Although 2017 will see Apple generate billions of dollars in profit and only add to its ever-growing cash hoard, 2018 looks even more promising.
Several reports this week surfaced saying Apple could have a lucrative 2018. In addition to reports that Apple will offer three new iPhones next year in a bid to increase revenue in that critical product segment, the company’s AirPods earbuds are also set to soar.
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Beyond that, the week was dominated by small improvements to some of Apple’s platforms, including talk of an acquisition that could bolster its Podcasts app and a new cash-transfer feature in Apple Pay that could increase the mobile wallet’s usage.
This is Fortune’s latest weekly roundup of the biggest Apple news. Here’s last week’s roundup.
Overall, the week hasn’t been too bad for Apple. Read on to learn more about some of the biggest Apple news from the last several days:
- Apple will offer three new iPhones next year, including one with a lower price and metal back panel, a report this week said. The other two models will be true successors to the iPhone X, featuring big screens and a glass back panel. The third version will be cheaper than the others and have a metal back to save cash on the cheaper material. The metal iPhone will also include liquid crystal display (LCD) screen technology, which is cheaper than the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen technology Apple used in the iPhone X and is reportedly planning for the other models.
- Apple’s popular AirPods wireless earbuds are set for even stronger sales growth in 2018, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported this week. He said that Apple will sell between 26 million and 28 million AirPods units worldwide next year, doubling the between 13 million and 14 million units it’s expected to sell in 2017.
- According to economists speaking to the Financial Times this week, Apple could save a whopping $47.3 billion in taxes if the latest tax reform package passed by the Senate last week becomes law.
- Apple this week fixed a bug that apparently would have allowed malicious hackers to take control over smart home gadgets controlled by iPhones and iPads. The hack affected an Apple application called HomeKit and could have allowed hackers to remotely control door locks, light bulbs, and other products.
- A report this week said Apple has acquired an audio file organization startup named Pop Up Archive. The company is best known for its podcast search, called Audiosear.ch. I can’t help but wonder if Pop Up Archive’s technology will be used to improve the downright mediocre searching features built into Apple’s existing Podcasts app. Apple won’t say what its plans are for Pop up Archive.
- If you’re on the lookout for an iPhone X that isn’t tied to any carrier, Apple this week began selling so-called “unlocked” iPhone X units. The unlocked iPhone X units cost the same $1,000 and $1,149 as the models that are tied to a specific carrier network.
- Apple this week started rolling out Apple Pay Cash to its iPhone users. The feature helps users send cash digitally to friends and family through the company’s iMessage service. The funds are transferred from one user’s Apple Pay account to another’s. It’s similar to competitors Venmo and Apple Pay Cash, but built directly into Apple’s operating system, giving the service an important competitive advantage.
One more thing…Looking for an iPad or MacBook accessory for that special someone in your life? Here’s our guide to some of the best options out there.
