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News - page 15

Unlike iPhone, the iPad remains ‘a beast to repair’

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iPad repair: “A beast”
iPad repair is doable, but it’s far, far from easy.
Image: Gemini/Cult of Mac

Apple now offers tools and parts to repair your own iPad, but the instructions provided by Apple show that working on one of its tablets is not for the faint of heart.

Just removing the screen from an iPad Pro is a 32-step process that requires special tools to detach the glue, tape and screws holding everything together.

Hidden iOS 26 features Apple didn’t talk about at WWDC25

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iOS 26 hidden features
There are plenty of smaller, hidden improvements in iOS 26.
Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac

Apple focused heavily on the new Liquid Glass design language during the iOS 26 unveiling last week. But there’s more to the operating system than the glossy new look that’s coming to all the company’s operating systems.

While Apple highlighted iOS 26’s major features during the  WWDC25 keynote, many meaningful quality-of-life improvements flew under the radar. Here are some of the smaller, hidden features in iOS 26 that you shouldn’t miss.

Wait for AirPods Pro 3 likely stretches into 2026

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AirPods Pro 3 release date
The AirPods Pro 3 release date is apparently still months down the road.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Two reliable analysts recently predicted that the AirPods Pro 3 release date won’t come before the end of 2025.

Apple is reportedly loading the next generation of its high-end wireless earbuds up with new features, and that’s apparently taking some extra time. All the way to 2026.

Speedy new Ugreen GaN charger packs 500W and 6 ports

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Ugreen Nexode 500W charger 6 ports fast charging
This robust desktop charger meets many charging needs.
Photo: Ugreen

Ugreen launched what it calls the world’s most powerful gallium nitride (GaN) charger Monday — the Ugreen Nexode 500W 6-Port GaN Desktop Fast Charger. It promises to change how Apple users and other tech users power their devices.

At 500 watts, the $249.99 charger delivers unprecedented charging capacity through five USB-C ports and one USB-A port. That could eliminate the need for multiple adapters cluttering your workspace.

Your Friends & Neighbors and Murderbot stay popular week after week

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Jon Hamm and Alexander Skarsgård  both have hits on Apple TV+!
Jon Hamm and Alexander Skarsgård both have hits on Apple TV+!
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ crime drama Your Friends & Neighbors has held onto a large audience for two months now, appearing yet again on a weekly list of the top 10 most popular series, according to a company that tracks ratings. The show stars Jon Hamm as a very unusual thief.

Plus, the Apple TV+ sci-fi action comedy series Murderbot settled into steady popularity.

AirTag helps couple swipe back their stolen Jaguar

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AirTag finds a stolen car
Thieves nabbed this Jaguar e-Pace despite it having two immobilizing devices. Luckily, it also had an AirTag.
Photo: BBC News/Metropolitan Police Service

A couple from London successfully tracked down and recovered their stolen Jaguar using an Apple AirTag after police appeared “too stretched” to provide immediate assistance. So they ended up asking, when AirTag finds a stolen car, who needs the cops?

Mia Forbes Pirie and her husband Mark Simpson discovered their $60,000 Jaguar E-Pace missing from outside their home June 3. They called the police and even explained the bit about the AirTag showing the car’s specific location in town. But they found themselves on their own, at least at first.

Virtually all iPhones sold in US now made in India to avoid Trump tariffs

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iPhone 14 Pro in India
Your next iPhone could be assembled in India, not China.
Photo: Cult of Mac

We’ll have to stop thinking of the iPhone as a product made in China — nearly all Apple’s handsets for sale in the United States are reportedly now assembled in India.

It’s part of Apple’s effort to reduce paying the tariffs President Donald Trump places on most products imported into the U.S., especially ones that come from China.

Why Apple still won’t put macOS on iPad

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Why Apple still won’t put macOS on iPad
A high-level Apple exec explains why iPad and Mac will stay separate.
Image: Cult of Mac

iPadOS 26 moves the iPad closer to the Mac than ever before. But don’t take the upcoming operating system as a stepping stone toward an eventual unification between iPadOS and macOS. That’s clearly not going to happen.

The reason can be summed up with a phrase that Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software development, used in an interview at WWDC this week: “iPad’s gonna be iPad.”

