This week: Apple's prepping a new HomePod with a 7" touchscreen, plus: Apple might enter the AI game, and TC order headset release as designers warn it's not ready!

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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 working on a HomePod with 7-inch display for 2024

• Apple could launch its first smart display as soon as next year. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple is preparing a HomePod with a 7-inch display for H1 2024.

Tim Cook approves AR headset’s 2023 launch despite opposition from Apple design team

• Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly sided with COO Jeff Williams to launch the company’s AR/VR headset this year, despite the fact that Cupertino’s design team wanted to wait a few more years to launch a sleeker pair of AR glasses.

Enter to win a versatile selfie stick that does it all [Cult of Mac giveaway]

Report: Apple to 'Re-Examine' AI Development

• Apple is planning to "re-examine" its development of artificial intelligence, according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse wins Oscar for Apple TV+

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave Apple TV+ its latest Oscar win, this time for The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. It is hand-drawn animation, and it therefore took home the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.

Apple Music Classical finally makes its debut performance

• A preview of Apple Music Classical appeared Thursday on the App Store. When available, the app will offer access to the world’s largest classical music catalog, with more than

This week: a new iMac and (M3!) MacBook Airs are incoming! Plus: new yellow iPhone 14s, new details on iPhone 15 Pro, and we compare Apple Mail vs the newly FREE Microsoft Outlook!

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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 yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, plus new case colors

• Apple rolled out yellow versions of its iPhone 14 and 14 Plus handsets Tuesday as part of a typical midcycle refresh. The new color joins midnight, starlight, Product(Red), blue and purple in the lineup. Apple made four new silicone case colors available, too.

Brighten up your iPhone with new wallpaper coming with yellow iPhone 14

New multicolored Hermès Apple Watch band is $599 of unicorn vomit

Apple Readies Its Next Range of Macs, Including — Finally — a New iMac

13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air reportedly will use the M3 chip

• Apple plans to use the entry-level variant of the M3 system-on-a-chip with an eight-core CPU in both models, according to 9to5Mac. Cupertino apparently does not plan on offering the 15-inch MacBook Air with a more powerful Pro variant of its 3nm chip.

Microsoft makes Outlook for Mac free for everyone

• Microsoft no longer charges for Outlook for Mac. It’s free to use, no subscription fee required.

This week:

All the best new features in the iOS 16.4 betas, plus: the new HomePod Vs the Original! Papa Erf has some surprising sound tests to discuss…

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Kolide ensures only secure devices can access your cloud apps. It’s Zero Trust tailor-made for Okta. Book a demo today at Kolide.com/cultcast

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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

iOS 16.4 beta 1 & 2: All the new features and changes

Simple security hack keeps your iCloud account safe from iPhone thieves

A Basic iPhone Feature Helps Criminals Steal Your Entire Digital Life (The Wall Street Journal)

How Apple’s secret Exploratory Design Group makes magic happen

• Few outside of Apple have ever heard of the company’s secretive Exploratory Design Group. However, the team includes many of Apple’s brightest minds — and is developing some of its most innovative products.

HomePod 2: Does it sound better or worse than the original?

• The CultCast host Erfon Elijah finally got our hands on the coveted HomePod 2 speakers. He put the 2023 model head-to-head with the 2018 model the way it’s meant to be enjoyed: in a stereo pair.

Enter to win a high-end backpack from Harber London [Cult of Mac giveaway]

• We’re giving one lucky person the chance to win a lavish Commuter Backpack from Harber London in this week’s giveaway. This spacious, 17-liter backpack retails for $234.

iMessage is coming to Windows … kind of

• People never thought it would happen. People didn’t think it was possible. But in an update to Windows 11, you will be able to send and receive iMessages and manage your notifications through a PC.

This week:

We've got our first look at iPhone 15 and the secret new color coming to iPhone 15 Pro. Plus: Apple's prepping a world changing feature for Apple Watch.

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Save 50% on a Dashlane subscription with code cultofmac50!

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.

The Lectric XP 3.0 is a compact but powerful folding eBike you can take anywhere! At just $999, with its 45 mile range and speeds up to 28 MPH, the XP 3.0 is one of the best eBike values on the market. Visit lectricebikes.com to learn more!

