Macworld So you just got a brand new iPhone 16, transferred everything from your old phone , and now youre ready to play with your shiny new toy. What do you do first? Obviously, youre going to check out the apps you already have been using on your old iPhone for so long, probably marveling at how fast they load and how smooth and responsive everything is. Then what? Here are our suggestions for the next things you should do with your iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro. And since the iPhone 16 will be t

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Compact dimensions High quality Good charging times Cons No golden cable included No carrying case Our Verdict Small, practical, powerfulwith the optional golden charging cable, its a great gift for a loved one. A power bank perfect for carrying in a handbag. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $39.95 Best Prices Today: powerstation mini 5K Gold Limited Edition

Macworld Another year is about to be consigned to the dustbin of history but before the clock runs out, lets take a look at the worst takes of 2024! AI boosters If you know anything about the Macalope, you knew this was going to be in here. First was the chorus of people who said Apple is behind on AI! When companies are rushing products to market that have no discernible revenue path, routinely provide results that are wrong and even dangerous and are built upon stolen information, one wonders

Macworld Weve seen dozens, if not hundreds, of new AI tools hit the market this year, but never one quite like this. While ChatGPT, Gemini, and all of the wannabe tools have their own specialties, 1minAI attempts to cover everything. Yeah. It works by combining every major AI model into itself . So, instead of paying for each tool separately, you can just buy 1minAI and get access to them all. And they offer a lifetime subscription without recurring fees: $29.97 (reg. $234). The only catch is th

Macworld After largely ignoring the smart home for years, Apple is poised to make a grand entrance in 2025. Rumors claim Apple is gearing up to launch a new iPad-like home controller in 2025 as well as smart home-centric updates to the HomePod mini and Apple TV. And now theres a new rumored product on the way: a smart video doorbell. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg , writing in its latest Power On newsletter, Apple has nother home device in the works that hasnt been reported before: a smar

Macworld Apple is famously good at making customers excited about its new releases, but that doesnt mean the company applies its powers of persuasion to all products equally. As I plan to discuss further in this column next week, excellent-value offerings like the 4th-gen AirPods and the new Mac mini sometimes slip by almost unnoticed while the marketing machine shines its spotlight on costlier alternatives. Occasionally you get hints of favoritism. One product that no longer appears to have App

Macworld Are you looking for a new job this coming year? Theres a high chance your application gets lost with all the other applicants resumes, but if you learn and gain fluency in a second (or third!) language, you might just land your dream job. You might not believe us when we say you could learn to speak another language fluently in just a few weeks, but its true when you study with Babbel. This App Store favorite is designed to make language learning more intuitive. Just pick one of Babbels

Macworld You might think iCloud is the easiest cloud storage solution to rid your iPhone or MacBook of low-storage notifications for good. But think about how much youve spent on iCloud to date. Is it a couple hundred? Yikes. Instead of paying a recurring fee for the rest of your life, hop on this deal that gives you 1TB of lifetime cloud storage for only $59.97 (reg. $251) for one more day. This is the lowest the price has ever been, so grab it while you can! Youll be able to swiftly transfer y

Macworld Its the last chance to get your hands on a new M4 MacBook Pro this year, and its the best time to do it because its down $200, for a total price of $1,399 over at Amazon , matching its best price so far. This is the powerful M4 model were talking about with 16GB of RAM, so its truly a geat deal. The 14-inch MacBook Pro went from meh to marvelous , we wrote in our 4.5-star review. The laptop got a near-perfect score from us, with our main praise being the bump to 16GB of unified memory (

Macworld Apple updated its entry-level iPhone in March 2022, adding a few nips and tucks here and there along with a quiet price increase. It kept the iPhone 8 design with its Home button and small form factor that appeals to some, but the aging design and minimal upgrades meant the new iPhone SE was coolly received by the masses. The iPhone SE is in desperate need of a big upgrade, and it looks like it will get one in the spring of 2025 . iPhone SE 4 release date: When will the iPhone SE 4 be r

