The rumored iPhone 17 Air appears to be Apple’s sleekest and lightest phone yet — everything fans of the iPhone mini had dreamed of, minus the early retirement. But if Apple has learned anything from the mini’s short-lived run, it’s that a unique and stunning form factor won’t save a phone with underwhelming battery life.

That’s where iOS 26 steps in. Announced at WWDC 2025 on June 9, iOS 26 includes a new “adaptive power” feature that aims to stretch every bit of your battery without forcing you into the more aggressive limitations of Low Power Mode. It’s an AI-infused battery life boost that could be exactly what the iPhone 17 Air needs to avoid the mini's fate.

Whether it’s enough to future-proof Apple’s next ultra-portable iPhone remains to be seen, but it’s a promising sign that Apple isn’t about to repeat the same mistake twice.

Here's a look at which phones are getting "adaptive power" mode and a closer examination of the potential battery life for the iPhone 17 Air without this feature, which highlights why Apple may have deemed it necessary for iOS 26.

Which phones are getting "Adaptive power" mode in iOS 26?

• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max

A MacRumors report confirmed that the feature will only run on the iPhones listed above. The reason for the limitation is presumably that this feature is powered by AI, so, like Apple Intelligence, your phone must have at least the Apple A17 Pro processor.

Think of "adaptive power" mode as a more thoughtful version of low power mode. Rather than restricting all background activities, it makes more subtle adjustments, such as lowering the screen brightness and slowing down certain activities to reduce power consumption.

That latter part is where AI comes in; it needs to monitor your battery data to see which apps it can slow down to deliver maximum impact without adversely affecting your phone usage.

If you are on an older iPhone, don't worry, you are still getting a lot of the iOS 26 features, support for the new OS goes all the way back to the iPhone 11. However, if you want the latest AI features, you'll need to make the leap to an iPhone 15 Pro or newer phone, or wait for the iPhone 17 this fall.

Potential iPhone 17 Air battery life

While iPhones have solid battery life, they've been outperformed by the top Android flagships for the last couple of generations, so this feature could potentially tip the scales back in their favor.

However, the biggest potential winner is the rumored iPhone 17 Air. Battery life could be a real concern for the thinnest iPhone ever.

Comparing it to the similarly slim Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, our testing revealed a loss of 4 hours and 30 minutes of battery life compared to its 6.7-inch display sibling, the Galaxy S25+. In that case, it was a drop from 16 hours and 55 minutes to 12 hours and 25 minutes. That was with a move from a 4,900 mAh battery in the S25+ to a 3,900 mAh battery in the S25 Edge.

Apple is rumored to be making an even more drastic drop; the iPhone 16 Plus features a 4,674 mAh battery, and the 17 Air may dip to just a 2,800 mAh battery. The iPhone 16 Plus delivered 16 hours and 30 minutes in our testing. If the 1,874 mAh cut to its battery yielded a similar drop in the iPhone 17 Air, it could dip below 10 hours. That's comparable to the short-lived mini iPhones, which was their biggest flaw.

"Adaptive power" could be the key to preventing the Air from befalling a similar fate.

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Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicked off on June 9, 2025, and featured huge updates across all its platforms.

If you missed the keynote live stream, we've got you covered with our live posts from the event, a recap summarizing all the biggest updates, and follow-up coverage delving into the details.

As we get more information from Apple leading up to the release of its latest operating systems this fall, we'll have even more information and analysis to share. So, take a look at all of the exciting news from WWDC 2025 below, and stay tuned for more on iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, iPadOS 26, and all things Apple!

See also: Best Apple deals in June 2025

Apple WWDC 2025: Highlights

New names and Liquid Glass: If there's one takeaway from WWDC 2025, it's the all-new look and naming scheme for Apple's operating systems. Starting this year, all of Apple's operating systems will be numbered by the release year, meaning the upcoming updates will be iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26.

When you download the latest OS versions, you'll also notice a fresh new look, which Apple is calling "Liquid Glass." The overall look isn't too different from the current flat design aesthetic, but it revamps it in a new "glassy" style with more transparent UI elements.

Liquid Glass will also make all of Apple's operating systems look more alike, so menus and app icons will look familiar whether you're using a MacBook or an iPhone.

iOS 26: Of course, the star of the show at WWDC 2025 was the latest version of iOS, which got a slew of updates in addition to the new Liquid Glass look. With iOS 26, you'll have more customization options for your lock screen, including larger fonts that adapt as your lock screen fills with notifications. The camera app is also getting an update, which will streamline it and make it easier to access the basic photo and video functions.

The most exciting iOS 26 features are in the Phone and Messages apps. Apple is introducing AI-powered call screening, which will automatically silence scam calls. Similarly, Apple Intelligence will now generate voicemail summaries for you. There will also be a new Hold Assist feature that will keep you on hold and notify you when the call gets picked up, so you don't have to sit by the phone while you wait.

Potentially even more exciting, iOS 26 is getting Live Translation for messages, phone calls, and FaceTime calls. This feature can automatically translate text messages and create live, translated captions during calls. Hopefully, it can translate with consistent accuracy because it looks pretty helpful.

macOS 26 Tahoe: The new Liquid Glass look is coming to macOS, too, although it still overall looks the same. macOS 26, nicknamed "Tahoe," includes new quality-of-life features. For instance, you can customize the control center to include whichever controls you want. You can also customize how macOS looks with the same dark and tinted color modes currently on iOS/iPadOS. Plus, you can customize how your folders look with different colors and emojis.

The big addition to macOS is the Phone app. You can now answer and send calls directly from your Mac and access all the same call and voicemail info you can access on your iPhone. The macOS Phone app will even include all the new AI features coming to the iOS Phone app (mentioned above).

iPadOS 26: This year's iPadOS update is one of the most significant in recent years. It will bring several key features over from macOS, making the iPad a better device for using with a Magic Keyboard like a laptop.

For instance, the mouse cursor on iPadOS will now be an arrow rather than a circle, and windows will have Mac-like control buttons. More importantly, you can move around freely and resize windows on iPadOS 26 like on macOS. If you prefer tiling your windows rather than stacking them, you can also access more window tiling options.

iPadOS 26 also supports background tasks, meaning you can have something running in another app without actively keeping that app open. For example, you could let a video you're editing export while you check your email in another app.

watchOS 26: The next version of watchOS includes new customization options, more Apple Intelligence features, and some handy quality-of-life updates. For example, the Workout app will now have an AI Workout Buddy feature that can analyze your workout routine history and patterns to generate pep talks during your workouts, such as cheering you on by telling you how far you've run or recapping your progress from previous sessions.

The Notes app is also coming to watchOS, which could be helpful for quickly leaving voice reminders for yourself. The Apple Watch is also getting the call screening, hold assist, and live translation features coming to iOS, along with new watch faces similar to the updated lock screen in iOS 26.

visionOS 26: Apple's mixed reality operating system inspired the new Liquid Glass look, so it's no surprise it's getting an update, too. VisionOS 26 will not look much different from the current version, but it will include a few new features.

For starters, you will be able to create customizable widgets you can geographically place anywhere you want, like making a digital clock widget on your living room wall. The Vision Pro will also be compatible with some new accessories, including a Logitech pen and Sony's PSVR controllers, hopefully improving gaming on the Vision Pro.

Apple WWDC 2025: Follow-up coverage

• Apple is finally giving iPadOS one of the updates it desperately needs — here are the highlights from WWDC 2025
• Did WWDC 2025 just prove that Apple is kneecapping the iPad?
• MacOS 26 Tahoe: The big reasons to update — or to not update
• With on-device AI, is Apple making a move no one saw coming?

Apple WWDC 2025: Live blog recap

WWDC 2025 is now just hours away

We're now just a handful of hours away from today's keynote to kickstart WWDC 2025, and Apple CEO Tim Cook is already shining a spotlight on the next generation of "Wozniaks" by celebrating the winners of this year's Swift Student Challenge which awards 350 young developers for the creativity, innovation, and social impact of their apps.

The all-class "Liquid Glass"

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one of the biggest reveals of today's keynote will be an all-new UI design set to feature across the board for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 ("Tahoe"), and visionOS 26, named "Liquid Glass."

The new interface is set to replace the current "Flat Design" Apple users have been familiar with since 2013, offering more contemporary design that focuses on transparency and shine effects — likely as a prelude to a new look for 2027's "Glasswing" iPhone, which is rumored to ditch the metal frame for entirely curved glass sides.

A visionOS of the future?

Apple's new "Liquid Glass" aesthetics are said to be inspired by the look of visionOS, the operating system exclusive to the Apple Vision Pro headset.

While the Vision Pro may be relinquishing its frosted glass-like visuals to other devices in the Apple ecosystem, it too is expected to receive several minor design changes in visionOS 26 — alongside several other rumored features including "eye-scrolling" and support for third-party VR controllers (finally).

Looking ahead with Liquid Glass

It's something of an open secret that Apple is hard at work developing a pair of futuristic frames following the success of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, but it's unlikely that we'll catch sight of them during this year's keynote.

However, should early reports surrounding the transparency-focused "Liquid Glass" redesign of Apple's interfaces prove accurate, a more "see through" smart glasses-friendly UI will be on-hand for Apple to make use of when it's ready to reveal its glasses — which, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, are expected to arrive by the end of 2026.

iOS 26: Charged with Intelligence

Battery life is one of the most important specs people look for when purchasing a new smartphone, and it's something that Apple has excelled at providing with its recent iPhones.

And, while Apple Intelligence is said to play a smaller role at this year's WWDC, it could power a new iOS 26 feature to make adjustments on the fly to limit power consumption and push your battery life further than ever before.

Battery Intelligence: Something borrowed, something new

Another handy iOS 26 feature tipped to be unveiled today is something new to iPhone, but borrowed from Android smartphones.

Alongside iOS 26's claimed AI power management feature, iPhone users will reportedly now receive an estimate on how long it will take for their device to reach full charge from the lock screen.

This feature was first spotted in code for the iOS 18.2 beta, where it was referred to as "BatteryIntelligence," but was suspiciously missing from the public release.

However, many signs point to the feature finally making its iPhone debut with iOS 26.

More for Mac?

The battery life-boosting features and charging transparency heading to iPhone is great, but can we expect similar features to arrive on Macs?

The Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are some of the longest lasting laptops on the market already, with the recent M4 MacBook Air 13 pushing past the 15-hour mark on our Laptop Mag battery test in March.

If a little of that rumored Apple Intelligence-powered battery magic for iPhone makes it way to Macs, could Apple push the envelope even further when it comes to all-day power for the portable computer? We hope so.

Siri to join the iOS rebranding?

We're already expecting to see a bold rebrand of Apple's operating systems this year.

The new "Liquid Glass" design aside, Apple will be trading the usual version names of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and others to highlight the software's year of service — trading what would be iOS 19 for iOS 26.

However, a last-minute post by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo may suggest another major rebrand isn't far off. This time, for Siri.

In a post shared to X earlier today, Kuo shares his belief that part of Apple's AI strategy for WWDC 2025 will involve "Rebranding Apple Intelligence/Siri."

We've long heard that the LLM (Large Language Model) overhaul of Siri has run into trouble, and that it's a project labored with multiple delays.

However, if Kuo, whose insights have previously played out accurately, is right, Apple's big AI announcement could be an all-new virtual assistant — not Siri, but whatever comes next.

macOS 26 "Tahoe" is more than a feature drop

MacBook users are more than familiar with the annual update cycle, with new features dropping alongside a new OS version and several new wallpapers. But with macOS 26, or "Tahoe," things are a little bit more special.

The "Liquid Glass" design that looks set to charm iPhone users also appears set for MacBooks, Apple Watches, iPads, and more, promising this update to feel all the more special.

While it's claimed that Apple won't have much to show on the AI front in terms of ramping up its own models, Tahoe could be a fantastic opportunity for Apple to put the tech they've already developed into action, and start playing catch-up to Microsoft's lead in the race to the AI operating system.

A return to gaming?

Another key rumor heading into WWDC is that Apple is ready to unveil a Game Center replacement during today's keynote.

Compared to other game platforms, Apple's is very much a bare-bones experience. Could that be something set to change over the next few hours?

We've already seen Microsoft amend its Windows operating system to better accommodate gaming with its new "Xbox full screen experience," and Apple should be taking notes, especially for macOS.

As macOS Sonoma released in 2023, Apple's Game Porting Toolkit caused a stir as it was shown to impressively bring previously Windows and Linux only titles to the platform. With macOS Sequoia, Apple announced the Game Porting Toolkit 2, and while similarly impressive, hype around the porting of games to macOS has somewhat tamed.

Far from another Apple Arcade-like portal, I'm hoping that Apple can regain some momentum on this front, and hopefully surprise us with a new outlook on gaming, beyond a simple launcher.

Say "so long!" to the flat design aesthetic on Apple's operating systems because today Apple is expected to announce a huge visual overhaul like we haven't seen since iOS 7 back in 2013.

Rumors so far suggest Apple took inspiration from visionOS, which might seem ironic since the Vision Pro has struggled to catch on. Even if the headset itself hasn't been a hit, its unique operating system could bring a fresh look to the rest of Apple's operating systems, with more transparent UI elements and a glass-like aesthetic.

Apple's WWDC 2025 is starting now! You can tune in on YouTube to watch live or follow along here where we'll be covering everything Apple announces!

Apple is kicking things off with its usual cinematic intro video, this one featuring an F1 race car pilot by Apple's Senior VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi.

Yes, the race car has Apple Car Play. And Tim Cook is running Federighi's pit team.

Tim Cook is passing things over to Craig Federighi to get our first round of announcements started.

Apple Intelligence is up first.

Federighi is getting the ball rolling by highlighting the handful of AI features Apple was able to roll out this year (a short list that doesn't include a new-and-improved Siri). Federighi name-dropped Siri, but it doesn't sound like we'll hear much about it today.

With that said, Apple is launching a new Foundation Models framework feature, which will allow third-party app developers to tap into Apple Intelligence's on-device AI capabilities. That means other apps can offer AI features that are processed locally, helping to keep your data private.

Confirmed! Craig Federighi is announcing the major visual redesign we were expecting for Apple's operating systems!

He referenced the overhaul from iOS 7, so hopefully this redesign is just as good.

We're getting our first look at the redesign! It will be a universal design across all of Apple's operating systems, inspired by visionOS as rumors predicted.

Alan Dye, VP of Human Interface, is here to introduce the new look, called "Liquid Glass".

We're seeing a lot of clean, transparent UI elements with a bubbly, glass-like look. It's very clean and a nice refresh without being too different from the existing aesthetic on Apple's platforms.

The glassy UI will respond to what's on screen and in your environment, so the transparency hopefully won't lead to visibility or readability issues. The whole UI looks more responsive and adaptable.

Craig Federighi is back to announce the new OS names. As expected, everything will now be numbered by year, meaning this year we're getting iOS 26, which Federighi is diving into now.

The new Liquid Glass UI will respond to the different dark and tinted modes in iOS 26, which looks better than the tints in the current UI aesthetic. You can also use different fonts on your lockscreen now, which looks pretty cool. The time font on the lockscreen will even adapt and adjust size as your lockscreen fills up with notifications.

Plus, you can have "3D" photos on your lockscreen that will shift as you turn your phone from side to side. Neat!

Next up is updates to the Camera app. It's getting streamlined to mainly display photo and video mode. You now have to swipe to switch to more advanced modes. It still looks nice, though, and will probably be easier to use for many people.

The Photos app is getting tweaked, too. Tabs are back, which were removed in last year's big iOS update.

Emily Schubert is up next to give us some updates to Apple Car Play.

Like the rest of the Apple ecosystem, Car Play is getting the Liquid Glass UI overhaul. It looks really clean. Notifications like calls and texts are minimized now so you can still see your GPS while answering a call. You can also pin live activity in Car Play, like watching a flight status off to the side of your GPS window.

Some compatible cars will also get more customization now with Car Play Ultra.

Now on to Darin Adler, VP of Internet Technologies, to cover updates to a handful of iOS apps.

First, the phone app is getting a slight redesign that will include voice mail summaries generated by Apple Intelligence. Plus, Call Screening will automatically (and silently) answer calls from unknown numbers, a feature that's designed to block spam calls more efficiently. Hopefully it works well because it looks pretty helpful.

Similarly, a new Hold Assist feature will let you automate being on hold by notifying you when you're off hold so you can do other things in the meantime.

Meanwhile, the Messages app is getting a cool new backgrounds feature like the backgrounds you can use on other messaging apps like Telegram. Group messages are also getting a Polls feature, also similar to the polls you can make in Telegram or Discord. Group chats are getting typing indicators, too. Plus, the AI call screening tool will also screen out spam text messages.

Apple is announcing Live Translation!

This is an exciting feature, assuming it can translate accurately. It will use Apple Intelligence to translate in real-time in the Messages app or even generate live translated captions in FaceTime. Live Translation can do translated voice overs in phone calls, too. It sounds like this feature will work regardless of whether the other person has an iPhone.

Translation will even work in Apple Music to translate song lyrics.

The Maps app is getting an update to "remember" your preferred routes to places you frequently visit. It will even adapt if you start using a different preferred route to get to the same place.

Plus, you can now review places you've previously visited in case you want to go back. If your iPhone remembering where you go sounds a little creepy, don't worry. Like the rest of your Apple Intelligence data, even Apple won't be able to access it.

Next up, gaming!

As rumored, Apple is launching a new gaming app called the Games app.

Here you can see updates on games you've been playing, suggestions for new games, access Apple Arcade, and view and manage your game library.

The Games app will also integrate social features allowing you to view and compares your scores to friends' and see what everyone is playing. There will be a leaderboards feature third-party developers can use, too.

Next, we're getting an update to Visual Intelligence. Now when you take a screenshot, you will also have an option to search for the content in the screenshot using Visual Intelligence.

Likewise, you can use Visual Intelligence to add an event your calendar by taking a screenshot. You can also use it to ask questions with ChatGPT.

That's all for iOS 26 for now. Next up, David Clark on watchOS 26.

For starters, watchOS is of course getting the Liquid Glass redesign. watchOS 26 will also utilize Apple Intelligence significantly more now.

For instance, the "workout buddy" feature can analyze your fitness data to track your progress and give you encouragement based on it. So, you can have an customized AI-generated voice give you a pep talk at the start of your workout and announce benchmarks and performance updates during your workout. It could be a cool feature if the AI voices don't sound too uncanny.

Smart stacks in watchOS 26 will use GPS and Apple Intelligence to predict what widgets you need based on your locations and activity. For example, when you enter a gym, your workout widget will pop up in your watch's smart stack.

The new wrist flick gesture will also make it easier to do things like silence notifications.

Plus, Live Translation is coming to watchOS, too, as are backgrounds from the Messages app. The Notes app is coming to watchOS, as well.

tvOS is up next!

Liquid Glass makes it less disruptive to access and tweak playback features while watching something, thanks to the transparent, glassy UI.

We're getting a new slew of AppleTV originals, too! This year's upcoming slate looks to include new seasons of Foundation, Slow Horses, Loot, The Morning Show, Invasion, a slew of new movies, and more.

Looks like there won't be a new season of For All Mankind just yet, though.

tvOS is getting a cute karaoke feature that allows you to use your iPhone as a mic, which will adjust the volume automatically and highlight lyrics on your TV as you go.

Craig Federighi is back to cover macOS 26!

This year's version will be called "Tahoe." The Liquid Glass UI is the highlight, as expected, with many of the same new features as iOS like backgrounds in the Messages app.

The desktop still looks familiar overall, though. The Liquid Glass aesthetic simply adds a subtle, cleaner look, but everything is effectively still laid out the same.

You can now customize the control center on macOS, which is a nice update. Plus, you can customize how your folders look with different colors and emojis. macOS has access to the same dark mode and tinted color modes you can use to customize iOS, as well.

The Phone app is coming to macOS! You can now access your contacts and call history and answer and start calls directly from your Mac. It includes all the same new features coming to the iOS Phone app, as well, which is a nice update.

The Shortcuts app is getting an update in macOS.

Now you can automate your shortcuts and use Apple Intelligence to create "intelligent actions," including a dedicated Apple Intelligence shortcut. For instance, you can create a shortcut to have Apple Intelligence summarize your notes for you.

Spotlight Search will use Apple Intelligence now, too, with help from Quick Keys, a new feature that's essentially keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can type the "sm" command to send a message. You can use these commands throughout macOS apps, too, such as in Pages. Plus, you can view and access your clipboard history from the Spotlight Search bar.

Third-party app developers can use the App Intents API to integrate those new features in their macOS apps, too.

As expected, the new Games app is coming to macOS, too. It will integrate Metal 4 rendering along with social features like calling and chatting with friends during games.

Inzoi is coming to macOS, but it doesn't sound like we're getting many gaming updates this year.

Next up is visionOS 26.

