Fahad X 6/18/26 Fahad X 6/18/26

Wall Street Journal does some math on iPhone 18 Pro pricing, and everyone else is using clickbaity headlines to get more traffic.

Interesting analysis and visuals from WSJ (gift link) that says the iPhone 18 Pro could start at $1,299, but what would make a better headline? How about an iPhone 18 Pro that starts at $1,399 instead because that gets more clicks.

Fahad X 6/18/26 Fahad X 6/18/26

Tim Cook: Apple will increase prices due to overwhelming demand for memory chips.

Tim Cook in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (gift link):

“Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable,” he said. “We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable.”
Cook declined to offer details on the timing or scale of the planned price increases, nor which products would be affected. Apple’s next major product launch is likely to be in September when it releases the iPhone 18 lineup, expected to include a new foldable iPhon e.
Price increases, especially for Macs and iPads, could come sooner. Apple raised the starting price of the Mac Mini last month in between launch events.
Skyrocketing demand for memory and storage chips from artificial-intelligence companies has pushed up their cost so much that Apple would have to raise device prices substantially to maintain its profit margins. Passing the higher cost on to consumers while maintaining its profit margin would add about $270 to the price of the next iPhone Pro model, estimates research firm TechInsights. […]

Cook said during his time working in the electronics supply chain, from IBM to Compaq to Apple, he had never seen a commodity price swing like the one from the past six months. “This is a hundred-year flood,” said Cook. “I’ve never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years.”

Wow.

Wow, not because prices are going to go up, but this is the first time Apple has explicitly mentioned price increases to my recollection.

Apple has discontinued the base models of certain products such as the Mac mini and iPhone 17 Pro in order to raise the base price of these devices, but they have also changed their AppleCare+ structure by mandating the Theft and Loss option and getting rid of the two-year option, raising the price of the service across the board for most products.

You can call it a passive aggressive approach to price increases, or a “tell me you’re going to increase prices without telling me you’re going to increase prices” moment, except now Apple is telling us they’re going to increase prices.

My assumption is Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 will also get increased pricing because of increased RAM requirements for the new Siri AI. Apple’s goal is to raise prices across the board from hardware to services to ease consumer burden, but this isn’t looking good for iPhone Ultra pricing.

Tim Cook in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (gift link):

“Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable,” he said. “We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable.”
Cook declined to offer details on the timing or scale of the planned price increases, nor which products would be affected. Apple’s next major product launch is likely to be in September when it releases the iPhone 18 lineup, expected to include a new foldable iPhon e.
Price increases, especially for Macs and iPads, could come sooner. Apple raised the starting price of the Mac Mini last month in between launch events.
Skyrocketing demand for memory and storage chips from artificial-intelligence companies has pushed up their cost so much that Apple would have to raise device prices substantially to maintain its profit margins. Passing the higher cost on to consumers while maintaining its profit margin would add about $270 to the price of the next iPhone Pro model, estimates research firm TechInsights. […]

Cook said during his time working in the electronics supply chain, from IBM to Compaq to Apple, he had never seen a commodity price swing like the one from the past six months. “This is a hundred-year flood,” said Cook. “I’ve never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years.”

Wow.

Wow, not because prices are going to go up, but this is the first time Apple has explicitly mentioned price increases to my recollection.

Fahad X 6/17/26 Fahad X 6/17/26

Squarespace finally lets you double quote in blog posts.

I’ve been using Squarespace for my blog, and it was frustrating to not get the right format when double quoting. No quote bars for a double quote, just an indent which wasn’t what I wanted.

I noticed right before WWDC when I made a request for a fully customizable homescreen where the double quote feature worked all of a sudden.

I’m happy.

I’ve been using Squarespace for my blog, and it was frustrating to not get the right format when double quoting. No quote bars for a double quote, just an indent which wasn’t what I wanted.

I noticed right before WWDC when I made a request for a fully customizable homescreen where the double quote feature worked all of a sudden.

I’m happy.

Fahad X 6/16/26 Fahad X 6/16/26

Slate Titanium vs Jet Black Aluminum Apple Watch - which one should you buy?

The answer might be obvious from a budget perspective since the Jet Black is $300 cheaper than the Slate Titanium, but you have to consider the following 5 factors:

Durability
Luxury appeal
Screen quality
Pricing

Durability

There’s no question both finishes can get scratched and show the natural aluminum or titanium color, but Jet Black will definitely show the aluminum more prominently due to its darker “Jet Blackness.” Slate Titanium is lighter, making it more likely to mask any scratches. Aluminum is also softer, so it will dent with hard impacts. Neither finish can be buffed or polished since it will remove the coating, leaving bare metal.

Luxury Appeal

Both have a nice, unique sheen to them and even though Jet Black is a great piece that can do both sport and luxury, the Slate Titanium really takes the win with matching luxury bands that don’t disrupt the flow of the lighter Titanium sheen. The Jet Black reminds me a lot of Space Black - very stealth, but the coating is so dark that it can quickly look dull from skin oils, requiring frequent wiping.

Screen Quality

It’s a double-edged sword, but the Titanium Apple Watches have a sapphire display, making them 100% scratch-proof unless you happen to rub your watch against diamonds. The caveat here is sapphire displays are more likely to crack on impact. For the Jet Black Aluminum (and all aluminum Apple Watches), Apple uses an Ion-X glass display, which is less likely to shatter on impact, but much more likely to get scratched.

I have been wearing Apple watches daily since 2015, and from my personal experience of owning over a dozen watches, every single Apple Watch with an Ion-X glass has gotten scratched, and not a single Apple Watch with a Sapphire display ever got a scratch or a crack. The Ion-X glass is objectively inferior and can easily go from pristine to a scratched mess if you’re not careful.

Pricing

You can get a Slate Titanium Series 10 at deep discounts since it's almost two years old while having the same processing power as the Series 11. The only difference is the Series 11 has 5G instead of LTE. More importantly, both will support the new Siri AI.

I sold my Jet Black aluminum because I was able to snag a Series 10 in Slate Titanium with Milanese Loop for $449 vs a Series 11 at $749, saving $300. Once again, the only real difference being LTE vs 5G. I don't even use a cellular plan on my Apple Watch so this was a non-factor.

If you plan on keeping your watch for years on end and don’t want to worry about a scratched display, the Titanium models are the way to go. The premium is worth it for the look, feel, and durability.

