Apple News
Apple’s iPhone air may be ultra-thin, but it’s incredibly strong thanks to its grade 5 titanium frame
Featuring a breakthrough design with pro performance, iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone ever made at 5.6mm, and it is incredibly light, with a large, stunning display. The grade 5 titanium frame is strong, with an elegant high-gloss mirror finish, and a new plateau on the back that is precision-milled on both sides to house the cameras, speaker, and Apple silicon. This maximizes space for the battery to deliver remarkable all-day battery life. The thin design also features the Action button, so users can easily access a variety of functions with just a press, and Camera Control, to quickly launch the camera or enable visual intelligence.
The stunning 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display features ProMotion, with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and stunning graphics. The Always-On display shows important information at a glance, and when not in use, it efficiently adjusts down to 1Hz. iPhone Air is easy to use outside with 3000 nits peak outdoor brightness — the highest ever on iPhone — and 2x better outdoor contrast.
iPhone Air also introduces the Ceramic Shield 2 front cover, which is tougher than any smartphone glass or glass-ceramic with a new Apple-designed coating, providing 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare. For the very first time, Ceramic Shield now protects the back of iPhone, including the plateau, delivering 4x better resistance to cracks than the back glass on previous models. And with the strong titanium frame, iPhone Air exceeds Apple’s stringent bend strength requirements. This design makes iPhone Air more durable than any previous iPhone.
Andrew Orr for AppleInsider:
After the iPhone 17 event, Apple executives John Ternus and Greg Joswiak joined a podcast where the topic of bendgate came up again. Ternus said the iPhone Air is stronger than any earlier iPhone, pointing to its Grade 5 titanium build, tougher Ceramic Shield 2, and IP68 water resistance.
Apple machines the enclosure from a single piece of metal, which removes the weak spots that seams or joints often create. During the podcast taping, Joswiak tossed his personal iPhone Air across a table toward a reporter.
The phone bounced, landed unscathed, and was then handed over with a grin. Joswiak challenged him to try bending it. Under the cameras, the reporter gave it everything he had.
The iPhone Air flexed slightly but snapped back flat without a crack… Both Apple execs explained that the phone is designed to flex a little under load and then recover instantly.
MacDailyNews Take: Despite its ultra-thinness, iPhone Air is a smartphone that can withstand in-pocket stress and accidental drops better than any other previous iPhone.
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Senior AI and search exec Robby Walker latest to leave Apple
Apple’s Robby Walker, a top AI executive at the iPhone maker, is departing the company, according to Bloomberg News reporter Mark Gurman, who cited sources familiar with the matter.
Walker, one of the few direct reports to AI head John Giannandrea, previously oversaw Siri until earlier this year, when responsibility for the voice assistant transferred to software chief Craig Federighi. The shift followed the public delay of promised Siri updates, representing a notable setback.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
After leaving the Siri role, Walker became one of the top Apple executives working on a new AI-powered web search system to compete with Perplexity and ChatGPT. It’s scheduled to debut next year.
He’s currently the senior director in charge of the company’s Answers, Information and Knowledge team. Walker is planning to leave Apple next month, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the move hasn’t been announced.
In an internal meeting in March, Walker pushed back against criticism about Siri’s feature delays, while acknowledging they were embarrassing.
MacDailyNews Take: The exodus continues.
Half a decade after Steve Jobs’ death, people are beginning to see the results of the lack of a charismatic, focused leader. You cannot go from Steve Jobs to someone who “doesn’t like people arguing” and not cause a profound culture change. – MacDailyNews, April 10, 2017
If he retired today, Tim Cook’s Apple would be known for coasting along on Steve Jobs’ innovations, rolling up tremendous profits that any halfway competent CEO would have accrued (or more), and devolving into being lazy, sloppy and routinely late. That’s a great legacy, Tim. — MacDailyNews, April 10, 2018
See also:
• Apple’s brain drain continues as lead AI robotics researcher leaves for Meta – September 2, 2025
• Brain drain: Apple loses fourth AI researcher to Meta Platforms – July 29, 2025
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Apple brings back the mmWave 5G antenna window on U.S. iPhone 17 Pro models
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models sold in the U.S. have an antenna window on the top edge to support mmWave 5G signals. The standard iPhone 17 lacks this antenna window, and the iPhone Air does not support mmWave 5G, so it also does not feature the antenna window.
Joe Rossignol for MacRumors:
All of the iPhone 12 through iPhone 15 models are outfitted with this antenna window, made of glass. However, it was not present on any of the iPhone 16 models, which were the first devices to feature the Camera Control button on the bottom-right edge, where the mmWave 5G antenna window was previously located.
iPhone 17 Pro models have a new design with an aluminum unibody, but radio signals cannot pass through metal. The reintroduced antenna window, which likely remains made of glass or perhaps a tougher Ceramic Shield material, allows for mmWave 5G signals to better pass through the frame of the devices for cellular connectivity.
