This is typical of Silo season 2. Screenshot: Apple TV+
Good news, Silo fans: You’ll be able to see season three of the hit sci-fi series. Not only has Apple TV+ committed to making it, but the showrunner promises it will be better lit than Silo season two.
That should please those who complained about having trouble making out what was going on in parts of the more recent episodes.
Your YouTube Premium experience is about to get better. Photo: YouTube
YouTube is improving the experience for its Premium subscribers by adding more perks for them. Going forward, YouTube Premium users can enjoy faster playback speeds on mobile and stream high-quality audio.
On iPhone, you can now play YouTube Shorts in picture-in-picture. Smart Downloads is also expanding to include support for Shorts.
Meta could launch high-end smart glasses this year with a built-in display. Photo: Meta/Ray-Ban
Meta is reportedly exploring the development of AI-powered smartwatches and earbuds with built-in cameras. The social media giant is also working on AR glasses that could launch around 2027.
Before that, Meta will launch high-end smart glasses with a built-in display as soon as this year.
Netflix keeps getting more expensive. Photo: Brad Gibson / Cult of Mac
Netflix is getting more expensive in the US and several neighboring countries again. The streaming service will hike its prices despite a healthy addition of 18.9 million new subscribers in Q4 2024.
The streaming service last hiked its prices in October 2023. However, since the pandemic, Netflix has increased its subscription prices several times.
iOS 18.3 is likely only a week away. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple seeded the release candidates for iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3 to developers Tuesday. In addition, the watchOS 11.3 RC, tvOS 18.3 RC and visionOS 2.3 RC went to developers at the same time. These bring only minor modifications to the various devices, though.
Release candidates are generally the final phase before the operating system upgrades go to users.
A U.K. plan means an iPhone can soon hold a digital driver’s license. Photo: UK.GOV
The U.K. government committed to a GOV.UK Wallet app that will let users leave their physical driver’s license at home. An iPhone or Android will be all that’s needed.
The same digital ID can be used as proof of age when buying alcohol.
Apparently the first season of "Severance" brought in $200 million. Photo: Apple TV+
The psychological workplace thriller series Severance proved to be a major success story for Apple TV+, generating over $200 million in revenue from its first season alone, new analytics data shows. And it’s not the only Apple TV+ show bringing in big bucks for the iPhone giant, according to a new report. So how much money do Apple TV+ shows make? See below.
A whole slew of products could launch at a possible Apple winter 2025 event. Photo: Gemini/Cult of Mac
Apple appears ready to start 2025 strong by launching a new low-price iPhone, a faster MacBook Air and a pair of revamped iPad models. These could come at a possible Apple winter event as early as February, though the wait might be longer.
An Apple winter event isn’t a given. The company could simply issue a series of press releases introducing the new products. No matter what, you don’t need to wait until the official announcements to know what’s in store. Here are the rumors available on all four upcoming devices.
Rumors point to the iPhone SE 4 being surprisingly advanced. Photo: Cult of Mac
The iPhone SE 4, expected soon, makes the Dynamic Island universal on current Apple handsets, according to a generally reliable tipster. If true, it means the iPhone SE 4 will skip the screen notch previously expected.
It’s already virtually certain that Apple’s upcoming lower-cost model will drop another bit of obsolete tech: the Lightning port. And the Home button is on the way out, too.
Apple celebrates MLK Jr Day with a "Homepage Takeover" every year. Photo: Apple
As it has done on every Martin Luther King Jr. Day since 2015, Apple used nearly all of its website homepage to pay homage to the slain Civil Rights Movement leader Monday. The page is filled with quotations from King and links to learn more through a free book by the icon in Apple Books and a feature article about him in Apple News.
A faster iPad Air with the M3 chip could debut soon. Photo: Apple
An iPad Air with a speed boost is on the way, according to a report posted Friday by a generally reliable source. The tablet won’t have Apple’s latest processor, though.
And a cheaper alternative, the iPad 11th generation, also could launch soon. If you’re considering an upgrade, take a look at the iPad Pro M3, which brings even more power and features. Check out our M3 iPad Air review for more details. If you’re interested in how Apple’s premium tablets stack up, check out thisiPad Pro review for insights into performance and features.
A ban made TikTok go completely dark in the U.S. on Sunday, but it didn’t last long. Image: ByteDance/Cult of Mac
The TikTok ban kicked in on Sunday, as scheduled. This meant that a social media platform used by more than 150 million Americans a day on their iPhone or Android went dark.
OK, so maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. AI image: Grok/Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest rumors indicate the iPhone 17 Pro camera will get a major upgrade. Shocker!
Also on The CultCast:
Just how thin will the iPhone 17 Air be?
Three lesser Apple products should get big upgrades in 2025.
The next version of CarPlay might be even more awesome..
With the Severance season two premiere imminent, the creative Apple TV+ marketing is off the hook.
