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The latest Apple news, opinion and analysis posts from Cult of Mac writers.

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on News:

Apple reshapes Health, Fitness and Watch leadership as Jeff Williams nears retirement

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Jeff Williams at Apple Watch launch 2020
Jeff Williams retires from Apple later this year.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple prepares for a major internal reorganization ahead of COO Jeff Williams’ retirement later this year. As part of the rejig, Eddy Cue will oversee the health and fitness team. 

Meanwhile, the watchOS division will come under Craig Federighi, the current head of software engineering.

Ultra-thin iPhone 17 Pro case made of aramid fiber offers sleek protection

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Photo of Thinborne iPhone 17 Pro aramid fiber super-thin case sitting on a table with blue sky in the background
If you want a super-thin iPhone case that still offers protection, aramid fiber is your friend.
Photo: Thinborne

Thinborne, a small business based in Texas, designs super-thin iPhone cases using aramid fiber — a material commonly used in the aerospace and military industries. The latest example is Thinborne’s new iPhone 17 Pro case, which lets you enjoy the functionality of Apple’s most impressive phone yet in style.

But don’t let the sleek aramid case’s minimalist style fool you. This slim iPhone case delivers on its promises. You can count on it to be long-lasting and durable — scratch-resistant and able to handle moderate impacts.

Improve your iPhone photography with new Belkin Stage PowerGrip

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Belkin Stage PowerGrip in hand
Belkin Stage PowerGrip charges your iPhone while also adding a grip.
Photo: Belkin

The Belkin Stage PowerGrip adds to an iPhone the grip that DSLR camera users are familiar with. Built into the grip is a battery that sends power to the handset via the MagSafe magnetic charging mat integrated into the device.

After being unveiled early this year, the product finally launched on Thursday.

WhatsApp for iPhone finally adds built-in translation for 21 languages

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WhatsApp gets a native translate tool.
Translate messages natively in WhatsApp.
Photo: WhatsApp/Rajesh Pandey /CultOfMac

Meta began rolling out in-app translation support Tuesday for WhatsApp on iPhone. In its initial phase, the feature supports 21 languages, making it easier for users to chat with their loved ones without worrying about language barriers.

Keeping security and privacy in mind, the translations happen on-device, ensuring the messages remain private.

Second iOS 26.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.1 betas go out to devs and the public

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iOS 26.1 beta 2
iOS 26.1 beta 2 is ready for developers and the general public to test.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the second beta versions of iOS 26.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.1 to developers on Monday, then these went to public beta testers on Tuesday. They come two weeks after beta testing began for the next major updates to the operating systems.

iPadOS 26.1 beta 2, watchOS 26.1 beta 2, tvOS 26.1 beta 2 and visionOS 26.1 beta 2 also went out on developers and the public.

The final versions of these updates are expected to reach iPhone, Mac, etc. users around the world in mid- to late-autumn.

The Underdogs learn about Mac security in funny new Apple film

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The Underdogs in BSOD video
A new video shows the hapless Underdogs discovering the advantages of Mac security.
Screenshot: Apple

The Underdogs are back in BSOD (Blue Screen of Death)! The fictitious team of nerdy Apple users once again star in a video demonstrating how Macs and iPhones get real work done. This time, the focus is on Mac security.

Watch the shortfilm now and have fun while learning about what your Apple gear can do for you.

M5 MacBook Pro and iPad Pro could launch any day now

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MacBook Pro with chip on top
MacBook Pro's M5 refresh might land this month.
Photo: David Snow/Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Supplies of iPad Pros and 14-inch MacBook Pros powered by M4 chips are running low across Apple Stores. This indicates the imminent arrival of M5-powered models.

While reports of an M5 iPad Pro refresh surfaced before, this marks the first solid indication that Apple could launch an M5 MacBook Pro this year as well.

OpenAI struggles to create its iPhone killer

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OpenAI companion AI
The AI companion from OpenAI might look something like this concept.
AI concept: ChatGPT

OpenAI’s efforts to create and sell an “AI companion” device reportedly have serious obstacles to overcome. These are existential, including how the company can find enough computing resources to enable the artificial intelligence devices to function.

