News - page 30

A new rumor suggests AirPods Pro 3 will debut this year, but won’t bring any breakthrough hardware upgrades. The rumored IR-equipped cameras, which supposedly will enable air gestures for interacting with the earbuds, might not arrive until 2026.

Apple could unveil its new flagship AirPods Pro 3 earbuds at Tuesday’s Awe Dropping event.

However, the earbuds won’t pack any breakthrough hardware upgrades, including IR-equipped cameras for air gesture support. That feature supposedly must wait until 2026.

The just-launched Satechi OntheGo Bluetooth Keyboard with Stand is for those who need a travel keyboard for their iPad and don’t want to limit the accessory to just one tablet.

Plus, Satechi launched a new OntheGo Bluetooth Mouse at the same time.

Apple is reportedly preparing a new HomePod mini version, the first upgrade to the affordable smart speaker in five years. HomePod mini 2 rumors suggest a considerable jump in features, including support for Apple Intelligence.

Here’s what the rumors say about HomePod mini 2, which is supposedly coming soon.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: With Apple’s Awe Dropping event bearing down on us, it’s time to once again put our professional reputations (and our personal dignity) on the line with our traditional predictions game!

Who will win this time? And will a CultCast listener steal the glory once again?!?

Also on The CultCast:

• A stripped-down version of the Vision Pro, possibly called the Vision Air, could reduce the strain on users’ necks (and wallets).
• A proposed iMac Lego set is gaining supporters online. Let’s take it over the top!
• Apple wins one in court — and it’s a big one. A judge rules that the $20 billion payments that Google forks over to Apple each year can continue.

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 version on YouTube.

Foundation season 3 is a huge hit for Apple TV+ with the series continuing to draw viewers as the season progresses. Fresh episodes of the sci-fi epic hit streaming  in July, and it’s one of the most popular shows available with the season finale drawing close.

Speaking of sci-fi, the Apple TV+ thriller Invasion also found a large audience last week.

Everyone eager to get their hands on iOS 26 should mark September 15 on their calendar as the launch day. Based on years of previous Apple OS releases, that’s almost certainly when the new Liquid Glass user interface, plus all the other enhancements in the new iPhone operating system, will debut.

The same goes for iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26. All of these should go out on September 15.

But macOS Tahoe 26 might be different. There’s evidence to suggest Apple might wait an additional week or even more for that upgrade.

If you’re planning to get a new iPhone 17 and are already making a list of must-have accessories, an iPhone 17 Ultra Thin Case from Case Luxury should be near the top. They measure just 0.02 inches thin, and they perfectly show off Apple’s renowned industrial design.

There is an Ultra Thin Case that fits each iPhone 17 model like it was built alongside it. There’s no excess bulk, no chunky edges, just a smooth, satin matte finish that keeps fingerprints away and feels grippy enough without being tacky. Plus, the cases come in multiple colors, so you can find one that’s right for you.

Legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low gets a modern music industry twist in Highest 2 Lowest, a new Apple TV+ film from director Spike Lee that started streaming Friday. In the new Highest 2 Lowest trailer, below, we get a taste of Denzel Washington’s portrayal of a powerful New York City record exec whose son is kidnapped.

The new movie hit theaters on August 15, but now you can watch it on Apple TV+. Check out the trailer below to see what Lee and Washington have in store. Reviews so far suggest the tense drama is another great New York City film from Lee, with Washington shining in lead role.

Alogic made waves at IFA 2025 in Berlin Friday, introducing advanced displays specifically designed for Mac users — including the first 6K resolution touchscreen display optimized for Mac. That’s like an Apple Pro Display XDR with a touchscreen. The Australian company’s new lineup also features innovative 4K docking monitors and an expanded ultrawide display series.

“With this launch at IFA Berlin, Alogic is delivering a complete ecosystem of professional displays,” said Ritesh Kumar, CEO of Alogic. “From the brand-new, patented Aspekt 4K docking monitors to our flagship Clarity 6K Touch, we are setting new benchmarks in resolution, connectivity and interaction for modern professionals and enterprises.”

Apple will bump the RAM to 12GB and the base storage to 256GB on at least three iPhone 17 models. Combined with other improvements, TrendForce analysts believe the iPhone 17 Pro will cost $100 more than its predecessor.

Yet, the analysts project the iPhone 17 lineup will see a 3.5% increase in shipments over the 2024 iPhone 16.

Ugreen’s new MagFlow Series magnetic wireless chargers bring Qi2’s enhanced 25-watt charging standard to Apple device users, the company said Friday. The five-product lineup promises significantly faster wireless charging speeds while maintaining the magnetic convenience that iPhone users expect from MagSafe accessories.

