Macworld The Apple Watch Ultra is definitely one of the coolest and most capable smartwatches ever made, even if were talking about the first edition. One thing we can say against it, however, is the price, because at $799, its certainly expensive. But if youve balked at the high price before, this refurbished model is down to $449 at Amazon, a good $350 under its MSRP . Yes, yes, we knowits not a new model, but its perfectly safe to purchase. The product was inspected, tested, and brought to it

Macworld At a Glance Expert's Rating Pros Crisp, fast user interface Good performance and stability Able to catch the vast majority of/Good price point for a subscription and number of devices covered Minimal performance impact Cons Still unable to scan .zip archives Unable to create initial backup set for Cloud Backup feature, no matter which web browser is used Missed OSX.Proton malware, which had to be cleaned out with another utility Our Verdict The user interface is clean and friendly and t

Macworld For the past several iPhone generations, Ive owned a Pro model. First it was the sizeI bought an iPhone 13 Pro Max before the Plus phone was a thingbut its other features as well: the ProMotion display, 5X telephoto camera, A17 Pro chip, Dynamic Island, and so on. Ive never really considered not getting a Pro model until this year. For the first time since the iPhone 12 , Im getting a standard iPhone this year, the iPhone 16 Plus . Theres a variety of reasons, which Ill explain below, b

Macworld Every fall, like clockwork, Apple announces a new generation of iPhones. But other products are refreshed on a more relaxed basis: the AirPods Max, for example, came out in December 2020 and didnt get an update until earlier this month . Still, at least Apple made up for lost time and gave them a really thorough update, bringing them up to date with the latest audio developments, right? Right? Well. Look at it this way: a good hardware update fixes the problems with the previous model.

Macworld Apple updates iOS every year without fail, bestowing upon our iPhones a range of new features and security improvements as well as the occasional redesign. In September 2024 iOS 18 made its debut. Most iPhone users will move to the new platform pretty much straight away, and the majority are sure to love the changes. But what if you want to go back to an older version of iOS? Is that even possible? In this article, we explore what options you have when wanting to downgrade iOS on your i

Macworld iPhone 16 Pro Max is the largest-screen iPhone to date, with a huge 6.9in display. Its the ideal device for streaming video, playing games and for composing arty shots with its 48Mp Fusion camera. A screen and camera this good demand protection that can keep up in any scenario, and for this the Ostand 360 Spin Fusion case from TORRAS stands out. Indeed, it stands out, stands up, stands down, and from side to side, with a signature 360-degree spinning ring feature that lets you prop up o

Macworld In macOS Sequoia, Apple has added another stumbling block to launching software that has not gone through Apples baseline vetting process for apps. Generally, this can be a good thing, preventing naive users from accidentally installing malware or privacy-invading software. However, for users who rely on software created by people who dont work within the lines painted by Apple and its App Store, heres what you need to know. The Gatekeeper feature in macOS is something you never see cal

Macworld Even if youre not planning to buy one of the new iPhones , your existing iPhone (XR and later) can now get a bunch of new features following the release of iOS 18. Among the new features in iOS 18 are a redesigned Photos app, new ways to customize your Home screen and wallpaper, new Messages reactions, privacy-related features and dozens of other smaller changes. There will also be some AI features, dubbed Apple Intelligence coming to some iPhones (find out if theyll be on your iPhone b

Macworld iPhone owners who have installed Apples new iOS 18 software update should be warned: Theres a Messages bug that can cause crashes and may even result in the loss of valuable data. One of 9to5Macs readers spotted and reported the bug, which the site (having successfully reproduced it) then discussed in a news article Wednesday. The problem centres around an Apple Watch feature that lets users share their watch face over Messages (or Mail). The bug is triggered, 9to5Mac writes, when someo

Macworld Earlier this year, we tested a product so cool that we blew our minds, and we simply fell in love with it. That product is the Anker 675 docking station and monitor stand, which is now $200 on Amazon for Prime members , a $50 discount. The Anker docking station and monitor stand got a 4-star rating from us and even our Editors Choice award. Our expert was thrilled about the combination, the speed delivered by the integrated USB ports, and the fact that the HDMI port supports 4K at 60Hz.

