Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from across the Apple world, including iPhone Duo release dates, Important iOS updates, iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture, Chinese sales success, new MacBook Pro thoughts, incoming iPad models, and repairing the AirPods 5.

Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes .

Your Important iPhone Duo Dates

Unlike the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which arrived on schedule after Apple’s traditional September launch, the foldable iPhone Duo was scheduled to arrive in October. Forbes contributor David Phelan takes a closer look at the important dates, from pre:-orders and registrations to reviews and releases:

“I think Apple will want to get the Duo into journalists’ hands earlier if it can, to allow the interest-generating reviews to appear on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The embargo for reviews usually lifts at the same time of day as pre-orders open, that is, 5 a.m. Pacific, 8 a.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. BST. It means that readers on the west coast of the U.S. can read reviews from around the world from very early in the day.

Security Patches For The Old And New iOS Updates

Apple’s latest security update covers not only the recently released iOS 27, but also the previous iOS 26. Not everyone upgrades immediately (even though Apple’s default settings encourage it), so Apple includes both updates. David Phelan picks up to story :

“Apple’s notes are sparse for this release, merely saying “This update provides security fixes for your iPhone,” which is the bare minimum, really. Apple’s support page detailing the security content of iOS 26.7.1 reveals that there is a single security fix here — and the notes confirm there are no new features. That’s to be expected. Features will only be released for iOS 27 from now on.|

Testing The iPhone 18 Pro Variable Aperture

One of the key camera upgrades to the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max is a variable aperture. Apple has leaned heavily into its advantages, but does it matter in the real world? That’s a question many have been testing, and Forbes contributor Paul Monckton looks at the results :

“The iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture offers tangible improvements and new levels of creative control that make it a compelling upgrade for keen photographers while continuing Apple’s lead in video performance. However, with everyday shots, reviewers find results similar to the iPhone 17 Pro, photography site Fstoppers finding that the new flagship takes essentially the same photo as last year’s model in ordinary light.”

iPhone 18 Pro Finds Chinese Sales Success

In its first few days of release of the 18 and 18 Pro, Apple has seen sales of the iPhone family rise by 12 percent, according to research from Counterpoint. Apple hopes this trend continues through the final quarter of the year. Fiona Craig reports for Yahoo!Finance :

“iPhone 18 Pro series recorded a 12% year-on-year increase in China sales during its first week of availability, helping the company take the largest share of the country’s smartphone market… Apple accounted for 33% of smartphone sales in China during Week 38, covering September 14 to September 20, despite the iPhone 18 Pro series being available for only the final three days of the period.”

The New MacBooks Are Probably Coming

While not as regular as the iPhone’s September launch, more often than not October has seen a wave of new MacBooks announced by Apple, especially after the Apple Silicon M1 was released and Apple was firmly in control of its own chip supply. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman highlights the options on the new Power On podcast, as reported by MacRumors .

“Apple is testing the laptops with macOS 27.2, which is currently in beta, he added. The software update is expected to be released towards the end of October, so the touch-screen MacBook Pro models might be announced later this month. Other rumored features beyond an OLED touch screen include Apple’s existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a thinner design, and a Dynamic Island instead of a notch.”

MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris has taken a dive into the latest OS code from various Apple projects and spotted references to two upcoming iPad models: the iPad 8 Mini and the iPad 12 :

“There’s no low-cost ‌iPad‌ coming this year, but Apple is expected to refresh the iPad mini before the end of October. We discovered new details about the ‌iPad mini‌ just this morning. It will have an A20 Pro chip, a new speaker system, and a landscape front-facing camera. Prior rumors say it will feature an OLED display as the main upgrade.”

The iFixit teardown team have turned their attention to the latest Apple AirPods , and their sub-editor is having fun with the headlines around the improvements in the hardware (“AirPods 5 Are the Least Unrepairable AirPods Yet”) as the repairability score jumps from 0/10 to 2/10:

“Apple’s Self Service Repair program still doesn’t provide a repair path for these buds… But they’re not as disappointing as they could have been. The earbud batteries are possible to remove, and skilled technicians now have a better chance of keeping a pair alive. That earns the AirPods 5 2 out of 10 on our repairability scorecard, the highest score we’ve given AirPods.”

Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here , or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes .