Articles on MacRumors by Hartley Charlton
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Hartley Charlton

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Hartley is a Senior Editor at MacRumors and co-host of "The MacRumors Show" podcast; he contributes to daily news coverage and writes a wide range of content for the site. Various publications and aggregators often cite Hartley's articles. Additionally, he occasionally appears as a guest on other media outlets, such as the BBC, Al Jazeera, and CBS News, to share his knowledge of the industry.

Having closely followed Apple news and rumors for almost a decade, Hartley joined MacRumors in early 2020 as a Contributing Writer while completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in History at the University of Nottingham. After graduation, he joined us as a full-time Editor. His work at MacRumors has since expanded into several areas beyond news coverage, including buyer's guides, roundups, and occasional product reviews.

In late 2021, Hartley helped launch The MacRumors Show and now co-hosts the popular podcast on a weekly basis, bringing our coverage to a wider audience, with a flare of personal opinion.

Hartley lives in Hertfordshire, England. Beyond technology, his other interests include travel, music, and tennis. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @ihxrtlxy and on Instagram at @hxrtlxy_.

Hartley Charlton's Articles

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Apple Watch Ultra 4 Could Get Redesign and Blood Pressure Monitoring

Monday May 18, 2026 9:08 am PDT by
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 could feature a complete redesign and blood pressure monitoring, according to DigiTimes. Apple will apparently add a new high blood pressure notification feature to the Apple Watch that uses the optical heart-rate sensor on the back of the device to analyze how blood vessels respond to each heartbeat, sending alerts when an abnormal pattern is detected. The feature is ...
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New Apple Card Holders Can Get Free AirPods Pro 3, But There's a Catch

Monday May 18, 2026 8:11 am PDT by
Apple today launched a new promotion offering new Apple Card holders the chance to earn back the cost of AirPods Pro 3 through monthly cash rebates, but there is a recurring spend requirement attached. Customers who open a new ‌Apple Card‌ account and purchase ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ directly from Apple by June 15 will qualify. Starting July 1 and running through April 30, 2027, cardholders can earn $25 ...
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Foldable iPhone Production Stalls Amid Hinge Issues

Monday May 18, 2026 7:29 am PDT by
Trial production of Apple's long-anticipated foldable iPhone, likely called the "iPhone Ultra," has run into a significant engineering hurdle centered on hinge reliability, according to a known leaker. The leaker known as "Instant Digital" posted on Weibo that the foldable device's hinge is consistently failing to meet Apple's quality control standards under conditions of prolonged,...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Named Fastest-Charging Smartphone

Friday May 15, 2026 8:52 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro has been named the fastest-charging phone overall in a new CNET lab test covering 33 smartphones, with Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra taking the top spot for wired charging speed. To determine the rankings, CNET's lab team ran each phone through a 30-minute wired charging test starting at 10% battery or less, using the phone's included cable and a wall charger rated at or...
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The MacRumors Show: Gemini Announcements and Apple Watch Series 12 Rumors

Friday May 15, 2026 7:30 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Google's latest wave of announcements for Android and Gemini, the newly announced Fitbit Air, and Apple Watch Series 12 rumors. Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ YouTube channel for more videos The centerpiece of Google's announcements this week was Gemini Intelligence, Google's new umbrella platform for AI across phones, watches, cars,...
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Spotify to Adopt Apple's Technology for Video Podcasts

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:02 am PDT by
Spotify today announced plans to adopt Apple's HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology for video podcasts, a move that will allow creators to distribute video shows across both platforms without changing their existing setup. Apple introduced an enhanced HLS-based video podcast experience for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, and the web at the end of March. The upgrade significantly improves ...
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Apple Defends Google Against EU Proposal to Give AI Rivals Access to Services

Wednesday May 13, 2026 9:08 am PDT by
Apple has stepped in to warn that EU proposals to force Google to open Android to competing AI services pose serious risks to user privacy, security, and safety. Apple's latest submission to the EU comes (via Reuters) in response to the European Commission's call for feedback on draft measures designed to help Google comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The proposals would allow...
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Few Smartphone Owners Care About Foldables or AI, Survey Suggests

Wednesday May 13, 2026 7:04 am PDT by
A new survey suggests most U.S. smartphone owners are not motivated to upgrade by foldable phone designs or AI features, a potential challenge for Apple as it prepares to launch both the rumored "iPhone Ultra" and an expanded suite of Apple Intelligence features this fall. The survey, commissioned by CNET and conducted by YouGov across 2,407 U.S. smartphone owners between April 29 and May 1, ...
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Apple's Foldable iPhone Has a Surprising Priority

