New From Apple: Pricey iPhones and a Watch That Eavesdrops

image via Intelligencer
image via Intelligencer

The big phone news, though, was about a device that is kind of not a phone: the iPhone Duo, a $2,000 foldable device that Apple describes as like a “passport.” When closed, it looks like a slightly widened 5.4-inch iPhone; when opened, it expands into a 7.6-inch miniature tablet. Like numerous Android folding devices before it, it relies on a mechanical hinge and a flexible display with a seam (ideally, not prone to failure) in the middle.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/new-at-apple-pricey-iphones-and-a-watch-that-eavesdrops.html

What we expect from the upcoming Apple launch

image via TechCrunch
image via TechCrunch

It’s finally happening — this week, we are (probably) about to see Apple’s first foldable iPhone, more than five years after Samsung launched its first foldable phone. While the foldable iPhone is most exciting, we’re also anticipating news about AirPods, HomePods, and the non-foldable iPhone 18 line.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/07/what-we-expect-from-the-upcoming-apple-launch/

Apple’s New iPhone Accessory Is Part Sock, Part Crossbody Strap

image via pcmag.com
image via pcmag.com

Apple’s latest limited-edition accessory is a crossbody cloth strap designed to fit every iPhone. Apple calls this pleated, cloth accessory a "singular 3D-knitted construction." The sock element where you place your phone can be stretched, allowing you to put in other small everyday items.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/apples-new-iphone-accessory-is-part-sock-part-crossbody-strap

Apple barely talked about AI at its big iPhone 17 event

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

The presentation was a far cry from Apple’s heavy-handed mentions of AI at the iPhone 16 unveiling, which led to public disappointment when some flagship features didn’t roll out as promised. This year, Apple talked more about how AI is helping power features in the background, and less about how it’s putting AI in front of consumers’ faces — unlike Google’s Pixel 10 unveiling last month and Samsung’s event in January.

https://www.theverge.com/apple-event/774963/apple-september-launch-event-ai-apple-intelligence

Hell freezes over as Apple supports right-to-repair bill

image via arstechnica.com
image via arstechnica.com

In a letter dated August 22, Apple showed its support for California's right-to-repair bill, SB 244, after spending years combatting DIY repair efforts. The bill requires vendors of consumer electronics and appliances to make sufficient documentation, parts, and tools for repairs available to customers and independent repair shops. The big exceptions are video game consoles and alarm systems.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/hell-freezes-over-as-apple-supports-right-to-repair-bill/