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News - page 6

Friday Night Baseball gets an immersive upgrade on Apple Vision Pro

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Apple Immersive Video brings the stadium home for Friday Night Baseball
Apple hopes to make watching baseball from a Vision Pro an amazing experience.
Image: Apple

Apple is bringing Friday Night Baseball to life in a whole new way on the Vision Pro headset. For the first time, baseball fans will be able to watch live games in Apple Immersive Video, putting them closer to the action than a traditional broadcast can.

Apple Immersive Video offers 3D video recorded in 8K with a 180-degree field of view.

The first game in the enhanced format comes on August 28 pitting the Red Sox vs. the Yankees. Going forward in the 2026 season, a game each Friday will be watchable in 3D.

iOS 27 Lock Screen customizations finally put you in control of your iPhone

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What iOS 27 Lock Screen customization actually changes
iOS 27 Lock Screen customization adds four new ways to personalize your iPhone’s display.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

The iPhone’s Lock Screen has always played by Apple’s rules. That changes with iOS 27, which hands far more design choices to iPhone users.

The upcoming update adds four new tools. You can generate AI wallpapers, stretch photos to fit properly, move the clock and hide the Now Playing widget. It’s the most flexible the iPhone Lock Screen has ever been.

The biggest threat to the iPhone Pro Max isn’t Samsung — it’s Apple’s folding iPhone

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iPhone 18 Pro versus folding iPhone Ultra concept images
The first folding iPhone looks set to challenge the iPhone 18 Pro Max as Apple's true flagship this fall.
Photo: Majin Bu/Apple/Cult of Mac

If Apple launches the first folding iPhone next to the iPhone 18 Pro Max this fall, it won’t just add a new phone. It will force an awkward question: How many “best iPhones” can Apple sell at once?

For years, the iPhone Pro Max has been the undisputed top of the line. Now rumors point to a foldable model, possibly called the iPhone Ultra or the iPhone Fold, arriving at the same time.

Apple plans to reinvent Apple Watch lineup

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Apple Watch lying on a desk
A screen-less Apple Watch tracker sounds intriguing.
Photo: Unsplash

Apple plans to overhaul the Apple Watch lineup as new types of wearables start gaining traction among consumers. As part of the revamp, it supposedly wants to reintroduce a ceramic casing for the Apple Watch.

Apple could even use a round display on future Apple Watch models, though nothing is confirmed yet.

Should you buy an iPhone now to avoid the coming price hikes?

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A picture of the iPhone 17 Pro used in a story about whether to buy a new iPhone now or wait for the iPhone 18 series.
Rumored price hikes make timing your next iPhone purchase trickier than usual.
Image: Apple

Apple’s September event is just weeks away, but the real question isn’t which iPhone 18 model to buy. It’s whether you should buy an iPhone now, before prices climb. A global memory chip shortage means this year’s iPhone 18 Pro price hike could be the steepest Apple has ever pushed onto Pro buyers. And the latest rumors indicate Apple might even jack up the price of the iPhone 17 lineup.

The good news: If you just want a solid, everyday iPhone, you don’t need to wait. The iPhone 17 models are still available at their original prices. Buying now locks in today’s price before everything gets more expensive.

Brutal iPhone 17 price hikes could hit very soon

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iPhone 17 Pro on desk
The iPhone 17 could get an unexpected price hike next week.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

A new leak suggests Apple could raise iPhone 17 prices as soon as the week beginning August 10. Apple already hiked prices for Macs, iPads and other devices in June due to rising DRAM and NAND chip costs.

An iPhone price hike is inevitable, though many expect the company to hold off until the iPhone 18 event in September.

I replaced 7 Apple apps on my Mac. Here’s what I use instead.

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Photo of an Mac desktop with various apps on it.
Apple's built-in apps are great, but I replaced seven of them on my Mac.
Photo: Unsplash

 Apple ships the Mac with several built-in apps that are surprisingly feature-rich and fast. But over time, I found myself replacing a handful of them with third-party alternatives that simply did more.

I didn’t make these switches overnight. Each replacement solved a specific problem or added a feature I couldn’t live without. These are the Mac apps and tools I use instead of Apple’s stock apps.

Apple faces iPhone 18 Pro DRAM shortage weeks before launch

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Photo of an iPhone 17 Pro used in a story about iPhone 18 DRAM shortages
The iPhone 18 Pro DRAM shortage stems from a packaging bottleneck at chipmaker TSMC.
Photo: Reynaldo Yodia/Pexels

An iPhone 18 Pro DRAM shortage is threatening to leave Apple’s next flagship phone in short supply the moment it launches. Roughly $1 billion worth of finished processors are reportedly stuck at chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, with no memory to pair them with.

