Rajesh Pandey - page 2

Apple to discontinue iPhone 14 and iPhone SE sales in the EU

By

iPhone 14 in purple
Apple will soon take iPhone SE and iPhone 14 off the shelves in the EU.
Photo: Unsplash

Apple will reportedly stop selling the iPhone SE (3rd gen) and iPhone 14 in the EU by the end of this year. It will do this to comply with the EU’s directive, which mandates all smartphones to use USB-C for charging.

Apple only switched to USB-C on its smartphone lineup with the iPhone 15’s launch in 2023.

Your WhatsApp calling experience is getting an upgrade

By

WhatsApp calling improvements
Voice and video calling in WhatsApp is about to get much better.
Photo: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is rolling out some much-needed video and voice calling improvements to improve the experience. These include new video effects, improved video call quality, and more.

Thanks to WhatsApp’s popularity, it is used to make over 2 billion calls daily. So, these improvements should benefit a wide section of users.

Apple’s 2025 Apple TV and HomePod to use in-house Wi-Fi chip

By

HomePod mini is one of the devices that can be a Thread 1.3.0 border router.
2025 HomePod mini can use Apple's in-house Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple will switch to its in-house “Proxima” WI-Fi and Bluetooth chip on its devices starting next year. The chip will debut on the Apple TV and HomePod mini next year.

By 2026, Apple will bring its in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module to the iPad and Mac.

1Password vs. Apple Passwords app: Why I’m not ready to switch

By

1Password and Apple Passwords in Spotlight on iPhone 15 Pro Max
1Password vs. Apple Passwords: It's not even a fight.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/CultofMac

With iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, Apple turned iCloud Keychain into a full-blown password manager with a dedicated Passwords app. While it’s a useful addition, I am not ready to give up on 1Password and switch to the Apple Passwords app yet.

The latter suffers from several limitations that prevent it from becoming a versatile password manager.

iOS 18’s delayed feature rollout impacts iOS 19 development

By

iOS 19 render logo
iOS 18's slow rollout of AI features is causing a domino effect.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple is gradually rolling out many of the big iOS 18 features showcased at WWDC24. iOS 18.1 marked the debut of Apple Intelligence, and with iOS 18.2, the company brought more AI features. This slow rollout is supposedly leading to many internal delays in iOS 19 features.

Expect to wait until 2026 for some new iOS 19 additions.

Apple Studio Display hits a lifetime low price in this amazing deal

By

Firmware updates for Studio Displays failed over the weekend but they're fixed now.
Apple's Studio Display is a great 5K monitor for your Mac.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s 5K Pro Display XDR is too expensive for regular users. The Studio Display is the perfect monitor for most Apple users, packing a big 27-inch 5K panel.

At $1,600, the monitor is too expensive for what it offers, especially since it is a few years old now. However, a deal on Amazon drops the Studio Display to a lifetime low price of $1,300, making it much more affordable.

iOS 18.2 enhances Apple TV and Apple Music with natural language search

By

iOS 18.2 mockup
iOS 18.2 brings a range of new AI features.
AI image: ChatGPT

iOS 18.2 will make searching on Apple Music and Apple TV much easier with natural language support. This means you can use natural language to describe and search for TV shows or music you are looking for.

The revamped Photos app gained support for similar search capabilities with the iOS 18.1 update.

Apple outshines Samsung in India with surging iPhone shipments

By

Apple Saket opened Thursday in the heart of India’s thriving capital of New Delhi.
Indians are buying more iPhones than ever before.
Photo: Apple

Apple continued its impressive run in its next big growth market, India, shipping more than 9 million iPhones from January to September 2024. This represents 35% year-over-year growth for iPhone shipments in the country.

The company also increased its lead over Samsung, the previous leader in India’s smartphone market.

Apple’s next iPad Pro upgrade to arrive in second half of 2025

By

Apple Magic Keyboard for M4 iPad Pro
M5 iPad Pro is still more than a few months away.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The next big iPad Pro refresh will arrive in the second half of 2025 at the earliest, according to a new report. The upgraded M5 iPad Pro reportedly will be the first product to use the next-gen Apple silicon chip.

Apple surprised everyone by launching this year’s iPad Pro refresh with an M4 chip.