This week's stories

Leaked iPhone 15 CAD renders reveal bigger 6.2-inch display with Dynamic Island

• 3D CAD renders of the 2023 iPhone 15 have leaked online, revealing all the design changes Apple is planning. This includes bringing the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island to the non-Pro iPhones this year.

TSMC’s entire 3nm chip output goes to Apple

• Apple designs its own processors but they’re made by TSMC. And the foundry has been able to shrink the components of Apple’s chips every year or two, allowing them to work faster while generating less waste heat.

Enter to win a sturdy, folding iPad stand that rotates 360 degrees [Cult of Mac giveaway] - Lewis

• This week’s giveaway will let five lucky winners get their hands on a convenient 360 Rotating Universal Tablet Stand from Lululook. Available in two sleek colors, space gray and silver, this rock-solid iPad stand will definitely complement your device.

Inside the secret mission to add glucose monitor to Apple Watch

• Apple Watch is well-known as a health tracker, but a new report said a secret project dating back to Steve Jobs’ era — to use the wearable to monitor glucose without pricking the skin to get blood — has made headway recently. And that has major implications.

Why the Apple Watch might be banned from US import

• A decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission to block Apple Watch imports reportedly received a go-ahead from the Biden administration.

This week:

We roundup the features coming iPhone 15 Pro and Max! Plus: a new 15.5-inch MacBook is INCOMING, and don’t forget to update the software on your MagSafe cable!

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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.

The Lectric XP 3.0 is a compact but powerful folding eBike you can take anywhere! At just $999, with its 45 mile range and speeds up to 28 MPH, the XP 3.0 is one of the best eBike values on the market. Visit lectricebikes.com to learn more!

This week's stories

What to expect from the redesigned, faster iPhone 15 in 2023

• Apple has used the same basic iPhone chassis design for three years, and the company’s previous practices indicate it’s time for a change. A tipster says we can expect rounded edges in place of the current square ones. But no images or CAD drawings showing the exact changes have emerged yet.

Apple supposedly will use titanium in at least one of the Pro models. 15.5-inch MacBook Air could arrive in April

• A super-size MacBook Air is supposedly right around the corner. An analyst who’s built a solid reputation for accurately predicting Apple products says the next macOS notebook will be out in six weeks or so.

We're giving away five 360 Rotating Universal Tablet Stand from Lululook.

• Made of aluminum with a heavy-duty base, this stable tablet stand can hold everything from an iPad Pro to a iPhone (plus Android devices -- boo!).

Don’t forget to update the software on your MagSafe cable

• Apple issued an important software update recently — and we’re not talking for iPhone, Mac, iPad or Apple Watch. It’s 2023, so it’s for something way more esoteric: a power cable.
• Yes, the USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable comes with a tiny computer inside of it that needs software updates, for some inscrutable reason.

King Charles coronation logo created by iPhone designer

• The official logo for King Charles III's coronation, which will show up at street parties and on social media and souvenirs, has been revealed by Buckingham Palace.
• It has been created by Sir Jony Ive, known for his innovative designs of Apple gadgets, including the iPhone.

This week:

Details leak about iPhone ULTRA, a higher-end iPhone with a higher price! Plus, Apple execs reveal why they really ditched Intel...

This episode supported by

The Lectric XP 3.0 is a compact but powerful folding eBike you can take anywhere! At just $999, with its 45 mile range and speeds up to 28 MPH, the XP 3.0 is one of the best eBike values on the market. Visit lectricebikes.com to learn more!

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 could launch an ‘Ultra’ high-end iPhone as soon as 2024

• Apple’s Tim Cook told investors that consumers are willing to pay up for the best iPhone they can get, signaling that even more ritzy models may be on the way.

‘iPhone Ultra’ concept envisions what a titanium iPhone might look like

Exclusive: iPhone reverse wireless charging development continues after Apple missed target

Win a supreme stand that mounts your MagSafe iPhone anywhere [Cult of Mac giveaway]

• This week’s giveaway will see three lucky winners receiving an Orbit Universal Magnetic Stand by SwitchEasy.The multifunctional stand works with any MagSafe-compatible iPhone. And it lets you mount that iPhone practically anywhere, from your desk to monitor to your car’s dash (thanks to the 3M sticker on the back).

