iPhone XS Max giveaway and Casetify Impact drop test!

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iPhone XS Max Drop Test
Drops like this aren't a worry with the Casetify Impact case.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new iPhone XS and XS Max are relatively tough phones. But even with the “world’s strongest glass,” these pricey iPhones remain subject to smashing. Casetify’s new Impact cases for iPhone XS and XS Max can help. These slim, military-grade cases can protecting the iPhones from drops of up to 6.6 feet.

In today’s video, we’re putting them to the test in some real-world scenarios. And, thanks to Casetify, we’re also giving you the chance to win a brand new 64GB iPhone XS Max in gold. Check out the video below to see the cases in action (and find out how to enter to win an iPhone XS Max).

Unboxing and hands-on with the iPhone XS in gold

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iPhone XS box gold
Bag yours before they're all gone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Today Apple finally released the iPhone XS, XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4. Now, in true Cult of Mac YouTube tradition, we’ve gotten our hands on it and made an unboxing video.

You can see the full unboxing in all of its golden glory, the box design, its contents and a quick hands-on with the iPhone XS.

Check it out:

Hands on with the hot new Apple Watch faces in watchOS 5

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watchOS 5 Face
watchOS 5's animated faces bring new life to the Apple Watch
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you watched last week’s Apple Watch Series 4 unveiling and are dying for those new animated watch faces — but don’t want to buy a new watch — you’ll be happy to know that watchOS 5 brings the best of them to Apple Watch Series 1 and up.

They’re not quite as nice as what you’ll get with the new larger Series 4 watches coming Friday, but they’re still pretty great. Here’s a hands-on look at the new Apple Watch faces.

How to downgrade to iOS 11.4 after installing the iOS 12 beta

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iOS 12 Downgrade
Downgrade from the iOS 12 Developer beta back to trusty 11.4.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

There’s an awful lot of coverage of iOS 12 out there at the moment, including early reviews, lists of all the new features, and tutorials that show you how to install the update. But what if you’re already running iOS 12 and you deeply regret upgrading early? How do you downgrade to back to iOS 11.4?

New updates can sometimes be buggy. We think it’s pretty stable but if it’s messing with your iPhone or iPad in a big way there’s still a way to go back to iOS 11.4. That’s exactly what we’re going to show you how to do in our latest video. Check it out below.

Change your Apple Watch crown color with WatchDots [Review]

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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.

Ghostek Rapture headphones bring expensive sound at affordable price [Review]

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Ghostek Rapture Bluetooth headphones pack a premium look and feel.
Ghostek's Rapture Bluetooth headphones pack a premium look and feel.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Brooklyn brand Ghostek manufactures some really interesting phone cases, backpacks, speakers and headphones. One of its latest offerings, the Ghostek Rapture Bluetooth headphones, are some of the first to hit the market with graphene drivers.

These lightweight on-ear headphones come in at just $125 (or $99 if you pick them up on Prime Day) but sound a lot better than any other wireless headphones I’ve tried at that price point. Check out my full review below.

Win 1 of 10 LuxArmor Elite iPhone X cases with our giveaway!

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iPhone X Case giveaway
Win a LuxArmor Elite iPhone X case with our latest YouTube giveaway.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

After I made a video showcasing my favorite iPhone X cases, I got a lot of feedback from readers wanting to know more. By far the most popular iPhone X case in that lineup — and the one I get asked about the most, even to this day — is the LuxArmor Classic.

The super-sleek $24 case bears no branding whatsoever. It’s extremely thin and light, but adds a surprising amount of protection. Now, LuxArmor has launched a new collection of iPhone X cases that keep that great, minimalist style but add extra protection.

In today’s video, I give you a quick hands-on look at the new LuxArmor Elite cases. Plus, we’ve got 10 of these to give away!

Take a hands-on look at the Walkie-Talkie app with watchOS 5 beta 2

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watchOS 5
One of the Apple Watch's new compelling features.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

One of the big features of Apple’s watchOS 5 is the Apple Watch’s Talkie-Talkie app feature, which makes it easier to communicate with your friends from the comfort of your wrist.

