Siri AI will get a lot more useful when iOS 27.3 moves past beta testing. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Beta testing for iOS 27.3, macOS 27.3 and more began on Tuesday, and a highlight is Apple allowing all developers to experiment with connecting their apps to its much more capable Siri AI. This has the potential to revolutionize the iPhone.
Beyond that, the betas bring a collection of other new features to the iPhone, Apple Watch and other devices. The update includes support for two new AI-powered features that let the latest Apple Watch models listen to nearby conversations. And Apple’s redesigned Health app returns to iPhone.
Just be aware, with the betas so new, many of the features in these upcoming OS upgrades are still being found.
iPhone Duo supply constraints show no sign of easing yet. Photo: Apple
iPhone Duo supply constraints aren’t going away anytime soon, and Apple currently has no timeline for when they will.
If you missed the preorder rush for Apple’s first-ever foldable device, expect a long wait. Orders placed now won’t be delivered until late January. And the problem isn’t going away.
Apple released a new tvOS 27.2 build for the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. Photo: Apple
Apple rolled out a new tvOS 27.2 build for the upcoming fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. The new hardware is getting a different version of the update than current Apple TV owners got last week. Apple hasn’t explained what changed, but it leaked out.
The new version of the streaming box is scheduled to launch in mid-November.
Peak Design's power bank packs a kickstand into a slim-design Photo: Peak Design
Peak Design already sells Qi2 charging stands and car mounts for its magnetic iPhone cases. Now, it’s completing the lineup by launching four new products.
This includes a Qi2.3 magnetic power bank with a built-in kickstand, a 65W GaN wall charger, a folding 2-in-1 charging station and braided USB-C cables.
Jesse Richards built his own DIY HomeView from an old sunflower iMac G4. Photo: Jesse Richards
A YouTuber turned an iconic “sunflower” iMac G4 into a DIY HomeView — and posted the necessary files on GitHub for anyone to use for free.
When creator Jesse Richards bought the iMac G4 for just $20, the computer wouldn’t even boot up. But after vibecoding a fix, Richards is now able to query his homemade HomeView about the weather, his calendar, recipes and more. It even controls some of his smart home, just like Apple’s official HomeView, hasn’t yet hit store shelves.
“It’s the most-used screen in my house,” said Richards.
Earnings calls might be boring, but Apple's numbers are amazing. Illustration: Cult of Mac
After posting yet another quarterly revenue record on Monday, Apple provided more insight into the massive scope of its operatings in its quarterly earnings call.
During the live-streamed call, new Apple CEO John Ternus and CFO Kevan Parekh praised the company’s new products and dug into the nitty-gritty about financials. A Q&A session with Wall Street analysts yielded more questions than actual answers, but the numbers Ternus and Parekh tossed around speak volumes.
Don't expect to see a MacBook running iPadOS, even if it does have a touchscreen. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple CEO John Ternus on Monday answered a question on the mind of many after the first MacBook with a touchscreen was announced: what does this mean for the future of the iPad?
Ternus’s answer gave the very good reason why the company isn’t going to combine Mac and iPad: it would make them both worse.
Apple just reported another record-breaking quarter, despite the company being forced to increase prices on many of its products because of an ongoing global memory shortage.
“Today, Apple is proud to report a September quarter revenue record of $114.5 billion, up 12 percent from a year ago, with iPhone reaching a September quarter record and Services reaching an all-time high,” said John Ternus, Apple’s CEO, in a statement Monday.
The non-touch MacBook Pro will reportedly survive only as an entry-level 14-inch model. Photo: Apple
Apple might add touchscreens to all its high-end MacBook Pros next year, leaving only the entry-level 14-inch model with a traditional display.
The rumor that Apple will make touch standard on every MacBook Pro with a Pro or Max chip comes just days after the company unveiled its first touchscreen MacBook Pro.
The HomeView security camera mode would use the display’s built-in 12MP camera. Photo: Apple
Apple’s upcoming smart display could double up as a HomeView security camera. The best part? It’s said to use the same built-in camera that handles FaceTime.
Text found in HomeView’s software code describes a security camera mode with features like motion detection, live streaming and recording.
Color us shocked! There’s plenty to discuss about this momentous Mac. That screen does look gorgeous. And a lighter laptop is always welcome. But that price … ouch!
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Apple’s chip-and-ship upgrades to the iMac and the entry-level MacBook Pro come with one big surprise (and it’s not the powerful M6 chip).
The iPhone Duo‘s Crackgate is real. But is it overblown?
Apple’s Ascend.io deal surfaced through the EU’s Digital Markets Act acquisitions list. Image: Ascend Labs
Apple acquired AI company Ascend.io earlier this year, likely to boost its backend data handling. The now-shuttered company’s LinkedIn page says its goal was to “make data engineering delightful” by using AI and automation to build things faster, more safely and at scale.
Apple for everything from services like iCloud to tracking inventory. Plus, features like Siri AI only work if the data feeding them is clean and organized. Acquihiring a team that automates data-intensive tasks could help Apple deliver better results across the board.
The wait is over for Apple's second-gen mini smart speaker. Photo: Apple
Apple’s latest little smart speaker is now available to buy in person. The HomePod mini 2 reached store shelves on Friday, giving customers their first chance to pick it up since the announcement a few weeks ago.
