Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from across the Apple world, including iPhone 18 Pro leaks, iPhone Air loses value, iOS 26.2 ready to go, two important MacBooks for 2026, iPhone Fold impact, App Store verification issues, and new cross-platform transfer tools.
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.
Eyes Front For the iPhone 18 Pro
Details on the display for the 2026 iPhone 18 Pro are emerging, with the dominant front-facing selfie camera under scrutiny. Apple is reportedly developing technology and design that will reduce the lens size and potentially place it under the display. Tim Hardwick picks out the key question around the iPhone 18 upgrade:
“There have been several rumors suggesting the iPhone 18 Pro models will include under-display Face ID, but some disagreement over whether we’ll see the technology in 2026. A May report by The Information claimed that iPhone 18 Pro models will have no Dynamic Island with just a pinhole cutout located at the upper left of the display, but other rumors suggest there’s still going to be a Dynamic Island.”
iPhone Air Sales And Falling Value
2025 has proven to be an interesting year for “thin phones.” At the same time as the physical technology found success either side of the hinge in a wide range of foldables, the fashionable and straightforward choice of “this phone is thin” has not taken off. Apple arrived late, and many expected the market to take off. Instead, after a first wave of excited buyers, sales fell first in the primary market, and now in the secondary market. Forbes contributor Janhoi McGregor looks at he current state of play:
“SellCell’s data shows that within 10 weeks of launch, the iPhone Air lost an average of 44.3% of its original retail price. The most affected is the 1TB version, which has dropped 47.7%. This is the steepest loss of value recorded by SellCell for any iPhone model since 2022.
“The other iPhone 17 models are faring better than the iPhone Air, with the range retaining 9.7% more of their value than the slim phone after 10 weeks. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is the top performer across the new range, only losing 26.1% of its value in that time period.”
Apple Prepares Traditional Update
Apple is preparing the next significant update to iOS 26. Traditionally, the .2 release happens in December, just before the holidays each year. 2025 looks to be no different. The beta is already out in public for final checks and testing, so expect iOS 26.2 within the week:
“There are plenty of new features in iOS 26.2, from tweaks to the Liquid Glass effect on the lock screen to updates to Apple News, offline lyrics in Apple Music and live translation for AirPods in the European Union. Add to that refinements to the Passwords app, an alarm setting when an urgent Reminder is due, updates to Podcasts and the ability to choose a different voice assistant for users in Japan, and it becomes clear that there’s a lot going on.”
A Tale Of Two MacBooks
2026 looks likely to be bookended by two MacBooks. Opening up the year, will be the Value MacBook, a long rumoured cheaper MacBook that would see the main line of MacBooks drop under the totemic $999 barrier. These will likely be powered by Apple’s A-series chip, offering performance comparable to mid-range iPad Pro models.
The second is the M6 MacBook Pro, which will not only debut a new M-series chipset, but finally bring the display and connectivity technology of the MacOS laptop up to par with Windows, as Ryan Christoffel points out for 9to5Mac:
“It’s also rumored that Apple may offer a 5G cellular option with its forthcoming C2 in-house modem. Even if cellular support doesn’t prove true, adding touch alone will make the M6 MacBook Pro a significant turning point for the Mac. Apple has continuously shot down the idea of adding touch to the Mac. But the new MacBook Pro seems set to kickstart a new era for the platform.”
The Potential Impact Of The iPhone Fold
The foldables market has matured in 2025, with devices like the recently launched Galaxy Z TrFold and the commercial success of Honor’s Magic V5 dominating headlines. Yet the industry is waiting for Apple to swoop in next year with the iPhone Fold, capture a significant market share, and redefine the space.
While the iPhone Air might have damaged the idea that Apple can make a difference when arriving late, the latest report on Foldables from IDC makes the case that the foldables market is ready for Apple, even at a stunningly high retail price:
“But the real game-changer for the category comes at year-end when Apple enters the foldable space, projected to capture over 22% unit share and a staggering 34% of the foldables market value in its first year, thanks to an expected average price point of $2,400.”
Tim Cook’s App Store Verification Issues
Tim Cook has raised Apple’s concerns with US lawmakers over the App Store Accountability Act (S.1586). Bloomberg reports that one of Apple’s key issues is a law requiring app store operators to be responsible for users’ age verification.
During a closed-door meeting with members of the committee, Cook urged lawmakers not to require app store operators to check documentation of users’ ages and instead rely on parents to provide the age of their child when creating a child’s account, according to a statement from Apple. The company described Cook’s argument as one founded on privacy concerns.”
And Finally…
iOS and Android are making it easier to move between the two platforms, with features being introduced to aid the process. These are not available immediately; instead, the updates are working through the various beta releases and rollouts across multiple devices:
“Apple and Google say the new upgraded experience is starting to roll out today with a new Android Canary build for Pixel devices. The features will also be available in an upcoming iOS 26 developer beta. The experience will continue to improve throughout the beta testing process on both platforms, including with support for more data types.”
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.
