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Why iPhone is winning the global smartphone battle

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iPhone shipments grow while Android tanks
If you bought a top-tier smartphone anywhere in the world, it's almost certainly an iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Premium smartphones are on a roll. Revenue from iPhone and other devices that cost more than $600 grew to the point that they contributed more than half of all revenue from the product category in 2022, according to a market research firm.

That’s to Apple’s advantage, as iPhone sales make up 75% of this category.

Samsung Galaxy cameras fake their moon shots

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Samsung Galaxy cameras fake their moon shots
Moon pictures taken with a Samsung Galaxy Ultra are supposedly too good to be true.
Image: ibreakphotos/Reddit/CultofMac

The beautiful images of the moon taken with a recent high-end Samsung Galaxy are apparently faked. A Reddit user took a picture of a low-resolution moon picture and got a high-res picture.

In other words, Galaxy Ultra cameras aren’t as powerful as people claim.

A whopping 80% of the world’s bestselling handsets are iPhones

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Apple California Streaming event: iPhone 13 comes in an array of five colors.
iPhone 13 was the best-selling smartphone in the world in 2022.
Photo: Apple

iPhone captured eight spots in the list of top 10 bestselling smartphones for 2022, according to a market-research firm. In fact, Apple makes the three most popular models.

But Samsung’s flagship Android device surely lands at least one spot in the top 10, right? Nope.

iPhone 14 Pro performance beats new Galaxy S23 Ultra [Updated]

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iPhone 14 Pro vs Galaxy S23 Ultra
For the best performance, iPhone is still the only choice.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Benchmarks for the Galaxy S23 Ultra show that Samsung’s new flagship handset offers substantially slower performance than the top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro.

This continues a long string of high-end Androids that can not match the performance of the latest iPhone.

Rugged Samsung SSD expands to 4TB of storage

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Rugged Samsung SSD expands to 4TB of storage
Take 4TB of additional storage wherever you go with this tough SSD.
Photo: Samsung/Cult of Mac

The Samsung T7 Shield rugged SSD launched in 2022 with a maximum of 2TB of capacity and is now available with twice that.

T7 Shield is a a credit-card size external SSD intended for outdoor content creators or travelers. It works with Mac and iPad plus a wide variety of devices.

Man shed MacBook Pro rig craves Studio Display [Setups]

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Maxed-out M1 Max MacBook Pro, curved 4K display, solid audio ... but a setup is never really done, is it?
Maxed-out M1 Max MacBook Pro, curved 4K display, solid audio ... but a computer setup is never really done, is it?
Photo: [email protected]

To the age-old question “Is a computer setup ever really done?” the answer is obviously “no.” There’s always something to add or something to fix, and once you do that it’s time to update something else (even if you don’t technically “need” the latest thing).

Today’s well-laid MacBook Pro setup has a nice curved monitor, but its user “craves” a Studio Display like he sees in other setups. And for that matter, how about a quieter mechanical keyboard and some plants that won’t die immediately, too.

New Apple headset leaks make our heads explode [The CultCast]

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A manipulated image of a person wearing a virtual reality headset, used to illustrate the contents of The CultCast, our weekly Apple podcast.
Are we the only ones standing around with slack jaws wondering how Apple can make this headset desirable?
Photo: Original photo: Uriel Soberanes/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The more we hear about Apple’s upcoming AR/VR headset, the more we’re perplexed about who is actually going to buy one. We take a long, hard look at the latest leaks — and come up shaking our heads.

Also on The CultCast:

  • We might get a raft of exciting new Macs — including the first Mac Pro powered by Apple silicon — at a March event.
  • Apple’s Pro Display XDR and Studio Display get some high-end competition.
  • Sorry, voice actors. AI narrators look like the future of audiobooks (and Apple leads the charge).
  • Our final best-of-2022 picks.

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.

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Dual Mac minis and Xbox play in gamer’s workstation [Setups]

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Two Mac minis and an Xbox provide the fun in this gaming setup.
Two Mac minis and an Xbox provide the fun in this gaming setup.
Photo: [email protected]

To a lot of people, “home for the holidays” may mean even more massive amounts of gameplay than usual. That could be the case with the owner of today’s featured computer setup. In addition to two Mac minis, the workstation sports an Xbox Series S with a couple of special-edition controllers.

