August 23, 2025 • 17 mins
The tech world is abuzz with Apple's next wave of innovation, and we're cutting straight through the noise to give you the complete picture. From radical hardware redesigns to an ambitious software overhaul, Apple is orchestrating a comprehensive transformation of its ecosystem that will impact how we interact with technology for years to come.
Leaked reports suggest the iPhone 17 Pro is getting a striking metal makeover. Moving away from the all-glass design of recent models, the new metal chassis and camera surrounds promise enhanced durability and a more premium feel. What's particularly fascinating is the level of regional customization happening behind the scenes – different battery shapes for different markets depending on whether they support physical SIM cards or are eSIM-only.
The company's augmented reality strategy is equally ambitious, with plans for seven new AR wearables over the next few years. A tiered approach includes the premium Vision Pro line alongside a more affordable "Visionaire" headset aimed at mainstream adoption, and sleek smart glasses projected for 2027. These devices showcase Apple's methodical approach to spatial computing – not necessarily being first to market, but perfecting the technology for widespread use.
Unifying this hardware is "Liquid Glass," Apple's biggest design shift since iOS 7. This cohesive visual language will span across all operating systems, creating seamless transitions between devices whether you're using an iPhone, Mac, or Vision Pro. Paired with Apple Intelligence, the company's privacy-focused AI strategy featuring on-device foundation models, the user experience promises to be both more intuitive and more powerful.
Yet beneath the surface of these innovations lies a complex reality. Some Mac users feel macOS has stagnated, with common complaints about window management and UI inconsistencies. Meanwhile, Apple's global manufacturing network reveals the intricate balance of economic, political, and sustainability factors that go into creating these devices. While assembly happens in China, the highest-value components come from American, Japanese, and Taiwanese firms – demonstrating that the simple phrase "Assembled in China" barely scratches the surface of modern tech production.
Join us as we explore this fascinating intersection of design, technology, and global manufacturing. Subscribe now to stay informed about the forces shaping the devices we rely on every day.
Leave your thoughts in the comments and subscribe for more tech updates and reviews.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Allan (00:00):
Welcome to the Deep Dive.
We're here to you know.
Cut to the noise and really getto the core of what's happening
in tech.
Ida (00:06):
Yeah, straight to the good stuff.
Allan (00:07):
And today we're plunging right into Apple.
There's always a buzz, right,yeah, but we're looking beyond
just the shiny new gadgets.
We're exploring how thesethings actually get made.
It's this like world of amazinginnovation, but also surprising
challenges, these deep globallinks.
Ida (00:26):
Absolutely, and our job today is basically to give you
the shortcut you know, help youget properly informed, find
those aha moments, so you reallyget the tech you use every
single day.
Allan (00:35):
Right.
Ida (00:36):
We've pulled together insights from well all over
leaked reports on the iPhone 17Pro, the big WWDC 2025
announcements, new OS stuff, ai,a deep look at Apple's whole
manufacturing game and even somepretty heated online debates
about macOS.
Allan (00:53):
OK, so we're cutting through the jargon, getting you
the key takeaways.
Let's, let's unpack this,starting with what might be
coming to your hand, maybe evenyour face, eventually.
Ida (01:02):
Sounds good.
Yeah, let's start with hardware, the future stuff, iphone 17
Pro specifically.
The latest leaks are pointingto a well, a pretty striking
redesign.
Allan (01:13):
Okay.
Ida (01:13):
For both the 17 Pro and the 17 Pro Max.
Expected launch probably aroundFriday, September 19th.
Allan (01:20):
And what's this about?
A big material change.
I heard something metal.
Ida (01:26):
Yeah, that's the really interesting bit.
Reports say they're moving to ametal chassis, metal camera
surrounds, metal camera paneleven.
Allan (01:31):
Wow, so that's quite different from the glass on the
16 Pro right.
What's behind that?
Just looks, or is it durability, maybe something else?
Ida (01:41):
It's probably a mix.
You know, durability isdefinitely part of it,
especially for the camera bumpthat gets knocked around.
It's true.
But it could also be about thatpremium feel, moving away from
the all glass which, let's behonest, felt a bit fragile
sometimes.
What's also interesting is thiscontinued push for eSIM only
designs getting more common.
Right, but not everywhere, Iheard, Exactly, and here's where
it gets kind of wild.
Reports where it gets kind ofwild.
(02:01):
Reports claim different metalcovered battery shapes depending
on where you buy the phone.
Allan (02:05):
Like different shapes.
Ida (02:06):
Yeah, like L-shaped for the models that still have a
physical SIM slot andrectangular for the eSIM only
ones.
Imagine custom fit batteriesfor different regions.
That's pretty detailedcustomization.
Allan (02:18):
Custom fit batteries.
Okay, that is unexpected, butApple's clearly thinking bigger
than just phones.
This whole augmented realitything, the long game what's the
real strategy there?
Ida (02:27):
Oh, it's definitely a long game, Super ambitious.
You look at Ming-Chi Kuo'sroadmap the Analyst.
He's mapping out like seven newAR or wearable products in just
the next few years Seven yeah.
And the key thing seems to bethis tiered approach Different
products for different people,so a vision headset family, this
tiered approach differentproducts for different people,
so a Vision headset family kindof.
Allan (02:45):
what does that look like?
Ida (02:46):
Well, first up, probably Q3 2025, there's a minor update,
the M5 Vision Pro, mostly just achip upgrade.
