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All the ways Apple disappointed us in 2016

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Biggest Disappointments
Apple's 2016 wasn't exactly inspiring.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac 2016 hasn’t been Apple’s best year by a long shot. While the company is still making money hand over fist and has seen its Services division go from strength to strength, Apple also consistently stumbled for the first time in years.

While we remain loyal to the Apple brand, here are our picks for the year’s biggest disappointments.

Eat off an iPad at this fancy San Francisco restaurant

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ipad-truffles
Truffles served on an iPad plate.
Photo: Richie Nakano

A restaurant in San Francisco has begun serving food on iPads. Quince is using the popular tablets as plates in an apparent effort to appeal to younger diners. Each iPad plays a video of a water dog searching for truffles while you eat your meal off its screen.

Seriously.

Every Apple store worldwide is sold out of AirPods

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AirPods sales
This is a sight you're not likely to see in your local Apple store.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Our take on Apple’s new wireless AirPods may be that they “just work,” but one thing that isn’t quite so seamless is picking up a pair in person at your local Apple store.

That’s according to airpods.isinstock.com, a website dedicated to providing at-a-glance stock levels for Apple’s AirPods at every Apple retail store in the world. The current grand total of stores stocking the AirPods? A big fat zero.

Apple beat Samsung on device activations this Christmas

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Apple had a heckuva Christmas.
Photo: Flurry

More iPhones and iPads were activated over the festive season than any other company’s handsets and tablets, according to data published by analytics firm Flurry.

Analyzing data about phone and app activation throughout the week leading up to Christmas day and the start of Chanukah, Flurry found that 44 percent of all new activations were for Apple devices — more than twice the number of nearest rival, Samsung.

iPhone 7 could soon be available in Jet White

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Screen Shot 2016-12-28 at 13.58.55
Although things may not be quite as they seem.
Photo: Sonny Dickson

The name might not make sense, but a “Jet White” iPhone 7 could soon be on the way, according to renowned Apple leaker Sonny Dickson, who posted pictures of just such a handset online this week.

The Jet Black iPhone 7 was one of the hottest iPhone models when the handset first launched back in September. A similarly glossy handset in white could therefore prove to be a nice mid-year iPhone sales booster should Apple choose to go in this direction.

Check out a video of the alleged handset below.

Week’s best Apple deals: Best prices on refurb Apple Watches and iPhones

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Get refurb deals on Apple gear or the amazing Duet Display at half price.
Get refurb deals on Apple gear or the amazing Duet Display at half price.
Photos: Apple, Duet

If you’re experiencing a post-holiday spending hangover, don’t fret! There are still plenty of Apple deals available for anybody on a budget. Score factory-refurbished Apple Watches and a popular productivity app at the best price we’ve seen. You’ll find those deals and more in this week’s best Apple deals.

Apple offers first glimpse at its secretive AI work

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photos in ios 10
iOS 10's Photos app can automatically recognize content in images.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Researchers on Apple’s artificial intelligence team have published the first ever research paper ever from the iPhone-maker, ending Apple’s long standing ban that safeguarded company secrets.

The paper details methods on how to train AI algorithms to recognize images. Apple’s researchers reveal that they have tried using both computer-generated images as well as real-world images to train to algorithm, but each have serious drawbacks.

iPhone’s dual-lens camera might go vertical in 2017

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iphone 7
Apple is planning to change its dual-lens camera already.
Photo: Apple

Next year’s Plus-size iPhone might come with a slightly different dual-lens camera, according to the latest rumors out of Asia.

Citing supply chain sources, the new rumor claims Apple will reposition the secondary telephoto lens on the iPhone so that it sits below the traditional wide-angle lens.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic and other awesome apps of the week

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App holiday1
'Appy holidays everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you find yourself at a loose end today, perhaps after overindulging on the eggnog and looking to sit down for a few minutes, why not check out our picks for the top apps of the last week?

Whether you own an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or MacBook, we’re confident you’ll find something to enjoy on our list!

Got a new iPhone? Sell your old Android phone to us.

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Got a shiny new iPhone? Sell us your old Android device.
Got a shiny new iPhone? Sell us your old Android device.
Photo: Paula Lavalle/Unsplash

No matter how well you take care of an Android phone, the time will come for it to count its last electric sheep. Selling a smartphone, even a functioning one, can be a hassle — and less than rewarding when dealing with the typical Android buyback program or Craigslist buyer.

