Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from across the Apple world, including iPhone 17 Pro camera review, iPhone 17 scratchgate, iPhone Air’s secret fold, immediate iOS 26 update, new smartwatch options, an arrogant appeal to the EU and Steve Jobs’ AirPods tribute.
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 Camera Features
Apple has always leaned heavily on the camera technology in the iPhone, and the iPhone 17 Pro is no exception. From the expansive camera bump (which Apple is working hard to brand as a ‘plateau’) to the Fusion-style “dual-lens in one lens” approach, the camera remains an area where innovation has a tangible effect on the consumer experience.
The team at Lux steps through the various lenses and shooting options on the iPhone 17 Pro, but highlights the most significant impact — how Apple processes the shots — remains a bit of a black box:
“On the Main camera, don’t expect huge changes. I found detail to be somewhat more natural in the Ultra Wide camera, but even here it was somewhat random-seeming if the results were truly consistently better. Overall, image processing pipelines are so complex now that it’s hard to get a great idea of the changes over just a week. The images overall felt a bit more natural to me, though — although I still prefer shooting native RAW and Process Zero shots if I have the option to.”
(Lux.camera).
iPhone 17 Scratchgate
New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro owners are sharing pictures of their new smartphones, picking out a range of scratches and discoloration around the camera lenses and plateau. The color of the phones looks to be a shallow coating over the main frame. Apple has responded to these, suggesting that the issue on display in stores is related to older MagSafe stands. Nevertheless, there may be a design issue contributing to these marks:
JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson – highlighted another durability concern in a video over the weekend. In his testing, he found that the raised edges around the camera plateau on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro are particularly susceptible to scratches. He explained that this is largely because Apple didn’t add a chamfer, fillet, or radius around the camera plateau.
“Apple tells me that iPhone 17 Pro’s camera plateau edges have similar characteristics to the edges of the anodized aluminum cases on other Apple products, including other iPhone models and MacBooks. While those edges are durable and undergo Apple’s rigorous testing, the company says users may see normal wear and tear, including small abrasions, over time.”
(JerryRigEverything, via 9to5Mac).
Folding an iPhone Out Of Air
Speculation on Apple’s foldable iPhone has climbed up with the launch of the iPhone Air. After all, what is a foldable but two thin phones with a hinge between them, and a continuous screen? The engineering challenge is there, yet Apple has all the parts, and it needs a long-time partner to put them together:
“Gurman says manufacturing the foldable iPhone will involve Foxconn in China, despite recent speculation about potential production in India. The device remains slated for 2026, dropping around Apple’s traditional fall launch window, ‘give or take’ hedges the Bloomberg reporter.”
(Mark Gurman, via MacRumors).
Apple’s Immediate iOS 26 Update
Apple has released a “Day One” patch for iOS 26 on the new iPhone 17 family of smartphones. There are no specific details on the contests — the reported camera bug that adds black boxes to images with a very bright light shining into the lens remains — it’s advised that all owners apply the upgrade patch as quickly as possible:
“The new update is not huge, less than 800MB, so it looks like this is a tweak rather than a big change. But that’s only if you have installed the Tuesday update. For iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max buyers, the two will be combined into one download, which could be as much as 2.2GB, GSM Arena reports. This could slow down the set-up process, but it’s unavoidable.”
(Forbes).
Is Apple Ready To Open Up To Third-Party Smartwatches?
Tucked inside the latest beta of iOS 26 are clues to Apple’s refreshed approach to smartwatches. Previously, you needed to have the Apple Watch to gain full functionality. Hooks in the code point to additional options for peripherals, presumably wearables:
“In addition, iOS 26.1 beta 1 also includes references to some new frameworks related to accessory pairing, including one called “AccessoryExtension.” The new frameworks seem unfinished, but they hint at a new, easier method for pairing third-party devices with an iPhone.
“While this is certainly intriguing news for iPhone owners who prefer third-party smartwatches or smart bands, there’s no guarantee this feature, if released, will be available in all regions. It’s possible, even likely, that the feature is intended solely for EU users.”
(MacWorld).
Apple’s Arrogant Appeal To The EU
Apple has once again publicly criticised Europe’s Digital Markets Act, issuing a press release “urging regulators to take a closer look at how the law is affecting the EU citizens who use Apple products every day.” This call was rejected by the EU, noting in its reply that the act is for the benefit of the entire market, not just Apple users:
“[EU digital affairs spokesman Thomas Regnier] said it was up to Brussels to “decide how we want to enforce the DMA and who is enforcing the DMA”.
“The DMA challenges Apple’s closed ecosystem, but Brussels argues that it is necessary to do so to level the playing field for Apple’s rivals and avoid unfair market domination. The law tells Big Tech firms what they can and cannot do on their platforms. For example, companies must offer choice screens for web browsers and search engines to give users more options.”
(France 24)
And Finally…
Are the AirPods the ultimate expression of Steve Jobs’ love for high fidelity audio, even though Apple’s buds were launched after his death?
“Steve Jobs didn’t live to see the release of the AirPods. In many ways, the latest version, even more so than the pricey and bulkier AirPods Max, represents the fulfillment of his ultimate audio aspirations for Apple. You can even hear echoes of his 2006 iPod Hi-Fi introduction in Apple’s marketing language for the AirPods Pro 3.”
(CNet).
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.