You know, keep it premium.
Allan (02:54):
Standard refresh.
Ida (02:55):
Right, but the big one, the one aimed at, like everyone,
that's the Visionaire slated forQ3 2027.
Allan (03:01):
Visionaire.
Okay, that sounds like theirattempt to make this stuff
mainstream.
Ida (03:04):
Exactly.
It's expected to be way lighter, maybe 40% less than the
current Vision Pro Wow.
Allan (03:10):
Built with cheaper materials plastic, magnesium
alloy not the fancy titanium andglass, powered by a top-end
iPhone chip, fewer sensors it'stheir direct shot at MetaQuest,
really trying to bring spatialcomputing to more people make it
comfy, make it more affordable,makes sense.
Ida (03:25):
And for the pros.
Allan (03:25):
They get an upgrade too.
Second gen Vision Pro, probablysecond half of 2028.
New design, lighter, still Maclevel power, maybe even a lower
price.
Ida (03:35):
So yeah, definitely distinct lines there.
But what about something lessheadset-y, like smart glasses?
Allan (03:41):
Yep, they're on it First gen Apple glasses projected for
Q2 2027.
Think of them as Apple's takeon those meta-ray bands.
Features like voice and gesturecontrol, taking photos videos
discreetly, some AI smarts forsensing your environment, audio,
probably through AirPods.
And you know Apple multipleframe styles that signature
polish.
Ida (04:01):
Right.
Allan (04:01):
We might see a couple more XR glasses with actual
displays later, maybe 2028.
Though one project like atethered display for your Mac or
iPhone apparently got pausedToo heavy, hmm.
So the big picture here istrying to take this from niche
tech to something lots of peopleuse.
Ida (04:17):
Totally.
The belief is Apple jumping incould push the whole smart
glasses market past 10 millionunits shipped in 2027, turning
it from a curiosity into a realtrend.
Apple might not be first, butthey often aim to be the ones
who get it right for themainstream.
Allan (04:33):
Okay, so we've got this future hardware picture phones,
headsets, glasses but you know,hardware is nothing without the
software, right?
How is Apple changing theactual experience?
Let's get into that big WWDC2025 software stuff.
Ida (04:46):
Yeah, this is massive.
It's called Liquid Glass andit's not just a facelift.
It's Apple's biggest designshift since iOS 7.
The goal seems to be a trulyunified spatial computing
experience across everything.
Allan (04:57):
Unified.
So Liquid Glass isn't just forthe iPhone, then?
Ida (05:00):
Nope, not at all.
It's coming to iOS, ipados,macos, watchos, tvos the whole
family.
Think about your apps, yourinterface, not just looking the
same but feeling like theybelong together, flowing
smoothly whether it's on yourwatch or a vision pro, blurring
the lines between the systems.
They're even dropping versionnumbers for years, like MacOS 26
, ios 26, just to make it allfeel consistent.
Allan (05:23):
And AI.
There had to be AI right AppleIntelligence.
Ida (05:26):
Of course, wwdc brought Apple Intelligence System-wide
AI features.
You've got live translation,visual intelligence, stuff,
better image playground.
Allan (05:34):
Okay, standard AI upgrades.
Ida (05:36):
Well, yes and no.
The really key detail is thisfoundation models framework for
on-device large language models.
Allan (05:44):
Right, break that down.
What does on-device really meanfor me and for developers?
Ida (05:48):
So Foundation Models are like those big AI brains
pre-trained.
Putting a framework for them onyour device means Apple can
offer really smart AI featureswithout sending your personal
stuff to the cloud constantly.
Allan (06:00):
Ah, the privacy angle.
Ida (06:01):
Exactly, it's a big differentiator Plus for
developers.
Xcode 26 is getting LLM supportbuilt in, like ChatGPT, to help
with coding testing.
That's a big productivity boost.
Allan (06:11):
So AI for us users and AI to help build the apps Makes
sense.
Ida (06:15):
Pretty comprehensive.
Now.
Most of this AI stuff is comingthis fall, but Siri's big
upgrade Apparently still delayed.
Maybe spring 2026.
They're tweaking the quality.
Allan (06:25):
Oh Siri, Always the bridesmaid.
Ida (06:27):
Yeah, but when it does arrive, it's supposed to be much
smarter.
Understand your personalcontext emails, messages, files,
recognize what's on your screento take action.
Integrate deeper with apps.
Allan (06:39):
Like asking where's that recipe Eric sent, and it
actually knows.
Ida (06:43):
That's the dream a Siri that actually works for you.
Allan (06:45):
Right that I could get behind.
So, with liquid glass settingthe visual tone and Apple
intelligence adding the smarts,let's get practical.
What does this mean for yourphone, your watch, your Mac?
This fall?
Give us the highlights.
Ida (06:58):
Okay, let's run through it For iOS 26,.
Besides the new look and AI,there's a real focus on like
communication control.
Allan (07:04):
Oh so.
Ida (07:05):
Features like call screening, hold assist, message
filtering Feels like Apple'strying to help you manage the
digital noise.
Fight spam.
Smarter, Plus polls andmessages, custom chat
backgrounds.
You know the fun stuff.
Carplay gets cleaner too, lessdistracting, and this is clever.
An AI-powered adaptive powermode learns your habits to
(07:25):
stretch battery life.
Allan (07:26):
A personalized power saver Actually sounds useful.
