Apple to FINALLY fix Siri + radical change coming to iPhone 17 (CultCast #675)

This podcast episode discusses upcoming Apple products and features, including Siri's rumored improvements in iOS 19 and 2025, the iPhone 17 lineup and its potential design changes, the AirPods Max and their lack of a meaningful update, a new studio display alternative, and the importance of Black Friday deals. The podcast concludes with humorous anecdotes and a discussion about security protocols and the ongoing struggle to find a reliable smart doorbell.

Podcast Intro

• 00:00:04 The hosts begin the podcast episode with a casual introduction, discussing their current situation and the show's format. The hosts emphasize that the show will be live and that most of their audience listens to it rather than watches it live.

Audio Issues

• 00:01:55 Griffin experiences audio issues, causing his voice to drop significantly during the podcast. The hosts apologize to the audience and attempt to resolve the issue.

Upcoming Siri Update

• 00:15:06 Apple is reportedly developing a more conversational version of Siri using advanced large language models (LLMs). This new Siri will be available in iOS 19 and is expected to offer chat GPT-like capabilities. However, there is speculation that the feature may be delayed until spring 2026.

iOS 19 Features

• 00:36:43 Mark Gurman's sources suggest that Apple is delaying several key features of iOS 19, including some of the Apple Intelligence features that were announced in June, until Spring 2026. This delay is likely due to the complexity of the features and the company's focus on developing the new LLM Siri.

iPhone 17 Air

• 00:38:10 The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be a thin and light phone with a unique design. It will reportedly lack a physical SIM card slot, have only one speaker positioned in the earpiece, and a smaller battery capacity. The phone will also not support 5G mmWave. Apple plans to use its own in-house 5G chipsets for the phone.

iPhone 17 Pro

• 00:43:58 The iPhone 17 Pro series is rumored to undergo significant design changes, including a return to an aluminum frame, a rear camera design with a half aluminum, half glass design, and an aluminum camera bump. The camera bump is expected to be larger to accommodate bigger camera sensors.

AirPods Max 2

• 00:48:35 Apple is not planning to release a major update to the AirPods Max anytime soon. The current version is expected to remain in production for the foreseeable future. The lack of a major update suggests that the AirPods Max are not selling well.

Studio Display Alternative

• 00:55:16 The Asus ProArt 5K PA279CV monitor is a 27-inch, 5K display that offers roughly the same specs as the Apple Studio Display at half the price. The monitor has a matte display, thin bezels, and a variety of ports. However, it is made of cheap plastic, has a less-than-ideal dynamic dimming feature, and its stand is prone to wobbling.