Here are the top Apple-related articles at Apple World Today for the week of July 13-17.

° Apple sues OpenAI for a scheme to “steal confidential information.”

° The Trump administration may have pushed Apple to make a chip-making deal with Intel.

° Apple purportedly has no plans for M6 Pro, M6 Pro Max, or M6 Pro Ultra processors.

° Apple’s global smartphone shipments grew to a record 20% in the second quarter.

° Apple has acquired SigLens, a platform for monitoring and debugging the processes of interrelated apps.

° Australia’s online safety regulator wants tech companies like Apple to do better at stopping online sexual extortion.

° Apple has 18.1% of China’s smartphone market as of the second quarter of 2026.

° A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Apple regarding child sexual abuse material on iCloud.

° Apple Intelligence has been registered for use in China.

° The European Commission has adopted new exemptions to its Batteries Regulation that free the Apple Watch and AirPods from having to offer user-removable and replaceable batteries.

° Apple has offered a list of products eligible for a “sales tax holiday”  in certain states.

° Apple has won a discovery fight in their ongoing 2024 DOJ antitrust lawsuit, successfully blocking subpoenas they issued to 14 federal agencies.

° An Apple user has filed a proposed class action accusing the company of misleading customers about Hide My Email’s privacy protections.

° Apple TV comedy “Acapulco” is nominated for 13 Imagen Awards.

The post Top Apple-related stories for the week of July 13-17 appeared first on MacTech.com.

Apple has decided to raise the prices of the iPhone in Japan, specifically of the entire family of iPhone 17 models, reports iPhoneros (as translated).

Prices increased by up to 11%. Increases range from 8,000 yen for the most affordable model, the iPhone 17e, to 20,000 yen or 25,000 yen for the different storage levels of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. 

iPhoneros says that it was anticipated that Apple wouldn’t raise iPhone prices until the iPhone 18 line debuted. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are anticipated to arrive in September or October (along with a foldable iPhone). A non-Pro iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are due in the first half for 2027.

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Apple has overtaken Nvidia to reclaim its title as the most valuable publicly traded company in the U.S., reports the Wall Street Journal.

Apple’s current market capitalization hit $4.91 trillion Friday. Nvidia is behind at $4.83 trillion in early-morning trade.

From the WSJ article: Apple has shown a steadier upward trajectory, driven by investor confidence that its dominant consumer position can solve most problems. It may have lagged behind in AI, but that hasn’t prompted iPhone users to switch to Android devices. And Apple may be catching up with the new Siri AI coming this fall. The company’s stock has risen roughly 57.8% over the past year.

I hope you’ll help support Apple World Today by becoming a patron. Almost all our income is from Patreon support and sponsored posts. Patreon pricing ranges from $2 to $10 a month. Thanks in advance for your support. 

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Apple and Google have been ordered to take down apps that can “nudify” or “undress” people and told that they must stop profiting from the harmful technology, according to cease-and-desist letters sent to the companies seen by WIRED.

On July, San Francisco city attorney David Chiu sent legal notices to the two companies demanding that they remove from their app stores 13 face-swapping apps. Such apps allow users to create AI-generated nonconsensual nude images. 

The letters say the Apple and Google should stop “aiding and abetting” the sale of explicit deepfake images and “sever” business relationships with the app developers.

“Generating non-consensual intimate images is illegal, harmful, and completely unacceptable,” Chiu tells WIRED. The city attorney, whose office previously took legal action against 16 popular deepfake websites, says Apple and Google have likely “made millions of dollars in fees” from apps that offer nudification, and they should improve their moderation processes to stop them appearing in their stores in the first place. These companies have responsibility to ensure that apps on their platforms do not facilitate sexual abuse.”

The city’s legal letters say California’s laws prohibit supporting services that create deepfake pornography. Researchers have repeatedly found and reported apps in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store that allow people to generate sexual images using AI—including some apps being rated as suitable for use by children. 

WIRED notes that both Apple and Google have developer policies that prohibit pornography, abuse, and harassment on their platforms. The companies have previously removed dozens of nudify and deepfake apps, after reports by researchers and journalists.

I hope you’ll help support Apple World Today by becoming a patron. Almost all our income is from Patreon support and sponsored posts. Patreon pricing ranges from $2 to $10 a month. Thanks in advance for your support. 