What about the Watch OS 26?
Ida (07:30):
Liquid glass comes to the watch face, naturally Redesigned
workout app smarter, smartstack.
But the headline act WorkoutBuddy.
Allan (07:38):
Workout Buddy yeah.
Ida (07:40):
First of its kind, fitness companion uses your deity and
voice motivation.
Allan (07:44):
Wait, my watch is going to cheer me on.
Ida (07:45):
Apparently Like personalized encouragement
during a run.
It's bold Leaning into AI foremotional support, almost Huh.
Allan (07:54):
Okay.
Is that something peopleactually want, though, or could
it be annoying?
Ida (07:58):
Fair question.
Success depends entirely on howwell it's personalized right,
not intrusive.
It's definitely an experiment.
Could be amazing, could be agimmick.
We'll see Also on watchOS, livetranslation and messages.
Finally, a notes app and a newwrist flick gesture to dismiss
notifications.
Allan (08:12):
Okay, what about the big screen tvOS 26.
Ida (08:16):
Liquid Glass makes the Apple TV app feel more cinematic
better profile switching,easier logins using your Apple
account and they're enhancingApple Music Sing you can use
your iPhone as a karaoke mic nowwith real-time lyrics Plus
FaceTime gets contact posters.
Allan (08:31):
Karaoke night just got serious.
And for the early adopters,with Vision OS 26.
Ida (08:36):
Right For Vision Pro users.
Spatial widgets become fullycustomizable, anchored in your
space.
Spatial photos get morelifelike depth using generative
AI and personas your avatargetting super realistic
rendering.
Allan (08:49):
How realistic are we talking?
Ida (08:50):
Like highly detailed individual hairs, over a
thousand glasses options.
The goal is making your digitalself feel uncannily real, Plus
sharing spatial experiences.
Multiplayer gaming support withPlayStation VR 2 controllers.
Allan (09:02):
Okay, bringing it all together and finally the Mac,
Mac OS 26 Tahoe.
How does liquid glass landthere?
Ida (09:08):
Mac gets the liquid glass treatment too, translucent
materials, refined dock,customizable folder colors.
But the practical stuff isprobably the expanded continuity
A new phone app on Mac.
See your recent calls,voicemail, use, call screening
and live activities from youriPhone pop up in the Mac menu
bar.
It's all about making thedevices feel even more connected
.
Allan (09:28):
Seamlessness.
Ida (09:29):
Exactly, spotlight Search gets a major boost to smarter
filtering.
Direct actions makes it muchmore of a central hub and of
course, the AI features likeGenmoji and Image Playground
arrive, plus tools to, say, pullaction items from notes or
auto-sort reminders.
Allan (09:44):
And anything for the gamers.
Ida (09:46):
Yeah, a new Apple Games app , probably replacing Game Center
.
Better game discovery andoverlay for in-game settings,
but the big news for performanceis Metal 4.
Allan (09:55):
Apple's graphics tech.
Ida (09:57):
Right.
Big upgrade Means developerscan push harder.
Smoother visuals, faster framerates Good news for high-end
games like Crimson Desert,cyberpunk 2077 really shows
Apple's serious about Mac gaming.
Allan (10:08):
Good to hear Any other quick hits for MacOS.
Ida (10:11):
Significant accessibility updates vehicle motion cues,
magnifier via continuity camera,much faster personal voice
creation.
Heads up, though.
Tahoe is probably the lastversion to support some Intel
Macs and keep an ear out forCharismatic, a new OS rumored
for smart home hubs.
Allan (10:28):
Yeah, okay, wow, that is a ton of updates across the
board.
Yeah, despite all this newstuff, I keep hearing this
rumbling online, especiallyabout macOS, like a feeling it's
lagging.
What's that all about?
Ida (10:40):
Yeah, it's a real counter-narrative.
You see, especially on placeslike Reddit, people asking has
macOS development stagnated?
A lot of users feel the yearlyupdates aren't adding real value
.
Allan (10:50):
Just shiny looks, maybe even with liquid glass coming.
Ida (10:53):
Exactly, or features they see as gimmicks, like desktop
widgets or a stage manager,although you know some people
actually love stage managers.
Allan (11:00):
Right, it's divisive, yeah, but the biggest complaint
seems to be window management.
Ida (11:04):
Oh yeah, Loud and clear.
People call it the worst out ofany desktop OS by far.
It's why so many install thirdparty apps like Magnet or
Rectangle just for basic windowsnapping.
Allan (11:22):
It is kind of funny, isn't it?
Apple the design king and basicwindow management is a pain
point.
Ida (11:25):
That thing where full screening an app throws it into
a new space, drives people crazy, messes up their whole workflow
.
It feels like a fundamentalmiss.
Allan (11:30):
Sometimes and it's not just that right.
Ida (11:32):
Other gripes yeah, bugs are mentioned a lot.
Crashes with external monitors,finder quirks, memory leaks, ui
inconsistencies is anothercommon one.
The Settings app gets hammeredfor feeling like a clunky iPad
port.
Allan (11:46):
Ah, the Settings app transition yeah.
Ida (11:49):
Even the Calculator app gets called out for being
unacceptable with its currencyconversion, and some bring up
planned aging, feeling likeApple cuts off perfectly good
hardware from updates too soon.
Yeah.
Allan (11:59):
So a feeling Apple's maybe coasting or just following
trends, not innovating likethey used to?
