2017 was a killer year for new Apple products — and it’s not all because of the iPhone X.
Apple’s design team spun out updates in nearly every single category while also popping out a few all-new products. The Mac Pro and Mac mini were pretty much the only machines that got no love from Apple this year. But with all the new stuff, it’s hard for Apple fans to complain.
Here’s a recap of every new Apple product of 2017.
This week on The CultCast: Shakeup at Apple! In a surprising turn of events, Jony Ive takes back the reigns of the Apple design team. We discuss what this means for Apple. Plus: The new iMac Pro is out, and the reviews are coming in. We’ll tell you what’s new about this beastly machine with a monster price tag. And we wrap with what Apple got right 2017, and what the company needs to do better in 2018! It’s been a wild year.
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Apple has increased its trade-in values for a bunch of old Mac models. Machines released in 2009 and later could now earn you up to $2,500. That’s a generous $1,000 more than the previous limit.
Mac and iPhone accessory maker Twelve South is bringing back its Mac-scented candle that flew off store shelves last year. The all-new Inspire candle still smells like a new Mac but comes with some big updates to its design that are sure to delight Apple fans.
Apple’s latest update for the Mac finally arrived today in the form of macOS High Sierra, bringing a host of improvements to Mac users. While the update doesn’t contain a ton of outward-facing changes, it’s definitely worth taking the time to upgrade if you want your Mac to be faster and more secure than ever.
Here’s how to do it.
Apple is giving away free Beats headphones for its latest Back to School promotion.
Students and teachers who purchase a qualifying Mac at reduced education pricing will get a set of Beats Solo3 wireless headphones at no extra cost, while those who purchase a new iPad Pro will be treated to BeatsX.
It’s no secret that Apple is expensive, which is why sometimes it’s a great idea to buy Apple items and Apple-compatible accessories elsewhere. See such deals on Apple Watch bands, cables and hardware in this week’s roundup of the best Apple deals.
This year’s WWDC keynote was an early Christmas for Apple fans. It delivered the big updates to iOS, macOS, and watchOS we were eagerly anticipating; a 10.5-inch iPad Pro; updated Macs with Intel Kaby Lake processors, plus nice surprises like the iMac Pro and HomePod.
But is this Apple back at its best, or do we need more out of Cupertino? Are fancy software updates enough to breathe new life into boring hardware? Is Apple’s new push into virtual reality and machine learning too little, too late?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over a bumper WWDC!
When Apple unveiled its spec bump for the 4K iMac at WWDC 2017 this week it didn’t seem like a major update. However, a teardown of the new 4K iMac reveals that the new machine is the most upgrade-friendly iMac Apple has released in years.
The new Macs that Apple unveiled Monday bring welcome upgrades to Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors. However, if you want to use the latest Apple computers for virtual reality, you’ll need to add an external graphics card in a pricey Thunderbolt 3 enclosure.
It’s yet another problem “solved” by Thunderbolt connectivity, but the do-it-all USB-C connector Apple is forcing down our throats isn’t the answer to everything.
Apple currently offers more products than ever before. Whether you’re buying an iPhone, an iPad, a Mac, or even an Apple Watch, there are a bunch of options to consider before you hand over your cash in an Apple store.
Having options is always a good thing, but has Apple’s product portfolio become too confusing for consumers? Does the company even have the resources to keep everything fresh and fully-supported, or is its larger lineup hurting its products?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over whether it’s time for Apple to streamline its product lineup.
Apple updated its Mac Pro trademark to include “augmented reality displays, goggles, controllers, headsets, and 3D spectacles,” alongside a range of other categories.
The additions come shortly after Apple acknowledged that its current Mac Pro doesn’t fulfill all the needs of its pro customers, promising that a new model with a modular design is currently in the works.
With some very interesting features, if this trademark update is to be believed!
Some sports fans show their allegiance by decorating their cars or wearing team jerseys. For Cult of Mac reader David Meier, his favorite sports team, the Texas Aggies, is a major influence on his choice of a red color scheme for his desk setup.
