This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first reviews of iPhone 15 Pro rave about everything from the phenomenal titanium finish to the fantastic 5x zoom. Sounds like Tim Cook has another winner on his hands.

Also on The CultCast:

• Loads of great new iOS 17 and iPhone 15 features fly below the radar. We discuss some of our faves.
• Apple’s new FineWoven cases, on the other hand, sound like a huge, synthetic miss.
• Some haters are trying to get “Printgate” started, but we can’t believe iPhone 15 Pro’s sweet titanium frame is gonna be a fingerprint magnet.
• With tvOS 17, the Apple TV finally gets a no-brainer capability: FaceTime calls.

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.

Apple is about to launch a cool new watch face for the Apple Watch Ultra called “Modular Ultra.” If you’re looking for more variety, check out the 50 best Apple Watch faces to find the perfect look for your device.
The new face does a lot: It allows up to eight complications, including the customizable bezel that can show water depth, elevation or seconds. I think it looks super-cool. And just wait until you see the night mode.

If you saw the new watch face during the Apple Watch Ultra 2 segment of Apple’s “Wonderlust” event Tuesday and want it right now, you’re in luck: It works with the original Apple Watch Ultra and is already available in the latest watchOS 10 beta.

Here’s how to download, install and customize it.

No, Apple didn’t change the Lightning connector on the iPhone 15 to make more money selling you new cables and dongles. It’s a common conspiracy theory that Apple switches the connector all the time for lining their pockets, but it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.

First of all, Apple changes the connector very rarely; this is only the second occurrence in 16 years. Secondly, Apple is actually giving up money to make the switch happen. Not that there’s much money to be made selling Lightning cables, anyway. And all that aside, it’s out of Apple’s hands — USB-C is European Union law.

Tim Cook and a surprisingly stone-cold Mother Nature had a staring contest at Apple Park during the Wonderlust event Tuesday. And in Apple’s telling, Tim Cook won.

He played himself in the keynote segment while Octavia Spencer, star of the canceled Truth Be Told on Apple TV+, played a feisty Mother Nature taking executives to task on environmental-initiative progress.

But in the end she chilled out, because Apple had some progress to show, including its first carbon-neutral products.

At Apple’s “Wonderlust” event today, the company released an updated version of AirPods Pro 2 and EarPods with USB-C connectors. The earbuds themselves are largely unchanged from before, but the AirPods Pro 2 charging case and wired EarPods have switched from the once-inescapable Lightning port to the universal USB-C standard. Minor improvements to the former include dust resistance and lossless audio when paired with Vision Pro.

The new earbuds were announced alongside iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, which also come with a USB-C port. Both pairs of buds are available to order today at the same price as before and will be available on September 22.

Apple’s biggest event of the year is only a few days away. On September 12, Tim Cook and Co. will reveal at least six new Apple products and possibly more.

The event is titled “Wonderlust” — Apple clearly hopes the new iPhone 15 series and fresh Apple Watch models will fill us with an uncontrollable desire to buy.

Can’t wait to find out what’s coming? We don’t blame you. Here’s everything that leaks already revealed about the handsets and wearables on Tuesday’s agenda.

Apple quietly added a helpful new “Apps by Apple” section to its website last week. Cupertino’s new guide breaks down the world of great Apple apps into helpful sections all in one place.

Some people wonder if it’s part of Apple’s response to the European Union’s moves to force sideloading of apps on iPhones.

Labor Day weekend is always a great time to find deals on tech gear, including Apple computers, gear and accessories. And shockingly, some of those great Labor Day deals are still available from the Cult of Mac Store, Amazon.com and Woot!

Still, we don’t know how long all of these will last, so have at it!

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple’s invite for the September 12 “Wonderlust” event offers potential clues about what to expect. Mostly it makes us wonder: Will Apple ever release an iPhone in a truly bold, lust-worthy color?

The main thing we can agree on is that it looks like the iPhone 15 colors might be more boring than usual.

Also on The CultCast:

• We’ll miss Apple’s leather cases if the company really does pull the plug.
• 3D printing with metal could be a game-changer for the manufacturing process. If anyone can do it, Apple can.
• AirPods might receive the USB-C upgrade they deserve next month.

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.

Shake to the rhythm of the beat in the revival of Sega’s Samba de Amigo: Party-to-Go. The game debuted in arcades and on consoles more than 20 years ago, and is now available for an Apple TV, Mac and more.

It’s this week’s addition to the Apple Arcade gaming service.