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iPhone 17 Pro Max renders give early glimpse of next Apple flagship

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iPhone 17 Pro Max renders: Front and rear
iPhone 17 Pro Max renders show it might not look just like its predecessors.
Photo: Wylsacom

With purported details of the iPhone 17 Pro Max appearing online many months before the device’s launch, a Russian YouTube channel prepared renders that reveal what Apple’s next top-tier handset could look like.

Don’t expect last year’s model with just a few tweaks. According to rumors reflected in the new renders, 2025 will bring a substantial redesign, including potential changes to the humps on the device. Learn more about these design updates.

Today in Apple history: iPhone OS finally overtakes Windows Mobile

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Original iPhone running iOS 1
It's hard to believe how quickly the mobile landscaped morphed over the past decade.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

December 17: Today in Apple history: iPhone iOS overtakes Windows Mobile December 17, 2009: Apple finally triumphs over longtime rival Microsoft … on mobile operating systems market share. New data shows that iPhone OS surpasses Windows Mobile in the United States for the first time.

With roughly 36 million Americans owning smartphones, a quarter of them run Apple’s mobile operating system, according to figures released by research firm Comscore.

Screenshot a whole page (or an entire email) on iPhone

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Capture The Whole Page
Take a screenshot of the entire page. Any page. Like this one!
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

It’s easy to take a screenshot on your iPhone to keep a copy of something in your photo library for later. You can even screenshot a whole page on an iPhone at once using a somewhat hidden feature.

If you want to take a screenshot of something like an in-depth recipe, a lengthy email or anything else that doesn’t fit on your iPhone screen, you can take an extended screenshot. Instead of filling your library with five separate images, you can use your iPhone to screenshot the entire page (or a large section of it) without using an app to stitch them together after the fact.

Here’s how it’s done. (I’ll show you how to do this on a Mac, too.)

AirPods work even better with Mac, thanks to AirBuddy

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Treat an Apple lover to a tool that improves AirPods utility on Mac: AirBuddy is only $8.
Enjoy enhanced AirPods functionality on Mac with AirBuddy, on sale now for only $8.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Love the way AirPods work with an iPhone but a little meh about how they work with a Mac? The AirBuddy Mac app will connect AirPods to Mac, with enhancements that provide the same advanced features you enjoy when using Apple’s earbuds with an iPhone.

You can grab AirBuddy for only $8.99. (And if you don’t already own AirPods, and you’re a Costco member, don’t miss this hot deal on AirPods Pro with USB-C case. It’s somehow still going strong!)

How to figure out if your iPhone charger sucks

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Slow iPhone charger: How to figure out if yours is rubbish
You can do better than these. Quite a bit better, in fact.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There are plenty of old iPhone wall chargers still out there very slowly powering up handsets. Fortunately, iOS 18.2 made it quick and easy to tell if it’s time to trash your old, slow iPhone charger.

The best iPhone chargers give your handset a big boost in as little as half an hour. Older ones take all sodding day. You don’t have to put up with slow charges if you don’t want to.

Price drop: This app boils down bestsellers so you can read them in 15 minutes

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Marketing image that says
Gain lifetime access to Headway Premium book summaries for one low price.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Tired of the endless loop of doom scrolling? Let’s flip the script and embark on an adventure of self-discovery. Instead of squandering your free moments on X or Bluesky, you can transform them into opportunities for growth. How, you ask? Well, get ready for a deal that will unleash your inner genius — with Headway’s inspiring book summaries.

Think of Headway Premium as your new gateway to enlightenment. It puts a treasure trove of popular reads right at your fingertips, neatly tucked into an app that’s bursting with knowledge. Right now, a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium is going for the unbelievable price of just $59.99, a savings of 80%.

Why AirTags make the ultimate stocking stuffers for Apple fans

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AirTag ultimate Apple stocking stuffer: Looking for a last-minute gift for the Apple fan in your life? You can't go wrong with AirTags.
Make things merry with a gift any Apple fan will appreciate.
Photo: Luke Southern/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for an Apple fan in your life, there’s one surprisingly simple answer: Get them an AirTag. Or a bunch of them. With frequent discounts from Amazon and other retailers, AirTags make the ultimate stocking stuffer for anybody in the Apple ecosystem.

Why you might hold off installing first iOS 18.3 beta

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iOS 18.3 beta
iOS 18.3 beta 1 is here, but consider leaving it alone.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3 and iPadOS 18.3 to developers Monday. However, the unusual timing of the release means all but the most committed — and best-equipped — beta testers should probably wait until beta 2 arrives.

Still, there are plenty of new Apple Intelligence features that might make their debut in these new versions.

Affordable new 4K security camera for HomeKit includes color night vision

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Eufy Indoor Cam E30
This is Eufy's second HomeKit-compatible security camera.
Photo: Eufy

Eufy expanded its HomeKit ecosystem Monday with the release of the Indoor Cam E30, a sophisticated 4K security camera priced at $69.99. It’s a big upgrade from the 2020 model, marking Eufy’s second HomeKit-compatible camera launch in recent months following September’s S3 Pro Outdoor Cam. E30 upgrades include advanced pan-and-tilt mobility and color night vision through lighting.

Silo getting complete story arc as Apple TV+ greenlights season 3 and 4

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Take a sneak peek Common, Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Robbins in 'Silo' season 2
Common, Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Robbins star in “Silo.”
Photo: Apple TV+/Cult of Mac

Don’t worry about getting left hanging by Silo. The sci-fi mystery series will go all the way to the conclusion of its story now that Apple TV+ gave the go-ahead for two more seasons on Monday.

It’s really not a surprise — Silo is one of the most popular shows on any streaming service, and draws praise from critics too.

“I’ve loved every minute of bringing Juliette to the screen and am immensely proud of what we’ve all created with Silo since the first episode,” said Rebecca Ferguson, who stars as Juliette Nichols in the series. “I have always felt passionately about telling the entire story contained within Hugh Howey’s books, so I couldn’t be happier that audiences around the world have enthusiastically embraced the show.”

Today in Apple history: Apple signs ‘clone Mac’ deal

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Power Computing clone Macs sounded like a good idea at first.
This deal marked the start of the clone Mac era.
Photo: Antnik

December 16: Today in Apple history: Apple signs clone Mac deal with Power Computing December 16, 1994: Apple Computer inks a licensing deal with Power Computing, allowing the company to produce Macintosh-compatible computers, aka “Mac clones.”

With falling market share, and longtime rival Microsoft steaming ahead thanks to its software-licensing strategy, Apple executives think the only way to compete is for the company to hand over its operating system for third-party Macs. Of course, it doesn’t turn out exactly like that…

App Store reveals most popular apps and games of 2024

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top apps and games
Apple's lists of most-downloaded apps and games are out.
Photo: Apple

Apple unveiled its annual roundups of top apps and games — that is, those most downloaded titles — across iPhone, iPad and Apple Arcade platforms Monday. The comprehensive year-end lists are featured on the App Store’s Today tab. They offer insights into user preferences across more than 30 countries and regions. And once again, free app and games dominate, overlapping with recent App Store Award winners.

Realforce R3 mechanical keyboard handles input for MacBook Pro [Setups]

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Realforce R3
The Realforce R3 TKL mechanical keyboard looks formidable. And it costs a formidable $242.
Photo: [email protected]

In most MacBook-based computer setups people put together at home or in offices, an external keyboard stands in for the laptop’s own. That’s typically because the laptop sits open or closed on a stand, where reaching the keyboard is either awkward or impossible. Today’s MacBook Pro setup relies on a pricey and cool Realforce R3 TKL mechanical keyboard used in combination with a Magic Trackpad.

EDC must-have: Tiny keychain pen will write on practically anything

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person writing on a small notebook using ForeverPen, a small inkless pen that fits on a keychain
Attach the ForeverPen to your keychain so you'll always be ready to jot down a note.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Always fumbling about for a pen or pencil? What you need is an inkless pen that lasts forever, writes on almost anything, and attaches securely to your keychain so you always know where it is. That perfectly describes the ForeverPen.

It’s small enough to fit on your keyring but durable enough to withstand fires. And right now, you can add one of these inkless keychain pens to your EDC for just $23.99 (down from $40).

First folding iPhone could arrive by 2026

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Concept folding iPhone
Apple's folding iPhone might arrive sooner than you think.
Concept: Ran Avni

Hoping to boost sales, Apple could launch its first folding iPhone as soon as 2026, according to The Wall Street Journal. The foldable phone reportedly will follow a super-thin model — which previous rumors called the “iPhone 17 Air” or the “iPhone 17 Slim” — as Apple shakes up its stagnant smartphone lineup.

“It looks like Apple is looking towards hardware innovation to drive user upgrades,” BayStreet Research analyst Cliff Maldonado told the Journal. “The iPhone 16 will be the last of the boring aesthetic phones.”

The MacBook of our dreams, plus our first picks for best of 2024! [The CultCast]

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The CultCast episode 677 logo, plus an AI-generated image of a futuristic laptop that's definitely not a 5G OLED MacBook Pro
Apple plans to make the MacBook Pro of our dreams. Just don't hold your breath.
AI image: Image Playground/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: According to the latest Apple rumors, the 5G OLED MacBooks we’ve been anticipating forever are finally on the way … in 2026.

Also on The CultCast:

  • A quick rundown of some of the fun new features in iOS 18.2.
  • Apple Watch Ultra 3 might gain a feature that could save your bacon in an emergency. Plus, Cupertino’s still working on another potentially lifesaving feature we’ve been waiting on for years.
  • And we wrap up with the first installment of our top picks for the best stuff of 2024.

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.

Today in Apple history: ‘Let It Snow!’ becomes iTunes’ 25 millionth download

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Today in Apple history: 'Let It Snow!' is iTunes' 25 millionth download.
It's a Christmas miracle for Apple! (Or just good marketing.)
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Today in Apple history: 'Let It Snow!' is iTunes' 25 millionth download December 15, 2003: Almost eight months after launching the iTunes Music Store, Apple celebrates its 25 millionth download.

The song in question? Appropriately enough for this time of year, a Frank Sinatra cover* of the Christmas classic “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”

Super-size folding iPad won’t have visible screen crease

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Folding iPad concept
A folding iPad remains on Apple’s drawing board.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

One of Apple’s design goals for a much-rumored iPad with a 20-inch folding display is that the screen won’t develop a visible crease, according to a reliable source of insider information.

Whether the folding device will be a Mac or an iPad isn’t clear yet — but it’s possible it will be both!

Apple Magic Mouse could get a modern makeover

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Black Magic Mouse box
Magic Mouse might finally get a refresh.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple is planning to revamp the Magic Mouse with hand gestures, voice commands and more. And it may even move the controversial bottom charging port. The current design is over 15 years old, introduced back in 2009.

Since then, the Magic Mouse received minor upgrades, including the switch to an oddly-located Lightning port and, eventually, USB-C.

How to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas for free [Update: Too late!]

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How to watch ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ for free
A Charlie Brown Christmas is free to watch on Apple TV+ all this weekend.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Christmas season is in full swing and there’s good news for fans of the Peanuts holiday specials. Apple made the holiday classic A Charlie Brown Christmas available for everyone to stream for free this weekend, whether they’re an Apple TV+ subscriber or not.

That gives everyone the opportunity to watch Linus teach his friends what Christmas is all about, whether they own an Apple device or not.

Today in Apple history: iMac Pro packs potent all-in-one punch

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iMac Pro launched in 2017
The iMac Pro made quite splash in 2017, and there are occasional calls to bring it back.
Photo: Apple

December 14: Today in Apple history: Apple buys 'iPhone' web domain iphone.org December 14, 2017: The much-anticipated iMac Pro finally reaches customers many months after it was announced. With a built-in 27-inch, 5K display and an Intel Xeon processor, the high-end desktop combines the features of an iMac and a Mac Pro.

It is beautiful and far more powerful than earlier iMacs, but is destined to stay in Apple’s product lineup only a relatively short time.

10 best ways to actually save iPhone battery life

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Image of an iPhone with a low battery and the words
Save your iPhone battery with these easy tips.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

It can be hard figuring out what advice will actually save your iPhone battery life and what’s basically tech superstition. What settings can you easily change that make the biggest impact without ruining your phone?

Low Power Mode is the obvious setting, a single switch that pulls all kinds of levers behind the scenes. Turning down your brightness as far as you can is another easy trick. But how about quitting apps? Does it make any difference? What about the always-on display? Should you turn it off?

Here are the 10 things you can do to save iPhone battery life — and help your iPhone battery thrive over the long term, too.