Welcome back! 🍎
Here’s the latest with Apple.

• Fresh iOS 19 Details

• Apple considering raising iPhone 17 prices

• & more!

📊 Poll

Last week, we asked: Do you use Stage Manager on your iPad or Mac?

Here were my favorite replies:

This week: Do you think Apple will increase prices for the iPhone lineup this year? Why or why not? More on this later.

🗞️ The Latest

⚙️ iOS 19 Features Revealed

This week, we got fresh details on Apple’s upcoming AI features, along with new accessibility features that were officially announced. Here’s the latest.

• Apple is expected to debut an AI-powered battery management feature in iOS 19.

• It learns your usage patterns and adjusts background activity and features to save battery life.

• Apple uses real battery data to predict when to reduce power draw intelligently.

• A new lock screen indicator will show estimated time to full charge.

• This was likely developed with the upcoming iPhone 17 Air in mind, but it’s expected to work on other devices.

• iOS 19 is also expected to include a feature to sync captive Wi-Fi details between devices. This can be useful for public Wi-Fi in gyms, hotels or office buildings.

• But most importantly, Apple is allegedly pushing engineers to ensure that iOS 19 is “more functional and less glitchy.”

New Accessibility Features

• Apple announced dozens of upcoming accessibility features coming with iOS 19, macOS 16, watchOS 12, and visionOS 3.

• Head Tracking will allow users to more easily control their iPhone with head movements. It can detect raised eyebrows, an open mouth, when you're smiling, sticking out tongue, and more.

• Name Recognition is a new way for users who are deaf or hard of hearing to know when their name is being called. This will be added to Sound Recognition.

• Live Listen is coming to Apple Watch with watchOS 12. This Apple Watch will support Live Listen with real-time Live Captions for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

• A New Magnifier feature is coming to the Mac to make the physical world more accessible for users with low vision. Also, Vehicle Motion Cues are coming to the Mac with macOS 16.

• Accessibility Reader is a new systemwide reading mode designed to make text easier to read for users with a wide range of disabilities, such as dyslexia or low vision. It can be launched from any app and is built into the Magnifier app.

• Braille Access is an all-new experience that turns iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro into a full-featured braille note taker with a built-in app launcher.

• Accessibility Nutrition Labels are coming to the App Store to highlight accessibility features within apps and games, allowing users to learn whether an app will be accessible to them before they download it.

A genius new Shortcut

Apple released a useful new Shortcut this week called Hold That Thought.

• Interruptions can cause you to forget tasks and affect productivity, especially for neurodivergent minds.

• This shortcut lets you capture your current task (screenshot, clipboard contents, Safari page, etc) and Recall it later when you're ready to refocus.

• These “Recalls” live within the Notes app.

• Download it for free here.

• This is useful, but only if you have a quick way to trigger it. I’d recommend mapping this to the Action Button or Back Tap.

• I made a video showing how this Shortcut works, along with a recap of all new iOS 19 accessibility features.

My take: I think the ‘Battery Intelligence’ feature is going to be a hit if Apple debuts it with iOS 19. This is something Android has had for years and I’ve always wanted it on iOS. I guess the 17 Air gave them enough reason to finally ship the feature.

I also see the Wi-Fi sharing feature being extremely useful. I go to hotels all the time and have to log in via the captive web page for each device. But with this feature, I’ll only have to log in on one device.

As for the accessibility changes, several of these are huge and will make a big difference for those who rely on the accessibility suite. This is a key area where Apple dominates every competitor and that doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

📲 iPhone Price Hikes

This week, WSJ reported that Apple is considering raising prices for the iPhone 17 lineup. Here’s the latest.

• Apple is planning iPhone price hikes, but will pair them with new features and design changes to avoid linking the increase to U.S.-China tariffs.

• A 20% U.S. tariff on Chinese goods, including smartphones, remains in effect. This impacts Apple’s cost structure.

• Apple is allegedly worried about backlash, so they want to avoid public perception that tariffs are behind the price jump.

• iPhone production is shifting to India, with Tim Cook saying most iPhones shipped to the U.S. in Q2 will be made there.

• Despite the shift, Pro and Pro Max models will still be made in China due to India’s current manufacturing limitations.

My take: It’s likely no coincidence Apple just launched the lower-cost iPhone 16e and plans to debut the new iPhone 17 Air this fall.

New iPhone models = new pricing structure.

This allows Apple to restructure the lineup to make higher pricing feel natural. By adding a cheaper 16e and another “premium model” like the 17 Air, they’re stretching the range and subtly nudging customers toward higher price points. It’s classic product marketing strategy.

I would not be surprised to see a price increase for all iPhone models this year. Maybe an additional $100 and maybe a 256GB starting storage option across the board.

To me, price hikes seem more likely this year than any prior year that it has been rumored. But they probably won’t be as steep as some analysts expect.

However, despite price hikes being the logical move for Apple’s bottom line, they’re just as focused on the psychology behind how consumers perceive those increases. So, this could be a reason to keep prices the same for another year or two. We shall see!

📰 Quick Bites

• Apple Releases iOS 18.5 - What’s New? [Video]

• CarPlay Ultra, the next generation of CarPlay, begins rolling out today

• 25+ NEW iOS 19 Features Confirmed [Video]

• Apple and Universal Music Announce 'Sound Therapy'

• Apple Maps Now Features Insights From 'Expert Sources'

• visionOS 3 Will Let Apple Vision Pro Users Scroll With Their Eyes

• Watch the New Trailer for Apple's Big Summer Movie “F1”

• AirPods and Apple Watch Models to Get Tiny AI Cameras in 2027

• Gurman: First Foldable iPhone 'Should Be on the Market by 2027’

• 20th Anniversary iPhone Will Be Mostly Glass With All-Screen Design

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