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I lucked out years ago when I bought the 2018 iPad Pro.

There seems to be a consensus among Apple aficionados that this model was one of the best iPads that Apple ever produced.

Aside from a hairline crack across the screen, this iPad has been a daily driver for me for seven years now, and it’s still going strong.

And it just got a new lease on life with iPadOS 26, which makes it feel like a brand-new iPad (aside from said crack).

It runs iPadOS 26 just fine, with no performance problems whatsoever (I’m not making 3D models or editing Hollywood movies on it). And I’m loving the multiwindow capabilities, although truthfully, I still mostly use the full-screen view for most things.

iPadOS 26 is the iPad operating system upgrade we’ve been waiting for for years. Apple finally got it right after half-successful experiments with Split View and other kludgy windowing schemes.

iPadOS 26 is truly a great software update — and if you haven’t yet installed it, here are all the great new features you are missing.

Also in today’s newsletter:

Your iPhone might slow down considerably after installing iOS 26. Here’s why it’s not cause for alarm.
Take your iPhone wallpaper to the next level with delightful 3D versions of your favorite photos. Here’s why Spatial Scenes is one of iOS 26’s best new features, and how to use it.
Get real-time sports scores right on your Home screen with the just-updated Apple Sports app.
I love my HomePods and I’m looking forward to trying out the new crossfade feature in Apple Music — but I need to update the speakers first. Here’s how to do it manually.
If you have old AirPods lying around, think about trading them in with Cult of Mac’s buyback program. Apple doesn't accept AirPods trade-ins, but we’ll buy all models from you.
By strange cosmic coincidence, today is the day in Apple history that Steve Jobs both left Apple and then rejoined it.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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Best new features in iPadOS 26: Major UI revamp, Liquid Glass and more

iPadOS 26 is the biggest iPad revamp since 2010, making the tablet far more Mac-like. Here are the best new features in iPadOS 26.

www.cultofmac.com/how-to/ipados-26-new-features

iPhone slowdown after installing iOS 26 is temporary

iOS 26 might make your iPhone seem sluggish, but it’s no cause for alarm. Here’s what’s going on.

www.cultofmac.com/news/ios-26-slowdown

How to make your photos 3D in iOS 26

You can convert an ordinary 2D photo to a 3D scene that moves in your hand. Spatial Scenes is an awesome new feature.

www.cultofmac.com/how-to/spatial-scenes

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

This double-duty power bank fits on your keychain (and costs just $20)

Measuring just under 4 inches long by 2 inches wide, you can slip this cordless keychain power bank for iPhone and Apple Watch anywhere.

www.cultofmac.com/deals/charge-fob-keychain-power-bank

Apple Sports app adds widgets and expands to 8 new countries

Support for widgets enhances the user experience as the Sports app comes to eight new European countries.

www.cultofmac.com/news/apple-sports-app-widgets

How to bring crossfade to your HomePod with a software update

Version 26 is out, so it's time to check your HomePod Software update status. Here’s how to see if your smart speaker is up to date.

www.cultofmac.com/how-to/how-to-get-the-latest-homepod-software-update

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

Price cut: Upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for less than $13

Why pay list price for Microsoft software? This Windows 11 sale allows you to upgrade your PC to Windows 11 Pro for less than $13.

www.cultofmac.com/deals/microsoft-windows-11-pro-discount

iPhone 17 and iPhone Air come with smarter battery life out of the box

iOS 26's new Adaptive Power feature will come enabled by default on the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air to help stretch battery life even further.

www.cultofmac.com/news/iphone-17-air-smarter-battery-life-out-of-the-box

With AirPods Pro 3 incoming, it’s a great time to sell your old AirPods

With AirPods Pro 3 on the way, this is the perfect time to sell your AirPods. Apple doesn't accept AirPods trade-ins, but we buy all models.

www.cultofmac.com/news/sell-airpods

Take 4TB of super-fast USB4 storage anywhere with LaCie Rugged SSD4 [Review]

The LaCie Rugged SSD4 is rugged, small, blazing-fast and holds up to 4TB of data. We go hands-on with the newly launched SSD from Seagate.

www.cultofmac.com/reviews/lacie-rugged-ssd4

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs leaves and rejoins Apple

On September 16, Steve Jobs left Apple and then -- years later -- returned to the company he co-founded.

www.cultofmac.com/apple-history/steve-jobs-leaves-and-rejoins-apple

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Tweets of the day

i don’t know who needs to hear this but don’t update to macOS Tahoe if you use 3 dongles to connect to your original iPod via FireWire. Tahoe removes FireWire support
— #Stammy (#@Stammy)
4:17 AM • Sep 16, 2025

A dog jumping around my screen doesn’t make me want the Hermes version.
— #Mark Gurman (#@markgurman)
3:41 PM • Sep 16, 2025

At this point, it’s probably best to get a head start on downloading watchOS 27...
— #Basic Apple Guy (#@BasicAppleGuy)
3:17 AM • Sep 16, 2025

Wallpaper of the day

Vintage Windows | Lock Screen
— #Pulaski Wallpaper (#@Pulaxki)
7:50 AM • Sep 15, 2025

One more thing ...

❝

My job is to say when something sucks rather than sugarcoat it.

— Steve Jobs, 2011.

Today’s poll

Best new feature of iPadOS 26?

Results from yesterday’s poll: iOS 26: Love it or hate it?

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.