Apple has repeatedly increased the size of the iPad over the years. A 15-inch version is the logical next step. Graphic Cult of Mac
While the iPad Pro serves as a primary computer for many people, the 12.9-inch version is simply too small. Apple needs to make a 15-inch iPad Pro Max to make the tablet truly useful for power users.
And a bigger screen is only the start. This version should include other top-tier features not found in Apple’s smaller tablets.
Kia reportedly started contacting potential partners in Georgia about working on the Apple car, The Wall Street Journal says.
This is the latest development as Apple and Kia parent company Hyundai supposedly prepare to team up in a $3.6 billion deal to build a self-driving electric vehicle. Kia reportedly could manufacture as many as 100,000 Apple cars per year.
Apple talks a lot about user privacy, but its App Store privacy “nutrition labels” need some work. Photo: Apple
Apple’s new privacy “nutrition labels” in the App Store might not be as useful as hoped. Spot checks by a Washington Post writer turned up applications with incorrect information.
The basic problem? Apple asked developers to describe their own privacy practices. And some of them were less than honest.
The next MacBook could arrive later this year or early the next. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple’s next-gen MacBook Air will be thinner and lighter than the current version, as well as boasting a MagSafe charger and, possibly, a redesigned display.
According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple is planning to launch these new laptops in the second half of 2021 or in 2022. This would be the second MacBook Air to feature Apple Silicon processors, following the M1 MacBook Air released at the end of last year.
Apple introduced the context-sensitive Touch Bar in 2016. Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
According to reliable TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next-gen MacBook Pro will come in 14- and 16-inch sizes, feature more ports and bring back the MagSafe charger in some form (!). And, of course, the high-end laptops will run on new Apple Silicon chips.
But the first big MacBook Pro redesign in half a decade also do away with the Touch Bar, the controversial — and never entirely successful — innovation Apple debuted back in 2016.
Could this be the Mac setup of tomorrow? Photo: Dominik Hofacker
A designer’s radical new concept shows what future Macs could look like if augmented reality glasses replaced the computers’ physical screens.
Dominik Hofacker, a 24-year-old designer who just landed a job at Facebook, calls his well-thought-out virtual Mac concept “macOS reality.”
“With AR glasses on the verge of release, and eventually replacing our smartphones for almost all tasks, I asked myself, ‘How does productivity look like in the future?'” he told Cult of Mac. “GlassOS that runs on Apple Glasses is one thing, but nobody has ever thought about the next generation of Macs.”
The big story for Apple in 2020, was, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Elena Mozhvilo/Unsplash
In spite of a devastating pandemic, a moribund economy, widespread unemployment, factory and store closures, and a workforce toiling from home, Apple in 2020 had one of its best years ever.
The company released a raft of new products, saw its stock soar, enjoyed a record valuation, made record amounts of money, experimented with virtual product launches and events, released great advertising, and mostly skated through government antitrust hearings.
The company even killed off a hated product feature, to widespread plaudits from fans.
AirPods Max, the first over-the-ear headphones sold under the Apple brand, combine a custom acoustic design with Apple H1 chips and advanced software. Photo: Apple
Apple expanded its popular AirPods lineup Tuesday, unveiling a new over-the-ear model dubbed AirPods Max.
The high-end headphones promise to deliver “the magic of AirPods” in an all-new design. They boast high-fidelity, spatial audio and active noise cancellation like AirPods Pro. And they come in five colors. They’re available to order today, priced at $549.
For the first time, Apple created a physical award to hand out to winners. Photo: Apple
As 2020 thankfully sputters to its conclusion, Apple has released its list of the year’s best 15 apps and games “notable for their positive cultural impact, helpfulness, and importance.”
The App Store Best of 2020 winners cover a multitude of areas — from the Zoom app that more or less defined the year of lockdown to streaming service Disney+ to a nifty sleep app.
Apple's new M1 chip makes this ultraportable laptop ultra-fantastic. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
I just opened more than 650 tabs in Safari on a new M1 MacBook Air. I would have opened more, but I got bored.
Meanwhile, in the background, the machine is downloading Photoshop and the Microsoft 360 suite, and I can see in Activity Monitor that it’s processing thousands of iCloud photos while also indexing the hard drive.
Despite this, the machine is as fleet as a greyhound. I started working on a Photoshop project while checking email, keeping an eye on TweetDeck and, of course, clicking around all those open Safari tabs. The MacBook Air is just humming. I’ve never seen anything like it.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the biggest and best yet. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
The biggest and best version of iPhone 12 has finally landed. The iPhone 12 Pro Max takes everything that makes this year’s iPhone lineup so terrific and combines it with an even bigger screen and a better camera. Apple calls it “the photographer’s iPhone,” but really, it’s the best smartphone going for anyone who likes super-sized displays.
iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest smartphone to date, with a Super Retina XDR display that measures at 6.7 inches diagonally. It’s also the fastest handset on the market, thanks to an incredibly speedy A14 Bionic processor that’s coupled with 5G connectivity (where available).
However, the Pro Max is just one of four iPhone 12 options available this year —- and it’s the most expensive of the bunch. Is it worth it?
The wait is over. You can install macOS Big Sur today. Photo: Apple
Apple released the final version of macOS Big Sur on Thursday. The new operating system offers the biggest design overhaul to the Mac user interface in nearly two decades. Plus, it brings big improvements to Apple’s bundled applications like Messages, Maps and Safari.
Intercom is on its way. Here's all you need to know. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple’s new Intercom feature lets you use HomePods to send short audio messages to almost anyone with an Apple device. While Apple showcased Intercom when unveiling the upcoming HomePod mini smart speaker, the feature also works with the regular HomePod as well as iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and more.
