We’re starting to hear more reports about Apple’s upcoming folding iPhone. We talk about the latest in this episode of the Macworld Podcast.

This is episode 961 with Michael Simon, Jason Cross,  and Roman Loyola.

Folding iPhone

Everything you need to know about the folding iPhone

The Week in Apple Macworld History

On December 3, 2013, Roman “appeared” on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report. Watch his appearance below.

Macworld Mailbag

Walmart (U.S.) offered the M1 MacBook Air for $499 on Cyber Monday. Before that, it was $549. We covered whether it is a good deal or not, and several readers shared their thoughts.

Absolutely. M1 is still a viable CPU in 2025 and you don’t need Apple Intelligence – there is plenty of tools available online. 

Szymon Klocek on Facebook 

Apple products sold by Walmart are always at the minimum end of the specifications to have a low price point without the options to upgrade. M1 is still an excellent processor for everyday use, but I would want at least 512Gb of storage, preferably 1Tb. The 8Gb memory is OK for email, browsing, documents, and streaming. Anything more like photo or video editing would be better with 16Gb. 

Richard Clark on Facebook 

The article leaves out the storage configuration. It only has 256GB SSD. Not a good value for a 5 year old Mac. 

Peter Hillman on Facebook 

depends on use case. Got it for my girlfriend who only does word processing and web browsing for school. She does zero graphics or storage heavy tasks 

Kalmen Barkin on Facebook 

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To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.

TL;DR: If you need a break from typing, start talking to your Mac with VoiceType AI, a voice-to-text tool with lifetime access on sale for $29.97 during Cyber Week (MSRP $154).

If you’ve ever wished macOS dictation were faster and a whole lot more accurate, this Cyber Week deal might be your new favorite productivity hack. VoiceType AI, a wildly popular voice-to-text app used by more than 650,000 people, is offering a lifetime subscription for $29.97, its lowest price of the year, through December 7 (MSRP $154).

VoiceType turns your Mac into a precision typing machine, transcribing your speech at 360 words per minute with a 99.7% accuracy score. That’s roughly 9x faster than average typing speed, and the app layers in smart perks like automatic punctuation, grammar cleanup, and tone matching depending on the app you’re using. It even handles names, jargon, and soft-spoken “whisper mode” dictation without tripping over itself.

What makes this especially compelling for Apple users is that it works everywhere you type: Apple Notes, iMessage, Safari, Mail, Notion, Linear, VS Code, Slack, Gmail, GitHub, Google Docs, Figma, and dozens more apps. Whether you’re sending emails, journaling, taking meeting notes, mapping requirements, or knocking out documentation, VoiceType keeps up.

Get your VoiceType AI lifetime subscription on sale during Cyber Week for $29.97 (MSRP $154). Deal ends December 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and no coupon is needed.

VoiceType AI Voice-to-Text: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that a key Apple executive is leaving the company (no, it’s not Tim Cook). Alan Dye, who leads Apple’s user interface design team, is leaving Apple Park in Cupertino for the Ravenswood Slough in Menlo Park and the headquarters of Meta, where he will lead “a new design studio,” said Gurman, and will be “in charge of design for hardware, software and AI integration for its interfaces.”

Dye has led Apple’s user interface design team since 2015. He will be replaced by Steve Lemay, who “has played a key role in the design of every major Apple interface since 1999,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement to Bloomberg. “He has always set an extraordinarily high bar for excellence and embodies Apple’s culture of collaboration and creativity.”

Dye played a key role in several recent product rollouts for Apple. He led the efforts for the UI redesign in the version 26 operating systems, as well as with the Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch, and iPhone X. He was one of Jony Ive’s proteges and one of the few designers remaining from that era.

This news follows several reports throughout this year of Meta poaching Apple employees. Several of Apple’s AI development team have left for Meta, including Ruoming Pang, who led Apple’s AI model development. Bloomberg reported that Pang was offered a $200 million compensation package, most of which is stock options.

Earlier this week, Apple announced that AI chief John Giannandrea was “retiring” and renowned AI researcher Amar Subramanya would be taking his place.

@macworld.com

Apple’s AI chief is OUT #apple #ai

♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld

Apple launched a new series of iPhones at the end of 2025: the iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max as well as a brand new iPhone Air, but there was no new iPhone 17e for those hoping for an update to the budget iPhone.

This wasn’t a surprise: Apple released the iPhone 16e in February 2025 to replace the iPhone SE, so an update to the iPhone “e” series phones wasn’t expected to arrive until early 2026.

If you’re considering an iPhone 17e, this is the place to keep up to date on its development. We’ll keep track of the latest reports and provide our analysis to help you decide if the iPhone 17e is the right phone for you.

Now read our reviews of the best iPhone 17 cases.

A day after the wide release of iOS 26.1, Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.2. This release is again expected to focus primarily on polish, tweaking, while adding quality-of-life enhancements rather than any big new features.

Update December 3, 2025: The release candidate of iOS 26.2 is out now. The wide release is expected on December 8 or 9.

iOS 26.2: What’s new

We will continually update this list as the beta progresses and more changes are added and discovered by the community.

AirDrop code: A new section in the AirDrop Settings allows you to “Manage Known AirDrop Contacts” and specifies that you’ll appear for 30 days for those you have shared a one-time code with. There does not appear to be a way to generate such codes yet, though.

Measure app: The Measure app gets a new Liquid Glass design.

Games app: New library filtering, improved controller navigation, and challenge scores that update in real time.

Updated Sleep Score ranges: Apple has adjusted what the various Sleep Score ranges mean, making it require higher scores for the better descriptions. For example, “High” used to be a score of 70-89, and is now 81-95.

Lock Screen Liquid Glass slider: The clock control for the Lock Screen how has a slider to adjust how transparent/glassy the time readout should be. This replaces the old “clear or tinted” toggle.

Apple News design: The design of Apple News has been tweaked, with four quick-select categories at the top. These appear to be based on your previous activity.

Podcasts improvements: The Podcasts app gets auto-generated chapters along with the ability to more easily follow mentioned podcasts or follow up on links mentioned in a podcast episode.

Set Alarms and Timers for Reminders: If you set a reminder as “urgent” you will be asked if you wish to create and alarm or timer for it.

Freeform app: You can now insert tables into your boards.

iOS 26.2: How to install

If you want to test the iOS 26 beta releases but are not a registered developer, follow these steps:

1. Click Sign Up on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID.
2. Log in to the Beta Software Program.
3. Click Enroll your iOS device.
4. Open the Settings app, tap General, then Software Update.
5. In the Beta Updates section, select the iOS Public Beta.

It may take a few moments after registering for the beta option to appear in Software Update.

iOS 26.2: How to install the developer beta

You’ll need to be registered as an Apple developer, but a free developer account will do. You can get one via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do it via the Apple Developer app:

1. Download the Apple Developer App from the App Store.
2. Open the app.
3. Tap on Account.
4. Sign in using your usual Apple ID.

Find out everything you need to know about iOS 26 in our iOS 26 superguide.

Every year, Apple updates the Mac operating system. The current version of macOS is macOS 15.5, but development of macOS 26 (not macOS 16) is well underway.

Apple runs a beta program, which means developers and registered public testers can try out new features before they are released to the general public later in the year.

The beta process doesn’t stop with the full release of macOS in the fall. After macOS 15 Sequoia arrived on Macs in September 2024, development continued with new features rolled out every couple of months. The same will be true of the macOS 26 development cycle.

In this article, we’ll explain what you need to do to get your hands on a copy of the new beta of macOS 26, how to install it, and what you should bear in mind if you want to avoid problems. (If you would prefer to use the latest official release of macOS, here’s how to update macOS on your Mac.)

Update December 3, 2025: Apple released the macOS 26.2 Release Candidate.

macOS beta: Latest version

The most recent version of the macOS 26 Tahoe developer beta is version 26.2. It was released on November 5, 2025.

Following WWDC 2025 on June 9, the macOS 26 developer beta is now available to download for those signed up to the program. The “macOS 26” name is part of a coherent annual naming system along with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26.

macOS beta: Next beta update

New betas tend to arrive every one to two weeks, and more frequently as the full release data approaches.

