2025-12-04 21:27:01
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch.
According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air. SellCell examined real-time trade-in pricing from more than 40 U.S. buyback companies, comparing average values across weeks since launch against each model's original MSRP. All devices in the study were assessed in good condition for consistent comparisons.
The data shows that the iPhone 17 series has averaged 34.6% depreciation after ten weeks, outperforming the iPhone 16 range at the same point last year, which saw a 39% decline. The iPhone 15 series remains the strongest performer over the past several cycles, retaining more value at the ten-week mark with an average depreciation of 31.9%. The iPhone 14 range sits at 36.6% over the same period.
By contrast, the iPhone Air shows significantly weaker retention, averaging 44.3% depreciation across all storage configurations. The Air's declines range from 40.3% to 47.7%, making it the weakest-performing iPhone range since the iPhone 14 Plus and certain iPhone 13 mini configurations registered similar drops in 2022. The steepest fall is attributed to the 1TB iPhone Air model, which SellCell identifies as the worst performer in the entire dataset.
SellCell's model-level breakdown shows a sharp divergence between the Pro segment and the Air. The best-performing model, the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro Max, has declined 26.1% after ten weeks, while the 512GB iPhone 17 Pro Max has fallen 30.3%. All Pro and Pro Max configurations remain below 40% depreciation, which points to sustained demand in the secondary market. The standard iPhone 17 fell between 32.9% and 40.8%, placing it roughly in line with the performance of recent non-Pro tiers. The iPhone 17 lineup as a whole collectively retains 9.7% more value than the Air after ten weeks.
The iPhone Air occupies the entire bottom of the ten-week rankings. Depreciation among the iPhone 17 models appears to stabilize by week ten, mirroring patterns observed for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 generations. The iPhone Air, on the other hand, continued to decline through week ten, which SellCell suggests could indicate longer-term uncertainty in the secondary market. The comparisons underscore how unusual the iPhone Air's trajectory is relative to other iPhone models.
2025-12-04 21:18:21
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020.
If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to simulate a low-light environment. The Night mode crescent moon symbol should appear in the top-right corner of the UI, and if you tap the six-dots icon in the same corner, you should see the Night mode button in the options panel.
Now choose Portrait in the carousel and perform the same low-light simulation with your hand – no crescent symbol will appear, and you won't see any Night mode toggle in the options panel when you open it.
Owners of iPhone 16 Pro and other recent Pro models who perform this test won't see Night mode disappear in Portrait mode, and apparently this is all by design, according to Apple's own iOS 26 iPhone User Guide. As spotted by Macworld, the support document says you can only take portraits when Night mode is engaged on the following models:
2025-12-04 18:59:58
Proton today announced the launch of Proton Sheets, its end-to-end encrypted spreadsheet web application designed to offer a privacy-focused alternative to Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel.
Unlike traditional spreadsheet tools, Proton Sheets encrypts all user data by default, including filenames and metadata. That means no one, not even Proton, can access the contents of users' spreadsheets. The company says the new tool is a response to growing concerns about Big Tech's data collection practices and the integration of AI features that may use proprietary business information for training purposes.
Proton Sheets supports commonly used formulas, data visualization through charts and graphs, and real-time collaboration features. Users can import existing CSV and XLS files, which are then protected with encryption. The application includes access controls that let users manage who can view or edit files.
"With the launch of Proton Sheets, we are not just closing the productivity gap – we are reclaiming data sovereignty for businesses and individuals alike," said Anant Vijay Singh, head of product at Proton Drive. "The reality today is that most spreadsheet tools come from Big Tech giants whose entire business models are built on exploiting user data. Now, with AI woven deeply into these platforms, the risks have escalated exponentially. Every keystroke, every formula you enter can feed into their AI training pipelines. This is an unacceptable trade-off. Users deserve a future free from hidden surveillance and invasive data mining. That's why we built Proton Sheets: a robust, privacy-first alternative that puts control, security, and trust back where they belong – firmly in users hands."The spreadsheet tool is available through web browsers and within the Proton Drive app. Following the release, Proton Drive now offers a range of productivity tools that includes email, calendar, documents, and spreadsheets, all with built-in encryption.
2025-12-04 18:44:11
Apple is today celebrating the winners of Your Tree on Battersea, its festive UK competition that invited people to design digital Christmas trees on iPad.
The 24 winning submissions are set to be projected onto Battersea Power Station beginning today, from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day until 24 December.
The winning submissions will be featured on the building's chimneys alongside trees drawn by established artists and notable figures such as Kylie Minogue, Sir Stephen Fry, Maro Itoje, Oliver Jeffers, David Shrigley OBE, and Chawawa.
Apple says the competition carries on the company's tradition of celebrating festive creativity, and it's the first time it has opened the opportunity to the public.
In 2023, artist David Hockney created Bigger Christmas Trees on iPad Pro, and last year, Aardman – creator of Wallace & Gromit – used iPhone 16 Pro Max to create a short animation. Both installations transformed the iconic 101-metre-high chimneys and wash towers that soar above the River Thames.
2025-12-04 08:37:35
Apple today updated its executive leadership page to remove John Giannandrea, who is set to retire from Apple next spring. Earlier this week, Apple said that Giannandrea would step down from his role as AI chief, serving as an advisor until he leaves the company.
Giannandrea's upcoming retirement was announced on Monday, and Apple wasted no time updating its leadership website. Former Microsoft Corporate VP of AI Amar Subramanya is set to take over as Apple's vice president of AI, but he is not yet listed on the site. Subramanya will report to software engineering chief Craig Federighi.
Some of the teams that Giannandrea led are being shifted to Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue, including AI Infrastructure and Search and Knowledge.
Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 as the company's senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy. He was overseeing Siri, Core ML, and other AI efforts at Apple. Before Apple, Giannandrea worked at Google as a senior vice president of engineering.
After the iOS 18 Siri failure, Giannandrea's retirement comes as no surprise. Apple announced new Apple Intelligence Siri features at WWDC when it unveiled iOS 18, and then used those unreleased features to market the iPhone 16 models. In spring 2025, when we were expecting the launch of the promised functionality, Apple said the smarter version of Siri wasn't ready and announced a year-long delay.
More than half a dozen former employees who worked on Apple's AI team told The Information the issues with Siri stemmed from poor leadership, stringent privacy practices, conflicting personalities, and indecision. Apple hasn't publicly commented on the situation, but stripped Siri from Giannandrea in March and overhauled the Siri team. Apple also removed Giannandrea from its robotics division in April.
2025-12-04 07:52:46
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg today announced plans to launch a creative studio that will be led by former Apple UI designer Alan Dye. As we learned earlier today, Dye is leaving his position as Vice President of Human Interface Design at Apple to become Meta's new chief design officer.
In a post on social media site Threads, Zuckerberg said that Meta's creative studio will merge design, fashion, and technology, while also treating intelligence as a "new design material."
The new studio will bring together design, fashion, and technology to define the next generation of our products and experiences. Our idea is to treat intelligence as a new design material and imagine what becomes possible when it is abundant, capable, and human-centered. We plan to elevate design within Meta, and pull together a talented group with a combination of craft, creative vision, systems thinking, and deep experience building iconic products that bridge hardware and software.
We're entering a new era where AI glasses and other devices will change how we connect with technology and each other. The potential is enormous, but what matters most is making these experiences feel natural and truly centered around people. With this new studio, we're focused on making every interaction thoughtful, intuitive, and built to serve people.
