The CultCast America's favorite Apple Podcast

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!
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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
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!
This episode supported by
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....
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
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.
This episode supported by
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!
This episode supported by
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.

This week:
What Apple hardware is coming next in 2023? We got the list! Plus: it's part 2 of our best of 2022 picks, with our favorite tech, shows, and movies!
This episode supported by
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
5 most exciting Apple products coming in 2023
An Apple Watch Ultra for $48? No, but you can get this obvious knockoff
Some rugged, outdoorsy types might hesitate over the Apple Watch Ultra’s $800 price tag. But what if they could get a lookalike watch for less than $50? Apple silently downgraded the default resolution of videos when viewed on macOS Photos