Apple Watch - page 5

Apple ‘Watch X’ with new design might arrive in 2024

By

Apple Watch Series 7 with Speidel Twist-O-Flex watch band
The Apple Watch's 10th anniversary upgrade could be a special one.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple is planning some big upgrades for the 2024 Apple Watch. Reportedly called the “Watch X,” it could debut with a slimmer chassis, a new watch band mechanism and other major changes.

With the Watch X launch, Apple plans to celebrate the Apple Watch’s 10th anniversary.

Nomad’s new Sport Band for Apple Watch glows in the dark

By

You might want to wear a different band to the movie theater. It might distract others.
You might want to wear a different band to the movie theater. It might distract others.
Photo: Nomad

Nomad added a new limited-edition Sport Band for Apple Watch Tuesday, and this one glows in the dark. That’s why it’s called Glow.

By day the waterproof bands appears off-white, but in the dark in glows bright green. It will be tough to misplace it, even at night.

Third-party Apple Watch chargers will work faster soon

By

This MagSafe charger from Belkin might be the coolest iPhone 12 accessory.
This Belkin stand supports Apple Watch fast charging, but not all do.
Photo: Belkin

Makers of third-party Apple Watch chargers will reportedly no longer be able to build the old, slow Apple Watch charging puck into their products. The only one available will operate 33% faster than the original Apple Watch charger.

This means that, going forward, all new Apple Watch accessories will support Fast Charge.

The latest AirTag and Apple Watch rumors make us giddy [The CultCast]

By

An Apple AirTag and an Apple Watch Ultra: We're talking the latest Apple rumors on The CultCast, episode 606.
AirTags with new functionality and Apple Watches in new colors sound good to us.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Which gets you more excited, an AirTag with new AR capabilities, a pink Apple Watch or a black titanium Apple Watch Ultra? This week’s top Apple rumors fuel our imaginations …

Also on The CultCast:

  • Apple touts 1 billion paid subscribers, a gigantic number that pushed the company to record-high revenue for its services division last quarter.
  • Leander cooks up a cheap-and-dirty way to add CarPlay to any car, even an old beater. (Still can’t get him to come on the podcast, though, because … 👀.
  • Tim Cook finally plays the AI card as Apple tries to cash in on the latest tech buzzword.
  • Griffin proves he’s a total nerd the consummate tech collector by revealing what he uses an ancient Apple Newton for these days.

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.

Would you buy Apple Watch 9 or Ultra 2 in these new colors?

By

Apple Watch Ultra 2 may come with both plain and black titanium cases.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 may come with both plain and black titanium cases.
Photo: @ShrimpApplePro

You can expect a new color for Apple Watch Series 9 — pink — and a new black titanium case for the second-gen Apple Watch Ultra, according to a reliable leaker.

If Apple remains true to its usual scheduling, we should see both new items in September at an event unveiling the iPhone 15 lineup.

More big iPhone leaks, including one we really don’t like [The CultCast]

By

Wor$t iPhone 15 rumor yet! With The CultCast logo, episode 605.
Not all iPhone rumors are created equal.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Not all iPhone rumors prove exciting. In fact, a big one this week — possible iPhone 15 price hikes — sounds downright depressing. But it’s not all bad news. The “normie” iPhone 15 might get some trickle-down camera tech that could make it easier not to go Pro this year.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Think of all the interesting ways you could use an Action button like on Apple Watch Ultra’s on an iPhone. Well, the iPhone 15 Pro might get in on that action.
  • Apple’s Vision Pro loaners for developers come with some absolutely ridiculous restrictions.
  • We’ve got an Apple Watch tip that we bet you don’t know — how to get the time with a tap on your wrist. Perfect for those long, boring meetings when you don’t want to peek at your watch.
  • Hang around for the great Apple Music versus Spotify debate of 2023.

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.

Bling out with new ‘metallic leather’ band for Apple Watch

By

This one's for the disco.
This one's for the disco.
Photo: Laut

What will the Italians think of next? They’ve produced a leather with such a mirrorlike sheen that it actually looks metallic. And Laut is using it to create quite the statement-making Laut Metallic Leather Apple Watch Band.

Check out the flashy band in three cool colors in the Cult of Mac Store and read more below.

Get the time without even looking at your Apple Watch

By

Feel the passage of time
A clock you don’t even need to look at. What a time to be alive.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Pro tip bug You can read the time without even looking at your Apple Watch using a little-known feature called Taptic Time. Hold two fingers on the screen and you’ll feel it tap the time out on your wrist.