Apple tests Amazon’s AI chips to pretrain Apple Intelligence models

By

Screenshot of Apple introducing Apple Intelligence during the WWDC24 keynote.
Apple wants to use Amazon's chips for training its AI models
Photo: Apple

Apple uses Amazon Web Services’ custom artificial intelligence chips to power its search services. The company is also evaluating if it can use Amazon’s latest AI chips to pretrain Apple Intelligence models.

Apple’s Benoit Dupin, senior director of machine learning and AI, made these revelations Tuesday in a surprise appearance at Amazon’s annual AWS re:Reinvent conference in Las Vegas.

My favorite Bose headphones hit their lifetime low price for Cyber Monday

By

Bose QuietComfort headphones
The Bose QuietComfort are the best headphones you can find for $199.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

Apple’s AirPods Max are a great pair of wireless headphones. But they are too expensive for what they offer. Plus, they don’t work as well with non-Apple devices. Due to these limitations, I got the Bose QuietComfort headphones earlier this year.

For Cyber Monday, these fantastic Bose headphones are down to their lowest price ever. And you should buy them over any other option you might have in mind. Here’s why.

Price alert: Get AirPods Pro 2 for just $170 [Updated]

By

AirPods Pro in an open case ... an early Black Friday deal drops price
With this sale, you get AirPods Pro 2 with the coveted USB-C case at a very low price.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Amazon has dropped the price of the latest AirPods Pro 2 to just $170, a killer deal for the best wireless earbuds out there. This fantastic early Cyber Monday deal knocks a hefty $79 (32%) off the AirPods Pro 2 (regularly $249).

The deal is currently available at Amazon.

Now that AirPods Pro 2 can act as hearing aids, it’s hard to recommend any other earbuds for your iPhone, Mac or iPad. And yes, this is for the latest model with the USB-C charging case.

Best Cyber Monday deals on Beats headphones and earbuds [Updated]

By

Beats Solo 4 headphones
Get Beats headphones and earbuds with big discounts this Cyber Monday.
Photo: Beats

The best Cyber Monday deals on Beats headphones and earbuds are now live. You can get many Beats headphones and earbuds at their lowest prices ever. A fresh price drop on Beats’ flagship headphones — the Beats Studio Pro — brings a whopping $190 discount. At just $159.99, they make a great alternative to other premium headphones.

Belkin recalls fast-charging Apple Watch power bank over fire risk

By

Belkin BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K in use
Stop using the Belkin BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch immediatley.
Photo: Belkin

Belkin is recalling its BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K due to a potential fire hazard. It is one of the few power banks on the market that can wirelessly fast charge an Apple Watch.

The company will issue a full refund to affected customers, though they must fill out a recall form first.

My favorite iPad is down to its lowest price this Black Friday

By

Apple Magic Keyboard for M4 iPad Pro
Every M4 iPad Pro buyer should at least consider getting the Apple Magic Keyboard.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s no better tablet to buy than an iPad. Apple overhauled the iPad Pro lineup this year with a slimmer new design, brighter displays, and a faster M4 chip.

I upgraded to the 11-inch iPad Pro from the M1 version earlier this year and could not be happier. This Black Friday, you should buy one, too, especially since the tablet is available with a big $150 discount.

iPhone 17 Pro could feature major design changes

By

iPhone 17 Pro concept image
2025 iPhone 17 series could comer with a redesign.
Image: Apple Hub/X

Apple could make big design changes to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max next year. One such change would be the surprising decision to ditch the Pro models’ titanium edges for aluminum.

A new report also suggests the Pro models will switch to an aluminum camera bump, replacing the current 3D glass design.

iPhone 17 Air’s slim design could prioritize thinness over features

By

iPhone 17 Air concept image
iPhone 17 Air could be insanely thin.
Image: Apple Hub/X

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air could be even thinner than initially rumored. A new report on Monday details many of the slim iPhone’s features, revealing several design compromises Apple would make for thinness.

This includes ditching the SIM slot and switching to eSIM, even in units sold outside the US.

Apple reportedly delays key iOS 19 features until spring 2026

By

iOS 19 render logo
iOS 19 might not launch with all big features initially.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly will delay many of iOS 19’s bigger features until spring 2026. They will arrive eventually as part of iOS 19.4 instead of becoming available when the iPhone’s new operating system first drops in September 2025.

Apparently, the delay will affect “a larger-than-usual number of features.”