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Apple does not expect an iPhone ‘super-cycle’ this year

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The camera bump is about to get bumpier in the iPhone XI.
iPhone orders likely to remain flat this year.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The days of massive year-on-year growth in iPhone sales are over for now, at least according to one analyst forecasting Apple’s iPhone 11 orders.

According to analysts at Cowen, Apple’s iPhone 11 orders are roughly in line with those for last year’s iPhone refresh. Cowen thinks that Apple will build 65 million iPhones for Q4, representing “flat” growth. That means the “super-cycle” mass upgrade will likely have to wait until 2020.

Apple store thieves rob $200,000 worth of iPhones

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Apple Store Perth robbery
Two Apple Stores were broken into early Tuesday morning.
Photo: WA Police

Thieves reportedly stole more than $200,000 worth of iPhones from an Australian Apple store in an early morning raid Tuesday.

According to police, a gang smashed its way into a store in Perth at 2:15 a.m. After being disturbed and fleeing empty-handed, they headed to another store. They broke into this second Apple store in Garden City in Booragoon at 3 a.m., and made off with the handset haul after threatening a security guard.

Apple has no plans to scrap iMessage apps and games

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iMessage-App-Store
Don't freak out.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple has no intention of scrapping iMessage games — despite some of the rumors you might be reading online this week.

Stories surrounding the supposed move started trending on Twitter, causing some fans to freak about the feature’s removal. But at no point has Apple stated that it will close the iMessage App Store.

Don’t expect huge speed boost from iPhone XR upgrade

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iPhone 11R and 11Max on wooden railing 2
Coming soon to an Apple Store near you.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Ahead of next week’s Apple media event, a Geekbench profile supposedly reveals some of the tech specs of the iPhone 11.

The report refers to the successor to the iPhone XR, one of the three iPhones Apple will release this year. It shows a single-core task speed increase of around 12%, but an unchanged multi-core result. Provided it’s real, this would be the smallest ever leap in iPhone CPU performance from one year to the next.

Form AR swim goggles add Polar heart rate sensor support

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Now you can check your heart rate while you are swimming
Now you can check your heart rate while you are swimming
Photo: Form Athletica Inc.

Augmented reality swim goggles made by Form soon will add support for select Polar heart rate monitors.

With Apple Watch, you must stop swimming and raise your wrist in order to check your heart rate. But thanks to Form Swim Goggles’ built-in AR display, wearers of a Polar monitor will be able to view their heart rate in real time while swimming.

Catch the best of our Labor Day gear and gadgets [Deals]

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Labor Day Site Main
Score massively discounted wireless chargers, cloud storage, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

One way to make your extra long Labor Day weekend even better is to bring some great new tools and toys into your life. We’ve got massive deals on sleek wireless charging, terabytes of cloud storage, Excel education and more. Each is discounted by well over half off, and if you use the coupon code SAVE15TODAY at checkout you save an extra 15%.

Two brilliant Mac features that will never come to iPad

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Mac desktop
A nice big desktop makes everything easier.
Photo: Michael Soledad on Unsplash

Recently, I’ve been using my old Mac more and more, even thought I’ve long preferred using an iPad for both work (writing) and play (making music, and all the other dumb stuff you do on a computer when you’re goofing off).

And It’s gotten me thinking. Why do I prefer the Mac for some tasks? And I mean, strongly prefer. I’m so used to using both iOS and macOS that it’s not a questions of familiarity. Nor is it that I’m trying to squeeze the Mac way of doing things into the iPad, and vice versa — a common problem for new switchers.

No, my preference comes down to two small yet fundamental differences between the iPad and the Mac. These two features are present on the Mac, and will probably never make it to the iPad. What are they?

How to radically customize your Mac’s display

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Mac customize display
Tweak your Mac's display with macOS' amazing accessibility options.
Photo: Wesson Wang/Unsplash

Just like iOS, the Mac has some great features hidden inside the accessibility section of the System Preferences (aka. Settings) app. Today we’re going to see how to tweak the Mac’s display to make it easier to use, for anyone. You can adjust the colours, make page elements easier to see, and even turn everything B&W. Let’s see what’s what.

Struggling Apple display maker will take 2 years to start building OLED screens

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iPhone XR test
Japan Display currently makes LCD screens for the iPhone XR.
Photo: Apple

Struggling Apple display maker Japan Display is trying to reconfigure its business to develop OLED displays, instead of LCD ones. However, according to CEO Winston, it’s going to take at least two years until they’re ready.

The displays will reportedly be manufactured at Japan Display’s Hakusan plant in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture.