The holdup traces back to the global memory crunch that’s already reshaping Apple’s lineup. With the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple’s first foldable, possibly called the iPhone Ultra, just weeks away, the clock is ticking.

M6 MacBook Pro rumor roundup: Faster chip, familiar design

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An M6 speed boost for the MacBook Pro
Apple's next MacBook Pro could arrive this fall with the new M6 processor.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple plans to refresh the base-model MacBook Pro this fall with its new M6 processor, according to numerous rumors. The performance boost should make it more appealing to those who want a macOS laptop with more ports than a MacBook Air, but at a lower price than Pro models with Pro and Max chips.

Here’s what to expect from the first (and possibly only) M6 MacBook Pro.

Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition delivers console-quality football excitement

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Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition scores big on Apple Arcade
It's kickoff time for Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition.
Image: EA Games

Are you ready for some football?! Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition is now available on Apple’s game subscription service, bringing EA Sports’ blockbuster football franchise to iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro without ads or in-app purchases.

It’s the first time the Madden series has been offered through Apple Arcade, giving subscribers a premium version of one of gaming’s most popular sports franchises.

Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition is a chance to bring the most authentic NFL experience to a new audience of football fans, letting them play and compete as the league’s most elite players, or take control as GM and shape a franchise,” said Evan Dexter, EA’s vice president of Franchise Strategy and Marketing.

OpenAI’s first smart speaker could come with a bizarre doughnut design

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HomePod on a table
OpenAI's first smart speaker will not look like a typical smart speaker.
Photo: Unsplash

OpenAI’s first smart speaker will supposedly look like a “doughnut that’s roughly the size of a hockey puck,” according to a new Bloomberg report. This odd design will help the speaker stand out from the competition.

It will also apparently enable the speaker to work in “different positions.” 

macOS Tahoe 26.6.1 patches nasty Screen Sharing security hole

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Why you should install macOS Tahoe 26.6.1 today
Mac users, don't procrastinate on installing macOS Tahoe 26.6.1.
Photo: Tranmautritam/Pexels CC

Apple on Thursday released macOS Tahoe 26.6.1, a surprise security update that fixes a potentially serious vulnerability in the operating system’s Screen Sharing feature.

While the update doesn’t bring any new features, Mac users should nevertheless install it as soon as possible — or the new security patches for macOS Sequoia and Sonoma.  

Score more money as Apple boosts iPhone and Mac trade-in values

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Apple trade-in values for iPhone and Mac increase
Apple trade-in values for older iPhones increase ahead of the iPhone 18 launch.
Photo: Tessa Charles/Pexels CC

Thinking about upgrading to an iPhone 18 this fall? Apple just made the decision a little easier.

The company increased the max trade-in values for most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models in the United States, marking the latest value bump this year. The higher payouts let customers put more money toward a new device, whether they’re buying outright or through the new Apple Upgrade program.

MacPaw teams up with Liquid AI to bring on-device AI to its Mac assistant

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MacPaw logo on a colored background
MacPaw is building on-device AI into its Eney assistant with help from Liquid AI.
Image: MacPaw

MacPaw is bringing on-device AI to its Mac assistant, Eney. The company partnered with Liquid AI to build a local intelligence stack designed to run on your Mac, not in the cloud.

The partnership pairs Liquid AI’s foundation models with MacPaw’s own inference and memory technology. Eney will be the first product to get the upgrade, and results are expected later this year.

Without a new budget iPad, Apple tablet demand slows

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No new budget iPad: Why Apple tablet shipments dropped in Q2 2026
The last new budget iPad debuted in spring 2025, and it shows.
Photo: Apple

iPad shipments slowed in the second quarter of this year, the first time that’s happened in over two years. The source of the problem is easy to pinpoint: the extra-long wait for a new version of the budget iPad.

And unfortunately for consumers, Apple supposedly won’t release a replacement for the iPad (A16) for many more months.

Does charging your iPhone to 100% really hurt the battery?

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A picture of an iPhone used in a story about battery charging habits.
Charging your iPhone to 100% overnight might stress your battery more than you realize, but what actually matters is how long it stays at full charge.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Charging your iPhone to 100% won’t instantly fry your battery. But regularly keeping it at full charge for hours matters more than you might think.

The real culprit isn’t the charge itself — it’s how long your phone stays plugged in at maximum capacity. Apple’s built-in tools do help, but temperature and charging habits matter even more.

