The single reason to get the Series 11 over the Series 10.

There’s only one reason to get the Series 11 over the Series 10, and this feature is for the cheaper aluminum models. The aluminum models this year have a tougher display that is twice as resistant to scratches compared to the Series 10 and lower:

The cover glass of aluminum models of Apple Watch Series 11 offers 2x more scratch resistance. Made from a unique Ion-X (ion-exchanged strengthened) glass — a custom, proprietary glass that is already the toughest in the industry — the display is now treated with a breakthrough Apple-designed ceramic coating that bonds to the glass at an atomic level through a physical vapor deposition process, significantly hardening the surface.

I haven’t seen any tests online of this new glass, but if it is anything like the new Ceramic Shield 2 on the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air, this display will be great for aluminum lovers who worry about a display that easily gets scratched. Every single aluminum Apple Watch that I purchased in the past 10 years got scratched without fail, no matter how much I tried to baby the watch.

Besides that bullet point, the only other three upgrades for the Series 11:

1. 5G vs LTE

2. Dual band Wi-Fi 4 (2.4GHz and 5.1GHz) vs standard (single band?) Wi-Fi 4 on the Series 10

3. 24 hour battery life vs 18 hour battery life.

99% of people don’t care about 5G on an Apple Watch, and 99.9% of people won’t care about the Wi-Fi upgrades. The battery upgrades are negligible and are not due to a significant increase in battery size, but more a function of the parameters used for testing as observed by MacRumors’ forum users:

As spotted by a user on the MacRumors forums, the primary difference between the two test scenarios in Apple's official documentation is the inclusion of sleep tracking in the Series 11's evaluation. Apple states that the 24-hour figure is based on 300 time checks, 90 notifications, 15 minutes of app use, a 60-minute workout with music playback, and six hours of sleep tracking. The comparable Series 10 test lists the same parameters but does not include sleep tracking.

While Apple does not break down the exact battery drain of each activity, sleep tracking is generally a low-power feature, allowing older Apple Watch models to be worn overnight without fully depleting their charge. Many users have pointed out that Apple Watches have long exceeded the company's stated 18-hour battery life in real-world use, with most users comfortably achieving overnight tracking. This suggests that the six-hour increase is primarily a result of Apple adding sleep tracking to its official scenario, rather than a significant increase in real-world battery life.

If you’re deciding on getting an aluminum Apple Watch, go for the Series 11 since the upgraded display is worth the extra money compared to a discounted Series 10.

If you’re deciding on a titanium Apple Watch, go for the Series 10 since you can save at least $100 compared to the Series 11. Right now you can get a Slate Titanium with Milanese Loop on Amazon for $629 vs $799 for the Series 11.

If you’re among the elite few who heavily relies on Apple Watch’s cellular connection, get the Series 11.

Is your new iPhone battery replacement as old as the battery you got replaced?

My wife’s iPhone 12 Pro Max has 78% battery health, and I was thinking about getting it serviced with a fresh battery about a month ago. I went to the Apple Store, and one of the Geniuses told me the strangest thing about Apple’s replacement batteries (rough quotes here):

Genius: We can replace your battery, but since Apple made all the batteries for the iPhone 12s when they were first released, it still won’t last as long as a brand new phone’s battery.

Me: OK, so this iPhone was released back in 2020, and you’re telling me that if you do a battery replacement, that new battery will also be from 2020?

Genius: Yes, and it won’t last as long.

In my head I was thinking - umm…what are you talking about? Do you know what you’re even talking about?? Then it all made sense:

Genius: You’re better off trading it in for a newer device.

Aah, the ole upsell tactic. The trade-in offer for the 12 Pro Max was $280, but I declined and held off on the battery replacement since there is another year before the 12 Pro Max goes vintage.

I really hope this person was the only person using this tactic because it’s a lie. I wonder how many other people are told this insanity, that all genuine replacement batteries were already made 5 years ago, and they’re just sitting in a warehouse somewhere, slowly degrading over time. No doubt there are iPhone replacement batteries being stored away, but maybe they’re a few months old? Apple doesn’t like to hoard components, especially for 5 years.

They follow the Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing method:

Apple uses a just-in-time manufacturing approach, which means that components and finished goods are manufactured and delivered to Apple’s warehouses and retail stores as close to the time of need as possible. This reduces the need for Apple to maintain large inventories.