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India’s smartphone shipments fell 10% year-over-year (YoY) in quarter two (Q2) of 2026 (April-June), according to Counterpoint Research’s Monthly India Smartphone Tracker.

The decline, the biggest for a June quarter in six years, was mainly driven by record-high memory prices, which increased smartphone prices across almost all segments, weakening consumer demand and extending replacement cycles, despite promotions and financing initiatives.

Apple’s iPhone shipments declined 3% YoY in Q2 2026, with its market share reaching 7%. While consumer demand for the iPhone 17 series remained strong, persistent supply constraints and inventory shortages across online and offline channels limited the brand’s shipment growth during the quarter, according to Counterpoint.

Among the top five smartphone manufacturers, Samsung was the only one that registered growth (2% YoY). The brand’s growth was supported by healthy demand across its Galaxy A series and flagship S series.

“We expect India’s smartphone market to remain under pressure through the rest of the year, as elevated memory and component costs continue to keep device prices high. Smartphone memory prices have increased nearly 4x since September 2025 and are expected to rise further, potentially reaching 5x in the coming months,” says Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak. “As a result, we expect the market to decline by 13% YoY for the full year.

I hope you’ll help support Apple World Today by becoming a patron. Almost all our income is from Patreon support and sponsored posts. Patreon pricing ranges from $2 to $10 a month. Thanks in advance for your support. 

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Apple has sent legal preservation letters to about 40 former employees now working at OpenAI, reports the Financial Times (a subscription is required to read the article).

The letters tell the former employee to preserve potentially relevant documents and communications as part of Apple’s lawsuit against AI. In the filing, the tech giant says it’s concerned about data that OpenAI and the named co-defendants have already deleted. There are purportedly over 400 ex-Apple employees presently working at OpenAI.

In the lawsuit filed with the Northern District of California, last week, Apple says it’s uncovered evidence of a months-long scheme to steal confidential information. The company says OpenAI hardware lead and former Apple designer Tang Tan and former electrical engineer Chang Liu directed Apple employees interviewing with OpenAI to provide details on unreleased devices, components, manufacturing processes, and vendor relationships.

Here’s what Apple says in a statement to MacRumors: At Apple, our teams are constantly developing breakthrough technologies to create the best products and services in the world, and protecting their work and intellectual property is something we take very seriously. Recently, significant evidence has emerged suggesting individuals employed by OpenAI wrongfully took Apple’s secret and confidential information regarding our unreleased technologies, processes, and products. We will always defend our teams’ hard work and innovations, and we are taking all appropriate steps to do so.

And from the lawsuit: 

OpenAI also instructs new hires on how to avoid scrutiny when they leave Apple. For example, Mr. Tan warns them not to tell Apple that they have taken jobs at OpenAI, so they can stay at Apple as long as they can. After his own departure, Mr. Tan improperly retained or obtained an internal Apple managers’ document marked “Need to Know” that describes security procedures for employee departures. Messages left on Apple-issued work devices show that Mr. Tan and his OpenAI colleagues have been sharing this document with new hires before they give notice to Apple of their departures, previewing Apple’s security protocols. Unsurprisingly, Apple’s investigation has found a pattern by employees who depart for OpenAI of taking steps to evade the security processes intended to protect Apple’s confidential information.

In response to the lawsuit, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told MacRumors that, “We have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.”

I hope you’ll help support Apple World Today by becoming a patron. Almost all our income is from Patreon support and sponsored posts. Patreon pricing ranges from $2 to $10 a month. Thanks in advance for your support. 

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Here are some of the latest hardware and accessory announcements:

° Satechi has announced its MacBook Neo Collection to complement the MacBook’s new port design and expand its capabilities in matching colorways: Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver. 

The collection includes two all-new hubs — the OntheGo 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter and the USB-C Snap Hub — each designed to unlock the full potential of the MacBook Neo’s USB-C architecture. Completing the lineup is the Slim EX Wireless Mouse, Satechi’s aluminum-body, sleek wireless mouse, now available in Neo colors for the first time.

° XPG, the gaming brand of ADATA Technology, has launched its latest ergonomic gaming chairs, the NIMBUS and NIMBUS PLUS. They offer two distinct seating solutions tailored to different user preferences, making pure comfort second nature.

