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I often read reviews after I’ve bought a product.
I like to validate my purchase and make sure I made the right decision.
This is especially true for Apple products. I rarely read the reviews beforehand.
Mostly because I’m so immersed in Apple, I don’t feel the need. Plus, tech reviews can be a bit tedious. I’m not that interested in speeds and feeds and Geekbench scores and the like.
And with Apple products, the impulse to buy is more emotional, even if you desperately tell yourself otherwise. The post-purchase review is part of the rationalization process: That’s why I needed that super-expensive Mac!
I’m not a huge fan of video reviews, either. So much time wasted before getting to the point.
However, at least with video, you get a great idea of what the product is like. You see it in action and get a good idea of what you can do with it. Our top post today is about one of the iPhone Duo reviews that does something different. I recommend checking it out.
I know that readers of this newsletter are already super-well-versed in the iPhone Duo — the initial reviews of which dropped today.
I skimmed a few and saw a lot of summaries on the socials. Here’s the TL;DR, courtesy of Ray Wong at Gizmodo.
Pros:
✨Gorgeous nano-texture display
📖 Barely visible crease
👌 Smooth vari-angle hinge
📱Thoughtfully designed multitasking
⚡️ Powerful A20 chip
🔊 Terrific speakers
🔋 All-day battery life
✏️ Apple Pencil USB-C support
Cons:
💰 Expensive
🫥 Under-display camera stinks
🪨 Heavy
🔭 No optical telephoto
Touch ID instead of Face ID
Now you don't have to read any of those long iPhone Duo reviews (Wong's clocks in at more than 7,200 words and comes with some great photos) unless you absolutely want to. Or, you know, you desperately need some validation for your preorder.
Also in today’s newsletter:
Yay! My original HomePod minis are getting a cheesy RGB light show!
I love to fix things, but our basement is a mini graveyard of Mac and iPhone fixes gone horribly wrong. Apple’s steadily making DIY repairs easier, though, and here are the latest devices supported by the company’s Self Service Repair program.
I’m guessing you weren’t aware, but October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. To celebrate, we’re offering a whopping 58% off Incogni, the easiest way to scrub your personal data from the internet. Use code CULTOFMAC to score the deal.
WhatsApp is testing a new in-app browser that bypasses Safari. Sure, I’d love Meta to spy on my browsing. What’s not to like? 😜
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: Get not one but two of these super-cool USB-C cables with a built-in digital display. Only $22 (almost 30% off). #affiliate
Forget the Duo — here’s perhaps the most important foldable Apple ever released.
If you’re getting a Duo, check out the X posts below for a tip about tweaking the Touch ID button for faster unlocking. And what’s this? People have been lining up since Monday for Friday’s launch? WTH! I’m getting old-school massive iPhone launch vibes!
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
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A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
Cult of Mac’s buyback program
Tweets of the day
Wallpaper of the day
One more thing ...
An interesting paradox is the network which is ultimately going to define and create the home computer market. Not keeping our recipes on these things or something like we thought in 1975. Being a part of that network and not being able to stay away from it while you’re home will drive people to get computers in every house just like we have a telephone in every house.
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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.