MacRumors

Black Friday is upon us and that means many deals on iPhones, from straight-up discounts to trade-in and financing incentives. Below, we've rounded up some of the best offers available for iPhones in the United States.

Unfortunately, iPhone deals rarely come without strings attached, so be prepared to purchase a device on a carrier installment plan in most cases and make sure to read all of the fine print when signing up.

iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max

Walmart is offering some of the best Black Friday deals on the latest iPhones this year, including a $300 Walmart eGift card towards future purchases with the activation of a new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max on a qualifying AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint device payment plan.

You can get up to an additional $250 on another Walmart eGift card with an in-store trade-in of a qualifying older iPhone in good condition, for a total of up to $550 in Walmart eGift cards for the latest iPhones.

walmart iphone black friday 2019
Walmart's offer is available in store only through December 1. The new iPhone must be activated by 11:59 p.m. on December 1. See page 11 of Walmart's flyer for more details.

Target will offer a free $200 Target gift card with qualified activation of an iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max on Verizon or AT&T. This deal is valid through Sunday, December 1.

target iphone 11 black friday 2019
Best Buy is offering savings of up to $500 on an iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro with qualified activation on Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint and in-store trade-in of an older iPhone. Depending on the value of the iPhone traded in, this deal lowers the total price of an iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max to $199, $499, or $599, respectively, with the cost divided into 24 monthly payments.

T-Mobile is offering up to $700 off the iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max, or the iPhone 11 for free, with the trade-in of an iPhone 7 or newer in good condition. The credit will be applied over a 24-month installment plan.

Verizon and Sprint are offering a buy-one-get-one-free deal on the iPhone 11, with $700 in bill credits applied over a 24-month installment plan with the purchase of two new iPhone 11 devices, each with an unlimited data plan. Verizon has a similar deal for the purchase of two iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max devices.

Older iPhones: XS, XS Max, XR, 8, and 8 Plus

Walmart is offering up to a $450 Walmart eGift card towards future purchases with the activation of a new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone XR on a qualifying AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint device payment plan.

You can get up to an additional $250 on another Walmart eGift card with an in-store trade-in of a qualifying older iPhone in good condition, for a total of up to $700 in Walmart eGift cards.

Target will offer a free $200 Target gift card with qualified activation of an iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max on Verizon or AT&T. This deal will be valid starting at 7 a.m. on Black Friday through Sunday, December 1.

AT&T is offering the iPhone XR for free on a qualifying installment agreement, with the $600 price of the device divided into 30 monthly bill credits. You must add a line to a new or existing account, pay taxes on the $600 amount up front, activate an unlimited data plan for $75 per month or higher, and pay a $30 activation fee.

T-Mobile is offering up to $450 off the iPhone 8 Plus or the iPhone 8 for free with the trade-in of an iPhone 5 or newer in good condition. The credit will be applied over a 24-month installment plan.

Verizon is offering the iPhone 8 for $5 per month on a 24-month instalment plan. Activation of a new line is required. No trade-in required.

Apple's Black Friday Shopping Event

Apple is offering a $50 Apple Store gift card with the purchase of a SIM-free iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or iPhone XR from Black Friday until Cyber Monday. The deal does not apply to the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max, purchases via the iPhone Upgrade Program, refurbished iPhones, or carrier-locked iPhones.

The offer is available via Apple.com, by phone at 1-800-APPLE, and at Apple Stores in the United States. Gift card values vary in other participating countries.

More Black Friday Deals

Make sure to check out our full Black Friday roundup to find great deals on Macs, iPads, other Apple products, accessories, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
Related Forum: Community Discussion

Apple's four-day Black Friday shopping event is now live in the United States, offering customers free Apple Store gift cards worth up to $200 with the purchase of select new Apple products.

apple black friday event 2019 banner
Gift card values in the United States:

  • $200 for 13-inch MacBook Pro, iMac, or iMac Pro
  • $100 for MacBook Air
  • $100 for iPad Pro
  • $100 for Beats Studio3 Wireless
  • $50 for SIM-free iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or iPhone XR
  • $50 for 10.5-inch iPad Air or iPad mini 5
  • $50 for HomePod
  • $50 for Beats Solo3 Wireless, Powerbeats3 Wireless, or Powerbeats Pro
  • $25 for Apple Watch Series 3, regular AirPods, Apple TV 4K, or Apple TV HD

Apple is not offering gift cards for its latest products, including the 16-inch MacBook Pro, AirPods Pro, iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, or Apple Watch Series 5 models, while the Mac mini, iPod touch, old Mac Pro, refurbished products, education-discounted products, and carrier-locked iPhones are also ineligible.

The offer is available via Apple.com and at Apple Stores in the United States through December 2, which is Cyber Monday, an increasingly popular online-focused shopping holiday that follows Black Friday.

The gift card promotion has also gone live in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and several countries in Europe.

Black Friday marks one of the few times in a year that Apple offers deals on its products, but as usual, better deals can be found elsewhere. Be sure to read our Black Friday roundup for the latest offers from third-party resellers on the latest iPhones and iPads, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, AirPods Pro, and more.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
Related Forum: Community Discussion

Amazon is offering an impressive deal on the 2019 MacBook Air, offering the base model for just $799 in the United States. That's the lowest price we've ever seen and $300 less than Apple's regular price of $1,099.

macbook air trio transparent
The notebook is listed at $899, but if you proceed to checkout and choose no-rush shipping, the price becomes $799.

This is the latest MacBook Air model with a True Tone display, released in July 2019.

The notebook features 8th-generation Intel Core processors, Touch ID, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, the Apple T2 chip with Hey Siri support, louder speakers, and more. Note that, unlike the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, the latest MacBook Air still has a butterfly keyboard that may experience issues with sticky or nonfunctioning keys.

The base model is configured with a 1.6GHz dual-core Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, and Intel UHD Graphics 617.