You can now create customizable widgets in visionOS 26, which you can "place" geographically, like placing a clock or photo widget on your wall. The WidgetKit API will allow third-party developers to offer widgets in visionOS, too.

Plus, Spatial Scenes is getting an update to bring more 3D photos to visionOS (and the Photos app on iOS). You can use it to transform 2D photos into 3D and streamline web pages.

Personas, the 3D digital version of you rendered when you're talking to others on FaceTime while wearing the Vision Pro, is getting an update, as well. It will make personas look a bit cleaner, sharper, and more realistic.

The Vision Pro is getting new accessories, like the Logitech Muse pen along with PSVR controllers. Both could go a long way toward expanding precision controls on Apple's mixed reality platform, especially for gaming. Will PlayStation VR controller compatibility bring more VR games to visionOS? We'll have to wait and see.

iPadOS 26 is up next!

As expected, it's getting the big Liquid Glass redesign. We're also getting improvements to Multitasking and file management.

It's finally here: an updated windowing system on iPadOS! It looks a lot more like the windowing system on macOS, which is a huge relief. App windows will still default to full screen like normal, but you can also resize them and stack them on top of each other anywhere you want on your screen. The trackpad pointer in iPadOS looks more like a Mac pointer now, too, and it can even activate Mac-like window controls.

Plus, we have more tiling options for quickly optimizing and resizing windows to fill your screen.

This new windowing system looks like it will work best on larger iPads, but it will also likely make using your iPad like a laptop much more functional and intuitive.

Apple is finally improving the iPadOS Files app.

It still looks effectively the same as before, but with the new file customization options from macOS. You can also pin files to your dock now and you'll have more options for how you open individual files.

The Preview app, previously only on macOS, is coming to iPadOS, too. You can use this to more easily edit and export files and images.

iPadOS is getting improved audio and video capabilities and background tasks. For instance, you can now do things like export a video in the background while working on something else on your iPad. There will be an API for this, as well, so third-party app developers can also use it. This should be a really helpful features for people who use their iPad for creative tasks like video or photo editing.

Plus, the Journal app is coming to iPadOS and it sounds like the iPad is getting a 3D graphing feature in Math Notes, which will be helpful for students.

Apple is announcing some developer updates now. XCode is getting some new AI features and Apple will be offering tools for developers to give their apps and app icons the Liquid Glass look.

Tim Cook is back to wrap things up for the day.

The developer betas of all the new software versions will be available today with a public beta to follow in July and a full release in the fall. If you can't wait to try out these new updates, you can sign up for the public beta through Apple's Beta Software Program (the sign up page for it is currently down for WWDC, but it should be back online soon).

That's all for the WWDC 2025 keynote, but our coverage is just getting started!

We'll be digging into all of today's major announcements shortly, covering everything you need to know and the highlights to look forward to in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and more. So, stay tuned for more info, details, and images from today's presentation.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) takes place on Monday, June 9, and the company is set to spotlight its biggest software updates of the year — but will any of its new Apple Intelligence features win over frustrated Mac users?

Apple Intelligence may have been the star of last year's show, but the platform, pitched as "AI for the rest of us," has mostly failed to capture the awe of Mac, iPhone, or iPad users, with the one update everyone really wants to see is nowhere in sight.

There's no doubt that Apple will liberally flaunt the term AI during this year's WWDC, but a claimed lack of any killer AI features to show could highlight how far ahead Apple's competition is.

However, to some, that's a good thing. Take a look online and you'll see many Mac users souring on AI, and until Apple is ready to change their minds with something truly groundbreaking, it might be best to keep it out of the limelight a little longer.

See also: Best Apple deals in June 2025

WWDC will feature a rebranded macOS, but one key update will be missing

With WWDC 2025 now just a week away, we're getting our last, and arguably most exciting, wave of rumors about what to expect. The highlight, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, will be a major rebrand of Apple's operating systems along with the biggest visual overhaul since iOS 7.

For Mac users, that means the next OS update will be macOS 26, which will likely feature tweaked app icons and potentially changes to the overall UI, like more transparent elements. Rumors indicate that Apple is taking a lot of inspiration from visionOS for this sweeping visual overhaul across its platforms, giving a rough idea of what to expect.

What we're not expecting to see, however, is any major Apple Intelligence developments. Apple is expected to debut an AI battery optimization tool, which sounds useful, and potentially some other minor updates, but the big, large language model (LLM) Siri update we've all been waiting for is unlikely to make an appearance at WWDC.

That big Siri update is the AI feature its users really need. While it's disappointing we have to keep waiting for it, a lack of focus on AI in the meantime might actually be a good thing for Apple, judging by a cold response to AI from many Mac users.

One year later, Apple Intelligence still hasn't won over Mac users

Apple was undoubtedly late to the game in consumer AI, falling short of the innovations Google, Meta, and OpenAI have been announcing over recent years. OpenAI is even partnering with former Apple design chief Jony Ive to develop its own in-house AI device.

Considering all that, one might think Apple is in hot water, dropping the ball on AI like it has. However, that's assuming Apple users actually want a boatload of AI features on their devices, which might not be the case.

For instance, a user in one Reddit thread referred to Apple Intelligence as "5GB of pure bloatware," complaining that trying to disable or remove the feature can lead to bugs.

A user in another thread expressed frustration about not being able to completely remove Apple Intelligence, commenting, "Some of us don't like a service shoved down our throats we never asked for, and don't need. Sure, it can be turned off, but it should be optional to be installed to begin with. I’d like to use those few gigs of storage."

One user even described Apple's AI as "all hype, no value."

Comment from r/MacOS

Even users who don't outright dislike Apple Intelligence see little use in it, like one commenter who said: "I pretty much never use writing tools, even before they were integrated, so that’s been barely used. Sucks that what the majority of Apple AI is."

Another user pointed out the core of the issue: "Siri still seems dumb as a rock."

All of this effectively amounts to a lack of enthusiasm for AI in general, at least among Mac users. It makes me wonder, would Apple be better off differentiating itself by backing off on AI, at least until the new-and-improved Siri is ready?

So far, Apple Intelligence seems to be mimicking competitors' AI offerings, only with fewer features and years behind. That strategy clearly isn't winning over Mac users, though, who seem to be really looking for practical AI tools and a Siri update, not gimmicks like AI-generated emojis.

Instead of trying to convince us it's an AI brand now, maybe Apple could woo fans by showing it's focusing on launching AI tools that prioritize genuine usefulness and user privacy.

More from Laptop Mag

• WWDC 2025 preview: A gloomy prediction for Apple Intelligence, "Solarium," and macOS "Tahoe"
• iPhone 17 Air leak shows impossibly sturdy frame, but don't put your "bendgate" fears to bed just yet
• App Store rule change takes the headache out of buying books on iOS Kindle app

Rumored to be only 5.5mm thick, the upcoming iPhone 17 Air will be Apple's slimmest phone since the infamous iPhone 6, but can its reported titanium-aluminum frame help Apple avoid another "bendgate" disaster?

Footage shared to X last week by reputable leaker "Majin Bu" claims to show a mock-up of the iPhone 17 Air being put through an impromptu bend test and passing with flying colors.

Should it prove accurate, it's a clear indicator that Apple is taking durability seriously with its return to ultra-thin smartphones.

While the iPhone 17 Air hasn't been officially announced yet, we've seen a boatload of rumors about it, including leaked images of the design. The dummy unit shown in the video certainly matches up to what we've seen so far, but can we expect the real deal to stand up to similar levels of punishment?

Maybe we shouldn't put our "bendgate" fears to bed just yet.

See also: Best Apple deals in May 2025

iPhone 17 Air leak could be good news for Apple

On Friday, Majin Bu posted a video on X showing a bend test with a dummy version of the iPhone 17 Air.

Despite repeated attempts, the mock-up barely flinches, a polar opposite outcome to Apple's previous iPhone 6 Plus, which controversially folded with ease during Unbox Therapy's famous "bendgate" video released in 2014.

Hopefully, this is an indicator that Apple has learned from its past mistakes with "bendgate," and devised a way to make the iPhone 17 Air significantly more durable than the iPhone 6 Plus.

The iPad Pro M4 gives us reason to be optimistic, at least, since its ultra-thin chassis reportedly uses a new internal ribbing design that helps prevent bending.

However, you might not want to get your hopes up just yet. Keep in mind, the "phone" in this video is not an actual iPhone 17 Air, or even a phone at all. It's a pre-production "dummy," meaning it's a model based on the actual phone, or at least appears to be.

Since this isn't coming directly from Apple, we can't confirm how accurate the design or build quality of this mock-up is, regardless of how much it resembles previously leaked images of the iPhone 17 Air.

That said, dummy units like this are sometimes solid through-and-through, designed to give third-party companies a better idea of the size, weight, or ergonomics of a device to aid with the design of accessories, like smartphone cases, well in advance of a product's release.

This lump of metal may pass the bend test with ease, but the actual iPhone 17 Air that is expected to hit store shelves later this year? That's another story entirely.

Durability isn't the only potential problem for the iPhone 17 Air

Even if this leaked video is an accurate representation of the iPhone 17 Air's resistance to bending, durability isn't the only concern surrounding this phone.

Battery life could also take a hit due to the Air's ultra-thin chassis. There's simply less space for a large battery compared to something like the iPhone 17 Pro. That may be why Apple is rumored to be introducing an AI-powered battery optimization feature, which may be able to help compensate for a physically smaller battery in the iPhone 17 Air.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge may give us an idea of what to expect in terms of battery life. It features an ultra-thin design similar to the iPhone 17 Air, including a 3,900 mAh battery, which is notably smaller than the 4,900 mAh battery in the S25 Plus. It's possible we could see a similar reduction in battery size from the iPhone 17 or 17 Pro compared to the iPhone 17 Air.

We're keeping a close eye on all of the latest rumors and updates surrounding the iPhone 17, iOS 26 (formerly iOS 19), and WWDC 2025, so stay tuned for more info.

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According to recent reports from an Apple Insider, Cupertino plans to consolidate its software stack under a single branding strategy, starting after WWDC later this month.

Apple joins the rest of the pack

Though the company refused to comment on rumors, Bloomberg spoke with Apple insiders who confirmed that iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS will all see their disparate version names brought under a single umbrella.

Like Microsoft, which named its Windows versions after the year they were released throughout the '90s and early '00s, Apple’s new plan is to add the upcoming year to the end of each operating system.

For example, while we currently have iOS 18 and watchOS 12 due to the respective distance in their original launch dates, they’ll now be called iOS 26 and watchOS 26, respectively.

This move also mirrors what Samsung did with its Galaxy phones starting in 2020, moving straight from the Galaxy S10 to the S20 that year. However, unlike Samsung, Apple will be naming for the year ahead.

See also: WWDC 2025 preview: iOS 26, Apple's video game plans, Apple Intelligence, Mac Pro M4 Ultra

The Bloomberberg report observes that iOS 26 will be launched in 2025, similar to how car manufacturers have operated their branding model for decades.

What else can we expect at WWDC 25?

The name changes aren’t all we should expect from Cook and Co. this year, though.

Early rumors suggest Apple also plans to renovate many aspects of iPad OS, bringing a more “Mac-like” experience that includes improvements to productivity, app window management, and multitasking.

Of course, a modern tech conference wouldn't be complete without an AI update. In that arena, reports say Apple could open up its AI models to third-party developers to take advantage of Apple Intelligence on supported devices.

The company also reportedly has plans to launch a new “AI-based battery management feature” to increase battery life for iPhones, whatever that’s supposed to mean.

Stay tuned for all the latest on June 9, when Apple leaders will take the stage at its annual developer conference.

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I mostly use my laptop to do my work, but I also have my Samsung and iPhone readily available for urgent notifications and two-factor authentication. However, because my phones also have all my games, social media apps, and streaming platforms, I easily get distracted whenever I get a ping on them. These disruptions can easily cost me an extra 15 to 30 minutes per task, which adds up to a lot of lost productivity per month.

Since these apps are still helpful for me outside of working hours (and I also occasionally use them for work), I cannot eliminate them. So, I put all my phones on silent, turned on Do Not Disturb, and hid them in my drawer. I installed the bare minimum apps I use daily on an e-ink device, reducing interruptions to near zero and bumping up my productivity.

Setting up the Onyx Boox Palma 2 as my main mobile device while working

While working, I used the Onyx Boox Palma 2, which I reviewed last year, as a substitute for my Samsung S24 Ultra and iPhone 14. It took me some time to get used to it, mainly because it wasn’t as responsive as those other phones, but it got the job done. I just installed Microsoft SwiftKey to replace the stock keyboard, allowing me to resize the keys and make them easier to press. But aside from that, it works just as well as any other smartphone, albeit much slower.

Since the Palma 2 uses Android 13, I can easily install the apps I need, like Slack, Gmail, OneDrive, and Microsoft Authenticator. It also has a fantastic battery life, with the e-ink reader lasting up to two weeks on a single charge. I do have some gripes about it, though, like the fingerprint reader sometimes not working or the automatic backlight not working as intended.

It’s great for reading and text communication

As a journalist and researcher, I read a lot of documents and primarily communicate through email and Slack. Because of this, the Palma 2 is ideally suited for my needs. It notifies me whenever I get a new email or message for work, but it also keeps me from seeing the latest drop from my favorite YouTube channel or that the repair of my car in Real Racing 3 is finally finished.

I must be patient when scrolling and typing, but it still gets the job done. Another positive side effect of using the Palma 2 is that I can rest my eyes from bright screens when looking at it. Finally, my e-ink device’s screensaver is a clock, allowing me to immediately tell the time at a glance.

Watching videos and scrolling social media is a pain

The Palma 2 only uses a black-and-white e-ink screen with a much lower refresh rate than your usual phone. So, don’t expect to enjoy photos and videos on it, and unlimited scrolling is sluggish at best and unusable at times. But that is the point of this device.

Since it only supplements my main workstation, these limitations benefit me as I do not get unwanted interruptions. But when I’m working away from my laptop, I still rely on my mobile phone for everything I need.

You must rely on Wi-Fi

Since the Palma 2 (and most other e-ink readers) are primarily designed for reading, finding one with a SIM card slot is challenging. If you mainly use SMS and voice calls to communicate, this is definitely not for you. It also won’t save you as a backup data connection if your primary service provider fails you.

One thing I like specifically about this device is that even if it has a black-and-white screen, it still comes with its own camera. Its quality is nothing to write home about, but it’s handy enough for capturing QR codes and taking quick snapshots. I can also install Spotify on it and play music via a cheap DAC or Bluetooth headphones, but I still prefer listening from my desktop speakers.

It’s not a replacement for your work smartphone

The Onyx Boox Palma 2 is a great device for basic communication without getting distracted by the myriad other apps you have on your phone. At $300, this is too expensive for the average person. But this is an excellent option if you’re a bookworm and want to reduce distractions at work. That way, you can keep your phones on silent and hidden while you’re getting things done.

If you want something larger, you can try using a larger e-ink tablet, like the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 or the mooInk V folding e-reader. These e-ink devices aren’t as powerful as many Android phones, but that’s their primary strength for productivity, not their weakness.

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Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is just a few weeks away, which means it's time to mark your calendars for some big announcements on iOS, macOS, Apple Intelligence, and more.

While Apple doesn't give away any official details about what to expect in its big keynote presentation, plenty of rumors and leaks swirl around that give us a peek at the highlights. A few significant updates, including iOS and macOS updates, are always in the spotlight at WWDC, which takes place June 9-13, 2025.

In addition to the usual slate of software updates, Apple occasionally features a surprise hardware announcement. WWDC 2025 could include two, although one is much more likely than the other.

Keep checking this page for more updates in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

See also: Best Apple deals in May 2025

MOST RECENT UPDATES

June 2: Citing sources within Apple, Bloomberg reported over the weekend that "People within the company believe [WWDC 2025] may be a letdown from an AI standpoint. Others familiar with the company’s planned announcements worry they could make Apple’s shortcomings even more obvious."

Other announcements expected at WWDC: 

➡️ Apple will open up its on-device AI models to developers who want to include on-device AI in their apps. This is just on-device AI, and not cloud-based AI, so there are significant limitations compared to services like Google Gemini.

➡️ The Translate app is reportedly going to be all new and integrated with AirPods.

➡️ A variety of projects are reportedly ongoing at Apple right now, but won’t be part of this year’s WWDC. These include a revamped Shortcuts app, a chatbot to compete with ChatGPT, a redesigned Health app, and a medical services codenamed “Mulberry,” plus a Siri upgrade to reportedly make Siri more like the voice mode of ChatGPT.

Finally, in this update, Apple is expected to release a new macOS named "Tahoe" after Lake Tahoe in California. Other California-inspired macOS names have been Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia.

May 30: Many of the leaked or expected announcements from WWDC could feel incremental, and Wall Street is paying attention. "The media is having a good time previewing the June 9th WWDC (Apple developer conference) with expectations for … nothing" as Siri's AI delays remain a focus, Melius Research analyst Ben Reitzes writes in a note to clients that was sent on Tuesday, as reported by Investor's Business Daily. The publication didn't mince words with its headline: "Expectations For Apple's WWDC Couldn't Be Lower."

The markets can change quickly, depending on the reaction to Apple's event set for June 9. Just last year, Business Insider reported on enthusiasm over the 2024 WWDC with this headline: "'Best WWDC Ever': Wall Street is pumped up over Apple's AI game plan."

May 29: On Wednesday, anonymous sources within Apple told a reporter from Bloomberg that the company will eliminate version numbering for its operating systems and opt for numbering that corresponds with the year.

The year naming convention will affect iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.

For example, iOS 19 will actually be called iOS 26, for the year 2026. (The numbering is similar to other products with an annual fall release date, in that the edition that debuts is named for the following year.)

At WWDC, the iOS previewed for developers will be iOS 26, which will also be its name when it is released to the public this September.

May 28: On Tuesday, Digital Trends exclusively reported that Apple acquired RAC7, the two-person operation behind the cute and very fun Sneaky Sasquatch, which won the Apple Arcade award for Game of the Year in 2020. It is often in the top 10 of the most popular games on Apple Arcade and, as of this week, was #7.

Apple’s acquisition of Vancouver-based RAC7 might’ve been the first shoe to drop on Tuesday. The other shoe came in the form of a report from Bloomberg that Apple will debut a stand-alone app for video games (right now Apple Arcade is a tab in the App Store) that will show up in MacBooks, iPads, Apple TV, and, of course, the iPhone. Bloomberg reports that this stand-alone app will replace Game Center and promote Apple Arcade, the $6.99/month service that enables users to play games like Sneaky Sasquatch.

The environment in which these moves are being made is one of significant change. On May 1, Epic Games announced it was opening a new web store on iOS for video game developers. This was a result of its epic legal victory over Apple, which saw Apple lose its ability to charge “any commission or any fee on purchases that consumers make outside an app.” An Apple spokesperson has told the press that the company would appeal the ruling.

Will there be an announcement at WWDC 2025 about Apple's new stand-alone gaming app? You can all but bet on it.

May 25: As Bloomberg reported on May 25, Apple's primary focus at WWDC 2025 will be a new software design codenamed "Solarium." The publication reports that "the new look is slicker and more modern." The new interface will reportedly affect all of Apple's operating systems.

iOS 19 will bge called iOS 26

One announcement that's all but certain to appear at WWDC 2025 is the 19th version of iOS, called iOS 26. WWDC is mainly a software-focused event, and iOS is Apple's most widely used platform, so it's always part of the main keynote.

Rumors so far hint that iOS 26 could include some major changes, specifically an overhaul to iOS's visual style, which we haven't seen since iOS 7.

Some images leaked back in March claiming to show those visual changes, but Apple analyst Mark Gurman refuted them in a Threads post, specifically stating they "aren't representative of what we'll see at WWDC."

So, while it sounds like visual changes to iOS are likely, it's still up in the air how extensive those changes will be and how they'll look.

Additionally, there are rumors the long-awaited Siri update will finally arrive in iOS 26, although it's still unclear when, so don't get your hopes up just yet.

Over the past year, the new-and-improved AI Siri has been delayed several times, so it's possible the update won't be in the first release of iOS 26 but will arrive in a later OS update. Previous rumors pointed to iOS 19.4 in spring 2026 as a potential release window.

iPadOS 26

Along with iOS 26, we're also expecting to see the 19th version of iPad OS, which will be called iPad OS 26. We expect it to arrive with a slate of updates similar to the iOS system's. It could get the same visual overhaul that iOS 19 receives, but there's also a chance that this could be the year iOS and iPadOS really diverge if Apple decides to move iPadOS closer to its Mac operating system.

As someone who has used an iPad as a laptop replacement, I have to admit I'm on board with the latter. While iPadOS shouldn't be completely melted into macOS, it would be nice to have better file management and a more laptop-like interface for using iPads with a Magic Keyboard and a mouse.

Aside from visual changes, iPadOS 26 will likely get some of the same updates as iOS 26, including Apple Intelligence updates and AI-powered battery life optimization.