Macworld Finding an unlocked iPhone for less than Apples listed price is a rare thing unless its refurbished or otherwise used. But we found one today: Amazons Woot is selling an unlocked iPhone 15 in black for $580 (128GB), $610 (256GB), and $695 (512GB), a savings of $149, $189, and $304, respectively. This iPhone 15 isnt sold by Apple but is promised to be in Pristine condition having never been in customer hands. Woot says the phone will arrive with a test sticker showing100% battery life an

Macworld If youre wondering which Mac to buy, youve come to the right place. In our Mac buying guide, youll find everything you need to know about the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac Studio, with expert buying advice to help you choose the machine (and configuration) thats right for you. Apple makes six different types of Mac: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro, but within each of those categories there are variations in the size, specs,

Macworld If you havent checked the calendar lately, the holidays are nearly upon us, and if you havent gotten around to getting something for the Apple fans in your life, we have the perfect solution: an eGift card. You dont have to spend a lot, youll get it immediately, and your recipient will love it. Of course, youll want to get them a card they can use to buy one of their favorite Apple devices, and there are several great options. The most obvious is an Apple Store gift card, which they can

Macworld Apple released only one new Apple Watch in 2024: the Apple Watch Series 10. It offers a refined design and a few modest upgrades over the Series 9. Apple did not update the Ultra 2, and instead just added a new color option. You can also still buy the Apple Watch SE from 2022. In this guide, we will help you decide which Apple Watch is best for you. Well compare the features, specs and price as well as offer advice on choosing cases, colors, and straps in our Apple Watch comparison char

Macworld Apple has big plans for the smart home in 2025. Having long struggled with limited device support and complex standards, the company wants to move forward with simplified platforms, deeper device integration and improved software. This change in strategy is intended to strengthen the Apple ecosystem and make it competitive at a time when the larger industry is resting its hopes on Matter and Thread to restart a faltering market. In this article we outline Apples smart home strategy for

Macworld Apple has had a jam-packed 2024. From kickstarting its spatial computing era with the Vision Pro to finally embracing AI on its platformsthe firm has laid some solid groundwork that could reshape the tech industry in the coming years. Nevertheless, the iPhone maker still has some tricks up its sleeve. If the rumors turn out to be accurate, Apple will launch several exciting products next year, and weve got our eyes set on a few of them. HomePad Perhaps the most thrilling 2025 announceme

Macworld Here at Macworld were extremely fond of Apples AirTag , which we consider by far the best Bluetooth tracker for an iPhone or Mac user. However, one complaint raised in our AirTag review was that it doesnt have an attachment hole, which means youre forced in most situations to buy an accessory to put it in. Want to attach it to your keys? You need to buy a special key ring. Want to attach it to your luggage? Special luggage label. An ecosystem has quickly sprung up offering straps, loops

Macworld Jealous of those fancy new Macs with their Apple Intelligence that magically enhances photos and videos? Well, you dont need to upgrade your perfectly good Mac just to get in on the AI action. This photo and video enhancer adds the same capabilities to your machineno Apple Store visit required. Just pay $35.99 for a lifetime download (reg. $119). VideoProcs AI-powered video enhancer is like having a whole team of editors at your fingertips. It lets you edit, convert, and resize even tho

Macworld Picture your beloved AirTag, but so flat it actually fits in your wallet. Yup, no awkward bulge in your pocket to keep track of your cards and cashjust this wallet tracker in the shape of a credit card. Bold claim: These KeySmart SmartCards might be better than the AirTag. They work with Apples Find My app, are Qi-wireless rechargeable, and are almost the same price during Cyber Week! Get this AirTag alternative for only $29.97 with free shipping through December 8 (reg. $39.99) AirTags

Macworld Wondering which type of MacBook to buy? This buying guide will help you decide which Apple laptop is best for you. Apple makes two types of laptops, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. Within those two categories of Mac is a wide range of capabilities, the gap between the entry-level MacBook Air and the high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro is vast, but even within the MacBook Pro category you will find huge differences. We have more information on the differences between the MacBook Air and Pr

