Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including iPhone 17 Pro details, an improved Capture button, iPhone SE design, a fix for the latest iPhone 16 problems, iPad release date, new MacBook Pro specs, and improved USB-C for AirPods.
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.
Another New iPhone Button
It’s never too early for an iPhone 17 Pro leak, and the critical success of the new Camera button could lead to a new combined power and volume button to replace the current independent buttons with a capacitive multi-function sensor similar to the Camera button. It’s also never too early to consider Apple might be testing multiple models with different physical interfaces, just as it did last year with the Action and Camera Button options:
“[Majin Bu reports that] Apple plans to replace the Action button and Volume keys with a single button on the iPhone 17 Pro. The change sounds crazy at first, but if you’ve been following iPhone rumors closely, it starts making sense.”
(BGR).
Everyone Loves A Good Button
Speaking of the Camera Button, the popular ‘professionally focused camera app Halide has been updated with deeper integration into the camera button. New focus and exposure controls are just a touch and a slide away:
“Halide’s founder Sebastiaan De With says the Exposure adjustment can be set with an exposure bias “three times” that of Apple’s (plus or minus 6 EV vs 2) and that the Manual Focus on Camera Control is a “really nice, smooth experience on iPhone.” Lux also has its own review of the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera.”
(The Verge).
Goodbye Home, Hello SE
With support for Apple Intelligence an almost de rigeur features, next year’s iPhone SE will need to match the iPhone 16 specs to support the generative AI software. But that’s not the only way the SE will mimic the SE, as the latest details on the new design leak:
“The current SE will be the last iPhone with the iconic button and its embedded TouchID sensor. Instead, the SE will follow the current iPhone trend and move to a full display with minimal bezels, backed up by the dynamic island cutout used to mask the selfie camera, FaceID, and other sensors.”
(Forbes).
Fixing Some iPhone 16 Problems
Apple has been fighting several software issues in iOS 18, which ships with the iPhone 16 family and is available for over-the-air updates. Now the first update to iOS is here, and Apple will be hoping that iOS 18.01 addresses the issues, including two issues that would see a customer’s iPhone freeze or crash:
“Next, a camera issue has been fixed. I never came across this but some iPhone 16 Pro users found that the camera could freeze in one particular circumstance: when recording macro mode video on the Ultra Wide lens in 4K with HDR turned off… Another very specific issue was in Messages. Some users found that if they shared a Watch face with another iPhone user and that user replied, the iPhone would crash.”
(Forbes).
Your Next iPad Is Shortly Arriving
While it is not as reliable as the iPhone launch events, October is generally seen as the moment for new MacBooks and new iPads to be announced by Apple—it’s also a convenient moment to reiterate the success of the iPhone launch and any associated moments. No doubt, any launch event will see the awkwardly backronymed Apple Intelligence brought to the fore as Apple struggles to identify itself with the generative AI revolution. But when will this be? David Phelan discusses the potential dates:
“Last year, this was held on October 30, just before Halloween, lending the keynote the tagline “Scary fast”. I’d expect the same sort of timeframe this year, perhaps on Monday, Oct. 28 or the week after, Monday, Nov. 4. Apple Intelligence arrives at some point in October and it makes sense to me that new hardware that’s Apple Intelligence-capable should arrive at or after the software is released.”
(Forbes).
The Time Might Be Right For The MacBook Pro
Following the debut of the Apple Silicon M4 in March’s iPad Pro, the Mac community have been waiting for their moment in the sun. That looks set to happen in October. Thanks to a look at the potential retail packaging, it seems like one of the biggest complaints around the entry-level Pro laptop is about to be addressed:
“If this is the base model MacBook Pro, it’s interesting that it comes with 16GB of RAM instead of the expected 8GB typically offered by Apple’s laptops. With Apple Intelligence being a significant focus, it would make sense for the company to increase the minimum RAM. Also, it’s 2024, and a laptop with “Pro” in its name should have more than 8GB of RAM. “
(Tom’s Guide).
And Finally…
While Apple has updated the AirPods case to USB-C, what of the countless millions with the current lightning-equipped model? They could upgrade, or they could turn to open-source hardware designer NAME and his new case for the Airpods case. The design for a USB-C to Lightning adaptor sits flush with the hardware to blend in with the Apple aesthetic:
“Just plug your device in this protection case and get USB-C in just a few seconds. No need to buy a brand new device to get the “update”. Wireless charging works perfectly through the case. MagSafe charging works too! The magnetic connection may feel a bit gentler compared to a naked AirPods case, but this doesn’t affect charging performance at all.”
(Kenp.io via YouTube).
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.
