News on the margins for the week of April 4-10

Apple is still working on touch-sensitive buttons, simultaneous video recording with both the front and rear cameras on the iPhone, a bold new design for the iPhone Pro to mark its 2027th anniversary in XNUMX, Jony Ive is working on a screenless AI phone, Instagram is developing an iPad app, and other exciting news on the sidelines…

Apple shares rise as Trump suspends some... customs fees For 90 days

Apple shares saw a significant rise after US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day suspension of most tariffs on goods from countries that have not imposed retaliatory tariffs. This suspension does not include China, where Trump raised tariffs to 125% from 104%, but it does include other countries where Apple suppliers operate, such as India, Vietnam, and Taiwan. As a result, the company's shares rose 5% since the tariff suspension and 11% on the day, although the market remains volatile due to Trump's shifting tariff decisions.

Apple will continue to be affected by tariffs on goods from China, but the exemption from tariffs in other countries will allow the company to bring more of its devices into the United States with minimal additional fees. This suspension includes all the higher "reciprocal" tariffs that took effect today, with the 10% tariff remaining in place. China raised its tariffs on US goods to 84% this morning, prompting an immediate US response with tariff increases.

Teen iPhone ownership continues to rise

iPhone popularity among American teens has reached record levels, according to the latest semi-annual survey by Piper Sandler. The results showed that 88% of teens own an iPhone, and the same 88% intend to purchase one as their next phone, a 3% increase from April 2024. It's worth noting that iPhone ownership among teens has been steadily growing, from just 66% 10 years ago in April 2015.

Despite the iPhone's huge popularity, Apple's other products and services have not achieved the same success. Spotify still outperforms Apple Music, with 45% of teens subscribing to Spotify's paid service compared to 30% of Apple Music, and 65% of Spotify users using the free service. Apple TV+ has been remarkably unpopular, with less than 1% of teens watching its shows, compared to 31% for Netflix and 26% for YouTube. The survey also showed that 31% of teens own a virtual reality headset, most of whom use Oculus (25%), while only 1% own an Apple Vision Pro, which is expected given its high price. The survey included 6,455 teens from 43 US states.

Apple launches iPhone 16e spare parts for self-repair

This week, Apple made iPhone 16e parts available for order through its self-repair shop in the United States and several European countries. The available parts include tools for repairing the screen, battery, camera, back glass, speaker, and more. The company also offers a seven-day iPhone repair kit rental for $49 in the United States, along with a comprehensive repair guide available on its website.

Apple's Self-Repair Program launched in 2022, providing customers with access to genuine parts, tools, and manuals to repair select iPhones, Macs, Studio Displays, and Beats Pills. The company says the program is "intended for individuals experienced in the complexities of electronics repair." Apple previously announced the expansion of the Self-Repair Program to Canada in 2025, but this expansion has not yet occurred.

Leaked images of iPhone 17 Pro cases show a huge hole for the new camera bump.

Renowned leaker Sonny Dickson today revealed a new image of custom cases for Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro, highlighting the large camera cutout as the design's most prominent feature. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to see a major redesign of the rear camera bump, replacing the traditional square module with a horizontal rectangular bar running across the back of the device, resembling the camera module on Google Pixel phones.

iPhones have maintained the same front design for several years, and the back is one of the few remaining areas of tangible visual improvement. Based on CAD renders and leaked parts, the new notch retains the triangular triple-lens array on the left, but the LiDAR scanner, microphone, and flash have been relocated to the right, creating a more symmetrical design. The reason for this design change is unclear, but it could allow for larger or more thermally efficient components, or improve the spatial separation of the sensors for more accurate depth mapping. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max alongside the regular iPhone 17 and the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air in mid-September.

Instagram is developing an iPad app.

Meta-owned Instagram is developing an iPad app. An Instagram employee familiar with the company's recent plans to capitalize on the current situation with TikTok revealed this information about the company's work on a tablet app. Instagram users have been asking for an iPad app since the social network's launch in 2010, but Instagram has remained an iPhone-only app.

Instagram has previously been reluctant to devote time or effort to developing an iPad app, and in 2022, Instagram head Adam Mosseri stated that there were no plans to launch an iPad app because “there isn’t a large enough group of people” demanding it to make it a priority. In 2020, Mosseri blamed staffing shortages, saying the company had limited staff and “a lot of work to do,” and an iPad app wasn’t “the next best thing to do yet.” This development is part of the company’s plan to capitalize on the impending TikTok ban, which has also seen Instagram attempt to lure popular creators away from TikTok.

