🚨🚨🚨 iOS 17.4 update is out!

Apple just dropped one of the biggest changes ever to iOS, disguised as a minor point release.

iOS 17.4 brings fundamental changes to how the iPhone works.

There’s support for alternative app stores, new browsers and browser engines, and you can switch between your choice of payment apps.

But there’s one teeny catch: That’s all restricted to users in the European Union.

Yankees like me can’t get our hands on those changes — yet.

Nonetheless, there is still plenty to check out for non-EU users, including some very big, important new features, including new emoji.

Also in today’s newsletter:

• There are also some nice new features coming in the next release of macOS, according to the latest beta release.

• You can get some really nice mood-lighting effects from this cool iPhone-controlled floor lamp, on sale for just $59.99.

• MacPaw’s newest app will help clean up your iPhone photo library, removing dupes, crappy shots and other detritus.

• Yesterday’s poll question — what is Apple’s best laptop right now? — got a ton of votes, and generated a clear winner. See results below.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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

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

Tweetz o’ the day

One more thing ...

Today’s poll

Results from yesterday’s poll: What's Apple's best laptop right now?

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.