A view of the Bluey balloon during the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from across the Apple world, including iPhone 18 Pro pricing, iPhone 17 US success, more MacBook Neo laptops, macOS 27 will look better, EU forces more change, hiding your location for privacy, and Bluey is going to take over your iPhone.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes.
iPhone 18 Pro Pricing Expected To Stay Steady
Appel looks set to hold the iPhone 18 Pro steady and match the iPhone 17 Pro last year, but that’s only one part of the pricing story, as Forbes contributor Janhoi McGregor discusses. While the top tier of the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will stay locked in (around $1,099 for the iPhone 18 Pro, $1,199 for the 18 Pro Max), it’s the lower tiers that could absorb the rising price of memory and storage:
“If this strategy sounds familiar, it’s because Samsung did something very similar earlier this year with the Galaxy S26. The Korean company held the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s price flat in the U.S. while raising the cost of the base Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus. The Ultra, which is Samsung’s best-selling model, was protected. Everything else absorbed the hit.”
iPhone 17 Finds More Success In The US
Following its look at global smartphone sales last week, Counterpoint Research has taken a closer look at the US market, one of Apple’s strongholds during the first quarter. Unsurprisingly, iPhone sales are rising, and the market share is growing:
“Apple’s Q1 2026 iPhone sales volume in the US was up 1.3% YoY, outperforming the country’s overall smartphone market, which declined 5.7% YoY… Apple’s share of volume grew by 4% YoY, as Android device sales declined 14.4% YoY. Apple’s success was driven by the iPhone 17 series, which experienced carryover demand from supply limitations in Q4 2025 due to global demand for the latest iPhone lineup.”
Apple Commits To More MacBook Neo Laptops
MacBook Neo availability is improving, with the shipping times via the Apple Store dropping by a week. Ordering this week should see delivery, at least in the US. This isn’t the only movement on the MacBook Neo, as Apple decides to open the production lines for a second significant production run. Zac Hall looks at the impact of the decision:
“As a result, it’s now asking suppliers to prepare capacity for 10 million units of the debut version of the Neo, up from an initial estimate of 5 million to 6 million, my sources tell me. Delivery times for the laptop have ballooned to as much as four weeks as Taiwan’s Quanta and Foxconn rush to fill orders from factories in Vietnam and China.”
Making macOS Look A Little Bit Better
The latest version of macOS has drawn significant criticism for its updated user interface. While Aqua is not going away, Apple is set to address concerns that, while not rolling back to a flatter and more information-dense look, should improve clarity. Mark Gurman has more:
“In the grand scheme of things, this problem isn’t catastrophic, and I still think Liquid Glass has been a net positive for the company despite some of the criticism online. In some ways, it’s a rare instance of Apple’s software feeling more futuristic than its hardware. Upcoming Mac releases — including a high-end OLED touch-screen MacBook — should help the interface look far better over time… With the next update, Apple aims to address the shadows and transparency quirks.”
EU Opens Up Apple’s Peripherals
iOS 26.5 introduces several extra features for European markets to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act. These are primarily to allow third-party manufactuers to interface with Apple’s proprietary technology, which the EU see as anti-competitive due to Apple’s market share. Peripherals can now access proximity pairing, iPhone notifications and live activities. Juli Clover has more, as well as Apple’s objections to the regulations:
“Apple has warned that the Digital Markets Act (DMA) is forcing it to make “concerning changes” to its products and services in the EU, and exposing customers to new risks while also disrupting the way that Apple products work together. In September, Apple urged European regulators to scrap the DMA, and in November, it shared a study it commissioned that found the DMA has not resulted in lower prices for consumers.:
Where Am I? Close By….
Apple has rolled out a new privacy feature in iOS 26.5, It helps mask a user’s precise location from network providers, offering a larger footprint on the order of a small neighbourhood. It’s not open to everyone, though, as Ryan Christoffel points out:
“The feature requires an Apple-made cellular modem like the C1 and C1X. So it’s currently limited to iPhone Air, iPhone 17e, and iPhone 16e. The M5 iPad Pro offers support too. Later this year, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra are both rumored to pack an Apple cellular modem—the C2. So the new flagships should all support Limit Precise Location.”
And Finally…
Bluey is heading to Apple Arcade. Apple has announced that the popular children’s character will be conducting a takeover starting next week:
“The beloved characters from the Emmy-winning animated series Bluey are coming to Apple Arcade for a massive, limited-time crossover event starting May 21. Bluey and her family are taking over five fan-favorite games with exclusive updates across Crossy Road Castle, stitch., puffies., Suika Game+, and Disney Coloring World+. Best of all, families can dive into these new experiences together without interruptions from ads or in-app purchases.”
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
