This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Some new iPhone 17 Pro renders make us ponder whether Apple will (or should) create such a device. We discuss the pros, cons and alternative theories.
Also on The CultCast:
- An update on when we might see the very first folding iPhone.
- A ridiculous Apple Intelligence screwup lands Apple in hot water.
- We wrap up with round two of our picks for best and worst of 2024.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
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The CultCast live stream archive: iPhone 17 Pro renders
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This week’s top Apple news
On the show this week: Your host Erfon Elijah (@erfon), Cult of Mac managing editor Lewis Wallace (@lewiswallace) and Cult of Mac writer D. Griffin Jones (@dgriffinjones).
Here are the headlines we’re talking about on this week’s show:
- iPhone 17 Pro Max renders give early glimpse of next Apple flagship
- ShrimpApple Pro says no!
- First folding iPhone could arrive by 2026
- Apple faces pressure to drop AI news summaries after false headline
Best and worst of 2024 (part 2)
Image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
Erfon
Worst: iPhone 16’s new Camera Control is too fussy and hard to use. Yes, it’s innovative, but is it the next Touch Bar?
Best: The wireless charging case for AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation is a stunning work of craftsmanship (and a big improvement over the previous version).
Apple's trend-setting earbuds add noise cancellation to the mix. They don't use silicone tips, so some noise seeps in, but features like Adaptive Audio, Transparency Mode and Personalized Spatial Audio make them a winner.
- Excellent sound quality
- Apple's H2 chip enables advanced features
- USB-C wireless charging case
- Noise cancellation isn't as good as AirPods Pro
Griffin
Best: The Heeta scalp massager is an essential tool for washing your head. Its soft bristles — sharper and more precise than stupid human fingers — scrub all the dandruff and oils out of your hair.
Lewis
Best: Strictly speaking, AirPods Pro 2 aren’t new this year. However, Apple made them new with an outrageous firmware update that added Hearing Health features capable of turning the earbuds into clinical-grade hearing aids and active hearing protection for use during loud events. Those upgrades make an already amazing product even more mind-blowing.
AirPods Pro 2 are a fantastic pair of earbuds for your iPhone, delivering terrific sound quality, excellent ANC, and advanced features like Personalized Spatial Audio.
- Fab sound quality
- Excellent ANC
- Hearing Health features let them double as clinical-grade hearing aids and active hearing protection
- USB-C wireless charging case
- Hard to come up with one
