Apple sets John Ternus’s salary, OpenAI responds to Apple’s accusations, Qualcomm raises chip prices, AirPods equipped with cameras may improve the spatial audio experience, Apple corrects an error in the new Mac Studio ad, Phil Schiller reduces his responsibilities within Apple, Google Maps renames Lake Ontario to “Lake America” within the United States, an old science project by Steve Jobs sells for over $34,000, pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro may start at an unusual time, the truth about the red iPhone Ultra Fold images, opening app settings from the Control Center, the iPhone Ultra paves the way for new folding technology, the end of Intel app support on the Mac App Store, a gradual withdrawal of Apple’s former CFO, Apple donates to flood victims in Nepal and Tibet, the Apple event logo reveals new features in the iPhone 18 Pro, and other exciting news on the sidelines…
iOS 27 introduces a new feature to switch between two iPhones with the same phone number
In iOS 27, Apple added a new feature called “iPhone Handoff” that allows users to easily move between two iPhones and use the same phone number on both. One device can be selected as the primary device that holds the main eSIM, and the other device will also receive an eSIM, allowing for switching between them when needed. Connection settings are controlled from the primary device, while location sharing depends on the device currently using the number. It appears the feature will require support from carriers and is expected to be available with the official launch of iOS 27 later this month.
Opening app settings from the Control Center
Writer John Gruber reminded iPhone users of a simple trick that allows direct access to the settings of an open app without needing to search within the Settings app. The method relies on a ready-made shortcut that can be added to the Control Center or the Action button to quickly open the settings menu for the current app. This feature saves significant time and effort, especially for those who find it difficult to navigate through menus.
iPhone Ultra paves the way for new folding technology
A recent report revealed that Apple’s foldable iPhone Ultra uses two layers of ultra-thin glass to protect the screen from direct pressure on the hinge and reduce the appearance of lines and creases over time. This innovative technology aims to increase the device’s durability and has attracted the interest of companies like Google, Oppo, and Vivo, which plan to adopt it in their foldable phones starting next year. These glass layers are expected to become widely available by 2027 thanks to their production by Samsung.
New leak reveals potential iPhone 18 Pro colors without black
Well-known leaker Sonny Dickson revealed a photo said to be of the SIM trays for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro phones, indicating that Apple might offer the phone in three colors: silver, dark cherry, and sky blue, with the absence of black. Leaks regarding colors are conflicting, as other sources previously spoke about the possibility of a black version, but some information suggests that Apple may continue to move away from black and dark gray colors in Pro phones. Apple is expected to officially unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max during its anticipated event next week, along with the first foldable iPhone, which may be named “iPhone Ultra”.
Apple prepares to launch 8 new products during September
It seems that September 2026 will be one of the busiest months for Apple, as eight new products are expected to be launched, including the Mac mini and Mac Studio, along with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the first foldable iPhone which may be named “iPhone Ultra”, in addition to the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5. Most of these products are expected to be unveiled during Apple’s event on September 9, while the new Mac devices will begin shipping on September 22. Information also indicates that Apple will not launch the regular version of the iPhone 18 this month, but will postpone it to the spring of 2027, a move that may make this event more dedicated to luxury devices.
End of Intel app support on the Mac App Store
Apple has informed developers that apps on the Mac App Store requiring macOS 13 or later can now stop supporting Mac devices equipped with Intel processors. This decision means that users of these devices will continue to use only the last compatible version, while they will not receive new updates. This comes as part of Apple’s plan to end reliance on Intel, as macOS Tahoe will be the last version to run on these devices, while macOS Golden Gate and beyond will be limited to Apple Silicon devices, with a gradual phase-out of the Rosetta 2 tool that allowed Intel apps to run.
Anthropic launches Claude Fable 5.1 with lower cost and higher accuracy
Anthropic announced the launch of the Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Mythos 5.1 models, stating that they offer advanced performance in programming, cognitive work, and complex problem-solving. The new version features performance improvements while reducing costs by about 25% in typical usage, and savings can reach up to 45% in some advanced tasks. Errors that previously led to unnecessary security warnings have been reduced by approximately 60%. The model can assist in discovering software vulnerabilities but is designed to prevent its use in developing exploitation tools. The company also added an invisible watermark to text generated by the AI.
