iPhone XS - page 5

iPhone XR Apple’s best-selling phone as sales fall

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iPhone XR was India’s no. 1 ‘ultra premium’ smartphone in 2019
iPhone XR was India’s no. 1 ‘ultra premium’ smartphone in 2019
Photo: Apple

Apple’s best-selling smartphone last November was, perhaps unsurprisingly, its most affordable model. The iPhone XR outsold the iPhone XS and the larger iPhone XS Max, according to new data — but overall iPhone sales saw a significant decline.

How to fix up your janky Portrait Photos with Focos

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Portrait Mode is great, until it’s not. Fix failed focus with Focos.
Portrait Mode is great, until it’s not.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The Portrait Mode in the iPhone XR and XS is hands-down amazing. In the time it take to snap a photo, the camera scans the depth of the image in front of it, and uses that data to blur the background, and make the subject pop out, sharp. But it doesn’t always work. The depth detection gets confused by glass, for example, ruining what could have been an amazing image.

Today we’re going to use and app called Focos to fix these depth glitches. Focos is an all-round focusing powerhouse of an app, recently updated to support the iPad, including the new iPads Pro. The area we’ll focus on today (sorry) is the ability to edit the depth map, and paint back in the glass or hair that the iPhone missed.

Ranking all the major hardware Apple released in 2018 [Year in Review]

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Year in Review Every Apple Product 2018
What was your favorite device Apple released this year?
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac Year in Review 2018 It’s been one heck of a busy year for Apple, and we’ve got the devices to prove it! Truth be told, despite Apple’s shrinking share price, this has been one of the company’s best years in a while for hardware.

What was the cream of the 2018 Apple crop? Here’s how we rank Apple’s major new product launches for 2018.

iPhone XR is Apple’s biggest lure for Android lovers

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iPhone XR Spectrum ad
iPhone XR sales in its first month were as about as strong as those of previous Apple bandsets right after their launches.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone XR got off to a fairly strong start. In November, this just-launched model made up 30 percent of Apple’s U.S. sales, slightly higher than the iPhone X in Nov. 2017.

But the standout aspect of the XR’s launch is this new model drew in a higher percentage of Android fans than any Apple device in years.

How to upgrade your new iPhone XS

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The first iPhone XS teardown video shows the unusual L-shaped battery.
Have your iPhone XS up and running ASAP with our setup guide.
Photo: FixjeiPhone

In recent years, the iPhone setup process has changed as dramatically as the iPhones themselves. Apple just keeps making it easier to do. So easy, in fact, that there are just a few things you need to do to move from your old iPhone to a new one. And setting up a new iPhone XS from scratch isn’t much harder — gone are the days of manually copying passwords just to get to the home screen.

There are still a few tricks, though, that will help things to run smoothly. Let’s see how to upgrade to the iPhone XS.

The 10 best Apple ads of 2018 [Year in Review]

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Year in Review Best Apple ads 2018

Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac Year in Review 2018: best Apple ads of 2018 The past 12 months have been one of the busiest ever for Apple’s video team.

Apple churned out more than 120 ads and other videos in 2018, unleashing some of its most memorable commercials in years.

After hours of watching all of Apple’s 2018 ads, we rounded up the 10 absolute best, some of which you probably haven’t even seen yet. Get ready to relive all the good times!

iPhone XI concept sports three-lens camera and sleek redesign

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iphone-XI
Three lenses are better than one.
Photo: ConceptCreator

iPhone fans are already chomping at the bit for a redesigned model less than three months after the iPhone XS and XS Max made their debut.

A new concept design for the iPhone XI made its way to YouTube today imagining some big changes that could come to Apple’s flagship device in 2019. Chief among the new features is a three lens camera array accompanied by some design tweaks inspired by the new iPad Pro.

Take a closer look:

2018 was a wild ride for Apple [Year in Review]

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Year in Review Everything Apple Did 2018
It was a busy year in Cupertino.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac Year in Review 2018 2018 was a rollercoaster year for Apple — with incredible highs, massive dips, and probably an executive or two throwing up along the way.

Apple became the first $1 trillion public company in U.S. history, unleashed some amazing new products, and pulled in record amounts of cash. But it also faced lows, from the iPhone-throttling controversy to a tanking stock price at the end of the year.

