Apple Loop: iPhone 17 Specs Leak, iPhone 16e Launch, Surprise iOS Update

 

Reviewing Apple's headlines and news from this week, including the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple's promotion for the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17 Wi-Fi upgrade, Apple's Indian summer, a surprise iOS update, MacBook Air benchmarks, and the end of Product (Red). Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days.  On Forbes, you can also read my weekly Android news digest. Apple introduces the iPhone 16e. Instead of the iPhone SE, which the community expected to retail for $479, Apple released the iPhone 16e, which retails for $599. It's still the cheapest iPhone, but it has a lot more features that Tim Cook and his team will be hoping will make up for the price increase:

"The price is higher than what was rumored, but this phone does so much more than expected that it seems reasonable. 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."

Appreciating the New iPhone Apple obviously adores the new iPhone. After all, it is the most recent iPhone model. 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?

 "It's a good thing that the "iPhone 16e has the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone, lasting up to six hours longer than the iPhone 11," as the company claims. This is a nice trick that doesn't show how much longer the battery life is compared to the iPhone 16. Instead, a smartphone that is six years old is used for the numerical comparison. Over that period of time, I would anticipate the battery to have a significantly longer lifespan.

iPhone 17’s Upgraded Wi-Fi

 The "October" iPhone 17 family of devices will upgrade the Wi-Fi silicon to incorporate more of Apple's own design, with the iPhone 16e featuring Apple's C1 modem, the company's first home-grown modem:"Following Qualcomm, Broadcom's Wi-Fi chips will also be replaced by Apple's in-house chips at a faster pace.  According to my most recent survey of the industry, Apple's in-house Wi-Fi chips will be used in all new 2H25 iPhone 17 models, while Apple's C1 modem chip will only be used in the slim iPhone 17. In addition to cutting costs, Apple's move to in-house Wi-Fi chips will improve device connectivity." (X through The Verge). Apple’s Indian Summer

 Apple is increasing its production capacity in India in response to the possibility of escalating trade tariffs between China and the United States. As a result, an increasing proportion of the iPhone is produced in a nation that is not involved in a trade war with President Trump: "This is a significant shift for India. Diamonds are no longer the country's most exported product; instead, it is mobile phones. Analysts at JPMorgan and Bank of America predict that by 2027, 25 percent of Apple's iPhones will be manufactured in India, despite the fact that only 15 percent of them are currently produced there. 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 MacRumors team has noticed that the latest version of iO (18.5) is appearing in its blogs. This indicates that the upcoming version 18.4 and the subsequent 18.5 are undergoing testing. Why is it necessary to release a fifth version so close to iOS 18's end? Intelligence of Apple: "The new Apple Intelligence features for Siri were originally expected to debut with iOS 18.4, according to Gurman.  On-screen awareness, comprehension of a user's personal context, and more in-depth app controls are among the enhancements. For instance, during its WWDC 2024 keynote, Apple showed a user of an iPhone asking Siri about their mother's plans for a flight and lunch based on information from the Messages and Mail apps." (MacRumors).

 Benchmarks for the MacBook Air M4 The adoption of the most recent M4 Apple Silicon chipset by the MacBook Air has been awaited by the Apple community for a considerable amount of time. This week, online benchmarking tests have shown that the consumer-oriented laptop has more CPU potential, but it may be limited for those who require advanced graphics: "Apple's new MacBook Air is equipped with the 10-core version of its Apple M4 SoC rather than its 8- or 9-core variants, according to the two Geekbench listings that have surfaced thus far. In addition, the pair suggests that GPU performance may be hindered in some areas by the fanless design." (Notebook Check).

 And Finally...

 Apple no longer offers PROUCT(RED) hardware as a result of the iPhone SE's removal from its product line. The partnership, which was a mainstay in clearly supporting the campaign, is still included in the Apple Pay program, but users no longer have the option to support it through purchases: "Since 2006, Apple has collaborated with the (RED) brand to raise funds for The Global Fund, a charity that works to eradicate malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS 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.  Make sure to follow me so you don't miss any future coverage. You can read Apple Loop from the previous week here, and Android Circuit, Loop's sister column, is also available on Forbes this week.