iPhone 17 is the world’s best-selling phone, price increases for the new iPhone, leaked images reveal Apple’s AI-dedicated servers, a concept video of Apple unveiling the foldable iPhone, leaked images of the foldable iPhone motherboard, a drop in older iPhone prices, Apple prepares to launch a new iPad mini with an OLED screen, the foldable iPhone Ultra impresses early users except for the camera, the Apple event slogan varies from country to country, Meta imposes new time restrictions for teens on Facebook and Instagram, Apple prepares to launch AirPods 5, and Apple replaces human support with an intelligent assistant. And other exciting news on the sidelines…
Apple’s iPhone event slogan varies from country to country
Apple announced that its annual event to unveil the latest iPhone devices will be held on September 9. In the United States and several other countries, it used the slogan “Surprises that shine,” but the slogan varies according to the language and culture of each region. Some countries chose phrases referring to surprises, new beginnings, and brilliance, while China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan used the concept of a “New Chapter,” a potential reference to the foldable device. This diversity reveals that local Apple teams do not just translate the slogan literally, but craft it to suit the audience of each country, while keeping the general meaning close to the idea of surprises and dazzle. It is expected that Apple will unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max during the event, alongside the first foldable iPhone, while some local Apple websites, including those for Japan, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam, have not yet been updated with event information.
Meta imposes new time restrictions for teens
Meta announced major changes to teen protection measures on Facebook and Instagram as part of a settlement agreement with most US states. Under this, those under 18 will be allowed to use the two apps for a maximum of two hours per day, with the possibility of exceeding this limit through parental consent. Posting and browsing content will also be blocked from midnight to 6:00 AM, notifications will be muted during school hours, and alerts will be shown after continuous periods of use.
Teens will also be able to use a non-personalized chronological feed, turn off auto-play, hide likes by default, and block certain beauty filters, while families will receive additional tools to monitor their children’s usage and receive alerts for suspicious accounts or interactions, with private messages being exempt from some of these restrictions. Meta will pay about $18 billion to states over 10 years to fund online youth protection initiatives, but it is demanding that TikTok and YouTube implement similar restrictions, such as a daily usage hour and age verification procedures, so that teens do not migrate to other platforms. Meta will also retain $5.3 billion of the amount unless the two companies join these measures. The agreement was reached to settle a lawsuit that had demanded much larger fines from Meta, while the state of Florida rejected the settlement and decided to continue the case, whereas New Mexico had already won a separate case against the company earlier in the year.
Leaked images of Apple’s AI-dedicated servers
Leaked images have appeared online that are believed to reveal for the first time the Apple servers used to run the Private Cloud Compute system, which handles some of the most complex Apple Intelligence requests via Apple’s servers while keeping user data private and not storing or sharing it. The images show a large server that can be installed inside dedicated racks, containing up to 32 separate circuit boards, with cooling systems and fans designed for efficient airflow.
One of the images also reveals a chip bearing the Apple logo, indicating the use of chips designed by the company itself, alongside storage chips. According to the leaker, the server cannot operate independently; it requires a Mac Studio device and a special account to control it, and it can only be activated through Apple. Apple manufactures these servers within the United States at a facility in Houston, Texas, as part of its plan to invest $600 billion in the US economy.
iPhone 17 is the world’s best-selling phone
The iPhone 17 maintained the top spot as the world’s best-selling smartphone during the second quarter of 2026, according to data from Counterpoint Research, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 17 Pro came in second and third. The standard iPhone 17 alone accounted for about 6% of total smartphone sales worldwide, with Apple achieving notable growth in India, Japan, and the Middle East and Africa region, in addition to nearly doubling its sales in South Korea. Apple and Samsung occupied the entire top ten, with their devices combined accounting for 26% of global phone sales.
The iPhone 17e also came in seventh place after receiving MagSafe support and increased storage without a price hike, while the iPhone 16 came in tenth, giving Apple five of the ten spots. On the other hand, the Galaxy S26 Ultra was Samsung’s best-selling phone, coming in fourth, outperforming all other Android phones. Although the global smartphone market declined by 11% during the quarter, Apple and Samsung managed to increase their sales, at a time when rising prices are pushing companies to focus on more profitable phones.
Concept video of Apple unveiling the foldable iPhone Ultra
A fan-made video has spread online imagining what Apple’s announcement of its first foldable iPhone might look like, just weeks before the expected official unveiling. The video was designed by Gunhoo Lee to provide a realistic vision of what the moment of revealing a phone named iPhone Ultra might look like. It features a 7.8-inch internal screen, Touch ID technology for fingerprint recognition, a mechanical hinge, two separate batteries, and an A20 chip. Although the video is not official, the specifications it displays largely align with the leaks and reports that have emerged over the past months. Apple is expected to unveil the foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max during its anticipated event next month, meaning the real reveal is very close.
Leaked images allegedly reveal the motherboard of Apple’s foldable iPhone
Images and a video clip have spread on the X platform and Chinese social media sites, allegedly revealing parts of the motherboard for Apple’s foldable iPhone. Components such as the processor, hinge connector, and flexible cable connector are visible, and another image from a spare parts company shows almost the same components. There is no confirmed way to verify the authenticity of these images yet, but they may be an additional indicator that the launch date of the first foldable iPhone is approaching. Leaks suggest that the phone will come with a 5.5-inch external screen and a 7.8-inch internal screen, with an A20 Pro chip, a 5000 mAh battery, two 48-megapixel rear cameras, and an 18-megapixel selfie camera for both the external and internal screens, while the phone’s price may start at at least $2000.