Macworld Picking out an iPhone used to be easierjust get the newest one with all the storage you can afford. We still recommend buying as much storage as you can afford, but the choice of which iPhone isnt quite so simple. Apple currently sells nine iPhone models, four of which launched in fall 2024, two in fall 2023, two in fall 2022, and one in spring 2022. Plus you can still buy older refurbished models from the Apple Refurbished Store and elsewhere. Apple offers all this choice because, quit

Macworld Look, Im not ungrateful. But the truth remains that nothing stokes the imagination of what Apple could do with its products more than the release of its latest hardware and software. As iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and all the other latest OSes arrive, we not only end up picking through all of the new features and capabilities to see whats new but also coming to grips with whats not there and the limitations of what is. Thats no different this time around. Even though Ive been using iOS 18, iPad

Macworld Before Apple refreshed security on Intel Macs with the T2 Security Chip and FileVault, the company offered a different way to deter certain kinds of physical attacks. Intel Mac owners can set a firmware password, which prevents a volume other than the one set to start up the Mac from being used on restart or from a cold start. Apple did away with the problem entirely with Apple silicon by adding low-level security policies and other system drives that prevent an M-series Mac from starti

Macworld Independent tech journalist Tim Culpan reports that Apple is now in early production of A16 chips at TSMCs new Arizona plant. The A16 is manufactured on an advanced 5nm process (some call it 4nm) that TSMC calls N4P. This is said to be the same process used at TSMCs plant in Taiwan, and the Arizona plant apparently has yields (the percentage of good, usable chips per silicon wafer) that are only a little behind the Taiwan plant. The process is being refined, and yield parity will probab

Macworld At WWDC on June 10 2024, Apple took the wraps off its ambitious project to inject generative AI features throughout its operating systems. Apple calls this Apple Intelligence, and its going to transform the way you use your iPhone, iPad, and Macbut its also got significant limitations and caveats. Heres everything you need to know about Apple Intelligence before it lands on your devices: What it is, what it does, how it works, when its coming, and what youll need to be able to use it. U

Macworld Apple has released new iOS 18 firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 (both Lightning and USB-C)and AirPods 4 (with and without ANC). It is not clear yet what this firmware does; it could be simply bug fixes, or it could be necessary code to enable the new hearing features coming soon with iOS 18. The firmware version for the AirPods Pro 2 is 7A302 and AirPods 4 get firmware version 7A304, up from 7A294. Apple has not yet issued release notes for this update, but when it does it can be found her

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Great sound quality Innovative smart case Supports AAC, aptX Adaptive/Lossless Cons Expensive Battery life is only average Our Verdict Theyre expensive, but B&Ws experience with high-end hi-fi ensures that the Pi8 earbuds provide excellent sound quality. It also includes an innovative smart charging case that can act as an aptX transmitter for Apple devices and wired audio sources. Price When Reviewed $399 Best Prices Today: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Retailer

Macworld Easily the hottest feature of iOS 18 , iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 is Apple Intelligence , the brand Apple has chosen for its own particular suite of mostly-on-device, privacy-protected, personal AI features. But when you update your devices this September, youll probably be left scratching your head as to where all the AI features are. First, because Apple Intelligence is only going to run on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max (or iPhone 16) and M-series Macs and iPads, but also because many of the

Macworld The iPhone is available to order, with shipments starting on Friday (though if you order now, you wont get it until October). The media was given the go-ahead to post their reviews on Wednesday, and the reviews are positive (did you really expect otherwise?), with the non-pro 16 being the big winner. iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Allison Johnson of The Verge kicks off her review by saying, its a good year for the basic iPhone [16], and its a good year to upgrade. However, shes not convin

Macworld The Apple Watch Series 10 arrives this week, but if you just want a great smartwatch at a great price, a discounted Series 9 is your best bet right now. And weve got a great one: The 41mm Apple Watch Series 9 with cellular is just $349 at Walmart , a savings of $150 and the best price weve seen on this model. We reviewed the Apple Watch 9 and easily gave it a 4-star rating and our Editors Choice award, thrilled about the timeless design and the great battery life. The Apple Watch Series