Macworld After skipping all of 2023, Apple updated its entire lineup of iPads in 2024 save one: the 10th-gen model. While it did get an aggressive price cut to $349, Apple opted to leave its cheapest tablet with the same specs its had since its 2022 launch. But it shouldnt be much longer until it gets an update: Heres what we know so far. When will the 11th-gen iPad be released? Apple once had a steady release schedule for its cheapest iPad alongside the latest iPhones in the September event. In

Macworld Which iPad should you buy? There are a lot of choices and it can be confusing. There are four different varieties of iPad, listed below, and each is available with or without cellular (including 5G on certain models), which costs extra. Thats before we get into storage capacity, colors, and second-hand alternatives. Our in-depth buying guide assesses the whole range of iPads sold by Apple and explores all the factors that should influence your iPad buying decision such as value for mone

Macworld The M2 Max and Ultra Mac Studio were released at WWDC23 last June, and the M3 era of Apples System on a Chip started last November. So, with WWDC24 far behind us, its time to start looking forward to the next Mac Studio. But just how long will we have to wait for the new Mac Studio? Well keep track of whats being said in this article. M4 Mac Studio: Release date Weve had two generations of Mac Studio. The first gen (M1 Max and Ultra) was released in March of 2022. The second-gen (M2 Max

Macworld If you are concerned about your privacy and security online using a VPN could give you some reassurance. Apple provides various measures in macOS that make Macs more secure , but if you want to ensure that the connection between your Mac and the internet is protected, rather than the computer itself, you need a VPN. Using a VPN essentially makes you invisible on the webyour data is encrypted, your IP address is hidden, and you can even make it look like you are surfing from another coun

Macworld Many workplaces and educational institutions have completely switched from paper documents to digital ones. Consequently, Mac users are increasingly dealing with PDFs and other e-document file formats. Were here to help you find the best PDF editor for your Mac from the multitude of options. There are various PDF editing apps that cater to various budgets and workflows and among them are a few that stand out in terms of features, performance, and design. When selecting a PDF editor, con

Macworld The musician Stephin Merritt once joked that he would be happy to sell only a single copy of each album he makes, provided that single copy costs $100,000. Which coincidentally is pretty close to Apples marketing strategy for Vision Pro. I jest, of course: you cant run a multi-trillion-dollar corporation that way. Apple loves its margins, but it needs volume too if it wants to keep paying out those juicy shareholder dividends. And as much as Tim Cook would like every product sold to be

Macworld Unfortunately, we rent many facets of our daily lives. That includes homes or apartments, Netflix, DoorDash, and the same goes for your productivity apps. Something you can do to ease the subscription loador someone elsesis to own your daily tools outright, which is usually more affordable in the long run. Tis the season to own the entire suite of Microsoft Office apps for less than $40. And no, were not pulling your leg. Lifetime access to Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac is price-dropped

Macworld With 2024 closing, its time to look forward to 2025. What could we see from Apple in the new year? Thats coming up in this episode of the Macworld Podcast! This is episode 914 with Jason Cross , Michael Simon , and Roman Loyola . Watch episode 914 on YouTube Listen to episode 914 on Apple Podcasts Listen to episode 914 on Spotify Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcastor leave us a review! right here in the Podcasts app . The Macworld Podcast is also

Macworld Theres a new USB-C AirPods Max model out, but the older Lightning model is just as good, if not betterespecially when you can get a killer deal on them. And today weve got one: We found the AirPods Max for $399 at Walmart or Best Buy for delivery in time to wrap and put under the Christmas tree. Thats $150 off and only a couple of dollars off its all-time Black Friday low, a fantastic deal for a killer pair of headphones. The AirPods Max are some of the most comfortable headphones you c

Macworld To many of us, backing up a Mac means setting up Time Machine to make incremental backups and signing up to various iCloud services so that we can keep copies of photos, music, files and more in the cloud. But, while Time Machine and iCloud are great resources, they arent perfect, and relying on them alone to keep your data safe is a mistake that could have disastrous consequences. An ideal strategy consists of at least two separate backup schedules, one backing up your Mac to a hard dr