Photos

Here’s some side-by-side shots of the Jet Black vs the Slate Titanium. I also have a regular Stainless Steel model Series 9 just for comparison since Slate compared to Jet Black might look like Silver. 📸

The answer might be obvious from a budget perspective since the Jet Black is $300 cheaper than the Slate Titanium, but you have to consider the following 5 factors:

Durability
Luxury appeal
Screen quality
Pricing

Durability

Luxury Appeal

Screen Quality

Pricing

Photos

*From left to right: Jet Black Aluminum, Slate Titanium, Stainless Steel. All 3 look gorgeous in their own way.*

*Jet Black almost disappears in darker lighting, even though it is the same size as the Slate Titanium.*

*Speaker side angle - notice how Slate almost looks Silver with bright lighting.*

*Once again the screen disappears into the Jet Black chassis (left) compared to Slate (middle).*

*Closer detail between screen and chassis.*

*Digital Crown up close. Notice the difference in the knurling with the Stainless Steel Series 9 vs the other two Series 10 watches.*

Fahad X 6/15/26 Fahad X 6/15/26

How kids can bypass social media based age-verification.

Bitdefender:

Another uncomfortable truth? Kids don’t need to figure this out on their own. A quick search on TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, or Discord surfaces tutorials explaining:
How to change birth dates without triggering account flags
How to use a VPN to bypass regional restrictions
How to pass facial age estimation checks
How to borrow or photograph an adult ID “safely”
How to avoid behavioral detection systems
Some videos frame it as a “life hack.” Others position it as pushing back against “unfair” restrictions. Either way, the information spreads fast.
And when one bypass method stops working, new ones circulate just as quickly.

Getting around social media bans…by using tricks from social media. Call these “lifehacks” if you want, but you have to appreciate the ingenuity.

Bitdefender:

Another uncomfortable truth? Kids don’t need to figure this out on their own. A quick search on TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, or Discord surfaces tutorials explaining:
How to change birth dates without triggering account flags
How to use a VPN to bypass regional restrictions
How to pass facial age estimation checks
How to borrow or photograph an adult ID “safely”
How to avoid behavioral detection systems
Some videos frame it as a “life hack.” Others position it as pushing back against “unfair” restrictions. Either way, the information spreads fast.
And when one bypass method stops working, new ones circulate just as quickly.

Getting around social media bans…by using tricks from social media. Call these “lifehacks” if you want, but you have to appreciate the ingenuity.

Fahad X 6/15/26 Fahad X 6/15/26

UK will ban social media platforms for children under 16 years of age.

Wall Street Journal (gift link):

The U.K. plans to ban children under the age of 16 from major social-media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, ramping up pressure on big tech companies to shield younger users from harmful online content.
Announcing new legislation, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the ban would restrict livestreaming and communication with strangers for under 16s not just on social media, but across other online services such as gaming sites. […]
Starmer said the U.K. was also considering overnight curfews and curbs for scrolling content on feeds for under 18s. […]
Starmer said the U.K. was seeking to emulate the Australian model with a ban targeting platforms with algorithms such as TikTok, Meta Platforms’ Instagram and Facebook, Snapchat, Alphabet’s YouTube and Elon Musk’s X where users can post, but not messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal.
“This is a line in the sand,” Starmer said. “Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.”

Let the debates begin.

Wall Street Journal (gift link):

The U.K. plans to ban children under the age of 16 from major social-media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, ramping up pressure on big tech companies to shield younger users from harmful online content.
Announcing new legislation, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the ban would restrict livestreaming and communication with strangers for under 16s not just on social media, but across other online services such as gaming sites. […]
Starmer said the U.K. was also considering overnight curfews and curbs for scrolling content on feeds for under 18s. […]
Starmer said the U.K. was seeking to emulate the Australian model with a ban targeting platforms with algorithms such as TikTok, Meta Platforms’ Instagram and Facebook, Snapchat, Alphabet’s YouTube and Elon Musk’s X where users can post, but not messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal.
“This is a line in the sand,” Starmer said. “Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.”

Let the debates begin.

Fahad X 6/13/26 Fahad X 6/13/26

Screen time for kids is a pandora’s box that even Apple can’t fix.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy from The Verge (News+ link):

Apple is trying to show the world it’s being responsible when it comes to your children.
Only it’s really not. Screen Time sucks. As a mother of two whose children have had Apple Watches, iPads, and iPhones, and who are now entering their late teens (18 and 15), I’ve spent years grappling with Apple’s parental controls. In that time, I’ve gone through what feels like approximately 2,000 Screen Time passcodes and gained several new gray hairs.
Screen Time is simply not a reliable way to control your child’s device use; the only real way to limit screen time is to remove the screen. That’s something Apple is unlikely to ever get behind, and something that, as your child gets older, becomes increasingly untenable for a whole host of reasons.
I’m not going to get into those here, or the argument about how much responsibility one should place on the developer of the technology versus the parents when it comes to parental control — that’s a whole societal debate we can have another time.
My issue with Screen Time is that the world’s most powerful technology company, with reams of expertise in hardware and software, has half-assed its “parental controls” for years and is now trying to put lipstick on a pig.

There are definitely improvements to parental controls, but to quote Jennifer again:

I’m tired of playing whack-a-mole with my kids' devices.

If tech enthusiasts are fed up and are having issues with parental controls, what about the average parent?

I haven’t dug deep into the new settings, but that’s because my kids don’t have any apps on their devices. The only 3rd party apps they have are Google Translate for learning languages, and a Quran app for reading scripture.

That’s it. No Safari, no games, and hell no to social media.

Quite literally, hell no.

They read a lot of books, which have real knowledge and entertainment that helps develop the brain instead of hindering it.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy from The Verge (News+ link):

Apple is trying to show the world it’s being responsible when it comes to your children.
Only it’s really not. Screen Time sucks. As a mother of two whose children have had Apple Watches, iPads, and iPhones, and who are now entering their late teens (18 and 15), I’ve spent years grappling with Apple’s parental controls. In that time, I’ve gone through what feels like approximately 2,000 Screen Time passcodes and gained several new gray hairs.
Screen Time is simply not a reliable way to control your child’s device use; the only real way to limit screen time is to remove the screen. That’s something Apple is unlikely to ever get behind, and something that, as your child gets older, becomes increasingly untenable for a whole host of reasons.
I’m not going to get into those here, or the argument about how much responsibility one should place on the developer of the technology versus the parents when it comes to parental control — that’s a whole societal debate we can have another time.
My issue with Screen Time is that the world’s most powerful technology company, with reams of expertise in hardware and software, has half-assed its “parental controls” for years and is now trying to put lipstick on a pig.

There are definitely improvements to parental controls, but to quote Jennifer again:

I’m tired of playing whack-a-mole with my kids' devices.

If tech enthusiasts are fed up and are having issues with parental controls, what about the average parent?

