Apple News
Tim Cook’s Apple wasted billions on ‘Apple 2030’ based on now-discredited climate targets
Apple CEO Tim Cook has long positioned “Apple 2030” as a flagship initiative — the company’s ambitious pledge to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire supply chain and product lifecycle by the end of the decade. This has involved massive investments in renewable energy procurement, supplier mandates for clean power, recycled materials research, and extensive environmental reporting. The effort has already consumed billions of dollars in direct spending, opportunity costs, and compliance burdens passed through the supply chain.
Recent developments have pulled the rug out from under the assumptions driving these commitments. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has moved away from its most extreme climate scenarios — the ones that painted doomsday “impossible futures” and justified urgent, aggressive 2030 emissions cuts. These scenarios, long criticized for lacking plausibility checks, are now being treated more as exploratory thought experiments rather than realistic projections. You likely will not hear about this via legacy corporate media in the United States.
At the same time, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) — the key body certifying corporate “science-based” net-zero goals that Apple and many others followed — quietly updated its rules in April 2026. The previous requirement for steep Scope 1 and 2 emissions cuts of around 42% by 2030 (from recent baselines) has been significantly relaxed to roughly half that level for some companies. Scope 3 value-chain reductions were also dialed back. The changes acknowledge that the original near-term targets had become practically unachievable as the deadline approaches, prompting some companies to walk away rather than commit to unrealistic numbers.
Apple’s own 2026 Environmental Progress Report continues to highlight progress — emissions down more than 60% since 2015 — and insists the company remains “closer than ever” to its 2030 goal. Yet the broader framework that made those targets seem scientifically imperative is shifting underfoot.
This reckoning is especially ironic given Tim Cook’s fiery stance at Apple’s 2014 annual shareholder meeting. When a representative from the National Center for Public Policy Research proposed greater transparency and scrutiny of environmental spending — suggesting Apple focus only on initiatives that delivered clear returns — Cook didn’t hold back. He angrily pushed back, stating that considerations like environmental efforts and accessibility go beyond pure ROI. Looking directly at the questioner, Cook declared that if shareholders wanted decisions based solely on financial return, they should sell their Apple stock and leave.
The message was clear: dissent on the green agenda wasn’t welcome. Apple doubled down in the years that followed, announcing the full Apple 2030 plan in 2020 and pressuring suppliers to align with clean-energy commitments. Cook has repeatedly framed these efforts as central to Apple’s innovation and moral responsibility.
Twelve years later, the landscape has changed. The extreme scenarios that underpinned much of the urgency around 2030 deadlines are being walked back, and even the SBTi is loosening its timelines. Apple remains locked into its original public commitments, continuing to spend heavily while competitors allocate resources more directly toward product development, shareholder returns, and core innovation.
Shareholders who stayed despite Cook’s 2014 lecture have watched capital flow into areas now resting on softer scientific ground. The billions directed toward virtue-signaling contracts, audits, and marketing could have funded R&D breakthroughs, major acquisitions, and even more stock buybacks and dividends.
Cook’s passionate defense of Apple’s environmental initiatives now appears as an overcommitment to a narrative that leading institutions are quietly moderating. As the IPCC shelves implausible worst-case projections and corporate target-setters adjust 2030 expectations, Apple finds itself heavily invested in a plan built on assumptions that no longer hold the same weight.
