Latest issue 11 Sep 2026

418: Just the Two of Us

New phones, new watches, and new platform upgrades next week!

Apple’s event came and left us with new phones, new watches, new AirPods, and a release date for the 27 platform upgrades. Also, we learn about Keychain files in Tahoe, migrating password managers, and safe mode.

iMazing Business: tools and automations to backup, supervise, enroll, and configure fleets of Apple devices from both Mac and PC.

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Just the Two of Us

Apple had their September event earlier this week. Most of the announcements had been leaked (or spoiled) before, but it is always interesting to finally get the details.

iPhone Duo, with a foldable screen, was announced at an eye-watering price. (Exaggerated for us Europeans by Apple holding on to a very generous (for them) Euro-Dollar exchange rate.) iPhone Pro 18 comes with some new camera tech and other improvements. Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 have an new SoC with new health features. And the new AirPods (no moniker) are bucking the trend and actually got cheaper, or at least same price with more features.

Back when iPhone Air was released last year, I speculated this could be like the releases of PowerMac G4 Cube or the 12” retina MacBook. These products were introduced at high prices, because they were pushing at the boundaries of what was technically possible. Neither lasted very long, but some of the technologies used in them made their way into other product lines. We are certainly seeing some design elements and tech of iPhone Air in iPhone Duo.

But this could also be like the introduction of MacBook Air, which started out expensive, but then dropped in price over time as the components became more common. One the other hand, the iPhone X and Mac Studio were able to establish an entirely new product category at a new price range. The Mac mini did this on the low end of the price spectrum, as might the MacBook Neo.

The jury is still out on iPhone Air (and Apple Vision Pro, for that matter...) and it will be interesting to see which path iPhone Duo takes.

For the price of an iPhone Duo, you can easily get an iPhone Pro and an iPad. You will have the advantage of more powerful devices and larger screens, but then you have to charge, carry, and switch between two devices.

Also, when closed, iPhone Duo is smaller than the other iPhone models, even though it is thicker. (But even folded, it is still thinner than the original iPhone!) I still miss iPhone mini, but am not convinced that I would like to pay three times as much to get that form factor back.

Overall, iPhone Duo is intriguing and I will definitely head to an Apple Store to see and hold one. I wasn’t planning to upgrade my phone this year, anyway (my iPhone 15 Pro is good for another year) but I will start watching the real-world experiences with the foldable and maybe start to put some funds on the side for next year.

We also got the release date for macOS 27 Golden Gate, iOS 27 and all the other 27 upgrades: September 14, which is… checks notes… next Monday! Are you ready?

Sponsorships available!

There is one opening left for sponsoring this year. If you are interested, please reply to get in touch.

⚙️ Apple Updates

iOS 26.6.2: About, Enterprise
iPadOS 26.6.2: About, Enterprise

Resolved an issue where software updates performed over cellular would not proceed

Prepare to update or upgrade macOS

Howard Oakley:

What if any preparations do you need to make before upgrading or updating then, or in the coming weeks?

🔐 Security and Privacy

Switching Password Managers in 2026

Ricky Mondello:

Would you believe me if I told you that the best device to switch password managers on might be your iPhone or iPad?

Rich Trouton:

Historically, you could copy the login keychain file from one Mac to another and be able to open it on the destination Mac by providing the password to that keychain. As of macOS Tahoe, this does not appear to work for Macs which use Secure Enclave.

🔨 Support and Tutorials

What does Safe mode do, and when to use it?

Howard Oakley:

can be used to diagnose the cause of almost any problem caused by third-party software, and may make some tasks such as obtaining and installing macOS software updates possible, when they fail in normal user mode.

The macOS Command Line Tools Every Apple Admin Should Know

Matt Jerome, Jamf Tech Thoughts:

Here are some commands for new—and not-so-new—Apple admins that will hopefully give you a leg up.

🤖 Scripting and Automation

Jamf Platform API Gateway: Now Generally Available

Mignon Wagner, Jamf Blog:

The Platform API Gateway offers a single endpoint and one authentication model for integrating with Jamf

Checkpoint

Jordy Thery:

Checkpoint is a macOS app for Mac admins that cross-references devices between Apple Business and Jamf Pro.

New Outlook for Mac drops AppleScript

Microsoft (via Bill Smith):

Because these patterns can’t be standardized, full compatibility isn’t feasible. We have decided not to move forward with this feature. We apologize for the inconvenience.

This is one more sad step away from accessible, personal automation.

🍏 Apple Support

♻️ Updates and Releases

🎧 Listen

Recovered MacBook, Client Trust, and Preparing for Rosetta 2’s Phaseout

Command Control Power:

Sam and Joe discuss being short-staffed while covering client onboarding and ticket work, and how client relationships shift when a different technician becomes the main contact.

The printer is the least secure piece of equipment you have

Apple @ Work:

Kevin Pickhardt from Pharos joins the show to talk about the infosec challenges and balance around paper backups, audit trails, and more.

Loyalty points fraud is funding hacker holidays

Lock and Code, Malwarebytes:

we speak with Sutherland about loyalty points theft— how it happens, what companies are doing to protect customers, and what people can do to stay safe.

🎈 Just For Fun

Afterglow

Run classic After Dark screen savers on modern macOS

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