Ste Smith, author at Cult of Mac

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.