We updated our latest report on the iPhone 16 release date on August 23rd.
A look back at this week’s Apple news and headlines, including iPhone 16 release date confusion, iPhone 16 Pro design leaks, iPhone 16 comparisons, iOS 18 changes in Europe, iPhone superpowers in macOS, the end of Apple ID, and the Apple Podcasts app coming to Android.
The Apple Loop is here to keep you up to date on some of the many discussions surrounding Apple over the past seven days, as well as Forbes’ weekly digest of Android news.
Maria Barteczko holds a white titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max in Düsseldorf in September 2023. … (+)
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iPhone release date confusion
This week, there was a lot of talk about the release date of the iPhone 18 series. Unfortunately, the excitement died down when the information on which it was based turned out to be false. David Phelan had this to say about the fuss:
“First, we know for sure that it will be an in-person event, taking place at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino. It will start at 10am PST. But we’re not sure about anything else… We believe the release date is solidified for Friday, September 20th, but the keynote date could be a day earlier or a few days later than the widely expected September 10th. We’ll know soon.”
(Forbes).
Update: Apple sticks to expected iPhone schedule
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, citing sources familiar with the matter, reports that Apple will unveil new hardware at an event on Tuesday, September 10. Gurman has a very good track record of covering Apple’s upcoming hardware and software releases. This weekend’s report confirms the long-anticipated date for the official unveiling of the new iPhone 16 series. Gurman also lists September 20 as the date for retail availability.
“No date has been announced yet, but the company is preparing for that date, which is Tuesday,” said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. The announcement will be followed by a Sept. 20 release of the phone, in line with an approach typical of Apple in recent years.
While these dates follow an established pattern for iPhone launches, there may be one reason why Apple decided to move the date to September 10: As Forbes contributor David Phelan points out, that night will feature a televised debate between the two US presidential candidates. Tim Cook and his team may be tempted to avoid one of September’s biggest news stories and create their own headlines.
(Bloomberg via Forbes).
iPhone 16 Pro design leaked
Aside from when the iPhone 18 Pro will be available, we’re getting a clearer idea of what’s coming as the early September launch window nears, and the latest details include the key colorways Apple will sell for its new flagship model.
“The current Pro model colors are named Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium. Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that Apple has been actively promoting the use of titanium in the iPhone 15 Pro. The new series appears to be similar, although the grey could be a new version of Natural Titanium. And what about gold? According to the leak, it will be called Desert Titanium.”
(Forbes).
What’s the difference?
With the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max at the top of the range and the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at the bottom, Apple is expected to make the specs of the two series as close as possible, but with generative AI getting a lot of attention this year, the gap between the two needs to be narrower than ever.
“Unlike past years, when Apple tried hard to differentiate between the regular iPhone and the professional iPhone Pro models, in 2024 the two devices will have much more in common. Both will be powered by the latest Apple Silicon A18 chipset and will also have more RAM. The increased power and working space these provide will be needed to run the generative AI software (an acronym for Apple Intelligence).”
(Forbes).
Changes in iOS 18 for European customers
The latest build of iOS 18 shows additional steps Apple is taking in Europe to comply with new consumer protection regulations, including on options like the default search engine and web browser.
“For users in the EU, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 also include a new Default Apps section in Settings that lists the defaults available to each user. In upcoming software updates, users will get new default settings for dialing phone numbers, sending messages, translating text, navigation, managing passwords, keyboard, and call spam filtering. For more information, see App updates distributed in the European Union.”
(Apple Developer).
MacOS Ready
While the focus is on iOS 18 and the iPhone’s first generative AI, macOS Sequoia is also scheduled for release in mid-September. Just as iOS 18 is holding off on debuting its AI features until mid-October, macOS won’t be released until mid-October either… but it needs to be released by September to have the right synergy with iOS.
“This year, Apple will release macOS Sequoia around the same time as iOS 18, rather than delaying it until October. Introducing both updates at the same time ensures that cross-platform features, like iPhone Mirroring, are functional and work as intended. A key new feature, iPhone Mirroring, lets you control your iPhone running iOS 18 using a Mac running macOS Sequoia.”
(MacRumors).
The Apple ID brand will disappear
As part of some sort of data-driven branding effort in the heart of Cupertino, Apple IDs are set to be renamed Apple Accounts, and Ryan Christoffel warns that while the change is happening, people need to be wary of scams taking advantage of the process.
“Your Apple ID is a critical part of accessing a variety of sensitive and secure data related to your digital life, so it’s important that we clarify the terminology. For example, phishing scams may try to take advantage of users’ confusion during this change.”
(9to5Mac).
And finally…
Apple has made Apple Podcasts available as a player on their website, where you can sign in and access your library and various top charts. This also has the fun ramification of allowing Apple Podcasts to run as a web app on Android.
“The website is ‘accessible to anyone with a web browser on any device’ and is available on all major browsers, including Safari, Chrome, Edge and Firefox, Apple said. It is supported in local languages in over 170 countries and regions. Transcripts, chapters and downloads are not supported.”
(PodNews).
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