The beta testing program will continue to run after the new macOS 26 software launches in September or October 2025, with Apple continuing to roll out new features.

How to get the macOS beta

To get the developer version of the macOS 26 beta, you need to be running macOS Sequoia and be registered for Apple’s developer program, either having paid $99/£79 to enroll in Apple’s Developer program (here) or with a free developer account (follow the instructions below for how to register for that).

Alternatively, if it’s the public beta you are after, you just need to sign up for the Public Beta program on Apple’s beta webpage, sign the NDA, and enroll your Mac. Details of how to do that are below.

As long as you are a registered developer or enrolled in the public beta program, when the relevant macOS Beta becomes available, it will also show up on your Mac.

Before you download the beta, a few warnings:

• We strongly advise that if you aren’t a developer, you don’t download the developer beta.
• We also strongly recommend that you back up your Mac before you upgrade to the macOS beta.
• We recommend that you do not run the macOS beta on your primary Mac; ideally, run it in a separate volume. This should minimize any risks to you.

How to get a free Apple developer account

If you just want a free Apple Developer account so you can access the beta, you can get this via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do it via the Apple Developer app on an iPhone:

1. Get the Apple Developer App from the App Store. 
2. Open the app on your iPhone. 
3. Tap on Account. 
4. Tap on Sign In. 
5. Sign in using your usual Apple ID. 

If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store or receive support, you’ll need to pay $99/£79 per year for a paid account. You can compare the free and paid accounts here.

How to register for the macOS public beta

The macOS public beta is accessible to anyone with a valid Apple ID.

• To register, go to the Apple Beta Software Program page.
• Select the “Sign Up” option.
• Sign in using your Apple ID.
• Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the registration process.
• Enrol the Mac you wish to run the beta on via this Apple page.

How to download macOS beta

1. Open Software Updates on your Mac. (System Settings > General > Software Updates.)
2. You should see two options: Automatic Updates and Beta Updates. Click on the (i) beside Beta Updates.
3. You can now turn on Beta Updates (if they weren’t already on).
4. Choose the beta you want to download: public or developer.
5. If your account is tied to a different Apple ID than your usual one, you can change that here.
6. Click Done.
7. Now your Mac will check for updates and eventually show the latest macOS Beta as an upgrade. Click on Upgrade Now.

Do I need the macOS Beta Access Utility?

Only if you are running macOS Ventura 13.3 or earlier.

Apple changed the way it delivers betas in Ventura 13.4. If you aren’t yet running that version of macOS you will need to download the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility or macOS Public Beta Access Utility in order to download betas.

If you were already running an earlier macOS Public Beta you’ll find the new macOS beta as an upgrade via Software Update. Just click on Upgrade Now. You may have to update to the latest version of your current beta before you can do so, if not follow the steps below to get the beta access utility.

1. If you are enrolled in the Developer Program, go to Apple’s beta download page. Click on Install Profile to download the new macOS Developer Beta Access Utility to your Mac.
2. If you are enrolled as a public beta tester, download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility.
3. Go to Downloads on your Mac and click on the macOS Beta Access Utility to open it.
4. Double-click on the dmg file and the installer will run.
5. Once the new macOS beta is installed Software Update will check to see if there are any updates. Click Update and the latest version will download.
6. You’ll see a prompt to install the latest macOS beta, click on Continue.
7. Agree to the Ts&Cs (more on them below).
8. Click Install.

Once you are running the beta, the updates will come through to your Mac automatically; you just need to click to install.

1. You will receive a notification when the next update to the beta is available.
2. Updates will be available via Software Update (in System Settings/System Preferences)

macOS Sonoma beta timeline

To get an idea of what to expect for the macOS 26 beta timeline, here’s how the macOS Sequoia beta rolled out in 2024.

• The first version of the macOS 15 Sequoia developer beta arrived after the WWDC keynote on June 10, 2024.
• Beta 2 arrived on June 24.
• The first public beta of Sequoia arrived on July 15, 2024.
• Developer beta 4 was released on July 23. The second public beta also arrived on July 23, 2024.
• Developer beta 5 arrived on August 5 followed by the third public beta.
• Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15 developer beta 6 on August 12. The fourth public beta of Sequoia arrived on August 13, 2024.
• Developer beta 7 and the fifth public beta of Sequoia were released on August 20.
• On August 28, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15 beta 8 and the sixth public beta of Sequoia. The release candidate of Sequoia arrived on September 9. The full version of Sequoia arrived on compatible Macs on September 16.

There were actually two versions of the developer beta running concurrently. The macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta included Apple Intelligence features that are only available on M-series Macs (a iOS 18.1 beta was also in development separately with Apple Intelligence features for compatible iPhones).

• Apple started work on the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta on July 29.
• macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta 2 arrived on August 12.
• macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta 3 was released to developers on August 28.

Initially, this beta was only for developers, but Apple released a macOS Sequoia 15.1 pubic beta on September 19, 2024, following the release of Sequoia to the general public. Eventually, the macOS Sequoia 15.1 release candidate was released on October 21, and a second release candidate 2 was released on October 24. The final version of macOS Sequoia 15.1 arrived on compatible Macs on October 28.

After the macOS Sequoia full release, the beta continued:

• macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta – arrived September 19, 2024
• macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta- arrived October 23, 2024. Including a second set of Apple Intelligence features. The official release of 15.2 was on December 11.
• macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta – arrived December 16, 2024. Including the ability to create Gemoji. Release Candidate available on January 2.
• macOS Sequoia 15.4 beta – arrived on February 19, 2025. Included Mail updates and Proximity Pairing with the iPhone. Release Candidate available on March 28.
• macOS Sequoia 15.5 beta – arrived April 2, 2025. Apple released the Sequoia 15.5 beta 1 to developers. Out May 12, 2024.

If you’ve tried to take a portrait shot with your new iPhone 17 Pro, you might have noticed that a feature is missing.

Portrait Mode was first introduced with the iPhone 7 Plus, and it uses depth data to create an artificial bokeh effect in the background of a photo. Since the iPhone 12 Pro, thanks to the LiDAR scanner, Portrait Mode also works in combination with Night Mode – but that seems to have changed with the iPhone 17 Pro.

As noted by many users on Reddit and Apple’s own discussion forums and confirmed in this support document, the feature has quietly disappeared from the latest iPhone models.

How Night Mode on iPhone works

For those unfamiliar with it, Night Mode essentially enables a longer exposure on the camera, which can range from 1 second to 30 seconds, depending on the lighting conditions in the environment. With a longer exposure, the sensor captures more light, resulting in better photos in the dark.

Starting with the iPhone 15 Pro, most regular photos can be converted to Portrait mode – that’s because the Camera app automatically stores depth data in the background. However, on the iPhone 17 Pro, photos taken at night with Night Mode turned on don’t have the depth data needed to be converted to Portrait mode.

When users try to manually take a photo at night with Portrait Mode turned on, the option to use Night Mode disappears. Macworld confirmed this behavior by comparing the iPhone 17 Pro Max to previous iPhone models. In older models, combining Night Mode and Portrait Mode is entirely possible, even on iOS 26.

Although some users thought this might be caused by a bug, Apple’s website confirms that Night Mode support when taking Portrait photos is not available for iPhone 17 Pro models.

Why Apple might have made this change

There’s no word from Apple on why they made this decision, but we have a few theories.

Because Night Mode takes longer to take photos, some users who don’t fully understand how the feature works end up getting annoyed when they have to wait a few seconds for the iPhone to take the photo. In some cases, Night Mode is triggered automatically, but the longer exposure can cause users to miss an important moment by moving their phone too quickly.

Combine Night Mode with Portrait Mode, and the delay for taking a photo becomes even longer. And that delay can be the difference between quickly capturing a moment and missing the shot.

But did Night Mode really make a difference for Portrait photos? Are the photos better without it? Here’s what I found out.

While a Portrait photo taken with Night Mode on does indeed look brighter, it also has more noise and more artifacts caused by post-processing. The photo taken with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, looks darker, but also has less noise and more detail.

