New AI features for iPhone voice control, automatic video captioning, Samsung surpassing Apple in customer satisfaction, deleting messages after reading in WhatsApp, an updated media sharing interface in WhatsApp, the return of “Fortnite” to the App Store, the development of advanced metals for iPhone chassis, “iOS 27” features for AI-generated wallpapers and shortcut creation, new writing and proofreading tools, proposed “Genmoji” updates, and finally, the auto-delete feature for conversations in the new “Siri” app, along with other exciting news on the sidelines…
Apple celebrates 25 years since the opening of its first stores
Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of the first Apple retail stores on May 19, 2001. This journey began with two branches in Virginia and California, after Steve Jobs realized that the company’s future depended on full control over the customer experience rather than relying on third-party stores that did not care about displaying Apple products properly. Despite the significant skepticism the idea faced at the time, Jobs’ vision succeeded in turning these stores into an essential destination for customers, thanks to distinctive innovations like the “Genius Bar” and attention to the finest details of the shopping experience.
This initiative, which began under difficult circumstances, has turned into a stunning success; Apple now operates more than 500 stores in 27 countries around the world. These stores are no longer just places to sell, but have become a symbol of the company’s brand identity, achieving record sales and foot traffic. With the first two branches still operating to this day, the opening date of these stores remains a milestone in the history of technology, as Apple proved that paying attention to the details of the user experience inside the store was the true key to its growth and evolution into one of the largest companies in the world.
New AI features make controlling the “iPhone” easier
Apple has unveiled an innovative new feature in its upcoming system based on artificial intelligence to improve “Voice Control.” Users can now interact with the iPhone and iPad in a natural and simple way; instead of memorizing specific names or numbers for buttons, you just need to ask your device to execute the command simply, such as saying “Click the purple folder.” This paves the way for a smarter and more interactive version of Siri soon, which will be able to understand what you see on the screen and help you complete your daily tasks with greater precision and intelligence. These important updates are expected to be released later this year to enhance the ease of use of modern Apple devices.
Samsung outperforms Apple in smartphone user satisfaction
A recent report by the “American Customer Satisfaction Index” for 2026 showed Samsung outperforming Apple in smartphone user satisfaction, with Samsung scoring 81 points compared to 80 for Apple. The report indicates that users have become more appreciative of practical features in their phones, especially those based on artificial intelligence, which received high ratings, along with a noticeable improvement in battery life. In terms of categories, Samsung’s “Galaxy S” series leads the list of flagship phones in terms of user satisfaction, followed by iPhones and then Google phones.
In the field of smartwatches, Apple has maintained its strong position, while Samsung’s rating declined slightly, leaving the two companies tied for first place. The report also highlighted the foldable phone market, where Samsung continues to lead this sector by a wide margin over competitors, although users of these phones tend to submit more complaints compared to traditional phone users. Markets are anticipating Apple’s entry into this growing market with a foldable “iPhone” expected to be launched later this year, which may change the balance of power and competition in this sector soon.
WhatsApp tests a new feature to automatically delete messages after they are read
WhatsApp is currently testing a new addition to the “Disappearing Messages” feature, allowing users to set messages to be deleted automatically based on a timer that starts as soon as the other party opens and reads the message, rather than starting as soon as it is sent. This update will provide flexible options to set the disappearance time, such as 5 minutes, an hour, or 12 hours after reading. This step comes as part of enhancing user privacy and providing more storage space on their phones, and this feature is expected to be available soon to all app users on both Android and “iPhone” systems.
WhatsApp rolls out a new media sharing interface on the iPhone
WhatsApp has begun rolling out a new and improved interface for sharing files on “iPhone” devices, aimed at making the process of sending photos and videos faster and easier without the sharing window covering your entire chat. Instead of going directly to the full photo gallery, a small and practical menu will now appear at the bottom displaying your latest files in an organized grid, allowing you to browse and select what you want with a single touch. If you don’t find the desired file, you can simply swipe to view the full gallery or long-press the “plus” button for quick access. This step is part of a series of improvements that WhatsApp is gradually launching to enhance the daily user experience.
Nintendo launches the new “Pictonico” game that turns your photos into fun games
Nintendo has announced its new game “Pictonico” for “iPhone” devices, scheduled for release on May 28. The innovative game concept is based on turning your photos and your friends’ photos into small, fast, and challenging games, similar to the style of the famous “WarioWare” games. The game includes 80 varied levels that increase in difficulty gradually, where you can take new photos from within the game or use existing photos in your phone’s library. To reassure users, Nintendo confirmed that all photos remain stored on your own device and are not sent to the company’s servers. The game is now available for pre-order, and offers a free experience for three levels, with the possibility of purchasing additional game packs at prices starting from $5.99.
