This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The embargoes have lifted and the iPhone 6s reviews are in. We’ll tell you what folks love — and don’t –about Apple’s newest iPhone. Plus: Apple car coming in 2019; why we love the new watchOS 2 update; and, with our three-month Apple Music trials running out, we ponder — is the service worth paying for?

Our thanks to Lynda for supporting this episode. Lynda is like the Apple Music of online education, with more than 3,000 expert-taught video courses you can stream straight to computer or mobile device. Learn how to use Logic’s new super-powerful Alchemy synth, or develop Mac apps for OS X — learn all you want for free for 10 days at lynda.com/cultcast.

It takes years to understand the appeal of the unboxing video. On the face of it, they’re very silly. And yet unboxing is one of digital video’s most popular and enduring genres.

Who wants to see someone else opening the box of a brand new gadget? Wouldn’t you want to do it yourself?

And therein lies their appeal — the vicarious pleasure of seeing a stranger enjoy a gadget you covet.

With that, here’s our contribution to the genre: Cult of Mac’s first unboxing video. Watch in enraptured fascination as we take the iPhone 6s Plus from its box.

We’re excited! This week marks the launch of our brand-new Cult of Mac Magazine app, version 2.0!

We’ve redesigned it to make it even easier to get all of the best Cult of Mac content in a version that’s optimized for touchscreen displays. Just zoom in with your finger and thumb to pull up a story. When you get to the end, it will automatically bring up the next one.

We’ve created a special issue for you this week, as well, as we bring you our iPhone 6s Super Guide, chock-full of handy info on setting up that brand new shiny iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, along with a ton of great tips on using Apple’s latest iOS 9 like a crazy bossman.

Download the brand new Cult of Mac Magazine app from iTunes right now, and you’ll get all this, and more, absolutely free.

Here’s the rundown of our top stories this week:

Even though the iPhone 6s look identical to its predecessor, using the new smartphone is actually way different thanks to 3D Touch and the new Peek and Pop gestures that essentially provide wormholes to other apps. Getting up to speed with the new input method can take some time, so we’ve compiled a list of all the sweet little features you probably didn’t know about.

Here are 11 killer iPhone 6s tips to help you master your new device:

If you’ve braved a line (or just waited impatiently for your mail or a delivery from your local courier) and finally have your hands on an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus of your very own, you may be wondering what do do with your new precious. Sure, you could call all your friends and tell them you’re speaking to them through your shiny new gadget, like I did with my Apple Watch.

And I’m here to tell you that everyone loves that.

But you’re probably looking for some cool apps to play around with, and it may be hard to know where to start — especially if this is your first iPhone. So here are a bunch of apps that should be at the top of your list.

“Stronger glass on a molecular level,” blah, blah, blah. Drop your Apple iPhone 6s and the screen can still crack.

David Rahimi, host of the PhoneBuff channel on YouTube, flew to Australia to get his hands on an iPhone 6s and 6s Plus before the rest of the world to put both phones through a drop test. Like the take away from any drop demonstration, the video showed the importance of purchasing a durable, protective case.

Apple’s retail guru Angela Ahrendts paid a surprise visit to Apple’s flagship retail store in Covent Garden today.

Ahrendts — who joined Apple last year and is currently the most highly-paid woman in the U.S. — praised the “positive energy” in Apple Stores, but noted that launch days amplify that feeling “about 100-fold.”

It’s hard to disagree.

Merry iPhone 6s-mas!

Today’s the day Apple’s latest smartphones go on sale in 12 markets around the world, and thanks to some threats I made to the local UPS man last week, my shiny new handset arrived before I’d even had chance to make myself a coffee this morning.

After putting it through its paces for a few hours, here are my first impressions on all that’s new. It’s super-fast, Live Photos are tons of fun, and 3D Touch is a must-have.

Your personal hero now has an S on its chest and, behind it, are some new superpowers. Behold, the iPhone 6s.

But wait: There’s still some money to be spent on a new suit of armor and some other accessories to exploit the talents of the latest hardware out of Cupertino.

Cult of Mac has drawn up a shopping list for you. You could probably squeeze the 6s into the same case and carry on with your current set of headphones, but hey — a new iPhone only comes around once a year.

The iPhone 6s has Apple’s best iPhone camera to date, but just how good is the company’s 12-megapixel marvel?

To give you an idea, Apple recently handed an advance iPhone 6s Plus to documentary and VR makers RYOT. They used it shoot a short documentary about a painter in Haiti, who uses colors to transform his poor neighborhood.

It’s a great demo of the iPhone 6s Plus in action — and a fantastic short film, to boot.

Check it out below.