Sydney Sweeney kills in thriller Echo Valley [Update: Now streaming]

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Echo Valley movie
It's described as an "edge-of-your-seat thriller," and it might actually be one.
Photo: Apple TV+

“It” girl actress Sydney Sweeney plays a drug addict and probable killer whose mom, played by Julianne Moore, will do anything to save her, according to a trailer Apple TV+ dropped recently for the new Echo Valley movie. It’s now streaming, as of Friday, and you can watch the trailer below.

Ridley Scott produces the thriller, which also stars Kyle MacLachlan and Domhall Gleeson.

Update: Echo Valley, now available to watch on Apple TV+, garners mixed reviews so far. Empire calls it a “superbly acted rural thriller.” Financial Times said it’s “delightedly twisty” with “dark dashes of Hitchcock.” But IGN calls it “hollow” and “dull,” and a New York Times review says: “A stellar cast led by Julianne Moore is unable to breathe life into this unsuccessful blend of maternal drama and crime caper.”

1Password unlock presets will cut down on constant unlocks

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1Password app sign in with FaceID
1Password's new app unlock presets promise a seamless experience.
Photo: 1Password

1Password is testing a new unlock system on Mac, aiming to reduce the need for constant reauthentication. The app introduces three preset modes — Convenient, Balanced and Strict — giving users control over how frequently they unlock the app based on their security preferences.

The changes are currently only available on 1Password’s beta channel for Mac.

Wait for AI-enhanced Siri stretches out almost a year

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AI-generated image of a circuit board with an Apple logo, and he words,
Work on a much smarter Siri will take about a long to finish as pessimists predicted.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

The release date for the AI-enhanced version of the Siri voice assistant will likely come in spring 2026, according to information leaking out of Apple. That’s nine months from now, and a year after it was first expected.

The long delay in the launch of smarter Siri was a significant black eye for Apple, clearly demonstrating that it wasn’t keeping up with rivals in AI research.

iOS 26 lets you watch videos via CarPlay for first time (when parked)

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watch videos on CarPlay
Soon this same CarPlay screen will be able to show videos when the car is parked.
Photo: Apple

In a significant policy shift, Apple will let iPhone users stream videos directly to their CarPlay screens for the first time since the platform’s launch. With iOS 26, showcased at WWDC25, the tech giant introduced AirPlay video functionality for CarPlay. So you can stream video from apps in the car — but only when you’re parked.

Tiny external SSD easily plugs into new and old computers

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PNY Duo Link V3
This thumb-size external SSD connects to your Mac or your smartTV, no adapter needed.
Image: PNY

The PNY Duo Link V3 external SSD includes both a USB-C and a USB-A connector. That means the flash drive that launched Thursday can plug into any modern Mac, or it can go into a smartTV or other accessory that lacks a USB-C port — no adapter needed.

Even better, it offers 1,000MB/s data transfers, and capacities go up to 2 terabytes. The price is very competitive, too.

New iPhone tools help parents keep kids safer online

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New iPhone tools help parent keep kids safer online
A new Apple system can securely share the age range of children with apps.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

iOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26 and other upcoming Apple operating systems include new tools intended to help parents protect kids and teens online. These include a system that enables parents to share the age range of their children with third-party applications in a way that doesn’t violate the kids’ privacy.

There are also new protections for teens under 18 as they use their Apple devices, and parental controls on communicating with new phone numbers.

Haptic trailer for Apple TV+ movie F1 lets you feel the racing action

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A still from the Apple TV+ movie F1, which just launched the first haptic trailer
Trailers for F1 showcase the film's intense racing scenes, and a new haptic trailer boosts the octane.
Photo: Apple TV+

A “haptic trailer” for Apple Original film F1: The Movie adds a new dimension to all the roaring race cars and manic pit stop maneuvers. When viewed on an iPhone, the first-of-its-kind trailer triggers the device’s Taptic Engine in sync with the on-screen action.

The unique trailer Apple released Monday is the buzziest movie gimmick since Percepto!, the system of electric buzzers placed underneath theater seats by director William Castle to stoke interest in his 1959 horror flick The Tingler.

