Apple News
Apple Upgrade: Paying monthly for a MacBook Pro might actually save you hundreds of dollars
Apple’s new Upgrade leasing program lets you pay a low monthly fee for an iPhone, Mac, iPad, or Watch instead of the full price upfront. Max Tech creator Vadim Yuryev ran the numbers on a $2,999 MacBook Pro and claims that leasing, buying out the residual, and reselling can leave you hundreds ahead of purchasing outright — with zero interest. Here’s how the math works (and the caveats that still apply).
Chance Townsend for Mashable:
In a post on X in response to Bloomberg’s Apple expert Mark Gurman, Yuryev walked through the math, using a $2,999 MacBook Pro as an example.
Explained this in today’s YouTube video. If you lease a $2,999 Mac, you pay $58 a month for 36 months. At the end, you owe $911 to pay it off or return it.
However, Apple gives you 6 more months to decide. Meanwhile, you continue paying monthly payments of $53.
You now have 6… https://t.co/ZFm37Bnc5t pic.twitter.com/hH45E2rWvg
— Vadim Yuryev (@VadimYuryev) August 2, 2026
He said a 36-month lease would run $58 per month, leaving a $911 balance due at the end — though Apple gives lessees six additional months to decide, during which payments drop to $53 per month. Yuryev argued that paying off that final balance makes sense because the device could then be resold for “$1,500+ on eBay or Facebook marketplace,” rather than the customer simply losing the amount paid in over the life of the lease.
Yuryev emphasized that “you never pay more” than the device’s MSRP, since Apple Upgrade carries no interest or lease fees. He added that the primary risk is failing to keep up with payments or falling short on the final balance, and noted that once a device is paid off, users can start a new lease while keeping the original one.
MacDailyNews Take: While, as AAPL shareholders, we wish Apple every success with their Apple Upgrade program via Klarna, in an age of zero-interest financing, “buy now, pay later,” and glossy leasing schemes dressed up as smart upgrades, a simple truth keeps getting buried (caution, soap box sermon ahead):
The surest way to build lasting wealth is to avoid debt entirely, buy only what you can afford outright, and live within your means.
Leasing expensive hardware, stretching payments over years, may feel painless month to month. It is still debt. You are paying for the privilege of using something you do not fully own, often while assuming residual balances, credit checks, and the risk that the used-market value collapses when everyone else is dumping the same leased devices. The math can be made to look attractive on a YouTube whiteboard. Reality is less forgiving.
Paying cash for what you can actually afford forces discipline. It prioritizes value over status. It eliminates interest, fees, and the quiet stress of monthly obligations. When the device eventually ages, you own it free and clear — you can sell it, keep it, or pass it on without a lender’s permission. That freedom compounds.
Financial success is not about maximizing monthly cash flow or chasing the newest model every two years. It’s not about keeping up with The Joneses. It is about keeping more of what you earn, avoiding the traps that turn consumers into lifelong renters, and building genuine ownership over time.
Debt is easy. Discipline is harder. The latter is the only reliable route to real financial independence.
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
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Telegram briefly pulled from Apple’s App Store over single user’s prohibited content, then quickly restored
Telegram was temporarily removed from Apple’s App Store worldwide after the iPhone maker identified content from one user that violated its rules against child sexual abuse material, the messaging service said on Tuesday.
According to a report from Reuters, the episode mirrors a similar brief suspension in 2018, when Apple pulled the app over what Telegram founder Pavel Durov at the time described as “inappropriate content.” The app was restored then after Telegram strengthened its safeguards.
An Apple spokesperson confirmed the recent short-lived removal, stating that its review found content violating guidelines that prohibit child sexual abuse material. “The app was subsequently restored after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it,” the spokesperson added. The removal and restoration occurred on the same day once Telegram acted.