Starting on Black Friday, a slightly better deal will be available at Micro Center stores for those who live near one of their 25 locations. They'll be offering the 2019 MacBook Air for just $779 for in-store pickup only, but quantities will be limited.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple's four-day Black Friday shopping event is now live in Australia and New Zealand, offering customers free Apple Store gift cards worth up to A$320 or NZ$320 with the purchase of select new Apple products.

apple four day
The gift card amounts are as follows in Australia and New Zealand:

  • $320 for 13-inch MacBook Pro, iMac, or iMac Pro
  • $160 for MacBook Air
  • $160 for iPad Pro
  • $160 for Beats Studio3 Wireless
  • $80 for SIM-free iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or iPhone XR
  • $80 for 10.5-inch iPad Air or iPad mini 5
  • $80 for HomePod
  • $80 for Beats Solo3 Wireless, Powerbeats3 Wireless, or Powerbeats Pro
  • $40 for Apple Watch Series 3, regular AirPods, Apple TV 4K, or Apple TV HD

Based on that, gift card amounts in the U.S. should be around the following:

  • $200 for 13-inch MacBook Pro, iMac, or iMac Pro
  • $100 for MacBook Air
  • $100 for iPad Pro
  • $100 for Beats Studio3 Wireless
  • $50 for SIM-free iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or iPhone XR
  • $50 for 10.5-inch iPad Air or iPad mini 5
  • $50 for HomePod
  • $50 for Beats Solo3 Wireless, Powerbeats3 Wireless, or Powerbeats Pro
  • $25 for Apple Watch Series 3, regular AirPods, Apple TV 4K, or Apple TV HD

Apple is not offering gift cards for its latest products, including the 16-inch MacBook Pro, AirPods Pro, iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, or Apple Watch Series 5 models, while the Mac mini, iPod touch, old Mac Pro, refurbished products, education-discounted products, and carrier-locked iPhones are also ineligible.

The offer is available via Apple.com in each country and at Apple Stores in Australia through December 2, which is Cyber Monday, an increasingly popular online-focused shopping holiday that follows Black Friday.

Apple will extend its Black Friday shopping event to the United States, Canada, and many European countries as the clock turns to Friday around the world. Last year, Apple offered gift cards worth up to $200 in the United States.

Black Friday marks one of the few times in a year that Apple offers deals on its products, but as usual, better deals can be found elsewhere. Be sure to read our Black Friday roundup for the latest offers from third-party resellers on the latest iPhones and iPads, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, AirPods Pro, and more.

Apple has shared full terms and conditions on its website.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
Related Forum: Community Discussion

Apple today removed Jony Ive from its leadership page on its website, suggesting that he has officially departed the company after nearly three decades. The change was spotted by French blog MacGeneration.

jonyiveinterview

Jony Ive portrait by Brian Bowen Smith

Ive led Apple's design team since 1996. Promoted to Chief Design Officer in 2015, he had been responsible for all design at Apple, including the look and feel of Apple products like the iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch, packaging, and major architectural projects such as Apple Park and Apple Stores.

In June, Apple announced that Ive would depart the company as an employee later this year to form an independent design company named LoveFrom with his designer friend Marc Newson. Apple said it will remain one of Ive's primary clients.

"Jony is a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple's revival cannot be overstated, from 1998's groundbreaking iMac to the iPhone and the unprecedented ambition of Apple Park, where recently he has been putting so much of his energy and care," said Apple CEO Tim Cook in June.

Apple said its operations chief Jeff Williams will "spend more of his time" working with the company's design team in their studio. Evans Hankey and Alan Dye, vice presidents of Industrial Design and Human Interface design at Apple, respectively, will now report to Williams as part of the transition.

Ahead of World AIDS Day, which takes place on December 1, Apple has begun turning the Apple Store logos of many of its retail locations red. Apple's red logos are an annual tradition and mark one of the few times a year that Apple changes its logo colors.

Photos of ‌Apple Store‌ locations with red logos have begun popping up on Twitter and Instagram, and by the time December 1 rolls around on Sunday, Apple's stores worldwide will be temporarily featuring the new design.

applestorefifthavenuered


Last year, Apple turned 125 ‌Apple Store‌ logos red, while another 400 stores had red decals placed over their logos.


Apple will be promoting World AIDS Day in its retail locations over the course of the next week. From November 25 to December 2, Apple will donate $1 to (RED) for every purchase made with Apple Pay on Apple.com, the ‌Apple Store‌ app, and Apple retail stores, up to a total of $1 million.


(RED) has been a longtime Apple partner charity, and since 2006, Apple has raised more than $220 million through promotions like this and the sale of (RED)-branded products and accessories. Funds raised by (RED) go towards HIV/AIDS programs in Africa as part of The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

In 2007, Apple launched the original iPhone, kickstarting the modern smartphone era which is now dominated by iPhone and Android devices. We've had 18 generations of iPhones so far, with the latest models, the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, introduced in September 2024, and the iPhone 16e released in February 2025. Apple follows an annual update cycle, introducing new flagship models while discounting prior-year models and selling them at more affordable price points.

iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone vs Android

Over the years, Android and iPhone smartphones have evolved to the point where feature-wise, they're similar in function and capability. Android smartphones are made by multiple manufacturers, but the core operating system is provided by Google, which leads to a wider variety of phones and price points to choose from, but weaker integration between software and hardware.

iPhone 12 v Android 2020
Apple's control of both the iPhone and the operating system (iOS) provides a more consistent experience along with ongoing support. With iOS 18, Apple supports all iPhones that were introduced in the last four years, so the majority of active iPhone owners can and do upgrade to the newest version of iOS that Apple rolls out each year.

Android updates are often more inconsistent and often don't make it to all Android-based smartphones because each manufacturer has to implement support on an individual basis. So while Google also does yearly Android updates, the reality is that a lot of older Android smartphones don't get the new software.

With Apple's control and curation of the iPhone experience, the iPhone is largely considered to be the more secure platform, and Apple has made it a point to focus heavily on privacy. Apple's iOS is less customizable than Android, though, so for individuals who prefer flexibility and customization options, the Android operating system may be worth looking at.

How Do iPhone Updates Work?

Here are the basics you should know about how Apple updates the iPhone and the iOS operating system.

Each fall, typically in September, Apple releases a new series of flagship smartphones. These often come at high prices and feature the latest technologies, with Apple offering high-end models and still high-end but more affordable models. Prior-year iPhones often stick around with lower price points as cheaper alternatives to the latest and greatest technology, and occasionally, Apple launches a lower-cost iPhone outside of the normal fall timeline.

At the current time, Apple's iPhone lineup includes the iPhone 15 (2023), iPhone 15 Plus (2023), iPhone 16 (2024), iPhone 16 Plus (2024), iPhone 16 Pro (2024), iPhone 16 Pro Max (2024), and iPhone 16e (2025).

Apple also debuts an updated version of iOS at the same time that new iPhones launch, but new versions of iOS are pre-introduced every year at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference to give developers time to incorporate new features and technologies into their apps ahead of when the software becomes available to the public. The current iPhones run iOS 18.

In this guide, we go over all of the iPhones that are in the current Apple lineup, offer up some buying suggestions, and provide tips and resources for both new and existing iPhone owners.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max ($999+)

iphone 16 pro colors 1

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are Apple's current high-end flagship devices with all of the top-of-the-line features and the most bells and whistles. The Pro models are for those who want to get the most out of their iPhones with the latest feature set.

Pricing on the iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999, while pricing on the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199. The two iPhones are nearly identical when it comes to feature set, and it's only display size and battery capacity that set the two devices apart.