That’s it. No Safari, no games, and hell no to social media.

Quite literally, hell no.

They read a lot of books, which have real knowledge and entertainment that helps develop the brain instead of hindering it.

Fahad X 6/12/26 Fahad X 6/12/26

The best part about the Siri AI app.

You can easily use the two-finger scroll method to select and delete multiple entries quickly and easily, unlike with the Gemini app. Neither app has a “recently deleted” section either to undo any deletes, so be careful.

Fahad X 6/10/26 Fahad X 6/10/26

Apple Silicon with 8GB of RAM still receive the best parts of Siri AI.

MacRumors:

In its Siri AI announcement during WWDC 2026, Apple confirmed that the model powers two things: more expressive Siri voices and a major accuracy gain for systemwide dictation.
Both require 12GB of unified memory. Among current iPhones, that limits the more powerful AI model to the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, alongside iPad models with the M4 chip or later, Macs with M3 or later, and Apple Vision Pro with M5.
That's right, the standard iPhone 17 misses out. Having only 8GB to its name – the minimum Apple Intelligence has required since launch – the base flagship model falls short of the new threshold. This is the first time Apple has raised that bar, given that Apple Intelligence has required 8GB since its introduction two years ago.
So What Does 12GB Get You That 8GB Doesn't?
On the voice side, users can adjust the expressiveness and pace of Siri's speech so that the assistant sounds the way they want it. However, it's the dictation feature that includes the more substantial change. Apple's most advanced on-device AI model is said to be able to turn speech into polished text on the fly, handling capitalization, punctuation, and formatting automatically, with improved speech understanding that's meant to cut down on errors.
Everything else in the Siri AI rollout – personal context, onscreen awareness, web answers, the dedicated Siri app, Visual Intelligence, and Writing Tools – runs on the broader Apple Intelligence device list. That list still includes iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 series, and iPhone 17.
The 12GB requirement, in other words, does not refer to Siri AI wholesale; it improves how Siri sounds and how well it transcribes. Base iPhone 17 owners will still get the new chatbot-style assistant with iOS 27, they'll just get the older voices and a less precise dictation engine.

A fair trade off. Sacrifices have to be made for a lack of RAM, and the best things to sacrifice are the more aesthetic parts of Siri AI.

MacRumors:

In its Siri AI announcement during WWDC 2026, Apple confirmed that the model powers two things: more expressive Siri voices and a major accuracy gain for systemwide dictation.
Both require 12GB of unified memory. Among current iPhones, that limits the more powerful AI model to the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, alongside iPad models with the M4 chip or later, Macs with M3 or later, and Apple Vision Pro with M5.
That's right, the standard iPhone 17 misses out. Having only 8GB to its name – the minimum Apple Intelligence has required since launch – the base flagship model falls short of the new threshold. This is the first time Apple has raised that bar, given that Apple Intelligence has required 8GB since its introduction two years ago.
So What Does 12GB Get You That 8GB Doesn't?
On the voice side, users can adjust the expressiveness and pace of Siri's speech so that the assistant sounds the way they want it. However, it's the dictation feature that includes the more substantial change. Apple's most advanced on-device AI model is said to be able to turn speech into polished text on the fly, handling capitalization, punctuation, and formatting automatically, with improved speech understanding that's meant to cut down on errors.
Everything else in the Siri AI rollout – personal context, onscreen awareness, web answers, the dedicated Siri app, Visual Intelligence, and Writing Tools – runs on the broader Apple Intelligence device list. That list still includes iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 series, and iPhone 17.
The 12GB requirement, in other words, does not refer to Siri AI wholesale; it improves how Siri sounds and how well it transcribes. Base iPhone 17 owners will still get the new chatbot-style assistant with iOS 27, they'll just get the older voices and a less precise dictation engine.

A fair trade off. Sacrifices have to be made for a lack of RAM, and the best things to sacrifice are the more aesthetic parts of Siri AI.

Fahad X 6/10/26 Fahad X 6/10/26

A better list of all changes in Apple OS 27.

Heard “Apple OS” from Gruber first, so I’ll credit him for the name, but MacRumors was able to take that massive list of items and categorized them in a slightly more digestible format.

An even more friendly version can be found on the Oneberri Blog.

Heard “Apple OS” from Gruber first, so I’ll credit him for the name, but MacRumors was able to take that massive list of items and categorized them in a slightly more digestible format.

An even more friendly version can be found on the Oneberri Blog.

Fahad X 6/9/26 Fahad X 6/9/26

Some thoughts on WWDC 2026.

There is unfinished business in the air at Apple Park. Siri had high hopes to live up to, and Apple failed us once. This time, they were ready, and they unleashed a slew of new AI features that would normally make people more irritated with AI, but in this case, they were trying to fulfill a promise many people were counting on for 2 years.

The world of AI has advanced exponentially over those 2 years, and people have Lou Bega’ed here and there with many different AI models:

A little bit of Gemini in my life

A little bit of ChatGPT by my side

A little bit of Grok is all I need

A little bit of Claude is what I see

A little bit of Deepseek in the sun

A little bit of Perplexity all night long

A little bit of Siri here I am??

Apple was getting dunked on repeatedly for lackluster performance and speed of execution (Clean Up in Photos comes to mind), but now they have made up a lot of ground. At least that’s my opinion.

There were two prevailing types of people going into this WWDC:

The hopeful fanboy - will Apple finally deliver on its promise of an advanced AI model that can meet Apple’s previously high expectations of a contextual Siri?
The snarky skeptic - will Apple finally deliver on its promise of an advanced AI model that can meet Apple’s previously high expectations of a contextual Siri?

The same sentiment, but with different intentions. You could even argue some hopeful fanboys are also the biggest snarky skeptics. As it always is, each side has “won” because you will always find advances to praise, and glitches and bugs to criticize.

Let’s not forget about the format of the event either. I finally realized about half an hour into the show that, “wait a minute, I don’t think Apple is going to segment the show based on platform.” Instead, they decided to segment the show based on features, and their tentpoles this time were:

Platform improvements
Trust and Safety
Apple Intelligence and Siri

Considering this was dubbed as a “Snow Leopard” year, this new format around features that work on all platforms makes sense, but it also hints at the seamless blending of operating systems. How much more will the lines blur between Mac, iPad, and iPhone? With rumors of touchscreen Macs and iPhones that fold, we’re only getting started.

The world of AI has advanced exponentially over those 2 years, and people have Lou Bega’ed here and there with many different AI models:

A little bit of Gemini in my life

A little bit of ChatGPT by my side

A little bit of Grok is all I need

A little bit of Claude is what I see

A little bit of Deepseek in the sun

A little bit of Perplexity all night long

A little bit of Siri here I am??

