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Apple Music and Spotify make up 80 percent of U.S. streaming subs

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Streaming services like Apple Music dominate the US music market
Streaming subscriptions in the U.S. have come a long way!
Photo: Apple

Streaming music has come a long way! According to a new report, the number of people now paying a monthly music streaming subscription in the U.S. is around 51 million. That’s close to double the number at the end of 2016!

In total, last year, streaming music services accounted for 65 percent of the recorded music revenue in the U.S. Spotify and Apple Music combined dominate “at least 80 percent” of the domestic music streaming market, and other platforms — including ones belonging to big names like Amazon and Google — are already, “falling surprisingly far behind.”

Cult of Mac Magazine: New iPhones, New Apple Watch, and much more!

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cover
In this week's Cult of Mac Magazine: New iPhones (loads of 'em).
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: New iPhones (loads of ’em). New Apple Watches that could save your life. While some big leaks spoiled this week’s Gather Round event, we still got some surprises.

And now we’ve got plenty to talk about, starting with head-to-head comparisons: iPhone XS vs. iPhone XR and Apple Watch Series 4 vs. Series 3.

You’ll find these stories and much more. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Apple’s MIA AirPower charging pad is seriously messed up

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AirPower
Will Apple's AirPower charging pad ever turn up?
Photo: Apple

Last week’s Apple event marked one year to the day since Apple showed off its AirPower wireless charging mat for the first time. Since then, however, Apple hasn’t mentioned anything more about the technology — and now all signs of it have been scrubbed from the company’s website.

According to a new report, the problem Apple is facing is based around heat management issues, although there have also been other hardware and software issues, too. As a result, it’s unlikely that the product will arrive this year — and Apple may even wind up using the AirPower concept and trademark for a new redesigned product in 2019.

Apple employees tell fascinating stories about 1 Infinite Loop

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Infinite Loop
A new oral history of Infinite Loop is a treasure trove for Apple fans.
Photo: Ryan B/Flickr CC

One of Apple’s pre-eminent historians, tech journalist Steven Levy, dropped an Apple history treasure trove over the weekend.

Published by Wired, the oral history of Apple’s Infinite Loop campus features contributions from a whole lot of Apple employees, both past and present. Want to hear Eddy Cue talk Steve Jobs’ pizza preferences? Or how Tim Cook crossed the picket line on Day One of his job at Apple? Here are some of my favorite highlights:

Apple Watch Series 4 and iPhone XR are this year’s big winners

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New iPhones
Ming-Chi Kuo is forecasting Apple shipments for the next year.
Photo: Ben Geskin/Twitter

The iPhone XR is likely to be the most popular new iPhone this year, followed by the iPhone XS Plus, and, in last place, the iPhone XS. That’s according to highly respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo also noted that pre-orders for the Apple Watch Series 4, which in my view was the standout new product at last week’s Apple event, were “better than expected.”

Best bands to pimp out Apple Watch Series 4

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double tour
OleksynPrannyk's Double Tour in Black.
Photo: OleksynPrannyk

Apple Watch Series 4 orders open midnight September 13 (tonight!) with shipping beginning on September 21.

In the meantime, grab yourself a strap or two befitting Apple’s fourth-generation smartwatch. The 40mm band works with the 38mm straps; the 44mm band works with the 42mm straps. You’re going to love the Series 4 and Cult of Mac’s lineup of best bands to outfit it. 

Why Apple makes it nearly impossible to fix your own iPhone

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This opened iPhone X looks a lot like a snake's mouth. That's appropriate.
This opened iPhone X looks a lot like a snake's mouth. That's appropriate.
Photo: iFixit

Whenever a new iPhone or iPad is released, Apple gets criticized for how hard it is to work on. Special tools are required and everything is glued together. Replacing your own screen or battery is nigh impossible.

But it turns out the company is doing you a favor. Because iPhone repair is surprisingly dangerous.

iPhone XS Dual SIM won’t come until later this year

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Apple watch
An eSIM is tiny even compared to a nano-SIM. And the one built into the iPhone XS models.will bring a nice benefit. Eventually.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple touted support for using multiple SIM cards at once in its new top-tier iPhones during their announcement. But there’s a problem the company “forgot” to mention: this feature won’t be available when the iPhone XS and XS Max reach customers’ hands next week.

This is just one of several features in Apple’s 2018 product lineup that aren’t coming as soon as expected.

Today in Apple history: The final Apple II model arrives

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The Apple IIc Plus was the sixth and final model in the Apple II line.
The sixth and final model in the Apple II series of computers.
Photo: TanRu Nomad

September 15: Today in Apple history: Apple IIc Plus, the final Apple II model, arrives September 15, 1988: Apple releases the Apple IIc Plus, the sixth and final model in the Apple II computer series. It’s a great machine, with impressive capabilities, but suffers from poor marketing and support.

With the Mac around, Cupertino simply doesn’t seem interested in the Apple computer anymore.

Apple loses marketshare but still makes the most money

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Apple profits
Apple can afford to lose some marketshare because of how profitable it is.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

Apple is the headline in two new studies. One seems alarming as it shows Apple’s share in the smartwatch market has declined by 14 percent.

But the second study shows Apple as the biggest money maker in the smartphone market by a long shot. Thanks to iPhone X, Apple held 62 percent of the market share in Q2. Its closest rival, Samsung, has suffered double-digit sales losses and is a distant second at 17 percent.

