This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: iPhone 17 rumors and camera bars galore, plus Siri delays and Vision Pro upgrades. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.
iPhone 17 roundup: Camera bars galore, plus new chip rumors
Apple just launched the iPhone 16e this week, but it was also a huge rumor week for the next iPhones.
We got great looks at dummies for the iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro via Front Page Tech that show off the new camera bar designs. Meanwhile, the base iPhone 17 is expected to retain the same camera layout as the iPhone 16.
Also, a day after Apple’s new C1 modem debuted, word emerged of another new chip on the way. Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple’s in-house Wi-Fi chip is coming to the full iPhone 17 lineup.
My takeaways
Plenty of rumors in the past have hinted at a big camera bar theme with new iPhone 17 models. But there’s nothing like seeing the first dummy models to truly help you understand what’s coming.
Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Air designs are a bold new look that put more emphasis on cameras than ever before. And while I don’t dislike the look at all, I’m very curious about its actual benefits. What’s the advantage of moving the flash to the right side when the cameras are all still aligned left? I‘m eager to find out.
Also, a new Apple-made Wi-Fi chip may not sound very exciting, but after C1’s battery boosts, I’m excited about the potential benefits of another in-house component.
New Siri capabilities may be delayed out of iOS 18.4
The wait for an iOS 18.4 beta continues to drag on, but now it sounds like the release may not even have the features we were expecting.
Rumors have long indicated that iOS 18.4 would bring big Apple Intelligence updates to Siri. Three main features include onscreen awareness, new in-app actions, and personal context understanding. But Mark Gurman reported that at least some of these features could be held back until iOS 18.5 due to “engineering problems and software bugs.”
My takeaways
Apple’s planned Siri upgrades sound especially ambitious, so it’s not entirely surprising that the company may need to take extra time to get them fully ready.
That said, if a delay proves true, it will no doubt be disappointing. It’s been a long time since Apple first announced these features in June, so having to wait almost a full year is a very long time.
Siri is the subject of a lot of jokes, so I fully understand Apple’s hesitance to ship its upgrades prematurely. And in the end, a launch in April versus May or June won’t make much difference.
Vision Pro could get an Apple Intelligence update soon
iOS 18.4 may not bring all the big Apple Intelligence upgrades we were hoping for. But Mark Gurman did share this week that Apple is about to bring initial AI support to Vision Pro for the first time.
Gurman says that visionOS 2.4 will add features like AI writing tools, Genmoji, Image Playground, and more. Hopefully Siri improvements too.
My takeaways
It’s exciting to hear that Vision Pro should get another big software update soon, and we won’t have to wait until visionOS 3 in the fall.
At one point, it was uncertain whether the original Vision Pro would even be able to offer Apple Intelligence at all. Gurman has hinted that its M2 is already being pushed to capacity. It’s great to hear otherwise. I’m especially keen to get the new Siri AI features on Vision Pro, whether in visionOS 2.4 or a future update.
What are your takeaways from this week’s Apple rumors? Let us know in the comments.
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