Apple’s M5-equipped iPad Pros reportedly already entered “late testing” stages inside the company and should go into mass production in the second half of 2025.
And, sticking to its regular upgrade cycle, Apple also will refresh the MacBook Pro lineup with the M5 chip later this year.
In the week of its season 2 finale, Severance stayed near the top of the lists of most-watched streaming series, according to a pair of companies that track ratings. Week after week, the weird workplace drama on Apple TV+ keeps beating almost everything on any streaming service.
Plus, the new comedy The Studio became one of the popular series on streaming last week.
Starting Friday, iPhone users who love Google Maps can make it the default navigation application. It replaces Apple Maps, the current default.
But there is an important caveat. While the option is reportedly available for European iPhone users, those in the United States got left out.
Apple seeded second release candidates of iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 on Friday, a day after releasing a second release candidate for macOS 15.4. These follow-up releases likely do nothing but fix bugs discovered in the first release candidates of these operating systems, which Apple released Monday.
When the final versions go live sometime in April, the OS updates will give millions of people around the world their first access to Apple Intelligence (and bring other improvements to boot). But they won’t include the much-anticipated smarter version of Siri that Apple promised last year.
Big updates across Apple’s Final Cut Pro video-editing software lineup introduce AI-driven Image Playground integration, plus improved workflows and enhanced recording options.
Apple released Final Cut Pro updates Thursday that add Image Playground for Mac and iPad users. Plus, iPad users can use the software in portrait orientation for the first time.
A smart new water bottle called Reevus integrates with Apple’s Find My network so you never leave it behind at the gym, and it doubles as an iPhone stand and camera gimbal for steady photos and videos on your adventures, Journey said Friday. It called the water bottle the first of its kind.
“As eco-conscious people increasingly favor bottle monogamy, they’re investing in better quality bottles,” Journey said. “This is intensifying their dependence on un-losable bottles — because it’s too costly and disruptive to lose or misplace a bottle when you rely on it all day and every day.”
Google Maps on iPhone can now identify locations from your screenshots and add them to a list. This should make your vacation planning easier, as you can take a screenshot and let Google Maps do the rest.
The feature leverages Gemini to identify text and location details in your screenshots, which Google Maps then processes to extract relevant information.
For the first time on an iPhone, you can set WhatsApp as the default calling and messaging app. The feature remains exclusive to the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS, but should soon expand to the public build.
WhatsApp is the first major app to adopt the necessary APIs, enabling you to replace Apple’s Phone and Messages apps on your iPhone.
Clip the latest Backbone One iPhone controller to your iPhone to assemble what’s essentially an Xbox you can take anywhere. Press a dedicated button on the controller to dive into Xbox Cloud Gaming or Remote Play.
The gaming accessory launched Thursday.
Like many viewers, I’m a big fan of hit Apple TV+ gaming office comedy Mythic Quest (especially the first couple of seasons). But the trailer for limited-series spinoff Side Quest, below, doesn’t exactly look like the stuff of myth. It doesn’t exactly fill me with breathless anticipation. But now the show is out, so you can judge for yourself.
The entire four-episode anthology series debuts on March 26, alongside Mythic Quest‘s season four finale. Hard to tell from a trailer, but it might amount to bonus points for super-fans of the main show who are sad to see it go at the end of a season.
Update: As of Wednesday, Side Quest now streams on Apple TV+. Reviews so far sound positive, though not ecstatic. The Hollywood Reporter called the limited anthology series “a pleasant but aimless ramble through the Mythic Quest universe,” for example.
TSMC, the Taiwanese company that makes all Apple’s processors, reportedly starts building its third chip foundry in Arizona this year. It could be finished in as little as two years, much quicker than the first one.
The company is already using its initial U.S. factory to make chips for Apple, while the second is still under construction.
The new solid-state xMEMS Labs Lassen micro speaker is a silicon micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) tweeter. It eliminates the need for a separate piezo amplifier while delivering premium sound quality in wireless earbuds, xMEMS Labs said Thursday. As the company’s latest tiny speaker, it could play a big role in next-gen buds.
“Lassen is a revolutionary design based on a proven platform,” said Mike Housholder, VP of Marketing & Business Development at xMEMS. “It will bring the benefits of 2-way earbud audio to a broader market by eliminating the extra cost of the piezo amplifier and minimizing the space and power required to deliver a truly immersive TWS sound experience.”
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro could feature 8K video recording capabilities, bringing a big boost in resolution over Apple’s current models, which max out at 4K 120fps.
8K recording has been a standard feature on flagship Android phones for years, but Apple steered clear of the trend.
In a fascinating new installment of its “Behind the Mac” series, Apple spotlights the pivotal role Mac computers play in editing acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance. The 11-minute video posted Wednesday on the Apple YouTube channel and in a feature article on apple.com offers unprecedented insight into the creative process behind the thrilling season finale.
Note: Spoilers for season 2 of Severance, which recently concluded with its season finale on Apple TV+, lie below.
Also note: In a surprising little twist, Apple added a faux listing for Lumon Terminal Pro, just like the ones used in Lumon’s Macrodata Refinement Department, to Apple Store with a link to the video as well as Macs for sale. The Severance promos and tie-ins keep coming!
