This week, we have details on the major changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro cameras, we know exactly how thin the iPhone 17 Air may be, three Apple products coming that you may have forgotten about… and our Nintendo Switch 2 first impressions!

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com

Factor Meals. Treat yourself to Factor’s delicious, high-quality, ready-to-eat meals delivered right to your door. Head over to FactorMeals.com/CultCast50off and use offer code CultCast50off to get 50% off plus free shipping on your first box.

This week’s stories:

iPhone 17 Pro could go all-in with 48MP rear cameras

• The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max may get a 48MP tetraprism 5x shooter and 24MP selfie camera, enabling them to capture more detailed pictures.

iPhone 17 Air may be nearly as slim as M4 iPad Pro

• The iPhone 17 Air could be slimmer than rumored, measuring just 5.5mm. But this thinness may come with some compromises.

3 overlooked Apple products getting updates in 2025

• Apple neglected these products recently, but that should change soon. Here’s what’s to expect from Apple TV, AirTag and HomePod in 2025.
• Mission Battery Base for HomePod Mini

CarPlay 2 could feature iPhone-style widgets

• A batch of newly leaked images show CarPlay 2 widgets that look similar to familiar iPhone, iPad and Mac interfaces.
• CarPod Go Portable CarPlay Screen
• Vinegar: Block all YouTube ads with the best Safari extension ever

Severance season 2 promos try to out-weird the show itself

• With new episodes of Apple TV+'s strangely engrossing workplace series coming Friday, two new "Severance" season two promos get weird.
• Apple: Inside the Grand Central Terminal Pop-Up
• severanceballoon.com
• Apple homepage (screenshot)

Switch 2 first impressions

• Watch the trailer on YouTube

The 2025 Consumer Electronics Show is in full effect — we’ve got the best and weirdest gadgets for you! Plus: When’s the next Apple event coming? We may have an answer! Also: How to create the coolest Lock Screen wallpapers…

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com

CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co

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.

This week’s stories:

iPhone SE 4 and iPad 11 to launch “by April”

• If all goes according to "plan," Apple will only launch the iPhone SE 4 and iPad 11 by April, and not with iOS 18.3 this month.

First Thunderbolt 5 display with 6K resolution ideal for M4 Pro/Max users

• In a move that’s sure to catch the attention of Mac users — particularly those with the latest M4 Pro machines — LG just unveiled its new UltraFine 6K Display at CES 2025.

Nanoleaf wants you to put these LED lights right on your face

• In a surprising move at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nanoleaf ventured into the personal care market with its LED Light Therapy Face Mask.

Do summer right with Anker’s solar beach umbrella and power-packed cooler

• Anker Solix unveiled two cool outdoor products Monday at CES 2025 in Las Vegas: Its first solar-powered beach umbrella, and an upgraded, high-performance electric cooler in three sizes, designed for extended outdoor use.

Dell ‘borrows’ Apple’s Pro and Pro Max product names

• Get ready for the Dell Pro Max. The company rebranded all its PCs with names that should sould sound very familiar to Apple users.

How to create a toggling Lock Screen wallpaper

• In just a few minutes, you can create a cool iPhone Lock Screen wallpaper that can switch between two images with just a tap.

The next big leap for iPhone cameras, the coolest Apple products coming in 2025, how to get free Apple TV+ — and our last picks for the best of 2024!

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com

CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co

Factor Meals. Treat yourself to Factor’s delicious, high-quality, ready-to-eat meals delivered right to your door. Head over to FactorMeals.com/CultCast50off and use offer code CultCast50off to get 50% off plus free shipping on your first box.

This week’s stories:

2026 iPhone 18 Pro may feature a game-changing variable aperture camera

• Apple could adopt a variable aperture system for the iPhone 18 Pro’s main camera that would enable the device to adjust the aperture size and light intake depending on surroundings.

Apple TV+ kicks off 2025 with free streaming weekend

• Apple TV+ will open its doors to all for an unprecedented free streaming weekend, January 3-5, 2025. That gives everyone unlimited access to its entire catalog of original content.

