A longtime Apple user dug up his original 2011 iPhone 4 and found it still powers on using its old 30-pin dock connector, but its outdated hardware and software make it functionally useless today. The device runs only on 3G networks, has an 8GB capacity and slow A8 chip, and can no longer access iCloud, Safari or most apps due to modern security requirements. He concludes the phone's best remaining role is as a basic iPod, with recycling as the more practical option.
Apple has rolled out 11 new hardware products through 2026, starting with a second-generation AirTag in January and continuing through a dense March launch that included the iPhone 17e, M4 iPad Air, updated MacBook Air and Pro, new Studio Displays, the budget MacBook Neo, and AirPods Max 2. In August, Apple added updated Mac mini and Mac Studio models built around its new M6 chip, with faster storage, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
Plaud has introduced the Plaud One, earbuds resembling AirPods that can record calls, while their case can independently capture in-person conversations. The case includes an eSIM card, letting users contact Plaud's AI agent remotely without needing a phone or computer nearby.
Apple is expanding its $50 million Supplier Employee Development Fund by launching a new Apple Education Center in Vietnam, run in partnership with Hanoi University of Science and Technology. The center will offer technical training in smart manufacturing, robotics and automation, plus leadership and soft-skills courses, mirroring a similar program Apple rolled out in India earlier this year.
Apple has confirmed a product event for September 9 at the Steve Jobs Theater, with invitations carrying the tagline 'Surprise and shine.' The showcase is expected to include updated iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, and possibly Apple's first foldable iPhone, reportedly using a book-style design similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8.
A worldwide shortage of memory chips, driven largely by demand for AI infrastructure, is squeezing hardware manufacturers just as major companies prepare new product launches. Apple has already unveiled Mac minis and Mac Studios with new M6 chips, with an iPhone event expected in September featuring the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, a foldable iPhone, and new Apple Watches. Makers are responding to rising component costs by either raising prices on devices or reducing memory and storage specifications to keep costs down.
Apple has begun silently pushing App Store updates to fix Apple Watch apps that failed to launch under the watchOS 27 beta. The updates carry a note stating Apple itself repackaged the app for compatibility, with no new features added. Apple told developers this automated fix rollout will wrap up by August 31, ahead of watchOS 27's public release expected in mid-September.
IDC's August 2026 forecast predicts worldwide smartphone shipments will drop 16.7% this year, a steeper decline than the 13.9% estimate from May. The cause is a severe shortage of NAND and DRAM chips, with component costs up over 300% year-over-year as manufacturers redirect capacity to AI data centers. As a result, average smartphone selling prices have jumped 27.6% to $581, effectively pushing sub-$100 Android phones out of the market.
Apple has released a support document outlining how the revamped Spotlight indexing system will work in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, powering both search and the upgraded Siri. The company notes that indexing—done locally on each device—can take hours or days for large data sets, but completes faster if the device is idle, plugged into power, and connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
A tech roundup recommends external displays for buyers of Apple's newly released Mac mini and Mac Studio, highlighting Apple's own Studio Display and the newer Studio Display XDR as standout choices. The Studio Display offers a 27-inch 5K panel, a 12MP Center Stage webcam, True Tone technology, and Thunderbolt 5 ports, while the XDR variant adds mini-LED technology and a 120Hz refresh rate.
Apple has started displaying advertisements in its Maps app in the US and Canada, marked only with a small 'ad' label next to some search results. The rollout is inconsistent—not every search or city shows ads yet—and there are no sponsored pins as seen in Google Maps, but unlike other apps, Apple has not provided any toggle to turn the ads off.
The Asahi Linux project has released version 7.2 of its Progress Linux distribution, continuing its effort to bring full Linux support to Apple Silicon Macs. This update focuses heavily on improving power management, particularly around how the application CPU cores enter and exit sleep states using ARM's Wait For Interrupt instruction and Apple's deep-sleep variant. The team is also working to align its downstream power management driver with the standardized Power State Coordination Interface required for upstream kernel acceptance.
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