Zens Dual + Watch wireless charging mat in white. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Zens’ popular Dual+Watch wireless charging pad is the one-stop charging system for all your Apple gadgets. It can charge three devices simultaneously, including your Apple Watch, iPhone and the new wireless AirPods.
The Dual+Watch mat is perfect for the bedside table or desk at work, and it now comes in white to match your AirPods.
Hyper’s USB-C hub clips securely to the side of an iPad Pro. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The USB-C port in Apple’s latest professional-grade tablet is a giant improvement, but a new accessory still manages to make it even more useful. The HyperDrive iPad Pro allows every type of wired accessory supported by this computer to be accessed. Even better, it’s designed to clip to the side of the slate for maximum ease of use.
Don’t miss our in-depth review of this USB-C hub developed especially for the latest iPad.
A wireless charging mat should look as good as it works, and Satechi’s does. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Wireless charging is so much easier than the daily hassle of plugging and unplugging your iPhone. And the new AirPods wireless charging case makes giving up Lightning cables even more logical. Satechi just introduced a Apple-compatible wireless charger that’s not only functional, it’s also great looking.
We fully tested this accessory out, so don’t miss our hands-on review.
Make your iPad Pro into a tablet/laptop with the Brydge Pro. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Since the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the tablet is serious competition for Apple’s notebooks. Its design offers many advantages over a notebook, but most people demand a physical keyboard for their primary computer. Of all the options for this, the Brydge Pro comes the closest to transforming a 2018 iPad Pro into a convertible touchscreen MacBook.
Read our hands-on review to see how well this premium keyboard case performs in the real world.
Häns Swipe-Clean can handle your gross screens. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
We live on our screens. So do germs, bacteria and a buildup of skin oils.
I will spare you the details and, instead, recommend the Häns Swipe-Clean, a wet-dry tool that wipes away the gross microbial life thriving on your iPhone, iPad and Mac screens.
The Logitech Crayon costs less than the Apple Pencil, and it now works with the 2018 iPad Pro and other recent iOS tablets. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iPad is a great educational tool, no matter the age of the student. But some children are too young for a keyboard. That’s where the Logitech Crayon comes in. It’s a digital pencil designed for students to write and draw on a variety of iPad and iPad Pro models.
Ready for the world, the Thule Crossover 2 backpack. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
If you’re going to be seen carrying the same bag every day, its look and style are as important to many commuters as the bag’s ability to protect its contents.
Many shoulder bags and backpacks excel in one area and underwhelm in the other. Not the 20L Thule Crossover 2 backpack. It can be reviewed with just two words — ruggedly handsome.
Plug headphones or speakers into an 2018 iPad Pro, while also charging the tablet, with Satechi’s latest adapter. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
There’s no headphone jack in the 2018 iPad Pro, which is darn inconvenient for anyone who wants to hook their tablet up to a non-Bluetooth pair of headphones or speakers. Fortunately, Satechi makes a small and simple USB-C adapter with a 3.5mm jack. There’s also a second USB-C port so the tablet can charge at the same time.
In addition, Satechi just released a USB-C cable that can handle 100W of power. Be sure to read our reviews of both.
The Mipow Power Cube XS is a desktop wireless charger and a portable wireless charger in one. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Mipow Power Cube XS combines a wireless iPhone charger with a portable battery. Put another way, it’s a wireless charger that works wherever you take it, with no power sockets or cables needed.
Be sure to check out our reviews of this innovative but affordable accessory, which launches this week.
STM Atlas has a strong Apple Pencil holder, and holds up the latest iPad Pro at a wide array of angles. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The STM Atlas portfolio case protects the latest iPad Pro models while also serving as a portable stand. This case can hold up the tablet at a broad range of angles, giving it an advantage over most of its rivals.
This device also comes with a slot to very securely store an Apple Pencil 2. Don’t miss our hands-on review of this handy accessory.
Centr is a new fitness app by Avengers star Chris Hemsworth. Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
I’m a big Chris Hemsworth fan. The guy is walking workout inspiration. I spend hours at the gym hoping that one day I’ll achieve Thor-style arms. But so far, no luck.
That’s why Centr, Hemsworth’s new fitness app, immediately caught my interest. I was intrigued to learn the secrets of the training regimen that keeps him looking like a superhero. So I eagerly downloaded the app, hoping it would help transform my puny arms into guns worthy of Thor.
For some people, Lucyd Loud smart glasses are a better option than AirPods. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Headphones are so ubiquitous we often don’t think about their disadvantages. Lucyd created a pair of smart glasses that let you listen to music or podcasts while still allowing you to hear what’s going on around you. This Bluetooth accessory also lets you access Siri from your iPhone, as well as make and receive calls.
Don’t miss our hands-on review of the Lucyd Loud tech frames.
Watch out pockets — the Sutter Sling Pouch is gunning for your crown. Photo: Nuria Gregori
The Sutter Sling Pouch is a gentleman’s handbag that’s just big enough for you to empty your pockets into. It is also the end of pockets as we know them. What kind of dumbo would stuff their pants full of keys, wallets, multitools, iPads, Kindles and other uncomfortable gear when they can just dump it in the Sutter Sling instead?
