This week’s Apple headlines; surprising iPhone 16 details, MacBook Air pricing, Apple Watch legal moves, Apple Vision plans, new iOS 17 features, why AAA games and Apple don’t mix, and more…
Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes surprising iPhone 16 details, MacBook Air pricing, Apple Watch legal moves, Apple Vision plans, new iOS 17 features, and why AAA games and Apple don’t mix.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes).
iPhone 16 A18 Surprise
The next Apple Silicon chipset for the iPhone may come as a surprise. While Tim Cook and his team have been working to put some distance between the regular and the Pro iPhone models (both to help market the iPhone Pro but also to justify the higher price), the upcoming A18 could feature in every new iPhone:
“Apple could change course on its latest trend of using year-old processors in non-pro iPhones with iPhone 16, at least according to an alleged iOS 18 code leak… the iPhone identifiers for the 2024 models indicate they all share the same processor series. Apple could still differentiate between standard and pro models with a “pro” chipset moniker, but that isn’t clear in the leaked information.”
(Apple Insider).
MacBook Air Pricing Discussion
With Apple releasing the M3 chipset on the MacBook Pro in October, those waiting on the consumer version of the MacBook Air will have to wait until at least March 2024 to buy their new cutting-edge laptop. But how much will it cost? Thankfully, the M3 MacBook Pro gives us a data point to backtrack from:
“If Apple sticks with its love for $200 pricing steps, we have $1399, $1199, and the critical $999 price tag all fitting in nicely. Will Apple push for the extra $100 per laptop or work the M2 MacBook Air in at $999 and then price upwards accordingly?”
(Forbes).
Apple Watch Back On Sale
Apple is currently locked into a patent dispute with Masimo over hardware sensors in the Apple Watch, which read your blood/oxygen level. As it now stands, the relevant Apple Watches are back on sale while the latest appeal is pending. David Phelan looks over the timeline:
“If the Apple Watch sales ban has left your head spinning, you’re not alone. In the latest twist in the saga, the two models affected by Apple’s patent dispute with medical device maker Masimo, which were removed from sale in Apple stores at the end of Sunday, December 24 are now back on sale, with online sales to follow later on Thursday, December 28.”
(Forbes and Reuters).
Apple Vision Plans
Apple’s latest gee-whizz product looks set to arrive earlier than many expected. The Apple Vision Pro is currently working its way into production. If that’s the case, then the retail launch—limited as it may be—could take place within weeks:
“Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from TFI Securities, in a new note this week, has claimed that the $3,499 device is in mass production right now, and “will begin mass shipments in the first week of January 2024. Which would mean what, exactly, for when it will actually go on sale? Kuo says, “Vision Pro will most likely hit the store shelves in late January or early February based on the current mass shipment schedule.””
(Medium). (via Forbes).
iOS 17.3 New Features
iOS 17.3 is the next version of iOS and is due for release within the month. As well as the usual bug fixes and security updates, new protections are being added to safeguard a stolen device:
“Stolen Device Protection means that, when it’s activated, Face ID or Touch ID authentication is required for actions like viewing passkeys, erasing content and more. Unlike now, you or your thief won’t be able to fall back to passcode entry to make these changes.”
(Forbes).
And Finally…
Just because you build a nice set of graphical tools does not mean the AAA games will come to your platform. This week has seen discussions and interviews around the use of the M3 Apple Silicon for gaming. Is that enough?
“For all of Apple’s advances and newly supported features, the actual number of games that are sold for Mac is dwarfed by the number of games available for Windows PCs. In fact, most of the games Apple has in its own game store, Apple Arcade, are made for iPhone and iPad, not Mac. That’s awesome for playing games when you’re already all-in on the Apple ecosystem, since it means you can play on your mobile devices, your Apple TV, your MacBook. But for gamers eyeing Apple as a potential switch from PC gaming? It’s still a hard sell.”
(PCMag).
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.