Ida (12:04):
That sentiment is definitely out there, but and
this is where it gets reallyinteresting there's a strong
counter argument.
Allan (12:11):
From the engineering side .
Ida (12:12):
Exactly the argument is Apple has been innovating, just
maybe under the hood, in waysyou don't immediately see.
Allan (12:17):
Like the Apple Silicon transition.
Ida (12:19):
Precisely Moving to their own chips, arm-based, and making
Rosetta 2 work so seamlesslythat old Intel apps often run
better.
That was, frankly, miraculousengineering, but because it just
worked, many users didn't graspthe scale of the achievement.
Allan (12:35):
Good point, it was almost invisible.
Ida (12:36):
Right or the new file system APFS.
Features like zero copy forefficiency, better security with
read-only system volumesSignificant stuff, but not
flashy features.
Allan (12:48):
So for you, the longtime Mac user, maybe it's this
tension.
You want stability and polish,but also new cool stuff.
Some people point back to SnowLeopard, right, the release that
was all about refinement.
Ida (12:59):
Yeah exactly, macOS is mature.
Does it need new baubles everyyear or does it need rock rock
solid stability and bug fixes?
It's that classic fight betweenvisible features and
foundational work.
Allan (13:10):
A real dilemma.
Ok, let's zoom out again fromsoftware debates to the physical
reality.
How does all this stuffactually get made?
Let's unpack that Design inCalifornia, assembled in China,
line.
Ida (13:20):
Right, that phrase really defined Apple manufacturing.
For what a decade plus, Chinabecame the world's electronics
factory, and Apple was a hugepart of that.
Allan (13:28):
And the shift was massive , wasn't it Like, early on,
assembly was cheap per phone.
Ida (13:32):
Yeah, back in 2009, final assembly in China cost maybe
$6.50 per iPhone Tiny amount,but fast forward to 2018, and
Apple was sourcing componentsworth $104 per iPhone directly
from China.
Huge investment in Chinesefactories shows how deep that
integration went.
Allan (13:50):
OK, but recently we hear all this talk about China plus
one yeah, companies diversifying, moving some production
elsewhere India, vietnam, mexico.
Ida (14:00):
There's definitely been a lot of talk and those countries
are certainly eager for thebusiness.
Allan (14:04):
But how much is actually happening?
Yeah, is Apple really pullingout of China in a big way?
Ida (14:07):
Well, the analysis suggests the shift is maybe more limited
than headlines might suggest.
Ah Sure, there are increaseselsewhere.
You see some iPhone assemblymoving to India, airpods being
made in Vietnam, but the vastmajority of Apple's supply chain
is still deeply rooted in China.
Allan (14:25):
So this raises a key question for anyone buying these
products who's actually makingthe money here?
If assembly is cheap, where'sthe real value?
Ida (14:31):
That's the crucial point.
Final assembly is maybe $10 ona $1,000 phone Peanuts.
Most of the profit, the value,goes to companies making the
complex high-tech bits,semiconductors, displays and of
course to Apple itself for thedesign, brand and sales.
Allan (14:46):
Okay.
So if we break down the supplychain, lower-tech stuff versus
high-tech stuff, where doChinese firms fit in?
Ida (14:53):
Right In the lower value segments, chinese firms have
made huge inroads commoditymetals like aluminum They've
pretty much replaced Westernsuppliers.
Precision manufacturing thingslike the metal frames, camera
housings that's seen a massiveshift.
But 2023, almost all of thatwas happening in China, mostly
by Chinese-owned firms.
Allan (15:12):
O' Okay, dominating the lower value end, but what about
the really high value complexcomponents, the brains of the
device?
Ida (15:19):
That's where it's different .
For those higher tech, highermargin parts.
Non-chinese firms from the US,Japan, Taiwan are still very
dominant, even if theirfactories are physically in
China.
Take batteries Over half thesourcing locations are in China.
Yeah, but more firms supplyingbatteries are actually
non-Chinese Taiwanese, SouthKorean, German.
Looks like Apple deliberatelydiversified its battery
(15:40):
suppliers.
Allan (15:41):
Interesting and semiconductors the chips
diversified its batterysuppliers.
Interesting and semiconductorsthe chips.
Ida (15:43):
That's maybe the highest value part.
Only four out of over 30 Applechip suppliers are Chinese.
The vast majority 63%, are USheadquartered.
Allan (15:52):
Wow.
Ida (15:53):
Same story with printed circuit boards, pcbs.
Most factories are in China,sure, but an incredible 88% of
the companies supplying Apple'sPCBs are Taiwanese.
Allan (16:02):
So it's way more nuanced than just made in China.
It's about who owns the techand the value, even if the
factory is there.
What about bigger forces,politics, sustainability?
Ida (16:12):
Yeah, geopolitics definitely plays a part.
Us tariffs, general tensionsthey are pushing diversification
faster, but at the same time,beijing is likely pressuring
Apple to keep buying fromChinese factories where possible
.
It's a balancing actSustainability.
Allan (16:27):
Apple talks about that a lot.
Ida (16:28):
They do Big goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.
Lots of initiatives aroundrecycling, renewables, less
packaging.
So you've got this complex mixeconomic reality, political
pressure and Apple's owncorporate value, shaping where
and how your iPhone gets made.
Allan (16:44):
Absolutely what a journey We've gone from, you know, the
sleek metal iPhone 17 Pro, theAR glasses vision, through this
whole liquid glass softwareworld and Apple intelligence,
and then, right behind thecurtain, to the global supply
chain dance.
