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Tech News
Apple delayed the standard iPhone 18 until early next year while launching only the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone Duo this cycle. Leaker Fixed Focus Digital reports that component inventory levels tied to the base iPhone 18, set to begin production in late November, suggest a substantial stockpile is being built.
Apple has published out-of-warranty repair pricing for its foldable iPhone Duo, with costs ranging from $49 for cover layer damage up to $999 for inner display damage and $1,499 for unspecified "other damage." With AppleCare Plus, which costs $19.99 monthly, $199.99 yearly, or $399 flat, many repairs drop sharply, including $0 battery service and $99 for inner display or other accidental damage. The device starts at $1,999, launching October 23rd with preorders beginning Friday.
Apple has introduced a 'Get Ready' feature on its Online Store and Apple Store app, letting customers pick their iPhone Duo model, color, storage, carrier, trade-in and accessories ahead of time. Shoppers can also set up payment and shipping details before pre-orders officially open on Friday. Apple will then automatically place the order once the purchase window begins.
IDC reports China's overall smartphone shipments fell 15.4% year-over-year in Q3 2026, with Apple's iPhone shipments down 4.3% but its market share rising to 17.8% from 15.8% a year earlier. Huawei posted the strongest results, growing shipments 17.3% year-over-year to capture 21.1% share, while Wiko's shipments collapsed 74%.
Apple announced a lineup of seven indie titles coming to iPhone and iPad as part of the App Store's Indie Games Week, including No Man's Sky, Sifu and Vampire Crawlers. Most of the games are already available for purchase, though No Man's Sky won't launch until Oct. 28. Apple says No Man's Sky will run on iPhone 11 or newer and third-generation iPad Air or newer, supporting touchscreen, controller, or keyboard and mouse.
Apple has released the fourth developer beta of iOS 27.2, which follows the public iOS 27 release and bypasses iOS 27.1, a version reserved for the iPhone Duo foldable. The beta brings the redesigned Health app shown at the iPhone 18 Pro event, dual capture for Group FaceTime, expanded Siri language support, Apple TV profiles on iPhone, and Apple Podcasts interface tweaks.
Apple's iPhone Duo foldable has two 48-megapixel rear cameras, a main and an ultrawide, but lacks the dedicated telephoto camera found on the iPhone 18 Pro. Both phones can crop into their 48MP sensors for 2x zoom, but only the 18 Pro offers up to 8x 'optical quality' zoom via its 4x telephoto lens. The Duo also omits variable aperture, another headline feature of the 18 Pro, relying instead on a fixed aperture like earlier iPhones.
A tech explainer details how modern smartphones rely on multiple proximity sensors to handle tasks like dimming the screen during calls, detecting when a phone is in a pocket, and supporting other automated behaviors. The piece traces how sensor-heavy design became standard after the original 2007 iPhone, noting that manufacturers have since competed to add more sensors, including some novelties like external temperature readers once found on certain Google Pixel phones.
Comparison of Apple's iPhone Duo and Xiaomi's 18 Fold shows both have 7.6-inch inner and 5.4-inch outer screens at 120Hz, but Xiaomi claims 4,000-nit peak brightness versus Apple's 3,000 nits. Apple uses a titanium frame, Ceramic Shield glass and IP68 rating with a 2nm A20 Pro chip and 12GB RAM, while Xiaomi's aluminum-framed phone weighs less at 219g, lacks a listed IP rating, and runs a 3nm XRING O3 chip with 16GB RAM.
Counterpoint Research reports smartphone shipments dropped 20% year-over-year in Q3, the weakest third quarter since 2012, as DRAM and NAND price surges pushed retail phone prices up 20% this year. Despite falling shipment volumes, Samsung and Apple both grew market share, with Samsung reaching 23% and Apple hitting 22%—its highest-ever Q3 share—even before releasing the base iPhone 18.
The Thunderbird team is building a native iPhone email app from scratch rather than adapting its existing desktop or Android code. Early work focuses on account setup, background sync for reliable connections, and core inbox tools like a formatting toolbar, with the team sharing in-progress screenshots and soliciting user feedback via a research study.
Spotify announced that iPhone users running iOS 27 can now ask Siri to play music, podcasts, or audiobooks without saying 'on Spotify.' Siri learns a user's preferred music app over time and automatically routes playback requests to it, supporting features like personalized recommendations, resuming podcasts, and AI-generated Prompted Playlists. The feature requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later with Apple Intelligence enabled, and is available globally except in the EU.