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News

The latest Apple news, opinion and analysis posts from Cult of Mac writers.

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on News:

Your wait for M5 Ultra Mac Studio just got longer

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M5 Max-Ultra Mac Studio launch
The next-gen Mac Studio reportedly won’t ship until this fall.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

The wait for Apple’s much-anticipated M5 refresh of the Mac Studio just got longer. The company will reportedly delay the launch of the next big MacBook Pro refresh to 2027 as well.

The ongoing DRAM and NAND flash shortages are to blame for the delay, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Make your iPhone completely hacker-proof — with a huge downside

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iPhone Lockdown mode: Apple’s most powerful iPhone security tool
You can be confident that Lockdown Mode will keep your iPhone safe from spyware.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

There’s a setting you can activate on your iPhone that will make it virtually impossible to hack. By flipping a switch, your iPhone will become so secure that Apple says no phone using Lockdown Mode has ever been hacked.

Sure sounds great. Surprise — here’s why you don’t want to use it.

Apple’s smart glasses come into focus [Cult of Mac podcast No. 17]

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Drawing of a person wearing Apple smart glasses
The latest rumor gives us a better idea what to expect from Apple's smart glasses.
Illustration: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: New details emerge about Apple’s smart glasses, including possible shapes, sizes and colors.

Now for the important question: Will we — or anybody else — actually want to wear a pair?

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

  • Apple reportedly plans a last-ditch effort to get its Siri team up to speed on AI-powered coding. Meanwhile, Siri’s worse than ever! Will Apple make the WWDC26 deadline for the Siri upgrade?
  • The tech behind the first folding iPhone’s (supposedly) crease-free screen sounds insane.
  • A MacBook Pro setup puts the weirdest hinged screens we’ve ever seen front and center.
  • And finally, Griffin shows us how to walk back one of macOS Tahoe’s most divisive design decisions.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast 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 version, embedded below.

iPhone users are more loyal to Apple than ever

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iPhone loyalty hits a new high
Love your iPhone? You are not alone. Very few iPhone users have any interest in switching.
AI image: Gemini/Cult of Mac

Phone users are sticking with Apple at unprecedented levels, according to a new nationwide survey, underscoring the growing strength of the company’s ecosystem and the challenges facing rivals trying to win them over.

And while Android users’ loyalty to their smartphone maker is noticeably weaker, that doesn’t mean huge numbers are switching to Apple.

Dark cherry in, cosmic orange out in iPhone 18 Pro color lineup

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iPhone 17 Pro edited to a dusty purple color, showing the camera plateau
This image shows what iPhone 18 Pro could look like in dark cherry red (Pantone 6076).
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

New supply chain information reveals the four iPhone 18 Pro colors Apple might release this September. The popular and vibrant cosmic orange is gone, with a dark, wine-colored cherry red in its place, according to a new report.

OpenAI’s Codex can now control your Mac apps

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Codex update makes it a lot more powerful.
OpenAI just gave Codex a big upgrade.
Screenshot: OpenAI

ChatGPT is making its Codex app for Mac more powerful. It can now operate your Mac in the background, plug into more apps and services and even browse the web.

OpenAI initially launched Codex primarily for coding purposes. But the latest update greatly expands its capabilities.

Edifier brings versatile audio to multi-device setups [M90 speakers now on sale]

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Edifier M90 Compact Active Speakers
Here the M90 speakers bring 100W of audio power to a computer setup.
Photo: Edifier

Update: Introduced at CES 2026, Edifier’s new M90 Comact Active Speakers finally went on sale Wednesday. They’re the company’s first compact active speaker with HDMI eARC for easy use across desktop and TV-based setups. Available in black or white colors, they cost $370 per pair (not cheap, but incredibly versatile). 

Edifier introduced a new lineup of speakers at CES 2026 designed specifically for users who need seamless audio across multiple devices and environments, the China-based audio manufacturer said. 