Apple in 2025: 5 things that could wow us

• Apple will launch several products in 2025, but these are the 5 things from the company that could wow us.

MacRumors: Redesigned Magic Mouse With Touch and Voice Controls Reportedly Coming in 2026

• A completely redesigned version of the Magic Mouse featuring touch and voice controls is coming in 2026, a Korean leaker claims.

Best of 2024:

• The Leftovers
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Waterfield X-Air Duffel
• old.dgriffinjones.com
• Grok
• Diablo IV
• Starfield
• DJI Osmo Pocket 3

It's our final show of the year, and we're ready to argue which stuff ruled and ruined 2024.

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com

CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co

1Password Extended Access Management solves the problems traditional IAM and MDM can’t. It’s security for the way we work today. Check it out at 1password.com/cultcast

2024 Picks:

• Griffin: FurZapper
• Erfon: Fujifilm X100VI
• Lewis: Fallout
• Griffin: Romeo’s Pizza buy-one-get-one deal every Tuesday (when ordering online with coupon code BOGO)
• Erfon: What We Do In The Shadows — specifically, Matthew Berry
• Lewis: Anker 733 Power Bank
• Griffin: Trying to buy a house
• Erfon: Deciding between 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro
• Erfon: Rick and Morty
• Lewis: Apple Intelligence

This week, we’re looking at the RADICAL new design of the iPhone 17 Pro! Love it or hate it? Also, when to expect the first folding iPhone, Apple’s bad AI summaries ruin headlines, and more picks for the best (and worst) of 2024!

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com

CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co

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.

This week’s stories:

iPhone 17 Pro Max renders give early glimpse of next Apple flagship

• With purported details of the iPhone 17 Pro Max appearing online many months before the device’s launch, a Russian YouTube channel prepared renders that reveal what Apple’s next top-tier handset could look like.

First folding iPhone could arrive by 2026

• Hoping to boost sales, Apple could launch its first folding iPhone as soon as 2026, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Apple faces pressure to drop AI news summaries after false headline

• International journalism organization Reporters Without Borders is calling for Apple to remove its new artificial intelligence-powered news notifications, following a complaint from the BBC over a bogus news summary.

Best and Worst of 2024:

• Erfon: Camera Control
• Lewis: AirPods Pro 2
• Griffin: HEETA Scalp Massager
• Erfon: AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

This week, the 5G OLED MacBooks and iPads of our dreams are on the way… in 2026. Also, the next big leap for Apple Watch Ultra, new features in iOS 18.2, and our first picks for BEST OF 2024!

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com

CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co

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.

This week’s stories:

Expect 2026 to be a huge year for OLED MacBook and iPad

• Apple reportedly intends to introduce MacBooks and an iPad mini with an OLED screen in 2026 as the switch away from LED continues.

MacBooks with 5G cellular might actually happen

• A 5G MacBook might finally be on the horizon thanks to Apple's plans to introduce its own cellular modem in 2025.

Everything new in iOS 18.2

• iOS 18.2 drops a huge number of new features onto the iPhone. Even if you’re not interested in Apple Intelligence, there’s a lot to unpack in this update.
• YouTube video

Apple Watch Ultra 3 might offer texting via satellite

• Apple Watch Ultra 3 reportedly will let travelers send texts via a satellite connection when cellular communication isn’t available.

Best of 2024:

• Lewis: Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds
• Erfon: Weber 28-inch griddle with hard cover
• Griffin: Apple Vision Pro with Annapro B1 case , Annapro A2 head strap and Mokibo Fusion keyboard

We pit movie against movie and argue which one's best while compiling out top 100 list.

This week we’re talking about what’s in store for the next iPad Pro, when to expect the HomePod with a screen, the RETURN of upgradable Mac storage… and the Touch Bar? Also, an all-new Under Review!

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com

CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co

Notion AI can now give you instant answers to your questions, using information from across your wiki, projects, docs and meeting notes. Go to notion.com/cultcast to try the powerful Notion AI today.

