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iPhone 16 Pro: Not much new, but everything is better [Review] ★★★★☆

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Desert and Black Titanium iPhone 16 Pro standing up, with a dark background★★★★☆
Desert Titanium and Black Titanium.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 16 Pro is a much-refined iPhone. All the features that make the it pro have been improved. The cameras are better, faster and higher-resolution. The screens are bigger, the bezels smaller, the chips faster. Even Siri works better!

But the bright colors of the iPhone 16 are swaying a lot of people back to the entry-level models, and I don’t blame them. The iPhone 16 Pro is for those who want the top 10%, the uncompromising best-of-the-best — if you can live with a gray phone.

This year, the best gets a little better all around. Keep reading or watch the video.

Here’s when new Apple Intelligence features are expected to roll out

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AI safety guidelines -- Apple Intelligence
You will have to wait until iOS 18.4 to try out all the Apple Intelligence features.
Photo: Apple

Apple Intelligence is not a part of iOS 18’s initial public release. Apple plans to debut its AI features with iOS 18.1 sometime in October and continue improving them with subsequent releases.

With iOS 18.2, Apple Intelligence will gain features like Genmoji, Image Playground app, and optional ChatGPT integration.

4 easy tweaks to fix the Photos app in iOS 18

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An image that says
Fix the worst sins of the Photos app.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

If you’re one of the many people frustrated by the Photos app redesign in iOS 18, you can fix it to make it easier to use again. Apple’s updated design replaces the Photos app’s tab bar for navigation with a single, scrollable list view.

You scroll up for your photo library, and scroll down to browse your collections, people and albums. But its default layout makes it hard to find a few useful features, like Hidden and Recently Deleted. There’s only one library view now, but it’s sorted by Date Captured by default — a lot of people prefer to sort by Recents.

It’s possible to revert some these changes to “fix” the Photos app in iOS 18 and make it easier — or at least more comfortable — to navigate. However, the changes aren’t obvious. Here’s how to restore your sanity.

iPhone 17 could miss out on 2nm processor

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TSMC looks ahead to super-speedy 2nm processors
2nm processors made by TSMC will be faster while using less power than today's 3nm iPhone and Mac chips.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Although Apple’s chip maker TSMC is moving toward 2nm processors, the technology will not be ready in time for to go into the iPhone 17 series next year, according to a noted analyst.

That means iPhone will use 3nm chips for three years running, though the process for making these gets improved annually.

How to make a good-looking custom Home Screen in iOS 18

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iOS Home Screen customization
You'll be able to customize your iPhone's Home Screen in fun new ways.
Photo: Apple

You’ve probably seen some of the beautiful custom iPhone Home Screens on social media after the iOS 18 launch. Some people go to great lengths to creatively customize their iOS 18 Home Screen layout, icons and widgets.

It makes sense. After all, you open your phone and look at your Home Screen dozens (or even hundreds) of times every single day. A custom Home Screen that matches your style can bring a little spark of joy to your daily life every time you whip out your iPhone. And iOS 18 makes Home Screen customization easier than ever.

Keep reading (or watch our video) for a quick introduction into the world of custom Home Screens. You’ll find out about new features coming in iOS 18, how to go above and beyond using Shortcuts, and how you can top off your iPhone aesthetic with widgets. I’ve scoured the internet (Reddit, mostly) to find the finest examples.

EU prepares to force iPhone and iPad to be more open to accessories

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Oculus Quest
Apple might be required to make iPhone cooperate better with VR headsets and other accessories made by other companies.
Photo: Oculus

The European Commission intends to require iPhone and iPad to be more open to working with third-party smartwatches, headphones, virtual reality headsets, and other accessories. On Thursday, the EC began proceedings to “specify how Apple will provide effective interoperability with functionalities such as notifications, device pairing, and connectivity.”

Apple devices already work with a broad variety of accessories, but the company also says it has to balance connectivity with protecting user privacy. For the latest updates on Apple’s compliance and upcoming changes, check out the latest iPhone news.

Ugreen Uno 2-in-1 wireless bot charger smiles for a reason [Review] ★★★★☆

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Ugreen Uno 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Station★★★★☆
The little bot charger gives you a digital smile to indicate charging status. Here, eyes-only means it's plugged in, on standby.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

The charging station’s compact design makes it one of the smaller MagSafe-compatible docks I’ve seen that supports 15W fast charging. Measuring just 3.07 x 2.36 x 2.36 inches, it’s small enough for travel if you have space in your bag or for keeping your workspace tidy because it doesn’t take up much space. The charger’s build quality is top-notch, featuring a tilting top charging panel for MagSafe iPhones that adjusts up to 70 degrees for a better viewing angle. This flexibility allows me to easily see notifications or watch videos while my device charges. It’s great for Standby mode, too. If you’d like to know more about similar charging solutions, check out this review.