This is handy if you’re in a meeting and you need to know the time, but you don’t want to look rude checking your watch. Or maybe you’re in the middle of a presidential debate.

Whatever the situation may be, turning this feature on and familiarizing yourself with it may come in handy.

New Apple-certified GaN charging station powers up 6 devices at once

By

You might not always have to charge six devices at once, but with this charging station, you can.
You might not always have to charge six devices at once, but with this charging station, you can.
Photo: ESR

ESR just launched a Kickstarter campaign for an unprecedented, Apple-certified 100-watt 6-in-1 charging station with GaN technology to juice up all your devices.

The company called the device — which can charge iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously — the “world’s first” of its kind. You can preorder it now at a 20% discount. And it may serve all your charging needs.

6 mind-blowing Continuity features every Apple user should know

By

It all works together
Your Apple devices can work together in more ways than you may expect.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Nothing illustrates the power of Apple’s ecosystem like the Continuity features that help your Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch work seamlessly together. Thanks to Continuity, your iPhone can serve as your Mac’s webcam. You can start an email on one device and instantly pick it up on another. You can use the same keyboard and mouse with a Mac and iPad, copy and paste across devices and more.

These features flex the power of Apple’s hardware and software — and they would never be possible on a PC. Unfortunately, that means a lot of people don’t learn about these features because they don’t expect so much from their computers.

In this post (and the accompanying video), I will show you some of the time-saving, annoyance-busting Continuity features you can enjoy when you go all-in on the Apple ecosystem.

Juuk Qrono: The best metal band I’ve used with Apple Watch [Review]

By

Juuk Qrono review: This lightweight aluminum Apple Watch band is machined to perfection.
This lightweight aluminum Apple Watch band is machined to perfection.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Juuk’s Qrono band for Apple Watch offers everything you could want from a metal bracelet without the nasty drawbacks. It looks terrific but won’t weigh you down. And, like all Juuk bands, it’s built to last.

Here’s why the Qrono is the only metal band I’ll wear with my Apple Watch.

Win a compact charger that juices up 3 devices at once [Cult of Mac giveaway]

By

Cleverly designed to charge three of your Apple devices simultaneously
This travel-worthy charger can handle iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously.
Photo: Kuxiu

This week we teamed up with Kuxiu to put an X40 3-in-1 foldable magnetic wireless charger and stand in the hands of one lucky winner.

This charger, which retails for $89.99, can juice up an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all at once. And it’s perfect for travel, thanks to its light weight and compact size. It tips the scales at just 6.9 ounces, so you can take it anywhere and just pop it in your pocket for extra convenience.

Pro Tip: Set your Apple Watch time a few minutes ahead

By

Never Run Late Again
Cult of Mac is not legally responsible if you are still late after turning on this feature.
Image: Crew/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Pro tip bug Set your Apple Watch time a few minutes ahead of the actual time and you might trick yourself out of running late every day. This is an officially supported feature, not a hack that’ll have cascading, annoying side effects. And it doesn’t require you to set your smartwatch out of sync with internet time.

What will you gain? By running your Apple Watch a few minutes fast, you might nudge yourself to rush out the door a little earlier. And that might be enough to get you somewhere on time rather than late. If tardiness is a frequent problem for you, this little change could save your skin.

Apple Watch may detect Parkinson’s disease long before symptoms appear

By

Amazingly, Apple Watch may become even more vital to tracking your health in the near future.
Amazingly, Apple Watch may become even more vital to tracking your health in the near future.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

A smartwatch like your trusty Apple Watch might be able to screen you for Parkinson’s disease up to 7 years before symptoms would show up if you have it, according to a fascinating new study.

Parkinson’s damages the brain slowly, so early detection via smartwatch could offer treatment advantages as new therapies develop.

Last chance: Take 20% off stylish Apple Watch bands while they last

By

Switcheasy's Silicone Magnetic Apple Watch Band
The comfy, secure silicone magnetic Apple Watch band fits most occasions with its sleek look.
Photo: SwitchEasy

SwitchEasy makes an array of cool bands for Apple Watch in different styles and with various materials, from stretchy nylon to stainless steel mesh. In the SwitchEasy Flash Sale, the Cult of Mac Store has four excellent choices on sale for 20% off the regular prices through July 3.

Check out all four SwitchEasy bands for Apple Watch below.