The collection addresses a growing need among consumers who work, stream, game, and entertain from the same space, often switching between desktop computers, TVs, gaming consoles and mobile devices throughout the day.

Perplexity wants Mac mini to be your AI project manager [Now available]

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Perplexity Personal Computer
The intriguing prospect of Mac mini as AI project manager comes with some privacy questions.
Image: Perplexity

Update: Perplexity said in March it would unleash Personal Computer software to work as an artificial intelligence manager for Mac, and now it’s available. 

Original post:

Artificial intelligence search engine company Perplexity just unveiled what it calls Personal Computer. It’s not a new piece of hardware, but a layer of software that transforms a Mac — specifically an M4 Mac mini in the company’s promotions — into a tireless AI employee.

It works around the clock, coordinates other artificial intelligence systems, accesses your local files and can be controlled from anywhere in the world. Mac users might be intrigued. Privacy advocates may not be so sure.

5 reasons Apple’s ecosystem is almost impossible to leave

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AI-generated image of MacBook, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods, with an Apple logo and lines connecting all the devices, used to illustrate a story about why Apple's ecosystem is difficult to leave.
Can you leave Apple's ecosystem?
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

What makes the Apple ecosystem so alluring? Individually, the iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch might not be the best devices in their respective categories. Yet, when combined, they form one of the best ecosystems in the world.

It’s this Apple ecosystem — the so-called walled garden — that makes it almost impossible to ditch Apple devices. But what makes it so good?

Let there be light: First iPhone variable-aperture camera enters production

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First iPhone variable-aperture camera
iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture camera will be a first for Apple.
Photo: Pixabay at Pexels.com

Supply chain manufacturers have begun producing components for the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture camera system, according to a new report. It marks a significant milestone ahead of the device’s expected September launch — and a first in iPhone history.

All previous iPhone cameras feature fixed apertures. A variable aperture allows more control of light reaching the sensor for sharper, properly exposed images.

Why Apple is sending Siri developers to AI coding bootcamp

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Photo of two people coding on a laptop, used to illustrate a story about Apple employees learning AI coding skills to finish Siri
Apple will retrain existing employees with AI coding skills.
Photo: Mizuno K/Pexels

Apple will reportedly send a sizable share of its Siri development team to an intensive, multi-week bootcamp to improve their AI coding skills. To be clear, the employees won’t be learning how to make an AI, but how to use AI to develop.

It’s part of a push to finally complete the revamp of Apple’s voice assistant that the company promised years ago.

Gemini Mac app puts Google AI right in your workflow

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Gemini for Mac app gives you a new AI option.
Gemini for Mac offers a faster, more integrated way to get AI help.
AI image: Google/Apple/Gemini/Cult of Mac

Google brought its Gemini AI assistant directly to Mac, launching a new native macOS app on Wednesday. The app makes it easy to share what’s on your computer’s screen with the AI.

It’s designed to be more tightly integrated with the user’s workflow than the web version.

Here come fun new April Activity challenges on Apple Watch

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April Apple Watch Activity challenges
The award for completing the Earth Day challenge looks like this.
Photo: Apple

Apple will bring two limited-edition Activity challenges to Apple Watch this month, giving users a reason to get moving in the final stretch of April, the iPhone giant said. The occasions are Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22, and International Dance Day on Wednesday, April 29.

Apple holds the line while rivals jack up prices

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Microsoft and Samsung raise prices, testing consumer demand
Prices for lots of Samsung and Microsoft gear just took a jump. Ouch!
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Rising costs across the global tech supply chain are forcing some of Apple’s biggest competitors — most notably Microsoft and Samsung — to increase prices on smartphones, tablets and notebooks, signaling a potential shift in the competitive landscape for consumer electronics.

Apple has not increased prices. It’s actually recently moved the opposite direction by introducing the most affordable MacBook ever.

