Top Stories - page 16

The new Soundcore Space One Pro wireless noise-canceling headphones generated some buzz in the audio community, promising top-notch sound quality and advanced features for a typically reasonable price from Anker’s audio brand. Keen to see if they’d live up to expectations, I tried them out. And I found that they’re great at the list price of $200. But when the price dips — and it usually does — they’ll become an absolutely fantastic value. Read my Soundcore Space One Pro headphones review below for more information.

Apple released iOS 18.0.1 on Thursday to fix an annoying bug that made the touchscreen unresponsive on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. The new iPadOS 18.0.1 corrects several problems, too, including one that bricked some M4 iPad Pro units when installing the original iPadOS 18 version.

In addition, macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 and visionOS 2.0.1 also arrived Thursday with minor bug fixes.

Twelve South PlugBug is the first power supply to support Apple’s Find My technology. That means the USB-C wall charger can be located with an iPhone app, and it warns its owner if it’s being left behind in a coffee shop or hotel room.

One version includes a pair of ports and puts out 50W. A second has four USB-C ports and 120W.

I put PlugBug through real-world testing, and came out loving it.

The iPhone’s Action button replaces the former ring/mute switch, and while it can fulfill the same purpose, there’s much more you can do with it. Apple gives you a bunch of options out of the box if you want instant access to your flashlight, camera, Shazam and more.

You pick the function, and it’s just a button push away. You can even turbo-charge the Action button by running a shortcut.

Setting up the Action button to do your bidding is easy. And once you do, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy quick access to your favorite feature.

If you got a new iPhone 16 series smartphone, you probably want to protect it with a new case. And if you’re into classic materials, you can’t go wrong with a Mujjo Full Leather Case for iPhone, one of  best-looking and best-made leather cases out there. For this Mujjo leather iPhone case review, I tried it out on my new iPhone 16 Pro in three different colors.

Most of us store thousands of pictures and videos on our iPhones. If you want to create a bulletproof backup, you need to know how to transfer photos from iPhone to an external hard drive, SSD or flash drive. It’s easy, assuming you have the right software and (and possibly an adapter). 

Mac and iPad users have a lot to look forward to in October: rumors say an Apple event should bring new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with the M4 chip, with a new iPad mini and budget iPad also on the agenda. To know more about what’s coming, check out the latest insights on Apple’s Mac Studio and Mac Pro updates.

Here’s what to look forward to at an October Apple event, plus the products that’ll likely come even later.

Apple’s newest MagSafe Charger offers faster wireless charging than its predecessor when used with an iPhone 16. However, it does not live up to Apple’s claim of powering up the newest iOS handsets as quickly as a USB-C cable.

I tested the new power puck with an iPhone 16 to see how fast it can charge, and how warm it makes the handset. Here’s what I found out.

AirPods 4 bring professional-grade features to Apple’s non-Pro earbuds. Fairly good active noise cancellation sits at the top of the list of additions, which is a surprise because the earbuds lack foam ear tips.

Apple did tweak the design to make them more comfortable and secure. And the company improved the audio quality, too. Especially the bass. How does all this play out in real-world testing? Read our hands-on AirPods 4 review to find out.

If you snatched up an iPhone 16 or 16 Pro — congrats! Now it’s time to consider how you’ll protect it. New iPhones aren’t fragile, and plenty of people go caseless to show off their handset’s sleek lines and cool color. But imagine how bummed you’ll be if you drop it and break it. Fortunately, there are already plenty of protective new cases to choose from.

 After all, case-makers anticipate the new iPhone every year, and they bring the variety. You could go minimal with a thin case that works well with iPhone 16’s sleek design. You might seek extreme impact resistance for the most damaging drops. Or maybe you’d pick a luxurious leather that only looks better with age. For those looking for durable yet stylish protection, brands like Spigen offer a variety of well-crafted options.

We rounded up the best options you can buy right now — in addition to cases by Apple and its subsidiary Beats — with prices starting at less than $20, below.

In iOS 18, Apple’s Messages app gains five great new features that will make texting all the more fun. New message effects let you bold text in iMessage and animate it for extra emphasis. If you’re the forgetful type, you can schedule your messages to send later — automatically. You can reply to a message using any emoji you like. Finally, texting will get easier with your friends on Android — and in the middle of the Gobi desert.

Watch our video or keep reading to see the best new Messages features after you upgrade to iOS 18. (You can find the new iPhone operating in Settings > General > Software Update.)

The iPhone 16 Pro is a much-refined iPhone. All the features that make the it pro have been improved. The cameras are better, faster and higher-resolution. The screens are bigger, the bezels smaller, the chips faster. Even Siri works better!

But the bright colors of the iPhone 16 are swaying a lot of people back to the entry-level models, and I don’t blame them. The iPhone 16 Pro is for those who want the top 10%, the uncompromising best-of-the-best — if you can live with a gray phone.

This year, the best gets a little better all around. Keep reading or watch the video.

I’d like to save you between $200 and $400. It’s easy: Don’t assume you must buy an iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max to get an excellent handset. The more-affordable iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are both brilliant.

Traditionally, customers choose the basic iPhone because they’re willing to forgo cutting-edge features to get a cheaper device. But the gap between iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus versus the Pro versions proves quite narrow. My time reviewing Apple’s latest iPhones shows that if you go with a “regular” iPhone this year, you will give up less than you think in exchange for significant savings.

