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Ed Hardy

Mophie Juice Pack gives iPhone 17 Pro or Air a big battery boost

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Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 17 Pro
Mophie Juice Pack lets your new iPhone keep going and going.
Photo: Mophie

The Mophie Juice Pack wraps your iPhone in a protective case that’s also a battery that adds hours of use. On Monday, it launched versions specifically for iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max or iPhone Air.

Mophie did more than make the battery cases closely fit Apple’s latest. The updated versions deliver longer battery life, stronger protection, better ergonomics and more.

iPhone Air bombed so hard that Apple will delay the next version

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iPhone Air in hand
Being slim and light wasn’t enough to make iPhone Air a success.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The second-generation iPhone Air won’t launch next fall, according to an unconfirmed report published Monday. The super-slim new smartphone is apparently such a dud with customers that Apple put the follow-up on hold.

Reports that the iPhone Air hasn’t found an audience have circulated almost since the handset premiered in September.

The Mac is Apple’s weak spot — but that’s about to change

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Apple needs a budget MacBook
Young students would be a major market for a budget MacBook.
AI image: Google Gemini

The Mac isn’t carrying its weight. In fact, it’s Apple’s lowest-selling product line, sitting behind even the Apple Watch. And despite macOS being a standout platform, it lags far behind Windows where it matters: worldwide adoption.

Apple needs a fresh angle, and the rumored budget MacBook might be the first real chance to rewrite the Mac’s trajectory.

AirPods 4 deal slashes Apple earbuds to lowest price ever

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AirPods deal
Discover incredible AirPods deals. Upgrade your audio experience today!
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

AirPods 4 are already Apple’s most reasonably priced wireless earbuds, and a new deal knocks a whomping 34% off the cost. That makes them just $84.99 — an amazing price! Or there’s the version that adds active noice cancellation, which are currently 16% off.

Whether you need to replace an aging set of earbuds or get your first, now could be a great time to buy.

They’re practically giving away Apple Watch SE [Now even cheaper!]

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Apple Watch SE deal
Don’t pay full price for a new Apple Watch SE (2nd gen).
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch SE is already the most affordable wearable Apple makes, and a deal knocks up to 32% off the second-generation of this budget smartwatch. Some case-and-band combos of the 40mm model just dropped to $159.99! For an Apple Watch! And the larger 44mm version is 29% off at $189.99.

An Apple Watch can help motivate you to exercise and track your progress, or just make it easier to read incoming texts. If you don’t have a smartwatch, now is a great time to buy.

Your iPhone and Mac now automatically install security patches

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Background Security Improvements protect your Mac, iPhone and iPad
Security patches stand between your Apple devices and danger.
Graphic: Google Gemini

When Apple needs to install a security patch onto an iPhone, iPad or Mac, it now does so without requiring the user to do anything — or even be aware of the update. The new Background Security Improvements feature delivers “additional security protections between software updates,” according to Apple.

It’s a feature of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1 and macOS 26.1, but users have the option to deactivate it.

AirPods and Bluetooth speaker fighting? iOS 26.1 makes peace.

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AirPods and Bluetooth speaker fighting? iOS 26.1 makes peace.
Your AirPods and Bluetooth speaker compete for audio coming from your iPhone. You can settle the fight.
Graphic: ChatGPT

You’re happily listening to music on your AirPods when the audio suddenly gets yanked away by a Bluetooth speaker. Don’t get frustrated. Make a quick tweak to the settings on your iPhone running iOS 26.1, and it’ll never happen again.

Here’s what to do.

Update your HomePod smart speaker with the latest software

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Image of HomePod and HomePod mini
Here’s how to be sure you have the latest HomePod software update. Or stop your smart speaker from updating automatically.
Photo: Apple

The HomePod operating system occasionally needs updating, because the device is a lot more than a simple speaker — it’s a computer. Here’s how to make sure your Apple smart speaker has the software version released Monday. The new HomePod Software version 26.1 is a simple bug-fix update, but it’s still worth installing. Who wants bugs? 

