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News - page 118

5 upbeat takeaways from Apple’s earnings call

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A rainbow Apple logo looms over a cloudy sky with the sun peeking through. The words
Wall Street isn't happy right now, but Apple sees good days ahead.
Image: Cult of Mac, based on photos by Aaron Burden and Sumudu Mohottige/Unsplash License

Apple stock price dropped over 3% after it announced the results of its most recent financial quarter. But there’s good news mixed with the bad, and that shouldn’t be ignored. CEO Tim Cook and other executives stayed upbeat in a call with investors on Thursday, talking up strong iPhone sales, why Tim loves Apple silicon and more.

Here are the reasons for optimism we found in Apple’s quarterly financial results and call.

Apple brings in record quarterly iPhone revenue

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Apple money cash
There's good news about iPhone, but less so for Mac.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The question on whether the iPhone 15 is off to a strong start has been answered. Apple just revealed that iOS handsets brought in more revenue in its most recent financial quarter than ever before.

“Today Apple is pleased to report a September quarter revenue record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record in Services,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

Apple accessories blowout sale: Get up to 90% off iPhone cases and more

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Woot Apple accessories sale
Here's your chance to bag great deals on Apple accessories.
Photo: Woot!

Amazon bargain site Woot! launched an Apple accessories sale with something for almost everyone — and deals as good as 90% off certain iPhone cases and 61% off an Apple Thunderbolt 3 Pro cable.

But with 49 products on sale, that’s just a taste. Act fast, the sale ends November 10 at 9:59 p.m. PT.

Stay classy with this supple Italian leather Apple Watch band

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The fine gray leather band will develop a patina over years of use.
The fine gray leather band will develop a patina over years of use.
Photo: Olpr. Leather Goods

Leather is absolutely classic for an Apple Watch band. But do you know what’s even better? Horween leather. And Olpr. Leather Goods offers a great one in a gray color that should develop a character-rich patina over time.

Check out the excellent band in the Cult of Mac Store.

First benchmarks back up Apple claims of blazing-fast M3 chip speeds [Updated]

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Apple's M3 chip
In early benchmark testing, Apple's new M3 chip lives up to expectations for speed.
Photo: Apple

New benchmark tests support claims Apple made about the impressive speed of the new M3 chip unveiled Monday in the Scary Fast event.

Geekbench found the new entry-level M3 chip, which appears initially in a new 24-inch iMac and one of three MacBook Pro models, performs as expected compared to M1 and M2 versions.

Update: And after the initial results for M3 came in, further tests showed M3 Max is 42% faster than M2 Max, or about as fast as M2 Ultra. That means a new top-shelf MacBook Pro is as fast as the Mac Pro released earlier this year in June, which Apple said at the time was the “most powerful chip ever created for a personal computer.” That claim lasted about five months.

AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C are now an amazing 24% off [Still available!]

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AirPods Pro with USB-C port and charging cable
The new version of AirPods Pro 2 leaves Lightning behind in favor of USB-C. And it's on sale!
Photo: Apple

A crazy good deal on the new AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C case lets you save $60 off the retail price. And this despite the wireless earbuds being on the market for just over a month.

Apple’s new top-of-the-line wireless earbuds take advantage of all the latest new bells and whistles in iOS 17. Plus, they bring additional new features besides the port change, including additional dust resistance and the promise of high-res audio when paired with Apple Vision Pro.

What to watch for in Apple’s earning report

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Wall Street thinks Apple is just limping along
Be ready for Apple to reveal on Thursday how much it took in during the July-through-September period.
Photo: Anna Nekrashevich/Pexels

When Apple reports the results of its most recent financial quarter later on Thursday, look for Mac and iPad to be a drag on the company’s revenue. Still, analysts are upbeat about the company’s earnings.

Investors will also be watching closely, especially considering AAPL shares are down 9% since the company last reported financial results in August.

Apple quietly nixes the cheapest Apple Music plan

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Apple Music noted its most popular song and artists of 2022.
RIP, Apple Music Voice Plan!
Photo: Apple Music

Apple has quietly discontinued the Apple Music Voice Plan nearly two years after its release. The $5 plan was the cheapest way to subscribe to the company’s music streaming service.

Going forward, you cannot subscribe to the Apple Music Voice Plan. If you are an existing subscriber, your membership will expire at the end of your current billing cycle.

Mark Wahlberg action-comedy The Family Plan hits Apple TV+ in December

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Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan star in The Family Plan.
Image: Apple TV+

In The Family Plan, Mark Wahlberg plays a father with a small secret: he used to be an assassin. His past comes back to haunt him — and his family — in a film that debuts on Apple TV+ in mid December.

With that premise, it could be a gripping drama, but the flick will be an action-comedy instead.

Expect to wait longer for high-end M3 MacBook Pro and iMac

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Late-2023 MacBook Pro with M3
Whether you can get your hands on the latest MacBook Pro with M3 chip on launch day depends on which configuration you want.
Photo: Apple

Preorder some heavily loaded configurations of the newly announced M3 MacBook Pro models and you’ll be waiting until later in November to receive them. But Apple still has plenty of other configurations ready to go on launch day.

The same is true for the new M3-powered iMac — load it up and the result is a somewhat longer wait.