Apple seems confident that folding iPhone will be a hit

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Apple increased its bet on folding iPhone success
Apple is allegedly upbeat about demand for the iPhone Ultra, its first foldable.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly ramping up its supply of a critical component for the foldable iPhone, even as the broader market for foldable smartphones shows signs of slowing.

According to a supply chain report published Tuesday, the company increased its orders of foldable display panels by roughly 20%, a move that signals growing confidence in the long-rumored device.

New AI voice recorder captures calls even when you wear AirPods

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HiDock P1 AI Voice Recorder
You can keep your AirPods in with this one.
Photo: HiDock

A new AI voice recorder promises to solve one of the most persistent frustrations for professionals who live on calls — capturing both sides of a conversation via Bluetooth even when you wear headphones, and without requring bots, subscriptions or complicated setup. It’s the new HiDock P1 AI Voice Recorder.

New 10-port hub brings 8K video and high-speed networking to MacBooks

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Plugable USBC-10IN1E helps reduce MacBook port limitations
The Plugable USBC-10IN1E could be the powerful hub your MacBook needs.
Photo: Plugable

Plugable Technologies on Tuesday launched the USBC-10IN1E, a new 10-in-1 USB-C hub aimed at delivering docking station-level performance in a compact design. The company says the device stands out in a crowded market by combining high-wattage charging, advanced display support and faster networking in a single accessory.

Despite the advanced features, the new product is quite affordable — which is not surprising for Plugable.

Apple-Amazon deal keeps iPhone and Apple Watch satellite features alive

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Apple-Amazon deal keeps satellite features going
As Amazon acquires Globalstar, the Amazon Leo network will meet Apple's satellite needs.
Photo: Amazon

Apple secured a new agreement with Amazon ensuring the satellite features millions of iPhone and Apple Watch users depend on — including Emergency SOS — continue to work, even as the company that currently powers them is set to be acquired, the companies said Tuesday.

“This ensures our users will continue to have access to the vital satellite features they have come to rely on, including Emergency SOS, Messages, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, so they can stay safe and connected while off the grid,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, in an Amazon press release Tuesday.

How Apple’s folding iPhone will crack the crease problem

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folding iPhone concept = How Apple's folding iPhone will crack the crease problem
A folding iPhone concept shows open and closed versions of the new handset.
AI image: ChatGPT/Sonny Dickson/Cult of Mac

If you’ve ever looked at a foldable phone and winced at the visible crease down the middle of the screen, you’ll want to know what Apple has reportedly been working on as its first foldable iPhone approaches.

The industry’s approach to eliminating that unsightly fold line has fundamentally changed — and materials in development go well beyond clever hinge engineering, according to a new report. It’s how Apple’s fast-approaching folding iPhone will crack the crease problem.

Apple smart glasses could stand out in more ways than one

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Apple smart glasses could come in multiple designs.
Apple smart glasses may come in multiple designs.
AI image: ChatGPT

Apple’s sleek, simple smart glasses without a display, internally dubbed “N50”, reportedly will launch in 2027. The company is testing four designs for the wearable, in multiple finishes.

The smart glasses supposedly will integrate tightly with the iPhone and Siri to offer an experience like no other.

Why MacBook Neo 2 will boast 50% more RAM

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12GB of RAM in MacBook Neo 2 looks locked in — here’s why
The way Apple will source chips for the MacBook Neo 2 means it's getting a RAM boost.
AI image: Apple/ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Anyone still dissatisfied with the amount of RAM in the MacBook Neo should be pleased to learn that the second-generation version of Apple’s hit entry-level notebook will almost certainly boast 50% more RAM.

And that’s not a guess. Apple is already making the processor/RAM combos to go into the notebook, even though the release is not expected for almost another year.

To understand why, you need to know where Apple gets the chips for this popular computer. And once you know that, you’ll realize why we can confidently say the 2027 MacBook Neo will include 12GB of RAM.