John Ternus in his first message to Apple employees
In his first message to Apple employees after assuming the position of CEO, John Ternus expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome he received and directed special appreciation to Tim Cook, who helped him during the transition period and contributed much to the company over his years of leadership. Ternus praised Cook’s leadership style and the human values he followed, confirming that Apple is fortunate to continue having him as Chairman of the Board. He also expressed his pride in leading the company and his great excitement for the future, noting that Apple is preparing for a huge launch next week and that there are many new products and ideas under development.
Ternus emphasized that what awaits the company is not limited to current products only, but also includes innovations not yet conceived, believing that the Apple team is capable of continuing to build the company’s future and innovating new technologies together.
Apple sets John Ternus’s salary and compensation
Apple has set the target compensation package for its new CEO, John Ternus, at $58 million for the 2027 fiscal year, including an annual salary of $3 million, in addition to a stock bonus with a target value of $55 million.
However, the largest part of this bonus is linked to Apple’s performance in the stock market compared to other major companies, so the final value he receives may vary. In contrast, the target compensation package for Tim Cook in his new role as Chairman of the Board is $47 million, including a salary of $2 million and a stock bonus worth $45 million.
New leak reveals potential iPhone 18 Pro colors
The latest leaks indicate that the iPhone 18 Pro may be available in three colors: dark cherry, sky blue, and black, while Apple might exclude silver this time. This comes amid conflicting previous leaks regarding the final colors, as some sources indicated the presence of silver or dark gray instead of black. The dark cherry color is expected to be the new signature color for the Pro series instead of the Cosmic Orange on the iPhone 17 Pro, but the final truth will be clear soon when Apple officially unveils the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max during its anticipated event next week.
OpenAI responds to Apple: The legal dispute is “a problem Apple created itself”
OpenAI responded to Apple’s accusations of stealing trade secrets, confirming in court that Apple did not provide clear evidence proving that former employees actually stole confidential information. OpenAI stated that the case was the result of internal problems at Apple and how it handles departing employees, not because of deliberate theft. It also accused Apple of trying to slow down a fast-growing competitor and prevent more of its employees from moving to it. The case comes after Apple filed a lawsuit against two former employees accusing them of misappropriating information related to hardware design, manufacturing, and the supply chain, while OpenAI denies these accusations. The court is scheduled to hear the case during a session on October 1.
Qualcomm raises its chip prices significantly at the beginning of September
Qualcomm is preparing to raise its chip prices by up to double starting in September, justifying this by the rising costs of suppliers that it can no longer bear. The decision may affect phone companies, including Apple, which still uses some Qualcomm modem chips in iPhones, despite gradually moving to modems of its own design. This increase comes at a time when memory and storage prices are also rising due to supply issues, which may lead to higher prices for more electronic devices, while expectations already indicate that some iPhone 18 Pro models will be more expensive than the previous generation.
AirPods with cameras may make spatial audio smarter
Information that appeared in macOS indicates that Apple is working on AirPods equipped with cameras that can improve the spatial audio experience, as they can recognize the screen the user is looking at and determine its direction accurately. The headphones may be able to distinguish between a phone, computer, TV, and even multiple screens in the same place, then direct the audio experience toward the screen the user is watching. Information also indicates the possibility of supporting visual intelligence features, but these headphones are not expected to be launched before the fall of 2027, according to current leaks.
Apple corrects an error in the new Mac Studio ad
It seems that Apple made a mistake in its press release for the new Mac Studio, after initially stating that the device uses an SSD storage architecture based on the PCIe 6.0 standard, then quickly deleted this information from the ad. Apple still confirms that the device provides storage speeds up to twice the speed of the previous generation, but indicators suggest that it uses the PCIe 5.0 standard and not PCIe 6.0, especially since MacBook Pro devices equipped with the M5 Max chip use the same standard, and PCIe 6.0 technology has not yet reached consumer computers.