For the record, here’s what Apple says about their batteries:

iPhone uses built-in, high-quality lithium-ion batteries. They're rigorously designed, tested, and manufactured to meet Apple quality and performance standards. These genuine Apple batteries have also been certified for safety.

The things said at an Apple Store never cease to amaze me. You really do learn something new everyday, at the Genius Bar.

Mercedes-Benz is the latest to backtrack on touchscreens and focus more on physical controls in their vehicles.

Jesus Diaz from Fast Company (News+ link):

For years, Mercedes-Benz has relied on touchscreens as the command center of its vehicles. Is it too hot? Tap the screen to set the AC temperature. Want to listen to the news? Tap. Defrost the rear window? Tap, tap, tap. While the automaker has retained some physical controls in its cars, its modern user experience is effectively built around the screen.

But that’s about to change.

Magnus Östberg, chief software officer for Mercedes-Benz, recently announced that the company would be centering future car design around physical controls instead of screens. “The data shows us physical buttons are better,” Östberg told Autocar at the Munich motor show. He says Mercedes will begin integrating more physical controls into its digitally focused cabins starting in 2026.

Mercedes’ announcement is part of a bigger industry trend…

with carmakers like Hyundai leading the charge to bring back knobs and buttons to its cars. Earlier this year, fellow German automaker Volkswagen, also announced plans to fix its touchscreen problem, saying that it was “taking a step back to move forward.”

After more than a decade of car screens growing bigger and brighter, the auto industry finally seems to be acknowledging what drivers (and science!) has known all along: physical buttons are safer and more pleasant to use.

I hear the sound of nails hammering a coffin shut. What’s inside you ask?

CarPlay Ultra.

This is why Apple will not make an Apple Ring.

Daniel from ZONEofTECH just went through a harrowing experience with Samsung’s Galaxy Ring. The battery swelled up, leading to the ring being stuck on his finger. He missed a flight, and had to go to the emergency room just to get it removed.

This could have ended really badly with a finger amputation (or worse), but thankfully he’s OK. Looks like it’s not the smartest thing to wrap a curved battery around your finger. Unfortunately, this isn’t Samsung’s first rodeo either with bad batteries. At least with a watch or earbuds, you can easily flick them off before any serious damage is done.

People want Apple to make a smart ring, but with AirPods Pro 3 and Apple Watches, Apple has 99% of the health market covered when it comes to health tracker placement. I do fall into the 1% who would like a more hidden placement, but definitely not a ring.

Apple Watch Series 3 breaks Apple’s rules for what is considered vintage.

Joe Rossignol from MacRumors:

All models of the Apple Watch Series 3 were also added to Apple's vintage products list today, a little more than eight years after the device launched.

Apple’s definition of vintage:

Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.

The Series 3 was discontinued in September 2022, so technically it shouldn’t be vintage until September 2027. It did have a long run though, being available for sale from 2017-2022. My guess is they made it vintage because it’s just way too outdated both from a software and hardware standpoint.

The vintage period for most Apple products is between 5 and 7 years from when Apple stopped selling a product, and you can still get hardware repairs done. After 7 years, the product becomes obsolete, and Apple stops all hardware support. There are some exceptions but that’s the general rule.

Fun fact - The Series 3 was the best and last version of the original Apple Watch design, with its more boxy shape. If you’re a collector, now is a good time to have Apple swap out the battery before they run out of components, especially if you have the white ceramic model. The Series 3 in general is still a beautiful device that is a good weekend watch, and is worth saving.

Ford says no to CarPlay Ultra.

Via the Decoder Podcast (article by MacRumors):

On the latest episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, released today, Ford CEO Jim Farley told guest host Joanna Stern that the automaker does not entirely like Apple's current implementation of its CarPlay Ultra software system for vehicles.

"We don't like the execution in round one of Ultra, but we're very committed to Apple," said Farley. "I've talked to [Apple CEO] Tim [Cook] many times about this."

Farley implied that Ford is currently passing on CarPlay Ultra because it would result in Apple having "control of the entire experience inside a vehicle."

In addition, he said it is important that Ford's entertainment system of choice integrates with its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

"We just believe ADAS integration with your entertainment system is so critical when you're flying down the highway with your eyes off the road, you know, in three or four years at 80 miles an hour on the I-5," he said.

