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iPhone Duo status icon combines Wi-Fi, cellular, and battery information

16 September 2026 at 23:05

The iPhone Duo status icon introduces a new approach to information that has occupied the top edge of the iPhone display for nearly two decades. Instead of treating Wi-Fi, cellular signal, battery status, and other indicators as a conventional horizontal row, Apple has created a flexible circular system that sits in the corner of the foldable iPhone’s display.

Apple officially describes the feature as a “circular, flexible system” within the status bar rather than one fixed icon containing every piece of information at all times. The distinction is useful: the area can adapt according to context while consolidating status information into a smaller visual region.

It is part of a much larger rethink of iOS 27 specifically for iPhone Duo. The foldable device changes the proportions available to software, particularly when its 7.6-inch inner display is open, forcing Apple to reconsider interface elements that have traditionally stretched horizontally across an iPhone screen.

The status system is one of the smallest changes visually, but it illustrates how extensively Apple has adapted iOS around the new hardware.

Black icons on a light gray background: an iPhone Duo status icon for cellular signal strength, a Wi-Fi symbol, and a battery icon with low charge—each reflecting the clean design language of the iOS 27 status icon set.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.

iPhone Duo status icon replaces the traditional horizontal approach

Conventional iPhones distribute system information across the upper portion of the display. Cellular strength, network type, Wi-Fi connectivity, and battery status typically occupy space around the camera hardware and Dynamic Island.

iPhone Duo approaches that area differently.

Apple says its circular status system nestles into the corner of the screen and presents relevant information including Wi-Fi, cellular strength, battery status, and more. Rather than requiring a long horizontal strip, those indicators can occupy a compact area that works with the device’s unusual screen geometry.

The change is closely connected to the way iPhone Duo handles controls throughout iOS 27.

Apple has moved several interface elements to the side of the display. App navigation, toolbars, the Home Screen Dock, and some Lock Screen controls can use vertical space instead of occupying the familiar horizontal regions found on other iPhones.

The status system therefore becomes part of a vertical interface column rather than an isolated redesign.

This arrangement lets content use more of the display’s height while keeping frequently referenced system information visible. It also creates a consistent location for status details as users change how they hold or fold the device.

A flexible status system suits a foldable iPhone

A foldable phone presents an interface problem that a traditional slab-shaped iPhone does not have.

iPhone Duo can operate through its 5.4-inch outer display or its substantially larger 7.6-inch inner screen. The device can be opened completely, partially folded, rotated, or positioned like a small book.

A static status bar designed around one screen size and orientation would be less effective across those configurations.

Apple instead built iOS 27 so that interface elements can move as the physical device changes. Content reacts to folding, controls relocate, and layouts adjust around the hinge and available screen area.

Apple’s developer guidance provides additional detail about this philosophy. On iPhone Duo, navigation and toolbar controls share vertical space with system elements such as the status bar and Live Activities. When available room becomes limited, application controls can collapse into an overflow menu.

That makes the circular status area part of an adaptive system rather than a cosmetic flourish.

Developers do not need to manually reproduce the status treatment inside their apps. Apple’s standard interface frameworks handle much of the adaptation, especially when applications use native navigation, toolbar, and tab-bar components.

A smartphone lock screen displays the time 9:41 and the date Wed Apr 1, with a background of mountains under a starry night sky and an iPhone Duo status icon next to the Wi-Fi symbol in the corner, reminiscent of iOS 27.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.

Dynamic Island also moves to the side

The status area is not the only familiar piece of iPhone interface that changes position on iPhone Duo.

Apple has redesigned Dynamic Island so that it can sit vertically along the side of both the outer and inner displays. It can expand from that position to present alerts and Live Activities.

The relationship between Dynamic Island and the new circular status system is particularly interesting because Apple now has two dynamic interface areas operating along the same side of the screen.

One communicates persistent device information such as network and battery status. The other handles temporary activity, alerts, and live information.

Apple’s developer documentation refers to this section as shared vertical space. Application controls may also occupy it, meaning iOS has to continuously decide how much room is available and which elements deserve priority.

That is a major departure from the long-standing assumption that the upper corners of an iPhone screen simply contain a predictable row of small status symbols.

On Duo, those regions have become active parts of the interface layout.

Wi-Fi, cellular, and battery remain immediately recognizable

Consolidating status information creates a design challenge: efficiency cannot come at the expense of readability.

Users have spent years learning the meanings of Apple’s individual status symbols. Cellular bars indicate signal strength, the Wi-Fi symbol communicates wireless connectivity, and the battery icon provides an immediate indication of remaining power.

Apple has not discarded those familiar concepts.

Instead, the circular system changes how and where information is presented. The familiar status categories remain present while the container around them becomes more adaptable.

This is particularly useful on a device with two displays. Users should not need to relearn the meaning of basic connectivity information when moving from the outer screen to the inner display.

The same reasoning applies when iPhone Duo changes orientation. Apple can reorganize the status area without changing the fundamental visual vocabulary behind Wi-Fi, cellular, or battery information.