That’s good news for Apple, as there have been predictions that products designed specifically for AI might someday take the place of the iPhone and other smartphones.

iPhone 17 ends Apple dry spell in China

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iPhone 17 sales in China outpace iPhone 16.
iPhone 17 appears to be a huge hit in China.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup has taken China by storm, with first-day sales reportedly far outpacing the iPhone 16.

In the first week alone, Apple moved an estimated 1.03 million iPhone 17 units — a massive 47% jump over its predecessor.

What to expect at Apple‘s October product-launch event

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Apple October event rumors
Apple CEO Tim Cook could soon be taking to the stage with more product announcements.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple isn’t done lunching new products this year, even though the iPhone 17 family and Apple Watch Series 11 reached customers in September.  There are so many new products coming out of Cupertino this fall that rumors point to an Apple October event.

For some Apple fans, the best is yet to come: the Apple M5 processor, a new iPad Pro and (hopefully) the next MacBook Pro. And there could be more.

What’s with all the crazy Apple leaks?!? [The CultCast]

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The CultCast logo with an image of a Vision Pro headset from an FCC Apple leak
What a week for Apple leaks!
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The Federal Communications Commission leaks secret Apple info and Russian YouTubers get their hands on unreleased iPad Pros.

What’s going on with these crazy Apple leaks? We have a theory about why at least some of them are happening.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Logitech updates a classic — the new MX Master 4 mouse adds haptics!
  • A cool new Mac app called Folder Quick Look fixes a longtime annoyance, and it’s totally free.
  • We take a good, hard look at the latest addition to our colleague’s setup.

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.

iPhone Air gets a gorgeous transparent makeover

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Modified iPhone Air with a transparent back
iPhone Air looks even more stunning with a transparent back.
Photo: brt2412

The iPhone Air already stands out with its sleek, ultra-thin design. A modder has now taken it a step further and added a custom transparent back glass to give the phone an even stunning look.

The result is a retro-mod vibe that shows off the phone’s internals in all its glory.

Get a MacBook for $33.28 per month with the MacBook Upgrade Program

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Photo of a laptop with the Upgraded's monthly payments plan for financing a MacBook, with an image on-screen that says
Financing a MacBook Pro has never been so easy.
Photo: Upgraded

Thanks to a new method of financing for MacBook purchases, there’s a more affordable way to get your hands on the latest Apple laptop. Instead of dropping thousands today, Upgraded’s MacBook Upgrade Program lets you spread the cost over 36 months, with the option to upgrade to the latest device every 24 months.

Thousands of people are switching to Upgraded, thanks to the simple monthly prices, seamless experience and time saved from not dealing with reselling. You can get the latest MacBook starting at just $33.28 per month and as low as 0% APR with Upgraded.

No massive upfront bill. No time wasted on eBay or craigslist. And you can always have the newest MacBook, since you have the option to upgrade every two years.

Shop MacBooks from $33.28 per month or iPad Pros from $31.89 per month.

Sora rockets to No. 1 on App Store: What Apple users love about OpenAI’s new AI video app

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Sora app
The Sora app uses AI to generate fun, very realistic videos from user prompts.
Screenshot: OpenAI

OpenAI introduced the Sora iPhone app Tuesday, and by Friday, it had already hit the No. 1 spot on Apple’s Top Free Apps list. The secret of the new AI video app’s appeal? It’s a lot of fun, letting users create hilarious short videos with a simple text description.

Watch some of the hilarious (and amazing) videos people have already created, there go make your own.

Apple removes ICE tracking apps from App Store following DOJ pressure

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Apple removes ICE tracking apps
ICE tracking apps can help alert people about where immigration raids are taking place.
Photo: Photo by Maciej Prus, Pexels

Apple removed ICEBlock and several similar immigration enforcement tracking apps from its App Store following pressure from the Department of Justice, according to reports late Thursday. The decision came after Attorney General Pam Bondi directly contacted Apple demanding the removal of ICEBlock. 

It’s a crowdsourced app that allows users to anonymously report sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents within a five-mile radius. The app had been downloaded over 1 million times since launching in April 2025.

The Lost Bus ignites ‘wildfire thriller’ movie genre [Now streaming!]