Apple was getting dunked on repeatedly for lackluster performance and speed of execution (Clean Up in Photos comes to mind), but now they have made up a lot of ground. At least that’s my opinion.

There were two prevailing types of people going into this WWDC:

The hopeful fanboy - will Apple finally deliver on its promise of an advanced AI model that can meet Apple’s previously high expectations of a contextual Siri?
The snarky skeptic - will Apple finally deliver on its promise of an advanced AI model that can meet Apple’s previously high expectations of a contextual Siri?

Platform improvements
Trust and Safety
Apple Intelligence and Siri

Fahad X 6/9/26 Fahad X 6/9/26

WWDC 2026 - the full list of enhancements from the keynote slide.

Stacey Ford at Apple’s keynote:

We scoured every part of the OS for opportunities to refine our systems from the UI to the foundations.
Nothing was off limits, no enhancement too small.
We made things faster, smoother, even easier to use and we took care of a bunch of things you've been asking about.

At the 6 minutes and 22 seconds mark into the keynote, every single enhancement (at least that’s my assumption) was listed on the screen for all platforms, and I listed them here for your perusal if you should so choose to scroll down the rabbit hole.

New Ul language for English (Canada) and English (Philippines)
Faster AirPlay connections to Apple TV and HomePod
More relevant Spotlight search suggestions
Web audio no longer interrupts system audio
Undo and redo Home Screen edits in iPadOS
Faster PDF saving
Improved Top Results in Mail
Filter photos and videos in Shared Albums
More document formats in Preview
Drawing in Notes in macOS
New keyboard layout for Slovenian and Estonian
Control Center access in iPhone Mirroring
Audio scrubbing in CarPlay Now Playing
Add keywords to photos and videos in Photos
Extra-large widgets in Today view in iPadOS
Live Activity for Precision Finding with Friends
Better battery efficiency on Apple Watch
Smart downloads on Apple TV
Else if support in Shortcuts
Faster board previews in Freeform
More accurate step tracking on Apple Watch
Sort by completed Fitness+ workouts
Faster message loading in Mail
Improved connectivity for Thread home accessories
Automatic punctuation when typing on multilingual keyboards
Faster smart home accessory updates
Option-click to secondary sort
More efficient emergency alert monitoring
AppleCare coverage details in Settings in tvOS
More intuitive journaling streaks
More consistent window positioning persistence across external displays
Updated video podcasts experience in macOS
Natural language time formats for Chinese and Hindi
Enhanced power efficiency for Safari in iOS and macOS
Drawing app in Messages
Faster data updates in the Health app
Call Recording transcriptions support for Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese
Improved game controller settings
Easier reading and editing of PDFs using VoiceOver
Improved battery insights
Smoother scrolling in App Library
Improved navigation in Game Overlay
Smoother unlocking on iPhone
Use your panoramas for Environments in visionOS
Faster window closing in iPadOS
Improved performance in Apple News
Edge-to-edge sidebars M
ore reliable right-to-left text editing in Freeform
Find offloaded media in Messages
All options displayed in Camera settings
Password help accessible from the Lock Screen
Group conversation support in Shortcuts
New keyboards for languages including Afrikaans, Basque, Baybayin, English (Philippines), Galician, Guarani, Luxembourgish, Xhosa, and Zulu
Smoother Freeform board performance
Improved PlayStation Access controller support
Improved reliability of Apple Music streaming
New AutoMix transitions
Camera uses less power in Low Power Mode
Extra-small widget option in visionOS
Refreshed album pages in Apple Music
iCloud sync status for Journal entries
More responsive Control Center in tvOS
Faster network file browsing
Ethernet status in menu bar in macOS
Perimenopause and menopause symptom logging in the Health app
Improved Wi-Fi connectivity in watchOS
Faster multilingual text processing for handwriting in multiple languages
Guest key in watchOS
Expanded Get What's On Screen capabilities in Shortcuts
Faster HomeKit accessory pairing
Faster Now Playing view loading in Music
Faster start page content loading in Safari
Increased attachment limits in Journal
More accurate route maps in the Fitness app after workout
New keyboards for Indigenous languages, including Blackfoot, Comanche, Cree, Kiowa, and Tsuutina
Switch between two iPhone devices with the same phone number
Content-based recipient suggestions for sharing photos and links
Album organization improvements in Photo
Perimenopause and menopause education in the Health app
Improved RDMA over Thunderbolt
Customize Liquid Glass
Support for 4K camera recordings in the Home app
Faster Camera launch in Low Power Mode
Colorful sidebar icons
Faster Voice Control response in iOS
More accurate Visited Places in Maps
Improved Messages syncing across devices
Dual camera in FaceTime
Faster browsing and transfers in Files in iPadOS
Full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Shared Albums
Faster Lock Screen switching
Store data in Shortcuts
Additional participant permissions in Shared Albums
Guides in Maps available in more places
New windows with curvature in visionOS
Enhanced Flyover in Maps
Customize slideshows in Photos
Section links in Notes
More power-efficient Personal Hotspot on N1 device
Stylized notes from third-party Calendar accounts
Improved Control Center in visionOS
Perimenopause and menopause support in the Health app
Optional persistent menu bar on iPad
Lock Screen consistently stays awake while scrolling notifications
Faster AirDrop transfers
Dark Mode adaptive canvas in Freeform
More flexible sharing options in Find My
Captured by Me collection in Photos
Extra-large widgets in iOS
Failed messages automatically retry sending
Save any slideshow as a video in Photos
Faster web application performance in Safar
Expire your Shared Albums
Faster loading of emoji and sticker keyboards
GymKit on iPhone and AirPods Pro 3
Redesigned Podcasts app for tvOS