A hand holds a tablet displaying a video of two people talking in a field of purple flowers, with a transcript of their conversation visible on the right side of the screen and an iPhone Duo status icon appearing discreetly at the corner, reflecting the latest iOS 27 design.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.

iPhone Duo pushes the status bar beyond a fixed strip

The new design suggests a different direction for one of the oldest pieces of smartphone interface.

Status bars traditionally behave like reserved strips of screen space. Applications work around them, and their icons occupy predictable positions regardless of what is happening elsewhere.

iPhone Duo turns that space into something more fluid.

The circular system can coexist with a vertical Dynamic Island, changing application controls, Live Activities, and layouts that respond to the physical position of the foldable display. It becomes another component that iOS can arrange rather than a fixed row placed permanently along an edge.

There is no indication that Apple plans to bring the same circular status treatment unchanged to conventional iPhones. Its current implementation is specifically tied to iPhone Duo and the interface requirements created by the foldable hardware.

Still, the design provides a glimpse at how Apple can rethink even deeply established iPhone conventions when the shape of the device changes. When iPhone Duo reaches customers on October 23, the small circular area in the corner will be one of the most immediately visible examples: cellular strength, Wi-Fi, battery information, and other system details occupying a shared adaptive space instead of stretching across the display.

The post iPhone Duo status icon combines Wi-Fi, cellular, and battery information appeared first on AppleMagazine.

Apple software updates bring Siri AI and faster performance across devices

15 September 2026 at 19:41

Apple software updates for 2026 are now reaching supported devices, bringing iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27 out of preview and into everyday use. The releases place Siri AI and the next generation of Apple Intelligence at the center, but many of the changes extend well beyond generative AI.

The updates began rolling out September 14. Alongside new intelligence features, Apple has made measurable performance changes to iPhone and iPad, overhauled several parental controls, refined the Liquid Glass interface introduced across its platforms, improved search, and added smaller changes to services including iCloud Shared Albums, Maps, AirPods, and Health.

Siri AI is initially rolling out as a beta in English. Apple says French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish support is scheduled for October, making some of the headline functionality a staggered release rather than something every user receives immediately after installing the new operating systems.

Apple software updates make Siri AI a cross-device feature

Siri AI is built around personal context, onscreen awareness, expanded app actions, and access to current information from the web. The assistant can draw on material stored in areas such as Messages, Mail, and Photos when responding to requests, while Visual Intelligence allows users to ask about content currently displayed on their screen.

On iPhone, Siri mode is integrated directly into the Camera app. A user can point the camera at something and ask questions or perform supported actions based on what appears in front of them.

The assistant also gains a dedicated Siri app that synchronizes conversation history privately through iCloud. A conversation started on an iPhone can therefore be continued on an iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro.

Write with Siri expands the assistant into text creation and editing. Users can describe the material they need drafted or ask Siri to refine existing writing without moving to a separate application.

Apple Intelligence is also adding more specialized features outside Siri. Photos receives Spatial Reframing, Extend, and an updated Clean Up tool. Image Playground can generate images in a wider selection of styles, including photorealistic output, with metadata designed to identify AI-created material and planned support for the SynthID standard.

Safari can automatically organize tabs by topic and monitor webpages for changes, such as a product returning to stock or a price dropping. Apple is also introducing tools that can create custom extensions from a description.

An iPhone screen with Siri activated, displaying a request to email Elton about free Saturdays in November and asking to bring gluten-free snack options—all seamlessly integrated with the new OS 27 for enhanced Siri functionality.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.

iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 put more emphasis on speed

Some of the less visible changes could be among the most frequently experienced.

Apple says apps can launch up to 30% faster on iPhone and iPad after installing the new software. Photos can load an image up to 70% faster immediately after it is taken, while AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster.

iPadOS 27 receives additional work around file handling and multitasking. Apple says browsing files and transferring them to an external USB drive can be as much as five times faster, accompanied by smoother window closing, switching, and dragging.

Connectivity behavior has also been adjusted. Transitions between cellular connections and Wi-Fi are designed to happen more seamlessly, while Messages no longer needs to hold subsequent texts behind a large photo or video being uploaded over a slow connection.

Search across Spotlight, Photos, and Mail has been revised on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Mail gains a new ranking system for Top Hits, while Apple describes search across the three platforms as more stable and comprehensive.

Liquid Glass has received another round of refinements after becoming the common visual language across Apple’s software. A new Settings slider allows users to adjust the interface from an ultraclear appearance toward a more heavily tinted version, and app icons have been sharpened.

Screen Time and child safety controls get a substantial redesign

Apple has also expanded the controls available to families rather than limiting this software cycle to interface and AI work.

The setup process for child accounts now allows parents to specify which apps a child can access from the beginning, with additional apps added later if appropriate. Ask to Browse extends approval controls to Safari, letting parents require permission before a child opens a new website.

Communication Safety has been expanded beyond sexually explicit material to detect and intervene when gore or violent content appears in shared images and videos.