Macworld Weve looked in depth at CleanMyMac as a great solution for reclaiming space and optimizing you Mac and its one of our top choices in our round up of the Best Mac Cleaning Software . Among its many tools is a Protection tool that can scan for malware on your Mac and remove it. In this article we are looking specifically at this feature to see if it can compete on the same level as the big guns in our round up of the Best Antivirus solutions for Mac . CleanMyMac Read our review Price When

Macworld The iOS 18.2 update brings several new Apple Intelligence features to your iPhone 16 (or iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max), centered mostly around image generation and Visual Intelligence on iPhone 16. But it also integrated ChatGPT into Apples AI tools, including Siri, and it can be incredibly useful. Here are all the places that ChatGPT has been added to iOS and how you can use them to turbocharge AI on your iPhone. Enable ChatGPT You dont need a ChatGPT account to start using it on your iPhone,

Macworld Hi, its me, Father Time. This is my 421st More Color column, only about 20 of which have been part of my annual attempt to predict the future while blaming myself for failing to properly predict the year gone by. (Look, if I got them all right, 421 of the columns would be prediction-based!) To the task of predicting, I bring years of experience. The Macs 40 years old and Ive been associated with Macworld for 27 of those years, which is, uh two-thirds of the Macs existence? Geez. You kno

Macworld Where are you going to do all that holiday shopping? Instead of hopping from one place to the next, burning through gas and still maybe not finding everything you need, check Costco. Not a member? Thats great! That means you can get your 1-Year Costco Gold Star Membership for the same price as everyone else, but you also get a $45 Digital Costco Shop Card, and its still only $65. If youve been a member before, wait until the end. Well tell you how you may still qualify. Heres how its go

Macworld Achievement badges are a funny thing. You know theyre just a simple little bit of visual flair, they dont even do anything, and yet for some reason you just have to collect them. Gamification can be a great motivator, and the achievement badges for the activity tracking on the Apple Watch have inspired many users to get more exercise. If you want to maximize your badge count, youre going to want to chase down as many activity achievements as you can. Most are available year-round, but t

Macworld Apple is diversifying its products and services more than ever, but theres no question that iPhone is still king. No other Apple product, and perhaps not other product from any company, has a greater single cultural and economic impact. The iPhone updates in 2024 were mostly more of the samea new processor, improved cameras, and better battery life. The Camera Control button is maybe the biggest hardware innovation and its really just a new way to access the camera that isnt always an i

Macworld The year is quickly running out but there is time enough for the Macalope to look at another survey from online used smartphone outlet SellCell. What should we expect from this survey? Well, in 2022 SellCell said 40 percent of iPhone users were going to buy the iPhone SE, which is a tad high. Then, in 2023 , it said Apple adding USB-C would tempt 44 percent of Android users to switch to the iPhone 15. Again, that seemed to wildly overestimate how many people might buy that phone. Or eve

Macworld Consider this your VIP pass to the inner circle of ChatGPT mastery. Sure, you know how to get the chatbot to write an email for you, but how about making it your personal assistant for virtually everything else? Theres not much it cant doits all about knowing how to sweet talk the bot. Its an art form. Need some help? Many people are getting this e-degree that shows you how to use ChatGPT , and its on sale for $29.99 (reg. $790) for a limited time. You can put the certificate on your re

Macworld Less than a week after the release of iOS 18.2 , Apple has begun beta-testing the next iOS update. Its not yet clear when we can expect this release to into wide release or what features to expect in it, but it will surely be the first major iOS update of 2025. Apple Intelligence has been the focus of most iOS 18 updates so far, and were still waiting on the big Siri overhaul that adds personal context using the data on your phone and scores of new app intents that allow Siri to perform

Macworld Hands down, the cutest charger you can get for your iPhone right now is this Ugreen Uno 2-in-1 model that will smile at you while your phone is charging. Normally $70, its now available for $44 at Amazon , a 37% savings and a great price for an adorable desk accessory. This tiny charger features a foldable magnetic platform that allows you to adjust the viewing angle up to 70 degrees so your phone can lie flat or at an angle to use Standby mode, check notifications, or scroll your Insta

