Mobile menu toggle

T-Mobile CEO: iPhone 7 is shaping up to be a smash hit

By •

t-mobile
John Legere thinks the iPhone 7 is kind of a big deal.
Photo: T-Mobile

Update: Shares of Apple surged 1.1 percent in premarket trading on Tuesday following Legere’s comments.

According to charismatic T-Mobile CEO John Legere, reports about a supposed lack of interest in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are way overblown.

How overblown? In a live Periscope chat with customers, Legere said that T-Mobile’s iPhone 7 orders are shaping up to be four times those of the enormously popular iPhone 6.

The iPhone 7, he noted, “is a big, big deal.” Who are we to disagree?

iPhone 7 review roundup: Great, but won’t put a ding in the universe

By •

jet black iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
Yep, this Jet Black option is going to cause some issues.
Photo: Apple

The first iPhone 7 reviews are starting to trickle in. The verdict? The things you thought would annoy you probably will (like the disappearing headphone jack), but the big camera and battery upgrades are every bit as good as you’d hope.

Oh, and Apple’s new jet black color seems like it’s going to lead to its fair share of criticism — even if everyone is being very nice about it right now.

Check out our roundup of the early iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus reviews.

How to get ready for an iOS 10 upgrade the right way

By •

iOS 10
iOS 10 is coming. Are you ready?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS 10 will finally roll out to all compatible devices on Tuesday, September 13, bringing awesome new features to Messages, revamped Music and Apple News apps, a redesigned lock screen interface, and more.

Before you upgrade your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, there are some steps you should take to ensure everything goes smoothly. Here’s how to prepare for an iOS 10 upgrade the right way.

Apple’s interpretation of diversity includes Canadians

By •

diversity Apple
Apple is pledging to do more on the diversity front.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s iPhone 7 keynote only featured about eight minutes of stage time for women, but after being confronted about its lack of diversity, the company says its definition of the subject is a lot more flexible than normal apparently.

According to an Apple spokesman, both Canadians and British citizens should be counted as a sign of how diverse the iPhone maker is, even though most of the people of color and women that shared the stage don’t actually work for Apple.

How to scribble text replies in watchOS 3

By •

watchOS 3 lets you scribble notes to friends.
watchOS 3 lets you scribble notes to friends.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Responding to text messages on Apple Watch gets a lot easier with watchOS 3, thanks to a new feature that lets you scribble letters instead of just using canned replies.

The new handwriting option has quickly become one of my favorite features on the big update that just landed on Apple Watch by giving wearers the ability to say whatever they want without depending on Siri.

Here’s how to reply with scribbles when you get a text:

How to locate your files with Siri on macOS Sierra

By •

Siri
Siri wants to help you find your files.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Up until now, Siri’s remained a tool for accessing services rather than helping us navigate our Apple devices. That changes with macOS Sierra, which lets us use Apple’s helpful AI assistant to locate files using spoken commands.

Here’s how you can use the feature to your advantage if you’re running the new operating system, which is currently in public beta and will be released on September 20.

iPhone owners get slapped with higher repair costs in U.K.

By •

Some iPhone users in the UK are upset with Apple over sudden increases in repair costs.
Some iPhone users in the UK are upset with Apple over sudden increases in repair costs.
File Photo: Cult of Mac

Some iPhone users in the United Kingdom say Apple has suddenly hiked repair prices on older iPhones.

Replacing a cracked screen on an iPhone 6s rose significantly the day after Apple unveiled the iPhone 7 last week, according to unhappy customers quoted in the British press.

EU governments meet to divvy up $14.5 billion Apple tax windfall

By •

money
Apple hasn't paid the money yet, but already it's being divvied up.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

European Union finance ministers reportedly discussed how to divvy up the windfall from Apple’s 13 billion euros tax bill at a closed-door meeting in Slovakia over the weekend.

Some European governments were reportedly more keen on getting their hands on Apple’s money than others, with Germany’s Wolfgang Schäuble saying, “Of course we’re looking into it.”

Get half off the app that offers the key to unlocking your PDFs [Deals]

By •

Open your PDF documents for editing, annotation, and more with this all-in-one toolkit.
Open your PDF documents for editing, annotation, and more with this all-in-one toolkit.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

PDFs. We all use them because they’re reliable, convenient, and look great on pretty much any device. But when one is landing on or leaving your desktop with a mistake, making an adjustment can require finding the source document and printing a new copy, or calling someone else to do the same. PDF Expert offers a way around — or rather through — all that, making PDFs effortlessly editable. And right now you can get PDF Expert 2.0 for Mac for just $29.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Surface Pro ad mocks the MacBook Air’s lack of stylus

By •

Microsoft Surface to take on iPad
Look at us! Look at us!
Photo: Microsoft

The war between Microsoft and Apple may be as synonymous with the 1990s as grunge music, Alicia Silverstone and MTV playing music videos, but it seems that some folks just can’t let go of the past.

That’s based on Microsoft’s latest ad for the Surface Pro 4, which takes aim at the MacBook Air by pointing out that users of Apple’s laptop don’t possess the ability to sketch on screen using a stylus in the way that Surface Pro 4 customers can.

Check it out below.

Why Apple is the new NASA

By •

Apple Watch swimming app
Apple analyzed the performance of 700 swimmers to develop new Workout app routines.
Photo: Apple

Thirty minutes into Apple’s special event last week, one tidbit of information blew my mind.

Onstage, Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams was talking about the Workout app on the new “swim-proof” Apple Watch Series 2 and the effort the company put into advancing the software that makes the fitness device tick. The amount of research deployed, all in the pursuit of updating a segment of an app many Apple Watch wearers will never use, offers a peek into the enormous resources that Apple R&D commands.