When it announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra in May, Apple said the system can show information from a vehicle's advanced driver assistance systems, but it sounds like certain functions provided by Ford's systems would not be supported.

Here’s some more of the conversation between Jim Farley and Joanna Stern:

Jim: “We just believe ADAS integration with your entertainment system is so critical when you're flying down the highway with your eyes off the road, you know, in three or four years at 80 miles an hour on the I-5.

Jim: And, you know, you're watching a movie or whatever we're going to be all doing or having a Chad GPT moment or having a wearable on, you know, we just don't think that a system from tech company who's not integrated the car is going to save your life.

Joanna: But it sounds to me then that you're really forced with the reality that you've got to build your own.

Jim: Yes. Yes. But the good thing is now versus five years ago, or a couple years ago when you and I talked, Android Auto is really advancing nicely. And we've learned a lot about how to build the experience on that.

What Jim probably means is Android Automotive, which is completely different from Android Auto and what many car manufacturers use to build their own custom experiences:

Android Automotive is an operating system and platform running directly on the in-vehicle hardware. It is a full-stack, open source, highly customizable platform powering the infotainment experience. Android Automotive supports apps built for Android as well as those built for Android Auto.

CarPlay Ultra is still built on a tethered system to your phone, which just sounds archaic when compared to having a built-in system that just works every single time.

80% charge limit on iPhones - does it help save battery health?

Juli Clover at MacRumors ran this experiment two years in a row with a 15 Pro Max and a 16 Pro Max, and got the same result each year, keeping her phones’ charging limit at 80%:

• 16 Pro Max - 94% battery health after 297 cycles.

• 15 Pro Max - 94% battery health after 297 cycles in one year.

• 15 Pro Max - 88% battery health after 352 cycles in two years.

I ran a similar test and got similar results each year:

• 15 Pro Max - 99% battery health after 296 cycles.

• 16 Pro Max - 100% battery health after 270 cycles.

I would say my numbers are higher because I use MagSafe more than 90% of the time in cool environments, whereas Juli had a 50/50 mix between MagSafe and fast charging via USB-C, not to mention using battery packs while outside in warmer environments.

Heat is the biggest factor that degrades battery health, and you get the most heat with the fastest charging speeds. The bulk of my charging is in two different bedrooms that are pretty cold - one has a Anker MagGo Magnetic Charging Station (8-in-1) and one has the standard Apple MagSafe charger.

Annual phone upgraders don’t need a charge limit, unless they want to sell the phone at the best price possible with a higher battery health (yours truly). If you trade in your device each year, then don’t even worry about charge limits.

Did Tim Cook choose the colors for the iPhone 17 Pro?

Being a Charlottesville, Virginia resident, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Damn these iPhones sure look like UVA’s colors.” You can clearly see the resemblance from their branding page.

Tim Cook didn’t go to UVA, but he did go to Auburn. It’s the second thing he writes after “Apple CEO” on his X profile. What are Auburn’s colors, you ask? Also the same colors as the iPhone 17 Pro - Deep Blue and Cosmic Orange.

Surely this can’t just be some coincidence where to the naked eye, both these schools have almost the same orange and blue color. Turns out, there is a relationship between them:

UVA Magazine:

The article “Did You Know? A Collection of University Esoterica” [Winter 2009] reminded me of a question I’ve had in my mind for a long time. I’ve heard it said that Auburn University and the University of Virginia have the same school colors because Virginia helped Auburn establish its football team—and Auburn wanted to show appreciation. Is there any truth to this story?

James B. Davis (Grad ’70)
Lexington, Va.

An 1887 University of Virginia graduate, George Petrie, was the organizer and coach of Auburn’s first football team in 1892. In honor of UVA, Petrie chose orange and blue as Auburn’s official colors. His contributions to Auburn didn’t end there; Petrie was the founder of the school’s history department, graduate school and athletics department, as well as the author of the Auburn Creed.—Ed.

The story doesn’t end there, and only gets more intriguing with a story that goes across the pond. The Wall Street Journal had the full scoop back in 2019 when both UVA and Auburn met at the Final Four of the NCAA tournament (News+ link):

It begins with a University of Virginia student named Allen Potts. He was the Zion Williamson of the 19th century. The best athlete on campus, he won the school’s 100-yard dash, the 3-mile run and the broad jump. He was the second baseman for the baseball team. He was the running back for the football team. And he was the unwitting inspiration for today’s basketball team because of one sport he didn’t play.

