MBLM has released its annual study of brand intimacy, and Apple has dropped to number seven on the list.
Brand Intimacy is defined as “the emotional science that measures the bonds we form with the brands we use and love.” The Brand Intimacy Report compared over 600 brands across 19 industries.
MBLM measures “brand intimacy” by examining users’ emotional connections to a brand, including the characteristics of their bond across categories such as nostalgia, indulgence, and identity. It also measures the intensity of a user’s connection with the brand.
Apple scored a 55.5 in the report. Ahead of it are: Disney (62.1), Costco (60.3), Samsung (59.5), Netflix (57.7), Target (57.2), and Amazon (55.6).
In 2018, Apple ranked first in the Brand Intimacy Report. It’s score has been declining since.
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Apple’s iPhone 17 series generated over US$170 billion in wholesale revenue in its first year of sales, the highest ever for an iPhone series, according to Counterpoint Research’s Global Handset Model Sales Tracker.
This is an 11% increase over the iPhone 16 series’ wholesale revenue in its first year. Strong demand across the lineup, especially for the base and Pro Max variants, supported by a stronger replacement cycle, contributed to this record revenue.
“The iPhone 17 series stands out as Apple’s strongest lineup in years, with the base model inheriting features once reserved for Pro variants and the 17 Pro series delivering powerful Apple silicon, a standout camera system, impressive design and greater choice in color, material and finish,” said Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak. “The iPhone 17 series has resonated with a remarkably broad user base, from first-time upgraders drawn to Pro-level features at the base tier to loyal Pro users pushing for the latest Apple silicon and camera performance. The iPhone 17 base model’s revenue grew 1.3x over its predecessor during the first year. It was also the No. 1 best-selling smartphone model globally in H1 2026 in terms of units, followed by the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone 17e, the most affordable model of the line-up, also saw a powerful performance.”
In terms of regional markets, China was the biggest driver of revenue growth for the iPhone 17 series, with wholesale revenue up 35% compared with the iPhone 16 series and accounting for nearly 24% of global iPhone 17 series revenue, largely due to base-variant upgrades. Japan, the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and the Asia-Pacific markets posted healthy gains. Strong demand in these markets helped offset moderate growth in mature markets like North America and Europe and contributed to the overall revenue increase.
“The iPhone 17 series also benefited from a narrower price gap with Android flagship smartphones,” said Counterpoint Senior Research Analyst Shilpi Jain. “While rising memory and component costs led many Android manufacturers to raise prices for existing and new models and adjust specifications, Apple kept iPhone prices relatively stable. This was particularly notable given that memory prices have quadrupled since Q4 2025. Installment plans and promotional offers in key markets further lowered the affordability barrier, supporting demand for higher-end iPhone models.”
The next iPhone cycle is expected to further boost Apple’s smartphone business. The company is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max alongside its first foldable iPhone today, with the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models expected to follow in 2027.
Counterpoint says that adding an ultra-premium foldable could raise Apple’s overall iPhone ASP (average selling price), while the later launch of lower-priced models could broaden the portfolio and sustain sales momentum into the following cycle. Apple is likely to be one of the key catalysts for the foldable smartphone market, adds the research group.
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New Omdia research shows that U.S. personal computer (PC) shipments (excluding tablets) grew 1.0% year-over-year (YoY) in the second quarter of 2026 to 18.8 million units, returning to growth following a 7.0% decline in the first quarter of the year.
However, it’s great news for the Mac.
Apple outpaces U.S. PC market in 2Q26
Apple moved into third place ahead of Lenovo, with US PC shipments growing 32.1% YoY, supported by a full quarter of MacBook Neo availability. This lifted Apple’s share of the US consumer PC segment to 29.4%. Apple also continued to expand in the business segment, where shipment grew 50.6%.
MacBook Neo
Apple sold approximately 3.5 million Macs in the second quarter of 2025. That compared to sales of 3.4 million in the second quarter of 2025.
