Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including iPhone 17 design leaks, iPhone 16 Pro camera issues, Apple’s Black Friday offers, new MacBook Pro display, iOS update warning, Apple News adds ads, and BlueSky’s app store victory.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes.
Customers shop at the largest Apple flagship store in Asia in Shanghai, China, on September 22, … [+]
iPhone 17 Dynamic Design
Introduced by the iPhone 14, Apple’s ‘dynamic island’ surrounds the forward-facing camera and sensors with a black area of pixels and offers information and widgets in the space, expanding as needed, while doing its best to obscure the punched-out spaces. With smaller sensors coming in the iPhone 17 design, the base dynamic island can be reduced:
“In terms of design, Pu once again says that all iPhone 17 models will feature an aluminum design that is more complex than the iPhone 16 models. The iPhone 17 Pro Max will introduce a “much narrowed Dynamic Island,” while the other models will retain the current design.
“The smaller Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17 Pro Max is made possible by a “metalens” technology for the proximity sensor. This “metalens” change has the potential to significantly reduce the size of the Face ID sensor.”
(9to5Mac).
When Cameras Need More Work
Is the iPhone family losing out in the camera space to Android? That’s the suggestion from Roger Fingas, as he looks over the iPhone 16 Pro compared to the Android powered competition. The need for better zoom and more pixels (as opposed to better interpolation software) stand out, as does Apple’s default styles applied to image processing:
“I sense Apple doesn’t know how to preserve colors and shadows without losing detail, and its camera tech is hampered by a familiar management concern: profit margins. Apple executives are notorious for preserving margins, which is why some iPhone components remain unchanged for years. Apple hasn’t changed the lens elements on the iPhone 16 lineup to fix flares in nighttime photos and videos, even though that problem surfaced with the iPhone 13 in 2021.”
Apple’s Black Friday Offers Confirmed
As expected, Apple’s Black Friday deal did not offer any discounts, instead following tradition and bundling gift cards in with any purchase made between Black Friday (Nov 29) and Cyber Monday (Dec 2). It’s worth noting that the offers are not available with the latest iPhones, iPads or Macs, but are offered at older models in the portfolio:
“If you buy an iPhone 15, iPhone 14 or iPhone SE, you’ll find a gift card comes with the purchase. Apple says that you can snag a gift card of up to $75 with an iPhone. Up to indicates that the lower-priced models will get a lower-value card but exactly what isn’t revealed yet. Obviously, it will be announced before the event starts.”
(Forbes).
A New MacBook Display Is Coming Soon
WHile the new M4-powered MacBook Pro models gather critical acclaim (and more than a few Black Friday offers from third-party retailers), Apple is already preparing suppliers for the next big innovation. The arrival (finally) of OLED displays to the MacBook range:
“In line with previous reports, TrendForce said Apple plans to begin using OLED displays for MacBooks between 2026 and 2027. LG and Samsung will likely be Apple’s two major suppliers of OLED displays for the MacBook Pro.
“Compared to current MacBook Pro models with mini-LED screens, benefits of OLED technology would include increased brightness, higher contrast ratio with deeper blacks, improved power efficiency for longer battery life, and more. The switch to OLED displays could also contribute to future MacBook Pro models having a thinner design.”
(MacRumors).
Update Your Apple Hardware Now Warning
Both Apple and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have recommended iPhone owners update to iOS 18.1.1 at the earliest opportunity. An update for older phones which cannot run iOS 18 is also available, soiOS 17.7.2 will cover the same issues:
“Tracked as CVE-2024-44308, the first issue patched in iOS 18.1.1 is a flaw in the JavaScriptCore framework that could result in code execution if the user interacts with maliciously crafted web content. “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited on Intel-based Mac systems,” the iPhone maker said on its support page.
“The second issue patched in iOS 18.1.1, tracked as CVE-2024-44309, is a flaw in WebKit, the engine that underpins Apple’s Safari browser. If exploited, a user could fall victim to a cross-site scripting attack, which sees an attacker inject malicious code into a trusted website or application.”
Hold The Front Page For Ads
Axios is reporting that Apple News is now carrying advertising sold by Apple. Previously, ad spots were exclusively handled by a third-party service. From next year, certain areas will now be controlled by Cupertino, which will naturally be taking its 30% rake on the revenue generated, with the rest going to the publisher:
“Beginning next year, Apple will sell premium sponsorships of editorially curated content for relevant events, such as the Met Gala, the U.S. Open, and more. In addition to premium sponsorships, the Apple News team is also pitching banner placements and video ads across 17 different formats, including carousel ads that feature different products.”
(Axios).
And Finally…
The exodus from X (neé Twitter) and the subsequent rise of Bluesky has seen it take the top spot in the App Store as consumers look to bring the Bluesky experience to their mobile:
“On the U.S. App Store, Bluesky became the No. 1 app on November 13 and has not lost its position since, according to app intelligence provider Appfigures. That puts it ahead of Threads (No. 4) and X (No. 41). The App Store’s charts reward a combination of the number of installs and the pace of those installs, alongside other metrics, so this bump also has to do with Bluesky’s rate of growth, not just the sheer number of app downloads alone.”
(Techcrunch).
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
