Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from across the Apple world, including iPhone 18 Pro release date, Apple warns of price rises, iPhone Ultra delayed, Mac’s Intel story, AirPods update, and Apple Music’s Top Twenty.
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.
Deducing The iPhone 18 Pro Release Date
One of the biggest dates in the smartphone calendar is the launch of the iPhone 18 family. While it is generally accepted as ‘sometime in September every year’, that’s a wide window for consumers and the competition to come to terms with. But there are clues out there, and Forbes contributor David Phelan is on the hunt for an answer:
“Last year, the keynote which revealed the iPhone 17 series was on Tuesday, Sept. 9. That week seems the most likely this year, but Monday, Sept. 7 is Labor Day, and Apple rarely holds a keynote on the day after a holiday. After all, it needs to fly press and special guests to Cupertino. This means that the most auspicious date this year would be the Wednesday, of that week, Sept. 9.”
Apple Prepares iPhone Price Rises
Speculation around the price of the iPhone is running high this week, as Apple’s outgoing CEO Tim Cook speaks to the WSJ about the potential for consumer prices to rise, noting that “the situation has become unsustainable.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2026/06/17/apple-iphone-mac-price-increase-silicon-costs/
“Apple is not alone in making this decision. Manufactuers across the board are raising prices on existing hardware and making conservative financial decisions when launching new hardware. That could include removing the lower tier of storage, so the next step up in the portfolio with the higher retail price is seen as the base model.”
Delaying The iPhone Ultra
Alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Amx, Apple is expected to launch the foldable iPhone Ultra. While it may be on the stage in September, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will reach the Apple Store shelves alongside the candybar phones. Apple Insider’s William Gallagher suggests there may be a long wait to buy the luxury handset.
“There are at last positive signs from Apple that it is preparing an iPhone Fold, but there have also been multiple reports that it is delayed. Now according to Economic Daily News, the CEO of Apple lens supplier Largan Precision has hinted at delays. “Some new opportunities will be announced in the third quarter,” Enping Lin said at a shareholders’ meeting (in translation), “and some will be moved to the beginning of next year.”
The Second iPhone Air Is Coming
While a follow up to last year’s iPhone Air is expected during the 2026/27 generation, it looks to be part of the ‘vanilla’ iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e program, rather than the 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and 18 Ultra. That puts the fashionably thin phone on course for an April 2027 launch, reports Bloomberg:
“Current prototypes of the new model, code-named V62, add a second rear camera for ultrawide-angle photography, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the product hasn’t been announced… Though the device retains its current look, Apple also is working to improve the battery life, according to the people. It’s unclear if that will come from a larger battery, which may be impractical in the Air’s compact chassis, or efficiency gains.”
The Long And Storied Life Of Intel And The Mac
With the release of macOS 27 later this year, Apple is taking one of the final steps to move on from Intel and into a world where only Apple Silicon matters for the Mac, with the removal of Rosetta as the default library and continued reductions in support for existing Intel machines. macOS 26 is not the very end of the chapter, but the Ars Technica team have decided it is time to look back on Apple’s Intel adventure, from the days of PowerPC through to the ARM-powered future:
“By January of 2006, Apple started shipping the first Intel Macs, starting with a new iMac and a renamed MacBook Pro to replace the outgoing PowerBook series. These first systems were externally almost indistinguishable from the PowerPC models they replaced, another strategy Apple recycled for the first Apple Silicon Macs—the implied message was “maybe these machines were different on the inside, but they’re still the Macs you know and love.”
There’s a New Sound From The AirPods
While there’s little information to go on as regards updates and new features, Apple has released firmware updates for its premium ticket AirPods. David Phelan takes a closer look at the notes to see what’s going on:
“Firmware updates for Apple’s earbuds happen sporadically and are usually accompanied by the briefest of release notes. Apple merely says the new firmware is all about “Bug fixes and other improvements,” on its support page. That’s identical to the notes for the 11 updates that preceded it, by the way. In other words, there’s not much to be deduced here, unlike the extensive notes which accompanied the release of AirPods Pro 3 last fall.”
And Finally…
In a rare look behind the scenes, Apple and Chartdata have published the Top Twenty streamed artists on Apple Music. This is a regular occurrence from the likes of Spotify, but a first from Apple.
Your top three? Future is third, Taylor Swift is second, and Drake is Top Of The Streaming Pops.
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.
