iOS and iPadOS 18 Review Extras: eBooks, Wallpapers, Screen Saver, and a Special Edition of MacStories Weekly

A short time ago, Federico published his annual iOS and iPadOS 18 review. As in past years, we’re releasing a wide variety of perks exclusively for Club MacStories members throughout the week, but this year, the perks are a little different – just like the review.

Here’s our friend Chris Lawley with the details:

First of all, we’re releasing this week’s episode of AppStories+ to everyone who listens to the show for free.

AppStories+ is the extended version of our flagship podcast that’s typically released a day early and ad-free in high-bitrate audio. The show is part of a Club Premier or AppStories+ subscription, but this week, everyone gets the extended version of the show. If you’re not a subscriber, you’ll still get an ad with the episode (we do have bills to pay), but you’ll also get the full extended version of the episode in high bitrate audio, just like subscribers. It’s our way of saying thanks to everyone who has listened to AppStories through the years and share why this year’s review is not just different, but part of an editorial evolution of MacStories.

As Chris explains in his video, we have an eBook version of the review for all Club members. We’ll also publish a special making-of edition of MacStories Weekly, our Club newsletter, on Saturday.

If you’re not already a member, you can join Club MacStories for $5/month or $50/year using the buttons below:

Join Annual$50/yearJoin Monthly$5/month

A short sample of one of the six screen savers for Club Plus and Premier members.

Also, this year, there will be even more perks than ever for Club MacStories Plus and Premier members, including:

More eBooks of my macOS Sequoia review, Jonathan Reed’s watchOS 11 review, and Devon Dundee’s visionOS 2 review;

A bonus eBook that collects tips and tricks from Federico’s iOS and iPadOS 18 review;

High-res wallpapers of the delightful illustrations created for Federico’s review by Scout Wilkinson; and

A screen saver developed by James Thomson that brings Scout’s artwork to life on your Mac.

To unlock all of these additional perks, use the buttons below to join Club MacStories Plus:

Join Annual$100/yearJoin Monthly$10/month

or Club Premier:

Join Annual$120/yearJoin Monthly$12/month

Now more than ever, an indie publication like MacStories depends on income from members who want to directly support what we do and our ability to collaborate with people like Scout and James more often. As always, though, we aim to provide as much value as we can to Club members, so we have more details after the break, for anyone who wants to learn more about this year’s perks and Club MacStories before joining.

Club-Wide Review Perks

The eBook

iOS and iPadOS 18: The MacStories Review. The eBook version of Federico’s review is fully interactive, complete with all the images and videos. The review is a great read on the web, where you can enjoy its special navigation features, but the eBook is an excellent alternative, especially for sitting back with your iPad and Apple Books, where you can take notes, highlight passages, and enjoy Scout Wilkinson’s wonderful illustrations.

Also (because we are asked this a lot), if you read the eBooks in Apple Books and want to zoom in to get a close look at any of the illustrations or screenshots, double-tap images on iOS devices (or double-click on the Mac) to open a full-sized version.

Federico’s iOS and iPadOS 18 review is available now as a free download exclusively for members of Club MacStories who can access them from their member downloads page.

MacStories Weekly

In Saturday’s edition of MacStories Weekly, Federico will share his annual ‘Making Of’ story. This year’s review was a big departure in format and style from prior years. In his column, Federico will explore what led him to take a different approach and what it means to MacStories and the Club.

You can join Club MacStories for $5/month or $50/year using the buttons below:

Join Annual$50/yearJoin Monthly$5/month

Club MacStories includes year-round perks too. In addition to the special iOS and iPadOS 18 review perks, Club MacStories features:

MacStories Weekly, a weekly newsletter with our favorite iOS and Mac apps, tips and in-depth automation tutorials, exclusive stories, interviews, and more.

The Monthly Log, a monthly newsletter with behind-the-scenes stories from the MacStories team delivered at the end of each month.

An early, ad-free, high-bitrate audio version of MacStories Unwind, the podcast that Federico and I record weekly. MacStories Unwind is a fun exploration of the differences between American and Italian culture and recommends media we enjoy, including books, movies, TV shows, music, and videogames.

Club MacStories Plus and Premier Perks

We have exclusive review perks for Club Plus and Premier members, too.

Three More OS eBooks and an iOS and iPadOS 18 Tips and Tricks eBook

Club Plus and Premier members get eBooks of every OS.

We’ve created eBook versions of my macOS Sequoia review, Jonathan Reed’s watchOS 11 review, and Devon Dundee’s visionOS review. All three books will be released over the course of the next two days alongside the publication of the related reviews on MacStories. As with Federico’s review, the eBook versions of the other OS reviews are a fantastic way to sit back and soak in the details of everything that Apple released today for the Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.

Federico has also created a bonus eBook that compiles the best iOS and iPadOS 18 tips and tricks from his review;

Club members old and new will be able to download the books from their Club downloads page.

Wallpapers and Screen Savers

One of the six screen savers created from the illustrations in Federico’s iOS and iPadOS 18 review.

Scout Wilkinson’s artwork is so wonderful that we’ve released it to Club Plus and Premier members as high-resolution wallpapers. There are a total of six colorful wallpapers for the iPad and Mac. Federico’s been using them for a while now in full resolution on his Lock Screen and blurred on his Home Screen, and they look fantastic.

Also, Procreate automatically generates a time-lapse of an artist’s work, and when Scout showed us the time-lapses of the review’s illustrations, we were mesmerized. With the help from James Thomson, we’ve brought those time-lapses to life for Club Plus and Premier members as macOS screen savers. There are six total screen savers that can be played at random, or you can pick your favorite to play every time your Mac’s screen sleeps. There are even speed controls for the playback.

These screen savers are really something special. It’s fascinating to watch Scout’s creative process play out in front of you in high-resolution as the illustrations take shape from rough sketches to the polished finished product.

By joining Club Plus or Premier, you’ll get everything. Federico’s eBook, our special edition of MacStories Weekly, three additional eBooks of our other OS reviews, full-res illustrated wallpapers, and macOS screen savers by Scout Wilkinson.

Join Club MacStories Plus:

Join Annual$100/yearJoin Monthly$10/month

Join Club Premier:

Join Annual$120/yearJoin Monthly$12/month

Of course, as a Club Plus or Premier member, you’ll also receive access to our vibrant Discord community, special audio events that are held in the Discord community after Apple events and released as a Club-only podcast, bonus columns from Federico and me, an advanced version of the Club website that includes advanced search and filtering controls, custom RSS feeds of Club articles, and more. And, for just $2/month or $20/year more, Premier members get AppStories+ too, the extended, ad-free, high-bitrate audio version of our flagship podcast, which is released early most weeks.

Today is the culmination of a lot of work by Federico and the entire MacStories team. Every year, we try to make our reviews extra special for readers of the site and Club members who want even more of the iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS coverage that we’re known for. Thanks as always for reading MacStories and to our Club members who help us continue to do what we love.

Also, a special thanks to Scout Wilkinson and James Thomson for bringing Federico’s review to life this year. This review means a lot to us because it’s more than just a review of iOS and iPadOS 18. It also represents our vision of the future of the web as a place where individual creativity thrives and is celebrated. Our mission is to do everything we can to help make that a reality, and we hope you’ll consider helping us achieve our goal by signing up for the Club.

Thanks, and happy reading from the entire MacStories team.