Another thing to keep in mind is that photos taken with Night Mode are always limited to 12 megapixels, while Portrait photos without it can be captured at 24 megapixels.

Is Apple quietly killing Night Mode?

For now, I don’t think Apple is killing Night Mode. The feature is still available for those who want to use it in regular camera mode. Still, it’s intriguing when a feature that has been available for years simply disappears without explanation.

If you have an iPhone 17 Pro or 17 Pro Max, you’ll have to decide between taking brighter photos at night or using the fancy Portrait effect. At least until Apple decides to bring the feature back, if that ever happens.

When they already have the best phone on the planet, what do you buy an iPhone user? We’re here to help you select the best iPhone gifts available—perfect gifts for Christmas, birthdays, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, anniversaries, and when you are just feeling generous.

If not a brand new iPhone (check out our iPhone Buying Guide if your budget stretches that far), then how about one of the many available iPhone accessories? Throughout the year we have tested and reviewed the best iPhone accessories from Apple and trusted companies, and we can recommend the best ones for the people on your list. We’d be delighted to receive any of these iPhone accessories as a gift.

If you want to splash out on another Apple product, take a look at our guides for best Apple Watch, best iPad and best Mac. We even have a special Gift Guide for the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro and Max, full of orangey things the owner will adore. If you are after presents for the MacBook owner in your life, take a look at our MacBook Accessory Gift Guide.

Here we recommend some of our favorite iPhone cases, power banks, chargers, cables and tech organizers, plus a roundup of some super stocking stuffers for the iPhone user in your thoughts.

iPhone Gift Guide: Cases

If your loved one doesn’t own a case for their iPhone then this may be the best gift you can get them as it will share a bit of personality while protecting their precious phone from knocks, drops, and everyday scrapes. If they already have a case, then buy them a new or better one. Just slipping on a new case can transform an old iPhone into something that feels brand new again. It’s even more satisfying than an iOS update!

We have tested the best cases for the iPhone 17 family, best cases for iPhone 16 and best cases for iPhone 15 and most of these are available for older models from the iPhone 11 up. Run through those lists to see the widest range of cases you can select as a gift, and get one for yourself while you’re at it. If you’re shopping for someone who has an iPhone 12 or later, look for a MagSafe-compatible case as it won’t interfere with wireless charging.

Leather iPhone cases: If you fancy a premium leather iPhone case look at the selection at Dutch design firm Mujjo and Woolnut for iPhone 11 and later.

Wallet iPhone cases: Check out the Vena and Decoded ranges of iPhone cases with built-in and detachable wallets.

Wood/pearl/fabric-effect iPhone cases: Seek out the range at Mous for iPhone 14 and later.

iPhone Gift Guide: iPhone power banks

Hands up if your iPhone has never run out of juice during the day when you are far from a convenient power socket. Yeah, right.

Apple used to make a special Smart Battery Case for the iPhone but stopped selling these when it added MagSafe magnetic wireless charging to the iPhone 12 and later. It then sold its own MagSafe Battery Case but stopped making these when it launched the iPhone 15. But fear not, as there are some great MagSafe power banks out there that clamp onto the back of your iPhone (12/13/14/15/16/17) and can recharge the phone for long enough that you can reach a power source.

Of course, Macworld has tested many of them and picked the best MagSafe power banks, but here are a few of our favorites.

iPhone Gift Guide: USB-C iPhone chargers

A simple charger sounds like a boring present but we think any iPhone users would be delighted to receive one of these beauties now that Apple no longer includes one in the box with new iPhones. And which iPhone users couldn’t do with at least one more spare charger at home or in the office—or a special one for travel?

An iPhone charger should be rated at least 20W, and we’d recommend 30W or better as newer iPhones can accept higher wattages than even Apple admits. A 30W charger can handle an iPad Pro and has just enough to power up even a 13-inch MacBook Air.

For more details and options, read our Best Picks roundup of the best iPhone chargers. Further down we recommend some multi-device chargers that might make more of an impact come unwrapping day.

iPhone Gift Guide: MagSafe chargers

While charging using a USB-C cable (USB-C to Lightning for older iPhones, and USB-C to USB-C for the iPhone 15 and later) from your charger is the fastest way to charge an iPhone, more convenient is wireless charging. Since the iPhone 12, wireless charging has become more efficient and therefore faster with Apple’s MagSafe technology that magnetically clamps the iPhone more securely to the wireless charger.

You can buy a simple USB-C to MagSafe charging pad, like Apple’s $39/£39 MagSafe Charger or a third-party alternative, or a multi-device charger that includes a MagSafe charger for iPhone plus a charger for AirPods or Apple Watch.

For more details and options, read our Best Picks roundup of the best MagSafe wireless chargers.

iPhone Gift Guide: Lightning and USB-C cables

If you thought that chargers might be a boring gift, I hope we’ve persuaded you otherwise. But how would you feel unwrapping a charging cable? Me? I’d be delighted as you can’t own enough charging cables, can you? They are always handy. Sure, it’s not a pony or a new TV but it’s easier to wrap.

Older iPhones will need a USB-C to Lightning cable; check out our roundup of the best Lightning cables. Pair one of these with a USB-C charger, see above, for the fastest charging. An older USB-A to Lightning cable doesn’t support iPhone fast charging.

The iPhone 15, 16 and 17 families now have a USB-C rather than Lightning port so you can use the same cable as you have for your MacBook. We have tested the best USB-C cables for iPhones and can recommend these as great little gifts.

iPhone Gift Guide: Stocking stuffers

Aside from the gift ideas listed above, there are some great stocking stuffers available for smaller budgets—and products we couldn’t squeeze into any of the groups above.

iPhone Gift Guide: Tech organizer bags

Where do you keep all these accessories when not in use? Over at sister site Tech Advisor, we have tested the best tech organizer bags and there should be one that’s a perfect gift, whether as a desk tidy or for travels.

Best Prices Today: AVG Internet Security for Mac

There’s always the question of what you get with the full/paid version of a software application, especially if the free/demo version already provides a respectable feature set. Following up on my review of AVG AntiVirus Free for Mac comes AVG Internet Security for Mac, the full-fledged, if somewhat confusingly named, version of AVG’s antiviral/anti-malware protection. Another of the solutions we are looking at in our round up of the best Mac antivirus apps for Mac users.

The paid version offers purported hacker and payment protection tools in addition to the core antiviral/anti-malware feature set found in the free version.

Like the free version, AVG Internet Security requires macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later to run, and downloads and installs easily, requesting access to your Mac’s entire disk as well as permission to set up networking tools as needed.

Unlike the free version, AVG Internet Security asks for your payment credentials, whereupon you can either start a one- to three-year subscription or begin a 60-day trial period; AVG then emails an activation code to unlock the application’s full feature set and removes reminders to upgrade.

Everything that excels in the free version stands just as well in the paid version. AVG’s antivirus and malware protection remains sharpened. The application syncs nicely with macOS’s built-in Gatekeeper and XProtect elements to catch just about all the malware samples thrown at it.

Yes, occasional malware can still slip through the cracks, but you’ll have to bypass multiple warning screens to install and execute them.

Like the free version, it’s easy to use AVG Internet Security to schedule and execute the scan types (Smart Scan, Deep Scan, Targeted Scan, External Storage Scan), though the user-interface quibble remains: you’ll have to dig through menus to monitor scheduled scans after they begin.

AVG’s paid feature set comes under four core modules: Computer Protection, Web & Email Protection, Hacker Attacks, and Payment Protection.

The Hacker Attacks module offers a Network Inspector and a Ransomware Shield. The Payments module offers a Fake Website Shield (and related phishing protections).

The Network Inspector is nifty for checking exactly how many and which types of devices are on your network; it can alert you when a new device joins, which is handy for spotting intruders or unexpected devices on your home Wi-Fi.

The Ransomware Shield acts as an encryption-layer safeguard, preventing ransomware (or malicious software) from changing, deleting or locking protected folders like Documents or Pictures. You can customize which folders are protected, which is a nice touch.

