This week in The Proper Weekly, the iPhone 17 Pro could come with a MASSIVE feature, a key piece of tech might be missing from the iPhone Fold, and Apple's year continues to get worse thanks to its legal troubles.
Your next iPhone could also be your next Mac
An interesting rumour caught my eye this week — one that, if accurate, could mark one of the biggest shifts in iPhone functionality in years. Known leaker Majin Bu claims that iOS 19 will introduce some form of Stage Manager supportfor iPhone models with a USB-C port. If you’re unfamiliar, Stage Manager is an iPad feature that gives users more advanced multitasking capabilities, allowing multiple apps to run in resizable windows that you can quickly switch between.
While it works reasonably well on an iPad display, it was clearly designed with external monitors in mind — the idea being that you connect your iPad to something like a Studio Display and use it more like a traditional computer. It’s received mixed reviews since launch, but with iPadOS 19 rumoured to be giving Stage Manager a significant update, it makes sense that Apple might want to bring something similar to the iPhone.
How this would work in practice is still unclear. One of the iPad's core strengths with Stage Manager is the ability to use a trackpad or mouse, especially via the Magic Keyboard. That’s obviously not something iPhones support natively. So perhaps the idea is that you could use your iPhone normally during the day, then come home, plug it into a display via USB-C, and suddenly you're working from a scaled-up, desktop-style version of your iPhone, with a bluetooth connection to a mouse and keyboard.
It’s certainly plausible. Modern iPhones, especially the Pro models, are powerful enough to handle day-to-day computing tasks like web browsing, emails, and light productivity. That could make a secondary computer redundant for a lot of people, especially if the experience is smooth and intuitive.
Majin Bu’s track record is a bit hit and miss, so I wouldn’t mark your calendar just yet. But in a year where Apple will be keen to divert attention from the Apple Intelligence fumble and ongoing Siri delays, this could be a compelling feature to headline at WWDC in June. Time will tell.
Could the iPhone Fold LOSE this key tech?
While those of us in the tech world eagerly await the unveiling of the iPhone 17 range this September — especially the iPhone 17 Air, which has featured heavily in recent prototype leaks — eyes are already turning to next year’s big release: the iPhone 18. 2026 marks 20 years since Steve Jobs first unveiled the iPhone back in 2007, and it's thought Apple will mark the occasion by launching its most radical iPhone yet — a foldable model.
The idea of an iPhone Fold is nothing new. It’s been rumoured for years. But more concrete details are now starting to emerge, and while a lot of it is genuinely exciting, one particularly curious detail caught my eye this week: the iPhone Fold may not feature Face ID.
To understand why, it helps to visualise how a foldable iPhone would work. Closed, it looks like a regular iPhone. Open it up like a book, and you’ve got a square inner display. That inner screen — and the outer one — would obviously need security authentication, and the obvious solution would be Face ID.
But Apple’s engineering team are reportedly hitting some obstacles, particularly around the thinness of the device. Foldables, by their very nature, need to be thin — and Apple, who are already tipped to launch the thinnest iPhone ever later this year with the 17 Air, won’t want to take a step backward. Fitting the Face ID array inside both halves of an ultra-thin device just doesn’t look viable right now.
So what’s the workaround? Apparently, Apple is planning to bring back an old favourite: Touch ID, integrated into a button on the side of the device. Whether the phone is folded or opened, the sensor would offer secure authentication without needing two separate Face ID systems. It’s a practical solution, though it will feel like a technological step back for users who have grown used to just glancing at their device to unlock it.
Speaking from experience — as someone who owns both a Face ID-equipped M4 iPad Pro and a Touch ID-only iPad Mini — I regularly forget which device I’m holding and have to remind myself to tap the button on the Mini. It’s a small frustration, but one that will likely feel more pronounced on a flagship phone with a premium price tag.
Still, we’re likely a long way off from knowing for sure what the final iPhone Fold will look like. With it being the 20th anniversary edition, though, I’d be very surprised if Apple didn’t pull out all the stops. Here’s hoping that includes a little more innovation — and a little less compromise.