Dell recorded the largest decline among the major PC vendors, with shipments falling 8.8% as component allocation shifted away from entry-level systems; its U.S. Chromebook shipments fell 47.0%, against a 10.0% decline for the overall US Chromebooks market. HP shipments fell 3.7%, although both HP and Dell recorded revenue growth as higher ASPs offset lower shipment volumes. Lenovo shipments increased 2.0%, slightly outperforming the overall market, supported by consumer demand.
Omdia says the overall PC growth was driven by demand being brought forward as retailers and channel partners secured inventory ahead of price increases resulting from memory and storage supply constraints. Average PC sell-in prices in the U.S> exceeded $1,000 for the first time, up 12.0% YoY. However, the return to growth is expected to be short-lived, with Omdia forecasting U.S. PC shipments to decline 10.7% for the full year and 18.4% in the second half of 2026.
“The US PC market in the second quarter of 2026 benefited from rising average selling prices (ASPs) driven by organic premiumization and supply-driven cost inflation,” said Scott Braverman, Senior Analyst at Omdia. “While shipment growth was muted at 1.0%, U.S. PC market revenue increased by 13.1% as manufacturers prioritized production of higher-margin, higher-cost PCs amid component constraints. The impact was most pronounced in the business segment, where ASPs rose 19.0% as enterprises sought to secure pricing amid uncertainty over future costs. Consumer average selling prices (ASPs) also increased 9.7%, as higher costs were passed on to end users.”
The same trend was visible across the U.S. channel, with Best Buy, CDW, and Insight Enterprises each reporting that higher computing selling prices helped offset softer unit volumes in their most recent quarters.
Rising component cost had the greatest impact on entry-level systems, notes Omdia. Shipments of PCs priced below $699 dropped 6.5%, while shipments of PCs priced above $1,500 increased 36.8%, reflecting a shift toward premium products. Growth in AI PCs also contributed to higher ASPs, with AI PCs accounting for 48.3% of US PC shipments during the quarter and forecast to exceed 50% for the first time in 3Q26.
“The shipment volume observed in the second quarter represents borrowed volume from 2027,” added Braverman. “Combined with persistent supply constraints and elevated prices, we anticipate continued pressure on buyer demand, and subsequently shipment volumes, throughout 2027.”
ASPs are forecast to continue rising in early 2027. However, higher prices are not expected to offset declining shipment volumes, with total US PC market revenue projected to decline 6.0% in 2027.
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Apple is deepening its technology footprint in India, with recent hiring focused on artificial intelligence (AI), data platforms, software engineering, cloud infrastructure, automation, Apple Ads, Siri language capabilities, and manufacturing intelligence. The recruitment activity indicates Apple’s focus on India for advanced engineering and operational technology capabilities, according to the Job Analytics Database of GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.
“Apple’s hiring in India reflects a clear, technology-capabilities focused expansion, with roles across AI and data platforms, software engineering, infrastructure automation, manufacturing intelligence, and localized language capabilities,” says Sherla Sriprada, Business Fundamentals Analyst at GlobalData, comments. “This suggests that India is playing a larger role in supporting Apple’s global engineering ecosystem, while also helping the company strengthen market-specific capabilities.”
The Cupertino-based technology company posted India-based roles during July and August 2026. AI and data-platform hiring stands out as a key area of focus. Apple posted “Software Site Reliability Engineer – AI & Data Platforms” roles in India, focused on developing and operating large-scale data platforms that support analytics, reporting, and AI/ML applications.
The company also sought a “Senior Software Engineering Manager – Manufacturing Intelligence, Agentic Systems & Physical AI,” a role covering intelligent manufacturing systems, AI-powered applications, agentic workflows, robotics, machine learning, and factory-edge systems.
Apple’s recruitment also points to a broader strengthening of software and platform engineering capabilities. Roles such as “Senior Software Engineer (Java, Spring Boot, and Microservices), Customer Systems”; “Software Engineer – Distributed Systems”; “Software Engineer (Data) – Ads”; and “Software Engineer (Data) – Ad Delivery” indicate a focus on scalablbackend systems, distributed architecture, ad delivery infrastructure, and customer technology platforms.
