Top Stories: iOS 18.5 Release Imminent, iPhone Rumors for 2025 and Beyond, and More

[MacRumors]

With Apple's developer conference where it will show off iOS 19 just a month away, the company is wrapping up work on iOS 18.5 ahead of an imminent release to deliver a few new features and updates.

This week also saw a number of iPhone-related rumors, encompassing not only this year's iPhone 17 lineup but also Apple's plans for 2026 and 2027, even as Apple's Eddy Cue suggested AI could make the iPhone obsolete within a decade, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

The release of iOS 18.5 and related operating system updates appears imminent, as Apple this week seeded release candidate versions of them for final testing.

As part of the release candidate seeding, Apple has shared what should be the official release notes for the updates, revealing that iOS 18.5 will include a Screen Time change that will notify parents if a Screen Time passcode has been entered on their child's device, support for carrier-provided satellite features on all iPhone 13 models, and more.

iPhone 17: What's New With the Cameras

We've still got months to go before the new iPhone 17 models come out, but a combination of dummy models and leaks have given us some insight into what we can expect in terms of camera changes, so be sure to check out what we're expecting with the iPhone 17, "iPhone 17 Air," iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be so thin that battery life may see a bit of a compromise compared to other models, but it sounds like Apple will offer an optional battery case to help mitigate that issue.

Apple won't be officially unveiling the iPhone 17 lineup until September, but Google is already mocking the rumored redesigns for the upcoming models, pointing out their similarity to Google's Pixel lineup.

Apple Plans Split iPhone Launch Strategy: Pro and Foldable in Fall 2026, Standard in Spring 2027

Apple's traditional September iPhone launch will reportedly see a shakeup in 2026 when a foldable device is added to the lineup, with Apple reportedly aiming to release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Air, and a new foldable iPhone at that time while holding the cheaper iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models for a spring 2027 debut.

The iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly see a shift to under-screen Face ID, leaving only a pinhole camera cutout at the top left of the display. Meanwhile, Apple's foldable iPhone will reportedly have a major focus on the hinge area that aims to set the device apart from existing foldable phones, delivering higher-quality hinge materials that will help make the crease where the screen folds nearly invisible.

Video Review: Two Months With the M4 MacBook Air

It's been nearly two months since the M4 MacBook Air launched, so we thought we'd take another look at the machine now that it's been out long enough to do some serious testing with it.

Introduced in March, the ‌MacBook Air‌ is equipped with Apple's latest and greatest M4 chip, so it's more than capable of handling day-to-day tasks from web browsing and watching videos to getting work done. It's even powerful enough for photo editing and some light video editing work.

Check out Dan's full video for an overview of how he's been using it and how it's been performing.

20th-Anniversary iPhone Will Reportedly Feature an All-Screen Design

While next year's iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly reduce the front display cutout to a small pinhole for the camera, 2027's 20th-anniversary iPhone may finally see Apple move to an all-screen design with even the camera moving underneath the display.

That late 2027 iPhone release cycle may also see an "iPhone 19 Air" with a larger screen size than the 6.6-inch display we're expecting with the first Air model coming later this year.

Apple's Eddy Cue: AI Could Replace iPhone in 10 Years

As part of his testimony in the ongoing Google antitrust trial, Apple's Eddy Cue acknowledged that AI is advancing so rapidly that it could lead to the iPhone becoming obsolete within ten years. With AI making its way into wearables and other devices, we'll be able to do more and more without the need for a traditional smartphone.

Cue also said that Apple is looking at adding AI-powered search services to Safari, noting that searches in Safari dropped for the first time ever last mont... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: Top Stories: iOS 18.5 Release Imminent, iPhone Rumors for 2025 and Beyond, and More

 

[thadoggfather]

18.4.1 has been pretty good battery life and smooth. Hope this trend continues with 18.5

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Eddy Cue said that at an Apple appeal to disallowing them to challenge the $20 billion payola they get from google.

It was nothing more than a strategic phase meant to steer the judge..."no need to change the current status quo, as it all be fixed by itself in 10 years. Let us keep our ill-gotten gains".

 

[Digital Dude]

If Apple actually does produce a foldable, I would be impressed. 🫡

 

[vegetassj4]

Apple's new naming convention: the .5 means you get 1/2 of the initially promised AI features

 

[Baritone_Guy]

Apple's new naming convention: the .5 means you get 1/2 of the initially promised AI featuresView attachment 2509698

I don't think we're getting even that much.

To me this and the previous update or two have them working on the plumbing changes for the actual release of the promised features. Based on other articles I have read it seems it requires a major overhaul.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

It seems to me that a more likely development than AI and wearables somehow replacing smartphones in ten years, that they'll end up supplementing smartphones instead. I think that for the foreseeable future, and certainly as "soon" as ten years from now, there will still be a sizable number of people who prefer to see their portable screen by pulling it from their pocket or purse rather than to put on a pair of glasses. I might be wrong.

But all bets are off for neural/optical pathway implants.

 

[dkh587]

No sign of RCS 3.0 😬 it’s obvious that they’re gonna wait until iOS 19… but i’m keeping hope alive 🙏🏼

 

[Artemis70]

I think that for the foreseeable future, and certainly as "soon" as ten years from now, there will still be a sizable number of people who prefer to see their portable screen by pulling it from their pocket or purse rather than to put on a pair of glasses. I might be wrong.

As a person who has to wear glasses, I can only agree. Glasses are perhaps not a problem in California, or other places where it hardly ever rains and isn't as cold. That is apart from the general nuisance of wearing them which I wouldn't mind getting rid of.
Having said this. As a person who has to wear glasses, I might choose to wear smart glasses as I am wearing them anyway.

 

[applefan8254]

Could we get multiple users please? Thank you

 

[Baretta]

It seems to me that a more likely development than AI and wearables somehow replacing smartphones in ten years, that they'll end up supplementing smartphones instead. I think that for the foreseeable future, and certainly as "soon" as ten years from now, there will still be a sizable number of people who prefer to see their portable screen by pulling it from their pocket or purse rather than to put on a pair of glasses. I might be wrong.

But all bets are off for neural/optical pathway implants.

Generally speaking, if Eddy states something the opposite will be the more likely thing.
I wonder how much AI was required to make Eddy the Trump in advance at Apple

 

[macfacts]

Could we get multiple users please? Thank you

Google has it, so just wait for apple to copy it.

 

[ersatzplanet]

With the camera bump now reaching across the full phone width, why not put a camera in the top two corners to do true stereo photography? They can be two of the three they have there already (make them similar computationally). With all the push for the Vision headset, having the camera be able to make true stereo pictures and videos would be a big thing. I know they sort of fake it already, but if they have a true inner-ocular distance to work with, it would be much more convincing.

 

[moodler]

OMG their obsession with thinness at the cost of battery life and ports and strength and antennas is just insane. They are thin enough.

 

[PsykX]

iOS 18.5 RC has been pretty unreliable for me on my 16 Pro.

Have a hard time pressing on the shutter button to take photos, at some point my entire phone rebooted when I was using it, pressing backspace on the keyboard took like 5 secondes to execute at some point (had to reboot).

I don't know what to think anymore.