iSight

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on iSight:

Apple classics: If it ain’t broke, don’t replace it [Setups]

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You can't see it, but a Mac Pro from 2013 drives this trio of Cinema Displays.
You can't see it, but a Mac Pro from 2013 drives this trio of Cinema Displays.
Photo: BuddyA@Reddit.com

As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And if “it” refers to cool old Apple gear, you should reconsider replacing it, too — especially if it’s still going strong. Today’s featured setup boasts a “trash can” Mac Pro from 2013. It drives not one, not two but three Cinema Displays of yesteryear.

And that’s not all for the workstation’s retro wares. It also features Apple’s old iSight webcam, a Mighty Mouse and a Thunderbolt 2 hard drive for Time Machine backups. And how often do you see a solar-powered keyboard? It has one of those, too.

Running classic Cinema Displays with newer Macs [Setups]

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Which makes you swoon more, the 30-inch Cinema Displays or the Yamaha powered speakers?
Which makes you swoon more, the 30-inch Cinema Displays or the mounted Yamaha powered speakers with the Mackie Big Knob controller?
Photo: gagigu1@Reddit.com

There’s something special about old Apple gear. Maybe that’s why it comes up fairly frequently in Cult of Mac‘s Setups coverage. One of the most-beloved classics in Apple’s storied history of beloved products is the Cinema Display. Today’s featured setup sports not one but two 30-inch Cinema Displays, the big stunners Steve Jobs introduced to an absolutely dazzled Worldwide Developers Conference audience in 2004.

So, naturally, questions came up about how to best use them with a newer Mac.

Apple snaps up all available cameras for massive iPhone upgrade

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iPhone 7 camera
Even more powerful iPhone cameras are coming.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is consuming the entire production capacity of a new smartphone camera facility as it prepares to take the iPhone’s iSight sensor beyond 12 megapixels.

Largan Precision in central Taiwan is said to be the only manufacturer that meets the company’s minimum yield rate requirement, with its new Taichung factory designed to output around 600 million lens modules every single month.

New photos claim to reveal final design of ‘real iPhone 8’

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Is this what the iPhone 8 will look like?
Is this what the iPhone 8 will look like?
Photo: BGR

The internet has become awash with apparent iPhone 8 schematics and fan-made mockups in recent months, but these images claim to reveal the final design of a real device in all its glory.

The design looks familiar, proving previous leaks were right on the money, with glass panels flanking the front and back of the device, a redesigned iSight camera module, and a shiny metal frame that holds everything together.

iPhone 8’s ‘revolutionary’ FaceTime camera to bring facial recognition

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iPhone 8 facial recognition
You'll be able to unlock your iPhone simply by looking at it.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

This year’s iPhone 8 will offer a “revolutionary” FaceTime camera that will be capable of facial recognition and iris scanning, according to one reliable analyst.

Apple is expected to do away with the handset’s physical Home button and Touch ID in favor of a larger display and a mini Touch Bar. Facial recognition could well become the new method of unlocking your iPhone and securing your apps.

iPhone’s dual-lens camera might go vertical in 2017

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iphone 7
Apple is planning to change its dual-lens camera already.
Photo: Apple

Next year’s Plus-size iPhone might come with a slightly different dual-lens camera, according to the latest rumors out of Asia.

Citing supply chain sources, the new rumor claims Apple will reposition the secondary telephoto lens on the iPhone so that it sits below the traditional wide-angle lens.

iPhone 7 review: Old body, spectacular new soul

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iPhone-7
Don't be fooled by the iPhone 7's familiar design.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Fans weren’t expecting much from this year’s iPhone upgrade. We wanted something big — something that could reverse falling demand for Apple’s biggest product lineup — but we feared we weren’t going to get it.

What we got was the iPhone 7. It looks just like iPhone 6s (and iPhone 6), but Apple promises it’s a different beast. It’s faster, more exciting, and more capable than its predecessors — and it comes in new colors.

I’ve been using iPhone 7 since it went on sale last week, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my experience so far. It’s definitely not the massive disappointment some people anticipated, but is it worth the upgrade if you already have a recent model? Read Cult of Mac’s iPhone 7 review to find out.

iPhone 7 vs. iPhone 7 Plus: Which should you preorder?