We could also see improvements to Stage Manager, which seems especially likely if Apple debuts a more Mac-like iPadOS.

macOS 26

Another announcement that's a lock for WWDC 2025 is the 16th edition of macOS, which will be called macOS 26,

Apple has consistently given its macOS updates California-themed names over the past several years, and there are still dozens of likely candidates they haven't used, so it's hard to predict which one macOS 26 will get. The possibilities include Redwood, Mammoth, Condor, and Shasta.

Regardless of the name, we expect macOS 26 to get a visual overhaul similar to iOS/iPadOS 26. MacOS 26 may look more like its iPhone and iPad counterparts this year, especially if Apple takes inspiration from visionOS. Changes could include circular app icons, translucent windows, and simplified navigation.

Additionally, some features from iOS 26 could carry over to macOS, like AI-powered battery optimization and any Apple Intelligence updates.

watchOS 26

While it might not be the star of the show, the Apple Watch is expected to receive an update with the 12th edition of watchOS, which will be called watchOS 26, at WWDC 2025.

Like this year's other software updates, this update will feature major visual changes. Those visual updates will probably also include more Apple Intelligence features, which the Watch hasn't seen much of yet. For instance, we might get AI-powered health and fitness tools integrated into watchOS or AI-scripted replies to texts.

Of course, the Apple Watch will also be able to take advantage of the upcoming Siri update, but as mentioned above, we might not see that until well into 2026, even if it's announced at this year's WWDC.

visionOS 26

The Apple Vision Pro has struggled to catch on since it launched in February 2024, but Apple is still diligently supporting it with software updates, which could lead to a rumored pair of smart glasses on the horizon.

So, it's no surprise that WWDC 2025 will likely include a look at the third edition of visionOS, which will be called visionOS 26.

Interestingly, it sounds like the big visual updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS may have taken some inspiration from visionOS, so this OS might not change as much as the others in the Apple lineup.

Even so, it will likely still get a mention in the keynote and possibly a sneak peek at any upcoming apps and movies made for Vision Pro.

Apple Intelligence updates

Apple first announced Apple Intelligence at last year's WWDC, so we expect to see Apple spotlight some updates to its struggling AI platform during this year's keynote.

Apple Intelligence got off to a rough start this year, with features slow to roll out and the critical Siri overhaul nowhere in sight.

Delays with Apple Intelligence even caused a leadership shake-up at Apple, which will hopefully lead to more features and quicker updates, including the promised LLM Siri update.

One feature we could see at WWDC 2025 is a rumored feature that uses AI to optimize battery life in iOS 26. This is a refreshingly practical feature that I can see many iPhone users appreciating (myself included). Hopefully, we'll also get a transparent timeline for when to expect the new-and-improved Siri.

Mac Pro M4 Ultra

Hardware announcements at WWDC are hit or miss. WWDC is mainly for software announcements, but Apple occasionally throws a product reveal into the mix, especially if it's a device that doesn't follow Apple's typical pattern of hardware updates.

One such device we could see this year is the Mac Pro M4 Ultra. Apple's top-of-the-line Max and Ultra versions of its M-series chip tend to run at least a year or so behind its more mainstream base and Pro versions.

We finally got the M3 Ultra in March with the new Mac Studio, but the M4 Ultra is not publicly available yet.

It's possible that could change at WWDC this year. However, an M4 Ultra Mac Pro won't come cheap, especially with Trump administration tariffs shaking up Apple's pricing across its product line-up.

Wild card: AI smart glasses

While hardware announcements are unlikely at WWDC, a surprise product reveal is possible. Wild card announcements have happened in the past, like with the Apple Vision Pro.

There's a slim chance that this year's presentation could include a sneak peek at a rumored pair of AI smart glasses Apple is developing. Google just unveiled a pair of Android-powered glasses at Google I/O, so this would be a good time for Apple to reveal its own glasses to keep up with the competition.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple aims to launch its glasses by the end of 2026, so a reveal could be a bit early. It's not impossible, though, especially right after Google I/O.

How to watch WWDC 2025

If you can't wait to see what Apple shows off at WWDC 2025, you can watch the keynote presentation live on Apple's website. The stream will also be on the official Apple Developer YouTube channel, so subscribe to get a notification when the livestream starts there.

The keynote presentation will be on June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern.

If you can't watch live, you can also follow along with us. Laptop Mag will cover everything Apple announces live and unpack all the highlights.

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On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social network to condemn Apple’s practices of offshoring jobs to China to manufacture the iPhone and other products in its device lineup.

After threatening an individual tariff of 25% on all Apple products, some analysts are already putting in predictions for how the President’s proposed rate could affect Cupertino’s supply chain, and ultimately what the company would need to charge for products like the iPhone, MacBooks, and more if those threats are made real.

Trump threatens a 25% hike on Apple products

For starters, here is some context on what it looks like when a country tries to apply individual tariffs to companies or sectors attempting to reshore.

What Trump is suggesting, at least broadly, wouldn’t be the first time a government has applied tariffs to a single corporation.

Throughout history, the U.S. has placed tariffs on everything from Chinese-made solar panels to Canadian lumber to protect and ensure the growth trajectory of domestic competitors.

However it is the first time a president has threatened a domestic U.S. company with tariffs for goods it produces overseas.

“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday morning.

“If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.”

The fact that no one has ever tried to do something like this before acknowledges just how unprecedented Trump’s threats are.

Some economists say it is damaging to the U.S. consumer and stock market.

As Apple produces nearly 90% of its entire product stack from within China’s borders, this clearly presents a problem for the company.

In February of this year, Tim Cook made loose promises that Apple plans to restore over $500 billion worth of manufacturing to the US over the next four years.

This timeline feels suspiciously convenient on its own, but Trump has decided to put even more pressure on Cupertino to bring jobs back home nonetheless.

What are analysts saying about next steps?

Ahead of Trump’s latest amendment to global trade policy, Dan Ives, global lead of technology research at financial services firm Wedbush Securities, told CNN in April that bringing iPhone manufacturing back to the U.S. wasn’t much more than “a fictional tale.”

“You build that (supply chain) in the U.S. with a fab in West Virginia and New Jersey. They’ll be $3,500 iPhones,” he said.

Ives also addressed the sheer logistical nightmare, saying it would take more than three years and $30 billion just to get 10% of the supply chain back to US shores.

Whether a tariff or the cost of reshoring is applied, the end result is a more expensive iPhone, MacBook, iMac, or Vision Pro for you or someone in your family going forward.

Would you even want a U.S.-made iPhone?

If there’s one tech story that points to the potential pitfalls of Trump’s overall strategy for the U.S. tech industry, it’s Intel.

Over the past half decade, the company has lost almost 65% of its total value, a decrease driven by AMD’s surprise chiplet attack, which threw one of America’s most stable blue chip stocks into abrupt, and up to now seemingly unending, chaos.

AMD had spent the better part of its history trailing Intel in sales, innovation, performance, and reliability. However, the company’s growing partnership with Taiwan’s chip fab specialists, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, created a new attack point.

One where the engineering, programming, and design of a chip could be handled stateside, while TSMC would shoulder the actual chip fabrication.

A split set of duties allows companies like AMD or Nvidia to offshore many of the dirtier, more heavily regulated parts of producing chips to other regions, while hiring talent willing to work in buildings not attached to silicon manufacturing floors in the United States.

Meanwhile, Intel continued to expand domestic fabrication in places like Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, and others for years before the CHIPS Act was even a thing.

Famously, the company stumbled significantly from the 10nm to 7nm production process (to the tune of billions of dollars). AMD eventually seized its opportunity to close the gap between the two chipmakers.

Everyone else is doing it, so why can’t Apple?

AMD’s model isn’t unique, of course. Nvidia, Apple, and even a modernized Intel all have to rely heavily, if not entirely, on Taiwan and TSMC to manufacture a significant portion of the chips backed by their engineering and design efforts.

Designing a product in the U.S. and manufacturing it abroad has become a core component of the NAFTA-driven economic model since Clinton first passed the bill in the 90s. As such, it’s almost strange for Apple to be singled out the way it has been, considering how many of its direct competitors do the exact same thing.

In all likelihood, Trump, who famously said “everything’s computer," is no expert on technology trade. This lack of awareness likely allows underdogs like AMD, and even more confusing tech prospects like Nvidia, to fly under the 78-year-old’s radar in what’s become the status quo for any Silicon Valley company that wants to keep the lights on these days.

Currently, the only company seemingly capable of usurping Apple’s claim to the number one most valuable company is Nvidia, another tech giant that’s doing the exact same thing Trump claims to be against.

However, one thing Apple doesn’t have that Nvidia does is the backing of everyone around them. What’s suitable for Nvidia is good for the world (or the U.S.). So even rivals like Meta, Tesla, and Amazon still line up next to one another to sing the hardware maker’s praises.

At the same time, they also commit to a competing AI arms race of biblical proportions against each other.

Whether Apple’s 25% tariff is real, enforceable, or something Trump will even care about next week is likely a whim left to the courts and whatever Fox News complained about last night.

But if the company does get stuck with a new sticker price, it could face even fiercer competition from rivals like Samsung and lose shares to domestic winners like AMD, Intel, and Nvidia, which are just as complicit in offshoring US manufacturing as Apple but still somehow manage to escape Trump’s ire.

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When Apple opened its first retail stores in Tysons, Virginia, and Glendale, California, back in 2001, the goal was to let people touch the tech and connect with it in a way that glossy print ads never could.

While your local Apple Store may still be a bustling place on the regular, the retail world has changed a lot over the past twenty-four years.

Online shopping dominates, and most of us have giddily traded the instant gratification of immediately leaving a store with product in hand for the one-click convenience of cashing out your virtual shopping cart in your PJs, only for your shiny new iPhone or AirPods to show up on your doorstep a few days later.

But what if there was a third option? One with the benefits of both?

What if you could buy an iPhone, AirPods, or a new set of Apple AirTags in your PJs, step outside, and have them rain down from the sky into your eager arms within the hour?

You could call it the most literal version of AirDrop to date.

And, in parts of the U.S., you can now call it a reality — thanks to Amazon.

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Your new iPhone has been cleared for landing

If you've ever ordered an Apple product online, you're probably well aware of the usual routine: confirmation email, obsessive tracking, and the anxiety loop of peering out of the window every five minutes while your parcel is "out for delivery" — lest you be plundered by porch pirates.

However, in a handful of U.S. cities, some Apple products are skipping the store, skipping the delivery truck, and skipping the porch entirely.

Instead, they're arriving by air.

Skipping the Apple Store for Amazon is already something of a surreal experience. It's a bit like finding your new-age vegan nutritionist slipping Big Macs into bags behind the counter at McDonald's.

However, that experience is set to get all the more unique following the FAA's approval for Amazon to deliver several new categories of products by drone, including iPhones, AirPods, and AirTags — joining more than 60,000 other eligible products ready to arrive by air.

According to Amazon, the entire delivery process takes just 60 minutes or less, with customers able to select the drone delivery option through the Amazon Shopping app.

At which point, one of Amazon's MK30 drones will secure your package, take flight, and head towards your preferred delivery spot, which could be your driveway or yard. Once at the location, Amazon's drone drops to a height of 13 feet, scanning for any obstacles (including cars or pets), before safely dropping your (cushioned) parcel for collection.

What's next

At present, Amazon's drone delivery service is only available for a select catalog of items and in the following areas:

• College Station, Texas
• West Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona

However, Amazon is testing the program in other areas and looks to scale its drone delivery service to more states and cities across the U.S. over the coming months and years.

Given the MK30 drone's 5 lbs weight limit, we may not be too far off from a day when your next MacBook Air doesn't only earn its moniker from its lightweight build, but also its method of delivery.

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Apple has been scrambling to deal with the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump in early April. The company has taken steps ranging from cargo flights full of phones to ramping up production in countries without high tariffs.

iPhone production in India is on the rise to meet the large number of phones needed when the next iPhone comes out in the fall, but it appears that Trump isn't a fan of the move. Trump was speaking at a business roundtable in Doha, Qatar, when the subject of Apple and its shifting production of the iPhone came up.

“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said on May 15, according to CNBC. “I said to him, ‘My friend, I treated you very good. You’re coming here with $500 billion, but now I hear you’re building all over India.’ I don’t want you building in India.”

The $500 billion Trump is referring to is the investment in the U.S. that Apple committed to back in February.

“I said to Tim, I said, ‘Tim look, we treated you really good, we put up with all the plants that you build in China for years, now you got build us. We’re not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves ... we want you to build here,'" the president said.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for a statement on Trump's comment.

Apple's tariff problem

It comes as no surprise that the tariffs could have a big impact on the price of an iPhone. An iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1 TB of storage could easily cost more than $2,000, while manufacturing an iPhone in the U.S. could push the price of the phone to more than $3,000.

While moving production of the iPhone to the U.S. is unlikely, Apple's partner for its chips, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), has already begun chip production in Arizona as a way to avoid dealing with potential tariffs. However, that move may still lead to a price increase due to the higher costs of manufacturing in the U.S.

Even with the current freeze on tariffs across the board that included smartphones, and a reduction of tariffs on China that was announced earlier in the week, Apple is reportedly evaluating whether to raise the price of iPhones, according to the Wall Street Journal. The report cites sources who say that the company is looking to increase the price tag due to the new features and design of the next iPhone.

Fortnite, one of the most popular video games of all time, is available on practically every platform you can think of. Every platform, except Apple's.

If your birth year starts with the digits '197' or lower, or gaming is one of the many dark arts of computing you've never had much time for, then you're probably sat there thinking "Why did you misspell fortnight?" In which case, here's why this matters.

Fortnite is a free-to-play "battle royale" video game developed by Epic Games that sees 100 players duke it out until only one remains. It's a cultural phenomenon, and has been since its original release in September 2017.

It's launched the career of streamers who play it, crossed over with just about every IP you can imagine, hosted virtual concerts, and, more importantly, generates billions of dollars in revenue for Epic Games each year.

It's a game that practically prints money, and for the longest time, Epic Games and Apple were happy to mutually benefit from it.

Right up until Epic Games tried to sidestep Apple's 30% App Store tax, anyway.

Since then, Apple has been providing Epic Games with the cold shoulder, blocking Fortnite from its App Store entirely. And just as things were seeming to thaw, with Fortnite on the precipice of returning to iOS and iPadOS devices, Apple has pulled the plug once again.

And this time, Fortnite is down worldwide on iOS, not just in the states.

Apple vs. Epic: The battle royale, behind the battle royale

This company cat fight all began in 2020, when Epic Games attempted to subvert Apple's cut of the profits by implementing its own payment option — cutting out the middleman to directly profit from the sale of battle passes, skins, and emotes from Fortnite's in-game store.

None-too-pleased, Apple prompty gave Fortnite the boot, cutting iPhone and iPad users out of the action.

A long-running legal battle ensued, with Epic Games desperate to find a return to Apple's App Store, and reconnecting with rich vein of capital in the process.

During that time, it would seem that Fortnite was named after the total amount of time that could pass before the two began butting heads all over again.

However, an April ruling prohibited Apple from restricting Epic's use of external payment systems, blowing the doors wide open for Fortnite's return to the App Store — with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney proclaiming on X: "We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week."

Unfortunately, after resubmitting the game to the US App Store, Epic Games has announced in a post on X that "Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union," adding: "Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."

What's next

At the time of writing, Fortnite remains completely absent from iOS and iPadOS App Stores, and the Epic Game Store in the EU, where the game made its return last year thanks to EU regulations that forced Apple's hand on allowing third-party app stores.

In the meantime, those looking for their Fortnite fix on mobile can do so through cloud gaming platforms like Nvidia GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

However, while Apple will likely have to eventually relent on Fortnite access for EU gamers once again, the game's availability in the U.S. is once again up in the air. For those stateside, the only thing we can say for certain is this: Apple really doesn't want you playing Fortnite on iPhone — and its legal squabbles with Epic Games may be far from over.

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It's finally getting easier to buy ebooks on the iOS Kindle app after a major App Store rule change.

In response to a court order in the case of Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple Inc., Apple has been forced to stop charging a commission on purchases made outside of the App Store. This is good news for iPhone users in general, but solves an especially annoying issue with the iOS Kindle app, which has received an update to make buying ebooks on your iPhone much easier.

Thanks to this court order, making purchases from your iPhone just got a whole lot simpler.

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iOS Kindle app gets desperately-needed update after App Store rule change

If you opened the iOS Kindle app recently days, you may have noticed you now have the option to purchase books in the app... sort of.

Prior to a major App Store rule change on May 1, you couldn't purchase books through the iOS Kindle app at all (or the Amazon app) and instead had to go through the entire process in your web browser. Now, you can simply tap "Get Book" and the Kindle app will take you directly to the book's purchasing page in your browser.

This is a far more streamlined process and it's thanks to a recent court order that forced Apple to stop charging commissions on external purchases.

So, for instance, previously an app developer couldn't include a link in their app taking the user to their web browser to make a purchase outside of the app. That rule was used to effectively force app developers to only allow purchases through their apps, which would force them to give Apple a 30% commission on every purchase.

Now, developers are allowed to include buttons and links directing users to external purchase mechanisms, mainly web browsers, without being forced to pay a commission. As a result, buying things like ebooks on your iPhone is now much more straightforward and user-friendly.

The court case slowly opening iOS to third-party app stores

As one might expect, Apple is appealing the ruling that led to this change in the App Store rules. However, I hope for the sake of iOS and iPadOS users that the rule change stays in effect since it contributes to a much better user experience with apps like Kindle and others that allow for digital purchases.

In fact, Epic Games, the plaintiff in the case that led to last week's App Store change, has had an ongoing dispute with Apple over its restrictions and commission system for purchases made on iOS. Epic currently doesn't have an iOS/iPadOS app available in the U.S. due to those restrictions.

Users in the European Union can download the Epic Games Store on their iOS and iPadOS devices thanks to the Digital Markets Act, which forced Apple to allow the use of third-party app stores, but that ruling only applies to users in the EU. Luckily, that may change soon thanks to rulings in Epic's case against Apple.

I'm hoping Epic continues to score wins in its case against Apple since this case is finally bringing more freedom to iOS, giving users more choice over the apps they download, where they download them from, and how they purchase digital items like ebooks. Although, admittedly I still prefer my ereader over the Kindle app.

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At a time when people are buying new phones less often and worrying more about prices, Apple is hoping to sell even more iPhones.

Despite a looming iPhone supply chain crisis caused by trade tariffs, Apple is reportedly planning to launch more iPhones than ever before over the next couple of years. If those rumors are true, Apple will be launching six different iPhone models just in 2027.

The question is, does anyone need that many new iPhones? As consumers are concerned about pricing on everything else going up, from basic cost of living to the laptops they need for school and work, the ramp-up doesn't seem to make sense.

In fact, it might just be the worst possible time for Apple to be ramping up iPhone releases.

See also: Best phone deals in May 2025

Apple planning to launch up to six new iPhones per year

This weekend, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to speed up its iPhone release cycle in 2026 and 2027, building up to a whopping six new iPhone models in 2027.

This timeline is very crowded, even on paper:

When I first saw this rumored release plan, my first thought was, who needs this many iPhones to choose from? Who are all these for?

Buying an iPhone used to be pretty simple. If you want a large screen, get the Plus. If you want a better camera, get the Pro. Otherwise, go with the standard model.

Now, however, Apple is throwing in the Slim and a foldable, both of which will probably be the most expensive phones Apple has ever launched, especially considering the impact Trump administration tariffs could have on iPhone prices. (Those continue to fluctuate, though, making it very difficult to predict how much of a price increase future iPhones will have.)

Regardless of the price, six iPhones in one year seems like a lot, especially when there are fewer reasons to upgrade your phone than there used to be.

More iPhones, higher prices, and few reasons to upgrade

Only ten years ago, Apple was releasing just two new iPhones per year.

Those phones, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, didn't lose support until March 2025. That's a longer lifespan than any other iPhone to date, including the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and X, which also lost support this past March despite coming out two or three years after the iPhone 6s.

All of which is to say, Apple is releasing more new iPhone models every year and the lifespan for those phones seems to be trending downward while, at the same time, prices are increasing.

Unfortunately for Apple, there is little to no reason to upgrade your phone more often than every three years. That's especially true for iPhones, which tend to have relatively long lifespans.

Many regular users say they'll keep using their iPhone as long as it gets software updates, even if they have to replace the battery along the way.

Surveys have shown that less than 12% of people buy a new phone yearly as of 2025. The majority (55.47%) upgrade every 2-3 years. I'd argue most people could continue using their phones even longer these days since smartphone innovation has been slowing significantly.

We don't need more iPhones to choose from. We need iPhone updates that include significant, meaningful improvements and exciting new features. Apple Intelligence attempted to offer that, but there are already a number of AI apps you can install on any phone and get effectively the same capabilities.

