This week: iOS 16's best features + our hardware predictions for Apple's definitely-gonna-happen October event!

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This week's stories

16 Hidden iOS 16 Features You Didn't Know About

• Other than the headlining features, there are a number of quality-of-life changes, improvements, and new capabilities baked into iOS 16 that help improve the iPhone experience.

Enter to win a shiny new elago iPhone 14 case of your choice [Cult of Mac giveaway]

• This week’s giveaway is to ensure your glossy new iPhone 14 is protected the best way possible. elago, one of our favorite Apple accessory-makers, just launched its new iPhone 14 cases, and we are giving three lucky readers a chance get their hands on one of them.
• The best bit is, if you win, the case choice is yours.

Apple Releases New HomePod 16 Software

• Alongside iOS 16, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16, Apple today released new software that's designed for the HomePod and the HomePod mini.

iPhone 14 Pro wait times already stretch into October

• If you procrastinated on ordering one of the new iPhone 14 Pro models, there’s a good chance you’re looking at a lengthy wait for it to be delivered.

Kuo: iPhone 14 Plus Pre-Orders Worse Than iPhone 13 Mini, Product Strategy 'Fails'

• The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have seen "bad" pre-order results, indicating that Apple's positioning of the two new standard models may have failed, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Steve Jobs' Daughter Shares Then Deletes Meme Mocking iPhone 14's Modest Upgrades

• After Apple's iPhone 14 launch event, Steve Jobs' daughter Eve Jobs shared a meme on Instagram that mocked the new iPhones as basically unchanged compared to last year's iPhone 13.

Elon says Apple's in talks with StarLink...

• His tweet: We’ve had some promising conversations with Apple about Starlink connectivity. iPhone team is obv super smart.

This week: Apple Watch Ultra, iPhone 14 Pro, AirPods Pro 2 — our reactions to everything!

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 14 Pro models get major camera upgrades and always-on displays

• Apple revealed its new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max handsets Wednesday with numerous updates, including massive camera upgrades, always-on displays, an improved A16 chip and the notorious “notch” replaced with a pill-shaped cutout with new “Dynamic Island” interactive functionality.

iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island looks … shockingly original?

• On iPhone 14 Pro models, the notch is gone! It's replaced by what Apple calls the Dynamic Island -- This transforms the pill-shaped cutout into a wild new way to . Always active, it shows information from native and third-party apps, including alerts, so you can keep track of things at a glance, no matter what app you’re in.

iPhone 14 Plus ushers in big changes

• The two Pro models usually get all the attention, but it’s the “standard” iPhone that’s the top seller. That makes the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 the most important model introduced at the event.

Apple Watch Ultra is a big, bulky, beautiful beast

• Measuring 49mm in height, the Ultra is a whopping 4mm taller than the largest Series 7. It boasts the largest watch screen Apple has ever made.

New AirPods Pro support personalized Spatial Audio and precision finding

• With a new low-distortion audio driver and custom amplifier, Apple says the new H2 chip in AirPods Pro 2 provides an "exceptional acoustic experience", including richer bass and clearer sound across a wider range of frequencies.

This week: ahead of next week's Apple event, we've got last-minute details on iPhone 14 and the super secret Apple Watch Pro!

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

Expect Apple Watch Pro to sport 47mm display

• A critical detail has leaked about about Apple’s upcoming wearable designed for serious athletes. The new top-tier Apple Watch will have a 47mm screen, according to a new report coming out of Asia.

iPhone 14 Pro ultra-wide camera might surprise with its low-light performance

• Shocker! It seems Apple has significant camera upgrades planned for this year’s iPhones.
• Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the iPhone 14 Pro will use a new ultra-wide sensor with larger 1.4µm pixels. That’s up from the current 12MP sensor featuring a 1.0µm pixel size. It is unclear if the ultra-wide camera will also see a resolution bump from 12MP.

iPhone 14 Pro screen cutouts might not look as expected [Updated]

• Leaks about the “pill and hole” design of the iPhone 14 Pro models started months ago, but Apple still might have a surprise up its sleeve. A new report indicates that software will merge the two display cutouts into one.

Apple and Globalstar Rumored to Announce Satellite Connectivity Feature for iPhone 14 at September 7 Event

• Apple may announce its long-rumored satellite connectivity feature for the iPhone 14 next month, according to Tim Farrar, a satellite communications consultant at California-based research firm Telecom, Media and Finance Associates.

iPhone 13 might offer emergency satellite communication, too

• While large swaths of the world have cellular coverage, there are still huge areas without it. That’s a problem for hikers, boaters and anyone traveling through the remote areas without cell service.
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T-Mobile and SpaceX want to connect your iPhone to satellites to end network dead zones

• You won’t need an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 for satellite connectivity. SpaceX and T-Mobile have announced their plan to bring cell connectivity everywhere in the US using satellites.

An AI-Generated Artwork Won First Place at a State Fair Fine Arts Competition, and Artists Are Pissed

• A man came in first at the Colorado State Fair’s fine art competition using an AI generated artwork on Monday. “I won first place,” a user going by Sincarnate said in a Discord post above photos of the AI-generated canvases hanging at the fair.