Phil Schiller reduces his tasks at Apple with the beginning of the John Ternus era
Phil Schiller, one of the most prominent historical figures at Apple, is beginning to reduce his responsibilities within the company, as he will no longer oversee the App Store or organize product launch events, but he will remain at Apple with the title of Apple Fellow and work on other projects. This change comes in conjunction with John Ternus assuming the position of CEO of the company, as part of a reorganization of roles within Apple. Oversight of the App Store will move to Eddy Cue, while Nola Weinstein will lead the Apple events team. It seems that Schiller, whose name has been associated with the launch of historical products such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, is gradually moving toward a quieter phase after a long career within the company that began decades ago.
Google Maps renames Lake Ontario to “Lake America” within the United States
Google Maps has begun displaying the name “Lake America” instead of “Lake Ontario” for users within the United States, following an official update to the American geographic naming system after an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump. As for users in Canada, they still see the name “Lake Ontario”, while both names appear together for users in the rest of the world. In contrast, Apple has not yet made the same change in Apple Maps, which still displays the old name globally, but it is likely that Apple will follow this update soon as it did previously with changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.
Miscellaneous News
◉ Luca Maestri, Apple’s former CFO, continues to reduce his role within the company after leaving his main position in 2025. He recently resigned from managing corporate services teams and no longer has responsibilities other than giving a lecture at Apple University, while he is in the office once a week. This withdrawal reflects Tim Cook’s style of keeping some departing executives in small roles, but it is unclear if the new CEO, John Ternus, will continue this approach.
◉ A science project made by Steve Jobs himself when he was in the eighth grade was sold for $34,375 at a public auction. The project, which he prepared in 1968, was about an electronic component used to control electric current, and included a display board, circuits, electrical experiments, and a ten-page report. This project is a rare piece that reveals Jobs’s early interest in electronics and technology years before founding Apple, and it came from a personal collection kept by one of his family members, while other items from Jobs’s early years have previously sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
◉ New reports indicate that Apple may start accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro on Saturday, September 12, instead of the usual Friday, because the traditional date this year coincides with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Apple followed a similar step in 2015 when it delayed pre-orders by one day for the same reason. Rumors also indicate that the time for opening orders may change to start at midnight Pacific time instead of the usual time, but this information is still unconfirmed until Apple officially announces the details of its new device launch.
◉ CEO Tim Cook announced that Apple will make a donation to support relief and reconstruction efforts in Nepal and Tibet after part of a glacier collapsed in the Himalayas, causing floods and mudslides that claimed the lives of hundreds and destroyed roads, bridges, and homes. This is the company’s fifth relief pledge in just two months, after previous aid for disaster victims in Indonesia, Venezuela, Southern Europe, and Japan. This announcement comes in the final days of Cook’s tenure as CEO, before John Ternus assumes the position in September.
◉ Apple announced an exclusive collaboration between the game Sneaky Sasquatch on the Apple Arcade service and the game Subway Surfers+, with a new update arriving on September 17 allowing players to photograph more than 30 types of birds within the game. The company also filed applications for trademarks related to the game including various products such as clothing, bags, games, and books, in a move that may pave the way for expanding its scope outside the digital platform. These moves confirm that Apple is betting on the game’s popularity and is planning more updates and content over the coming months.
◉ Apple’s logo for its upcoming event on September 9 holds hints of features expected in the iPhone 18 Pro, including a new camera system with a variable aperture feature in the Pro Max version, giving users greater control over lighting and depth as in professional cameras. The sky blue color in the invitation also indicates the possibility of launching a new color alongside other options such as dark red, gray, and silver. These signs increase the excitement of followers before the official unveiling in less than two weeks.
◉ Images of the expected foldable Apple phone, known as the iPhone Ultra, have spread, showing it in multiple colors including a striking red, but Mark Gurman confirmed that these images are not real designs for the phone. According to him, the images are models designed by Xiaomi and are not leaks from Apple. Rumors indicate that Apple will adopt calmer and more traditional colors for its foldable phone, such as white, silver, or dark gray, with no expectation of it being available in red or green. The truth is expected to be clear soon during Apple’s event on September 9, where the first foldable iPhone is expected to be officially unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series.
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