Macworld macOS Sequoia has been available for compatible Macs since September 2024, but further updates to Sequoia are expected over the next few months, with the next major update being macOS 15.2, which arrived on Wednesday December 11. If you want to know what the new features are, whether you will be able to enjoy all of them, and if your Mac is even compatible with Sequoia, read on. We are also tracking any problems, the latest updates, and whats new in the beta. The new version of macOS is

Macworld The latest version of macOS Sequoia arrived on Macs in September 2024, but the beta development continues and if you are a registered developer or registered as a public beta tester, you can continue to get the latest updates and try out new features still not available to the general public. In this article, well explain whats in the latest beta, what you need to do to get your hands on a copy, how to install it, and what you should bear in mind if you dont want to end up in a pickle.

Macworld After years of sitting on the sidelines of the foldable device market, Apple is reportedly planning to finally launch a folding device of its own, according to multiple new reports. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, knowledgeable Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claims the companys new vision for the future of computing is a giant foldable iPad (or iPad-like device). He says that when unfolded, this product will offer a seamless single display the size of two iPad Pros sid

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Excellent sound quality Supports wi-fi and AirPlay 2 Two-channel stereo sound Cons Expensive Wi-Fi is 2.4GHz only No wired inputs Our Verdict Its expensive, but the updated Zeppelin Pro Edition is still one of the very best AirPlay speakers available for Apple devices. The sound quality is great, and it provides versatile connectivity features with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi options. The only minor weakness is its lack of wired inputs for older audio equip

Macworld If youre thinking of buying AirPods any time soon (or hoping to get some for a gift), youve got a few options to choose from. Apple currently has four models in the range, but how do they compare in terms of features? In this article, we take a look at which AirPods are the best for your needs, not to mention your bank balance. What types of AirPods are there? Apple sells various types of AirPods. These range from the standard AirPods right up to the over-the-ear AirPods Max and as the

Macworld When Apple updated its lineup of Magic Mac accessories in November, we didnt get the redesign we were hoping for. All that changed was the Lightning ports, which were swapped out with USB-C ones. Everything else remained the same, including the Magic Mouses wonky upside-down charging. With no significant updates since 2015, we assumed the Magic Mouse was forever doomed to charge through its belly. However, a new rumor from Bloombergs Mark Gurman claims that Apple is actually working on

Macworld Apple updates its macOS desktop and laptop operating system once a year, like clockwork, bringing new features and improvements. Thats all very well, but Apples most recent version of macOS, Sequoia, wont run on a MacBook Air from before 2020, a Mac mini or MacBook Pro that launched before 2018, iMacs from before 2019, or the Mac Pro from before 2019. If your Mac is too old to be supported you are out of luck Or are you? What if your Mac or MacBook is older than those mentioned above? O

Macworld You know how it is: youve got all year to do your Christmas shopping, but you always end up leaving it so late that you have to pay for premium delivery. Despite our best intentions to get things done early, we always do them at the last minute. Work expands to fill the time available for its completion. This, I assume, is whats been going on at Apple Park, whose residents seem bizarrely unprepared for the looming EU ban on the use of Lightning ports to charge smartphones. The company o

Macworld Okay, Mac users, we can admit there are some advantages to having a PC, right? Like those Windows-only apps and games. Instead of being eternally jealous, were getting Windows 11 Pro at its lowest price ever: $18 (reg. $199)this week only! Its the perfect time to dip our toes into the world of PC gaming or try out other Windows-exclusive software. How does it all work? With a little help from Boot Camp (if you have an Intel-based Mac) or a virtual machine like Parallels Desktop, you can

Macworld Files build up over time, whether its pictures of your pets, work documents, or just random files you cant delete for one reason or another. Instead of dealing with constant low-storage warnings across all your devices, try consolidating. Internxt is a secure, open-source cloud storage that gives you more control over your data and plenty of room to play with. For a limited time, a 10TB lifetime subscription is marked down to $279.99 (reg. $2,999). Internxt encrypts your files end-to-en