Drop in iPhone trade-in value before the launch of new models
A new study revealed that the value of most iPhone devices when traded in for a new one drops significantly during the ten days between Apple’s announcement of new devices and their official market release. Based on the launch of the iPhone 15, 16, and 17 series, the study found that the value of 117 out of 156 devices dropped during this period, or about 75% of devices, with the average drop in the iPhone 17 series being about $36 per device. The 512GB iPhone 16 Plus recorded the largest drop, with its value falling from $695 to $566, while the 128GB iPhone 15 Plus had the largest percentage drop, at about 20%. A survey of 2000 iPhone users in the United States showed that 61.4% of them prefer to keep their current phone until they receive the new one and set it up, rather than trading it in immediately after the announcement, mainly due to the need for the current phone and transferring data from it. Notably, Apple already raised its official trade-in price estimates for a large number of its devices last month, in preparation for the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone.
Apple prepares to launch a new iPad mini with four upgrades before the end of October
Apple is preparing to launch a new generation of iPad mini with an OLED screen before the end of October 2026, according to a Bloomberg report. The OLED screen will provide better image quality than the current screen thanks to more vibrant colors and higher contrast with true blacks, but its use may lead to an increase in the device’s price. The new iPad mini is also expected to receive a speaker system with a different design and better water resistance, along with a more powerful chip, either the A19 Pro or A20, instead of the A17 Pro chip found in the current generation. The last version of the iPad mini was launched in October 2024 and came with the A17 Pro chip, which allowed for Apple Intelligence feature support.
Apple prepares to launch AirPods 5 soon
Apple plans to unveil a new generation of AirPods 5 on September 9, with two versions, one supporting noise cancellation and the other without, just like with the AirPods 4. The company has not yet revealed the major differences between the new and previous versions, but they are expected to be announced during the upcoming iPhone event. Current AirPods 4 prices range between $129 and $179, which gives a rough idea of the new generation’s price.
Waitlist for using Siri AI in iOS 27
Upon the release of the iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate updates, Apple will activate a waitlist system to access the new Siri AI feature, so not all users will get immediate access. The user will join the list and be shown an estimated wait time, with the possibility of the duration being adjusted based on server load, then receive a notification when the service is activated. During previous testing periods, it took up to a week for some people to get the feature, but the expected duration after the official launch in September is not yet known.
Tim Cook leaves the CEO position after 15 years
On this day in 2011, Tim Cook took over leadership of Apple, succeeding Steve Jobs. After 15 years, he will officially leave his position on September 1 to be replaced by John Ternus. Ternus joined Apple in 2001 and rose through the ranks to become Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, where he oversaw the development of devices such as the iPhone, Mac, and iPad. Cook will remain at the company as Chairman of the Board to support it in dealing with policies and regulatory pressures, while Apple prepares to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and the first foldable iPhone.
Apple prepares to raise iPhone prices due to rising component costs
Apple is preparing to increase the prices of new iPhone devices, after Samsung and Google took a similar step, due to the rising cost of chips, memory, and manufacturing components. Apple had raised the prices of most Mac and iPad devices two months ago by about 23% on average, and it seems the iPhone may be affected by the same problem. Samsung and Google raised the prices of their latest phones by about $100, and if Apple follows the same approach, the price of the iPhone 18 Pro might start at $1199 instead of $1099 for the current iPhone 17 Pro, an increase of nearly 9%. Analysts believe that this increase may be limited compared to the rise in component costs, meaning Apple may absorb part of the increase rather than passing it entirely to users. Also, the new subscription program for upgrading Apple devices might make the price hike less difficult, as it allows users to pay the cost in monthly installments instead of paying the full amount at the time of purchase.
Foldable iPhone Ultra impresses early users except for the camera
It seems the foldable iPhone Ultra is impressing the few people who were able to try it early, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, especially due to its ease of fitting in a pocket, the quality and durability of the hinge feel, and the way apps are displayed, which resembles an iPad and takes advantage of the large internal screen when the phone is opened. The device also offers a good experience when used for watching videos, gaming, and productivity, and even as a way to preview photos before taking them, but the camera may be the weak point. The phone is not expected to contain an optical zoom lens, but rather two 48-megapixel rear cameras for the main camera and an ultra-wide lens, which may affect the purchase decision, especially with its high price.
In order to keep the phone’s thickness at about 4.5mm when opened, it is said that Apple will use Touch ID integrated into the side button instead of Face ID, a change some may see as a feature rather than a drawback. The phone is expected to come with a 5.5-inch external screen and an internal screen size of nearly 7.8 inches, with a book-like design. Apple is set to unveil it alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max at the upcoming September event, with a price that may start from $2000 and exceed $2500 for versions with larger storage capacity.
Miscellaneous News
◉ Calling the Apple support number in America and Canada (1-800-APL-CARE) now often leads you to an AI-powered assistant instead of a human employee. This assistant is capable of answering questions and solving problems with clear steps, with the possibility of transferring you to a human advisor if necessary. The move reflects Apple’s trend toward increasing reliance on artificial intelligence in customer service, which raises concerns about reducing the number of human employees in the future.
◉ Apple clarified that the Spotlight re-indexing process after installing updates like iOS 27 or macOS 27 may take hours or even days, depending on the amount of data stored on the device. This process is faster when the device is connected to power and the internet and is not being actively used. The company also confirmed that the indexing is stored locally on the device and remains private, without being shared with Apple or any other devices.
◉ Apple is preparing to launch its first smart home device equipped with a screen before the end of 2026, according to recent reports. The device will come with a 7-inch square screen and a front camera, with support for face recognition to customize content for each user, in addition to multiple personal profiles and sensors to recognize who is standing in front of it. It is expected to run on a system similar to tvOS with a simplified interface based on quick widgets, and will be released at a price of about $350, alongside a new version of Apple TV and an update to the HomePod mini device.
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