Mark Gurman, a Prominent Apple Insider, Reveals Upcoming Hardware and "Apple Intelligence" Progress
In the latest issue of his newsletter, Mark Gurman— a well-known Apple insider—has disclosed details about Apple’s upcoming hardware products set to launch in the next few months, as well as the development progress of "Apple Intelligence."
According to the leaks, Apple is likely to unveil the iPad Pro featuring the debut of the M5 chip and an upgraded version of the Vision Pro in October.
By comparison, the Vision Pro’s upgrades will be more incremental, including a processor update and new headbands. Gurman noted that this upgrade does not qualify as a full-generation refresh; Apple plans to roll out a more significant overhaul of its headset device by 2027.
The leaks also indicate that Apple is approaching mass production of the next-generation MacBook Pro (codenamed J714 and J716), MacBook Air (J813 and J815), and two all-new Mac displays (J427 and J527). These devices are scheduled for release between the end of this year and the first quarter of next year.
Gurman further revealed that key Apple products in the first half of next year will include the iPhone 17e, a new entry-level iPad, and an upgraded iPad Air. Unlike the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e—whose market positioning overlapped—the iPhone 17 will be "significantly superior to the iPhone 17e," helping to clarify the layout of Apple’s entire smartphone product line.
Apple Intelligence: New AI Developments
Consistent with previous media reports, Gurman stated that Apple has developed an iPhone app similar to ChatGPT, codenamed "Veritas" (Latin for "truth"), which is undergoing internal testing to support the highly anticipated major upgrade of Siri.
Leaks over the past two months have shown that Apple is developing general knowledge retrieval products and AI-powered web search tools, while also "addressing gaps from its 2024 plans"—specifically, rebuilding the Siri voice assistant with support from large AI models.
Gurman disclosed that to test the new Siri technology, Apple has developed a full-featured chatbot codenamed "Veritas." This app allows employees to input requests, receive information, and engage in ChatGPT-like conversations. It can also perform in-app actions, such as editing photos or searching users’ personal data.
However, Apple currently has no plans to release this app to consumers.
In Gurman’s view, this constitutes another strategic mistake by Apple. Services like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini have already proven user demand for chatbots—features such as information retrieval and image generation have demonstrated strong appeal and practical value in real-world use.
Gurman also noted that if Apple only launches the AI-integrated new Siri in spring next year, it may struggle to demonstrate the innovative progress and value it has achieved. Therefore, releasing the chatbot as a standalone product could potentially generate greater attention.
In August, Gurman reported that the core hardware of Apple’s AI strategy is a desktop robot positioned as a "virtual companion," which resembles an "iPad mounted on a movable robotic arm" and can rotate to track users within a room. Apple envisions users placing this robot on desks or kitchen countertops to handle work tasks, browse media, or manage daily affairs.
Gurman revealed that during the development of the desktop robot, Apple engineers are heavily using ChatGPT and Google Gemini to build and test features, and the overall development team is increasingly relying on third-party systems.
As previously reported by Jiupai News, at an investor conference on August 2, Apple acknowledged that it has fallen behind in AI, but CEO Tim Cook did not consider this a major issue. Cook stated at the conference, "Apple is not a company obsessed with being the first to enter an industry, but we can take existing innovative products and transform them into blockbusters that sweep the globe."
Cook further emphasized in his speech that the "pie" for AI will be larger than that of smartphones and the internet, so Apple has now prioritized the development of its AI business. The Apple CEO also pointed out that while Apple is not always the first to enter a market, the company has dominated multiple markets—citing examples like the Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod—and stated that Apple will play a key role in the upcoming AI transformation.
Easter Egg: Manufacturing Location of the iPhone 17 Pro Max
Due to tariff issues, the manufacturing locations of Apple products have recently attracted increasing attention from the capital market.
Although Apple claims that most iPhones sold in the U.S. this year are produced in India, Gurman said the orange version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max in his possession was still manufactured in China. He also expressed skepticism about the possibility of producing the "foldable iPhone" (rumored for next year) outside China.
