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Apple could debut iPhone SE successor as soon as March

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Apple could debut iPhone SE successor as soon as March
Are you excited about Apple's follow-up to the iPhone SE?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s forthcoming low-cost iPhone, often referred to as the iPhone SE 2 or (confusingly) the iPhone 9, is set to enter mass production in February, Bloomberg claims. The news outlet claims that Apple could unveil the iPhone SE 2 “as early as March.”

Production on the new handset is reportedly being split between regular Apple contract manufacturers Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron.

The Patriots are the Apple of football [Opinion]

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The Patriots aren't doomed, and neither is Apple.
The Patriots aren't doomed, and neither is Apple.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Imagine an organization that’s loved by its devoted, cultlike followers, but despised by haters. The close working relationship between its mercurial leader and one of the greatest talents in the field led to an unprecedented run of success. Even the occasional “-gate” style controversy failed to dent its success. But despite all this, analysts still question its long-term viability.

I’m referring, of course, to the New England Patriots. They may not be in the NFL playoffs this year, but people just can’t stop talking about the Pats. Kinda like the way everyone talked about Apple at CES last week, even though it barely attended.

Love them or hate them, the Patriots are the Apple of football.

2020 could be Apple’s greatest year so far

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2020 could be Apple's greatest year so far
Analyst Dan Ives is excited about what next year holds for Apple.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

2020 promises to be a great year for Apple, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. In a message to clients, Ives describes 2019 as an “historic year” for Apple. Not only has Apple come out on top this year, but he thinks next year could be even better.

And he’s slapped the highest price target on AAPL as a result.

Steve Jobs’ brief for iPad: A piece of glass for emailing on the toilet

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Steve Jobs’ brief for iPad: A piece of glass for emailing on the toilet
The iPad's natural home, apparently.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Steve Jobs’ on-stage iPad pitch to customers saw him relaxing in a luxury chair. His brief to Apple engineers actually building the iPad? “I want a single piece of glass I can use to read email on the toilet.”

That’s according to Imran Chaudhri, a 21-year Apple veteran, now chairman and president of Humane. Chaudhri was responding to a recent article about the iPad’s origins which appeared in the New York Times.

5 best alternatives to Apple’s $400 Mac Pro wheels

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Smart Car convertible.
Smart Car convertible.
Photo: Public Domain

If you want to add four wheels to your already-expensive Mac Pro, then they’ll cost you almost $100 apiece. Not that you can even buy them separately. You have to specify the $400 option when you buy. The wheels are a part of the Mac Pro’s steel frame, so there’s no way to add them after purchase.

Or is there? We found five good options to let you wheel your Mac Pro around the office, or to perhaps grab the power cable and take the new computer out for a walk like a dog. Or even to sit on the thing and take it for a spin, go-kart-style, down the nearest hill.

10 best skateboard stickers for defiling your new 16-inch MacBook Pro

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It takes years of professional training to place MacBook stickers this badly.
The MacBook still has more places to stick stickers.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Stickers are great, and skateboard stickers are the best of all. Which is why, when it comes to decorating/ruining/improving your new 16-inch MacBook Pro, you should be covering it with badass skate designs.

Even if you’re not a sticker kind of person, there’s an argument to be made that the MacBook needs at least one sticker, just to fix the stupid upside-down Apple logo on its lid. So, without further rambling, here are the 10 best skateboards stickers to stick on any MacBook.

Beautiful iPhone 12 concept video kills the notch

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2020 iPhone 12 concept has a 99% screen to body ratio.
A proposed iPhone 12 boasts a screen with 505 pixels per inch, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and 900 nits brightness.
Screenshot: Pallav Raj/ConceptsiPhone

An artist has imagined the 2020 iPhone with in-display Face ID, a fourth camera lens, and a design based on the iPhone 5. His video brilliantly shows off these proposed features for the iPhone 12.