Erfon and Griffin get jazzed about the recently hyped Nintendo Switch 2.
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.
Apple TV+ sci-fi mystery Silo stars Rebecca Ferguson. Photo: Apple TV+
The Apple TV+ sci-fi series Silo didn’t lose viewers as it approached the end of season two. It stayed on the lists of the top 10 most popular streaming series maintained by two ratings companies. just as it has since new episodes started appearing in November.
And Apple’s deeply odd workplace drama Severance did well with audiences as its season two premiere approached.
The iPhone Camera app's long overdue UI refresh could finally arrive with iOS 19. Screenshot: Apple
iOS 19 could revamp the iPhone’s Camera app with a design language similar to visionOS. As part of the redesign, Apple might move most controls to the bottom for easy access — and split the camera interface into Photo and Video modes.
Apple Watch SE 3 might actually be good for the environment. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The plastic used to make the casing for the upcoming Apple Watch SE 3 will be taken from the ocean, making it environmentally friendly, according to a tipster.
The next-gen smartwatch will supposedly be more colorful so it’ll appeal more to an important demographic.
The concert, loaded with star talent, streams January 22 on Apple TV and Apple Music. Photo: FireAid.org
Apple TV and Apple Music will stream the upcoming FireAid benefit concert to help victims of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, a new report Thursday. The concert lineup so far includes Billie Eilish, John Mayer, Lady Gaga, Sting and many others.
The concert will rock out in two Los Angeles performance venues near each other, but most people will get to see and hear it via streaming services.
The inaccurate notification summary that sparked the criticism. Photo: BBC News
Following major criticism from major media outlets, Apple is making changes to how its AI-powered notifications summaries work with iOS 18.3 beta 3.
The newest iOS 18.3 beta disables notification summaries for apps in the news and entertainment categories. It also makes several other changes to highlight the feature being in beta and potentially generating summaries with errors.
Apple TV+ goes up against tough competition. Image: Cult of Mac
The Apple TV+ share of the U.S. streaming market stayed at 7% in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to an analysis. That’s the same share Apple TV+ achieved in Q4 2023, though up slightly from where it stood two years ago.
Still, the service seems to have settled solidly into the “also ran” category in the battle for streaming supremacy. But it’s a role Apple itself seems comfortable with.
In a "Severance" season two marketing stunt, Lumon Industries employees toil behind glass in New York City's Grand Central Station. The new season debuts Friday. Photo: @ParkerOrtolani, X.com
Commuters trudging through Grand Central Station in New York City got an eyeful of Apple TV+ series Severance on Tuesday. That’s because employees of the bizarre workplace dramedy’s fictional Lumon Industries appeared to work on Lumon terminals behind glass for all to see in the historic train terminal’s grand halls.
Severance stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry and Britt Lower entered the fake Lumon workspace Tuesday afternoon. And soon enough, Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman appeared. Earlier in the day, other people staffed the workstations.
That promotional stunt and a new “Lumon Is Listening” video, which promotes Lumon’s Severance brain surgery as a work-life balance solution, go hand-in-hand with the show’s own creepy weirdness. Check out the images and video below!
Apple Card launched in 2019. And although Goldman Sachs' management of it is scheduled through 2030, someone like Barclays or Synchrony may take over sooner. Photo: Apple
Apple is in ongoing talks with two financial companies to take over Apple Card credit services management from Goldman Sachs, according to a new report. The iPhone giant has been discussing the matter with Barclays and Synchrony Financial for a while, apparently.
News of the talks comes just one day after Goldman Sachs’ CEO said on an earnings call the firm’s Apple Card management, scheduled through 2030, might end sooner than that.
Insta360 Flow 2 Pro keeps your iPhone steady when its moving during filming. Photo: Insta360
Insta360 Flow 2 Pro gimbal keeps an iPhone steady during filming so it can be moved to follow the action. Or it can act as a tripod stand and automatically keep the camera pointed at the person being recorded even if they move around. Plus, the accessory can recharge the phone.
“The idea of Flow 2 Pro is simple: Bridge the gap between professional-quality tools and everyday accessibility,” shares JK Liu, founder of Insta360.
This is Samsung's super-slim Galaxy that will take on the iPhone 17 Air. Photo: SmartPrix
Apple is not the only company reportedly working on a slim flagship phone for 2025. Samsung is also working on one, and a new leak indicates the company’s iPhone 17 Air rival will have a 6.4mm thick waistline.
Despite the slim profile, Samsung’s super-slim Galaxy reportedly will pack impressive specs, including a 200MP rear camera.
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin reportedly won’t return to Apple TV+ after all. Apple reportedly canceled Dick Turpin season two, laying the blame on star Noel Fielding.
The comedy series premiered in 2024, and Apple TV+ renewed it for a second season. However, word came Wednesday that The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin stopped mid-production.