days of launch.
With Amazon’s offer, you can currently get the 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,849. The 16-inch variant is available with a bigger discount of $200, bringing its price down to $2,299.
Apple will have to stick to Qualcomm's 5G modem for the foreseeable future. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple is falling further behind in creating an in-house modem for iPhones. After multiple delays, the company targeted a 2025 spring timeline to ship its first modem. But that’s not going to happen.
A new report signals that Apple has delayed the modem’s launch until the end of 2025 or early 2026.
Offer is only applicable for new and returning users though. Photo: Apple Music
Apple and Sony have teamed up to offer six months of Apple Music free to PlayStation 5 owners. The offer is only valid for new or qualified returning users, not existing subscribers.
Apple’s music streaming now comes with a relatively short one-month trial period. So, this promotion could be a boon for users on the fence about trying Apple Music.
M3 iMac gets a big $200 discount within days of its launch. Photo: Apple
Apple’s 2023 iMac with an M3 chip and a 10-core GPU is available with a massive $200 discount within days of going on sale. This is a fantastic deal on the Cupertino giant’s latest all-in-one.
Without the discount, you must shell out $1,499 for the M3 iMac. But this Amazon deal brings the more powerful M3 chip with a 10-core GPU to the same price as the entry-level variant.
iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite comes to the rescue again. Photo: Apple
Apple is extending free Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone 14 Pro series for another year. The company initially promised two years of free access for the phones when they launched in 2022.
Emergency SOS via satellite allows the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series to connect to emergency services without mobile network or Wi-Fi access.
Time to try out iOS 17.2 beta on your iPhone! Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A week after seeding the second iOS 17.2 beta, Apple has released the third beta of the OS. The first two beta builds were loaded with new features, and iOS 17.2 beta 3 is no different.
Below are all the changes and enhancements we have found in iOS 17.2 beta 3 so far.
This is the Apple Pencil 2 deal ahead of Black Friday that you should not miss. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
You can get the incredibly useful Apple Pencil 2 for its lowest price ahead of Black Friday. Amazon is taking $40 off the iPad accessory, dropping its price to $89.
The Apple Pencil 2 works with iPad Air, iPad mini 6, and iPad Pro to make note-taking and drawing a breeze.
Should you save your money and get the M3 MacBook Pro instead of M3 Pro? Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh
The base model in the new 2023 MacBook Pro lineup comes with Apple’s standard M3 chip. This model, which replaces the discontinued 13-inch MacBook Pro, costs $400 less than the next model up, which runs on an M3 Pro chip.
The two laptops look almost identical. The big question is, will the entry-level M3 MacBook Pro suit your needs? Or should you spend the extra $400 and get the one with the M3 Pro chip? Find out in this comparison.
A 12.9-inch iPad Air could join the 12.9-inch iPad Pro in 2024. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple could overhaul its tablet lineup in 2024, delivering the first 12.9-inch iPad Air and upgrading iPad Pro models to OLED displays and the company’s fast new M3 chip.
The upgrades could help boost iPad shipments to between 52 million and 54 million units in 2024, up from about 50 million in 2023.
The new M3 MacBook Pro is almost the same as its predecessor from inside. Photo: Apple
From the outside, the new M3 MacBook Pros look the same as their predecessors — except for that gorgeous new space black finish.
How did Apple create this exotic new finish? And what’s changed inside its new laptops, aside from the powerful new M3 chips? The iFixit team posted a detailed teardown Friday that answers all your questions.
Apple Watch Series 9 gets an irresistible $50 discount. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The Apple Watch Series 9 is down to its lowest price ahead of Black Friday. Amazon has knocked $50 off most of the smartwatch’s variants, bringing its price down to a new low of $349.
You can score a similar $50 off the Apple Watch Series 9 with cellular connectivity.
The iPhone SE 4 might look very much like the iPhone 14. Photo: Apple
A new report sheds light on the iPhone SE 4’s design and camera setup. Apple’s next budget iPhone will use a modified iPhone 14 chassis that’s slightly lighter.
Based on the current development status, Apple’s next budget iPhone is unlikely to launch before 2025.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max's new camera system is 34% more expensive. Photo: Apple
A bill of materials (BoM) analysis of the iPhone 15 Pro Max provides insight into the prices of the individual components and how they have changed over the previous year.
Apple is charging $100 more for its flagship iPhone this year. And yet, the device only costs the company an additional $37.7 to manufacture over the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Apple stores in India are running a Diwali offer. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple is offering 50% off the AirPods in India when you purchase an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Plus. The company is providing this discount amid the country’s festive season and ahead of Diwali.
Additionally, new users will get a free Apple Music subscription for six months.
Just how good is the iPhone's new 5x zoom? Graphics: Rajesh
The iPhone 15 Pro Max utilizes Apple’s most impressive photographic tech yet, but it’s not the first smartphone with a 5x telephoto camera. In the Android world, you will find several phones with 5x to 10x optical zoom.
Only Samsung’s and Google’s devices deliver image quality capable of competing with Apple’s best. Only Google’s Pixel lineup directly competes with the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x optical shooter. (Samsung is ahead of the competition with its 10x periscope lens.)
So which 5x zoom is the best? See our side-by-side comparison shots to see how the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x tetraprism zoom stacks up against the Google Pixel 8 Pro.