Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including iPhone 17 Pro specs, iPhone 16 special offers, iOS 18.4 released, Apple Watch ambitions, satellite connectivity challenges, and Apple’s love of a glass iPhone.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes.
iPhone 17 Pro’s Powerful Advantage
While the A19 chipset upgrade will offer more power and performance purely on its physical characteristics, Apple has a design change that should offer an additional improvement. The latest details from the supply chain point to the inclusion of a vapor chamber on the flagship iPhone models to launch later this year. There are discussions over its inclusion on the iPhone 17 Pro, which feels natural given the smaller internal volume compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Nevertheless, the benefits could be significant:
“Vapor chambers are a far more effective method of passive cooling… traditional metal heatsinks just absorb a lot of heat, but once they’re at full capacity, the chipset has to throttle down to allow heat to escape. Vapor chambers allow chipsets to run at higher capacity for much longer, since thermal throttling becomes less of a concern.
(9to5Mac).
iPhone 16 Special Offers
The last few weeks have seen a significant increase in special offers and discounts across a wide range of flagship smartphones. While Apple does not offer discounts through the Apple Store, many of its retailspartners offer discounts on new hardware. One of those is Amazon, with discounts across the iPhone 16 range:
“Amazon U.K. has slashed the price of the iPhone 16 range, with the iPhone 16e being the only device to miss out on a discount. The reductions are substantial, too—a common theme with Amazon’s sales. The retailer has recently established itself as one of the cheapest places to buy smartphones, with some caveats.”
(Forbes).
An Early Release For iOS 18.4
An earlier release of iOS 18.4 caught many off guard. Nevertheless, it is a recommended upgrade for all, especially as Apple puts great focus on security updates in these releases. That’s not the only focus, with updates to apps and software all on show. Forbes’ contributor David Phelan takes a closer look at the release, starting with the big ticket items:
“Anyway, iOS 18.4, has new Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 series, including the newly released iPhone 16e. There’s no giant leap for Siri, which made its own headlines recently. There are also new emoji (including one you’ll surely need) and a new Vision Pro app. Here’s all you need to know.”
(Forbes).
WhatsApp Can Be Your Default
One of the interesting aspects of the iOS 18.4 update is that WhatsApp can now be selected as a default app no matter where you are in the world. It was expected this would only be an option in the European Union due to the demands of the Digital Markets Act:
“WhatsApp users on Apple iPhone can now choose the popular messaging service as their default app, from today. It will also work for calls and there are ramifications which will apply with Siri, too. And before you decide, there are changes that it will make to how your iPhone works—more details below.”
(Forbes).
Apple Watch’s Glucose Ambition
The Apple Watch has become a critical medical device for countless millions worldwide. Tim Cook and his team continue to push their capabilities with some actual moon-shot ideas working through R&D. One of those is the non-invasive monitoring of glucose levels in the body. It’s not coming tomorrow, but it is coming:
“Most blood sugar tests that people currently use require a skin prick, but Apple has been trying to develop a method that uses optical absorption spectroscopy and lasers to determine the concentration of glucose in the body without puncturing the skin. Apple has reportedly been developing a silicon photonics chip that uses optical absorption spectroscopy to shine light from a laser under the skin to determine the concentration of glucose in the body.”
(MacRumors).
Look To The Stars
Apple’s push into satellite connectivity requires partners to loft the hardware into orbit and provide the necessary bandwidth. That has drawn Apple and it’s partner Globalstar into heated discussions with SpaceX’s Starlink and T-Mobile on a variety of structural issues, with a focus on how bandwidth is used and assigned:
“To build capacity, the companies are competing for valuable spectrum rights—airwaves to carry their signals—which are in limited supply. Apple’s outer-space investments have drawn Musk’s ire, people familiar with the matter said. SpaceX has pushed federal regulators to stall an Apple-funded satellite expansion effort.”
And Finally…
The redesign of iOS 19 with a skeuomorpic trend to glass icons and visuals may not be the only design on glass Apple has. The latest patents published in the US show Apple’s continued fascination with a glass-enclosed iPhone:
“Beyond aesthetics, the glass enclosures would introduce new interactive capabilities, according to the patent. Apple describes touch- and force-sensitive areas extending to the sides and back of devices, essentially creating multi-sided interfaces that could adapt based on how the user holds or orients the device. The embodiments also include mechanisms to take apart the devices for repairs.”
(MacRumors).
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.