With tech prices increasing, you should focus on maximizing the value of the phone you already have, even if Apple tries to win you over with a pricey folding iPhone.

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To say Apple is in rough waters right now is putting it mildly. The company has lost hundreds of billions of dollars since President Donald Trump announced his tariffs, and it's been trying to change up its entire manufacturing plans to have more of its iPhones made in India instead of China.

Apple is also trying its hand at new technological trends. One that it has stumbled with so far is AI, as Apple Intelligence has yet to take off as expected, and the promised overhauled Siri continues to get pushed back. The other is foldable devices, with its first foldable iPhone rumored to come out next year. According to a new report, the company has some big changes in how it will release its phones in order to accommodate a new device, as well as a change in manufacturing.

Apple will change when it launches its new phones starting next year, as reported by The Information. Instead of releasing its flagship iPhones in the fall and its budget phone in the spring, Apple will reportedly stagger releases starting with the iPhone 18 lineup.

The reported plan would start in 2026 with the iPhone 18 Air, Pro, and Pro Max coming out in the fall, along with the foldable device. Then, in 2027, the standard iPhone 18 and the next budget iPhone would be released in the spring.

Apple's reported goal for this change in release schedule is to improve production on multiple devices without having to focus all efforts on production at the same time. This would also allow the plants in India, in particular, to handle the production of the phones launching in the spring, as they would be based on older designs.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about this reported scheduling change.

What do we know about the folding iPhone?

The rumored folding iPhone is supposed to be coming in 2026, and there are a lot of questions about it.

To start, there's still speculation on whether this foldable device will be an iPhone, an iPad, or maybe something different. There are two kinds of foldable devices right now: those that fold in half, similar to flip phones, and others that fold out to give a bigger screen, like the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

There are rumors of two folding devices of different sizes: one similar to the size of an iPhone, with the other similar to an iPad. There could also be another foldable device that's even bigger, with a display of 18 inches, which could act as a foldable MacBook.

Apple should release its first folding device in 2026. If it does happen, expect it not to be cheap.

It's rumored that Apple will release a new iPhone 17 variant this year that has been referred to as the iPhone 17 Air.

There have been multiple leaks of dummy models for the super-thin iPhone showing how it's almost half the thickness of the iPhone 16 Pro. Still, all the rumors focus on the physical size of the phone, as there has yet to be credible news about the internals–such as the processor, storage, and something important to many people, battery life.

A new report from The Information does appear to shed some light on that last point, and it might not be what some hopeful iPhone 17 Air buyers wanted to hear.

According to the report, the iPhone 17 Air will have a lower battery life than what's expected. The metric used was the percentage of users who could last a whole day with the iPhone 17 Air on a single charge. Most phone models reportedly have 80%–90% of users lasting the whole day without recharging, but the iPhone 17 Air comes in at the 60%–70% range, which is a significant drop-off.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the iPhone 17 Air's battery life.

Bring back an energy blast from the past.

To counter this potential problem, Apple is reportedly looking to bring back its Smart Battery Cases.

The Smart Battery Cases were cases with an external battery built into them. So when used with a phone, the external battery would be the first source of power for the phone, lasting most of the day, before the phone started using its own internal battery. The cases were praised for providing that extra battery life, but their bulkiness was always a downside.

Apple made multiple Smart Battery Cases for its iPhones over the years, but stopped with the iPhone 12. This was when Apple became more focused on MagSafe products, and the bulky case wouldn't work properly with it.

What else do we know abou the iPhone 17 Air?

As mentioned earlier, there is not much else known about the iPhone 17 Air other than its dimensions.

Those dimensions, in particular, have some wondering if we'll see another "Bendgate," which was when the iPhone 6 was so thin, for the time, that it would actually bend with enough pressure. It's unlikely that Apple would let that happen again, but it does have some people who remember that controversy a little concerned.

There was a report that Apple wanted to make the iPhone 17 Air so thin that it originally didn't have a USB-C port. Apple reportedly has been wanting to have a completely plugless iPhone with all the data transfers and power charging being wireless.

One issue other iPhone enthusiasts have had is the lack of creativity with the iPhone 17 Air's looks, mainly the camera bump. There have been comparisons made to other smartphones, and there are questions about whether Apple is getting lazy with its designs.

If the iPhone 17 Air becomes a reality, Apple will likely show it off in September. This month is usually reserved for a big event unveiling the new iPhones, which will be released later in the month or in early October.

According to Mark Gurman's recent report, Apple's 20th anniversary smartphone will feature an "extraordinarily complex" design.

While that sounds great for Apple fans, it will come with a few major drawbacks.

Due to the current state of the U.S. import tariffs on goods manufactured in China (currently at a rate of 145%), Apple is attempting to move iPhone manufacturing to India by next year, but the iPhone 18 appears to be the exception.

That means you might want to buckle up and prepare for a collision course with some big price tags.

iPhone 18 is so complex it can only be made in China

According to Mark Gurman's latest Apple report for Bloomberg, the 20th anniversary phone is too complex to manufacture outside of China.

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is expected to feature extra glass with an "extraordinarily complex design" that requires new parts and production techniques that can only be tackled by Apple's experienced Chinese manufacturing sites.

We don't know much about the iPhone 18 Pro yet, as it is still over a year away from its expected launch window. But the iPhone X did see a major design overhaul for the iPhone's 10th anniversary.

The iPhone X was the first Apple phone to feature an edge-to-edge screen with a Super Retina display, FaceID, a dual 12-megapixel rear camera setup, and wireless charging.

All of those features have now become the default for subsequent mainstream iPhones, so it's likely the 20th anniversary design will be just as foundational, even if we don't have a lot of detail on what that redesign is expected to include.

iPhones are just too complex in general

One of the arguments in favor of high tariffs on Chinese goods is that they incentivize domestic manufacturing.

Except, that's clearly not the case.

As we've previously covered, with the current tariffs in place, an iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1 TB of storage would cost more than $2,000 (currently $1,599). Manufacturing that same phone in the US would likely push the price over $3,000.

And that's not just due to the price of U.S. labor alone. Apple's iPhones are incredibly complex devices.

According to a report by the Financial Times, there are 2,700 parts in a single iPhone. Those parts are currently manufactured in more than 700 production sites.

Only 30 of those 700+ production sites operate their entire business outside of Chinese borders. And the benefit to Apple's existing production lines is that most of those 700 production sites are close together and can easily coordinate to make the complex parts that make up a single iPhone.

Per 9to5mac, those intricate supply chains took decades to develop. And that's the biggest impediment to Apple moving its production entirely out of China.

While Apple is currently planning to move iPhone production to India, that will be a challenging process even for phones that aren't expected to come with extra layers of design complexity.

What this means for iPhone pricing

Most likely, prices are going to go up across the board. Some iPhone parts are already made domestically in the United States, including the display and FaceID sensors, but the deep supply lines and complexity of modern devices makes switching production sites a serious problem.

Apple's success in recent years is, in large part, due to the expertise and easy collaboration of its Chinese production teams.

But even if Apple is able to move all production outside of China, there are still tariffs on goods made in India. While that rate is currently 26%, that could easily change.

For the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 generations, it seems likely that Apple's phones will command a steep price due to import tariffs. Especially with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max 20th Anniversary editions.

So if you're looking forward to the next blockbuster iPhone, you may want to start a savings fund now, and hope you can store away enough to compete with the tariff war.

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Apple has been scrambling to try and get around the tariffs President Donald Trump has tried to institute.

It comes as no surprise that the tariffs could have a big impact on the price of an iPhone. An iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1 TB of storage could easily cost more than $2,000, while manufacturing an iPhone in the U.S. could push the price of the phone to more than $3,000.

It's for that reason that Apple is reportedly planning on moving the production of its iPhone to India by the end of next year, according to Bloomberg.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the move.

So far, Apple reportedly produces 40 million iPhones in India, and this move would double that amount. Currently, one in five iPhones is made in India. Foxconn is handling the production of the iPhones and is developing a $2.5 billion factory with more than 13 million square feet near Bengaluru, India, nicknamed "Project Elephant."

The race to avoid tariffs.

While Apple initially began moving production away from China back in 2022 due to harsh COVID-19 lockdowns in the country, the company has been making a mad dash to change production locations for many of its products.

The iPhone 16e, its low-budget phone, is already being produced in Brazil. Both India and Brazil have a minimal 10% tariff on goods under Trump's policy for all countries.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), maker of Apple Silicon, has already begun chip production in Arizona as a way to avoid dealing with potential tariffs. However, that move may still lead to a price increase due to the higher costs of manufacturing in the U.S.

Back in February, Apple announced it was investing $500 billion into the U.S., which included a new campus and more server factories in Texas. The factory would be where it will house its Apple Intelligence operations.

Apple saw more than $600 billion of its market value lost when Trump announced his tariffs on April 2. Fortunately for the iPhone maker, the president instituted a 90-day pause on tariffs for most countries. There was also an exception to the tariffs made for certain products that Apple produces – smartphones, computers, and laptops – that went into effect on April 11. This move was reportedly a result of a call Apple CEO Tim Cook had with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Trump, however, insists that there were no exemptions being made and that the tariffs would come back.

On Thursday, a rumor surfaced that Apple may be giving the iPhone 17 a long-awaited upgrade, which is the good news. The bad news is that it’ll cost you.

More and more rumors and leaks about the iPhone 17 Air and the rest of this year's iPhone line-up are popping up as we get closer to the eventual launch in the second half of the year, most likely in September.

Earlier this week a hands-on video of an iPhone 17 Air mockup leaked and now we’re getting word that Apple is planning to significantly increase the memory in at least three iPhone 17 models.

Unfortunately, that might not be good news for some iPhone users.

See also: Best phone deals in April 2025

Apple plans pricey spec bump for the iPhone 17

The good news is that Apple is reportedly planning to increase the RAM in the iPhone 17 from 8GB to 12GB.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in a blog post on Thursday that Apple is aiming to give the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, and Air 12GB of RAM, and potentially the base iPhone 17, as well (although it sounds like this is still up in the air due to supply concerns). According to Kuo, by 2026, all new iPhone models will have 12GB of RAM.

That’s good news, especially if you want to use your iPhone for tasks like AI or gaming. Unfortunately, there’s a downside.

The bad news is that more RAM could lead to a higher price. As Kuo points out, the average price for 12GB RAM units compared to 8GB units is about 50% higher (hence why you usually have to pay extra for spec increases).

Apple doesn’t allow you to customize the RAM in your iPhone, so that extra cost will presumably go directly into a higher starting price. Unfortunately, this may just be adding fuel to the fire since Apple was already grappling with potential price increases due to Trump administration trade tariffs that are impacting the entire iPhone supply chain.

Right now, we’re in the midst of a 90-day pause on some of those tariffs, but it’s impossible to predict what the situation will be like in September, the most likely month for the iPhone 17 launch. At this point, though, it’s all but certain the iPhone 17 line-up will be more expensive than the current line-up.

We expect more leaks and rumors about the iPhone 17 and its price as we get closer to WWDC 2025 and a potential September iPhone event, so stay tuned for more info.

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We might have gotten our first look at the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and I’m worried Apple is set to repeat one of its biggest smartphone fumbles of the last decade.

On Tuesday, Unbox Therapy posted a video of a hands-on with a mock-up of the iPhone 17 Air, Apple's long-rumored, ultra-thin iPhone. While this may not be the final or official design, it closely matches other leaked images we've seen already.

After seeing just how thin the iPhone 17 Air could be, I’m more concerned than ever that Apple could be about to make a disastrous design mistake similar to that which plagued the iPhone 6 when it launched in 2014.

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The iPhone 17 Air is thin — too thin

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the rumored iPhone 17 Air in 2025, with the ultra-slim smartphone expected to launch later this year. With no official word on the handset's release, our best guess is that we'll see the iPhone 17 Air unveiled during Apple's WWDC event in June.

However, tiding us over in the meantime, a hands-on impression has appeared online with what could very well be the upcoming iPhone 17 Air (or, at least, a mockup of it).

To be clear, this is just a dummy model that YouTube channel Unbox Therapy was sent by an unnamed manufacturer from China. As such, with the dummy model not coming directly from Apple, we can’t confirm how accurate this dummy unit is to the official design for the iPhone 17 Air.

With that said, the featured mockup closely matches several leaked images of iPhone 17 designs and cases we’ve seen recently, so there’s a high probability this is what the iPhone 17 Air will look like.

The dummy phone Unbox Therapy shows off in his video is shockingly thin at just 5.65 mm — roughly the thickness of your average pencil-top eraser. The iPhone 17 Pro Max looks downright bulky when the two are side-by-side.

While Unbox Therapy’s Lew seemed impressed by the design, the question of durability inevitably came up. It’s hard not to look at the iPhone 17 Air and wonder what it would take to bend a phone that thin — especially given Unbox Therapy's history with the now infamous “bendgate” controversy of the iPhone 6.

As impressive as the iPhone 17 Air mockup is to look at, I’m still not convinced it’s going to be worth your money, for more reasons than it's potential durability.

Is Apple heading for another “bendgate”? Why I’m not sold on the iPhone 17 Air

I would hope Apple wouldn’t release the iPhone 17 Air unless it wasn’t absolutely certain that chassis bends were no longer a concern, especially given the controversy caused by 2014's “bendgate” incident — which saw the aluminum chassis of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models bend or deform while under pressure, including while sat in the pockets of owners.

Technology and engineering have evolved a lot since the iPhone 6, so it’s possible Apple has solved the “bendgate” issue. Apple’s John Ternus claimed as much in an interview about the ultra-thin iPad Pro M4 last year. That iPad is 5.1 mm thick, fractionally slimmer than the iPhone 17 Air dummy shown in the hands-on video.

Of course, the iPad Pro M4 is a much larger device, a far cry from something people will be sticking in their back pockets.

Even if the iPhone 17 Air is far more durable than it looks, I’m still not convinced it will be worth an upgrade, especially if the price is in the thousands of dollars, as it well could be, depending on Trump administration tariffs.

For one thing, most people are going to slap a case on their phone (especially if you’re paying a premium for it), and, with a case on, the iPhone 17 Air isn’t going to look noticeably thinner than most other phones.

On top of that, it still has a large camera bump spanning almost the full width of the phone. That 5.6 mm thickness is measured at the Air’s thinnest point, so it doesn’t factor in the chunky camera bump.

Lastly, beyond a thinner chassis, the iPhone 17 Air looks like a fairly standard iPhone. So far, rumors don’t indicate it will be any more capable than any of the other iPhone 17 models, meaning the only real selling point is that it’s a bit thinne21r.

In fact, the thinner chassis could even be a disadvantage if it means the Air has a smaller battery or worse heat management.

Considering how expensive tech is getting, is that really worth paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for? I doubt it.

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When President Donald Trump announced a set of tariffs on countries the U.S. trades with on April 2, stocks for tech companies like Apple, Dell, and HP were rocked, wiping out billions in market value.

The Trump administration seemingly reversed course on the plan, instituting a 90-day pause on tariffs for most countries. Then there was more of a reprieve for tech companies when consumer tech products, such as smartphones and computers, were exempt from tariffs. While Trump insists that these exemptions are only temporary, it appears that this pivot might have been the work of Apple CEO Tim Cook.

A report from the Washington Post cites sources who spoke of a call between Cook and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that happened before the exemptions were made public. The talk between Cook and Lutnick was reportedly about how tariffs can impact the prices of iPhones.

Trump took to Truth Social the Sunday after the exemption list went up saying, "NOBODY is getting 'off the hook'. There was no Tariff 'exception' announced on Friday."

He then told the White House Press Corps on Monday that he does speak with Cook.

“Look, I’m a very flexible person, I don’t change my mind, but I’m flexible,” Trump told reporters on Monday, according to Bloomberg. “I helped Tim Cook recently and that whole business."

How long will Apple be saved from tariffs?

With some of Apple’s most popular products seemingly exempted, it's not slowing down its strategy to deal with the end of the pause.

Apple already has its iPhone 16e being made in Brazil, according to a report from MacMagazine, first spotted by 9to5Mac. The budget iPhone has been manufactured in the country since day one, which differs from the company's regular process of waiting for some time before a new phone is produced locally in a country with the early batches made in China or India. This could be the start of Apple's plan to move phone manufacturing to other countries like Brazil, which has a 10% tariff. The U.S. currently has a 245% tariff on some Chinese imports.

If Apple doesn't come up with a solution to deal with the return of tariffs, the next iPhone could see a big price jump.

Under Trump's tariffs, a new iPhone could see a significant jump in price. The most expensive variant of the iPhone, the 16 Pro Max with 1TB of memory, could end up costing more than $2,000 due to tariffs. And if the iPhone were manufactured in the U.S., as Trump declares—the reason for the tariffs is to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.—the cost of a domestically produced iPhone could jump to more than $3,000.

Even if tariffs stay paused for Apple, the cost of the next iPhone could still jump due to the cost of the device's internal parts. Apple silicon manufacturer, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), held its earnings call earlier in the week. The company performed well for the first quarter of 2025 with a net income of $361.56 billion, but said there are "uncertainties and risks from the potential impact from tariff policies exist. We will continue to closely monitor the potential impact on the end market demand, and manage our business prudently."

Your next iPhone could come with hidden costs, thanks to price hikes from silicon manufacturer TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company).

TSMC reported it's first quarter 2025 earnings today, indicating a net income of $361.56 billion.

During the earnings call with shareholders, Wendell Huang, Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer, indicated that "uncertainties and risks from the potential impact from tariff policies exist. We will continue to closely monitor the potential impact on the end market demand, and manage our business prudently."

One of TSMC's strategies to avoid fallout from the potential U.S. tariffs appears to involve moving some of the company's 3 nanometer (nm), 2nm, and 1.6nm silicon wafer manufacturing processes to the Fab 21 plant in Arizona.

While this would save TSMC's partners on tariffs, it would still come with increased costs.

Reports indicate a 30% price hike on the 4nm chips being made in Fab 21 in Arizona, and that price hike would likely also affect any future silicon wafers made in that silicon fab.

And with Apple slated to be the first company with chips made from TSMC's 2nm process node, that could have a major impact on iPhone and MacBook prices in the coming generations.

TSMC is moving its cutting-edge 2nm and 1.6nm silicon wafer production to the US

During this week's earnings call, TSMC announced plans to move production of 30% of its N2 (2nm) silicon wafers to the U.S.

TSMC will also make its Fab 21 Arizona plant an independent semiconductor manufacturing cluster, likely in a bid to keep the plant from facing U.S. tariffs should the Trump Administration go forward with import tariffs on silicon from Taiwan.

Along with the 2nm wafers, TSMC is also planning to build new fabrication modules to produce N3 (3nm) and A16 (1.6nm) wafers in Fab 21 in Arizona.

This would allow TSMC to make Apple's current silicon lineup (A18 and M4) domestically, as well as work on future chips like the Apple A20 and M6, which are expected to use the N2 process node.

Moving cutting-edge silicon manufacturing to the U.S. is a solid business move for TSMC, as Intel Foundry is currently the only domestic US silicon manufacturer with a 2nm node for the Intel A18 process, which is being used in the Panther Lake chipset.

This is especially true as TSMC has denied recent rumors of a joint business venture with Intel.

However, increased U.S. fabrication will come with increased costs due to the price of U.S. labor.

Apple's A20 is expected to use TSMC's 2nm process

Apple is one of TSMC's largest clients, manufacturing Apple's A and M series silicon. Apple is expected to move to TSMC's 2nm process node for future chipsets like the iPhone 18's A20 and the rumored M6 generation for MacBooks and iPads.

With TSMC rumored to raise prices on its U.S.-made 4nm and 2nm process nodes by 30%, the iPhone 18 would cost significantly more than the upcoming iPhone 17, which is already expected to see a major price increase over the iPhone 16 due to import tariffs.

After all, TSMC may not sell directly to customers, but the manufacturer's increased costs will have to be picked up by Apple. In order to keep making profits off iPhone sales, Apple will need to raise prices accordingly.

And that's not even including the import tariffs that could be accrued from Apple's assembly lines. Most iPhones are still assembled in China, though reports indicate Apple is diversifying its supply lines to dodge the exorbitant (up to 245%) tariffs on Chinese products.

Granted, TSMC may not raise prices by 30%, and the U.S. tariffs may not go into effect at the current rate. So all of this is subject to a lot of change before the iPhone 18 is expected to hit the market in Fall 2026.

But if you were looking to upgrade your iPhone in the near future, it may be worth opting for the current iPhone 16 or the upcoming iPhone 17 to avoid massive price hikes.

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This year has been a tough one for Apple. The company continues to have setbacks from the abysmal sales of the Apple Vision Pro to the numerous challenges it's had with AI.

April has been arguably the most challenging month for the iPhone maker after President Donald Trump revealed a list of countries that were going to be hit with tariffs. This caused Apple's stock to take an immediate hit, leading to a loss of more than $700 million in market value, according to Investopedia.