The company has also posted roles in cloud, data, and automation capabilities in India. Roles including “Data Engineer – Ads”; “Database Engineer – Ads”; “Snowflake Data Engineer – Ads”; and “Infrastructure Automation Engineer” highlight Apple’s emphasis on cloud-native platforms, database reliability, data pipelines, infrastructure automation, CI/CD, observability, and developer productivity.
Beyond engineering, Apple is also strengthening operational and market support functions in India. The company posted roles such as “Supply Demand Management Planner”; “PR Manager, iPhone”; “People Business Partner”; and “Executive Assistant”, pointing to continued investment in India operations, communications, workforce planning, and organizational support.
“Apple’s India hiring mix shows how the company is building a stronger base of AI, engineering, data, and operational capabilities in the country,” Sriprada says. “The roles suggest that India is becoming more central to Apple’s global technology ecosystem, from software platforms and AI-led innovation to manufacturing intelligence and localized user experiences.”
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The Apple ecosystem is famous for keeping things simple. Your Mac, iPad, and iPhone talk to each other seamlessly out of the box. That closed loop is great for baseline productivity and general focus. But when you hit the edges of what macOS or iOS can do natively, things often get rigid. You end up trying to force default applications to do things they were not built for.
You could go to the Mac App Store and download a dedicated application for every minor problem you encounter. That usually means paying a monthly subscription for a specialized tool you might only use three times a year. It also clutters your hard drive, slows down your startup times, and crowds your menu bar.
A much more practical approach is building a workflow toolkit of browser based utilities and artificial intelligence tools. They consume zero local storage. They run perfectly in Safari or Chrome. Most importantly, they solve highly specific operational problems exactly when you need them and then get out of your way.
Upgrading Your Communication Output
Writing client emails, project updates, and internal memos takes up a huge chunk of the professional day. Apple gives you solid basic tools for this workload. The native spellcheck is reliable and predictive text has improved significantly across recent operating system updates. But those features only fix syntax and spelling. They do not help when you are staring at a frustrating email from a vendor and trying to figure out how to reply firmly without sounding completely unreasonable.
Tone is incredibly difficult to self edit when you are working fast or feeling stressed out. Instead of agonizing over word choice for twenty minutes, you can drop your raw draft into an online AI tone rewriter. These web based tools analyze your baseline thoughts and adjust the delivery for professional environments. You type out exactly what you are thinking in plain English. You run it through the browser tool to strip out the accidental aggression or overly casual phrasing. Then you paste the refined, professional version directly back into Apple Mail. It saves time and prevents unnecessary communication disasters.
Managing Device Power for Remote Work
Apple silicon chips have completely transformed MacBook battery life. Professionals are now used to leaving the charger at home for a standard workday in the office. But heavy, specific workflows will still drain your battery much faster than the default menu bar indicator predicts.
If you are rendering 4K video in Final Cut Pro, running local data models, or participating in back to back video calls while driving a large external monitor, that battery percentage drops unpredictably. When you are planning a work session on a cross country flight or at a remote client site without reliable power access, guessing your remaining time is a bad strategy.
Running your exact hardware specifications and expected software load through a Battery Runtime Calculator gives you hard numbers. You get a realistic estimate of exactly how many hours of intensive work you actually have left before the machine dies. This lets you make smart operational decisions. You can decide whether to push through a heavy data export right now or hold off until you are back at a desk with a power adapter.
Organizing Generative AI Inputs
Screenshot
Almost every professional relies on generative AI for initial research, drafting outlines, or code generation right now. The main problem is that typing out the exact same complex instructions over and over is a massive waste of time.
People usually try dumping their most successful AI instructions into Apple Notes. Notes get cluttered very quickly. It lacks the database structure needed to categorize complex variables and system instructions. You end up searching through hundreds of random notes just trying to find that one specific marketing copy format you used last month.
