Mobile menu toggle

iPhone X meta review: Setting Apple up for the next 10 years

By •

iPhone X first impressions
The iPhone X reviews are here!
Photo: Soldier Knows Best

The first wave of iPhone X impressions and reviews have started to emerge, offering a glimpse of what tech reviewers make of Apple’s next-gen smartphone.

The verdict? The 10th anniversary iPhone is a seriously impressive handset, and quite possibly Apple’s best ever — although one or two reservations remain. Check out our roundup of some of the most interesting observations below.

The expensive piano Steve Jobs bought the Mac team lives on

By •

piano
Don't even think about playing the Samsung ringtone.
Photo: Freddy Anzures/Instagram

From lavishing employees with stock options to offering inspirational speeches to just plain yelling at folks, Steve Jobs had plenty of methods he could use to drive people to do their best work.

When it came to developing the original Macintosh, however, he had another ace up his sleeve: he bought them a crazy expensive piano. And, from the look of things, it lives on at Apple.

Apple could ditch Qualcomm chips for future iPhones and iPads

By •

Qualcomm patents
Apple may rely on alternative companies instead.
Photo: Qualcomm

With the legal battles between Apple and Qualcomm showing no signs of coming to a close, a new report claims that Apple is working to develop new iPhones and iPads for 2018 which don’t make use of any Qualcomm chips whatsoever.

While Apple (obviously) hasn’t made any announcements yet, it is said to be looking at chips made by Intel and MediaTek. The reason for the lack of Qualcomm’s chips could be a mutual decision, due to Apple not wanting to continue to work with Qualcomm, and Qualcomm withholding the necessary testing software for its latest chips.

How to delete WhatsApp messages you already sent

By •

WhatsApp unsend delete
WhatsApp now lets you unsend messages.
Photo: Cult of Mac

WhatsApp, one of the world’s most popular messaging apps, now lets you unsend messages — albeit with a time limit. And not just on your phone, either. If you delete a message, it will be removed from the conversation for anyone who is participating.

That’s great news for folks who are prone to sending messages to groups instead of individuals, or who decide that a late-night photo drunk-texted to the boss was less of a bonding moment and more of a potential-firing moment. Here’s how to undelete your messages in WhatsApp.

Tim Cook meets with president of China

By •

tim cook
Tim Cook during one of his last visits to Asia.
Photo: Tim Cook/Weibo

Apple CEO Tim Cook along with Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg met with Chinese President Xi Jinping today as Apple prepares to launch the iPhone X in the country this week.

The two tech CEOs were on hand at the annual gathering of advisers to Beijing’s Tsinghua University business school, where Xi spoke to business leaders and other officials.

The first iOS 11.2 beta is already here

By •

iPhone
iOS 11.1 isn't even out yet.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple surprised developers today with the release of the first beta for iOS 11.2.

iOS 11.2 beta 1 was seeded to developers even though iOS 11.1 still hasn’t been released to the public. The update comes with a number of new features as well as bug fixes and performance improvements.

iMac Pro goes on display at Final Cut Pro event

By •

iMac Pro
The iMac Pro is a stunner.
Photo: Brian King/Twitter

Apple gave fans an early hands-on preview of the iMac Pro at the Final Cut Pro Creative Summit in Cupertino this weekend.

The new machine is slated to go on sale later this year. Apple demoed the iMac Pro along with Final Cut Pro X 10.4 which packs some big new features.

YouTube TV’s skinny bundle lands on Apple TV soon

By •

YouTube TV
YouTube TV is coming to the big screen.
Photo: YouTube

YouTube TV will be available as a native app on the Apple TV “in the coming weeks.”

The service, which made its debut back in April priced at $35 a month, gives TV fans the ability to watch live streams from five major broadcast networks, as well as more than 40 cable channels.

You can now search eBay using images

By •

gretsch guitar ebay
Find that sweet vintage guitar on eBay just by snapping a photo.
Photo: Freebird/Flickr CC

It just got a whole lot easier to find odd items on eBay. Now, instead of typing in your search criteria, you can just snap a photo of an object, and eBay will search across the site and return any results that look like your photo.

This is great for those times that you have no idea how to describe something, but you totally have to buy it. Or when you see something in an image and don’t know how search for it on Amazon. Or when you see a super-cool vintage blouse/jacket/bag and want to find something similar.

YouTube stars show off iPhone X early

By •

iPhone X first impressions
$1000 for an iPhone isn't too pricey, right?
Photo: Soldier Knows Best

Apple’s embargo on iPhone X reviews isn’t expected to lift until Tuesday, but it seems the company has allowed YouTube stars to give their first impressions early.

A bunch of hands-on videos have been published today, giving us a closer look at the company’s most anticipated product in years.

Early iPhone X impressions: Face ID ‘pretty much’ works

By •

FaceID
Face ID requires a bit of getting used to.
Photo: Apple

The embargo hasn’t yet lifted on the official iPhone X reviews, but Steven Levy — a journalist who was also among the first people to get his hands on an original iPhone one decade ago — has published an article, revealing his initial thoughts.