Apple introduced larger screen sizes and slimmed down bezels for the Pro lineup in 2024, so the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a larger 6.9-inch display (up from 6.7 inches), and the iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3 inch display (up from 6.1 inches). Both models feature the same design with a glass front and back, a lightweight but durable titanium frame, and squircle edges. Colors this year include natural titanium, white titanium, black titanium, and desert titanium, which is a shade of gold.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max feature edge-to-edge OLED displays with the slimmest bezels we've seen in an iPhone to date. There's a second-generation "Ceramic Shield" that offers superior scratch resistance, and a pill-shaped Dynamic Island continues to house the front-facing camera and hardware used for Face ID authentication.

The customizable Action button is still available, and it now does more thanks to Control Center integration. This year, Apple also added a Camera Control button that can be used to activate the camera with a press. Camera Control makes it quicker to capture photos and videos, and it is also pressure and touch sensitive so you can change controls and adjust settings without touching the screen.

The Dynamic Island has been incorporated into the iPhone's interface and it is able to show various notifications and app information for phone calls, timers, Face ID, Bluetooth connections, and more.

Apple added a new A18 Pro chip to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, with a 6-core CPU, a 6-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. It is up to 20 percent faster than the A17 Pro from the iPhone 15 Pro models, and it is the fastest iPhone for Apple Intelligence.

There continues to be a three-lens camera setup with a 48-megapixel Main camera that offers improved low-light performance, a 12-megapixel 5x Telephoto lens, and a new 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera. The 5x Telephoto is available for both Pro models, which is new this year, and the 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera takes improved wide-angle and macro shots when lighting is poor.

Crash Detection is able to determine if you've been in a serious car accident, alerting emergency services, and there's also an Emergency SOS via satellite feature for getting help if you're out of range of Wi-Fi and cellular. With iOS 18, the satellite connectivity can be used to send messages too.

Both iPhone 16 Pro models offer improvements to battery life, and they have a USB-C port and support for up to 25W MagSafe charging.

Other features include IP68 water resistance, 8GB RAM, ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate for the display, faster 5G, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, faster USB-C charging, and Wi-Fi 7.

Key Features:

  • Highest end, highest price
  • Triple-lens camera: Main (Wide), Ultra Wide, and Telephoto (5x for the Max)
  • 48-megapixel Main lens with ProRAW support
  • 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens with macro capability
  • Camera Control button
  • A18 Pro chip
  • Action button
  • Always-On Display
  • Titanium frame

Bottom Line: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are the iPhones to choose if you want the absolute best camera capabilities that you can get in an iPhone, with the Pro Max being the top-of-the-line model due to its increased display size, and longer battery life. In terms of performance, there isn't much of a difference between the iPhone 16 Pro models and the standard iPhone 16 models, with screen size, display quality, and chassis material differentiating the two iPhone lines.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus ($799+)

iphone 16 lineup colors
Sold alongside the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are Apple's more affordable flagship devices. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus feature many of the same capabilities as the Pro models, but they are missing some of the higher-end features to keep the price lower. The 6.1-inch iPhone 16 is priced starting at $799, while the 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus is priced starting at $899.

Despite the difference in screen size, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are essentially identical, featuring a flat-edged design with a glass body and an aluminum frame. They do not offer ProMotion display technology and thus do not support an always-on display, but they do have the same Dynamic Island, front-facing camera, and Face ID authentication functionality.

Apple brought the Action button to the iPhone 16 lineup this year, so that is no longer a Pro-only feature. The Action button replaces the Ring/Silent switch, and it is customizable, so you can set it to bring up whatever is most convenient for you. It can mute/unmute your iPhone, activate the flashlight, open a favorite app, activate a Control Center control, turn on a Focus mode, and more.

Like the iPhone 16 Pro models, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have a new Camera Control button below the power button. Pressing the button activates the camera, and a double press snaps a photo, so it makes it much quicker to get the shot that you want. The button is capacitive and pressure sensitive, so it can be used for changing various camera settings and swapping between tools. It works much like a DSLR shutter for autofocus with a half press, and you can adjust exposure, style, zoom, aperture, and more without ever touching the iPhone's display.

While the iPhone 16 Pro models have an A18 Pro chip, the iPhone 16 models have an almost-as-capable A18 chip that also works with Apple Intelligence. The A18 has the same 6-core CPU and 16-core Neural Engine, but it has a 5-core GPU instead of a 6-core GPU. The chip is built using the same 3-nanometer technology, and it enables support for ray tracing and console-quality games, a feature that was previously limited to the Pro models. Battery life has improved compared to the prior iPhone 15 models thanks to the new chip technology.

There is a dual camera system that features 12-megapixel Ultra Wide and 48-megapixel Fusion (Wide) lenses with no Telephoto lens. The primary camera can be cropped in to a 2x zoom, so 0.5, 1x, and 2x options are supported. Some of the same photography and videography capabilities that are in the Pro models are also in the standard iPhone 16 models, including the new Photographic Styles for customizing your images and Audio Mix for adjusting the sound in your videos, plus support for shooting spatial videos and images.

Capturing video in 4K at 120 frames per second is a Pro-only feature, as is support for shooting in ProRAW and ProRes, so if those are capabilities you need, you'll want to look at the Pro models.

The iPhone 16 models have support for mmWave (U.S. only) and Sub-6GHz 5G, and they also have a USB-C port and offer MagSafe charging at up to 25W, a new, faster speed this year. Crash Detection, Emergency SOS via satellite, and Messages via satellite are available as well. Compared to the Pro models, the standard models lack the titanium chassis, the Telephoto camera lens, and the A18 Pro chip.

Key Features:

  • Dual-lens camera: Fusion (Wide), Ultra Wide
  • Crash Detection
  • USB-C port
  • Action button
  • Camera Control
  • A18 chip

Bottom Line: The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus offer many of the same features as the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max at a more affordable price, and these are the iPhones that we recommend for most people. The differences are limited primarily to the camera and the display, and may not be of interest for those who are not heavily invested in iPhone photography, making the $200+ savings worth it for most. Older iPhones are another option to save money, but be aware that only the four iPhone 16 models and the prior-generation iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max support Apple Intelligence.

iPhone 16e ($599+)

Apple iPhone 16e Feature 2
Priced starting at $599, the iPhone 16e is similar in design to the iPhone 16, but it is actually modeled after the iPhone 14. It has an all-display design with Face ID, but it has an older-style notch rather than a Dynamic Island.

The iPhone 16e has a 6.1-inch OLED display like the iPhone 16, and it has the same 8GB RAM and A18 chip that supports Apple Intelligence, though there is one less GPU core. It is the first iPhone with Apple's new C1 modem, which is more efficient than Qualcomm's comparable X71 modem in the iPhone 16. While there is no mmWave 5G support, there seems to be no compromise to the more widespread sub-6GHz Wi-Fi speeds.