1Password Extended Access Management solves the problems traditional IAM and MDM can’t. It’s security for the way we work today. Check it out at 1password.com/cultcast

This week’s stories:

Apple’s next iPad Pro upgrade to arrive in second half of 2025

• The next big iPad Pro refresh will arrive in the second half of 2025 at the earliest, according to a new report. The upgraded M5 iPad Pro reportedly will be the first product to use the next-gen Apple silicon chip.

HomePod with a large display is still on the way

• The HomePod with a built-in 6- to 7-inch display that’s been the subject of previous rumors will launch after Apple’s developer conference in June, according to a report on Wednesday from a reliable source.

Upgrading your Mac Studio storage becomes possible

• The French company Polysoft reverse engineered Apple’s proprietary NVMe SSDs for the Mac Studio and put them on the market at prices well below Apple’s.

Apple’s Touch Bar resurrected as Flexbar, a standalone USB-C OLED strip

• Flexbar, developed by Hong Kong startup Eniac Technology, reimagines the controversial MacBook Pro feature as a standalone accessory that promises to deliver on the Touch Bar’s original potential.

Under Review: Carpod Go T3

• The Carpod Go T3 is a convenient way to add a wireless CarPlay tablet to your car — with a responsive 8.9-inch 700 nit display.

This week, the real REAL good Siri could be… 18 months away? Also, we’re talking about the radical new look for the iPhone 17 lineup and an exciting new Under Review!

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com

CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co

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.

This week’s stories:

Deals:

• AirPods Pro 2 for $153.99
• Disney+ and Hulu with ads for $2.99/mo for the first year

iOS 19 could debut a more conversational LLM Siri

• Apple plans to further improve Siri with iOS 19 in 2025 by using advanced next-generation large language models (LLMs).

Apple reportedly delays key iOS 19 features until spring 2026

• Mark Gurman's sources say “a larger-than-usual number of features” of iOS 19 will be delayed from its initial launch in September 2025 to iOS 19.4’s release in spring 2026.

iPhone 17 Air’s slim design could prioritize thinness over features

• Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air could be even thinner than initially rumored.

Apple’s 2025 iPhone 17 Pro could feature major design changes

• Apple plans to make “significant design changes” with the iPhone 17 Pro series next year, according to The Information.

Apple unlikely to launch AirPods Max 2 anytime soon

• Apple is not planning any major upgrades to AirPods Max anytime soon. The company plans to keep the headphones around in its current iteration for the “foreseeable future.”

Under Review: Get Studio Display specs without paying Apple prices

• Asus’ new ProArt 5K desktop monitor costs just half of what you’ll pay for Apple’s Studio Display but offers many of the same features.
• YouTube video

This week: New details on the super slim iPhone 17, what’s coming next for AirTags 2, a hidden MacBook Pro feature Apple didn’t mention — and our hands-on with Image Playground!

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com

Notion AI can now give you instant answers to your questions, using information from across your wiki, projects, docs and meeting notes. Go to notion.com/cultcast to try the powerful Notion AI today.

1Password Extended Access Management solves the problems traditional IAM and MDM can’t. It’s security for the way we work today. Check it out at 1password.com/cultcast

This week’s stories:

iPhone 17 Air could be Apple’s slimmest iPhone ever

• The rumored iPhone 17 Air might measure just 6mm thick, making it the slimmest iPhone ever.

AirTag 2 reportedly launching in mid-2025 with better range

• Apple’s first AirTag upgrade is another step closer to launch, with the tracking tags reportedly progressing to “manufacturing tests.”

Surprise! M4 MacBook Pro includes quantum dot display

• The latest MacBook Pro screen reportedly includes a quantum dot film. The result is a better-looking display in the new Mac notebook.

Why Apple should start selling Mac mini SSD storage upgrades

• In a surprise move, the M4 Mac mini includes a removable, swappable SSD.

Hands-on with Image Playground, Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT in iOS 18.2

• iOS 18.2 will bring exciting new Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT integration.
• YouTube video

Bloomberg: Apple considering another run at an actual TV

• If Apple’s smart display on, it will help set the stage for more home devices. It may even revisit the idea of making an Apple-branded TV set, something it’s evaluating.