Screen Time presents average device usage and frequently used apps more prominently. Parents can establish daily time allowances across categories such as Entertainment, Games, and Social Media, while Schedules can change which apps remain available at different points during a weekday or weekend.

These changes are particularly notable because they work at the account and platform level rather than requiring parents to configure separate controls inside every individual app.

A smartphone shows a child texting their dad, asking to visit “cyberpetsgame.net,” with options to decline or approve the request. The game features cute animal icons, highlighting parental controls made even better with the latest Apple software updates.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.

watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27 add targeted upgrades

The smaller platforms receive their own additions rather than simply inheriting features from iPhone and Mac.

watchOS 27 introduces a dedicated Siri app, a dynamic app grid, expanded Smart Stack suggestions, and a new single-handed tap gesture for opening widgets. Workout Buddy can now operate without the paired iPhone nearby, while Cycle Tracking in Health adds support related to perimenopause and menopause.

visionOS 27 brings Siri AI and Visual Intelligence into Apple Vision Pro, where the assistant can respond to objects a user is physically looking at. Panoramas can be converted into spatial scenes and used as personal Environments, while Mac users can bring compatible 3D models into their physical space to preview and edit them.

Apple says Vision Pro can now start up and connect to Wi-Fi up to three times faster. New curved windows, Control Center changes, eye-controlled notification expansion, and improvements to Dwell Control further adjust the spatial interface.

tvOS 27 takes a narrower approach. Apple Music gains high-resolution lossless audio support, Apple Podcasts has been redesigned, and additional text-size accessibility options have been introduced. Apple TV 4K owners can install the release on supported second- and third-generation models.

Other changes stretch across device categories. iCloud Shared Albums can now retain full-resolution photos and videos while making participation easier from Android and Windows devices. AirPods gain custom EQ settings, Maps expands Flyover with AI-assisted aerial detail, and Missed-message notifications and unread counts now synchronize more quickly and reliably across Apple devices.

With the September 14 releases now public, the software cycle shifts from preview demonstrations to staggered feature delivery. Siri AI language expansion begins in October, while some Apple Intelligence capabilities and individual app features will continue arriving through later updates rather than being tied exclusively to the initial 27.0 releases.

Apple software updates - A smartwatch screen running visionOS 27 shows an airline confirmation call, code LUI8L01, for a flight from JFK to RAK at 10:05 PM on April 17. Call duration is 47 seconds; time is 10:09.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.

The post Apple software updates bring Siri AI and faster performance across devices appeared first on AppleMagazine.

macOS 27 Golden Gate

14 September 2026 at 21:51

Apple (release notes, security, enterprise, developer, full installer, IPSW):

Explore what’s new for macOS 27.

The page is designed in an annoying way that requires sideways scrolling, and there doesn’t seem to be a PDF list of the new features like in previous years.

See also:

Jeff Johnson:

There’s also a DEPRECATION NOTICE at the top of the man page that lists the diskutil replacements for hdiutil subcommands.

Patrick Wardle:

Fixed: launchd no longer supports loading launchd property list files with the quarantine extended attribute.

Dave Nanian:

[Even] though a bootable backup is properly configured to boot, they aren’t showing up as choices in either the startup disk preference pane or the startup picker. (FB24210103, reported quite a while ago, Apple friends.)

Previously:

MacVoices #26255: Joe Kissell Takes Control of Apple’s New Operating Systems (1)

By: Chuck
14 September 2026 at 13:07
Joe Kissell discusses a new approach to Take Control Books’s coverage of Apple’s latest operating systems, including separate books for macOS Golden Gate, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, plus a cross-platform guide to Siri AI and Apple Intelligence. Joe explains the challenges of documenting changing betas, evaluates Apple’s emphasis on polish and bug fixes, and examines Liquid Glass and lingering problems in Contacts. (Part 1) 

💾

Developing for iPhone Duo

11 September 2026 at 18:58

Craig Hockenberry:

It looks like Xcode 27.1 is needed to test the iPhone Duo resizability - and that hasn’t been uploaded yet.

Jordan Morgan:

Cupertino and Friends™️ dropped six new videos over developing, designing, and crafting great apps for the nascent device:

  1. Design for iPhone Duo
  2. Prepare your app for iPhone Duo
  3. Raise the bar with iPhone Duo
  4. Strike a pose with adaptive layouts on iPhone Duo
  5. Leverage multiple displays and scenes on iPhone Duo
  6. Build a great camera experience for iPhone Duo

Nathan Manceaux-Panot:

In the Duo dev video, they describe how text buttons can’t be moved to the new vertical sidebar, as opposed to icon buttons.

I wonder if that’s one of the reasons Liquid Glass pushed hard for icon buttons, even though these are harder to understand; they make the vertical layout possible at all.

Nico Reese:

Totally confusing to me how the toolbar is ordered completely different between both modes here.

Dennis Oberhoff:

I think the problem with the iPhone Duo for developers is mostly that it does not create any new opportunities in the form of a new market or a new audience.