Watch it now:

The best accessories for your new 16-inch MacBook Pro

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WaterField Designs Executive Leather Laptop Briefcase
Bag 'em! It's time to accessorize that monster laptop.
Photo: WaterField Designs

Your shiny new 16-inch MacBook Pro arrives this week, and of course you want to deck it out with all the latest accessories. What you need will depend on what you use your computer for, but almost everyone will want a case, a keyboard and a mouse. And there are plenty of other MacBook Pro accessories you might need to get the job done.

Check out our guide for dongles, cables and even battery packs that will help you get the most out of your new MacBook Pro.

16-inch MacBook Pro surprises: No Wi-Fi 6, 720p webcam, 96W charger

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16-MacBook-Pro
Notebook shipments could fall by as much as 36%.
Photo: Apple

There are some interesting surprises with the 16-inch MacBook Pro that you won’t find in Apple’s press release. So we’ve rounded up the big ones here so you don’t miss anything before buying.

Some of these things are nice surprises. But be warned that others will leave you a little disappointed.

Why I’m returning my AirPods Pro

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Just a few cents-worth of silicone can ruin your new $250 earbuds.
Just a few cents' worth of silicone can ruin your new $250 earbuds.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Why am I returning my AirPods Pro just a day after receiving them? If the AirPods Pro don’t fit in your ears, then tough. There’s pretty much nothing you can do about it short of returning them to Apple.

However, if you’re prepared to wait, there might be some hope.

2020 iPhone to sport smaller notch, bigger 5G antennas

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2020-iPhone-antenna
Our first look at the 2020 iPhone?
Photo: Ben Geskin

Apple reportedly is working on a number of big design changes for the 2020 iPhone lineup. It wants to shrink the notch (finally!) and add wider antenna bands that will support 5G connectivity.

The company is said to be testing a number of prototype designs — all of which feature smaller notches. Apple also is planning for a future without Lightning connectivity.

iPhone SE 2 will be Apple’s most affordable smartphone to date

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iPhone 7
It will cost you under $400.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s second-generation iPhone SE 2 will be its most affordable smartphone yet, according to one reliable analyst.

The upcoming device, which is expected to look like iPhone 8 and be powered by Apple’s new A13 Bionic chip, is expected to cost less than $400 when it goes on sale in early 2020.

How to add an hourly taptic chime in watchOS 6

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bell
Ring my be-e-ell, ring my bell!
Photo: Luís Perdigão/Unsplash

One of the defining characteristics of digital watches in the 1980s was the hourly chime. Every morning during school assembly, 9 o’clock would arrive, and with it a chorus of chimes, like electronic tweety birds at dawn. The double beeps filled the school hall. The teachers had long since given up trying to make us turn them off.

Now, you can experience the same thing with your Apple Watch. You can even make the chime sound like a real little birdie!

Apple Watch owners plagued by bad battery life under watchOS 6

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Apple Watch Series 5 California Face
It could be one of many new faces.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple’s recent watchOS 6 upgrade brought a host of new features and faces to Apple Watch. But it has also had a nasty impact on battery life for lots of upgraders.

Apple Watch Series 5 owners are reporting that their new wearable isn’t lasting as long as Apple promised it would in between charges. However, they’re not the only ones who are suffering.

iPhone 11 Pro Max wins highest-ever A+ score from DisplayMate

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iPhone 11 Pro Max display specs
The OLED display in the iPhone 11 Pro Max has some impressive specs.
Photo: Apple

The experts at DisplayMate positively gushed about the quality of the iPhone 11 Pro Max display. They call the screen “almost certainly considerably better than your existing Smartphone, 4K UHD TV, Tablet, Laptop and computer monitor.”

The crisp OLED screen in Apple’s newest flagship handset met or exceeded the test lab’s records in color accuracy, brightness, reflectance and more.

iPhone 11 review roundup: Great cameras make for great upgrade

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Iphone11
It's all about the cameras.
Photo: Apple

The very first iPhone 11 reviews are out, which means it’s time to find out whether that $699+ you just spent on an upgrade was worth it. And you probably won’t be surprised to hear the results.

Apple’s most affordable iPhone this year, just like its predecessor, is a hit with critics. It is getting heaps of praise for its improved cameras, even longer battery life, and bolstered performance.

There are a few complaints, however. Find out what reviewers think of the iPhone 11 right here.

MIA at Apple event: Tracking tags, reverse charging and more

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AirPods 2 pairing with iPhone
Sadly, your AirPods can’t charge off your iPhone 11.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple’s press event today included the iPhone 11 series as well as updated iPad and Apple Watch versions. However, some rumored devices, features and accessories failed to materialize.

Most notably, the company didn’t announce a line of item-tracking tags, and the latest iPhones can’t wirelessly charge other devices. And there are other predictions that didn’t come true.

2020’s iPhone SE upgrade won’t bring edge-to-edge display

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Watch a iPhone SE 2 TV ad
No, the new iPhone SE won't look like this.
Screencap: Creative Concepts

A reliable source today echos claims that Apple is developing an iPhone SE upgrade for early next year.

The new low-cost handset will feature Touch ID, just as expected — but it won’t be the new in-display Touch ID technology that Apple could bring to other handsets in 2020.

That means there’s no hope of an edge-to-edge display.

Google says iPhone security holes went unnoticed for 2 years

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for story on iPhone security
iPhone security had a few holes.
File photo: Cult of Mac

Google’s Project Zero team said it found gaping security holes in iPhone software that left users exposed to hackers before Apple fixed the flaws earlier this year.

Project Zero released a report on the flaws for the first time Thursday night. The team’s Threat Analysis Group found 14 different exploits that hackers used to gain private data, including photos, messages, contacts and real-time location information from iPhones.

Database exposes loads of incoming Apple products

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While not a literal crystal ball for seeing the future, the EEC database gets close when it comes to Apple products.
While not a literal crystal ball for seeing the future, the EEC database gets close when it comes to Apple products.
Photo: Jennifer Hubacher/Pexels CC

Multiple new MacBook, Apple Watch, iPod touch and iPhone models are coming this fall, according to a database that’s so far been very accurate about upcoming products. It belongs to the Eurasian Economic Commission, which become a gold mine for information on Apple computers that are right around the corner.

Latest iPadOS 13 beta is finally stable enough for almost anyone [Opinion]

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iPadOS Home Screen
Widgets on the Home screen are something you can have today, if you install the iPadOS13 beta.
Photo: Apple

The iPadOS beta Apple introduced this week offers something none of its predecessors did: reliability. Stability, even. After days of testing on an iPad Pro, I found it close enough to the final version that an average person can access a mouse or thumbdrive with their iPad nearly hassle-free. That hasn’t been true of earlier betas.

Less rigorous testing of iOS 13 on an iPhone XS Max indicates it’s also relatively stable.

Apple wants iPhone users to shun third-party battery replacements

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iPhone XR battery life is the best of any iPhone on the market.
You'll need to get your iPhone battery replacement carried out by one of Apple's chosen repairers.
Photo: Kristal Chan/Cult of Mac

Apple has long been trying to push users to shun third-party repairers and go through Apple for device repairs. Now it’s activated a previously dormant software lock on iPhone to try and crack down on battery replacements by third-party repairers.

That’s even the case if they’re replacing your battery with an official Apple battery.

Siri eavesdropping controversy underlines why Apple must be more transparent [Opinion]

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Siri
Apple backed down after a privacy backlash this week.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple wants you to know that, at least for now, it has stopped listening to Siri queries made by users. It’s the right move to make. But it’s the unnecessary result of a backlash Apple brought upon itself.

The Siri eavesdropping controversy perfectly illustrates why Apple needs to be more transparent with users — even if that means sacrificing some ease of use.