A better approach for your daily workflow is keeping a dedicated Prompt library online. A centralized web repository lets you categorize your most effective AI commands with proper tags, folders, and fillable variables. When you sit down at your iMac to draft a quarterly report, you just pull up the web library. You grab the exact instruction set you already verified and feed it directly into your AI model. It creates a standardized, repeatable workflow that travels with you regardless of whether you are typing on your Mac or your iPhone.
Breaking Past Standard Fonts
MacOS and iOS handle typography exceptionally well natively. The problem arises when you need to format text in digital environments that do not support rich text formatting at all.
Think about naming specific project folders in Finder so they stand out visually from the rest of your dense file system. Consider updating a digital project board, writing a developer note, or posting a specialized update on a plain text platform. You cannot just highlight the text and hit a keyboard shortcut for bold or italics. The system will not allow it.
Using a Unicode text generator allows you to create bold, italic, or specialized text characters that are universally recognized by basic text fields. Because Unicode is a fundamental computing standard, the text you generate in Safari on your Mac will display exactly the same way when your client views it on their iPhone or a Windows machine. It is a simple, highly reliable workaround for injecting visual hierarchy into plain text fields without needing to install or manage custom fonts across your devices.
Handling Personal Tasks Without Derailing Your Day
We all use our primary work machines for personal tasks. The line between professional equipment and personal technology is basically gone for most remote and hybrid workers. The operational trick is keeping those personal tasks from eating up your entire afternoon.
Let us say you have upcoming corporate headshots for a company website redesign. You are thinking about changing your look beforehand to match a new professional role. You could easily spend three hours falling down a rabbit hole of image searches and inspiration boards on your iPad, completely destroying your productivity for the day.
A faster, more efficient method is using a short haircut preview online. You upload a quick photo from your Mac webcam, let the tool process the visual options, and get an immediate answer on whether a specific style actually works for your face shape. You solve the problem in five minutes and immediately get back to your actual work.
The overall goal of augmenting your Apple setup is always strict efficiency. You want to use targeted, lightweight tools to resolve questions and complete tasks as quickly as possible. Stop trying to make default applications do things they hate doing. Rely on specialized online utilities to handle the edge cases, keep your local machine perfectly clean, and protect your time.
Apple TV has renewed “Small Prophets” for a second season even though season one hasn’t debuted on the streaming service, according to Deadline. Last week it was announced that Apple had acquired the worldwide rights to the show’s first season.
The series will debut on the streaming service on October 7, excluding UK, where it will be made available next year. The show debuted on the BBC iPlayer and BBC television earlier this year to acclaim and the best 28-day launch ratings for a comedy on BBC Two since 2022, according to Deadline.
The article adds that Crook (“The Detectorists”) wrote, created and directed the show, also appearing in a small role opposite lead Pearce Quigley (“The Detectorists”), Lauren Patel (“Alma’s Not Normal”), Michael Palin (“Monty Python”), Jon Pointing (“Big Boys”), and Paul Kay (“Game of Thrones”).
Here’s how Deadline describes the series: “Small Prophets” follows Quigley as the eccentric Michael Sleep (Quigley), an ordinary man who, since his darling Clea disappeared seven years ago, has worked in a DIY store, while visiting his elderly dad Brian (Palin) and hoping for Clea to return. One day, Brian shares an old recipe for a potion so a skeptical Michael can create homunculi – magical spirits that can predict the future – to learn if he will see Clea again.
Michael gets help from his young DIY store co-worker Kacey (Patel) and their unlikely friendship blossoms through a dislike of store manager Gordon (Crook), while his nosy neighbors (Willan, Pointing) obssess about what Michael is doing in the garden shed.
Crook is an English actor, director, comedian, and writer, best known for his roles in television and film. He gained widespread recognition for portraying Gareth Keenan in the British sitcom “The Office” (2001–2003) and for his role as Ragetti in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series (2003–2007).
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 $14.99 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.
