As Apple moves to diversify its manufacturing operations, it appears to be leaning on suppliers to shoulder the costs of automating their assembly lines. Here are the details.

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Apple is reportedly launching its own AI smart glasses next year, per a Bloomberg report. While Apple is very much so late to the category, I do think there are a number of great value adds Apple could bring to the table – which I’ll be outlining here.

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In an earlier edition of Security Bite, I predicted that Apple would finally announce end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to the RCS Universal Profile at WWDC 2025. That didn’t happen, but Apple did introduce two nice spam-protection tools along with a series of smaller updates designed to make the iPhone safer for everyone. Now that iOS 26 is basically in its final form ahead of wide release in tandem with the launch of iPhone 17, here’s a rundown of my favorite privacy features.

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MagSafe wallets are probably the category of MagSafe that makes the most sense to me day to day. I am always going to carry a wallet, so might as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone. The is one of the better designed ones I’ve come across from a quality standpoint, so let’s dive into what all it offers.

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As well as a refreshed new look for system components like buttons and tabbars, the Liquid Glass redesign of iOS 26 also extends to app icons. For the first time since iOS 7, Apple has redrawn all of the system apps with new artwork. That means a whole new look is coming to your iPhone home screen this fall.

In this post, we share a side-by-side of the iOS 26 app icon and its iOS 18 counterpart, so you can decide for yourself how much of a step forward the new visual style represents.

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Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Apple is preparing a software update for an iPhone from 2020 to address a years-old health complaint only raised in one market.

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Apple has significantly discounted the MLS Season Pass for the remainder of the 2025 season, offering the annual subscription at $29, or $25 for Apple TV+ subscribers, down from the regular $99 price.


The reduced rate covers the rest of the current MLS season and playoffs, including access to every match live and on demand, with separate English and Spanish commentary, with French available for Canadian matches. Other features of the pass include "MLS 360," a whip-around show featuring highlights and commentary from every game, and "Sunday Night Soccer," a newly introduced featured match broadcast every Sunday.

This price drop is consistent with Apple's pricing strategy in previous years, gradually lowering the cost of entry as the season progresses. Monthly subscriptions remain unchanged at $14.99 per month, or $12.99 per month with ‌Apple TV‌+. The discounted annual subscription is only valid through the end of the 2025 season, after which it will automatically renew at the standard $99 price unless canceled.

MLS Season Pass originally launched in 2023 as part of Apple's 10-year partnership with Major League Soccer. Subscribers who want to take advantage of the new discounted price can sign up via the ‌Apple TV‌ app. To prevent automatic renewal at the full price next year, users must manually cancel their subscription before the start of the 2026 season.
This article, "Apple Slashes 2025 MLS Season Pass to as Low as $25" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is significantly accelerating the rollout of automation and robotics across its manufacturing supply chain, DigiTimes reports.


While Apple has advocated for increased automation in supplier facilities for over two years, sources familiar with the matter say that Apple now requires automation as a standard prerequisite for awarding manufacturing contracts. This is said to be part of a broader effort to minimize labor dependency, stabilize product quality and uniformity across different facilities, and reduce long-term production costs amid ongoing supply chain diversification away from China.

Apple's alleged automation mandate spans all major product categories, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Apple now purportedly expects suppliers to fund their own automation upgrades rather than rely on Apple to finance or subsidize the necessary capital equipment. This policy change diverges from Apple's previous approach, where the company frequently invested in tooling and machinery for contract manufacturers to meet its specifications.

The financial burden of this new automation requirement is apparently already impacting supplier margins. High initial capital expenditure, coupled with operational disruptions during integration of robotic systems, has reportedly strained profitability for some suppliers.

Apple still continues to assist suppliers in areas related to environmental responsibility. The company's 2030 target to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire supply chain includes direct support for upgrading to energy-efficient equipment and more sustainable materials.

Apple ostensibly hopes that increased use of robotics will help standardize processes, digitize inspections, reduce the impact of labor shortages and political instability, implement consistent processes for new suppliers, and mitigate the challenges of maintaining consistent build quality when production is increasingly split across multiple countries.
This article, "Report: Apple Demands Suppliers Switch to Robotics for Manufacturing" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Yesterday, leaker Majin Bu revealed that Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case may not be so clear after all. A second source has now backed the claim.

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September has officially arrived, and with the new month comes the end of summer and the beginning of a busy fall for Apple. In the weeks ahead, there are several key dates to anticipate for Apple fans, even beyond the major iPhone 17 event set for September 9.

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A new survey has found that nearly seven in ten iPhone owners in the United States plan to upgrade to an iPhone 17 model, signaling strong demand ahead of Apple's expected unveiling of the devices at its September 9 keynote.