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iPhone-7-7-Plus
It's time to choose between iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus!
Photos: Apple

Apple will start taking preorders for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus at 12:01 a.m. Pacific on Friday, September 9. That’s tonight, people (if you’re living in the United States)!

You’re going to want to get your order in as soon as possible if you want launch-day delivery, but which model should you go for? Find out which iPhone 7 model is right for you right here!

Why you’ll love Apple’s dual-lens camera on the iPhone 7

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Why you'll fall in love with Apple's new dual-lens camera.
Why you'll fall in love with Apple's new dual-lens camera.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Despite a bevy of leaks, a ton of questions remain about the upcoming iPhone 7, the biggest of which is whether or not it will come with an exciting dual-lens camera.

One week it’s coming. The next it isn’t.

Maybe you’re thinking, why would you even want one anyway? Well, in today’s video, we’ll show you why a dual-lens camera would be an amazing upgrade for any iPhone (and we’ll even toss in some sexy, 3-D concepts of what a dual-lens iPhone might look like).

Check it out:

9.7-inch iPad Pro is no laptop replacement, but it’s a terrific tablet [Reviews]

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iPad Pro 3
iPad Pro is even better at 9.7 inches.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple really, really wants you to replace your laptop with an iPad — especially if that laptop is powered by Windows. But before that switch can even be considered, the iPad needs to do everything your laptop can and more. That’s where iPad Pro comes in.

With its new A9X chip, it’s the most powerful iPad to date. It does everything your old iPad did, but it does it better. It’s compatible with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, and now it’s available in a smaller form factor with a 9.7-inch display.

This new model is easier to carry around all day, but it packs almost exactly the same punch as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro — and the same stellar speakers. It has also adopted the incredible 12-megapixel iSight camera from iPhone 6s, with the dual-tone LED flash.

It’s everything you want in a tablet — and more.

iPhone 6s can’t topple the latest Androids in expert camera tests

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Apple brings carrier billing for app purchases to Germany.
Apple brings carrier billing for app purchases to Germany.
Photo: Cult of Mac
iPhone no longer offers the best smartphoe camera. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
iPhone no longer offers the best smartphoe camera. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Apple’s new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus may be packing its best iSight camera yet, but it’s not good enough to topple the latest Android devices.

In DxOMark’s expert camera tests, Apple’s latest smartphones achieve a score of 82, which is five points less than the current mobile leader, Sony’s Xperia Z5.

iPhone 6s review: Pretty on the outside, a beast on the inside

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iPhone 6s
Apple hits another home run.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

iPhone 6s is a mirror image of its predecessor at first glance, but thanks to improved internals and innovative new technology, it’s very much a different beast.

With Apple’s latest A9 processor, a new 12-megapixel iSight camera, Live Photos, and 3D Touch, this is much, much more than just an “incremental” iPhone upgrade. It’s the iPhone that will change the way you use your iPhone. It’s Apple most exciting smartphone in years.

Apple sapphire supplier in financial crisis

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This year will be the iPhone's biggest camera upgrade ever.
Sapphire is used to protect the iPhone's rear-facing iSight camera. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

GT Advanced Technologies, a sapphire supplier that works closely with Apple, today confirmed that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection. Its share price has been falling since it was revealed that Apple opted for Gorilla Glass rather than sapphire for its iPhone 6 displays, but GT insists it’s not going out of business.

Big vs. bigger: Which iPhone 6 deserves a place in your pocket?

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iPhone-6-vs-6-Plus

For the second consecutive year, Apple has delivered not one but two new iPhones. Unlike the iPhone 5c, however, the slightly cheaper model this time around isn’t just an old iPhone inside a new shell. The iPhone 6 has the same A8 processor, the same Touch ID fingerprint scanner, and the same improved iSight camera as the iPhone 6 Plus.

So, is size the only difference, and how do you choose which model is right for you? Our in-depth comparison below will help you compare each device — spec for spec, feature for feature — and decide which one most deserves a place in your pocket for the next 12 months.

Apple To Launch Cheaper 8GB iPhone 5c Tomorrow [Rumor]

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The successor to the iPhone 5c is nearly here.
The successor to the iPhone 5c is nearly here.
Photo: Apple

Apple is expected to give potential iPhone 5c customers a cheaper option tomorrow with the launch of a new 8GB model. Leaked documents from O2 Germany have confirmed the existence of the device and its launch date, while two carriers in the U.K. have reportedly already received their first deliveries.