The verdict? That, despite one or two minor quibbles, this could well be the iPhone that you’ve been dreaming of, although Face ID isn’t a totally seamless password system, and requires a bit of getting used to.

Steve Jobs’ classic BMW hits the auction block

By •

Steve BMW
And this one comes with a license plate...
Photo: Sotheby's

Ever dreamed of traveling in style like Steve Jobs? If so — and if you’re happy to spend the price of a good-sized family home in many parts of the U.S. — then you could be the proud new owner of the 400-horsepower BMW Z8 once driven by Apple’s late co-founder.

The BMW is going up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York next month, with a sales price expected to reach between $300,000 and $400,000.

Apple will make changes to Chicago store to save birds

By •

Chicago apple store
Apple's new store is located on Magnificent Mile.
Photo: Apple

Apple has agreed to dim the lights of its fancy new Chicago Apple Store during the fall months due to deadly bird strikes.

According to the volunteer group Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, dead birds have been found at the Apple Store ever since it opened earlier this month, due to their propensity for becoming disoriented due to the lights, before crashing into the walls.

Apple fires engineer whose daughter posted unauthorized iPhone X video

By •

iPhone X hands-on
Turns out that it's not a good idea to post unauthorized hands-on videos of Apple products from Apple's own HQ.
Photo: Brooke Amelia Peterson

It’s not just those folks who tried to preorder their iPhone X online who experienced a nightmare scenario; an Apple employee whose daughter posted a hands-on video of the phone ahead of its release has been fired.

Next year’s iPhone will stick with the same Face ID sensor

By •

Michael Cohen Face ID
Apple apparently has sorted out Face ID sensor component troubles.
Photo: Apple

Respected Apple analyst KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo says that shipments of the 3D sensor components for the iPhone X are now stable, meaning that future shipments of the handset — along with next year’s iPhone refresh — should not be subject to delays.

Kuo says that shipments of the 2018 iPhone models will arrive on time and in stable supply this time next year. He also claims that there won’t be a “major spec upgrade” made to the sensor for next year’s iPhone launch.

Cover up your Mac’s camera with software [Deals]

By •

Sorry, but sticking a piece of paper over your camera isn't a viable security solution.
Sorry, but sticking a piece of paper over your camera isn't a viable security solution.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you see Mark Zuckerberg covering up his webcam, you know there’s good reason. After all, webcams are the windows into our world for hackers and snoops. And with facial recognition taking off as a security feature, taking control of your webcam is only going to get more important.

Custom-fit leather Apple Watch band takes style to next level [Watch Store]

By •

FFF
The adjustable length Button-Stud Apple Watch band fits virtually all wrist sizes — from the fleshiest to thinnest!
Photo: Form Function Form

Best List: Button-Stud Apple Watch Band by Form Function Form

Making Apple’s “most personal device ever” personal to you is super-serious business for one Florida purveyor of handmade leather goods.

Echoing the individuality of Apple Watch, Form Function Form takes customization to new levels in the design of its one-of-a-kind Button-Stud Apple Watch Band. This ingenious leather strap has 21 different size options, one of which is sure to fit even the thinnest or fleshiest of wrists. If it doesn’t, the company provides free size adjustments for the entirety of your life.

We’ve added seven new leather colors to the Watch Store lineup! Read on for my review:

Upgrade your reading speed, data management and more [Week’s best deals]

By •

Manage and protect your mobile data, up your reading speeds, and more.
Manage and protect your mobile data, up your reading speeds, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The cool weather (finally) starts to settle in. But here at the Cult of Mac Store, we’ve got some hot new deals on gear and gadgets to keep you warm. That includes iOS management tools, super secure cloud storage, even a WiFi connected dartboard. Most are more than 60 percent off, read on for more details:

Catch the best iPhone X deals plus our favorite gadgets on The CultCast

By •

CultCast iPhone X
We'll tell you how to save up to $500 on your iPhone X.
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: We’ll tell you how to get the best deal on your iPhone X, saving yourself some serious cash money. Plus: Why Woz says the iPhone X will be the first iPhone he won’t buy on Day 1. And we discuss Amazon Key, the new service that lets your delivery man into your home when you’re not there. Then stay tuned to hear what we like and don’t about the gadgets we’re currently testing in an all-new Under Review!

Cult of Mac Magazine: Preordered iPhone X? Here’s what to do next, and more!

By •

cover
When your iPhone X arrives, you’re going to want to start using it as quickly as possible. But there are some things you’ll need to do first — like transferring all your data from your old phone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You have one week to wait for your new iPhone X preorder to arrive (if you’re one of the lucky ones). There are some things you should be doing during that time to ensure you’re all set for delivery day. We’ll give you some great tips on how to prepare for the arrival of your new Precious.

In this week’s issue, you’ll find that story and more. Figure out whether to go for the iPhone X or the iPhone 8. Learn how to add audio files to iPhone’s Music app. Discover a beautiful and luxurious MacBook sleeve by Woolnut, and check out reviews of Zens Powerbank and Just Mobile’s Lounge Dock for Apple Watch, which are now in our Watch Store. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.