Apple customers rushed to buy iPhones due to concerns about rising prices due to tariffs.

Apple customers are rushing to buy devices before the new tariffs go into effect on April 9. Several Apple employees told Bloomberg that their stores were flooded with customers “panic-buying” iPhones. “Almost every customer asked me if prices were going to go up soon,” one employee said, as the store traffic resembled a holiday season. Apple has not provided guidance to employees on what to tell customers.

Apple has been preparing for the tariffs by stockpiling iPhones and other devices in the United States. It shipped five planeloads of phones and devices from India during the last week of March and also imported phones from China during what is typically a slow sales period. These stockpiles, which could last for several months, will allow the company to avoid price increases in the near term. Apple can meet up to 50% of US iPhone demand with devices sourced from India, which pays a 26% tariff on goods from India, compared to 54% from China. Apple's stock has fallen about 20% since last Wednesday, and the company has not publicly commented on the tariff situation.

Jony Ive is working on a screenless AI phone project.

OpenAI is considering acquiring an AI hardware startup founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The deal could be worth at least $500 million. The startup, known as io Products, is developing AI-powered devices that could include a screenless "phone" and other AI-powered home products, though those close to the project insist it's "not a phone."

Ive and Altman began collaborating over a year ago, focusing on creating voice-activated AI assistants. The project is funded by Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective. The startup has a small team that includes former Apple designers, including Tang Tan and Evans Hanke, who previously worked with Ive on the iPhone. Rather than a full acquisition, OpenAI and the startup are discussing other partnership options. The AI ​​hardware project would put OpenAI in more direct competition with Apple, despite their existing partnership announced last June. Apple's Siri uses ChatGPT for some queries.

Apple plans a "bold" new design for the iPhone Pro to mark its 2027th anniversary in XNUMX.

Apple is preparing for a “big change” for the iPhone’s 2027th anniversary in 2017, according to Mark Gurman, who reports that Apple is planning to launch a foldable iPhone alongside a “bold” new iPhone Pro model that makes more advanced use of glass. This could mean that Apple is planning to fulfill former design chief Jony Ive’s dream of an all-glass iPhone. But if Apple is planning to unveil something as exciting as the iPhone X, which was launched in XNUMX to mark the iPhone’s XNUMXth anniversary, it must be working on something very special. Apple ditched the Home button on the iPhone X in favor of an all-touch interface system, replacing the Touch ID fingerprint sensor with Face ID.

As for the model number Apple will choose for the 2027th anniversary iPhone, it's difficult to predict. Apple's naming conventions have varied over the years, and if it continues with its annual release pattern and numerical naming, the 19 lineup will likely be the iPhone 8 series. However, Apple has previously adjusted its naming conventions to mark significant milestones, such as the transition from the iPhone XNUMX to the iPhone X for the tenth anniversary.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Apple is working on releasing the iOS 18.4.1 update for iPhone within a few days, aiming to fix some bugs and improve security. The update is minor and will not be available as a beta version. It serves as an interim phase before iOS 18.5, which is expected to be released in May. iOS 19 will be revealed after Apple's event on June 9.

◉ YouTuber Front Page Tech shared a leaked design for iOS 19, revealing at the end of the video a new feature said to be available on the iPhone 17 Pro later this year: simultaneous video recording with both the front and rear cameras. This feature is currently available in some apps, such as Snapchat, but the new feature is now supported within the camera app itself. This feature is useful for content creators, allowing them to record their reactions while filming. 

◉ According to a new leak, Apple is still developing haptic buttons that provide a vibration that mimics the sensation of real pressure on the iPhone. The main problem isn't cost, but the difficulty of distinguishing between correct and incorrect touches. Apple is seeking to improve the design of the buttons to be accurate and reliable, especially in mass production, to mimic the feel of traditional mechanical buttons. While this technology could offer a simpler design and longer button life, the project is currently "on hold" due to the market's focus on screen and battery improvements. Despite the failure to introduce this feature in the iPhone 15 and 16 Pro, Apple hasn't closed the door to its appearance in future releases.

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