Nothing makes it onto an Apple App Store without a human looking at it. That takes less time than you might think. Photo: Apple
With close to two million applications in its software stores, Apple reportedly doesn’t have much time to devote to testing most new submissions. Details leaking out about the process show that a typical app either gets approved or blocked in 5 or 10 minutes.
This genius psychological tactic makes Apple's high prices seem totally reasonable. Photo: meo/Pexels CC
During the WWDC 2019 keynote, most of Apple’s latest creations drew enthusiastic applause, with one notable exception. The price of Apple’s new Pro Display XDR elicited a somewhat cooler response. But considering just how expensive the monitor is, the fact that it got any applause at all was pretty remarkable.
This is not the first time Apple has had to convince us to pony up for an eye-watering sticker price. Cupertino pulls from a well-established playbook for its keynotes, often employing behavioral science techniques to help soften the blow. (To our brains at least, if not to our wallets).
The new Mac Pro will bring in the bags for Apple. Photo: Erfon Elijah
Two whole years ago, Apple promised pro users that it would completely revamp the Mac Pro. Apple teased that it’s making a modular system that will have the flexibility professionals need.
With Worldwide Developers Conference 2019 on the horizon, our first glimpse of the modular Mac Pro could be less than two months away, but The CultCast host Erfon Elijah is ready to douse your hopes of getting a new dream machine this year.
In his latest video, Erfon goes over all the reasons why the modular Mac Pro sounds amazing in theory but could be a giant dud. From a design that looks like some IHOP flapjacks to pricing concerns, there’s some good evidence to be skeptical about the new computer, especially when you consider Apple’s recent track record with its “Pro” machines.
Watch Erfon count down the reasons why the next Mac Pro might flop.
We doubt that Tim Cook will look quite so happy on the day. Safari: Apple
Tim Cook will offer testimony as part of Apple’s legal battle with Qualcomm. Cook will discuss Apple’s business practices, strategy, agreements with cellular network carriers, and more.
He’s not the only senior Apple executive ready to talk, either. Former hardware boss Bob Mansfield, current COO Jeff Williams, SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller and others will chime in as part of the case.
Update: Heads up developers! Today is the last day to register for WWDC 2019.
Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference officially has a date.
This morning, Apple revealed that it will host WWDC 2019 in San Jose, California, from June 3 to 7. The event brings together thousands of developers from across the world, giving them access to Apple’s engineers for hands-on training. It’s also the place where Apple unveils its biggest software updates of the year. Based on early rumors, it could be one of the most exciting WWDC’s in years.
The new Mac Pro will be modular again, just like this one. Photo: Apple
Apple may finally give fans a first look at its revamped Mac Pro at WWDC 2019.
The company promised in the spring of 2017 that it would “rethink” its high-end desktop following feedback from professional users. The new model is expected to come with a more modular design that can be easily upgraded, but we’re still waiting for an update on Apple’s progress.
Phill Schiller showing off pictures from the new iPhone Xs Photo: Apple
Any mobile photographer wearing an Apple Watch likely received a notification about an irregular heartbeat as they watched Phil Schiller talk this morning about the iPhone Xs series’ new camera.
Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, flashed several stunning images on the screen during today’s Gather Round keynote at the Steve Jobs Theater. The images showed depth, detail and colors not seen from previous-gen iPhones, including the current flagship iPhone X.
The iPhone XS Max will be the largest iPhone Apple ever made. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple’s most anticipated keynote of 2018 is finally here and thanks to a bevy of leaks, it might be short on surprises.
Details about the entire 2018 iPhone lineup have already surfaced online, even as Tim Cook and the gang get set to take the stage at the Steve Jobs Theater this morning.
Will Apple be able to pull out “one more thing” to wow fans? We’ll find out in just a few hours. Come on in and join Cult of Mac‘s live blog for a full breakdown on everything that is announced today.
The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar up the ante for pro users. Photo: Apple
Apple just updated its MacBook Pro line, ramping up performance and adding various advanced features. Phil Schiller, Apple’s marketing VP, calls the new Apple laptops “the fastest and most powerful notebook we’ve ever made.”
Is HomePod nearing its end, or just getting started? Photo: Apple
Friends, HomePod is even better than the hype! It’s one of the best products Apple’s ever made. Don’t miss our discussion on The CultCast. Plus: HomePod versus the rivals; the big HomePod flaw you need to know about (one Apple is trying to downplay); how Apple plans to revamp its future software; and, is another new Apple product on the horizon? We think so, and we’ll tell you what it is.
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off any hosting plan.
It took Apple six years to create the HomePod. Photo: Apple
Apple’s quest to build the perfect sounding speaker could also give a huge boost to audio quality on future iPhones, iPads and Macs.
To promote the launch of its new HomePod speaker, Apple gave journalists a behind-the-scenes look inside the custom audio lab it built to fine-tune every aspect of HomePod’s sound. Not only did Apple one of the best audio teams in the world, but it also gave them tools no company in the world can match.
2018 is already starting to look like a historic year for Apple after the company just broke the record for the most revenue pulled in by the App Store in a single day.
