This week—new leaks give us our best look yet at iPhone 13! We got details and pics to share. Plus: Apple has a stunningly new retail location, and we review their most beautiful retail stores, and we review the dizzying number of new original shows and movies coming to Apple TV+—it might finally be worth the price!

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On the show this week

@erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace

New iPhone 13 dummies and renders show incremental changes

• Leaker Sonny Dickson showed off iPhone 13 dummies Wednesday of four possible models that could be released this fall, in addition to case renders and video of a case, included below. They all suggest a handful of tweaks to iPhone 12 that may be forthcoming in the new models.

iPhone 13 will come with new, improved batteries and faster 5G for many users

• The next-gen iPhone will boast “more flexible SiP battery modules and LCP antenna modules,” backing up previous rumors that it will come with a new, improved battery and bring new ultra-speedy mmWave 5G to new countries.

1 in 5 customers say they’d skip iPhone 13 due to superstition

• A massive 74% of people surveyed think Apple’s next iPhone should be called something other than “iPhone 13.” And triskaidekaphobia — aka fear of the number 13 — could stop one in five Apple users from buying the next-gen smartphone if it bears that name.

Apple’s new Tower Theatre store in LA looks preposterously beautiful

• Apple previewed its newest retail location at the historic Tower Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. The company announced the store’s Thursday opening in conjunction with the launch of the Today at Apple Creative Studios global mentorship initiative for young creatives.

Here’s when Foundation and other big shows hit Apple TV+

• The free Apple TV+ trial offered when the service debuted runs out at the end of June, and the iPhone-maker is trying to build excitement for upcoming series by announcing their debut dates.

Apple TV+ prepares a visit to Nathan Pyle’s whimsical Strange Planet

• Dan Harmon will reportedly turn Nathan Pyle’s humorous Strange Planet webcomic into an Apple TV+ animated series. This will combine a comic that’s already become a series of best-selling graphic novels with the creator/writer of Rick and Morty.

This week: leaked! A new report outlines everything we can expect from Apple Watch Series 7, and it’s kind of a surprising.... Plus: Apple’s Beats Studio Buds are like cheaper AirPods Pro, M1 iMacs are shipping with crooked screens, and some big Apple TV+ changes you need to know about.

Get 2-3 episodes of CultCast Off Topic each and every week for just $6! Off Topic is a new weekly variety show hosted by Erfon Elijah and friends, decidated to tech, gaming, culture, and more. Join Cult Support, good friend!

This episode supported by

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.

Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

CultCloth will keep your iPhone 12, Apple Watch, iPad, glasses and lenses sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CarryCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.

Join us in the CultClub! discord.gg/BrKdnSK

On the show this week

@erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace

Win not one but two Quattro Pro Apple Watch bumper cases [Cult of Mac Giveaway]

• You might make your Apple Watch look like a retro Casio with our giveaway this week. Four lucky winners will receive not one but two Quattro Pro Apple Watch bumper cases from Elkson. That’s one to keep and one to give to a friend.

Apple Watch Series 7 will feature updated display, Explorer Edition will ship in 2022

• The Apple Watch Series 7 will boast a faster processor, better wireless connectivity, and a new, improved screen, says a new report from Bloomberg. The screen will have thinner bezels and a “new lamination technique that brings the display closer to the front cover.” This would be the first Apple Watch form factor redesign since 2018.

iOS 15: How to Get Notified If You Leave an AirTag or Apple Device Behind

• In iOS 15, Apple has added separation alerts to the Find My app, which let you know when you leave an AirTag or other Apple device behind. Separation alerts also support Find My-enabled third-party accessories.

9 great but easily overlooked features in iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey

• Apple made an enormous number of changes in its 2021 operating system updates. Many of these drew plenty of attention — like the FaceTime upgrade — but some useful improvements might have been overlooked in all the hoopla. Here are nine new features in iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey you might have overlooked.

Some M1 iMac Models Shipping With Crooked Mountings

• Some M1 iMacs appear to have a manufacturing defect that causes the display to be mounted on the stand in a way that's not perfectly aligned, leading to a crooked display.

EU regulation would ‘destroy the security of the iPhone,’ Tim Cook warns

• Apple’s CEO told the audience at France’s VivaTech conference that a critical part of the European Union’s proposed Digital Markets Act isn’t in the best interests of iPhone users. The proposal would require Apple to allow users to sideload applications, something CEO Tim Cook and the company are adamantly opposed to.

Cupertino quietly cuts full-year Apple TV+ trial to just 3 months

• Apple quietly reduced the one-year Apple TV+ free trial for customers who buy new Apple devices to three months. The company made the change in a note on its Apple TV+ website. While customers who buy and activate an eligible device (that’s an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac) before July 1 will get the one-year trial, those who do so from July 1 onward will qualify only for three months.

