Apple is expected to unveil its newest line-up of iPhones in less than four weeks' time. Expectedly, the internet's citizens are excited and speculating about what's to come.
Barring any major surprises, the company is set to hold its centrepiece event in the second week of next month, with most agreeing that September 9 is the date to bookmark.
Here's what we know about the next generation of Apple's flagship, likely to be called the iPhone 17. Apple does not comment on rumours or speculation.
What iPhones will be launched?
The talk: Since 2019, Apple has made it a point to release four devices – two base models and two Pro variants. That is rumoured to change this time.
The base iPhone 17 will still be there, design intact from its predecessor, although its screen might be bumped up from 6.1 inches (155mm) to 6.3 inches, which would bring it on par with the base Pro model.
The Pro and Pro Max variants, meanwhile, are expected to stay put at 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively. But the biggest design upgrade, purportedly, is that their camera block would stretch the entire width of their rear, with the flash, mic and light sensor to be placed on the right side.
Perhaps the most anticipated device this year is the long-speculated iPhone 17 Air, Apple's entry into the emerging slim-phone game. It is said to have a thickness of only 5.5mm, making it the thinnest iPhone ever, that would pip the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.
It is unclear what Apple would be adding and subtracting in terms of specs, but renderings are suggesting it will feature one camera, with a camera block also extending across its width.
Quick take: Apple introducing a new design is overdue, having stuck with practically the same formula for the past few years (and switching up camera lens arrangements).
And while we do, however, want the flat, iPhone 4-esque design reintroduced in the iPhone 12, building around this would bode well for mass appeal. For instance, if those extended camera blocks become a reality, it will have a fresher look.
Beyond that, it's also important to deliver on what's inside. Among those are better battery life and meaningful upgrades to Apple Intelligence.
How much will the new iPhones cost?
The talk: Apple will be raising the prices of the coming iPhone 17 models by $50, according to reports quoting analysts and tipsters.
While that would be a straight-up increase across the board, there's one outlier: it's been said that the iPhone 17 Pro – now possibly with a base cost of $1,049 – will be losing its 128GB option.
That means you'd get double the storage for only $50 more: the current 256GB version of the iPhone 16 Pro costs $1,099, meaning Apple would be giving more for less.
But a more important discussion: if this is true, Apple raising prices could be also due in part to the effect of US trade tariffs, in addition to new upgrades and manufacturing costs.
Quick take: This particular talking point is nothing new since it's basically omnipresent with each iPhone launch. The good news was that, in the past, Apple didn't frequently raise its prices. Even last year, with the introduction of Apple Intelligence, the company retained prices.
Historically, however, we may be due for an increase: the longest period for Apple not raising prices has been five years – or cycles, to be more precise – from 2012 to 2016, spanning the iPhone 5 and iPhone 7.
Last year was the fifth straight year of no increase, meaning Apple staying put on prices this year would be a record for the longest price maintenance streak.
Would it be coincidence that Apple will raise prices in the era of tariffs? That's unclear. What language Apple will use on any potential price rise is also of interest, taking into consideration report by The Wall Street Journal that the company will try to avoid linking any increases to the tariffs.
What other devices will be launched?
The talk: iPhones and Apple Watches have traditionally come hand-in-hand, so the Watch Series 11 could be launched next month. Also, new AirPods could be unveiled.
Two Apple Watches are on the radar: Series 11, which is said to feature a new high blood pressure detector and 5G cellular connectivity, and Watch Ultra 3, an update to Apple's rugged digital timepiece.
Quick take: From a hardware perspective, we're not expecting much from the new watches - although that blood pressure monitor would be an interesting and useful addition. We fully expect Apple to announce collaborations with some of the biggest health entities for developing this.
For the AirPods, while a token upgrade is due for the standard wireless buds, we're very much more interested in a new version of the AirPods Max; we feel that this audio device has somewhat been buried. It isn't forgotten though, because of its excellent music quality. So if there is, pound-for-pound, an Apple device really due for an upgrade, we're arguing this is it.
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The five pillars of Islam
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Blonde
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AIDA%20RETURNS
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THE%20SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 258hp at 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.4L/100km
Price, base: from D215,000 (Dh230,000 as tested)
On sale: now
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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