Apple Loop: iPhone 17 Pro Upgrades, iPadOS Success, iPhone 17 Price Shock
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.
iPhone 17 Price Rise
The last few iPhones have resisted the price push, but with the rising cost of components and the impact of trade tariffs, Apple will be raising the price of the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max models set for release in September.
'Jefferies' analyst Edison Lee] expects a $50 price increase for iPhone 17 Slim/P/PM models to offset rising component costs and China tariffs. Other potential cost pressures from India and sector tariffs are not yet included."
(Forbes).
iPhone 17 Pro Display Design Leak
A subtle change, but one that may be more obvious than most, looks to br coming to the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone 17 screen was already expected to deliver a faster refresh rate, albeit not a variable-rate Pro Motion model. Turns out the iPhoen 17 Pro displays are getting their own upgrade thanks to a new coating:
"The anti-reflective display has been rumored for some months, and the latest source promises another benefit: greater scratch resistance. The display is, after all, the main way you interact with your smartphone, so the more inviting it looks, the more you'll use your phone."
(Forbes).
How Much For An A18-powered MacBook?
Apple has traditionally kept a $999 price tag for its base MacBook Air. With an iPhone Axx chipset model rumours, will Apple take the plunge and officially drop below that price tag?
"If the circumstances are right, Apple will drop under the thousand-dollar mark. The question will be how aggressive Apple wants to be. The Walmart deal will have given it significant data on consumers and their expectations of Apple at that price, which will likely inform the decision on an A18 MacBook. Apple will also want to balance its brand. Somewhere between $699 and $899 feels likely."
(Forbes).
iPadOS 26 Preview Finds Favor
Has the balance of providing the best consumer experience possible for iPad users, while not threatening to cannibalize Mac and macBook sales finally been solved with iPadOS 26? Andrew Cunningham argues that it has, in his preview of 2025's iPadOS update:
"There are still things I'd like to see improve, and iPadOS itself still isn't going to replace macOS for the class of developers and power users who want a Terminal window and less-fettered access to external accessories and filesystems and the ability to run whatever code they want. But this finally feels close to an interface that feels right for the iPad while still being consistent and familiar for people coming from macOS, Windows, ChromeOS, or any other traditional desktop operating system."
(Ars Technica).
Half A Billion Reasons To Love F1: The Movie
The summer blockbuster rule of thumb is to pass the half-billion-dollar mark. The tentpole superhero movies of 2025 have managed that… and so has Apple's little automotive experiment:
"As for Apple's 'F1,' passing the $500 million mark is just another feather in the cap for the studio. Earlier this month, the film became Apple's best film release ever, surpassing Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon,' which generated $221 million during its 2023 run, to become Apple's then-highest-grossing theatrical release."
(CNBC).
Apple Intelligence's Shopping List
During Apple's quarterly earnings call, Tim Cook touched on the rollout of Apple Intelligence and the lead the competition has. He also acknowledged that—in a rare move—Apple would consider buying a company to boost the artificial intelligence toolbox the company has:
'We're very open to M&A that accelerates our roadmap. We're not stuck on a certain size company. (…) we basically ask ourselves whether a company can help us accelerate a roadmap. If they do, then we are interested. But we don't have anything to share specifically today.'
(Apple via 9to5Mac).
Special Offer For iPhone 13 Owners
US carrier T-Mobile has opened up its satellite connectivity to the iPhone 13 family. It is available to all with a subscription service, and if you are on its Experience Beyond plan, you'll have to as a free addition.
"When Apple made the surprise announcement that its iPhone 13 series was suddenly compatible with carrier-supported satellite connectivity, it was ushering in a new way to stay connected. The first network to support this, T-Mobile, has just gone live with its new T-Satellite service for iPhones and other handsets. And even a temporary outage hasn't stopped the new service from arriving. "
(Forbes).
And Finally...
Also on the call was the news on a signifcaint landmark in iPhone sales. Three billion handsets sold:
"Cook's comments came during Apple's Q3 2025 earnings call today, with little fanfare. 'We also recently marked a significant milestone. We shipped the 3 billionth iPhone since its launch in 2007,' Cook said during his prepared remarks. The figure is notable because Apple stopped reporting unit sales for its hardware products in November 2018. Then-Apple CFO Luca Maestri said at the time that the 'number of units sold in a quarter is not representative of underlying state of business.'
(9to5Mac).
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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