Apple’s upcoming “Pro and Tell” event sparks speculation about new MacBook Pro models, while iPhone Duo preorders raise questions about shipping delays and retail availability. The panel discusses Apple’s $5 trillion valuation, why HomeView won’t launch in the European Union, and the anticipated arrival of Affinity Studio on iPad, including how it could transform creative workflows and provide yet another powerful alternative to Adobe Creative Cloud.
The Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs begin on November 18 with the wild card matches, and every postseason game streams on Apple TV, Major League Soccer said in its schedule announcement. Apple TV subscribers get the playoffs as part of their subscription, which Apple listed at $12.99 per month in February, and 2026 MLS Cup […]
Early iPhone Duo reviews are examining how Apple’s first foldable handles everyday tasks ahead of its October 23 launch. Reviewers describe an appealing inner display alongside adjustments involving one-handed use, authentication, and app layouts, providing a practical picture of where the design works well and where it asks users to adapt.
Evaluations published October 21 offer a more substantial picture than brief demonstrations, ahead of initial retail availability on OctobeIn a September 19 hands-on, Android Central’s Harish Jonnalagadda also highlighted the inner display’s coating. Those earlier impressions provide context for the October reviews, but came from a shorter session rather than extended everyday use.r 23. The emerging story combines an appealing inner display with practical questions about handling, applications, and the compromises involved in carrying one device that serves two roles.
The Matte Display Changes the Experience
The inner screen’s finish is becoming one of the most consistent points of interest. Apple’s official announcement describes a nano-textured polymer cover intended to reduce glare and minimize the visibility of the fold.
In his PetaPixel review, Jaron Schneider praises the reduction in reflections and says fingerprints are much less noticeable during normal use. He also acknowledges that people who dislike matte displays may not appreciate this one.
In a September 19 hands-on, Android Central’s Harish Jonnalagadda also highlighted the inner display’s coating. Those earlier impressions provide context for the October reviews, but came from a shorter session rather than extended everyday use.
That gives the comparison with existing foldables a more useful starting point than screen size alone. A larger panel matters less if reflections repeatedly interfere with what someone wants to see. Equally, a finish that one reader finds comfortable may disappoint someone who prefers the appearance of glossy glass.
The relevant difference is therefore partly experiential. Shoppers should examine text, photographs, and dark scenes under several lighting conditions rather than judging the screen from a promotional image.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
A Folding Phone Still Has to Work Closed
Schneider’s assessment also exposes a practical tension: he finds the hardware exceptionally well made, yet describes difficulty with one-handed typing and adjusting his grip for Touch ID. His experience favors using both hands.
Those observations should remain attributed to the reviewer. Hand size, preferred grip, and familiarity can produce different reactions to the same device.
Nevertheless, they identify something worth testing before choosing a foldable. The closed phone will still handle quick messages, authentication, and tasks performed while standing or moving. Those interactions deserve as much attention as the impressive moment when the inner screen opens.
A useful demonstration would involve composing a message, reaching frequently used controls, unlocking the device, and then opening it to continue working. Comfort across that sequence reveals more than holding an unfolded phone briefly for a photograph.
Software Makes the Comparison More Complicated
Mark Spoonauer’s October 21 Tom’s Guide review praises the ease of using two applications together, but finds that applications without appropriate optimization can look poor. He also reports that rotating into portrait interrupts the side-by-side layout, which returns when the phone rotates back.
In that specific comparison, he notes that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 keeps two narrow app windows visible in portrait.
This illustrates why “supports multitasking” is only the beginning of a useful comparison. What happens when the phone rotates, when someone switches tasks, or when an application encounters an unfamiliar shape can determine whether the extra space feels productive.
The Duo’s Split View limitations become more relevant when they interrupt a task already underway. The review describes a change in layout rather than the loss of the app pair, which returns when the device rotates back to landscape.
Buyers should check the applications they rely on most. A polished demonstration using selected software cannot establish that every banking app, editing tool, or work service will make equally effective use of the display.
Battery Testing Adds a Measured Reference Point
Tom’s Guide recorded 13 hours and 20 minutes in its web-browsing battery test, using the larger display, a 5G connection, and brightness set to 150 nits. The publication says it adapted the test to fill the Duo’s screen and ran it alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
In that simultaneous comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 lasted 10 hours and 6 minutes, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max reached 17 hours and 31 minutes. The Samsung phone had previously recorded 12 hours and 19 minutes, illustrating why results from different runs need context rather than being treated as fixed rankings.