The new model builds on the success of the original HomePod mini, which became a popular option for people who wanted Apple’s smart-speaker experience without paying for the full-size HomePod. The sequel brings a new generation of hardware while retaining the compact design that made the original so appealing.
A forgotten Popcorn Time updater A forgotten Popcorn Time updater left up a huge number of Macs potentially open to attack. Photo: Popcorn Time/GitHub
Remember streaming TV and films with Popcorn Time? Maybe not. A forgotten Popcorn Time updater could potentially let attackers hijack up to an estimated 350,000 Macs. As it turns out, the updater kept running in the background even after people stopped using the entertainment app.
The flaw allowed anyone who controlled an expired update domain to run code on affected Macs without root access. Researchers disabled the updater on many machines since then, but the app itself remains risky. Uninstall it if you haven’t already.
Apple just introduced a MacBook Pro with a gorgeous display... and touch support. Screenshot: Apple/Cult of Mac
Ask Apple CEO John Ternus, and he’ll tell you his company didn’t just introduce the first touchscreen MacBook Pro. No, they made a MacBook with a beautiful tandem OLED display that also has touch support. The distinction matters.
Still, there were good reasons to add limited touch support to the notebook, as company executives explained in a new interview. Also, if you strongly object to the inclusion of a touchscreen in a MacBook, you’re simply not the target market. Apple execs spelled out who was asking for the feature.
That tappable Dynamic Island looks cool, but why no Face ID on the new MacBook Pro? Photo: Apple
The new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is the first with a Dynamic Island. The interactive, pill-shaped module is borrowed from the iPhone, but where’s the iPhone’s Face ID? Apple left it out — and some Mac fans are mad.
On the iPhone, the Dynamic Island wraps around the TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID. But not on this pricey MacBook Pro — Touch ID still handles login authentication. Instead of the laptop unlocking magically when users look at it, they will need to give it the finger instead.
You can now configure the Mac Studio with up to 512 GB of memory from Apple. But it will cost you, with the final price reaching a whopping $22,299. And that’s before you bump the storage to 16TB, which pushes the price to almost $30,000.
The jump from 256GB to 512GB of memory alone adds a whopping $11,500 to the price.
You can take the new touchscreen MacBook Pro anywhere! Photo: Apple
The latest MacBook Pro comes with an incredible screen that’s bright, easy to see outdoors, and just happens to work as a touchscreen.
Apple’s promo video for the new laptop shows people typing, tapping and swiping in some very outdoorsy settings, like deep in the woods and high atop a mountain. It’s a great way to hammer home the point: The new MacBook Pro’s screen will deliver studio-quality results virtually anywhere.
A touchscreen gives creatives new options for working with the latest MacBook Pro. Photo: Apple
The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display just announced by Apple will be remembered for many years… for good or ill. Users will undoubtedly love the beautiful OLED display and the lighter weight, but only time will tell whether its touchscreen will catch on — there’s a great deal of pre-launch resistance to a touch-enabled Mac.
The device is thinner and lighter, and includes a Dynamic Island in place of the screen notch and even a glowing Apple logo. But the eye-watering price is also likely to draw criticism.
Apple is very upbeat about the device, of course.
“The new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is a monumental step forward for the Mac,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer, in a statement. “PROLED XDR is the world’s best laptop display. It pairs state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology with advanced algorithms in our display engine to deliver the kind of visual fidelity pros have been dreaming of. And with the magic of Touch coming to MacBook Pro, combined with the game-changing performance of M5 Pro and M5 Max, we’ve created a whole new way for pros to interact with their content, taking their workflows to a completely new level. The new MacBook Pro is the result of the deep integration between Apple silicon, hardware, and software, and there’s simply nothing else like it.”
The way Apple will source new chips for the MacBook Neo 2 means it's getting a RAM boost. AI image: Apple/ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Apple’s wallet-friendly MacBook is said to be getting a sequel in the next few months. The MacBook Neo 2 release date is reportedly set for the first half of 2027, and is expected as early as spring.
That would put the successor a year after the original arrived in March. It’s drawing attention because the sophomore version will almost certainly address one of Neo’s biggest compromises: 8GB of RAM.
ChatGPT now works with iCloud Mail and Calendar. Image: Apple/OpenAI/Cult of Mac
You can now connect ChatGPT to your iCloud Mail and calendar to read and send emails, create calendar events and more.
This should make managing your emails and schedule easier, especially if you heavily rely on ChatGPT for tasks. It also means you can handle more of these tasks without switching between apps.
Imagine easily connecting your AirPods to a plane's entertainment center with AirFly View. Photo: Twelve South
Twelve South introduced AirFly View on Tuesday, a new version of its popular wireless audio adapter that adds a built-in screen to make connecting AirPods easier.
With it, travelers can use their AirPods (or other Bluetooth headphones) with airplane entertainment systems that still rely on traditional headphone jacks.
In an effort to help users spot fakes, iOS 27.2 adds a watermark to some AI images. Photo: Google
iOS 27.2 now stamps AI-generated iPhone images with an invisible watermark called SynthID.
Every Image Playground creation carries the mark, as do some AI-edited photos. This should prove really helpful for spotting fakes — but only if you know how to check.
