Top Stories: Apple's 'Welcome Home' Launch on October 13 and More

Following the usual September rush of Apple news, it looks like October is also about ready to explode, with not just one but two rounds of Apple product debuts this month sandwiched around the iPhone Duo launch.

A first launch on October 13 has been confirmed by Apple and will clearly be focused on the home as has been rumored, while it appears a second round a couple of weeks later will focus on new Macs and perhaps a few more things still in Apple's pipeline, so read on below for all of the details on these stories and more!

Top Stories

Apple Product Launch Announced for October 13: 'Welcome Home'

Apple has announced an upcoming product launch that will take place on Tuesday, October 13. It looks like it will arrive as a batch of press releases, with select members of the media getting hands-on time with the new products at an "Apple Experience" in New York City at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time that day.

We are expecting Apple's announcement to focus on new smart home products, including the long-rumored smart home hub, a new Apple TV 4K, and a refreshed HomePod mini.

iPhone Duo pre-orders also begin next week, and even that might not be all for the month of October as GeekWebGuides has heard there may be another set of product launches in the final week of the month and Bloomberg has corroborated the rumor. We're still expecting updates for several Mac models that would likely come in the final wave, as well as a new iPad mini.

Three Years of 80% Charge Limits on iPhone: The Results

Since 2023, Apple's newer iPhones have had an optional 80 percent charge limit for those who want to extend battery lifespan. Charging to 80 percent instead of 100 percent is supposed to put less stress on the battery, improving longevity.

For the last three years, GeekWebGuides managing editor Juli Clover has used that setting on her iPhones, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, then the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and most recently, the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

After 12 months at an 80 percent maximum charge, her iPhone 17 Pro Max is at 97 percent maximum capacity with a cycle count of 277, which is pretty good, but we want to know how that compares to other users who have used different charging strategies, so please share yours in the discussion thread!

Apple Says iPhone 18 Pro Max Users With AT&T Cellular Issue Need to Have Device Replaced

Since the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max last month, a number of U.S. customers with the Pro Max model on AT&T have run into issues with their devices losing cellular service and no way to fix the issue.

AT&T last week sent out text messages to iPhone 18 Pro Max users urging them to update "immediately" to iOS 27.0.1, which was released by Apple on September 28. While that update does not fix the service issues for affected users, it will apparently help keep the issue from impacting devices that have yet to run into problems.

Apple and AT&T have not shared details on exactly what the issue is or what caused it, but it's significant enough that affected devices have to be replaced. Notably, iPhone 18 Pro Max models sold in the United States are the only ones in the iPhone 18 Pro family to still use a Qualcomm cellular modem rather than Apple's own C2 modem, but it's unclear if that is related to the issue.

MacBook Pro With OLED Display Rumored to Be 'Significantly Lighter'

One of the Mac updates we're expecting to see as part of a reported October 27 launch is the long-rumored high-end MacBook with a touchscreen OLED display.

Notably, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that these machines will be "significantly lighter" than the current MacBook Pro models, though they won't be much thinner.

We're continuing to see evidence of the upcoming touch capabilities for these machines, with the latest beta of macOS 27.2 adding a new animation when long pressing on Dock icons that's similar to what's seen on touch-based operating systems like iOS and iPadOS, plus code for a number of new touch-specific gestures.

LG Making Doorbell, Lock, and Cameras for Apple's Home Hub

In a bit of an unusual development, Apple will be partnering with LG for its upcoming smart home push set to be unveiled on Tuesday, with the two companies working together on accessories that will be released under the LG brand rather than as Apple-branded products.

Products like doorbells, smart locks, and cameras will be included in the lineup, and regulatory documents and leaked code have already provided glimpses of some of the products. While the products are being released by LG, the collaboration with Apple will give them tighter integration and simpler setup within the Apple ecosystem.

Apple Announces 'Full Disk Access' Changes on macOS Due to AI Agents

In a post on its developer news website late last week, Apple announced that it will be introducing "additional controls" for the "Full Disk Access" setting on macOS due to new risks posed by AI agents. This comes amid the rise of always-on AI agents like Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots, which have prompted privacy concerns.

"Some developers are using Full Disk Access in ways that could put users at risk, exposing everything on their systems—including files, mail, messages, and even browsing history—without users' full knowledge and understanding," said Apple.

"As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially," it added.

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