Apple Loop: iPhone 16 Pro Expectations, iPhone Air Details, Apple Watch SE Leaks

Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including what to expect from the new iPhone 16 Pro, a potential iPhone Air, Apple’s AI gamble, new payment options for iOS, Apple Watch SE’s big change, and Epic’s iOS App Store arrives.

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.

What You Can Expect From The New iPhones

Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 smartphones will be revealed early in September (with a presumed late September release in a small number of territories). More details on the final form of the latest iOS-powered devices are coming out. Forbes’ David Phelan takes a look at all the changes, including the all-important display:

“…The current 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays will be replaced by 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch screens, the biggest yet on the iPhone. That means bigger phones, of course, but not that much bigger, perhaps 3mm taller and 1mm wider on the 16 Pro compared to last year’s phone, and around 7 grams heavier. The larger Pro Max will be around 3mm taller and less than 1mm wider and weigh all of 4 grams more than the current version. Both phones are expected to have the same thickness as now.

(Forbes).

The Air That You Phone

Looking further ahead, Apple is set to try out another dimension on the iPhone to find an elusive fourth model. The larger display has failed, the smaller size has failed, so what comes next? How about a thin phone? And if there’s a think iPhone, it’s nailed on to be called the iPhone Air. That cosmetic change could be enough:

“Look at the number of color options a modern smartphone has, look at how many “web exclusives” are built around access to a specific colour, and consider the prominence given to new colours in launch videos. If you can find the right aesthetic design and fit the fashion of the day, you don’t need to improve the specs to find success.”

(Forbes).

iPhone 16’s AI Gamble

Apple’s move into the generative AI space with the backronymed Apple Intelligence software will be a key part of the iPhone 16 family’s sales strategy. Still, these tools won’t be available at launch. Instead, a subset will arrive in October with a late Q1 2025 date for Apple’s first pass at the software. Meanwhile, the competition will be bedded in with their second-gen AI:

“Neither will Apple Intelligence arrive with the iPhone 16. It is scheduled to be included in an iOS update in October 2024. When the moment comes, its capabilities will be limited. Apple will not release the full set of tools to consumers until the first quarter of 2025 at the earliest. Not only will Google have powered ahead thanks to the Pixel 9’s near six-month advantage, but Samsung’s Galaxy AI will also have its own annual upgrade alongside the Galaxy S25 family.”

(Forbes).

iOS Opens Up Payment Options

Apple has announced that iOS 18.1, which is still to be launched or reach developer beta, will allow developers to use alternative payment systems to Apple Pay. Previously all income from apps on a user’s personal smartphone had to go through Apple. That will no longer be the case, although Apple will still be involved in the financial transaction:

“Users will be able to set the app as their default contactless app or open the app and pay from there, for instance. Apple says that developers will only be authorized to do this if they “meet certain industry and regulatory requirements, and commit to Apple’s ongoing security and privacy standards.”

(Forbes).

New Materials For A New Watch SE

Will Apple reveal a third Apple Watch SE this September? It looks like the budget brand will be making an appearance alongside the iPhone 16 family. Not only is a new design is on the cards, but the use of aluminium in the frame is expected to be stopped:

“There has never been an Apple Watch clad in plastic; aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, ceramic and gold have been the go-to materials since the Watch was first launched in spring 2015…. If Apple could knock the entry price down to $200, it could appeal to a lot more people and compete more easily with rival devices such as those from Samsung.”

(Forbes).

And Finally…

Epic Games launched its own standalone App Store for the iPhone this Friday. It is only available in the EU, where Apple was censured for its breach of the Digital Markets Act in regards to the forced distribution of third-party apps through its proprietary App Store:

“The launch, the most dramatic outcome of a series of new EU tech rules passed over the last year, imports the long-standing rivalry between Epic and Apple onto European soil. Epic says its app store will take a maximum 12 percent commission on sales, undercutting Apple’s App Store, where fees can reach up to 30 percent.”

(Wired).

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.