Comedy actor Seth Rogen shoulders a lot with new Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio, as he writes, directs, executive produces and stars in it as an embattled Hollywood studio head, according to two trailers the streamer dropped for the show, now streaming. Will Rogen’s series fare better than the show’s fictional “Continental Studios?” Well, as you can see in the trailers, he has a star-studded cast to work with, including himself, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn and guest star Bryan Cranston.
The 10-episode, half-hour comedy series premieres on Apple TV+ March 26, 2025. Watch the promising trailers below.
Update: We added the official trailer for The Studio under the teaser trailer, below. The new comedy series started streaming Wednesday on Apple TV+. Loaded with stars in guest cameos, the spoof of Hollywood filmmaking gets good reviews. AP News calls it “the defining portrait of modern Hollywood.” Other reviews throw around descriptions like “superb,” “spot-on, star-studded takedown” and “hilarious.” Apple TV+ press tends to stamp every show as “highly anticipated,” but this one actually was, and it sound justified in this case. It sounds like a must-see.
A new video potentially gives us our first look at the massive iOS 19 redesign that Apple reportedly will unveil this June at WWDC25.
As previous rumors indicated, the next major iOS upgrade supposedly will take inspiration from the Vision Pro’s visionOS, integrating many of its design elements.
New Apple Music Classical listening guides launched Tuesday are streaming app’s most significant update since its 2023 debut, Apple said. New updates introduce three innovative features designed to enhance the classical music listening experience: Listening Guides, Personalized Recommendations and Editorial Stations.
“The features in this update are the most significant additions to Apple Music Classical since launch. They each turn a normal listening experience into a wonderful journey that enhances the listener’s experience, catering to curiosity and creating new interactive ways to learn about favorite pieces of music,” said Anjali Malhotra, Global Director of Apple Music Classical.
Apple revealed Tuesday that its annual Worldwide Developers Conference will kick off with a keynote on June 9. Apple traditionally uses WWDC to show off the next major upgrades for iOS, macOS and its other operating systems. WWDC25, which will run from June 9 to June 13, will be no different.
“We’re excited to mark another incredible year of WWDC with our global developer community,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “We can’t wait to share the latest tools and technologies that will empower developers and help them continue to innovate.”
An iPad retrieved from the River Thames in London — after sitting underwater and lodged in mud for more than five years — became the crucial piece of evidence that helped police solve a complex international criminal network. The crime ring involved museum heists, luxury robberies and an attempted murder, according to a new report. No big surprise that iPad evidence helps convict criminals — except under these extreme conditions.
The extraordinary case highlights the remarkable resilience of Apple’s iPad technology. It maintained crucial evidence integrity even after years of submersion. The case also demonstrates how digital devices can become key pieces of evidence in solving complex criminal investigations. And that’s even when criminals believe they have successfully disposed of incriminating technology.
The iSteady M7 gimbal for phones is a super-advanced stabilizer for iPhone that Wired says is “the most advanced and feature-packed smartphone stabilizer.”
Whether you’re creating content for social media, documenting travel adventures or capturing family memories, the Hohem iSteady M7 gimbal elevates your smartphone camera’s capabilities to new heights, delivering cinema-quality results in a portable, user-friendly package.
The iPhone stabilizer combines three-axis stabilization, AI-powered subject tracking, built-in subject lighting and remote control capabilities into a single, compact package.
It’s perfect for all iPhone users, from casual content creators to professional filmmakers. Whether you’re a social media maven, a globetrotting travel vlogger or a casual user who wants to capture better footage, this affordable gimbal for smartphones offers professional-level tools in an accessible format. It’s an all-in-one videography tool that elevates what’s possible with your iPhone camera.
Apple is perceived as a laggard in the AI race — despite that, Apple has developed the single best computer for AI research. The new Mac Studio with an M3 Ultra chip, which supports up to 512GB of unified memory, is the easiest and cheapest way to run powerful, cutting-edge LLMs on your own hardware.
The latest DeepSeek v3 model, which sent shockwaves through the AI space for its comparable performance to ChatGPT, can run entirely on a single Mac, Apple AI researchers revealed Monday.
It’s a machine that fits comfortably on your desk, rather than a server farm; it costs the same as a used Honda Civic, not a new Lamborghini.
How did this happen? Most remarkably of all — by sheer coincidence. Here’s why the Apple silicon architecture makes for the best AI hardware, a use case Apple didn’t mean to design it for.
Apple users who enjoy the popular open-world adventure game Genshin Impact now have a stylish way to keep their devices powered up, Ugreen said Monday. Known for its charging accessories, the company said it partnered with game creators to launch a co-branded collection of four Ugreen Genshen Impact charging products. The company sent them to me. It looks like a fun collection.
iOS 18.4 will be one of Apple’s biggest updates to iOS 18 since the operating system’s public release last September. It will pack plenty of changes and improvements, like a Vision Pro app, Apple News+ Food and new emoji.
That all sounds great, but these are the five iOS 18.4 features that I am most excited about.
Apple’s third-gen Apple Watch SE may not launch anytime soon, with the device running into “serious jeopardy.” Rumors have indicated Apple will switch to a plastic casing with the next Apple Watch SE refresh.
However, this move might have backfired, with the company’s design and operations team not happy with the outcome.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Griffin goes deep on the M3 iPad Air and the M4 MacBook Air, which he recently reviewed from his unique perspective as a Mac mini fanatic. He loved them both, but which one rules the day? And can either of them come close to his desktop dynamo?
Also on The CultCast:
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.