This week:

• iPhone 15 going Thunderbolt
• Insane Black Friday deals
• More!

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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 Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 14, 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.

This week's stories

iPhone 15 Pro could feature significantly faster wired data-transfer speeds

• 2023 iPhone 15 Pro models could feature faster data-transfer speeds over a wired connection. Rumors indicate Apple will transition to USB Type-C connectors across its entire iPhone lineup next year. But the faster data-transfer speeds could be limited to the Pro models.

Rounded corners and edges plus titanium case rumored for iPhone 15

• A leaker with a pretty good track record for accuracy said Sunday the upcoming iPhone 15 series will feature rounded corners and edges, plus a titanium case. Rounded corners would harken way back to earlier iPhones and a titanium case would be a first for Apple handsets.

See also Leander's piece from Cult of Mac Today newsletter: "Next iPhone might be titanium

• In the newsletter, he talks all about Apple's alternating "Extrudo" and "Sandwich" design styles. It's been switching between the two from the very beginning!

Enter to win a Function101 Button Remote for Apple TV and say, ‘So long, Siri’ [Cult of Mac giveaway]

• Three lucky winners in this week’s giveaway will be able to cast aside the Siri Remote forever. We’re giving away three Function101 Button Remotes for Apple TV.e
• But even if you don’t win, you can still free yourself from one of Apple’s most divisive devices. Retailing at just $29.95, the Button Remote is a deal for everyone who doesn’t like the Apple TV’s Siri Remote.

The best Black Friday deals on AirPods, MacBooks, iPads and Apple Watch

• Black Friday is just around the corner, and that means you can get hefty discounts on Apple products. While the shopping event is a few days away, Black Friday deals have already gone live across various retailers.

Mondo drops ‘innie’ and ‘outie’ vinyl soundtracks for Severance

• Collectibles seller Mondo will release a soundtrack Wednesday for Apple TV+’s Severance season 1 in two versions, both on vinyl: Innie Edition and Outie Edition.

This week:

• Apple's free Emergency satellite SOS goes live!
• Apple is building a rival to the metaverse
• iPhone 4K video - it’s a scam!
• The magic of Apple's Find My network
• Steve Jobs’ stinky old sandals go to auction

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 Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 14, 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.

This week's stories

Apple launches free Emergency SOS via satellite on all iPhone 14 models

• iPhone 14 models can now use Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite service. It allows users of the latest iOS handsets to exchange texts with emergency services while outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

Apple is building a rival to the metaverse

• Apple job listings offer a peek into the development of the company’s long-rumored AR headset. Cupertino seemingly wants to create augmented reality and 3D content for its mixed-reality device, which could arrive in early 2023.

Steve Jobs’ sandals sell for a lot more than you might imagine anyone paying for used shoes - lewis

This week: it's about to get a lot harder to buy Macs, iPhones, AirPods and more. Get'em while you can! Plus: Apple's about to make it even easier to accidentally turn on Siri, and the strange story no one's talking about: Apple's industrial design team is falling apart right before our eyes.

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 Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 14, 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.

This week's stories

Bad news for Xmas: Apple’s largest factory forced into ‘total lockdown’

• Days after reports of Foxconn employees hopping fences and fleeing from their jobs, a report from Taiwan News says Apple’s biggest iPhone factory is now on “total lockdown.” These new restrictions could have a big impact on Apple’s sales during the crucial holiday period.

Apple wants to shorten ‘Hey Siri’ trigger phrase to simply ‘Siri’

• Apple is working on changing the “Hey Siri” hotword to just plain “Siri,” and the change could roll out as early as next year.

Apple News will be shoved into the Weather app

• In the latest beta of iOS 16.2, certain cities have an additional section for weather news, slotted between the 10-day forecast and the air quality meter. On iPadOS and macOS Ventura, this section occupies an even larger widget in the corner.

Apple's Product Design Team Reportedly Focused More on Costs in Recent Years

• Apple's efforts to replace its former design chief Jony Ive have been hindered by increased turnover within the company's product design team over the past few years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The report claims that Apple has lost the majority of senior designers who worked under Ive, with many of them jumping ship to his new design firm LoveFrom, which he started after leaving Apple in 2019.

This week: CultCast is talking iPhone 15 going buttonless, backlit Apple logo making a comeback, and our review of Apple's weird workplace drama Severance!

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 Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 13, 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.

This week's stories

iPhone 15 Pro could use solid-state volume and power buttons

• Apple could switch to solid-state volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro series. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has made this claim based on his latest supply chain checks.

Don’t expect new MacBook Pro or Mac mini before 2023

• Apple is done introducing Macs in 2022, according to a reliable source of insider information. The MacBook Pro models with the M2 Pro and M2 Max allegedly won’t be out until late in Q1 2023.

Backlit Apple Logo Could Make a Comeback on Future MacBooks

• The first Mac laptop with a lit-up Apple logo was the third-generation PowerBook G3 launched in 1999, and the glowing symbol proved a mainstay through consecutive Apple notebooks for the next 16 years. The only change in that period was that the logo got flipped upright, so that it no longer appeared upside down to onlookers when someone was sat in public with the lid open.

New EU Law Could Force Apple to Allow Other App Stores, Sideloading, and iMessage Interoperability

• Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the rules will apply to tech giants that meet its "gatekeeper" criteria and force them to open up their various services and platforms to other companies and developers.

Filming begins on Severance season 2 with 8 new stars

• Fans of the hit Apple TV+ series Severance can rejoice that production on season 2 started this week. More of what Stephen Colbert called a “dystopian workplace sci-fi mystery black comedy psychological thriller” is on the way.