This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary.Today: Apple’s foldable iPhone breakthrough, the AirTag 2 release window narrows, iPhone 17 Pro and 17e reports, and more.Here are this week’s Apple rumors.
AirTag 2 release window narrows This week leaker Kosutami posted on X about when to expect the AirTag 2 to release.We had previously heard it should arrive by mid-year, but that was a fairly large window.According to the new report, AirTag 2 will launch in .
My takeaways It’s good to get a better idea of when to expect Apple’s AirTag successor.Amazon keeps running big discounts on the current AirTag, so I had wondered if AirTag 2 might arrive sooner rather than later.But it seems Apple still needs to clear existing inventory before launching the new AirTag.
Foldable iPhone breakthrough and another new design This week brought two reports on Apple’s foldable iPhone.One reiterated that 2026 remains the planned launch date, while the other mentioned a big breakthrough for Apple: it has reportedly made the foldable’s crease virtually invisible.On a related note, Mark Gurman teased that 2026’s foldable won’t have the only new iPhone design coming.
He wrote, “There’s also another new iPhone design in the works for that year, I’m told.” My takeaways There’s still plenty of time for Apple’s plans to change, but the closer we get to 2026, the more likely it seems that a foldable iPhone is indeed coming soon.I’m especially excited to hear—though not surprised—that the device’s crease is largely invisible.Between this and the iPhone 17 Air it will be a couple very exciting years for Apple’s flagship product.
Gurman’s comment about “another new iPhone design” raises lots of questions.It could be as simple as the base iPhone 18 getting a refreshed design, since changes on this year’s iPhone 17 won’t be very drastic.But the way he phrased it, Gurman sounds like he’s saying we should expect another new iPhone form factor—along the lines of the foldable.
I can’t imagine what that might be, but I’m fascinated to learn more.iPhone 17 Pro upgrades, plus early hint of 17e model According to Mark Gurman, Apple is investing heavily in the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera system with the aim of upgrading its video capabilities.The goal, per Gurman, is to “get the vlogging community and other video creators to move away from standalone cameras and use the iPhone for even more of their work.” Perhaps on a related note, iPhone 17 Pro models are again said to feature 12GB of RAM, a 50% increase from the current 8GB.
This no doubt is tied to AI, but camera upgrades may be part of the reason too.Moving from the iPhone 17 high-end down to the low, Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital shared that there’s a new project code in the iPhone supply chain that’s suspected to be for an iPhone 17e model.My takeaways Apple always prioritizes making its iPhone camera system better, so Gurman’s report on video upgrades makes sense.
It will be interesting to see how many of the improvements come to the iPhone 17 Air too, or if they’re Pro exclusives.As for the rumored iPhone 17e, such a model would certainly help explain Apple abandoning the iPhone SE naming structure.I’d assumed the change was simply related to the 16e being less of an ‘SE’ than it is a 16.
But I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new 17e model debut next year around this time either—depending on how the 16e performs.C-class modems built into main chip The iPhone 16e’s new C1 offers two key advantages over Qualcomm, but it’s just the start of Apple’s modem plans.Per Mark Gurman, the company aims to integrate its 5G modems into the main M- and A-class chips in the future.
This change—not expected before 2028—“should make the electronics more energy-efficient and reduce the cost.” My takeaways I love the thought of Apple’s modem getting integrated into the main device processor.As my colleague notes, this move could potentially lead to a future where all iPad models (and hopefully Macs?) automatically include the option for 5G connectivity.Eliminating the need for a paid hardware upgrade to have a cellular modem would be a great change.
What are your takeaways from this week’s Apple rumors? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessories Anker 100W charging brick for fast charging MagSafe Car Mount for iPhone HomeKit smart plug 4-pack AirPods Pro 2 (now only $199, down from $249) 10-year AirTag battery case 2-pack You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
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