John Ternus is now Apple’s CEO, and his first big move will be leading Apple’s announcement of the new iPhone on September 9th. We begin this week’s episode of the podcast by discussing what might change at Apple with Ternus in charge, as well as what Apple may announce on September 9th. We also talk about the advantages and compromises of the iPhone Air and the iPad mini, and how they offer some insight into the (expected) upcoming folding iPhone—which may or may not be called the iPhone Ultra. We also talk about some new features coming in iOS 27, putting a driver’s license in an OK Apple Wallet, wearable devices, and more.
In our In the Vision segment, we discuss Apple’s immersive baseball games and surgeons using the Apple Vision Pro.
In our In the Show segment, we discuss old and new movies that just came to Apple TV. (By the way, my son and I watched the new movie Mayday last night, and we both enjoyed it.)
In our In the Know segment, Brett shares a tip for bringing your computer or iPad back to the early 1990s, and I discuss music videos in Apple Music.
About twenty years ago, when I was working in New York City, one of my clients invited me to a baseball game in a suite at the (old) Yankee Stadium right behind home plate. It was an incredible way to experience that historic venue. Last week, I had even better “seats” at the current Yankee Stadium because I used my Apple Vision Pro to watch the Yankees-Red Sox game in immersive video. Wow. For most of the game, Apple had me right next to the dugout for whichever team was batting, an amazing place to watch the game that you could never pay for in real life. I could look around and see the whole stadium, which looked even better as the sun set. I was right next to players as they headed out to bat. Sometimes, the camera would switch to another angle, such as one that approximated what it would be like to watch the game from a suite behind home plate. It very much felt like I was at the ballpark for a live game. As John Gruber of Daring Fireball remarked: “Hard to say why, but feeling like you’re at another place watching something happen live is magic.” As impressive as it was for Apple’s first time at bat (ahem) for live immersive baseball, there is room for improvement. I agree with Gruber and Michael Simon of Macworld that it would have been nice to have an option to occasionally mute the announcers and just take in the sounds of being there live. Or maybe an option to switch to the local radio broadcast, as Jason Snell of Six Colors suggested. The experience was amazing, and it seems like everyone else who saw it and wrote about it this week was equally impressed. Justin Ryan of Spatial Insider provides a picture and video to give you a sense, in 2D, of what it was like in 3D. I can’t wait to see more content like this in the future—not just live games, but live concerts, theater, etc.—especially as the technology improves and the hardware becomes less expensive. I enjoy all of the Apple products that I use, but the Vision Pro is the only one that routinely inspires awe. And now, the news of note from the past week:
It will take you less than 30 seconds, and it will do so much good. Please click here and donate any amount to St. Jude now that it is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Thank you!
John Ternus became Apple’s CEO this week. He wrote a letter to all Apple employees, and Myke Hurley of The Enthusiast notes three interesting details in that letter.
Dan Barbera of MacRumors has been using the incredibly thin iPhone Air every day for a year. Here is what he thinks.
Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac notes some of the big things that Apple is fixing in the Mail app in iOS 27. I’m especially looking forward to the more reliable search indexing.
As John Gruber of Daring Fireball notes, iOS 27 will support two iPhones sharing the same phone number. You cannot use it unless your carrier supports it, but I presume that many will, and I can see this being useful. For example, you might want to purchase Apple’s rumored folding iPhone while also sometimes using an iPhone 17 Pro (because of the great camera) or an iPhone Air (because it is so light).
Joe Rossignol of MacRumors reports that Oklahoma now supports the Apple Wallet digital driver’s license feature.
Every day, I find it useful to have an Apple device on my wrist. Would it make sense to wear a device in a ring on my finger? Parker Ortolani has been trying out the Pebble Ring, and he wrote this interesting review.
A new movie premieres today on Apple TV: Mayday. It stars Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, and as Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac notes, the initial reviews have been positive. My son and I might watch this one this weekend.
If you prefer a good, older movie, Christoffel notes that Apple TV added 15 of them this week, including School of Rock, Her, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and A League of Their Own. Is it just a coincidence, or does one of those have something to do with the new season of Ted Lasso?
And finally, here is a short video from Apple in which a woman shares how her Apple Watch saved her life by helping her find out about her cancer early:
Please click this link and donate—any amount!—to help kids beat cancer. Your donation will make a big difference for others and, as a bonus, will surely make you feel good about yourself.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. For the fifth year, iPhone J.D. is proud to join the community that is working with the Relay podcast network to raise money for St. Jude. You know this community. You are part of it, too. This is the community of people with enough interest in technology to read tech-related websites and listen to tech-related podcasts. Over the last few years, this community has come together to raise over $4.8 million for this life-saving work.
As St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital says: “Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 14. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.” And as the late entertainer Danny Thomas (founder of St. Jude) famously said: “No child should die in the dawn of life.”
Donating is simple. I just did it. Simply go to the page, click the big green Donate Now! button, choose whether you want to select a Reward (that part is optional), then check out and pay.
Some rewards are directly related to St. Jude. For example, a donation of $50 or more can help provide art supplies for St. Jude patients, so they can explore their creativity and have fun. Two rewards are specific to the Relay network, and you can get things like stickers and a digital screensaver.
Additionally, I am offering a special, limited-edition reward for iPhone J.D. readers: high-quality microfiber cloths featuring the iPhone J.D. logo, which I have previously given away on rare occasions. If you donate at least $100, you may select this as your reward. These cloths are excellent for cleaning iPhone or iPad screens, and I personally use one daily for my Apple devices and to clean my eyeglasses. This is a limited-time offer, as I don’t have many left and the manufacturer is no longer in business—which is a shame, because the quality is excellent. I have two sizes, and while supplies last, you can choose either one: a Classic 9" x 9" that’s great for your desk, or a Nano 4" x 4" that is nice to keep in your pocket. (After you make your donation, I’ll send you an email to ask which size you want.)
Whether you donate $5 or $500, your donation will make a meaningful difference. A special thanks to those of you who contributed in the past and will contribute again this year!