How to cancel the Apple TV+ free trial before you have to pay up

• When Apple TV+ made its big debut in 2019, Apple offered a one-year trial to those who bought a new iPhone, iPad or Mac. It then extended the free trial twice, first to January 2021 and then to the end of June.

This week: we recap and react to all the best WWDC '21 keynote announcements! Plus: what the heck happened to the rumored MacBook Pros?? We discuss!

Get 2-3 episodes of CultCast Off Topic each and every week for just $6! Off Topic is a new weekly variety show hosted by Erfon Elijah and friends, decidated to tech, gaming, culture, and more. Join Cult Support, good friend!

This episode supported by

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.

Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

CultCloth will keep your iPhone 12, Apple Watch, iPad, glasses and lenses sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CarryCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.

Join us in the CultClub! discord.gg/BrKdnSK

On the show this week

@erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace

9 things that blew us away at WWDC 2021

iCloud+ makes your online activities more secure on Apple devices

• iCloud+ is a new service that promises to make your online activities more private and more secure. It’s included at no extra cost with a premium iCloud subscription, and it works across all your Apple devices. Here’s what Private Relay, Hide My Email, and HomeKit Secure Video in iCloud+ can do for you.

tvOS 15 lets you sign into apps using Face ID or Touch ID on iPhone

• tvOS 15 will offer a “Sign in with Apple Device option.” Selecting it will deliver a notification to your iPhone and iPad (if they’ve been updated), where you’ll be able to sign in quickly using Face ID or Touch ID.tfv

iOS 15 brings back word magnifier for easier text selection

• The iPhone text magnifier makes a comeback in iOS 15. It disappeared two years ago, but returns in the next version of iOS and iPadOS. The magnifier makes it easier to place the cursor exactly where the user wants, without it being hidden behind their fingertip.

Live Text in iOS 15 is completely amazing

• Like so many people, I’ve gotten in the habit of taking a picture of anything I want to remember later. Live Text makes this even more useful. Rather than saving a whole image, I can turn the text in it into a note or a reminder.

You may be waiting a few more months for Apple’s new MacBook Pro

• Apple’s forthcoming MacBook Pros were erroneously expected by some to show up at this year’s WWDC. But according to a report from Digitimes, the next-gen Apple notebooks will not launch until the third quarter of 2021. This could be due to a lower-than-expected production yield for the mini LED screens for the computer.

Live Text and other macOS Monterey features not coming to Intel Macs

• Many of macOS Monterey’s most exciting new features will not be available on Mac models powered by Intel processors. Live Text, Portrait mode for FaceTime video calls and more all require Apple’s own M1 chip.

This week: it’s all but confirmed… ANOTHER source is saying we’re getting new Macs at WWDC’s keynote on Monday. They're incoming!  

Plus we’ll review all iOS 15’s rumored features, and there’s something going on with HomePod that Apple’s not telling us… there’s hope for us HomePod fans!

Get 2-3 episodes of CultCast Off Topic each and every week for just $6! Off Topic is a new weekly variety show hosted by Erfon Elijah and friends, decidated to tech, gaming, culture, and more. Join Cult Support, good friend!

This episode supported by

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.

Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

CultCloth will keep your iPhone 12, Apple Watch, iPad, glasses and lenses sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CarryCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.

Join us in the CultClub! discord.gg/BrKdnSK

On the show this week

@erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace

Expect to see updated MacBook Pros at WWDC

• Wedbush analyst Dan Ives expects new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros to be among Apple’s announcements for the usually software-focused WWDC. The company’s 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off with a keynote address next Monday.

Why interactive widgets might be the best improvement in iOS 15

• Widgets actually debuted in iPadOS 13, then made the jump to iOS in 2020. But Apple has yet to make them interactive. The current version gives fast access to useful information. A widget is convenient for seeing what’s coming up on your calendar, or checking the weather. But they can’t do anything.

Apple has a pair of intriguing HomePod devices in the works

• A proposed HomePod speaker with a built-in screen, and another device combining HomePod, FaceTime camera, and Apple TV, remain in “early development” at Apple, a Bloomberg report Friday states.

Mysterious ‘homeOS’ platform leaks in Apple job listing [Updated]

• There’s macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and tvOS. How about homeOS, signaling a ramping up of Apple’s smart home ambitions? That is one take-home from a new Apple Music job posting spotted online. It references a hitherto-unannounced mobile operating system called “homeOS.” While Apple rolled out its HomeKit smart home platform in 2014, it has — to date — been a part of iOS/iPadOS, rather than its own fully fledged operating system. That could change soon.