Opinion pieces & commentary

I’d really like the concept of an iPhone Fold. I love the idea of carrying something that’s an iPhone in my pocket but an iPad mini in use.

We’re of course expecting the device to be very expensive, but I could see it being worth the cost. There are, however, two (or three, depending on how you count them) reasons why it might not be the right phone for me after all …

The latest version of the Oura smart ring app provides an improved and simplified view of key health information.

I’ve argued before that Apple could learn some lessons from Oura, and I think this is even more true today – here’s why …

For a very long time, I urged patience with Apple’s efforts to turn Siri into a truly intelligent assistant. Back in 2023, I argued that the stakes were higher for Siri than for primarily text-based AI systems like ChatGPT.

I’ve also said that Apple’s commitment to privacy poses a far greater challenge for the company’s AI efforts, and that the payoff would be worth it. But it’s gotten harder and harder to maintain this position, and the latest report certainly doesn’t help …

When it comes to favorite technology, Apple gets a double win from me. My MacBook Pro is my single most important piece of tech, and the Apple ecosystem is absolutely core to my approach to a whole range of things, across both work and leisure.

But I also have a number of non-Apple devices that either serve as important accessories or standalone devices in their own right …

We’ve for some time been expecting a cheaper and lighter version of Vision Pro, possibly branded as Vision Air. Potential launch dates have been variously reported as 2025, 2026, and 2027.

But a report yesterday suggested we may have even longer to wait for this as Apple shifts resources to accelerate work on an Apple Glasses product …

Once upon a time, there was just a single iPhone. Today, things are rather more complicated, with a choice of four new models plus two older ones remaining on sale directly from Apple.

Next year may see the most fragmented iPhone lineup we have ever seen in the company’s history – and that could be bad news for some of us …

While Apple first started supporting eSIMs back in 2018, it’s only this year that it has taken full advantage of the technology.

For the first time, Apple is using the space previously occupied by an insertable SIM card slot for additional battery capacity …

Ming-Ching Kuo today suggested that we can expect a touchscreen MacBook Pro to go into production in late 2026. This is the latest in a years-long string of rumors that Apple is working on such a device.

The company has been testing prototypes since at least 2008, but has consistently dismissed the idea of launching one. However, I do tend to believe the latest report …

If you’ve just installed iOS 26, the first thing you will, of course, have noticed is the new Liquid Glass user interface. This has proved a somewhat polarizing feature, with some developers arguing it’s not yet ready for primetime.

It certainly takes some getting used to, but overall I’m a fan, and I particularly like some of the small but notable changes …

Apple is sometimes accused of deliberately withholding new features from older devices for no good reason. For example, eyebrows were raised when dual capture video recording was restricted to the iPhone 17 when the same feature has been supported by third-party apps all the way back to the iPhone 11, so is clearly nothing to do with hardware capabilities.

When it comes to the latest health features, however, the company is wisely taking a far more inclusive approach …

Apple’s satellite messaging service was a key feature of the iPhone 14. Initially limited to providing an emergency service for those outside cellular coverage areas, it was subsequently extended to offer roadside assistance cover for mechanical problems and messaging with family and friends too.

Although initially described as free for the first two years only, Apple subsequently extended free coverage – and has just done so again …

Apple’s hardware design chief said yesterday the company knew it would be hard for some to choose between the new iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max.

That isn’t true for everyone, of course. For some, the decision will be very straightforward – but I can see how it could be tricky for others …

In 2020, Apple surprised a lot of people by re-entering a neglected segment of the smartphone market: small phones. With iPhone 12 mini, Apple did something fairly special, by squeezing all of the same technologies of the iPhone 12 into a 5.4-inch form factor. Unfortunately, it didn’t live for too long, but thanks to a recent lineup change, a new window might’ve opened for its resurgence.

Apple has always been unapologetic in its premium positioning. You know that when you buy Apple, you’re going to be paying a higher price than for almost any competing product, and are willing to do so for the perceived benefits of this – whether that’s the quality, the style, or the ecosystem.

The company has made a few nods toward affordability over the years, and we’re expecting the next one to be a new entry-level MacBook. But we’re also moving into an era where three new product launches are going to push the boundaries ever higher …

As a techie, it’s easy to get caught up in the trap of buying the most expensive devices with the most features. And, for the most part, it’s still a problem. That said, I recently made the decision to switch to Apple’s cheapest iPad, the budget model with an A16 chip. I’m pleasantly surprised with how incredibly useful it truly is – while costing less than a third of an iPad Pro.

Apple is likely going to introduce a new Apple Watch SE at its Awe Dropping event in just over a week. While we’ve been referring to this device as Apple Watch SE 3 for quite some time now, we’re yet to ask: will it actually be called that?

A few years ago, Apple used to have a much simpler iPad keyboard lineup. It just offered a Smart Keyboard for each of their iPad models, and they all essentially served as the same product. Nowadays, after the introduction of trackpad support in iPadOS and the Magic Keyboard, everything is unnecessarily convoluted – with each iPad model having a slightly different Magic Keyboard and varying features.

While the keyboard lineup is a mess, that’s not what I take issue with right now – it’s the fact that we’ve lost the Smart Keyboard Folio, which in hindsight was an incredible offering.

Last October, Apple announced the M4 MacBook Pro. On the surface, it looks like yet another MacBook Pro spec bump. However, there are a number of key features that make it worth upgrading to, even if you already have an older 14″ MacBook Pro.

Whenever a new story comes out detailing yet another setback with Apple’s AI initiatives and roadmaps, without fail, someone shows up and asks: “What exactly is Apple behind on?,” or “Catch up? Catch up to what?”.

And while this sort of comment tends to come from people who seem to spend quite a lot of time and effort trying to make sure that everyone knows they don’t care about something, this specific hill they’re choosing to die on is getting increasingly steep. Here’s why.

Last month, we heard some news from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo about Apple entering a new segment of the laptop market. The company is reportedly working on a new MacBook at a lower starting price point than the MacBook Air, and it’ll apparently pack the A18 Pro chip found in iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

While a cheaper MacBook is certainly a welcome add, the question truly stands: will Apple do it properly, or will it serve as another decoy model?

We were already expecting higher iPhone prices this year, but it now seems that one of the four models will get a bump in storage in return.

That’s always welcome, of course, but a move Apple made two years ago already made it irrelevant to me …