The CultCast 4b2u2

This week — our hands-on, week-one reviews of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, Ultra 2’s new color + the Milanese loop controversy… This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com 1 Extended Access Management solves the problems traditional IAM and MDM can’t. It’s security for the way we work today. Check it out at 1.com/cultcast This week’s stories: Why you should choose iPhone 16 or 16 Plus over iPhone 16 Pro I’d like to save you between $200 and $400. It’s easy: Don’t assume you must buy an iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max to get an excellent handset. The more-affordable iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are both brilliant. iPhone 16 Pro: Not much new, but everything is better The iPhone 16 Pro is a much-refined iPhone. All the features that make the it pro have been improved. iPhone 16 Pro s face intermittent touchscreen problems Some s report that their iPhone 16 Pros don’t properly detect all their touches and swipes, leading to a frustrating experience. Don’t panic: Mysterious iOS 18 update for iPhone 16 is nothing to worry about Don’t be alarmed if your brand-new iPhone 16 prompts you to update to iOS 18 even though your phone is already running iOS 18. And also don’t freak out when you see a fear-inducing “Welcome to iPhone” screen after you update. Apple Watch 10: The best gets gloriously better Larger, thinner, lighter and more lushly curvaceous than predecessors, the 10th anniversary Apple Watch is, technically, a redesign. AirPods 4 review roundup: ANC really works without ear tips The first reviews of Apple AirPods 4 are in to answer the question, how well does active noise cancellation work without foam ear tips? The consensus: pretty well.

This week, it’s our live unboxing, hands-on and first impressions of the iPhone 16 Pro! Also, review roundups of AirPods and Apple Watch, and leaked details on the Apple Watch SE and MacBook Pro we didn’t get. This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/CultCast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. This week’s stories: Video: Unboxing the iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro cases OtterBoxSymmetry Series Cactus Leather OtterBox Lumen Series with Camera Control Apple Clear Case OtterBox Defender Series Pro XT AirPods 4 review roundup: ANC really works without ear tips The first reviews of Apple AirPods 4 are in to answer the question, how well does active noise cancellation work without foam ear tips? The consensus: pretty well. Apple Watch Ultra 2 in black is what ‘Batman would buy’ Rather than Apple Watch Ultra 3, we got the Ultra 2 in a “satin black” titanium finish. This might be more disappointing if early reviewers weren’t raving about the new color. Apple Watch SE 3 now expected in 2025 After two years, one might think a new Apple Watch SE is imminent but the Apple Watch Series 10 announcement on September 9 came and went with no mention of a cheaper little brother. OLED MacBook still at least 2 years away Apple’s switch from LCD to OLED in its MacBook line isn’t moving quickly. A pair of respected industry analysts agree that it won’t happen before 2026.

This week, what we like (and don’t!) about the new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, AirPods 4, AirPods Max and Apple Watch Series 10. AND — who won the event prediction game! This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com 1 Extended Access Management solves the problems traditional IAM and MDM can’t. It’s security for the way we work today. Check it out at 1.com/cultcast Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/CultCast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. This week’s stories: iPhone 16 brings refined design, snazzy new colors and A18 chip The new iPhones feature an iPhone X-like rear camera design and upgraded internals for Apple Intelligence . Bigger iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max beef up cameras and AI processing power The new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max handsets boast size increases, thinner bezels for larger screens, a leap in battery life and new features, including impressive camera and audio upgrades. Tweet showing Desert Titanium in a darker hue Apple Watch Series 10 gets major upgrade, catches up with Ultra The all-new Apple Watch Series 10 is the slimmest Apple Watch yet. With a bigger screen, longer battery life, improved water resistance, and an optional titanium finish upgrade, it’s now a serious alternative to Apple Watch Ultra. Apple Watch Ultra 2 now comes in black titanium, plus new Hermès model The Apple Watch Ultra 2 now comes in a new black titanium finish — apparently the only change. Apple refreshes AirPods with two new fourth-generation models New fourth-generation AirPods are the latest models of Apple’s popular wireless earbuds. Apple changes up AirPods Max colors, swaps in USB-C The minor updates include new colors for Apple’s over-ear headphones, tweaks to their active noise cancellation feature and the removal of the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. Extra Ordinary: “It’s Glowtime” Predictions Results Congratulations to listeners Lane Gandy, TuckerJJ and Shane Lother. Harry Potter and the Stone An Open Letter To Steve Jobs — Fix Apple TV

