iPhone 17 Pro Issues, iPad Pro Specs Leak, ICEBlock Controversy

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Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from across the Apple world, including iPhone 17 Pro messaging problems, Liquid Glass issues, Apple adds more connectivity, iPad Pro specs leak, the fallout over ICEBlock and DeICE, Vision Pro’s basketball future and Apple TV’s F1 future.

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.

Making Sure Your iPhone Alarm Will Stop

Apple’s new Liquid Glass certainly looks pretty in screenshots and marketing materials, but it has not been met with universal acclaim. Numerous issues where clarity has been compromised have been reported. The next update to iOS will address some of those concerns, with Forbes’ senior contributor David Phelan noting the change to the all-important alarm feature’s UI: “In other words, even if you tap it by accident, you’ve done no harm and nothing will happen. The alarm will just keep going until you focus on whichever outcome you want, tap to snooze or slide to stop.”

Improved Emergency SOS For iPhone Users

Apple has confirmed that it will be expanding iOS satellite connectivity for users in Mexico before the end of the year. Currently, Mexican users can access Find My and Messages via satellite. This will be shortly joined by Emergency SOS, which will be available to users with iPhone 14 or later models.

Apple Confirms Quick Fix For Messaging Bug

New iOS 26 users with a mix of active and inactive SIM cards in a phone can lock up the Messaging app on their iPhone.Thankfully, as Forbes’ senior contributor David Phelan notes, Apple has both confirmed the iPhone error and offered a fix: remove the inactive SIM before activating iMessage.

More Memory, More Power, More iPad

Details on the next iPad Pro have leaked via a Russian YouTube channel that has access to the upcoming hardware. The channel has showcased pre-release leaks in the past, so the benchmarks and specs are expected to be accurate.

The move the the Apple Silicon M5 process is as expected. Given the bumping up of memory for the iPhone 17 Pro family, a similar lifting of memory in Apple’s professional tablet will be welcomed, especially with the increased demand that Apple Intelligence and generative AI routines will place on the hardware.

The Fallout Over ICE Apps

Apple’s removal of ICEBlock (and DeICER) from the App Store without a legal demand continues to blunt the company’s commitment to putting users’ needs for privacy and choice first. Long-time Apple product manager Wiley Hodges lays this all out in an open letter to Tim Cook against the removal of the app. Apple commentator John Gruber picks out the importance of the ICEBlock letter:

The message Trump and his lickspittles surely took from Apple acceding to their “demand” regarding ICEBlock — a demand made without an iota of legal justification, nor any factual justification that the app was being used to put ICE law enforcements agents in harm’s way — is that when they make a demand to Apple, Apple will respond not with the four words “F*** you, make me” (as they did in the 2016 San Bernardino case), but instead “Whatever you say goes”.

Can The Vision Pro Shoot A Hoop?

One of the promises of Apple’s Vision Pro headset is to put you in the middle of real-life situations. That could be family photos or videos, or much larger events. Jay Peters looks at what could be coming next for US basketball fans. The augmented reality headset is expected to pick up live LA Lakers games in an immersive VisionOS environment.

And Finally…

With Formula 1’s US broadcast contract up for renewal, there is an intriguing report from Benjamin Mayo that Apple will make a move to capture not just a handful of events (as it does with MLB and now NBA) but the entire US Formula 1 broadcast package. The sticking point may be that Formula 1 has its own global streaming service with F1.tv, and Tim Cook’s Apple TV would want exclusivity.

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.

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