Pro Tip: Set up persistent notifications so you don’t miss important alerts

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Don’t let important stuff slip by
Take control of your notifications.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Pro tip bugYou can set notifications from specific apps to stick to the top of your iPhone screen. With persistent notifications in iOS, when your phone is unlocked and an important alert comes in, it will stay visible at the top of the screen until you act upon it. It’s an easy way to make sure you don’t miss (or forget about) critical notifications on your iPhone.

This proves super-handy for things like medication reminders. It also works wonders if you’re the sort of person that ignores notifications once they disappear from your iPhone screen. I’ll show you how to make your notifications sticky.

Want an iPhone 16? Sell your old model for fast upgrade cash.

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iPhone SE 8
Your old iPhone may still be worth a pretty penny.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

Apple’s new iPhone 16 is likely to be a hot item — and our iPhone trade-in program makes it quick and easy way to get yours for even less.

Sell your old iPhone (and other Apple devices) to Cult of Mac today and we’ll send you cash to put toward your upgrade.

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max deliveries slip to October [Updated again]

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iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max is in heavy demand.
Photo: Apple

It’s already too late to preorder an iPhone 16 Pro Max and have it delivered on its September 20 launch day. Three hours after preorders began today, the delivery window for iPhone 16 Pro Max slipped to mid-October.

It’s not just customers putting in orders who care. Analysts watch these delivery times to judge demand for Apple handsets.

Update: A day after preorders began, the wait for iPhone 16 Pro Max still stretches to mid-October, while delivery for iPhone 16 Pro models now begins in early October.

3 easy lighting tips to make your iPhone videos shine

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Photo of an iPhone in an article about phone lighting tips that will make your videos shine.
Your iPhone takes some fantastic video with just a little attention to lighting.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Lighting is a crucial part of any video shoot, whether you’re filming a scene for an indie movie with an expensive camera or using your iPhone to capture video of your kid’s soccer game. These easy phone lighting tips can really boost the quality of your videos, whether you’re using the latest iPhone or an old Android device.

Do this now to ace your iPhone 17 preorder

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iPhone 16 preorders start soon!
Don't wait! Or procrastinate!
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 17 series goes up for preorder on Friday, and Apple’s latest and greatest handsets might sell out quickly. You need do some early prep work to be sure to get your hands on the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro Max or the other models as soon as possible.

Here’s how to be completely ready to put in a preorder.

8 secret features in Apple Maps

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Find Your Way Around Apple Maps
Apple Maps can help you find your way anywhere you need to go — but I can help you find hidden features in the app.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

With tons of advanced features, Apple Maps competes quite handily with the likes of Google Maps and Waze. I put together a big list of the best eight features hidden in Apple Maps.

You can learn them all in this post — and see them in action in our video below.

Apple makes its MagSafe charger as fast as a cable

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Apple MagSafe 25W charging puck with iPhone 16
A new MagSafe charging puck from Apple is much faster than its predecessor.
Photo: Apple

Apple It's Glowtime Event:Apple improved MagSafe wireless charging in the new iPhone 16 models by increasing the maximum charging capacity. It’s a considerable jump: the handsets can charge up to 66% faster.

Wireless charging is now as fast as plugging in a cable…with the right equipment.

6 secret features in Apple Mail to help you achieve Inbox Zero

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Get a grip on your email
Take better care of your email inbox with these hidden features.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Some people achieve and maintain zero unread emails; some let that red badge climb into the thousands. It’s never too late — you can become one of those clean inbox people like me. What can help you along the way to Inbox Zero are these six tips in Apple’s own Mail app for iPhone and Mac that you might not have known about.

Well, beyond the obvious Tip Number 0: You should always hit the Unsubscribe button at the bottom of every unsolicited promotional email as soon as you get the first one. After you kill all those unwanted subscriptions, these six lesser-known features of the Apple Mail app will make you a true pro at managing your email.

iPhone 16 rumors: Design changes, release date and more

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Graphic to illustrate iPhone 16 rumors.
Get a sneak peek at Apple's upcoming flagship smartphones.
Photo: Don Kaveen/Unsplash License

With the iPhone 16 release date almost certainly mere days away at Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” September 9 event, rumors have already revealed quite a few details about the design, colors and more. There have been leaks about all four handsets in the iPhone 16 series, to the point where we already know most of what’s coming in the 2024 lineup.

Here’s what to expect: larger screens, better cameras, additional buttons and more.

