Even before Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 9, there were rumors that the company wanted to replace its leather accessories with something else. I was a bit skeptical about this since I’ve always been a fan of Apple Watch leather bands. In September, Apple announced the new FineWoven accessories. Now, I’ve finally decided to try the FineWoven Apple Watch band. Is it better than the leather band?
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Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops, including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac in 2019 to share even more exclusive details about Apple’s plans.
Filipe currently uses an iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 7, M2 iPad Pro, 14-inch M2 Pro MacBook Pro, and AirPods Pro (2nd gen) as his main devices.
You can contact Filipe at filipe@9to5mac.com or on Threads, @filipe.esposito.
Apple highlights next-gen Portrait mode in new iPhone 15 ad
After sharing a video promoting the Personal Voice feature introduced this year with iOS 17, Apple has now published another video on its YouTube channel. More specifically, there’s a new ad for the iPhone 15 that shows the Focus and Depth Control features for Portrait mode.
Expand Expanding ClosetvOS 17.2 changes the behavior of the Siri button on the Apple TV Remote
Apple has been running tests with tvOS 17.2 beta for some time now, and the update brings changes to the Apple TV operating system – and it looks like Apple is still tweaking a few things. With the latest beta of tvOS 17.2 available to developers, the company has changed the behavior of the Siri button on the Apple TV Remote.
Expand Expanding CloseTelegram now lets you repost Stories and find similar channels
Following the introduction of the Stories feature earlier this year, the popular messaging app Telegram is now releasing more new features to its users. This includes the ability to repost Stories from other users and also channel suggestions. Read on as we detail what’s new in the Telegram update.
Expand Expanding CloseJob opening hints at Brazilian fintech replacing Goldman Sachs as Apple Card issuer
A recent report from The Wall Street Journal revealed that Apple and Goldman Sachs are ending the partnership they made in 2019 to introduce the Apple Card. Although the news didn’t come as a surprise, it’s still unclear what will happen to the Apple Card – but a job opening on Apple’s website suggests that the company may be working with a Brazilian fintech to sort it out.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube companion app ‘Play’ gets major update with option to follow channels, more
Play is a third-party companion app to YouTube introduced last year that lets users organize videos, whether to bookmark their favorites or save them to watch later. The app has now been updated to version 2.0, which adds many new features, including the option to follow channels and organize them into folders. Read on as we detail what’s new with Play 2.0.
Expand Expanding CloseiOS 17.2 beta 4 lets users change default notification sound; removes collaborative playlists
Apple has been running tests with iOS 17.2 beta since last month. In addition to the new Journal app, this version brings some other new features for iPhone and iPad users. With iOS 17.2 beta 4, which was released today to developers, Apple is finally letting users change the default notification sound. At the same time, the company has removed the shared playlists feature from Apple Music.
Expand Expanding ClosePoll: What would make the iPhone SE 4 ideal for you?
The first iPhone SE was introduced in 2016 as a more affordable iPhone option, but it also became the favorite choice of customers who weren’t fans of large-screen smartphones. A few years later, the SE got a slightly larger 4.7-inch screen, but it looks super outdated with its iPhone 8-based design.
With rumors about Apple working on a new iPhone SE, we’d like to know: What would make this device ideal for you?
Expand Expanding CloseCheck out the Black Friday 2023 deals on GRID iPhone frames
GRID specializes in repurposing devices such as the Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, transforming them into nostalgic art pieces through disassembly. The frames boast a sleek, contemporary design suitable for any home or office setting. During Black Friday 2023, GRID is offering special discounts on some of its frames.
Expand Expanding CloseLooking for cool AirPods accessories? Here are some of the Black Friday 2023 deals
Yes, AirPods are accessories, but you’d be surprised to find out that there’s a whole market for AirPod accessories. Not surprisingly, Apple itself promotes some of these products in its stores, ranging from protective cases to lanyards. And if you’re an AirPods owner, we’ve selected some Black Friday deals for cool AirPods accessories.
Expand Expanding CloseIndie Dev Sales is back with the best app deals during Black Friday
Indie Dev Sales have become an important event in the Apple community, as many independent developers come together to promote their iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS apps by offering special discounts. The Indie App Sales usually take place in July alongside Prime Day. But if you missed it, don’t worry because it’s back for Black Friday.