MacDailyNews Take: U.S. iPhone buyers in sports stadiums, airports, and major city business districts, rejoice! For everyone else, enjoy how the antennae window adds visual interest to the iPhone Pro models’ top edge.
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Apple reveals out-of-warranty iPhone Air battery replacement and repair fees
Apple on Friday disclosed its out-of-warranty repair fees for all of the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models, ahead of the devices launching next week.
Joe Rossignol for MacRumors:
Overall, the latest repair fees are not very remarkable, but we do get a look at the costs for the all-new iPhone Air model with an ultra-thin design:
• Cracked screen (front only): $329
• Back glass damage: $159
• Cracked screen and back glass damage: $419
• Battery: $119
• Rear camera: $169
• Other damage: $699
Again, these are out-of-warranty repair fees. If your iPhone has AppleCare+ coverage, the repair fees range from $29 to $99 per incident for all models.
MacDailyNews Note: More info via Apple’s iPhone Repair and Service page here.
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Apple, Google, and Meta race to build the universal translator
Apple, Google, and Meta are leveraging AI advancements to introduce new translation features in their latest devices. Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, unveiled Tuesday, highlight Live Translation as a major feature, with the $250 earbuds hitting stores next week. Real-time language translation is becoming a critical focus in tech as AI reaches the speed of human speech.
For decades, shows like “Star Trek” and novels like “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” have showcased fictional universal translators, capable of seamlessly converting any language into English and vice versa.
Now, those gadgets once limited to works of science fiction are inching close to reality.
During its iPhone unveiling event on Tuesday, Apple included a video of many travelers’ dream scenario. It showed an English-speaking tourist buying flowers in an unnamed Spanish-speaking country. The florist addressed the tourist in Spanish, but what the tourist heard was in clear, coherent English.
“Today all the red carnations are 50% off,” the tourist heard in English in her headphones, at essentially the same time that the clerk was speaking.
The video was marketing material for Apple’s latest AirPods Pro 3, but the feature is one of many of its kind coming from tech companies that also include Google parent Alphabet and Meta, which makes Facebook and Instagram.
For Apple, Live Translation is a key selling point for the AirPods Pro 3, which the company unveiled on Tuesday. The new $250 earbuds go on sale next week, and with Live Translation, users will be able to immediately hear French, German, Portuguese and Spanish translated to English. Live Translation will also arrive as an update to AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 on Monday.
And when two people are speaking to each other wearing AirPods, the conversation can be translated both ways simultaneously inside each user’s headphones. In Apple’s video demo, it looked like two people talking to each other in different languages.
MacDailyNews Note: For those who haven’t seen it, here’s that video (AirPods Pro 3 section starts at the 5:00 mark):
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CNBC’s Jim Cramer speaks with Apple CEO Tim Cook at Corning plant in Kentucky
Jim Cramer joins ‘Squawk on the Street’ from Corning’s Kentucky facility and talks with Apple CEO Tim Cook about what’s new in Apple’s latest iPhone lineup.
Corning is creating the world’s largest and most advanced smartphone glass production line at the Harrodsburg facility. Corning will now dedicate this entire facility to manufacturing for Apple, which will help increase Corning’s manufacturing and engineering workforce in Kentucky by 50 percent. The two companies will also open a new Apple-Corning Innovation Center at the Harrodsburg plant. The Innovation Center will play a key role in the development and engineering of advanced materials and next-generation manufacturing platforms for Apple’s future generations of products.
These projects are part of Apple’s broader commitment to spend and invest more than $600 billion in the U.S. economy over the next four years. This includes Apple’s newly announced American Manufacturing Program (AMP), which will invest across America and incentivize global companies to onshore production and manufacture even more of Apple’s critical components in the United States.
Apple in August announced the American Manufacturing Program that will help fund a major expansion of Apple’s long-standing partnership with Corning, bringing the world’s largest and most advanced smartphone glass production line to a factory in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. The expansion means that soon, every iPhone and Apple Watch sold around the world will be built with Kentucky-made cover glass. The two companies will also open a new Apple-Corning Innovation Center in Kentucky.
MacDailyNews Note: Since the creation of Apple’s U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund in 2017, Apple has invested nearly $500 million in Corning’s Kentucky operations, with billions more spent on glass manufactured in the U.S.
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U.S. FDA approves Apple Watch high blood pressure detection
The Apple Watch’s hypertension, or high blood pressure, detection system, cleared by the U.S. FDA on Thursday, will launch next week. Unveiled at Apple’s early September product event, the feature will be available in 150 countries and regions, including the U.S., Hong Kong, and the EU.
Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch use data from the optical heart sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. The algorithm works passively in the background reviewing data over 30-day periods, and will notify users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension. These notifications provide users with valuable insights into their health as it relates to this widespread condition simply by wearing their Apple Watch, so they can begin making potentially lifesaving behavioral changes, or start treatment to reduce their risk of serious, long-term health events.
