We can argue endlessly about how innovative Apple is as a company, and indeed many people do. Personally, I would argue that some of its greatest innovations have been in the seemingly smallest of features, and AirDrop is one of these. AirDrop is a really simple and convenient way to move a document from one of our Apple devices to another, as well as to exchange files and information with other iPhone users. The introduction of NameDrop in iOS 17 was a particularly great application of the tech in my view … more…
Memory could account for as much as 45 percent of an iPhone's component costs by 2027, up from around 10 percent today, according to a JPMorgan analysis cited by the Financial Times ($). Apple buys memory for roughly 250 million iPhones a year and has historically been one of the largest customers in the category. But Apple has reportedly now gone from a position where it could set terms to one where it now has to compete with rivals for supply. The principal reason is the heavily subsidized AI build-out that's underway. In a race to make data centers that can handle more compute for frontier AI models, AI infrastructure buyers like Nvidia are now reportedly outbidding consumer electronics makers for limited supply from the likes of Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. Meanwhile, cloud companies are reportedly making upfront payments worth billions of dollars to secure capacity. It's a marked break from the industry norm of committing to volumes with suppliers first and negotiating prices later. The pressure is already reshaping Apple's product plans, and the rumored split-launch cycle for the iPhone 18 series is said to be part of that new reality. Apple is expected to stagger the iPhone 18 launch, holding the lower-priced model until spring 2027 rather than shipping the full lineup in the usual fall window. Instead, only the iPhone 18 Pro models will be launched in September, with a foldable iPhone expected to be unveiled around the same time. Apple hardware engineering chief John Ternus takes over from Tim Cook as CEO on September 1, and Cook will transition to his new role as Apple's first executive chair, where he is expected to take a direct role in day-to-day operations. Meanwhile, Ternus's first big decision will be whether Apple absorbs the increasing cost of memory or passes it onto consumers. Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan reckons the decision could come down to whether Apple holds prices to please consumers or accepts a margin hit, especially in markets like India and China where it competes with local smartphone makers. "By the time September rolls around, Apple has two choices: one, they reprice [products] higher, or two, they say 'let's go ahead and gun for market share,'" Mohan told the FT . He thinks there is a decent chance that Apple will opt for market share. Tag: Financial Times This article, " Report: iPhone Memory Costs Set to Quadruple by 2027 " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Several major U.S. cities support the Apple Pay for transit feature that Apple has rolled out, providing a simple way for those who use public transportation to pay for rides. ‌Apple Pay‌ for transit works in Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Some of these cities have supported ‌Apple Pay‌ for transit purposes for several years, and in others like Atlanta, support is new as of 2026. Atlanta launched its tap-to-pay MARTA contactless system in March 2026, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch users to tap to pay their fares at rail station fare gates using the Apple Wallet app. Cities that support ‌Apple Pay‌ for transit allow iPhone owners to turn on Express Mode to pay for transit fares without needing to unlock their device and authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID . A card for Express Transit can be selected by opening up the Wallet and ‌Apple Pay‌ section of the Settings app and tapping on the Express Transit Card option to make a selection. When a credit or debit card is associated with Express Mode, it can be used to pay for transit automatically with no authentication. On iPhone models that support power reserve, transit payments can also be made when the iPhone is out of battery. Power reserve works for up to five hours after an iPhone dies, and it is available on the iPhone XS and later. Some cities support adding a credit or debit card to the Wallet app for transit, while others require a specific transit card to be added to the Wallet app. The Bay Area works with the Clipper app or a credit card. Chicago's system only works with the Ventra card, LA's transit works with the TAP card, and Portland's transit system works with the Hop card. In some locations, there's also support for fare capping. With New York's OMNY system, for example, subway and local bus fares are capped at $35 per week. As long as you use the same device each time you tap pay for a ride, rides after the $35 cap will be free for the rest of the seven-day period. LA's TAP system and OC's Wave system also support fare capping for ‌Apple Pay‌. The iPhone 6s and 2016 iPhone SE and later all support Express Mode with ‌Apple Pay‌ for transit purposes. Express Mode also works on the Apple Watch Series 1 or later as long as watchOS 5.2.1 or later is installed. ‌Apple Pay‌ for transit also works in several cities around the world , including London, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Toronto, Beijing, and Shanghai. When traveling, you will need to look into how transit works in the city you're in, but it is a simple way to use public transportation because there's no need to pre-purchase travel tickets at a kiosk. Apple has a website where the different transit systems are explained . Related Roundup: Apple Pay Tags: Apple Wallet , Express Transit Related Forum: Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+ This article, " Apple Pay for Transit Now Works in These 12 U.S. Cities " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Notes iOS 26 iPhones can import and export Markdown-formatted documents, offering an easy way to move plain text to other apps and services. Getting Markdown in and out of Notes is incredibly easy with iOS 26 The Notes app has come preinstalled on all iPhones since the first one launched in 2007. But in recent years, it's received some significant updates, and the release of iOS 26 was no different. One of the key updates means that people who write in Markdown can now more easily import and export their notes. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