Previously:

How to Turn Off Liquid Glass in iOS 27: Apple Publishes a Slider, Not a Switch

11 September 2026 at 03:45

There is no off switch for Liquid Glass in iOS 27. The only control Apple has published is a slider in Settings that moves the effect anywhere from ultra-clear to fully tinted, and nothing in Apple’s description of the update removes the design. The reason this search keeps coming back is that Liquid Glass is […]

The post How to Turn Off Liquid Glass in iOS 27: Apple Publishes a Slider, Not a Switch appeared first on The Mac Observer.

RC do iOS 27 inclui controles customizáveis no app Câmera, novidades para o Apple TV Remote e mais

10 September 2026 at 02:11

Como esperado, as Releases Candidates (RCs) dos próximos sistemas operacionais da Apple foram disponibilizadas hoje, logo após o evento especial de apresentação dos novos iPhones, Apple Watches e AirPods.

Ainda que se tratem das versões esperadas para o lançamento, que acontecerá na semana que vem, elas trouxeram algumas mudanças e novidades que vale a pena conferirmos. A começar pelo app Câmera (Camera) do iOS 27, que ganhou a opção de customizar os botões da barra de ferramentas.

iOS 27 RC has custom controls for the camera app pic.twitter.com/7CeV6kuQ2n

— Aaron Zollo (@zollotech) September 9, 2026
O iOS 27 RC traz controles personalizados para o aplicativo de câmera.

iOS 27 final release adds the long-rumoured customisable controls toolbar in the Camera app pic.twitter.com/PJT2Wqf2eF

— Benjamin Mayo (@bzamayo) September 9, 2026
A versão final do iOS 27 adiciona a tão aguardada barra de ferramentas de controles personalizáveis ​​ao aplicativo Câmera.

A RC do iOS 27 também adiciona um design renovado, além de dois recursos, ao Apple TV Remote: um inicializador de aplicativos, bem como os principais conteúdos do aplicativo aberto na Apple TV. É possível também visualizar a lista “Continuar assistindo”.

Apple TV Remote is getting more useful. #AppleEvent

iOS 27 RC adds a refreshed design and two features, both currently disabled:
1. An app launcher to open apps on your Apple TV.
2. Top Shelf content from the selected app on your Apple TV, with Continue Watching as a fallback. pic.twitter.com/Si3EZc1b8L

— pdfu (@itspdfu) September 9, 2026
O Apple TV Remote está ficando mais útil. #AppleEvent

O iOS 27 RC traz um design renovado e dois recursos, ambos atualmente desativados:
1. Um inicializador de aplicativos para abrir apps na sua Apple TV.
2. Conteúdo da “Top Shelf” do aplicativo selecionado na sua Apple TV, com a opção “Continuar Assistindo” como alternativa padrão.

Embora não seja necessariamente um novo recurso, o sistema também inclui um easter egg na seção de customização do Liquid Glass, presente no app Ajustes (Settings). Ao rolar pela prévia exibida no próprio app até o fim, é possível visualizar uma animação que representa uma versão repaginada do Clarus, mascote do famoso desenho de computador Dogcow criado pela Apple nos anos 1980 — o qual emite o som “Moof!”, que mistura o mugido de uma vaca com o latido de um cão.

iOS 27 has a fun Easter egg found in the Liquid Glass settings. Scroll to the bottom and keep scrolling to see it. Here is a screen recording on my iPhone on iOS 27 RC so you can see it. pic.twitter.com/HJ3MxIApnp

— Aaron Zollo (@zollotech) September 9, 2026
O iOS 27 traz um Easter egg divertido nas configurações do Liquid Glass. Role até o final e continue rolando para vê-lo. Aqui está uma gravação de tela feita no meu iPhone rodando o iOS 27 RC, para que você possa conferir.

O iOS 27 (bem como o watchOS 27) também incluirá um aplicativo Saúde (Health) repaginado que utiliza a Apple Intelligence para interpretar melhor seus dados de saúde. As novidades incluem uma aba Insights com um resumo das informações mais relevantes do momento, além de orientações personalizadas, avaliações, uma nova pontuação de “prontidão” e o cálculo da sua “Idade de Saúde”.

🩻 iOS 27 RC Brings a more vibrant and reworked Health App – pending the upcoming improvements to it in an expected iOS 27.1 update. pic.twitter.com/dZgI9QmrKJ

— Is iOS Stable? (@isiosstable) September 9, 2026

As novidades incluem também uma nova aba de longevidade, que utiliza métricas do Apple Watch e do iPhone para avaliar sua saúde com base no sono, na movimentação, na saúde cardíaca e em outros fatores.

Divulgação/Apple

Além disso, o app renovado permitirá que os usuários realizem avaliações detalhadas sobre a movimentação do corpo, o que pode ajudar pessoas que estão envelhecendo ou se recuperando de lesões. Um instrutor pode até demonstrar certos movimentos para você experimentar durante a avaliação — uma experiência que, segundo a Apple, equivale a ter um treinador acompanhando você pessoalmente.