Like all of Apple’s health features, hypertension notifications are grounded in rigorous scientific validation. The feature was developed with advanced machine learning and training data from multiple studies totaling over 100,000 participants. Its performance was then validated in a clinical study of over 2,000 participants. While hypertension notifications will not detect all instances of hypertension, with the reach of Apple Watch, the feature is expected to notify over 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension within the first year.
“Hypertension is the leading preventable cause of heart attack and stroke, yet millions remain undiagnosed,” said Harlan Krumholz, MD, SM, cardiologist and scientist at Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital, in a statment. “Making accurate detection easy and part of daily life can help people get care earlier and prevent avoidable harm.”
If users receive a hypertension notification, it is recommended that they log their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff and share the results with their provider at their next visit, which is consistent with the latest American Heart Association guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension.
Hypertension detection will be available on the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3 running watchOS 26 and later.
Samantha Kelly for Bloomberg News:
The tool will use data from the Apple Watch’s optical heart sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to heartbeats over a 30-day time period, according to Apple. The user will be notified if any signs of chronic hypertension, or high blood pressure, are detected and encouraged to share results with a medical provider.
About 1.3 billion adults worldwide are affected by hypertension, a primary risk factor for stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease that can often be modified with lifestyle and medical interventions…
Whoop Inc., the maker of screen-less fitness bands, is actively pushing back on demands from the FDA to disable its own blood pressure tracking tool. The FDA said the new Whoop MG tracker — short for medical grade — is operating as a medical device but doesn’t have certification for blood pressure tracking.
MacDailyNews Take: FDA-approved hypertension detection will sell significantly more Apple Watches and, most importantly, Apple Watch will save even more lives!
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Apple postpones iPhone Air release in China as CCP keeps a tight grip on eSIMs
Apple is likely to postpone iPhone Air shipments in China, its thinnest model yet, as it addresses regulatory hurdles with local authorities regarding the embedded SIM. On Friday morning, Apple updated iPhone Air ordering details for mainland China, changing the original launch schedule to “release information to be updated later.” Previously, pre-orders were set to begin at 8pm Friday local time, with deliveries starting September 19th.
The Chinese Communist Party’s strict control over eSIM technology in China stems from a combination of regulatory, security, and surveillance priorities, particularly through the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Unlike physical SIM cards, which require in-person verification and can be easily monitored, eSIMs enable remote activation and carrier switching, posing challenges to the state’s oversight of telecommunications.
Coco Feng for South China Morning Post:
At 5.6mm thick, the iPhone Air requires an eSIM. [There is no physical SIM tray.] The other new models introduced earlier this week – the basic iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max – are still set for release [in mainland China] from September 19, as pre-orders begin Friday evening, according to Apple’s website.
Apple representatives told Chinese media that it was “working closely with regulatory authorities to bring it to China as soon as possible”.
Apple said all three state-owned telecommunications network operators – China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom – would “provide eSIM support [with] specific timing subject to regulatory approval”. It previously only tapped China Unicom for the function.
China Mobile posted on microblogging site Weibo on Wednesday that the company had “enabled eSIM services for mobile phones”, but that details regarding the launch date “would be announced separately”.
In a post on the social media platform RedNote earlier this week, the Beijing branch of China Telecom announced that it would launch the eSIM service on September 19, the original shipping date for the iPhone Air. The post has since been removed.
MacDailyNews Take: The CCP’s lust for control belies an acute lack of confidence. If their ideas were strong, they wouldn’t need to eliminate vectors for differing viewpoints.
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Apple TV+ renews global hit, epic sci-fi saga ‘Foundation’ for season four
Ahead of the season finale of “Foundation” season three, Apple TV+ today announced that the hit, Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh sci-fi epic has been renewed for a fourth season, with production set to begin in early 2026. Based on Isaac Asimov’s award-winning stories and produced by Paramount Television Studios, the third season of “Foundation” has drawn praise from critics and audiences around the world from week to week, and has been celebrated as “the gold standard for all science fiction programming.” The season three finale of “Foundation” debuts globally this Friday, September 12, 2025 on Apple TV+.
“There is no series quite like ‘Foundation’ and we feel lucky and honored to be carrying the torch forward as co-showrunners into season four,” say co-showrunners and executive producers Ian Goldberg and David Kob in a statement. “We look forward to continuing the epic, emotional storytelling that defined the first three seasons of the show, and to be working alongside some of the most talented, passionate creative partners in the business.”
“It’s been fantastic to watch ‘Foundation’ become such a global phenomenon, with fans tuning in from every corner of the world,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming, Apple TV+, in a statement. “With each new season, the excitement around this trailblazing sci-fi epic just keeps building due to the bold storytelling and collective artistry of this extraordinarily talented cast and creative team. We’re excited to keep exploring this universe together in season four.”
Continuously touted as “visually stunning,” “breathtaking,” a “must-see TV event” and “one of TV’s most expansive sci-fi epics,” “Foundation” season three stars Emmy-nominated actors Jared Harris and Lee Pace, as well as Lou Llobell. Season three of “Foundation” also introduced new characters and stars, including Emmy Award winner Cherry Jones, Brandon P. Bell, Synnøve Karlsen, Cody Fern, Tómas Lemarquis, Alexander Siddig, Academy Award winner Troy Kotsur and Pilou Asbæk. The series also stars returning cast members Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton, Terrence Mann and Rowena King.