Ida (16:58):
It really shows Apple pushing hard on so many fronts
right Building this cohesive,smart ecosystem.
But then you have those realuser frustrations, like the
macOS debates, showing thattension between shiny new
features and just wanting thingsto work well and the supply
chain stuff just reveals howcomplex and interconnected
everything is hidden behind thatsimple device in your hand.
Allan (17:18):
Which brings us to a final thought for you to chew on
.
As Apple pushes for thisunified liquid glass future
powered by Apple intelligence,can they actually bridge that
gap, the gap between the amazinginnovation, the sometimes
frustrating user experience andthe messy global reality of
manufacturing?
Can they really deliver afuture that's seamless, loved
(17:41):
and truly accessible foreveryone?
Ida (17:43):
That's definitely the big question, isn't it Something to
watch as all this tech keepsevolving?
Allan (17:47):
Thanks for joining us on this deep drive.
We'll catch you next time.
Welcome to the Deep Dive.
We're here to you know.
Cut to the noise and really getto the core of what's happening
in tech.
Ida (00:06):
Yeah, straight to the good stuff.
Allan (00:07):
And today we're plunging right into Apple.
There's always a buzz, right,yeah, but we're looking beyond
just the shiny new gadgets.
We're exploring how thesethings actually get made.
It's this like world of amazinginnovation, but also surprising
challenges, these deep globallinks.
Ida (00:26):
Absolutely, and our job today is basically to give you
the shortcut you know, help youget properly informed, find
those aha moments, so you reallyget the tech you use every
single day.
Allan (00:35):
Right.
Ida (00:36):
We've pulled together insights from well all over
leaked reports on the iPhone 17Pro, the big WWDC 2025
announcements, new OS stuff, ai,a deep look at Apple's whole
manufacturing game and even somepretty heated online debates
about macOS.
Allan (00:53):
OK, so we're cutting through the jargon, getting you
the key takeaways.
Let's, let's unpack this,starting with what might be
coming to your hand, maybe evenyour face, eventually.
Ida (01:02):
Sounds good.
Yeah, let's start with hardware, the future stuff, iphone 17
Pro specifically.
The latest leaks are pointingto a well, a pretty striking
redesign.
Allan (01:13):
Okay.
Ida (01:13):
For both the 17 Pro and the 17 Pro Max.
Expected launch probably aroundFriday, September 19th.
Allan (01:20):
And what's this about?
A big material change.
I heard something metal.
Ida (01:26):
Yeah, that's the really interesting bit.
Reports say they're moving to ametal chassis, metal camera
surrounds, metal camera paneleven.
Allan (01:31):
Wow, so that's quite different from the glass on the
16 Pro right.
What's behind that?
Just looks, or is it durability, maybe something else?
Ida (01:41):
It's probably a mix.
You know, durability isdefinitely part of it,
especially for the camera bumpthat gets knocked around.
It's true.
But it could also be about thatpremium feel, moving away from
the all glass which, let's behonest, felt a bit fragile
sometimes.
What's also interesting is thiscontinued push for eSIM only
designs getting more common.
Right, but not everywhere, Iheard, Exactly, and here's where
it gets kind of wild.
Reports where it gets kind ofwild.
(02:01):
Reports claim different metalcovered battery shapes depending
on where you buy the phone.
Allan (02:05):
Like different shapes.
Ida (02:06):
Yeah, like L-shaped for the models that still have a
physical SIM slot andrectangular for the eSIM only
ones.
Imagine custom fit batteriesfor different regions.
That's pretty detailedcustomization.
Allan (02:18):
Custom fit batteries.
Okay, that is unexpected, butApple's clearly thinking bigger
than just phones.
This whole augmented realitything, the long game what's the
real strategy there?
Ida (02:27):
Oh, it's definitely a long game, Super ambitious.
You look at Ming-Chi Kuo'sroadmap the Analyst.
He's mapping out like seven newAR or wearable products in just
the next few years Seven yeah.
And the key thing seems to bethis tiered approach Different
products for different people,so a vision headset family, this
tiered approach differentproducts for different people,
so a Vision headset family kindof.
Allan (02:45):
what does that look like?
Ida (02:46):
Well, first up, probably Q3 2025, there's a minor update,
the M5 Vision Pro, mostly just achip upgrade.
You know, keep it premium.
Allan (02:54):
Standard refresh.
Ida (02:55):
Right, but the big one, the one aimed at, like everyone,
that's the Visionaire slated forQ3 2027.
Allan (03:01):
Visionaire.
Okay, that sounds like theirattempt to make this stuff
mainstream.
Ida (03:04):
Exactly.
It's expected to be way lighter, maybe 40% less than the
current Vision Pro Wow.
Allan (03:10):
Built with cheaper materials plastic, magnesium
alloy not the fancy titanium andglass, powered by a top-end
iPhone chip, fewer sensors it'stheir direct shot at MetaQuest,
really trying to bring spatialcomputing to more people make it
comfy, make it more affordable,makes sense.
Ida (03:25):
And for the pros.
Allan (03:25):
They get an upgrade too.
Second gen Vision Pro, probablysecond half of 2028.
New design, lighter, still Maclevel power, maybe even a lower
price.
Ida (03:35):
So yeah, definitely distinct lines there.
