Commentary: As someone who has been writing about the iPhone for over a decade, I'm ready to see Apple step it up in this perhaps unexpected way.

August, meaning that Apple's annual iPhone event is just around the corner. This year, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone

The iPhone 17 is reportedly rumored to be announced in September, meaning Californians may be just weeks away from their next upgrade. Last year, Apple introduced its iPhone 16 range on Sept. 9, with the new phones ready for pre-order later that week. In September of 2023, Apple unveiled its iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

That's a big problem for Apple, because it means fewer iPhone sales and the risk of losing market share to rivals, including Samsung. According to data from Telemetry, the most commonly owned iPhone is the iPhone 13, representing 16.3% of all iPhones in use.

The standard iPhone 17 could see some welcome display upgrades. At least one supply chain source claimed it will add a 120Hz variable refresh rate (ProMotion) display, which the Pro series has used since 2021.

Apple has released iOS 26 developer beta 7, featuring a redesigned interface, Apple Intelligence improvements, and updates to core apps. The update runs on iPhone SE (2nd generation) and newer models,

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Monday the UK had agreed to drop its mandate for iPhone maker Apple to provide a "backdoor" that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens.

There's one limitation, though. Android and PC users can't start a FaceTime call on their own. They'll need an Apple user to create the link and invite them before they can join in. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to initiate FaceTime calls to Android users if you're an iPhone user, and how to receive FaceTime calls if you use an Android phone.