“Apple Sports” app adds FIFA World Cup 2026 features and expands globally
Apple has announced the expansion of its “Apple Sports” app to include more than 90 new countries, bringing the total number of countries that support it to 170 worldwide, including many countries in the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Coinciding with this expansion, Apple has added new features dedicated to following the “2026 World Cup,” such as displaying the match bracket view to follow the teams’ progress from the group stage to the final, and visually clarifying the starting lineups for each team, in addition to a direct link to sports news via “Apple News.” The app also allows users to follow scores moment by moment via the lock screen on the “iPhone” or the “Dynamic Island,” providing a fast and easy experience for football fans to follow their favorite teams everywhere.
Apple restructures its product design team in preparation for a new leadership phase
In a move aimed at accelerating the pace of future device development, Johny Srouji, Apple’s hardware development lead, has made extensive changes to the hardware development leadership structure to bring teams specialized in chip development closer to the teams responsible for product design. Under this change, the responsibility for overseeing product design has moved from Evans Hankey to her veteran colleagues Richard Howarth and Alan Dye, who will now oversee the design of all Apple products.
These organizational adjustments come shortly before John Ternus takes over as CEO of the company on September 1st, reflecting Apple’s readiness to enter a new phase focused on innovation and integration between different departments to ensure the speed and quality of device launches in the markets.
“Fortnite” returns to the App Store globally amidst an ongoing legal battle
The famous game “Fortnite” has returned to the Apple App Store in most countries around the world, with the exception of Australia, after a long absence that lasted for years. This step by “Epic Games” comes as part of an escalating strategy in its legal battle against Apple, where Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, described this decision as the beginning of a decisive phase aimed at ending what he calls the “Apple tax” on in-app payments. Epic relies on its position that upcoming legal proceedings will reveal the details of the fees imposed by Apple, which may prompt governments around the world to intervene to stop what the company describes as “unfair fees.”
In contrast, “Epic Games” confirms that it will continue to challenge Apple’s practices, which it describes as “anti-competitive,” especially regarding the prevention of alternative app stores and the restriction of payment options. Despite the game’s global return, Australia remains the most notable exception; the company refuses to bring the game back there as long as Apple does not comply with local court rulings that deemed some of its developer terms illegal. With legal disputes continuing in regions like Japan, the European Union, and the UK, the future of the relationship between the software giant and game companies remains a subject of great anticipation, amidst increasing global pressure to change the rules of digital stores.
Apple unveils new AI-based features to support people with disabilities
Apple has unveiled a package of new features that use “Apple Intelligence” to facilitate the use of its devices. VoiceOver can now provide a more accurate description of images, and “Voice Control” now supports natural commands, allowing users to interact with the screen with simple words instead of memorizing button names. In addition, an automatic video translation feature will be provided, along with improved capabilities for reading complex documents, and the introduction of innovative technologies for “Apple Vision Pro” users such as electric wheelchair control and motion sickness mitigation, which enhances user independence and their overall tech experience.
Additional updates include extensive improvements to support various user needs, such as increased language support for name recognition for people with hearing impairments, expanded text customization on “Apple TV,” support for additional game controllers, and the provision of new accessories to make holding the “iPhone” easier. These smart additions are expected to arrive within Apple’s new system updates (such as iOS 27) which will be officially launched later this year, embodying the company’s continuous commitment to making its technologies easy and accessible to everyone regardless of their physical or sensory abilities.
Apple tests advanced metals for future “iPhone” chassis
Apple continues its research to develop alternative materials for the iPhone chassis that balance lightweight with high heat dissipation capability. After using titanium in the “15 Pro” and “16 Pro” models and then switching to aluminum in the current “17 Pro” versions to improve heat dissipation efficiency, technical reports indicate that Apple still aspires to return to more premium materials. The company is currently studying two main options; the first is developing an “improved” version of titanium that addresses the problem of its poor thermal conductivity, and the second is “Liquid Metal,” a unique material characterized by high strength, hardness, and exceptional lightweight, which Apple has been studying for over 15 years.
Leaks indicate that Apple may begin using these advanced technologies in its upcoming foldable phones, as “Liquid Metal” is a strong candidate for manufacturing screen hinges to reduce folding marks and ensure high flexibility, while work is underway to develop a stronger and lighter version of titanium for future device chassis. Although reaching the mass production stage for these materials still represents a major technical challenge, Apple seeks to integrate them into its flagship phones in the future once manufacturing processes stabilize and costs are reduced, with the confirmation that “iPhone 18 Pro” phones will not see these changes as their production lines have already been finalized.