This week, is it gold or bronze? The latest iPhone rumors have us worried… also, what you can expect from AirPods 4, the exciting new Mac mini, and OUR PREDICTIONS for the September event! This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com This week’s stories: Mockup reveals iPhone 16 Pro gold titanium color A new render shows the iPhone 16 Pro in a gold titanium finish, rather than the bronze that was rumored previously. AirPods 4 rumors: Dramatic change coming next week Here’s what to look forward to in new AirPods variants when they’re unveiled at the “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9. M4 Mac mini might give up on USB-A entirely Reports suggest the Mac mini could finally get a new design this year. The revamp will make the overall machine much smaller, about the same size as an Apple TV. More affordable iPad Magic Keyboard is in development iPad s can look forward to a less expensive version of Apple’s Magic Keyboard, according to information leaking out of Apple. The CultCast “It’s Glowtime” Predictions Submit your own guesses

This week, it’s official — iPhone 16 is coming! Here’s what to expect. Also, M4 Macs are on the way and might ship with double the RAM, why Apple Intelligence isn’t far behind OpenAI, and the best Apple features you probably aren’t using! This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co This week’s stories: Apple September 9 event invite promises ‘It’s Glowtime’ Apple sent out invitations Monday for a press event on September 9. MacBook Pros With M4 Pro and M4 Max Chips Reportedly Being Mass Produced This Month Apple's supply chain is beginning mass production of next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips in August, according to Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes. Apple is definitely not behind in AI, research paper shows A white paper on Apple Intelligence reveals two important facts about Apple’s homegrown LLM: it’s the safest in design and highly competitive with both Llama and GPT-4. Extra Ordinary: Notes on the Apple Intelligence White Paper Apple: Apple Intelligence Foundation Language Models Apple Photos app’s Clean Up feature works great … unless it doesn’t! The new AI-powered Clean Up feature in the Apple Photos app got people raving about the magical ability to “fix” pictures — and posting examples of when things go horribly wrong. iPhone 17 Pro Max might exclusively ship with a superior cooling system Apple will seemingly continue offering enhanced specs on its Pro Max iPhone to differentiate it from other models. Apple’s entry-level M4 Macs might ship with double the RAM Reportedly, the company is testing multiple M4 Macs with 16 or 32GB of system memory. The lack of an 8GB model indicates the company might do away with that configuration entirely. 6 mind-blowing Continuity features every Apple should know Nothing illustrates the power of Apple’s ecosystem like the Continuity features that help your Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch work seamlessly together. Video on YouTube

In this episdoe we go where no CultCast has gone before.... 

GOTTEM: Here are iPhone 16’s cameras and colors (CultCast #661)

Fork it over, pal!

What’s coming next for iPhone 16 Pro, iPad, and the return of iMac Pro!? (CultCast #660)

This week, a wave of M4 Macs is on the way — including the miniest Mac mini ever! Also, the latest on iOS 18, a plastic Apple Watch, the tragic tale of Erfon’s iPhone, and an all-new Under Review! This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! Check out CultCloth.co — but only if you want the best cleaning cloths money can buy. This week’s stories: MacBook Pro and Mac mini’s M4 upgrade coming later this year Apple will reportedly launch M4-powered MacBooks and iMacs later this year. But the company will wait until 2025 to refresh its entire Mac lineup with its latest M-series chip. Here comes the incredible shrinking Mac mini Apple is going to shrink the next Mac mini when it adds an M4 processor, according to an often-reliable source of insider information. The desktop could be the size of an Apple TV. iOS 18 beta 5: All the new features and changes The fifth beta of iOS 18 is here, with Apple following its two-week release cycle for beta releases. While the last few betas were light on changes, that’s not the case with iOS 18 beta 5. The iOS 18 Photos app needs some major tweaks Get ready for ‘kid-friendly’ Apple Watch SE The Apple Watch SE 3 reportedly will come in a plastic casing. Skipping the usual aluminum case will allow the wearable to come in a broad array of colors, potentially making it more appealing to younger buyers. Samsung shakes up mobile team over ‘Apple design plagiarism’ You can add Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong to the list of people who think his company’s new smartwatch and wireless earbuds are much too similar to Apple’s products. Under Review: Zike 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand The Zike 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Stand is a finely made desktop charger for your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods.