Cook, widely regarded as a brilliant operations executive, got thoroughly duped by the climate-industrial complex. He bought into the “science-based” narrative hook, line, and sinker, committing Apple to the aggressive Apple 2030 carbon-neutrality targets pushed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and underpinned by the IPCC’s most extreme climate scenarios. Those scenarios (which assumed unrealistic economic growth paired with maximal fossil-fuel use and minimal technological adaptation) were sold to corporations as settled science demanding immediate, drastic 2030 emissions cuts. Cook, seemingly eager to burnish Apple’s, and/or his, progressive credentials, publicly tied the company’s reputation and billions of dollars to these goals, strong-arming suppliers and berating skeptical shareholders. What he apparently never did was apply his legendary supply-chain scrutiny to the underlying assumptions. As a result, Apple is now locked into costly long-term renewable contracts, supplier mandates, and public promises built on targets that even the IPCC and SBTi are quietly walking back. Cook didn’t just drink the Kool-Aid — he ordered Apple to chug it by the barrel.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer, and contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
MacDailyNews Take: The real question for Apple’s board and incoming CEO John Ternus is whether they will quietly pivot along with the evolving evidence — or continue pouring resources into a 2030 deadline that the underlying “science-based” rationale is steadily eroding. Shareholders deserve a company laser-focused on creating value through great products, not chasing receding climate targets.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Tim Cook’s Apple wasted billions on ‘Apple 2030’ based on now-discredited climate targets appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple said to allow users to choose rival AI models across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 features
Apple is taking a significant step toward making its AI platform more flexible and user-centric. According to a Bloomberg News report published today, the company plans to let users select and switch between third-party AI models for powering features across Apple Intelligence in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 this fall.
Currently, Apple Intelligence relies primarily on Apple’s own on-device models, with an option to tap into OpenAI’s ChatGPT for more complex requests. Starting with this year’s major OS updates, users will gain the ability to choose from a broader range of outside AI services for tasks such as:
• Generating and editing text
• Creating and manipulating images
• Other generative AI features
This expansion builds on Apple’s strategy of positioning its devices as a comprehensive AI platform while giving users more control and choice.
An “Extensions” menu in Settings is expected to let users assign preferred models (such as xAI’s Grok, Google’s Gemini, or Anthropic’s Claude) to handle specific Apple Intelligence tasks. This approach allows Apple to avoid building every capability in-house while addressing longstanding criticisms of Siri and its relatively limited intelligence compared to dedicated AI assistants.
Why This Matters
• User Choice: Instead of being locked into one provider, iPhone, iPad, and Mac owners can tailor their AI experience.
• Competitive Edge: It positions Apple as an open platform that integrates best-of-breed models rather than trying to compete solely with its own silicon and software.
• Privacy Focus: Apple is expected to maintain its emphasis on on-device processing where possible and user consent for cloud-based models.
• Developer Opportunities: Broader model support could encourage more third-party apps and services to integrate deeply with Apple Intelligence.
Broader iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Context
This news aligns with other reported iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 efforts, including deeper Visual Intelligence integration in the Camera app, performance and quality improvements (echoing the “Snow Leopard” philosophy), and the revolutionary LLM Siri. Apple appears focused on both polishing the foundation and accelerating its own AI ambitions.
Market Reaction
Following the report, Apple shares rose more than 2% in trading, while Alphabet (Google) also gained on expectations of deeper partnerships.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ll likely hear official details at WWDC 2026 in June, with developer betas following shortly after and public releases in September. If the plans hold, iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 could mark the moment Apple Intelligence truly becomes a customizable, multi-model experience rather than a single-vendor showcase.
Apple [should] allow users to choose – gasp! – which AI model they’d like to underpin Siri. – MacDailyNews, January 20, 2026
This is a smart evolution for John Ternus’ Apple — one that balances its legendary control with the reality that the AI landscape is moving too fast for any single company to dominate every use case alone.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Apple said to allow users to choose rival AI models across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 features appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Trump admin looks to ease memory chip crunch with supply chain bloc
The United States is partnering with allies in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East to tackle the global memory chip shortage through a new supply chain coalition, a State Department official told Nikkei Asia on Monday.
The department launched the Pax Silica initiative in December. The coalition aims to secure supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals while reducing reliance on China.
Fourteen countries including India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines have joined the coalition, with Norway set to do so this week, Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic affairs, told Nikkei Asia on the sidelines of the 2026 Milken Institute Global Conference.
The global memory chip supply shortage continues to worsen as the industry struggles to keep pace with skyrocketing demand boosted by artificial intelligence, weighing on tech companies big and small from AI chipmakers to Apple.
The Trump administration looks to address the memory chip crunch by leveraging the supply chain coalition, particularly with Asian allies such as South Korea.
“Addressing the memory shortage is, for us, a key priority to advance through the Pax Silica initiative,” Helberg said. “It’s possible for us to partner in a bilateral and plurilateral way with an excellent framework to actually spin up projects that help us move the needle.”