While the feature won’t officially launched until later this year, it is fully operational in Apple’s newly launched watchOS 5 beta. Want to see how it works? Check out the video below.

How to import passwords into Dashlane

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Dashlane screenshot
Importing your passwords into Dashlane couldn't be easier. Check out our video to see how.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

This post is brought to you by Dashlane.

If you’re not using a password manager, you really should be. While it might seem daunting to stop relying on iCloud Keychain or a web browser like Safari, it’s really easy to step up your online security with a password manager like Dashlane, the official password manager of Cult of Mac.

In fact, it’s incredibly simple to import all your passwords into Dashlane. It’s the first step toward taking true control of your passwords — and in today’s video, I’m going to show you how.

Get a hands-on look at watchOS 5’s new Apple Watch features

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watchOS 5
We've had time to play with the developer beta of watchOS 5, here's what's new.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of Mac Even if you already saw the WWDC 2018 keynote where Apple showed off watchOS 5, there are tons of features that got brushed over — and some did not get mentioned at all.

As is our duty, we installed the first developer beta of watchOS 5 and gave it a full run-through so we can show you all the new features in action. Check out the video below.

How to take long exposure iPhone photos [Quick Tips]

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live photos
Create stunning long exposure style photos in seconds on your iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

They say the best camera is the one you have with you. And when isn’t the iPhone with you? iPhone photography has created a whole new generation of amateur photographers. While you may be looking for the next great app to help produce some stunning photos, did you know you can easily recreate a long exposure style image right within the camera app?

Check out our latest Quick Tips video below to see how.

Hands on with iOS 11.4 beta 2

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iPhone X Product Red Wallpaper
iOS 11.4 beta 2 adds an awesome new wallpaper along with other changes.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple fixed a few bugs and added a great new wallpaper in iOS 11.4 beta 2, but it also removed at least one highly anticipated feature. Check out our video below to see everything that’s new in the latest version of iOS.

Big features make a comeback in iOS 11.4 beta 1

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iOS 11.4 beta 1 brings back big features we saw in previous betas, including AirPlay 2, multiroom support in Home app, and Messages on iCloud.
iOS 11.4 brings back some cool new features Apple teased us with before.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first beta of iOS 11.4 brings back some big features Apple tested in previous betas, but then subsequently removed.

Check out our video below to see iOS 11.4 in action. We run through what’s new and what you can expect if you give the beta a whirl.

Apple Watch Series 3, 6 months on

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Series 3 6 months on
Time has flown with the Apple Watch Series 3.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Surprisingly, the Apple Watch Series 3 has been out for six months already. While time has flown by (pun intended), the Series 3 watch has easily become one of my favourite Apple releases of the past year. Although I’ve already done a full review, I wanted to revisit it now that half a year has passed to tell you about my experience with it, what I like, what I don’t and if it’s worth it.

Check out the video below.

What to expect from WWDC 2018

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WWDC 2019
What might Tim Cook announce at this years WWDC keynote?
Photo: Apple

What’s next for Apple? We’ll find out in June, when the company hosts devs from around the world at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2018.

Every year, the event gives Cupertino execs a chance to show off Apple’s new software and hardware. It’s a chance for outsiders to get a direct look at what’s in the Apple product pipeline. In the video below, we round up all the latest WWDC 2018 rumors to give you a heads-up about what’s on the horizon.

Give your iPhone X an exoskeleton with the Radius X [Review]

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exoskeleton
Is this the most unusual iPhone X case ever?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The futuristic design of Mod-3’s Radius X makes it one of the most unusual iPhone X cases I’ve seen. If you’re after the ultimate minimalist case, or don’t like having a case on your phone but still want to protect it, the Radius X could be the perfect candidate.

In fact, it’s less of a case and more of an exoskeleton (or an updated version of a bumper case). Find out what makes this case special in our video, or read our full Radius X review below.