And two of the three displays in the setup are curved gaming monitors. The other’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro mounted on a stand.

Formidable Mac trio drives pro streaming rig [Setups]

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This setup generates a 2-hour streaming show twice a week.
This setup generates a 2-hour streaming show twice a week.
Photo: [email protected]

Ahoy there, would-be video streamers — today’s featured computer setup comes from an airtight and seaworthy pro streaming operation you might want to emulate.

The folks behind Sailing Illustrated streams shared their rig, based on a Mac Studio, an M1 Mac mini, an M1 MacBook Pro, a Rode RodeCaster Pro production studio and a slew of related gear and software.

We bet you haven’t seen a 3-display rig quite like this one [Setups]

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The little monitor at the bottom is the odd bit.
The little display at the bottom of the stack is the unusual bit.
Photo: [email protected]

Display towers — when monitors are stacked on top of each other — aren’t super common in computer setups. But they’re not terribly rare, either. From time to time we’ve even seen three stacked horizontally in the middle with two posted vertically on the sides. But today’s featured triple-display MacBook Pro setup sports an unusual choice at its base.

You can’t miss the 49-inch Samsung curved ultra-wide screen in the middle and the nice 34-inch LG 4K display on top. But at the bottom lurks a TidByt, which is a retro display for sports scores, stock prices and more. We don’t recall seeing one featured in a setup.

Trader smart-lights up office like a ‘strip club’ [Setups]

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Just wait. A dancer might gyrate through the frame any minute.
Just wait. A dancer might gyrate through the frame any minute.
Photo: [email protected]

Modern computer setups lean more and more on smart lighting for practical uses and to set the mood. Some of it can even pulse and change in sync to music or action on your screen.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup leans heavily on colorful Nanoleaf smart-light patterns on the walls — so much so that people compared it to a strip club.

iPhone 14 Pro tops 5G speed tests in US, UK and Germany

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iPhone 14 Pro models topped or placed highly for 5G speeds in many countries.
iPhone 14 Pro models topped or placed highly for 5G speeds in many countries.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

A new analysis of smartphone speeds in 10 countries shows iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are the fastest 5G mobile devices in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany.

Ookla’s study, released Monday, listed the top five fastest “popular” 5G devices by market share in each country. iPhone 14 and 13 series models appeared in many of the lists, but failed to place in some Asian markets.

Noting the performance variations by network and country, Ookla said the analysis “provides a snapshot of what you might typically expect.”

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get an ultra-wide display [Setups]

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The ultra-wide 1440p display shown here can be had for about $300.
The ultra-wide 1440p display shown here can be had for about $300.
Photo: [email protected]

Once you shell out a couple thousand bucks or more for a marvelous Mac Studio desktop machine, how do you add an ultra-wide display without running up your already-tortured credit cards?

Today’s featured dual-monitor Mac Studio setup solved the problem by going back in time. Its owner added an ultra-wide display — and much of the other gear in the workstation — from a few years ago.

iPhone 13 dominates US smartphone shipments

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6.1-inch iPhone 13 review
Guess what's the best selling smartphone in America?
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhones made up more than half of all smartphones shipped in North America during the second quarter of 2022, according to a market research firm. This marks the third quarter in a row that more than 50% of the handsets shipped in the region came from Apple.

Samsung, the next nearest rival, had less than half as many shipments in Canada, Unites States and Mexico.

‘Tower of power’ spurs cable-clutter debate over otherwise-clean rig [Setups]

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Plenty to see here, but the
Plenty to see here, but the "tower for power" in the corner drew most of the attention.
Photo: [email protected]

Some people care deeply about cable management, with nary a cord to be seen in their computer setups. Others couldn’t care less about it, leaving wire-spaghetti all over the place. And folks in the middle want to do it right, but meh, maybe next week, and maybe only somewhat.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro and iPad Pro setup stakes out much of the ground described above. Cable management is in play, but it’s done in a way that drove some neatniks crazy while others applauded the controlled mayhem.