Affordable new Apple Pencil with USB-C goes on sale

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You'll have to charge the inexpensive new Apple Pencil via USB-C cable.
You'll have to charge the inexpensive new Apple Pencil via USB-C cable.
Photo: Apple

Apple put its new budget Apple Pencil with USB-C connectivity on sale Wednesday for all your sketching and note-taking needs. Just $79, it’s now available in 33 countries, including the United States.

That price saves you $50 compared to Apple Pencil 2, but it also buys you fewer features.

Go retro with nostalgic Elago cases for Apple accessories

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The W5 AirTag case looks like an old-school gaming console.
The W5 AirTag case looks like an old-school gaming console.
Photo: Elago

Elago excels at making nostalgic cases for Apple accessories that look like other things. Not long ago the company put out the Elago W5 AirTag Keychain Case, which looks like an old-school Super Nintendo home-gaming console. You can also get an airpod case with airtag slot, as well as AirPods cases that look like original Mac computers and much more.

The Cult of Mac Store has 25 great Apple accessories at great prices in its Elago Retro Collection. We highlight a few examples below.

Apple Arcade getting 8 more fun new games in 2023

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Apple Arcade games
There are plenty of upcoming games and recent additions to Apple Arcade.
Image: Apple

Disney Dreamlight Valley Arcade Edition, Football Manager 2024 Touch, Sonic Dream Team and Puzzle & Dragons Story are among the eight games on the way to Apple Arcade in November and December. They’ll join the 200+ already on the service.

In addition, more than 50 of the already available games will get content updates.

Should you buy the new MacBook Pro or iMac?

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Should you upgrade?
Here’s some buying advice for the new Macs.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple introduced the next generation of MacBook Pro and iMac, each powered by the next generation of its in-house silicon: M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max. The Macs run faster than ever before thanks to smaller transistors and additional cores packed into each processor.

The products are already available to order — so is it time for you to upgrade? That all depends on which devices you have, so I’ve put together a buying guide with sharable images and a video to help you decide.

How Apple’s ‘Scary Fast’ event was shot on iPhone [Updated]

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Scary Fast Shot on iPhone video
Apple had a surprise for viewers of its "Scary Fast" event: the camera.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Apple’s “Scary Fast” Mac event focused on the new M3 family of chips, refreshed MacBook Pros and an updated iMac. But Apple uncorked a big surprise at the end by revealing the entire presentation was recorded using an iPhone.

This marks the first time Apple used only one of its handsets to film an entire product-launch event. And the company released a behind-the-scenes video showing exactly how the magic was made.

Apple Watch threatened with sales ban in December

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A light-based pulse oximeter measure blood oxygen.
A light-based pulse oximeter measure blood oxygen.
Photo: Graham Bower

Bans on Apple Watch imports and sales could take effect the day after Christmas unless President Joe Biden steps in, after the International Trade Commission ruled Thursday that Apple infringed on medical technology patents held by Masimo Corp. and its sibling company, Cercacor Laboratories.

So unless the president vetoes the bans or Apple somehow strikes a deal in a fight that has dragged on for years — neither seems likely — most Apple Watches could go off the market because some of their components violate patents.

M1 vs. M3 24-inch iMac comparison: What’s changed?

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M1 vs M3 iMac Comparison
How is the 2023 iMac better than its 2021 predecessor?
Photo: Rajesh

Apple unveiled the 24-inch iMac with M1 chip way back in April 2021, and while the rest of the company’s Mac lineup got an M2 upgrade since then, the all-on-one desktop missed the boat. To make up for it, Apple announced the M3-powered iMac at its ‘Scary Fast’ event.

How does the 2023 iMac compare to its predecessor? Does it pack any other improvement besides the faster chip? Read this comparison to find out.

Good riddance: 13-inch MacBook Pro discontinued

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Apple has finally discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
You can no longer buy a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar.
Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh

Following Monday’s launch of the M3-powered MacBook Pros, Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It was the last MacBook in the company’s lineup with a Touch Bar, a thin, customizable OLED strip at the top of the keyboard that replaced the usual row of function keys.

A cheaper 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip replaces the older Touch Bar model.

3 new M3 MacBook Pro models promise blazing speed

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The top two new MacBook Pro models now come in a space black aluminum finish.
The top two new MacBook Pro models now come in a space black aluminum finish.
Photo: Apple

In a first, Apple rolled out three new chips at once — the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max — during its Halloween-themed Scary Fast event Monday. The new Apple processors power updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

The company also utilized a cool-looking space black aluminum finish for the first time on M3 Pro and M3 Max models. The laptops promise to hit speedy new benchmarks.

“Tonight we’re doing something we haven’t done before, as we bring our latest technologies to a broader set of users more rapidly than ever,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies. “We’re launching the next generation of Apple silicon for the Mac by releasing three great new chips at the same time.”

Apple rolls out updated iMac with M3

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The new iMac with M3 in all seven colors
The new iMac with M3 gets faster internals but the same seven colors.
Photo: Apple

At Monday’s “Scary Fast” event, Apple rolled out a simple update to the iMac, the perennial all-in-one desktop computer, with the new M3 chip. This comes alongside the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

“The world’s best all-in-one gets even more powerful and even more capable,” said CEO Tim Cook. “We’re giving the iMac a giant leap in performance while keeping the same, impossibly thin design,” said SVP of hardware engineering John Ternus.

iMac starts at the same price of $1,299. You can order it today and it will be available next week.