Consolidated Find My app in watchOS
Improved distance accuracy during treadmill workouts
Find My Ul enhancements
Chãizi typing
Richer iCloud collaboration link previews
Improved Bluetooth power management
Access requests for items shared via iCloud
Expanded touch support in Sidecar
Faster Text Recognition in photos and documents
Support for Mac mirroring in 5K resolution
Smoother Calendar scrolling
Smoother animations and graphics in Safari
Refreshed artist pages in Apple Music
Search within shows in Podcasts
Look and tap to view and respond to notifications in visionOS
Improved navigation heading and GPS accuracy in CarPlay
Smart language and keyboard configuration suggestions
Faster workout start in the Workout app
Updated Liquid Glass Independent alarm volume
Smoother camera switching when zooming in video
Faster app extension launch in watchOS
Recent activity in Shared Album
Offline Maps update improvements
Improved FaceTime quality on poor connections
Tap gesture on Apple Watch
Synced step count in the Health and Fitness apps
AirPods Custom EQ
Faster media playback in watchOS
Faster shortcuts and actions indexing in Spotlight
Multilingual grammar checking
Faster loading of new captures in Photos
Copy and paste as Markdown in Notes
Redesigned Shortcuts editor
Continuous sending of photos, videos, and texts in Messages
Save a video frame as a photo
Faster handling of JavaScript in Safari
Choose a specific pet in Photo Shuffle
Modify multiple Calendar events
Holiday-aware alarms in China
More reliable search indexing in Mail
iPhone app resizing in iPadOS
React with any emoji in Shared Albums
QuickPath and typing suggestions for Vietnamese VNI keyboard
Updated menu bar icons
Punctuation suggestions as you type in Chinese
Consolidated notifications for multiple Tapbacks in Messages
Updated app icons
Swipe down to refresh in macOS
Larger text sizes in tvOS
Spatial scene support for panoramas in visionOS
View streams from compatible cameras simultaneously in the Home app
Dynamic app grid in watchOS
App names in iPad status bar
Participate in iCloud Shared Albums from Android and Windows
Alternate calendars for India support current time zone while traveling
Smoother scrolling in Safari in macOS
Faster boot and connect to Wi-Fi in visionOS
Uniform toolbars
Thumbnails displayed for offloaded media in Messages
App resizing in iPhone Mirroring
Search for conversations in Messages by phone number or a contact's nickname
Easier to invite others in Shared Albums
Collaborative folders in Freeform
Improved list formatting in Mail
Star ratings in Photos
Consistent corner radii
Easier card selection and payment management with Apple Pay
Screenshot and notification automations in Shortcuts
More efficient water detection on Apple Watch
Maps Parked Car widget in Smart Stack
Faster AirDrop recipient discovery
Optimized CPU scheduler
Autosize and reset columns
Search for photos and videos using additional metadata
Improved wireless CarPlay reliability
Grocery List in Reminders language expansion
Smoother paging between Home Screen pages
Search returns more pleasing photos of people and pets in Photos
Improved conversion from phonetic scripts like Pinyin and Kana when typing in Simplified Chinese and Japanese
Smoother scrolling in Control Center and Control Gallery
Drawing in Freeform in macOS
Faster app launches
More high-resolution and high-refresh-rate display modes for external displays
Easier-to-reach Camera experience
Option to prioritize syncing to iCloud Photos
Easier to save photos from Shared Albums
Faster menu bar access in iPadOS
Redesigned settings in the Apple Watch app
Support for time zone changes in Sleep
More accurate photo orientation
Streamlined Assistive Access setup
Faster and more reliable NFC reading
Faster to open full-screen view from Photos widget
Smoother animations and app launches in tvOS
Time stamps for Journal entries
DRM video support in iPhone Mirroring
Divider lines in Notes
Faster Apple Music playback start
Smoother scrolling in the widget gallery
Easier to access recovery codes for Apple Accounts
Faster access to shared content on iCloud.com
Quick Start with a recovery contact
News+ audio support in iPadOS
Option to include photos of yourself in Photo Shuffle
Smoother animations in News and Stocks article
Live Voicemail transcription for English (Singapore) and Japanese
Smoother animations in Mission Control and Spaces
Visited Places in Maps available in more markets
Faster rendering of Collections tab in Photos
Smoother start page resizing in Safari
Selection view in Photos
View card balance in Wallet in watchOS
Faster Rapid Return to Service
Updated hourly and 10-day views in Weather
Live Activities in Dynamic Island in landscape
Transit cards and IDs in Smart Stack in watchOS
More easily accessible share link for iCloud collaboration
Faster window switching in iPadOS
More distinct active windows
Show Borders for macOS accessibility
Widget for Mac Virtual Display in visionOS
Streamlined setup for Touch Accommodations in iOS and iPadOS
Pairing and handoff improvements for MFi hearing devices
Multiple tab views in Safari in visionOS
Scribble support for Hindi and Marathi with Apple Pencil
More seamless transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular networks
Fitness+ workouts for perimenopause and menopause
Audio MiniPlayer in CarPlay
HDR for macOS system UI
Identity Documents collection in Photos
Improved unread badge accuracy in Mail
Proactive car key setup
Natural language search for routing in Maps
More reliable HomeKit camera storage
Onscreen context for more relevant typing suggestions for Chinese and Japanese
Faster to add recent camera captures in Messages
Real-time updates for widgets when app is open
Wallet Order Tracking support in Australia and Canada
Faster entry and exit from Assistive Access and Guided Access modes
Support for media sharing from third-party apps
Expanded language support for autocategorization in Reminders
Faster user account creation in macOS
Streamlined Calendar event details
FaceTime Live Captions for Traditional Chinese
New Smart Stack suggestions in watchOS
Faster to start uploading to iCloud Photos

