Clearly the future of browsing

Last week, I downloaded two new AI-powered browsers from OpenAI and Perplexity AI.

One crashes on launch and the other wants to import everything from Chrome, with no obvious way to skip that step, so I abandoned it.

And that’s where I personally stand on the AI revolution: on the sidelines!

But Cult of Mac writer Rajesh Pandey has had better luck, and has been testing OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Atlas browser for several days.

A Mac exclusive, Atlas promises a better way to browse the web with built-in AI smarts. It can answer queries about open tabs, understand context and even perform a wide range of tasks for you.

It also suffers from some teething problems. And while OpenAI says Atlas respects your privacy, Rajesh remains suspicious.

Nonetheless, while Atlas is still buggy, incomplete and prone to AI hallucinations, Rajesh argues it’s obvious that Atlas and its ilk are the future of browsers, and Apple is falling woefully behind.

Also in today’s newsletter:

Apple killed the headphone jack, and now it’s coming for buttons. Apple’s first button-less handset might be the upcoming 20th anniversary iPhone.
Apple just hit a major financial milestone — its market cap surged past a cool $4 trillion, thanks largely to the home run that is the iPhone 17 lineup.
The wonderful M4 MacBook Air just went on sale at its lowest-ever price. I’d buy another if I didn’t already own one.
EarFun’s a budget headphone brand that punches way above its weight. It just launched a credible rival to AirPods Pro that costs less than $100 (just $75 during a special launch sale).
I remember I was really bummed that Steve Jobs commissioned a gross billionaire’s private yacht. I thought he was more of a man of the people than that. He even coined a famous quote about rich people and their money (see below). He never got to enjoy the luxury yacht, though.
Apple might port four pro Mac apps to iPad, and Cult of Mac readers shrugged! Where’s Xcode, you say? See yesterday’s poll results below.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Hands-on with new ChatGPT Atlas browser: Safari is falling behind fast

AI-enhanced browsers are the future. Going hands-on with the ChatGPT Atlas browser makes it crystal clear that Safari's falling behind.

iPhone 20 could make buttons a thing of the past

iPhone 20 might replace buttons with haptics -- at last. The 20th anniversary handset could finally go with motion-sensing, vibrating tech.

^{Our video review of Apple’s new Vision Pro headset}

Apple market cap passes $4 trillion amid iPhone 17 optimism

Apple hits a major milestone in the stock market, with its market capitalization surpassing the staggering $4 trillion mark.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

New deal slashes price on latest MacBook Air to lifetime low

The M4 MacBook Air is Apple’s best notebook for most people. It’s already affordable, and a deal knocks 20% off the price.

Apple's next budget iPhone might ditch the notch for Dynamic Island

The iPhone 17e’s debut early next year reportedly will mark the end of the notch era, with the company switching to Dynamic Island entirely.

^{A message from}^{the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Train for multiple IT certifications with this $40 bundle

Grab this Complete CompTIA and IT Exam Lifetime Access Training Bundle for just $39.97 and dive into IT certification courses.

EarFun Air Pro 4+ earbuds bring hi-res sound for less than $100

With dual drivers and Hi-Res Audio certification, new EarFun Air Pro 4+ earbuds challenge top competitors like the AirPods Pro. And they definitely win on price.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs' yacht launches -- without Steve

On October 28, 2012, more than a year after Steve Jobs died, his luxury yacht designed by Philippe Starck launched for the first time.

Cult of Mac’s buyback program

We pay top dollar for used Apple gear

Sell your old iPhone, iPad, MacBook and more through Cult of Mac. Free shipping, fast payment!

Tweets of the day

Apple is now worth $4,000,000,000,000
— #Apple Design (#@TheAppleDesign)
3:20 PM • Oct 28, 2025

What the hell is Apple doing?
— #Pixel Gamer 4k (#@4k_isn)
12:25 PM • Oct 27, 2025

Moonlock is here — a new protection app made specifically for Mac users.
Lightweight, intuitive, and built with years of macOS research behind it.

No complicated menus. No guessing what your antivirus actually does.
Just clear guidance and strong protection that feels right at
— #Moonlock by MacPaw (#@moonlock_com)
1:04 PM • Oct 28, 2025

Wallpaper of the day

Wallpaper 4k Iphone 16 IOS 18.2. Mac Baconai
— #🖍️💬PF. 🖥️ 💻 Wallpapers 📐📏. AI Ilustrations (#@Iphonewall38341)
11:59 PM • Dec 16, 2024

One more thing ...

❝

I watched people at Apple who made a lot of money and felt they had to live differently. Some of them bought a Rolls-Royce and various houses, each with a house manager and then someone to manage the house managers. Their wives got plastic surgery and turned into these bizarre people. This was not how I wanted to live. It’s crazy. I made a promise to myself that I’m not going to let this money ruin my life.

— Steve Jobs, 2011.

Today’s poll

How do you feel about Steve Jobs' yacht?

Results from yesterday’s poll: Which pro app are you most looking forward to on iPad?

Best reader comments

Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.