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The Lost Bus movie
Just watching Matthew McConaughey anguish over what to do with his empty school bus as tragedy looms made me squirm.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ viewers have a new pulse-pounding watch to take in Friday — The Lost Bus movie. It tells the story of the Camp Fire laying waste to Paradise, California, as a lone school bus driver played by Matthew McConaughey tries to save nearly two dozen children from the inferno. Action maven Paul Greengrass directs. He’s best known for Bloody Sunday, two Jason Bourne movies and Captain Phillips

The film scores an 86% Fresh critical rating and a 92% Fresh viewer rating on reviews site RottenTomatoes.com. “McConaughey, as a nervy reluctant hero, steers the searing, intense narrative about normal people living through the most hellish of circumstances,” wrote USA Today. “The Lost Bus traps us in that disorientating push and pull — it’s a little too real to entertain, and a little too entertaining to feel real,” noted The Independent. Generally, even those who criticized the film’sHollywood-ness praised its intense realism and almost unbearable, horror-movie-style tension.

AirPods Pro 3 users report strange whistling sounds

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Edited photograph of AirPods Pro 3 to illustrate a story about users hearing a strange whistling sound
Are you hearing a whistling sound on your AirPods Pro 3 with ANC on?
Image: Cult of Mac

Some AirPods Pro 3 owners report hearing an annoying whistling sound from their new earbuds. The noise typically comes when they have the earbuds in, with no music playing and active noise cancellation on.

The problem doesn’t seem widespread, but enough new owners are reporting it to raise eyebrows.

Apple stops calling Apple Watch and M4 Mac mini carbon neutral

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Apple Watch and M4 Mac mini are no longer carbon neutral.
Apple Watch and M4 Mac mini drop the carbon neutral badge.
Photo: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

Apple no longer advertises the M4 Mac mini and its Apple Watch lineup as “carbon neutral.” The company proudly unveiled its first carbon neutral products — the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 — in 2023.

But just two years later, it has removed the claim from all such product pages. And it’s not because Apple suddenly started making its devices differently.

How are Russian YouTubers getting unreleased Apple products early?

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Apple products keep leaking in Russia.
A Russian YouTuber has leaked an unreleased Apple product second time in a row.
Photo: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

Apple guards its upcoming products with extreme secrecy. However, a major leak in October 2024 saw the Russian YouTuber Wylsacom unboxing the M4 MacBook Pro weeks before its official release.

The same story now unfolds with the upcoming M5 iPad Pro. Wylsacom unboxed and showcased the device a few days ago, again weeks before launch. And another Russian YouTuber did the same the next day. So how do Russian YouTubers manage to grab unreleased Apple products so early?

Apple puts cheaper Vision Pro on back burner to focus on smart glasses

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A digitally altered image of a woman wearing an Apple Vision Pro headset in a workplace environment.
The rumored cheaper version of the Vision Pro headset is reportedly on hold.
Photo: Ali Colak/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

That cheaper Vision Pro you were waiting for? Don’t hold your breath. Apple reportedly shelved the project to redirect its focus on creating smart glasses to compete with Meta’s popular products.

Previous rumors indicated Apple would release a stripped-down version of its $3,499 Vision Pro headset by 2027. But Apple execs reportedly told employees last week that it’s putting the lighter, cheaper headset on the back burner.

The Peanuts gang will have a home at Apple until 2030

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Peanuts Specials
Fans can enjoy classic and new Peanuts specials and series on Apple TV+.
Image: Apple TV+

Apple will stay the exclusive streaming home for all things Peanuts for another five years, Apple TV+ said Wednesday. Apple TV+ ubscribers will be able to enjoy the classic holiday specials starring Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang through 2030, as well as new original series and specials.

The streamer also revealed when the beloved Peanuts Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials will become available for anyone to watch for free in 2025.

AirPods Pro 3 teardown puts foam-infused ear tips under the microscope

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iFixit AirPods Pro 3 teardown
iFixit found plenty of reasons why even pro technicians wouldn't want to mess with these.
Photo: iFixit

iFixit released its teardown of Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 Wednesday, providing a close-up look at new features including the foam-infused ear tips Apple includes for greater sound isolation, as well the new battery scheme and repositioned rare-earth magnets. 

But the group’s major finding should be unsurprising to anyone familiar with the company’s wireless earbuds. The latest generation earns the same dismal 0 out of 10 repairability score that has plagued the product line since its inception nine years ago.