This week, Apple Intelligence is out! What features are in? Also, leaked colors for the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, the first Apple silicon 5G chip coming next year and the first thought-controlled Vision Pro! This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/CultCast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. This week’s stories: How to get Apple Intelligence features early You can get the Apple Intelligence beta right now on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Not all features are available yet, but you can try out the new Siri, writing tools, Mail features and more by requesting early access. How to stop Siri from randomly activating all the damn time iPhone 16 could come in these 5 colors Alleged iPhone 16 dummy units showing off the rear ’s design and color options leaked in all their glory. iPhone 16 Pro Max looks stealthy in leaked black titanium shade Apple will apparently offer its Pro iPhones in at least three shades: white, black, and titanium. Unlike in the past, it appears the company will finally adopt a deep black shade for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, giving it a stealthy look. Apple’s in-house 5G modem could finally debut on next year’s iPhones Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple will debut its 5G chip on two iPhone models in 2025. The chip will launch with the iPhone SE 4 in the spring of 2025, followed by the iPhone 17 Slim later in the year. Brain implant lets ALS patient control Vision Pro via thoughts In a groundbreaking development, a brain-computer interface (BCI) company called Synchron successfully demonstrated the first-ever use of Apple’s Vision Pro controlled directly by thought. Listen to new Apple history podcast by two Cult of Mac alumni A new Apple history podcast from two Cult of Mac contributors launched this month. In each episode of Apple Core, hosts Graham Bower and Charlie Sorrel explore the history of a different Apple product, focusing on what we can learn from Apple’s past, and what this tells us about the company’s future plans. Speed up Haptic Touch with this hidden iPhone setting [Pro Tip] A hidden setting in iOS 17 will speed up Haptic Touch, the fantastic feature that lets you preview links and bring up option menus on your iPhone. If you use Haptic Touch all the time like I do, changing this setting will make your iPhone feel supercharged.

This week: three wild iPhone rumors — a folding phone, a slim phone, a DSLR camera phone — also, is Apple TV's streaming bubble about to burst? This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/CultCast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Notion AI can now give you instant answers to your questions, using information from across your wiki, projects, docs and meeting notes. Go to notion.com/cultcast to try the powerful Notion AI today. 1 Extended Access Management solves the problems traditional IAM and MDM can’t touch. It’s security for the way we work today, and it’s available now to companies with Okta, and coming later this year to Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra. Check it out at 1.com/product/XAM. This week’s stories: ‘iPhone 17 Slim’ could become Apple’s new handset https://www.cultofmac.com/863264/iphone-17-slim-rumors-first-specifications-leaks-price/ iPhone 17 camera could get DSLR-like variable aperture https://www.cultofmac.com/863482/iphone-17-could-get-dslr-camera-like-variable-aperture/ Folding iPhone could shake up Apple’s lineup in 2026 https://www.cultofmac.com/863430/folding-iphone-release-date-design-apple-2026/ Bulked-up iPhone SE 4 could add OLED screen for first time https://www.cultofmac.com/863269/bigger-iphone-se-4-with-oled-display/ Apple tightens the purse strings on Apple TV+ https://www.cultofmac.com/863225/apple-tv-plus-budget-cuts/

WE ANSWER YOUR MOST PRESSING QUESTIONS (CCOT #13!)

This week, there’s a BRAND NEW HOMEPOD — is it too good to be true? Yes. Also, more iPhone 16 Pro leaks, public betas are out, and an all-new Under Review! This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/CultCast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. The Bilt Mastercard® is the first card to offer points on rent with no transaction fee. Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to bilt.com/CULTCAST This week’s stories: HomePod mini goes to the dark side Apple replaced the Space Gray color of the HomePod mini smart speaker with a new Midnight color. How to the iOS 18 Public Beta Public betas of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and watchOS 11 are now out. iOS 18’s Photos app will help recover corrupted pictures and videos iOS 18’s redesigned Photos app will gain a Recovered album to help you restore damaged photos or videos. It will show up when the app detects corrupted media not in your photo library. Rumor: iPhone 16 Pro to use iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x telephoto camera The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will seemingly use the same 5x tetraprism camera as the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple takes back title as world’s most valuable company With a market capitalization above $3.6 trillion, Apple regained the title of world’s most valuable publicly traded company. Under Review: OWC Thunderbay 4 The ThunderBay 4 by Otherworld Computing is the best option if you want modular, high-speed external storage.