Apple revealed today that iPhone and iPad customers spent an astounding $300 million in the App Store on New Year’s day, shattering the previous record of $240 million.
Phil Schiller said Apple won't release the HomePod till it's satisfied with the quality. Photo: Digital Trends
Apple fans and enthusiastic gadget reviewers will ultimately remember 2017 as the year of a reinvented iPhone. But as the year draws to an end, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller has a few other things on his mind, such as delays in releasing the company’s first smart speaker and a “bad week” of software bugs and security holes.
The iPhone X feels like the future. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple media boss Phil Schiller says that even though Face ID on the iPhone X works nearly flawlessly at one point in the device’s development the entire thing seemed impossible.
Schiller sat down for an interview to talk about Apple’s latest products like the iPhone X, HomePod and even the iMac Pro which is coming out later this week.
Phil Schiller says iPhone X will dictate the direction of smartphones for the next decade. Photo: Apple
Apple marketing guru Phil Schiller has heard the haters saying the iPhone X wasn’t the first smartphone to get facial recognition. But according to Schiller, that doesn’t matter at all.
“They all stink,” says Schiller in a new interview discussing Apple’s new facial recognition feature. The wide-ranging interview touches on everything from AirPods to virtual reality, but what sets Face ID apart is what got Schiller the most excited.
Bag a Mac mini now for half the usual price. Photo: Apple
The Mac mini is still an “important part” of Apple’s lineup, according to CEO Tim Cook. The most affordable macOS machine has gone without an update for three years, but fans should not be worried about it getting the chop.
A11 Bionic chip is Apple's most powerful smartphone processor ever. Photo: Apple
The new A11 Bionic processor that powers the iPhone 8 and iPhone X is the most powerful smartphone chip Apple ever created. But making a processor that’s perfect for AI tasks took some big bets by Apple.
In a new interview with the company’s SVP of hardware tech, Johny Srouji, and marketing boss Phil Schiller, Apple reveals how it took three years to come up with the perfect solution.
Are Apple's animoji a must-have feature? Photo: Apple
Apple’s futuristic iPhone X was revealed less than 24 hours ago, but it’s taken the internet no time at all to lambast it with a series of jokes and parody videos.
Skewering the worst new iPhone features is a time-honored tradition after an Apple keynote, and YouTuber jacksfilms has come out with one of the most hilarious parodies we’ve seen yet. The short video takes iPhone X to task for adding its silly notch and ridiculous 3D emoji instead of other, more useful features.
With a photo of Steve Jobs in the background, Tim Cook talks about Apple's goal to "inspire the next generation of creators and innovators" in the new Steve Jobs Theater. Photo: Apple
Today at 10 a.m. Pacific in Apple Park’s shiny new Steve Jobs Theater, the most futuristic smartphone to ever come out of Cupertino will finally be unveiled. Over a year’s worth of rumors have led to this moment. Even though there’s almost nothing we don’t know about the new smartphone, anticipation is still off the charts for Apple’s $1,000 iPhone.
Cult of Mac will be right here live-blogging all the action with up-to-the minute analysis and insight. We’ll break down all the new features and surprises. The iPhone X won’t be the only star of today’s show, either: We’re expecting a new Apple Watch, updated Apple TV and much more!
Tim Cook and Co. are set to hit the stage soon, so grab some popcorn and come join the party below:
Phil & Kim Schiller are huge ocean lovers. Photo: Bowdoin College
Apple marketing boss Phil Schiller and his wife Kim made a monstrous donation to Bowdoin College this week that will help the school seriously expand its research into climate change’s impact on the ocean.
The world had never seen anything like the iPhone when Apple launched the device on June 29, 2007. But the touchscreen device that blew everyone’s minds immediately didn’t come about so easily.
The iPhone was the result of years of arduous work by Apple’s industrial designers. They labored over a long string of prototypes and CAD designs in their quest to produce the ultimate smartphone.
This excerpt from my book Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products offers an inside account of the iPhone’s birth.
Phil Schiller allegedly wanted the iPhone to look more like this. Possibly. Photo: Typo
One of the fascinating tidbits of Apple history that emerged online this week was the story that Phil Schiller was insistent that the original iPhone ship with a physical keyboard.
Only problem is, no-one seems to know whether it’s true or not. Former Apple exec Tony Fadell claimed it is. Schiller denied it. Now Fadell has denied it, too, but the author he told the story to is sticking by what he was told. What a mess!
The iMac G3 could have had a very different name. Photo: Apple
The first iMac’s frightful code name was an in-joke that reflected Steve Jobs’ respect for Sony. The working name — “MacMan” — was so horrible it would “curdle your blood,” according to Ken Segall, the Apple exec who eventually came up with the name “iMac.” Nearly 20 years after Apple shipped the iMac G3, we now have an explanation for the craptacular internal name — courtesy of Phil Schiller, the guy who came up with it.
The new MacBook Pro has great battery life. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The new MacBook Pro is set to receive a “recommended” rating from Consumer Reports after working with Apple to discover why tests showed the laptops suffered from unreliable battery performance.
The culprits? A hidden Safari setting and “an obscure and intermittent” bug.