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Rajesh Pandey - page 14

2026 iPhone 18 Pro may feature a game-changing variable aperture camera

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iPhone 15 Pro Max with no case, held aloft defiantly
The iPhone 18 Pro may introduce a groundbreaking feature inspired by professional-grade cameras.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple could adopt a variable aperture system for the iPhone 18 Pro’s main camera that would enable the device to adjust the aperture size and light intake depending on surroundings.

DLSRs typically use a variable aperture lens system. Samsung and some Chinese Android manufacturers have also used the technology on their phones, albeit on a limited scale.

Apple’s next big smart home move could bring Face ID to your doorbell

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Apple security lock logo
A smart home doorbell from Apple with Face ID could become a reality.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly working on a smart doorbell with Face ID-like facial recognition.

The device, still in its early development stages, seems unlikely to reach the market before late 2025 at the earliest. This timeline presumes Apple encounters no significant obstacles during development.

iOS 19 might not cut off any older iPhones

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iOS 19 render logo
iOS 19 will supposedly work with iPhones launched in 2018.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple might not drop support for any of its older iPhones with iOS 19. The next big iOS update reportedly will support the same devices as iOS 18.

However, iPadOS 19 supposedly will not be compatible with the seventh-gen iPad.

First folding iPhone could arrive by 2026

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Concept folding iPhone
Apple's folding iPhone might arrive sooner than you think.
Concept: Ran Avni

Hoping to boost sales, Apple could launch its first folding iPhone as soon as 2026, according to The Wall Street Journal. The foldable phone reportedly will follow a super-thin model — which previous rumors called the “iPhone 17 Air” or the “iPhone 17 Slim” — as Apple shakes up its stagnant smartphone lineup.

“It looks like Apple is looking towards hardware innovation to drive user upgrades,” BayStreet Research analyst Cliff Maldonado told the Journal. “The iPhone 16 will be the last of the boring aesthetic phones.”

iPhone 17 Air could deliver premium design at affordable price

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iPhone 17 Air concept image
iPhone 17 Air might not cost a bomb.
Image: Apple Hub/X

The iPhone 17 Air price could come in lower than previously rumored. A new report sheds additional light on Apple’s slimmer-than-usual iPhone, which is expected to launch in September 2025.

The device apparently will help Apple revive growth, impressing potential customers with its sleek design.

Apple Magic Mouse could get a modern makeover

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Black Magic Mouse box
Magic Mouse might finally get a refresh.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple is planning to revamp the Magic Mouse with hand gestures, voice commands and more. And it may even move the controversial bottom charging port. The current design is over 15 years old, introduced back in 2009.

Since then, the Magic Mouse received minor upgrades, including the switch to an oddly-located Lightning port and, eventually, USB-C.

Apple to start making AirPods in India from 2025

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AirPods 4 charging case
'Make in India' AirPods are coming soon.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

After ramping up iPhone manufacturing in India in recent years, Apple will begin producing AirPods next year.

Apple’s supplier, Foxconn, will start assembling the wireless earbuds at a new factory near Hyderabad, Telangana, in Q1 2025. Trial production is already underway at the facility. Stay updated with the latest applenews on Apple’s expanding manufacturing footprint.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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]

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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.