A dedicated dumbo, that’s what kind. Smart folks will join me in acknowledging this as a turning point in history: The death of pockets as we know them. When our climate-decimated society is dug up by the Indiana Joneses of the future, they will look at the patches sewn all over our human trousers, and wonder what the hell we thought we were up to.
Pixelmator Photo should be on every photographer’s iPad. Photo: Nuria Gregori
Pixelmator Photo, a new image-editing app for iPad, gives you tons of tools for tweaking your images. The app lets you apply filters, crop, trim and generally making your photos look great.
In this regard, Pixelmator Photo is like a zillion other photo apps for iOS. What sets it apart are a) the now-expected Pixelmator polish, and b) machine learning that powers pretty much everything.
I’ve taken the app, which launches today, for a quick spin, and it’s pretty great. The photo-editing space is so crowded with great apps, though, that we’re spoiled for choice. How does Pixelmator Photo match up?
The Braven BRV-105 is as active as you are. It’s up for biking, sailing... you name it. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Braven BRV-105 can go anywhere and survive whatever you can. This palm-size speaker is waterproof and rugged without being too bulky. Attach it to your bike or belt and listen to music wherever you go without headphones.
We fully tested this Bluetooth accessory, so don’t miss our review.
The sun finally came out, so I took this photo outside. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Ever since I got a 2018 iPad Pro last year, I’ve gone through a drawerful of USB-C hubs. And finally, I’ve found one that works. Or rather, one that works without any odd, annoying or inexplicable behavior. It’s the Kingston Nucleum, it doesn’t have quite enough ports, and it’s just great.
Apple's market share climbed 4% last quarter. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Amidst calls for a touchscreen MacBook, Logitech introduced the next best thing: a keyboard case that converts the 2018 iPad Pro into a laptop. The Slim Folio Pro has a backlit keyboard and a design that protects the tablet and the attached Apple Pencil.
We fully tested this just-released accessory for businesspeople and students, so don’t miss our review. Or our comparison of Logitech’s latest with the similar Apple Smart Keyboard Folio.
Wireless chargers are easy to use and look stylish in any room. Photo: Mophie
Owners of late-model iPhones (starting with iPhone 8) can stash all their old Lightning cables in a desk drawer and start charging their phone more easily with a wireless charger. Instead of sticking a wire into your phone and attaching it to a power adapter, you just place the phone on a small charger pad — or on a stand-up charging pad — and you’re good to go.
AirPods Pro could be more affordable thank you think. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
Back in December 2016, I was ecstatic to receive my AirPods. In the first few days after they arrived, I had them in my ears almost every moment I wasn’t sleeping or in conversations with others.
Since then, I’ve worn my AirPods, on average, something like four hours every day. When they aren’t in my ears, they are in their case, in my front left pocket. They are as much a part of me as the iPhone they’re typically paired to.
With the second-generation AirPods (can we agree to call them AirPods 2?), Apple took the product I’ve loved dearly for the last 800-plus days, and made it just a little better.
OtterBox Symmetry Series 360 has a clear back so your iPad Pro can be seen. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The OtterBox Symmetry Series 360 has everything you’d expect from a folio case designed for Apple’s latest iPad Pro, but it also includes a feature that might surprise you: the back is clear, allowing you to show off your 2018 iPad Pro while still protecting it.
We used this slim case for several weeks, so read on to learn how it did in out testing.
The iPad mini got its first refresh in more than three years this week. The newest, fifth-generation model ships with Apple’s latest A12 Bionic processor, more RAM, and a True Tone display with more pixels than any other iPad.
But is the new iPad mini worth your hard-earned cash? Here’s what the early reviews have to say about it.
You can have wireless AirPods charging right now, if you must. Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
Dying to charge your AirPods wirelessly but hesitant to plunk down $79 for Apple’s new wireless charging case? If so, you might consider dropping $25 on a SliQ silicone cover for your AirPods case.
It’s a relatively inexpensive way to add Qi wireless charging capability to your AirPods right now. But a variety of drawbacks should make you think twice.
The Mophie Juice Pack Access helps the most recent iPhone models spend longer away from electrical sockets. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Mophie Juice Pack Access is designed to extend the already long battery lives of the 2018 iPhone models. And charging can be done wirelessly, so the handset’s Lightning port is always available.
We put this new battery pack to the test. And we also compare it to the features of Apple’s similar Smart Battery Case.
Gallium nitride technology allows these chargers to be much smaller than more traditional alternatives. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Chargers are transitioning from silicon transistors to gallium nitride (GaN), enablingthese irritatingly bulky accessories to shrink in size. Anker and RavPower both make power adapters that put out more current than you’d expect for their svelte dimensions thanks to the magic of GaN.
We tested out both chargers that can be used to power up your MacBook, iPad or iPhone. Read on to see how they performed.