Enjoy tips videos, but struggle to remember it all?
You should check out my training portal, iPhone Essentials Plus!
It’s more than 100 lessons for the iPhone, covering every aspect of it, with each lesson containing a video, a step-by-step guide with screenshots, and a downloadable PDF.
Sound interesting? Check it out by clicking here, or tapping the image above.
Google Gemini x Apple Intelligence gets official
We got an especially interesting piece of news this week from Google CEO Sundar Pichai during his testimony in the antitrust trial the company is currently facing. In response to a question from Department of Justice lawyer Veronica Onyema, Pichai spoke about Google’s ongoing conversations with Apple — specifically around integrating Google Gemini with the iPhone.
He mentioned that he had met with Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss the direction of AI development. According to Pichai, Cook was trying to understand Google's roadmap and how its AI technologies were evolving. As part of that conversation, the two discussed Gemini app distribution.
It’s no secret that Apple is keen to bring more third-party AI tools into its Apple Intelligence platform. They’ve already taken steps in this direction with ChatGPT, although that still feels more like a standalone generative tool than something truly baked into the experience.
What will be interesting is how Gemini differs — especially given Google’s deep background in search. Cook reportedly confirmed to Pichai that more third-party AI models would begin shipping as part of Apple Intelligence later this year. So it’s possible we might even get a mention or preview of this at WWDC in early June.
With Siri still lagging far behind expectations, it would make sense for Apple to prioritise some quick wins. And a seamless integration with an established player like Google Gemini might be just the boost they need.
Would you like PDFs to accompany my videos?
Since late 2022, I've been making accompanying PDFs to go alongside my YouTube tutorial videos, and as I write this, there's more than 125 in the library, covering the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, even Apple TV. Each PDF includes a step-by-step guide to go alongside the video, as well as screenshots. If you're interested, you can check them out for yourself here.
Epic deals legal hammer blow to Apple
I think it’s fair to say that it’s been a challenging first four months of the year for Apple. And the news this week that Epic Games has successfully secured an injunction against Apple in a California court only adds to the mounting pressure. This marks another dramatic turn in the ongoing legal and commercial battle over how apps and digital purchases are handled on iOS.
To quickly recap: back in 2020, Epic Games deliberately broke App Store rules by allowing Fortnite players to purchase in-game currency directly from Epic, bypassing Apple’s payment system and the 30% commission it typically takes. Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the App Store, prompting Epic to sue — arguing that Apple’s control over iOS app distribution and payments was anti-competitive and monopolistic.
In 2021, a court agreed — at least in part — ruling that Apple must allow developers to direct users to alternative payment methods. Apple’s response was to introduce a new 27% fee on those external payments, which Epic claimed undermined the court’s decision and made third-party options commercially meaningless.
This latest injunction is a significant blow to Apple, both legally and financially. And honestly, even as someone who generally supports Apple’s products, I can’t say I’m disappointed. Their current App Store policies really do feel monopolistic. I’ve already seen companies move fast to release updated apps to take advantage of the ruling — including Patreon, which recently started charging extra for iOS transactions due to Apple’s cut.
To make matters worse, Apple is also being referred to the Attorney General over possible criminal contempt of court, which could lead to further legal headaches. And just to round things off, Apple held its quarterly earnings call yesterday. In the call, they claimed there was no tariff impact in the last quarter — but warned that we’ll see the effect in the current one, with an estimated $900 million increase in costs due to new trade tariffs. As always with tariffs, those costs will be passed on to consumers, so expect Apple devices to get more expensive in the months ahead.
Tip of the week
Did you know, your Mac can play background sounds, which is perfect if you like to work with background noise. You can even put on a pair of noise cancelling headphones and play them, to really get in the zone!
To access them, open System Settings, then choose Accessibility, then Audio, and toggle on Background Sounds. You can even choose from a range of sounds!
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10 BRILLIANT things your iPhone can do RIGHT NOW
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That's all from me for another week, speak to you next Friday!