New Logitech Flip Folio keyboard case snaps onto iPad Pro or iPad Air

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Logitech Flip Folio
The keyboard stows easily for productivity anywhere.
Photo: Logitech

Logitech’s latest iPad accessory, Flip Folio, is a protective keyboard case specifically engineered for Apple’s iPad Pro and iPad Air models, the Swiss peripherals giant said Wednesday. Logitech Flip Folio promises to enhance the iPad experience at home or on the go with a unique magnetic storage system and multi-device connectivity. Those should appeal to users seeking versatility in their mobile computing setup.

“We’ve designed Flip Folio to make the iPad experience both fun and functional, helping you stay focused on what matters,” said Joseph Mingori, Logitech GM of mobile and audio solutions. “Flip Folio enhances everyday experiences — from binge watching to checking your social media or emails — by delivering portability and connectivity, setting people free so they can do what they love from anywhere.”

First iOS 26 beta hints at AirPods Pro 3 coming soon

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AirPods Pro are the best Apple wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation
Will Apple launch the AirPods Pro 3 this year?
Photo: Apple

iOS 26 developer beta hints at Apple launching the AirPods Pro 3 sooner rather than later. The first beta of the OS contains references to the upcoming wireless earbuds.

Conflicting reports surround the AirPods Pro 3 launch. Some point to a fall 2025 release, while others suggest the earbuds might not arrive until 2026.

Apple software chief reveals what delayed AI-enhanced Siri

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Apple’s Craig Federighi reveals what delayed AI-enhanced Siri
Craig Federighi opens up on why Apple was overly optimistic about a launch of smarter Siri.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software development, finally gave more details on why the AI-enhanced new Siri version got delayed for so very long. He explains why Apple thought it could deliver the new feature this year, but eventually had to push back the launch until possibly 2026.

The intent seems to be to show that Apple was being overly optimistic, not deceptive, when it said at WWDC24 the new Siri version would be out within a year.

AI updates bring new tricks to Apple Maps, Music, Wallet and more across devices

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OS 26 AI updates
A slew of new features will come in core Apple services across devices this fall.
Photo: Apple

Updates coming this fall to core Apple services like Maps, Music and Wallet focus heavily on artificial intelligence integration and personalization. The updates promise to make everyday tasks more intuitive and enjoyable for users across the Apple ecosystem.

New Apple Games app centralizes play across iPhone, iPad and Mac

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Apple Games app announcement
The Apple Games app is a new all-in-one destination for games and playing with friends on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Photo: Apple

A major new addition to Apple’s software lineup at WWDC25, the Games app, centralizes gaming experiences across all Apple devices, the iPhone giant said Monday. And it adds powerful social features that turn even single-player games into shared experiences with friends.

The Games app is going to be a game changer for playing on iPhone, iPad and Mac,” said Tim Garbos, creative director and cofounder of game brand Triband. “The app makes it easy for us to create moments just for groups of friends. The new challenges feature works great and feels natural for our games on Apple Arcade, including our latest release, What the Clash?, and we’ve been having a lot of fun with it!”

Readability concerns take shine out of Apple’s new Liquid Glass aesthetic

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Liquid Glass harder to read
This user said Liquid Glass just seems harder to read.
Photo: @Stammy on X.com

Liquid Glass looked great in WWDC25 demos Monday, but reactions soon afterward put a few cracks in it. The new transparent and reactive design language coming to all Apple devices this fall strikes many folks as making it too hard to read information on their screens.

Many initial reactions to Liquid Glass make it look like a misstep.

“Can’t wait to not be able to read anything on my iPhone,” grumbled one user. Several others implied Apple co-founder Steve Jobs would hate the new design language.

iOS 26 adds charging time estimates to iPhone Lock Screen

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iOS 26 shows the time remaining on Lock Screen.
iOS 26 will finally tell you how long your iPhone will take for a full charge.
Screenshot: Rajesh PandeyCult Of Mac

iOS 26 introduces a small but useful feature for iPhone users: the ability to view the estimated time remaining for a full charge. This information appears directly on the Lock Screen while your device is charging, giving you a quick glance at how long you need to wait.

You can get an even more detailed breakdown in the Battery sub-menu in the Settings app.