Taking a look at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including iPhone Air leaks, new iPhone SE details, iPhone 15 specials, discontinued AI headlines, the new home of the Apple Card, iCloud in 2025 and the site of Tim Cook’s inauguration.
The Apple Loop is here to remind you of some of the many discussions surrounding Apple in the past seven days. You can also read my weekly roundup of Android news here on Forbes.
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks before the start of an Apple event at Apple headquarters … [+]
iPhone Air design leaks
Apple’s 2025 iPhone plans include a new addition to the portfolio with an ultra-fashionable ‘slim’ iPhone. Details on the alleged iPhone Air name are emerging, with the biggest question addressed. How thin is thin?
“But exactly how thin has just taken a new turn. A new report from Ming-Chi Kuo of TFI Securities, a highly respected analyst, suggests that the so-called “ultra-thin 2H25 iPhone” could be a phone “with the thinnest part around 5.5mm”, according to Kuo.
(Forbes).
iPhone SE details
Before the possible launch of the iPhone Air in September, Apple will release the fifth mid-range iPhone SE. It will have some of the bells and whistles of the current iPhone 16 family, but it should hold down both the cost and how much it can cannibalize the more expensive iPhones.
“The controls and ports on the right side of the iPhone SE are clearly visible. A physical SIM card tray is at the lowest extreme. Above it are two volume buttons and the traditional volume rocker is on top. This switch has been removed from the line iPhone flagship in favor of a programmable action button.”
(Forbes).
Special offer for iPhone 15
Until then, there’s a new selection at the Apple Store for their next iPhone. The iPhone 15 family is showing up at the Apple Refurb store. These generally offer fifteen percent off the list price (usually enough to buy Apple Care and a refurbished iPhone for the price of the same iPhone when new. The twist this time is that the Pro and Pro Max phones are available:
“While Apple’s regular iPhones stay in the range for several years, if you want the Pro, you have to buy it within 12 months of its release, and then it’s gone. However, Apple just brought out the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro. Max, in some places, on its revamped website, with lower prices, Apple made this move unexpectedly early.
(Forbes).
Apple addresses AI news issues
Apple has been facing increasing pressure to take action on the news-generating AI alert that Apple Intelligence has provided (notably from the BBC). Some features have been disabled and will return in a later release, others now come with a warning:
“For now, News & Entertainment Notification Summaries are temporarily disabled, and Apple is working on improvements. News notification summaries will return in a future software update. In the Settings app, when a user turns on News Summaries notifications, Apple has added a warning that this is a beta feature and that there may be bugs.”
(MacRumors).
Apple Card looking for a new home
The partnership between Goldman Sachs and Apple to manage the Apple Card is currently up for renegotiation, and Apple is looking for other financial institutions to take over the credit card.
Apple is in talks with Barclays to replace Goldman Sachs as the tech giant’s credit card partner, two sources familiar with the matter said, as the Wall Street giant backs away from its consumer finance ambitions. Credit card issuer Synchrony Financial is also in discussions with Apple about a card partnership, said the first source, who declined to be identified for the private talks.
(Reuters).
iCloud for 2025
Apple’s iCloud service has drawn a lot of ire over the small free tier of 5GB, but Michael Burkhardt argues that the rest of it needs to be revamped to be fit for purpose in 2025:
“Instead of introducing a new lower fourth tier, why not adjust how much storage everyone gets? After nearly ten years the low-end 50GB and 200GB plans remain at the prices they are today , I think it’s time to change things After all, file sizes are getting bigger 50 GB is probably barely enough for most people to backup.
(9to5Mac).
And at the end…
As the media circus gathers around the US presidential inauguration, much is being said about the presence of Elon Muskc, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. There is less buzz about Apple CEO Tim Cook’s attendance, but many are keeping a close eye on any interaction the big tech firm has with the White House.
The exit from the tech titans comes as the industry has sought to warm relations with Trump following his victory last November, and despite frequent clashes during his first term in office. Many, including Cook, have traveled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where the president-elect and Musk have held a series of meetings and private dinners to discuss plans for the upcoming term.
(Bloomberg).
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here at Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any future coverage. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of the Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