Apple demonstrates how complex it is to own digital content

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iTunes 12.6 makes it easy to watch rented movies on any device.
iTunes 12.6 makes it easy to watch rented movies on any device.
Photo: Apple

Purchased digital content has been around since before the launch of the iTunes Store back in 2003, but things were much different then. Devices weren’t constantly connected, and streaming wasn’t the primary way to access your “purchased” (or subscription) content, and most things came in the form of physical media (VHS tapes, DVDs, CDs, or 8-Tracks). Now that things are streamed, stored in the cloud, and available across all our devices, digital content ownership is much more complicated than simply buying a movie, book, or album and having it indefinitely.

Learn everything about the iPhone XS in under a minute

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iPhone Xs
Don't drop your iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max.
Photo: Apple

Apple unleashed more new iPhones this fall than ever before which means there’s a ton of little details to learn. You could dive deep into our iPhone XS and iPhone XR comparison guide to figure out which one is best for you, but if you don’t have time for that, Apple has made a short video covering all the new features.

In under a minute you can know everything there is to know about dual SIMs, dual cameras, big displays, depth control, Face ID and more amazing features packed into the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

Prepare to be wowed:

Apple invests to save Colombian mangrove forest

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Apple invests in mangrove forests like this one. They could be key to fighting climate change.
Mangrove forests like this one could be key to fighting climate change.
Photo: Blue Forests/Flickr CC

Apple is on a mission to help save the world’s disappearing mangrove forests.

Mangrove forests suck up a huge amount of carbon dioxide from the air. Half of all mangrove forests on Earth have been lost since 1940, but Apple is making a big investment to help save one particular forest in Colombia in an effort to curb climate change.

Grab all 12 bubbly iPhone XR wallpapers right here

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iPhone XR
iPhone XR in black.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone XR won’t be available in stores until next month, but you can already grab the colorful new wallpapers for your old iPhone right now.

Unlike the oil wallpapers on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, some of the wallpapers for the iPhone XR come with multiple bubbles and match the color schemes of Apple’s new device. Just open this page on your iPhone, long press on each image and save them to your camera roll so you can turn them into a wallpaper.

Download all 12 right here:

Notch? What notch? Apple finds way to hide controversial iPhone ‘feature’

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iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
It's not easy to see the iPhone XS notch in most of the official images of the device, but it's there.
Photo: Apple

The default wallpaper for the new iPhone XS models is undoubtedly beautiful. But that’s clearly not why Apple chose it. It can’t be a coincidence that the black region of the image is perfectly placed to hide the screen cutout.

Apple isn’t denying the existence of the notch in the two most expensive of the 2018 iPhones, but it’s certainly trying to de-emphasize it.

AI basketball app gets trash-talked after Apple showcase

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HomeCourt
Logos in the lineup.
Screenshot: Hutch Kitchen/Twitter

A kitchenware company and an app for tracking shots on a basketball court couldn’t be more different. Yet, somehow the two wound up with nearly identical logos.

Such is the case for HomeCourt, whose shining moment Wednesday at the Steve Jobs Theatre got upstaged on social media after Australian company Hutch Kitchen pointed out the similarities.

Trump tariffs are about to hit Apple fans where it hurts

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tariffs
President Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook don't see eye-to-eye on any of the Trump tarrifs.
Photos: White House/Apple

President Trump reportedly ordered tariffs on $200 billion more Chinese goods yesterday. After these were first proposed several weeks ago, Apple warned that they’ll likely increase the cost of many of its products.

The list of affected devices includes some of Apple’s most popular offerings.

Move over, iPhone XS Max! These are the worst Apple product names of all time.

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Gather Round
Great phones, terrible names.
Photo: Apple

Let’s not beat around the bush — the new iPhone names are a mess. “iPhone XS Max” sounds like a body spray for teenagers and the “XR” in iPhone XR means … well, not very much at all.

Today’s iPhones are an explosion of confused branding.

But the 2018 iPhones definitely aren’t the first time Apple products bore baffling, awkward or just plain rubbish names. Brace yourself for a repulsive refresher as we recount the worst Apple product names of all time.

Series 4 vs. Series 3: Which Apple Watch is right for you?

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Apple Watch Series 4
Apple Watch is one of many products that will be hit.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch Series 4 is now available to preorder ahead of its official launch on September 21. It’s packed with new features, but considerably more expensive than its predecessors, with prices starting at $399.

Last year’s Apple Watch Series 3 is also still available. It’s not quite as impressive as the latest model, but it’s now more affordable at $279.

Which one should you buy? Find out right here in our 2018 Apple Watch comparison.

iPad magician pranks mall goers with snakes

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iPad magician
Magician Simon Pierro frees a snake from his iPad.
Screenshot: Simon Pierro/YouTube

If a tablet computer is a window on the world, then live snakes recently crawled through that window in a mall in Germany thanks to the iPad magician Simon Pierro.

Pierro operates his iPad in a space that can not be explained with a chip, graphics card, app or even augmented reality. All that shoppers knew is that one second Pierro was showing them a picture of a snake and then guiding it out of the iPad to slither and wiggle the next.

This, as you can imagine, scared the bejesus out of people.

LCD display and software issues are behind iPhone XR’s delay

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The new iPhones go on sale tomorrow. Are you ready?
iPhone XR fans will have to wait until next month to get their new handsets.
Photo: Apple

The reason why Apple’s lowest cost new iPhone, the iPhone XR, isn’t shipping for another month is due to challenges relating to both software and the device’s LCD display, a new report claims.

According to Ryan Reith, IDC’s vice president of research on mobile device, Apple has been struggling to secure enough of its completed LCD displays. In addition, it has had to make software-related changes to improve the visuals for its so-called “Liquid Retina” display.