Smartphone price comparison platform SellCell surveyed over 2,000 U.S.-based ‌iPhone‌ users in August to assess upgrade interest and brand loyalty before Apple's event. According to the data, 68.3% of current ‌iPhone‌ users intend to purchase an ‌iPhone 17‌ model at launch, marking an increase from 61.9% recorded ahead of the iPhone 16 launch in 2024.

The iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max models are expected to dominate early sales, accounting for 38.1% of planned upgrades. The standard ‌iPhone 17‌ is the choice for 16.7% of respondents, while 13.5% expressed interest in the all-new iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to feature an ultra-thin design. Only 3.3% of respondents indicated they are holding out specifically for a foldable ‌iPhone‌, which Apple has yet to release.

The survey highlights that 72.9% of users feel more satisfied with their ‌iPhone‌ today than in previous years, but 27.1% said they believe Apple has "lost its edge" compared to rival smartphone makers.

Battery life emerged as the most important upgrade driver, with 53.% of respondents citing it as their top reason for upgrading. Other motivating factors included new designs and features (36.2%), display improvements (34.3%), camera upgrades (28.1%), and AI and software enhancements (7.1%).

Price remains the primary deterrent, with 68.9% of users listing cost as the main reason for not upgrading. Satisfaction with existing devices is also a significant factor, with 71.7% stating they are content with their current ‌iPhone‌. A smaller share of users cited interest in foldables (7.5%), discomfort with eSIM (6.6%), or interest in switching to Android (5.3%) as reasons for holding off.

Foldables from Samsung and Google are emerging as a competitive threat. If Apple does not release a foldable ‌iPhone‌ by 2026, 20.1% of respondents say they would consider switching to Samsung, and 10.2% to Google. Brand loyalty remains high, with 69.6% of respondents stating they plan to stay with Apple regardless of competing products.

When asked to choose between device thinness and battery capacity, 47.5% of respondents said they would accept a shorter battery life in exchange for a thinner design. Meanwhile, 29.7% said they are not interested in ultra-thin phones at all.

44% of ‌iPhone‌ users said they view Apple Intelligence as a very important feature. Another 33% said AI does not matter to them. When asked which company leads in AI, 44% named Apple, while both Samsung and Google were selected by 6.6% of respondents. Ten percent of users said no brand currently leads in the AI space.

36.8% of users would delay upgrading if prices rise significantly, while 29.2% said they would decide based on the size of the increase. Only 34% said they would proceed with their purchase regardless.

The survey was conducted using an online survey platform, with responses collected in August 2025 from a sample of over 2,000 U.S. adults who currently own an ‌iPhone‌. The ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup is expected to be announced on Tuesday, September 9.
This article, "Survey: Nearly 70% of Users Plan to Upgrade to iPhone 17" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Bang & Olufsen recently released the third generation of its award-winning Beosound A1 portable Bluetooth speaker, and after playing with it for a good month, I'm scrambling to come up with negatives.


Sure, at $399 it's pricey, and this ultraportable unit from B&O is unashamedly pitched at the premium end of the Bluetooth speaker market, but the Danish high-end audio manufacturer's principled attention to design and craftsmanship almost justifies the price alone. Fortunately, it sounds great, too.

Design

Taking the A1 out of the box, the first thing that strikes you is the compactness of the unit relative to its weight, especially given the materials used in its construction. At about 1.27 pounds (576 grams), it's not the lightest ultraportable speaker I've held, but its beautifully minimalist 'hockey puck' design is disarmingly slight, partly thanks to designer Cecilie Manz's decision to embed the power, volume, play/pause, and pairing controls around the rim, with the attached waterproof leather strap adding a touch of surfer appeal. There's also a USB Type-C charging port on the rim alongside a charging LED.


The speaker features a pearl-blasted aluminum body with over 2,100 precision-milled holes, one of which contains an LED power indicator. It's a distinctive style whichever way you look at it, but thought has also gone into keeping it portable. The polymer base has a suede-like finish that ensures the 1.81-inch (4.6cm) tall A1 sits happily on most surfaces, and its 5.24-inch (13.3 cm) diameter means it's possible to grasp the grilled dome and pick it up with one hand. The unit sits snugly in the larger pockets of a raincoat, although trying to fit it in a light jacket pocket may present more of a challenge.


The A1's solid aluminum casing certainly feels like it could take a few knocks, but its smooth finish is bound to attract scuffing and dents if you bash it about or throw it in a backpack with other hard objects. Many customers will take pride in looking after premium gear they've paid top dollar for, so the lack of a protective pouch at this price point is the only disappointing omission.