Telegram, which counts more than a billion monthly active users, maintains a zero-tolerance policy on such material. It said it has blocked nearly 338,000 groups and channels for related content this year.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company has long clashed with Apple, also weighed in on X. “Apple has stated they removed the app from availability to a billion users because a Telegram user posted something horrible and illegal,” Sweeney wrote, according to Reuters. He continued: “They did not elaborate on how, if that is the standard for app removal, any communications app could operate at scale, including iMessage.”
An Apple spokesperson did not respond to further questions about the guideline violation, Reuters reported.
MacDailyNews Note: The incident comes amid ongoing regulatory attention on Telegram’s handling of illegal content. Britain’s Ofcom opened an investigation in April over concerns about the sharing of child sex abuse material; Telegram has categorically denied the accusations and said it has virtually eliminated the public spread of such material since 2018 through detection algorithms. In February, Australia’s online safety regulator also fined the company for delays in responding to queries about measures against child abuse material and violent extremism.
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Apple seeks court order to block OpenAI from using alleged trade secrets in hardware ambitions
Apple has asked a federal judge for a preliminary injunction that would stop OpenAI and two of its former employees from accessing, using, or disclosing what the iPhone maker claims are its confidential trade secrets, escalating a high-stakes legal battle over artificial intelligence and future consumer devices.
In a filing Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple argued it faces “irreparable harm” without the order. The motion comes weeks after the company sued OpenAI, the two ex-employees now working for the ChatGPT maker, and OpenAI’s commercial arm io Products. Apple alleges the defendants misappropriated proprietary information to advance OpenAI’s push into consumer hardware.
The two former Apple staffers named are Chang Liu, previously a senior system electrical engineer, and Tang Yew Tan, who served as vice president of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch. Apple is also seeking expedited discovery, including documents related to alleged access of its trade secrets, and depositions of Liu, Tan, OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng, an unnamed OpenAI worker who previously worked at Apple, and corporate representatives from OpenAI and io Products.
The lawsuit highlights growing rivalry between the two tech giants. Analysts have suggested OpenAI is developing its own phone or other AI-powered device that could operate without traditional apps or operating systems, potentially drawing users away from Apple’s dominant iPhone ecosystem. The legal action follows OpenAI’s successful defense against a separate challenge from Elon Musk’s xAI.
The case underscores intensifying competition in AI hardware, where control over key technical knowledge could shape the next generation of consumer gadgets. A ruling on the injunction request is pending.
MacDailyNews Take: OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, the AI for newbies who don’t know better alternatives exist, seems to be filled with traitors.
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Apple’s India sales top $10 billion on widening retail push
Apple exceeded $10 billion in annual sales in India for the first time last fiscal year, underscoring surging demand for its pricey devices in a market where it’s steadily ramping up its retail network.
Revenue grew at a double-digit percentage rate in the 12 months through March from about $9 billion a year earlier, Bloomberg News reports citing a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the information is private.
Apple’s iPhone lineup accounted for a significant majority of the sales, while demand for iPads and MacBooks also rose, the person said.
The milestone highlights Apple’s expanding presence in India through a broader retail network.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote four years ago, “The sky’s the limit for Apple in India!”
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Apple’s incoming CEO Ternus taps retired hardware executive for management team
Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus is bringing back a trusted lieutenant from his time running hardware engineering to join his new management team.
Ternus has hired Laura Legros, who served as a vice president of hardware engineering until retiring in 2022, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Legros will report to Ternus when he takes the CEO role on Sept. 1st, Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman reports citing people who asked not to be identified because the personnel change hasn’t been announced.
The move shows that Ternus is starting to put his stamp on the company’s leadership ranks. It also marks a rare case of an Apple executive returning to the company after retirement. In her new role, Legros will act as a vice president working cross-functionally with different parts of the company.
According to Gurman, during her career at Apple, Legros helped manage product delivery, development schedules and coordination across engineering teams to ensure they remained aligned. Before retiring, she was one of Ternus’ most trusted deputies. In 2018, she appeared during an Apple product launch event to introduce a new version of the MacBook Air. Two years later, she unveiled the current iPad Air design.