WebKit privacy leak leaves iPhone and Mac users exposed

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A Safari logo used in a story about WebKit privacy leaks.
A WebKit privacy leak can expose your iPhone or Mac’s real IP address even when using proxy browsers or iCloud Private Relay.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Three recently discovered WebKit privacy leaks expose users’ real IP addresses on iPhone and Mac, even when they use a proxy browser or iCloud Private Relay, according to a new report.

This would mean Apple’s trusted privacy tools aren’t working as advertised. If you’ve relied on proxy browsers for anonymity or iCloud Private Relay for privacy, that protection apparently has some serious gaps.

Ted Lasso returns with a fresh start as Apple TV revives a fan favorite

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Photo of cast of Apple TV comedy series
Apple TV gives beloved comedy Ted Lasso a soft reboot with season four, which premieres Wednesday.
Image: Apple TV

Despite what really seemed like a series finale three years ago, Ted Lasso is back. Apple TV began streaming season four on Wednesday, reviving its Emmy-winning comedy with what amounts to a soft reboot rather than a direct continuation of the story.

Here’s what to look forward to as Ted, Coach Beard and all our favorites return.

iPhone 18e rumors: RAM, chip, design, price and more

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A picture of the iPhone 17e used in a story about iPhone 18e rumors.
iPhone 18e rumors point to a strange new RAM configuration, even as most other specs carry over unchanged from the iPhone 17e.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

A handful of small but real changes are coming to Apple’s next budget iPhone, with iPhone 18e rumors pointing to a new chip and a RAM configuration nobody expected. None of it amounts to a redesign – this is still a budget phone, just slightly better.

The extra memory is the most interesting shift, but it comes with a catch. Most other specs, including the screen and camera, look set to carry over largely unchanged from the iPhone 17e. Here’s everything reported so far, and how solid each claim actually is.

Apple Photos lawsuit over facial recognition data can move forward

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A picture of Apple Photos app on an iPhone, used in a story about a class action lawsuit on Apple.
The Apple Photos lawsuit centers on the app’s People album face-recognition feature.
Photo: Apple

Apple faces a $32.5 billion lawsuit over how its Photos app scans and stores faces. A federal judge cleared the case to proceed as a class action late last month, allowing millions of Illinois iPhone owners to join.

The case has been years in the making, and Apple has fought to shut it down at nearly every turn. Now it heads back to the court, with the company’s privacy practices on trial.

Apple caps bug bounty reports as AI ‘slop’ floods security team

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Apple bug bounty reports capped after AI flood
Turns out there is such a things as too many bug bounty reports going to Apple.
Photo: Pexels CC

Apple decided to cap the number of bug bounty reports a researcher can have open at once. The move follows a flood of AI-generated “slop” that overwhelmed Apple’s internal security team this year.

But the cap almost backfired. A small Italian security firm had found a serious macOS flaw using ChatGPT, but they couldn’t report it because their group had already hit its new limit.

Apple will eventually bring iPhone clipboard syncing to Windows PCs

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One of Apple's best productivity features may soon work with Windows.
One of Apple's best productivity features may soon work with Windows.
AI image: ChatGPT

Apple plans to bring one of the iPhone and Mac’s most useful ecosystem features — cross-device clipboard sync — to Windows PCs. Don’t expect it anytime soon, though, as the functionality likely won’t arrive until fall 2027 at the earliest.

Apple is not adding cross-device clipboard sync support for Windows PCs to iOS because it wants to, though. The feature stems from an interoperability request Microsoft submitted under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.

Apple job listing hints at fitness features for rumored smart glasses

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A picture of a person wearing glasses used in a story about Apple's rumored smart glasses.
Fitness features in Apple's rumored smart glasses could pick up where Vision Pro’s shelved workout plans left off.
Photo: Pexels

A new job posting reveals that Apple is already thinking about how to bring fitness features to its long-rumored smart glasses.

The company is looking to hire a “strategic product design leader” for its Vision Products Group. The role focuses on shaping health, wellness and fitness experiences across future visionOS hardware.

Leagues Cup tournament brings a month of international soccer action to Apple TV

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Leagues Cup 2026 returns to Apple TV with every match streaming live
All 62 Leagues Cup matches will stream live on Apple TV.
Photo: Apple TV

The 2026 Leagues Cup tournament kicks off Tuesday, August 4. The month-long competition pits 18 Major League Soccer clubs against 18 teams from Mexico’s Liga MX, with all 62 matches streaming through Apple TV.

No separate subscription is required to enjoy the action – any Apple TV subscriber in 100 countries and regions can watch.