CultCast #338 - iOS 12! New Macs! It’s our WWDC 2018 predictions!

The CultCast - A podcast by America's favorite Apple Podcast - Fridays

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Technology

This week:  It’s been a tight ship over there at Apple, so for the first time in a long time, we know almost nothing about what will be announced at an Apple Keynote.  
 
But we think there’s a good case for new hardware come Monday, and we’ll tell you why.  Plus, we’ll tell you everything we think we know about iOS 12.  And stick around for our ears-on, gaping-jaw review of two HomePods in stereo mode.
 
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Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode.
 
On the show this week
 
Apple delays big new iOS features to focus on stability in 2018
  • “Apple has shaken up its iOS software plans for 2018, delaying some features to next year in an effort to put more focus on addressing performance and quality issues,” reporter Ina Fried writes for Axios.
 
Cheaper HomePod, smarter Siri predicted for WWDC
  • Apple will introduce a Beat-branded $250 HomePod smart speaker at WWDC, predicts Apple analyst Gene Munster.
  • “The knock on HomePod is its $349 price is about 2-3x the price of a typical smart speaker,” Munster writes. “We believe Apple can advance its digital assistant ambitions with a $250 Beats-branded option that does not compromise HomePod’s $349 price point.”
 
iOS 11.4 Launches Today With AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud, HomePod Gets Multi-Room Audio, Stereo Pairing
 
iOS 11.4 finally brings HomePod stereo pairs and AirPlay 2
  • iOS 11.4 is finally here, bringing AirPlay 2’s multi-room audio capabilities as well as the long-awaited ability to use two HomePods in stereo.
  • Apple also said the HomePod will arrive in Canada, France and Germany by June 18. The speaker is currently available in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
  • Using HomePod as TV speakers
 
Ears-on review: Stereo HomePods will blow you away
 
How to use iOS 11.4’s Messages in iCloud
  • The iOS 11.4 update finally brings iCloud support for Messages, which means messages will sync across all devices, and can even be deleted from an iPhone or iPad that’s short on space. But they will remain accessible from the cloud
  • Why use Messages in iCloud sync?
    • Any messages you send or receive on your iPhone will be almost instantly synced to your Mac and iPad. But it has limits. One is that, if you set up a new device, then you will not see any of your old messages or conversations.
    • Also, each one of your devices currently backs up its entire Message library, which is a waste of space on your iCloud drive.
    • You can also remove old messages from a device, but still have access to them in future, saving a ton of space on your iPhone. Or you could choose to automatically delete old messages from your iPhone, but keep the full history on your Mac.
    • Link to how to turn it on in the show notes. You can also manage and delete the messages you have stored in the cloud.