Over the past several months, Ternus has been shadowing Cook and helping lead executive meetings. The incoming CEO has already met with leaders across the company and participated in roadmap reviews for a number of divisions for the coming year. Ternus has also been spending considerable time with Apple’s industrial design group.
Ternus will have a slew of executive changes to oversee in the coming years as multiple members of Apple’s leadership team approach retirement age. This includes the likes of App Store boss Phil Schiller and Luca Maestri, who oversees real estate and information systems. Kate Adams, who transitioned to overseeing government affairs after serving as general counsel, plans to retire at the end of this year.Ternus, currently Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, is set to succeed Tim Cook as CEO on September 1st. Cook will become executive chairman of the board.
MacDailyNews Take: Under Tim Cook, Apple systematically strayed from Steve Jobs’ core vision. Product Design, the very soul of the company Jobs rebuilt, was demoted, sidelined, and subordinated to operations, supply-chain efficiency, and services revenue. The result? Fifteen long years of polished but profoundly boring iteration: thinner bezels, faster chips, incremental camera bumps, and endless “Pro” variants that rarely moved the industry forward the way the original iPhone, iPad, or even the aluminum unibody MacBooks once did.
Jobs put Design at the absolute top of the food chain. Jony Ive’s group wasn’t a service department; it was the engine. Cook flipped the hierarchy. Hardware engineering, operations, and finance called the shots (poorly; witness Luca Maestri famously rejecting calls to invest in AI early on which is why he’s now sidelined). Design became reactive instead of directive. The Vision Pro launched as an impressive, but overpriced, underbaked curiosity. After billions spent, the Apple Car evaporated. True category-defining leaps simply did not happen.
Now comes John Ternus, a product person, a hardware guy who has spent his career shipping actual devices rather than optimizing margins. Early signals are encouraging: bringing trusted hardware lieutenants back into the fold and already embedding himself with the industrial design group. That is exactly the right instinct.
If Ternus moves quickly to restore Design to its rightful place at the apex of Apple’s decision-making, the company might finally escape the long, comfortable, lucrative mediocrity of the Cook era. Apple doesn’t need another fifteen years of safer, prettier, or just different iterations. It needs the return of products that make people stop, stare, and rethink what a computer in their pocket, on their wrist, or on their face can be.
The hardware engineer is about to become CEO. The question is whether he has the will — and the authority (with Cook looming as Executive Chairman) — to put Design back on top where Jobs left it. The next few years will tell us if Apple can innovate again… or if the iteration treadmill simply continues under a new CEO.
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Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods could be just weeks away
Imagine slipping in a pair of AirPods that don’t just play your music or take your calls, they help you see the world. Not by recording it, but by understanding it. According to the latest rumors from reliable sources, Apple may be ready to deliver exactly that sooner than many expected.
Reports indicate Apple has been internally testing two versions of camera-equipped AirPods. One carries the codename B798, which has been on the radar for some time. The other, B790, appears newer and is advancing more quickly. References to the B790 model have already shown up in iOS 27 beta code, a strong signal that development is well underway, Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman reports.
This timeline points to a possible launch as early as this year. Apple often pairs new AirPods with its September iPhone event. Last year’s AirPods Pro 3 debuted alongside the iPhone 17 on September 9. A similar window this fall, potentially with the iPhone 18, would fit the pattern. And, given how little of 2026 remains, “soon” is a realistic possibility.
Rumors also suggest these advanced models could arrive under a name like AirPods Pro Ultra, positioning them as a premium, AI-focused offering above the standard lineup. Importantly, Apple is expected to continue selling conventional AirPods for those who simply want excellent audio.