Mr. Potts was at Oxford University in the summer of 1888 when he began dabbling in crew and became familiar with the English rowing tradition of trading scarfs after regattas. Historians believe that is how he came to own a scarf from the Grosvenor Rowing Club. It was blue and orange.

Virginia’s colors at the time were silver grey and cardinal red. But this was becoming a problem for the school’s football team. Football was played in mud. The mud had to be washed off. The wash turned the red into a faint shade of pink.

What to do with the pink uniforms became such a hot topic of conversation in the fall of 1888 that school leaders called a meeting to pick new colors. When one of the most popular kids on campus arrived, he happened to be wearing the natty attire of the Grosvenor Rowing Club.

Mr. Potts’s scarf was ripped off his neck as someone pointed to the blue and orange stripes, according to a 1904 account in the school newspaper.

“How will these colors do?”

They would do well enough that Virginia’s colors would soon be orange and blue. As it turned out, so would Auburn’s.

George Petrie was responsible for that larceny. He graduated from Virginia in 1887 and taught at Auburn for one year before leaving to pursue a doctorate at Johns Hopkins University, where he studied under a professor who happened to be obsessed with football. His name was Woodrow Wilson.

After his time learning about the game from the future president of the U.S., Mr. Petrie returned to Auburn and started a football team there. Yet in 1892, as his team was getting ready to play the Georgia Goats, Auburn didn’t even have colors.

Mr. Petrie was busy trying to solve that problem. He knew where to find the solution: his own alma mater.

Virginia had recently adopted the blue and orange of the Grosvenor Rowing Club and Mr. Petrie decided to swipe the colors for Auburn.

There is some dispute about this piece of folklore from the late 1800s. According to another school legend, from school records and historians, the person responsible for Auburn’s colors was a woman known as “Miss Allie,” who made Mr. Petrie a sweater in Virginia’s colors.

But whether the mastermind was Mr. Petrie or Miss Allie, the plan worked. The heist went off without a hitch.

Auburn had stolen Virginia’s stolen colors.

The craziest part of this story? If you look at Grosvenor Rowing Club’s official colors, they are blue and gold, not blue and orange. They used orange paint instead of gold because gold was too expensive.

The Grosvenor Rowing Club had a secret of its own. The colors on the Grosvenor family coat of arms aren’t blue and orange. They’re blue and gold.

“Gold paint was expensive to put on rowing blades,” said Brian Chapman of the Grosvenor Rowing Club. “Orange was as close as they could get.”

Looks like Tim Cook got a head start giving advice to the Design Team now that Jeff Williams is stepping down. Maybe we’ll see Duke Blue next year?

Ceramic Shield 2 - the real winner this year for iPhone.

“Scratchgate” might be unjustly taking the headlines for Apple’s new lineup of phones, but what isn’t getting the praise it deserves is Apple’s Ceramic Shield 2. For years we have seen phones being tested, and they have always had the same scientific scratch results per Jerryrigeverything:

Scratches at a level 6, with deeper grooves at a level 7.

Zack’s famous quote (referring to Mohs Scale of hardness) is recognized by millions of phone nerds and saboteurs of technology, but that ended with the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and iPhone Air. This is a big deal because even though coins and keys couldn’t scratch your screen, any other grit in your pocket would easily scratch your screen. I’m talking about fine sand particles that comes from day to day living and end up in your pocket.

Sand particles have a high quartz content, which is a level 7.

Even though I am a bit OCD about cleaning my dedicated phone pants pocket, my screens still got scratched each year. Nothing huge, but still annoying. And no, I’m not throwing a screen protector on just to destroy the beautiful flow between the body and screen. Now with Ceramic Shield 2, I can lower my OCD levels just a tad knowing that even quartz will be less likely to gash my screen.

Apple’s investment with Corning is a huge win for the economy and for iPhone purists who hate the idea of a screen protector. Remember, this is the first time ever that a mainstream smartphone display has this level of resistance to scratches.

Makes me wonder how durable that new display is on Apple Watch Series 11.

You can use a single AirPod Pro 3 earbud for heart rate and fitness monitoring.