A versão atualizada do aplicativo Saúde será lançada ainda neste ano — possivelmente com o iOS 27.1 —, a princípio somente em inglês (versão dos EUA).

watchOS 27

A RC do watchOS 27 inclui um novo mostrador chamado Siri Modular, disponível tanto nos Apple Watches intermediários quanto nos modelos Ultra — no entanto, a versão para este último oferece algumas opções de personalização adicionais.

Ambas as versões do mostrador utilizam o mesmo layout, que conta com uma complicação na linha central superior, a hora (centralizada), uma complicação larga e uma linha com três complicações circulares. O Apple Watch Ultra também oferece opções de borda, adicionando mais uma maneira de configurar o novo mostrador.

New Siri Modular face in watchOS 27 pic.twitter.com/ayOdDUkbrg

— Ben (@idocode01) September 9, 2026

Três opções de estilo permitem ajustar a tela do relógio. A primeira opção apresenta o relógio mais alto e três complicações circulares. O segundo estilo traz um relógio compacto, acompanhado pela complicação larga e três complicações circulares. O terceiro estilo apresenta um relógio de tamanho médio com uma complicação larga.

Tanto no modelo intermediário quanto no Ultra também há opções de fonte para o relógio. Por fim, há a opção de definir a cor do mostrador, incluindo diversas novidades como bronze-escuro, ouro-brilhante e outras novas alternativas.

via TechCrunch, 9to5Mac

Preparing to Update to Golden Gate

3 September 2026 at 19:34

Howard Oakley:

As those new models start shipping on 22 September, the window for the first public release of Golden Gate has narrowed to 15-22 September, with greatest likelihood on the same day as the arrival of those new Macs.

[…]

At the same time as the release of Golden Gate, we should get Tahoe 26.7 and Sequoia 15.8, but it looks increasingly likely that the final version of Sonoma has been 14.8.9, released on 6 August.

Howard Oakley:

As we prepare to flee from the visual horrors of macOS Tahoe at last, this article is a reminder that it wasn’t the first major release of macOS that has had blatant bugs in its interface, although I suspect it may be unique in that those were intentional. While progress in Golden Gate has been limited, I hope you’ll find it rectifies some of the worst errors of Liquid Glass.

Many Macs will be left behind, as Golden Gate drops support for Intel.

Normally, I update around January. With Tahoe I waited until July. This time, I’m considering updating to Golden Gate soon after its release. The downside is that Xcode 26 doesn’t run on Golden Gate, so I would have to drop support for many older macOS versions (about 3% of my customers’ Macs). But it seems like Apple’s going to force that soon, anyway, as one of the next Xcode 27 updates will likely drop support for Tahoe. I want to get off Xcode 26, both to use the newer SDK and because there are various debugging/testing things that don’t work properly.

Mario Guzmán:

I am working on a new app. Right now, I am targeting back to macOS Sequoia. I think that would be a good OS to target but becoming quite old with Golden Gate just around the corner. […] I wonder if I should just target macOS Golden Gate and focus testing on that.

Previously:

Update (2026-09-04): Isaiah Carew:

i’m in the exact same boat. i’d really like to stay on macOS 15 and whatever Xcode works there. it means i can still build things in the old UI and mostly Tahoe and GG respect it.

but recent bug reports from beta testers and the inability to see these bugs on my VM has made me feel very stuck here — like apple has purposefully made it difficult to move forward and support older versions too.

Update (2026-09-11): Howard Oakley:

What if any preparations do you need to make before upgrading or updating then, or in the coming weeks?

Update (2026-09-16): Adam C. Engst:

So who should upgrade immediately, and who should wait? Let’s consider a few broad categories of users.

Apple’s foldable iPhone sets the standard that Google, Oppo, and Vivo plan to follow next year

2 September 2026 at 19:30
3D render claiming to depict Apple's first foldable iPhone (image: Jon Prosser)
3D render claiming to depict Apple’s first foldable iPhone (image: Jon Prosser)

Even before its unveiling, Apple’s first foldable iPhone has already become the design benchmark the rest of the industry is racing to copy. Google, Oppo and Vivo are now preparing to adopt the same dual ultra-thin glass (UTG) structure Apple pioneered, TheElec reports citing industry sources.

The dual-UTG approach places one sheet of ultra-thin glass above the OLED panel as the cover window and a second sheet beneath it for structural support. The upper layer, thinned to tens of micrometers, protects the display from impacts and scratches while still folding repeatedly. The lower layer spreads stress around the hinge and stiffens the panel from below. Together, the two glass layers give manufacturers tighter control over rigidity and folding stress, which helps reduce the crease that has long defined cheaper foldables.

Apple chose this construction as a late entrant precisely because it wanted to minimize crease visibility and raise overall quality rather than simply match existing products. That decision is now being treated as the new premium standard. Samsung Display is already building dual-UTG OLED prototypes to the specifications of Google, Oppo, and Vivo, working with partner Dowoo Insys on both the upper and lower glass layers. Mass production is targeted for the companies’ 2027 launches.