There appears to be a bit of reprieve for Apple as smartphones, laptops, and computers have been excluded from Trump's tariffs as of Friday.

A new report from the New York Times published on Friday detailed even more of the drama happening behind the doors at Apple.

Apple's AI problems

The report details Apple's initial problems with AI that started in 2023. John Giannandrea, Apple's head of AI, attempted to get more GPUs to begin this move into AI.

Apple reportedly had 50,000 GPUs at its data centers, and most were more than five years old. To move into developing AI, the company would need more GPUs and the newest versions.

Apple CEO Tim Cook approved the doubling of the chip budget for AI, however, Apple’s finance chief, Luca Maestri, slashed that budget to less than half, according to the report. This caused issues for the team working on AI, as it had limited access to computing power. The chips reportedly purchased were not from Nvidia, the leader in AI chips, but instead were made by Google.

A spokeswoman from Apple did tell The New York Times that the budget request for GPUs by Giannandrea was fulfilled over time.

Apple's AI efforts were shown last year when the company revealed Apple Intelligence along with the iPhone 16. The new tech was to add AI features to the iPhone, but the rollout for those features has been a bit on the slow side.

What appeared to be the ultimate conclusion of these efforts was an overhauled Siri that could act as a true AI assistant. Apple initially planned to release this smarter Siri sometime in the spring, however, that plan was scrapped completely last month.

This led to a change in leadership within Apple. Mike Rockwell, the creator of the Vision Pro for the company, ended up replacing Giannandrea, who was in charge of the team handling the Siri upgrade. According to the report, the new Siri will make its debut later this year in the fall. This will likely be when the company reveals the iPhone 17 and its other new products.

Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9. This is the event where the company will reveal the next MacOS, WatchOS, and iOS 19. This will also be the event where it will show off more of the capabilities of its Apple Intelligence.

On April 2, President Donald Trump laid out his list of reciprocal tariffs on countries, causing a global economic panic and sending stock markets across the planet into the red. A week later, on April 9, he announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for many of the countries on the list that didn't increase their tariffs on the U.S.

This pause gave some relief to companies worldwide that trade with the U.S. and are based in those countries, or who manufacture their products in a place like Vietnam, which was looking down the barrel of a 46% tariff. Gamers in the U.S. were especially worried, as there were concerns that the price of the recently announced Nintendo Switch 2 would jump due to the tariffs after the company halted pre-orders.

Late Friday evening, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection published a list of goods that would be excluded from the new tariffs. This list is primarily tech, such as smartphones, laptops, computer processors, memory, and hard drives. There was also a significant number products related to the manufacturing of semiconductors that were also included on the list.

What tech is being excluded from tariffs?

Here's a list of the products that won't be hit with tariffs based on the U.S. Customs' list:

• Computers and related devices
• Computer parts
• Semiconductor manufacturing equipment
• Smartphones
• Networking equipment
• Solid-state storage
• Recorded media
• Computer monitor
• Low-power transistors
• Other transistors
• Thyristors and triacs
• Other diodes
• Optocouplers
• Other semiconductors
• Semiconductor transducers
• Integrated circuits
• Parts of semiconductor devices

Tech isn't out of the woods yet.

While this reprieve may give tech companies like Apple and Samsung a sigh of relief, it's unclear whether this will be the end of worry over tariffs.

On Sunday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told ABC News that those products being excluded from tariffs is temporary. It's unclear if Lutnick was referring to only semiconductors or all the consumer tech that was on the list, since in the interview he continued to refer to semiconductors.

Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday, reaffirming that no one is getting a break on tariffs.

There was no Tariff “exception” announced on Friday," he wrote. "We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations. "

Computer manufacturers such as Dell, Lenovo, and HP reportedly halted shipments of their computers earlier in the week, according to TechSpot. To beat the rush of tariffs, some companies went so far as to quickly ship a lot of their product from China.

These companies are feeling the pressure from the tariffs put on China, which has jumped to a shocking 145%. China, in turn, increased its tariffs on the U.S. in retaliation to 125%. Trump reportedly requested that Chinese President Xi Jinping call him about the tariffs.

A made-in-the-USA iPhone might sound like a great idea, but you may need deep pockets to afford one.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, "[The President] believes we have the labor, we have the workforce, we have the resources to do it. If Apple didn’t think the U.S. could do it, they probably wouldn’t have put up that big chunk of change."

Leavitt was referring to $500 billion worth of promised investments from Apple in the U.S. for the next four years, which are expected to add 20,000 U.S. jobs.

On the surface, that might sound like a win, but even if Apple managed to make an iPhone at home, experts say the iPhone might get slapped with a bigger price tag — a lot bigger.

See also: Best Apple deals in April 2025

A $3,000 iPhone? According to experts, it could happen

Sweeping tariffs recently implemented by the Trump administration (and, for most countries, paused days later) are an attempt to bring manufacturing back to the United States.

Unfortunately, as experts are pointing out, it's not as simple as flipping a switch and moving shop, especially for a huge brand like Apple.

Dan Ives, Global Head of Technology Research at Wedbush Securities explained the situation in a recent interview on CNN: "The reality is, it's the most complicated supply chain in the world, and the way that they have 1.5 billion iPhones and they're able to make them at $1,000 is because of the supply chain that's really been built over the the last decade."

Ives added the bad news, stating, "You build that in the U.S. in a fab in West Virginia or New Jersey? They'll be $3,500 iPhones."

To put that into perspective, that's almost as pricey as a pair of luxury AirPods coated in two layers of pure gold.

While tariffs have been in a constant state of change, those targeting China have yet to be rolled back, which is important to note since China is a core pillar of Apple's supply chain (and the supply chains of virtually every other tech brand).

So, there's a chance that price increases are likely going to happen one way or another.

Why can't Apple make iPhones in the U.S.?

If you're wondering why Apple can't simply start making its products in manufacturing facilities in the U.S., the answer is that those products rely on massive global supply chains that can't realistically be confined to just the United States. At least, not overnight.

It takes years just to build manufacturing infrastructure, let alone get it up and running.

As Ives explained, "It would take Apple $30 billion and 3 years to move just 10% of the [iPhone] supply chain to the U.S."

Tim Cook shared similar thoughts in an interview at the 2017 Fortune Global Forum, clarifying that Apple's reasons for keeping huge swaths of its supply chain and manufacturing in China are because that's where the skilled workers they need are.

Cook stated, "The products we do require really advanced tooling, and the precision that you have to have, the tooling and working with the materials that we do are state of the art. And the tooling skill is very deep [in China]. In the U.S., you could have a meeting of tooling engineers and I’m not sure we could fill the room. In China, you could fill multiple football fields."

So, infrastructure and skilled labor are really the linchpins in any plans for Apple to move its manufacturing to the United States.

This reality means that even if Apple did invest billions of dollars to build out its manufacturing facilities in the U.S., it would still be years before those facilities began making even a small fraction of Apple's products. So, in the meantime, prices on all Apple devices will likely have to go up as a result of tariffs.

That means, theoretically, a $3,000 price tag for the iPhone 17 is not out of the question at this point, though the way tariffs— and the rhetoric around them — are shifting, it's hard to say for sure.

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Images of an iPhone 17 case leaked on X, revealing a major design change that might be on the way for Apple's next phone.

See also: Best Apple deals in April 2025

On April 9, X user Sonny Dickson posted a photo showing what appear to be cases for the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro. Of course, Apple hasn't shared any official iPhone 17 designs yet, so this case may or may not be legitimate. However, it matches earlier leaked iPhone 17 mock-ups Dickson shared last month.

The most glaring feature of this case is the huge gap for a camera bump at the top of the phone. It's a near edge-to-edge bump that appears to take up about a third of the phone's back.

This is easily the largest camera bump we've ever seen on an iPhone. It's even bigger than most Android camera bumps.

If the mock-ups leaked last month are accurate, this design is for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. The iPhone 17 Air (or "Slim") will have a slightly smaller camera bump, but only the base iPhone 17 will have a normal, compact bump.

How big is too big for a camera bump?

I'll admit, I'm not a fan of the enormous camera bump on the leaked iPhone 17 designs. I generally prefer camera bumps to be as small as possible, regardless of whether I'm using an iPhone or an Android phone.

So, this design is far from my favorite look for the iPhone. I doubt I'm alone in that, too. This isn't just about personal taste, it's also about practicality. Large camera bumps can be annoying on a day-to-day level, even just because of little things like the fact that your phone can't sit flat on your desk without a case.

Of course, there are probably hardware reasons for this design change. For instance, one X user hypothesized that Apple is using the larger camera bump to add a new 48MP telephoto lens featuring 10x lossless zoom, which would definitely be a welcome upgrade.

Similarly, if rumors that Apple is planning to make future iPhones thinner are true, the larger camera bump may be necessary to incorporate hardware that won't otherwise fit in a thinner chassis.

Even so, I personally wouldn't opt for an iPhone with a camera bump this big. This is a leaked case, so nothing's official yet. We'll just have to wait and see what Apple unveils when it officially announces the iPhone 17 line-up. The earliest we could potentially get a look is at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

It's worth noting, though, that regardless of when the iPhone 17 launches, we can expect the price to be significantly higher due to the Trump administration's tariffs, which are impacting Apple's supply chain. Some estimates predict iPhones could skyrocket to $2,000 or $3,000, potentially even more. So, you might want to start saving up now if you have your eye on an iPhone 17.

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President Donald Trump announced new sweeping tariffs for countries, with some already taking effect on Saturday, according to Reuters.

This already made a big impact on Nintendo, which decided to delay the start of the Switch 2 preorders that were supposed to begin on April 9. It has also left analysts guessing what other companies and goods will be hit hard by the tariffs, and one that came up multiple times was Apple.

Due to the tariffs, there is a possibility that the price of a new iPhone could skyrocket, according to analysts.

An analyst at Rosenblatt Securities said in an investor note that Apple would need to increase the price of the iPhone by 43% to cover the cost of tariffs, as reported by Reuters. This could mean that an iPhone 16 Pro Max with maxed out memory of 1TB could see a jump in cost to more than $2,300.

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, wrote an investor note saying iPhone costs could triple.

"The economic pain that will be brought by these tariffs are hard to describe and can essentially take the US tech industry back a decade in the process while China steamrolls ahead," he wrote, according to Yahoo Finance. "50% China tariffs, 32% Taiwan tariffs would essentially cause a shut-off valve from the US tech landscape and in the process cause every electronic to go up 40%-50% for consumers, iPhones made in the US would cost $3,500 (vs. $1,000), and the AI Revolution trade would be significantly slowed down by these head scratching tariffs that NEED to be negotiated to realistic levels."

Apple getting rocked with tariff news.

Since the announcement of the tariffs, Apple's stock price has been hit hard. The iPhone maker lost more than $300 billion in market value in just one day after the reveal, as reported by the Financial Times.

Apple seemingly was making the right moves to avoid dealing with Trump's tariffs. In recent years, Apple moved its manufacturing from China to plants in India and Vietnam. Both those countries were hit with tariffs ( 27% and 46%, respectively), although Vietnamese leader To Nam is reportedly in talks with Trump on reducing its tariffs. Also, plants in China still handle some iPhone production, although it's unclear which models.

The iPhone maker is reportedly looking at Brazil as its next place for production, according to 9to5Mac. The South American country received only a 10% tariff from Trump.

It also appeared Apple had gotten on Trump's good side with its announcement of a $500 billion investment in the U.S. The company expects to open a massive server factory in Houston, a new campus in Austin, and to have some of its Silicon made in Arizona.

Apple's iOS 18.4 is here, and it includes a new AI notification feature — but maybe not the one you wanted.

Thanks to Apple Intelligence, anyone with iOS 18.4 and a new enough iPhone can enjoy "priority notifications," which automatically organizes your incoming notifications based on importance.

That may sound useful in theory, but if Apple's last AI notifications endevaor is any indicator, you may not want to get your hopes up.

Apple introduces priority notifications in iOS 18.4

iOS 18.4 was originally expected to roll out in April, but Apple launched it a little early on March 31.

Any iPhone from the iPhone XR onward is eligible to download it (including the iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd generation). If you want to install it, all you need to do is go into your Settings app, select General, and select Software Update. If your phone is compatible, you should see an option to install iOS 18.4.

This update includes a few small tweaks and additions, like a handful of new emojis and the introduction of recipes in Apple News.

The most significant feature is priority notifications, which uses Apple Intelligence to identify the most important or urgent notifications and put them at the top of your lock screen.

You can still swipe down to see the rest of your notifications like normal, but this feature can help make sure time-sensitive updates don't get lost in the weeds.

Of course, you can also turn off priority notifications completely by going into the Settings app and selecting Notifications.

If your phone is compatible with Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16), you should see an option to "Prioritize Notifications" under the Apple Intelligence section of your notification settings. If you don't want to use the feature, simply turn off that option.

What happened to Apple's AI notification summaries?

If you're getting flashbacks hearing about an AI feature to sort notifications on your iPhone, it may be because Apple previously introduced AI notification summaries in January. However, that feature was temporarily paused, at least for news and entertainment apps, after users spotted it generating inaccurate summaries of news stories.

While Apple users didn't seem particularly upset about losing the feature, it was still yet another fumble for Apple's AI rollout.

Hopefully, priority notifications work better than notification summaries. At first glance, priority notifications seem more useful and less likely to run into problems since this feature doesn't require Apple's AI to generate anything, only sort what's already there.

It will most likely rely on identifying certain words and phrases in your notifications, such as "soon" or dates and times.

Whether it will go more smoothly than Apple's last AI notification experiment is anyone's guess, but between Apple's Siri fumble and notification summaries, Apple should hope its latest offering works as planned.

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Apple announced on Tuesday the dates for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, commonly known as WWDC, with a new iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS likely in store. If you're an iPhone 11 user, it may also signal the beginning of the end.

That's because the news out of WWDC that arguably affects most people is the debut of a new operating system for iPhone. This year it will be iOS 19.

The beta version of any new iPhone OS begins to roll out in the summer, and the new features of which seep out via TikTok videos, reddit forums, and news sites like Laptop Mag.

The subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle menu, technology, and design changes that arrive with every new version of iOS change billions of finger swipes across the planet.

As these nuggets of information offer a taste of what new features or design changes are in store for the world’s 1.4 billion iPhone users — the new iOS is officially released to the public in September each year — there's another population that has reason for slight annoyance.

The introduction of the new iOS means that users with those iPhones could be forced to upgrade — or be left running an older OS that will slowly turn their phone into a paper weight.

Running an old OS is fine for a few years, but soon enough, the apps we love — especially those of the streaming variety — will require an updated iOS. (It's a cold feeling not being able to run Netflix on a years-old iPhone and not being able to update to the latest iOS because there's not enough storage.)

For example, the iPhone XR (released in 2018) is the oldest phone to still support iOS 18, the most up-to-date iOS, which debuted in a year ago. That's six years.

A few years ago, the oldest phones that could support iOS 15 (which debuted in 2021) were the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus (which debuted in 2015). That was also six years.

That means iPhone 11 users out there, who have been steadily updating to a new OS each year, may see their phones no longer be supported with the new iOS19 that will be unveiled on June 9.

Made for Apple Intelligence

"Made for Apple Intelligence" is the tagline on some new iPhone 16 and some 15 models (the 15 Pro and the 15 Pro Max), and another WWDC could further relegate phones not made for Apple Intelligence — the company's AI software — to the junk drawer.

This year’s WWDC will begin on June 9, 2025, with in-person keynotes from Apple executives before the week of presentations and workshops is held via streaming methods.

Bloomberg reports that iPadOS 19 and macOS 16 may also be introduced at WWDC.

WWDC 2024 notably featured the debut of Apple Intelligence, and the months since that June 2024 presentation, the AI components of Apple’s future faltered out of the gate, with leaks and executive shakeups coming to define the current state of Apple’s AI development as just about anything.

In 2023, WWDC debuted the Apple Vision Pro.

For iPhone 11 owners years frustrated by the impending fate of their phone, take comfort in the fact the iPhone deals abound in an increasingly competitive market for smart phones.

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Apple's iPhone 17 Air just got a little less vaporous.

Thanks to a leaked set of dummy phones from reviewer Sonny Dickson, we've gotten what looks to be a solid preview of the iPhone 17 lineup, and there's one phone in the array that looks a little, uh... thin.

See if you can spot the outlier.

While we still don't know which device is which in this lineup of dummy phones, I think it'd be easy to extrapolate from its size that it's the iPhone 17 Air, Apple's rumored ultra-thin device.

And I have to say, if the iPhone 17 Air is as thin as this mockup suggests, Apple can take my money now.

What we (maybe) know about the iPhone 17 Air so far

The iPhone 17 Air obviously hasn't been confirmed yet, but we've gotten some fairly credible drips.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the iPhone 17 Air "will be about 2 millimeters thinner than existing iPhones." For comparison, a nickel is 1.95 millimeters thick.

Apple's existing iPhone 16 and 16 Plus measure 7.8 millimeters thick, and the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are 8.25 millimeters thick. Gurman doesn't specify which existing iPhones the 17 Air will be 2 millimeters thinner than, but it's most likely the base iPhone 16.

That would make the rumored Air an impressive 5.8 millimeters thick, making the iPhone 17 Air the thinnest phone ever made by Apple. It would beat out the previous holder of that title, the iPhone 6, at 6.9 millimeters thick.

Based on the recent dummy phones we've seen, that estimation looks to be pretty spot on. The iPhone 17 Air, if dummies are to be believed, is a great deal thinner than its counterparts.

Shut up and take my money

As someone who hates how big phones have become in recent years, I find the prospect of a phone as thin as the iPhone 17 Air tantalizing.

I want a phone that doesn't feel like a brick in my pocket, and the iPhone 17 Air might deliver on that front. I doubt it'd only be a big deal for me.

If Apple manages to compress all that iPhone goodness into a lighter and thinner package, it would arguably be the biggest iPhone iteration we've seen in a long time—since the now-dead iPhone Mini.

All of this is still speculation, but the idea of a thinner, lighter iPhone makes me feel a genuine desire to trade in my phone and upgrade — and that's saying something.

I'm still holding onto the iPhone 13 because of its size and because I haven't felt an urgent need to upgrade in more than four generations.

Of course, before I buy an iPhone 17 Air, I still have many questions to answer. One of the biggest is whether the battery life will be adequate.

That's typically the biggest downside to most devices prioritizing weight and thinness over other features. Then there's price; if the iPhone 17 Air is vastly more expensive than other models, I'm not sure I'll pay Pro Max prices.

Either way, the iPhone Air 17 has me seriously considering an upgrade for the first time in a long time, proving that thinner is better.

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Apple reportedly introducing a new iPhone variant coming with its upcoming iPhone 17 line. The phone, unofficially called the "iPhone 17 Air," could be the thinnest iPhone Apple created although it might not be as thin as some may had anticipated.

A new report on the iPhone 17 Air claims Apple's attempt to make this phone extra thin led to a radical design idea.

Apple initially wanted to make the iPhone 17 Air completely port-free, according to a report from Bloomberg. The iPhone maker reportedly considered removing the USB-C from the phone, requiring users to charge their phone wireless and sync their data via the cloud.

That plan was scrapped in part due to the concerns of customers being upset with this new design change, which comes as no surprise considering how past changes, such as switching cable connections and removing the headphone port, were met with discontent. Another reason Apple reportedly didn't go with the idea was due to the recent ruling in the EU requiring new iPhones to incorporate a USB-C connection, which is what led to the recent inclusion of the connection with the iPhone 15.

However, if this new thin iPhone becomes a success, Apple will reportedly make another attempt at a port-free phone in the future.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the idea of a port-free design.

How thin will the iPhone 17 Air be?

It's still unknown exactly how thin the iPhone 17 Air will be.

Apple reportedly reduced the thickness of the phone by 2mm. That doesn't seem like a significant amount, but considered the iPhone 16 was 7.8mm, a reduction of that much is a huge design effort.

One social media user known for leaking Apple designs posted dummy models for the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup. Among the models is a thinner iPhone that could be the iPhone 17 Air.

Even with its thin design, Apple is reportedly making the iPhone 17 Air larger in regards to its screen size. The phone would have a screen measuring 6.6 inches, which would be about the same size as the Pro version. The report says there was an initial plan to make the thin iPhone have an even bigger screen at 6.9 inches, closer to the Pro Max sizing, but that idea was ultimately scrapped due to concerns a phone that thin and large possibly bending, which was an issue referred to as "Bendgate" back with the iPhone 6.

While Apple is reportedly making some sacrifices with the iPhone 17 Air—such as including only one rear camera and eliminating the SIM card slot—the phone will still offer battery life comparable to other models. The iPhone Air could be priced at $900, placing it at the same price range as the iPhone Plus, according to the report.

Apple will reportedly implement the technologies developed for the iPhone 17 Air in future devices, most notably the rumored folding iPhone. Apple’s folding phone has been the subject of speculation for years, while other manufacturers like Samsung and Google have already released their own foldable devices in recent years. Apple is expected to unveil its folding iPhone next year, but details on this phone remain scarce.

