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Apple has no plans to refresh the iPhone SE

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iPhone SE
Two new iPhone SE models for 2020?
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

If you’re yet to adjust to a larger iPhone, it seems you’re going to get left behind. A new report claims Apple has no plans to refresh the iPhone SE, its smallest and most affordable handset, which hasn’t been properly updated since last March.

Limited-edition iPhone lens kit packs sharp-shooting tools

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olloclip and Incase
The Filmer's Kit has most iPhone photo and video scenarios covered.
Photo: olloclip

If you’re an iPhone photographer with olloclip lenses, you’re pretty serious about your mobile image captures.

olloclip and big-name accessories brand Incase partnered with you in mind for a limited-edition Filmer’s Kit that became available today at Apple stores worldwide.

Behold the world’s thinnest leather iPhone case

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Totallee thin leather iPhone case
Totallee's new lambskin-backed iPhone cases are stylish, durable and measure a mere 0.02 inches thick.
Photo: Totallee

This post is brought to you by Totallee, maker of ultra-slim iPhone cases.

When you drop coin for a new iPhone, the natural instinct is to protect it properly. The preferred way to do that is with quality, long-lasting leather. But a nice leather case adds a steep premium to an already pricey purchase.

Gadgets to make traveling easy [Tech Travel Tips]

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roost stand
Travel is a time to leave things behind, but some gadgets will make your trips a lot easier.
Photo: Roost

tech travel tips Welcome to Tech Travel Tips, a week of travel tips for vacationers. This week we’ll show you how to keep your devices safe while traveling, what apps to download before you go, what settings you should change before leaving the house and — kicking off the week — the best travel gadgets to take with you. Let’s get started!

iPhone 8 will show up late but totally rock the party

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iphone 8 display
iPhone 8 could arrive on time after all.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Yet another analyst is warning that this year’s big iPhone 8 upgrade will launch late, but they promise it will be worth the wait.

Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty has told investors that the device won’t be available until October, rather than September, but it will bring “the most meaningful feature and technology upgrades in iPhone’s history.”

Apple goes emoji crazy on World Emoji Day

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EMOJIS
Apple's got some new emoji coming to Mac and iOS.
Photo: Apple

Today is World Emoji Day, and to celebrate humankind’s successful reduction of language into 2,000+ tiny pictograms, Apple has shared images of some of the new emoji coming to iOS, macOS and watchOS later this year.

Oh, and it’s launched a pretty awesomely creative promotion in iTunes as well!

This app will clean up your writing, on the phone and computer [Deals]

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GingerPage
GingerPage makes the suite of text editing tools you'd use into part of the writing process itself,
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether through email, text, of social media posts, we communicate by text more than ever. And one surefire way to make the wrong impression is to send a message full of misspellings and bad grammar. Or maybe more accurate, the way to set yourself apart is to write without any goof-ups.

Android creator’s Essential Phone will fight iPhone worldwide

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Essential Phone
Essential Phone will expand its reach to new markets.
Photo: Essential

The Essential Phone, built by Android creator Andy Rubin, will do battle against the iPhone in new markets around the world.

For now, the device is only available to those in the U.S. — but Essential is already in talks with carriers in the U.K., Europe, and Japan as it looks to expand its reach.

WhatsApp brings expanded file sharing, chat pinning to iPhone

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WhatsApp
You’ll need a new iPhone if you can’t update to iOS 8 or later.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp just rolled out a big update on iPhone that makes the world’s most popular messaging service even more useful.

Users can now pin chats to the top of their conversation list to make them easier to find, and share files of any kind with their friends and colleagues.

Former Apple exec says iPhone falling behind Samsung

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x
The iPhone set the bar, but Samsung is trying to push it higher.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The new iPhone that will officially mark the 10th anniversary of Apple’s most successful product is already swirling in high expectations and rumors of production delays. Now the much anticipated iPhone 8 has another bar to hurdle – one set by Samsung.

Apple’s former creative director warns that Apple is struggling against its biggest competitor and is now feeling the absence of the late founder and CEO Steve Jobs.

China’s huge Apple Pay promotion offers massive rewards

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Apple Pay promotion is the biggest in China since the service debuted.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple is running a massive Apple Pay promotion in China this week, in an attempt to grab a larger chunk of the mobile payments market currently dominated by Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings.

The promotion runs from tomorrow through July 24, and offers customers who use Apple Pay discounts of up to 50 percent, plus reward points up to 50x those of regular credit cards. The promotion is the biggest one since Apple Pay debuted in China in February 2016.

iPhone 8 won’t enter mass-production until months after launch

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iPhone 8 facial recognition
We could be waiting a long time for iPhone 8.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Want to be one of the first to get your hands on Apple’s big iPhone 8 upgrade this fall? Prepare yourself for disappointment.

According to a new report, the device won’t enter mass-production until months after its official unveiling, and only small quantities will be available at first.