3 simple tricks every Apple Watch wearer should know

By

Apple Watch Control Center
The Apple Watch Control Center has some nifty features you should be aware of.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple Watch does so much that it’s possible for some of its handy tricks to get lost. Here are a trio of them that aren’t marquee features but can make life just a bit more convenient.

Here’s how to turn on the flashlight, find your iPhone and silence alarms on your iPhone from an Apple Watch.

New updates for iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch squash bugs

By

Updates is here for your iPhone bugs
Almost every Apple computer just got operating system updates designed to deal with pesky bugs.
Photo: Cult of Mac/Egor Kamelev/Pexels

Apple just introduced a slew of operating system updates. That includes iOS 16.5.1, macOS 13.4.1, watchOS 9.5.2 and iPadOS 16.5.1, which fix bugs in the most recent versions.

But it also released bug-fix updates for older versions of the operating systems going back as far as 2020.

What hasn’t yet arrived on Wednesday are the much-anticipated second round of betas for iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma.

Amazing mod turns Apple Watch into mechanical timepiece

By

What's old is new again? What's new is old again? Something like that. It's a mechanical Apple Watch.
What's old is new again? What's new is old again? Something like that. It's a mechanical Apple Watch.
Photo: NanoRobotGeek

I always had a thing for mechanical watches’ intricate machinery. But I gave up my Swiss timepiece for Apple Watch’s amazingly smart functionality.

And now someone has gone to the trouble of marrying the two on video. He replaced a nearly defunct Apple Watch’s circuitry with watch-movement technology first established more than 200 years ago.

And the end result is a gorgeous watch, if you dare try this sort of recycling project yourself.

Why Apple Watch doesn’t allow third-party watch faces

By

watchOS 7 new faces
There are a lot of cool Apple Watch faces, all created by Apple.
Photo: Apple

A high-level Apple exec recently answered a question that bugs many Apple Watch users: Why aren’t third-party watch faces allowed?

It comes down to the company not allowing the wearable’s all-important home screen to be replaced by a non-Apple alternative that might not prove as reliable.

Apple health updates boost mind and body across platforms

By

New health features come to iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10.
New health features come to iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10.
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

At WWDC23, Apple said it’s adding a slew of new health features in iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10 that will help you take care of yourself physically and emotionally.

And while new mental health and vision features are coming across platforms, the more-general Health app finally arrives on iPad, as well.

iOS 17’s NameDrop makes sharing contact info a breeze

By

The new iOS 17 AirPlay feature called NameDrop will help you easily share your contact info and more.
The new iOS 17 AirPlay feature called NameDrop will help you easily share your contact info and more.
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

Sharing your contact information and more with people will get easier with new AirDrop functionality in iOS 17. A new feature called NameDrop makes it about as simple as knocking iPhones together.

“Today, you either hand your phone to them, or one of you dictates your information while the other types it. Now there’s a better way,” said Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi during Monday’s WWDC23 keynote. “Now you can just bring your phones close together.”

Widget fans and cyclists and will love watchOS 10

By

watchOS 10 will work with Apple Watch Series 4 and newer.
watchOS 10 will work with Apple Watch Series 4 and newer.
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

watchOS 10 will introduce widgets and bring a new look for many built-in Apple Watch apps. But the biggest changes come to the Workout app, which adds features that serious cyclists have been demanding for years, including support for third-party Bluetooth power and cadence meters.

Keep all your Apple gear topped up with this 5-in-1 charger [Sold out]

By

Keep all your Apple gear charged with this 5-in-1 charger.
Juice up all your Apple gear wirelessly with this 5-in-1 charger.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Update: Sorry, but this deal quickly sold out.

As more Apple gear becomes available, we all have a problem: How to keep it all charged? This 5-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger has room for just about everything — and more besides.

It even boasts an unusual design that makes it resemble a leafy plant!

When will your state let you add your ID to Apple Wallet?

By

Georgia becomes latest state to support driver’s license in Apple Wallet
Four states, most recently Georgia, are fully on board.
Image: Georgia Department of Driver Services

When will you be able to add your driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet on your iPhone? In the United States, it varies by where you live. It’s not up to Apple: Each state and territory maintains a completely independent registry of drivers and identification cards, so each one must independently pass legislation and implement digital IDs.

If you live in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia or Maryland, you can do it today. (Our guide will show you how to add your driver’s license to Apple Wallet.) Otherwise, check our map and lists below to see how likely your state is to let you add your ID to Apple Wallet, and when it might happen.