Ease of Use

Powering on the Bluetooth 5.1 speaker and holding the pair button saw it show up instantly in both iOS and macOS. Pairing was established without a hitch – it's MFI (Made for iPhone) certified, after all – and it didn't drop out as long as the speaker remained within a reasonable range. It also happily hopped between two paired devices depending on which one was playing audio, thanks to its Multipoint feature. Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair are also supported, though I didn't have the hardware to test these.


The B&O iOS app is a free download that works with all of the company's speakers and can be used to upgrade the device's firmware. You can also use it to pair two A1 speakers with each other and enjoy true stereo separation, just bear in mind there's no facility to connect the units to a larger multi-room setup. (AirPlay isn't supported, but B&O did eventually add support in previous models, so I'm hopeful that's to come in the future.)


In addition, the app lets you switch to a handful of presets designed for the A1, titled "Ambient," "Party," "Speech," "Favorite," and "Optimal." You can also create your own by adjusting a circular interface labeled "Bright," "Energetic," "Warm," and "Relaxed." They do make an audible difference, but in the end I settled for the "Optimal" setting, preferring the A1's default sound signature.

Sound Quality

The Beosound's three-microphone array provides excellent speakerphone quality, and had no problem picking up voices from across a room. But it's the sonics that truly impress. Hung aloft, placed on a desk or even on the floor, the A1 disperses sound in all directions with surprising confidence and ease. Its wide angle of projection is actually slightly disorienting at first – one person entered the room wondering where the audio source was hidden, when the speaker was sat in plain sight.

According to B&O, the A1 features the largest woofer in its D class, delivering deeper bass with a Bass SPL of 64dB (2dB more than its predecessor). At 60 watts of power, it effortlessly reproduced Jim Morrison's baritone wail and Krieger's expansive freeway riffs throughout The Doors' "L.A. Woman," while a few tracks from Django Django's eponymous album soon had the coffee table rattling with a clarity and detail that's rare in a speaker of this size.


Switching to some dub techno and dialing up the internal amp using the A1's onboard controls easily overrode the source device's maximum output, but it was almost impossible to induce distortion at high volume, thanks to the responsiveness of B&O's proprietary digital signal processing.

That inevitably puts a limit on the output of the A1, but it can easily exceed comfortable listening levels in a medium-sized living room, and it does sound consistently lovely, especially in the midrange. It's also compatible with SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codecs.


Achieving decent audio separation at this scale is no easy feat, but the A1 dealt with jazz and classical genres with considerable aplomb, with only a handful of deep double bass notes going missing in instrumental tracks from time to time, which is totally forgivable for a unit of this size, with a frequency response of 54Hz - 20kHz.

I took the A1 out to the garden during a kid's birthday party and its detailed sound remained just as confident when pumping out Disney tunes and the like. It performed especially well when hung from a nearby fence via its leather strap, providing great projection across the lawn.


I used the A1 at average volume each afternoon over the course of a week, testing it in a variety of scenarios – between the shower (it has an IP67 waterproof rating), garden, the local park, and my office space. The unit's battery life was easily up to the task, which is no surprise given that it extends up to 24 hours on a single charge.

When the unit's LED light eventually flashed to indicate the battery was approaching its last 10 percent of power, it still lasted an entire afternoon, and when I charged it via the supplied cable, the A1's battery reached full capacity in around an hour. Given what I'd put it through, the advertised "up to 24 hours" charge doesn't seem far fetched at all.

It's worth noting that the A1 features modular architecture designed for a 10-year lifetime and is the first Bluetooth speaker to receive Cradle to Cradle certification. B&O says the certification "aims to support a serviceable, upgradeable, and repairable approach to product design." The company offers a replaceable battery service and up to 5 years warranty with Beocare.

Bottom Line

Overall, the A1 is an extremely impressive-sounding Bluetooth speaker that lives up to its multi-generational reputation. Its thoughtful, stylish aesthetic easily places it above other speakers in the design department, but its audio output is equally attention-grabbing, and beats most premium rivals.

Achieving bass-rich clarity and sonic detail from such a small unit is a remarkable achievement, and coupled with its balanced dispersion and excellent battery life, the A1 really does live up to the tired old adage that you get what you pay for.

Where to Buy

The Beosound A1 is available in natural aluminum, warn granite, honey tone, and eucalyptus green colors for $399 from Bang & Olufsen's website and authorized resellers.
This article, "Review: $399 Beosound A1 Portable Speaker Shows Why Bang & Olufsen Commands a Premium" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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We wouldn’t think many aspects of iPhone user interface design could be more straightforward than the time picker in the alarm function – but it appears we would be wrong …

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Apple TV+ has been having its best year ever, and shows no signs of letting up. The fall lineup on Apple TV+ is easily the streamer’s strongest to date, and it all kicks off in September. Major returning series like Slow Horses and The Morning Show are big highlights, but Apple also has two movies and an intriguing new crime thriller series premiering. Here’s everything new coming to Apple TV+ in September.