If you've ever considered switching from iOS to Android, I bet I can guess exactly what stopped you—it starts with "G" and ends in "reen bubble."

iOS has long stigmatized Android users by choosing not to support standard features in text messaging. Up until recently, that included read receipts, typing indicators, group messages, high-res pics, and even delivered receipts. Ya' know... normal messaging stuff.

Since then, all of those missing features have been amended to support RCS messaging. This means that if you have an Android phone that uses RCS, you can have a semi-normal texting experience with someone who has an iPhone.

And now, another major domino is falling in favor of Android. iOS will soon support end-to-end encrypted messaging, which has long been a key feature of iOS-to-iOS communication. That's a big win for keeping both iOS and Android users safe.

It also begs the question: with all of those features finally adopted, will the green bubble stigma finally get tossed out with them? I, for one, wouldn't count on it.

The code is cracked

According to a recent announcement from the GSMA, a trade group representing mobile networking companies, a new protocol called Message Layer Security has finally cracked the code for interoperable encryption between Android and iOS.

"These procedures ensure that messages and other content such as files remain confidential and secure as they travel between clients. That means that RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers," the GSMA said in a statement.

Needless to say, this is a major win for ensuring privacy between platforms and for any company selling Android phones.

The lack of full-featured messaging between platforms has long been a sticking point for anyone already part of the iOS ecosystem. With that mostly mitigated, users can travel more freely between platforms.

As a longtime iPhone user who's reviewed a few Android phones in recent years, I can say for certain that there is much less disparity between the two platforms than there used to be. The only thing holding me back personally is Apple's Messages app.

Both operating systems have mostly the same feature set, employ a similar UI, and run smoothly (most of the time) on the devices they power. So, with all of that evened out, Android phones should be more appealing to longtime iOS users than ever.

Save for one obvious drawback.

It's too easy being green

One notable difference between iOS and non-iOS messages on iPhone that you may have noted is... they're still green.

So, even with all of the progress over the past few years, the Android stigma is still alive and well. And while I couldn't blame anyone for getting hopeful that green bubble stigma might change, too, I personally won't be getting my hopes up. My pessimism comes from a couple of places.

For one, there's still a huge incentive on Apple's part to continue to differentiate Android and iOS messages. What I mean is, the longer Apple visually convinces people that they're receiving a text that's different (read: lesser) in some way, the longer they can justify sticking with iOS.

But it's not just Apple's own incentive that has me down on the prospect of blue-bubbling Android texts, though. Part of the impetus for the big feature shift over the last year was pressure from regulators in the European Union.

Thanks to a push from the EU, we've seen some significant holes blasted in Apple's walled garden, including discontinuing the Lightning port in favor of the more egalitarian USB-C.

Like the push for RCS, the push for green bubbles has centered on the claim that Apple's behavior (its lack of USB-C adoption) is anti-competitive. While you could claim that using green bubbles is equally anti-competitive, the argument feels flimsier.

Lightning ports and USB-C are specific technologies with advantages and disadvantages. But green versus blue? That feels a little bit more subjective. I'm not saying the case couldn't be made, but it feels much less sturdy than the more significant battles over the App Store or charging ports.

I guess if you were to give the idea of ending green bubbles any credence, there is a significant amount of support from the likes of Google or Samsung, but that might have little sway on regulators who have proven to be the only real factor in forcing Apple to change its platform.

Pessimistic though I may be over the end of the green bubble, I'd be the first person to celebrate the shift. Android phones are better and more affordable than ever, so I could easily see myself jumping ship.

Until then, however, I'll stick to what I know and keep my bubble blue for everyone's sake.

More from Laptop Mag

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While I’ve enjoyed my iPhone 16 Pro, I have always personally thought that the best iPhone Apple ever released was the iPhone 13 mini. So, when the company revealed the iPhone 16e as its new take on the iPhone SE, I was interested.

I’ve been on the iPhone Upgrade Program for years and, by habit of being in the program, upgraded my iPhone every year. The iPhone 16e, while being a “new” iPhone, has received a lot of criticism for going without a lot of the features that people have come to expect from a modern iPhone.

So, with my iPhone mini experience in mind, I decided to downgrade from my iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone 16e for a week. There were specifically four features that I was worried about losing: the Always-On Display, the Dynamic Island, ProMotion, and MagSafe. Could I really go without all of these features I’ve come to expect?

After one week of using this phone that most people have criticized straight out of the gate, I’ve come away with a surprising revelation.

Does your iPhone display really need to be always on?

One of the first things I thought I would miss about my iPhone 16 Pro is the Always-On Display. The feature has been exclusive to the Pro models since the iPhone 14 Pro, and I have enjoyed having it for the last three years. Or so I thought.

After using the iPhone 16e for a week, I found myself not missing the Always-On Display from the iPhone 16 Pro at all. In fact, I found that I was happier without an Always-On Display. With the iPhone 16e, I couldn’t glance at my screen and be distracted by notifications. Checking my phone became a deliberate act.

It turns out that an Always-On Display isn’t as good of a thing as I originally thought. Perhaps we were better off without them. At least, I found that to be the case.

While dynamic, I’m OK on this island

The second thing I thought I would miss from my iPhone 16 Pro was the Dynamic Island, which Apple calls “a magical way to interact with iPhone.” The Dynamic Island also launched with the iPhone 14 Pro, so we are three iPhone generations deep with the feature.

After a week of returning to the notch, I can say that, while the Dynamic Island is undoubtedly cool, it has not yet evolved into a feature that feels vital to the iPhone experience. Is it nice to see the album cover of the song playing while you are scrolling through Apple News? Sure, but it’s not necessary.

After a week without it, I was doing just fine and did not feel strongly drawn back to it.

You can’t see pro if you don’t motion

Out of all of the features I was losing by downgrading from the iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone 16e, this is the one that I’d thought would hurt the most. Apple initially launched Promotion on the iPhone 13 Pro, which has been a big reason why many people choose a Pro iPhone — that 120Hz is just too smooth.

If you can’t tell the difference, you wouldn’t care. Unfortunately, I can immediately tell the difference between a 60Hz and 120Hz display, so I have been buying the Pro model of the iPhone for the last four years because of it. I thought I would hate giving up the feature that has been a key selling point for me.

Surprisingly, I survived the week without it. Maybe it was getting used to a 60Hz display with my iPad mini that did it, but I did fine with the inferior refresh rate of the iPhone 16e. After a few days, I honestly forgot about it. Even though I could tell the difference in a heartbeat if you put the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16 Pro next to each other, I got used to not having it.

I’m safe without the magnets

I was so focused on losing ProMotion in my quest to downgrade to the iPhone 16e, that a seemingly small feature I barely paid a thought to quickly became the thing that halted my quest of downgrading from the iPhone 16 Pro. Of all the features I thought I’d miss the most, MagSafe charging became the biggest drawback of the downgrade.

Apple brought MagSafe to the iPhone with the iPhone 12 in 2020, and it has been featured on both the regular and Pro iPhone models since. An entire ecosystem of accessories, including cases, wallets, batteries, stands, and more, has been built around the feature. While it has not gotten rid of the charging port on the iPhone just yet, it has become a product staple.

Once I got the iPhone 16e, I realized how much of a fan of MagSafe I have become. I have a MagSafe case. I have a MagSafe wallet. And my charging stand, which also charges my Apple Watch and AirPods, also supports MagSafe.

However, after a week without it, I found that this too was something I could live without. The battery life on the iPhone 16e is so good that, like my Apple Watch, I found myself charging it solely when I took a shower every day.

I also realized that, if I really wanted some MagSafe in my life, Elago and other third-party case makers had options as little as $19 that would add it back to my phone. So, while MagSafe is great, and I wish the iPhone 16e had it natively, it’s not worth the $200 upgrade to the iPhone 16 to get it.

The iPhone 16e is the iPhone mini of 2025

After a week of living with the iPhone 16e instead of my iPhone 16 Pro, I’ve come to realize just how much I do not need an iPhone 16 Pro — or any Pro iPhone for that matter. In fact, I don’t even need the “base” model iPhone 16. I’m doing just fine with the iPhone 16e.

It’s smaller, lighter, and a more simple device. I don’t need much from a phone, and the iPhone 16e delivers the essential experience that, I imagine, most people actually need anyway. This experiment has also made me realize that, while the advancements of the past few years have been cool, none of them have changed the core experience of using my phone, and living without them hasn’t either.

This is the first iPhone I’ve used since the iPhone 13 mini that, in addition to being a good phone, is actually — dare I say — delightful. It’s smaller, lighter, and simpler. It reminds me of the iPhone mini. Not that it’s a cut for cut remake with the same features, but that it’s the core iPhone experience in a more simple device. For someone like me, that means a lot. I loved the iPhone mini, and this is about as close as we are going to get to one moving forward.

As a result of this experiment, I find myself questioning whether or not to sell my iPhone 16 Pro and get off the hamster wheel that is the iPhone Upgrade Program. Is a Pro iPhone worth $400 more in 2025? The iPhone 16e has me really struggling to justify that price difference.

More from Laptop Mag

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Rumors of Apple's foldable iPhone have been circulating for several years, first appearing in the news in 2017. Since then, whispers of its existence have occasionally sprouted, but recent leaks suggest that we're finally reaching a point where its launch is imminent.

A post last month from Digital Chat Station claimed that the dimensions of its two screens had been leaked. In its folded state, the screen would be 5.49 inches, but once it's unfolded, it reveals a 7.74-inch inner screen. The account also claimed that we could expect the phone within the next year or two, so it's rumored to be on the horizon.

Another report came on Thursday, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors) predicting the device will be priced at over $2,000 or potentially up to $2,500. Keep in mind, this figure is likely referring to the starting price, meaning its more luxurious configurations could get even more expensive.

He also corroborates the leak from last month, predicting that the device will have a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner display. Other predictions include mass production beginning Q4 2026, 9-9.5mm thickness when folded, 4.5-4.8mm thickness when unfolded, and the device will be made with a mix of stainless steel (only in the hinge) and titanium alloy (some in hinge, and all in the casing).

While some might find this announcement exciting, all I see is more proof that the Apple tax is real and it might continue to fail. If people weren't convinced by the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro, what makes Apple think they'll invest in a $2,500 foldable iPhone, especially when there are far cheaper alternatives?

$2,500 for a foldable iPhone sounds absolutely absurd

Would you spend $2,500 on a foldable iPhone? There is definitely a market of consumers that would, but will it be any more significant than those who invested in the Apple Vision Pro?

According to The Information, the device was reportedly taken out of production as a result of reduced demand. Apple is apparently focusing on trying to develop a less expensive headset for its next generation.

While some might not think the Meta Quest 3 is comparable to the Apple Vision Pro, how can the latter's $3,500 price tag possibly expect to compete with the former's availability for as low as $499?

Applying this to foldable phones reveals the same truth: You can get a foldable or flip phone for far less than $2,500, so beyond just loyalty to Apple, what reason would someone have to spend nearly $1,000 more on a similar product?

Look at products like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, which starts as low as $1,099. To be fair, it is a flip phone and not necessarily the same book-style foldable phone that Apple is making. But even if we look at the Galaxy Z Fold6, its starting price of $1,599 is significantly less than the predicted price of Apple's foldable.

Apple has done a good job with both MacBook and iPhone at creating competitively priced products. While they're definitely not cheap, they're not so expensive that buyers feel they're suffering under the weight of the fabled Apple tax.

According to Tim Cook in a Wired interview, Apple Vision Pro was reportedly meant to be an "early adopter product." However, this doesn't change the fact that it wasn't quite as successful as expected and was wildly overpriced compared to its primary mixed reality rival, the Meta Quest 3. It's entirely possible that Apple's foldable iPhone will face a similar fate at such a steep price.

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Apple debuted the budget-friendly iPhone 16e on February 19 at a surprise event, prompting those previously interested in the base iPhone 16 to ask: which of Apple's affordable iPhones is the better value?

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e share the same chip family, display size, and storage options, and both phones run iOS 18 and all the Apple Intelligence goodies that come with it. However, they differ in rear camera setups, and of course, price.

There are great reasons to buy both phones, but if you're purely looking for the best iPhone value, one phone comes out on top. Let's dive into the biggest differences between Apple's two most affordable iPhones and help you decide which one is worth your money.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: Price

The iPhone sticker shock is real, even if you're not looking to buy Apple's flashiest, top-of-the-line iPhone. That said, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e are the two most affordable iPhones in Apple's current-gen lineup.

With 128GB of storage, the iPhone 16 starts at $799 and the iPhone 16e starts at $599 — that's a pretty big difference of $200.

If you're looking for the least expensive iPhone, that's clearly the iPhone 16e. However, keep in mind, you'll likely have this phone for a few years before deciding to upgrade again. $200 is a big difference upfront, but if you either purchase the phone on an installment plan or just think of that value spread out over the next 2 to 5 years, it becomes a more manageable difference.

Where to order the iPhone 16

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e are two of the cheapest current-gen iPhones you can grab right now, but you may not have to pay full price for yours thanks to deals from popular retailers and service providers.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: Specs

When you look at the specs of Apple's iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e side by side, you might be surprised. Obviously, there are a few big differences in specs (otherwise, the $200 price difference wouldn't be justified), but there are just as many similarities.

Both the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e are equipped with Apple's A18 chip and 8GB of memory, enough to power Apple Intelligence features. However, the iPhone 16's A18 chip consists of a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine, while the iPhone 16e's chip has a 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine.

With a slightly less powerful chipset, the iPhone 16e has a better rated battery life of up to 26 hours of video playback, according to Apple. Alternatively, Apple says the iPhone 16 can reportedly deliver up to 22 hours of video playback. Our testing didn't show quite as big of a difference with the iPhone 16e (12:41) only outlasting the iPhone 16 (12:13) by 28 minutes in our Laptop Mag battery test, which requires the phone to surf the web on 5G with the display set to 150 nits of brightness. However, for those upgrading from the previous iPhone SE (7:39), you're getting over a 5-hour jump.

Both phones offer the same storage options of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, and feature a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with slightly different resolutions and max brightness figures. The iPhone 16's display has 2556 x 1179-pixel resolution and 1,000 nits max brightness (typical), while the iPhone 16e's display has 2532 x 1170-pixel resolution and 800 nits max brightness (typical).

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e also share the same 12-megapixel TrueDepth front camera with Face ID, with a slightly different notch at the top of the display. Both phones lack a physical home button on the display, a great decision made by Apple to bring its budget-friendly phone into the future.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly iPhone capable of taking impressive photos, the iPhone 16 clearly has the edge here. Both phones come equipped with a main 48-megapixel Fusion camera with ƒ/1.6 aperture, support for high-resolution photos, and a 12-megapixel 2x Telephoto lens. However, the iPhone 16e only has optical image stabilization, whereas the iPhone 16 has improved sensor‑shift optical image stabilization to help you take less shaky photos.

The iPhone 16 also features a second camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens with ƒ/2.2 aperture and 120-degree field of view.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: Design

If you're hoping to decide between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e based on size or weight, you're out of luck. The iPhone 16 measures 5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches and weighs 170 grams, while the iPhone 16e measures 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches and weighs 167 grams — they're practically the same phones, physically.

The only noticeable physical difference between the two phones is the Camera Control button. The iPhone 16 has both an Action button and a Camera Control button, whereas the cheaper iPhone 16e only features an Action button.

The iPhone 16 also has a lot more available colorways to choose from, including Black, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine. If you want an iPhone 16e, you'll only be able to choose between classic Black and sleek White. No fun colors for the iPhone 16e!

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence first hit the stage at WWDC 2024 and launched with iOS 18.1, but not fully. Some of the most highly anticipated Apple Intelligence features were pushed to later iOS 18 versions, and are only available to certain iPhones due to the processing requirements for on-device AI.

Luckily, both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e meet these requirements with the A18 chip and 8GB of memory. With either phone, users can take advantage of Writing Tools to help craft emails and reply to texts, AI-powered image generation or editing tools, smarter Siri, and so much more.

Apple Intelligence still has a ways to go in 2025, but the road ahead is looking positive at the moment, and both of Apple's budget-friendly phones should reap the benefits.

Outlook

At just $599, the iPhone 16e is the best iPhone value when compared to the base iPhone 16. For $200 less, you're getting practically the same chipset (just one less GPU core), better battery life, and a decent rear camera.

Yes, the iPhone 16e only comes in plain old Black and White color options and doesn't have a Camera Control button, but those are small trade-offs for $200 in savings. If you must have an iPhone in color, absolutely need a Camera Control button and a rear ultrawide camera, or want the best budget-friendly performance Apple offers, the iPhone 16 is still a great option to consider.

In all other cases, the iPhone 16e is going to be the best affordable smartphone available from Apple right now.

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There's a new entry-level iPhone on the scene and it's not an SE.

The iPhone 16e is Apple's new budget-friendly phone, and it features a powerful A18 chipset, a 2-in-1 48MP Fusion camera, and up to 26 hours of video playback battery life.

On paper, the iPhone 16e is a solid competitor for the iPhone 16, as it has similar specs but costs $200 less. But how does the iPhone 16e stack up against the other 16th-generation iPhones? And what about the old iPhone SE3?

Based on our lab benchmarks, even the iPhone 16 Pro faces serious competition — except in one key area.

iPhone 16e benchmarks: Performance

The iPhone 16e features an A18 chip similar to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, with a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have an additional GPU core in their A18 chipset.

The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max feature the A18 Pro chipset with a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU. The iPhone SE 3 features a A15 Bionic chipset with a 6-core CPU and a 4-core GPU.

All six Apple smartphones we've compared to the iPhone 16e come equipped with a 16-core neural engine.

We expected the iPhone 16e to handle similarly to the iPhone 16, and in fact, the iPhone 16e outperforms the iPhone 16 on all of our CPU lab tests. The two phones are pretty close, averaging about a 1% difference on Geekbench 6 single-core and multicore benchmarks. The iPhone 16e is also just 2-3% worse than the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone SE 3 came out in 2022, so we don't have Geekbench 6 results for the SE 3 as Geekbench 6 first launched in February 2023.

GPU Performance is the main differentiator between the iPhones. The A18 Pro-powered iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max maintain the lead on graphics performance with 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme frame rates that are 45% better than the iPhone 16e.

We do have 3DMark Wild Life performance scores for the SE 3, and we can see that the iPhone 16e's A18 chipset outperforms the SE 3's A15 Bionic chip on graphics performance by 73%.

iPhone 16e benchmarks: Display

Apple's iPhone 16e features a similar 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display as the iPhone 16, but the two displays are not quite equal.

When tested with Adaptive brightness off, the iPhone 16e (724 nits) isn't quite as bright as the iPhone 16 (775 nits) or iPhone 16 Plus (787). Both iPhone 16 Pro models also have brighter displays (828 nits) compared to the iPhone 16e. But the 16e isn't very far off in display brightness from the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

The iPhone SE 3 measured just 596 nits, which is far behind all five of the 16th-gen iPhones.

Our color gamut tests are where the benchmarks got a bit wild. The iPhone 16e tested significantly higher in both sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut coverage compared to all of the other iPhones. Apple's Retina displays usually hover around 112-114% sRGB and 79-80% DCI-P3 coverage. The iPhone 16e measured 127% coverage of the sRGB color space and 90% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, which is about 12% better than all five other iPhones. Including the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

iPhone 16e benchmarks: Battery life

We run the Laptop Mag web-surfing battery test the same way across multiple products, with the display set to 150 nits and the device set to surf through a series of static, dynamic, and video web pages. All iPhones use the same Test Flight version of our lab's proprietary testing app. So the process is identical across all of the iPhone models, and the only variables are the phone's chipset, battery size, and display.

Typically, we would expect the iPhone 16e to last about as long on our battery test as the iPhone 16. Both phones are about the same size, feature very similar A18 chips, and have 6.1 Super Retina XDR displays. However, Apple indicated the iPhone 16e was up to 4 hours more efficient than the iPhone 16 on Apple's video playback benchmark.

While our lab benchmarks didn't see quite as high of a difference between the two, the iPhone 16e did last 12 hours and 41 minutes on our battery test, meaning it lasted 28 minutes longer than the iPhone 16 (12:13). The iPhone SE 3 lasted a mere 7:39 on the same battery test, while the iPhone 16 Pro did maintain its lead on the smaller 6-inch phones, with a 14:01 battery life.

As they are larger phones, the iPhone 16 Pro Max (17:35) and iPhone 16 Plus (16:30) outlasted all three of the smaller iPhones.

Bottom line

If you just want a powerful iPhone and don't care about having the latest and greatest camera features, there's no real reason not to opt for the iPhone 16e. It's just as powerful as the iPhone 16. It has a bright, vibrant display and all-day battery life. And it costs just $599 compared to the iPhone 16's $799 price tag.

