BIG AirPods updates incoming + BREAKING: US Justice Dept. SUES Apple (CultCast #639)

This week, breaking news! The US launches huge lawsuit against Apple. Also, Apple AI might be powered by Google Gemini, all the details on AirPods 4, Epic’s new game store, and a MUCH cheaper Vision headset! This episode supported by: Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com . Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/CultCast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. BetterHelp. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, entirely online. Visit BetterHelp.com/CultCast to get 10% off your first month. Backblaze offers unlimited cloud backups for Macs, PCs and businesses for just $99 a year. Access your data from anywhere in the world. Get a fully-featured no-risk free trial at Backblaze.com/CultCast . This week’s stories: Get ready for ‘the biggest AirPods launch to date’ Apple could launch the AirPods 4 in two flavors later this year: one with ANC and another without. Alongside updated internals, the new earbuds purportedly will sport a sleeker new design. Blockbuster US antitrust lawsuit targets Apple’s ‘iPhone monopoly’ The Department of Justice and 16 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit Thursday aimed at forcing Apple to open up many aspects of its ecosystem, from the App Store to Apple Watch. Extra Ordinary: Apple’s Platform Advantage iOS 18’s generative AI features might use Google Gemini Apple could use Google Gemini to power the generative AI features reportedly coming this year in iOS 18. Apple and Google are reportedly in “active negotiations” about the possibility, but have not yet finalized a deal. iPhone 17’s display could get a big anti-reflective upgrade A new rumor says that the 2025 iPhone might feature a “super-hard anti-reflective layer,” which is also more scratch-resistant. MacRumors: Epic Games to Charge 12% Fee for App Sales From Alternative iPhone Store Epic Games in February said that it would launch an Epic Games Store on the iPhone in the European Union. For games distributed through the Epic Games Store, Epic will collect a 12 percent share of revenue, which is the same fee that it charges on Windows and Mac machines. Tomsguide: Apple reportedly ‘accelerating’ entry-level Vision Pro — and it could cost $2,000 less Apple is aiming to cut the cost of the Apple Vision Pro from $3,500 down to as low as $1,500, according to a new report. How? Apple’s apparently going back to the drawing board when it comes to one of the headset's most expensive components: its two 4K micro-OLED displays.