This week: the good, the bad, the UGLY! We're talking what we like and don't about iPhone 15 and Vision Pro. Plus... a VERY special guest...

This episode supported by

Factor is America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, and can help you fuel up fast with ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. Head to factormeals.com/cultcast50 and use code cultcast50 to get 50% off your first box.

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.

iPhone Life Tip of the Day Newsletter Ad Read for BackBeat Media URL: https://www.iphonelife.com/dailytips

This week's stories

Leander: Apple backs California’s Right to Repair Act

• After years of Apple fighting and delaying the Repair bill in various US states, Apple sent Senator Sustan Talamantes Eggman a letter endorsing the Right to Repair Act in California.

Lewis: Apple’s iPhone 15 cables could be limited to sluggish data transfers

• Reports say the USB-C port in the iPhone 15 is much faster, as we talked about last week, however, the cables that will ship with the iPhone 15 series will allegedly support only USB 2.0. If true, that will limit data transfers to a relatively poky 480 Mbit/s.

Leander: Meet an Unsung Apple Hero in this free e-book

• Interface designer Bas Ording is one of those little-known Apple employees who has had a huge influence on our digital lives.

Lewis: Clean your filthy Apple Watch bands, people

• Your Apple Watch band could be a breeding ground for potentially dangerous pathogens, according to a new study.
• Scientists found that 95% of the watchbands they tested were contaminated with “bacteria of public health importance.”

Griffin: 6 useful apps hiding in your Mac

• If you work on a Mac, these six useful apps can help you get that work done faster.

This week: we’ve got more leaked iPhone 15 features, Apple’s plans for their new “Watch X” Apple watch redesign, Face ID coming to Macs, and this week’s other best Apple news!

This episode supported by

Notion combines your notes, documents, and task or project management into one space that’s simple and beautifully designed, with the power of AI built right inside. Try Notion AI for free when you go to notion.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.

iPhone Life Tip of the Day Newsletter Ad Read for BackBeat Media URL: https://www.iphonelife.com/dailytips

This week's stories

Erfon: New evidence points to high-speed Thunderbolt connector in iPhone 15

• A new leak adds weight to a previous report that the iPhone 15 series will support Thunderbolt. If true, this will allow their USB-C ports to transfer files, updates and other data at up to 40 Gbps.

Erfon: iPhone 15 could support faster 35W charging speeds

• A report based on industry sources claims the iPhone 15 will support peak charging speeds of 35W. The rumored switch from Lightning to USB-C on 2023 iPhones might have a role to play in this upgrade.

iPhone 14 Pro users complain of major drops in battery health and capacity after less than a year

Apple’s MagSafe fuels new Qi2 wireless charging standard

Apple ‘Watch X’ with new design might arrive in 2024

• In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman spills the beans on the Apple Watch X. He thinks the revamped smartwatch could launch in 2024 or 2025. It reportedly will feature a thinner watch casing.

Apple hasn’t given up on Face ID for MacBooks

• Apple just received a patent that covers building Face ID into a MacBook.

Clean your filthy Apple Watch bands, people

This week: we're talking expectations for Apple's September iPhone 15 event! Plus aaaaall the new M3 Macs Apple is working on....

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.

iPhone Life Tip of the Day Newsletter Ad Read for BackBeat Media URL: https://www.iphonelife.com/dailytips

This week's stories

iPhone 15 launch event reportedly will happen on September 13 ... or 12!

• Apple could unveil the iPhone 15 lineup on September 12 or 13, with a staggered launch after that to avoid supply chain and logistics problems.

Here are all the M3 Macs in development

• Apple is working on a slew of M3-powered Macs for late 2023 and 2024, and the latest mystery machine spotted on developers’ logs appears to be a new Mac mini.

Apple’s M3 Max chip spotted with 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU

• For comparison, the M2 Max ships with a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. So, even if everything else remains constant, the additional CPU and GPU cores on the M3 Max alone should enable significant performance improvements. Apple will likely use newer CPU and GPU cores on the M3 for further performance gains.

Limited-edition iPhone case takes you back to 1969 moon landing [Cult of Mac giveaway]

• We joined forces with Pitaka this week for an exciting giveaway that will take you over the moon.

LEWIS: iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Bionic chip might sport a 6-core GPU, 6GB RAM

• Leaker @URedditor, who previously shared some accurate Apple-related leaks, provided more details about the company’s next A-series chip Wednesday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. While the A17 Bionic apparently will possess the same number of CPU cores as the A16 Bionic, Apple will bump its clock speed.

College students, you don’t need a MacBook Air

• Old conventional wisdom was that beyond the basics, you needed a MacBook Pro, but that’s just not true anymore

Apple TV 4K can play Dolby Atmos sound to two pairs of AirPods in tvOS 17

• One of the best features of the Apple TV 4K is its support for spatial audio, but this feature is limited to only one pair of Apple headphones in tvOS 16. That looks to be changing though, according to a feature that FlatpanelsHD spotted in the beta for tvOS 17.

This week: AirTags 2.0 are incoming with a strange new feature, and we've details on what to expect for Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.0!

This episode supported by

Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a private tutor - or fooling yourself with language apps that are little more than games - Babbel’s quick 10-minute lessons are designed by over 150 language experts to help you start speaking a new language in as little as 3-weeks. Get 55% off at babbel.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.

iPhone Life Tip of the Day Newsletter Ad Read for BackBeat Media URL: https://www.iphonelife.com/dailytips

This week's stories

ERFON: Apple preps second-generation AirTag tracker with AR capabilities

• The Apple AirTag item tracker sells well enough that an updated version is in early development, according to a reputable analyst. And it might include the AR capabilities that were rumored years ago.
• The tiny tracker has reportedly been selling by the millions since the product launch in 2021.

LEWIS: Would you buy Apple Watch 9 or Ultra 2 in these new colors?

• Reliable leaker ShrimpApplePro tweeted Tuesday about the possible new pink aluminum color for Apple Watch Series 9 and a black titanium case for Apple Watch Ultra 2.

GRIFFIN: 1 billion subscribers push Apple’s services revenue to all-time high

• Apple announced one billion people now subscribe to Apple services, although total revenue decreased slightly during the June quarter, the third time that’s happened in a row. And the money coming in from all Apple’s hardware groups is down

ERFON: Tim Cook calls AI ‘absolutely critical’ to Apple products

• Apple has been quiet about its plans for artificial intelligence, but CEO Tim Cook set out in a conference call with analysts and major investors on Thursday to make it clear that his company isn’t behind the curve on AI.

LEWIS: Win a posh leather iPad Pro sleeve from Harber London [Cult of Mac giveaway]

• For this week’s giveaway, we partnered with Harber London to offer you an opportunity to win an exquisite, handmade Magnetic Envelope Sleeve for iPad Pro valued at $118.

The cheapest and easiest way to add wireless CarPlay to any vehicle

• The vast majority of new cars sold today are compatible with CarPlay and/or Android Auto. surveys found that for more than 80% of new car buyers, CarPlay is an essential feature.

GRIFFIN: Here’s what I use my Apple Newton for in 2023

• Apple Newton celebrated its 30th birthday just earlier this week