One example of that partnership, Helberg said, is the 4,000-acre industrial hub being set up on the Philippine island of Luzon by Washington and Manila.
Helberg will lead a delegation of U.S. officials and business leaders to the Philippines later this month to discuss details of the use of the massive industrial park.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is expected to visit Beijing on May 14-15, and supply chain issues including semiconductor and rare-earth export controls could be discussed when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“President Trump will be heading to Beijing with the American delegation with maximum optionality and leverage because he has really positioned the United States to enhance its position at many different layers of the supply chain,” Helberg said. “The president can actually have a very productive and fruitful trip to China, while at the same time continuing to make progress on all of our supply chain security initiatives,” he said.
MacDailyNews Note: More info about Pax Silica via the U.S. Department of State here.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Trump admin looks to ease memory chip crunch with supply chain bloc appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple TV 4K, released in 2022, is still the fastest streaming device on the market, bar none – Vice
What you’re looking at is the third-generation Apple TV 4K. Apple launched it back in 2022, and it’s still going strong. Unlike the real apples we sometimes bring home from the store — which seem to spoil somewhere between the checkout line and my kitchen counter — this one has impressive staying power. Three and a half years on the market, and the Apple TV 4K (3rd gen) shows no signs of going bad.
In fact it’s nearly as fresh as the day it fell off the Apple tree. The Apple TV 4K is still the fastest streaming device on the market, bar none.
The Apple TV 4K is blisteringly fast. Of all the streaming devices I’ve ever used, it’s the fastest. It’s downright telepathic. Actions on screen seem to happen at the very instant I’d press a button on the Apple TV 4K’s beautifully sculpted bare aluminum remote. And it’s a slickly designed interface, if a bit clinically soulless and more obtuse to navigate than Roku’s…
It may be easy to dismiss the speed of menu navigation on a streaming device as beside the point, a sideshow from what really matters: speed while streaming. But you’ll spend a lot of time navigating through menus. Every time you fire up your TV, in fact. Even just a slight delay saved each time you press a button or scroll through a home screen adds up to a major savings in annoyance and time when you multiply it by tens of thousands of times over the lifetime of the device…
The Apple TV 4K is for speed demons, people who love Apple’s stripped-down and clean aesthetic in both hardware design and software UI.
MacDailyNews Take: The Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) was released on November 4, 2022. More than three years later, Apple TV 4K is still far and way the best streaming device on the market, period.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Apple TV 4K, released in 2022, is still the fastest streaming device on the market, bar none – Vice appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple’s iPhone 17 is best-selling smartphone worldwide in Q126
Apple’s iPhone 17 was the world’s best-selling smartphone in Q1 2026, capturing 6% of global unit sales, according to Counterpoint Research’s latest Global Handset Model Sales Tracker. The iPhone 17 Series captured the top three spots, while Samsung Galaxy A Series was most represented with five models in the top 10. Xiaomi Redmi A5 secured the tenth spot.
The top 10 smartphones contributed 25% of global unit sales, the highest Q1 concentration ever. This was driven by sustained demand for the iPhone 17 series, alongside pressure on Android OEMs in mass-market segments as the ongoing memory shortage pushes up component costs.
Source: Counterpoint Research Global Handset Model Sales Tracker, Mar 2026 (Prelim)
Commenting on Apple, Senior Analyst Harshit Rastogi said in a statement, “iPhone 17 continues to outperform its predecessor owing to key upgrades like higher base storage, camera resolution, display refresh rate bringing the smartphone closer to the Pro variants and providing overall value for larger market. The smartphone registered double digit YoY growth in key markets like China, the US and 3x in South Korea for the quarter. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pro captured the following two spots, offering even more advanced capabilities across camera, battery and new colour, material and finish.”
Samsung’s 2026 flagship, Galaxy S26 Ultra missed the top 10 list. Xiaomi Redmi A5, captured the 10th spot and was the most affordable smartphone in the list.
Commenting on outlook, Senior Analyst Karn Chauhan said in a statement, “Looking ahead to 2026, the top 10 smartphone models are expected to expand their share of global unit sales. The anticipated market decline is likely to impact mass-market segments more significantly, while high-end smartphones continue to gain share. In response, OEMs are shifting focus toward premium portfolios, prioritizing value over volume.”