But what about something lessheadset-y, like smart glasses?
Allan (03:41):
Yep, they're on it First gen Apple glasses projected for
Q2 2027.
Think of them as Apple's takeon those meta-ray bands.
Features like voice and gesturecontrol, taking photos videos
discreetly, some AI smarts forsensing your environment, audio,
probably through AirPods.
And you know Apple multipleframe styles that signature
polish.
Ida (04:01):
Right.
Allan (04:01):
We might see a couple more XR glasses with actual
displays later, maybe 2028.
Though one project like atethered display for your Mac or
iPhone apparently got pausedToo heavy, hmm.
So the big picture here istrying to take this from niche
tech to something lots of peopleuse.
Ida (04:17):
Totally.
The belief is Apple jumping incould push the whole smart
glasses market past 10 millionunits shipped in 2027, turning
it from a curiosity into a realtrend.
Apple might not be first, butthey often aim to be the ones
who get it right for themainstream.
Allan (04:33):
Okay, so we've got this future hardware picture phones,
headsets, glasses but you know,hardware is nothing without the
software, right?
How is Apple changing theactual experience?
Let's get into that big WWDC2025 software stuff.
Ida (04:46):
Yeah, this is massive.
It's called Liquid Glass andit's not just a facelift.
It's Apple's biggest designshift since iOS 7.
The goal seems to be a trulyunified spatial computing
experience across everything.
Allan (04:57):
Unified.
So Liquid Glass isn't just forthe iPhone, then?
Ida (05:00):
Nope, not at all.
It's coming to iOS, ipados,macos, watchos, tvos the whole
family.
Think about your apps, yourinterface, not just looking the
same but feeling like theybelong together, flowing
smoothly whether it's on yourwatch or a vision pro, blurring
the lines between the systems.
They're even dropping versionnumbers for years, like MacOS 26
, ios 26, just to make it allfeel consistent.
Allan (05:23):
And AI.
There had to be AI right AppleIntelligence.
Ida (05:26):
Of course, wwdc brought Apple Intelligence System-wide
AI features.
You've got live translation,visual intelligence, stuff,
better image playground.
Allan (05:34):
Okay, standard AI upgrades.
Ida (05:36):
Well, yes and no.
The really key detail is thisfoundation models framework for
on-device large language models.
Allan (05:44):
Right, break that down.
What does on-device really meanfor me and for developers?
Ida (05:48):
So Foundation Models are like those big AI brains
pre-trained.
Putting a framework for them onyour device means Apple can
offer really smart AI featureswithout sending your personal
stuff to the cloud constantly.
Allan (06:00):
Ah, the privacy angle.
Ida (06:01):
Exactly, it's a big differentiator Plus for
developers.
Xcode 26 is getting LLM supportbuilt in, like ChatGPT, to help
with coding testing.
That's a big productivity boost.
Allan (06:11):
So AI for us users and AI to help build the apps Makes
sense.
Ida (06:15):
Pretty comprehensive.
Now.
Most of this AI stuff is comingthis fall, but Siri's big
upgrade Apparently still delayed.
Maybe spring 2026.
They're tweaking the quality.
Allan (06:25):
Oh Siri, Always the bridesmaid.
Ida (06:27):
Yeah, but when it does arrive, it's supposed to be much
smarter.
Understand your personalcontext emails, messages, files,
recognize what's on your screento take action.
Integrate deeper with apps.
Allan (06:39):
Like asking where's that recipe Eric sent, and it
actually knows.
Ida (06:43):
That's the dream a Siri that actually works for you.
Allan (06:45):
Right that I could get behind.
So, with liquid glass settingthe visual tone and Apple
intelligence adding the smarts,let's get practical.
What does this mean for yourphone, your watch, your Mac?
This fall?
Give us the highlights.
Ida (06:58):
Okay, let's run through it For iOS 26,.
Besides the new look and AI,there's a real focus on like
communication control.
Allan (07:04):
Oh so.
Ida (07:05):
Features like call screening, hold assist, message
filtering Feels like Apple'strying to help you manage the
digital noise.
Fight spam.
Smarter, Plus polls andmessages, custom chat
backgrounds.
You know the fun stuff.
Carplay gets cleaner too, lessdistracting, and this is clever.
An AI-powered adaptive powermode learns your habits to
(07:25):
stretch battery life.
Allan (07:26):
A personalized power saver Actually sounds useful.
What about the Watch OS 26?
Ida (07:30):
Liquid glass comes to the watch face, naturally Redesigned
workout app smarter, smartstack.
But the headline act WorkoutBuddy.
Allan (07:38):
Workout Buddy yeah.
Ida (07:40):
First of its kind, fitness companion uses your deity and
voice motivation.
Allan (07:44):
Wait, my watch is going to cheer me on.
Ida (07:45):
Apparently Like personalized encouragement
during a run.
It's bold Leaning into AI foremotional support, almost Huh.
Allan (07:54):
Okay.
Is that something peopleactually want, though, or could
it be annoying?
Ida (07:58):
Fair question.
Success depends entirely on howwell it's personalized right,
not intrusive.
It's definitely an experiment.
Could be amazing, could be agimmick.
We'll see Also on watchOS, livetranslation and messages.
Finally, a notes app and a newwrist flick gesture to dismiss
notifications.
Allan (08:12):
Okay, what about the big screen tvOS 26.
