Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes a potential iPhone 15 delay, a new iPhone 15 Pro battery, stunning iPhone camera zoom, Apple’s massive iMac plan, why Apple Maps needs work, App Store appeal process continues, and this year’s most expensive iPhone.

1. iPhone 15 Faces Curious Delay

Will Apple’s iPhone 15 face a delay? It may not feel like it to consumers, but those watching Apple’s quarterly results should be aware. The suggestion of a delayed launch into October comes from BoA analyst Wamsi Mohan. It’s worth noting that Apple’s September events generally don’t see hardware go on sale until much later in September, so a week’s delay would fit this suggestion; although Mohan points out this would remove a lot of unit sales from Apple’s Q3 figures.

Source: MacRumors

2. Apple’s New iPhone Battery

Given indications that Samsung will bring “stacked battery technology” to the next Galaxy S handsets, it should be no surprise that Apple is looking at the same principle for the iPhone 15 family. Stacked batteries offer higher capacities, faster charging, and longer overall life in the battery; all features that smartphone developers welcome.

Source: Apple Insider

3. Zoom In On The iPhone 16

Apple’s move to use a periscope-styled lens system in the iPhone Pro cameras looks set to offer a massive upgrade for the iPhone 16, with a “super/ultra” branded telephoto lens with a focal length over 300mm being developed. This should offer more optical magnification to be offered, an option many will feel is worth waiting for.

Source: MacRumors

4. Apple’s iMac Plans Teased

Apple is preparing to bring a larger iMac to desktops, although this may not happen until 2024. That date suggests it will debut with the next-generation M3 silicon, offering more power than the current models… alongside a massive 32-inch display. Much like the wait for the 15-inch MacBook Air, Apple is taking its time to deliver what its supporters want.

Source: MacRumors

5. Apple Map Still Needs Work

It stands out as one of the poorest apps Apple launched, but since the embarrassment of the 2012 presentation, Maps has been developed and improved. More than ten years later, the majority of iPhones still have Google Maps installed, although this is not discouraging Apple’s mapping efforts.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, via MacRumors

6. App Store Payment Appeal Is Stayed

This week, the legal process around Apple’s “anti-steering rules” which prevents app developers from pointing users to alternative payment paths outside of Apple’s App Store has taken another step. The Appeal Court’s ruling that allowed developers to point to third-party services has been stayed as Apple waits to see if the US Supreme Court will hear the case.

Source: The Verge

7. And Finally…

Would you pay $190,000 for an iPhone? What if it was from 2007? Someone did just that this week, with an original 4GB iPhone sold at auction by LCG. LCG described the phone as a “holy grail” among iPhone collectors due to its extreme scarcity. It is uncommon to find a first-generation iPhone with no damage to its display or broken buttons. The auction website notes that the consignor was part of the original engineering team at Apple when the iPhone first launched.

Source: The Guardian