There is a single-lens rear camera in the iPhone 16e, and it is the same as the 48-megapixel Wide camera in the iPhone 16. It can take 1x and 2x photos, but there is no 0.5x option and no 5x zoom as there is in the iPhone 16 Pro models.

The iPhone 16e has the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone, and the battery lasts for up to 26 hours when watching video. It charges via USB-C, but it does not support MagSafe and wireless charging is limited to 7.5W. Not being able to use MagSafe is one of the main downsides to the iPhone 16e.

It is also worth noting that there is no Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding in the Find My app, and it is limited to Wi-Fi 6, so it will not connect to the 6GHz networks available with Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers.

Other features include Crash Detection, Emergency SOS via Satellite, and Messages via Satellite, but these are also features available with other iPhone 16 models.

Key Features:

  • Face ID
  • A18 chip
  • Lower price

Bottom Line: The iPhone 16e is now Apple's lowest-price iPhone, and it is worthwhile if you can live without a dual-lens camera system, faster Wi-Fi connectivity, and MagSafe. It has many of the same features as the iPhone 16 at a $200 lower price point.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus ($699+)

iPhone 15 General Feature Pink
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are Apple's prior-generation flagship devices that are now being sold at a discount. They have older technology and are lacking some of the new features that Apple introduced with the iPhone 16 models, including the Camera Control button, the faster A-series chip, the Action button, and, most importantly, support for Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus cannot run the new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18, so only consider Apple's prior-generation iPhones if that is not important to you.

The iPhone 15 models don't look notably different from the iPhone 16 models, except for the color options. Apple did not make major design changes, but the iPhone 15 models do not have a Camera Control button and they have a Ring/Silent switch instead of an Action button. There's also a diagonal rear camera setup that does not offer some of the newer camera capabilities like Photographic Styles for customizing the look of your images or Audio Mix for tweaking the sound in your videos.

While the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus don't support some of the newer software-based camera features, the hardware is largely the same. There's a Main (Wide) lens that supports 1x and 2x zoom, and an Ultra Wide lens. There is no dedicated Telephoto lens.

The iPhone 15 measures in at 6.1 inches, while the iPhone 15 Plus is 6.7 inches. The two devices are essentially identical, with a Dynamic Island for Face ID, aluminum frames, and OLED screen technology. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have an older A16 chip that is two generations behind the newer chips in the current flagship models.

The iPhone 15 models have support for mmWave (U.S. only) and Sub-6GHz 5G and use the X70 Qualcomm chip, one generation behind the Qualcomm chip in the new iPhones. Battery life is a little shorter, but the iPhone 15 models do support MagSafe and USB-C. There is no support for the faster 25W MagSafe charging, though, with the iPhone 15 models limited to 15W MagSafe charging.

Between the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, the features are identical with the exception of screen size and battery, as the iPhone 15 Plus can accommodate a larger battery size.

Key Features:

  • Diagonal dual-lens camera: Main (Wide), Ultra Wide
  • Crash Detection
  • USB-C port
  • Dynamic Island
  • 5G support
  • A16 chip

Bottom Line: The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are solid devices that will perform well at an affordable price, but keep in mind that the iPhone 16 is such a notable upgrade that it may be worth paying $100 more for the iPhone 16 this year. The iPhone 15 models do not have an Action button or a Camera Control button, and they cannot run the Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18, so you'd be missing out on the more capable Siri, customizable emoji, Writing Tools, and other Apple Intelligence functions. A prior-generation iPhone is usually a good way to save money, but this year, we don't recommend it.

Frequently Asked Questions

iphone 16 capture button 2
There's no one single iPhone that's best for everyone, and picking the right smartphone needs to take into account factors like budget, desired battery life, preferred feature set, and more.

If you want the absolute best photographic capabilities for example, you're going to want the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max, and if you want something that has a solid feature set at a great price, the iPhone 16e is what you'll want to look at.

Below, we've outlined some of the best iPhone choices based on different scenarios or features that you might be looking for.

Which iPhone Has the Best Battery Life?

With the efficient A18 Pro chip, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has the longest battery life for any iPhone to date at up to 33 hours when watching videos. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Plus are second and will last up to 27 hours when watching videos. The iPhone 16e lasts for up to 26 hours when watching videos, and it is the smallest of the bunch at 6.1 inches.

Which iPhone Has the Best Camera?

With their updated triple-lens camera systems, 48-megapixel Fusion lens, 5x Telephoto lens, 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, and LiDAR Scanners, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have the best iPhone cameras that you can get. Both of the new iPhones include a three-lens camera system with the same feature set. This year, the Ultra Wide lens has been upgraded to 48 megapixels, allowing for more detailed wide-angle and macro shots.

The Fusion lens supports 24-megapixel and 48-megapixel high-resolution photos through the Photonic Engine, and the Ultra Wide lens supports 12-megapixel images that have the detail from the combined pixels of the 48-megapixel resolution. Using computational photography, the Fusion camera can be set to 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm focal lengths to better mirror what's possible with DSLRs.

All four iPhone 16 models have a new Camera Control button that makes it easier to capture a photo or a video with just a couple of button presses, and the Camera Control button is also capacitive and pressure sensitive so it can be used for changing photography modes and adjusting settings, which makes your iPhone feel more like a camera.

Which iPhone Has Touch ID?

Unfortunately, none of Apple's iPhones have Touch ID. It has been phased out, and Face ID is the only option.

Which iPhone is Best For One-Handed Use?

The iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e both measure in at 6.1 inches, and they are the smallest iPhones that Apple makes. They won't work for one-handed use for everyone, but they are a better option than the 16 Plus and 16 Pro Max.

Which iPhone is the Best Value?

With Apple Intelligence support, a 48-megapixel camera, OLED display, and 5G connectivity for $599, the iPhone 16e is the best deal that Apple offers. If you need faster mmWave 5G speeds, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, MagSafe, and an Ultra Wide camera, the $799 iPhone 16 is the upgrade option.

If you don't need the latest bells and whistles like Apple Intelligence and don't mind losing out on a bit of performance and battery life, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, which are $100 cheaper than than their iPhone 16 counterparts, could be worth considering.

For many people, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e are the iPhones to get this year with their lower price point and modern feature set.

Which iPhone Has the Most Features?

If you want the iPhone with the most bells and whistles, that's the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. These iPhones offer OLED displays, triple-lens cameras, glass bodies with titanium steel frames, larger maximum storage capacities, and longer battery life.

Compared to the iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have better camera capabilities. The absolute best would be the iPhone 16 Pro Max because of its larger display and bigger battery.

