iPhone 16 Pro design leaks, Apple ID farewell, and iPhone 16 launch date confusion

Updated August 25 with details on Apple employee briefings ahead of launch.

We take a look at this week's news and headlines from Apple, including iPhone 16 launch date confusion, iPhone 16 Pro design leaks, an iPhone 16 comparison, European changes to iOS 18, iPhone superpowers in macOS, goodbye to Apple ID, and the launch of Apple Podcasts for Android.

Apple Loop reminds you of some of the many discussions surrounding Apple over the past seven days. You can also read my weekly Android news roundup here on Forbes.

Confusion about the iPhone release date

This week there was intense discussion about the launch date of the iPhone 16 series. Unfortunately, the excitement had to be dampened after the information that this discussion was based on turned out to be false. Here is David Phelan's comment on the hype:

“First of all, I'm pretty sure the event will be held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino. It will start at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. But I believe anything else is not true… I believe the release date is firmly set for Friday, September 20th, but the main event date could be a day or two earlier than the widely expected September 10th. We'll know soon enough.”

(Forbes).

Apple sticks to expected iPhone launch schedule

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Mark Gurman's newsletter Power On reports that Apple will unveil its new devices at an event on Tuesday, September 10. Gurman has a very good track record of covering Apple's upcoming hardware and software releases. This week's report supports the long-awaited date for the official unveiling of the new iPhone 16 family. Gurman continues to choose September 20 as the start of retail availability:

“Although the date has not yet been announced, the company is preparing for that event, which falls on Tuesday, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are confidential. The phone will be unveiled on September 20, in line with Apple's usual practice in recent years.”

These dates follow a tried-and-tested pattern for iPhone launches, although there may be a reason Apple is deviating from September 10. As Forbes contributor David Phelan notes, the televised debate between the US presidential candidates takes place that evening. Tim Cook and his team may be tempted to avoid one of September's biggest headlines in favor of making their own headlines.

(Bloomberg (via Forbes).

Update: Apple Store employees attend pre-launch briefings

Before every iPhone launch, retail employees are brought in for training on the new products. This year, there is a slight difference. Instead of the usual weekend schedule, Apple will hold staff meetings on Thursday and Friday. With Apple keeping to its own schedule, could this be a sign of an earlier iPhone 16 launch? Bloomberg's Mark Gurman notes new dates for X:

Apple has scheduled an unusual, mandatory meeting for employees at all Apple retail stores on the evening of September 12 or the morning of September 13. This will be a week before the iPhone 16 is released – but pre-launch meetings usually take place on Sundays rather than during the week.

(Mark Gorman).

iPhone 16 Pro design leaks

Regardless of when the iPhone 16 Pro will launch, things are becoming clearer as we get closer to the early September launch date. The latest details concern the key colors Apple will sell its new flagship in:

“The current colors of the Pro model are called Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium and Black Titanium. Those who pay close attention to the fact that the iPhone 15 Pro is made of titanium will notice. The new lineup seems similar, with the gray color likely being a new version of Natural Titanium. And what about the gold color? According to the leak, it will be called Desert Titanium.”

(Forbes).

What is the difference?

With the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max at the top of the range and the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at the bottom of the range, Apple is expected to put as much distance between the specs of the two ranges as possible. But with generative AI being the main attraction this year, they need to be closer together than ever before:

“Unlike previous years, when Apple worked hard to create a distinction between the regular iPhone and the professional iPhone Pro models, in 2024 the two phones will become more similar. Both phones will feature the latest Apple Silicon A18 chip and have more RAM. The increased power and working space offered by these two phones are needed to run the generative AI (short for Apple Intelligence) software.”

(Forbes).

iOS 18 changes for European customers

The latest version of iOS 18 shows the additional steps Apple is taking in Europe to comply with new consumer protection regulations, including choices for default search engines, web browsers, and more:

“For users in the EU, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will also include a new Default Apps section in Settings that lists the defaults available to each user. In future software updates, users will receive new defaults for calling phone numbers, sending messages, translating text, navigation, password management, keyboards, and call spam filters. For more information, see Update for apps distributed in the EU.”

(Apple developer).

Ready for MacOS

While the focus is on iOS 18 and the first steps of generative AI on the iPhone, macOS Sequoia is also scheduled to launch in mid-September. Just as iOS 18 will introduce AI features until mid-October, macOS won't either… but a September launch is essential to ensure the necessary synergy with iOS:

“Apple plans to release macOS Sequoia at the same time as iOS 18 this year, rather than delaying it until October. Deploying both updates at the same time ensures that cross-platform features like iPhone Mirroring are functional and work as intended. iPhone Mirroring, an important new feature, lets you control an iPhone running iOS 18 with a Mac running macOS Sequoia.”

(Mac Rumors).

Apple ID brand disappears

As part of a branding campaign no doubt driven by data from Cupertino, the Apple ID is being renamed the Apple Account. And Ryan Christoffel warns that as people make the switch, they need to be careful of scams that exploit the process:

“Apple IDs are an important part of accessing a lot of sensitive and secure data in your digital life, so it's important to use clear terminology. For example, phishing attacks could try to take advantage of user confusion during this change.”

(9to5mac).

Finally…

Apple has opened up Apple Podcasts on its website as a player and you can log in to access your own library and various top charts. This also has the fun effect of allowing Apple Podcasts to run on Android as a web app:

“The site is available to anyone with a web browser on any device,” Apple says. It is available in all major browsers, including Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, and is supported in more than 170 countries and regions in the local language. Text, chapters, or downloads are not supported.”

(Pod News).

Apple Loop brings you seven days of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Follow me so you don't miss any future coverage. You can read last week's Apple Loop article here, or you can also read this week's edition of Loop's sister column, Android Circuit, on Forbes.