Leaked! Here's Apple Watch Series 7.... (CultCast #497)

This week: leaked! A new report outlines everything we can expect from Apple Watch Series 7, and it’s kind of a surprising.... Plus: Apple’s Beats Studio Buds are like cheaper AirPods Pro, M1 iMacs are shipping with crooked screens, and some big Apple TV+ changes you need to know about.

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On the show this week

@erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace

Win not one but two Quattro Pro Apple Watch bumper cases [Cult of Mac Giveaway]

• You might make your Apple Watch look like a retro Casio with our giveaway this week. Four lucky winners will receive not one but two Quattro Pro Apple Watch bumper cases from Elkson. That’s one to keep and one to give to a friend.

Apple Watch Series 7 will feature updated display, Explorer Edition will ship in 2022

• The Apple Watch Series 7 will boast a faster processor, better wireless connectivity, and a new, improved screen, says a new report from Bloomberg. The screen will have thinner bezels and a “new lamination technique that brings the display closer to the front cover.” This would be the first Apple Watch form factor redesign since 2018.

iOS 15: How to Get Notified If You Leave an AirTag or Apple Device Behind

• In iOS 15, Apple has added separation alerts to the Find My app, which let you know when you leave an AirTag or other Apple device behind. Separation alerts also support Find My-enabled third-party accessories.

9 great but easily overlooked features in iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey

• Apple made an enormous number of changes in its 2021 operating system updates. Many of these drew plenty of attention — like the FaceTime upgrade — but some useful improvements might have been overlooked in all the hoopla. Here are nine new features in iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey you might have overlooked.

Some M1 iMac Models Shipping With Crooked Mountings

• Some M1 iMacs appear to have a manufacturing defect that causes the display to be mounted on the stand in a way that's not perfectly aligned, leading to a crooked display.

EU regulation would ‘destroy the security of the iPhone,’ Tim Cook warns

• Apple’s CEO told the audience at France’s VivaTech conference that a critical part of the European Union’s proposed Digital Markets Act isn’t in the best interests of iPhone users. The proposal would require Apple to allow users to sideload applications, something CEO Tim Cook and the company are adamantly opposed to.

Cupertino quietly cuts full-year Apple TV+ trial to just 3 months

• Apple quietly reduced the one-year Apple TV+ free trial for customers who buy new Apple devices to three months. The company made the change in a note on its Apple TV+ website. While customers who buy and activate an eligible device (that’s an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac) before July 1 will get the one-year trial, those who do so from July 1 onward will qualify only for three months.

How to cancel the Apple TV+ free trial before you have to pay up

• When Apple TV+ made its big debut in 2019, Apple offered a one-year trial to those who bought a new iPhone, iPad or Mac. It then extended the free trial twice, first to January 2021 and then to the end of June.