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Jony Ive’s absence from Apple caused iPhone X headaches

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iPhone X Product Red Wallpaper
The iPhone X had a "rough development cycle."
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Jony Ive began to drift away from Apple shortly after the Apple Watch launched, a new report claims. The Apple design chief’s waning enthusiasm caused problems during development of the iPhone X and other products.

Following news that Ive is finished at Apple (at least as a full-time employee), this account backs up earlier reports stating that he had had one foot out the door for a while. In some cases, Ive’s long goodbye made things difficult for his co-workers.

Eddy Cue insists Apple’s TV streaming service isn’t too late

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Eddy Cue
Eddy Cue is the boss of Apple's Services division.
Photo: CNBC

Apple has some big designs on television with its Apple TV+ service. But Eddy Cue, SVP of Internet Software and Services, admits the company didn’t have much expertise on the subject of TV when it started its latest project.

That’s now changed, Cue says, and Apple is focused on “creating the best” content possible. And he doesn’t think it’s left it too late, either.

Why you should add a second screen to your iPad Pro [Opinion]

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iPad Pro as your desktop computer
There's just one problem — and that's Apple.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

UPDATE: This article from 2019 is obsolete now that iPadOS 16.2 includes full support for external displays.


Dramatic changes in the iPad Pro line make it reasonable for the average user to consider adding an external display to their tablet.

I’ve been exploring this with an LG UltraFine 4K monitor for several weeks. Here’s everything I’ve learned.

Today in Apple history: iPad surpasses 100,000 exclusive apps

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iPad
The iPad got developers excited from day one!
Photo: Apple

June 30: Today in Apple history: iPad surpasses 100,000 exclusive apps June 30, 2011: A little more than a year after the iPad goes on sale, the number of iPad-exclusive apps in the App Store passes 100,000.

The milestone caps a brilliant first year for Apple’s long-awaited tablet. And the amazing breadth of iPad-only apps proves the device is much more than just a bigger iPhone.

iPhone Pro concept fixes potential flaws in iPhone 11

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iPhone Pro concept
iPhone Pro concept kills the notch by placing the necessary components under the display.
Photo: Jermaine Smit/Concept Creator

The many iPhone 11 rumors reveal a device with only a few changes, and one of those is a relatively giant camera hump. A graphic designer created a video for a concept device that takes this device forward in a way that people will probably prefer.

Watch his iPhone Pro proposal video now:

Jony Ive and the ‘fiddle factor’ [Cult of Mac Magazine No. 303]

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The
The "fiddle factor" is the tactile magic of Apple design.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

What will Apple miss most as design chief Jony Ive spacewalks out of the spaceship campus? We think it’s the “fiddle factor” he injected into all his best Apple design.

Find out all about this tactile innovation in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine for iOS. We’ve got the lowdown on Ive’s exit — and the elusive “>Evans Hankey, the woman who will lead Apple’s famous Industrial Design studio going forward.

If you prefer to read in a browser, you can find links to the week’s best Apple news, reviews and how-tos below.

Why Apple will miss Jony Ive’s fabulous ‘fiddle factor’

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Apple will miss Jony Ive's tactile approach to technology.
Apple will miss Jony Ive's tactile approach to technology.
Photo: Mariah Dietzler/Flickr CC

As a design student back in the 1980s, a teenage Jony Ive spent a semester with a design agency in London, the Roberts Weaver Group. One of his first projects was designing a new pen for Japan’s Zebra Co. Ltd., a pen-maker based in Tokyo.

Ive’s TX2 pen was made of white plastic — the beginning of a life-long obsession with the color — and had a pair of rubbery side panels for a better grip. But what set the pen apart from every other was a nonessential feature — a ball-and-clip mechanism on the top that served no purpose other than to give the owner something to fiddle with.

Ive noticed that people fiddled with their pens all the time. So he decided to give his pen something he called the “fiddle factor.” This crucial insight ultimately became an essential element of Apple design as Ive rose to become Cupertino’s chief design officer.

Big changes might come to struggling Apple News+

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Apple News
Apple News+ revenues fail to impress publishers.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is already having to consider some major changes to its new Apple News+ service just three months after it launched earlier this year.

The subscription news service was supposed to be a boon for publishers and bring in a ton of extra cash, but a new report claims most publishers are only seeing a fraction of the revenue Apple promised.

Mophie’s latest iPhone battery case boasts wireless and Lightning charging

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Mophie Juice Pack Air for 2018 iPhone models
The Mophie Juice Pack Air is a protective case that also keeps an iPhone’s battery topped off.
Photo: Mophie

Mophie is out with a fresh variation on its battery cases for the iPhone XR and XS series. Unlike an earlier option from this company, the Juice Pack Air and the iPhone inside it share a single Lightning port for recharging. Wireless charging is available, too.

In an unusual move, this accessory is an Amazon exclusive in the run up to Prime Day.

Insanely addictive Tetris Royale on its way to mobile

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Tetris-Royale
Like Tetris 99, but for your phone.
Photo: The Tetris Company

The Tetris Company is bringing a brand new Tetris game to mobile, and it’ll be unlike any Tetris game you’ve played on iOS or Android before.