Australia wants Apple to create an iPhone backdoor

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iPhone hack
Apple is unlikely to be totally on-board.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Australia’s Attorney-General George Brandis is set to meet with a representative from Apple this week to discuss the subject of strong encryption, and how this relates to police and intelligence agency investigations.

Brandis is reportedly pushing for Apple to create a backdoor that would allow security agencies to circumvent Apple’s current end-to-end encryption.

Amazon’s ‘Anytime’ app may muscle in on messaging

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Amazon
Amazon plans to launch a 'me too' mobile massaging app, apparently.
Photo: AFTV News

Amazon is reportedly launching its own messaging app to rival Apple’s Messages, among others.

Called “Anytime,” the service will reportedly boast voice and video calls, and possible photo-sharing, with the obligatory filters for photos and video with “special effects and masks.” More interestingly, it will also focus on group activities, such as playing games, listening to music, and — here’s the big one — ordering food.

Seeing AI, Infltr, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you want to see how far artificial intelligence has advanced in the past few years, this week saw the release of an impressive AI image recognition app that can describe the world around you in natural language.

That’s just one of the picks we’ve highlighted for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup. We’ve also got a great new Street Fighter IV port, a brilliant photo-editor gone free, and a tremendous artistic puzzle game.

Check out our choices below.

This lesson bundle is like boot camp for coding [Deals]

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Pay What You Want Learn to Code
Whether you're a beginner or a pro, this bundle of coding lessons can help get you caught up for whatever you're willing to pay.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

For newcomers, the world of coding can seem too big to even know where to begin. Even seasoned developers can find their skills slipping from too little use. That’s why both groups can benefit from a comprehensive coding education.

Cult of Mac Magazine: Test-drive iOS 11 beta 3 and more

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ios 11 beta 3
Apple's iOS 11 beta 3 adds new iPad multitasking features, Siri upgrades and more in this week's Cult of Mac Magazine!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS 11 beta 3 is out for developers, and we’ve got a rundown of all the new features and changes. Check out reviews, tips and how-to’s on Apple’s latest release.

In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine, you’ll find that story and more. Learn how to capture and edit digital photos at a professional level. And, check out stunning iPhone photos of The Golden City from Burton Rast’s Shapes of San Francisco. Get your free subscription from iTunes. Or, read on for this week’s top stories.

Protect your drive, upgrade your productivity, and more [Week’s best deals]

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collage-2017-07-14
This week's best deals include powerful drive maintenance tools, productivity aids, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Welcome to another week of great new deals at the Cult of Mac Store. This time around we’ve got awesome noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones, and an app for staying on top of any project. There’s also a powerful VPN for safe and anonymous browsing, and an award-winning tool for protecting and repairing your computer’s drive. Everything is discounted by well over half, read on for more details:

Why even audiophiles are hyped for HomePod, this week on The CultCast

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Phil Schiller said Apple won't release the HomePod till it's satisfied with the quality.
Phil Schiller said Apple won't release the HomePod till it's satisfied with the quality.
Photo: Digital Trends

This week on The CultCast: The magic of HomePod! We’ll tell you about the built-in audio tech that’s getting even the most ardent audiophiles hyped about Apple’s upcoming smart speaker.

Plus: Why iPhone 8’s biggest features may be disabled at launch; how you can grab Apple’s new back-to-school promo without being in college; the fascinating story behind Steve Jobs’ iconic turtleneck; more of iOS 11’s best unknown features; and we wrap with the heartwarming story of why Jobs insisted on always buying his friends’ lunches.

Our thanks to Casper for supporting this episode. Learn why Casper makes the internet’s favorite mattress, and save $50 off your order at casper.com/cultcast.

Wizibel makes videos for your music, so you don’t have to

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wizibel
It won't make Thriller, but it's better than nothing.
Photo: Klevgränd

The rumors say that SoundCloud is on its way out. The company is laying off staff, while burning through streaming bandwidth with no real way to make any money. If you’re a musician, this is a big deal, because SoundCloud is where you share music, and where you go to hear other musicians’ music. It’s a mixtape and an audition reel combined.

The smart move is to take your music to YouTube, because a) it’s not going away, b) it’s free, and c) it’s where everyone goes for free music anyway. The problem? You need to make a video. You could always just put a still image up there, but then the kids will get bored and move onto something else. But as a musician, you’d probably rather spend your time making music instead of making movie.

Luckily — surprise surprise — there’s an app for that. It’s called Wizibel, ands it comes from master iOS music-app-maker Klevgränd.

How to use iOS Mail’s auto unsubscribe feature

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unsubscribe iPhone
Unsubscribe from mailing lists with just two taps.
Photo: Cult of Mac

If you find yourself on a mailing list that you either never signed up for, or just got sick of, then iOS Mail has you covered. The app has a built-in feature that detects emails from mailing lists, and offers to unsubscribe from them right there, without you having to visit the sender’s site and hunt for the unsubscribe option yourself, like some kind of spam-lackey.