Google and Samsung have smartphones many critics say are as good or better than the latest iPhones.
But making a device to rival Apple’s isn’t the hard part. Getting iPhone users to switch is.
Google acknowledges this in a series of video ads launched this week to convince brand loyalists to switch to its newest and well-reviewed flagship, the Pixel 3.
Every version of Pokémon is about players using pocket monsters to battle other trainers. Well, every version except Pokémon Go, which conspicuously lacks the capability to let you go head-to-head with another player.
Game developer Niantic promised this feature would arrive before the end of the year. The company suggested today that the wait is almost over.
Smart watches are currently the most popular form of wearable, but ear-worn devices are expected to replace them in the coming years. The changeover will take place as AirPods and similar products gain additional features that people now get from Apple Watch and iPhone.
In less than five years, so-called “hearables” could outsell every other type of wearable by a wide margin.
Fortnite’s account merging tool has been delayed until 2019, Epic Games confirmed today.
The feature, which will allow players to combine two accounts into one, was supposed to arrive in November. It has been held back as a result of “ongoing technical concerns.”
Apple Watch buyers will be granted an extended return period if they decide to return their wearable for reasons related to upcoming heart health features.
Apple usually gives shoppers 14 days to return a purchase, but an internal document reveals that some will have up to 45 days to return a Watch — as long as it’s for the right reasons.
You no longer have to expose your Instagram Stories to every single follower. A new feature, which goes live today after 17 months of testing, lets users share only with their closest friends.
Here’s how the Close Friends list works on iOS.
Bethesda Softworks’ The Elder Scrolls: Blades may look stunning — but you’re going to have to wait a bit longer to play the highly anticipated iOS game.
According to a new tweet sent out by the game’s developers, the free-to-play RPG set in the Elder Scrolls universe has been pushed back to 2019. Originally, Bethesda planned to release it this fall.
This week on The CultCast: We tell you how iPhone’s Smart HDR takes pics better than cameras costing thousands, and how a proper Apple Camera would be positively unstoppable. Plus: The Supreme Court may force Apple to allow competing app stores; proposed tariffs on the iPhone could send prices sky-high; and Apple says the XR is one of the best-selling iPhones ever.
Our thanks to LinkedIn for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.
Apple Music has reportedly hit 56 million subscribers, an increase on the 50 million that Apple CEO Tim Cook announced back in May.
The figure comes from a new Financial Times article, regarding Apple’s plans to potentially get its Beats 1 station on terrestrial radio.
Apple has quietly added some new iPhone XS cases and Apple Watch bands to its Online Store.
Its silicone cases and sport bands now come in hibiscus, mellow yellow, and pacific green. Apple has also added the celestial teal, olive flak, and smokey mauve Nike Sport bands that were made available through nike.com earlier this month.
In an early Christmas present to Apple fans with an Amazon Echo, Apple Music is coming to Amazon’s line of smart speakers next month. Apple Music will be available as an option on Echo devices starting December 17.
“Music is one of the most popular features on Alexa,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices. “We’re thrilled to bring Apple Music – one of the most popular music services in the U.S. – to Echo customers this holiday.”
Apple’s proposed flagship Apple Store in Melbourne, Australia’s Federation Square has been pushed back at least a year. Work was originally scheduled to start in early 2019. However, now it won’t begin until 2020 — with the eventual opening taking place in 2021.
If it even happens at all, that is.
The days of Apple Pay not being accepted at Target could be coming to an end. According to a number of users on Twitter, the Target store in San Francisco is currently accepting Apple Pay purchases.
While this has yet to be rolled out to Target’s other 1,821 stores, this suggests the company may be changing its stance on Apple’s mobile payment service.
Apple continues to remove third-party applications from the Chinese version of the App Store for violating its terms of service. It reportedly removed 718 apps this week.
This isn’t the first time there’s been a purge from this software store. But this time none of the applications were breaking Chinese law, just Apple’s own rules.
If you weren’t tempted by an iPhone XR or XS, and you’ve decided to hold onto your older handset for another year, you should really consider getting the battery replaced. This will add years of usefulness.
Even better, Apple is offering a special deal that makes it just $29. But this low price is available only for one more months.
iPhones, cases and other products in Apple’s Product(RED) line are more than just colorful; they’ve so far been responsible for $200 million going to pay for HIV/AIDS counseling, testing and medication.
Apple partnered with (RED) 11 years ago, with purchases of select products contributing to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Scoring a top spot on Apple’s podcast charts is a lot easier — and a lot cheaper — than most listeners probably realize.
Many podcast fans use Apple’s charts on iTunes and its iOS app to find new shows and gauge what’s popular right now. However, an intriguing new report reveals that some shows are paying for a place at the top and its shockingly inexpensive to game the charts.
Anyone who thinks you can’t get “real work” done on an iPad is nuts. Likewise, anyone who claims Apple’s tablet is not a real computer sounds like somebody arguing that the 1984 Mac wasn’t a real computer because it didn’t have a text-based command-line interface.
The iPad vs. Mac debate certainly isn’t new. Only the devices have changed.
I think that the folks making these arguments are jealous of the iPad Pro, or scared that it will become more important to Apple than their Macs. They want to use it instead of their Mac, but at the same time they’re unwilling to change anything about how they work. Instead, they want the iPad to be a touchscreen Mac with a detachable keyboard.
Apple gives us the gift we really want: more Elvis. Specifically, a collection of Elvis impersonators scattered around the world using Group FaceTime to share their love of the King of Rock and Roll.
This iPhone ad highlights the best new feature in iOS 12.1, the ability to make FaceTime video calls to multiple people simultaneously.
Watch it now:
Instagram will be more accessible to the visually impaired thanks to new changes the photo-sharing platform launched today.
“With more than 285 million people in the world who have visual impairments, we know there are many people who could benefit from a more accessible Instagram,” the company wrote on its Info Center page announcing two new tools.
Looking for a new iPad for the holidays, but not quite ready to splash out on Apple’s high end iPad Pro models? No problem: Apple’s refurb store just picked up the sixth-gen 9.7-inch iPad, with prices starting at $279 for a 32GB model.
The sixth-gen iPad was announced on March 27, 2018, during Apple’s education-focused event in Chicago. It retails for $329 new.
Caviar, a Russian company that tricks out iPhones in gold and precious gems, has an Apple Watch Series 4 “for those who cannot be surprised easily.”
So let’s see if that’s you. How does $43,850 strike you?
The headline may have ruined the surprise, but you might be startled once you learn the details that got the watch to that price point.
Sourcing the best Apple Watch bands and accessories for Cult of Mac readers is a huge priority for our Watch Store. We hit the mark with Strapley’s distressed-leather bands for Apple Watch, available at our Watch Store just in time for the holidays!
These stunning bands are crafted in-house and look like no other Apple Watch band on the market. Equally elegant and rustic, they’re versatile enough to elevate your Apple Watch. Don’t believe us? Check out our unboxing video:
Registered developers can now get their hands on Apple’s fourth macOS 10.14.2 beta.
It comes just two weeks after the release of the third beta, and it focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements. It doesn’t look like Apple has made any significant changes in this release.
Three-quarters of iOS users have upgraded to iOS 12, data released by analytics firm Mixpanel suggests. According to the firm’s records, around 75 percent of users have upgraded to iOS 12, around 20 percent are still on iOS 11, and the remainder are using a previous version.
It’s an impressive reminder of just how rapidly Apple users upgrade to the latest operating system.