I started a workout in the Fitness app with both an Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 3 in place. The app tells you that it is “starting on Apple Watch,” but when the workout is active, you get a nice little graphic in the bottom right that shows you what Bluetooth devices are being used. I was wearing both the watch and AirPods, and immediately the little health icon picked up both devices for tracking my heart rate. I then tried disconnecting one device at a time, and the icon immediately updated to let me know what device is being used to track heart rate, calories burned, etc.

I followed a sequence of events that confirms one AirPod is enough to get a heart rate reading:

1. Both AirPods and Apple Watch are on. I removed one earbud, and metrics were still being read by both devices, signified by the little “2” icon.

2. I removed both earbuds, and the icon switched to the Apple Watch.

3. I placed one AirPod in my ear, and it switched back to two devices.

4. I removed my Apple Watch, and the sole AirPod was being used to track my workout.

AirPods Pro 3 is a huge win for those who can’t wear an Apple Watch for whatever reason (health reasons, work reasons, tattoos, etc). You can track multiple workout types, and 99% of people will find a workout that is compatible with AirPods Pro 3.

And all you need is a single earbud if that’s your style.

Apple releases Hypertension (high blood pressure) Notifications Validation Paper.

I was waiting for this paper.

I didn’t see it on Apple’s Health website before and didn’t get search results for it when searching online, but it’s there now. The google search dates the validation paper with an August 12, 2025 date.

Apple’s main endpoints for this study:

The validation study assessed the following coprimary safety and effectiveness endpoints:

• Notification sensitivity for participants with a Stage 1 or Stage 2 reference hypertension (HTN) category

• Notification specificity for participants with a Normal or Elevated reference HTN category

In more simple terms, for Stage 1 and Stage 2 hypertension, Apple was focusing on making sure a notification was given when a person actually has hypertension (true positive). For people with Normal or Elevated readings that don’t classify as hypertension, Apple was focused on making sure these people did not get a notification of hypertension (true negative).

Apple’s conclusions - If you have Stage 1 or Stage 2 hypertension, you are 41.2% likely to get a notification with a correct diagnosis (true positive). That number is close to 54% if you have Stage 2 hypertension. Generally speaking, the worse your hypertension, the more likely you’ll be notified.

On the flip side, if you have Normal or Elevated blood pressure that’s not classified as hypertension, you are 92.3% likely not to get notified (true negative). That number jumps to 95.3% if you just factor in Normal blood pressure. The more normal your blood pressure, the less likely you’ll be falsely notified.

The basic takeaway: if your Apple Watch tells you your blood pressure might be high, it probably is high and you should follow up with your doctor. If you don’t get any notifications, that doesn’t mean you don’t have high blood pressure because about half the time, Apple Watch doesn’t have enough data to confidently say you do have high blood pressure.

I’m hoping in the future, now that AirPods Pro 3 also have heart rate sensors, we can get more accurate data and higher sensitivity from more measurement sites that makes these tools even more useful as health-aids.

Right now the Apple Watch is nowhere near the greatest tool for detecting high blood pressure, but it sure as hell is a nice backup to have, right on your wrist.

More details in the paper.

More details about the intimate relationship between the iPhone Air battery and its dedicated external battery pack.

Yours truly a few days ago:

If Apple made a single battery pack for all new iPhones, it would be a more generic experience across the board since the iPhone 17 lineup still uses a 3rd party Qualcomm modem. The Battery Pack wouldn’t meet Apple’s standards of true optimization. It would still be better than a generic 3rd party battery pack that just destroys battery health, but this unique, intimate relationship with the MagSafe Battery and the iPhone Air makes it outlast the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 40 hours of video playback vs 39 hours, making the combo the best battery life of any iPhone to date.

Now we have confirmation from iFixit that the MagSafe Battery is the same as the iPhone Air’s battery:

And in a fun twist, we’ve confirmed that it’s the exact same cell found in Apple’s MagSafe battery pack. You can swap between them and the phone still boots up just fine. Like a rear-mounted spare tire on an SUV, an iPhone Air with a MagSafe battery pack is ready for an on-the-go swap, if you will. Granted it’ll take a bit more than a tire iron to make it happen.

The intimate relationship is deeper than I thought. The MagSafe Battery for iPhone Air is like getting a kidney transplant from your twin versus a complete stranger.

How to tell apart AirPods Pro 3 from previous generations of AirPods Pro.

AirPods Pro 3 are pretty distinct from AirPods Pro 1 and 2, and the best part is you can’t fit AirPods Pro 3 buds into any other case by accident. AirPods Pro 1 and 2 can fit in each other’s cases, so you do have to be careful with previous versions.