Fake Website / Web & Payment Protection is designed to help stop you from visiting phishing or scam websites, prevent inadvertent downloads of malware, and stop your payment credentials from being sent to shady sites. In testing, AVG generally warns when we were about to click into suspicious links — which is a useful first line of defense.

Furthermore, AVG Internet Security handles external drives, .zip or .dmg archives, Time Machine backups, and offers customisable whitelists/exclusions. This is handy if you deal with many archives, external media, or backup volumes.

Scans tend to be fast: a quick scan only takes a few minutes, while a full scan of a large NVMe drive may take several hours — reasonable for what you get.

All that said, the software isn’t perfect. Even though AVG blocks the vast majority of tested malware, it’s not bulletproof. In our testing, a fake copy of Adobe Flash Player slipped through initially (though it was later removed via Gatekeeper).

It’s possible, as with any security suite, to override protection if you insist on installing something malicious. Also, scheduled scans, while reliable, don’t trigger obvious UI notifications by default, so you might not realize when a scan is happening unless you check manually.

Most importantly, while the additional tools (Network Inspector, Ransomware Shield, Fake Website Shield) sound great in theory and are welcome in practice, they don’t guarantee complete protection. The “Web & Payment Protection” module can guard against many phishing or scam sites, but occasionally questionable websites, spam links, or shady adverts may still slip through without warning.

This undermines part of the value proposition for paying for the full version. (In my own testing, I noticed this gap: some suspicious spam-related links in an email spam folder still allowed access to dubious websites; while AVG sometimes stopped accompanying malware, the lack of warnings undermines user confidence.)

Should you buy AVG Internet Security for Mac

If you’re a fan of AVG Antivirus Free for Mac, then migrating to AVG Internet Security (via the 60-day trial or a paid subscription) will feel familiar and comfortable. The core antivirus and anti-malware protection remain strong, the software’s performance is responsive and quick, and features like Network Inspector and Ransomware Shield are genuinely useful and worth their weight.

However, whether the paid features are head and shoulders above what the free version already offers is debatable. The Payments/Fake Website protections sometimes feel lacklustre, and the occasional gaps in web-threat blocking make it harder to unreservedly recommend the subscription, especially if the main motivator is web/payment security.

Unless you’re particularly concerned about ransomware, want external-drive scanning, or need extra network-level protection, the free version (or at least a thorough try-out of the 60-day trial) remains a reasonable, low-cost way to see whether the extras justify the cost.

Premiere Elements is the companion product to Photoshop Elements (see our review), and is designed to provide powerful video-editing tools at a competitive price. There are less expensive video-editing apps available for the Mac, but many of these simply focus on relatively simple tools for trimming video clips and applying filters and effects for use on social media.

In contrast, Premiere Elements provides powerful and precise editing tools that allow you to create complex video projects using multiple video and audio clips. It also includes a variety of text tools for creating titles, and a very wide range of creative filters and effects that can create just the right look and mood for your videos.

However, that extra power means that Premiere Elements is more complex than some of its rivals – and also more complex than Photoshop Elements too, despite the similarities between the two programs.

Premiere Elements – Editing Tools

Like Photoshop Elements, Premiere Elements provides three different editing modes, with three tabs at the top of the main editing window – Quick, Guided and Advanced – which are designed to cater to users with different levels of experience.

The Quick mode is designed for beginners, and provides a simple workspace with a horizontal sceneline running across the bottom of the screen where you can drag and drop video clips and quickly arrange them in the required sequence. Above the sceneline is the Program Monitor window, which provides a larger view of individual video clips so that you can view each clip with frame-by-frame precision and decide where to make cuts or other changes. There’s also a palette on the right of the window that provides several additional tools, including a series of artistic effects, such as oil paintings, lens flare and black-and-white effects. However, even in Quick mode some of these tools are quite complex, with multiple slider controls for adjusting settings and timings that may confuse less experienced users.

Fortunately, like Photoshop Elements, Premiere Elements also has a Guided mode that provides step-by-step help with some of these more complex tools. There are Guided Edits that show you how to create time-lapse effects, lighting adjustments, titles and other effects. And, for real beginners, there are two options that can do all the work for you and automatically create a Highlight Reel, or a Video Collage. All you have to do here is import a few video clips and Premiere Elements will edit the clips together, add transitions, and even offer a selection of music clips for the soundtrack.

Premiere Elements 2026 – What is new

The 2026 update for Premiere Elements kicks off with one really eye-catching new feature, with the ability to import and edit 360º panoramic video files, which you can use on social media, or even to create professional-level interactive VR scenes for headsets such as Apple’s Vision Pro.

The editing process is relatively easy, as Premiere Elements provides a Hand tool that allows you to click on a point within the 3D scene and then rotate and tilt your viewpoint within the scene. You can then use Premiere Elements’ filters, titling tools and other effects to edit your 360º scene just like any other video clip.

The problem, though, is that the initial process of creating and importing these 360º video files is no easy task. Adobe’s Help files are rather vague, but they do explain that you require specialised dual-lens cameras manufactured by companies such as Kodak or Ricoh (with no mention as yet of the iPhone or Apple’s Immersive Video format for the Vision Pro).

You’ll need a fair degree of technical knowledge in order to work with these cameras in the first place, so while this is an impressive and powerful new tool it’s one that will most likely appeal to professional film-makers or content creators who have the time, money and equipment needed to create suitable 360º videos.

Premiere Elements 2026 does have some new features for more humble video hobbyists, though.

The program’s text and titling tools have been improved, with new style templates and a new browser to help you find just the right style for your projects.

There are new templates for creating motion titles, and new colour fonts and emojis to liven things up.

The app also provides access to Adobe Stock, which is a huge library of video clips, photos and sound effects that you can use in your video projects, or just use to experiment while you’re getting to grips with the program.

And, like Photoshop Elements, Premiere Elements has updated its Crop tool, with a new Freehand Crop option, and improved tool tips that provide helpful information when you hover the mouse over the toolbar.

Premiere Elements 2025 – What was new

Many of the new features introduced for the 2025 edition are found in the Advanced Mode, which provides full access to the program’s extensive range of editing tools, audio features, filters and effects.

At first glance, Advanced Mode looks similar to Quick Mode – although the sceneline of Quick Mode is now called the timeline, indicating that more advanced features are available in this mode. The timeline has been modified for this 2025 version, with audio and video tracks grouped together for greater clarity, and the ability to lock tracks to prevent any accidental changes.

There’s a new Quick Tools palette to the left of the timeline, which provides instant access to features such as the Scissor tool for splitting clips, and the Text tool for adding titles.

The program’s text tools have been improved as well, with controls for quickly adjusting text size, alignment, and direction of movement.

You can also download some new templates to help you create slick animated titles as well. There are improved tools for colour correction and adjusting white balance, which controls the brightness of white areas within an image, such as clouds or snow.

However, some of these colour tools will challenge even more advanced users, and we found ourselves wading through the not-very-helpful Help files on Adobe’s web site to learn the differences between colour grading and colour correction.

There are also changes to the program’s options for importing and exporting files, which should be useful for all users regardless of their level of experience.

When you start a new project you’ll see the redesigned Media panel that opens on the left of the screen and makes it quicker and easier to import files into your projects.

There are also new export options that help you to prepare your video files for social media and other platforms, starting with the Quick Export button that provides preset options covering a variety of different quality settings and resolutions.

The updated Export tool now opens up a large window that provides more detailed settings for audio and video files. And one big time-saver here is the ability to simultaneously export multiple versions of the same file that can be tailored for use on different social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Photoshop Elements – How much does it cost?

Both Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements have traditionally been sold for a one-time fee of $99.99/£86.99, which allowed you to use the programs for as long as you wanted (although you did have to pay an extra fee if you wanted to purchase their annual upgrades as well).

The 2026 editions of both programs still cost the same amount, but the purchase price now only grants you a three-year term license, which means that you’ll have to purchase another license in three years’ time.

That’s the bad news – but the good news is that you’ll get future upgrades, such as the 2027 and 2028 editions, for free as they are likely to be released within that three-year license period. It’s also possible to buy both Elements programs together for $149.99/£130.49 (which again is for a three-year license).

