This week: a new leak confirms some exciting iPhone 12 specs! Plus: a new iPad and Apple Watch Series 6 are right around the corner; the Fortnite Vs. Apple case takes an interesting turn; and Erfon divulges how his $95,000 Apple stock investment is performing!

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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 iPhone 11, Apple Watch, Mac Pro and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.

On the show this week

@erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace

This week's stories

New leak confirms some of the most exciting iPhone 12 specs

• New images and video of a prototype iPhone 12 Pro Max allegedly fell into the hands of frequent Apple leaker Jon Prosser.

New iPad, Apple Watch Series 6 leak via Eurasian database

• A listing of multiple unknown tablets by the Eurasian Economic Commission confirms that Apple will soon introduce a range of new 2020 iPad models.

No Apple device can play the new Fortnite season

• Epic Games and Apple are fighting over revenue sharing, and players are getting caught in the middle. Earlier this month, Epic Games tried to circumvent Apple’s requirement that the iPhone-maker receive 30% of in-app payments. The result was that Fortnite was booted from the App Store.

Judge protects Unreal Engine during Epic Games’ battle with Apple [Updated]

• In an order issued Monday night, a U.S. district judge blocked Apple from revoking Epic Games’ developer accounts as the legal battle between the two companies moves toward trial.

Apple's Share Price Soars Past the $500 Mark

• After becoming the first U.S. company to reach a market capitalization of $2 trillion last week, Apple's stock has continued to soar as investors pour money into the company. Apple's stock officially opened Monday above the $500 mark, and shot up as high as $515 before coming back down to around $503.

Historically, AAPL stock splits have seen stock rise 10% in next 12 months

• Multi-asset investment platform eToro analysed 60 years of data, and found that on average companies that split their stocks see their share price surge by a third in the 12 months after the split.

This week: Battle of the Titans—Fortnite maker Epic Games takes Apple to court over its App Store policies, and they just might get their way. Plus: Apple and its stock hit another astonishing milestone; Prosser was right—Apple has begun rebranding Beats; and Apple TV+ finally makes the move we’ve been waiting for: bundling premium channels for one low price.

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Our thanks to Linked In for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.

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 11, Apple Watch, Mac Pro and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.

On the show this week

@erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace

This week's stories

Apple expels Fortnite from the App Store; Epic Games sues

• Early last Thursday, Epic Games launched the Fortnite Mega Drop. This offers up to 20% discounts on in-app purchases made on iPhone, iPad or Android, as long as these are direct payments. Making the same purchases though the App Store costs the regular price.

Epic Games tries to talk Spotify, Sonos into creating anti-App Store coalition

• Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, is recruiting a team of like-minded companies to join its fight against Apple and its App Store policies, according to a report from The Information (paywall).

Apple hits astonishing $2 trillion market cap [Updated]

• And early Wednesday, Apple hit a massive $2 trillion valuation, becoming the first publicly traded U.S. company in history to hit this milestone.

Beats 1 becomes Apple Music 1 as Cupertino launches two new radio station

• Apple is rebranding Beats 1 as Apple Music 1, while also launching two new radio stations, the company said Tuesday. Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country will both feature their own exclusive radio shows.

Apple TV+ subscribers get 2-for-1 Showtime and CBS All Access bundle

• A subscription to Showtime costs $10.99 per month, while commercial-free CBS All Access is $9.99 per month, but Apple TV+ subscribers in the US can now also add a bundle of CBS All Access and Showtime for only $9.99 per month more.

This week: Thanks to a new leak, we now know the exact release dates for iPhone 12, Apple Watch, and more. We'll tell you what to expect!

Plus: Apple stock adventure, part 2! Erfon talks about his massive Apple stock purchase, including how much he spent, why he bought in now, and how much his investment is now worth. We talk real numbers!

And if you’ve been thinking about getting a new Mac with the butterfly keyboard, DON’T DO IT until you hear this episode.  COVID keyboard repairs are now a total nightmare.

This episode supported by

The NETGEAR Orbi WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home – it’s the biggest revolution in WiFi ever. Check it out today at your local Best Buy and at Netgear.com/bestwifi6.

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 11, Apple Watch, Mac Pro and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.

On the show this week

@erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace

This week's stories

We might know exactly when iPhone 12 will arrive

• Apple will hold an iPhone 12 event the week of October 12, with the device shipping a week later, according to up-and-coming leaker Jon Prosser.

Mark Gurman doesn't like Jon Prosser's new hardware predictions (again)

This week: the brand new iMac may look the same, but it’s so powerful video editors are gleefully buying 2 to 3 at a time—we’ll tell you everything that’s new 🔥

Then: Phil Schiller, Apple Worldwide Marketing VP, and one of Steve Job’s original generals, is stepping down. We’ll remember some of Phil’s most memorable Apple moments.

And forget buying the new iMac, get Apple’s stock instead! Erfon goes all in, and reveals the huge cash stockpile he’s about to dump into Apple stock, why he’s buying it now, and the cash value of his current investment.

This episode supported by

The NETGEAR Orbi WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home – it’s the biggest revolution in WiFi ever. Check it out today at your local Best Buy and at Netgear.com/bestwifi6.

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 11, Apple Watch, Mac Pro and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.

On the show this week

@erfon / @lewiswallace

This week's stories

New iMac packs faster internals into all-too-familiar shell

• The wait for Apple’s newest iMac is over. Cupertino today dropped a faster all-in-one with an even more glorious Retina 5K display.

Phil Schiller’s new role as Apple Fellow means big promotion for Joz

• Schiller continues to report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook in his new position, as an Apple Fellow, and will now lead App Store and Apple Events. Greg “Joz” Joswiak takes up Schiller’s previous role.

10 reasons why I’ll miss Phil Schiller

• Tuesday marked the end of an era. Phil Schiller has stepped down from his role as VP of worldwide marketing.

How Apple made money in the middle of a crushing pandemic

• People around the world turned to Apple products at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. And the result was an 11% increase in Apple revenue during the June quarter.

Apple shares close at new all-time high [Updated]

• Apple shares hit a new all-time high Friday on the back of the company’s shockingly good Q3 earnings.

Apple stock will split 4-to-1

• Apple’s board of directors has approved a four-to-one stock split.