Apple released lots of new software updates this past week with some major new features for Apple Vision Pro. Other updates such as iOS 18.4 contain various new features but we might already know which devices will be compatible with the next major version of iOS. And you’ve probably already seen in the news the impact of tariffs on big tech. But let’s take a look at what this means for Apple and other key stories from the last week.
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Major updates for Apple Vision Pro
Last week Apple released visionOS 2.4 for its high-end spatial computer. Considering we’re getting pretty close to WWDC 2025, it packs several major new features, making for a pretty nice update. Two of the most notable include an all new app called ‘Spatial Gallery’ and Apple Intelligence arrives on Vision Pro
Spatial Gallery contains curated photos and videos captured in Apple’s new spatial format. The content in the app comes from a variety of sources including Apple themselves. Much has been handpicked by Apple, showcasing the best user generated content. But other companies are contributing like Redbull and Porsche.
I’ve been testing visionOS 2.4 for several weeks and I can say with confidence that this is a fantastic feature. And a really clever way for Apple to increase the amount of spatial content available on Apple Vision Pro, quickly and cheaply. The user interface is great and somewhat reminiscent of how you advanced through stories on Instagram.
As mentioned Apple Intelligence has also arrived, bringing with it the existing array of features found on iPhone. For instance Writing tools, Genmoji, natural language search and more. You will however need to set the device language to US English for now. Other languages are coming later.
Tariff Turmoil
Big Tech has been hit pretty significantly by the tariffs introduced by the United States this past week. Apple’s stock price plummeted by around 25%, mirroring similar drops seen by Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta. It’s hard to quantify at this stage what the impact will be on Apple customers that plan to buy new devices soon. But what we do know is that it’ll be much more expensive for Apple to import new products into the United States.
The US tariff hammer has landed pretty hard on China. Apple has been heavily reliant on China for many years, especially with respect to manufacturing. But in recent years, Apple has been working to diversify its supply chain and operations, outsourcing some manufacturing to other countries such as India, Vietnam, and Brazil. The hope being to insulate itself from geopolitical events such as this trade war with China. Though even these countries have been imposed with tariffs.
Unfortunately, these efforts on Apple’s part have been too slow to act as the insurance policy that Tim Cook and co. were hoping for. The vast majority of its manufacturing is still in China where tariffs are highest. Apple now faces a choice. Absorb the cost of import tariffs or pass on the cost to consumers. Either option will be pretty unpalatable. If they absorb the cost, profit margins will drop significantly. If they pass on the cost, the pricing could make what are already expensive devices completely inaccessible to many customers.
Apple tends to take a calm and measured approach to global events. I think they’ll hold firm with pricing in the immediate future. No doubt Tim Cook will be trying to persuade Trump to grant Apple an exemption as he did in Trump’s first term. But as with everything in politics right now, nothing is certain and Apple may face an uphill battle. Let’s see how this chess game plays out.
Run / Update ⚙️
In addition to major updates to visionOS this past week, Apple also released x.4 releases for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and macOS 15. Here’s a high level overview of the key changes:
iOS 18.4
- Priority Notifications: Apple Intelligence highlights important notifications in a dedicated section on the Lock Screen.
- Ambient Music: Adds a Control Center toggle to play relaxing music across categories like Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.
- New Emoji: Introduces characters such as bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, and splatter.
- Visual Intelligence Expansion: Extends support to iPhone 15 Pro models, allowing users to access information about their surroundings using the device’s camera.
- Apple Vision Pro App: Enables users to manage their Apple Vision Pro and discover apps and other content directly on iPhone
- Vision Pro Guest Management: Enables owners of Vision Pro to customise the guest user experience directly from their iPhone
iPadOS 18.4
Alongside features found in iOS 18.4, Apple released iPadOS 18.4, featuring:
- Mail Categorisation: Organises incoming emails into sections like Primary, Transactions, Updates, Promotions, and more, enhancing email management on iPad.
macOS Sequoia 15.4
Similar to iPadOS, macOS 15.4 includes many of the new features found in iOS 18.4 including:
- Mail Categorisation: As with iPadOS, introduces dedicated categories such as Transactions, Updates, and Promotions in the Mail app, with important emails highlighted in a Primary section.
- Apple News+ Food Section: Subscribers gain access to a collection of recipes, food articles, and related content within the Apple News app.
- Image Playground Sketch Style: Adds a new Sketch style for creative edits in Image Playground.
- Memory Movie Support in Photos: Enables users to create custom slideshows with natural language description
watchOS 11.4
A more modest update adding:
- Sleep Wake Up Alarm Override: Allows the Sleep Wake Up alarm to sound even when Silent Mode is enabled, ensuring users don’t miss alarms.
- Support for Matter-Compatible Robot Vacuums: Enables integration and control of compatible robot vacuum cleaners through the Home app and Siri commands.
iOS 19 Compatibility List
As reported by MacRumors, iOS 19 will drop support for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR. The devices feature the A12 Bionic chip and were shipped in 2018. Apple typically supports devices with major updates for around seven years, so this would be consistent with historical precedent. It’s possible that future security updates will still be released for these devices. Just don’t expect to see new feature updates.
iOS 18 still runs remarkably well on these older devices, so it’s a shame to see them dropped. That said, iOS 19 promises to be a major redesign with a new user interface. And we’ll likely see more Apple Intelligence features that require more and more RAM. Apple wants these features on as many devices as possible. Older devices like the iPhone XS don’t come close to the minimum requirements for even existing Apple Intelligence features.
Launch / CTRL 👨🚀
All glass iPhone? 📱
Apple has recently been granted a new U.S. patent, exploring the concept of full glass enclosures for future versions of devices like the iPhone, Apple Watch, and even the Mac Pro. The concepts shown in the patent indicate that the front, back, and sides of the device would all be made from glass, offering a continuous, transparent look with controls and displays accessible from multiple angles.
Beyond just looking futuristic, these glass designs could unlock new ways of interacting with devices. The patent describes areas on the glass surface that respond to both touch and pressure, extending around the device to enable multi-surface controls that adapt depending on how you’re holding it. The documentation also outlines how these devices could be disassembled for service, despite their unified glass appearance.
For iPhones in particular, the patent shows a concept with six sides of glass, where functional displays could appear on any part of the device. The interface would adjust dynamically to whatever orientation the user is holding it in, allowing intuitive use from all angles. Apple also includes references to possible uses in a glass-encased Apple Watch and a uniquely shaped Mac Pro tower.
Personally, I’d be surprised to see this arrive any time soon, if it arrives at all. Consumers have a hard enough time taking care of current iPhone models with their glass backs. Let alone an iPhone made entirely from glass. But who knows? Stranger things have happened!
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