This week, we’re talking potentially huge news for the iPhone 17, the latest changes in iOS 18, disappointing news for the Apple Watch — but the latest evidence the HomePod with a screen is real! This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com Notion AI can now give you instant answers to your questions, using information from across your wiki, projects, docs and meeting notes. Go to notion.com/cultcast to try the powerful Notion AI today. This week’s stories: iPhone 17 may get cutting-edge 2nm chip from TSMC after all Apple’s chip-maker TSMC will begin trial production of 2 nanometer processors next week. Apple Watch Series 10 could lack advanced new health features The Apple Watch Series 10 could sport a thinner design with a bigger display, but it sounds like new health sensors won’t arrive this year. How to customize Apple Watch widgets for easy access to your favorite apps Code for HomePod with large touchscreen found in tvOS 18 A bit of the interface for a rumored HomePod smart speaker with a large touchscreen reportedly turned up in the latest beta for tvOS 18. How to stop Siri from randomly activating all the damn time iOS 18 beta 3: All the new features and changes The third beta of iOS 18 is here, almost a month after Apple dropped the first developer build. Catch a scary glimpse of Severance season 2, coming in January Word of a season 2 air date arrived Wednesday, along with a spooky teaser trailer. Under Review: Wombat Willow Pro The Willow Wombat Pro is a low-profile backlit mechanical keyboard that packs a full set of keys in a compact layout. Griffin’s Model F keyboard

This week, next-gen AirPods Pro with IR cameras that’ll do… what, exactly? We also have more details on the cheaper Vision Pro, a hidden feature in your iPad Magic Keyboard and an all-new Under Review! This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/CultCast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. This week’s stories: Future AirPods could use IR cameras for in-air gesture control Apple could equip a future AirPods variant with camera modules. The earbuds may incorporate an IR camera, like the one Apple uses for iPhone’s Face ID. Vision Pro: Vision Pro might not get Apple Intelligence until 2025 MacRumors: Apple Likely Planning to Use Bigger, Lower Resolution Displays for Cheaper Vision Headset Apple will get a board observer seat at OpenAI later this year Apple Inc. will get an observer role on OpenAI’s board as part of a landmark agreement announced last month, further tightening ties between the once-unlikely partners. How to find the iPad Magic Keyboard’s hidden backlight Some people complain that the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad doesn’t have a backlight for the keyboard. Turns out it actually does have one, but the controls aren’t where you might expect. Apple Watch can detect leading cause of heart attacks, doctor says The Apple Watch can detect a leading cause of heart attacks — an und capability that could have big implications for health monitoring — according to a Dutch doctor. The 8 weirdest unreleased Apple products Apple only shows off its finished products, which makes the company’s secret prototypes and early concepts all the more fascinating. Even if you’re well-versed in Apple history, these alternate-history unreleased Apple products will intrigue and confuse. Under Review: Soundpeats Air4 Pro Nintendo Switch OLED Model

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This week, details on the cheaper Apple Vision Pro, leaked Apple Watch Series 10, more new features in iOS 18, and why Apple Intelligence isn’t coming to the European Union! This episode ed by: Listeners like you. Your helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. The CultCast at .thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co This week’s stories: Leaked Apple Watch Series 10 renders reveal bigger display Alleged CAD renders of the Apple Watch Series 10 have leaked online, revealing its 2-inch display. Apple’s cheaper Vision headset might require a tethered iPhone or Mac The company’s engineers are struggling to reduce costs without affecting the headset’s key features. iOS 18 beta 2: All the new features and changes Following a two-week gap since the first iOS 18 beta release, Apple seeded the second developer beta of the OS. The new build packs many more features missing from the initial release. YouTube: How to Make a Great Custom Home Screen MacRumors: iOS 18 to Bring These 5 New Features to AirPods Pro iOS 18 promises to make your AirPods Pro experience better with a handful of sophisticated new capabilities that draw from machine learning improvements and AI enhancements. Your iPhone will soon work better with third-party displays and batteries Apple will improve for third-party iPhone displays and batteries later this year. Bloomberg: Apple Won’t Roll Out Apple Intelligence to EU Over Regulatory Concerns Apple Inc. is withholding a raft of new technologies from hundreds of millions of consumers in the European Union, citing concerns posed by the bloc’s regulatory attempts to rein in Big Tech.

The Wilhelm Scream - Hollywood's secret sound effect! (CCOT #11)

Apple prepping new Vision Air, thinner Apple Watch, and more M4 Macs! (CultCast #652)