Apple released iOS 16.4 on Monday, bringing significant changes and new features to its iPhone operating system.
Once you install iOS 16.4, the biggest point release of iOS 16 so far, check out these 15 features to try right away — including the new “high five emoji” combo.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iPhone rumors are flying, and some of them sound fantastic! But then there’s the one about a potentially troublesome mute button…
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
5 Movies, likely the first iPhone app generated almost entirely by ChatGPT, was approved by Apple and published on the App Store late Thursday night.
Morten Just, an independent developer of Mac apps who’s based in Switzerland, guided ChatGPT through the creation of the movie-recommendation app. Just said he told the AI what he wanted, then pasted its output into an Xcode project, writing only an estimated 2% to 5% of the code himself. The chatbot even fixed bugs as Just pasted in error messages.
“What matters to me is creating software that is useful and solves real problems,” Just told Cult of Mac after his 5 Movies app went live. “If I can do that faster with AI, I will.”
COVID-19 lockdowns in China didn’t just mess up iPhone production, they inspired the invention of a bizarre new machine with fake lips you can use with your smartphone to “kiss” someone far away.
Chinese startup Siweifushe launched the MUA — named after kissing sounds — a couple of weeks ago, selling more than 3,000 of them and receiving orders for 20,000 more, a new report said.
The Voice Isolation feature iPhone users have become accustomed to in video chats will soon expand to regular phone calls. It will make participants in these voice calls easier to understand.
This will be one of the major new features in iOS 16.4, which is expected in late March.
Apple’s experiment with the iPhone 14 Plus is paying off… somewhat. The first 6.7-inch non-Pro model is selling much better than the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini it replaced, according to a market analysis firm.
That said, the Plus reportedly has the weakest demand of any of the handsets Apple released in fall 2022.
Anker rolled out its latest 15W MagSafe charging stand Tuesday, introducing the 3-in-1 Anker 737 MagGo Charger. It adopts a triangular shape, juicing up iPhones at a full 15W and AirPods and Apple Watch at 5W apiece.
This follows the company’s first 3-in-1 MagSafe fast-charging stand, the Anker Cube, released in October 2022.
Premium smartphones are on a roll. Revenue from iPhone and other devices that cost more than $600 grew to the point that they contributed more than half of all revenue from the product category in 2022, according to a market research firm.
That’s to Apple’s advantage, as iPhone sales make up 75% of this category.
You may already know about SIM cards for cellular data, those little microchips that slide on trays in or out of smartphones. But the future of connectivity is eSIM cards, and that future is now.
Holafly’s eSIM unlimited data plans cover you when you travel. They’re tailored to your destinations. And they keep your iPhone connected in many countries, hassle-free, while also keeping costs down.
The traditional mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max supposedly will be replaced with a static, touch-sensitive button. If true, it’s possible this will be too easy to activate so users don’t get the notifications they expect.
Just-leaked CAD images allegedly show how the buttons on the upcoming iPhones will look. And that they look very easy to press accidentally. It also doesn’t look like the new button would offer a visual cue that an iPhone is set to silent mode.
Claiming that iPhones can be hacked by Western intelligence agencies, the Kremlin reportedly told government officials involved in the 2024 Russian election to get rid of their iPhones.
A Kremlin spokesperson then told Reuters that government officials shouldn’t use a smartphone at all, Android or iPhone.
An auction that included vintage Apple items that were almost thrown away wrapped up this week with many items bringing in more than their estimates. A Lisa 1 and an original iPhone still in the plastic sold at hefty prices. Some technical notes handwritten by Steve Jobs also brought in more than expected. There were many more.
However, some of the Apple items did not sell, including a fully functional Apple-1, likely because bids didn’t reach their reserve price.
The largest version of the iPhone 15 reportedly will come with the smallest screen bezels. Like, record-breaking thin.
An Apple tipster says the black area around the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s display will measure a mere 1.55 millimeters.
Two lucky winners have a chance to win a not-so-ordinary selfie stick from SwitchEasy in this week’s giveaway.
This clever selfie stick can take a good selfie, extending 4x from the original length. But it also can be transformed into a tripod for video meetings or elaborate shots. Taking a beautiful scenery photo at a distance is no problem, either, as the gadget works as a Bluetooth camera remote, too.
The multifunctional EasySelfie Stick retails for $44.99, but is currently on sale in the Cult of Mac Store for just $35.99. (Update: Our sale has ended.)
Apple products are known for delivering high performance and carrying a premium price tag. If you are on a tight budget, should you consider buying a refurbished Apple product instead?
Apple’s Certified Refurbished store offers a great way to get a like-new product while letting you save hundreds of dollars on your purchase. Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s refurbished gear.
Even if a yellow iPhone 14 or 14 Plus isn’t your thing, you should really check out Apple’s video advert for the new product. It’s like totally trippy, man.
Turn on, tune in, drop out.
Apple said Tuesday its US customers can chat with an Apple Specialist over video to shop the iPhone lineup. That includes the new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus that showed up in stores today.
The new Shop with a Specialist over Video service lets buyers connect with retail team members over a secure, one-way video shopping session, the company said.
The recently announced iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in yellow casings are now in Apple’s brick-and-mortar retail stores.
The new color option was announced in early March and then went up for preorder a few days ago, but Tuesday is the real launch day.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Did the world really need a yellow iPhone 14? Especially one that looks about as bold as a buttered banana? At least we’ve got new iMacs coming to ease our disappointment.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
The iPhone 14 Plus isn’t selling well, and the same was true for the model it replaced, the iPhone 13 mini. With that in mind, it seems reasonable for Apple reduce the number of product lines it offers.
There are currently five iPhone models in production. Dropping to four would benefit the company and its customers.
The iPhone screen cutout allegedly won’t shrink next year, despite a previous report that under-display Face ID would be implemented in 2024.
Looks like the Dynamic Island will be around for years to come.
iPhone captured eight spots in the list of top 10 bestselling smartphones for 2022, according to a market-research firm. In fact, Apple makes the three most popular models.
But Samsung’s flagship Android device surely lands at least one spot in the top 10, right? Nope.
A week after the second iOS 16.4 beta dropped, Apple seeded the third build to developers. Unlike the first and second build, the third beta is light on changes.
You can find everything new in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 beta 3 below. There’s also an archive of the new features spotted in beta 1 and 2.
Anyone who just can’t wait for the newly announced yellow iPhone 14 can at least put Apple’s wallpaper for the upcoming handset on their current device.
The same is also true for those who simply like yellow and green.
Half a dozen additional European countries will soon gain access to the iPhone 14 Emergency SOS via satellite feature. It was already available in six countries around the world.
It allows users away from cellular networks to reach out for help from almost anywhere … as long as the local emergency services are prepared for the satellite service.