How to set up new Apple gear

December 24, 2022

Just in case you or a loved one recently unwrapped an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch (or will soon 😜), we've updated our guides on setting up new Apple devices.

I hope they come in handy today, tomorrow or sometime in the very near future.

We've also got some other things you shouldn't miss, including plenty of last-minute gift ideas and a review of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.

That stellar new animated film arrives on Apple TV+ on Christmas morning. (Not a subscriber? Get a free two-month Apple TV+ trial.)

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

How-tos

Got a shiny new iPhone? Here's how to get it up and running, with plenty of pro tips to make things easier and better.

Plus, more guides to get you started:

Stage Manager in iPadOS 16 makes Apple’s tablets act much more like a Mac. The optional multitasking system puts applications into floating, resizable, overlapping windows. Even better, the system can be used on external displays.

News and opinion

Criminals around the world are surely celebrating news that Apple is being forced by the European Union to enable iPhone to install applications from outside the App Store. The move will allow hackers to release a fresh tidal wave of malware, hoping to slip it onto iOS handsets.

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for an Apple fan in your life, there’s one surprisingly simple answer: Get them an AirTag.

Engineers reportedly mucked up the original design of the GPU so much that the company was forced to use essentially the same design as its predecessor.

Plus, more Apple rumors:

The upgrade promised improved performance and reliability, but Apple pulled it following problems reported by early adopters.

Deals

Even if you’re not worrying about giving gifts that must arrive by a certain deadline, mid-to-late December is a great time to take advantage of holidays sales. And right now you can get a great deal on a handy SwitchEasy 4-in-1 MagPower Charging Stand that’ll keep your gadgets going.

So, you need a last-minute gift for the person who has everything. Look no further than an e-gift card for Saucey liquor delivery service. You can now get $30 to use for just $22.99, with no coupon needed.

Year-end sales can be a bonanza for anyone seeking Apple accessories — and the Laut sale in the Cult of Mac Store is no exception. You can slash 20% off the price of 96 different accessories for Apple products.

If you want to truly take advantage of your iPad and/or MacBook’s many talents, you probably need a dock. You can add a very versatile tool to your computing arsenal with this limited-time discount on a USB-C hub that's a total dongle-killer.

Food is the perfect holiday present — everyone’s gotta eat, whether they’re dining in or out. This Restaurant.com gift card is perfect for anyone who waited until the last minute to buy gifts. It’s digital, and you’ll have it instantly.

As iPhones become more useful and feature-packed, the biggest challenge might be keeping them charged.

Reviews

This half-hour animated short based on the book by Charlie Mackesy is a heartfelt and splendidly drawn detour into melancholy holiday cheer. Beautifully drawn, sensitively acted by an all-star voice cast, and written to carefully corral the emotions of viewers young and old, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse is quite the Christmas miracle.

Plus, this week's Apple TV+ recaps:

Do you find some of Cupertino’s more innovative Apple Watch bands a bit ridiculous? Well, feast your luddite eyes on the Durham band from Nyloon. It’s made of nylon and comes in exactly one color: navy blue. It’s a very traditional Apple Watch band at a lower price than any of Apple’s offerings.

Setups

To a lot of people, “home for the holidays” means even more massive amounts of gameplay than usual. That could be the case with the owner of this setup. In addition to two Mac minis, the workstation sports an Xbox Series S with a couple of special-edition controllers.

At Cult of Mac, we love retro Apple gear. This setup pairs a powerful new M1 Max MacBook with a beautiful old Cinema Display plus an iconic Harman Kardon SoundSticks speaker system.

This Mac-and-gaming-PC setup pulls off a rare feat: It perfectly aligns three displays on one arm. The screens in question are a substantial external monitor, a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro mounted vertically (and running Sidecar).