2025-11-17 20:23:03
Apple is developing official iPhone cases that act like secondary touch interfaces for future devices, claims a new rumor out of China.
According to known Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital, Apple is looking to make protective cases for its Pro models that directly integrate touch-based sensor layers.
The leaker provided no further details, but there are some clues to be found in previous research conducted by Apple. A patent application filed by the company in 2024 describes a "case with input for an electronic device" and outlines a protective iPhone case designed to act as an input surface rather than passive shielding.
The document describes touch-sensitive areas embedded in the case – using capacitive or pressure-based sensors – that can trigger actions typically handled by the phone's physical buttons. When the case is attached, the iPhone detects it and reroutes button behavior so that taps, presses, or sliding gestures on the case activate system functions.
The patent also details how the case communicates with the device, including identification and signal transfer through interfaces such as NFC. Some versions also include provisions for biometric input, allowing a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the case to unlock features on the phone, for example.
The filing shows Apple has already explored treating the case as an extension of the iPhone's controls. What makes the idea more timely however is Apple's rumored work on a bezel-free iPhone. Apple is said to be pursuing a radical redesign for its 20th anniversary iPhone, with a display that curves around all four edges of the device.
This approach could leave almost no room for mechanical buttons. Indeed, there have been reports that Apple may shift to solid-state, capacitive layers on the anniversary model, enabling a visually uninterrupted design that could make an interactive case a natural companion.
A case with integrated touch zones could relocate things like volume changes and camera control to larger, more ergonomic surfaces, while reducing accidental edge input on an all-screen design. In effect, the case could supply the tactile cues and grip-based controls that would otherwise be obstructed by a normal case on a bezel-free, button-light iPhone.
Whether Apple's work on interactive iPhone cases is related to its anniversary model is of course speculation at this point, but the convergence of rumors provides another intriguing set of possibilities for the device, which is expected to launch in the fall of 2027.
2025-11-17 00:32:00
Today is our readers' last chance to get an exclusive 40 percent discount on select products at Satechi, including docks, MagSafe-compatible wireless chargers, and Bluetooth trackers.
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2025-11-17 00:30:00
Early Black Friday deals are in full swing, and Amazon recently introduced one of the best Apple discounts so far this month. You can get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $749.99, down from $999.00, an all-time low price on the computer that beats the previous low by about $50.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
If you're looking for the larger model, you can get the 15-inch 256GB computer for $949.99, down from $1,199.00. You'll also find many of the 512GB models of the 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week.
2025-11-17 00:28:01
Apple plans to release a second-generation iPhone Air and a 20th-anniversary iPhone at separate times in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the next iPhone Air will likely be released around March 2027, alongside the standard iPhone 18 and a lower-end iPhone 18e. The 20th-anniversary iPhone will likely follow in September 2027, with Gurman expecting the device to feature a curved glass screen with a front camera hidden underneath it.
Here are all of the new iPhone models that Gurman expects Apple to release between the second half of 2026 and the first half of 2027:
2025-11-16 23:15:59
Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple Fitness+ was "under review," and now he has elaborated on the future of the workout service.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ may be merged into a broader new Apple Health+ service launching next year. If so, he said that Apple Fitness+ would no longer be available as a standalone subscription service.
Apple Health+ will also feature an AI-based health coach that offers nutrition planning and medical suggestions, according to Gurman's previous reporting.
Apple Fitness+ launched in 2020. The service offers a library of trainer-led workout and meditation videos in Apple's Fitness app, across the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. In the U.S., the service costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
Apple Fitness+ is also available as part of the Apple One Premier bundle, with U.S. pricing set at $37.95 per month. Gurman said there is a possibility that Apple will start letting customers pick and choose the services they want in an Apple One bundle in the future, and this might result in Apple Fitness+ remaining available as a standalone service.
2025-11-16 22:49:56
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Tesla plans to add Apple CarPlay support to its vehicles "in the coming months."
This is easily the biggest news for the regular version of CarPlay in years, should Tesla actually follow through with offering the system in its vehicles.
As noted by Gurman, this would be a stunning reversal for Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, who have long ignored customer requests to implement CarPlay. We shall see what ultimately happens, though. Musk could change his mind at any moment.
Tesla plans to offer the regular, wireless version of CarPlay, rather than the more advanced CarPlay Ultra system, according to Gurman. CarPlay would appear within a window inside of Tesla's broader software interface, he said.
Tesla currently offers Apple Music and Apple Podcasts apps through its own interface.