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Sylvia Hoeks (“Ride or Die,” “See”) has joined the cast of series Apple TV’s upcoming series, “Disavowed,” reports Deadline.
Details of her character are under wraps. But she joins the previously announced Norman Reedus in the cast.
Here’s how “Disavowed” is described: James Marsden will play legendary CIA Case Officer Brad Griffin, who is abruptly fired in the middle of a global hunt for an elusive assassin responsible for killing his colleague. Disgraced and outcast from the world of intelligence, all bets are off when Brad decides to go after the $15 million federal bounty on the assassin’s head.
Hailing from Apple Studios, the series will be executive produced by Marcum, Holloway, Tom Spezialy and Marsden. Blue Marble Pictures will produce, with Theresa Kang and Caroline Garity serving as executive producers. Blue Marble is the company behind Apple’s critically acclaimed series “Pachinko.”
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 $14.99 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.
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Apple has released a firmware update for its 140W USB-C Power Adapter. There aren’t any release notes on what it entails.
The firmware update will be installed automatically over time when the power adapter is plugged in and connected to a Mac or other device. You can’t manually apply it.
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Global shipments of XR headwear declined 38.7% year-on-year to 1.9 million units in the first half of 2026, according to the latest data from Omdia.
While XR glasses are gaining traction, their growth from a small base was insufficient to counter a steep drop in XR headset shipments, according to the research group. By 2025, the market had recorded its fourth consecutive year of decline following the pandemic-induced peak in 2021.
In the first half of 226, XR glasses expanded their share of total shipments to 25.8% – up from 10.2% in the first half of 2025. Tethered display glasses drove almost all of this growth, with RayNeo, VITURE, and XREAL collectively capturing 93.1% of the tethered display glasses segment.
Strong demand for devices such as the RayNeo Air 4 and VITURE Beast series propelled RayNeo and VITURE into second and third place, respectively, in the overall XR headwear market, with shares of 9.9% and 8.6%.
“XR glasses are gaining momentum because consumers are increasingly willing to trade some immersion for less friction,” said Qiran Ju, Senior Analyst at Omdia. “Lighter designs and familiar use cases such as video viewing and gaming are lowering the barriers to adoption.”
Meta, meanwhile, retained the overall market lead despite its share dropping sharply from 71.3% in the first half of 2025 to 48.2% in the first half of 2026, as demand for the Meta Quest 3 and 3S continued to weaken.
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Since I can’t cover everything, here are some recommended articles from some other neat sites:
° From MacRumors: Apple’s foldable “iPhone Ultra” may launch in mainland China later than in some other markets, according to an oft-reliable Chinese leaker.
° From AppleInsider: Apple Lakeside will reopen on September 12 following a redesign that adds dedicated pickup, expanded accessibility features, and a brand new experience room.
° From The MacObserver: Apple is inviting web developers to submit browser compatibility ideas for Interop 2027. The open call aims to improve standard features across all browsers.
° From Creative Bloq: Could Apple’s folding iPhone design present a brand new health risk?
° From Bloomberg (a subscription is required to read the article): Apple’s foldable iPhone was a decade in the making.
° From 9to5Mac: The Cadillac Lyriq EV is the first crack in GM’s CarPlay ban.
° From MacVoices Live!: On the new episode, the discussion of communication communication technologies continues as the panel of Chuck Joiner, Jeff Gamet, and Marty Jencius make the jump from telegraphs and long-distance calls to texting, smartwatches, satellite connectivity, and possible implanted devices.
New data from Surfshark Antivirus shows a striking gap in how malware targets Windows versus macOS users: Windows devices see nearly six times as many detections per user as macOS devices.
However, Gabrielė Sinkevičiūtė, Surfshark’s Head of Product, is saying that the sentiment often echoed on the internet that “Macs are safer” is not entirely accurate.
“Mac users still operate under the assumption that their device is inherently safer, which can make them way more susceptible to social engineering tactics like phishing rather than traditional malware,” he says.