°BodyPark ATOMhas officially launched commercially and is now available to purchase. The AI-powered fitness companion brings real-time coaching, movement recognition, and workout insights to anyone training independently.

The post Hardware/accessory announcements for the week of July 13-17 appeared first on MacTech.com.

Here are some of the latest software announcements.

°  MacWhisper — a Mac app that lets you transcribe audio, video, meetings, and system audio directly on their Macs using locally run AI models — has been updated to version 14. The update offers a redesigned transcript editor and performance improvements.

° Eyes On Eyecare has launched Cited, a mobile app that reimagines how retina specialists and other eyecare professionals discover, digest, and react to the research shaping their practice. Cited is available now on the iOS App Store and will come to Android at a later date.

° Stellar, has announced a major enhancement to Stellar Repair for Video, delivering broader support for modern video formats, faster repair performance, and improved repair success across today’s most widely used recording devices.

° Google has announced the rollout of Chrome’s latest AI features to Mac and PC users in the U.K., indicated by a new “Ask Gemini” button with a sparkle icon in the upper right side of the browser.

The post Software announcements for the week of July 13-17 appeared first on MacTech.com.

Apple TV has announced an all-new season five of the beloved, award-winning animated kids and family series “Stillwater,” premiering with five episodes on Friday, August 21. 

Based on the bestselling Scholastic “Zen” book series by Jon J Muth, “Stillwater” follows a wise panda who teaches three young siblings about the world and each other. The series centers on siblings Karl (Judah Mackey), Addy (Eva Ariel Binder) and Michael (Tucker Chandler), who encounter everyday challenges — big and small — which sometimes feel insurmountable. 

Fortunately for these three, they have Stillwater (James Sie), a wise panda, as their next-door neighbor. Through his example, stories and gentle humor, Stillwater teaches the children the concept of mindfulness, while offering them a deeper understanding of their feelings as well as tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges. 

“Stillwater” is produced for Apple TV by Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment. You can watch the first four seasons on Apple TV.

About Apple TV

Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.

I hope you’ll help support Apple World Today by becoming a patron. Almost all our income is from Patreon support and sponsored posts. Patreon pricing ranges from $2 to $10 a month. Thanks in advance for your support. 

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The Elizabeth Banks-led half-hour comedy series rounds out its series regular cast with Hamish Linklater (“Widow’s Bay,” “Manhunt”), Michelle Buteau (“Survival of the Thickest”), and Simu Liu (“Shang-Chi,” “Barbie”) in recurring roles., reports Deadline.

Ted Danson, Katey Sagal, Rob Delaney, Jared Goldstein and Spencer Moss have been previously announced as part of the cast. The series is from creators Liz Heldens and Matt Ward and is set to begin production in Los Angeles this year.

Here’s how it’s described: Fresh off a messy divorce, Heidi (Banks) sets out to secure a lively second act for herself and her kids. But when she stumbles into coordinating her father’s (Danson) retirement community sexcapades, Heidi is forced into an unlikely alliance with his girlfriend’s perpetually single son. 

About Apple TV

Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.

I hope you’ll help support Apple World Today by becoming a patron. Almost all our income is from Patreon support and sponsored posts. Patreon pricing ranges from $2 to $10 a month. Thanks in advance for your support. 

The post Three more join the cast of Apple TV’s upcoming comedy series starring Elizabeth Banks appeared first on MacTech.com.

Since I can’t cover everything, here are some recommended articles from some other neat sites:

° From MacRumors: Online game platform Roblox today said it is adding a new Build tool that will let iPhone and iPad users create games using AI.

° From Macworld: Apple just made about a million Apple Watches obsolete.

° From AppleInsider: Apple’s main processor supplier TSMC has announced another increase in US investment, saying its new plants will include ones making its most advanced chips.

° From Cult of Mac: The colorful Lego iMac G3 for nostalgic Apple fans just cleared another important milestone on its long journey from fan concept to store shelves.

° From Engadget: Apple quietly hid a big change coming for CarPlay with iOS 27.

° From Stuff: What are those mystery Apple/Beats headphones seen at the World Cup?

° From MacVoices Live!: On the new episode, Apple leaks and rumor-driven reporting take center stage as the panel examines how constant predictions have diminished the excitement of new iPhone releases.

The post News items you should check out: July 17 appeared first on MacTech.com.

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