Plenty of Apple households consider robot vacuums essential smart home devices, but they’ve always had one major limitation: stairs. If you live in a multi-story home, you’ve either had to carry your robot vacuum between floors or invest in multiple units. What a drag. But the innovative new Eufy MarsWalker for robot vacuums, set to launch in spring 2026, promises to eliminate the problem entirely. The company just introduced it at IFA Berlin.

Anker unveiled its most powerful portable battery yet at IFA Berlin 2025, headlining a refreshed Prime charging ecosystem seeking to seduce power users and mobile professionals. The star of the show is the Anker Prime 300W Power Bank, which delivers unprecedented charging capabilities in an airline-friendly package.
But that’s not all. The lineup also boasts an updated 14-in-1 Prime Docking Station, a 3-in-1 bedside charging station with active cooling and more. They all include AnkerSense View smart displays showing charging speeds and temperatures.

Apple Arcade’s exciting September is well under way with several major game additions going live Thursday. The headliners? The exclusive launch of NFL Retro Bowl ’26 and the arrival of Jeopardy! Daily, the subscription service said recently.

It continues to expand its catalog of ad-free, in-app purchase-free games with these highly anticipated titles, among others.

Apple is bringing real change to the iPad line, with the first folding model reportedly on the drawing board. An analyst with generally reliable sources in Apple’s component supply chain predicts the company’s first foldable tablet will launch in 2028.
The new report contradicts an earlier one that said Apple put the cutting-edge device on hold.

Apple will reportedly take on OpenAI and Perplexity with its own AI-powered web search. Known internally as the World Knowledge Answers, the feature should launch by next year.
The company will integrate it directly into Siri and may eventually bring it to Safari and Spotlight.

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro family may use more efficient displays and feature improved thermal efficiency. They will seemingly also pack bigger batteries to deliver long battery life.
The information comes from a Chinese leaker known for his accurate iPhone-related leaks in the past.

It took far longer than necessary, but Meta introduced on Wednesday an Instagram application that takes advantage of the iPad’s large screen.
Meta emphasizes the new app’s ability to play Reels — short videos that collectively rack up billions of views a day.

Dolby unveiled Dolby Vision 2 Tuesday with big changes to the industry-leading HDR picture quality technology — and the timing couldn’t be better for Apple users. With Apple expected to announce next-gen Apple TV 4K at its September 9 Awe dropping event or shortly thereafter, the streaming device could be perfectly positioned to support the updated display standard as Dolby Vision 2 arrives, from day one or soon.
And Dolby Vision 2 could even solve users’ “too dark” complaint about Apple TV content.

Hohem’s new iSteady V3 Ultra phone gimbal gives iPhone filmmakers a powerful new tool to elevate their mobile videography game. Released today, it brings significant upgrades to the company’s already impressive stabilization technology.

With this new version of Hohem’s phone gimbal, you can pretty much bid farewell to shaky iPhone videos.

Apple’s foldable iPhone won’t launch until at least H2 2026. Yet, the company is seemingly already optimistic about its demand, raising its shipment forecast.
A reputed Apple analyst says Apple has bumped its 2026 and 2027 shipment forecasts by a few million units.

Google can continue its search deal to pay Apple billions of dollars a year for a prime spot as Safari’s default search engine, as long as it’s not an exclusive placement, a court ruled Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta said the proposed banning of such payments — which amounted to $26 billion to Apple and others in 2021, and likely grew since then — would actually help Google. Such a move also posed a “substantial risk of harm” to Apple, consumers and Google’s other partners, he said.
“Google will not be barred from making payments or offering other consideration to distribution partners for preloading or placement of Google Search, Chrome, or its GenAI products,” Mehta wrote in the 226-page ruling released Tuesday. “Cutting off payments from Google almost certainly will impose substantial — in some cases, crippling — downstream harms to distribution partners, related markets, and consumers, which counsels against a broad payment ban.”

Apple must have heard the complaints about the cost and weight of the Vision Pro AR headset, because it’s reportedly working on a Vision Air that will be half as expensive and almost half the weight. That’s the word coming Tuesday from a source who’s built a reputation by often being accurate in predictions about future Apple products.
It’ll take Apple a while to develop the new product, though.

The new Komutr earbuds from Artronic Designs do a trick that any Apple AirPods user can envy. Their charging case uses MagSafe, so it magnetically attaches to the back of an iPhone.
“They’re almost impossible to lose,” boasts Artronic.
There is a significant drawback to the Komutr’s design, though.

Apple may ditch the physical SIM card in more countries with the iPhone 17. A report points to the company going eSIM-only with its upcoming iPhones in Europe this year.

Apple dropped the physical SIM slot entirely in the US starting with the iPhone 14 in 2022.