In More Detail

Still not sure? We have deeper dives comparing the iPhone 16 models to each other and to the prior-generation iPhone models, and the standard iPhone 16 to the Pro.

For full details on each phone, explore our roundups:

Upcoming iPhone Rumors

Apple is working on new iPhone 17 models that will come out in the fall of 2025. This lineup will do away with the "Plus" iPhone, with Apple instead planning to release an "Air" or "Slim" model that is thinner and more expensive. It will be sold alongside the standard iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. For more information, check out our roundups:

Guide Feedback

Have questions about choosing an iPhone, notice something we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Related Forum: iPhone

Following a recent Bloomberg report claiming that the new AirPods Pro are experiencing "much higher" than expected demand, the Nikkei Asian Review reports that Apple has asked its supplier Luxshare Precision to double production of the high-end earphones to two million units per month.

airpodsprodesigncase
The report adds that Apple has also asked Luxshare and fellow Chinese manufacturer Goertek to boost production of the regular AirPods at their Vietnam-based factories, although it is unclear by how much..

AirPods Pro are currently estimated for delivery around December 31 through Apple's online store in the United States, so orders placed today are not guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas. However, authorized resellers such as Amazon, Best Buy, AT&T, and T-Mobile still quote delivery within the first week of December.

Amazon is even offering a slight discount on the AirPods Pro for Black Friday, pricing them at $234.98, a savings of nearly $15.

AirPods are considered to be the world's best selling truly wireless earphones, with surging popularity since their release in late 2016. Together with the Apple Watch, the earphones have been a driving force behind growth in Apple's wearables category, which recently set new fourth quarter revenue records worldwide.

AirPods Pro feature several improvements over the regular AirPods, including active noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and water resistance.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Tag: Nikkei
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: AirPods

B&H Photo is offering $200 discounts on the two main configurations of Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro. Sale prices start at $2,199.00 for the 512GB model and rise to $2,599.00 for the 1TB model.

Apple 16 inch MacBook Pro 111319 bigNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

To date these are some of the lowest prices that we've tracked on the brand-new 16-inch MacBook Pro, either beating or matching previous sales offered at Expercom, Amazon, Best Buy, and Adorama.

16-Inch MacBook Pro Sale ($200 off)

Besides the main configurations, B&H Photo is also discounting a few custom configurations with upgraded RAM and different processors. You can see the full list of 16-inch MacBook Pros on sale at B&H Photo right here.

For more holiday shopping, head to our Deals Roundup to browse the latest Apple-related sales, and then visit our Black Friday Roundup to prepare for all of the deepest discounts coming on Friday.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Update: In its Apple Store app, Apple has confirmed that its new Eaton Centre location opens Saturday, December 14 at 9:00 a.m. local time.

Original story follows.


The construction barriers covering an all-new ‌Apple Store‌ are nearly ready to come down at North America's busiest shopping mall.

Apple is set to open an over 10,000-square-foot store at the Eaton Centre in Toronto, Canada as early as December, according to a source, who said the grand opening will likely occur within the first half of the month.

apple store toronto eaton centre

Apple's existing store at the Eaton Centre

Unlike other Apple Stores, Today at Apple sessions at the existing Apple Eaton Centre location abruptly end after Friday, December 6, suggesting that the new store could open on Saturday, December 7. However, our source believes that employee training could push back the opening until Saturday, December 14.

MacRumors was first to report on Apple's plans for a new store at the Eaton Centre back in January, when Apple filed a building permit for a new street-level store near the Queen Street entrance to the mall. The new store will take over a space recently vacated by apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch.

today at apple eaton centre
Apple's new store will be more than twice as large as the current 4,977-square-foot store, according to an Eaton Centre floor plan. The extra space is much needed, as not only is the Eaton Centre the busiest shopping mall in North America, but it is home to Apple's only store in Toronto's downtown core.

Apple has three other stores in Toronto at Yorkdale, Sherway Gardens, and Fairview, all within shopping malls. Rumors suggest Apple plans to open its first street-facing store at The One, an upcoming condominium and retail complex slated to open by 2022 at the busy intersection of Yonge and Bloor in Toronto.

Apple plans to release 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch iPhones with thinner OLED displays in 2020, according to Korea's ETNews.

The report claims the so-called iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models will adopt a Samsung technology called Y-OCTA that allows touchscreen circuitry to be directly patterned on the OLED panel without the need for a separate layer, resulting in a thinner display and lower production costs.

2020 iphone triad
It's unclear if the thinner display technology would translate to overall thinner iPhones next year. Notably, the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are actually slightly thicker and heavier than the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, respectively, as Apple added larger batteries in this year's devices.

Samsung will supply Y-OCTA displays to Apple for both the 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch iPhones, while the lower-cost 6.1-inch model will stick with traditional film-based displays supplied by both Samsung and LG, the report adds. Chinese display maker BOE may be out of the running as a supplier for 2020 iPhones.

2020 is expected to be a big year for the iPhone, with rumors pointing to the two new display sizes mentioned above, a redesigned metal frame similar to the iPhone 4, rear-facing 3D sensing, 5G support, and up to 6GB of RAM.

Multiple reports have claimed that Apple eventually plans to release an iPhone with both Face ID and under-screen Touch ID, although it is unclear if the device will arrive in 2020 or 2021. The under-screen Touch ID would potentially allow users to authenticate by holding a finger anywhere on the display.

Apple's plans to release 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch iPhones in 2020 are backed by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and others.

Tag: ETNews
Related Forum: iPhone

Apple just released the AirPods Pro in late October, but there are already a bunch of knockoffs and replicas on the market to appeal to those who might not be able to afford the $250 asking price of the ‌AirPods Pro‌.

We picked up the $95 i500 Pro TWS Earbuds, a set of ‌AirPods Pro‌ replicas that are remarkably similar in design to Apple's real ‌AirPods Pro‌ and that even advertise some of the same features, like Apple's proprietary H1 chip. In the photos and videos below, the real AirPods are on the left.


Price wise, these fakes are $95, which is almost half the price of the ‌AirPods Pro‌. That's super expensive for a knockoff, so before reading on, know that we do not recommend purchasing these fakes or any fake ‌AirPods Pro‌ models because you're never going to get the feature set, sound quality, and build quality that you get from Apple's own earbuds.

fakeairpodsdesign2
When it comes to design, the Air i500 Pro TWS look identical to the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The earbuds themselves are similar to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ with almost no design deviations, and there's even a matching Wireless Charging Case that wirelessly charges the case itself and the fake AirPods inside.

fakeairpodscase
Just looking at the Air i500 Pro TWS next to AirPods, you're probably not going to be able to tell the difference between the two. There are some minor design discrepancies so they're not totally identical, but if you're not inspecting them up close side by side, it's tough to tell. The Air i500 Pro earbuds do feel lighter and the lid feels a bit different in use, but again, most people might not notice.