MacDailyNews Take: The only Android phones to make the list are cheap, entry-level models aimed at third-world markets, where they generate the vast majority of their sales volume. The only premium smartphones on the list are made by Apple – and they dominate the top of the list.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Apple’s iPhone 17 is best-selling smartphone worldwide in Q126 appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple eyes using Intel, Samsung to build Apple Silicon chips in America
In a notable development that could reshape Apple’s long-standing semiconductor supply chain, the company is holding early-stage discussions with Intel and Samsung about producing its main device processors in the United States, according to Bloomberg News. This marks a potential diversification away from its exclusive reliance on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which has fabricated Apple’s custom-designed systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) for more than a decade.
The exploratory talks come as Apple CEO Tim Cook has publicly acknowledged supply constraints for the company’s device processors. While no orders have been placed and the efforts remain preliminary, the moves are being viewed as fresh signs of change at the company Steve Jobs built.
What We Know So Far
According to people familiar with the matter, Apple has engaged in early-stage conversations with Intel about enlisting the U.S. chipmaker’s manufacturing services, Bloomberg reports. Separately, Apple executives have visited a Samsung Electronics plant currently under development in Texas that is slated to produce advanced chips.
Neither initiative has advanced beyond the discussion and site-visit phase, and sources indicate Apple harbors concerns about transitioning to non-TSMC manufacturing technology. It remains entirely possible that the company will ultimately decide not to proceed with either partner.
For context, Apple designs its own powerful processors — the A-series chips for iPhones and iPads, and the M-series chips for Macs — but has long outsourced production to TSMC in Taiwan. TSMC’s cutting-edge process nodes have been critical to Apple’s performance leadership in mobile and personal computing silicon.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just about two new names entering the conversation; it’s about geography and resilience. Shifting even a portion of leading-edge chip production to American soil (Intel in the United States and Samsung’s new Texas facility) would represent a meaningful step toward reducing reliance on a single overseas foundry — and on a region subject to geopolitical tensions.
Bloomberg‘s framing the story as “more signs of change at Apple” suggests this could be part of a broader strategic evolution. Apple has steadily worked to strengthen and diversify its supply chain in recent years, and outgoing CEO Cook’s comments about processor supply constraints provide a clear business rationale for exploring alternatives.
That said, the preliminary nature of the discussions is important to emphasize. Apple is famously deliberate — and notoriously demanding — when it comes to manufacturing partners. Any actual production ramp would require extensive validation, process alignment, and likely significant capital investment from all parties involved.
What Happens Next?
We’ll be watching closely for any follow-up developments. Bloomberg notes that Apple’s executives have already taken the step of physically touring Samsung’s Texas facility, which suggests at least a baseline level of serious interest. Whether those visits translate into deeper engineering collaboration or trial runs remains to be seen.
MacDailyNews Take: For now, this is an early-stage exploration rather than a done deal. But in the world of Apple supply-chain rumors, even early-stage talks with major U.S. players like Intel and Samsung are noteworthy — especially when they align with executives’ publicly stated concerns about advanced processor availability. Keep in mind that neither Samsung nor beleaguered Intel is currently at TSMC’s level, so this could also be a strategic move to increase Apple’s leverage with TSMC and ensure that Apple Silicon remains at the highest priority.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Apple eyes using Intel, Samsung to build Apple Silicon chips in America appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple Manufacturing Academy accelerates AI use in American supply chains
The Apple Manufacturing Academy hosted hundreds of manufacturers at its inaugural Spring Forum in East Lansing, Michigan. The academy’s largest event to date brought together American manufacturers, industry leaders, and academics at Michigan State University (MSU) and put a spotlight on one of the program’s most tangible results: how American businesses are using what they’ve learned at the Apple Manufacturing Academy to transform their operations.
At Block Imaging — a Michigan-based company that services and refurbishes medical imaging equipment, including CT scanners and MRI machines that keep healthcare providers running across the country — that transformation is already underway. An Apple Manufacturing Academy participant, Block Imaging hosted forum attendees at its facility for an interactive tour where they could see firsthand how the company has applied learnings from the program to modernize its operations and improve efficiency on the factory floor.