Here are highlights from the Surfshark study:
Windows users made up 66% of Surfshark Antivirus’ active user base but accounted for 92% of all malware detections;
macOS users made up 34% of the user base but just 8% of detections — meaning Windows users encountered nearly 6x more threats per user;
Trojans were the top threat on Windows (46% of detections) vs. 25% on macOS;
Phishing hit macOS far harder, ranking 3rd on that platform (15% of detections) vs. just 3% and 6th place on Windows;
Riskware accounted for 19% of Windows detections and 17% on macOS;
Adware: 4% on Windows, 3% on macOS.
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Another day, another lawsuit. Apple is facing a class action lawsuit for “fraud” over its iCloud Private Relay glitch, reports 9to5Mac.
macOS has security measures to prevent malware getting installed on Macs, but last month it was reported that researchers say they have found a way around this.
Researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk said in a blog post that they reported their findings, but Apple is unconcerned. Apple has good reason, but it is still a potential weakness that the researchers believe could and should be fixed.
“A vulnerability in macOS allows an attacker to silently replace the main executable of any application downloaded from the web without requiring elevated privileges,” Bakry and Myst said. “As a result, trusted applications can be made to execute attacker-controlled code without triggering security warnings when relaunched.”
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As noted by Macworld, the iOS 27 beta confirms Apple’s full iPhone 18 roadmap with six new models.
The report says the beta contains hidden code revealing six unreleased iPhone models, including the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Air 2, and a foldable iPhone Ultra. The leaked details suggest Apple may prioritize premium devices this fall, while standard iPhone 18 models and the budget iPhone 18e could be delayed until 2027, according to Macworld.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to debut in September, followed by the first foldable iPhone in October. The first half of 2027 is anticipated to see the arrival of the non-Pro iPhone 18, an iPhone 18e, and a second generation iPad Air.
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Eagle Freedom Alliance, an investor-led coalition advancing corporate accountability through the public markets, has released a shareholder letter recognizing Apple Inc. for “its leadership in advancing responsible mineral sourcing and greater supply chain transparency in East Africa.”
Signed by investors and advisors connected to Apple shareholdings, the letter recognizes Apple’s support for responsible mineral sourcing and highlights Power Resources International as an example of an emerging traceable tantalum supply chain in East Africa. The letter also recognizes Apple’s leadership within the Responsible Minerals Initiative and its broader commitment to responsible sourcing.
“Responsible supply chains do not become industry standards simply because a better model exists,” said Wes Lyons, founder of Eagle Freedom Alliance and general partner at Eagle Venture Fund. “They become standards when market leaders choose to reward transparency, traceability and human dignity. Apple demonstrated how responsible procurement can strengthen supply-chain resilience and long-term shareholder value at the same time.”
Tantalum is a critical mineral used in smartphones, medical devices, aerospace systems, and other advanced technologies. “Supply chains throughout the African Great Lakes region have long faced concerns involving forced labor, conflict financing, and limited traceability,” said Samuel Logan, Founder of Evidencity. Project Tantalus, a research initiative by Eagle Freedom Alliance and Evidencity, has further illustrated how these risks can extend throughout global supply chains, reinforcing the need for transparent, traceable sourcing models that reduce the risk of exploitation.
The shareholder letter highlights the role that market leadership can play in creating commercial demand for responsibly sourced minerals and identifies Apple as an example of how purchasing decisions can encourage greater transparency and accountability throughout global supply chains.
Apple is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative, a cross-industry organization that provides standards, assessment processes and reporting tools to support informed mineral-sourcing decisions.
The shareholder letter expresses support for Apple’s continued investment in responsible sourcing and encourages the company to advance scalable solutions that protect workers, strengthen material security and improve accountability across its global supply chain.
“Every purchasing decision sends a market signal,” Lyons said. “Apple demonstrated how a buyer of consequence can help turn a responsible alternative into a model others can follow. That is precisely the kind of measurable corporate leadership Eagle Freedom Alliance exists to elevate.”
