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Ben Lovejoy

benlovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer who started his career on PC World and has written for dozens of computer and technology magazines, as well as numerous national newspapers, business and in-flight magazines. He has also written several books, and creates occasional videos.

He is old enough to have owned the original Macintosh. He currently owns an M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, an M1 13-inch MacBook Air, an iPad mini, an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and multiple HomePods. He suspects it might be cheaper to have a cocaine habit than his addiction to all things anodised aluminum.

He’s known for his op-ed and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review:

He speaks fluent English but only broken American, so please forgive any Anglicised spelling in his posts.

He gets a lot of emails and can’t possibly reply to them all. If you would like to comment on one of his pieces, please do so in the comments – he does read them all.

Connect with Ben Lovejoy

Why the iPhone is my favorite video camera for B-roll footage

My Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K seen through the Final Cut camera app on my iPhone 16 Pro Max

While I am almost certainly the least-prolific videographer on the planet, I am finally starting a long-planned series of interviews on my fledgling YouTube channel. The first of these went live this week, and I’m aiming for roughly one a month from now on.

I use a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K rig as my primary video camera, but my iPhones have long been my camera of choice for B-roll footage …

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A rare look inside Apple’s AirPods testing and refinement labs

A rare look inside the Apple audio lab used to test and refine AirPods | Fantasia Studio shown

Apple runs literally thousands of tests while validating, tuning, and refining AirPods in a facility which includes mini recording studios with real instruments.

One tech writer got a rare tour of the facility, which is even home to a large vintage hi-fi setup donated to an earlier generation of Apple audio engineers by Steve Jobs

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On iOS 26 with a T-Satellite plan? These six iPhone apps work via satellite

These six iPhone apps work via T-Satellite | Woman using her phone in the wilderness

When T-Mobile launched its T-Satellite service back in July, iPhone users were limited to text messaging via satellite – but the company promised that support for selected additional apps would follow.

With the launch of iOS 26, the company has started to make good on that promise, with support for six apps so far. Notably, you don’t need to choose T-Mobile as your carrier in order to subscribe to the service …

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After years of touchscreen Mac rumors, here’s why I believe the latest one

After years of touchscreen Mac rumors, I do believe it this time | MacBook Pro shown with screen covered in fingerprints

Ming-Ching Kuo today suggested that we can expect a touchscreen MacBook Pro to go into production in late 2026. This is the latest in a years-long string of rumors that Apple is working on such a device.

The company has been testing prototypes since at least 2008, but has consistently dismissed the idea of launching one. However, I do tend to believe the latest report …

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iPhone Fold and iPhone 18 Pro set to get faster mobile data

iPhone Fold and iPhone 18 Pro set to get faster mobile data

Sure, the iPhone 17 lineup hasn’t even shipped yet, but that doesn’t stop the news cycle rolling on. A new report details the chipset we can expect to find inside the iPhone Fold and the iPhone 18 Pro models.

This will of course include the A20 chip, the first to be made using a 2-nanometer process, but the report suggests we can expect mobile data speeds to be faster thanks to a new Apple modem chip …

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Here are the things I love most about iOS 26

Here are the things I love most about iOS 26 | Stylized iOS 26 graphic with a liquid glass heart

If you’ve just installed iOS 26, the first thing you will, of course, have noticed is the new Liquid Glass user interface. This has proved a somewhat polarizing feature, with some developers arguing it’s not yet ready for primetime.

It certainly takes some getting used to, but overall I’m a fan, and I particularly like some of the small but notable changes …

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AirPods Pro 3 heart rate monitoring ‘mind-bogglingly good’ – unlike PowerBeats 2 Pro

AirPods Pro 3 heart rate monitoring 'mind-bogglingly good' – unlike PowerBeats 2 Pro | A woman wearing them during a workout

We yesterday published our own in-depth review of AirPods Pro 3, with our editor-in-chief Chance Miller concluding that the latest iteration feels like a turning point for the product.