The foldable iPad may use the same hinge technology as the upcoming iPhone Fold
Recent technical reports indicate that Apple is still working on developing a large foldable “iPad,” despite the technical challenges facing the project and expectations of delaying its launch to 2029. This device is expected to adopt an advanced hinge design that ensures a crease-free screen, the same technology that will be used in the upcoming foldable “iPhone,” which is rumored to be called “iPhone Ultra.” The iPad is expected to come with an 18-inch OLED screen made by Samsung, making it a hybrid between a tablet and a laptop, as it will have an aluminum chassis that gives it a look similar to “MacBook” devices when closed.
Despite Apple’s ambition to offer this technology, the project still faces obstacles related to weight and cost, as estimates indicate that the device’s price may reach $3,900 due to the complexity of its components. At the same time, the company is preparing to launch the “iPhone Ultra” this fall alongside the “iPhone 18 Pro” models, to be its first foldable phone with an ultra-thin design, paving the way for unifying design and hinge standards in Apple’s future foldable devices.
New AI features in iOS 27 for customizing wallpapers and creating shortcuts
The upcoming “iOS 27” system will introduce innovative smart features that allow “iPhone” users to create custom and unique wallpapers via the “Image Playground” app, which will receive an upgrade that supports generating more realistic images. To facilitate daily tasks, the “Shortcuts” app will see a radical update that allows users to build automatic shortcuts just by describing what they want to accomplish to the personal assistant “Siri” in simple natural language, where the AI will design the workflow and install it immediately. These additions, which will be showcased at the developers’ conference on June 8, aim to make the system’s powerful tools accessible to all users, making it easy to customize the device and automate tasks without the need for prior technical experience.
iOS 27 adds advanced AI tools for grammar correction while typing
The upcoming “iOS 27” system intends to bring about a qualitative shift in the typing experience on “iPhone” phones, as it will include an expanded version of writing tools powered by “Apple Intelligence.” These updates will include a smart built-in grammar checker that works similarly to famous correction apps like “Grammarly,” where an interactive menu will appear suggesting grammatical and spelling corrections while typing in apps like “Messages” and “Mail.” Users will be able to review these suggestions and accept or reject them easily, in addition to new options like “Help me write” and “Write with Siri,” making drafting and correcting texts a very smooth and smart process. All details of these features are scheduled to be revealed during the upcoming developers’ conference on June 8.
Proposed “Genmoji” feature: AI that creates custom emojis for you
Apple intends to develop the “Genmoji” feature in the “iOS 27” system by introducing smart “Genmoji suggestions,” which create custom emojis based on your most used photos and texts instead of having to design them manually. The company has worked to improve the efficiency of this technology to solve battery consumption and overheating problems that faced previous versions, while providing a full option for users to control enabling or disabling this feature from the keyboard settings; these improvements are scheduled to be officially revealed during the Worldwide Developers Conference next June.
Miscellaneous News
◉ Apple has announced the addition of a great new feature for its upcoming operating systems, allowing phones and devices to automatically convert speech heard in video clips into written text (captions). This feature will work with videos you shoot yourself, or those you receive from friends, and even those you watch online, making content consumption easier for everyone. To ensure your privacy, the process of converting audio to text happens directly inside your device, with various options provided that allow you to control the shape and appearance of these texts as you wish. This smart addition is expected to be available on iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices later this year.
◉ Apple revealed exciting numbers reflecting its keenness to make its App Store a safe place for users; in 2025, it reviewed more than 9 million requests for new apps or updates, and rejected 2 million of them for violating safety standards. To achieve this, the company relies on a smart mix between human review and AI technologies to detect malicious apps or fake accounts and prevent suspicious financial transactions. It also succeeded in blocking nearly 195 million fake ratings and reviews, confirming its continuous pursuit of providing a reliable and high-quality experience for users and developers alike.
◉ The “Cannes Lions” International Festival of Creativity will honor Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President, next month by awarding him the “Entertainment Person of the Year” award in recognition of his leadership role in developing Apple’s entertainment services. The festival organizers praised Cue’s efforts in providing high-quality content and redefining the ways audiences interact with culture and entertainment through Apple platforms, such as “Apple TV+”, which achieved notable successes and global awards thanks to its focus on excellence and creativity rather than just increasing the quantity of content.
◉ The “iOS 27” system will introduce a dedicated and improved app for the personal assistant “Siri,” characterized by a major focus on privacy as a top priority to compete with other AI technologies; it will allow users to set a time duration for saving conversations before they are automatically deleted, with options including 30 days, a year, or permanent saving, similar to features currently available in the “Messages” app. The new app will also give users the freedom to choose how the user interface is displayed, whether by opening the list of previous conversations or starting a new conversation directly. Although the improved “Siri” will rely on Google’s “Gemini” models in its work, Apple emphasizes imposing strict restrictions to ensure the protection of user data, noting that the app will be launched in a “Beta” stage despite the long development periods that preceded its release.
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