There’s also a seven-day free trial available, so that you can see if Premiere Elements is suitable for your own level of expertise.

Purchasing Premiere Elements for the Mac also gives you access to the mobile version of the app – although this has been in beta for quite a few years now, so you should probably make sure you back-up any video files that you record on your mobile devices to keep them safe.

Adobe launched a free Adobe Premiere: Video Editor mobile app for iPhone and iPad in late 2025, you can get that on the App Store.

Should you buy Premiere Elements?

There’s no doubt that Premiere Elements is an impressively powerful program for video-editing work, and it’s great value for more advanced amateurs and semi-professional users such as podcasters and vloggers.

Even so, it’s still a pretty complex piece of software, even when using Quick mode, so newcomers will have to be prepared to roll up their sleeves and do a bit of work in order to really get to grips with the program’s undeniably powerful editing tools.

For more video editing apps see our round up of the best free and cheap Mac video editors, we also have a guide to the best Mac for video editing.

The holidays will be here in a blink, and if you’re thinking of upgrading your Christmas lights, we’ve got just the deal for you: Nanoleaf’s absolutely gorgeous Apple Home-ready Smart String Lights are half off at Amazon, which means you can grab a set for $75.

This light string is so great, you’ll want to use it all year long. There are 300 addressable LEDs, split into 60 areas that you can customize from your app. If you don’t want to get creative, you can just use one of the many presets available. Another really cool thing is that the Nanoleaf smart string lights can react to sound and music, so they’ll dance along with you to Mariah Carey singing, “All I Want for Christmas is You,” over and over again.

These smart string lights are rated for indoor use, but Nanoleaf says they are water-resistant, so a few splashes should be OK. The best part is they’ll work just fine with the Apple Home app automations thanks to Matter support. So grab this fabulous holiday lights string for $75 before this deal runs out.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming digital workspaces, boosting efficiency and streamlining workflows. It has become a vital asset (and increasingly an expectation) for workflows, but AI still often requires human oversight. Like many other software companies, Adobe is joining the revolution by developing and integrating native AI features into Photoshop.

Generative Fill is the highlight AI feature in Photoshop. Powered by Adobe Firefly, the tool lets you create images and insert them into projects using simple text prompts. More recently, the company unveiled three new AI perks: Harmonize, Generative Upscale, and an improved object eraser. I’ve put them all to the test to see how well (or terribly) they perform, and whether creatives will appreciate the output quality.

The AI features are part of the latest version of the software. Read my in-depth review of Adobe Photoshop.

Photoshop AI Harmonize tool

Photoshop can be used to insert objects into existing images. In the old days, you’d need to manually delete the object’s background, then adjust its colors and vibrance to match the photo it’s inserted into. Then you’d apply more advanced edits, like adding shadows and whatnot to make it seem realistic. It worked, but it consumed too much time and energy.

The new Harmonize tool makes it possible for newbies to come up with similar results, without the user needing to manually do all the advanced steps. When inserting an object, you can remove its background with a single click, then have the AI-powered Harmonize tool fix the lighting, shadows, and colors.

I tried Harmonize with multiple photos with different objects, environments, and color palettes. For example, I inserted a strawberry on a reflective table, and the AI feature accurately replicated the fruit’s reflection on the surface and minimized its glow due to the dim setting. Similarly, I inserted a tennis ball on a sunny field, and Harmonize was able to analyze the scene and fix the brightness and shadows as needed. Other tests included adding cats to different photos, and each Harmonize edit would uniquely adapt to the specific photo to help the feline blend in.

Whenever I’d use Harmonize, Photoshop would generate three results to pick from. Typically, at least one of them would be usable. If not, you could always have Harmonize generate more iterations, as long as you have enough Adobe Firefly credits (sold separately).

Photoshop Generative Upscale

Another new AI feature is Generative Upscale, which lets Photoshop users depixelate low-resolution shots. The tool restricts the output’s width or height to a maximum of 4096 pixels. Depending on the existing resolution, you can opt for 2x, 3x, or 4x upscaling. You can also pick how creative the AI can get with the generation.

I tried this feature with multiple images, and the results were impressively accurate. For example, the tool was able to effectively polish a pixelated, zoomed-in photo of my dog and his surroundings. In none of my tests did it hallucinate or create strange results. This makes it ideal for working with media photographed using old equipment.

Photoshop Object removing tool

Photoshop introduced an upgraded eraser that supposedly removes intrusive objects with more accuracy. When selecting and removing small items, the tool was generally able to fill the gaps with convincing graphics. If you zoom in or stare for too long, you’d probably be able to identify the AI-generated fill, but that’s also the case with most object erasers.

Things get trickier when dealing with complex backgrounds and attempting to delete larger objects. For example, the AI-powered tool effectively removed the smaller trash bags from the image. However, when I tried to remove the plants and metallic rail, you could obviously tell that it’s AI-generated. The most noticeable flaws were the gibberish text it added and the random glitch behind the sign. Otherwise, the graffiti on the wall was expanded realistically, and the overall location maintained its style and vibe.

Use them together, and what do you get?

To push these tools to their limits, I applied all of these new AI features on a single Photoshop canvas. I used AI to create an image, did some fine-tuning, and added elements. Here’s a look at what I did. Click the images to see a larger version and get a better look.

Typical AI fashion

After using Photoshop’s new AI features, I have to say I’m quite impressed with the overall results. Artificial intelligence has its limitations, and Adobe Firefly is no different. Sure, it can effectively remove minor objects and blemishes from photos while maintaining the realism. However, one can’t expect it to operate as a wand that magically fixes entire landscapes and generates lifelike replacements.

Likewise, the Harmonize tool can save significant time, but its results are hit or miss. It tends to work more effectively when making subtle edits and inserting smaller objects on uncomplicated images. The higher the complexity, the more intense the hallucinations.

Adobe is aware of AI’s instability. That’s why, despite generating three unique variants, tools like Harmonize and Generative Fill only consume one Firefly token per session. This lets you try alternative looks without quickly burning through your paid credits.

Ultimately, the tests I’ve run reflect how AI can constructively assist users with everyday computing tasks. Though in its current form, it still fails to take over bigger projects and replace humans entirely–that’s for the best.

Best Prices Today: Sharge Icemag 3 Power Bank

This magnetic power bank doesn’t just look cool—it is actively cooled by a fan to keep the fast 25W wireless charging at an optimum from start to finish.

The Sharge Icemag 3 takes active cooling to the next level, although this does mean there’s an audible hum during the fast-charging process.

Design

The Icemag 3 looks like no other portable power bank. At the top is a transparent section that lights up when it is charging a phone or being charged itself. The colors don’t seem to mean much, but they do look pretty.

It measures 4.3 x 2.8 x 0.78 inches (11 x 7.1 x 2cm) and weighs 7.7oz (220g). For a 10K capacity power bank that’s about average and a little lighter than some of the competition.

The slimmest 10K magnetic power bank we’ve tested is the 15W Anker MagGo Slim (0.58 inches deep); the 5K version of that power bank is just 0.34 inches thin.

On the back with the transparent section is a large stable metal kickstand that keeps the iPhone in place either in portrait or landscape mode.

At the bottom of the power bank is the built-in USB-C cable that you can use to recharge the power bank itself at a speedy 30W or use to wired charge any iPhone 15 or later at a brisk 35W.

There is also a 30W USB-C port so you can charge three devices simultaneously using wireless, the built-in cable and another via the port and your own cable. As with most power banks, multi-device charging reduces the overall output to 15W so you’ll lose the benefits of the 25W wireless and 35W cable with three things charging at the same time.

Wireless power

The most convenient way to charge an iPhone (12 or later) is via a magnetic charger, and the Icemag 3 utilizes the latest Qi 2.2 wireless charging technology to do so at 25W. You won’t find any wireless power bank that’s faster.

25W wireless charging is only possible with the iPhone 16 or later. Older iPhones are limited to 15W, which is speedy but noticeably slower than 25W.

