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Best USB-C hubs for iPhone 15

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These are the best USB-C hubs you can buy for iPhone 15, iPad, Mac, and MacBook.
Bag yours from as little as $6.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s decision to finally ditch Lightning in favor of USB-C on iPhone 15 means that you now have infinitely greater flexibility when it comes to connectivity. Whether you want to hook up storage drives, an external display, or even an Ethernet cable, you can do it all with USB-C.

But there is a catch. First, you’ll need a suitable USB-C hub or adapter that lets you connect all the peripherals you want to use through one port. Here are the best USB-C hubs you can buy today for iPhone 15.

iPhone 15 handily beats iPhone 14 in 5G download speed tests

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The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

iPhone 15 Series handsets released in September smoke iPhone 14 handsets by up to 54% in 5G download speeds, new tests released Wednesday showed.

Given the modem chipset upgrade in the newer models, the results aren’t surprising. But it’s always reassuring when the new gear performs as advertised.

iPhone 14 gets another year of free Emergency SOS via satellite

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iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite comes to the rescue again.
iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite comes to the rescue again.
Photo: Apple

Apple is extending free Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone 14 Pro series for another year. The company initially promised two years of free access for the phones when they launched in 2022.

Emergency SOS via satellite allows the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series to connect to emergency services without mobile network or Wi-Fi access.

iOS 17.2 beta 3: All the features and changes

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iOS 17.2 release notes
Time to try out iOS 17.2 beta on your iPhone!
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A week after seeding the second iOS 17.2 beta, Apple has released the third beta of the OS. The first two beta builds were loaded with new features, and iOS 17.2 beta 3 is no different.

Below are all the changes and enhancements we have found in iOS 17.2 beta 3 so far.

Grab one of Laut’s stunning new iPhone 15 cases while you can

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Laut Crystal Matter cases for iPhone 15
Laut's Crystal Matter cases come in three colors and fit any of the four iPhone 15 handsets.
Photo: Laut

Along with iPhone 15, released in late September, comes a new lineup of supremely stylish and highly protective cases for the handsets from Laut — and you can get them now in the Cult of Mac Store.

Shop all 14 products in the collection, including 11 cases, two screen protectors and one lens protector for iPhone 15, and see some highlights below.

iPhone 15 Pro Max costs Apple 8% more to make

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iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are the first smartphones to include Thread mesh networking. But why?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max's new camera system is 34% more expensive.
Photo: Apple

A bill of materials (BoM) analysis of the iPhone 15 Pro Max provides insight into the prices of the individual components and how they have changed over the previous year.

Apple is charging $100 more for its flagship iPhone this year. And yet, the device only costs the company an additional $37.7 to manufacture over the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

BMW’s wireless charging will screw up your iPhone 15

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iPhone credit card payments
NFC is required for ApplePay.
Mockup: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Own a BMW or Toyota vehicle? Don’t charge your iPhone 15 using the car’s built-in wireless charger as it could break the phone’s NFC chip.

Apple acknowledged the problem in an internal memo and confirmed a software fix will roll out later this year.

iOS 17.1 fixes weird iPhone 15 Pro screen ‘burn-in’ problem

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iPhone 15 screen burn-in isn't really
This isn't screen burn-in. It's an image retention problem that's fixed by iOS 17.1.
Photo: spriteice/Reddit

Anyone with an iPhone 15 Pro should install iOS 17.1 when it launches this week, especially if their new handset seems to be suffering from screen burn-in. Turns out it’s not a hardware problem but the result of a software bug that gets fixed by the upcoming update.

Plus, there are other new features coming in iOS 17.1.

Cost of iPhone 15 Pro Max components rises 12%

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iPhone 15 Pro Max teardown
The iPhone 15 Pro Max Bill of Materials is higher than for previous models.
Photo: iFixit

The cost of the components that go into the iPhone 15 Pro Max is up significantly when compared to its predecessor, according to an analysis of the various parts that make up Apple’s latest smartphone.

The change helps justify the jump in price for this model.