HomePod vs. Sonos One: Which should you buy?

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Smart speakers
Similar size, similar price, which should you buy?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

HomePod’s arrival makes the smart speaker market even more confusing for the average consumer. Amazon and Google are dominating right now, but HomePod’s closest rival is actually the Sonos One.

It’s in a similar price range, it’s about the same size, and both speakers focus on sound quality above everything else. I’ve now spent over three weeks with both the HomePod and the Sonos One to help you figure out which one you should buy.

Check out our comparison video below.

How to make your iPhone speakers louder [Quick Tips]

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Tweak this iOS setting to make iPhone speakers louder. (Works with iPad and iPod, too!)
Tweak this setting to make your iPhone speakers louder. (Works with iPad and iPod, too!)
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple improves the speakers in iPhones, iPads and iPods with each release — usually making them louder than the previous generation. Still, people constantly complain that iPhones are not loud enough.

In our latest Quick Tips video, I’ll show you a super-easy way to boost those tiny speakers. Check out the video below to see how to make iPhone speakers louder!

20 HomePod tips you need to know

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The HomePod is a lot smarter than you might think. Just take a look at these tips!
The HomePod is a smarter speaker than you might think.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The HomePod takes a lot of flak for being the dumbest smart speaker around, but it can do more than you might think. In today’s video, I’ll show you 20 HomePod tips you need to know.

(Just a quick heads-up: I’m going to be saying “Hey Siri” a few times in this video.)

HomePod sounds great, but you’re locked in [Review]

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Apple HomePod volume controls
The HomePod is Apple's first step into the smart speaker arena, but does it emerge victorious?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

There are boatloads of smart speakers out there, but nothing quite like HomePod.

Like many Apple products that came before it, HomePod is here to revolutionize an industry. It’s certainly not first to market, but Cupertino’s plan is to make all HomePod competitors insignificant. The new Apple smart speaker uses cutting-edge technology that delivers outstanding sound quality to do just that.

You can’t buy another speaker of this kind for $349. That price tag is not exactly cheap, but if you love music, HomePod should be at the top of your shopping list.

HomePod unboxing video: First look at Apple’s smart speaker

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HomePod HomeKit Unboxing
Check out Apple's new HomePod in action.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

After months of delays, Apple’s HomePod is finally available in Apple Stores today. Before we get to the reviews, comparisons and tips, with our latest video we give you a tour of what’s in the box, show you how easy it is to set up, show it off in action and my first impressions.

Check the video out below.

This shotgun-style microphone is perfect for YouTube shooters [Review]

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The Rode NTG4+ microphone makes our YouTube videos sound super-crispy.

Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Since I started running Cult of Mac‘s YouTube channel, I’ve been striving for the best visuals and audio possible. Compare our latest videos with some of our earlier ones, and you should see improvements across the board.

I’ve always neglected audio, but I’ve learned over time that sound proves vital to crafting quality videos. With that in mind, I recently tried out the Rode NTG4+ microphone. Now it’s part of my essential kit for creating videos.

Check out my video review below.

Easily convert Live Photos into GIFs in iOS 11 [Quick Tips]

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iPhone X Live Photos

Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Live Photos are great. They can capture special moments in a way that some pictures just can’t. The little movie clips that play when you force-touch a Live Photo can show the joy or wonder of the image. But therein lies the problem. They’re basically video clips embedded into photos, which makes sharing them to non-iOS users a nightmare.

A plethora of apps can convert Live Photos into GIFs or a standard video clip, but iOS 11 makes it even easier. Check out our video below to see how to quickly convert a Live Photo into a GIF.

Everything new in iOS 11.3 beta 1

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iOS 11.3 Beta 1
iOS 11.3 Beta 1 adds Messages on iCloud, new Animojis and more.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s latest update for developers, iOS 11.3 beta 1, brings plenty of new features and tweaks. It’s available now. And while it’s just the first of many likely betas to come before the iOS 11.3 release this spring, it offers a glimpse of the future.

Check out our latest video to see all the latest changes in action.