Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from across the Apple world, including Apple turns to Google for Apple Intelligence, new iOS update warning, iPhone 16 Pro deals, new UI customisation for your iPhone, the iPhone 17e leaks, WhatsApp arrives on Apple Watch, and Apple’s Christmas Tree contest.
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.
Apple Turns To Google For AI
Apple’s continued woes of building a valuable and accurate AI suite are being cast into sharp relief with the news that Apple Intelligence will pay to use Google’s Gemini AI at the heart of the system. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports both the new and how much Apple is paying Google for AI:
“Following an extensive evaluation period, the two companies are now finalizing an agreement that would see Apple pay roughly $1 billion annually for access to Google’s technology, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private.”
Google will offer a custom variant of Gemini to Apple, featuring a 1.2 trillion-parameter artificial intelligence model. It is expected to debut in spring 2026. However, with this date aligning with Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, this may be a beta release rather than a full release to the broader iPhone ecosystem.
Apple’s iOS Update Warning
This week saw the launch of iOS 26.1 (you can read more on the release here), but it wasn’t the only iOS release this week. Apple took the unusual step of offering an update to iOS 18, the previous version of iOS, and encouraged users who have been reluctant to upgrade or are running an older iPhone that is unsupported by iOS 26 to upgrade to iOS 18.7.2 urgently. Forbes contributor David Phelan explains:
“There are more than 25 security fixes in the new release, with issues affecting Find My, Safari, Notes, Mail and Camera. If you’re still keen not to install iOS 26, then you should definitely upgrade to iOS 18.7.2 for all these security fixes. But, be warned, it’s probably your last chance to stay up to date without going all in on iOS 26.”
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Special Offers
With the iPhone 17 family dominating conversations and retail space, it’s worth remembering that last year’s iPhone 16 models can still be found across retailers and networks. The phones are going to be supported for many years, can currently run the majority of Apple Intelligence features, and with Apple’s slow design process, retain the current vogue of iPhone design.
The iPhones are also slightly cheaper, especially when you consider the Amazon Renewed program:
“The iPhone 16 Pro with 256GB storage, originally $1,099 when sold in new condition, is now $824.97 from Amazon in white titanium, black titanium and desert titanium colors. Natural titanium is currently unavailable, as are unlocked models with the lowest storage of 128GB. Just one week ago, the prices were higher by $10 or more. That’s not much of a discount, but it’s going in the right direction, and it’s $274 less than the original price new.”
Ceding Customisation To Your iPhone
The latest beta of iOS points to new customisation options for iPhone owners. iOS 26.2 has code that should allow the side button — which is currently hard-coded to Apple’s own Siri and Apple Wallet apps — to be reprogrammed to suit a user’s needs without Apple pushing them down a conformist road.
Filipe Esposito has more details on the potential iPhone code change, and the shadow of the EU’s competition :
“This change could be particularly significant in light of recent European regulations that push for greater user choice and interoperability. Apple has already made several adjustments to comply with EU requirements, including opening the iPhone to third-party app stores and allowing users to choose default browsers and payment systems. Allowing customization of the side button might be another step in that direction.”
Here Comes The Second E
It wasn’t a guarantee that Apple’s iPhone SE replacement would be an annual release. After all, the SE was on a roughly three-year upgrade cycle, but with the sixteen in the iPhone 16e name, it was likely. That’s been all but confirmed now as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the iPhone 17e will be part of a wave of Apple hardware in the first half of 2026:
“I expect the early portion of the year to include the iPhone 17e, an entry-level iPad with the A18 chip and an iPad Air with the M4 processor. There also should be an M5 version of the MacBook Air, as well as MacBook Pros with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and new Mac monitors.”
WhatsApp Arrives On Your Apple-enabled Wrist
Ten years after the service broke through to the mainstream, WhatsApp finally has an official Apple Watch app. Mark Wilson looks at which models of Apple’s wearable will have the popular messaging client from Meta:
“The new WhatsApp app for the Apple Watch is available to download today – as long as you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or later that’s also running watchOS 10 or later. The Series 4 came out in September 2018, so if you’ve bought an Apple Watch in the last seven years, you should be covered. The watchOS 10 update landed in 2023 and the Series 4 is the oldest model it supports.”
And Finally…
It’s time for the Christmas Cheer to start building, and in the UK, that means Apple needs to decorate the digital Christmas tree that hangs outside its London offices at Battersea. This year, it’s turning to the public to contribute… if they have an iPad, they can draw a design for the tree. Here’s how Battersea Power Station describes the project:
“Hosted by comedian and personality Munya Chawawa, this is your chance to design a Christmas tree on iPad and see it projected in stunning scale onto Battersea Power Station’s iconic chimneys and wash towers. Alongside public entries, designs from famous contributors — including Sir Stephen Fry and David Shrigley OBE — will also light up Battersea for all to enjoy.”
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.