What the Cameras Are Actually For
Forget the idea of Google Glass-style recording or constant content capture. The cameras in these AirPods are not designed to take photos or videos. Instead, they would analyze the wearer’s surroundings to power an onboard AI assistant—think an enhanced, more context-aware Siri. This approach aims to create a true wearable AI companion rather than a surveillance or creator tool.
Privacy remains a key consideration. A small LED indicator would light up when the cameras are active, similar to the approach used in smart glasses, giving nearby people a clear visual cue. This design choice reflects broader industry caution: Apple has reportedly considered delaying its own smart glasses amid backlash over privacy issues and misuse of devices like Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses.
Why This Matters
If these rumors hold, camera-equipped AirPods would mark a significant step in Apple’s wearable strategy. They would extend the company’s AI ambitions beyond phones and computers into everyday, always-on, wearable accessories that can interpret the environment in real time. For users, that could mean more natural, hands-free assistance — whether identifying objects, providing contextual help, or enhancing accessibility features — without the bulk or social friction of glasses.
Of course, these remain unconfirmed reports based on internal testing and code references. Apple has not officially announced any such product. Still, the combination of dual prototypes, software breadcrumbs, and an accelerating development path for the newer model makes this one of the more concrete AirPods rumors in recent memory.
As we head toward the traditional September reveal window, the prospect of AirPods that can “see” enough to assist—without turning every wearer into a walking camera—feels both futuristic and characteristically Apple: ambitious, privacy-conscious, and focused on making technology disappear into daily life. Whether they arrive this fall or a bit later, the era of AI-powered earbuds appears to be approaching fast.
MacDailyNews Take: We prefer the name “AirPods AI, but given the friction AI poses in some circle, “AirPods Ultra” may be the better marketing choice. Regardless, we’ll be first in line for these!
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Apple launches legal challenge to UK demand for access to encrypted user data
Apple has filed a legal complaint with the UK’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal seeking to overturn a secret government order requiring the company to enable access to encrypted customer data stored in its cloud services.The challenge, reported in early March 2025, targets a technical capability notice (TCN) issued by the Home Office in January under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. The notice reportedly directed Apple to create the technical means for UK law enforcement and intelligence agencies to access data protected by the company’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature: an optional end-to-end encryption layer for iCloud backups, photos, notes and other files that even Apple itself cannot normally decrypt, according to Financial Times.
Apple responded by withdrawing ADP for UK users rather than comply, stating that it would not build a “back door” or master key into its products or services. The company has long argued that creating such access points would undermine security for all users and could be exploited by malicious actors. Standard iCloud encryption remains available and is accessible to Apple when presented with a valid legal warrant, but ADP provides a higher level of protection that the firm says it cannot and will not weaken.
The case is understood to be the first major legal test of the Investigatory Powers Act’s provisions allowing authorities to compel technology companies to maintain capabilities to access encrypted material. The tribunal, an independent body that reviews complaints against the UK’s security and intelligence agencies, could quash the notice if it finds the order unlawful. Proceedings were expected to begin relatively quickly, though the government was anticipated to seek restrictions on public disclosure on national security grounds.
The dispute highlights the long-running tension between tech firms’ commitment to strong encryption and governments’ desire for lawful access in cases involving terrorism, serious crime or national security. Privacy advocates have warned that any mandated vulnerability in widely used systems could have global repercussions, while UK authorities maintain that such powers are essential for public safety and are subject to legal safeguards.Apple has consistently maintained that it has never built backdoors into its systems and will not do so. The outcome of the tribunal challenge could set an important precedent for how encryption and government surveillance powers interact under UK law.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ve been fairly clear on this subject for many years:
It’s not enough that every Brit alive has a government camera shoved up their ass 24/7/365? The UK has already slipped far down the slope that they ought to rename the place Airstrip One. – MacDailyNews, November 3, 2015
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. – Benjamin Franklin
The current batshit insane “leadership” of Airstrip One is having yet another crisis of confidence. – MacDailyNews, February 7, 2025
Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. – Potter Stewart
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is an optional setting that offers Apple’s highest level of cloud data security. If you choose to enable Advanced Data Protection, the majority of your iCloud data — including iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, and more — is protected using end-to-end encryption. No one else can access your end-to-end encrypted data, not even Apple, and this data remains secure even in the case of a data breach in the cloud.
