Apple's week October 11: Health+, RIP Clips, & App Store control

It's been quite the drama since Apple removed ICEBlock from the App Store. Additional ICE-related apps have been removed since, and a lot of people have very strong opinions about what they'd do if they were CEO.

Don't worry, this isn't another post about these events. I spent more than enough time on this week's AppleInsider Podcast discussing how I feel about Apple's decisions. It's yet another compromise that feels bad, but from a business perspective, it makes sense. No, we shouldn't be capitulating to authoritarianism, as it's a slippery slope, but Apple isn't a person and has no power in the situation.

Only the American people have power in dealing with the government. Corporations can sue, but ultimately, operate within the bounds of the law. And currently, there isn't any sense of law and order in the United States. It's a bad place for anyone.

Anyway, on to more recent news.

• Apple's leadership closes in on retirement
• The Underdogs return
• NPR Podcast chief joins Apple
• iPhone Fold rumors continue
• Jeff Williams passes on responsibilities
• RIP Clips
• Health+

Apple's shifting priorities

There seems to be a narrative going around that Apple's increased attention on smart glasses means it is abandoning Apple Vision Pro. As I've said before, that's a silly notion.

Just because Apple moved some employees onto a prioritized product doesn't mean that Apple Vision Pro is suddenly forgotten. We're weeks away from the M5 revision of Apple Vision Pro, which means we're nearly two years away from another revision.

In the meantime, Apple plans to release a set of smart glasses. They're expected to be revealed in 2026 and sold by early 2027. If work on a thinner and lighter Apple Vision Pro has gone as far as it can in the short term, then there's no reason to leave team members focused there. I have little doubt that both Apple Vision Pro and smart glasses can and will exist in parallel.

There have been a lot of rumors around an iPhone Fold in recent months, though, in my opinion, none that prove an imminent release any more than previous ones. However, talk of the device has increased among pundits, likely because of Google's push into the space in the past year, but I'm not totally confident.

With Apple smart glasses on the way and soon after, a thinner and lighter Apple Vision Pro, the utility of a foldable appears lessened. If the goal is to have more display space in a more portable package, then you're not going to do better than an infinite canvas behind a wearable display.

We're likely a decade away from true AR glasses that are transparent and run visionOS proper. But in the meantime, we will have sci-fi-like visors that pass through footage of the real world in 3D. Apple's first iteration of passthrough was already quite amazing, so imagine how this improves over time.

Pair that experience with a device that can be worn over the eyes with a closer fit, like ski goggles. They're not as elegant as glasses, sure, but with enough battery and a comfortable-enough fit, and it's likely they can be worn in much more environments, more naturally, and longer.

The current Apple Vision Pro is just too big and heavy to wear outside of the office. While I don't necessarily want to wear such goggles out in public, I could see that becoming an option. These fully immersive goggles would be the half-step to Apple's true AR glasses, and they'll be powerful.

I expect this "Apple Vision Air" that's been rumored could be closer, if not the device, that I describe. Expect them by the end of 2027 or early 2028.

Foldables though? I'm guessing we'll hear about yet another "delay" in early 2026 that punts the iPhone Fold to 2027 or later.

Health+

It seems the advances in Apple Health that will bring native food tracking, an AI-powered assistant, and more will be tied to a subscription. It makes sense as Apple continues its push into services. However, like Fitness+, News+, and Apple Arcade, I expect Health+ will be marketed more as an add-on via Apple One.

Sure, there will be a standalone subscription, likely $5 a month or so, but anyone with Apple One Premiere will get Health+ thrown in. It's going to be a tricky feature set for Apple to navigate since it doesn't want to end up in a position where every software upgrade has to go through the FDA.

The AI "doctor" will likely be no more than a simple search and answer tool. It seems Apple will be providing more articles, and now videos, with information pertaining to different health metrics, medications, and more.

So, instead of having an AI confidently answer critical health questions, it will likely be an intermediary to professional data. The AI systems will use local health data to generate a holistic view of the user. Their medical history from attached medical records, logged data from health apps, and more will let the AI provide summaries and actionable data points.

When the user asks a question, it will likely show the data it has on the user in an easy-to-read format, then, using context clues, offer up articles or videos pertaining to the subject provided by Apple Health+.

This system will bypass the known problems with hallucinations and confidently wrong data provided by AI. Expect that the Health app will provide details and information that are actionable, but won't qualify as medical advice.

Scheduling

There's a solid chance I'll be too busy to make any significant posts in the next two weeks. Wedding prep begins next Friday, when I'd normally write these posts, then the wedding is Saturday, then we're on our honeymoon until the following weekend.

There's a chance I'll have time the weekend following the honeymoon to make a normal post, but I can't make any promises. After that, the schedule is back to normal. Weekly posts, and perhaps more soon as my schedule opens up. I hope to start writing about the apps I use and test as a separate project in the future.

In the meantime, it's time to get married! I've been with Natalie for five years now, and we're so excited to take this next step together. If you'd like to support our honeymoon fund, feel free to use the Buy Me a Coffee service I've set up for tips on this blog. Anything helps!

Thanks again for reading and see you all back here soon!