Who will be Apple’s next Jony Ive? Nobody, apparently.

• Apple reportedly stopped looking for a replacement industrial design chief. This is surprising, as it’s a high-profile position once held by Jony Ive, who led the team that created the iconic look of the iPhone, iMac and more.

Apple execs reveal what went wrong with Intel

• What pulled Apple away from Intel? In a new interview, Apple executives Tim Millet and Bob Borchers reveal why the company shifted to making its own Mac chips.

This week:

The HomePods are arriving at people's doorsteps and the reviews are in — let's have an honest chat about HomePod V2. Plus: Apple is planning an even BIGGER Ultra Watch, and a folder iPad is in the works!

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

HomePod 2 review roundup: Great sound but no giant leap forward

• If there’s a bottom line to HomePod 2 reviews published Tuesday by the likes of CNET, The Verge, TechRadar and TechCrunch, it’s that the new full-size HomePod is a fine choice for hardcore Apple users of means — but not so much for anyone else.

HomePod 2 wait times stretch out until March

• Order the recently unveiled HomePod 2 from the online Apple store today and it might not arrive until March. Preorders for the revived version of Apple’s full-size smart speaker have surpassed the launch-day supply.

Kuo: Apple to Release Foldable iPad With Carbon Fiber Kickstand in 2024

• Apple will launch a foldable iPad with a carbon fiber kickstand sometime next year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple Smart Home Display: Everything We Know

• Apple is working on a new Home accessory that is designed to serve as a central hub for smart home management. The Apple TV and the HomePod are already home hubs and almost all Apple devices can control a HomeKit setup, but Apple is designing an all-in-one home management product to make control even easier.

The giveaway this week is from SwitchEasy it's for the Orbit Universal Magnetic Stand.

• SwitchEasy’s Orbit Universal Magnetic Stand is fully adjustable and extendable for the perfect view, with strong magnets to mount any MagSafe-compatible iPhone (or compatible case).

Apple Watch Ultra With Nearly 10% Larger Display Rumored to Launch Next Year

• A new Apple Watch Ultra with a larger 2.1-inch display will be released in 2024, according to a report today from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, citing industry sources.

Jony Ive creates ‘perfect’ schnoz for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day

• Legendary Apple design chief Jony Ive, responsible for the look and feel of iconic products like iPhone, grabbed headlines Wednesday for a new creation — a big, red paper nose. That may sound odd, but it’s for a good cause.

This week:

Yes the new M2 MacBook Pro is a spec bump, but it's a BIG one! Plus: why the new Mac mini is both exciting AND disappointing, and the original HomePods get another big update!

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Rocket Money shows you all your subscriptions all in one place, and then cancels whatever you don’t want with a single click! Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions right now at rocketmoney.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.

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

2023 MacBook Pro review roundup: M2 Max brings considerable performance boost

• Yes, the M2 MacBook Pro is a spec bump, but a really great one.

First independent look at the newest macOS notebooks. The reviewers’ consensus is that the only noticeable change is the performance gain coming from the new M2 Max or M2 Pro processors.

Review roundup: M2 and M2 Pro chips jack up new Mac mini models

• The Mac mini first came out in 2005 as a compact and affordable desktop option that could draw new Mac users.

Entry-level 2023 Mac mini and MacBook Pros use significantly slower SSDs

Enter to win a charming Apple Watch Band from Goldenerre

iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.2 arrive

• After a relatively short beta period, Apple on Monday released iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.2 to the public.

This week:

They're finally here, the new M2 MacBook Pros, mew Mac mini and Mac mini "Pro", and the brand new HomePods! This episode we react and discuss all of it....

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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

Apple Announces New MacBook Pros With M2 Pro and M2 Max Chips, Up to 96GB RAM, and More

• The new M2 Pro chip features a 10-core or 12-core CPU and offers up to 20% faster performance than the M1 Pro chip, according to Apple. The chip also has a 16-core or 19-core GPU that delivers up to 30% faster graphics performance over the M1 Pro, while the 16-core Neural Engine is up to 40% faster compared to the previous generation.

2024 MacBook Pro will feature even-faster 3nm Apple M3-series processors

• Apple designs the CPUs for its computers but they are produced by TSMC. And while the Taiwanese company has been able to consistently shrink the components of Apple’s chips every couple of years, but serious problems with the 3nm process that rollout was delayed many months.