In our tests a 15W charger can get a faded iPhone from 0-50% in around 45 minutes, while 25W does the same in just over 30 minutes. If you need your phone back in action quickly, 25W is the way to go.

That amount of power gets hot quickly, which can impact charging speed as the phone reduces the power to maintain its battery health. Sharge offsets this by using a fan to actively cool the power bank and phone. This keeps charging at an optimal level but does produce a noise that is quite noticeable. If you can keep the phone away from hearing range, that’s fine but it is the noisiest power bank we’ve heard.

Battery power

The Icemag 3 has a 10000mAh (39.1Wh) battery capacity. Most magnetic power banks come in either a slim 5K capacity or slightly bulkier 10K like the Icemag.

In our Macworld recharging test, we take an iPhone 16 Pro from 0%, refill it to 100% with the power bank and then go again until the power bank is empty.

The Icemag 3 scored 171%, meaning it fully recharged the iPhone and then went to 71% on the second charge. We’ve seen up to 190% on some 10K magnetic power banks—for example the EcoFlow RAPID and Anker Zolo—but 171% is around average.

The Icemag 3 beats those power banks with its wireless charging speed of 25W, where they are still at 15W.

Rival 10K power banks with 25W wireless charging include the Baseus PicoGo AM61 that also includes a built-in cable (45W) and is a little smaller and lighter but score marginally less on our recharge score (167%). The Ugreen MagFlow Power Bank scored a lower 144% and is a bit heavier than the Icemag 3.

Price

The Sharge Icemag 3 costs $79.90, which is cheaper than the $89 EcoFlow RAPID but dearer than the $49K Anker Zolo. Remember that those power banks are 15W not 25W.

For a 25W comparison, the Baseus AM61 costs $69 and the Ugreen MagFLow $89.

Read all our reviews of the best magnetic wireless power banks.

Should you buy the Sharge Icemag 3?

At 25W the pocketable 10K Sharge Icemag 3 is as fast as wireless gets and it scored well in our tests of battery capacity. Its fancy RGB lights are fun but unnecessary. The kickstand is super stable and the built-in 35W USB-C cable is a great addition for owners of newer iPhones.

The Mac rumor mill has been going into overdrive lately, with information about Apple’s release schedule for 2026. We’ve heard reports about every Mac in the lineup (including the enigmatic Mac Pro), except for one: the iMac. Not a peep about Apple’s iconic all-in-one desktop computer.

The current M4 iMac was released a year ago, and Apple released the M5 MacBook Pro a month ago. An M5 update to the iMac certainly seems timely, and it’s entirely possible that Apple releases it sometime next year, perhaps along with the M5 MacBook Air in the spring.

Or maybe not. Given that we haven’t heard any rumors about an upcoming iMac, Apple might now have a different approach to its product cycle. When you consider Apple’s past chip history, how the iMac is built, and its target audience, we could see longer gaps between iMac updates.

M1, M3, M4…M6?

Longer update cycles with the iMac are not unheard of. It happened in the later years of the Intel iMac, and it happened recently when Apple skipped the M2 chip and upgraded the 2021 M1 iMac with an M3 model in 2023.

Then Apple released the M4 iMac a year later, which may set the expectation that Apple will update the iMac with every new chip generation. But various reports stated that Apple wanted to move off the M3 chip because it was a first-generation 3nm chip with high product costs and low yields. When the M4 (which is made using a less expensive enhanced 3nm process) became available, the company was eager to replace the M3.

With this in mind, the M4 iMac may be an anomaly in the schedule. Apple established a longer cycle with the M1 to M3 transition, so that precedent is in place. The next iMac could be released at the end of 2026, when the M6 is expected to debut, and Apple may continue with even-numbered M chips going forward. (Though the only M6 Mac we’ve heard about so far is the MacBook Pro.)

Does the iMac really need to be updated every time a new M-series chip is released? No. Apple’s base M chip is plenty fast for the types of tasks people do on a consumer-level iMac. New chips are between 15 to 25 percent faster than the ones they replace, and iMac users go a lot longer between upgrades than, say, MacBook users. Also, the current M4 iMac offers a tremendous improvement over the last generation of Intel iMacs–if an Intel iMac owner isn’t upgrading, it’s for other reasons than performance. Updating the iMac every other year or maybe even longer may be a more effective strategy for Apple.

Nothing to change, really

The M4 iMac is a really impressive machine–I gave it a five-star rating when I reviewed it last year.  The main reason I was so enthusiastic about the M4 iMac was that Apple finally made much-needed changes and offered appealing options, such as 16GB of RAM as a base, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and a Nano-texture glass option. So, what could Apple do with an M5 iMac, besides a chip upgrade?

The current design of the iMac was introduced in 2021, and it still looks fresh enough. There was a time when the iMac would get a radical redesign every few years, but those days have passed, and besides, nothing about the iMac’s current components seems outdated. The display is an LCD, which is an aging technology that will eventually be replaced by OLED, but since the iMac has a large 24-inch display, OLEDs at that size are not cost-effective yet. The LCD on the iMac is here for a little while longer.

While we don’t know actual sales numbers, the consensus is that the market for the iMac doesn’t justify upgrading it every year. That’s why we haven’t heard anything about an M5 iMac, because it’s quite possible that it’s not happening. We’ll likely have to wait for the M6 before the next iMac update—and even then, it’ll likely just be a chip refresh.

Where’s the big iMac?

Back in 2023, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted that Apple would release a “higher-end 32-inch mini LED display iMac in 2025.” Bloomberg’s Mark Guman reported in 2023 that such an iMac would be “coming in either late 2024 or 2025,” though he also said Apple had “cost concerns” about the product. Well, there are only a few weeks left in the year, so it’s pretty clear that the big iMac isn’t happening.

New iMac prediction update:
1. 24-inch iMac refresh in 2024.
2. Higher-end 32-inch mini LED display iMac in 2025. https://t.co/l7jzEecwZi

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 17, 2023

The iMac Pro was discontinued in 2021 after a four-year run. Apple currently has two desktops that fill the needs of users who want a more robust chip: the M4 Pro Mac mini and the Mac Studio. It doesn’t really seem like there’s a place for a new, M-series iMac Pro. The Mac mini and Mac Studio aren’t all-in-ones, but if the consumer demand for an iMac is on the lower side, then the professional demand is even lower. And I mentioned earlier, the cost for large OLEDs may still be too high. Reports state that prototypes of an iMac Pro exist in the secret labs at Apple Park, but the market may dictate that it never actually ships.

A slow death?

It’s hard to believe Apple would just suddenly kill the iMac, one of the iconic devices from the Steve Jobs era. However, with longer updates, fewer design changes, and declining sales, it’s slowly fading into irrelevance. The world around it has shifted to MacBooks and iPads, and the iMac is more of a vestige of a bygone era than a prominent member of the Mac family.

The current model isn’t bad, but it’s also not very exciting. And there aren’t any indications that that’s going to change anytime soon. As the iPad platform becomes more powerful and MacBooks become more versatile with rumored touchscreen support in 2027, the once-iconic iMac could be dying a very slow death.

Best Prices Today: Anker Prime 3-in-1 MagGo Wireless Charging Station

The Anker Prime 3-in-1 Charging Station is the company’s first 3-in-1 25W wireless charger and is a classic arm design that will look great on any desk or nightstand.

Its adoption of the Qi 2.2 standard means that the iPhone wireless charging speed is close to that you’ll get from wired charging using a cable but with the convenience of a magnetic connection.

As with any premium 25W charger, it comes with active cooling and, uniquely for wireless stands, a built-in display.

Design

This isn’t just a useful tech gadget but also a piece of desk or nightstand furniture. It’s a stand that must look good as well as be a base for your Apple device charging needs. The iPhone and Watch charging pads are held high on chrome arms that are angled for viewing angle and overall stand stability. The AirPods Qi pad is in the base beneath the arms and behind a neat smart display that is the first we’ve seen on such a stand.

Arm- or rod-based stand designs are often hampered by rigid viewing angles, but the Anker’s iPhone pad features a generous 80-degree vertical rotation. The pad can fold right back so the iPhone can rest flat on top. I’m not sure why you’d want that extreme example but the angle options below are welcome.

