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.
You can reach out to him at mail[at]rajeshpandey.me.
Which new Apple device(s) will you buy today? AI image: Apple/Gemini/Cult of Mac
Apple’s affordable MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, M5 Pro/Max-equipped MacBook Pros and the M4 iPad Air went on sale Wednesday. The M5-powered MacBook Air and new Studio Displays also hit retail stores today.
Apple began accepting preorders for these devices last week, shortly after unveiling them.
Another new iOS 26.4 beta is here... Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
Apple revealed its versions of eight upcoming new emoji in iOS 26.4 beta 4, which it pushed to developers Monday. Standouts include Distorted Face — sure to become a hit when it arrives to the general public — and Hairy Creature, which looks an awful lot like Bigfoot.
See Apple’s versions of all the new emoji, and all the other changes in the beta, below.
Get ready to pay more for OLED MacBook Pro, which might be called MacBook Ultra (with a touchscreen!). AI image: ChatGPT
A major revamp to the MacBook Pro lineup should land later this year, featuring an OLED touchscreen display and faster M6 chips. The upcoming model could sit above the current MacBook Pro as an “Ultra” variant, carrying a higher price point.
If accurate, the move would mark a significant change to Apple’s professional laptop lineup in over a decade.
As expected, Apple's M5 Max is a performance beast. Image: Apple
The first M5 Max benchmarks surfaced online, again showing Apple silicon’s superiority. Early results show the new chip outperforms every other CPU currently on the market.
The Geekbench listing reportedly comes from a 16-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M5 Max.
The 2025 Mac Studio now tops out at 256GB memory. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
You can no longer buy an M3 Ultra Mac Studio with 512GB of unified memory from Apple. Instead, the machine can now be configured with a maximum of 256GB of memory.
Apple also raised the price for upgrading the memory from 96GB to 256GB by $400.
MacBook Neo is great, but it misses out on these features. Photo: Apple/ChatGPT
To make the new MacBook Neo — Apple’s most affordable laptop yet at just $599 — the company obviously needed to make some compromises. To keep costs down, Apple removed or scaled back several features that come standard on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
Every wise shopper should consider the limitations of the MacBook Neo before jumping on Apple’s fun-looking new laptop.
Apple’s just-announced MacBook Neo as well as the new M5 Pro/Max-equipped MacBook Pros, M4 iPad Air, M5 MacBook Air and iPhone 17e are now available for preorder. The new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR are also available to order starting Wednesday.
All devices will start shipping and hit retail stores starting March 11.
Run local LLMs and powerful 3D modeling software simultaneously on the MacBook Pro. Image: Apple
Apple’s long-rumored M5 Pro- and M5 Max-powered MacBook Pros are finally official. The new laptops look visually the same, but pack updated internals that promise a massive leap in performance.
“MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max redefines what’s possible on a pro laptop, now up to 4x faster than the previous generation,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release Tuesday.
Is the iPhone 17e a better buy than the iPhone 17? Image: ChatGPT/Apple
Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup has a new, more affordable addition: the iPhone 17e. It might look different from the rest of the family, but under the hood, it shares many of the same core components.
If you are trying to decide between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e, here’s the smarter option.
Time to jump ship? Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
1Password, a popular third-party password manager service among Apple users, will soon cost significantly more. The company plans to raise prices for both individual and family accounts by as much as 33%.
After the increase, 1Password’s individual subscription will cost $47.88 yearly, while the Family plan will rise to $71.88 annually.
No more late wishes. Photo: WhatsApp/Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac
WhatsApp is preparing to add a long-requested message scheduling feature. The app will let users compose messages in advance and send them at a chosen time, similar to how iMessage handles scheduled texts.
References to the feature popped up in the latest WhatsApp beta release on TestFlight.
"Made in the USA" Mac minis are coming soon! Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple will start assembling Mac mini in the United States later this year. Foxconn will build the tiny desktop computers at its facility in Houston, Texas.
The iPhone 17 Pro finally brings some chromatic excitement, and extremely pro features to the lineup. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
Following the success of the cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro, Apple reportedly plans to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro in a deep red color. It will seemingly be the new flagship color for 2026 Pro iPhones.