If you depend on automatic updates, it’s possible your smart speaker hasn’t yet installed the update. Here’s how to do so manually.

How to turn off Liquid Glass in iOS 26.1 if you hate it

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Turn off Liquid Glass
You can easily deactivate Liquid Glass in iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe if you really can’t tolerate it.
Photo: Gemini/Cult of Mac

Liquid Glass in iOS 26 brings dramatic change to the look of the iPhone user interface, so it’s no surprise that some people hate it. If it’s just not for you, the option to turn off Liquid Glass was added in iOS 26.1. And it’s easy.

The same setting is available in macOS Tahoe 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, so you can turn off Liquid Glass on all your devices. Here’s how:

Upgrading Siri with Google Gemini will be $1 billion quick fix

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Upgrading Siri with Google Gemini will be $1 billion quick fix
At the heart of the new Siri will be Google AI. But it’s not as bad as you might think.
Graphic: Apple/Google

The brains behind the upcoming AI-enhanced version of Siri will reportedly be provided by Google, not Apple’s own tech. For a hefty price.

Google’s software will supposedly run on Apple servers, so user data isn’t being handed over to Google.

Apple quietly added this awesome feature in iOS 26.1

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The best iOS 26.1 feature you probably haven’t noticed yet
Apple made a simple change in iOS 26.1 that you’ll probably love.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

My favorite change in iOS 26.1 has nothing to do with Liquid Glass, though cosmetic tweaks to the glossy user interface have drawn the most attention in the latest OS update. To me, the biggest improvement is the option to disable the Lock Screen swipe to open the iPhone’s Camera app.

I frequently pull out my iPhone to find the Camera app has been running in my pocket, draining the battery. It’s that damn Lock Screen swipe at fault. If this happens to you, too, here’s how to disable it in iOS 26.1.

Jawohl! Full Live Translation with AirPods coming to EU.

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Live Translation with AirPods
Live Translation with AirPods breaks the language barrier.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s nifty new feature that lets AirPods translate speech in real time will reportedly become available to EU residents while they’re in Europe next month.

That will put an end to an odd situation: Currently, non-Europeans can use the AirPods Live Translation feature while in Europe, and EU residents can use it when traveling outside the European Union but not within the EU.

iOS 26.2 beta 1 arrives right after iOS 26.1 release

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iOS 26.2 beta 1 is here
iOS 26.2 beta 1 is here!
Graphic: Apple/Cult of Mac

iOS 26.1 arrived on Monday, but Apple always keeps pushing ahead. As a result, iOS 26.2 beta 1 reached developers Tuesday.

The same goes for iPadOS 26.2 beta 1, watchOS 26.2 beta 1, tvOS 26.2 beta 1 and visionOS 26.2 beta 1. However, macOS Tahoe 26.2 beta 1 did not arrive with the rest.

Save up to 32% on Apple’s official iPhone 17 cases

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Photo of a cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro in an orange Apple silicone case, sitting on a bathroom sink.
Apple's silicone cases feel silky smooth and come in a variety of vibrant colors.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Getting an iPhone case has never been more important with the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models seemingly quite susceptible to scratches. Fortunately, deals save you up to 26% on the full range of official Apple cases for the new models: bumper case, silicone case and clear case (just not TechWoven).

An iPhone case is always a good idea, especially with these deals. But don’t delay — the savings are available for a limited time.

Your MacBook needs the ‘world’s smallest 1TB USB-C flash drive’

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SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive: In use
You can carry your MacBook around without removing the SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive.
Photo: SanDisk

The SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive packs up to a terabyte of storage, but is tiny enough that you can leave it plugged into your MacBook. SanDisk touts it as “the world’s smallest 1TB USB-C flash drive.”

Outgrown the storage capacity of your older MacBook? This drive could be just the boost you’re looking for.

The mini SSD can even be used with an iPhone, as well as an iPad.