“Foundation” is produced for Apple by Paramount Television Studios. Goldberg and Kob serve as co-showrunners and executive producers for season four alongside Bill Bost, Pace, Michael Satrazemis, Robyn Asimov and David S. Goyer.
In season three, The Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings while the Cleonic Dynasty’s Empire has dwindled. As both of these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as “The Mule,” whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force, as well as mind control. It’s anyone’s guess who will win, who will lose, who will live and who will die as Hari Seldon, Gaal Dornick, the Cleons and Demerzel play a potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess.
In this week’s finale episode, “The Darkness,” Gaal and the Second Foundation take the flight to the Mule as the Emperor’s legacy suffers a catastrophic blow.
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 612 wins and 2,799 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
MacDailyNews Take: That was quick!
See also: Fate of Apple TV+’s ambitious science fiction series ‘Foundation’ in doubt – September 11, 2025, 3:03 pm
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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Analyst sentiment on Apple hits five-year low after two downgrades
On Thursday, Apple Inc. faced two analyst downgrades, signaling growing investor wariness toward the iPhone giant, whose shares have significantly lagged behind other major technology stocks in 2025.
Following these moves, Apple’s consensus recommendation score—a measure reflecting the balance of buy, hold, and sell ratings—fell to 3.9 on a scale of 5, marking its weakest level since early 2020, based on Bloomberg data.
Only 55% of Bloomberg-tracked analysts now rate the stock as a buy, a notably low figure among megacap peers; in contrast, Nvidia Corp., Microsoft Corp., and Amazon.com Inc. all exceed 90% buy ratings.
Ryan Vlastelica for Bloomberg News:
D.A. Davidson cut the stock to neutral from buy, a move that follows product announcements earlier this week that failed to assuage concerns about the company’s position with artificial intelligence.
“While we were initially excited about the prospects of Apple’s role in the AI ecosystem and potential major upgrade cycle, it has become clear to us that neither of those are likely to come to fruition in the near-term,” wrote analyst Gil Luria.
The new products, including a thinner iPhone, “left us uninspired,” he wrote. “Until they can redefine their current products or develop compelling new ones, we believe growth will remain constrained under the status quo.”
That rally is the reason for the second downgrade, to reduce from neutral at Phillip Securities, according to analyst Helena Wang. She added that the firm maintains “a cautious outlook,” in part because it has “no significant AI innovation to help with persistent weakness in products and the China market.”
MacDailyNews Take: Two crap, third-rate, no-name, know-nothing “analysts” trying to gin up some churn. We’ll take whatever the negative sentiment can offer and profit from it.
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
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Paramount Skydance prepares Ellison-backed bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount Skydance is preparing a majority cash bid to acquire all of Warner Bros. Discovery — including its cable networks and movie studio — that would be backed by the Ellison family, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The proposed offer has not yet been formally submitted, and the plans could still collapse, the report added.
The news, which comes just weeks after Skydance’s $8.4 billion merger with Paramount Global, sent Warner Bros. Discovery shares surging as much as 33% on Thursday.
Zaheer Kachwala and Dawn Chmielewski for Reuters:
David Ellison is the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, whose 40% stake in cloud giant Oracle has propelled him to No. 2 on the global billionaires list. A long-time ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, Larry Ellison is likely to leverage his formidable wealth as well as political heft in Washington to close such a deal.
The Ellison family has been instrumental in financing Skydance’s expansion. Analysts have noted that any acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery would likely require significant private financing, given the size of the deal and the limitations of Paramount Skydance’s balance sheet.
Warner Bros Discovery had a market capitalization of about $30 billion before news of the potential offer broke. Ellison, 81, saw his fortune rise earlier this week by close to $100 billion and on Thursday was worth more than $360 billion, according to Forbes.
If successful, such a deal would likely face antitrust scrutiny, as it would bring together Warner Bros – a media giant in its own right with assets like HBO Max, “Barbie,” and the Harry Potter franchise as well as cable networks like CNN – and Skydance Paramount’s film studio, CBS News, and streaming service Paramount+.
The potential bid underscores intensifying competition in the media sector, as traditional players race to gain scale and strengthen their streaming services as TV viewership declines. They also face heightened competition from technology giants Apple and Amazon, which have launched competing streaming services, and are using their deep financial resources to attract top talent and acquire sports rights.
MacDailyNews Take: Consolidation.
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Apple TV+ announces season two for award-winning series ‘Berlin ER’
Apple TV+, in co-production with ZDF, on Thursday announced an eight-episode season two renewal for the fast-paced German-language series “Berlin ER” (“KRANK Berlin”). The gritty, German Television Award Best Drama winner is created by former emergency room physician turned screenwriter Samuel Jefferson, and stars Haley Louise Jones (“Dear Child,” “Paradise”) and Slavko Popadić (“Crooks”).