Expand Expanding CloseApple now selling refurbished AirPods Pro 2 with Lightning Case in Europe
It hasn’t been long since Apple first began selling refurbished AirPods, starting with the AirPods 3 – which were first released in October 2021. Now, the company is expanding its refurbished store with AirPods Pro 2, but only in a few European countries for now.
Expand Expanding ClosePhotomator update lets users edit and share HDR photos
The popular photo editor app Photomator, from the same developers as Pixelmator, was updated today with some interesting new features. The new version of the app adds full HDR support so users can edit and share images in high dynamic range. It also has a new option for converting regular images into HDR.
Expand Expanding CloseThis is one of the earliest pre-production Apple Watch prototypes ever found
The first Apple Watch was launched in stores in April 2015, but Apple had worked on the device long before. Now, thanks to rare Apple device collector Giulio Zompetti, we’ve been able to take a look at one of the earliest Apple Watch prototypes, built more than a year before its official launch.
Expand Expanding CloseSpotify changes rules for paying artists seeking better payments for professionals
Spotify on Tuesday announced some significant changes to its rules for paying royalties to artists working with the platform. Starting in 2024, Spotify will no longer pay for songs with a small number of streams. It will also increase the minimum length required for noise recordings to be eligible for payments.
Expand Expanding CloseWhatsApp rolling out option to authenticate account with email address verification
WhatsApp is now rolling out an update to let users link their account to an email address. As a result, people can authenticate on WhatsApp using email verification instead of SMS. The feature was previously available in a beta version of WhatsApp, and now everyone can use it.
Expand Expanding CloseLeaked iPhone 16 Pro battery reveals new metal shell for improved thermals
A few weeks ago, a report revealed that Apple has been developing new battery technologies to increase the battery life of its products. However, this technology is not expected to be ready any time soon. In the meantime, it seems that Apple will adopt a new battery design with a metal shell for the iPhone 16 Pro.
Expand Expanding CloseTim Cook talks about his personal life and work at Apple in interview with Dua Lipa
Yes, you read that right. Apple CEO Tim Cook made a rare podcast appearance, joining singer Dua Lipa in a 45-minute interview. During the interview, the executive talked about his personal life, his career at Apple, philanthropy, the environment, and more.
Expand Expanding CloseFCC images show Apple Watch Ultra prototype with black ceramic back
The Apple Watch Ultra’s design differs from traditional Apple Watch models. In addition to the titanium body, there’s the flat glass covering the display, reinforced buttons, and a gray ceramic back to match the titanium finish. However, changing the color of the ceramic back may have been a last-minute decision, as shown in these photos revealed by the FCC.
Expand Expanding CloseApple’s Lisa Jackson named one of the most influential climate leaders of 2023 by TIME
Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, was today named one of the most influential climate leaders of 2023 by TIME. The executive joined other influential personalities on this year’s TIME100 Climate list.
Expand Expanding CloseRCS is coming to iOS, but will it change anything for most iPhone users?
It’s official: Apple will add support for the RCS messaging standard in iOS. This won’t happen until the end of next year, and we don’t have many details about how Apple will implement RCS. In the meantime, we can reflect on the impact this will have on Android and iPhone users – and honestly, I don’t think it will be as huge as people might think.
Expand Expanding CloseApple’s plans to bring its own 5G modems to the iPhone have been delayed once again
Apple has been trying to develop its own 5G modems to replace the Qualcomm radio chips currently used in the iPhone. However, even after years of development, the company has struggled to achieve good results with its in-house developed chips. According to a new report by Bloomberg, Apple will miss its goal of finalizing its first 5G modem in time for the 2025 iPhones.
Expand Expanding CloseThreads begins rolling out tags and teases trending topics for users in Australia
A Threads employee last month leaked a screenshot showing a trending topics feature in the app, which the company never announced. While Threads is yet to get trending topics, the platform is now rolling out tags (not hashtags) to users in Australia in preparation for offering trending topics.
Expand Expanding ClosewatchOS 10.2 beta 3 brings back gesture to swipe between watch faces
Apple has made many changes to the Apple Watch operating system interface with watchOS 10. Among these changes, watchOS 10 no longer lets users quickly swipe between different watch faces, frustrating some users. Luckily, this gesture is back with the latest beta of watchOS 10.2.
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