Where are you, AirPower? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Another small but significant reference to Apple’s long-awaited AirPower charging mat has been spotted this week, giving fans hope that the product is still in the pipeline after all.
AirPower is mentioned on an Apple product page for its new Smart Battery Case for iPhone XS. But what does it mean?
The new Smart Battery Case is a lot like the old one. Photo: Apple
Apple fans that scooped up one of the company’s newest iPhones are finally getting some much-needed relief for their batteries with the release of Apple’s new Smart Battery Cases for iPhone XS, XS Max and XR.
Which Apple PRODUCT(RED) products have you seeing red? Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
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 great battery case has power, style and extra storage. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Best List: Kuner iPhone battery case by KUKE
Even Apple admits that its powerful iPhones need a little extra battery boost from time to time. But if you’ve taken a look at the $99 devices, you might not be super convinced they’re worth the price, or even all that attractive.
The Kuner iPhone battery case really kicks the Smart Battery case’s butt: it’s thinner, prettier to look at, and even gives you extra storage space for videos, music and documents. Take that, Apple Smart Battery case.
This week on The CultCast: We take a look at Apple’s zany new Smart Battery Case; cover the new and notable in the watchOS, tvOS and iOS updates; and discuss our favorite strategies for managing overloaded inboxes.
Stick around till the end for our favorite iOS apps and games of 2015!
Apple releases a new iPhone 6 battery case and everyone hates it. Poor Apple.
This week, we chronicle the beating Apple’s Smart Battery Case takes from the internet, including a look at its insides, how the internet questions Jony Ive’s sanity, and the history of ‘humped’ design at Apple. That, plus accessories just as ugly as the new case, Apples updates to every OS it makes, the things we really don’t need in Apple Watch 2, and how to choose the right running app.
All this and much, much more in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine. Check out the top stories below.
Are these things signs of a larger design problem? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Unlike any other consumer electronics company, Apple has been nailing product design for decades. Jony Ive and his incredibly talented team have produced countless iconic gadgets that rivals can only dream of, and it’s the biggest reason why the company is so successful today.
But there are suggestions that Apple’s design prowess is beginning to slip away. Under new leadership, Apple has rolled out a number of products — most recently the butt-ugly Smart Battery Case — that have led some fans to question various design decisions.
Are those fans right to be concerned? Is it downhill from here for Apple’s design team, or is this a whole lot of fuss over nothing?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over those questions and more — and weigh in with your thoughts down in the comments section!
For the Apple fans disappointed in the Quasimodo look of the new Smart Battery Case, there is probably great satisfaction in seeing it all busted up. Yes, the staff at iFixit wasted no time prying one open to behold the guts of the beast.
iFixit did not defend the case from the “ugly” tag so many people gave it in its’ first 24 hours of public life. The technicians were impressed with the ducting on the case, which turned a downward-facing speaker into one that faces forward. The microphone also faces forward and iFixit wonders if this a preview on future designs.
All battery cases are, but because this one has an Apple logo on it, the Internet is getting all bent out of shape over just how ugly it is. There’s one thing nobody is mentioning, though: You don’t have to buy one if you don’t like it — and no one really cares what you think.