The result provides a useful reference, rather than a promise about every owner’s day. It also demonstrates why a single competitive headline can oversimplify testing: the method, screen used, and comparison conditions belong alongside the number.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
The Strongest Differences Are Practical
These accounts suggest that the Duo’s identity depends on how its screen finish, physical format, and software work together. They also reveal disagreement about whether those benefits outweigh the adjustments. Praise for construction does not automatically resolve concerns about grip or application behavior.
For prospective buyers, the useful question is which compromises fit their routine. Reading comfort, dependable access to work applications, and easy one-handed interactions may carry different weight for different people. The first reviews now provide concrete experiences to investigate, while long-term display and hinge durability still require longer observation.
Apple just revealed a new brand identity for Apple Music, with the expected turn to Liquid Glass. I’m not much of a fan of their new design language in general; this is where I admit that I’m still running MacOS Sequoia and have grumpy things to say about rounded corner radii and text legibility.
It’s just a trend, it will pass, and at some point I’ll probably cave and upgrade when it starts actually affecting my ability to get work done, or more importantly get security updates. Once I adjust, I’ll stop noticing it, and life will go on.
As such, I wouldn’t normally find an obvious rebrand like this notable, much less feel like I had much to say about it. But then I happened to catch Apple’s behind-the-scenes video in my YouTube recommendations, and I realized I did have thoughts.
The 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin streams exclusively on Apple TV in the US, with the race starting at 4pm ET (1pm PT) on October 25. Apple holds the US rights to every F1 session this season, including all practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions and Grands Prix, under […]
Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 27 explains how to record a phone call when you are talking to one other person, with the recording saved to the Notes app. Apple also lists where call recording is not available: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, the European Union, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, […]
Apple TV is bringing back its thriller “Imperfect Women” for a second season built around Kerry Washington’s character, Eleanor, and set on Martha’s Vineyard. Apple announced the renewal on October 5, 2026, and said the new season will be based on an original idea rather than the source novel. Apple has not given a premiere […]
Apple’s iPhone User Guide explains how to share your screen, ask to see someone else’s screen, or remotely control it during a call in the Phone app. Apple says both you and the other participant need iOS 26 or later, and that remote control is not currently available in the European Union. The feature is […]
The market for flexible phone screens is getting ready for a massive boost. Research firm Omdia predicts that shipments of foldable smartphone displays will grow by 44 percent in 2026. This means suppliers will ship around 29 million of these screens. A big reason for this jump is the arrival of new book-style phones from […]
Apple TV’s new culinary docuseries “Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook” premieres globally on Friday, November 6, 2026. Apple says the eight-episode series follows Nora Lum, aka Awkwafina, on a cross-country road trip as she tries to revive her family’s beloved Chinese restaurant. Apple released the trailer on October 1, 2026. The catch, and the hook of […]
Loop Capital recently changed its rating on Apple from “Buy” to “Hold” because of weaker sales expectations. The investment firm cut its price target from $370 to $330. According to the firm, the tech giant will likely ship 13 million fewer smartphones in the second half of 2026 than previously planned. The firm also lowered […]
Since its initial release in 2011, Bethesda’s popular role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has reached multiple generations of gaming consoles. It never officially landed on macOS, though. Players have relied on various complex workarounds over the years just to run it. Now, a fresh open-source project named SkyrimMT aims to bring the complete […]
Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 27 explains how to use Live Translation during a call in the Phone app, so you can hear and read a spoken and text translation in your preferred language. Apple says the feature is powered by Apple Intelligence and works on one-on-one calls in the languages Apple lists, on […]
Apple is recruiting a 6G cellular modem systems engineer, adding a next-generation research focus to its in-house modem development. The position, posted October 19 in Sunnyvale, California, describes responsibilities spanning cellular standards, hardware and software architecture, and power efficiency.
The Apple job listing establishes a concrete engineering focus. It does not identify a future iPhone, name a commercial modem, or provide a release date.
That makes the vacancy useful as a window into development priorities rather than a product announcement. The significant detail is how broadly Apple describes the work: connecting emerging standards with the decisions required to build a functioning cellular system.
The Role Connects Research With Product Engineering
The position covers feature definition, algorithm development, simulation, silicon testing, and preparation for production. Apple specifically identifies next-generation modem requirements with a focus on 6G evolution.
The listing also emphasizes translating engineering improvements into throughput, latency, battery life, and connection reliability. Candidates are expected to understand emerging 6G work alongside 5G and 4G standards.
