Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Griffin takes the wraps off his new iPhone 16 Pro in desert titanium — and he doesn’t like what he sees. The new “color” revealed in his iPhone 16 Pro unboxing fails to knock our socks off.

Still, there’s plenty to talk about, though, including the new Camera Control and how third-party case manufacturers are coping with it.

Also on The CultCast:

• The new satin black titanium Apple Watch Ultra 2 on the other hand … smokin’! It’s enough to make a guy upgrade for the color alone.
• The first AirPods 4 reviews say the active noise cancellation works surprisingly well. They’re on Erfon’s list.
• New delays hit the rumored plastic Apple Watch SE and the first MacBook Pros with OLED screens.

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.

Apple Intelligence is not a part of iOS 18’s initial public release. Apple plans to debut its AI features with iOS 18.1 sometime in October and continue improving them with subsequent releases.

With iOS 18.2, Apple Intelligence will gain features like Genmoji, Image Playground app, and optional ChatGPT integration.

I find going to the mall for an Apple Store sales event exciting yet brutally soul-sapping, even when a preorder makes pick-up relatively easy. But it’s well worth it when it results in the excellent new Apple Watch Series 10 on my wrist. I actually couldn’t wait to write this Apple Watch Series 10 review.

Larger, thinner, lighter and more lushly curvaceous than predecessors, the 10th anniversary Apple Watch is, technically, a redesign. But it feels like a bunch of iterative improvements more than a huge overhaul. And yet those small changes simply add up to great — with only a couple of small caveats.

Three years after its launch, the iPhone 13 Pro can still hold its own in 2024 with a great display, excellent cameras, and decent battery life. However, the iPhone 16 Pro packs some compelling new features that make it worth upgrading from your old iPhone.

What are these improvements? When comes to iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro, is the upgrade worth it? Check out our detailed specs comparison to find out.

An iPhone 16 Pro teardown reveals significant internal changes. This includes a compact and denser motherboard and a metal-enclosed battery.

Surprisingly, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery is still enclosed in black foil.

If you’re one of the many people frustrated by the Photos app redesign in iOS 18, you can fix it to make it easier to use again. Apple’s updated design replaces the Photos app’s tab bar for navigation with a single, scrollable list view.

You scroll up for your photo library, and scroll down to browse your collections, people and albums. But its default layout makes it hard to find a few useful features, like Hidden and Recently Deleted. There’s only one library view now, but it’s sorted by Date Captured by default — a lot of people prefer to sort by Recents.

It’s possible to revert some these changes to “fix” the Photos app in iOS 18 and make it easier — or at least more comfortable — to navigate. However, the changes aren’t obvious. Here’s how to restore your sanity.

As you probably already know, loads of new Apple hardware went on sale Friday in Apple Stores worldwide. Apple celebrated the iPhone 16 launch with photos of crowded stores from … all over. The photos and social media posts seem to contradict initial reports of lower-than-expected preorders on new iPhone 16 handsets.

Many of the pics show customers gleefully getting their new iPhones, Apple Watch Series 10 wearables, the new black titanium Apple Watch Ultra 2, AirPods 4 and new colors for AirPods Max.

See photos and videos from Apple’s iPhone 16 launch day below.

If you love your iPad, there’s no reason to buy a second computer. Add a few accessories and you can quickly transform an iPad into an iMac mini — a small desktop computer easily up to personal use.

I use an iPad as my primary computer, so I have some recommendations for items to take your tablet to the next level.

Today’s M1 Mac mini user highly recommends a killer keyboard we rarely see in setups, from a brand we see everywhere in setups — Keychron. The maker’s popular K line of affordable keebs features a full-size mode that doesn’t show up all that often, perhaps because many folks favor smaller ones these days, eschewing the number pad.

Now’s your chance to get the biggest discounts you’ve ever seen on Microsoft software like Windows 11 Pro — the CdkeySales September Sale slashes some prices by up to 91%! In the sale, you will find big discounts on productivity software like Windows and Microsoft Office. That includes Windows 10 Pro for just $17.05 — and a free upgrade comes with it! Or you can cut straight to the chase and buy a Windows 11 Pro key at a deeply discounted price.

You can always find remarkably low prices at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com. To get the most savings, enter promo code CULT. That cuts an additional 30% off the site’s low prices on genuine software keys. And don’t forget: When you buy a Windows 10 key, you get a free upgrade to Windows 11!

This refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro from 2018 boasts a Touch Bar, and the laptop’s on sale for just $399.99. Whether you love or hate the Touch Bar, there’s no denying its potential to speed up your workflow with quick access to tools, shortcuts and app-specific controls.

Plus, it’s cool and fun … and discontinued!

The first set of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro preorders began arriving for customers late Thursday U.S. time, with the new iPhones also officially going on sale in Apple Stores. Around the world, Apple fans lined up at stores to snatch up the latest, greatest iPhones.

Besides the iPhone 16 series, AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10 preorders also began reaching customers.

Although Apple’s chip maker TSMC is moving toward 2nm processors, the technology will not be ready in time for to go into the iPhone 17 series next year, according to a noted analyst.

That means iPhone will use 3nm chips for three years running, though the process for making these gets improved annually.