Since its debut, the series, co-created by Viktor Jakovleski, has received global acclaim, hailed as “riveting,” “exhilarating,” “the most exciting” and “engaging medical drama of recent years.” The “dynamic” and “cutting-edge” drama features “immersive filming and tight editing,” plus a “first-rate” cast giving “honest performances and a great showcase of the chaos and emotional toil of the ER,” while keeping audiences holding their “breath to see what transpires.” As each new episode of “Berlin ER” debuted week-to-week on Apple TV+, the series received continuous praise from critics and fans around the world, and currently holds a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
In season one, managing a chaotic emergency room in the toughest and most overcrowded hospital in Berlin is no small task for the young Dr. Parker (Jones), who is seeking a fresh start in the big city after her private life implodes in Munich. When she tries to implement necessary reforms, Dr. Parker is confronted with resistance from the underpaid, ill-equipped and chronically fatigued hospital staff who only survive with an indispensable dose of black humor. But in the face of an increasingly merciless health care system, the battered team must put aside their differences and pull together to save lives.
“Berlin ER” stars Jones and Popadić alongside an ensemble cast that includes Şafak Şengül (“Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush”), Samirah Breuer (“The Gryphon”), Bernhard Schütz (“Barbarians”), Peter Lohmeyer (“I Don’t Work Here”) and Benjamin Radjaipour (“No Hard Feelings”).
The freshman season of “Berlin ER” landed six German Television Award nominations, including Best Drama Series; Best Actress Haley Louise Jones; Best Actor Slavko Popadić; Best Director Alex Schaad and Fabian Möhrke; Best Cinematography Tim Kuhn and Jieun Yi; and Best Editing Gesa Jäger, Julia Kovalenko, Adrienne Hudson and Bobby Good. “Berlin ER” landed wins for Best Drama Series and Best Cinematography.
Hailing from Violet Pictures and Real Film Berlin, “Berlin ER” is produced for Apple TV+ and ZDF, with Violet Pictures’ Alexis von Wittgenstein (“Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood”) and Real Film’s Emmy Award-nominated Henning Kamm (“Unorthodox”) serving as executive producers.
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 612 wins and 2,799 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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Fate of Apple TV+’s ambitious science fiction series ‘Foundation’ in doubt
Based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov, “Foundation” chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire.
The cast of “Foundation” has shared a fresh, if frustrating, update on the potential for a fourth season: they still have no idea if it’s happening.
Stars Lou Llobell (Gaal Dornick) and Tómas Lemarquis (Magnifico Giganticus) told TechRadar that, despite rumors of an internal greenlight earlier this year, they remain in the dark as the third season finale airs on September 12th.
Llobell expressed cautious optimism about reaching the originally planned eight-season arc, but admitted, “We’re the last to find out.”
Meanwhile, Apple has yet to make any official announcement on the renewal, even as “Foundation” —the visually stunning adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s novels — wraps its critically acclaimed third outing with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score for season two and strong buzz for the latest.
A February report suggested the streamer had quietly approved season four with new showrunner Ian Goldberg (“Fear the Walking Dead”) and a writers’ room already underway, but the silence persists.
Fans hoping for more galactic intrigue amid the Empire’s fall will have to wait—and hope—for clarity soon.
The pair’s comments come three months after Llobell and Jared Harris said they had no idea if “Foundation” season 4 was in development. Indeed, speaking to me in late June ahead of “Foundation” season 3’s debut in mid-July, Llobell and Harris were being kept in the dark over the space opera’s possible renewal.
“No,” Lemarquis bluntly replied when I asked if he’d heard anything about a fourth installment of the Apple TV+ show. Thankfully, Llobell was a bit more forthcoming in what she did – or, rather, didn’t know – about Foundation’s possible return on one of the world’s best streaming services.
“I wish I had more news for you,” Llobell said. “When I know, hopefully you will, too.”
MacDailyNews Take: Deadline in February reported that “Foundation” season 4 is “on the way,” with new show runner Goldberg. Hopefully, that’s the case.
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Apple executives explain the ‘shockingly thin’ iPhone Air
Apple on Tuesday debuted the all-new iPhone Air, the thinnest iPhone ever made, with pro performance. iPhone Air features a breakthrough titanium design that is elegant and light yet strong, with an innovative internal architecture that enables the latest iPhone experiences.
The back of iPhone Air is now protected with Ceramic Shield, and the front cover uses Ceramic Shield 2, delivering 3x better scratch resistance, making iPhone Air more durable than any previous iPhone.
iPhone Air also features a stunning 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120Hz. With the most Apple-designed chips in an iPhone — the powerhouse A19 Pro, N1, and C1X — iPhone Air is the most power-efficient iPhone ever made. Paired with the redesigned internal architecture and software optimizations, iPhone Air has fantastic all-day battery life.