Apple's iPhone Pro and Pro Max line have held the best cameras of the iPhone lineup for years, and that isn't changing. So if a good phone camera is worth at least $999 for you, then the iPhone 16e isn't even on your radar.

While the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e both have a 48MP Fusion camera, the iPhone 16 gets you a 12MP Ultra Wide lens, which will work far better for taking wide-angle photos than the 2-in-1 solution on the iPhone 16e. So, if you run an Instagram for your travel photos, you may want to shell out for the iPhone 16.

But if staying on budget is your main concern and you don't need a multi-camera array, there's no reason to get the iPhone 16 when you can get a similar experience on the iPhone 16e.

Pre-order the Apple iPhone 16e now

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Apple's next generation of iPhones is already getting leaked, but Apple fans might not like what they see.

Less than a week after Apple launched the iPhone 16e (a redesigned iPhone SE), designs for its next generation of phones are already popping up online. Apple launched the iPhone 16 lineup in September 2024, so we're still several months out from an official iPhone 17 launch, but those leaks for the iPhone 17 lineup may not be exactly what iPhone 17 optimists had in mind.

Leaked photos reveal a potentially controversial iPhone 17 design

On Sunday, X user MajinBu leaked CAD mockups that seem to show the designs for the iPhone 17 lineup. While it's common for images like this to leak ahead of a new iPhone launch, there's something pretty unusual about the designs.

First: They look a lot like Google Pixel phones.

Four models are shown in the image which appear to be, from left to right: the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Pro.

The base iPhone 17 looks almost identical to the current iPhone 16 with a small camera bump that hugs the two lenses in the top left corner. However, the other three models feature strikingly large camera bumps that appear to extend across the width of the phone, much like Google's camera bumps on its Pixel phones. The iPhone 17 Air in particular looks like a design pulled straight from the Pixel playbook.

Regardless of how you feel about the design of Google Pixel phones, it's a surprising turn of the tables for Apple to be copying Google and not the other way around.

Could the foldable iPhone revive Apple's design creativity?

I'll admit, I was more than a little disappointed to see Apple's latest iPhone design looking so much like a Google Pixel. I don't like the large camera bumps on Pixel phones, but it's especially disappointing considering there's been little significant change in Apple's iPhone designs over the past several years.

On one hand, smartphone manufacturers like Apple have to contend with the fact that they have effectively nailed the smartphone design. The basic pocket-size slab-with-a-screen with a camera on the back is the perfect form factor for a smartphone.

Unfortunately, that also means there's only so much you can do with that form factor, but there's still one Apple hasn't tried yet: a foldable iPhone.

Rumors about a foldable iPhone have been circulating for years now, but Apple has yet to launch one. Instead, they're leaning into ultra-thin tech like the iPhone 17 Air. That could be a precursor to a thin, foldable iPhone, but it's been almost two years since Apple reportedly filed a patent for a foldable and we have yet to see it come to fruition.

We'll have to wait and see if Apple ever releases a foldable, but I hope they haven't given up on it. A foldable iPhone might just infuse some much-needed creativity into the next generation of iPhones (even if Samsung did it first).

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Turns out Apple's new iPhone SE wasn't an iPhone SE at all.

Yes, the iPhone 16e is still Apple's cheapest new phone, but this time around Apple dropped the SE branding and, with it, changed a lot of major things you might expect from the SE line.

For one, the iPhone 16e is now $600 which is more than one might expect from a "budget" phone (you can argue it's actually not a budget phone at all now).

That price bump comes with a lot of perks, however, including the A18 chip which is also in the iPhone 16, an OLED screen, Apple Intelligence, and a 2-in-1 camera system that integrates a telephoto lens.

In all of that, however, there's one thing that the new iPhone doesn't have — a home button. In a lot of ways that's a big "duh" and in some ways it's the end of an era — an era that centered around real buttons.

But before you mourn the death of physical buttons on your iPhone, let me introduce you to the "SE" line's newest addition...

Welcome the the Action

Expectedly, Apple finally dropped the home button from the iPhone 16e.

That's no surprise considering the button was a bit of a vestige for some time — pretty much ever since iOS started using a swipe-up method of returning to your home screen that obviously doesn't require pressing a physical button.

The decision to move away from a physical button marks the death of that particular design in Apple's lineup and while it may seem like a clear move away from physical buttons in general, the home button's ethos still lives on with a newer addition to the iPhone design language: the Action Button.

For the uninitiated, Apple's Action Button was initially introduced in the iPhone 15 lineup to pro-level phones only and was later brought to every level of the iPhone 16.

The Action Button is exactly what it sounds like: a programmable button that people can use for lots of different stuff — launching apps, pulling up Control Center in iOS, or even changing focus modes on your phone automatically.

And now, that button lives in the iPhone 16e which gives Apple's most budget-friendly new phone all of the same abilities — and one more.

If you're missing the home button dearly, you can program the iPhone 16e's Action Button for a similar purpose by assigning it a shortcut. To make the Action Button take you home on a single press, all you have to do is:

• Go to Settings
• Tap "Action Button"
• Navigate to "shortcuts"
• Type in “Go to Home Screen” and assign that as the shortcut

Sure it's not going to bring that big button back to the middle of your phone's display (the Action Button is on the side of your phone), but it's going to give you a similar functionality.

But even more than that, it's giving us something that iPhones nearly lost altogether over the years...

Touchy-feely

As much as tapping and swiping has become an effective way to navigate any device, burying things inside your phone's software hasn't always been... simple.

Whether you're a fan of the home button or not, it did make returning to your home screen simple.

That's because there's a facility with button-pushing that can be hard to mimic in a phone UI that often has no choice but to bury functionality inside windows and menus.

It's clear that Apple has recognized that flaw in iOS which has (for better and worse) become increasingly more complex as the years have gone by. As a response, it's turned to the real, physical, world with the addition of the Action Button, but also a "Camera Control" button.

Apple's Camera Control button occupies a very similar space to the Action Button and can be used to launch the Camera app in iOS or even as a shutter button to take pictures or record videos.

It's a simple thing, really, but an important acknowledgement that sometimes software doesn't have to do all of the work.

So, while it's easy to mourn the home button and the simplicity it brought to the iPhone experience, it's clear that Apple knows one cold, hard, capacitive truth: buttons sometimes do it best.

The new iPhone 16e is Apple's streamlined version of the iPhone 16. It packs the key specs of the latest flagship into a compact design.

If you can live without a dynamic island and camera control, it's the most budget-friendly option from the series.

You can now preorder the iPhone 16e at the Apple Store and select retailers and U.S. wireless carriers. Prices start from just $599 for the base model.

If you're short on cash, you'll want to jump on today's iPhone 16 preorder deals to get Apple's latest phone for free. Here's how.

Preorder iPhone 16e from $599

Whether you're a new or existing T-Mobile customer, you can get a free iPhone 16e (or up to $630 off). when you trade-in an eligible device under a T-Mobile Magenta Max , Go5G Plus, or Go5G Next plan. Or, trade-in your old phone and open a new line.

Given that the iPhone 16e costs $599 to start and you can get up to $830 cash back for your old device, you'd get a free phone. Your rebate will appear on your monthly T-Mobile bill as credits over 24 months.

Additionally, when you preorder the iPhone 16e online at t-mobile.com or via the T Life app, you'll get the $35 activation fee waived and free next-day shipping.

Alternatively, you can get a free iPhone 16e (valued at $600) when you preorder from Metro by T-Mobile and activate it under a Metro Flex Up or Metro Flex Plus.

Again, your refund will appear on your monthly statement as credits, but for a shorter period of just 12 months.

If you need extra motivation to take advantage of this iPhone 16e preorder deal, Metro Flex Plus customers get Amazon Prime for free (valued at $15/mo.). That's an additional savings of $180 a year.

Starting from just $599, the iPhone 16e is worth considering if you're long overdue for an upgrade. Especially if you're still daily driving with an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13.

iPhone 16e preorders ship to arrive by February 28 which is when it's expected to land in stores.

Preorder iPhone 16e from $599

• Preorder iPhone 16e at T-Mobile
• Preorder iPhone 16e at Metro by T-Mobile
• Preorder iPhone 16e at Verizon
• Preorder iPhone 16e at Best Buy
• Preorder iPhone 16e at Visible
• Preorder iPhone 16e at Apple

Apple finally announced the new iPhone 16e, the successor to its budget-friendly iPhone SE.

The iPhone 16e took the iPhone SE's spot at the entry-level end of Apple's iPhone lineup. While it features a slew of much-needed upgrades over the iPhone SE 3, there is a catch: a higher price tag.

On the surface, it's easy to be disappointed about a price bump, however, the iPhone 16e punches above its weight class with a slate of features that make the flagship iPhone 16 look over-priced in comparison.

The iPhone SE is gone, along with its budget-friendly price

On Wednesday, after weeks of rumors about an impending product launch, Apple finally unveiled the iPhone 16e. It's the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE, now with a modern design, all-new specs, and an array of features that make the iPhone SE 3 look like a relic.

The "iPhone SE" name isn't the only thing Apple retired, either. It also abandoned the SE's sub-$500 price tag. The iPhone SE 3, released in 2022, started at $429. That's at the upper end of the budget price bracket, but still much more affordable than the flagship iPhones.

The same cannot be said for the iPhone 16e, which starts at $599, about $200 less than the flagship iPhone 16, but over $100 more than the old iPhone SE. That's a price bump that budget users will feel most, perhaps even enough to dissuade them from upgrading or push new iPhone users to opt for an older, used iPhone instead. It also puts the iPhone 16e solidly in the mid-range price bracket.

Is the iPhone 16e the best value iPhone you can buy?

I'll admit, I was disappointed when I saw the iPhone 16e's price. A price increase was likely, but few were expecting it to come just shy of $600. However, I changed my mind about the iPhone 16e when I took a closer look at, specifically at how its specs compare to those of the flagship iPhone 16:

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e are shockingly similar on paper. There are some trade-offs to the less expensive iPhone 16e, of course. It lacks the Camera Control button, isn't MagSafe compatible, has a different camera setup, and has one less GPU core. However, those drawbacks are also balanced out by better battery life and a price that starts $200 lower than the iPhone 16.

The iPhone 16e has everything most users care about, including a modern Apple processor, support for Apple Intelligence, USB Type-C charging, and likely great battery life. The new 2-in-1 camera system seems promising, as well, at least for the casual photos most everyday users need their phone for.

Yes, the higher price puts the iPhone 16e out of reach for some who may have liked the iPhone SE. However, I'd argue the iPhone 16e hits a different note that is perhaps even more valuable than an overture to the budget market.

The iPhone 16e may be the best iPhone for most people now.

The mid-range price is hard to argue with and the trade-offs compared to the pricier iPhone 16 are minor compromises for most users, especially when you get better battery life in the exchange. Considering how similar the iPhone 16e is to its flagship counterpart, it's difficult to justify paying more for just a few upgrades.

I've been holding out on upgrading my old iPhone 12 Mini, reluctant to shell out hundreds for a new iPhone that offers little my current phone doesn't already have. The iPhone 16e might finally get me to trade in my trusty Mini, though, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

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After a three-year wait, Apple has finally unveiled a major overhaul of the iPhone SE, complete with a new name, a slew of new features, and a sleek new design.

The iPhone 16e was announced this morning after weeks of rumors about an impending launch. Apple gave its budget iPhone the complete refresh it needed, inside and out. Some changes were expected, such as a modern design without the ancient home button. But others were surprises, like a major battery life improvement and a new price tag.

Here's a look at the "newest member of the family," why I'm excited about the iPhone 16e, and the controversial price bump that may leave some iPhone users disappointed.

Apple launches long-awaited iPhone SE refresh with a sleek new name

Apple announced the latest iPhone in a press release on Wednesday morning, showing off a clean new design reminiscent of the iPhone 14 but still right in line with the look of a modern iPhone. The iPhone 16e is available in black and white (no red this time) with a matte backplate, the new action button, a camera notch, USB Type-C charging, and a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display blissfully free of the home button.

When I first read over the iPhone 16e's specs, I was shocked at how similar they are to the flagship iPhone 16, which costs $200 more.

Not only does the iPhone 16e feature the same processor as the iPhone 16, the 16e actually has better battery life. Apple claims in the press release that the iPhone 16e has the "best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone, lasting up to six hours longer than iPhone 11 and up to 12 hours longer than all generations of iPhone SE."

In another big win, the iPhone 16e also includes support for Apple Intelligence, which powers features like the Clean Up tool in the Photos app, Genmoji, a built-in ChatGPT integration, and more features still to come (including a major Siri update). Plus, the 16e has the new action button, which you can use to quickly launch Apple Intelligence (or a number of other apps, like your camera).

Finally, Apple gave the iPhone 16e an interesting camera upgrade with a new 2-in-1 48-megapixel Fusion sensor. This camera has an integrated 2x Telephoto camera, effectively rolling what would be two lenses into one. It can also capture 4K video at 60 fps with Dolby Vision, just like the flagship iPhone 16. It supports Portrait Mode and Night Mode, as well, but lacks the Macro photography you get on the more premium iPhones.

The iPhone 16e is a huge upgrade that comes at a bigger price

It's no secret that the iPhone SE has needed an overhaul for years now. The iPhone SE 3, released in 2022, was still using the recycled design of the iPhone 8, complete with a home button.

Outdated and uninspired as that design was, the iPhone SE was at least significantly less expensive than the rest of the iPhone line-up. If you wanted to use iOS without shelling out over $500, the iPhone SE would get you all the basics you needed at a reasonable price.

Is that still the case with the iPhone 16e, though?

Apple priced the iPhone 16e at $599, over $100 more than the iPhone SE 3 and well into the mid-range price bracket. While I'd argue the iPhone 16e is a better value for your money compared to the iPhone SE 3, it's still hard to argue that it's a "budget" iPhone at that price.

In spite of that, I still think the iPhone 16e is a great value. In fact, it might just be the best value for your money in the iPhone lineup. While that's always been the supposed goal of the iPhone SE, it's never been more true than with the iPhone 16e, at least at first glance.

If you're excited to get your hands on the iPhone 16e, it is currently available for pre-order on the Apple website, starting at $599.

We'll be covering the latest news on the iPhone 16e and sharing more of our thoughts soon, so stay tuned for more details.

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iPhone users waiting for a desperately needed Siri overhaul may soon start losing patience after a disappointing update, but there are better AI assistants out there than Siri.

On Friday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple's upgraded version of Siri, first announced at WWDC 2024 in June, may get delayed yet again due to ongoing bugs Apple is still ironing out. Gurman's update comes just a couple of months after the first Apple Intelligence features rolled out in iOS 18.2. So, iPhone users have already had a long wait to see any of Apple's promised AI features.

Previous rumors indicated that the Siri overhaul would likely launch with iOS 18.4, probably in March or April. However, it's looking like Apple is going to tack a few more months onto that wait if it pushes the Siri upgrade back to iOS 18.5. Of course, launching a poorly functioning update before it's ready wouldn't be the right move, so the wait will likely be worth it. It's still disappointing, though.

Luckily, Apple Intelligence is far from the only AI assistant available on the iPhone.

Top AI assistants for iOS you can get right now

If you're growing tired of waiting for Apple to finally give Siri the overhaul it has needed for years, you're in luck. There are plenty of other AI assistants you can use on iOS that provide many, if not all, of the same features Apple has promised for the new-and-improved Siri.

The best feature all these apps share is that they're available right now, no months-long wait needed.

1. ChatGPT

No list of the top AI assistants is complete without ChatGPT, which has become the most popular generative AI platform in the world over the past few years. While some advanced features require a paid subscription, the basic AI tools most users are looking for are available for free, such as responding to search queries, answering questions, or generating text-based content like email drafts.

Conveniently, Apple Intelligence is going to include a ChatGPT integration, so you'll be able to privately use ChatGPT in lieu of Apple's on-device AI for some tasks. That means if you do get used to using it or purchase a subscription, you'll easily be able to blend that into your Apple Intelligence experience.

If you haven't used ChatGPT before, you can try it out for free on your web browser or in the ChatGPT app on iOS and iPadOS.

2. DeepSeek

DeepSeek is the new kid on the block in the AI world, but right off the bat, it promised performance to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT. While DeepSeek has faced some controversy over that rivalry and claims about how cost-effective its algorithm is, it is still a high-performing AI platform that makes a great alternative to Siri.

DeepSeek can perform many of the same tasks as ChatGPT, but has a few important advantages. First, it's completely free. Since DeepSeek is open-source, anyone can access, use, and modify the algorithm's code. It also means the official DeepSeek app is free to use, with no pricey subscription necessary (at least, not at the time of writing).

It has also proven to deliver more detailed, reliable responses to some types of prompts, but not all (ChatGPT tends to be better at programming questions and DeepSeek may dodge political questions related to China).

So, if you're looking for a free alternative to ChatGPT that's available right now (unlike the Siri update), DeepSeek is a great option. You can try out DeepSeek on your web browser or with the free DeepSeek app on iOS.

3. Google Gemini

Long-time iPhone users may cringe at the idea of replacing Siri with Google's AI assistant, but at least Gemini is currently available.

Google Gemini can answer questions and generate text and images just like ChatGPT and DeepSeek, but it has a distinct advantage due to its integration across Google's apps, including Gmail, Drive, and Docs. If you regularly use Google's other apps and services, having access to Gemini across those platforms can be really convenient, giving it an edge over ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and even Siri.

Unfortunately, Gemini isn't completely free. Most basic tasks are included in the free version of it, but advanced features require a Gemini Advanced subscription. It's $19.99 per month, which is the same as OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus subscription.

You can try out Google Gemini for free on your web browser or with the Google Gemini iOS app.

When will Apple's Siri update come out?

While there are plenty of other AI apps out there, like those above, some Apple users may still have their hearts set on waiting for the big Siri overhaul. If you're in this boat, it looks like you'll probably have to wait until at least May.

If the rumors about the Siri update getting delayed again are accurate, it will be pushed back to at least iOS 18.5. In years past, iOS 17.5 and iOS 16.5 both came out in mid-May so we can expect a similar release window for iOS 18.5. At the least, we will probably see the new-and-improved Siri before WWDC 2025 in June.

We'll be covering all of the latest news and rumors about the Siri update, Apple Intelligence, and iOS 18, so stay tuned for more details.

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Readying its first product reveal of 2025, Apple is reportedly set to unveil its new fourth-generation iPhone SE on Wednesday, February 19, following months of leaks, rumors, and speculation surrounding its return to the midrange market.

Or is it?

Ahead of Wednesday's Apple event, CEO Tim Cook took to X last week to get the hype train rolling with a simple ten-word post: "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family."

Taken at face value, Cook's words would appear to back up expectations of the iPhone SE 4's arrival.

However, the iPhone SE has been part of the iPhone family since 2016, and there's growing speculation that Cook's post suggests something else — potentially confirming a January rumor that seemed far-fetched at the time.

The newest member of the iPhone family: iPhone SE 4 or iPhone 16E?

In January, an Apple tipster using the alias Majin Bu posted on X claiming that the company's next smartphone reveal would be the iPhone 16E, not the iPhone SE 4.

The iPhone 16E rebrand would effectively retire the SE line of smartphones and introduce an affordable mid-range option to follow Apple's annual iPhone releases — similar to Google's Pixel A series and Samsung's FE series offerings.

Featuring the same iPhone 14-inspired redesign and leaked specifications rumored of the iPhone SE 4, the iPhone 16E looks set to feature an OLED display an Apple Intelligence-ready Apple A17/A18 Bionic chip, and 8GB of RAM at an expected price of up to $499.

What's next

It's important to note that while we presume that Cook is hinting towards the iPhone SE 4 or iPhone 16E, he doesn't explicitly make any reference to the iPhone in his original post.

There's a strong possibility that the product in question could be a new HomePod device, or even the MacBook Air M4, also rumored to be unveiled soon.

Taking Cook's words literally, the iPhone 16E would certainly fit the bill more closely as the suggested "newest member of the family."

A new annual model like the iPhone 16E would also give Apple a second iPhone launch window beyond its typical September showcase, and a more consistent, budget-conscious, mid-range release for iPhone users to look forward to — countering the iPhone SE's sporadic past releases.

However, to know for certain, we'll need to wait for Apple's official product launch on Wednesday, with further reveals expected to be spread out across the coming months.

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Apple isn't known for its affordable gadgets, and for most people that's okay.

The Apple premium is often worth it. Could I use a cheaper laptop for my workflow? I sure could, but once you get used to cruising on Apple's M2 chip (or higher), it's kind of hard to justify anything else — especially when it comes to battery life.

That said, not everyone can afford the Apple premium, which is why devices like the iPhone SE are available to fill in the gaps.

That's great for customers who want the Apple experience but not the Apple premium, and in a lot of ways one could make that the SE is Apple's best-value phone. You could also make the case that it's Apple's least favorite.

iPhone SE 4 incoming

It looks like the iPhone SE is returning for another iteration — the iPhone SE 4.

