iPhone Fold Launch Plans, iPhone 17 Pro Design Leaks, MacBook Pro’s Magical Update

Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from across the Apple world, including iPhone 17 Pro design leaks, iPhone Fold plans, Apple COO steps down, MacBook Pro’s magical update, iOS 26 secrets, Apple Vision Pro upgrade, and Slow Horses returns.

Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes.

Awkward iPhone 17 Pro Design Images

The iPhone 17 Pro’s major design elements that are being altered are a change to the camera island at the rear to a camera bar that reaches almost edge to edge, and the repositioning of the Apple icon to accommodate the new wireless charging system. New images this week illustrate their impact:

“From all the renders and dummy models we’ve see so far, I think Apple’s new camera bar design for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max looks especially good in dark finishes. Images I’ve seen of lighter models are fine. But these are the first images I’ve seen that make me think the new camera bar might even look better than last year’s smaller camera bump. And for me at least, the new Apple logo position works well.”

(Maijin Blu via 9to5Mac).

iPhone Fold Production Plans

Following reports of an evaluation and verification model, Apple is reportedly preparing a full production line for the long-speculated iPhone Fold. It’s likely targetting a 2026 launch, which would be some seven years after Samsung’s first foldable:

“An iPhone Fold production line is being prepared in readiness for the launch of the first folding iPhone next year, and a new supply-chain report says that this is almost ready to begin production. The news follows a recent report that Apple is currently testing realistic prototypes of the device.

“The plant will reportedly have the capacity to produce displays for around twice as many devices as Apple actually expects to sell …

(9to5Mac).

Apple COO Jeff Williams Stepping Down

Apple’s Chief Operating Office Jeff Wiliams will be stepping down by the end of July with Sabih Khan moving up from Senior VP of Operations to take on Williams’s role:

“Williams will step down as COO this month before retiring from the company later in the year, Apple said in a statement Tuesday. He will continue to oversee the design team, as well as manage health initiatives, until his departure. Sabih Khan will replace Williams as COO, while Apple’s design team will shift to reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.”

(Bloomberg).

Updating Your MacBook Before You Buy

Using its Presto system, Apple is able to update iPhones while still inside a sealed retail package. This ensures that a new iPhone has the current version of iOS possible. Apple looks set to support a similar system in macOS 26. This update hardware in store, and give consumers the best—or at least the most up to date—experience as possible out of the box:

“If Macs are going to get the benefit of having fully up-to-date software when they’re taken home by the buyer, it begs the question: how is Apple going to pull this off with laptops and PCs? The system might have to work very differently for a bigger piece of hardware, and Macs don’t have NFC either – so it’s not clear how the sealed PC could be triggered to power on in its box (and off again afterwards).”

(TechRadar).

The Hidden iOS Secrets

As Apple rolls out the next developer test build of iOS 26, many are noticing that Apple’s usual strategy of laying out the upcoming features at the Worldwide Developer Conference has not happened. Instead, we are waiting to see what will arrive. And that is by design, albeit a new design:

“Apple’s change in strategy was clearly driven by what happened at WWDC 2024 and during the subsequent iOS 18 cycle. The company pre-announced major new features for Siri, but failed to actually deliver those features… So while Apple’s decision to not pre-announce future iOS 26 features at WWDC was prompted by the iOS 18 debacle, it’s a reversal of a strategy that’s been in place for years.”

(9to5Mac).

An Upgraded Vision Pro

Is it time to return to the Apple Vision Pro? New details coming out suggest that Apple is ready to increase both the comfort of the augmented reality headset and the power available:

“The upgrade will be a refinement instead of a completely new headset, with people familiar with the device saying that the tweaks will include a change to a faster processor and other components. The performance change will help it run artificial intelligence better. That upgrade could consist of an M4 chip, up from the M2 used in the existing headset.”

(AppleInsider).

And Finally…

‘Slow Horses’ will return to Apple TV for a seventh season, an impressive feat given season five is still to air (it begins in September). The Gary Oldman-driven show has already picked up both Emmy and BAFTA awards, no doubt, Tim Cook and his team will be looking for more.

“It’s always good news when a show you love is renewed for another season. It’s almost too good to be true that Slow Horses has been renewed so far into the future already. It’s so good.”

(Daring Fireball).

Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.