A powerful 48MP Fusion Main camera enables the equivalent of four lenses with incredible image quality, and the innovative 18MP Center Stage front camera takes selfies to the next level.
iPhone Air is available in four finishes: space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue.
Sam Schube for The Wall Stret Journal:
The Air is exactly what it sounds like: a razor-thin phone. “It’s something that we dreamed about for a long time,” [Apple’s vice president of industrial design Molly] Anderson said, “to make just an incredibly, shockingly thin iPhone.”
Strong words, but hard to argue with: At 5.6mm, front to back, the Air is thinner than a Cartier “Love” bracelet in “classic” size and only a touch thicker than three quarters stacked together—an iPhone for the Ozempic era.
“It does seem like it’s going to fly away when you’re holding it,” Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in a one-on-one interview a few hours after his keynote. As Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of human interface design and Anderson’s co-leader of the whole design crew put it, the Air represents another step “towards that singular piece of glass that Steve Jobs talked about back in the day.”
In conversation, Anderson referred a few times to the idea that a phone isn’t a thing you merely have or use, but something you wear. In that spirit, alongside the Air, Apple is releasing a series of cases and cross-body straps that will allow owners to turn their phones into proper accessories.
“When something becomes so much a part of you, it needs to reflect your style,” Cook said. “We’re saying this product is so personal that it needs to reflect you. And you are the best person to decide what that means.”
Unlike the more textured Pro models, the Air’s surface is polished to a highly reflective shine, which Anderson said helps make the device look even thinner. And perhaps more distinctive. “Being able to bring that kind of luster evokes a different sense of what the phone is and how people use it and how they wear it,” she said.
MacDailyNews Note: Here’s iPhone Air with it’s Crossbody Strap:
Apple’s new $59 Crossbody Strap for iPhone
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Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are the best-looking designs in years
Apple on Tuesday introduced iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max with a striking new design that delivers a dramatic leap in performance.
Both models feature A19 Pro, the most powerful and efficient chip for iPhone yet, enabling the advanced camera systems, next-level mobile gaming, and Apple Intelligence. Built with an Apple-designed vapor chamber that is laser-welded into a strong, light, and thermally conductive aluminum unibody, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max deliver Apple’s best-ever performance and an enormous leap in battery life.
Three 48MP Fusion cameras — Main, Ultra Wide, and an all-new Telephoto — offer the equivalent of eight lenses, including the longest optical-quality zoom ever on iPhone at 8x, and the innovative 18MP Center Stage front camera takes selfies to the next level.
Both models feature the Ceramic Shield 2 front cover with 3x better scratch resistance, and for the first time, Ceramic Shield protects the back of iPhone. iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are available in three beautiful new finishes — deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver.
Jamie Richards for TechRadar:
[T]o be honest, on first hearing about these changes, I was the furthest thing from a fan. I thought the enlarged camera housing was an uncharacteristic move from Apple’s typically minimalist design departments, and the two-tone effect never quite made sense to me after nearly two decades of sleek, single-color designs.
But looking at the images from our hands-on iPhone 17 Pro preview and hands-on iPhone 17 Pro Max preview, I’ve got to admit that I’ve had a change of heart. That’s partly because the final product is much more refined than the mockups and renders we’d seen previously, but mainly because we now know the story behind some of these design choices… [W]ith the knowledge shared during Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max’s redesigns make a lot more sense.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
The camera plateau, for example, has been raised from the rest of the rear panel to give the phone more internal space to fit a larger battery. Considering that the iPhone 16 Pro Max already featured a protruding camera housing, this actually seems like a fairly logical move – we’re long past the point of phones lying flat on tables, and battery life is plainly more important than shaving a few millimeters off of the phone’s thickness.
The two-tone panel has a similar story. The smaller glass area on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max is courtesy of an expanded aluminum chassis, which replaces last year’s titanium rails to offer better heat dissipation. It’s a functional move that also gives the phone a more rugged, industrial appearance… It helps that the “two-tone” effect is really quite a bit more subtle than some tipsters had suggested…
MacDailyNews Take: The new design of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max is meant to maximize performance and deliver a significant leap in battery life – plus they look great!
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Apple’s live translation feature for AirPods won’t be available in the EU at launch
With the release of AirPods Pro 3, Live Translation also comes to AirPods, making face-to-face conversations easier by helping users connect even if they don’t speak the same language. But, the feature won’t be coming to the EU right at launch.
For users outside of the EU, Live Translation enables in-person communication across select languages and is available in beta. This transformational, hands-free capability is powered by computational audio and Apple Intelligence to help people easily connect — whether they’re traveling to a new place, collaborating at work or school, or simply catching up with the people who matter most.
Live Translation helps users understand another language and communicate with others by speaking naturally with AirPods. To interact with someone who doesn’t have this hands-free capability, there’s an option to use iPhone as a horizontal display, showing the live transcription of what the user is saying in the other person’s preferred language. When the other person responds, their speech is translated into the user’s preferred language with AirPods.