I find going to the mall for an Apple Store sales event exciting yet brutally soul-sapping, even when a preorder makes pick-up relatively easy. But it’s well worth it when it results in the excellent new Apple Watch Series 10 on my wrist. I actually couldn’t wait to write this Apple Watch Series 10 review.

Larger, thinner, lighter and more lushly curvaceous than predecessors, the 10th anniversary Apple Watch is, technically, a redesign. But it feels like a bunch of iterative improvements more than a huge overhaul. And yet those small changes simply add up to great — with only a couple of small caveats.

When Apple pushed out iOS 18, it trumpeted big changes to the Photos app (though it already rolled some back after negative feedback). Now, with the app’s public release, many users’ initial excitement has turned to disappointment and even anger on social media. The iOS 18 Photos app backlash is real — some people really hate it.

And amid that angst — and for that audience — developer LateNiteSoft put out the new Photon Library app designed along the lines of Apple’s old Photos app.

“We’re bringing back tabs, basic photo grids, a list of albums you can simply scroll through, and we even added some quick access to your Favorites!” Noël Rosenthal, a product manager atLateNightSoft, told Cult of Mac.

The charging station’s compact design makes it one of the smaller MagSafe-compatible docks I’ve seen that supports 15W fast charging. Measuring just 3.07 x 2.36 x 2.36 inches, it’s small enough for travel if you have space in your bag or for keeping your workspace tidy because it doesn’t take up much space. The charger’s build quality is top-notch, featuring a tilting top charging panel for MagSafe iPhones that adjusts up to 70 degrees for a better viewing angle. This flexibility allows me to easily see notifications or watch videos while my device charges. It’s great for Standby mode, too. If you’d like to know more about similar charging solutions, check out this review.

With iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max on order for pickup or delivery starting Friday, early reviews of the premium handsets are rolling in. Our iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max review roundup finds a lot to like in the biggest upgrades — mainly increased screen size and the cameras’ beefed up functionality.

But with Apple Intelligence still to come to test the awesome new A18 Pro chip, upgrades seem largely iterative, leaving much of the attention focused on the big jumps iPhone 16 and Plus took this year.

Early reviews for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus say the base handsets close the gap between them and the Pro models. With the new Action and Camera Control buttons, the powerful new A18 chip, camera improvements and the promise of upcoming Apple Intelligence functionality, users with older models have plenty of reason to upgrade from older models (especially iPhone Series 14 and older). Read our iPhone 16 review roundup to find out more.

Say goodbye to awkward angles and neck strain with the Casa Hub Stand Ultra. This laptop stand with a built-in USB-C hub and magnetic iPhone dock is your ultimate ergonomic upgrade. Whether you’re working from home or enjoying some Netflix on your laptop, this stand offers the perfect height adjustment to keep you comfortable and/or productive for hours.

It works with laptops and iPads. And right now, you can get the Casa Hub Stand Ultra for just $139.99 (regularly $159).

As a Mac user, you’re no stranger to cutting-edge technology, like the hottest new mechanical keyboards. But have you heard about Hall effect keyboards, which are gaining popularity, especially among gamers? Let’s dive into why people turn to these specialized magnetic mechanical keyboards and what they could mean for your Mac gaming setup. They’re not actually new, but more of them have hit the market lately. And a lot of people think they offer big advantages.

As Apple Watch celebrates its 10th anniversary, Series 10 has arrived with a suite of refinements rather than revolutionary changes, our Apple Watch 10 review roundup found. And that’s despite the fact that a redesign took place to make the wearable larger yet slimmer. Let’s dive into what reviewers say this latest iteration brings to the table, including a larger display, faster charging and sleep apnea detection.

Apple’s new iPhone 16 is likely to be a hot item — and our iPhone trade-in program makes it quick and easy way to get yours for even less.

Sell your old iPhone (and other Apple devices) to Cult of Mac today and we’ll send you cash to put toward your upgrade.

watchOS 11 is a smaller update with a few great features people have wanted for years. You can pause your Activity streak without losing it, customize the beautiful new Photos face and set different Activity goals for each day of the week. It comes with some new apps, as well — Vitals, Tides, Translate and a new training load feature.

Apple released watchOS 11 on Monday. After you update, here’s the big list of things you can check out.

macOS Sequoia is a pretty comprehensive update with some fantastic new features, like iPhone mirroring, window tiling, and text message formatting. Although Apple Intelligence — the AI features coming to Mac, iPhone, and iPad — will continue grabbing headlines for the next year, it won’t arrive until later in the fall. Plus, only Macs with Apple silicon will support Apple Intelligence. Additionally, users can look forward to a new shaking head emoji, expanding the ways people can express disagreement or disapproval in messages.

Still, macOS Sequoia brings some game-changing new features — and it’s out right now. Find it in System Settings > General > Software Update. It’s compatible with most of the same Macs as macOS Sonoma, dropping support for the 2018 and 2019 MacBook Air.

After you update, here’s the big list of things you can check out.

Lighting is a crucial part of any video shoot, whether you’re filming a scene for an indie movie with an expensive camera or using your iPhone to capture video of your kid’s soccer game. These easy phone lighting tips can really boost the quality of your videos, whether you’re using the latest iPhone or an old Android device.