BIG wave of M4 Macs is incoming! (CultCast #659)

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!

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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.