It’s even more useful for longer conversations when both users are wearing their own AirPods with Live Translation enabled from their iPhone. ANC on AirPods lowers the volume of the other person speaking so that it’s easier to focus on the translation while staying connected in the interaction.
Live Translation on AirPods is available in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, and will be coming to four more languages by the end of the year: Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified).
On its official page detailing the features available on iOS 26, the company said EU residents or those with EU Apple IDs won’t be able to use live translation, which is powered by Apple Intelligence and will also be coming to AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2.
This is likely due to the EU’s stringent rules around user data protection, outlined in laws such as the GDPR and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as well as the EU AI Act, which is currently being rolled out.
Apple had to delay the release of some AI features in the EU due to these regulations last year, with users in the EU getting access to some features only in March 2025.
MacDailyNews Take: If the EU wants to over-regulate, it should expect delays.
As we wrote long ago:
[W]e usually prefer the government to be hands-off wherever possible, Laissez-faire… Regulations are static and the marketplace is fluid, so extensive regulations can have unintended, unforeseen results down the road. – MacDailyNews, June 9, 2006
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Apple TV+ draws A-list talent and awards by taking creative risks
Only six years after Apple TV+ burst onto the Hollywood scene, the tech giant is primed for a major moment at Sunday’s Emmy Awards.
The service racked up a record 81 nominations across 14 programs this year, marking Apple’s best performance yet at television’s premier honors. Awards insiders are buzzing that its mind-bending sci-fi thriller “Severance”—which snagged 27 nods, the most of any series—and biting Hollywood sendup “The Studio” (with 23 nominations, tying the record for a comedy) are heavy favorites to claim Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series, respectively.
Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski for Reuters:
The company known for its carefully cultivated image has taken chances on unconventional stories, trusted script writers and provided creative freedom, according to producers, writers and actors who have worked with Apple TV+.
Its approach has helped Apple attract A-list talent and elevated its reputation in Hollywood.
Actor Seth Rogen said one reason he brought “The Studio” to Apple TV+ was because of the latitude provided on another comedy of his, “Platonic.” … “They were not as corporate overlord-y as maybe I was worried they were going to be.”
Apple has increased spending on original programming to $4.9 billion this year, from $660 million in 2019, according to Ampere Analysis. That investment has helped Apple TV+ reach about 60 million subscribers, according to Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, who believes the service is likely breaking even. Apple TV+ does not disclose subscriber numbers or financial details.
Now, Apple TV+ is considered a top Hollywood destination, said Endeavor talent agency co-founder Rick Rosen. “They’ve shown a lot of patience, and they’ve really built a very high-quality slate that’s gotten people’s attention,” Rosen said.
Recent TV achievements follow success for Apple’s original movies, which play in theaters before heading to Apple TV+. “Coda” won the best picture Oscar in 2022, and Brad Pitt racing drama “F1: The Movie” was a summer box-office hit.
MacDailyNews Take: And, surely, the money Apple pays isn’t bad, either!
Those who can wrap their heads around Apple’s massive cash mountain and the company’s unparalleled ability to generate cash can clearly see who the winner will be. The most talented producers, writers, directors, editors, actors, etc. are attracted to exactly what Apple has and makes in vast abundance: Cash. The king.
Like bears to honey, it’s happening already. — MacDailyNews, January 3, 2018
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Apple tolls the death knell for physical SIM cards
Apple’s latest iPhone Air marks a milestone as the company’s first smartphone to launch with exclusive eSIM support for cellular connectivity worldwide, forgoing any physical SIM card slot found in nearly all competing devices for linking to mobile carriers.
For consumers in the US, this is nothing new. Apple ditched SIM cards with the iPhone 14 generation three years ago. Rather than make buyers manually fiddle around with the tiny plastic card containing their wireless account info, eSIM achieves the same end result through software. An embedded SIM card within the phone can be programmed with your wireless number after you’ve completed the setup process with your carrier. Typically, it can all be done in under five minutes.
Outside the US, however, consumers still default to the thought that their handset and mobile service contract are separate entities. In China and other locales across Asia, having slots for multiple cards is an expected feature. And indeed, Apple has continued to support those habits with each new iPhone model. But that’s changing with the iPhone Air.
Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Steven Tseng and Sean Chen attribute the sluggish adoption in China to the country’s strict policies around technology and security. Only one carrier, China Unicom, currently supports eSIM, and customers must activate the feature in person, which undermines the promise of convenience. According to an online support document, Apple will be adhering to stringent regulations with the specific iPhone Air model that’s shipping to China: eSIMs from carriers based outside the country cannot be installed whenever users are in the mainland…
[I]f the iPhone Air turns out to be a hit despite its eSIM-only design, other phone makers will have less incentive to preserve the physical SIM card. Much in the way Apple led the mobile industry’s removal of the headphone jack, it seems on track to nudge these tiny plastic SIMs to extinction as well.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ve never had an issue with an eSIM, whether in the States or traveling. It’s up to China to catch up, not for the rest of the modern world to handicap itself for the sake of compatibility with the CCP’s myriad authoritarian regulations.