Gurman added that Apple has also resorted to "wordplay" in labeling product origins. For example, the packaging of AirPods and Apple Watch now reads "product of China/Vietnam" instead of specifying that the product was "made" or "assembled" in a particular country.
According to China Fund News, the Trump administration is currently weighing a new plan aimed at significantly reducing U.S. reliance on chips produced overseas, thereby stimulating domestic manufacturing and reshaping global supply chains. It is reported that the policy’s goal is to require chip companies to maintain a "1:1" ratio between the number of chips produced in the U.S. and the number imported by their customers from overseas manufacturers. Companies unable to maintain this ratio over a certain period will face tariffs.
Reports indicate that this model may pose challenges for major tech companies like Apple and Dell, as they import large quantities of products containing various chips from around the world. If the new system is implemented, these enterprises may need to track the origin of all chips and collaborate with chip manufacturers to ensure that import volumes match U.S. production volumes.
Notably, market sources suggest that Intel—a U.S. chipmaker that has received investment from the U.S. government and NVIDIA—has approached Apple to seek investment from the latter. It is understood that Apple and Intel have also discussed ways to deepen their cooperation. However, the talks are still in the early stages, and an agreement may not be reached immediately.
Apple’s Stock Rises Over 10% This Month
On September 26 (local time), Apple’s stock hit an intraday high for the year. As of press time, Apple’s stock was trading at $255.46 per share, with a market value of approximately $3.79 trillion. The consumer electronics giant has seen a cumulative increase of over 10% in its stock price this month, and it is now less than 2% away from its all-time high.
Apple’s stock rebound is mainly driven by the stronger-than-expected market demand for the iPhone 17 series. Earlier, well-known investment bank Wedbush raised Apple’s target stock price from $270 to $310—representing a potential upside of 21% from the current level. In a research note, Wedbush analysts pointed out that global demand for the iPhone 17 series is 10%-15% higher than that for last year’s iPhone 16, which is driving Apple into a new growth cycle.
Apple’s stock price has experienced increased volatility this year, with a decline of nearly 30% at one point. This volatility stems partly from concerns about costs due to uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariff policies, and partly from investor doubts about the slow progress of Apple’s AI strategy— the market generally believes that Apple lags behind its competitors in the AI field by approximately two years.
Data from Goldman Sachs shows that although Apple has increased the production volume of the iPhone 17 series by 25% year-on-year, the growth rate of demand still far outpaces the expansion of supply. The Chinese market has emerged as a key driver of this demand growth. In a report, Bank of America Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan noted that the delivery time for the iPhone 17 has been extended most significantly in China, which is directly linked to the 15% government subsidy policy. Apple has taken advantage of this by launching a "more value without price increase" strategy: the standard iPhone 17 model now starts with 256GB of storage (a first for the standard lineup) while maintaining its starting price of 5,999 yuan. With the subsidy, the actual out-of-pocket price drops to as low as 5,499 yuan—equivalent to a disguised price reduction of approximately 15% compared to the previous generation—effectively stimulating replacement demand.
Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, believes that China— which accounts for 27% of Apple’s global shipments— is a key pillar of the iPhone 17’s upgrade cycle due to its strong demand. Despite facing negative growth pressure in the Chinese market over the past few years, Apple is expected to return to positive growth in fiscal year 2026 as new products unlock replacement demand.
It is worth noting that iPhone’s share in the high-end smartphone market continues to decline. According to IDC data, in the first quarter of 2025, iPhone’s share of China’s high-end smartphone market (priced above 6,000 yuan) dropped from 70% to 58%. However, analysts predict that once iPhone’s AI capabilities are enhanced, it may regain 10% of the market share. Currently, it has been confirmed that the Chinese version of Apple Intelligence will partner with Alibaba and Baidu, and is scheduled to be rolled out with iOS 26.1 by the end of 2025.
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