India now accounts for 7% of total iPhone production. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple is making more iPhones in India than ever before. The Cupertino giant assembled 7% of the total iPhones it manufactured last fiscal year in the country.
The company is looking to make India the next iPhone manufacturing hub after China to diversify its supply chain.
Rare earth materials from used Taptic Engines go into new Apple devices. Photo: Apple
Apple committed itself to a new target to use 100% recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries by 2025. And by that same year, the company will use only recycled rare earth elements in its magnets. In addition, it intends to make circuit boards with 100% recycled tin soldering and gold plating.
These commitments build on the company’s goal to eventually make all its products with only recycled and renewable materials.
Here's your chance to stock up on Apple accessories at super-cheap prices. Photo: Woot!
Amazon bargain site Woot! is selling a slew of Apple’s accessories at steep discounts through May 1. Sale items include Apple Watch bands, iPhone cases, an iPhone wallet, AirTag cases, and chargers and cables.
The discounts range from 21% off to an astounding 86% off (by Woot’s calculations), so don’t miss this one.
The upcoming savings account for Apple Card holders includes a Savings dashboard to track progress. Image: Apple
Apple Card Savings, the next financial service from the Mac-maker, might be right around the corner. The company announced the service last autumn without a launch date. But now an Apple tipster claims it’s coming in only a few days.
When it debuts, the service will provide Apple Card users with savings accounts.
Don't expect 'Apple Glass' AR glasses before 2026. Image: Jon Prosser/Front Page Tech
Apple’s wear-anywhere augmented-reality glasses that so many people are looking forward are still at least three years away, according to a reliable source.
Don’t confuse these with the bulkier VR/AR headset that leaks say will launch in June. AR glasses are expected to be much smaller… once the necessary technology is available.
Don't take any chances when you're traveling with your iPhone. Photo: Benjamin Rascoe/UnsplashLicense/Modified by Cult of Mac
As the old saying goes, there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch — there’s usually a trick. And the same goes for phone charging sustains in airports. These can be used to hack your device, according to a recent warning from the FBI about “juice jacking.”
Here are six ways to safely charge up your iPhone when you’re on the go.
iOS 17 could make the Dynamic Island a lot more useful. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
A new leak reveals several new changes and features coming to iOS 17. The source claims Apple will focus on “performance, efficiency, stability, and long-term support” for older devices with the release.
Interestingly, the leaker also suggests that iPhone 15 Pro will ship with capacitive volume and power keys. This contradicts recent rumors that suggested Apple’s plans have changed.
These elegant Milanese mesh bands from Laut are 25% off. Photo: Laut
The Cult of Mac Store’s Easter Sale is winding down. Before it ends, don’t miss your chance to get up to 60% off a variety of accessories, including Apple Watch bands, iPhone and AirPods cases and more.
New computer displays tend to get not just better over time, but bigger — within reason. Unlike TVs, they’re designed to be viewed from just a few feet away at most. But increasingly, we see people using smart TVs as external monitors to get that extra size into their desktop setups.
Today’s featured setup sports an M2 MacBook Pro driving a 42-inch LG OLED smart TV that the user describes as “perfect.”
Photomator is for both iPad and iPhone. Photo: Pixelmator
The powerful image-editing application Pixelmator Photo is now Photomator. Beyond the name change, the app for iPad and iPhone has been redesigned, and also now lets users easily select and edit specific areas of a photo.
In addition, a public beta of Photomator for Mac is now available.
iPhone 15 Pro will have regular, physical buttons. Image: chenwen1987
Apple may not ship the iPhone 15 Pro series with the rumored unified solid-state capacitive buttons. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple abandoned the plan due to “unresolved technical issues.”
Previously, multiple rumors indicated Apple would replace the physical buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro with capacitive keys. The design also would have added two new Taptic Engines to simulate the feeling of pressing physical buttons.
Sustainably managed tree farms help the environment and investors. Photo: Apple
With Earth Day coming up, Apple says it’s doubling its total commitment to “nature-based carbon removal projects” with an additional $200 million investment. In less technical terms, it’s backing projects to plant trees.
And it’s not just trees for trees’ sake. Part of Apple’s Restore Fund goes to agricultural projects that generate income from sustainably managed tree farms.
Get a flat $150 discount on Apple's 2023 MacBook Pro lineup. Photo: Apple
Apple’s 2023 MacBook Pro lineup is available with a massive $150 discount on Amazon. The deal applies to all configurations of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.
This fantastic deal is unlikely to last long, so buy the MacBook you want before stocks run out.
The new digital book comes out April 11 for free on the Steve Jobs Archive website and Apple Books. Photo: Steve Jobs Archive
The Steve Jobs Archive released its first book Tuesday, Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words. It’s a memoir of sorts because almost everything in it comes directly from Jobs, from major speeches and interviews to emails he sent to himself. It covers the Apple co-founder’s life from a young age until he passed away in 2011.
The new book includes never-before-seen content, the archive said, and it’s free from multiple sources.
Apple's next Studio Display could be a lot slimmer. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple’s next-gen Studio Display might not ship with a 120Hz ProMotion mini-LED panel as initially rumored. It’s reportedly still in development though, and the monitor could debut in 2024 or early 2025 with all the features of a “high-end monitor.”
Apple’s current 27-inch display features a 5K 60Hz panel. With its next upgrade, it could switch to a mini-LED backplane for thinner bezels.
The new speaker has a stainless steel grille and an aluminum handle. Photo: Soundcore
Soundcore unveiled its elegant new Motion X600 Portable High Fidelity Speaker Monday. The compact speaker offers hi-res, spatial audio in a handsome package with a metal grille and a choice of gray, green or blue colors.
When it becomes available in early May, it’ll go for $200. But you can get an early-bird discount. See below.
iPhone battery life doesn't improve under iOS 16.4.1, as had been hoped. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Testing shows that the recently released iOS 16.4.1 does not fix an iPhone battery problem introduced by its predecessor.
This wasn’t the usual small change in battery life that’s usual with updates. Many iPhone models saw significant drops with iOS 16.4. And the latest version isn’t a fix.
Now with ANC and improved sound quality, OnePlus Nord Buds 2 cost $59 and come in white or gray colors. Photo: OnePlus
Another week, another set of active-noise-cancelling (ANC) wireless earbuds. The latest buds vying to take a piece of the AirPods pie are the updated OnePlus Nord Buds 2. They add ANC and improved sound quality over their super-affordable predecessor.
Nord Buds made a splash with good sound quality at a bargain-basement price of $39 when they came out. Now Nord Buds 2 piles on more features and boosts quality at a still-low $59 price point.
Google is adding a collection of new features and enhancements for YouTube Premium. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
YouTube will soon get support for SharePlay, as well as videos with higher bitrates. And queuing up videos and jumping between devices will get easier, too.
The enhancements are part of Google efforts to get more subscribers for YouTube Premium.
Charge your iPhone on the go, carry a couple of cards and set it up as a stand to watch videos. Photo: ESR
Accessories maker ESR unveiled its new HaloLock Power Bank Wallet on Wednesday. Now on Amazon, the magnetic 3-in-1 device charges your phone, keep your cards in order and lets you “enjoy hands-free viewing in a sleek, pocket-friendly package,” the company said.
Not every computer setup flaunted and much-admired on social media is an Apple silicon powerhouse with an ultra-fast M1 or M2 chip. Today’s featured setup leans on a 6-year-old iMac and a MacBook Air almost twice as old as that.
But with the help of an impressive-yet-affordable audio gear list and a trio of gaming systems, the rig gets the work and play done. And don’t miss the beefed up iPod classic in the mix.