On the website, the fake earbuds claim to have a Qualcomm chip and Apple's proprietary H1 chip that allows for quick swapping between devices, simple setup, "Hey Siri" functionality, and more, and these features do appear to work. We don't know if it's a copy of the H1 chip and there are rumors floating around that the company is using spoofed MAC addresses, but functionally, these have some of the ‌AirPods Pro‌ tech on the surface.

Connecting is similar to ‌AirPods Pro‌ in that you just need to open the case and then hold down a button on the back, and when connecting, a battery level indicator pops up on the iPhone just like the real thing. Battery levels are even displayed inside of the battery widget in the Today portion of the notification interface.

fakeairpodsdesign
Wireless charging works, "Hey ‌Siri‌" is functional, music playback pauses when an earbud is taken out of the ear, and battery life seems to be similar to real ‌AirPods Pro‌, but the similarities end there. The i500 Pro TWS has no force sensor and does not support squeeze gestures, and the key ‌AirPods Pro‌ feature - active noise cancellation - is not included.

There are zero noise cancellation features and there's no Transparency mode either, though there is a decent seal within the ear. Sound quality isn't terrible, but it doesn't measure up to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ or the standard AirPods. There's little bass and too much treble, and the sound is not as crisp and clear as the sound from the actual AirPods.

Superficially, the Air i500 Pro TWS look like the ‌AirPods Pro‌, but functionally, these have none of the "Pro" features that make the ‌AirPods Pro‌ a worthwhile purchase. We don't recommend spending $95 on a knockoff version of the AirPods, but these earbuds do provide an interesting look at how far companies will go to make fake Apple products.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: AirPods

Apple is once again offering a promotion that provides a 10 percent cash bonus when adding funds directly to an Apple ID account in the United States and other countries from a linked credit or debit card.

applebonusfunds
Apple is offering the 10 percent bonus for fund additions between $1 and $200, with the maximum bonus credit topping out at $20.

Here's how to add bonus funds:

  1. Open up the App Store app.
  2. Tap on your profile picture.
  3. Tap on Add Funds to ‌Apple ID‌.
  4. Select an amount.
  5. Tap Next.
  6. Confirm payment with Touch ID or Face ID.

The credit can be used for purchasing iTunes movies and TV shows, buying apps, paying app subscription fees, buying books, paying for iCloud storage, paying for Apple Music, paying for Apple Arcade, and more.

Apple kicked off this promotion earlier in November, and it will be available through December 12, 2019. It's a good way to get a bit of an extra bonus for ‌App Store‌ credit, and this week's Black Friday app deals can ensure that your money goes even further.

Related Forum: Mac Apps

Apple last week debuted new Smart Battery Cases designed for the iPhone 11, ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, with each case adding 50 percent additional battery life to its respective ‌iPhone‌.

Noted repair site iFixit and Creative Electron today did an x-ray teardown of the new battery cases to take a quick glimpse at what's inside and how the near camera button feature works.

ifixitsmartbatteryxray
Compared to last year's battery cases, the new cases have a camera button on the right side that's designed to open the camera when it's pressed. With the Camera app open, pressing the button takes a photo, and holding it down takes a QuickTake video.

According to iFixit's x-rays, the camera button works though a little circuit board in the case, which has a thin, flexible circuit that runs to the photo button. The circuit board is designed to connect to the camera button through the Lightning port at the bottom of the case.

ifixitsmartbatteryxray2
The button is designed to be just a bit recessed to prevent it from activating in a pocket or a bag, and you do need to hold it down for just a bit to open the camera app to begin with. All in all, it's a useful little feature that adds some nice utility to the Smart Battery Case.

There's little else of interest in the x-ray, but the inductive charging coil is visible, as is the 10.9v battery and other internal circuitry that makes the case functional.

For more on Apple's Smart Battery Cases for the ‌iPhone‌ 11, ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, and ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌, make sure to check out our guide.

Five years after the launch of CarPlay, there are still very few car manufacturers supporting Apple's in-car platform wirelessly. The main benefit of wireless ‌CarPlay‌ is a nearly seamless experience of having much of your phone's core functionality available just a fingertip or voice command away on your car's infotainment system while your phone remains in your pocket.

So far, wireless ‌CarPlay‌ support is largely limited to some premium brands, and Porsche is one of those brands that recently rolled out support for it.

For a taste of that experience, Porsche invited me down to Atlanta for a day to take a look at how wireless ‌CarPlay‌ works hand-in-hand with the native infotainment system on the 2019 Macan S crossover. I also got to spend some time behind the wheel of the Macan S on the track at the Porsche Experience Center and check out the Heritage Gallery, a frequently changing display of some of the most important and collectible vehicles in Porsche's storied history.

porsche heritage gallery 914

Porsche 914 display in Heritage Gallery

While the Macan is certainly a fun crossover to drive and I had a great time putting it through its paces on the track and the other elements in the Porsche Experience Center, the primary purpose of my trip was to check out the infotainment system and how it works with ‌CarPlay‌.

porsche macan exterior

2019 Porsche Macan S in Mamba Green Metallic

Porsche's infotainment system is known as Porsche Communication Management (PCM), and as on most cars, it's the hub for much of the technology you need to interact with on a regular basis. The Macan comes with a 10.9-inch widescreen infotainment display, which allows for terrific integration between ‌CarPlay‌ and the tile-based PCM system.

porsche macan carplay home

‌CarPlay‌ home screen integrated with PCM

When active, ‌CarPlay‌ takes over a significant portion of the display, but a top status bar, left-side shortcuts bar, and multiple right-side app tiles remain visible at all times, making it easy to manage both systems simultaneously.

porsche macan carplay waze

Waze in ‌CarPlay‌

All of the home screen tiles on PCM are configurable, so you can customize things just the way you want, and support for multiple layouts makes it easy to switch between tile sets.

porsche macan pcm customize

Customizing the PCM home screen layouts

The Macan offers a relatively clean center stack dominated by the widescreen display, with a handy set of hardware buttons and a couple of knobs thankfully making for quick access to a number of important functions merely by feel.