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The last 11-inch MacBook Air model ever made has now been declared officially obsolete by Apple, some nine years after it was last sold by the company.

The smallest of Apple’s MacBooks had long proved a popular choice with many, for two different reasons …

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Apple has previewed its third retail location in India, Apple Hebbal.


The new store is located at Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru. Apple Hebbal spans approximately 8,000 square feet and is staffed by 70 employees representing 15 states across India, according to Apple. It joins Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in Delhi.

Apple Hebbal features a unified Genius Bar and Pickup counter, merging Apple's technical support and online order collection services into a single area. This two-in-one area has rolled out in a handful of new and renovated stores over the past year.


To mark the occasion, Apple released a downloadable set of exclusive wallpapers themed around the store's peacock feather-inspired design, along with a curated Apple Music playlist featuring artists from Bengaluru. The store officially opens to the public at 1 p.m. on September 2.
This article, "Apple Previews New Store With Unified Genius Bar and Pickup Counter" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Like in previous years, Apple is dropping the price of the MLS Season Pass service as the year progresses. The annual sub is now just $29 for the rest of the 2025 season. That price is further discounted to $25 for Apple TV+ subscribers.

The price change affects the 2025 season pass only, the monthly plan price remains the same. The price will return to its usual $99 at the beginning of the 2026 season.

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Apple’s commitment to end-to-end encryption is so strong that it withdrew a key privacy feature from the UK market rather than be forced to compromise it globally. The company also faced pressure on this front from the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

In a surprising twist, the White House came out in support of strong encryption, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is now urging Apple and other tech giants to stand firm on the issue …

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Labor Day has arrived and we are tracking a sizable collection of notable discounts over at 9to5Toys across both Apple’s current lineup and some previous-gen gear. There is as much as $300 off just about all of the most popular M4 MacBook Pro models and $200 in savings on M4 MacBook Air, alongside discounts across the M3 iPad Air and iPad mini 7 lineups. Deals on AirPods 4 are also up for grabs today with the base set coming very close to the lowest price we have tracked all-time and there are even some notable iPhone 15/16 Pro discounts for folks not looking to upgrade to iPhone 17 next week. Head below for a closer look at this year’s best Labor Day Apple deals, followed by a series of discounts on accessories for all of it, HomeKit gear, e-bikes, power stations, and much more.

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Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said back in March that he expected the iPhone Fold to have Touch ID on the side button rather than using Face ID. He has today reiterated this.

While there have been some suggestions that Apple might use an in-display ultrasonic Touch ID sensor, Kuo says this is “unlikely” …

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A dedicated Pickup counter has been one of the most notable changes in Apple store designs over the last few years, giving a faster service to those customers who have ordered a product for in-store collection.

First launched in 2021, the very latest Apple store design has combined this with the Genius Bar in a single counter …

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Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is standing by his prediction that Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature Touch ID integrated into the side button rather than an under-display fingerprint sensor.


In a post on X (Twitter) today, Kuo referenced his March forecast for the rumored 2026 device: "Six months ago, I predicted the foldable iPhone would use side-button Touch ID." Kuo goes on:

"There are now market rumors that it will adopt an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, but I think that's unlikely. It's expected that Luxshare ICT will supply the side-button Touch ID module for the foldable iPhone."

Kuo's original prediction outlined a book-style foldable iPhone with an approximately 7.8-inch inner display and 5.5-inch outer screen, priced between $2,000 and $2,500. He suggested Apple would skip Face ID authentication to save internal space in the folded design. Apple has already used side button-integrated Touch ID for the iPad Air and iPad mini, so the design choice is not unprecedented.

Camera-wise, the foldable iPhone is expected to include a dual-lens rear camera, with a front-facing camera for both folded and unfolded states, according to Kuo.

• 2026 Foldable iPhone: All the Leaks So Far

Both Kuo and fellow analyst Jeff Pu say mass production is planned for the second half of 2026. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has said he expects the device to be launched next year in the fall season.
This article, "Foldable iPhone Under-Screen Touch ID Rumor Dismissed by Analyst" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs.


We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else.

iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, as those devices are not compatible with iOS 26.

iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer.

Following months of beta testing, iOS 26 is finally nearing a release, with the update likely to be made available to the general public around the middle of September.

iOS Version	Release Date
iOS 18	Monday, September 16, 2024
iOS 17	Monday, September 18, 2023
iOS 16	Monday, September 12, 2022
iOS 15	Monday, September 20, 2021
iOS 14	Wednesday, September 16, 2020

This article, "Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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