Protect your precious Apple Card with this $139 wooden card case

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Wooden Apple Card storer
"Oh my God. It even has a watermark."
Photo: Kerfcase

The physical titanium Apple Card may be the most attractive credit card ever made. But it’s not necessarily the most practical design, since storing it in a leather wallet risks discoloring it.

Fortunately, design company Kerf have created an equally attractive solution for storing it. And if we’d never thought about a physically attractive credit card before, we sure as heck hadn’t considered 2019’s need for a $139 wooden credit card case!

Apple uploads high-res iOS 13 icon file, more to Wikipedia

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iOS 13 icon file
You can even play around with the gradient!
Photo: DylanMcD8

Apple has started uploading super high resolution copies of some of its branding materials to Wikipedia — starting with the original icon files for iOS 13.

News was shared by Twitter user and Apple developer DylanMcD8. The icon files allow users to fiddle around with details like the gradients in the iOS 13 logo.

New China tariffs could cost average U.S. household $1,000 per year

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Apple hasn't yet revealed if it's ramping up prices.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

New tariffs on imported Chinese products in the escalating U.S. vs. China trade war could cost the average household $1,000 per year, J.P. Morgan Chase claims.

The first round of tariffs went into effect Sunday at 12:01 a.m. They mean that various products, including some Apple devices, are taxed at 15% upon entering the U.S.

iPhone security exploit allegedly used to target Uyghur Muslims

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Apple Security Jacket
Security flaw made it possible to infect iPhones using malicious code.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

An iPhone exploit which used malicious websites to hack iPhones was used to target Uyghur Muslims in China.

The security exploit was recently disclosed by Google researchers. It involved infecting users with malicious code, allowing an attacker to gain access to their phone. Apple fixed the vulnerability earlier this year, before the news was publicly shared.

Apple’s first AR headset spilled by iOS 13

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Apple Glasses
You can expect big things next year.
Concept: Taeyeon Kim

Apple is still developing its own augmented reality headset, according to code discovered in iOS 13.

Internal builds of the software include a “STARTester” app for switching in and out of a headset mode, according to a new report. It offers two modes, including “worn” and “held.”

Researchers also uncovered a text file that describes a “StarBoard” system for stereo AR apps.

What to expect from the 2019 iPad Pro refresh

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what-to-expect-2019-ipad-pro
There's a lot to look forward to.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple’s massive fall event is right around the corner. It should bring a slew of new devices, possibly including a refreshed iPad Pro. But no matter when the next-gen Apple pro tablet arrives, it’s shaping up to be a nice upgrade over the current model.

Faster chips and significantly improved camera performance are just a couple of the things we have to look forward to. Here’s everything we expect from the 2019 iPad Pro upgrade.

Your cracked Apple Watch might be eligible for a free repair

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Cracked-Apple-Watch
Sadly, you won't be covered if your Apple Watch looks like this.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

You may be eligible for a free repair if you have an Apple Watch Series 2 or Series 3 with a cracked display.

Apple has confirmed that cracks may be formed along the rounded edge of an Apple Watch display “under very rare circumstances.” Eligible units will be fixed at no cost to the user.

Dig into our site-wide Labor Day sale [Deals]

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Labor Day Sale Main
This Labor Day Weekend we've got great deals on Apple gear, VPN protection, digital marketing lessons and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This Labor Day weekend, treat yourself to some of the best gear, tools, lessons and more in the Cult of Mac Store. From keyboards and mice to VPN protection, robot vacuum cleaners and more, everything is discounted by half off or more. Additionally, using the coupon code SAVE15TODAY at checkout gets you an extra 15% off.

Save on essential AirPods accessories from Twelve South

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A gorgeous leather case armors your new AirPods 2 against theft, damage, and debris.
AirSnap keeps your AirPods protected at all times.
Photo: Twelve South

Pick up two essential AirPods accessories from Twelve South this Labor Day weekend and save big with the Cult of Mac Watch Store.

You’ll save $9 when you buy both the AirSnap case and AirFly wireless adapter together. You can also enjoy a rare 20% off the rest of the Twelve South lineup until September 4.

Why we want an all-screen iPhone SE [Cult of Mac Magazine 312]

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The case for an iPhone SE with an iPhone XS screen, in this week's issue of Cult of Mac Magazine 312.
We really, really want this.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple really should make a small device with an iPhone X-style screen. Here’s why we want an all-screen iPhone SE.

You’ll find that and more Apple news, reviews and how-tos in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now for iOS, or get the links below to read the stories in your browser.