How to turn on Advanced Data Protection for iCloud
On Mac
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click your name, then click iCloud.
- Click Advanced Data Protection, then click Turn On.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to review your recovery methods and enable Advanced Data Protection.
On iPhone and iPad
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
- Scroll down, tap Advanced Data Protection, then tap Turn on Advanced Data Protection.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to review your recovery methods and enable Advanced Data Protection.
More info about Apple’s Advanced Data Protection for iCloud here.
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Russia opens antitrust case against Apple over failure to pre-install domestic apps
Russia’s anti-monopoly watchdog has opened a formal case against Apple after the U.S. technology company failed to comply with an earlier warning requiring the pre-installation of Russian applications on its devices, state news agency RIA reported on Monday.
All mobile phones and tablets in Russia must have the state-backed MAX messenger app pre-installed, the Russian government announced in August 2025.
The case centers on Apple’s alleged non-compliance regarding the mandatory pre-installation of Russia’s MAX messaging app and a domestic Russian app store. The move follows a warning issued by the regulator that the company did not fully address.
The development marks the latest escalation in Moscow’s efforts to enforce rules aimed at promoting local digital services on foreign devices sold in the country. No further details on potential penalties or next steps were immediately available.
Reuters
MacDailyNews Take: MAX is criticized for potentially enabling user tracking which aligns with Moscow’s push for tighter internet control amid tensions with the West over Ukraine.
As Glenn Greenwald said, “The way things are supposed to work is that we’re supposed to know virtually everything about what [government officials] do: that’s why they’re called public servants. They’re supposed to know virtually nothing about what we do: that’s why we’re called private individuals.”
But, the Russian government obviously fears its population, hence its diktats.
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India proposes extending tax breaks for contract manufacturing until 2041, delivering boost to Apple
India has proposed extending tax exemptions until 2041 for foreign companies that provide machinery to contract manufacturers, handing a major win to Apple which had lobbied for such changes, and is fast expanding in the market.
India has been a key market for Apple as it diversifies iPhone manufacturing beyond China, and the South Asian nation is set to make 26% of the world’s iPhones in 2026, up from 6% four years ago, according to Counterpoint Research.
According to a draft of the proposed tax amendments seen by Reuters, “to provide (tax) certainty” the government has extended tax breaks until March 31, 2041 to foreign companies that provide equipment to their contract manufacturers in India.
India introduced the tax exemption for foreign companies in February, valid only until 2031, after Apple lobbied the Indian government to modify its income tax laws to ensure the company is not taxed for ownership of the high-end iPhone machinery it provides to its contract manufacturers.
Apple had feared that, unlike in China, tax laws in India could treat ownership of machinery supplied to its contract manufacturers as so-called “business connection,” exposing its iPhone profits to tax.
Tax Break for Storing Components
The extended tax exemption will apply to manufacturers of mobile phones, tablets, laptops, hearing, and wearable electronic devices, according to the draft bill that will have to be passed by the lower and upper houses of parliament.
India has also exempted from tax foreign companies’ income from storing and providing parts used to manufacture such electronics components to contract manufacturers until 2041.
The rule will apply for factories and warehouses set up in so-called customs-bonded areas — which are technically considered being outside India’s customs border. If devices are sold within India from such factories, they will attract import taxes, making such facilities attractive only for exports.
“The proposed tax changes will enable foreign companies to store and transfer critical equipment and components in India for their contract manufacturers, helping mitigate supply chain disruptions arising from trade uncertainties while providing greater tax certainty,” Riaz Thingna, a partner at Grant Thornton Bharat, told Reuters
Data Centers
India has also proposed to make it easier for foreign companies that use data center services in the country to make use of tax exemptions.
