Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes a shocking iPhone price rise, the release of iOS 17.1, Apple’s Scary Fast event, plans for a new iMac and MacBook Pro, iPad Air details leak, Apple’s missing AI, and subscriptions go up.
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).
Prepare For iPhone 16 Price Rise
Following a teardown on the iPhone 15 family, the rising bill of materials next to the static retail price of the iPhone 15 smartphones points to a big decision over the iPhone 16. Will Apple cut its margins once more or finally raise the prices on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro?
“Apple might try to raise prices next year with models other than the Pro Max. The stability of iPhone prices could be coming to an end. Those who have held off on the iterative update of the iPhone 15 family and are waiting for the next model may have to prepare themselves for the iPhone 16 models to be the most expensive iPhone ever released.”
(Forbes).
iOS 17.1 Addresses Some Important Problems
As well as addressing several high profile bugs, the latest version of iOS brings in a number of new features (Forbes’ David Phelan has more on the updates), but it also addresses the awkward situation in France where older iPhones were failing SAR tests:
“Though not mentioned in the notes, Apple says the update “fixes” iPhone 12 radiation levels in France by disabling a feature that boosts cellular signal when the iPhone is not held by a person, and it improves Screen Time syncing across devices. There are several bug fixes, with iOS 17.1 addressing an issue that could cause display image persistence and a bug that could cause the Significant Location setting to reset when transferring or pairing an Apple Watch for the first time.
(MacRumors).
Scary Fast Halloween Event Announced
Just before the clock runs out in October, Apple will host an event where it is presumed a new Mac will be launched. Both the iMac and the MacBook Pro are expected by the community in some form thanks to APple’s usual not-quite-so-hidden message in the invitation images:
“In another rarity, Apple has already revealed the topic of the keynote, or the main part of it at least: Apple Mac. On the Apple events page, the Apple logo confirming the event shows the Apple logo that animates into a cute version of the Apple Mac Finder window.”
(Forbes).
But What Mac Is Going To Be Launched?
Speaking of those launch products, the image of the Finder isn’t the only sign that new Macs are coming. That said, it’s unclear what specs the new macOS laptops and desktops may come with. The only clue in the public domain is “fast”:
“Given this is taking place the day before Halloween, I think it’s clear why that adjective has been chosen. “Fast” is the key to unlocking the event, but it’s a key that is missing a few pieces of information. For example, what products are being launched? There’s a growing sense that we’ll be seeing new Macs launched, and with the iMac and MacBook Pro highlighted this weekend, we’ll likely see these products at a minimum.”
(Forbes).
Get Ready For Your New iPad Air
The Mac isn’t the only platform looking to pick up an update shortly. Whether the iPad Air sneaks into the 2023 portfolio is still being debated, but a new Air is on the way.
“DigiTimes says it has industry sources who have predicted that the new Air would have a 12.9-inch display. That would make it the same size as the larger iPad Pro—although separate rumors have suggested a new iPad Pro might arrive next year with a slightly bigger display, 13 inches.”
(Forbes).
Apple’s AI is MIA
With Google’s promoting AI heavily at the launch of the Pixel 8 Pro and Qualcomm highlighting the AI capabilities of the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, where are Apple’s AI plans? Following Mark Gurman’s comment last week, Jon Gruber picks out Apple’s plans and the lack of AI branding that could hamper the whole endeavour.
” If I asked you “Which companies are at the forefront of AI-powered products?”, I doubt you’d put Apple on the list. And AI is proving so useful — and yet is a nascent field — that Apple needs to soon be on that list, lest their products begin to fall behind competitively. “Which companies are best at integrating AI into products?” is going to be like “Which companies are best at creating hardware at scale?” and “Which companies are best at human interface design?””
(Daring Fireball).
And Finally…
Apple is pushing up many of its monthly subscription services, with many consumers looking at Apple and wondering if there is enough value for money in the offerings… of course, other membership services are passing on similar price rises:
“We last saw a price hike across Apple’s services almost exactly one year ago today, when it raised the prices of Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, and Apple One. It doesn’t look like Apple is raising the price of its Music, Fitness Plus, or iCloud Plus subscriptions this time around, however… Apple joins several other streaming services that have raised their prices this year, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Discovery Plus, and Max.
(The Verge).
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.
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