Thank goodness Slide Over is back in iPadOS 26.1

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Toggling Slide Over on the iPad
Slide Over multitasking returns to iPad!
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Slide Over, one of the best iPad multitasking features, got rescued from the rubbish heap with the new iPadOS 26.1. It’s an ideal way to keep an application that you check frequently but not constantly within easy reach — it’s offscreen but accessible with just a flick of a finger.

Here’s how to use Slide Over, and why you shouldn’t ignore the option now that it’s back in iPadOS 26.1, which launched on Monday.

Apple builds App Store for the web, and everyone asks, ‘What took so long?’

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Apple App Store on the web
Apple — finally — put the App Store on the web.
Screenshot: Lewis Wallace /Cult of Mac

The iPhone App Store is now accessible on a Mac. And iPad users can research what macOS applications are available. Anyone can see what Apple Watch apps are available. All of these are possible now that Apple finally put the App Store on the web Monday.

It’s long overdue, and still missing a feature many users would like.

Today in Apple history: iPad mini arrives

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The iPad mini made a big splash for such a tiny device.
The iPad mini made a big splash for such a tiny device.
Photo: Apple

November 2: Today in Apple history: iPad mini launch brings smaller size and price tag November 2, 2012: The first iPad mini goes on sale, shrinking both the size and the price tag of Apple’s groundbreaking tablet computer.

With a reduced screen size of 7.9 inches – instead of the then-standard 9.7 inches – the original iPad mini is the fifth iPad to be released by Apple. Critics hail Apple’s most affordable iPad ever, although some people complain about the tablet’s lack of a Retina display.

Why iPhone’s Wi-Fi 7 performance can’t beat Wi-Fi 6E

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Testing shows iPhone Wi-Fi 7 performance can’t beat Wi-Fi 6E
The iPhone 17 Wi-Fi 7 performance isn’t really turtle-like, but it’s not half as fast as it could be.
Illustration: ChatGPT

Although Wi-Fi 7 is theoretically more than four times faster than Wi-Fi 6E, tests of wireless performance on newer iPhone models that support the upgraded standard show no real improvement in speed. This is reportedly because Apple did not implement the Wi-Fi 7 changes that would boost performance over iPhones with Wi-Fi 6E.

In Apple’s defense, it did implement the portion of Wi-Fi 7 intended to make wireless connections more reliable. That’s arguably the part of the standard that benefits average users the most.

How to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving for free

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Don’t miss ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving‘ on Apple TV
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is available for free later this month. Here’s how to watch it.
Photo: Apple TV

With Thanksgiving coming in a few weeks, it’s time to watch the beloved Peanuts special that celebrates this holiday, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. While Apple TV subscribers can watch it anytime, Apple will also make the special free for anyone to stream one weekend this month.

You do not need an Apple device to enjoy either. It’s easy on Windows and Android.

Top 4 Apple products with most upgraders in Q4 2025

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Top 4 Apple products with most upgraders in Q4 2025
Here are the products getting repeat customers into Apple stores.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Record numbers of customers upgrading their gear helped push up Apple’s revenue into record territory last quarter, and that’s boosting AAPL’s stock price.

Here are the products that the company says are the most popular with upgraders in Q4 2025. Some you might be able to guess, but there’s a very conspicuous absence from the list.

Apple posts record revenues — and predicts the best is yet to come

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Colorful, stylized AI image of the Wall Street bull rampaging on a brick street, with the Apple logo in the sky above it.
Apple beat Wall Street expectations yet again, and set records in some important categories.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Apple set a new record for iPhone revenue in its most recent financial quarter. Total company revenue reached $102.5 billion, an 8% increase over the same quarter of last year. And earnings per share hit $1.85, a rise of 13%, the company said Thursday.

Plus, Apple CEO Tim Cook predicted the current quarter will be “the best ever in the history of the company” — and AAPL’s stock price shot up in after-hours trading.

Trump cuts China tariff that costs Apple billions

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U.S. President Donald Trump with China President Xi Jinping
A trade agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping benefits Apple.
Illustration: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

The tariff Apple must pay to import iPhones and other products assembled in China will be cut in half — down to 10%. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the change after a meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

It’s a change that could save Apple billions of dollars.