Macworld Apples traditional fall rollout of major software updates has hit its first bump in the road for 2024, with the news that iPadOS 18 has had to be pulled after reports that it was bricking users iPad Pros. iPadOS 18 was announced back in June at WWDC, and finally became available to the public in its finished form on Monday, September 16. But despite the months of beta testing that preceded the launch, a problem quickly became apparent: some owners of the M4 iPad Pro (which came out earl

Macworld With iOS 18 , Apple is giving us unprecedented (for Apple) control over the layout of our home screens. A big part of that is customizable icon colors. Thats right, icons can have separate light and dark mode coloring, and you can even force all your app icons to use a custom tint. Heres how it works. Light, Dark, or custom tint To change the appearance of an icon, start with a long press on your home screen in an area where there is no app icon for a couple of seconds. Your apps will j

Macworld AI is todays buzzword. And if you have an iPhone, Apple Intelligence is buzzing all over. The iPhone 16 is the first phone built with Apple Intelligence in mind, and whether youre buying one this week or not, its hard to escape it. Back in June, when Apple previewed its AI suite coming to compatible devices next month I was confident that the company would reserve exclusive Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone 16 . After all, the ever-expanding Google Pixel line just unveiled a to

Macworld iPadOS 18 is now here, arriving alongside iOS 18 , watchOS 11 and macOS Sequoia on Monday, September 16. As always, many of the new features are also part of iOS 18, including Apple Intelligence, which will launch in beta and gradually add features throughout 2025. But there are also some exciting new things just for iPad users, including, at long last, a new Calculator app. In this article, you can find all the things you need to know about iPadOS 18. This includes which iPads are comp

Macworld Typically, Apple would start testing the x.1 version of a new iOS release right after the main release. We expected the iOS 18 beta to continue through the summer until its release in September, followed immediately by the iOS 18.1 beta. Then, iOS 18.1 would be released in October, and 18.2 beta testing would begin, and so on. This year is very different. More than a month ahead of the expected iOS 18 release, Apple has begun an iOS 18.1 beta test. It was made available for developers o

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Full HD (19201080 at 60Hz) IPS display Lightweight Integrated folding travel cover and stand 85W pass-through charging 2x downstream 10Gbps USB-C ports Cons Not 4K if you need it Our Verdict This 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display doubles most laptops screen space and is simple to setup and connect, and then disconnect and lightweight enough to carry away when youre done. Price When Reviewed $199.95 Best Prices Today: Plugable 15.6-inch USB-C Portable Displa

Macworld Whether youre looking to gift an Apple product or just pick one up for yourself, weve scoured the web for the best prices on everything from Macs to MacBooks, iPads to iPhones, Apple Watches to Apple TVs, and more. If you are wondering if Apple has sales, prepare to be disappointed. Apple rarely discounts its own productseven during its annual Black Friday shopping event , it traditionally elects to give out gift cards rather than actual price reductions. It also offers year-round disco

Macworld Ever since Apple shocked the tech community with its announcement that it would support RCS , weve been waiting for the day when it would be available. Now that day has arrived , you can finally use it on your iPhone, heres how it works. What is RCS? RCS stands for Rich Communications Services, and its meant to be a replacement for the decades-old SMS/MMS texting standard. You can kind of think of it as iMessage lite for everyone. Its a platform-neutral standard adopted by the GSM Assoc

Macworld It is now about 15 minutes after iPhone preordering opened and, yes, the Macalope believes we can say categorically that the iPhone 16 line is an abject failure. Sad. Surely it will be pulled from the market soon. This might seem early but it is not the earliest an Apple product has been declared troubled by poor sales. In recent memory, the prize goes to the Vision Pro, which was reported to have production cuts in the summer before it was released. Not only that, these drastic product

