This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The iPhone 18 Pro is here, and the iPhone Duo is on the way, but Apple’s far from finished releasing new hardware this year.

There’s plenty of new stuff coming down the pike, and we’re especially excited about a pair of long-rumored additions to the Apple lineup.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• We reveal our favorite iOS 27 features.
• There are several solid reasons to hang onto your iPhone 17 Pro rather than upgrading to iPhone 18 Pro. It’s kinda depressing, TBH.
• And finally, the prospect of a user-repairable iPhone Duo seems incredibly slim.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast 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 version, embedded below.

September 19, 2014: The iPhone undergoes its biggest upgrade — both figuratively and literally — since the original, with the release date of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets. The iPhone 6 design brings a new 4.7-inch form factor, while the iPhone 6 Plus expands to a massive 5.5 inches.

The previous-generation iPhone 5 measured only slightly taller than its 3.5-inch predecessors. But with the iPhone 6, Apple abandons the small smartphone form factor to take on big-screen Android “phablets.”

Although Apple is thrilled about the new Siri AI integrated into iOS 27, maybe artificial intelligence isn’t your thing. Fortunately, you can opt out of Apple’s new voice assistant.

iOS 27 lets you turn Siri off completely. Alternatively, you can switch from the new AI-powered Siri back to Siri Classic.

And if you absolutely do not want artificial intelligence in your iPhone, you can disable it … though that process is far more complex than is ideal.

The wait for Apple’s latest gear is over. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max hit retail stores Friday alongside the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5.

Crowds lined up outside Apple Stores around the world, even as a highly unusual launch cycle took place for the latest iPhones.

iPhone price hikes in 2027 could already be locked in. Apple reportedly accepted Samsung’s new memory prices, securing its supply for the first quarter of next year. And that extra supply chain cost could boost the price of next year’s iPhones as well as iPads and Macs.

September 18, 2013: iOS 7 launches with a radical redesign that divides the tech world. The biggest overhaul Apple’s mobile operating system has seen in years, iOS 7 ditches the skeuomorphic objects, dials and textures of previous iterations.

Instead, it boasts stark patches of white space, simpler icons and more abstract controls for settings. The Jony Ive era of software design is truly underway.

Apple quietly killed one of the Apple Watch’s oldest tricks. The Digital Crown double-click action no longer switches between apps in watchOS 27, and longtime users already miss it.

The change lands in watchOS 27, and is related to a new feature in the brand-new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, but it is not limited to those models. So the gesture disappears for all those who update, and the feature meant to replace it won’t even work on most people’s devices.

UPDATE: There’s a fix coming in watchOS 27.2… sort of. Learn more about it:

• watchOS 27.2 will restore a useful Apple Watch feature, but there’s a catch

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max appear to bring two upgrades you will appreciate in everyday use: faster charging and better cooling.

Apple hyped these improvements during its September 9 launch event. And early testing suggests the upgrades are real.

Apple’s new AirPods 5 aren’t even available in stores yet, but you can already save a few bucks on them. Amazon has knocked the preorder price of the new earbuds down to $124.99.

That’s not exactly a huge discount, but considering AirPods 5 were only announced last week and don’t officially arrive in stores until Friday, it’s a surprisingly quick start for discounts on Apple’s newest earbuds.

September 17, 2012: On the back of record iPhone 5 preorders of 2 million in 24 hours, Apple’s stock price hits a new all-time high. For the first time in history, AAPL breaks the $700 mark in after-hours trading. Passing the milestone cements Cupertino’s place as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company.

Amazingly, the new record is $270 a share higher than at the start of the year. Apple stock rose 65% in just nine months.

Three years is a long time in the tech world. And forever in the world of smartphones. If you got an iPhone 15 Pro in 2023, the iPhone 18 Pro will look mighty tempting. 

Are the improved cameras, longer battery life and faster charging speeds enough to justify upgrading from the iPhone 15 Pro, especially with the higher starting price? Here’s how the two compare.

Word of a new iOS 27 freeze bug is spreading fast across social media. It can lock up your iPhone’s home screen with nothing more than a few quick swipes.

The glitch has already turned into a prank between friends. It’s completely harmless, but can make your iPhone feel dead until you know the fix.