Samsung’s own Galaxy Z Fold8 series takes a different route: a single UTG layer on top plus a titanium alloy film and reinforced titanium plate underneath. That architecture is simpler and cheaper to manufacture at scale. Apple’s rivals, however, have decided the extra glass is worth the cost. Oppo and Vivo in particular have made crease reduction and durability central selling points for their Find N and X Fold lines. Google is expected to follow the same path with its next Pixel Fold.

The three companies all sell book-style foldables — the Pixel Fold series, Find N series, and X Fold series. Their current flagships are the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, Find N6 and X Fold6. New models using dual UTG are slated for early 2027 at Oppo, the first half of the year at Vivo, and the second half at Google.

For the UTG supply chain the shift is unambiguously good news. Even if overall foldable shipments stay flat, each device will now consume two sheets of glass instead of one. Apple’s decision to lead with dual UTG did not just improve its own product; it doubled the material content the rest of the market is now lining up to use.
‎
MacDailyNews Take: Apple leads. All others follow. As usual.

As with fingerprint and facial recognition, when Apple debuts a foldable iPhone, then foldable smartphones will have been done right. – MacDailyNews, January 17, 2019


‎
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!

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The post Apple’s foldable iPhone sets the standard that Google, Oppo, and Vivo plan to follow next year appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Ending the Golden Era for Backward-Compatible Apps

1 September 2026 at 21:08

Matthias Gansrigler-Hrad:

I don’t appreciate being forced by Xcode 27 to drop support for macOS 10.13-11.0. It’s my decision which OSes I want to support, not Apple’s. Yes, I can keep Xcode 26 around until submissions require Xcode 27, but what then?

Originally, Xcode 27 was documented as supporting Big Sur on Intel Macs, but now the earliest is Monterey.

I’m frustrated, too, but it’s more honest than the recent releases that claimed to support deployment on older macOS versions when Apple clearly hadn’t tested that it actually worked. I filed bugs, and Apple kept responding that they’d fixed it, when they hadn’t.

Using old versions of Xcode isn’t a great solution because they aren’t supported on Golden Gate. Swift also makes it more difficult to call newer APIs when using an older SDK. You can’t just copy/paste a method prototype or constant value and conditionally use it when running on a newer OS.

Ighor July:

I eventually found a hidden workaround that changes the errors back into warnings. That is good news, but it does not make the concern disappear. The setting is undocumented, absent from the normal Xcode interface, and currently being tested only in a beta toolchain. The larger question is what Apple intends to enforce when Xcode 27 is final and, later, when App Store submission requirements move to its SDKs.

[…]

Apple’s current Xcode system requirements list Xcode 26 with deployment targets beginning at iOS 15 and macOS 11. Yet developers have been able to enter older targets manually. In an Apple Developer Forums discussion about Xcode 26, an Apple product manager explained that the published deployment target range is aligned with simulator support and on-device debugging. The accepted answer confirms that an iOS 13 target can still build even though it falls below the range in Apple’s table.

My own tests went further. Xcode 26.5 compiled a project targeting iOS 9.0. It warned that the target was older than the supported range, but the build succeeded. On macOS, I have compiled current apps with deployment targets as old as macOS 10.9. Xcode warned me, but it still produced working applications.

[…]

For iOS and iPadOS, staying on Xcode 26 is not a lasting option. Apple has repeatedly made a current Xcode and SDK mandatory for new App Store submissions. […] If any one of those conditions fails, iOS and iPadOS developers will have no normal App Store path for publishing new updates that still support versions older than 15.

Previously:

Update (2026-09-07): Léo Natan:

Just want to remind you guys that if you move to Xcode 27, the only “officially” supported and sanction Xcode for GG, UIDesignRequiresCompatibility is no longer respected across the 27 OSes (apps built with older Xcodes still are). So you might suddenly find out you have a lot of work ahead of you, adding support for the dreaded Glass. And 27 Glass is not the same as 26 Glass. That can be an issue if you skipped 26 altogether but still want to support it.

Previously:

Update (2026-09-11): Nick Lockwood:

I mostly ignored the Xcode 27 betas (mainly due to the barely-usable Device Hub) so I didn’t realize the passive-aggressive prompts to drop support for iOS < 15 that you get when submitting apps is being backed up by Xcode 27 refusing to compile apps at all unless you bump the deployment target 😧

Apple continua desenvolvendo iPhone comemorativo de vidro, diz Gurman

11 August 2026 at 13:29

Após o rumor de que a Apple teria cancelado o desenvolvimento do projeto de um iPhone comemorativo de 20 anos da linha, o jornalista Mark Gurman afirmou em nova publicação na Bloomberg que os planos da empresa para esse suposto futuro aparelho seguem mais do que de pé.

