Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including the latest iPhone 17 Pro design leaks, new MacBook Pro launch, iMac goes USB, surprise MacBook Air update, Mac Mini’s new ports, Apple’s Q4 numbers, and a Magic Mouse fail.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes.
iPhone 17 Pro Max’s Smaller Design
Before we get to Apple’s busy week of product launches, there’s the small matter of a large leak. The design for 2025’s iPhone 17 Pro Max was on show this week and looks set to shrink the dynamic island and sensors on the front of the handset, offering more usable display on Apple’s largest iPhone:
“The adoption of something called a metalens means that Apple can shrink the part of the front of the display that’s taken up with the front-facing camera and Face ID tech. As you’ll know, Dynamic Island is the term Apple uses for the way the screen around the cut-out shrinks, grows and changes shape to add extra information to the home screen… Interestingly, [Apple Analyst Jeff Pu] says that the change will only come to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, not the smaller iPhone 17 Pro. This seems surprising but if correct will be a break with tradition.
(Forbes).
More Power For Your Pro
The flagship reveal from Apple this week was the high-end MacBook Pro models geared towards professional users. These offer significantly more performance, with Apple claiming a twenty-four-hour battery life partly due to the chip efficiencies. There are other tweaks along the way, including one often requested by the creative community:
“Unlike M4, the M4 Pro and M4 Max processors mean that Apple can put Thunderbolt 5 on the MacBook Pro for the first time, something it’s also introduced for the latest Mac mini for some models.”
(Forbes).
MacBook Air Surprise
One curious change from this week happened in the MacBook Air portfolio. While an M4 Air is not expected until March 2024, Apple has finally removed the controversial entry-level model with 8GB of RAM. While Apple saw 8 GB as more than enough given the efficiencies of Apple Silicon, Apple has decided to up the memory:
“Why has Apple done this? Well, it’s likely the company would want to head off criticism that the MacBook Air doesn’t have the latest processor in it (though, to be fair, the M3 chip has only been on board the MacBook Air since March 2024, so an upgrade to M4 now after just seven months seems rather early).
(Forbes).
iMac Goes For USB-C
Also revealed this week, and the first to show up as part of an unusual (for Apple) staggered product release, was the M4-powered iMac. The desktop-bound Macs pick up the latest consumer-focused M4 chipset and a subtle refresh of the candyfloss colors on offer. They also pick up an important change that will increase compatibility and satisfy regulatory demands in Europe:
“there’s a very handy upgrade: the mouse, keyboard and trackpad are all wireless, but now connect via USB-C instead of Lightning. Almost all your gadgets now use the one connector, though recharging times and battery life are unchanged, I believe.”
(Forbes).
Round The Front Of The Mini
The final big ticket item is the Mac Mini. The size has been reduced to 5 inches x 5 inches at the base, which is barely bigger than the Apple TV. Yet Apple can offer not just the M4 chipset but also the more powerful M4 Pro chipset for those who need the extra crunch of a big processor. However, there’s one change everyone can agree was needed:
“But the other big design change is perhaps the most important: the front of the unit now has two Thunderbolt ports on the front. Hallelujah! This is something that customers have been asking for ever since ports appeared on the front of the much more expensive Mac Studio. The Mac mini continues to be clad in a silver aluminum finish, though Apple says that the new design uses an impact extrusion process which means it can be created with 85% less aluminum.”
(Forbes).
Everything Is Fine
This week, Apple announced its Q42024 numbers, and there’s very little that will come as a surprise (once you take out a one-time charge over the loss of the Irish tax case in the European Union). What’s been going up steadily is still going up steadily:
“All in all, Apple’s business was relatively flat. iPhone sales were up 6% but flat for the fiscal year; Mac sales were up 2%, which is about how they’ve been all year; Services continues to have reliable double-digit growth, but the rate of growth slowed to 12% year-over-year.”
(Apple via Six Colors).
And Finally…
Apple has been known to sweat the small details to make for the best experience possible. Sometimes that reputation doesn’t feel earned, especially in the case of the Magic Mouse. With the updated model announced this week, many hoped that Apple’s awkward design decision in the previous generation would be addressed. Alas….
“While Apple could have used the launch as an opportunity to move the charging port from the underside of the device — where the port has remained for nearly a decade, despite other updates to the mouse and being mocked for the decision — the port is still there, as shown in the “view in your space” augmented reality rendering from Apple’s website.”
(The Verge).
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