Apple’s support document, “Using eSIM with your iPhone in China mainland” currently states, “When traveling outside of China mainland, you can activate an eSIM from a local carrier on your iPhone Air, model A3518 that was purchased in China mainland. To do so, you must have location services enabled. eSIMs from non-China mainland carriers can’t be installed while located in China mainland.”
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Apple’s iPhone Air is an AI-driven mission in disguise
Apple on Tuesday debuted the all-new iPhone Air, the thinnest iPhone ever made, with pro performance. iPhone Air features a breakthrough titanium design that is elegant and light yet strong, with an innovative internal architecture that enables the latest iPhone experiences.
The back of iPhone Air is now protected with Ceramic Shield, and the front cover uses Ceramic Shield 2, delivering 3x better scratch resistance, making iPhone Air more durable than any previous iPhone.
iPhone Air also features a stunning 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120Hz. With the most Apple-designed chips in an iPhone — the powerhouse A19 Pro, N1, and C1X — iPhone Air is the most power-efficient iPhone ever made. Paired with the redesigned internal architecture and software optimizations, iPhone Air has fantastic all-day battery life.
A powerful 48MP Fusion Main camera enables the equivalent of four lenses with incredible image quality, and the innovative 18MP Center Stage front camera takes selfies to the next level.
iPhone Air is available in four finishes: space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue.
The Air effectively replaces the Plus, which historically accounted for 5%–7% of iPhone shipments. With a sharper price and the novelty effect, analysts expect the $999 starting point to drive upgrades.
Making a device this thin without killing the battery is an AI-driven mission in disguise. Why? Because on-device AI is a notorious power hog. The hardware innovation in Apple’s A19 Pro chip paves the way for a device ready for the AI apps age.
As my colleague Stephen Nellis explains, this new chip contains a bevy of features designed to handle AI, including a new graphics processing unit, or GPU, and what Apple calls a “Neural Accelerator” attached to each GPU computing core. Taken together with other parts of the chip that can be tapped for AI, such as the chip’s dedicated Neural Processing Unit, or NPU, Apple is crafting a device where tasks such as generating text or images can be routed to the most power-efficient way to handle them.
Air is an AI hardware test and a precursor for more fun formats including a folding phone. Chinese brands have set expectations around thin slabs and compact foldables, and Apple has been lagging there. If the Air delivers credible battery life and a satisfying camera, it could be a differentiator in hyper-competitive markets like China.
MacDailyNews Take: If iPhone Air can be this powerful with “all-day” battery life, imagine the capabilities of the iPhone Pro models!
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Apple finally thinks different with new iPhone designs
Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup marks a bold departure from years of iterative designs, introducing three distinct models tailored to different users. The standout iPhone 17 Air, at a sleek 5.64 mm thick and nearly half an ounce lighter than the standard iPhone 17, redefines portability with its ultra-thin profile. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max boast a larger camera island and a new vapor chamber to boost performance and thermal efficiency. These design overhauls necessitated innovative internal components, including Apple’s custom C1X modem and N1 networking chip, ensuring enhanced connectivity and power across the lineup.
Bob O’Donnell for USA Today:
If you’re an iPhone fan, you can’t help but have noticed that the last few years of new iPhone introductions have all looked pretty darn similar. Sure, the technology inside has changed and improved, but from a physical perspective, the overall shape and form factor really hasn’t. Thankfully, after Tuesday’s big Apple product announcement event, things are now very different.
After enduring a stifling sea of sameness in the basic design of the iPhone since the iPhone X, Apple’s new line of iPhone 17s finally brings a very diverse and distinctive breadth of offerings to people looking for an iPhone.
The big attention getter at the event was the highly rumored iPhone Air, which shrinks the thickness of the phone down to just 5.64 mm (versus 7.95 mm for the new iPhone 17 and 8.75 mm for the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max). While the 2.3mm difference between the standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone Air might not sound like much on paper, in your hand it feels (and looks) dramatically different. Toss in the fact that even with a screen that’s 0.2” larger, the Air is also almost a half-ounce lighter than the 17, and, well, you will definitely notice.
On the other hand, the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models have a camera island that stretches across the entire top, back side of the phone as well as a new unibody frame that makes the phones feel both more robust and larger than their predecessors.
The net result is three new, very distinct iPhone designs that not only make the various models easier to tell apart but also make the experience of using them very different… Apple’s latest models are a big departure and, in my view, a big step forward.
MacDailyNews Take: Does The Mother of All iPhone Supercycles loom?
Approximately 452 million iPhone users worldwide currently have devices that are 3 or more years old. This estimate is based on recent market research indicating there are about 1.56 billion active iPhone users as of 2025. Among these, 29% own iPhones held for three years or longer, according to surveys from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) and other analysts. Applying this percentage yields roughly 452 million users (1.56 billion × 0.29). In the U.S., where iPhone penetration is highest (about 155 million users), the proportion is similar, suggesting around 45 million domestic users with older devices.
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