According to Bloomberg the iPhone SE, the last model of which was released in 2022, will remain at a similar price point. Currently, the iPhone SE 3 costs $429. Some rumors have suggested that the starting price will rise slightly to $500 — which is still significantly cheaper than the base model of the iPhone 16, which starts at $799.

The iPhone SE 4 is rumored to have a camera notch and a USB-C port like all the current iPhone models since the 15.

In a first, the iPhone SE 4 is also slated to be the first iPhone to use Apple's own cellular modem, which has traditionally been supplied by Qualcomm.

On top of all that, the iPhone SE 4 is rumored to be equipped with the A18 processor, which means that the phone is ready and able to use Apple Intelligence.

If you're adding all these rumored features and specs up and thinking, that sounds like a great deal! Then we're in agreement. The iPhone SE offers a way into the Apple ecosystem that feels accessible to a lot more people.

On top of that, it might be a significant upgrade for people like myself who are using phones that are several generations old. And let's be honest, there are plenty of people with older iPhones out there since generation-to-generation phone updates (Android phones included) aren't exactly groundbreaking for the most part nowadays.

But just because there are plenty of perks of buying an iPhone SE for lots of hungry value-focused customers out there, it doesn't mean Apple shares the same passion.

Apple's SE neglect

As appealing as the iPhone SE 4 might be, it's clear that Apple doesn't see its budget-friendly phone as a number one priority.

When the phone likely gets unveiled on February 19, it'll be the first update in two years, which in phone years is a long time. If you're looking for visual proof of just how neglected the SE has been, look no further than the physical home button on the current model. That button will almost certainly be nixed in the iPhone SE 4, but it says everything you need to know.

So why would the company neglect it so much if Apple's SE phone is such a good value? Well, in lots of ways, it's just very un-Apple-like for one.

Apple is synonymous with premium — not just in terms of build quality or software, but in terms of price. The iPhone SE, by its very nature, doesn't emphasize those same things — it's a phone that makes concessions to fit into a price range that more people can afford. And in that way, it's also a threat to Apple's more expensive phones.

For Apple, a strategic decision must be made — do you push people to your value-oriented budget device or to the base model of your flagship that has all the latest and greatest hardware and features?

Apple has traditionally opted for the latter, and who could blame it? Selling more base-model iPhones for more money is almost assuredly more lucrative. Clearly, the iPhone faithful have never turned their nose up at premium prices, either.

So, with all that momentum toward premium devices, one of Apple's best budget gadgets gets lost in the mix. The SE spirit exists in other Apple products, to be sure. The M4 Mac Mini, for example, retails at a ridiculously affordable $600 and is pre-loaded with Apple's most current line of chips.

It's a budget device that delivers top-of-the-line performance in an almost impossibly small form factor. Similarly, the Mac Mini often idles for years without a reboot, probably for reasons similar to those of the iPhone SE.

So, if you're a fan of the SE, you may want to really soak in Apple's next iteration because it might be a while until you get to revel in a new one.

Rumors about an imminent product announcement from Apple have reached a boiling point and now we have an official release date.

On Thursday, after rumors about an upcoming product launch bubbled up all week, Apple finally dropped a hint about when to expect its latest device: February 19. While the teaser didn't reveal much about what product is launching next week, one in particular seems highly, highly likely:

The iPhone SE 4.

Apple eyes February 19 for "#AppleLaunch"

On Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared a post on X pointing to February 19 for the launch of a new Apple product. The post doesn't give away much about what exactly is launching, simply reading, "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family. Wednesday, February 19. #AppleLaunch."

Cook might be doing his best to keep this new device under wraps, but it's no secret Apple is gearing up for an iPhone SE 4 launch. Rumors about the new phone have been bubbling up for weeks, with numerous photos of the design leaking on social media. The current iPhone SE is long overdue for an update, too. It was released in March 2022 and still sports the antiquated design from the iPhone 8.

So, it seems highly likely that the "newest member of the family" is an overhauled iPhone SE with a modern design, this time borrowed from the iPhone 14.

What we know about the iPhone SE 4 so far

I can't wait to see what Apple has in store for its February 19 product announcement, but if it is the iPhone SE as we're predicting, we already have a good idea of what to expect.

Current rumors indicate that the iPhone SE 4 will feature a completely overhauled design that finally — finally! — ditches the home button. Leaked images show the new SE sporting a design mostly recycled from the iPhone 14, with a few minor changes (specifically, a different camera arrangement).

That alone is a major upgrade over the current SE, but of course, we're also expecting Apple to refresh the new SE's specs. At the very least, it will have a new processor, which could be the A16, A17, or possibly even the A17 Pro. Apple will also probably bump the iPhone SE 4 up to 8GB of RAM (double what the current model has) to allow it to run Apple Intelligence.

We could also see improvements in battery life and display quality, but we'll have to wait until Apple's official announcement to find out. Luckily, it looks like the wait is almost over! We'll be covering everything Apple unveils next week, so stay tuned for more details and updates.

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Each year, Apple introduces a new series of iPhones that prove to be incredibly popular, and later this year, we'll see the company do that again with the iPhone 17 series of smartphones.

However, while the release of those devices (including the rumored new iPhone 17 Air) likely won't happen until September, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes you'll be seeing an all-new iPhone as early as this week as Apple prepares to unveil the new iPhone SE 4.

Offering a further twist to the unveiling of the iPhone SE 4, Apple may have been beaten to the punch, as one smartphone accessory maker appears to have shared images of the device ahead of its official reveal, confirming several of our early predictions about the phone in the process.

Apple's iPhone SE 4 "coming this week"

While Apple is timely enough with its regular iPhone releases that you could practically set a watch by it, iPhone SE releases have been much more sparse.

The original iPhone SE launched in 2016, with the second generation handset launching in 2020, and the third in 2022. That's almost three years since we've seen a new iPhone SE model, leaving many to feel like an affordable mid-range option is long overdue.

Thankfully, that wait looks to be over, after the long-rumored release of the iPhone SE 4 was tipped to happen "in the coming days" by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one of the more reliable and in-the-know voices about all things Apple, earlier this month — before solidifying his prediction as part of his (paywalled) Bloomberg newsletter on Sunday.

Gurman's predictions line up with long-standing rumors surrounding the iPhone SE's release and fall nicely within the iPhone SE's historical March-April release window.

However, we may not have to wait a day longer to get our first look at the device, with images of Apple's upcoming mid-range smartphone appearing online earlier than anticipated.

Our first look at the iPhone SE 4?

On Sunday, smartphone accessory brand Spigen may have given its buyers an early look at the iPhone SE 4 after accidentally launching a product page (since removed) for a transparent case to fit the new iPhone ahead of Apple's own unveiling.

Thanks to the case's transparent design, we get a good look at the iPhone SE 4 within (via Notebookcheck), seemingly confirming the new iPhone 14-like design, horizontal, single rear camera array, and 'notched' display hinted at in previous leaks.

The iPhone SE line is known to hold on to previous design features, with the iPhone SE 3 being the last of the iPhones to retain the iconic physical "Home" button.

It would seem that the iPhone SE 4 is to continue this model's trend by retaining the notched display over the Dynamic Island design of iPhone 16 models — however, that does make the case for updated features like Face ID to debut in the budget handset.

While the product page would not have included any specs for Apple's upcoming smartphone, it has been suggested that the iPhone SE 4 will also feature a modern Apple A18 chipset alongside 8GB of RAM, making it capable of running the latest Apple Intelligence features.

There's no official word on pricing as of yet, for that we'll have to see this week out and hopefully hear it directly from Apple itself. However, early reports suggest that these improved specs and features could push the price of the iPhone SE 4 up to around $499.

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We might be right around the corner from a new iPhone.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple's next iteration of the more budget-friendly iPhone SE — the iPhone SE 4 — might drop next week with little fanfare.

Per Bloomberg:

"The company expects to announce the device as early as next week, ahead of it going on sale later in the month, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Apple is unlikely to hold a launch event for the device, opting to reveal it on its website instead, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private."

That's exciting news for anyone who's in the market for a new phone but doesn't want to break the budget, but it's not the iPhone SE that has me excited for Apple's future lineup.

What we know about the iPhone SE 4 so far

Before we get into Apple's distant future plans for the iPhone, here's what we can expect for next week.

According to Bloomberg the iPhone SE, the last model of which was released in 2022, will remain at a similar price point. Currently, the iPhone SE 3 costs $429. Some rumors have suggested that the starting price will rise slightly to the $500 mark — which is still significantly cheaper than the cheapest model of the iPhone 16 that starts at $799.

The iPhone SE 4 is also rumored to have a camera notch and a USB-C port like all the current iPhone models since the 15.

In a novel twist, the iPhone SE 4 is also slated to be the first iPhone to use Apple's own cellular modem which has traditionally been supplied by Qualcomm.

Internally, the iPhone SE 4 is rumored to be equipped with the A18 processor which would mean that the phone is ready and able to use Apple Intelligence.

If you're a fan of the home button, you might want to start preparing a eulogy, however. Rumors have also suggested that the iPhone SE 4 will finally do away with a physical home button, marking what will likely be its death in the iPhone lineup.

And as enticing as all of that may sound, there's potentially an even more enticing iPhone in the works for this fall.

The iPhone Air 17

What has me truly excited about a new iPhone are rumors of the iPhone 17 Air, which is allegedly a slimmer, lighter model that still retains a lot of premium features.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the iPhone 17 Air "will be about 2 millimeters thinner than existing iPhones." For comparison, a nickel is 1.95 millimeters thick.

Apple's existing iPhone 16 and 16 Plus measure 7.8 millimeters thick, and the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are 8.25 millimeters thick. Gurman doesn't specify which existing iPhones the 17 Air will be 2 millimeters thinner than, but it's most likely the base iPhone 16.

That would make the rumored Air an impressive 5.8 millimeters thick, which would make the iPhone 17 Air the thinnest phone ever to come from Apple, beating out the previous holder of that title, the iPhone 6, at 6.9 millimeters thick.

All of this is, of course, still speculation at this point but the idea of a thinner, lighter, iPhone is one that makes me feel a real desire to trade in my phone and upgrade.

I've long been a fan of smaller, lower-footprint phones which is why I'm still clutching onto the iPhone 13 despite it being now three generations behind. I'm likely not the only one that would be enticed by a lighter phone, too.

While Pro phones have a lot to offer, I think most people aren't crazy about the idea of carrying around a brick in their pocket, even if it does offer a better, more sophisticated camera.

That's all to say that while an iPhone SE 4 is great news for anyone who wants a new iPhone but can't afford the Apple premium, it's what's on Apple's horizon that truly has me excited for the future of phones.

It seems like Apple debuted the iPhone 16 lineup just yesterday, but we're already looking ahead to the even more AI-powered, next-gen iPhone 17 lineup. In particular, the iPhone 17 Air — Apple's suspected thin addition to the series.

A few of the initial iPhone Air 17 rumors we heard suggested the upcoming phone might not be the thinnest iPhone Apple's ever had, or thinner than the iPad Pro M4. The latest newsletter from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman debuffs the first rumor but further confirms the second.

While we should take everything that doesn't come directly from Apple with a grain of salt, it's a bit disappointing to have a second major rumor put forward the idea that the iPhone 17 Air may not be as thin as we hoped.

At least the iPhone 17 Air could be the thinnest iPhone ever

According to Gurman, the iPhone 17 Air "will be about 2 millimeters thinner than existing iPhones." For comparison, a U.S. nickel is 1.95 millimeters thick.

Apple's existing iPhone 16 and 16 Plus measure 7.8 millimeters thick, and the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are 8.25 millimeters thick. Gurman doesn't make it clear which "existing iPhones" the 17 Air will be 2 millimeters thinner than, but I'm assuming it's said with the thinnest iPhone 16 Apple offers right now in mind.

So if the iPhone 17 Air is indeed 2 millimeters thinner than the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, that'd put it at an impressive 5.8 millimeters thick. This would make the iPhone 17 Air the thinnest phone ever to come from Apple, beating out the previous holder of that title — the iPhone 6, at 6.9 millimeters thick.

Even more impressively, the iPhone 17 Air would be thinner than the 7th Gen iPod Touch, which was 6.1 millimeters thick. As spectacular as both these feats would be, is the iPhone 17 Air going to look and feel noticeably thinner, to the point that it's worth upgrading for most people? Maybe not.

The new iPad Pro M4 is incredibly thin, and it feels great in-hand. The 13-inch model measures 5.3 millimeters thick, and the 11-inch model is even thinner at 5.1 millimeters thick. If Apple were able to create an iPhone 17 Air that was just over 5 millimeters thick, that'd feel like a more noticeable difference compared to the existing iPhone lineup.

That said, Gurman notes that the iPhone 17 Air "serves as a testing ground for future technologies, including ones that could allow for foldable devices." A 2-millimeter reduction in thickness is a great first step towards thinner, potentially foldable iPhones, but at the end of the day, a nickel-size difference might not feel that different in-hand.

"Hey Siri, are you listening to me?" If you have an Apple device, you may have heard about this class action lawsuit brought against Apple by multiple device owners claiming Siri is listening, recording, and sharing private information when it isn't supposed to.

According to Reuters, two plaintiffs received ads for Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants after briefly mentioning them. More frighteningly, one plaintiff said he started seeing ads for "a brand name surgical treatment after discussing it, he thought privately, with his doctor."

And it's not just claims from individuals that caused this legal battle to escalate. Apple whistleblower Thomas le Bonniec spoke to The Guardian in 2020 and revealed that he "listened to hundreds of recordings every day, from various Apple devices (eg. iPhones, Apple Watches, or iPads). These recordings were often taken outside of any activation of Siri, eg in the context of an actual intention from the user to activate it for a request."

Ultimately, Apple denied wrongdoing but agreed to a proposed settlement totaling $95 million. The settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge, but it could pay out for every Siri device you own. But is applying for the payout worth your time?

You could get up to $20 per Siri device, or possibly much less

The settlement agreement reads, "Settlement Class Members who submit valid claims shall receive a pro rata portion of the Net Settlement Amount for a Class Payment up to a cap of $20 per Siri Device." If you have a MacBook, an iPad, and an iPhone, that sounds great. A $60 payout, sign me up.

But most likely, the payout won't end up being $20 per Siri device. The amount received will go up or down "depending on the total number of valid claims submitted, and Siri Devices claimed."

When thinking about the sheer number of Apple device users who will be trying to claim this money, along with how much of the initial $95 million settlement will be going towards fees, the chances that you'll be able to snag $20 per device are slim.

Of course, there's no way to know how much you may be paid out before filling out the claim form. It could be a reasonable $10 to $15 per device, or it could be $1 to $3 per device. Unless you have a lot of Apple devices to file a claim for, it may not be worth your time to fill out the form.

Apple may be gearing up to perform some Spring cleaning on its iPhone catalog. A recent rumor suggests that the upcoming iPhone SE 4 may receive a rebrand that ties it more closely to the company's core iPhone offerings.

The iPhone SE has been somewhat of an outlier since its initial 2016 launch, receiving infrequent refreshes and inconsistent design with modern handsets.

However, a rebranding could signal big changes for the future of the iPhone SE lineup, starting with the iPhone SE 4—or, as one leaker has claimed it will actually be named, the iPhone 16E.

iPhone 16E: What's in a name?

On the surface, Apple changing the name of the iPhone SE 4 to the iPhone 16E changes very little about what we've already learned of the device from various leaks and rumors.

Apple's upcoming budget phone, regardless of its branding, is expected to feature a more modern iPhone 14-esque design with an aluminum frame, featuring the new Action Button and a notched OLED display with Face ID support.

Also claimed to be part of the new iPhone SE's redesign will be a single iPhone XR-like 48-megapixel camera in a horizontal layout, and an Apple Intelligence-ready processor (likely an A17 Pro or A18 Bionic chip) paired with at least 8GB of RAM.

However, the name of this new iPhone may be more important than any of the new features listed above.

If the new iPhone 16E moniker, revealed by tipster 'MajinBu' on X, is accurate, it could signal Apple's willingness to bring consistency to its budget iPhone line—expanding its core iPhone offerings similar to Google's Pixel A-Series and Samsung's FE-Series of smartphones.

By linking the upcoming iPhone SE 4 to the iPhone 16 family, the new iPhone 16E may serve as the first entry to a new annual model of affordable iPhones to join the iPhone, iPhone Pro, iPhone Pro Max, and the rumored iPhone Air (or Slim) said to be replacing the iPhone Plus as part of this year's iPhone 17 lineup.

This shift may be in response to a decline in iPhone sales last year, with the company potentially looking to capture more of the budget and mid-range smartphone market to offset a reduction in demand for its flagship devices.

What's next?

The internet is no stranger to iPhone SE 4 rumors. They've been plentiful throughout 2024, and we'd expect more to come before Apple officially officially announces the device later this year. The real question is when Apple will decide to do so.

Looking at Apple's previous release windows, the original iPhone SE became available in March 2016, the iPhone SE 2 in April 2020, and the iPhone SE 3 in March 2022.

While these dates don't point to a reliable month to expect Apple to announce and release the iPhone SE 4 (or iPhone 16E), each release does fall within an early Spring window. Meaning we could very well see Apple's new budget iPhone follow suit—capping off the iPhone 16 Series in March or April ahead of a September reveal for the new iPhone 17 lineup.

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Apple Intelligence's big moment has finally arrived.

On December 11, after months of incremental rollouts, the ChatGPT-centric suite of AI tools finally debuted in full on iPhones and compatible Apple devices. That means if you have an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 series, you can generate unique emojis, synopsize messages, and have your device write your emails for you.

For some people, that might be an exciting new development in the world of AI, but for others, it might be one big shrug.

Survey says...

Apple's introduction of generative AI on every new iPhone might be a momentous achievement for Apple, but people using the phones and the new features may be unconvinced.

According to a recent poll from SellCell, a site that sells refurbished gadgets and operates a corresponding blog, 73% of iPhone users reported seeing little to no value in AI features on their phones.

The survey, which canvased 2,000 smartphone users, also found that 87% of Samsung users report the same indifference to AI features.

The survey also gathered insight into which AI features customers are most likely to use. Most respondents used Writing Tools and notification summaries on Apple's end, while Samsung users cite Circle to Search as the most popular feature.

If I were to put my thinking cap on and connect the dots, the theme here is that people want AI to make things easier.

That's opposed to more creative generative features like Image Playground that can conjure up emoji or turn illustrations into something more photorealistic.

On the one hand, new features often take time to gain traction. Still, on the other, it highlights a significant disconnect between the emphasis tech companies are placing on AI features in phones and how eager consumers are to actually use them.

That might not make a huge difference for consumers who've gotten by without AI, but the stakes are much higher for companies like Apple and Samsung, who are hinging the future of smartphone software on AI.

A perception problem

The thing about software is that it doesn't stay static. There's a chance that even if features are underwhelming now, they could vastly improve with future updates — maybe even soon.

With that said, first impressions are also important, and as it stands, AI might not be making the impression it needs.

As miraculous as generative AI has been, it's also been unpredictable. LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini have been prone to "hallucinations," which is AI shorthand for "making stuff up."

In a low-stakes context, that can be easily written off, but when it comes to the big leagues (i.e. a feature that lives inside every new iPhone) that variability might be a much bigger problem.

Imagine a notification summary misinterpreting an emergency text, an important work email, or a rogue image generation prompt creating something unsavory.

On a more banal level, what if the features just don't meet Apple's standards? People with iPhones are used to a certain degree of precision and fluidity, and if Apple Intelligence isn't delivering that, it could affect users' perceptions of Apple products.

When it comes to AI, that perception is already not great. According to a Gallup poll conducted in August this year, Americans still see AI as net neutral for society. An overwhelming 56% of respondents said they believe AI will do equal parts harm and good, while 31% think it will actually do more harm than good.

I have no doubt that Apple (or OpenAI) has the technical prowess to continue to improve AI features, but sometimes the perception matters more than the product.

The way of the Apple Watch

While people may bristle at the idea of AI (in their phones or otherwise), most things — including Apple products — have a way of changing.

Take the Apple Watch, for example. When Apple's now-successful wearable launched in 2015, it was a device in search of a purpose, and rightfully so, people were skeptical of why they might need one. Why buy another smaller screen when you can already get notifications on your phone?

Then health tracking came along — blood oxygen levels, sleep tracking, atrial fibrillation detection — and suddenly, a meandering device was a potential lifesaver.

It's impossible to say for sure today since Apple Intelligence is still brand new, but there may be a similar playbook for their suite of AI features, even if they're not immediately critical. In the meantime, it'll be up to Apple to put in the real work by making features useful, for starters, but also making sure people know they're useful. And that might be easier said than done.

Changing technology is one thing. Changing people's minds? Godspeed to Apple's marketing team.