TechCapsules

Apple’s regulatory filing for the iPhone Duo disclosed a combined battery capacity of 4,883 mAh, split between a 2,962 mAh primary cell and a 1,921 mAh secondary cell. This places the Duo squarely between the iPhone 18 Pro’s 4,288 mAh battery and the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s 5,567 mAh unit, making it one of the largest capacities in the current lineup, surpassed only by the two newest Pro Max models. The Duo’s dual‑cell design also means a physically larger battery pack, though heavy use of its larger internal [...]

iPhone Duo pre‑orders have opened, while the iPhone 18 Pro has been on sale for a month and is back‑ordered through January. Apple’s 2027 roadmap promises a busy year: a spring launch of a base iPhone 18 model, likely a modest upgrade with more RAM, a new C2 modem, and the A20 chip at a starting price of $899, followed by the iPhone 18e sharing components with the flagship. In the fall, Apple will mark the iPhone’s 20th anniversary with a [...]

‘You Can See Everything’ opened to a $15 million weekend, the second‑largest debut for any documentary, despite playing in just 855 theaters. The three‑hour film, unveiled at Telluride, chronicles Elizabeth Holmes’s ascent and collapse at Theranos and was filmed with unprecedented access to Holmes and her family shortly before her imprisonment. Co‑directed by comedian Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the documentary holds a 99 % approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic and has sold out roughly 2,000 screenings [...]

The Apple Watch Series 12 impressed reviewers as a solid replacement for WHOOP fitness trackers, offering an always‑on heart‑rate sensor and a redesigned Health app. The new app, previewed briefly in iOS 27.2, introduced features such as Readiness, Health Age, integrated Vitals and Sleep data, and a cleaner interface. Apple removed the beta after a short run, promising a return in a later iOS beta—likely 27.3—before a full release by year‑end. The author praises the app’s usability but misses [...]

Apple is expanding the functionality of its iPhone Phone app with two features already available in iOS 26 and a third slated for iOS 27. Hold Assist, introduced last year, automatically detects when a call is placed on hold and notifies the user when the other party returns, reducing idle waiting time. Call Screening, also part of iOS 26, intercepts calls from unsaved numbers, prompts callers to identify themselves, and displays their message on the lock screen, giving users a [...]

Apple unveiled HomeView, a dedicated smart‑home hub with a large touchscreen, at its recent smart‑home event. The device resembles a HomePod with a display, but runs a limited, home‑automation‑only OS that excludes an App Store and mainstream streaming apps. Priced at $299 for both the tabletop and wall‑mounted versions, it lacks the optional speaker base and adds extra cost for mounting hardware. HomeView integrates with Apple’s Home app, supports doorbell video, FaceTime calls, and music playback, but [...]

Benchmark announced a $2 billion raise across two funds—the first time in its 31‑year history it has launched a vehicle larger than its traditional core fund. At TechCrunch Disrupt, the firm’s five general partners emphasized their deliberately slow investment tempo, targeting only two to three new bets per partner each year, and maintaining agenda‑free partner meetings despite a rapidly accelerating market. The core fund, held at $500 million for two decades, was modestly inflated to match current economic conditions, [...]

SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell began following Tesla’s X account on Sunday, a subtle move that surfaced amid heightened speculation about a possible merger between the two Elon Musk‑controlled companies. Analysts have warned that an all‑stock deal could be announced before Tesla’s annual meeting on Dec. 6, while others project a 2027 timeline. Shotwell, who now oversees SpaceX operations, AI compute and the Grok platform after SpaceX absorbed xAI, has been a focal point for integration talks; she previously [...]