While Apple launched a bunch of new hardware this week, the biggest news was on the software side where a delay for some of the previously announced Apple Intelligence Siri features has led to scrutiny of Apple’s actions and uneasiness among those at the company.
This week also saw revived rumors about a significant overhaul in design and functionality coming in iOS 19, while Apple’s latest Mac and iPad models began making their way into reviewers’ and consumers’ hands, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
John Gruber Says ‘Something is Rotten’ at Apple Following Apple Intelligence Siri Delay
Last Friday, Apple issued a statement announcing that it is delaying certain Apple Intelligence features around Siri personalization that had originally been planned for an update to iOS 18, now noting that the features will arrive “in the coming year,” which suggests they may not debut until iOS 19 or an even later update in the iOS 19 cycle.
In the wake of the news, Daring Fireball‘s John Gruber shared some strongly worded comments about the situation in a blog post titled “Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino.” Gruber outlined his belief that these more advanced Apple Intelligence features announced at WWDC 2024 amount to vaporware, with Apple still having shown no evidence that these actually exist in a functional form.
While Apple has in the past occasionally delayed or canceled software and hardware projects, Gruber is concerned that Apple has marketed its AI future around features that remain concept videos, threatening the company’s credibility and perhaps representing deep-seated issues at Apple.
iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7
Apple’s annual developer conference is just three months away, and a new report from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman says that the iOS 19 update that will be unveiled at WWDC 2025 will bring the biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 over a decade ago. macOS will see similar changes, with Apple looking to emphasize a more consistent cross-platform experience with simplified navigation and device control.
While details are light, it appears design changes are “loosely based” on visionOS for Apple Vision Pro, which utilizes a lot of depth and transparency, though the 2D interfaces of more traditional devices won’t be able to fully adopt those qualities.
M4 MacBook Air Reviews Are Now Out, Plus Sky Blue Unboxing Videos
Following their introduction last week, Apple’s new Mac and iPad models have officially launched, with the list including new MacBook Air and Mac Studio models as well as updated versions of the iPad Air and entry-level iPad.
Apple says the M4 MacBook Air, which comes in a new Sky Blue color option, is up to 23x faster than the final Intel-based model from 2020, though only in one specific test. Still, anyone upgrading from a machine several generations old should see significant speed improvements in a variety of day-to-day tasks. For a look at our early impressions of the new MacBook Air, be sure to check out our hands-on video.
Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on ‘Internal Documents’
Rumors about the designs for the iPhone 17 family continue to firm up, with a new set of mockups once again showing off the expected designs.
While the standard iPhone 17 is expected to retain a very similar design to the iPhone 16, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to see a significant redesign with a much larger camera bump spanning the entire upper rear portion of the devices. The all-new ultra-thin “iPhone 17 Air” should see a similar but slimmer bump given it only has one rear camera compared to three on the Pro models.
Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update will include two enhancements that will benefit some CarPlay users: a third row of app icons on certain larger infotainment displays and new EV routing to help Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning owners find charging stations that use the North American Charging Standard (NACS).
On a related front, iOS 18.4 will allow users in the European Union to set their own default navigation app such as Google Maps. The change, made in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, will be a welcome one for users who prefer not to rely on Apple Maps for navigation.
Apple Introduced Its Most Controversial MacBook 10 Years Ago This Week
Apple announced the infamous 12-inch Retina MacBook a decade ago this week, an experimental new Mac that was as controversial as it was revolutionary.
Introduced by Apple CEO Tim Cook at Apple’s “Spring Forward” event on March 9, 2015, as a “reinvention” of the notebook, the MacBook was extremely controversial due to its under-powered performance, single USB-C port for both charging and data transfer, short battery life, unreliable butterfly keyboard, and high price point ($1,299 starting price in 2015—the same as a MacBook Pro at the time).
However, the 12-inch MacBook offered a glimpse at what was to come in the Mac lineup. It was the first Apple device with a USB-C port, terraced battery, butterfly keyboard, and haptic trackpad. It was also the first MacBook with a design focused on efficiency, a Retina display in a non-Pro model, multiple color options, and without a fan or an illuminated Apple logo.
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