Samsung’s flawed, foldable Androids show why folding iPhone remains years away

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Samsung's flawed, foldable Androids show why folding iPhone remains years away
Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 would be amazing if they weren't so flawed.
Photo: Samsung

The just-announced Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 offer the clearest evidence yet that Apple is correct to hold off on releasing a folding iPhone. Flexible screens still come with too many problems to be acceptable in an iPhone.

Of course, that didn’t stop Samsung from releasing handsets with these drawbacks.

M1 MacBook Pro and custom PC split dual gaming displays [Setups]

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The owner tried to set this whole thing up to roll into another room.
The owner tried to set this whole thing up to roll into another room.
Photo: cjeffe10

Some computer setups will make you green with envy, considering their gear’s quantity as well as quality. Take today’s featured setup, a delight for both gamers and podcasters.

It sports not just a new M1 MacBook, but also a powerful custom gaming PC. It boasts not just a solid 27-inch full HD display, but a monster 49-inch super-ultra-wide screen. And it relies on not just a good webcam, but a premium mirrorless digital camera.

And the list goes on, extending to audio and even a new mechanical keyboard. Read on.

Apple still can’t keep up with iPad demand

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Brydge 11 Max+ keyboard case is built for hardcore iPad Pro users
There's plenty of demand for tablets as low-cost alternatives to traditional computers.
Photo: Brydge

iPad shipments declined modestly in the Q2 2022, but not because people don’t want Apple tablets. iPad is still suffering from component shortages that slow production.

This was the second quarter in a row that Apple couldn’t make enough iPadOS units to meet demand.

iPhone shipments grow while smartphone market shrinks

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iPhone 13 Pro
The iPhone 13 sold well in Q2 2022.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

iPhone shipments grew 3.3% year over year during the second quarter of 2022, according to a market-research firm. That’s in contrast to the global smartphone market, which declined 7%.

Apple made up 16% of the total market, its highest second-quarter performance in more than a decade.

Floating iPad and MacBook are ready for close-ups in well-lit workstation [Setups]

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Who is this person, a movie star? A TV reporter? Nope, he's in sales.
Who is this person, a movie star? A TV reporter? Nope, he's in sales.
Photo: [email protected]

Today’s featured setup looks, at a glance, like it sports dual mounted laptops. But one’s an iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and one’s a MacBook Pro, floating on either side of a 32-inch external Samsung display. Universal Control lets the user work across the screens.

His only problem seems to be that silver Magic Trackpad sticking out like a sore thumb in darker surroundings. Naturally, social media came to the rescue with possible fixes.

Nice MacBook Pro, but it’s all about that cool hybrid-model canine [Setups]

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The M1 MacBook Pro and Samsung ultra-wide display form the setup's core, but the canine unit at right is a crucial feature, too.
The M1 MacBook Pro and Samsung ultra-wide display form the setup's core, but the canine unit at right is a crucial feature, too.
Photo: [email protected]

People love posting impressive photographs and descriptions of their computer setups online. And other people love either drooling over them or mercilessly criticizing them.

But no matter what technology appears — lets say a new-ish M1 MacBook Pro, a 4K wide-screen display, an excellent 4K webcam, rock-solid input devices and a reliable standing desk, as in today’s featured setup — it’s all forgotten if there’s a pet in the picture.

Class-action lawsuit claims Apple Pay blocks competition

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The lawsuit alleges that Apple Pay blocks the competition from tap-to-pay.
The lawsuit alleges that Apple Pay blocks the competition from tap-to-pay.
Photo: Apple

Apple violates U.S. antitrust law by making sure Apple Pay is the only e-wallet way to tap to pay via an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch, a new class-action lawsuit filed Monday alleges.

The complaint says Apple profits illegally to the tune of $1 billion a year or more by blocking competitors like Google Pay and Samsung Pay from offering tap-to-pay transactions on Apple devices.

Simplify your storage with this tiny Samsung USB-C flash drive [Review] ★★★★

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Simplify your storage with a tiny Samsung USB-C flash drive★★★★
Samsung's flash drive plugs into an iPad Pro as easily as it does any Mac.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Samsung USB Type-C Flash Drive adds up to 256GB of additional storage to Mac desktops and notebooks as well as most types of iPad. It can be easily switched among all of these, and other computers, too.

I tested the tiny drive with multiple devices, and it stood up quite well. Here’s why I love this speedy little accessory.