Macworld Apple on Monday released a set of security updates for macOS Sonoma and macOS Ventura, two older operating systems. The updates come on the same day Apple officially released macOS Sequoia , the latest version of the Mac operating system. The update brings macOS Sonoma to version 14.7; Ventura is version 13.7. The release notes with details about the security patches for each OS is available online: About the security content of macOS Sonoma 14.7 (Apple) About the security content of ma

Macworld Apple released iOS 18 , iPadOS 18 , macOS 15 , watchOS 11 , and all its other big fall operating systems today. Its a big day full of new features and capabilities! But if you cant update to the latest today, or you dont want to make the move yet, you dont want to miss out on all the security fixes that come along with it. Thats why Apple released iOS 17.7 and iPadOS 17.7 today as well. The updates come with 16 security updates , some of which appear to be rather important. You should p

Macworld At WWDC 2024 on June 10, Apple unveiled watchOS 11, the next operating system update for Apple Watch. The update was made available on September 16, 2024. This new version of watchOS brings new apps, new features, new face customization options, an upgraded Smart Stack, and extensive changes to the Apple Watchs health and fitness functions. Updated September 16, 2024: Apple has released watchOS 11. You can update your watch in the Watch app on your iPhone by selecting General then Softw

Macworld Henry Ford is frequently quoted as saying his Model T was available in Any color the customer wants, as long as its black. Apple has often been accused of taking this approach to its products, with the original iPhone only available in one finish. Over the years, of course, iPhone color choices would expand to white, then adding silver, gold, and eventually all sorts of shades. The iOS experience has followed a similar route, at first offering almost no way to customize your phone other

Macworld Apple has released iOS 18 , and its full of big new features like new Home Screen customization options , an all-new Control Center, RCS support and other Messages features, and a brand new Photos app. Apple Intelligence is coming piece-by-piece starting with iOS 18.1, but theres still a lot of great new stuff in this first iOS 18 release. After you download and apply the update , have your evening full just trying out and learning all the new major features, but sometimes its the littl

Macworld Apple does a big update of macOS (the operating system that runs on Macs) once a year, bringing new features and interface tweaks. One of these major macOS updates is due on September 16, 2024. In this article, we will offer you guidance on how to install macOS Sequoia. Well also explain what to do if you experience any of the usual issues that can arise when a new version of macOS is installed and how to avoid those issues in the first place. Updating your Mac is easy, free, and not ne

Macworld Apple released iOS 18 , the next iteration of its iPhone operating system , on Monday, September 16. The new update will bring exciting features like Apple Intelligence, customization capabilities, animated text in Messages, and plenty of other improvements and tweaks. But, will your iPhone support iOS 18 and will it be able to utilize all the new features? Heres a guide to what you should expect if you want to upgrade to iOS 18. order iphone 16 iPhone compatible with iOS 18 Here are th

Macworld Apples big iOS 18 release is a big deal for iPhone users. Even though Apple Intelligence is comings in a staged rollout in iOS 18.1, 18.2, and beyond, this first release is packed with new features and interface changes. The final release is out now, and you can install it on all compatible iPhones by opening Settings , tapping General , then Software Update . Updated September 16: You can now download and install iOS 18 on all compatible devices . iOS 18: Release notes Here are Apples

Macworld The 2024 college football season is underway and the NFL season starts on September 5. If youre looking for a way to keep on top of all the action, Apple just updated its Sports app to better keep you up to date on the games. The updates bring it closer to apps like ESPN, Fox Sports, and others for live game info, and away from the basic simple and fast way to stay up to speed the Sports app had when it was originally released back in February . The Sports app will now have play-by-play

Macworld Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. No surprises Another year, another iPhone event. And another reminder of how much has changed since the first one. Back in 2007, the tech world was a lot easier to surprise. Thats

Macworld Concerned about updating your Mac to the latest version of macOS? Perhaps you arent sure about running macOS Sequoia quite yet, or maybe you want to test the beta but dont want to risk messing up your system. You might be concerned about incompatible software or you might just be thinking that you might hate it and not be able to go back to the macOS you are familiar with. Luckily you dont have to install the OS update on your Mac at all. You can install it on an external drive instead.

