iPhone 17 Air Leak, iOS 19 Changes, Apple Watch Upgrades

Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including iPhone 17 Air design, the new camera bar, a wraparound iPhone display, iOS 19’s important UI change, new Apple Watch features, EU fines Apple, and asking about Apple’s tariff exemption.

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.

iPhone 17 Air Design On Show

Leaked videos this week are showing off the design of Apple’s presumptively named iPhone 17 Air. The slim form factor has been printed from CAD files used by third-party manufacturers to allow accessories such as cases and holders to be built without needing access to production hardware. :

“…camera bar aside, this dummy model is noticeably thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro in the video. You can’t quite make out exactly how thin the phone measures, but the difference is likely to be one of the iPhone 17 Air’s biggest selling points. That’s assuming this design is representative of the final phone.”

(Tom’s Guide).

New Cases And The iPhone 17 Pro Camera Bar

One of the stand-out features of the iPhone 17 family is expected to be the camera bar. Rather than a raised “island” seen previously, the Seventeens will employ a raised bar stretching across the back of the phones. A new set of third-party case images shows the considerable surface area, as well as offering a look at the potential colors of the finished iPhone:

“The pictures show the elongated and long-rumored “camera bar” type design for the back, that places the cameras on the left side, while the flash and LiDAR sensor move to the opposite side… In one photo, the camera bar is shown in a dark gray, but most images show the camera bar as white — suggesting Apple will keep the color choices for the 17 Pro models themselves the same as the iPhone 16 Pro.”

(Apple Insider).

Wrap Around iPhone One Step Closer

Apple’s quest to create a minimalist all-glass all-display iPhone continues inside the R&D department. The latest step on that journey is an iPhone with a wraparound screen. Details in a recently updated patent (“Electronic device with wrap around display”) show the hard work that is still being put in, now with the addition of a curved screen:

“The patent refers to a flexible display within a transparent housing. That display could then be able to present images on any part of the screen.It’s that business of presenting on any part of the device that Apple seems the most keen on. Apple says that it’s a way of making the most of otherwise unused portions of a device, especially since space is at such a premium in a small device.”

(Apple Insider).

iOS 19 Moves UI Down

The days of a small form factor smartphone that can be used one-handed are long gone, yet the user interfaces on the large slabs we call phones today assume that you can reach every part of the screen comfortably. Which is why Apple’s upcoming change to iOS is both necessary and long overdue. The search bars are moving:

“This fall’s iPhone 17 Air will have an even larger screen, and of course the Pro Max display is already much bigger. I imagine with the current iOS design, reaching search often requires two hands. But with iOS 19, search is moving to a much more natural location: at the bottom where your thumb already rests.”

(9to5Mac).

Apple Watch Updates

Apple Watch users who install the latest updates will pick up several quality-of-life features. One is a notification that “silent mode” has been activated—a boon to your confidence in certain situations. Forbes’ contributor David Phelan takes a look at this and the rest of the WatchOS 11.5:

“There are other new features in watchOS 11.4, such as emoji, a fix for switching watch faces and compatibility between the Home app and robot vacuum cleaners. Oh, and there’s something new on its way: an extra watch face and perhaps a new Apple Watch Band are coming in watchOS 11.5.”

(Forbes).

EU Fines Apple 500 Million Euros

The European Union’s Digital Markets Authority has fined Apple $570 million relating to the anti-steering policies in the App Store that prevented developers from pointing to payment servers other than Apple’s. Along with the fine, the EU’s Competition Authority has demanded updated provisions around technical and commercial restrictions:

“The EU says the 500 million euro amount was decided based on the gravity and duration of Apple’s non-compliance. The EU announcement does not specify exactly what it finds to be in breach, although it likely relates to Apple’s App Store fee structure. Apple currently charges a commission of more than 17% on purchases made outside of the app. This would be in opposition to the DMA’s requirement that these abilities be offered “free of charge”.”

(9to5Mac).

And Finally…

Along with the rest of the consumer electronics industry, Apple faced significant extra costs and burdens thanks to President Trump’s tariffs on China. Following an exemption offered to several companies, including Apple, Senator Elizabeth Warren is questioning the process:

“The circumstances surrounding Apple’s exemptions raise fresh concerns about influence-peddling by huge well-connected corporations, and their ability to gain special favors from President Trump,” Warren wrote in a letter to Cook which was obtained by Bloomberg News… Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.”

(Bloomberg).

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.