Stacey Ford at Apple’s keynote:

We scoured every part of the OS for opportunities to refine our systems from the UI to the foundations.
Nothing was off limits, no enhancement too small.
We made things faster, smoother, even easier to use and we took care of a bunch of things you've been asking about.

New Ul language for English (Canada) and English (Philippines)
Faster AirPlay connections to Apple TV and HomePod
More relevant Spotlight search suggestions
Web audio no longer interrupts system audio
Undo and redo Home Screen edits in iPadOS
Faster PDF saving
Improved Top Results in Mail
Filter photos and videos in Shared Albums
More document formats in Preview
Drawing in Notes in macOS
New keyboard layout for Slovenian and Estonian
Control Center access in iPhone Mirroring
Audio scrubbing in CarPlay Now Playing
Add keywords to photos and videos in Photos
Extra-large widgets in Today view in iPadOS
Live Activity for Precision Finding with Friends
Better battery efficiency on Apple Watch
Smart downloads on Apple TV
Else if support in Shortcuts
Faster board previews in Freeform
More accurate step tracking on Apple Watch
Sort by completed Fitness+ workouts
Faster message loading in Mail
Improved connectivity for Thread home accessories
Automatic punctuation when typing on multilingual keyboards
Faster smart home accessory updates
Option-click to secondary sort
More efficient emergency alert monitoring
AppleCare coverage details in Settings in tvOS
More intuitive journaling streaks
More consistent window positioning persistence across external displays
Updated video podcasts experience in macOS
Natural language time formats for Chinese and Hindi
Enhanced power efficiency for Safari in iOS and macOS
Drawing app in Messages
Faster data updates in the Health app
Call Recording transcriptions support for Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese
Improved game controller settings
Easier reading and editing of PDFs using VoiceOver
Improved battery insights
Smoother scrolling in App Library
Improved navigation in Game Overlay
Smoother unlocking on iPhone
Use your panoramas for Environments in visionOS
Faster window closing in iPadOS
Improved performance in Apple News
Edge-to-edge sidebars M
ore reliable right-to-left text editing in Freeform
Find offloaded media in Messages
All options displayed in Camera settings
Password help accessible from the Lock Screen
Group conversation support in Shortcuts
New keyboards for languages including Afrikaans, Basque, Baybayin, English (Philippines), Galician, Guarani, Luxembourgish, Xhosa, and Zulu
Smoother Freeform board performance
Improved PlayStation Access controller support
Improved reliability of Apple Music streaming
New AutoMix transitions
Camera uses less power in Low Power Mode
Extra-small widget option in visionOS
Refreshed album pages in Apple Music
iCloud sync status for Journal entries
More responsive Control Center in tvOS
Faster network file browsing
Ethernet status in menu bar in macOS
Perimenopause and menopause symptom logging in the Health app
Improved Wi-Fi connectivity in watchOS
Faster multilingual text processing for handwriting in multiple languages
Guest key in watchOS
Expanded Get What's On Screen capabilities in Shortcuts
Faster HomeKit accessory pairing
Faster Now Playing view loading in Music
Faster start page content loading in Safari
Increased attachment limits in Journal
More accurate route maps in the Fitness app after workout
New keyboards for Indigenous languages, including Blackfoot, Comanche, Cree, Kiowa, and Tsuutina
Switch between two iPhone devices with the same phone number
Content-based recipient suggestions for sharing photos and links
Album organization improvements in Photo
Perimenopause and menopause education in the Health app
Improved RDMA over Thunderbolt
Customize Liquid Glass
Support for 4K camera recordings in the Home app
Faster Camera launch in Low Power Mode
Colorful sidebar icons
Faster Voice Control response in iOS
More accurate Visited Places in Maps
Improved Messages syncing across devices
Dual camera in FaceTime
Faster browsing and transfers in Files in iPadOS
Full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Shared Albums
Faster Lock Screen switching
Store data in Shortcuts
Additional participant permissions in Shared Albums
Guides in Maps available in more places
New windows with curvature in visionOS
Enhanced Flyover in Maps
Customize slideshows in Photos
Section links in Notes
More power-efficient Personal Hotspot on N1 device
Stylized notes from third-party Calendar accounts
Improved Control Center in visionOS
Perimenopause and menopause support in the Health app
Optional persistent menu bar on iPad
Lock Screen consistently stays awake while scrolling notifications
Faster AirDrop transfers
Dark Mode adaptive canvas in Freeform
More flexible sharing options in Find My
Captured by Me collection in Photos
Extra-large widgets in iOS
Failed messages automatically retry sending
Save any slideshow as a video in Photos
Faster web application performance in Safar
Expire your Shared Albums
Faster loading of emoji and sticker keyboards
GymKit on iPhone and AirPods Pro 3
Redesigned Podcasts app for tvOS
Consolidated Find My app in watchOS
Improved distance accuracy during treadmill workouts
Find My Ul enhancements
Chãizi typing
Richer iCloud collaboration link previews
Improved Bluetooth power management
Access requests for items shared via iCloud
Expanded touch support in Sidecar
Faster Text Recognition in photos and documents
Support for Mac mirroring in 5K resolution
Smoother Calendar scrolling
Smoother animations and graphics in Safari
Refreshed artist pages in Apple Music
Search within shows in Podcasts
Look and tap to view and respond to notifications in visionOS
Improved navigation heading and GPS accuracy in CarPlay
Smart language and keyboard configuration suggestions
Faster workout start in the Workout app
Updated Liquid Glass Independent alarm volume
Smoother camera switching when zooming in video
Faster app extension launch in watchOS
Recent activity in Shared Album
Offline Maps update improvements
Improved FaceTime quality on poor connections
Tap gesture on Apple Watch
Synced step count in the Health and Fitness apps
AirPods Custom EQ
Faster media playback in watchOS
Faster shortcuts and actions indexing in Spotlight
Multilingual grammar checking
Faster loading of new captures in Photos
Copy and paste as Markdown in Notes
Redesigned Shortcuts editor
Continuous sending of photos, videos, and texts in Messages
Save a video frame as a photo
Faster handling of JavaScript in Safari
Choose a specific pet in Photo Shuffle
Modify multiple Calendar events
Holiday-aware alarms in China
More reliable search indexing in Mail
iPhone app resizing in iPadOS
React with any emoji in Shared Albums
QuickPath and typing suggestions for Vietnamese VNI keyboard
Updated menu bar icons
Punctuation suggestions as you type in Chinese
Consolidated notifications for multiple Tapbacks in Messages
Updated app icons
Swipe down to refresh in macOS
Larger text sizes in tvOS
Spatial scene support for panoramas in visionOS
View streams from compatible cameras simultaneously in the Home app
Dynamic app grid in watchOS
App names in iPad status bar
Participate in iCloud Shared Albums from Android and Windows
Alternate calendars for India support current time zone while traveling
Smoother scrolling in Safari in macOS
Faster boot and connect to Wi-Fi in visionOS
Uniform toolbars
Thumbnails displayed for offloaded media in Messages
App resizing in iPhone Mirroring
Search for conversations in Messages by phone number or a contact's nickname
Easier to invite others in Shared Albums
Collaborative folders in Freeform
Improved list formatting in Mail
Star ratings in Photos
Consistent corner radii
Easier card selection and payment management with Apple Pay
Screenshot and notification automations in Shortcuts
More efficient water detection on Apple Watch
Maps Parked Car widget in Smart Stack
Faster AirDrop recipient discovery
Optimized CPU scheduler
Autosize and reset columns
Search for photos and videos using additional metadata
Improved wireless CarPlay reliability
Grocery List in Reminders language expansion
Smoother paging between Home Screen pages
Search returns more pleasing photos of people and pets in Photos
Improved conversion from phonetic scripts like Pinyin and Kana when typing in Simplified Chinese and Japanese
Smoother scrolling in Control Center and Control Gallery
Drawing in Freeform in macOS
Faster app launches
More high-resolution and high-refresh-rate display modes for external displays
Easier-to-reach Camera experience
Option to prioritize syncing to iCloud Photos
Easier to save photos from Shared Albums
Faster menu bar access in iPadOS
Redesigned settings in the Apple Watch app
Support for time zone changes in Sleep
More accurate photo orientation
Streamlined Assistive Access setup
Faster and more reliable NFC reading
Faster to open full-screen view from Photos widget
Smoother animations and app launches in tvOS
Time stamps for Journal entries
DRM video support in iPhone Mirroring
Divider lines in Notes
Faster Apple Music playback start
Smoother scrolling in the widget gallery
Easier to access recovery codes for Apple Accounts
Faster access to shared content on iCloud.com
Quick Start with a recovery contact
News+ audio support in iPadOS
Option to include photos of yourself in Photo Shuffle
Smoother animations in News and Stocks article
Live Voicemail transcription for English (Singapore) and Japanese
Smoother animations in Mission Control and Spaces
Visited Places in Maps available in more markets
Faster rendering of Collections tab in Photos
Smoother start page resizing in Safari
Selection view in Photos
View card balance in Wallet in watchOS
Faster Rapid Return to Service
Updated hourly and 10-day views in Weather
Live Activities in Dynamic Island in landscape
Transit cards and IDs in Smart Stack in watchOS
More easily accessible share link for iCloud collaboration
Faster window switching in iPadOS
More distinct active windows
Show Borders for macOS accessibility
Widget for Mac Virtual Display in visionOS
Streamlined setup for Touch Accommodations in iOS and iPadOS
Pairing and handoff improvements for MFi hearing devices
Multiple tab views in Safari in visionOS
Scribble support for Hindi and Marathi with Apple Pencil
More seamless transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular networks
Fitness+ workouts for perimenopause and menopause
Audio MiniPlayer in CarPlay
HDR for macOS system UI
Identity Documents collection in Photos
Improved unread badge accuracy in Mail
Proactive car key setup
Natural language search for routing in Maps
More reliable HomeKit camera storage
Onscreen context for more relevant typing suggestions for Chinese and Japanese
Faster to add recent camera captures in Messages
Real-time updates for widgets when app is open
Wallet Order Tracking support in Australia and Canada
Faster entry and exit from Assistive Access and Guided Access modes
Support for media sharing from third-party apps
Expanded language support for autocategorization in Reminders
Faster user account creation in macOS
Streamlined Calendar event details
FaceTime Live Captions for Traditional Chinese
New Smart Stack suggestions in watchOS
Faster to start uploading to iCloud Photos

