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The knock on Tim Cook is that he’s not a product guy.

Yeah, sure, he’s an operational genius and a businessman par excellence. He knows how to make money, but groundbreaking new products? Not so much.

I don’t think that’s fair, and today we have a nice, breezy roundup of the amazing Apple products introduced during the Tim Cook era.

True, nothing’s taken off like the iPhone. But then again, what has? What other company has released a world-changing product to rival Apple’s smartphone? The only thing I can think of is perhaps electric cars — but they’re hardly ubiquitous like smartphones.

I think Apple Watch, perhaps the most innovative product overseen by Cook, will prove to be his biggest hit. And it might become universal if it can continue to save lives.

Just today, in the comments below, one reader tells how Apple Watch helped diagnose a serious health condition.

It’s just one of several great inventions. Tim Cook can’t innovate my *ss!

Also in today’s newsletter:

Even a mass-market flop like Vision Pro is finding incredible use cases — like operating on someone's eyes in 3D!
Oh my: The 20th anniversary iPhone looks hot!
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: This car charger sucks — in a good way! With a big fat suction cup, this 25W MagSafe car charger will stick just about anywhere, and it’s a respectable 33% off.
We have not one but two handy how-tos today — and tbh, I had no clue how to do either before I peeked at the posts. Here’s how to remove blemishes and photo bombers from your snaps. And here’s how to record iPhone phone calls — and transcribe them — without any extra equipment.
Edifier’s brand-new M90 speakers are very Apple-friendly — and our informative hands-on review explains why you might want them for your own Apple TV or WFH setup.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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5 best Apple products of the Tim Cook era

We give outgoing CEO Tim Cook credit where credit is due for the best Apple products released while he ran the show in Cupertino.

Eye doctor uses Vision Pro in cataract surgery for the first time

In another medical first for the Vision Pro headset, it recently played a crucial role in cataract surgery.

20th anniversary iPhone could say goodbye to bezels

Explore the exciting features of the 20th anniversary iPhone, including a possible all-screen design without bezels.

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

Major sale drops M5 MacBook Air back to lowest-ever price

The M5 MacBook Air is Apple’s best notebook for most people. It’s already affordable, but a MacBook Air deal knocks $150 off.

Easy way to record and transcribe your iPhone calls

You can record a phone call on your iPhone. With Apple Intelligence, you’ll get transcriptions of the calls, too, in Notes.

Apple makes expensive app subscriptions easier to pay

You can soon pay annual app subscriptions monthly with a 12-month commitment, making expensive apps more affordable.

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

This nutrition and fitness app makes meal planning and workout tracking simple

The NutriAI nutrition and workout app generates daily meal plans tailored to your goals, with grocery lists so you know exactly what to buy.

How to remove an object from a photo with Apple Intelligence

You can easily remove any object from a photo using Apple Intelligence's Clean Up tool. Make your almost-perfect shots perfect.

Today in Apple history: iTunes Music Store opens its doors

On April 28, 2003, Apple opened the iTunes Music Store, revolutionizing the music industry and digital distribution of content.

Highly adaptable Edifier M90 speakers earn a spot in any Apple setup [Review]

Our hands-on Edifier M90 speaker review finds the compact boxes can power great sound in a variety of settings.

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

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Wallpaper of the day

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One more thing ...

❝

There’s an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” And we’ve always tried to do that at Apple. Since the very, very beginning. And we always will.

— Steve Jobs, 2007.

Today’s poll

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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.