In any case, here are some comparison shots showing you the differences between each version of AirPods Pro. You never know when you might find yourself playing a random game of “match the random AirPods with its case.”

Left to right - AirPods Pro, Pro 2, and Pro 3.

AirPods Pro 3 (right) don’t have an LED cutout, but it’s hidden behind the case and shows through when needed.

Bottom of casing is similar to AirPods Pro 2.

The pairing button on AirPods Pro 3 has been removed and is now a double tap on the front of the case. The LED will flash white indicating its ready to be paired with a new device.

Top view - the black pill-shaped vents and sensors conveniently go from 1 to 3 as you go from AirPods Pro 1 to AirPods Pro 3.

The inner ear sensor decreases with each new generation.

You can see the new heart sensor right next to the ear tips on AirPods Pro 3.

Make your unboxing experience a memorable one, for practical reasons.

If you are blessed and privileged like myself to be getting a new iPhone in a few hours or days, do yourself a favor and record your unboxing. Start with the outer, delivery provider packaging before unboxing the actual device.

You never know because you might end up with an empty box that looks brand new and sealed.

I had one incident where I was supposed to get an Apple Watch Ultra 2 only to receive an empty box, and in another instance I ordered an iPhone SE that had tampered outer packaging.

It’s not about cinematics, it’s about proof of delivery.

Apple didn’t increase iPhone pricing, but you’re still going to pay more.

It seems every year the rumors are finally going to come true, and Apple will raise the base price of the iPhone. With tariffs this time around, everyone was sure to see some sort of price increase. It was the perfect time to do it, but it was also a huge political gamble since increased pricing might have political backlash, and more talks of Trump and tariffs would put a sour taste between Tim Cook and Trump’s relationship.

Not only did we not get a price increase for the base iPhone 17, but we got a free storage upgrade from 128GB to 256GB for the same starting price of $799. That is absolutely wild, considering the screen and many other aspects of the phone are on par with the iPhone 17 Pro.

The iPhone 17 Pro did get a $100 price increase, but it also got a storage increase, making it the same price as last year. Technically this isn’t a price increase.

The iPhone Air did get a $999 price as I assumed, but that also is in line with the 16 Plus from last year at 256GB. Not to mention a new phone can’t really have a price increase year over year if it just debuted.

So, what is Apple doing to keep up revenue? They’re playing the pricing ladder game beyond hardware and are using services to increase revenue.

AppleCare+ used to be $199 for a Pro device without Theft and Loss for two years, but now a single year of AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss (the only option now) is $140 for a single year. That’s $40 extra in Apple’s pocket each year per iPhone. Similar trends are there for Apple Watch where it used to be $79 for two years without Theft and Loss, and now it’s $59 for one year with Theft and Loss. That’s another $20 each year in Apple’s pocket.

AppleCare One is also a new convenient way to add three devices on AppleCare+ for $19.99, further adding more customers at a more palatable price point that normally would not buy AppleCare+.

Let’s not forget AppleTV+ that went from $9.99 to $12.99 recently. Those few extra bucks are enough to push someone into an Apple One tier since the odds are high people are also paying for at least one other service, and for a few bucks, they can share the services with up to five other people. And Apple isn’t shy about mentioning it either:

9to5Mac:

In a statement, Apple said that Apple TV+ has expanded its deep library of originals since launch, and that Apple One is the “the easiest way to enjoy all of Apple’s subscription services in one plan at the best value.” As before, a single subscription can be shared with up to six people through Family Sharing.

These subtle pricing strategies in their Services category are leading the way with a linear curve in revenue compared to the seasonal peaks and troughs that they have with hardware sales. The margins on services are usually much higher than hardware, giving them that boost in profits that otherwise might be diminished by tariffs.

How my iPhone 16 Pro Max looks like after 11 months of use (an OCD perspective).

I’ve seen some of the most disgusting iPhones over the course of my existence, and I get it that most people don’t care about their phones as long as it works. I, however, am not one of those people. My iPhone is not just a tool…

It’s jewelry.

A hard look at the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail is something I do more often than I would like to admit to admire the fine precision from the folks over at Cupertino. To throw a case on every once in a while is fine for protection, but putting on a screen protector is where I draw a hard line. The smooth transition between metal and glass will be utterly destroyed, leading to a mediocre experience when twirling the device in hand or dancing between swipes and edge gestures.