Triathlete DC Rainmaker conducted detailed comparative tests of the new heart rate monitor as part of his own review, and concluded that it was “mind-bogglingly good” …

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Epic Games versus Apple Australia ruling published – Apple calls it harmful

Epic Games versus Apple Australia ruling published – Apple calls it harmful | Gavel coming down on MacBook keyboard

We last month learned that Epic Games had won its antitrust case against Apple in Australia, with the court ruling that the iPhone maker must permit side-loading and third-party payments.

The full reasoning for that decision has now been published – all 900 pages of it – and Apple has accused the judge of underestimating the privacy and security risks to users …

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iPhone 17 demand strong, says Kuo, with the Pro Max the star performer

iPhone 17 demand strong, says Kuo, with the Pro Max the star performer | iPhone 17 line-up shown

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that demand for the new iPhone 17 lineup is strong, with initial orders beating out those for last year’s iPhone 16.

He points to a clear indication that the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the star performer, although does acknowledge that demand for the iPhone Air may become clearer over time …

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iOS 26 officially launches today, but some developers aren’t sure it should

iOS 26 officially launches today, but some developers aren't sure it should | Icon with 'wait' symbol

Today is the day that iOS 26 finally emerges from beta and is officially launched. The headline feature is of course the Liquid Glass look, which has proved almost as controversial as the minimalist look of iOS 7 back in 2013.

Apple has made some pretty substantial changes to the look of the operating system after beta testers complained about poor legibility and confusing design elements. Even so, some developers are not at all convinced that Liquid Glass is ready to be unleashed …

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iPhone Diary: For the first time in many years, I’m not upgrading my iPhone

iPhone Diary – For the first time in many years, I'm not upgrading my iPhone | iPhone 17 Pro in orange shown, with focus on cameras

Today would normally see me poised over the Apple website on my Mac and the Apple Store app on my phone ready to seen which goes live first so I can finalize my order for a shiny new iPhone.

This year is an exception, and although that’s partly for personal reasons, it’s mostly because I’m just not seeing any good reason to want the iPhone 17 Pro Max over last year’s model …

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Two ways Apple is (wisely) being inclusive about its latest health features

Apple Health features graphic

Apple is sometimes accused of deliberately withholding new features from older devices for no good reason. For example, eyebrows were raised when dual capture video recording was restricted to the iPhone 17 when the same feature has been supported by third-party apps all the way back to the iPhone 11, so is clearly nothing to do with hardware capabilities.

When it comes to the latest health features, however, the company is wisely taking a far more inclusive approach …

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As Apple again extends free satellite messaging, I’m doubling down on my prediction

As Apple again extends free satellite messaging, I'm doubling down on my prediction | Air ambulance shown

Apple’s satellite messaging service was a key feature of the iPhone 14. Initially limited to providing an emergency service for those outside cellular coverage areas, it was subsequently extended to offer roadside assistance cover for mechanical problems and messaging with family and friends too.

Although initially described as free for the first two years only, Apple subsequently extended free coverage – and has just done so again …

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There’s bad news for AirPods Live Translation in EU countries

There's bad news for AirPods Live Translation in EU countries | Still from Apple video

We first spotted that AirPods Live translation was coming a month before the announcement. Initial language support is listed as English, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish – with four more languages coming later this year.

But while European languages are supported, you won’t necessarily be able to take advantage of that if you are within one of the countries in which they’re spoken …

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Why choosing between the iPhone Air and the Pro isn’t easy for everyone

Why choosing between the iPhone Air and the Pro isn't easy for everyone (both models shown)

Apple’s hardware design chief said yesterday the company knew it would be hard for some to choose between the new iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max.

That isn’t true for everyone, of course. For some, the decision will be very straightforward – but I can see how it could be tricky for others …

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iPhone 17 pre-orders go live on Friday – but don’t wait until then

iPhone 17 pre-orders go live on Friday – but don't wait until then | Screengrab shown for the prep option

iPhone 17 pre-orders don’t go live until Friday, but you don’t need to wait until then to get the process started. Doing the preparation today can save time on the day and maximize your chances of receiving your new phone on day one.

Apple lets you go through the complete process of picking your iPhone 17, configuring the exact model you want in terms of color and storage, and even getting a trade-in quote for your existing phone – all before pre-orders open …

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