If you’ve got a Samsung, LG or HTC phone, even one that’s gone completely kaput, Cult of Mac’s buyback program makes it easy to trade it in for the best price.

The weirdest Apple stories of 2016

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Wierdest Stories 2016
It's been a weird year. And Apple's no exception.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac Covering Cupertino is more than just statistics and rumors about upcoming products. There’s plenty of weird Apple news, whether it be a Chinese billionaire buying iPhones for his pet dog or the revelation that, in some alternate universe, Tim Cook could become vice president of the United States.

With that in mind, here are the weirdest Apple news stories of 2016.

Rocket League clone brings supercharged soccer to iOS

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Turbo-League-iOS
Turbo League is the game you've been waiting to play.
Photo: Zero Four Games

Rocket League is undoubtedly one of the finest and most enjoyable games to grace the current generation of consoles, but it’s yet to make its way to mobile. Soon we won’t need it, because Turbo League for iOS promises to be just as good.

Consumer Reports slams new MacBook Pros’ terrible battery life

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2016 MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro's battery life problems drag the laptop down.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Consumer Reports just unloaded a mighty smackdown on the new MacBook Pro lineup, citing “highly inconsistent” battery life as the reason the latest Apple laptops failed to earn a coveted recommendation.

It’s the first time the well-regarded reviews organization flunked an Apple laptop. And the test results should give serious pause to anybody who is considering buying a new MacBook Pro.

Pokémon GO finally gets an Apple Watch app

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News of an Apple partnership with Nintendo and Pokémon Go for the Apple Watch seemed to draw the most excitement from Apple fans on Twitter.
We got a glimpse of Pokémon GO for the Apple Watch during the iPhone 7 event.
Photo: Apple

Pokémon GO is finally ready for Apple Watch. The iOS game, one of 2016’s biggest breakout hits, got an update today that includes the long-awaited Apple Watch app.

According to the game’s maker, Pokémon GO is a perfect match for Apple’s wearable.

Get your read on: Best tech books of 2016

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Best Tech Books of 2016
Get caught up on your reading this holiday.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac The holidays are a great time to hide away from visiting relatives and enjoy a good book. Fortunately, when it comes to tech-centric books released this year, there’s a great crop to pick from.

Here are our choices for the best tech books of 2016 (and no, we’re not including Jony Ive’s $300 tribute to himself).

Apple replacing iPhone 7 Plus units with faulty cameras

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The iPhone 7 Plus will completely change your photos.
Is your iPhone 7 Plus camera acting up yet?
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly replacing or repairing iPhone 7 Plus units that have developed camera faults.

Some users on Reddit and around the web have complained of black and purple screens and error messages when opening the camera app, supposedly due to a dodgy iSight sensor.

A Christmas miracle: RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic arrives on iOS

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Rollercoastertycoon
Well, that's the Christmas break taken care of!
Photo: Atari

Just in time for the holidays, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic has arrived in the App Store — giving would-be theme park designers the perfect $5.99 early Christmas gift to themselves.

Combining features from the acclaimed RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, this title offers a touch-optimized take on the classic management sims which swallowed up so many, many hours of my teenage years.

Russia wants Apple to unlock Turkish assassin’s iPhone

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Siri made its debut on the iPhone 4s almost four years ago.
The iPhone belonged to the off-duty policeman who shot the Russian ambassador to Turkey.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has another iPhone-unlocking conundrum on its hands! This time the request reportedly comes from Russian and Turkish authorities, who want Apple to help bypass the PIN code on an iPhone 4s recovered at the scene of the recent murder of Andrei Karlov, Russia’s ambassador to Turkey.

Why the iPhone 7 Plus camera is a major milestone

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The iPhone 7 Plus made 2016 a memorable year for photography.
The iPhone 7 Plus made 2016 a memorable year for photography.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac We roll our eyes when Tim Cook introduces a new iPhone and says, “This is the best iPhone ever” each year. But the iPhone 7 Plus will be different.

Sure, ambitious upgrades remain in the pipeline, but the remarkable camera in the iPhone 7 Plus will make this year’s model memorable. Fifty years from now, photography historians will talk about the iPhone 7 Plus they way they do the first Leica or the first Polaroid.