To keep the pristine look of my main device, I usually resort to a thorough cleaning of my right front pocket and my right back pocket - the two homes for my iPhone - making sure there’s no lint nor any fine grains of sand that can easily scratch the screen. I even have a toothbrush that is exclusively used for cleaning the top speaker, bottom speaker, microphone holes, USB-C port, and dust around the rear cameras, always making it look brand new.

You really can’t tell this phone is even used, even though I used it daily.

That’s right, I sold my 16 Pro Max in anticipation of the iPhone Air. My current device of choice has been an iPhone 13 mini, which is now thankfully fresh with a new battery from Apple since it was becoming chaotic.

Here are some pics of my iPhone 16 Pro Max before it went to its new home. I still get goosebumps admiring the shiny, brushed, titanium chassis. You would be hard pressed to tell that it was even used for 11 months.

I miss ProMotion and the giant screen, but it’s only a few more days for the next best thing.

Maybe we’ll see a fingerprint reader instead of Camera Control for iPhone Fold?

No lint or dead skin here…

or here.

Part of me feels a bit of regret, selling a physical SIM version of the 16 Pro Max, but I think I will be alright.

The new MagSafe Battery for iPhone Air might seem like a misstep, but it makes perfect sense for two reasons.

Control and optimization.

The iPhone Air is the first iPhone to have all chips be Apple-designed chips, giving them unprecedented control of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, and cellular efficiencies. The Apple-developed A19 Pro can talk to the N1 network processor and the C1X cellular modem at a more optimal level, maximizing battery and function based on multiple factors.

If Apple made a single battery pack for all new iPhones, it would be a more generic experience across the board since the iPhone 17 lineup still uses a 3rd party Qualcomm modem. The Battery Pack wouldn’t meet Apple’s standards of true optimization. It would still be better than a generic 3rd party battery pack that just destroys battery health, but this unique, intimate relationship with the MagSafe Battery and the iPhone Air makes it outlast the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 40 hours of video playback vs 39 hours, making the combo the best battery life of any iPhone to date.

Remember - Love is in the Air.

Who knows, maybe in the future when all iPhones have Apple-designed chips, Apple could go back to making one MagSafe Battery Pack that is optimized across the board.

Apple Watch Series 11 not only keeps Jet Black, but makes it closer to being the most luxurious Apple Watch we have.

Apple doubled-down on Jet Black this year, keeping it around for another year and making the screen more scratch resistant:

The cover glass of aluminum models of Apple Watch Series 11 offers 2x more scratch resistance. Made from a unique Ion-X (ion-exchanged strengthened) glass — a custom, proprietary glass that is already the toughest in the industry — the display is now treated with a breakthrough Apple-designed ceramic coating that bonds to the glass at an atomic level through a physical vapor deposition process, significantly hardening the surface. The titanium models will continue to have a sapphire front crystal, the most scratch-resistant and crack-resistant material covering a display.

The Achilles heel of any non-sapphire display just got 2x better scratch resistance, but it’s up to the influencers to test how much more scratch resistant it truly is. Jet Black has objectively become more durable than its original debut with iPhone 7, so the new glass is promising. Ion-X glass already has the upper hand when it came to glare in bright lights, but it would be wonderful to see even less glare with this new ceramic coating.

Influencers, please test the following:

1. Is the screen actually more scratch resistant than last year?

2. Compare the Ion-X glass from both Series 10 and Series 11 and let us know if the glare is better, worse, or the same.

iPhone Air - first bend test makes its debut.

Courtesy of a Tom’s Guide interview with Joz and John Ternus in collaboration with Lance Ulanoff from Tech Radar. See it for yourself.

iPhone Air is the Goldilocks of iPhones.

Just a few hours before Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event, I expressed my true emotions about the iPhone Air and what it would take for me to buy one:

I can deal with the lack of ultra wide and telephoto cameras.

I can deal with the lack of reverse wireless charging.

I can deal with a binned A19 Pro or standard A19 chip.

I can deal with worse battery life.

But please Apple, for the love of God, give us a truly immersive, gorgeous display.

The display is a 1:1, uncompromised panel matching the iPhone 17 Pro, and the 6.5 inch display is not too big and not too small.

It is just right.

Love is in the Air.