India in February announced a tax exemption until 2047 for foreign companies using data centers in the country to provide services to global clients, addressing concerns that New Delhi could in future tax their global income for using such facilities.
The bill now allows data centers to be leased, rather than be owned by the Indian partners of foreign companies.
Allowing Indian partners to lease, rather than own, data centers will lower capital requirements and make it easier for smaller and mid-sized players to enter the market, said Thingna.
MacDailyNews Take: May India convert these proposals into law ASAP!
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Leagues Cup kicks off August 4th on Apple TV
Building on the momentum of a landmark year for soccer in North America, Leagues Cup — the Concacaf-sanctioned competition featuring 18 clubs from Major League Soccer (MLS) and 18 clubs from Liga MX — kicks off tomorrow, August 4. Apple TV subscribers in more than 100 countries and regions can watch all 62 Leagues Cup matches.
The fourth edition of the annual competition between MLS and Liga MX once again brings together top clubs from both leagues in a unique format that guarantees interleague matchups through the quarterfinals. For the first time, the tournament will also include four Phase One matches in Mexico.
Qualified clubs from each league will compete for the Leagues Cup trophy and one of three berths in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, awarded to the champion, runner-up, and third-place finisher. The Leagues Cup Champion will also earn a direct berth into the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16, putting the club on the path to FIFA’s premier international club competitions, including the FIFA Club World Cup.
Defending champion Seattle Sounders open their title defense against reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winner Toluca FC on August 5 at 7 p.m. PT at Estadio Nemesio Díez, after capturing their first Leagues Cup title with a 3-0 victory over Inter Miami CF in the 2025 final. The 2026 tournament will also feature several global stars making their Leagues Cup debuts, including France’s Antoine Griezmann (Orlando City SC), Poland’s Robert Lewandowski (Chicago Fire), and Brazil’s Casemiro (Inter Miami CF), who enters the competition following his third FIFA World Cup campaign.
Eighteen qualified clubs from each league will compete for the Leagues Cup trophy, including Inter Miami CF, which take on Atlético de San Luis on August 5.
How to Watch on Apple TV
Apple TV subscribers in more than 100 countries and regions can watch every Leagues Cup match in one place, with commentary in English, Spanish, and French where available. Subscribers can enjoy exclusive on-demand Leagues Cup content and a comprehensive and accessible lineup of complimentary programming, including Leagues Cup Countdown and Leagues Cup Wrap-Up in English, and Leagues Cup La Previa and Leagues Cup El Resumen in Spanish.
Apple TV’s Leagues Cup broadcasts will once again feature Club América legend and former Mexico national team captain Pável Pardo alongside former Mexico national team striker Francisco “Kikín” Fonseca, both returning as analysts for the tournament.
In addition to live sports, 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.
More Ways to Enjoy Leagues Cup
Fans can follow every moment of Leagues Cup with Apple Sports, the free iPhone app that makes it easy to stay up to date throughout the tournament. Get live scores, real-time stats, standings, and upcoming match schedules, plus dive into play-by-play updates, team statistics, and visual lineup formations. With a tap, fans can also jump directly to the Apple TV app to find matches live.
Apple Music is getting fans geared up for the game with curated warm-up playlists from some of the stars of MLS, including a refreshed mix from Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna.
In Apple Maps, fans can explore Maps Guides to every stadium where MLS clubs play to learn more about the history, unique features, and supporter traditions of the stadiums at the epicenter of soccer culture in North America.
In the Apple News app, fans can follow the dedicated Leagues Cup hub to read the latest stories, plus see scores and standings. And by signing up for the Apple News Sports newsletter, they can get personalized updates right in their inbox throughout the entire tournament.
Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over one billion screens, including iPhone; iPad; Apple TV 4K; 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 $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, eligible customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
MacDailyNews Note: To see the complete 2026 Leagues Cup schedule, visit leaguescup.com.
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Apple acquires Czech materials science firm PlasmaSolve
Apple has agreed to acquire PlasmaSolve, a Czech materials science company specializing in plasma simulation software, according to a regulatory notice published today on the European Commission’s website, as spotted by MacRumors
Earlier this year, Apple informed the European Union that it would acquire the entire issued share capital of PlasmaSolve s.r.o. through a subsidiary and hire certain employees from the firm. PlasmaSolve develops solutions, including plasma simulation software, to design and optimize plasma-based manufacturing processes.
Founded in 2016, the company has focused on creating simulation tools to help manufacturers work with various plasma-related technologies. Its website remains active and details grant funding it has received for its research over the years.
PlasmaSolve’s primary product is MatSight, a suite of applications designed to help manufacturers simulate the results of vapor deposition processes for metals. Apple has used this technology for years across multiple products, including various iPhone models, to apply a durable thin film to casings that helps minimize scratching and other damage.
No financial terms or further details about the deal’s timeline were disclosed in the regulatory filing.
MacDailyNews Take: The acquisition underscores Apple’s continued investment in advanced materials and manufacturing processes that improve the durability and quality of its devices.
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Apple faces MacBook Air shortages amid AI-driven memory crunch; eyes health features for future glasses and headsets
Apple’s popular MacBook Air is experiencing significant supply shortages, while the company explores turning its upcoming smart glasses and headsets into health and fitness devices, according to reporting from Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter.
MacBook Air Hit by Memory Shortage
The global shortage of memory chips, driven by surging demand from AI data centers, has now reached Apple’s highest-volume Mac. Retail sources describe inventory of the MacBook Air as more constrained than they can recall. Online orders through Apple’s site show delivery estimates stretching into late August, with some higher-RAM or customized configurations delayed into September.
The crunch previously affected lower-volume models such as the Mac mini and Mac Studio. Apple has already raised prices on Macs and iPads (including a $200 increase that took the MacBook Air’s starting price to $1,299 in the U.S.) to offset higher component costs. The company is also exploring sourcing memory from Chinese suppliers for devices sold in China and is prioritizing production and sales of the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro ahead of an expected M6 refresh later in the fall. Marketing for the back-to-school season has been adjusted, with greater emphasis on the Pro and warnings that the MacBook Air is “subject to availability.” The timing is particularly challenging, as the MacBook Air is typically a strong seller during that period.
Health and Fitness Ambitions for Glasses and Headsets
Separately, Apple is working to position its future smart glasses and headsets as health and fitness devices. The company’s Vision Products Group is hiring a strategic product design leader to “define the future of health, well-being, and fitness experiences across vision products,” seeking candidates experienced in digital health products and sensor-driven features.
Earlier plans to bring similar capabilities to the Vision Pro, including a Fitness+ experience that would use body-tracking technology to analyze movements during workouts, were dropped due to technological hurdles and the headset’s weight. Future lighter glasses could incorporate a range of sensors to track movement, form, posture, and other fitness data without compromising comfort, Gurman reports. These features are not expected in the first-generation smart glasses (anticipated around 2027) but are part of longer-term plans that could complement devices such as the Apple Watch.
These developments highlight ongoing supply-chain pressures in consumer electronics caused by AI infrastructure buildouts, alongside Apple’s continued expansion of its health and wearable ecosystem beyond the Watch and AirPods.
MacDailyNews Take: Lighter Apple smart glasses will enable a huge range of applications. We can’t wait!
The Apple Glasses will be the key as holding up slabs of glass as “windows” is suboptimal. When we’re running in a race, for example, we don’t want to have to hold an iPhone or even glance at an Apple Watch, but with a pair of Apple Glasses constantly overlaying time, pace, splits, etc. it’ll be ideal! — MacDailyNews, September 6, 2019
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