Fahad X 6/7/26 Fahad X 6/7/26

Weird but cool glitch on the Chronograph Pro watch face.

It’s just much easier to watch a video on this instead of me trying to explain it with words, but I will say:

Dear Apple, please turn this glitch into a feature.

Tiktok

Youtube

It’s just much easier to watch a video on this instead of me trying to explain it with words, but I will say:

Dear Apple, please turn this glitch into a feature.

Tiktok

Youtube

Fahad X 6/7/26 Fahad X 6/7/26

Agentic Siri will be great for Apple CarPlay, but could signal the end for CarPlay Ultra.

If the Gemini-powered version of Siri is as good as we all hope it is, it will be a great win for CarPlay. Most CarPlay owners would love a proper Siri that can listen to its commands for multimedia, maps, messages, etc. There’s nothing better than asking Siri to navigate to the closest grocery store in order to get some emergency diapers, snacks, etc. without having to touch your phone and take your eyes off the road. Another great benefit would be to talk to a Siri chatbot if you’re driving alone and need someone to help you stay awake.

Of course there would be many more features, and they should be done reliably.

CarPlay Ultra on the other hand is designed to give the user more control over the car’s core functions such as HVAC settings, seat settings, and even Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) such as cameras, radar, and sensors through a car projection system on your iPhone. It’s a custom layout that allows you to choose from several custom “skins” that the manufacturer has worked with Apple to design. This is on top of the default layout the car manufacturer already has built-in, so essentially you would have to learn two different UI systems and build two muscle memory systems…for operating your car.

Needless to say, that kind of control is risky and glitches in that department could lead to severe consequences, including death. No manufacturer is comfortable with handing this kind of control over to Apple except Aston Martin, and that could just be because Aston is desperate to sell anything at this point.

Many car makers, including Rivian, are going towards an Agentic approach with their car controls, where the driver can simply ask the car to change settings without having to worry about their phone’s connectivity status since it’s all built-in and seamless. CarPlay Ultra on the other hand is not as seamless as the rest of Apple’s ecosystem.

Let’s not forget - most car manufacturers who said they would support CarPlay Ultra probably had to cancel those plans without officially confirming anything since they’re reconsidering their EV car lineup. Now that EV tax incentives are gone, manufacturers have pivoted back to ICE vehicles once again, and in a big way. Forget batteries, give us the big ole’ V8 trucks cause this is ‘Murica! We don’t care about increasing gas prices either!

Even if EVs were still a popular trend that kept on going, the rise of agentic AI and more advanced models coming out every time you take a sip of that mocha Grande macchiato latte means car manufacturers can provide a better experience without needing a 3rd party user interface taking over. It just doesn’t make sense for newer more advanced vehicles to rely on a tethered phone to get the best features.

Older cars with CarPlay however can retroactively get more advanced AI features that are reliable in their limited multimedia capacity.

CarPlay Ultra is going to be no more, but CarPlay still lives on.

Of course there would be many more features, and they should be done reliably.

Older cars with CarPlay however can retroactively get more advanced AI features that are reliable in their limited multimedia capacity.

CarPlay Ultra is going to be no more, but CarPlay still lives on.

Fahad X 6/5/26 Fahad X 6/5/26

Can you swap MacBook Neo parts with different colors?

(The Verge link, News+ link, Instagram link)

Antonio from The Verge did a little experiment, and even though I think his customization is not my style, it does bring up an interesting proposition. Buy your own MacBook Neo, and then replace it with genuine parts in different colors to make a unique combination.

Personally I would like a customized Indigo MacBook Neo with white keycaps from the silver model and Citrus USB-C ports.

The more I imagine it the more I want it.

(The Verge link, News+ link, Instagram link)

Personally I would like a customized Indigo MacBook Neo with white keycaps from the silver model and Citrus USB-C ports.

The more I imagine it the more I want it.

Fahad X 6/5/26 Fahad X 6/5/26

iPhone feature request: true home screen customization.

I wrote about this passionately over a year ago, but it is still a feature that we’re missing and on my wish list for iOS. We got full icon home screen customization with iOS 18, but we’re still missing full widget customization:

We have been waiting 18 years to move our apps wherever we want to in iOS, and now we have complete app freedom.
After all, it took a new generation of engineers to make this happen.
Developers had to be born first, in order to handle the complexities of moving the icons from the top, to the bottom, per Craig Federighi himself.
Truly a remarkable feat.
Unfortunately, we may need to wait for another batch of engineers to be born to fix the widget situation.
All jokes aside, Apple states we can place widgets where we want them, but that is not the case.
Apple’s claim:
Place your apps and widgets right where you want them. Arrange them along the bottom for quicker reach, or off to the side to frame a favorite wallpaper. Or give each page of your Home Screen a unique layout that's most helpful for you.