One thing that can’t be said, however, is that this was an uneventful 12 months for Cupertino. Here’s a recap of some of the year’s most memorable Apple moments.

Top iPhone suppliers give Apple investors good news

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The iPhone XS Max is 25 percent larger than any previous iOS handset. So how is it as an iPad mini replacement?
2018 iPhone sales might be a lot stronger than Apple’s share price would indicate.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A pair of companies critical in producing the iPhone enjoyed very strong sales in November. While not definite, this is a clear hint that the recent pessimism about sales of Apple’s handsets is unjustified.

Apple’s share price has dropped about 25 percent in the past couple of months on previous equally vague but negative reports.

iPhone XS Max dominates Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro in speed test

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speedtest
The Mate 20 Pro looks impressive, but it's kind of slow.
Photo: PhoneBuff

The iPhone XS Max is still the fastest new smartphone on the market, based on the latest speed test that pits Huawei’s flagship Mate 20 Pro against Apple’s most expensive iPhone.

PhoneBuff pitted the Mate 20 Pro against the iPhone XS Max in its speed test which measures which phone can open a select number of apps the fastest and then open them again a second time. So far the iPhone XS Max has stomped its Android competitors in every test. While the Mate 20 Pro puts up a good fight, it ultimately lost, making the iPhone XS Max the undisputed speed king of smartphones in 2018.

Watch the two phones battle it out:

Test lab gives iPhone XR top marks for single-cam smartphone

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iPhone XR test
Expensive performing camera in a budget iPhone.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone XR received the highest rating ever for a single-cam smartphone tested by image lab DxOMark.

Apple’s budget option for 2018 held its own against the more-expensive iPhone XS Max in a number of categories. Its score of 101 comes in just four points below that of the iPhone XS Max. And it’s three points better than the Google Pixel 2.

Apple sends out notification pushing iPhone users to upgrade

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Apple advertising 1
This is the message received by users.
Photo: Steve Lederer/Twitter

Apple’s apparently taking its “fire drill” approach to pushing the iPhone XR and XS seriously. As noted by developer Steve Lederer on Twitter, Apple recently sent out a push notification prompting users to upgrade to the iPhone XR or XS.

This was sent out to people on Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, so it’s not really breaking Apple’s own App Store rules stating that apps should not send unsolicited spam to customers. However, it’s also not the kind of soft sell we’d usually expect from Apple.

iOS 12.1.1 is out with improvements for FaceTime and Face ID

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Struggling Apple display-maker secures massive bailout
iOS 12.1.1 makes it easier to expand notifications on the iPhone XR.
Photo: Apple

Apple has come out with a big new update for iOS 12 today that brings a host of new features and bug fixes to the iPhone and iPad.

iOS 12.1.1 is available now as an over-the-air update, adding expanded eSIM support on the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max as well as some changes to FaceTime and fixes for Face ID.

How to change background blur in iPhone XS and XR photos

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Depth Control on iPhone XS
Depth Control can add subtle or wild background blur to your images.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The iPhone XS has an  amazing camera, and the best part of that camera is the Depth Control feature, which lets you adjust the background blur after you take the photo.

This is a powerful feature, but to get the most out of it, you might want to check out these tips and tricks on using Depth Control on iPhone XS.

Japan’s decotora trucks skirt-skirt into new ‘Shot on iPhone’ ad

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Dectora
Dectora trucks are unlike any car in the world.
Photo: Apple

Apple puts the iPhone’s low-light shooting capabilities on full display in a new “Shot on iPhone” ad that gives viewers a glimpse inside Japan’s decotora truck craze.

The incredible new video follows Kazuya Sekino, creator of Lady Misaki, a decorated truck with hundreds of LED lights. Apple’s trippy two-minute ad showcases the art of Japan’s many decotora trucks. It also highlights all the good things they do for the community.

Get ready to go for a ride!

Why an Apple Camera would be unstoppable, this week on The CultCast

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CultCast 364 MacBook Pro
An Apple camera with Smart HDR would revolutionize photography.
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: We tell you how iPhone’s Smart HDR takes pics better than cameras costing thousands, and how a proper Apple Camera would be positively unstoppable. Plus: The Supreme Court may force Apple to allow competing app stores; proposed tariffs on the iPhone could send prices sky-high; and Apple says the XR is one of the best-selling iPhones ever.