The simplicity of the center stack is made possible due to Porsche's decision to move the vast majority of hardware controls down to the center console clustered around the gearshift. There are over 30 buttons and switches located down on the center console, including climate control, heated/ventilated seat controls, and various driving mode options. It's an overwhelming experience when you first sit down in the cockpit, but you quickly discover that many of the important ones should become familiar to find by feel while others are used infrequently enough that their location isn't an issue for everyday driving.

porsche macan console

Macan center console

With available built-in navigation capable of taking over nearly the entire widescreen display, you certainly get an expansive view of what's around you. The display sits a little lower on the dash than I prefer for visibility, but I'd say it's about average in this regard.

porsche macan nav

Widescreen built-in navigation

The persistent top and left status/navigation bars and the hardware buttons make it easy to jump between functions even while enjoying a wide fullscreen experience. A small digital display on the driver's dashboard can also serve as a configurable supplemental screen for navigation to make it easier to see directions and other vehicle information like audio, phone, settings, and more at a glance.

porsche macan driver display

Driver display

While ‌CarPlay‌ is available on all Macan models, it is not a standard feature. ‌CarPlay‌ support is priced at $360 as a standalone option, or it's available as part of several premium packages.

The 2019 Macan doesn't offer wireless charging, but the recently launched 2020 model does include it as an option, allowing for an even more seamless experience. The wireless charger is included in an optional $690 smartphone compartment located in the center console, with the compartment also able to serve as an antenna booster for improved signal strength.

porsche macan center compartment

Center console compartment with USB-A ports

If you don't opt for the wireless charger or just want to plug in your phone, you'll have two available USB-A ports inside that center console. Two more USB-A charging ports are located on the rear of the console to serve passengers in the back.

porsche macan rear controls

Rear USB ports and controls

Wired ‌CarPlay‌ is available across the Porsche lineup, and the company is working on rolling out wireless ‌CarPlay‌ on a number of its models as the infotainment systems get refreshed, and for the 2020 model year, the Macan, Taycan Turbo/Turbo S, and all 911 Carrera variants will offer wireless ‌CarPlay‌.

One of the major points of difficulty with ‌CarPlay‌ is frequently integration with a vehicle's native infotainment system, as swapping between the two systems or seeing what's going one while using the other one can be difficult, but Porsche has done a great job making multitasking across PCM and ‌CarPlay‌ nearly seamless. The widescreen display offers plenty of room to show a traditionally sized ‌CarPlay‌ screen while still giving you access to all sorts of menus and information tiles from PCM, all visible at the same time.

To me, this is the best way to take advantage of widescreen displays with ‌CarPlay‌, rather than going to a wide fullscreen ‌CarPlay‌ interface that forces you to exit ‌CarPlay‌ in order to access native infotainment functions. On systems like this whether both ‌CarPlay‌ and the native interface are available simultaneously, you can sometimes run into conflicts where certain native functions like phone and messages are unavailable because they're currently being handled by ‌CarPlay‌, but with the extensive home screen tile customization available in PCM it's easy to configure things in just the way you like.

Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ is an extra bonus that really needs to start trickling its way down beyond a small handful of luxury car manufacturers at this point. For short trips where you don't need or want to bother plugging in your phone, it's super convenient for ‌CarPlay‌ to simply pop up on the dash even with your phone still in your pocket. The growing prevalence of wireless phone charging in vehicles even lets you top off your phone without needing to worry about cables.

The one major downside with all of this is cost, and ‌CarPlay‌ doesn't exactly come cheaply on the Macan. As noted above, ‌CarPlay‌ is a $360 option on its own, or it comes as part of some other packages. And if you want wireless phone charging as well, that's another significant cash outlay since it comes bundled as with the antenna-boosting smartphone compartment. It may not make a huge amount of difference to luxury car buyers already laying out quite a bit of cash for their purchases, but the ability to have your phone's functions and data conveniently accessible on your car's dashboard is such a benefit that I can only hope we see a trend toward ‌CarPlay‌ (and Android Auto) support being included standard on an increasing number of vehicles.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Fuse, known for its Side Winder cable organizers for keeping the MacBook's cord and power adapter neat and tidy, is today launching a whole new lineup of cord management products.

fusemessycables
There are cord winding options for Apple's MacBooks, the iPhone, the iPad, and Apple headphones, which basically covers Apple's entire lineup. Ahead of the debut of the new products, Fuse sent me a selection to test out. Below, I'll go over each option and my thoughts.

fuseorganizedcables

The Snap Backs ($13.99)

Fuse's Snap Backs are a collection of sleeve-style cable mounts that fit over various Apple chargers. There are versions for the 5W ‌iPhone‌ charger, the 12W ‌iPhone‌/‌iPad‌ charger, the 18W ‌iPad‌ charger, and the 29W MacBook Pro charger.

Basically, you tuck a charger into the opening of the Snap Back and then wind the cord along the bottom part, securing the end of the cord in place with a little notch at the bottom.

snapbacks
The Snap Backs are made from a fairly malleable plastic that's easy to put on the charger and take off when needed, and they keep charging cords from coming unwrapped in a bag. There's minimal bulk added here, but they do increase the size of the charger a bit due to the extra material for winding the cord.

All of these leave the power adapters usable, so you can plug in a power adapter and unwind the exact amount of cord that you need while leaving the rest wound up and out of the way.

fusesnapback
There's enough room on each of the Snap Backs to accommodate cables that are between one and six feet in length, which is super handy for those extra long cables you might have. The 29W model for the MacBook and MacBook Air power adapters accommodates cables up to eight feet long.

The Side Winder Mini ($9.99)

The Side Winder Mini is a little donut-shaped reel that's a little over an inch wide, and it's designed to let you wrap up your ‌iPhone‌ cables, corded headphones, micro-USB cables, and more.

sidewindermini
Basically, you can wrap up any one foot to five foot cable, winding it up so it's neatly organized and out of the way. There are notches at several spots along the Side Winder Mini, which makes it convenient to tuck in the end of the cable so it won't come loose.

miniwinderfuse
I've used cable wraps like this before and while the Side Winder Mini isn't anything revolutionary, it works well with minimal hassle and it has an affordable price tag.

The Side Winder Max ($10.99)

The Side Winder Max is identical to the Side Winder Mini but it's bigger and able to accommodate cables that are between one foot and 10 feet in length.

sidewindermax
The Side Winder Mini is made for thinner ‌iPhone‌ cables, but this larger Side Winder Max can work with an ‌iPhone‌ cable or a thicker USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to Lightning cable.

sidewindermax 1

The Side Winder Watch ($12.99)

The Side Winder Watch is perhaps one of the most convenient of the new cable management options from Fuse, given its utility. You can tuck the Apple Watch charging puck into the center of the Side Winder Watch, and then wrap the cord around it.

sidewinderwatch
It's shaped like a little circular reel, and it lets you pull out enough cable for charging while leaving the rest of the cable out of the way. The Apple Watch can go right on the front of the Side Winder Watch when you need to charge it.