Ida (08:16):
Liquid Glass makes the Apple TV app feel more cinematic
better profile switching,easier logins using your Apple
account and they're enhancingApple Music Sing you can use
your iPhone as a karaoke mic nowwith real-time lyrics Plus
FaceTime gets contact posters.
Allan (08:31):
Karaoke night just got serious.
And for the early adopters,with Vision OS 26.
Ida (08:36):
Right For Vision Pro users.
Spatial widgets become fullycustomizable, anchored in your
space.
Spatial photos get morelifelike depth using generative
AI and personas your avatargetting super realistic
rendering.
Allan (08:49):
How realistic are we talking?
Ida (08:50):
Like highly detailed individual hairs, over a
thousand glasses options.
The goal is making your digitalself feel uncannily real, Plus
sharing spatial experiences.
Multiplayer gaming support withPlayStation VR 2 controllers.
Allan (09:02):
Okay, bringing it all together and finally the Mac,
Mac OS 26 Tahoe.
How does liquid glass landthere?
Ida (09:08):
Mac gets the liquid glass treatment too, translucent
materials, refined dock,customizable folder colors.
But the practical stuff isprobably the expanded continuity
A new phone app on Mac.
See your recent calls,voicemail, use, call screening
and live activities from youriPhone pop up in the Mac menu
bar.
It's all about making thedevices feel even more connected
.
Allan (09:28):
Seamlessness.
Ida (09:29):
Exactly, spotlight Search gets a major boost to smarter
filtering.
Direct actions makes it muchmore of a central hub and of
course, the AI features likeGenmoji and Image Playground
arrive, plus tools to, say, pullaction items from notes or
auto-sort reminders.
Allan (09:44):
And anything for the gamers.
Ida (09:46):
Yeah, a new Apple Games app , probably replacing Game Center
.
Better game discovery andoverlay for in-game settings,
but the big news for performanceis Metal 4.
Allan (09:55):
Apple's graphics tech.
Ida (09:57):
Right.
Big upgrade Means developerscan push harder.
Smoother visuals, faster framerates Good news for high-end
games like Crimson Desert,cyberpunk 2077 really shows
Apple's serious about Mac gaming.
Allan (10:08):
Good to hear Any other quick hits for MacOS.
Ida (10:11):
Significant accessibility updates vehicle motion cues,
magnifier via continuity camera,much faster personal voice
creation.
Heads up, though.
Tahoe is probably the lastversion to support some Intel
Macs and keep an ear out forCharismatic, a new OS rumored
for smart home hubs.
Allan (10:28):
Yeah, okay, wow, that is a ton of updates across the
board.
Yeah, despite all this newstuff, I keep hearing this
rumbling online, especiallyabout macOS, like a feeling it's
lagging.
What's that all about?
Ida (10:40):
Yeah, it's a real counter-narrative.
You see, especially on placeslike Reddit, people asking has
macOS development stagnated?
A lot of users feel the yearlyupdates aren't adding real value
.
Allan (10:50):
Just shiny looks, maybe even with liquid glass coming.
Ida (10:53):
Exactly, or features they see as gimmicks, like desktop
widgets or a stage manager,although you know some people
actually love stage managers.
Allan (11:00):
Right, it's divisive, yeah, but the biggest complaint
seems to be window management.
Ida (11:04):
Oh yeah, Loud and clear.
People call it the worst out ofany desktop OS by far.
It's why so many install thirdparty apps like Magnet or
Rectangle just for basic windowsnapping.
Allan (11:22):
It is kind of funny, isn't it?
Apple the design king and basicwindow management is a pain
point.
Ida (11:25):
That thing where full screening an app throws it into
a new space, drives people crazy, messes up their whole workflow
.
It feels like a fundamentalmiss.
Allan (11:30):
Sometimes and it's not just that right.
Ida (11:32):
Other gripes yeah, bugs are mentioned a lot.
Crashes with external monitors,finder quirks, memory leaks, ui
inconsistencies is anothercommon one.
The Settings app gets hammeredfor feeling like a clunky iPad
port.
Allan (11:46):
Ah, the Settings app transition yeah.
Ida (11:49):
Even the Calculator app gets called out for being
unacceptable with its currencyconversion, and some bring up
planned aging, feeling likeApple cuts off perfectly good
hardware from updates too soon.
Yeah.
Allan (11:59):
So a feeling Apple's maybe coasting or just following
trends, not innovating likethey used to?
Ida (12:04):
That sentiment is definitely out there, but and
this is where it gets reallyinteresting there's a strong
counter argument.
Allan (12:11):
From the engineering side .
Ida (12:12):
Exactly the argument is Apple has been innovating, just
maybe under the hood, in waysyou don't immediately see.
Allan (12:17):
Like the Apple Silicon transition.
Ida (12:19):
Precisely Moving to their own chips, arm-based, and making
Rosetta 2 work so seamlesslythat old Intel apps often run
better.
That was, frankly, miraculousengineering, but because it just
worked, many users didn't graspthe scale of the achievement.
Allan (12:35):
Good point, it was almost invisible.
Ida (12:36):
Right or the new file system APFS.
Features like zero copy forefficiency, better security with
read-only system volumesSignificant stuff, but not
flashy features.
Allan (12:48):
So for you, the longtime Mac user, maybe it's this
tension.
You want stability and polish,but also new cool stuff.
Some people point back to SnowLeopard, right, the release that
was all about refinement.
Ida (12:59):
Yeah exactly, macOS is mature.