The Watch pad can’t be adjusted but this doesn’t matter as a moveable Watch charger would likely mean the wearable would easily slip off as the magnetic connection between charger and Watch is nowhere near as robust as with the phone.

Measuring 6.7 x 4.9 x 5.4 inches (16.9 x 12.5 x 13.8cm) the footprint is larger than other 3-in-1 chargers such as the similar ESR 3-in-1 CryoBoost Wireless Charging Station with (6.6 x 3.4 x 3.3 inches) but it wins on its more elegant looks that will grace your home or office desk, as well as its adjustable iPhone charging pad.

The Anker charger weighs 21.9oz (620g), which feels sturdy unlike cheaper charging stands that sometimes feel a bit flappy. You’re unlikely to take this stand on your travels so a higher weight gives you greater stability.

The Anker Prime 3-in-1 is available in black or white colors (or Black Stone and Shell White as Anker calls them).

Unique display

While the arm design is a traditional 3-in-1 design, Anker has brought in a unique informational smart display at the base. Anker is something of a master at these smart displays, which you’ll see on its desktop chargers and its latest DisplayLink laptop docking station.

The built-in interactive 1.65-inch HD charging display gives you real-time updates on power, temperature, and charging status. The screen is even customizable with a choice of themes and clocks.

App control

Anker’s SenseFlow technology combines the on-screen display with app connectivity, so you can view power flow, charging temperature, and more. This where you can set the charging mode and also customize the clock face.

Performance: record breaker

Qi2 25W (also known as Qi 2.2) is the latest and fastest wireless charging technology replying on an optimized magnetic connection between the iPhone and charger’s coils. 25W wireless chargers work at full speed with the iPhone 16 and later; older iPhones are limited to 15W.

Not so long ago, 15W was the preserve of Apple’s MagSafe-certified devices only, with everything else pegged back at 7.5W. Then Qi2 matched MagSafe’s 15 W. Now Qi2 25W moves wireless charging to 25W, which for nearly a year was a speed possible with only the latest Apple MagSafe Charger.

Wirelessly charging at 25W is so powerful that it generates enough heat to the iPhone’s battery that it can work against the charging effect as the phone’s battery slows or stops charging to keep cool and unharmed. 25W chargers therefore requires active cooling through a fan to keep the heat down and the battery charging at a steady pace. Lower temperatures also help protect your iPhone’s battery’s health and therefore reduce long-term degradation.

Anker claims that its “aerospace-grade” TEC active cooling ensures the phone stays below 89°F through efficient charging.

In our increasing number of Qi2 25W tests, we haven’t matched the theoretical claims that it can fast-charge an iPhone 17 to 50% in around 25 minutes. 30-33 minutes is the average time we’ve got to 50%, as the 25-minute claim is under ideal conditions you are unlikely to recreate in your study or bedroom.

We were surprised then to time our test iPhone 16 Pro to 50% in 28 minutes with the Anker Prime 3-in-1—the fastest we’ve ever tested. Maybe the conditions were just closer to ideal—it was in my living room with the heating on, so I doubt that—but whatever it was, we can attest to the Anker’s 25W credentials.

There wasn’t much to separate the 25W Anker Prime from the 25W ESR CryoBoost 3-in-1 or the 25W Belkin UltraCharge 3-in-1, but in a straight race our tests suggest the Anker would win.

In contrast a 15W wireless charger takes around 45 minutes to get a faded iPhone to 50%.

We test to 50% because charging slows down as the battery fills up—to protect the phone—so the best stage to look at is between 0% and 50%.

Silent-ish night

You can check the charging temperature on the stand’s smart display.

A complication with fans is that they can be noisy. Anker claims to have kept the fan noise below 25dB.

We tested one power bank recently that sounds like a kettle reaching the boil. The noise created by the Anker Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charger’s fan, however, is pretty quiet. If you put your ear to the fan you can certainly hear it but it’s not a hum that you’ll otherwise notice.

If you do need absolute silence—for instance when using the charger on your nightstand—there’s a button in the middle of the display that allows you to switch the fan off and on. When asleep you probably don’t need the absolutely fastest charging times anyway.

Price

The 25W Anker Prime 3-in-1 MagGo Wireless Charging Station costs $229.99 or £159.99, which is significantly higher than the competition such as the similarly speedy $119.99 ESR 25W CryoBoost 3-in-1 Magnetic Charger but you may find cheaper deals online so check our live price tracker with this review.

The Belkin UltraCharge Pro ($129.99/£79.99) is a squatter design and lower to the desk.

Check out more options in our best MagSafe charger and best Apple Watch charger roundups.

Should you buy the 25W Anker Prime 3-in-1 MagGo Wireless Charging Station?

This elegant desk or nightstand will keep your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods wirelessly charged at the fastest possible pace. While expensive, it is the fastest 25W wireless charger that we’ve tested, and its smart display is unique and not only keeps you informed of the charging speeds but also works as a customizable clock face.

TL;DR: This Cyber Week deal brings this wallet tracker down to $23.99.

The MagTag is on sale for $23.99 and is a smart pick for anyone who misplaces a wallet, passport, or travel bag more often than they’d like to admit.

AirTags work well for keys and backpacks, but they were never designed to fit into slim spaces. The MagTag solves that problem by being only 1.5mm thick, so it slides into a wallet like a credit card without adding bulk or weight. It is built specifically for card slots, which makes it a cleaner option for everyday carry.

Pairing it is simple. It connects directly through Apple’s Find My network, so you add it the same way you would add AirPods or an iPhone. Once it is connected, you can see its location, trigger a sound when it is hiding somewhere in the house, and get reminders when you leave your wallet behind.

The MagTag charges wirelessly on any Qi charger and can run for up to 5 months before needing a recharge. It is also rated IP68 waterproof, which means spills, rain, or messy travel days are not a concern.

If you use Apple devices and want a tracker that actually fits a wallet the way it should, this Cyber Week price is worth jumping on while it is still active.

Get the MagTag wallet tracker for $23.99 before Cyber Week ends.

MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card – Works with Apple Find My AppSee Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The latest version of the ChatGPT iPhone app contains within its code an unused (as of yet) image that seems to indicate upcoming Apple Health integration. The image shows the main Health icons, surrounded by several health category images: steps, activity, respiratory, hearing, sleep…and a carrot, for some reason (there is no carrot icon in the Health app). It’s possible ChatGPT generated the image and embellished it.

There is no information yet on when this feature might be enabled or what it will be used for, but ChatGPT already connects and integrates with many other apps, such as Box, GitHub, Gmail, Slack, and others, to help give you personalized answers to questions and data insights.

We should note that there is no evidence of any sort of partnership here, or a suggestion that suddenly ChatGPT will just have access to all your Health info. Apple provides frameworks and APIs for third-party apps to access data from the Health app, and there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of apps that do so.

Users have to specifically enable the integration, and you have fine control over whether data can be written to your Health app or only read, and exactly which categories of data you want to make available. ChatGPT is likely just using the same HealthKit framework that every other app uses.

But if you’ve always wanted ChatGPT to know more about your vitals, that may soon be a reality.

The late 1980s and early to mid-1990s were Apple’s weirdest and wildest era. Wedged between the triumph of the original Macintosh and the return of Steve Jobs were a sort of Wilderness Years where the company flailed all over the place, ultimately flaming out and requiring the now-famous rescue by its co-founder.

To be sure, 1990s Apple was a company with a load of problems, from out-of-control research labs building unsellable products to fruitless quests for software stacks that would reinvent documents and replace Mac OS itself. But that era of calamity and excess was also the source of some real gems, including the product that debuted 34 years ago, on Dec. 2, 1991: QuickTime.

Prehistory of multimedia

If you’re under the age of 40, you probably don’t remember the pre-multimedia era. Computers used to be really, really bad at audio and video. I once spent half an hour downloading a file to a floppy disk so I could play the first ten seconds of “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin through the telephone handset attached to the modem in my Apple II. It was far cry from MP3s.