Our thanks to LinkedIn for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.

Apple quietly introduces new iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands

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Apple’s new silicone cases for iPhone XS
Apple’s new silicone cases for iPhone XS and XS Max.
Photo: Apple

Apple has quietly added some new iPhone XS cases and Apple Watch bands to its Online Store.

Its silicone cases and sport bands now come in hibiscus, mellow yellow, and pacific green. Apple has also added the celestial teal, olive flak, and smokey mauve Nike Sport bands that were made available through nike.com earlier this month.

iPhone XR isn’t a dud. It’s Apple’s best-selling model.

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Long-term iPhone XR demand could eventually lead to greater sales than the iPhone XS.
iPhone XS seems to be selling well, but iPhone XR sales are stronger.
Photo: Apple

In a change for Apple, its best-selling model isn’t its most expensive. A company VP says the iPhone XR has outsold the iPhone XS series since the cheaper device came out last month.

Perhaps this will allay recent nervousness about how well Apple’s latest device is selling.

The best iPhone XS and XR cases are slim, tough and invisible

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New offerings from MNML Case offer a totally transparent layer of protection for iPhone XS, XS Max and XR.
New offerings from MNML Case offer a totally transparent layer of protection for iPhone XS, XS Max and XR.
Photo: MNML Case

This post is presented by MNML Case.

A huge part of the iPhone’s appeal is its physical design. Sure, it’s got bells and whistles galore, but the way the phone feels in hand is the one feature you’ll encounter most. But you’ve got to protect your investment, especially when it’s a cool $1,099 as with the iPhone XS Max. So when you get a case, it’s worth getting one that doesn’t bulk up or alter your device’s carefully crafted form.

Fortnite now runs at 60fps on iPhone XR, XS and XS Max

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fortnite
ZylTV has made $13,000 so far.
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite players on iPhone just scored a huge advantage over their adversaries on Android and Nintendo Switch.

Epic Games has optimized the iOS version of Fortnite in its latest patch so that it runs at 60fps on the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, making the game look better than ever.

Apple dangles extra $100 trade-in for iPhone XS/XR buyers

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iPhone XR battery life is the best of any iPhone on the market.
The iPhone XR is now even more affordable.
Photo: Kristal Chan/Cult of Mac

Getting your hands on the newest iPhones just got a little bit cheaper.

Apple hasn’t knocked the price down on the iPhone XS or iPhone XR yet, but the company is offering a limited-time promotion that gives customers up to $100 extra when you trade in an old iPhone for a new one.

Lackluster iPhone demand hurts more suppliers

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The new iPhones X go on sale tomorrow. Are you ready?
More suppliers reportedly hurt by cut iPhone orders.
Photo: Apple

More Apple suppliers are reportedly expecting to see their revenues decline as Apple reduces iPhone orders, amid “lackluster sales performance.” The companies named include Largan Precision, which makes iPhone camera lenses, and Career Technology, which supplies flexible printed circuit boards.

This follows on from a multitude of other similar recent reports, citing major Apple suppliers including Foxconn and TSMC.

Amazon stocks its Apple store with new products ahead of Black Friday

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Apple store
Why go to the Apple store when you can just order it on Amazon with Prime shipping?
Photo: Nadine Kahney/Cult of Mac

The biggest shopping day of 2018 is nearly upon us and Apple and Amazon are teaming up to take advantage of the spending bonanza.

As part of its new online sales deal with Apple, Amazon has recently added a bunch of Apple’s latest products to its authorized reseller page, some of which are a bit cheaper than on Apple’s website.

olloclip’s new X lenses work with latest iPhones at last

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new olloclip mounts
olloclip releases lens mounts so its Connect X lenses fit the three newest iPhones.
Photo: olloclip

olloclip Connect X lenses will now fit on the iPhone XR and XS models thanks to new mounting clips rolled out today.

The release of dedicated clips for Apple’s latest flagship handsets comes two weeks after olloclip announced new Pro and intro lenses in the Connect X line-up. The new lenses were designed after the release of the iPhone X to cover larger image sensors.