If you a HomePod, and you’ve updated it (and your other Apple devices) with the latest software, you can use Intercom to communicate with your family or housemates in new ways.
In general, Apple is good company. But some policies make it look a bit malevolent. These need to go. Composite: Cult of Mac/Mitja Juraja/Pexels CC
Apple must avoid following a path blazed by Google. Years ago, the search giant touted its “don’t be evil” policy. But somewhere along the line, Google lost track of that — and ended up getting sued Tuesday by the Justice Department.
Apple, which faces similar scrutiny by a variety of governmental bodies, has a chance now to drop some of its questionable policies. If it doesn’t, Cupertino could end up facing its own lawsuit(s).
The encouraging news is, Apple is mostly a good company, so a few tweaks now could easily head off much larger adjustments down the line. Court-ordered changes — like a forced sale of the App Store — could prove painful.
Here’s why Apple needs its own “don’t be evil” policy, along with some concrete steps Cupertino can take to prove that it’s actually a force for good in the world.
Apple called Tuesday’s event “Hi, Speed,” a reference to the iPhone 12's super-fast 5G networking. Screenshot: Apple
Apple’s “Hi, Speed” event included the company’s most critical release of 2020: the much-anticipated iPhone 12 series. And a long-awaited cheaper HomePod, too.
Here are the most important takeaways from Tuesday’s event to put these new products in context.
A realistic iPhone 12 concept shows this upcoming device in all their glory. Photo: Terquosive Labs
New info from reliable Apple leaker Kang could provide the best look yet at what to expect during Apple’s October 13 event showcasing the iPhone 12 and HomePod mini.
Kang — a leaker with a 97.8% accuracy rate, according to AppleTrack — published the iPhone 12 details on Chinese social media platform Weibo. Here’s what Apple is set to announce, according to Yang.
Can you keep up with Apple's new team of trainers? Photo: Apple
Over the past 12 months, Apple quietly assembled an elite team of fitness trainers from around the world. Bound to secrecy, they’ve been moving across the country to start new lives in Los Angeles, without even being able to tell their friends exactly what they’re up to.
These are the stars of Cupertino’s latest subscription service, Apple Fitness+. It’s the first Apple-branded product to focus so intensely on a handful of individuals. So, as you’d expect, they’re a pretty extraordinary bunch. Let’s meet them!
Wait a second, that doesn't look quite right! Photo: Thomas Reisenegger
Ever wanted to make your brand-new iPhone look like it’s running Windows 95? That’s the outrageously novel idea that sprang into the mind of Ashley, an 18-year-old from Indiana who wants to work as a graphic designer, after she upgraded to iOS 14 last week.
Taking advantage of iOS 14’s new Home screen widgets feature, and a clunky workaround that employs the built-in Shortcuts app, she gave her iPhone 11 a vintage Microsoft-style makeover that screams retro cool and picked up 4.4 million views and 664,000 likes on TikTok.
“As someone who wasn’t even alive in the ’90s, other operating systems, such as Windows XP, are more nostalgic to me, but I went with Windows 95 because it furthered the contrast between old and new,” Ashley, who did not want her last name revealed, told Cult of Mac.
Learn how to use widgets, the App Drawer, and more. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
iOS 14 is finally out and packed full of awesome new features that make being an iPhone user even greater. We’ve got real Home screen widgets, a useful new App Drawer, Picture in Picture, and more!
If you were able to avoid the iOS 14 beta and all these things are still brand-new to you, you might be wondering how some of them work. Well, don’t worry — Cult of Mac has how-to guides on all of them.
Find out how to use some of the best new features in iOS 14 right here.
Have you found the right Workout app layout for you? Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
At first glance, the Apple Watch Workout app seems pretty simple. You just tap the start button and get all sweaty. But there’s more to it than meets the eye. A lot more.
You can customize its layout in hundreds of different ways, changing the text size, position, metrics and even adding a chart of your progress. Even if you use the app every day, chances are you still haven’t discovered all its secrets.
So check out our top 10 Workout app tips and get set for a more effective workout.
2020's iPad Air could be the best one yet. Photo: Apple
Sources familiar with Apple’s plans have confirmed to Bloomberg that a new iPad Air and Apple Watch refresh are on their way this fall.
The unnamed insiders corroborate recent leaks that indicate the new iPad Air will have an edge-to-edge display, like iPad Pro. The new Apple Watch is expected to come in two very different variants.
The Apple Pencil is fancy, and finally getting more useful. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
Back when Apple introduced the Apple Pencil, the company positioned the stylus primarily as a tool for artists. And try as I might, I’ve never been particularly great at drawing. That said, it didn’t stop me from picking up an Apple Pencil to annotate documents, edit photos or use as an alternative way to touch the screen.
Then the Magic Keyboard came along with a fantastic trackpad experience. It offered a different way to interact with the screen without touching it with my finger. But now, with iPadOS 14, Apple has rewritten the story of what Apple Pencil can do, and it’s completely changed how I use my iPad once again.
Apple's at $2 trillion and not slowing down. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple passed $2 trillion this week, but one bullish Apple analyst doesn’t think the stock is anywhere near its limits. In a note published Friday, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote to clients that he thinks Apple has “a lot of gasoline” left in the tank.
Ives predicted Apple could reach as high as $600. Currently, AAPL is trading at $473.10, defying the overall market with its upward trajectory.
Will Apple Watch Series 6 get a svelte new look? Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch is almost due for its annual hardware update, which comes like clockwork every September. First came the addition of GPS, then cellular, a thinner case with a bigger screen, a compass, and even an ECG heart monitor.
With each new model, Cupertino’s wearable creeps closer to perfection, which presents a bit of a problem. What do you add to the smartwatch that has everything?
Here’s my top 10 wish list of features I’m hoping Apple has up its sleeve.