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

• Apple Maps goes outside the ecosystem

• Car companies ditching CarPlay

• iPhone Fold coming sooner than expected

• & more

📖 Read time: 3.9 minutes

📊 Poll

Last week, I asked: Are you running the iOS 18 Beta?

Here are some of my favorite replies:

This week: Do you use Apple Maps? Why or why not?

🗞️ The Latest

🗺️ Apple Maps on the Web!

Apple just launched Apple Maps on the web! Here are the details.

• ‌Apple Maps‌ on the web works just like the app, meaning you get driving & walking directions, curated Guides, places to visit, the ability to view photos, ratings and hours, and more. You can even order food directly from the Maps place card.

• Apple Maps on the web is available in English and it works with Safari & Chrome on Mac and iPad, and Chrome & Edge on Windows PCs.

• This is currently in Public Beta, so features like ‘Look Around’ will be added in the coming months, along with additional languages, browsers, and platforms.

• Developers, including those using MapKit JS, can also link out to Maps on the web, so their users can get driving directions, see detailed place information, and more.

• You can check it out at beta.maps.apple.com

My take: This is an excellent move by Apple for multiple reasons.

1. Users on Windows have never been able to experience Apple Maps from their computer. This could convert them from Google Maps to Apple Maps.

2. Websites will begin embedding Apple Maps instead of Google Maps since it’s now accessible to the masses.

3. The Maps app on macOS is atrocious, so this is a great alternative.

4. There’s finally a legit Google Maps competitor on desktop! Too bad Google search results will continue showing Google Maps, though.

Side note: The Yelp reviews need to go. Apple needs to start its own review system for places on Maps.

📲 Apple is Actually Making a Folding Phone

Rumors about a foldable iPhone have circulated for years, but now Apple is allegedly moving forward with the project. Here’s the latest.

• Initially, Apple was set to launch a foldable iPad to gauge the market reaction. But now, Apple has adjusted its plans and may introduce the iPhone as its first foldable product.

• The foldable iPhone is rumored to come as early as 2026.

• It’s said to have a top-down folding design, similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip series, as opposed to the Z Fold.

• Earlier this year, Apple began R&D on this device and signed a panel supply contract with Samsung.

My take: It’s risky for Apple to take on a foldable iPhone before an iPad or MacBook. However, it’s not too surprising when you look at the Chinese smartphone landscape and Apple’s lackluster sales over there.

Foldable phones are far more common in China, so that could be a big driver for Apple releasing an “iPhone Fold” ahead of expectations.

I personally have no interest in a foldable iPhone but Apple does need to deliver something different since the iPhone has basically looked the same since 2017.

🚗 CarPlay or Bust?

This week, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed that CarPlay will not be coming to Rivian vehicles and that you’ll need to pay their subscription instead. Could this become the new norm?

• Rivian’s CEO compared Rivian adopting CarPlay to Apple choosing to run Windows instead of developing its own in-house iOS and macOS alternatives.

• CarPlay is unable to control certain parts of the car, so that’s where Rivian’s software could thrive.

• Scaringe specifically mentions that by using their software instead of CarPlay, you can do things like open the front trunk without leaving the app.

• Rivian also wants to improve routing, mapping charging points, and integration with texting. All areas where CarPlay could be lacking.

• They’ll eventually add CarPlay’s “most desirable features on an à la carte basis.”

• Rivian’s Connect+ plan, which is the only way you can access music streaming apps, is $15/month.

Would you buy a car without CarPlay?

This story had me thinking: would you consider purchasing a car in 2024 that did not have CarPlay support?

Marques recently ran the same poll and 57% of the 200,000 votes selected NO. They would not buy a car that didn’t have CarPlay or Android Auto support.

My take: This sounds familiar. Remember GM’s attempt at this? Yeah, it’s not working out great.

I think Rivian’s CEO is forward-thinking and I respect that, but there’s a 1% chance this will work out. Even Rivian owners aren’t happy about this.

Even when paying the $15/month, there’s no access to Google Maps or Waze. You have to use Rivian’s inferior navigation app.

And it’s unlikely that Rivian’s software will ever be able to compete with CarPlay in terms of UI, integration with apps, and overall user experience.

Unless you’re Tesla, I think all car makers should stick with CarPlay/Android Auto. Otherwise, your vehicle will be at a major disadvantage from the jump.

📰 Quick Bites

• Internal Change to iPhone 16 Models Expected to Reduce Overheating

• Could our Macs be CrowdStruck?

• Android users switching to iPhone hits 5-year high

• Adobe releases new Firefly AI tools for Illustrator and Photoshop

• Meta releases the biggest and best open-source AI model yet

• Apple Music will soon let users create playlist artwork using Apple Intelligence

• Apple Vision Pro Gains New ‘Lake Vrangla’ Environment

• NCAA College Football Teams to Start Using iPads for Video Replay

• iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

• Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame

• iPhone SE 4 and Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Use Apple's Own 5G Chip

• 2026 iPhone to Use New Advanced Camera Sensor From Samsung

• Blue Screens Everywhere Are Latest Tech Woe for Microsoft

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