Apple could make big design changes to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max next year. One such change would be the surprising decision to ditch the Pro models’ titanium edges for aluminum.
A new report also suggests the Pro models will switch to an aluminum camera bump, replacing the current 3D glass design. If you’re curious about when will iPhone 17 be released, early reports indicate Apple’s design choices will make this generation stand out.
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air could be even thinner than initially rumored. A new report on Monday details many of the slim iPhone’s features, revealing several design compromises Apple would make for thinness.
This includes ditching the SIM slot and switching to eSIM, even in units sold outside the US.
If your Apple Watch feels like it’s not responding to your taps, it could be in Water Lock mode. It’s easy to forget to turn off Water Lock Mode after you go for a swim or a shower.
There’s also a bit of confusion about how Apple Watch’s Water Lock feature works. Read on to see how to (and how not to) use it.
Apple named the finalists Monday for its annual App Store Awards. These awards honor “exceptional user experience, design, and innovation,” according to the Mac-maker. App awards come in a range of categories, like iPhone App of the Year, Mac Game of the Year, and many more.
The nominations aren’t just kudos for developers — they’re a great way for users to find high-quality software.
Today’s M4 Mac mini user was once devoted to MacBook Pro. And he still owns two of the laptops, for work and personal use, but he recently added a new M4 Pro Mac mini, and he absolutely loves it. He’s into gaming, so he added cool gaming peripherals like a mechanical keyboard and microphone from HyperX and a light-and-speedy mouse from Corsair. Check them out, along with all the rest of the setup’s gear, below.
It’s tough to take a professional-looking headshot, whether for a job application or your LinkedIn profile. But an AI headshot generator can definitely make you shine. InstaGlam.ai taps artificial intelligence to create the glamorous headshots you don’t have the time or expertise to produce, and all it needs are a few selfies.
Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to InstaGlam.ai for just $39.99 (regularly $97).
Apple reportedly will delay many of iOS 19’s bigger features until spring 2026. They will arrive eventually as part of iOS 19.4 instead of becoming available when the iPhone’s new operating system first drops in September 2025.
Apparently, the delay will affect “a larger-than-usual number of features.”
Apple is not planning any major upgrades to AirPods Max anytime soon. The company plans to keep the headphones around in its current iteration for the “foreseeable future.”
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The rumored “iPhone 17 Air” supposedly will delete major features to become Apple’s thinnest smartphone ever — and sell at a premium price. We debate the pros and cons of such a scenario. Plus, Apple reportedly plans to make AirTags even better … and might be reconsidering making an actual TV set.
It’s a rumor-packed podcast!
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast 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 live stream, embedded below.
When it comes to charging an Apple Watch, you typically have two choices: Use a wired charger that plugs into a power source or go with some sort of battery pack. This portable Apple Watch charger is different — it can do both. It comes with built-in USB-A and USB-C and USB-A cables so you can plug it into a computer or wall wart, and a 1,200mAh battery so you can use it to charge wirelessly wherever you go.
It’s ideal for anyone who’s always on the go and wants to keep their Apple Watch powered up without needing an outlet. At just $29.99, it’s a surprisingly capable Apple Watch charger. And it makes a great stocking stuffer for anyone who wears an Apple Watch!
Apple’s latest M4 MacBook Pro offers no improvements in repairability. This is unlike other devices that Apple launched this year, which focused on making repairs easier.
iFixit’s teardown of the M4 MacBook Pro also reveals that there are no internal design changes at all.
★★★★☆
Asus’ new ProArt 5K desktop monitor costs just half of what you’ll pay for Apple’s Studio Display but offers many of the same features. The Asus ProArt 5K PA27JCV boasts the same 27-inch screen, Retina resolution, standard framerate and P3 wide color gamut as Apple’s midrange monitor. It also comes with a built-in USB hub and KVM, which proves great if you still use a few USB-A accessories or flash drives.
Admittedly, Asus’ 5K desktop monitor misses some of the Studio Display’s premium features. The stand wobbles and the body is made of creaky plastic. Plus, the panel isn’t quite as bright as Apple’s display, and it doesn’t come with a webcam.
Still, with very similar specs — and a budget-friendly $799 list price, compared to the Studio Display’s $1,599 (or $1,999 if you dare to desire an adjustable stand) — Asus is making an offer that’s hard to refuse. Keep reading or watch our video review.