Apple launches powerful new Mac mini at a lower cost

• Apple launched a new Mac mini Tuesday, an upgraded model that uses the M2 chip seen last summer in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. A higher-end version runs on the brand-new M2 Pro chip, which also powers the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, also introduced today.

Apple resurrects full-size HomePod with hot new features, same old price

• The first-generation HomePod debuted in 2018, and received equal parts praise for its audio quality and criticism for its $349 price. A drop to $299 did little to raise interest in the product, so Apple discontinued the HomePod in 2021.

HomePod head-to-head: How Apple’s new smart speaker compares to original

Secret sensor in your HomePod mini will activate soon

• Shortly after HomePod mini launched in 2020, teardowns of the device discovered a sensor to measure both temperature and humidity. No one outside of Apple had been aware of it before because the functionality has been inaccessible to users. But that’s about to change.

This week:

They said they'd never do it! But... according to a new report, Apple is now testing a Mac with a touchscreen, and will be supercharging the a cutting edge new display technology (and more!). Plus: Apple's mixed reality headset is almost here, and is now in the hands of a secret cabal of developers who are building apps and preparing for launch.

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Rocket Money shows you all your subscriptions all in one place, and then cancels whatever you don’t want with a single click! Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions right now at rocketmoney.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.

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 ‘seriously considering’ a touchscreen MacBook

• Apple now has engineers “actively engaged in the project” of adding touchscreens to Mac computers, starting with the popular MacBook Pro. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, a consistent and reliable leaker, the first Mac with a touchscreen display could ship as soon as 2025.

Enter to win spectacular iPad Pro accessory bundle from Pitaka [Cult of Mac giveaway]

• The Cult of Mac giveaway this week is a corker. We teamed up with Pitaka for one lucky winner to get the chance to win an iPad Pro accessory bundle worth $190.

Apple’s in-house display could debut on the Apple Watch Ultra in 2024

• Apple wants to reduce its reliance on sourcing displays for its products from Samsung and LG. So, the company is working on its own custom displays that it intends to use as early as 2024.

Apple's 2023 Roadmap: When to Expect New Product Launches This Year

No major AirPods, iPad or Apple Watch upgrades planned for 2023

• Every year, Apple has some significant hardware upgrades planned for at least a few devices in its product lineup. 2023 could be an outlier, though.

This week:

We just got our biggest leaks yet of Apple's Mixed Reality headset! Plus: there will soon be some serious competition for Apple's Studio Display, and we add MORE picks to our best of 2022, part 3!

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Rocket Money shows you all your subscriptions all in one place, and then cancels whatever you don’t want with a single click! Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions right now at rocketmoney.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.

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 headset uses waist-mounted battery pack — new details emerge

• After testing a version of Apple’s upcoming AR/VR headset with an internal battery, the company’s engineers have resorted to using a separate battery pack connected by a wire, according to a new report about the secret project.

Mac Pro and M2 Mac mini pegged for launch at huge Apple event in March

• The long-awaited Mac Pro desktop will finally debut at a big March event, according to a new rumor.

Dell’s new 32-inch 6K monitor gives Apple’s ProDisplay XDR some competition

• With Dell’s new 32-inch 6K UltraSharp monitor, the Apple Pro Display XDR is no longer in a category of its own. Dell’s new monitor does things a little differently, though, blending elements from Apple’s $4,999 monitor and the $1,599 Studio Display, providing a possible best of both worlds when it comes to productivity and performance.

Samsung ViewFinity S9 first look: a sleek alternative to Apple’s Studio Display

• Samsung announced its ViewFinity S9 monitor earlier this week. With a 5K (5120 x 2880) resolution and stylish aluminum enclosure, it seems like Samsung is trying to square off with Apple’s Studio Display — likely for a lower price — and LG’s high-resolution monitors

Apple uses AI to voice its latest audiobook catalog

• Apple’s latest catalog of books uses artificial intelligence as a narrator instead of a human voice. This is the first time the Cupertino giant has used AI for audiobook narration.
• The move could have a wide-reaching effect in the audiobook space and mark the beginning of the end of human narrators.