Your iPhone probably knows what you want for dinner — and recipe organizer and meal planner ReciBites Plus can help you find that perfect idea that’s lost in a folder somewhere on your device.

ReciBites Plus turns recipes from screenshots, social media, websites and even cookbook photos into organized meal plans and grocery lists. That means no more searching through saved TikToks, Instagram posts, Pinterest boards and your bookmarks to find whatever recipe you spotted three months ago and haven’t seen since. And you can get lifetime access for just $39.99 (regularly $360).

Apple seeded the first iOS 27.2 beta to developers on Wednesday, giving them the chance to test several notable changes and improvements. 

The company is skipping beta testing iOS 27.1, an unusual move but one with a good “Duo” reason behind it. Below is a rundown of all the new stuff in iOS 27.2 beta 1. (We will update the post as we discover more.)

Apple wasted no time moving beyond iOS 27 and macOS 27. Just two days after releasing its major new operating systems, the company began beta testing iOS 27.2 and macOS 27.2 with developers.

No, you didn’t somehow miss beta testing iOS 27.1 and macOS 27.1. Apple made the unusual move of not putting these through public beta testing, and for good reason.

Every September, Apple pulls off a logistical magic trick that most people are completely unaware of. You preorder an iPhone, open the sealed box on launch day, and hit the ground running. But have you ever wondered how that’s possible? Apple only finalized the release version of iOS 27 last week after already assembling millions of new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max units.

Here is how Apple does its final-week iOS update at an astronomical scale.

Apple just reshuffled its trade-in values, and most iPhone owners didn’t come out ahead. Trade-in estimates for older iPhones dropped this week, even as values for iPads and Macs increased.

The update comes days after Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro series but before the expected launch of new Macs and iPads later this year.

September 16, 1985 and 1997: Twice on this day, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs makes significant moves with regard to his career at the company. In 1985, he leaves Apple after a failed boardroom coup. Then, a little more than a decade later, he officially returns to Apple as its new interim CEO.

In terms of the emotions associated with those historic occasions, it’s hard to think of two more polarizing days in Jobs’ life.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 arrives a year after the Ultra 3, building on its predecessor’s improvements. While the Ultra 4 looks the same, it features massive upgrades, including a new chip and new optical and electrical heart sensors.

There’s also Audio Intelligence, longer battery life and new recovery insights. But are these upgrades enough to justify upgrading from a year-old Ultra 3?

This IsThisSpam scam detector deal gives you lifetime access to tools that analyze suspicious emails, text messages, websites, links and more.

It essentially gives you an expert second opinion before you click, reply or take action. And right now, you can get lifetime access to IsThisSpam’s Ultimate Personal plan for just $29.99 (regularly $179).

The first Geekbench scores for the Apple processors inside the M6 Mac mini and M5 Ultra Mac Studio surfaced online, giving us a glimpse of their expected performance when the new computers hit stores next week.

Based on the scores, it looks like Apple’s new high-end and entry-level Apple silicon chips will set new standards in their respective categories.

Apple TV enjoyed a huge night of wins at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, taking home 29 trophies to beat out all rivals. Leading the charge was Widow’s Bay, which made Emmy history as the most decorated freshman comedy series ever.

The breakout show won 14 Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series. That also makes Widow’s Bay the comedy series with the most wins in a single season.

September 15, 2014: Responding to its disastrous U2 album giveaway during the iPhone 6 launch event, Apple provides iPhone owners with a tool for wiping all signs of Songs of Innocence from their phones.

It comes after one of the strangest PR debacles in Apple history. After putting a free copy of U2’s latest release on every iPhone owner’s handset as a special promotion, millions find themselves with an album they didn’t order in their iTunes library. Many weren’t happy about it.

Upgrading to the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max? You’ll need a new case to protect your expensive purchase. Since you’ll see and hold a case every day, it’s worth spending a few extra minutes choosing the right one.

To make the choice easier, check out our roundup of the best iPhone 18 Pro cases from popular case makers, along with some of their standout options.

Apple is now rolling out iOS 26.7. It’s a cautious option for iPhone users who aren’t ready to jump into iOS 27 just yet.

Apple ships these companion updates every fall alongside its new, big annual release. This year follows the same pattern. iOS 26.7 exists purely to patch security holes for users who want to sit out iOS 27 for now.