Apple is now selling refurbished iPad 10 through its online store in the US.
Buying a refurbished iPad will help you save an additional 15% off the device’s MSRP.
The best stylus for new Apple tablets: the M4 iPad Pro, the M3 iPad Air and M2 iPad Air, plus the iPad mini 7. We gave it the maximum rating in our hands-on review, and found that its pro features are worthy of the price.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Normally season-two episodes of hit Apple TV+ sci-fi series Silo air on Fridays, but Apple TV+ said it plans to move upcoming episode three to Wednesday, November 27, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend celebrated in the United States. As in the past, the streamer apparently makes that move to try to maximize viewership while people are home recovering from Turkey Day food comas.
And as many Apple TV+ watchers know, the streamer often posts new episodes the evening before the air date. So you might be able to watch it as early as Tuesday night.
Lots of folks who do live video streaming or video calls opt for purpose-built webcams rather than what comes in laptops or displays. That’s because the standalone cameras usually feature better-quality images and video plus more features in general. Today’s M4 Mac mini user fixes an Obsbot webcam atop his external Lenovo display. We rarely if ever see it, but it packs a lot of interesting features.
The United Kingdom could precipitate a significant iPhone revamp after a government report found that “Apple’s rules restrict other competitors from being able to deliver new, innovative features that could benefit consumers.”
The findings in the report are sure to inform government regulators as they enforce the U.K.’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which goes into effect in January 2025.
Apple plans to further improve Siri with iOS 19 in 2025 by using advanced next-generation large language models (LLMs).
Thanks to the new LLMs powering Siri, the voice assistant should become much more conversational.
WhatsApp is taking a cue from iMessage and finally adding support for voice message transcripts. This will allow the app to show transcriptions of voice notes when you cannot listen to the audio itself.
Meta beta test voice message transcription in WhatsApp for over a year before rolling it out to the public.
I always use Apple’s privacy-focused Sign in with Apple and Hide My Email services whenever I get the option.
The Sign in with Apple feature, which lets you log into third-party accounts using your Apple ID while keeping your personal info private, is so easy to use that I utilize it everywhere. But that also means my disguised logins pile up, accumulating in the digital junk drawer that is iCloud Settings. If you ever need to manage or transfer your Apple purchases history, Apple now offers an option to migrate digital purchases between accounts.
I’ll show you where you can find, manage or delete these accounts. Perhaps you’re jumping ship from iPhone to Android, and you want to make sure you still have another way of signing into your Chipotle account.
The Hide My Email service is similar. It creates a temporary email address that forwards to your real one — handy if you’re signing up for a shady website, or if you need a public contact email. I’ll show you where you can create new ones and delete the old ones.
Black Friday arrives on November 29, but many sales on tech gear kick off a week or more before that. Take Sonos, for example. You can find a range of great deals on headphones, speakers, soundbars and bundles of different products starting Thursday (November 21) in the Sonos Black Friday sale. Most of the bargains are at both Sonos and Amazon. Go to Sonos to see the whole sale on one page and grab the bundles. Follow links to either Amazon or Sonos below for various Labor Day deals on Sonos audio gear.
The just-announced Satechi Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure adds an array of front-facing ports to Apple’s slimmed-down desktop. There’s also room inside for an NVMe SSD.
The multi-purpose accessory is designed to match the size and appearance of the Mac.
Apple Music named Billie Eilish Artist of the Year for 2024 on Thursday. That makes her the first artist to receive the honor twice. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter previously won the inaugural award in 2019.
“Since day one, Apple Music has supported my music and artistry, and I am both honored and humbled to receive this recognition as Artist of the Year this many years into my career,” Eilish said.
Keychron is pretty much synonymous with mechanical keyboards, having flooded the market with solid and affordable models for years. And when it comes to Black Friday mechanical keyboard deals, the maker is discounting keebs from its Keychron and Lemokey lines on Amazon, with 15% to 25% off deals on more than 100 keyboards. Below you’ll find a sampling of cool options.
And you can nab even better deals on Keychron mechanical keyboards at Amazon bargain site Woot! — up to 63% off — and more will be added Thanksgiving week, the company said.
What’s the plan for the weekend? If you want to bring music practically anywhere, stick a JBL Clip 5 portable Bluetooth speaker to your bag. These rugged Bluetooth speakers, which feature a cool carabiner clip that lets you attach them to almost anything, are on sale now for just $59.99 (regularly $79).