Welcome to the fourth Keynote del Domingo, the weekly roundup of the most important Apple news, explained in five minutes and with an opinion. Every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. on minchu.tech.
After Mac week, it was time for numbers week: Apple closed the best year in its history in John Ternus’s first quarter as CEO and went out to borrow $7.5 billion. Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo is still nearly impossible to get, the first iOS 27.3 beta arrived, and Apple warned of spyware attacks in 99 countries, with German lawmakers among the targets. Here are the 10 stories of the week.
Apple, by the numbers
1. A record year in John Ternus’s debut. Apple brought in $114.5 billion between July and September (up 12%) and closed the best fiscal year in its history, with $478.8 billion. iPhone grew 17% and Mac 24%, while iPad fell 10%. Keep in mind: the iPhone Duo isn’t in these numbers yet. What matters most to us as buyers is the warning about memory: Apple expects it to keep getting more expensive and doesn’t rule out more price increases. The numbers and what they mean for you.
2. Apple borrows $7.5 billion. It’s the company’s first bond sale since May 2025: seven tranches through 2036, with rates of up to 5.35%, and demand that topped $30 billion. With nearly $137 billion in cash, Apple doesn’t need the money; the key is that most of it goes back to shareholders through buybacks and dividends. Why a company with so much cash takes on debt.
The iPhone Duo, two weeks later
3. A nearly three-month wait and a memo to stores. According to UBS, the average iPhone Duo wait is about 89 days, and Ternus admitted that Apple doesn’t know when supply and demand will balance out. Apple has also sent its stores and service providers instructions to repair or replace units with cracked displays. If you want one, in-store pickup is still your best bet. Where things stand and what to do.
4. Apple asks buyers for feedback. Some Duo owners are getting a survey about the crease, the 5.4-inch outer display, and the 4MP under-display camera. The interesting part is what it doesn’t ask: nothing about the cracks or Touch ID. If you get one, use the open question at the end to tell Apple. What it asks and what it leaves out.
5. More than 100,000 optimized apps. Apple says thousands more are added every day, including Word, Outlook, and Zoom. Some very common ones are still missing, like Google Docs, Teams, and Duolingo. Before you buy, check whether your everyday apps carry the “Made for iPhone Duo” badge. What counts as optimized and how to check.
Software and security
6. iOS 27.3 beta: the redesigned Health app is back. It’s the biggest update since iOS 27: the redesigned Health app returns, Safari gets vertical tabs and an adaptive dark mode, and Siri AI gains in-app actions. The catch: Siri AI is still unavailable on iPhone in the EU. The final version arrives in December. Everything that’s new.
7. Spyware alerts in 99 countries, German lawmakers among them. Apple has sent a new wave of threat notifications about mercenary spyware, the second in less than three months. In Germany, the BSI confirmed that members of the Bundestag were among those notified. If you’re not a journalist, politician, or activist, the real risk for you is fake alerts: Apple will never ask you to tap a link. How to tell if it’s real and what to do.
Rumors and debate
8. The 2027 iPhone Pro could lose the Action button. According to a leak, its functions would move to Camera Control, as already happens on the iPhone Duo. It’s only a rumor, and the source has been wrong about this very button before. What we know and what we don’t.
9. MacBook Neo 2 in the first half of 2027. According to Mark Gurman, it would come with an A19 Pro chip, 12GB of RAM, and new colors. The 12GB is what you’d notice most; the big question is the price, after the current model already got more expensive this year. Buy now or wait.
10. Is Apple betraying Steve Jobs with the touchscreen Mac? In 2010, Jobs said a touchscreen laptop makes your arm tired. Sixteen years later, the MacBook Pro PROLED XDR, which hit stores this Friday, does exactly that. My take: Apple is going against one Jobs quote, not against his underlying idea, although the tired-arm problem still has no answer. The full debate.
This week’s guides
If you’re setting up a new device, this week I left you the complete kit: how to move everything to your new Mac with Migration Assistant, what to do before selling or giving away your iPhone or Mac, how to check your iPhone’s battery health and make it last longer, and 6 iOS 27 tricks almost nobody uses. On the podcast, Desmontando la Manzana S1E2 looks back at Mac week. And on a personal note, I told you how AI is helping me take care of my health.
Your turn
Are you still waiting for your iPhone Duo, or have you given up? Will you install the iOS 27.3 beta? Reply to me on X, Instagram, or Threads.
See you next Sunday.
