| Cult of Mac

Apple considers rebates for old iPhone battery replacement purchases

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iphone battery
Apple's battery replacement might be bad for upgrade rates.
Photo: iFixit

Customers who purchased an iPhone battery replacement before the price was lowered to $29 might be in for a rebate from Apple.

In a letter sent today to U.S. Senator John Thune, the iPhone-maker revealed that it is exploring the possibility of offering rebates, but it’s unclear when that will happen.

10 things I love about iPhone X

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iPhone X looks like a bezel-free flatscreen TV
The iPhone X makes older phones look as dated as a cathode ray tube TV.
Photo: Cult of Mac/Stephen Smith

Earlier this week my colleague Killian Bell published 10 things he hates about his iPhone X.

Like some of our readers, I was shocked. Hates? How could he find one thing to hate, let alone 10?

I can’t think of anything to hate about the X. On the contrary, there are lots of things to love. Here are 10 things I love about the iPhone X.

Cult of Mac Magazine: Why ARKit will be huge for Apple and more!

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ARKit is going to be massively important for Apple.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s got no shortage of big launches coming in the next few weeks, but the one with the biggest long-term potential for Apple is ARKit. This is going to be massively important for Apple.

In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine, you’ll find that story and more. Get the latest iPhone 8 keynote event predictions. And learn how to stop your iCloud and Apple ID from getting hacked. Save big in our Watch Store this Labor Day weekend! Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

How to find out if your iPhone 6s battery is eligible for replacement

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The iPhone 6s has more junk in the trunk.
The iPhone 6s has more junk in the trunk.
Photo: Apple

Apple is offering iPhone 6s customers a free battery replacement for devices that unexpectedly shut down. The problem mostly affects iPhone 6s units made between September 2015 and October 2015.

If you’re not sure when your iPhone 6s was made, you can use a new tool created by Apple to find out if your device has a faulty battery.

Here’s how to check:

iPhone-size power pack will jump-start your car [Reviews]

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JumPack
Give your phone a jump-start with the JumPack.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

JumPack Power Pack CPP 8000 by Cobra

If you’re anything like me, you carry a ton of gadgets. Keeping them all charged is a juggling act and, inevitably, there’s always one device I’ve neglected to keep juiced.

Coming to my rescue though, Cobra sent over a JumPack Power Pack to charge up all my devices. Plus, it comes with an extra trick up its sleeve.

Check out the full video review below.

Why iPhone battery life will never last more than 1 day

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Your iPhone will always need to be recharged everyday.
Your iPhone will always need to be recharged everyday.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Every year Apple introduces a new iPhone, and every year I get my hopes up that this will finally be the model that can go two or three days without needing to be recharged. But according to a lithium-ion battery expert, the odds of Apple adding a power source capable of boosting iPhone battery life like that are practically zero.

Dee Strand, chief scientific officer at battery research firm Wildcat Discovery Technology, says the throughput on smartphone batteries is rapidly improving every year. The problem is, new features are bogging them down.

Compact battery pack speed-charges with your MacBook’s cable

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Charge this one with your MacBook Mag Safe power adapter in about 15 minutes.
Charge this one with your MacBook Mag Safe power adapter in about 15 minutes.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: Super Charge Powerbank by Quarter

Power banks and external batteries are everywhere these days, including airports, drug stores and (my favorite) at the Apple Store. I’ve used quite a few of them and, while many are kind of cheaply made, a few are pretty well-designed and useful.

Quarter’s Super Charge Powerbank is one of the latter. Just 15 minutes hooked to your MacBook MagSafe power adapter cord will give it enough juice to fully charge your iPhone. You can charge with a typical micro-USB cable, too, but you won’t get that fast a top-off.

Charge your iPhone faster than ever with this quick tip

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There’s nothing more irritating than wanting to use your iPhone and seeing that the battery is either low or completely dead. While plugging in your iPhone normally can get you a pretty good charge, it seems to take a long time. In this episode of Cult of Mac’s how-to’s we show you how to charge your iPhone quicker than normally with our easy steps.

Take a look at the video to see how to do it.

Mophie Finally Announces Battery Juice Pack For The iPhone 5

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It’s taken nearly five months, but Mophie has finally announced its battery case for the iPhone 5. The Mophie Juice Pack Helium for iPhone 5 contains a 1500mAh battery in a case that’s 13% slimmer than its predecessor. The pack promises to give six to seven more hours of battery life to the iPhone 5 in normal use cases. The Juice Pack Helium costs $80 while supplies last, and shipments start going out on Valentine’s Day.