This recognition continues Eagle Freedom Alliance’s broader corporate recognition effort, which uses the voice of investors to acknowledge companies taking measurable action to reduce human trafficking, exploitation and related human rights risks. By elevating proven models and constructive corporate leadership, the Alliance seeks to encourage broader adoption of practices that strengthen accountability across industries.
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Apple has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) last year, reports 9to5Mac.
The EEOC’s suit said a 16-year employee at the Reston, Virginia Apple Store, who worked as an Apple Genius consistently received positive performance reviews. However, beginning in August 2023, shortly after he converted to Judaism, he requested an accommodation for observing his Sabbath by not working Fridays and Saturdays.
The EEOC claims his new store manager rejected the request, claiming Apple’s scheduling policy now prohibited him from having both Friday and Saturday off. Fearing he would lose his job if he did not comply, he worked on the Sabbath, against his religious beliefs.
The EEOC also charged that around this same time, and after requesting his religious reasonable accommodation, Apple began disciplining him for allegedly violating its grooming policies, and shortly after he reminded his supervisor of an upcoming day off for religious reasons, Apple terminated him in January 2024, falsely claiming another violation of its grooming policy.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from failing to accommodate religious practices, absent an undue hardship, and from discriminating against employees based on their religion. Title VII also prohibits retaliation against an employee for complaining about or opposing discrimination. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Apple, Inc., Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-1637) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
Within thirty (30) days from the date of entry of the Decree, Defendant shall pay Tyler Steele a total of $150,000 in the amounts and forms specified below:
a. One payment will be $80,000, which constitutes back pay. This payment will be classified as wages and will be subject to withholdings and payroll taxes. l Defendant’s employer-side taxes and required employer contributions, including those under FICA, are separate from, and shall not be deducted from the back pay payment. Defendant shall report the back pay payment to Mr. Steele and the IRS via an IRS Form W-2, less all legal taxes and withholdings, as issued by Defendant to Mr. Steele.
b. The second payment will be $70,000, which constitutes compensatory damages and interest. Mr. Steele must provide to Defendant a W9 for Defendant to have an obligation to process this payment. This payment will be classified as non-wage damages, will not be subject to withholdings, and will be paid in one lump sum. Defendant shall report this non-wage payment to Mr. Steele and the IRS via an IRS Form 1099- MISC.
Under the terms of the settlement, per 9to5Mac, Apple has agreed to, among other things, provide training on religious discrimination and accommodation requirements to certain employees in the relevant Northern Virginia retail market, and report denials of religious accommodation requests and complaints of religious discrimination to the EEOC for the two-year duration of the consent decree.
Finally, the consent decree notes that the settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by Apple, and explicitly mentions that “Apple denied these allegations but agreed to resolve the lawsuit.”
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SimpleFeed, Inc., an Apple News Preferred Partner, and ad verification platform FouAnalytics have entered a strategic partnership bringing independent verification to ad campaigns on Apple News.
Advertisers buying direct inventory through SimpleFeed can now elect to include FouAnalytics to measure and verify delivery. They can request campaign details and publisher availability at https://www.simplefeed.com/about/contact/.
“Advertisers demand transparency to ensure their investments are delivering as promised,” says Mark Carlson, CEO of SimpleFeed. “By integrating FouAnalytics into our direct sold Apple News campaigns, we are giving buyers independent verification that confirms delivery across our premium publisher network, while abiding by the privacy protections Apple News users love.”
Apple News is a news aggregator app developed by Apple for its macOS, iOS, iPadOs, and watchOS operating systems. A subscription costs $12.99 per month in the US. New subscribers get a 1-month free trial. Buying a new Apple device can extend this trial to three months. A single subscription can be shared with up to six family members at no extra cost.
Also, you can get Apple News+ bundled inside the Apple One Premier plan for $39.95 per month. This tier also bundles Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud+ storage. However, note thatApple News+ is not included in the cheaper Individual or Family Apple One tiers)
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Apple has released the fifth developer betas of macOS 27, iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27.