The company may also be testing similar hues internally.
A quick tap of a letter is all it takes to bring any app to the front with rcmd. Photo: ChatGPT/Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
I switch between apps on my Mac dozens of times every hour. For years, Command-Tab seemed good enough, but then I started using rcmd, a fantastic alternative app switcher for Mac.
This nifty piece of software completely changed how I move between apps on my Mac. It made the process faster, more precise, and far less disruptive to my workflow.
Apple’s upcoming March 4 event may look very different from a traditional keynote. AI image: ChatGPT
Apple will hold a “special Apple Experience” on Wednesday, March 4 — but the company might not announce new Macs or other products at the event.
Instead, Apple might announce the events earlier in the week in a series of press releases. The company apparently does not even intend to hold a keynote on March 4.
You can soon limit your MacBook's maximum battery charge. AI image: ChatGPT
With macOS Tahoe 26.4, Apple will finally bring a long-requested feature to Macs: a battery charge limiter. This will allow you to select the maximum charge level for your MacBook’s battery.
iPhones have offered a similar battery health feature for a few years now, making its absence on the Mac all the more noticeable.
iOS 27 could focus on deeper AI integration while improving performance and battery life. AI image: ChatGPT
For iOS 27, Apple reportedly has its priorities clear: deep AI integration and an under-the-hood cleanup for better performance and battery life.
While iOS 26 was all about Liquid Glass design, it also came with a noticeable performance hit, especially on older iPhones. With iOS 27, Apple appears ready to make amends.
All signs point to Apple unveiling the iPhone 17e on February 19, and YouTuber Jon Prosser just posted a video that gives us a good look at what to expect.
Contrary to previous leaks, the renders show the iPhone 17e with a Dynamic Island on the front.
Apple says the new Siri will arrive in 2026. AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Amid reports that Apple might further delay the release of its AI-powered Siri, the company says it remains on track to launch the smarter voice assistant this year. That’s the same stance Apple maintained previously.
Multiple rumors suggested Apple would debut the smarter Siri with iOS 26.4 this spring. But a recent report suggests that won’t happen.
Time to update your iPhone! Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
After beta testing iOS 26.3 since mid-December, Apple finally pushed its stable build to the public Wednesday. Unlike the last two major iOS 26 point builds, iOS 26.3 is light on major new features.
Instead, it brings some notable underlying improvements to the platform, including better compatibility with third-party wearables. Here are two notable changes iOS 26.3 brings to your iPhone.
Letting an AI agent handle the busywork. AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Clawdbot. Moltbot. OpenClaw. The rapid rebranding might confuse you, but behind that name is a genuinely useful tool. OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI agent that you can run on your own Mac or PC.
More importantly, it can carry out actions on your behalf, like reading and modifying files, running shell commands, and even installing new tools. Think of OpenClaw as an AI agent running on your Mac that can act as your always-on digital butler.
Less than a month after its initial announcement, ChatGPT has started rolling out ads for users on its free and Go tiers. For now, the ads will only appear for 18+ users in the US.
With this move, ChatGPT becomes the first major AI chatbot to introduce advertising.
Which is the better creative suite? AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Apple Creator Studio and Adobe Creative Cloud take very different approaches to creative software. One focuses on deep hardware integration and streamlined workflows, while the other prioritizes breadth, flexibility and industry-standard tools.
Both of these subscription app bundles promise powerful creative capabilities. However, which one actually makes more sense depends on your requirements, capabilities and workflow.
Our guide to Apple Creator Studio versus Adobe Creative Cloud will help you decide which bundle is right for you.
Reports of Apple launching new M5 Pro-powered MacBook Pros have been circulating for a while now. With shipments of the M4 Pro/Max models delayed by a few weeks, all signs point to an imminent launch.
But exactly when will Apple make its move? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has now offered a more concrete timeline.
Are you ready for iPhone 17e? AI Image: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
Apple will reportedly unveil the iPhone 17e on February 19, exactly a year after the iPhone 16e and less than two weeks from now. It will apparently announce the device through a press release, with no press event planned.
The refresh focus will seemingly focus on incremental upgrades rather than major design changes.