The Belkin Stage PowerGrip adds the grip DSLR camera users are familiar with to an iPhone. Built into the grip is a battery which sends power to the handset via the MagSafe magnetic charging mat integrated into the device.
And his is just one of multiple new accessories Belkin unveiled in time for CES 2025.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest rumors indicate the iPhone 18 Pro will pack a variable aperture camera. Erfon and Griffin break down what that could mean — and why it could bring a significant photographic boost to the device.
Also on The CultCast:
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Apple’s subscription fitness service kicks off 2025 with its most extensive programming lineup yet, featuring new Apple Fitness+ workouts in strength training, pickleball conditioning and a collaboration with popular fitness app Strava.
“Fitness+ is designed to support everyone’s unique fitness and wellness journey,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of fitness technologies, in a press release Friday. “From workouts that can boost power and precision for pickleball, to breath meditations that help relieve stress, along with Artist Spotlight sessions featuring iconic hits and an exciting collaboration with Strava, Fitness+ has something to inspire, motivate and help everyone feel their best in 2025.”
Apple silently changed the AirTag‘s retail box to comply with Reese’s Law’s warning label requirements.
The law requires devices with coin-cell batteries to show a warning label about keeping them out of reach of children.
Apple agreed to a $95 million settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging privacy violations by its Siri voice assistant, according to a new report. The lawsuit, filed in Oakland, California federal court, claims that Apple’s virtual assistant recorded users’ private conversations without consent and shared this information with advertisers.
So, should a federal judge approve the settlement, millions of Apple device users could see small payouts (most likely less than $20 per device, given the vast number of devices running Siri).
Imagine a Siri capable of opening your preferred email client on your iPhone and sending an important email seamlessly. Picture an Apple-branded smart home hub, elegantly wall-mounted in your kitchen, equipped with Apple Intelligence for instant access to smart home controls and a conversational voice assistant. Envision an iPhone just 6mm thin, standing out for its ultra-sleek, stylish design.
All of this could turn into a reality in 2025, with Apple already working on these devices and services for launch next year.
In a rare move, Apple is offering discounts of up to RMB 500 ($68.5) on iPhones in China. The promo runs from January 4 through 7 and only applies to selected payment methods.
Apple rarely provides direct discounts on its products, especially on newer models. However, it seems to be making an exception in China.
A recently launched Kickstarter project aims to breathe fresh life into Apple’s discontinued Touch Bar concept, offering a more versatile and customizable solution for both Mac and Windows users. Flexbar, developed by Hong Kong startup Eniac Technology, reimagines the controversial MacBook Pro feature as a standalone accessory that promises to deliver on the Touch Bar’s original potential.
“The discontinuation of the original Touch Bar didn’t mean the concept was flawed — it simply wasn’t taken far enough to reach its full [potential],” the Eniac team said. “There’s something undeniable [about the idea]: the potential for a customizable, adaptive interface that could streamline workflows was immense. We decided to step in.”
Update: Eniac sent out a reminder Tuesday that Flexbar’s Kickstarter campaign ends Thursday (January 2, 2025), so time to participate is waning. You can still pledge to get one Flexbar for $179 $149, two for $358 $219 or three for $537 $299. And it appears the device will most likely go into regular production, as funding reached $284,612 by Tuesday, well over the campaign’s goal of $2,576.
Apple dedicated its homepage Monday to the memory of former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at 100 years old. Carter lived longer than any other U.S. president and seemed to do more than most former heads of state after his term in office.
“Today, we honor President Carter’s lifetime of service and his commitment to leaving the world better than he found it. May he rest in peace,” Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in a post on X. Both the X post and the Apple website showed the same image of Carter in work clothes with a tool belt on a construction site. The Plains, Georgia, native worked for many years building homes for the homeless through nonprofit group Habitat for Humanity.
As good as some speakers built into computers and monitors sound these days, it still often pays to use external speakers on the desktop. Today’s setup features a powerful M4 Pro Mac mini — with an improved built-in speaker, no less — but the user still opts for Creative Pebble Pro speakers in the computer setup.
It’s time for Apple to get into smart glasses. This is an emerging product category that combines AI, cameras and audio… three components that the iPhone-maker is either already expert at or is working hard to improve.
Apple Glasses could be critical for the company long term because it would be an important step toward someday making the Vision Pro AR headset into a viable product.
Apple TV+ will open its doors to all for an unprecedented free streaming weekend, January 3-5, 2025. That gives everyone unlimited access to its entire catalog of original content. In other words, the streaming service — which normally costs $9.99 monthly — will make its full library of over 250 original TV shows and movies available without requiring a subscription.
Apple’s significant expansion of its smart home lineup in 2025 should include new HomePod and HomePod mini models. The company plans to introduce both a display-equipped HomePod and a refreshed HomePod mini amid a renewed focus on the smart home market.
As usual, you can expect Apple to emphasize quality audio as well as airtight security. Here’s what to expect from HomePod and HomePod mini in 2025.
