The iPhone 18 Pro Is Growing

Several discussions about the iPhone 18 Pro’s design have emerged this week. The size of the dynamic island is one of them; will Apple stay with the current design or move to a smaller tabbed cutout? The second is more intriguing: a thicker iPhone. Forbes’ David Phelan asks why Apple would make a change that seems antithetical to its design cues:

"While that often means a heavier phone, it can bring with it the benefit of space being used for a slightly bigger battery. A leak from the same Weibo user in recent months suggested the iPhone 17 Pro Max battery with 5,088mAh capacity could be replaced in the iPhone 18 Pro Max with something bigger, with capacity between 5,100 and 5,200mAh. This would mean longer battery life and a weight increase of just 3g, it’s thought.

When Will The iPhone Fold Arrive In Store?

Apple is expected to launch the foldable iPhone in September, but when will the presumptively-named iPhone Fold arrive in the Apple Store for the faithful to buy? There’s no guarantee that Apple’s typical ten-day launch-to-release timetable will be followed with Cupertino’s flush of origami. David Phelan looks at the potential schedule:

"Where mass production had been expected to begin in June, that may now have moved to early August — not long before its launch announcement or onsale date, both expected to be in September… Personally, I believe Apple will make that production schedule work. It’s not the first time reports have suggested a product will be heavily delayed, only for it to appear just days late, or even on time.

Some Of Our AI Is Missing

Although iOS 26.5 is not expected to be released to the public until May, it is currently going through public beta, so Apple’s plans are on view. And, much as it was promised, there is still no sign of Apple’s grand update to Apple intelligence and Siri to match the capabilities of the Android equivalents.

It may be that we hear more about Apple’s AI plans for 2026 at the upcoming World Developer Conference in June. Forbes’ David Phelan discusses the idea of the changes being held back:

"It makes sense for Apple to hold the new Siri until it can make a big announcement and the next Apple keynote is due on Monday, June 8 when the company holds its WWDC. It’s still possible that Apple could get ahead of itself and drop the new version sooner, but since it’s well over a year late already, and Apple has only said that it will come this year, it’s getting harder to believe that it will arrive as part of iOS 26."

The Next Upgrade For The iPad Air

The next iPad Air will feature a display update, according to ET News. Picking up on changes in the supply chain, the South Korean publication notes the change away from an LED display to the more vibrant (and power-efficient) OLED display:

"With the Air following the iPad Pro and Mini, Apple will adopt OLED across its entire tablet lineup, excluding the standard model, which is expected to expand benefits for domestic display companies that supply OLEDs to Apple. According to industry sources on the 15th, Samsung Display plans to begin mass production of OLEDs for the iPad Air around the end of this year or January of next year."

The Continued Success Of The MacBook Neo

No doubt Tim Cook and his team were sure the MacBook Neo would be a hit, but the popularity and demand for the cut-price MacBook looks to have exceeded even their expectations. Zac Hall examines the buzz, the sales, and the crucial shipping lead times and compares the launch not to the MacBook Airs and Pros, but of the iPhone:

"Apple has sold through its MacBook Neo inventory for April. The earliest deliveries for new MacBook Neo orders from Apple now quote delivery dates in May. MacBook Neo’s launch has resembled a flagship iPhone launch more than a typical Mac release. After more than a month since its release, customers continue to purchase the $599 laptop faster than Apple can produce them."

Like A Regular Apple Store, But Bigger...

Apple’s retail expansion in Europe continues as it prepares to open a new Apple Store in Zurich. And not just any new Apple Store, this has the potential to be the largest store in Europe. Hartley Charlton has more:

"According to the permit documents, the ground floor, labelled ' "Sales," spans around 454 square meters, comparable to Apple's current Rennweg store. A first-floor space labelled "Backstage," likely office use, adds a further 521 square meters… If both floors are used for sales, the total retail footprint would rank the store among the largest Apple locations in Europe."

And Finally...

The classic Mac gaming phenomenon, Glider, has returned. First released in 1988 for the Macintosh+, the adventures of the fragile origami have echoed across Mac screens ever since. Original developer John Calhoun has released a new version of Glider to the Mac App Store, and we apparently have AI to thank for it:

"I re-made Glider some years back for MacOS/iOS. It broke at some point (perhaps an Apple change for Retina displays?) so I pulled it from the App Store. (Claude looked at the code—found some minor coordinate issues. Thanks!) Glider Classic for MacOS is back on."

Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.