Como ele já havia relatado anteriormente, a ideia da Apple é lançar os modelos Pro do ano que vem (chamados internamente de V73 e V74) com um design majoritariamente de vidro — material que estará tanto na parte frontal quanto na traseira, bem como na lateral, que será curva.

Essa lateral deverá contar com uma faixa metálica adicional para lhe dar suporte — uma adição que teria ocorrido no meio do projeto, depois que a Apple passou a enfrentar problemas na tentativa de conectar os dois painéis de vidro sem qualquer material intermediário.

Em resumo, o roteiro de produtos planejados pela Apple não teria mudado — os iPhones de vidro já estariam em fase avançada de testes e praticamente finalizados — e fontes na empresa afirmaram que ela espera “causar impacto” com a mudança no ano que vem.

Antes desse lançamento, no entanto, a Apple deverá lançar neste ano o primeiro iPhone dobrável (junto aos novos modelos Pro, com visual semelhante aos da geração atual), bem como o “iPhone 18”, o “iPhone Air 2” e o “iPhone 18e” — estes, porém, apenas no início do ano que vem.

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Cores: prateado, laranja-cósmico ou azul-intenso
Armazenamento: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB ou 2TB
R$ 9.899,10
R$ 12.499,00

iPhone 17 Pro

Cores: prateado, laranja-cósmico ou azul-intenso
Armazenamento: 256GB, 512GB ou 1TB
R$ 9.599,00
R$ 11.499,00

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Vídeo: watchOS 27 vem com Siri AI, novo app Buscar e várias melhorias

3 August 2026 at 22:00

A Apple anunciou o watchOS 27 com uma quantidade razoável de novidades, e neste vídeo lhes trago um resumo das principais mudanças que chegarão ao Apple Watch nesta atualização.

Entre os destaques, está a Siri AI (que requer um iPhone compatível), com um novo app dedicado a conversas mais naturais e contextuais. A interface também recebeu refinamentos visuais com o Liquid Glass, incluindo ícones redesenhados como o do Maps, além de um novo grid dinâmico de sugestões de apps ao pressionar a Digital Crown.

Outras novidades incluem novos botões para fechar ou silenciar notificações, um gesto de tocar e segurar para abrir itens do Conjunto Inteligente, e a chegada de um novo app Buscar (Find My), unificando a localização de pessoas, dispositivos e itens. Há ainda o recurso Call Context, que exibe informações relevantes durante chamadas.

No quesito desempenho, a reprodução de música ficou mais rápida, e a Apple promete melhor eficiência de bateria e conectividade Wi-Fi aprimorada. Para quem treina, o watchOS 27 traz maior precisão de distância em corridas e caminhadas na esteira, contagem de passos mais precisa e um Workout Buddy menos intrusivo, mais independente e agora com suporte a espanhol. O Acompanhamento de Ciclo (Cycle Tracking) também passa a contar com alertas de perimenopausa e menopausa.

Uma ausência notável é a do app Walkie-Talkie, que curiosamente não está presente nesta versão.

Por fim, vale lembrar que nem todos os Apple Watches vão receber o watchOS 27 — explicamos aqui por que tantos modelos ficaram de fora e trouxemos aqui a lista completa de compatíveis.


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Supostos óculos da Apple poderão ter foco em recursos de saúde

3 August 2026 at 15:18

De acordo com Mark Gurman, jornalista da Bloomberg, a Apple pretende transformar seus futuros óculos e headsets em dispositivos voltados à saúde.

Na edição mais recente da newsletter “Power On”, ele ressaltou que a ideia já havia sido levantada durante o desenvolvimento do Apple Vision Pro, que contaria com uma versão do Apple Fitness+ com execução local — permitindo que o dispositivo auxiliasse os usuários no acompanhamento dos seus treinos e na análise dos movimentos —, mas o recurso foi descartado.

A ideia, no entanto, parece viva para novos dispositivos, como os rumorados óculos inteligentes da Apple. O que ressalta essa especulação é a descrição de uma vaga para uma liderança estratégica de design de produto.

Com vinculação ao Vision Products Group, a demanda envolve “definir o futuro das experiências de saúde, bem-estar e condicionamento físico nos produtos de computação espacial”, transformando “oportunidades ambíguas na interseção entre computação espacial, vestíveis, saúde do consumidor e comportamento humano”.

Caso esse direcionamento se concretize a partir da estreia da Apple no segmento dos óculos inteligentes, essa abordagem — somada à integração com o seu ecossistema — pode se tornar a sua marca registrada em relação a competidores estabelecidos desse mercado, como a Meta.

Novos AirPods ainda em 2026?

Questionado sobre o futuro dos AirPods, Gurman rememorou que, embora a primeira versão dos AirPods com câmeras integradas a recursos de inteligência artificial (IA) — de codinome B798 — tenha sido adiada para 2027, uma segunda versão encontrada no código do iOS 27, sob o codinome B790, pode sugerir que a estreia dessa reformulação dos fones ocorrerá ainda em 2026.