Does it need new baubles everyyear or does it need rock rock
solid stability and bug fixes?
It's that classic fight betweenvisible features and
foundational work.
Allan (13:10):
A real dilemma.
Ok, let's zoom out again fromsoftware debates to the physical
reality.
How does all this stuffactually get made?
Let's unpack that Design inCalifornia, assembled in China,
line.
Ida (13:20):
Right, that phrase really defined Apple manufacturing.
For what a decade plus, Chinabecame the world's electronics
factory, and Apple was a hugepart of that.
Allan (13:28):
And the shift was massive , wasn't it Like, early on,
assembly was cheap per phone.
Ida (13:32):
Yeah, back in 2009, final assembly in China cost maybe
$6.50 per iPhone Tiny amount,but fast forward to 2018, and
Apple was sourcing componentsworth $104 per iPhone directly
from China.
Huge investment in Chinesefactories shows how deep that
integration went.
Allan (13:50):
OK, but recently we hear all this talk about China plus
one yeah, companies diversifying, moving some production
elsewhere India, vietnam, mexico.
Ida (14:00):
There's definitely been a lot of talk and those countries
are certainly eager for thebusiness.
Allan (14:04):
But how much is actually happening?
Yeah, is Apple really pullingout of China in a big way?
Ida (14:07):
Well, the analysis suggests the shift is maybe more limited
than headlines might suggest.
Ah Sure, there are increaseselsewhere.
You see some iPhone assemblymoving to India, airpods being
made in Vietnam, but the vastmajority of Apple's supply chain
is still deeply rooted in China.
Allan (14:25):
So this raises a key question for anyone buying these
products who's actually makingthe money here?
If assembly is cheap, where'sthe real value?
Ida (14:31):
That's the crucial point.
Final assembly is maybe $10 ona $1,000 phone Peanuts.
Most of the profit, the value,goes to companies making the
complex high-tech bits,semiconductors, displays and of
course to Apple itself for thedesign, brand and sales.
Allan (14:46):
Okay.
So if we break down the supplychain, lower-tech stuff versus
high-tech stuff, where doChinese firms fit in?
Ida (14:53):
Right In the lower value segments, chinese firms have
made huge inroads commoditymetals like aluminum They've
pretty much replaced Westernsuppliers.
Precision manufacturing thingslike the metal frames, camera
housings that's seen a massiveshift.
But 2023, almost all of thatwas happening in China, mostly
by Chinese-owned firms.
Allan (15:12):
O' Okay, dominating the lower value end, but what about
the really high value complexcomponents, the brains of the
device?
Ida (15:19):
That's where it's different .
For those higher tech, highermargin parts.
Non-chinese firms from the US,Japan, Taiwan are still very
dominant, even if theirfactories are physically in
China.
Take batteries Over half thesourcing locations are in China.
Yeah, but more firms supplyingbatteries are actually
non-Chinese Taiwanese, SouthKorean, German.
Looks like Apple deliberatelydiversified its battery
(15:40):
suppliers.
Allan (15:41):
Interesting and semiconductors the chips
diversified its batterysuppliers.
Interesting and semiconductorsthe chips.
Ida (15:43):
That's maybe the highest value part.
Only four out of over 30 Applechip suppliers are Chinese.
The vast majority 63%, are USheadquartered.
Allan (15:52):
Wow.
Ida (15:53):
Same story with printed circuit boards, pcbs.
Most factories are in China,sure, but an incredible 88% of
the companies supplying Apple'sPCBs are Taiwanese.
Allan (16:02):
So it's way more nuanced than just made in China.
It's about who owns the techand the value, even if the
factory is there.
What about bigger forces,politics, sustainability?
Ida (16:12):
Yeah, geopolitics definitely plays a part.
Us tariffs, general tensionsthey are pushing diversification
faster, but at the same time,beijing is likely pressuring
Apple to keep buying fromChinese factories where possible
.
It's a balancing actSustainability.
Allan (16:27):
Apple talks about that a lot.
Ida (16:28):
They do Big goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.
Lots of initiatives aroundrecycling, renewables, less
packaging.
So you've got this complex mixeconomic reality, political
pressure and Apple's owncorporate value, shaping where
and how your iPhone gets made.
Allan (16:44):
Absolutely what a journey We've gone from, you know, the
sleek metal iPhone 17 Pro, theAR glasses vision, through this
whole liquid glass softwareworld and Apple intelligence,
and then, right behind thecurtain, to the global supply
chain dance.
Ida (16:58):
It really shows Apple pushing hard on so many fronts
right Building this cohesive,smart ecosystem.
But then you have those realuser frustrations, like the
macOS debates, showing thattension between shiny new
features and just wanting thingsto work well and the supply
chain stuff just reveals howcomplex and interconnected
everything is hidden behind thatsimple device in your hand.
Allan (17:18):
Which brings us to a final thought for you to chew on
.
As Apple pushes for thisunified liquid glass future
powered by Apple intelligence,can they actually bridge that
gap, the gap between the amazinginnovation, the sometimes
frustrating user experience andthe messy global reality of
manufacturing?
Can they really deliver afuture that's seamless, loved
(17:41):
and truly accessible foreveryone?
Ida (17:43):
That's definitely the big question, isn't it Something to
watch as all this tech keepsevolving?
Allan (17:47):
Thanks for joining us on this deep drive.
We'll catch you next time.
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