Registered developers can download the betas via Apple’s developer portal. Or they can be downloaded over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
Versions of macOS Golden Gate 27, iOS 27, and iPadOS 27, along with watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27, should arrive for end users in September.
Apple has also released new betas of macOS 26.2, iOS 26.6.1, iPadOS 26.6.1, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27. They’r available for developers and public beta testers.
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Apple is scaling back its hardware shipment plans in 2026 due to DRAM shortages, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says in an X post.
The tech giant plans its processor production at TSMC, a manufacturing partner, at least three months in advance, based on the amount of memory expected to be available, rather than having TSMC build large amounts of WIP (work in progress) ahead of time. This doesn’t mean TSMC never builds WIP in advance and holds it in inventory. But if the bottleneck is not at TSMC, building ahead provides little benefit, so Apple would have little reason to pay TSMC extra for it, according to Kuo.
In other words, tight memory supply is real. But the analyst says his understanding is that there has been no dramatic scenario in which TSMC first built up US$1 billion of WIP and then had to wait for memory to arrive before packaging could proceed. From his report: TSMC and Apple are both known for world-class execution, and such a dramatic development would be unusual given how closely the two companies coordinate their supply chains.
Finally, public information alone offers a useful way to assess this claim. TSMC said on its 2Q26 earnings call that the increase in inventory days was mainly due to the 2nm production ramp. However, that inventory cannot be directly attributed to Apple processor WIP for three reasons:
1. TSMC’s inventory days typically increase when a new advanced node enters its initial production ramp, so this is not unique to this year.
2. TSMC’s definition of inventory includes not only work-in-process, but also finished goods, raw materials, supplies, and spare parts.
3. Apple is not TSMC’s only 2nm customer this year. Other chip designers, including AMD and MediaTek, are also using 2nm.
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Apple TV has greenlighted “Ascension,” a new drama from Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón (“Disclaimer,” “Roma”), reports Deadline.
Caitríona Balfe, in her return to television after the end of “Outlander”, is starring and executive producing. “Ascension” will be co-showrun by Natalie Erika James and Christian White (“Apartment 7A,” “Relic”). It is written by James, White, Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Cuarón, with James serving as lead director. The project hails from Apple Studios and stems from Cuarón’s overall deal with Apple, with Anonymous Content also producing.
Here’s how the series is described by Deadline: Inspired by the novel Last Days by Adam Nevill, Ascension explores evil and innocence at the highest level, while asking how far we’ll go – and what we’ll sacrifice – to protect the ones we love, even when the greatest threat to them may be ourselves.
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, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku an Amazon Fire TV devices, 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 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.
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Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) have announced the September schedule for “Friday Night Baseball,” the weekly doubleheader streaming every Friday on Apple TV throughout the 2026 regular season.
Apple TV subscribers across 60 countries and regions can enjoy two marquee matchups each week with enhanced production quality, expert commentary, and no local broadcast restrictions.
For the first time, baseball fans can take in all the action of “Friday Night Baseball” live in Apple Immersive on Apple Vision Pro, leveraging 3D video recorded in 8K with a 180-degree field of view. On August 28, viewers with Vision Pro will experience the iconic Red Sox vs. Yankees rivalry from, per Apple, “unique camera angles that place viewers right in the game, immersed in the drama of each at-bat, the celebrations in the dugout after a big hit, close plays at the outfield wall, and more.”
The experience features bespoke commentary from Paul Severino (play-by-play), Xavier Scruggs (analyst), and Michelle Margaux (sideline reporter); dedicated replays; and an immersive graphics package that includes team lineups and stats floating in the viewer’s space. During breaks in the action, the broadcast remains live, immersing viewers in the stadium experience from all angles as ambisonic microphones capture sounds in Spatial Audio.
Apple Vision Pro users with an Apple TV subscription in Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK, and the U.S. can stream the games live directly through the Apple TV app. Full game replays, as well as a highlight package of the game’s key moments, will be available on demand in the Apple TV app for Vision Pro.
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, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku an Amazon Fire TV devices, 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 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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