By the late ’80s and early ’90s, digital audio had been thoroughly integrated into Macs. (PCs needed add-on cards to do much more than issue beeps.) The next frontier was video, and even better, synchronized video and audio. There were a whole lot of challenges: the Macs of the day were not really powerful to decode and display more than a few frames per second, which was more of a slideshow than a proper video. Also, the software written to decode and encode such video (called codecs) was complex and expensive, and there were lots of different formats, making file exchange unreliable.

Apple’s solution wasn’t to invent entirely new software to cover every contingency, but to build a framework for multimedia creation and playback that could use different codecs as needed. At its heart was a file that was a container for other streams of audio and video in various formats: the QuickTime Movie, or MOV.

The early days were a bit of a mess, but I can tell you that I can still remember where I was when I first played a QuickTime movie (in a basement on the UC Berkeley campus, in front of a very fast Mac). The first time I plugged live video into a capture card, and it appeared, digitized, on my Mac’s screen was similarly revelatory.

Keep in mind, this was unbelievably rudimentary even by the standards of the time. When Apple introduced QuickTime 2.0, it supported video at 320 by 240 pixels at 30 frames per second. That is to say, full-motion video at half the quality of the standard-definition video found on television at the time. There was a lot of work still to be done.

The CD-ROM era

QuickTime couldn’t have come along at a better time. Its arrival coincided with the roll-out of CD-ROM drives in Macs and PCs, which let developers fill discs with enormous video and audio files that would’ve flooded the average hard drive of the era. QuickTime (which was available for Mac and Windows alike) became a major mover in the CD-ROM world, providing accompanying video and audio for talking encyclopedias, movie databases, and games.

Over the years, Apple added interactive layers to QuickTime, since so much of the CD-ROM content field demanded it. And in a great burst of creativity, Apple introduced QuickTime VR, a development kit that let you build 360-degree environments from stitched-together photos. The most beloved QuickTime VR CD-ROM was probably the Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive Technical Manual CD-ROM, which provided multiple 360-degree panoramas of various parts of the Enterprise. Today, you can set your iPhone’s camera app to Panorama mode to capture similar vistas–back then, it took dozens of photos and a Power Mac powerful enough to slowly merge them all together.

Since the first days of desktop publishing, the Mac has always been a leader in the media world. QuickTime allowed Apple to push into the video side of things, most notably with the purchase of Final Cut Pro in 1998. The company even held its own QuickTime Live conference event, catering to the video industry.

The rise of the internet

The rise of the internet changed the game for QuickTime, of course. CD-ROMs offered relatively limited storage, but pretty decent bandwidth. You could store infinite amounts of video on the internet and add new videos all the time, but it had to come through a very, very slow data pipe in those early days.

Apple built its own streaming software (the QuickTime Streaming Server) to provide different video qualities for different bandwidths, but a lot of the light and heat in the early days of internet multimedia streaming went elsewhere, to companies like RealNetworks, the makers of RealAudio. Apple did turn QuickTime into its own sort of multimedia browser, letting you click to various sites that offered videos in QuickTime format, including a very popular movie trailers library that survived for many years.

Still, QuickTime remained a staple video tool for Mac users. Macs came with QuickTime Player, but you could pay to upgrade (!) to access QuickTime Pro, which let you slice and dice movie files, adding and removing audio and video tracks. For an app that purported to be a simple player utility, QuickTime Pro was actually incredibly useful on its own. Sadly, it was discontinued when Apple stopped supporting 32-bit apps with macOS Catalina. The current QuickTime Player X app that ships on every Mac uses a different set of frameworks and doesn’t support many of the codecs that had been supported by “classic” QuickTime. In many ways, the release of macOS Catalina marked the end of the road for QuickTime.

Except… QuickTime’s legacy lives on. At a recent event I attended at Apple Park, Apple’s experts in immersive video for the Vision Pro pointed out that the standard format for immersive videos is, at its heart, a QuickTime container.

And perhaps the most ubiquitous video container format on the internet, the MP4 file? That standard file format is actually a container format that can encompass different kinds of audio, video, and other information, all in one place. If that sounds familiar, that’s because MPEG-4 is based on the QuickTime format.

Thirty-four years later, QuickTime may seem like a quaint product of a long-lost era of Apple. But the truth is, it’s become an integral part of the computing world, so pervasive that it’s almost invisible. I’d like to forget most of what happened at Apple in the early 1990s, but QuickTime definitely deserves our appreciation.

There’s been a long-held belief that Macs are more secure than Windows PCs. Whether that’s true or not is up for debate, but it is a key marketing point used by Apple. But Apple’s latest move with macOS security is a bit of a concern.

According to Csaba Fitzl, a macOS security researcher at Iru (spotted by 9to5Mac), Apple has reduced the security bounties it offers for macOS. In a LinkedIn post (membership required), Fitzl states that, “Full TCC (privacy) bypasses are down from 30,5k to 5k…Individual TCC categories are also down from 5-10k to 1k,” and that “macOS sandbox escapes are also down to 5k from 10k.”

The reductions send the wrong message to security researchers, according to Fitzl. “There aren’t many people looking for vulnerabilities on the macOS platform anyway, and this move might reduce this even further.” In the meantime, as security researcher Andrew Poole points out in a response to Fitzl’s post, Apple raised the bounties for iOS.

It’s unclear why Apple would make these cuts (Macworld reached out to Apple for comment). Several recent reports have stated that macOS malware is on the rise, and other reports show that the Mac market share has increased. It seems more vital than ever to maintain macOS’s security. If anything, Apple’s security notes for macOS updates seem to get longer each time.

Apple continues to be a very successful company financially–the company posted record revenue in its most recent financial quarter, not to mention a double-digit increase in Mac sales. Money and Mac demand aren’t the issue, so the reasons seem to indicate a shift towards macOS development. Whatever the reason, security researchers now have less incentive to work on the Mac, and that could be costly for Apple in the long run.

When I started working from home full-time, one thing became immediately clear: I needed more space—screen space that is. I’ve always worked better on bigger displays, and once my home became my office, having the best display possible shifted from preference to necessity. That’s what pushed me toward the Apple Studio Display, and it’s no exaggeration to say it completely reshaped the way I work.

The 27-inch, 5K Retina panel is exactly the kind of canvas macOS deserves. Text is crisp, UI elements are perfectly scaled, and there’s enough room to keep multiple windows open. For writing, researching, editing, and multitasking, the difference is dramatic. I simply get more done when I can see more at once.

A display that doubles as a desktop hub

But the Studio Display isn’t just a monitor, it’s the core of my entire setup. Its 600-nit brightness, P3 color gamut, and Apple’s signature color accuracy make everything look clean and consistent.

Then there’s the bonus that it doubles as a USB-C hub, which makes cable management almost nonexistent. One Thunderbolt cable connects my MacBook Pro to the Studio Display, and everything from peripherals, charging, audio, camera, and microphone runs through that single link.

The three additional USB-C ports on the back are a huge convenience I didn’t expect to rely on as much as I do.

Built-in perks that actually matter

Typically, when you think of an external monitor, the display is pretty much the only thing that comes to mind. But the Studio Display has so much more to offer, even compared to some of the Best Mac Monitors we’ve tested.

The 12MP ultra-wide camera with Center Stage keeps me perfectly framed during video calls without needing an external webcam. The three-mic array is more than good enough for meetings, and the six-speaker system is shockingly rich, easily the best audio I’ve heard from a display. The audio sounds more immersive than what you get from a HomePod mini.

All these extras matter when your display is also your work tool. It’s one less thing to buy and one less thing cluttering the desk.

Basically an iMac, powered by a MacBook

To complete the setup, I use a Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, giving me a clean, iMac-like experience, but with the power and flexibility of my MacBook Pro behind it. The seamless integration between all these devices makes the Studio Display feel like a natural extension of macOS, not just a screen attached to a laptop.

Rumors say a new Studio Display could arrive next year, and I’m always curious to see what Apple improves. But even knowing that, I have zero desire to upgrade my current Studio Display. This was one of the best purchases I’ve made for my home office.

For my workflow, my comfort, and my productivity, the Studio Display isn’t just part of my WFH setup. It is the setup.