Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple’s iPhone 16e promotion, iPhone 17 Wi-Fi upgrade, Apple’s Indian summer, surprise iOS update, MacBook Air benchmarks, and goodbye Product(Red).
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.
Apple Launches iPhone 16e
The community was waiting on the iPhone SE and hoping for a $479 price point, instead, Apple delivered the iPhone 16e starting at $599. It remains the entry-level iPhone but it offers many more features that Tim Cook and his team will be hoping balance out the increase in price:
“The price is more than was rumored, but this phone does so much more than was predicted, it seems justified. This is nothing like an iPhone SE. It has Face ID, an OLED display, Ceramic Shield, the Action Button instead of the Mute/Ring slide switch, a 48-megapixel rear camera, USB-C connector, the A18 processor, satellite connectivity, an all-new modem and access to Apple Intelligence.”
(Forbes).
Loving The New iPhone
Of course, Apple loves the new iPhone. It is, after all, the iPhone ever (since the last one). It’s faster, it’s more powerful, it’s more efficient… So why is Apple insisting on comparing it to a phone that is nearly six years old in its press release and marketing details?
“Thankfully, “iPhone 16e has the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone, lasting up to six hours longer than iPhone 11.” There’s a nice sleight of hand here that glosses over how much the battery life is improved over the iPhone 16. Instead, the numerical comparison goes to a smartphone that is six years old. I would expect a significantly better life for the battery over that timescale.”
(Forbes).
iPhone 17’s Upgraded Wi-Fi
With the iPhone 16e sporting Apple’s C1 modem (the first home-grown modem from the company), Íeptember’ iPhone 17 family of devices will upgrade the Wi-Fi silicon to bring more of Apple’s own design into the smartphones:
“Following Qualcomm, Broadcom’s Wi-Fi chips will also be replaced by Apple’s in-house chips at a faster pace. My latest industry survey indicates that all new 2H25 iPhone 17 models will feature Apple’s in-house Wi-Fi chips (vs. only the slim iPhone 17 will adopt Apple’s C1 modem chip). Beyond cost reduction, the switch to in-house Wi-Fi chips will enhance connectivity across Apple devices.”
(X via The Verge).
Apple’s Indian Summer
With the threat of escalating trade tariffs between China and the US, Apple is increasing its production capacity in India, with an increasing share of the iPhone produced in a country not embroiled in a trade war with President Trump:
“For India, it is an important shift. Mobile phones have now surpassed diamonds as the country’s biggest product export. And although only around 15 per cent of Apple’s iPhones are currently made in India, this is expected to increase to 25 per cent by 2027, according to JPMorgan and Bank of America analysts. Globally, the company shipped some 232mn iPhones in 2024, according to the International Data Corporation.”
(FT.com).
A Surprise iOS Update For Apple Intelligence
The team at MacRumors has spotted the next version of iO (18.5) showing up in its weblogs. That indicates that testing is going on with the soon-to-arrive version 18.4 and the next 18.5. Why is a fifth version so close to the end of the iOS 18 cycle, needed? Apple Intelligence:
“The new Apple Intelligence features for Siri were originally expected to debut with iOS 18.4, according to Gurman. The enhancements include on-screen awareness, understanding of a user’s personal context, and deeper per-app controls. For example, during its WWDC 2024 keynote, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother’s flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.”
(MacRumors).
MacBook Air M4 Benchmarks
The Apple community has been waiting a long time for the MacBook Air to pick up the update to the latest M4 Apple Silicon chipset. The consumer-focused laptop has shown up in online benchmarking tests this week, with more CPU potential but a potential limiting factor for those needing advanced graphics:
“The two Geekbench listings that have surfaced so far indicate that Apple has equipped the new MacBook Air with the 10-core version of its Apple M4 SoC rather than its 8- or 9-core variants. The pair also suggest that the fanless design may hold back GPU performance in some areas.”
(Notebook Check).
And Finally…
With the removal of the iPhone SE from Apple’s portfolio, the company is no longer offering any PROUCT(RED) hardware. Previously a mainstay in visibly supporting the campaign, the partnership remains as part of the Apple Pay program, but the option for users to support it through purchases is gone:
“Since 2006, Apple has partnered with the (RED) brand to raise money for The Global Fund, an organization that aims to combat diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Africa. Through this partnership, Apple has long offered a (PRODUCT)RED option for some products, but availability of the color continues to dwindle.”
(MacRumors).
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.