His Aggies-themed Mac arrangement is one of several showcased in this week’s episode of iSetups, our new show that highlights the best Apple gear submitted by our viewers. (You’ll also get plenty of tips and tricks for how you can improve your own setup.)
Apple’s next-generation iMac with powerful new internals will start shipping in the second half of 2017, according to sources in the company’s supply chain.
Apple is also said to be preparing a “server-grade” iMac packing Intel Xeon processors, up to 2TB of NVMe solid-state storage, and a discrete graphics card that will be available by the end of the year.
Professional Mac users will have to wait until 2018 for a glimpse at the new Mac Pro Apple is working on, but if the next-gen computer looks anything like this new concept, it might be worth the wait.
German site Curved created a Mac Pro concept that shows how Apple could add modular features, allowing professionals to swap out pretty much every component. The concept artists even dreamed up a Cinema Display that packs plenty of ports for expansion.
Take a closer look:
Apple’s reputation as the world’s best laptop maker took a serious hit in 2016, due to the new MacBook Pro’s adoption of USB-C.
In the latest brand rankings by Laptop Magazine, Apple’s slipped five spots as Lenovo and Asus surged to the top of the pack with their affordable and dependable wares.
Check out the full rankings:
This week on The CultCast: Apple just revealed its future Mac plans … on purpose! It’s unprecedented, and we’ll unpack it all for you. Plus: Apple promises an all-new, “rethought” Mac Pro and Apple display; Apple’s plans to make the Mac “pro” again; new pro-level iMacs coming this year; and we review a top-secret new smart speaker and a clever Watch stand that true Mac fans will love.
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off any hosting plan.
Apple excited us all this week by revealing it is finally planning a major redesign for the neglected Mac Pro. Although we don’t know much about it just yet, we’ve been promised a modular machine that will be easier to update.
This signals a return to a more traditional desktop form factor with user-upgradeable parts and more flexibility. But is it too little, too late? Has Apple already lost too many pro users, and will its next Mac Pro do enough to win them back?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over Apple’s efforts to win back the professionals.
The Mac Pro isn’t the only device Apple is rethinking for professional users.
According to a new report, the company is also considering significant changes to the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro, one of which could see the fancy new Touch Bar biting the dust.
It turns out Apple may not be finished making stand-alone displays for the Mac after all.
Apple partnered with LG to create a new 5K Thunderbolt 3 display last year to go with the new MacBook Pro, but according to a new report, the iPhone-maker is working on a new 8K display just for the next generation of Mac Pros.
Apple is reportedly set to launch new iMacs geared toward the pro market later this year.
The revelation came during a very rare Apple press briefing concerning its future plans. While the big news coming out of this meeting with a small group of reporters is that a radical rethink of the Mac Pro is on the way, there was also talk of an imminent iMac refresh.
Apple today delivered a slight refresh to the Mac Pro, introducing faster Intel Xeon processors and the option to add beefier graphics processing chips.
Nothing else has changed — not even the price — but Apple is “completely rethinking” the pro machine ahead of an all-new model.
Apple today revealed that it is planning to introduce an all-new Mac Pro and a new external display next year.
The company acknowledges that the existing Mac Pro doesn’t fulfill all the needs of its pro customers, but the new model with have a more traditional modular design that will allow Apple to “keep it fresh.”
The new PRODUCT(RED) iPhone is the latest limited-edition Apple product to turn a crimson paint job into a pile of green, all for a worthy charity.
Apple got involved 11 years ago with The Global Fund to benefit AIDS programs in Africa. In that time, Apple has raised millions of dollars for the charity — and released some pretty sweet special-edition products to boot.
Here are our picks for the best Apple PRODUCT(RED) products (plus, the absolute worst of all time).
This week on The CultCast: Are you yearning for a more powerful Mac? Well, friend, Tim Cook is promising to make Apple “pro” again. We discuss! Plus: iPhone 8 ditching Lightning for USB-C; Spotify about to go Hi-Fi; why your next iPhone screen might read your fingerprints; and the best iPhone bumper case in the land!
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