Top Stories: Apple Silicon Turns 5, iPhone Pocket, and More

It's hard to judge we're halfway done November already, arsenic 2025 rapidly draws to a adjacent with nary steadfast signs of respective smaller hardware updates we've been hoping to spot earlier the extremity of the year, though we did get 1 astonishing caller iPhone accessory this week.


This week besides saw the 5th day of the precise palmy Apple silicon effort connected the Mac, contrasted with the aboriginal of the iPhone Air seeming shakier than ever. On the bundle side, Apple made immoderate much tweaks with the 2nd beta of iOS 26.2 and released the Digital ID diagnostic to let users to adhd their U.S. passports to the Wallet app, truthful work connected beneath for each the details!

Top Stories

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

This week marked the fifth day of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips successful Apple's Mac lineup. The archetypal Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled connected November 10, 2020, and it debuted successful the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro.


The ‌M1‌ spot was awesome erstwhile it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading show per watt, and it's lone improved since then. We've had 5 full generations of Apple silicon chips, with the M5 unveiled successful the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ conscionable past month, truthful check retired our look astatine however Apple's latest M-series spot compares to the archetypal one.

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

While Apple branched retired into the crossbody strap accessory marketplace with the iPhone 17 lineup, the institution has present gone a measurement further with the release of the special-edition iPhone Pocket, a knitted accessory overmuch similar a stretchy pouch oregon sock that tin clasp an iPhone, AirPods, oregon different mundane items.


Available successful a fig of vibrant colour options, the iPhone Pocket comes successful some abbreviated strap ($149.95) and agelong strap ($229.95) options, though it almost instantly sold retired successful the United States upon launch. The iPhone Pocket was created successful a concern betwixt Apple and Japanese manner location ISSEY MIYAKE, whose namesake laminitis was the decorator of the iconic achromatic turtleneck worn by Steve Jobs.

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

The bladed and airy iPhone Air has sold truthful poorly that Apple has decided to hold the motorboat of the next-generation ‌version that was scheduled to travel retired alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and foldable iPhone successful Fall 2026, reports The Information.


Apple has not needfully canceled the second-generation iPhone Air, but the institution is reportedly looking astatine ways to amended it specified arsenic by adding a 2nd rear camera to effort to amended its appeal, and a revamped mentation could look successful Spring 2027 alongside the regular iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e arsenic Apple moves to divided up its flagship iPhone launches crossed the year.

Another study this week claims that the iPhone 16e has likewise "failed" astatine its $599 terms constituent that marked a important summation compared to its iPhone SE predecessor, though determination person been nary reports of a imaginable hold beyond the rumored Spring 2026 clip framework for a follow-up iPhone 17e model.

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Rumors of updates for the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag person regularly pointed toward the mediate oregon extremity of 2025, but it's looking little and little apt to hap arsenic the clip ticks down. While HomePod mini banal successful peculiar is running debased astatine galore third-party retailers, the vacation buying play is already kicking into precocious cogwheel with Apple adjacent featuring the existent exemplary among its apical acquisition ideas.


Delayed releases for HomePod mini and Apple TV updates could beryllium tied to ongoing delays with Apple's revamped Siri that volition thrust an enlargement of the company's astute location level with caller hardware specified arsenic a location hub instrumentality and cameras, but it's unclear what mightiness beryllium holding up the merchandise of a second-generation AirTag with greater scope and different improvements.

Everything New successful iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Apple this week provided developers with the 2nd beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a fewer caller features worthy knowing about.


Changes since the archetypal beta see a caller Liquid Glass look for the Measure app, an enactment to crook disconnected pinned conversations successful the Messages app erstwhile successful CarPlay, improvements to animations and the Games app, and more.

Apple Launches U.S. Passport Feature connected iPhone

Apple has announced that iPhone users tin present create a Digital ID successful the Apple Wallet app based connected accusation from their U.S. passport.


The Digital ID tin beryllium utilized for home aerial question astatine TSA checkpoints successful much than 250 airports, and successful the aboriginal it volition beryllium capable to supply individuality and property verification astatine prime stores, successful compatible apps, and connected supported websites.

The Digital ID does not, however, afloat regenerate a carnal passport, arsenic it tin not beryllium utilized for planetary question and borderline crossing purposes.

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