“We created the Apple Manufacturing Academy with Michigan State because we wanted to bring advanced manufacturing techniques to American manufacturers,” Priya Balasubramaniam, Apple’s vice president of Product Operations, told attendees during the forum. “Our goal was to create real-world applications that help companies enhance their productivity and efficiency. We’re very excited about Block Imaging and other participating companies that are now making use of what they’re learning in the academy to deliver great results.”
“We were proud to host attendees from the Spring Forum at our facility and share what we’ve been building here,” said Katie Runyon, Block Imaging’s director of Technical Training, in a statement. “The Apple Manufacturing Academy has had a direct impact on how we operate. The training we’ve received from Apple engineers and Michigan State experts has given our team practical tools and techniques we’ve been able to apply immediately on the floor, improving the way we work and the quality of what we deliver to healthcare providers. We keep coming back because the program continues to push us forward.”
Block Imaging was one of four stops on offsite tours that also included the MSU Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, Peckham, and the MSU Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center. Those visits reflected themes that ran throughout the forum’s first day on MSU’s campus, where speakers from McKinsey, Magna, LightGuide, Medtronic, and other industry leaders addressed topics ranging from the role of physical Al on the factory floor to overcoming the challenges of implementing Al solutions at scale. The day closed with a poster session featuring MSU students and small- and medium-sized business participants, offering a look at the next generation of manufacturing innovators.
The forum also featured a fireside chat between Balasubramaniam and Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Michigan State University’s president. The conversation touched on how Al is transforming day-to-day manufacturing operations, the skills workers and students will need to thrive in an Al-enabled economy, and why the partnership between Apple and Michigan State is central to preparing the next generation of American manufacturers.
Launched last year as part of Apple’s $600 billion commitment to the United States, the Apple Manufacturing Academy is a free program that pairs Apple engineers and MSU experts with small- and medium-sized U.S. businesses to help them implement Al and smart manufacturing techniques. It is the only manufacturing academy in North America and is open to businesses nationwide. To date, the academy has supported more than 150 American businesses through dozens of free in-person training sessions, and recently launched virtual programming to extend that support even further.
MacDailyNews Note: To learn more about the Apple Manufacturing Academy, or to enroll in virtual programming, businesses can visit manufacturingacademy.msu.edu.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Apple Manufacturing Academy accelerates AI use in American supply chains appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple’s iOS 26.5 brings end-to-end encryption to RCS messages in major step for cross-platform privacy
Apple continues to refine iPhone messaging experience with the upcoming iOS 26.5 update, introducing a long-awaited security feature for users communicating with Android devices. According to reports, the new version adds support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages, finally delivering stronger privacy protections to cross-platform texting.
What This Means for iPhone Users
RCS (Rich Communication Services) has been available on iOS since iOS 18, offering a significant upgrade over traditional SMS/MMS with features like high-resolution media sharing, typing indicators, and read receipts. However, one critical element was missing: robust end-to-end encryption between iPhone and Android users.
With iOS 26.5, that gap is closing. Apple’s changelog notes: “End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging (beta) in Messages is available with supported carriers and will roll out over time.” The feature is enabled by default, but users can verify or toggle it in Settings > Messages > RCS Messaging.
When active, encrypted conversations will display a lock icon in the Messages app, giving users clear visual confirmation of the added security layer.
Background and Timeline
The GSM Association added E2EE support to the RCS protocol last year, paving the way for secure messaging across iOS and Android. Apple initially tested the feature in iOS 26.4 betas earlier this year, but held it back from the final release. Its return in iOS 26.5 betas suggests the company has refined the implementation and is preparing for broader rollout.
This update aligns with Apple’s long-standing emphasis on user privacy. While iMessage has offered E2EE between Apple devices for years, RCS encryption now extends similar protections to the billions of Android users worldwide.
Important Caveats
• Beta Status: The feature is still labeled as beta and may not be available on all devices or with every carrier initially.
• Carrier Dependence: RCS functionality, including encryption, relies on carrier support, so availability will vary.