Those responsibilities explain why modem development extends beyond designing a single chip. A cellular system must coordinate signal processing, software, and hardware while operating within a mobile device’s power constraints.
The practical challenge is balancing competing priorities. An approach that improves one performance measure may introduce costs elsewhere, such as greater processing demands. Evaluating those trade-offs is part of turning a technical possibility into something suitable for a portable product.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
Apple’s 6G References Predate This Vacancy
The October posting is not the first public indication of this research. A separate Apple RF modeling position, dated June 24, includes modeling and simulation for 4G, 5G, and 6G modem systems.
The distinction matters when interpreting the latest recruitment. A newly published vacancy can reveal current responsibilities without establishing when a project began or how much its staffing has changed.
The two roles address different engineering tasks. The RF modeling position focuses on simulating radio-frequency behavior and investigating performance, while the newer systems role connects standards, algorithms, hardware, and software. Together, they illustrate why modem development requires work across several specialties.
The Standards Process Is Still Underway
The wider industry remains in the process of defining 6G. The International Telecommunication Union refers to the next generation as IMT-2030.
According to the ITU’s current development overview, its expert working party completed draft technical performance requirements in February 2026 and draft evaluation guidelines in June. Both documents have been submitted to ITU-R Study Group 5 for approval scheduled for December 2026.
The ITU has also invited proposals for candidate IMT-2030 radio technologies between February 2027 and February 2029. That window concerns submissions for evaluation, rather than consumer launches, and helps explain why companies are recruiting engineers while the technical framework is still taking shape.
These milestones concern how candidate technologies will be specified and assessed. They do not establish a date when a particular operator will offer service or when Apple will ship compatible hardware.
For readers, this is an important distinction between an industry framework and a usable connection. Standards work helps establish common expectations. Commercial availability requires additional decisions and implementation by device makers, network suppliers, operators, and regulators.
The Work Builds on Apple’s Existing Modem Effort
Apple already has experience bringing its own cellular modem to market. The company introduced C1 with iPhone 16e in February 2025, identifying it as its first internally designed cellular modem and a component supporting 5G connectivity.
That C1 announcement provides a commercial reference point for Apple’s modem work. The recruitment concerns a different stage: developing systems around emerging standards. Shipping a 5G modem and researching 6G are related activities, but progress in one does not establish a launch schedule for the other.
It does not establish that the new role belongs to a particular C-series successor. Assigning a name, manufacturing schedule, or specific iPhone generation would go beyond the information available.
What the Vacancy Means for iPhone Buyers
The immediate takeaway is about Apple’s development direction. The company is seeking engineers who can connect emerging wireless standards with practical requirements such as efficient operation and reliable connectivity.
For someone choosing a phone today, the vacancy provides no basis for predicting when 6G will become a useful purchasing consideration. Published device capabilities, local network coverage, and current service plans remain the information buyers can assess.
The more meaningful future milestones will be finalized specifications, announced compatible hardware, and documented operator deployments. Until those arrive, Apple’s recruitment offers evidence of preparation—and a clearer view of the engineering involved—without establishing the features or timing of a future iPhone.
Season two of the German-language dark comedy “Where’s Wanda?” premieres on Apple TV on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Apple says the eight-episode season debuts globally with one episode, followed by a new episode weekly through December 9, 2026. Heike Makatsch, Axel Stein, Lea Drinda, Leo Simon and Nikeata Thompson lead the cast, and UFA Fiction […]
Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 27 explains how to export your passwords for websites and accounts to a CSV file, which you can then import into another password manager. The option sits in the Settings app under Apps, then Safari, and Apple warns that the exported file is not encrypted. That makes the export […]
Apple is already looking far beyond today’s cellular networks to lay the groundwork for next-generation mobile devices. Recent job openings show the tech giant wants engineers to help build communication chips for the upcoming 6G rollout. While people are still getting used to fast 5G speeds, the iPhone maker wants to be fully prepared before […]
The first unboxing video for the highly anticipated iPhone Duo has hit the internet just days before its official release. A video posted online by a lucky early recipient shows exactly what buyers can expect when they open the box this Friday. The early look gives the public their first glimpse of the final retail […]
Apple CEO John Ternus recently shed light on his working relationship with the company’s internal design teams. In a new interview, Ternus explained how closely he interacts with both the industrial and software designers, emphasizing that design remains a foundational element of the technology giant’s product development process. Engineering and design work together from the […]
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