Tetris Royale fuses the beloved falling block franchise with the incredibly popular battle royale genre. Fans have already gotten a taste of what to expect with Tetris 99 on Nintendo Switch, and soon everyone else can enjoy it.

It’s time to sell your old iPad and bag a cheap upgrade

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The screen really is beautiful.
But is it just coronavirus?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

There’s never been a better time to upgrade to the latest iPad Pro, with Amazon currently offering big discounts of up to $249 off all models. And you can make yours even more affordable by selling your old iPad today.

Cult of Mac offers real cash for your old Apple devices, and we typically pay more than anyone else. What’s more, the process is incredibly quick and simple, and we will even buy back battered tech in need of repair.

26 flaming MacBooks prompted Apple recall

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2015 MacBook Pro 15-inch Retina
You were expecting something else?
Photo: Apple

Apple recalled 15-inch MacBook Pros from 2015, and we now know this is based on just a couple of dozen incidents, none serious.

Still, everyone with an affected unit should bring it in for service, especially as this includes a free battery replacement.

Apple moves Mac Pro production to China

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Mac Pro
No longer made in the USA.
Photo: Apple

The only Apple device that is produced in the U.S. is about to have its manufacturing operations moved overseas.

Apple reportedly plans to make its expensive new Mac Pro in China according to a new report that claims an assembly partner has already been lined up. The previous “trash can” Mac Pro was made at an Apple facility in Austin, Texas where the company also has a software engineering hub.

Tim Cook discusses Jony Ive departure in memo to Apple employees

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Jony Ive
Jony Ive is finally free.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a memo to all Apple employees Thursday informing them that long-time Chief Design Officer Jony Ive is leaving the company.

Instead of talking about the giant hole Ive will leave behind, Cook spun the Apple design guru’s exit as an “important evolution” for the company. He also talked about how great it will be for everyone as Ive pursues his passions as head of his new design firm, LoveFrom.

Trump administration weighs banning end-to-end encryption

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Proposed bill could hold tech giants more accountable for child exploitation
Encryption could be the next big conflict between Apple and the White House.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has banged heads with the Trump administration before, but its biggest clash could be yet to come.

According to a new report, senior White House officials met this week to discuss banning end-to-end encryption. This would affect a number of tech companies — including Apple, which has long touted its focus on user privacy.

Leaked photos reveal Samsung’s answer to iPhone XS Max

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Galaxy-Note-10-leak
The Galaxy Note 10 is expected to arrive in August.
Photo: TechTalk TV

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 10 — the company’s latest answer to the iPhone XS Max — just leaked out ahead of its official unveiling in August.

New photos reveal the flagship version of the phablet in the wild for the first time. It sports a giant, edge-to-edge display, as expected. But it’s not just a larger version of the Galaxy S10.

We react to the departure of Jony Ive, this week on The CultCast

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CultCast 394
The Jony Ive era has come to a close.

This week on The CultCast: We knew it was coming, but now it’s official. Jony Ive is leaving Apple. Plus: The 16-inch MacBook Pro could arrive sooner than you think; Apple just poached one of the world’s premiere ARM CPU architects; and we’ll tell you about the huge Apple scam going around that you need to watch out for!

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain..

Apple’s second Singapore store will open next month

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Apple's new Singapore store isn't going to be short of possible customers.
Apple's new store isn't going to suffer from a lack of footfall.
Photo: Apple

Apple is gearing up to open its second retail store in Singapore. The new store will be located at Jewel Changi Airport, the entertainment and retail complex adjoining Changi Airport.

Located in one of Asia’s largest transport hubs, Apple Jewel Changi Airport isn’t exactly going to suffer for lack of traffic.

Jony Ive has been on his way out of Apple for years

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Jony Ive CultCast
Ive only visits Apple's campus a couple of times a week.
Photo: BBC

News of Jony Ive’s departure from Apple may have come as a shock to some, but to many others, it has been a long time coming. A new report claims Ive has been slowly reducing his responsibilities since the launch of Apple Watch.

Sources close to Apple have revealed that Ive has been visiting the company’s new headquarters as little as twice a week. “This has been a long time in the making,” one said.

Stylish ‘Bounce’ ad depicts the wireless joy of using AirPods

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Bounce ad for AirPods1
One of Apple's more stylish recent ads.
Photo: Apple

Apple has debuted a slick, black-and-white ad showcasing its massively popular AirPods.

Titled “Bounce,” the ad shows an AirPods wearer springing through the streets. It’s intended to show off the unencumbered, wireless freedom of the iconic earbuds. (Including the new AirPods’ wireless charging capabilities.) And you know what? It’s pretty darn great.

Jony Ive’s departure hardly dented Apple stock

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Jony Ive
Jony Ive designed many of Apple's most iconic products.
Photo: Vanity Fair/YouTube

With the exception of Tim Cook, Jony Ive is almost certainly the most famous person associated with the modern era of Apple.

As the iconic Brit designer known to millions for waxing lyrical in front of a white backdrop on Apple keynotes (and, you know, designing a whole bunch of insanely great products), he’s an Apple icon.

So what kind of impact did his newly announced departure have on Apple’s stock price? Maybe not as much as you might think.