Apple’s CarPlay platform is wildly convenient, making everything from navigation to entertainment easy while you’re behind the wheel. However, that convenience is undercut if you need to plug in your iPhone whenever you start the car. If your car can’t swing wireless CarPlay, no problem. The Ottocast US-Air Wireless CarPlay Adapter converts your vehicle’s wired system into a wireless one in a matter of moments.

Normally, the Ottocast would cost $89, but you can save a bunch with this new, open-box deal. Get a wireless CarPlay adapter for only $44.97 and free your iPhone from the cable.

Every iPhone 16 version got a higher-capacity battery. Every one. Apple says its new models will go longer without needing a recharge, and clearly that’s not hype.

Also, the conspiracy theory that Apple would reduce the size of the iPhone 16 Plus battery turned out to be bunk.

When Apple pushed out iOS 18, it trumpeted big changes to the Photos app (though it already rolled some back after negative feedback). Now, with the app’s public release, many users’ initial excitement has turned to disappointment and even anger on social media. The iOS 18 Photos app backlash is real — some people really hate it.

And amid that angst — and for that audience — developer LateNiteSoft put out the new Photon Library app designed along the lines of Apple’s old Photos app.

“We’re bringing back tabs, basic photo grids, a list of albums you can simply scroll through, and we even added some quick access to your Favorites!” Noël Rosenthal, a product manager atLateNightSoft, told Cult of Mac.

As bombs rain down on London during World War II, a mother sends her young son to safety in the countryside — only to learn he’s actually lost in the city’s fiery mayhem. His journey and her frantic search unfold in a new trailer dropped Thursday for new Apple Original Film Blitz, written and directed by Academy Award winner Sir Steve McQueen.

Saoirse Ronan stars as the mother in desperate search for her son in the film, set to premiere in theaters November 1 and stream on Apple TV+ November 22. Watch the trailer below.

You’ve probably seen some of the beautiful custom iPhone Home Screens on social media after the iOS 18 launch. Some people go to great lengths to creatively customize their iOS 18 Home Screen layout, icons and widgets.

It makes sense. After all, you open your phone and look at your Home Screen dozens (or even hundreds) of times every single day. A custom Home Screen that matches your style can bring a little spark of joy to your daily life every time you whip out your iPhone. And iOS 18 makes Home Screen customization easier than ever.

Keep reading (or watch our video) for a quick introduction into the world of custom Home Screens. You’ll find out about new features coming in iOS 18, how to go above and beyond using Shortcuts, and how you can top off your iPhone aesthetic with widgets. I’ve scoured the internet (Reddit, mostly) to find the finest examples.

Rather than Apple Watch Ultra 3, we got the Ultra 2 in a “satin black” titanium finish. This might be more disappointing if early reviewers weren’t raving about the new color.

“It looks sick as hell,” said The Verge reviewer.

The latest Woot! Apple Computers and Accessories sale nears its end — Friday at 10 p.m. Pacific. So act fast if you want to get great deals on Apple computers and accessories. The gear is mainly from yesteryear (Intel-based iMacs and Mac mini plus iPad cases and folios for older tablets).

And in a second accessories sale ending Monday, the Amazon bargain site offers a bigger variety of iPad cases and folios.

“iMacs: the preferred multimedia work station of iCarly,” Woot! says of the main sale. And on the iPad cases page: “Buy what your dad will inevitably call a “doo-dad” or “thing-a-ma-jig” or “damnit-I-just-had-it-somewhere.”

The European Commission intends to require iPhone and iPad to be more open to working with third-party smartwatches, headphones, virtual reality headsets, and other accessories. On Thursday, the EC began proceedings to “specify how Apple will provide effective interoperability with functionalities such as notifications, device pairing, and connectivity.”

Apple devices already work with a broad variety of accessories, but the company also says it has to balance connectivity with protecting user privacy. For the latest updates on Apple’s compliance and upcoming changes, check out the latest iPhone news.

The charging station’s compact design makes it one of the smaller MagSafe-compatible docks I’ve seen that supports 15W fast charging. Measuring just 3.07 x 2.36 x 2.36 inches, it’s small enough for travel if you have space in your bag or for keeping your workspace tidy because it doesn’t take up much space. The charger’s build quality is top-notch, featuring a tilting top charging panel for MagSafe iPhones that adjusts up to 70 degrees for a better viewing angle. This flexibility allows me to easily see notifications or watch videos while my device charges. It’s great for Standby mode, too. If you’d like to know more about similar charging solutions, check out this review.

Do you need a pair of high-performance, noise-canceling headphones, but your head is spinning from the subpar options on the market? This offer cuts through all the nonsense. For a limited time, these new, open-box JBL Tune 770NC over-ear headphones are on sale for just $89.99 (regularly $129).

Apple Intelligence will go live with iOS 18.1 release in October with US English support. During the “It’s Glowtime” iPhone 16 launch event, Apple confirmed it will expand Apple Intelligence’s language support next year.

The list of supported languages will increase even further next year, with the company planning to add more languages than initially announced.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are among Apple’s most repairable iPhones in recent years. The company made several internal design changes to make battery replacements and component swaps easier.

The changes will allow you to seamlessly swap the TrueDepth camera system between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro without issues.