Official iPhone 16 cases might feature ‘integrated’ design for the Capture button

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iPhone 16 rumors
Apple's own iPhone 16 cases might handle the Capture button in a surprising way.
Photo: Sonny Dickson/Cult of Mac

A leaked photo supposedly shows Apple’s silicone cases for the iPhone 16 lineup without a cutout for the rumored capacitive Capture button. Instead, they sport an “integrated design,” which seemingly will not affect the new capacitive button’s functionality.

iPhone SE 4 might finally make jump to OLED

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iPhone SE 4 rumors
Apple could close the door on LCD iPhones with the SE 4.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Fresh evidence points to iPhone SE 4 including an OLED display. If true, this would make it the first in Apple’s line of budget handsets to use this improved type of screen, while every other iPhone gave up traditional LCDs years ago.

The next iPhone SE model is supposedly on the docket for 2025.

Labor Day sale: 20% off iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, iPad stands and more [Still going!]

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Labor Day deals on SwitchEasy Apple accessories
The incredibly clever SwitchEasy EasySelfie Selfie Stick is just one of 100 items on sale.
Photo: SwitchEasy

Labor Day weekend is a great time to kick back, take a rest from work — and be thankful for the paycheck that lets you buy tons of Apple Labor Day sale items. The Cult of Mac Store marks the holiday this year by taking 20% off everything from SwitchEasy.

That’s 100 products to choose from! The company makes a wide variety of cool accessories for Apple Watch, AirPods, AirTag, iPhone, iPad, MacBook and more, like various chargers. So whatever Apple gear you have, check out these Labor Day deals on SwitchEasy Apple accessories.

Pro Tip: Adjust iPhone photo blur after you take the shot

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Adjust the blur effect
Add more blur to the background or bring it into focus.
Image: King of Hearts/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Pro tip bug You can adjust the Portrait mode photo blur on iPhone and Mac — even after you’ve taken the picture. Your iPhone stores the depth data that it uses to create the blur effect along with the photo. So, if you took picture with a recent iPhone, you can adjust how blurry or clear the background looks. It’s super easy to get just the right amount of bokeh.

Why would you want to tweak the background blur on your iPhone photo? A blurrier background, under the right conditions, can make for a very dramatic picture. It can effectively emphasize the subject of your shot. Or, you might want to turn up the blur to intentionally hide details behind you. On the other hand, if you’re in a photogenic location, you might want to decrease the blur so you can see more of the gorgeous background scenery.

Either way, I’ll show you how to edit Portrait mode’s background blur in photos on iPhone and Mac.

Make your selfies pop using this TikTok-proven formula

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Editing a selfie using TikTok’s recommended filters
Many filters will brighten your photos, but sorry, nothing will make you look like you’re in your 20s.
Image: Levi Clancy/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Viral clips on TikTok show how to edit selfies for a more stunning, popping image on your iPhone. I live in a part of Ohio that’s perpetually overcast, but you would think I’m on my way to the beach, given the warm hues this method imparts upon your pictures.

Read on for detailed instructions on how to use TikTok’s winning selfie formula and how to apply the same filters in bulk on all the pictures from a photo shoot. Plus, I’ll tell you about my recommended selfie stick for taking great group shots and landscapes.

Apple revenues could top record $400 billion in 2024

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record-breaking Apple revenue
Analysts think Apple will bust through the $400 billion mark for revenues in 2024, which would be a first.
Photo: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Market analysts expect Apple to reach a new milestone in 2024, with global revenues exceeding $400 billion for the first time, according to a new report Wednesday. It anticipates growth in Apple’s hardware and services businesses to drive that record-breaking revenue growth.

6 mind-blowing Continuity features every Apple user should know

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It all works together
Your Apple devices can work together in more ways than you may expect.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Nothing illustrates the power of Apple’s ecosystem like the Continuity features that help your Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch work seamlessly together. Thanks to Continuity, your iPhone can serve as your Mac’s webcam. You can start an email on one device and instantly pick it up on another. You can use the same keyboard and mouse with a Mac and iPad, copy and paste across devices and more.

These features flex the power of Apple’s hardware and software — and they would never be possible on a PC. Unfortunately, that means a lot of people don’t learn about these features because they don’t expect so much from their computers.

In this post (and the accompanying video), I will show you some of the time-saving, annoyance-busting Continuity features you can enjoy when you go all-in on the Apple ecosystem.

Why you should install the iOS 18 beta on your iPhone today

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Why you should install the iOS 18 beta on your iPhone today
The latest iOS 18 beta is remarkably stable. Why wait?
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Ed Hardy//Cult of Mac

You’ve wanted to try iOS 18 since Apple showed it off in June but held off for fear of massive bugs. But the current iOS 18 beta is nearly the final one — and it’s really quite stable. Put it on your iPhone now and jump ahead of friends and co-workers by about a month.

And there are great new features to try, including a fully customizable Home Screen, an improved Control Center, a new Passwords app, and more.