• Visual Indicators: Expect a lock icon for encrypted chats, similar to how Google Messages handles E2EE RCS conversations.
Why This Matters
For years, iPhone-to-Android messaging has been a point of friction — often resulting in green bubbles and limited features. RCS adoption helped bridge the gap functionally, and E2EE now addresses the security concerns many users and privacy advocates have raised.
This change represents another win for users who want seamless, secure communication regardless of phone platform. It reduces reliance on less-secure SMS fallbacks and makes everyday texting safer from potential interception.
Looking Ahead
iOS 26.5 appears to be a relatively focused update, with RCS encryption as one of its standout additions alongside other refinements. Expect the final release in the coming weeks, likely mid-May based on Apple’s typical beta-to-release cadence.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple users should keep an eye on their Settings app after updating to confirm the new RCS encryption option. For those in mixed iOS/Android groups, this is a welcome improvement that enhances both convenience and confidentiality. Always remember, friends don’t let friends suffer through life with an Android phone.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Apple’s iOS 26.5 brings end-to-end encryption to RCS messages in major step for cross-platform privacy appeared first on MacDailyNews.
U.S. weekly jobless claims plunge to lowest level in more than 50 years
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits has fallen to its lowest level in more than 50 years. This week’s new jobless claims dropped to the fewest since September 1969.
Matt Ott for The Associated Press:
U.S. jobless aid applications for the week ending April 25 fell by 26,000 to 189,000, down from the previous week’s 215,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s well below the 214,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet were expecting.
Filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.
According to High Frequency Economics, this week’s number for new jobless aid applications was the fewest since September of 1969.
The Labor Department’s report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, came in at 207,500, about 3,500 lower than the previous week.
MacDailyNews Take: Bodes very well for Apple!
With more Americans employed (and often seeing wage gains in a tight labor market), people have more disposable income and confidence to buy items like iPhones, Macs, AirPods, Apple Watches, and services (App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, etc.). Apple’s revenue is heavily driven by American consumer demand.
Very low jobless claims signal a healthy American economy, which boosts Apple’s largest market. Historically, Apple’s sales and stock tend to perform well during periods of low American unemployment and economic expansion.
Businesses are also more willing to invest in Apple devices, Macs, iPhones, and iPads for employees, and enterprise services (Apple Business) when the economy is strong.
In short, low unemployment means more people with jobs and money which improves the likelihood they’ll buy Apple products. This is especially positive for Apple as a premium brand that benefits from a prosperous consumer base.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post U.S. weekly jobless claims plunge to lowest level in more than 50 years appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple’s iOS 27 Wallet upgrade: Users will finally be able to create their own custom passes
Apple is set to give the Wallet app a major boost in iOS 27 with a new “Create a Pass” feature that lets users build and customize their own digital tickets, gift cards, and other passes directly in the app.
According to Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman, this long-overdue capability will let iPhone owners create personalized Wallet passes without relying on third-party apps or services that may not yet support Apple’s platform. Today, Wallet excels at storing Apple Pay cards, digital keys, retailer gift cards, and passes issued by compatible apps, but many everyday items like event tickets, loyalty cards, gym memberships, or custom coupons still live outside the ecosystem.
Why This Matters
• Greater Flexibility: Users could design simple digital versions of paper tickets, membership cards, or even homemade gift certificates.
• Easier Digitization: Combined with reports of scanning features for physical passes, you’ll be able to turn a barcode on a gym card or concert stub into a functional Wallet pass with notifications, expiration dates, and scannable codes.
• Developer-Friendly Expansion: While the new tool targets end users, it should also encourage broader adoption of Wallet passes by lowering the barrier for small businesses and individuals.
This change builds on recent Wallet improvements, such as enhanced boarding passes in earlier iOS versions, and aligns with Apple’s push to make the app a true digital hub for everyday items.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News
MacDailyNews Take: Expect more details at WWDC 2026, where Apple traditionally unveils its upcoming iOS features. If implemented well, “Create a Pass” could finally make Wallet indispensable for everyone, not just users of big-name services.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Apple’s iOS 27 Wallet upgrade: Users will finally be able to create their own custom passes appeared first on MacDailyNews.