Tuesday May 12, 2026 8:48 am PDT by
Apple sees the Camera Control button as a key feature of the foldable iPhone "Ultra," according to a known leaker. In a recent series of Weibo posts, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" said that Apple has made deliberate engineering compromises to ensure that the first foldable iPhone features a Camera Control button, despite it being at least 1.1mm thinner than the iPhone Air when...
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Apple Sales Coach Will Use AI-Generated Video Presenters

Tuesday May 12, 2026 7:43 am PDT by
The Apple Sales Coach app will begin using AI-generated video presenters to deliver personalized training content to retail salespeople around the world. In a new video message, an Apple trainer said that the update addresses a limitation of traditional training programs: the impossibility of creating truly individualized content for hundreds of thousands of salespeople across different...
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Much Brighter iPhone Display Still Years Away, Leaker Suggests

Tuesday May 12, 2026 7:14 am PDT by
Chinese leaker "Instant Digital" today said the iPhone 18 Pro will not feature dual-layer OLED technology, adding that Apple's current thermal management approach remains a limiting factor for sustained outdoor brightness on Pro iPhones. In a new post on Weibo, Instant Digital commented on a question about when dual-layer OLED would arrive on iPhone, saying simply: "In any case, the 18 Pro...
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Tap to Pay on iPhone Launches in South Africa

Tuesday May 12, 2026 4:15 am PDT by
Apple today announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available in South Africa, allowing merchants to accept contactless payments using only their iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app. The feature lets businesses of any size accept contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets at checkout. Merchants prompt customers to hold their card, iPhone, Apple Watch, or...
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Foldable iPhone 'Ultra' Rumored to Launch in Just Two Colors

Monday May 11, 2026 7:39 am PDT by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, expected to be called the "iPhone Ultra," is shaping up to launch with a noticeably restrained selection of colors, according to multiple leakers, with sources pointing to as few as two options and a deliberate avoidance of bold or vibrant finishes for the device. In February, the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" shared a broader account of the foldable...
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These Are iPhone 18 Pro's Four Color Options

Friday May 8, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
The color options for Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max models were recently revealed by a plausible leak — here's what to expect. Citing sources said to be familiar with the matter, the information largely comes from Macworld. The report claims that the signature new color for this year's Pro iPhone models will be Dark Cherry, a deep wine-like red. While other sources...
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The MacRumors Show: Is Apple Downgrading iPhone 18 Due to Memory Shortage?

Friday May 8, 2026 7:47 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through how the global memory shortage is forcing Apple's hand across multiple key products, killing configurations, delaying launches, and prompting spec decisions that would have seemed unlikely a year ago. Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ YouTube channel for more videos The pressure originates outside Apple's control. JPMorgan analysis...
Apple Could Be Working on Spatial iPhone With Holographic Display Feature

Apple Could Be Working on 'Spatial iPhone' With Holographic Display

Thursday May 7, 2026 9:08 am PDT by
Samsung is reportedly developing a holographic smartphone display that could be used in a rumored "Spatial iPhone." The claims come from the leaker known as "Schrödinger" on X, who shared screenshots of messages with an unnamed insider purportedly familiar with the project. Sources have apparently heard discussions about a "Spatial iPhone" in the supply chain, though no credible details...
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Leaker: This Is Why Apple Is Delaying the iPhone 18

Wednesday May 6, 2026 7:56 am PDT by
Apple proactively chose to delay the standard iPhone 18 as a deliberate market strategy, the leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital" claims, with the move said to extend the iPhone 17's sales window while lowering production costs and improving Apple's competitive position against Android rivals. In two new posts on Weibo, Fixed Focus Digital said that a downgrade to the ‌iPhone 18‌ standard...
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'iPhone Ultra' Could Be Industry's Most Repairable Foldable

Wednesday May 6, 2026 5:51 am PDT by
The leaker "Instant Digital" today revisited their February design report on the foldable iPhone, claiming the device's internal design will make it the easiest-to-disassemble and easiest-to-repair foldable phone in the industry. In a new post on Weibo, Instant Digital said the device's "incredibly rigorous underlying engineering logic" has "truly paid off," and predicted that teardown...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Rumored to Keep Aluminum Finish Amid Durability Complaints

Tuesday May 5, 2026 9:41 am PDT by
The iPhone 18 Pro will reportedly carry over the same anodized aluminum finish introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro, despite concerns from some users about its durability. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital," surface chipping on the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ has become a common complaint, and that users who have sought recourse from Apple have been told they cannot claim it, with...
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Apple Manufacturing Academy Hosts AI Showcase

Tuesday May 5, 2026 6:27 am PDT by
Apple this week held the inaugural Spring Forum for its Manufacturing Academy in East Lansing, Michigan, gathering hundreds of U.S. manufacturers at Michigan State University to demonstrate how businesses are applying AI techniques learned through the program. The event was the academy's largest to date. Offsite tours formed a central part of the program, with Block Imaging, a Michigan...