Macworld Weve heard about the new features on the iPhone 16, such as Camera Control and its support for upcoming Apple Intelligence capabilities, but theres one upgrade Apple hasnt mentioned at all. Its chip has a new security feature, according to a report by 9to5Mac . The A18 series chips used in the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro have a Secure Exclave, which is different from the Secure Enclave that Apple has been using since the iPhone 5s . Apple hasnt mentioned the Secure Exclave in its product annou

Macworld If you are thinking of buying an older generation or used iPhone, or wondering whether its worth updating your current handset, one important factor to consider is how long Apple will be offering support for that handset. There are two ways in which Apple supports iPhones. One is the software ensuring that any bugs and security flaws are addressed. The other is the hardware providing the parts and labor to fix a problem with your phone (for a price, of course). Its for this reason tha

Macworld You dont have to pay full price to buy an iPhone; if you shop around you can find a bargain. Every month the Macworld team hunts down the best prices on iPhones at all major retailers and cellphone operators, saving you the hassle of finding the best iPhone deals. In this article, we reveal the best iPhone deals, contracts, and bundles available right now. Well help you find a discounted iPhone suitable for any budget, and cover all the currently available models, including the brand-ne

Macworld In the Macworld Software Shop you can currently get the 12-month subscription of the popular virtualization software Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac in the brand new version including Microsoft Windows 11 Pro in a bundle at a special price of only $129.99 instead of $298.99. Dont need a licence for Windows 11 Pro? Then get Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac in the standard version (1 year) for only $79.99 instead of $99.99 . Parallels Desktop 20 + Win 11 Pro Parallels Desktop for Mac 20 + Window

Macworld While the new iPhone 16 series continues Apples excellent upgrade cycle with hardware enhancements and new software features, new owners still need one vital accessory to keep the new phone safe from everyday knocks and drops, scratches and spills: a protective case is an essential kit for your new phone. The best iPhone cases offer more than just top-quality protection, and weve found a range of iPhone 16 cases that add matchless functionality in a form you wont notice until you really

Macworld Remember Gil Amelio? He was the cursed stock photo of a middle manager in a suit that ran Apple for a short while before bringing Steve Jobs back and then being eaten alive by him. In one of his many awkward appearances as Apple CEO, he once said he wanted to make the Mac like a Maglite: simple, utilitarian, useful. 28 years later, could that little bit of Amelio wisdom finally be having its day? Apples new hardware tends to get the big headlines. But what Im here for right now is how t

Macworld Apples Glowtime event has come and gone, and all the iPhone 16 rumors have been either proven or put to rest. The iPhone 16 family offers some great improvements over past models, but for all intents and purposes, its still just an iPhone. Apple Intelligence is nice and the Camera Control button is a cool new feature, but compared to its competitors Apple is still living in the past when it comes to its vision for the iPhone. The foldable phone isnt a rare new kid on the block any longe

Macworld If youre anxious to get your hands on the new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus,iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max, you can buy from Apple directly , either in-store or online, but there are some great deals and promotions offered by popular retailers and carriers. Heres a summary of some of the best deals and promotions offered by retailers and carriers in the U.S. to help you get the best deal on your new iPhone.If youre looking for other models, check out our Best iPhone deals . If you aren

Macworld A few years ago, Apple decided to offer seamless optimization for storage on your Mac. Instead of knowing where every byte (or gigabyte) lived, you could enable optimization in Photos or iCloud Drive. With this feature turned on, your Mac would automatically perform an ongoing tradeoff of available disk storage and iCloud storage. Presuming you have enough iCloud storage, you could have up to 12TB of data stored in the cloud that is accessible on demand from your Mac, even if you only h

Macworld Updating to the latest version of macOS, or running a beta version of macOS on your Mac, doesnt have to be an all-or-nothing affair. Its possible to install two different operating systems and dual-boot your Mac. This means youll have both versions of macOS available and you can choose the one that suits you on a day-by-day basis. In this article, we will explain how to set up your Mac so you can dual-boot two versions of macOS, but first, you might like to know the benefits that this o