Render dos supostos AirPods Pro com câmera
Imagem: ChatGPT

O jornalista mencionou, ainda, que a última variante estaria no cronograma interno da Apple com previsão de lançamento já para este ano.

AirPods Max 2

Chip: H2
Cores: azul, roxo, meia-noite, estelar ou laranja
R$ 5.999,00
R$ 6.590,00

AirPods Max

Chip: H1
Cores: azul, roxo, meia-noite, estelar ou laranja
R$ 3.270,39

AirPods Pro 3

R$ 2.333,32
R$ 2.699,00

AirPods 4 com Cancelamento Ativo de Ruído

R$ 1.699,00
R$ 1.999,00

AirPods 4

R$ 1.298,70
R$ 1.499,00

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Lock Launcher Introduces “No Redirect” Launchers, XL Widgets for iOS 27

27 July 2026 at 14:23
My Home Screen setup with Liquid Glass widgets powered by Lock Launcher.

My Home Screen setup with Liquid Glass widgets powered by Lock Launcher.

I don’t think I ever mentioned it on MacStories (although I probably did at some point on AppStories or Unwind), but my favorite “launcher” app for iOS is a utility called Lock Launcher, which I’ve been using on and off for the last couple of years. Lock Launcher started as an app for adding URL schemes to the Lock Screen a few years back, and it gradually evolved into a comprehensive “widget studio” app to design launcher widgets of all kinds for the Home Screen, Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, Live Activities, and more.

Anyway, I’m covering the app on the site today because it was updated with two features that I didn’t think were possible or allowed on the App Store, and I want to highlight them for our readers. I’m not really sure how the developers were able to add these features to the app; you may want to download it from the App Store quickly, just in case.

For starters, Lock Launcher now lets you create launcher shortcuts that open apps directly and immediately, rather than redirecting you to the Lock Launcher app first.

For years now, launcher apps on the iPhone have had to employ this workaround: you’d tap on a shortcut that opened, say, Ivory, but you would see the launcher app flash onscreen briefly before redirecting you to the actual destination app you selected. Somehow, Lock Launcher is now circumventing this limitation with a ‘Direct Open’ mode that I haven’t seen in other launcher apps for iOS. That sequence of widget, host app, and destination app was, ultimately, the reason why I always stopped using third-party launcher apps, and I love that it’s been removed by Lock Launcher.

Launching apps without redirects via Lock Launcher.

At long last, I’ve been able to create a dense Home Screen with 40 icons (36 in the widget plus 4 in the dock), and they all launch directly when tapped.

My new Home Screen powered by Lock Launcher.

My new Home Screen powered by Lock Launcher.

The screenshot above brings me to the second feature added in the version of Lock Launcher currently available on the App Store: XL widgets on iPhone in iOS 27.

Now, as far as I know, if an app wants to adopt an API exclusive to a future version of iOS, it typically needs to be built against that version’s SDK using the corresponding Xcode beta. However, the App Store isn’t currently accepting apps built with the iOS 27 SDK. And yet, the Lock Launcher developers must have figured out a way to support the new systemExtraLargePortrait widget size and make it work on devices running iOS 27 even though the app was built with the iOS 26 SDK. My best guess: they’re using a workaround that involves visionOS 26 APIs, since the Vision Pro received support for that family of widgets last year. (I’d love to know more about this.)

These two features, combined with the ability to apply the Liquid Glass material to widgets for beautiful refractions of the system wallpaper, make Lock Launcher the most powerful and customizable launcher utility on iOS to date. I hope writing about it doesn’t get the developers in trouble.

Lock Launcher is available for free on the App Store, with advanced features available through an optional Pro in-app purchase.

Instapaper 10 é lançado com visual repaginado, novos recursos e mais

28 July 2026 at 18:32

O app de leitura Instapaper foi atualizado hoje para a sua versão 10.0 com uma série de novidades — incluindo uma interface repaginada e adaptada ao Liquid Glass (e outras mudanças de design em grande parte do app), bem como novos recursos e melhorias de desempenho.

O Menu de Seções, por exemplo, agora pode mostrar as Contagens de seção em todos os lugares, bem como permite ordenar pastas e etiquetas por nome, ordem de adição ou contagem. Também há melhorias na exibição e suporte completo ao Liquid Glass no iPad.

Quando falamos na Lista de Artigos, ela foi redesenhada com um novo modo Condensado, opções de tipografia e uma nova ação de deslize para mover artigos para o topo. Ela também cria automaticamente listas de reprodução a partir da lista de artigos completa.

Por fim, o Leitor agora conta com quatro novas fontes de leitura (Literata, New York, Open Sans e Atkinson Hyperlegible), bem como permite escolher o que é aberto ao se tocar em um artigo (a Vista de Artigo, a Vista Web, o navegador integrado ou o padrão).

Também contando agora com um widget para ver os artigos lidos no momento ou os salvos recentemente, o Instapaper é grátis para baixar na App Store, mas para usá-lo por completo é necessária uma assinatura Premium, que sai por R$10/mês ou R$100/ano.

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