The Side Winder Watch is compact (about two inches across) and it's made from a flexible plastic with several notches to make sure the ends of the Apple Watch cable stay in place. There's enough space in the center to accommodate either the 1mm or 2mm Apple Watch cables, and it works with both the plastic and the metal cables.

sidewiderwatch
Because of the reel design, you can pull out as much cable or as little cable as you need, and then wind it right back up again when you're done charging, tucking the Side Winder Watch into a pocket or bag.

This is perhaps one of my favorite Apple Watch charging and cable organizing solutions that I've tried given its simplicity and its affordable price point. Most Apple Watches should be able to charge with this design as even the wrap bands should be able to fit over the back.

The Side Kick Pro ($19.99)

Fuse's Side Kick Pro is designed to work with the 13, 15, and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. It's a little pop out cord wrangling socket that attaches to the side of the power adapter using adhesive.

When you need to wind up the cord, you can pop it out and wrap the cord neatly, so it tucks easily away in a bag or a drawer. When the cord is in use, you can pop the Side Kick Pro back down, and it takes up minimal space. When the cord is wound up, there are little grooves at two sides of the Side Kick Pro for tucking in the end of the cable so it stays secure.

sidekick
I've been using the original version of the Side Kick Pro (for my 29W MacBook Charger) for quite some time now, and it still works as well as the day that I got it even though it's been popped up and down countless times. Even though the Side Winder Pro is slim when not in use, it pops up far enough that the entire length of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ USB-C cable can be wound up.

sidekick1
In my experience, it's impossible to wind up the ‌MacBook Pro‌ USB-C cable around the power adapter in a way that gets it to stay in place, which is why the Side Kick Pro is one of my favorite products in the collection. The Side Kick doesn't accommodate the extension cable for the ‌MacBook Pro‌ power cable nor does it have the reel-like winding mechanism of the Side Winder, which is something to keep in mind.

I've been using the Side Winder Pro with a USB-C power adapter, but it does also work with older MagSafe power adapters.

The Side Winder ($29.99)

The Side Winder was Fuse's first product, and while it's not new today, it's a useful option for managing a ‌MacBook Pro‌ cord.

The Side Winder is a solid option if you have a 13, 15, or 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ or a ‌MacBook Air‌ (either ‌MagSafe‌ or USB-C) and need to use the extension cable.

sidewinderusbc
The ‌MacBook Pro‌'s power adapter goes in the center and the two cables wrap up around it. The design lets the cable be pulled out as needed, so you can get the length you need to reach a power outlet while keeping the rest wound up.

It takes just a few seconds to fully wind a cable using the Side Winder, and it's a whole lot more convenient than trying to wrap up a naked cable. I don't know about anyone else, but attempting to put a ‌MacBook Pro‌ power adapter in my backpack as is just results in a cable mess when I take it out again.

sidewinderdesign
I don't often need to use the extension cable with my ‌MacBook Pro‌ cord so the Side Kick isn't always my first cable management choice because it can be a bit bulky, but if you need the full length of the cable, it works great.

If you're just using the USB-C to USB-C cable portion of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ power adapter, the Side Kick Pro is a more compact choice.

Bottom Line

I absolutely hate cords and cables. I look forward to the day when all of our electronics operate wirelessly, but until then, cable organizers like the options from Fuse are the best way to keep cable mess under control.

Fuse's Side Winder has been popular since launch, and its new smaller Side Winder cable organizers build on that convenient reel design to let you wrangle ‌iPhone‌ cables, USB-C cables, and more, while the Snap Backs offer cable management options that also keep the power adapter in mind. All of these cable organization options also come in either black or white, so you can go with whichever color you prefer.

I'm a fan of Fuse's entire cable management lineup and I appreciate the affordable price points and simple, useful designs. If you're looking for new options for keeping your cables organized, Fuses's new products are worth checking out.

How to Buy

All of the newly launched cable organizing products can be purchased from the Fuse website. Fuse is offering a Black Friday deal right now with 30 percent off of all products site wide, which significantly drops the price of the new accessories.

Black Friday week is upon us and that means deals on many iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps, which we've rounded up below. We'll keep this list updated throughout the week, so keep checking back for additions.

app store 2019

iPhone and iPad Apps and Games

Mac Apps

Mac All-Star Kit

A bundle of five popular Mac apps, including WALTR 2, PDF Expert 2, Fantastical 2, DaisyDisk, and Aurora HDR 2019, is on sale for $49.99 through Monday, December 2. The total value of the apps is listed as $280.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe is offering a subscription to all 20+ of its Creative Cloud desktop and mobile apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and XD, for $29.99 per month. After one year, the regular price of $52.99 per month applies.

This offer is available to first-time subscribers only through Black Friday.

MacStories Shortcuts Icons

macstories shortcut icons devices
MacStories Shortcut Icons, a set of 350 icons for Home screen shortcuts on iPhone and iPad, is 50% off for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Parallels, Softorino, and MacPaw and may receive a small commission from sales of their software, which helps to keep the site running.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
Related Forum: Community Discussion

Moment, known for both its Pro Camera app and its line of professional lenses for the iPhone, today debuted its latest lens offering, the Moment Fisheye 14mm Lens.

Priced at $119.99 (though available at a discount for the first 48 hours), the Moment Fisheye Lens works with Apple's new ‌iPhone‌ 11, ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and older iPhones using one of Moment's iPhone photo cases.

momentfisheye
While Apple's newest iPhones have an ultra wide-angle camera lens with a 13mm focal length and a 120 degree field of view, it's lacking compared to the wide-angle camera because of its higher aperture, lack of optical image stabilization, and smaller sensor.


The Moment Fisheye Lens transforms the higher-quality wide-angle camera in the newest iPhones into an ultra wide-angle lens, offering up the same general capabilities but able to take advantage of the better camera technology in the wide-angle lens.

According to Moment, the Fisheye lens also offers a 170 degree field of view, which is 30 percent wider than the ultra-wide angle lens, so it gets even more in the frame. There is distortion with a Fisheye lens, of course, but the Pro Camera app for iOS is gaining a new distortion correction option to go along with the new lens.

moment2
The app will feature a slider that will correct the bend in the image, allowing for a super wide-angle photo with less distortion. The lens screws right on to the Moment ‌iPhone‌ case, making it easy to attach, detach, and swap out with other lenses.

The Moment Fisheye Lens features a bi-aspherical design, which Moment says brings edge-to-edge clarity, taking advantage of 15 percent more of the image sensor than the company's previous Fisheye lens.

moment3
Because it can use the better camera in the ‌iPhone‌, it's sharper than the built-in ultra wide-angle camera, especially in lower lighting conditions, and it works with Night Mode.

The new Moment Fisheye 14mm Lens can be purchased from the Moment website. For the first 48 hours after launch, it will be available for $90, and after that, it will be priced at $120.

Tag: Moment