It paints Apple, with its enduring emphasis on developing new materials, manufacturing processes and sophisticated software, as a scientific force to be reckoned with — a new NASA for the 21st century.

Sports Illustrated shows off stunning football pics shot on iPhone 7 Plus

By •

2016-0911-Tennessee-Titans-Minnesota-Vikings-game-iphone-7-Plus-SI537_TK1_02657
The Minnesota Vikings vs Tennessee Titans, as shot on iPhone 7.
Photo: David Klutho

Over the weekend, Sports Illustrated photographer David E. Klutho shared the first photos taken using Apple’s next-gen iPhone 7 Plus.

Depicting Sunday’s Titans-Vikings football game in all its glory, the snaps take full advantage of the plus-sized handset’s 12–megapixel telephoto lens, wider aperture and more vibrant colors.

The stunning images were even shared on Twitter by Tim Cook, under the punning headline, “Touchdown iPhone!”

Super Powerboy and the other iOS games we loved this week

By •

Super-Powerboy
One of the week's many great games!
Photo: Super Powerboy

With all the game-related goodies we heard about at this week’s iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 event, we decided to focus on mobile gaming for this week’s “Awesome Apps” installment.

Whether you’re searching for a jaw-droppingly stunning platform game, an excellent RPG card game, or a unique messaging game based on a hugely popular TV series, we think we’ve got what you’re looking for.

Check out our picks below.

Build an LCD-equipped Raspberry Pi and more [Week’s Newest Deals]

By •

This is the MFi-certified Lightning cable you know and love, with snakeskin chic.
This is the MFi-certified Lightning cable you know and love, with snakeskin chic.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Well, this sure was an diverse and surprising week for new deals on gear and gadgets. This batch of fresh arrivals includes an MFi certified Lightning cable wrapped in faux snakeskin (seriously), a super handy digital assistant, a digital lock pick kit for your PDFs, and a Raspberry Pi 3 with and LCD kit. Phew, that’s a rogue’s gallery of great deals. Read on for more details:

Apple hits reboot button on electric car project

By •

apple car
A rendering of an Apple car with a different kind of bumper
Photo: Motor1

Project Titan, Apple’s secret electric car program that was greenlit by Tim Cook two years ago, is facing a serious crisis.

The iPhone maker has reportedly laid off dozens of employees that were working on the auto project, even though the company has already started testing a couple of autonomous vehicles the team built.

Catch our iPhone 7, AirPods and Apple Watch 2 first impressions on The CultCast

By •

cultcast-apple-iphone7-jetblack-airpod

Photo: Cult of Mac

This week on The CultCast: iPhone 7, AirPods, the new Apple Watch — we’ll cover everything Apple announced this week, and tell you what we like, what we don’t, and what we’ll be spending our own hard-earned monies on. Plus: Nintendo’s big move into iOS, and how to lock down the exact iPhone you want when the preorders go live.

This episode is supported by TunnelBear, the simple privacy app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet. Visit GetTunnelBear.com to get your free TunnelBear today.

Learn a new language, run Windows apps on your Mac, and more [Week’s Best Deals]

By •

Run your favorite Windows apps and games right on your Mac and Linux machines
Run your favorite Windows apps and games right on your Mac and Linux machines
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This week’s deals came like a truckload of presents for productivity and self-improvement. We’ve got a streamlined app for running Windows apps right from your Mac dock, a box set of Rosetta Stone language courses, 3 years of a massively discounted VPN service, and the uber popular typing assistant TextExpander. See if you can resist reading on:

Is Apple Watch Series 2 a good option for runners?

By •

Apple Watch Nike+
There's more to a great running watch than GPS, but it's a good place to start.
Photo: Apple

With the addition of GPS, you might imagine Apple Watch is now a credible runner’s watch. Not so fast.

It may have made a big splash with swimmers, but to appeal to runners, there are more issues that Apple needs to address. Like a screen that stays on while you are running, and controls that still work when you get really sweaty.

Is iPhone 7 enough to beat the competition? [Friday Night Fights]

By •

fnf
Will you be buying iPhone 7?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are now on sale, and Apple will be hoping that they’ll be able to halt and even reverse falling demand for its smartphone lineup. The new models have better cameras, faster processors, stereo speakers, and water-resistant designs.

Friday Night Fights bugBut are those improvements enough? Without sharper displays and features like wireless charging — which are now commonplace on rival smartphones — does the iPhone 7 series deliver enough to fend off increased competition from its rivals?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over whether Apple’s latest devices can compete with the rest.

Recover, back up and restore your iPhone without touching iTunes

By •

Dr.Fone iPhone data recovery
Dr.Fone gets under the hood of iOS to make iPhone data recovery simple.
Image: Wondershare

This post is brought to you by Wondershare, maker of Dr.Fone.

Say you’ve deleted your messages before backing up your iPhone. Usually the best iTunes can offer is a shrug. With a convoluted and opaque system of options, it makes a task that should be a simple matter — finding the stuff you need and getting (or returning) it to your device — overly confusing and frustrating. Worse yet, iTunes can often lead to results you’re not looking for.

iPhone 7 camera gets ‘Shot on iPhone’ photogs drooling

By •

This photo by Flavio Sarescia was part of the original
This photo by Flavio Sarescia was part of the original "Shot on iPhone 6" campaign. Sarescia and others from the campaign eagerly upgraded to the iPhone 7 Plus.
Photo: Flavio Sarescia/Apple

Their photography on the iPhone 6 and 6s was celebrated by Apple with glossy magazine ads, billboards and banners that stretched down skyscrapers.

But the photographers whose work fueled the “Shot on iPhone 6” marketing campaign are trading in the old technology for the shiny new iPhone 7, in most cases the dual-lens 7 Plus.