Full visuals in the original link.

We have been waiting 18 years to move our apps wherever we want to in iOS, and now we have complete app freedom.
After all, it took a new generation of engineers to make this happen.
Developers had to be born first, in order to handle the complexities of moving the icons from the top, to the bottom, per Craig Federighi himself.
Truly a remarkable feat.
Unfortunately, we may need to wait for another batch of engineers to be born to fix the widget situation.
All jokes aside, Apple states we can place widgets where we want them, but that is not the case.
Apple’s claim:
Place your apps and widgets right where you want them. Arrange them along the bottom for quicker reach, or off to the side to frame a favorite wallpaper. Or give each page of your Home Screen a unique layout that's most helpful for you.

Full visuals in the original link.

Fahad X 6/4/26 Fahad X 6/4/26

Just move - you will feel better and be a better parent.

I did a few unorthodox workouts over the past few weeks, and what I realized was you have to change your workout routines in order to really benefit your body. Doing movements you wouldn’t normally do will make you feel better and increase circulation. You don’t even have to do crazy stuff - just natural things you might do while having fun. For example:

Rollerskating - not usually something I do, but it was a fun way to get the heart rate going from both the movement and from the “joyful fear” of trying not to fall. Even this “joyful fear” is a feeling you don’t experience everyday, but boosts your mood. You also feel it in your legs since you’re balancing yourself in ways and activating muscle groups you didn’t know you had.
Throwing a ball back and forth - playing catch with my son on an unlevel backyard with dips and hills is more fun and challenging than you might think. Even throwing a ball crossbody where you are running in one direction to catch the ball and then throw in the opposite direction clicked something in my back and loosened me up.
Frisbee - playing with my daughter was fun, and it allows you to jump, stretch, run, and also turn in ways that you wouldn’t do in a gym with weights or on a treadmill. Add the mind complexity of trying to judge where the frisbee is going and you get even more unorthodoxy into the mix.

The best part about all these activities is there’s more than one person involved, and you get more spontaneity while working out and having fun with your family. Dodging people while skating, fielding bad throws by running and trying to catch, and poor frisbee flings leading to even more running and jumping adds that extra organic spice.

If you’re tired, the solution is to move. Just…move.

Rollerskating - not usually something I do, but it was a fun way to get the heart rate going from both the movement and from the “joyful fear” of trying not to fall. Even this “joyful fear” is a feeling you don’t experience everyday, but boosts your mood. You also feel it in your legs since you’re balancing yourself in ways and activating muscle groups you didn’t know you had.
Throwing a ball back and forth - playing catch with my son on an unlevel backyard with dips and hills is more fun and challenging than you might think. Even throwing a ball crossbody where you are running in one direction to catch the ball and then throw in the opposite direction clicked something in my back and loosened me up.
Frisbee - playing with my daughter was fun, and it allows you to jump, stretch, run, and also turn in ways that you wouldn’t do in a gym with weights or on a treadmill. Add the mind complexity of trying to judge where the frisbee is going and you get even more unorthodoxy into the mix.

If you’re tired, the solution is to move. Just…move.

Fahad X 6/3/26 Fahad X 6/3/26

I sold my Jet Black Apple Watch and got a great deal on a Slate Titanium Series 10.

After gawking at this watch for over a year and singing its praises, it was time for a change. Trying to baby the Jet Black watch and trying to keep the screen scratch free only led to exactly that - a scratched screen. How it happened I couldn’t tell you, but it was time to let it go. I’m just glad it went to a grandma who is going to use it for Fall Detection and other health features.

I never intended to sell the watch, but when a crazy deal comes your way, you take it. Amazon was selling the Series 10 in Slate Titanium with Milanese Loop for only $450 instead of the usual $750. I jumped on the deal, and even for someone who has a lot of Apple watches it was a bit ludicrous to have 2 Series 10 models.

The Series 10 with the sapphire display has only one difference compared to the Series 11, and that is it “only” supports LTE instead of 5G. I don’t use a data plan on my watch, so I had zero desire for a Series 11.

Slate Titanium isn’t as dark as Jet Black, but it has its own appeal that I am happy with - and best of all, a screen that won’t scratch.

Fahad X 6/1/26 Fahad X 6/1/26

Apple Watch improvements I would like to see in watchOS 27.

WWDC is right around the corner, and there are quite a few Apple Watch niggles that need to be addressed. The good thing is this year has been unofficially dubbed, “the year of stability” for Apple software releases, and Apple Watch is definitely in need of stability and improvements. I’ve discussed them in detail in the past, but I’ll link all my wish list items below:

1. Smoother Swipe to Switch Watch Face

Still a broken experience that needs to go back to its watchOS 8 roots. You can see the difference between watchOS 8 and watchOS 10 onwards. It still looks like a beta feature in its current state. Notice how the time in watchOS 8 stays in sync and doesn’t have to refresh every, single, time you switch watch faces.

2. Dynamic watch face complications that utilize the 1 Hz refresh rate of the display

From a previous post:

To complicate things further, there are plenty of complications such as the digital time and digital seconds complications that would make this feature pop even more on the watch. Your always on display would look more realistic, with ticking “components” constantly updating every second without sacrificing battery life. That “magical” touch would sell more watches, because we are visual creatures, and to see the Apple Watch acting like an actual watch that ticks and doesn’t stop moving will blur the line between digital and traditional watch faces.
Watch enthusiasts will appreciate it even more, and won’t scoff (as much) at us digital watch wearers. They will still scoff at us when they notice its quartz-like movement, but appreciate the technological step forward and will purchase one, probably a more expensive model to boot.

3. A more apparent “Apple Watch is disconnected from your phone” icon.

Dear Apple, watchOS 8 would let us know immediately when our iPhone was disconnected from the watch - please bring that back.

4. General stability

My Ultra 3 and Series 10 are very slow and have slow frame rates when going into Control Center and when using the Digital Crown to scroll rapidly between watch faces. This is more apparent on my Ultra 3 even though I set it up from scratch to see if that would fix it, to no avail. Why is the experience on my Series 5, released almost 7 years ago, smoother than a brand new “Ultra” watch?

5. Better watch face representation in Smart Stack

All new watch faces in the last 2 years have had this update and older watch faces would benefit.