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.
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.
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.
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