It’s no longer possible to buy an iPhone 14 or iPhone SE 3 from Apple in the EU. And many of Apple’s older accessories also disappeared from the company’s shelves in the European Union, too.
It’s all a result of a EU law that, as of Saturday, banned the sale of handsets with proprietary charging ports. Apple was a primary focus of the legislation.
2025 should be an Ultra year for the Apple Watch. In an unusual move, Apple only launched the Apple Watch Series 10 this year. It kept the Ultra 2 around, only releasing a new black titanium colorway. If you’re curious about the latest Apple Watch rumors, there’s plenty of speculation about what’s coming next.
But next year won’t be all about Apple’s most expensive smartwatch. For more budget-conscious customers, the third-gen Apple Watch SE should arrive in 2025.
2025 will finally bring the much-anticipated 11th-generation iPad, a version of the budget tablet with a faster processor capable of accessing the latest Apple Intelligence features.
In addition, expect faster iPad Pro and iPad Air models in 2025 — one sooner than might be expected.
The 2025 iPhone lineup is going to see one of the biggest design shakeups in the product’s history. Not only will there be an entirely new model — the super-slim iPhone 17 Air — the Pro phones are getting the first all-new design in years, with a radical new camera array that’s sure to polarize opinion. Plus, the entry-level models and the iPhone SE are getting lots of worthy trickle-down upgrades. With these innovations, Apple iPhone 17 is set to redefine smartphone design and functionality. Discover how iPhone 17 Air will mark a new beginning for Apple.
It’s going to be a very exciting year. Here’s what 2025 has in store for the iPhone.
AirPods Pro 3 keep generating buzz as we approach the launch of Apple’s next-generation premium wireless earbuds. Here’s what to expect from AirPods Pro 3, which probably will arrive in early 2025.
While the current AirPods Pro 2 model dominates the market two years after launch, rumors say its successor will bring substantial improvements and new features. Unfortunately, you probably shouldn’t expect changes to the recently updated AirPods 4 and AirPods Max in 2025. We could see updated earbuds or headphones from Apple subsidiary Beats, though.
Watching the new Severance season two trailer, below — and the new sneak peek at the first eight minutes of episode one Apple TV+ dropped Monday — my excitement for the new episodes became one with my grim determination to watch the entire first season again before the undoubtedly bizarre new scenes of workplace hell start streaming on January 17, 2025.
Never before have I force-marched myself through a whole TV series season as a matter of preparation. But this funny-yet-unnerving workplace psycho-thriller deserves and demands it. If you’re preparing for season three and catching up on all things Apple, you might also want to check out how to activate Apple AirTag—and while you’re at it, read up on Apple TV+ renewing Severance for a third season.
Update: As a twisted sort of holiday gift, Apple TV+ posted a sneak peek at the first eight minutes of Severance season two on Monday, December 23. It’s safe to say the main character is very much on the run through Lumon Industries sterile yet deeply alienating hallways until he comes face to face with a team of direct reports he doesn’t recognize. And he ends up with more questions than answers in a one-on-one with Mr. Milchik. Watch the sneak peek at the link above and the trailer below.
Will 2025 be a big year for Apple’s exciting new Vision Pro platform? With a fast new chip, a major software upgrade and more jaw-dropping content, there could be a lot in store for the AR/VR headset next year.
The fledgling device is likely to get worthy new hardware upgrades — and maybe even a price drop. visionOS 3, the next major software update, will have had a full 12 months in the oven. That means it could be a substantial release. And as production of 3D immersive content continues to get easier, there may finally be a lot more spatial video to watch on the headset. In fact, that could turn out to be the device’s killer app.
Apple could adopt a variable aperture system for the iPhone 18 Pro’s main camera that would enable the device to adjust the aperture size and light intake depending on surroundings.
DLSRs typically use a variable aperture lens system. Samsung and some Chinese Android manufacturers have also used the technology on their phones, albeit on a limited scale.
It’s a safe bet that the Apple M5 processor will start replacing the current M4 in 2025, and it might even happen in the first half of the year.
That’s according to a roadmap of when the various versions of the chip will go into production leaked Monday by a reliable source of insider Apple information.
What does Apple have planned for the Mac in 2025? For the last couple of years, Apple’s been killing it with its desktop and laptop computers. The chips scream, the industrial design has never been better, and the Mac lineup is undoubtedly the best in Apple’s history. Just look at the amazing new Mac mini.
But can Apple keep up the pace next year?
Apple’s next AirPods Pro refresh could feature heart rate monitoring. But they are in “early development” and might not launch soon.
Engineers inside Apple are also working on several health-focused features for future models of the earbuds.
Apple is reportedly working on a smart doorbell with Face ID-like facial recognition.
The device, still in its early development stages, seems unlikely to reach the market before late 2025 at the earliest. This timeline presumes Apple encounters no significant obstacles during development.