Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including iPhone 16 Pro launch details, iPhone 16 design surprise, iPhone SE specs leak, iPad Mini hints, a smaller Apple Watch 10, a glass MacBook Pro, and goodbye to a style icon.
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.
When To Buy The New iPhone
This Monday is Apple’s Glowtime event, with the launch of the new iPhone, iPad Min and Apple Watch all on the running order, along with a garnish of generative AI over everything. Yet the big question for many will be “When can I buy my new iPhone?”
“I’m sure this will happen on Friday, Sept. 13, and is likely to be at 5 a.m. Pacific (8 a.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. U.K.). Note that it’s worth checking out apple.com in case the company does, as it did last year, let you put the iPhone model you want with the right color and storage option in your online basket the night before, so you can click the second pre-orders go live. This applies to other products that go on sale on the same day.”
(Forbes).
Apple CEO Tim Cook looks at a new iPhone Pro during an Apple launch event (Photo by Justin … [+]
Covering Up The iPhone’s New Power
One new addition to the iPhone 16 family is the new Capture. It joins the physical Action Button launched on the iPhone 15 Pro last year. Still, in the case of this camera-focussed button, it is capacitive rather than physical, although every third-party case seen so far leaves a gap for the user to reach the surface of the likely force-sensitive control. Curiously, one place the button can’t be seen is on Apple’s new iPhone case:
“While these unofficial cases have a cutout for the Capture button, a machine-translated comment on the image by DuanRui claims that “the official protective case of Apple’s iPhone 16 series will not have this opening and will be made into an integrated design, which will not affect the normal use of this capacitive button.”
(MacRumors).
iPhone SE Joins The Family
While the iPhone 16 will be seen by many as the entry-level iPhone for the awkwardly backronymed Apple Intelligence AI software, Apple is expected to launch an iPhone SE early next year. The new mid-range iPhone will join the rest of the family and standardize the vibrant OLED screen technology:
“The fourth-generation iPhone SE is rumored to feature an iPhone 14-like design, Face ID instead of Touch ID, a USB-C port, an Action button, an Apple-designed 5G modem, an A18 processor, and an all-screen look that does away with the Home Button. The device’s display is expected to grow in size from 4.7 inches to 6.06 inches, and internal RAM is likely to be 8GB, up from 4GB in the 2022 model, due to the hardware requirements of Apple Intelligence.”
(MacRumors).
iPad Mini Stock Runs Low Ahead Of Glowtime
Apple is reducing stock levels of the current iPad Mini tablets across its stores. With talk of a new iPad Mini in the air, it’s likely that the new tablet is not going to launch in the October spot but instead join the iPhone 16 family at Glowtime next week:
“What does help the case of a potential upgrade is reports that Apple stores are low in stock of the iPad mini in various configurations. The same report added that the iPad mini is considered “constrained” internally. As Apple tends to reduce stock on products before an update arrives, this certainly helps the 2024 update rumors.”
10 On X On Your Wrist
Bigger things are expected from the Apple Watch 10 at Glowtime. A larger display, thinner case and new materials are all on the cards. But will it be a Watch 10 or Watch X:
“The Apple Watch’s 10th anniversary could bring something new for users, and a design overhaul has been reported for a while now. A tipster shared details on X about the Apple Watch Series 10 based on what he was told by his sources. It was recently reported that the forthcoming model could come with a slightly bigger display, which could be thanks to the trimmed-down bezels. As per the information obtained from the tipster, the Apple Watch X will come in two new sizes – 42mm and 46mm, but the display will remain curved, unlike the Apple Watch Ultra.”
(WCCFtech).
Laptop Of Power, Keyboard Of Glass
We’re used to glass on the front and back of our smartphones and tapping on the glass above our screens. How about tapping on a sheet of glass that replaces the keyboard on your MacBook? A sealed glass top on a laptop, but with flexing keys? The latest patent filed by Apple’s R&D team thinks so:
“Due to the thinness and flexibility of the glass, when a typical typing force is applied to the thin glass sheet (e.g., via a finger), the glass may be primarily deformed directly under the force (e.g., under the finger) while other areas of the glass sheet remain substantially undeformed or less deformed.
“The local deformation of the thin glass may provide a more satisfying typing experience than thicker or less flexible glass, as the user may actually feel a deformation or depression that is similar to or suggestive of a conventional movable-key keyboard.”
And Finally…
Last year, Apple replaced its leather cases with its own FineWoven material. It proved controversial both in terms of feel and in terms of durability. Apple stopped several product lines in April, and now the balance of the portfolio is being sold out:
“Back in April, Apple leaker and prototype collector Kosutami claimed that Apple had decided to halt production of FiveWoven accessories over durability concerns, although the leaker did not discount the possibility of one more round of FineWoven products, possibly in a season of new colors. However, FineWoven accessories in new color options were absent from Apple’s spring refresh.”
(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.